John 1

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 3: There is a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This one COMES TO HIM IN THE NIGHT and says to him: “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can perform these signs that you perform unless God is with him.”

- Is that religious leaders know what they want to know and don’t what they don’t want to?

- They know who Jesus is right at the beginning!

- Nicodemus doesn’t want the other Pharisees to know he comes to see Jesus!

- He is afraid of the other Pharisees!

- LIGHT VS DARKNESS

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 3: In response Jesus says to him: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus says to him : “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter into the womb of his mother a second time and be born, can he?” Jesus answers: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born from water and spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the spirit is spirit… In answer Nicodemus says to him:”How can these things be?” Jesus replies: “Are you a teacher of Israel and yet do not know these things?...If I have told you earthly things and you still do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?...


- Knowledge vs Ignorance

- Inability to understand because of man’s tradition: is it different today?

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 5: Jesus cures a paralytic who has been ill for 38 years on the Sabbath.

So the Jews begin to say to the cured man: “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to carry the mat.”

- In fact they are only interested by man’s tradition when it is good for their own interests but when it is not they don’t care especially when nobody is there.

- It is also clear they have no heart, they are completely closed to man’s pain and suffering and are only looking for their own interests. They think that religion is a business and also a way to control people and maintain them in ignorance.

- They have no respect for this man who has been a paralytic for all his life, they are disgusting and spiritually dead!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 7: When the festival is half over, Jesus goes up into the temple and begins teaching. And the Jews are astonished, saying: “How does this man have such a knowledge of the Scriptures when he has not studied at the schools?”

- If you don’t belong to the same mafia, they can’t accept you because you are different. Jesus is different, it has always been so in this world that’s why we are where we are and it also explains the impossibility to adapt and to stay close to man’s tradition! That’s why we get empty speeches! Of course, Jesus teaches but we have many examples of his dialogues with different types of people and he has always an answer and he always tries to make people think!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 7: Jesus, in turn, answers them and says: “What I teach is not mine, but belongs to him who sent me. If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or I speak of my own originality. Whoever speaks of his own originality is seeking his own glory; but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him, this one is true and there is no unrighteousness in him

- Yes, Jesus seeks God’s glory while the religious leaders seek their own glory!

- To understand that, we just have to think about Jesus’ life with nothing for him and about how the religious leaders live!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 7: Stop judging by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

- Here we get the real conclusion of Jesus vs the religious leaders

- And in this world, it’s not going to change unfortunately, that’s the root of badness, the impossibility to judge with righteous judgment, really boring, and it’s everywhere the same story!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 7: Then the officers go back to the chief priests and Pharisees, and the latter say to them: “Why did you not bring him in?” The officers reply: “Never has any man spoken like this.”

- When you know someone and you know about his life and he says what he lives, his words are powerful otherwise it is only empty words! Then you can compare it to what you live and it makes sense otherwise it is nonsense!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 7: In turn the Pharisees answer: “You have not been misled also, have you? Not one of the rulers or of the Pharisees has put faith in him, has he? But this crowd who do not know the law are accursed people.” Nicodemus, who has come to him previously and who is one of them, say to them: “Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?” In answer they say to him: “You are not also out of Galilee, are you? Search and see that no prophet is to be raised up out of Galilee.”

- Religious leaders use intimidation to force people: if Pharisees don’t put faith in Jesus, it is because it is against their own interests and power but they know who he is!

- They think that the normal people who are not like them are ignorant and “accursed people”, so they are conceited!

- They are supposed to be the teachers so if the people they are supposed to teach don’t know the Law, it means they are teachers good to nothing!

- Nicodemus went to see Jesus at night that’s why he speaks that way in favor of Jesus!

- They don’t know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, what a shame, they don’t even check the facts, they are not serious but ridiculous!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 8: Then Jesus speaks again to them, saying: I am the light of the world

- In the one hand, light, on the other hand, darkness: apparently, the choice is easy, but people often prefer darkness!

