John the apostle wrote how Jesus told His disciples, “It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? you have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that you are that Christ, the Son of the living God”, and in chapter six and verse seventy of his book, John shared how Jesus asked His disciples, “have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” where we read:
Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
The verse reads, “Jesus answered them, ...”. John began with the word, “Jesus” or “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation” “answered them” which means “responded and began to speak to Peter and His remaining twelve disciples”. John shared how Jesus began to respond to Peter's statement.
The verse goes on to say, “... Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” John continued with the words, “Have not I chosen you twelve” which means “have not I, Jesus, selected and picked out you, twelve disciples”, “and one of you” or “and a particular and certain one of you disciples” “is a devil” which means “exists as a slanderous and falsely accusing calumniator”. John shared how Jesus asked His “twelve disciples” whether He had “selected” all “twelve” of them, but a particular one of them was as a “slanderous and falsely accusing calumniator.
When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn how Jesus acknowledged the “twelve disciples” but then identified one of them as a “devil” or “slanderer”. We can imagine the “disciples'” reaction to Jesus as He told them these words, but Jesus knew in advance what His fate was to be. Jesus came to the world to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of every person, and those who put their faith and trust in Him will be forgiven of their sins and inherit everlasting life with God. Let all who read these words live as “chosen” by Jesus and never be known as a “devil” to Him.
Next time John shares how Jesus asks His disciples, “spoke of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon ”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment