John: Chapter Four - Seven

I've read, so here goes a quick run down...

Chapter Four: This chapter can be broken down into two big chunks. (1) The woman at the well encounters Jesus and (2) the miraculous healing of an officials son.

What I take from the the woman's encounter with Jesus is that one person changed a whole city. Jesus talks to this one lady (I've heard it preached that she was a reject of society because of her promiscuous past)-- and she was so impacted by Jesus' words that she goes into town and tells everyone. And then everyone follows her back to the well and they also are changed. It is encouraging to know that ONE person can do so much if we just allow God to work through us.

Chapter Five: This chapter begins with Jesus at a pool asking a cripple if he wants to get well. What strikes me as odd is that the cripple doesn't answer the question.
Jesus asked, "Do you want to get well?"
The sick man said, "Sir, when the water is stirred I have no one to put me in the pool."
I want to-- silly man! You didn't answer Jesus! He asked you do you want to get well and you are talking about some pool. But aren't we that way? We are more concerned about what is going on, how we think things should happen-- that when God talks to us, we don't respond the correct way. They great thing is, Jesus still heals the sick man. He looks past our ignorance and still gives us what we need but don't deserve. That's mercy and grace all balled into one.

One more quick note: The verse in chapter five that says "You can trust my decision because I am not out to get my own way but only to carry out orders" (vs. 30 Message version)... I reread that Sunday morning right before altar service. Jesus' words became so real to me. I can trust Him. I can trust Him. Over and over again. Jesus can be trusted. God can be trusted. Jesse can trust God. Jesse trusts God. I tell you, my heart was full of faith, thanksgiving and a bunch of other good stuff.

Chapter Six: A long chapter but basically opening up with the miracle of feeding 5,000 people with only 5 pieces of bread and two fish. He goes on in the rest of the chapter to talk about bread--Jesus compares Himself to bread. Just like the body needs bread, we need Jesus.

Honestly, in this chapter Jesus gets very graphic. He is borderline gross in saying things like-- you must eat my flesh and drink my blood. It was so tough that many people who were following Jesus decided to leave Him. I don't blame them. I believe Jesus, though, was being very extreme so that only those that could stand to be with Him for the next three years would remain. He wasn't saying to literally eat His flesh-- but in saying this he shook off those that didn't need to be with Him.

One response I love is in vs. 66-68: After saying all of the graphic, horrific things-- Jesus asks the remaining 12: "Do you want to leave?" And Peter says: "Where would we go?" Such an awesome response. No matter how bad it gets with God-- no matter if we don't even understand what He says-- there is no better place than being at Jesus' side. Where would I go? Back to my old life? No way!

Chapter Seven: We see the family of Jesus interacting with Him. His brothers start pushing Him. I think almost taunting Him. But Jesus knows what He needs to do and won't let anyone or anything detour Him. The whole chapter is like a discourse on whether or not the people believe that Jesus is the Son of God.