St Barnabas Daily Devotions

48 The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge. 51 Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”52 “Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death. 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say ‘He is our God.’ 55 You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”58 “Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am! ”59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.[I]REFLECTIONSWritten by Adam Davies“Who do You claim to be?” What a great question! Who is Jesus claiming to be? He talks about glory, never seeing death, being before Abraham – it seems to be the right question to ask: Who do you claim to be?Either Jesus is crazy or he’s claiming to be way more than just some guy. I’ve heard some people talk about how Jesus is either Liar, Lunatic or Lord. Our answer to that question seems to change everything doesn’t it?Trouble is, I don’t think the Jews who were asking Jesus in John 8 really wanted the answer. “We KNOW that You have a demon” (v 52) – it seems like they’ve already made up their minds. But for us, we really need to figure out whether we think Jesus is a demon possessed loony – delusions of grandeur, someone very unwell, perhaps needing our pity or to be put in care. Or if we think he’s a liar – trying to deceive us like some guru who claims to have answers if we’ll just give some money or sign our lives away to him, but who is just seeking their own gain. Or we realise that he is Lord – that his claims that he was before everything, that God is his Father and gives him the same glory, and that he has authority over life and death are all true, because he is God the Son, the eternal I AM, God come to us in the flesh.Our world seems to have moved from ignoring Jesus the loony, to really hating Jesus the toxic oppressive liar, but I’m thankful to hear from pastors I know that there are people turning up to church for the very first time, eager to know if Jesus might actually be Lord and hold the key to forgiveness and eternal life. I’m certain that he does! ABOUT THE AUTHORAdam is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

31 So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”33 “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”34 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.37 I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. 38 I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Rebecca MihasAs I read this passage, I felt both comforted and gently challenged. It’s easy to think that because I believe in Jesus, I must already be living in full freedom, but His words invite me to look deeper.There was a time in my walk with Christ where I felt completely chained by disappointment, sadness, and a sense that I couldn’t move forward. Even though I believed, I felt stuck. What carried me through wasn’t having all the answers, it was holding onto prayer and continuing in His word. Day by day, I chose to stay close to Him, even when I didn’t feel free. I didn’t rely on anything else to get me through that time. I leaned into Jesus for healing and trusted that He is the one who really does set us free.That’s why His words here mean so much to me now: “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” There is something so powerful about simply staying, remaining in Him.And the promise is full of hope: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Not partially free, but truly free! This passage reminds me that even in seasons where we feel stuck, Jesus is gently leading us into real and lasting freedom. ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”14 Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”19 “Where is Your Father?” they asked Him.“You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.REFLECTIONSWritten by Bethany RowlandsSometimes I catch myself thinking of God the Father as having a different character or will than Jesus the Son. I used to think of Jesus as helping me to please the Father. I’ve had friends tell me they like the Jesus of the New Testament, but not the angry God of the Old Testament. I’ve read writings that talk of worshipping the Creator while confident Jesus was just a man we can ignore.The passage today in John doesn’t give me room to separate God in that way. Yes, the Father, Son and Spirit have different roles and activities in God’s big plan. The Father sends and the Son is sent. But the passage’s claim is clear that the Father, Son and Spirit have the same goal, the same judgement of sin and the same heart to save sinners.In fact, the passage says that by knowing Jesus, a person knows the Father! They are not separate or different, but they are one. The Father is with Jesus and Jesus came to reveal who the Father is. Jesus said the people listening to Him in John 8 don’t know the Father because they don’t accept Jesus!How I respond to Jesus IS how I respond to the Father. I can’t say I trust Jesus but not the Father. I can’t follow God but not accept Jesus as Lord. The Father and the Son and the Spirit are one God. So the challenge is, do I believe what Jesus said about Himself and the Father, or have I made up a different, fragmented picture of God? When Scripture says something about the Father or Jesus that I don’t like, do I seek to understand God better or do I start to prefer Jesus or the Father over the other? Pray and ask God to help you grow in your understanding and your trust in his character, revealed to us in Jesus his Son. ABOUT THE AUTHORBethany is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

