It's interesting that darkness is the natural state of creation. Space is dark except for these dots of light-generating stars. We only have light because of certain celestial bodies--the sun, for us on earth. Or, on earth, by human-made devices such as electricity and lightbulbs. If there's no source of light, then darkness overcomes. This is true spiritually too. In Jesus is "life, and that life [is] the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (1:4-5). Only Jesus can remove our spiritual darkness.

Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business (John 2:16).

Jesus drives away the merchants from the temple courts. This passage is typically preached as a warning against the unjust practices of the merchants and religious leaders (cf. Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17); however, nothing like that is mentioned here. Instead, the reason Jesus gives for His violent indignation is that they were turning God's house into a place of business. Jesus did not simply want them to do honest business in the temple area; He did not want them doing any business there whatsoever. Please read my comments on the reading in Mark 11:15-17.

Friends, I see an increasing amount of merchandising in churches today, yet I do not see a corresponding increase in devotion and evangelization. I'm afraid the church is becoming a profit center. I'm afraid ministers are seeing their ministry as a means of financing their livelihood rather than proclaiming the Gospel. Instead of deepening faith through books, CDs, videos, and all manner of Christian knickknacks, these very things have become a stumbling block to people reading God's Word, praying, and simply sharing their faith. We speak of Christmas being overshadowed by the marketplace, but in fact, it is all of Christendom that is being so overshadowed, and not only by a secular marketplace but a Christian one. 

Time to time I have someone ask me to recommend a good book to lead their Bible study. When I mention the Bible, I get something like a deer-in-the-headlights kind of response. The whole Christian literature industry has gone from encouraging the study of the Bible to becoming a substitute for serious reading of the Bible itself. People seem to prefer this Christan literature to the Bible. I fear that just as television is dumbing down our children, even so, Christian literature is dumbing down Christians. 

In the fitness industry, the experts repeat this mantra, "Drink your water," not your soda, not your coffee, not your shakes, not your juice, etc. Simply drinking your generally free water will do more good for you than all these other substitutes. I think the same could be said for the Bible. I would say, "Read your Bible," not your commentary, not your study aid, not your video or cd, etc. Simply reading your generally free Bible will do more good for you than all these other substitutes. 

Back to the point, I believe churches would do well to move away from merchandising in the church. The best marketing research may not support simply emphasizing the Bible, but such research has only profit in view, not the souls of men. Merchandising in the church, even when things are offered for "free" (which is not really free, for often this is paid by the offerings of church members), can become a dangerous distraction for believers from a simple and pure worship of God through His Word. May God help our church leaders be mindful of this and "stop making God's house a place of business".

I had a good but somewhat frustrating conversation with a JW who used to work at my office in MD. I, of course, used John 1:1 as a proof text for Jesus being God. At the time I didn't know about their own translation of the Scriptures, and he argued that JW translation says "Jesus is a god." I came back to him, however, with a question: What is the nature of Jesus, then?; Jesus can't be just a man because the text says he's divine, and he agreed. Jesus is not God according to him. Then what is He? His logical conclusion was that Jesus had to be an angel, and so he and I read together what the author of the book of Hebrew says about the Son. It flat out says plainly that Jesus is not an angel. He said that he couldn't understand it even though there's nothing not to be able to understand the text and came back with an answer the following week, saying that Jesus was not an angel but archangel. I said, "what?" I asked, " Are you saying that archangel is not an angel?" I kept on demanding a solid answer to my original question of what Jesus was because archangel is still an angel (but archangel in Korean translation doesn't sound like angel, though), but he just wouldn't admit that he was wrong and chose to continue on being blindfolded by JW teaching on Jesus'deity. The conversation lasted several months, and even some elders of his Kingdom Hall paid a visit to argue with me. I learned quickly that they all say they cannot understand it whenever they come to a logical impasse. The important lesson that I learned from it is this: 

Seeing and perceiving the Word is truly work of Holy Spirit and thus blessing, not of human origin but of God Himself!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)

The Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) cult translates this verse in such a way that instead of reading "the Word was God", they purposefully mistranslate it in their New World Translation as "the Word was a god". While they try to employ Greek scholarship to defend their translation, which has been universally condemned by every reputable Greek scholar, they only show that they know just enough Greek to be a serious danger to anyone and everyone that pay any attention to them. 

If you have ever been approached by a JW or have any interest in understanding their corruption of the biblical text, especially on passages like John 1:1, I encourage you to read a few online articles that provide some good scholarship on the topic:

http://www.letusreason.org/jw38.htm

http://vintage.aomin.org/GERM_JWS.html

http://carm.org/religious-movements/jehovahs-witnesses/john-11-word-was-god

John 1:4
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men

Life(physically living) has been one of the cues people take for direction. It’s the core of our wants, the core of praxeology. It’s even attempted to explain morality by Sam Harris. It’s been a guiding force away from destruction and chaos. But because this is only a piece of God it is incomplete. They only look at the light, the beacon to God but not the.....

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone

In the Harris example no value system is explained - its only a given. You can only explain purpose and intention; you can only study the praxeology, of a person. And so even if they know light, they don't know the "true light, which gives light to everyone";

10... yet the world did not know him

John 3
19 And this is the judgment: the (true)light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the (true) light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the (true) light and does not come to the (true) light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true (!) comes to the (true) light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."
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John 1: 28

28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing

God is incredible!

Did you know the place Abraham gave his Son is the region David purchased from Omir to stop the angel of death. To point out more of God's sovereignty, God sent the devil to tempt him to take the convicting census. There's even a chance that Jesus died on the same mountain.

The beginning of Jesus ministry, his baptism at Bethany, is also the end of his ministry:

Luke 24
50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.


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John 1:35
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

... And they stayed with him that night. The story goes to calling Peter. But all other gospels skip to the wilderness. After this he goes to Galilee where he continues collecting disciples and begins his teaching.

Friends, I want to let you know that I have added a new section to the dailyqt.org website to facilitate Bible studies and to stimulate discussion. You may find it under Resources/Discussion Q & A.

I will be adding questions and answers to every reading throughout the year. If you are leading a Bible study or facilitating discipleship around the daily Bible readings on this site, I hope that these questions may complement your discussion. Please pass along any suggestions and questions that may help me improve this Q & A section. 

We are living in a time when the authority and sufficiency of Scripture are being pushed aside or trampled. More and more people are falling into the two-prong error of either trivializing Scripture or shunning legitimate discussion of Scripture. Such people excuse their behavior as either promoting "the Spirit" or else securing "unity" in the church, but in the process, they do not realize they are neutering the Spirit, whose power is in the Word, or destroying true unity, which can only be found in biblical integrity. This site was created to address both errors and to encourage every believer to take personal responsibility in reading, understanding, and applying the Word of God for themselves. 

soli deo gloria!

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person (John 2:23-25).

Here is a remarkable passage. Jesus did many miracles in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival. As a result, "many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name." From this we might conclude that miracles produce faith. However, the passage does not end there. John found it necessary to include the somewhat puzzling comment, "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them." In other words, the people believed in Jesus but Jesus refused to believe in the people. 

What is more, the reason given for Jesus' refusal to trust the people was that "he knew all people," and again, "he knew what was in each person." May I suggest that what is meant here is that while the people professed faith with their mouths, their faith was not genuine from their hearts. 

We have something similar after Jesus performs the miracle of feeding the five thousand. The people that experienced this sign are said to be looking for him in John 6:24. But Jesus gives this comment about them:

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:26-27)

Their looking was not combined with faith. Jesus says this explicitly in John 6:36,

But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe.

I have before argued that miracles do not produce faith. This is further verified in these examples from John's Gospel. In fact, even after seeing the great miracle of Jesus taking a paltry five loaves and two fish and feeding thousands, they still ask for more signs:

What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (John 6:30).

Now, here is a remarkable exchange:

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent" (John 6:28-29).

The people want to know what "works" they must do to get the food that endures to eternal life from God (cf. John 6:27). Jesus' answer turns their question on its head. Rather than speaking of "works," He speaks of a singular "work." Rather than speaking of what they "must do," He speaks of what God does ("work of God"). And rather than some good deed to merit eternal life, he speaks of believing in Jesus as the One God has sent.

Ultimately, except for the Eleven apostles, the people reject Jesus' call (John 6:66). And Jesus would explain this in this way:

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. (John 6:44-45; cf. verse 65).

In other words, as He told them,faith is a work of God. They do not believe because God has not drawn them; that is, He has not given them the faith to believe. Jesus cites Isaiah 54:13, which relates to the New Covenant promise in Jeremiah 33:33-34, where God would put His law into the minds and hearts of those He would save. Unless God has taught them, they would not believe. This is also the meaning of Romans 10:17,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (NKJV).

Here, I take "the word of God" not necessarily to point to the Bible, as if people would believe simply by hearing or reading the Bible. No, I take "the word of God" in the more general sense of the decree of God, or the declared will of God. It is the same "word" of God from Isaiah that does not fail to accomplish the purpose for which God spoke it:

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

Just as God spoke the world into existence, and the world came into being. Even so, God speaks saving faith into people's hearts, so that people believe. When Jesus says, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear" (Mark 4:9), the ones who have ears to hear are the ones who have been given ears to hear by God. Spiritual perception, as faith, is not natural but comes from the Spirit of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Friends, if you believe, praise God, because your faith has been granted you by God. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, you have been "born of God" and "will have eternal life." There is no room for boasting (cf. Ephesians 2:8-9), for this work of salvation is all of God and by His grace. Everyone and anyone can believe, just as everyone and anyone can hear. But God gives true hearing, that leads to true faith, that leads to salvation. 

John is one of my favorite books - very profound and in some ways poetic. John refers to Jesus as the "Word".

(John 1:1-4, 14)

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Gods Word became flesh - Jesus. Fascinating. The Greeks (language New Testament was originally written) would translate "Word" as not just spoken word but as the unspoken word - or 'reason'. Using it this was we could read the last verse as the 'reason' became flesh. Jesus was the reason. I also take it literally that Gods Word - the spoken word was Jesus. Jesus message (or Word) delivered through the Gospel (and New Testament) was the reason. Jesus came to deliver Gods spoken Word. That our salvation is through Christ Jesus if we only believe in Him.

