Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture

Author: Eric

  • Immanuel, Our Confidence

    I went into a writing hiatus due to a circumstance my sibling was facing. I was greatly affected by it because he is thousands of miles away from me, and his wife is going through a health condition. If you have read my blog posting entitled “Regarding Wilmer,” he was the one who offered and asked me about the Christian service for my departed son.

    I’m not going to divulge private details concerning the health status, but the doctor categorized it as a critical condition. My brother has been with me each time I was in trouble. Now that he is in a difficult situation, I can’t even be with him, all because of this pandemic. I believe a lot of people can relate to the same predicament nowadays. I wanted to be comforted by the Lord, so that I can comfort my brother, so as I always do, I turned to the Scripture. And Psalm 34 came to me, and I hope my reflection on this psalm would also be a comfort to anyone reading this blog who perhaps is in a similar circumstance.

    The 150 Psalms of the Old Testament Bible must first be recognized as Jewish in nature. It is Jewish literature of songs and hymns written from the time of Moses to those of Ezra and Nehemiah. This history spans from Mount Sinai, where Moses received God’s Covenant with Israel, to the time of Ezra and Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the Second Temple, which was ultimately renovated by King Herod during the Roman era. Psalms therefore impart prophecies of God in relation to His Covenant with Israel, reflections of the psalmist, and truths about the nature of God. Psalm 34 is one of the psalms written by David.

    In order for us to truthfully understand the meaning and beauty of Psalm 34, we ought to first identify the occasion of this psalm. See Psalm 34:1.

    Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together!

    The title of this psalm provides a hint; only one narrative fits the description of Psalm 34:1: the story of David in 1 Samuel 21:10-15.

    And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands?’”

    And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

    From the English translation, it might appear to be two different occasions, because Psalm 34 referred to a person named “Abimelech,” while in 1 Samuel 21:10, “Achish king of Gath” was the one confronting David. The Lexicon Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions however, among other things, defined Abimelech, as “the king of Gath in David’s time; perhaps a title of Philistine kings.” Therefore, Psalm 34:1 and the narrative of 1 Samuel 21:12-13 are linked together, referring to one and the same incident in David’s life.

    Now, having settled the issue of relevance, between Psalm 34 and 1 Samuel 21:10, let us move on to other details of both writings. In 1 Samuel 21:12, the Bible said, “David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.” Perhaps David was afraid that Achish now having recognized him might turn him over to Saul, who obviously was deviously jealous of David’s more prominent status. See 1 Samuel 21:11.

    And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David king of the land? Did they not sing to one another in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and david his ten thousands?’”

    In reality Saul still reigned as king over Israel, not David, but obviously the Jews have considered David as the standby king waiting to be enthroned. This was the reason for Saul’s envy and insecurity, hence he pursued David and wanted him dead. More importantly, because Saul had broken the commandment of the LORD, the prophet Samuel told him that:

    The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for He is not a man, that he should have regret. (1 Samuel 15:28-29)

    One of the highlights of David’s stories should be that of his battle with Goliath. David was a lad when all Israel was challenged by Goliath to a man-to-man fight (1 Samuel 17:10). Not one person from the mighty army of Saul dared to fight with Goliath (1 Samuel 17:11). Nobody would venture to do so because Goliath was a giant champion warrior from the Philistines. In this context, it was well understood that the inability of Israel to stand before Goliath’s challenge was an insult to the name of YHWH, the LORD God of Israel. Such an understanding may be seen clearly through the words of the lad David as he sought the approval of Saul to face Goliath in the battle. See 1 Samuel 17:36-37.

    Your servant has struck down both lion and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defiled the armies of the Living God.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!

    I guess we all knew the conclusion of that encounter. Goliath was defeated by the lad David in the name of the LORD of hosts with a sling and a stone in his hand (1 Samuel 17:45,49). Fast forward now to 1 Samuel 21:10-15, David was no longer the young lad but was now an experienced commander of Israel’s armies. When he encountered Achish king of Gath, out of fear, he acted insane. Surely it was a decline from being a brave young lad who faced and defeated Goliath, to man reduced to humiliation.

    Many of us are like that. I also fell to the same temptation. If you have read my blogpost entitled “Regarding Wilmer,” you would see how boldly I embraced and sought the Gospel of Jesus Christ right at the wake of my only son and after. The fears and questions that I faced then may be considered my Goliath which I had encountered and overcome by the grace of God. As we walk the journey of faith, sometimes we become too trusting of ourselves, our achievements, our status, our resources, or people around us. So we begin to live our lives, perhaps unconsciously forgetting God’s moment-by-moment’s divine providence. Then when moments of difficulty or trials are upon us, our faith would be challenged.

    I may say my brother’s predicament became a challenge to me. No, I never doubted God. I felt burdened and sorrowed by my inability to be with my brother, forgetting that although I am thousands of miles away from him, the Lord is forever present. That may have been the experience of David. He forgot that God has already anointed him to be King over Israel so there was no way that Achish king of Gath could have him killed without being King of Israel first. See 1 Samuel 16:1, 7, 11-13.