45 Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”46 “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.47 “Have you also been deceived?” replied the Pharisees. 48 “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law, they are under a curse.”50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked, 51 “Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”52 “Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”53 Then each went to his own home.REFLECTIONSWritten by Linda VuReading John 7:45–53 made me pause and notice how divided people were about Jesus. Some were amazed by Him, others were confused, and the leaders were angry and defensive. What struck me most was how the guards, who were sent to arrest Jesus, came back empty-handed, captivated by His words. The officers could not find any fault in His teaching to justify arresting Him. It made me reflect on the power of truth. They weren’t scholars or religious leaders, yet they sensed there was something different about Jesus.Nicodemus also stood out to me. Even though he was one of the Pharisees, he spoke up and asked whether the law judges someone without first hearing them. His response wasn’t dramatic, but would have taken courage. It reminds me that faithfulness can look like small, quiet moments of standing for fairness and truth when others are against it.Overall, this passage made me reflect on my own response to Jesus. Am I open and listening like the guards? Or defensive like the Pharisees? Or quietly seeking truth like Nicodemus? It encourages me to keep an open heart and to have the courage to respond with honesty, even when others disagree. Sometimes Jesus’ teachings can be hard to accept. Will I become defensive like the Pharisees, making excuses? Or will I listen and accept the truth?Pray with me: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your truth and for speaking words that reach our hearts. Help us to be open and willing to listen, not defensive or hardened. Give us courage like Nicodemus to stand for what is right, even in small ways. Shape our heart to love Your truth and respond with humility and faith. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen. ABOUT THE AUTHORLinda is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

32 When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him. 33 So Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”35 At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”REFLECTIONSWritten by Herman TuImagine this: You’ve recruited Stephen Shead to lead your Bible study. You have all been praying for this moment. And he finally comes … and the first words he speaks in front of you all are: “I will do no more Bible studies. Plus, you will not find me at all.” One of your group members says, “He is going back to Chile!” But he says he isn't and you cannot find him.How would you feel? I would be shocked. Confused. Curious. And I would feel utterly stupid. (Of course, I’m not really comparing Stephen to Jesus – that’s just a fun little illustration!)When Jesus arrives on the scene, he performs many miracles and teaches as one with authority. The Jewish people see this and begin to realise that the Christ has potentially come (v25). Could this be the prophesied Messiah who would bring his people into an enduring kingdom? We’re told that some of the Jewish people were starting to believe in Him (v31) – they would have been so excited that he had come.So it’s no wonder that when Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me” (v33), the Jewish people became shocked too. There is a mismatch between expectations and understanding.Then again, many of them did not believe, and they had already tried to seize Jesus (v30). And the religious leaders were still intent on killing Jesus and were trying to arrest him (v32). It’s not surprising that Jesus left them confused – it was not yet his time to die (v30).Thankfully, the Jewish people’s confusion about Jesus helps us to accurately see Jesus.“Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him?” We know! He is going to the cross, to fulfil the mission the Father has sent him to carry out, and to conquer sin and death.“You will look for Me, but you will not find Me.” We know how to find him! They were chasing after the wrong kind of Messiah and so rejected Jesus. But we know that Jesus is the Messiah, and we have found him by trusting in him.“Where I am, you cannot come”? We know! Jesus is seated at the right hand of power.Jesus always had in mind the will of his Father. He knew in miraculous detail where he was going and the pain he would suffer on the cross for us. Give thanks for God’s great rescue plan through His Son. Pray for those who do not see Jesus clearly, that they may see Him as Saviour and Lord over all. ABOUT THE AUTHORHerman is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

14 About halfway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?”16 “My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me. 17 If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own. 18 He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”20 “You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”21 Jesus answered them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.) 23 If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”REFLECTIONSWritten by Mercy SawIn this passage, people make several judgments against Jesus. Firstly, the Jewish leaders witness Jesus teaching in the temple and are amazed at him. We aren’t told the details of what he taught, but it was clearly of such a standard that they are impressed at his wisdom and authority despite him not having received formal training under their religious teachers. Although they can see that his teaching is powerful, the Jewish leaders judge Jesus as a threat, so they are still intent on killing him. The crowd’s response to Jesus is just as bad. They judge Jesus completely incorrectly and accuse him of being demon-possessed for calling the Jewish leaders out for their evil intentions.Ironically, the judgments made again Jesus expose those who are judging him. Jesus says that the mark of whether a person desires to do the will of God is whether they correctly recognize that Jesus’ authority comes from God who has sent him. Jesus seeks to glorify the Father by obeying him, and thus demonstrates he is the one who is full of truth. In contrast, the religious leaders are caught up with maintaining their authority through their rigid enforcement of the law, and so fail to recognize Jesus for who he is. They condemn him for healing a man on the Sabbath (John 5) rather than seeing that this miracle shows he is the promised Messiah sent by God to fulfil the law.This reminds me that it is possible to have much head knowledge and training in God’s word, but what matters most is to be submitting to the authority of Jesus and his word over my life. This is especially important when we come to parts of the Bible which may challenge our beliefs or call out areas of our lives where we may need to repent and obey God. It also reminds me that we need God’s Spirit to give us discernment to understand his word and see life as Jesus does. Praise God for Jesus and his humility in seeking God’s glory by obeying him, and ask that he would help us to do likewise. ABOUT THE AUTHORMercy is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

