May 15, 2019
John 10:31-42 New Living Translation (NLT)
Did you know getting familiar with the Voice of God’s Spirit is the perfect way to navigate through the difficult places in life? Jesus tells his disciples, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard from me. He will tell you about the future” (John 16:13). It is the work of the Spirit to guide God’s people; to speak into our spirits in order to protect us and help us avoid danger, as well as guide us into blessings. It was the guiding of the Holy Spirit that helped those in the early church prepare for a future famine (Acts 11:27-29). The Holy Spirit hindered the Apostle Paul from going to certain places to preach the Gospel because it wasn’t safe, so he taught Christ’s disciples to listen, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
In our passage today, Jesus has been speaking at the Temple. The Spirit of God is upon him to preach the Gospel and to heal lives. The religious leaders have been listening for Jesus to say something that would be grounds for his termination. Even in the face of Christ’s many miracles, these religious leaders accuse him of blasphemy, because Jesus says, “The Father and I are one” (John 10:30). Because the religious leaders want to capture and kill Jesus, the Holy Spirit supernaturally guides the Lord through the midst of a crowd to escape.
As we extend our lives to the work of the Spirit, we are assured of his guidance. The Spirit sees what we do not see; knows what we do not know, and understands the heart of the Father and his will for our lives. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead your life; to be your Guide. Invite him to take on the role of being your Teacher and Leader, because no matter what the enemy may use to attack you, the Spirit will make a way of escape. The key is to cooperate with the Spirit.
John 10:31-42
31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”
33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. 37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. 38 But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”
39 Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the guidance of your Spirit. No weapon formed against me can prosper when I place my life in your hands. In Jesus’ name. Amen.