When we read the bible we are reading Gods word - which tells us who God is and our purpose in context to God. We can experience God anytime, simply by reading Gods Word. The first time I read this passage it really impressed upon me what is contained in the bible - and how much reverence we should place on it.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. (John 1:12, 13 NIV)

Friends, the apostle John wrote this Gospel to provide a basis for faith in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, with the result that those who believe in Him would receive eternal life. (John 20:30-31). But we are told that when Jesus came, the world did not recognize Him as such and His own people did not receive Him as such (John 1:10-11). This gives me the impression that no one believed in Him; however, we are told, "Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name..." (John 1:12). So even though the world did not know Him and His own people rejected Him, there were some that did believe in Him and did receive Him. How can this be? 

Nicodemus would ask this very same question in John 3:9 when Jesus said that one must be born again by the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God. Earlier Nicodemus expressed confusion about the whole idea of being "born again" (John 3:4). In verse 9 he is confused over the idea of being reborn "by the Spirit" (John 3:8).

For a world and a people shrouded in darkness and terminally infected with sin (Ephesians 2:1-3), only a new birth from above would enable them to perceive the kingdom of God (John 3:3). And the real mystery of the new birth is that it is a sovereign work of God through the Holy Spirit. Jesus compares it to wind, whose origin and destination are a mystery (John 3:8), even as the basis and direction of God's choice of those who would receive new birth are a mystery. What is not a mystery is the result of new birth, namely, people who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

John 3:16 is perhaps the most often quoted verse in modern history. It capsulizes the Gospel hope and man's necessary response to obtain it in one verse.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)

Yet, this verse has been drained of its God-honoring force in at least two ways. First, people have forgotten that John 3:16 follows John 3:3 and John 3:5, which teach that one must be born again to enter the kingdom of heaven. In other words, before there can be faith, there must first be a rebirth from above by the Holy Spirit. This means that the "whoever believes" of John 3:16 is the one who has first been "born again." Why? The Gospel is a spiritual truth and so can only be spiritually discerned. Those who are not born of the Spirit, therefore, cannot understand and receive this truth:

The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV)

This understanding gives proper honor and all glory to God by not painting a false picture of God cooperating with man in the activity of salvation. God not only provided the sacrifice necessary for salvation to be effective, He also provided the new birth necessary for people to believe the message. That is why it is accurate to say that the whole work of salvation, "by grace through faith" is a gift of God:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9 NIV)

To see it any other way would leave room for boasting.

A second way that people have drained John 3:16 of it's God-honoring force is by misunderstanding the word "so" in "God so loved the world..." The Greek word normally means "in this manner," such that what follows would show the way in which God loved the world, namely, "that He gave His only-begotten Son..." Sometimes it expresses "to such an extent" and is translated "God so much loved the world..." Both of these are acceptable interpretations, though the first moreso because of normal usage. And both approaches give proper honor and all glory to God; however, some preach this verse in such a way that the world is made to appear lovely in the eyes of God, as if God loved the world because it was so loveable. God's love for the world is not like the love of a glutton for food or a lusty man for a lovely woman. In other words, there is nothing in the people of the world that would induce God to love them. Just as God loved Israel apart from anything except His sovereign choice (cf. Deuteronomy 7:7-9; Deuteronomy 9:4-6), in the same way God loved the world, not because the world was so lovely or so loveable, nor because He found the world so ready to believe, but simply because He chose to. God's motivation and His basis for selection to salvation are both sovereign and  a mystery. 

Coming back full circle to our central text,

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13 NKJV)

Notice that believing is preceded by new birth: "who were born..." And this new birth did not happen because of natural descent, human decision, or a husband's will (see NIV of John 1:13) but simply because of the will of God. 

If you recall in the event of the rich young ruler coming to Jesus for the way to eternal life, the man went away from Jesus because he trusted his wealth more than Jesus. On that occasion, Jesus said pretty much that it was impossible for the rich to be saved. When the disciples marveled at this because the rich were considered blessed of God, Jesus answered that what is impossible for man is possible for God. If we assume that Jesus' offer of salvation to the rich young ruler was genuine, the man's point of failure was his lack of faith. This is what Jesus said was so impossible. There is no mention of the cross here, only that this rich man trusted in his riches more than Jesus' word. Therefore, the thing that God does for man in making the impossible possible is the giving of the faith that is able to save. 

Nicodemus rightly understood that the new birth could not be achieved by human effort. But he did not grasp that God could accomplish this through the Holy Spirit. Likewise, let us also understand that saving faith is not something man can accomplish through the exercise of their free will. By our free will, like the rich young man, like the world that did not recognize Jesus, like the Jews that rejected Him, we will always reject God (Romans 3:3-9). But thanks be to God that according to His sovereign grace we, who believe, have been included among those that are saved to the praise of His glory.