66 From that time on many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.67 So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”70 Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.REFLECTIONSWritten by Rebecca LinRebecca LinWhat stands out to me most from this passage is Simon Peter’s simple yet profound question: “Lord, to whom would we go?” This question is in response to Jesus asking his Twelve disciples if they want to leave him too, after many other disciples turned away from him. As we saw yesterday, this was due to the disciples hearing and understanding some of Jesus’ teaching that they found difficult to accept – that no one can come to him unless the Father enables them to. Yet even after a whole group of people turned their backs on Jesus and his teaching, the question from Simon Peter and the Twelve still rings out loud and clear: “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.”I find that I am surrounded by so many words and messages every day, whether it’s the chatter and influence of social media, the latest headlines in the news, or the opinions and advice of friends, family and colleagues. It is too easy for these words to become the thing that I “go to”, for them to shape my mind, occupy my thoughts and influence my decisions. But this passage reminds me that Jesus alone has the true, lasting and precious words of eternal life. Everything else will ultimately fade away and become meaningless. As 1 Peter 1:24-25 says, “the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” This challenges me to cling to Jesus’ words of eternal life above all else and let the other messages around me fade into the background. I am also reminded of the importance of spending time in God’s Word consistently and actually listening to those words of eternal life. Please pray with me that we would all cling onto Jesus’ eternal words, and that as we read His Word each day, we would remember the preciousness of what we get to listen to. ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

52 At this, the Jews began to argue among themselves, “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?”53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink.56 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”59 Jesus said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.REFLECTIONSWritten by Stephen SheadA word of clarification first: Jesus isn’t talking about the Lord’s Supper here. He’s speaking in metaphors about his death on the cross, when he would sacrifice his flesh-and-blood body for the sins of the world. When he says, “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life” (v 54), he does not mean, “Whoever takes the Lord’s Supper has eternal life”. He means what he said back in verse 47: “he who believes has eternal life.” Of course, the Lord’s Supper is pointing to Jesus’ death as well, but this passage isn’t about the Lord’s Supper. It’s about faith in Jesus.I find this passage a bit shocking. The Jews who have been interrogating Jesus are showing stubborn blindness and unbelief. But instead of dumbing down his message, Jesus makes it even harder to digest (pardon the pun!). It’s like he deliberately chooses the most offensive-sounding and obscure metaphor for his saving work – and as we’ll see tomorrow, they do get offended.And yet, as I reflected on it, I realised a couple of things. First, Jesus doesn’t simply walk away from them. He patiently persists in telling them about his saving death – even if they aren’t going to be able to understand the meaning until after the cross. So maybe this isn’t Jesus confusing them to cut them off from the gospel. Maybe this is Jesus preparing them for a later time, when they will be ready to remember, understand and come to faith. After all, despite their unbelief, he continues repeating the same message of astounding grace and hope – a promise of being raised from death to eternal life, an invitation to be joined to Jesus, remain in him, and receive his life that never ends. How many of the people who were totally confused in this passage went on, after Jesus’ resurrection, to have their eyes opened and be drawn to Jesus by the Father?I feel a little bit validated by Jesus in one of my personal life principles, which is: It’s OK to offend people, but only with the gospel. Some people will be deeply offended when we share the gospel with them. When that happens, we don’t need to back down or be embarrassed by the gospel. But this passage encourages me to remember that their offence might be one stage in their crumbling spiritual resistance to God’s grace, and to trust and pray that God will later bring them to true understanding and joyful acceptance of those words. ABOUT THE AUTHORStephen is our senior minister.