When She Truly Repented

By Mary Vee
John 8 

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee. View from the Mount of Olives facing
the Temple area

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus.

Photo by Mary Vee, The top of
the Mount of Olives today.

Last time I wrote, I told about the first day we spent with Jesus in the Temple for the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus taught, answered questions, and, of course, dealt with the Pharisees. At the end of the day, the crowd and Pharisees returned to their homes or inns. 

Jesus didn't have a place to rest that night. No one who was at the Temple followed the custom to invite travelers, in this case, Jesus, into their home for rest.

Jesus walked up a steep road to the Mount of Olives for the evening, the same place where  he taught us how to pray. The next morning he rose early, walked back down the mountain, across the field and into the Temple for another day of the Feast of the Tabernacles.

Many men arrived at the early morning hour for the celebration. They gathered around Jesus. Quiet a few of these people lived far away and seemed interested in hearing Jesus teach one more time before they returned home.

Jesus sat down and prepared to teach. He hadn't spoken long before a group of Pharisees and teachers of the law dragged a woman through the crowd. They forced her to stand before the group then faced Jesus. "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone a woman guilty of such a crime. What do you say?" 

The Pharisees scowled while roughly dealing with the woman. Clearly they brought her before Jesus and this crowd to discredit Jesus. 

The crowd watched Jesus, but he didn't look at them, nor the Pharisees. He bent low to the ground and wrote in the dirt with his finger.

The Pharisees asked him again, "What do you say?" They badgered him, refusing to stop pressing him for an answer.

After a few minutes, Jesus stood and faced the Pharisees. He said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." When finishing these words, Jesus stooped down and wrote again in the dirt. 

Photo by Mary Vee
On top of the Mount of Olives,
the Disciples Prayer is
posted in many languages.

I learned later that Jesus knew what evil the Pharisees had done only the night before. Their sin was greater that the woman's and yet they accused her, and made a show of their superiority in front of the crowds. None of them could stay and punish the woman, and they knew it.

There is only one person who could stay. Only one who had never sinned. The Son of God. And so Jesus looked and saw the accusers had all left, leaving him and the woman. He stood and asked her, "Woman, where are those who accused you? Has no one remained to condemn you?"

She raised her eyes toward him. "No one, sir."

Photo by Mary Vee
This very old olive tree
stands on the Mount of Olives

It was during one of the private times later, when Jesus explained and answered our questions that we learned he saw true repentence in the woman. As God's Son, he had he power to forgive true repentance rather than condemn and make a spectacle of her as the evil Pharisees planned. 

Jesus said, "Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

You Can Have Living Water

By Mary Vee
John 7 

Peter

Jerusalem
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus.

We, the other disciples of Jesus and I are  in the temple courts. Men from all over Israel have come to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 

A group of Pharisees, these are the teachers of the Holy Scriptures, seemed upset after listening to men talking about Jesus. In their anger they sent temple guards to arrest Jesus.

As the guards approached Jesus, he said, "I am with you for only a short time, then I will go back to the one who sent me. At that time you will look for me, but where I am you cannot go."

The Pharisees who stood near said, "Where does this man intend to go that he expects to hide from us? Will he hide where others hide among the Greeks? And what did he mean when he said, 'You will look for me, but where I am you cannot go?' We have eyes everywhere."

The soldiers didn't arrest him at that time. 

The last day of the feast came. Jesus went to the temple courts. When many men had gathered, Jesus spoke to them. "If anyone is thirsty, come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me as the Scriptures say will have streams of living water flow from within."

I learned later that the living water was the Holy Spirit. Up to this time the Spirit had not been given and wouldn't be given until Jesus was glorified.

Some of the men in the crowd said, "This man must be a prophet. 

Others said, This man is the Christ."

And others said, "But how can the Christ come from Galilee? Doesn't the Scriptures say the Christ will come from David's family, from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"

So the people were divided.

Some became angry and tried to attack Jesus, but no one succeeded.

The guards returned to the Pharisees without Jesus. The teachers yelled, "Why didn't you arrest Jesus?'

"We coudn't," said the guards. "No one has ever spoken the way this man does."

The Pharisees scowled. "So he has deceived you as well. Has any of the Pharisees believed in Jesus? No! Look at the mob that knows nothing of the law, there will be a curse on them.

Nicodemus, a Pharisee had spoken with Jesus at night one time. He said to the other Pharisees, "Does our law now condemn a man without first hearing what he has to say?"

The other Pharisees said, "You should know from the Scriptures that a prophet does not come from Galilee."

And so the Pharisees walked away. 



What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Few Who Believed Him

By Mary Vee
John 7 

Peter

Jerusalem
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus.

The Feast of Tabernacles is still taking place in Jerusalem. I and the other disciples are with Jesus in the Temple courts. He has been talking with men who approach him with questions. 

At times, some of the men stepped back and talked among themselves. I was close enough to hear a few say, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill? He isn't hiding. He speaks freely here in the temple."  They looked at the Pharisees. "See, they aren't saying a word against him. They must have changed their minds and concluded Jesus is the Christ."

"I'm not so sure," said another. "I think the Scriptures say we won't know where the Christ is from. This man, Jesus, is from Galilee."

Now Jesus stood talking with some other men farther away. He turned to these men and shouted, "You are correct. You know me, and you know where I am from." The men walked closer to him. Jesus then said, "I am not here on my own. The one who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him. He sent me."

The crowd of men became upset. Some tried to seize Jesus. No matter how much they tried, they couldn't seem to lay a hand on him. I later learned God had prevented their efforts because Jesus had more work to do. 

There were some in the crowd who, after hearing Jesus speak, put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miracles than this man?" They agreed this was not likely, therefore, Jesus had to be the Christ.

The Pharisees grumbled. "Theose men are turning to Jesus. We can't have that." 

The chief priest said, "We have to get rid of him. Have the temple guards arrest him at once." 

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

Double Standards

By Mary Vee
John 7 

Peter

Jerusalem
Photo by Mary Vee

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus.

The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles had already begun. Jesus' brothers left a few days ago. Before they went, they asked Him if He was going. Every Jewish man attended this feast. But they didn't ask him because they cared. They didn't believe Jesus was God's son. They thought Jesus would put on a good show with His miracles.

I soon saw why Jesus didn't leave that day. He had important work that had to be done then. Work that could not wait. I mentioned it the last time I wrote. Scroll down to the last post to read about it. When he finished the work, the other disciples and I went up to Jerusalem to the feast with him. 

He kept his presence a secret, walking among the people in the city and listening to what they said. It seemed the people were unsure about him.

After hearing this, Jesus said it was time to go to the temple court. The men standing there recognized him and gathered near, wanting to hear him speak. And so he did. He spoke from the Holy Scriptures like no other Rabbi. The listeners were surprised. They said, "How can this man speak with such knowledge when he hasn't studied?"

Jesus anwered them, "I am not speaking my own teachings. These words come from Him who sent me. He who speaks with his own thoughts does it to receive honor for himself. He who speaks for the honor of the One who sent him, speaks truth. Moses gave you the law. Not one of you obeys it. Why are you trying to kill me?"

The men shouted, "You're crazy. Who is trying to kill you?"

Jesus said, "I healed a man on the Sabbath. You judge me for doing this on the seventh day. You had no compassion for the man. Then you perform circumcision on the Sabbath and think you are right. You judge others based on what you see and think rather than what the Scriptures teach.

The men walked away and talked among themselves. 

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.