He also says speaking about them: You judge according to the flesh; I do not judge any man at all. And yet if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I am not alone, but the Father who sent me is with me.

- Good judgment vs bad judgment and partiality!

 

[TheLearner]

read to here nothing to sday

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 8:
I know that you are Abraham’s offspring. But you are seeking to kill me, because my word makes no progress among you.

- Jesus teaches about God whereas the religious leaders teach man’s tradition

- We must be careful about what we learn: the way leading to God or man’s tradition which goes nowhere!

- Jesus tells us not to be blind followers!

 

[DavidTree]

John is sent as a man of God announcing the coming of Jesus who is going to be rejected by the Jews but he is going to be accepted by many people. Priests were sent to John to ask him if he was the Christ but he clearly tells them he is not but he is preparing the way for him. The next day Jesus comes to him and john speaks about the spirit above Jesus like a dove and he gives witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Then Two disciples of John start to follow Jesus (Andrew and Simon or Peter). New disciples are joining Jesus: Philip, Nathanael.

The Gospel of John is the KEY to understanding.

 

[JLG]

Some may prefer John, some may prefer another Gospel! In fact, there are four Gospels and each one enhances certain points! I would give the image of the hand: it has five fingers, some may be more useful than others, when someone loses one, he realizes it is better to have five fingers and losing one is a great miss!

 

[TheLearner]

read to here

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 8: “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from god and I am here. I have not come of my own initiative, but that One sent me. Why do you not understand what I am saying? Because you cannot listen to my word. You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a murderer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie. Because I, on the other hand, tell you the truth, you do not believe me.

- Truth vs lie!

- God vs the devil!

- The religious leaders don’t really care about God and about the truth!

- We can’t look for your own interests and God’s interests: we need to make a choice!

- They can’t understand Jesus because he speaks the truth!

- Which example do we want to follow?

- The choice we make is essential and we must be careful doing it!

- We can’t accuse others because of our own responsibilities!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 8: The one who is from God listens to the sayings of God. This is why you do not listen, because you are not from God.”

- Once again God’s Word vs man’s tradition!

- Both are not complementary: we have to make a choice!

- How is it possible to listen and follow those who believe in man’s tradition instead of God’s Word!

- Is the difference not so evident?

- And if it is not, it means that we don’t study enough!

- We must be careful: it is a question of life or death!

- We must get away from appearances and keep digging, otherwise we will stay at the surface!

- There is a big difference between activity and inactivity!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 8: Some of the Pharisees then begin to say: “This is not a man from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” Others say: “How can a man who is a sinner perform signs of that sort?” So there was a division among them.

- It is always a dilemma: even if they know they are wrong, they are used to look for their own interests!

- It is difficult to change when you have been doing something for a long time!

- Humility vs pride!

- Life vs Death!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 9: His parents say these things because they are in fear of the Jews, for the Jews have already come to an agreement that if anyone acknowledge him as Christ, that person must be expelled from the synagogue.

- The religious leaders have power and they use it or better said abuse it to threaten ordinary people!

- They don’t care about the truth or better said they tell about their own truth which is the opposite of God’s truth because it serves their own interests!

- Thus how can they serve ordinary people’s interests?

- They don’t want people to know the truth!

- They like darkness and work in darkness!

- Jesus always warns us against them!

- We must open our eyes and ears!

- It is a question of life or death!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 9: The man answers them: “This is certainly amazing, that you do not know where he is from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does his will, he listens to this one. From of old it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing at all. In answer they say to him:”You were altogether born in sin, and yet are you teaching us?” And they throw him out!

- The former blind man tricks the religious leaders at their own game!

- Of course, it is against their own interests!

- Thus they deny the obvious!

- But it is a dangerous game because it shows their real nature!

- And it is not from God!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

John 9: Jesus then says: “For this judgment I came into this world, that those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind.”

- The religious leaders are blind because of their own interests: that’s all that counts!

- When you understand that, you try to get away from them!

- They don’t care about people!

- The way they behave with the blind man show that they don’t really care about people!

- it is always a matter of power: you only want more power!