    The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for Myself a King among his sons.”

    But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD look on the heart.”

    Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

    Take note then that David was God’s anointed King over Israel before he fought Goliath. The victory of David over Goliath therefore occurred in accordance with God’s divine providence making him King of Israel. In essence, David was sent by God, not Saul, to fight Goliath. Many times in our journey with the Lord we fail to remember that we are a child of God, precious in His sight. Therefore, there is no coincidence or chance encounter but only divine appointment or providence. There should be no fear whatever comes before us because Jesus is Immanuel – God with us.

    True enough, God’s mysterious working in David’s life came to light in 1 Samuel 22:1-2,5.

    David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.

    Then the prophet of God said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

    After these twin divine workings of God, David, no longer alone, now had an army of four hundred men. Also David was timely aided by the prophet of God, thereby avoiding a massacre by Saul’s men (1 Samuel 22:18-19). Henceforth, David began to seek God’s guidance and was spiritually restored. That I believe was the background for David’s utterance in Psalm 34.

    Our walk with Jesus is not a guarantee that we will always be shielded from life’s challenges. Life’s troubles will always be part of our daily living because man was formed from dust so to dust our mortal body will return. Therefore, mankind is not immune to decay. The apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:45,47-49, states,

    Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the Last Adam became a life-giving spirit … The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the Second Man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the Man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the Man of heaven.

    But the Good News is, Jesus Christ came. He fulfilled all the prophecies and requirements of the Mosaic Law. Subsequently, the promised salvation of God is now a reality. Our present existence, therefore, should make no difference— for Christ Jesus reigns then and forevermore. Jesus Christ is Immanuel: God with us (Matthew 1:23). We then should live with full conviction that “neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38–39)

    In normal times we are quick to fall into complacency, disregarding God’s daily presence and guidance. We tend to make decisions as if we are masters of our lives. The Bible states “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20). As Christians purchased by the blood of our Lord Christ Jesus who now reigns, so He alone is the Master of our lives, not us.

    The proclamation of the Gospel should be done through our daily living. We live by the truths and promises of the Word of God every day. We need not be sent out, as missionaries, that the Eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ be made known to the rest of mankind. Rather, the true Christian living should reflect the truth of the Gospel.

    P.S. I will ponder more on the thoughts, thanksgiving and confidence of David as expressed in Psalm 34 in my next blog posting.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • “Regarding Wilmer”

    This blogpost was taken mostly from an article written by Stanley Tiu, who interviewed me about my conversion to Christianity. He narrated the interview for publication at Grace Monthly, a monthly journal for Grace Gospel Church, dated January 2001. I have made a few changes mostly to conceal personal information or names of other people.

    Eric was silently going through his son’s things. The whole thing was a mechanical exercise; after all, aching grief has long dulled his sense. Only his hands were actually conscious of what they were doing as they slowly but methodically segregated Wilmer’s possessions into two piles. Into one pile went his toys and some of his clothes while the other received what Eric thought were his son’s more personal belongings.

    It had only been a few hours since his one and only son passed away. He had just come home from the funeral parlor where his son’s body lay in state.

    The harsh reality of it all momentarily roused his mind from its numbness, while consolingly reminding him in two words of his purpose: Chinese tradition. Custom dictates that the personal effects of the deceased are to be burned during the burial so that these can be taken with him to the next life. That was what the first pile was for.

    The other pile was to serve as cherished keepsakes of fond memories with his one and only son … all eight years and eleven months of them.

    Nevertheless, regardless of what stuff went to which pile, every single memento of Wilmer he grasped in his hand was a heart-rendering reminder of the fact that his son was no more, and that he might be partly to blame for it.

    Falling Star

    Wilmer was not born a healthy baby boy. Six months after his birth, it was discovered that he was unable to defecate normally and had to take suppositories for proper bowel movement to take place.

    When he was around a year old, Wilmer caught a cold and was taken to a physician. It was during that visit when the doctor observed he had an unusually large belly. She immediately suspected that the child had a rare clinical condition termed megacolon, wherein the patient’s intestines are longer than normal. The doctor then advised Wilmer’s parents to have him see a pediatric surgeon who could correct the abnormality through an operation. Eric, however, refused to have his fragile son undergo a delicate surgical procedure.

    At that time, Eric’s faith lay deeply rooted in his Buddhist/Taoist belief. Since he also had a solid background in Chinese traditions and practices, he decided to turn to oriental medicine.

    It later turned out that eastern medicine proved effective in Wilmer’s case as he soon experienced normal bowel movement. With the success of this alternative, Wilmer resumed his medication and was taken to the eastern practitioner every week thereafter.

    From then on, his life began to change. Aside from a weak constitution due to his illness, Wilmer started leading a nearly normal life. Eric proudly noted that his son was an intelligent and obedient child. In school, Wilmer was always considered the “best boy” among his classmates.

    His health was also improving. Some even noticed that Wilmer was starting to put on a few pounds. Adding to the good news was the eastern doctor’s pronouncement that his condition would “normalize” as soon as he reached his teenage years. By then he could fully stop his oriental medication.

    Things seemed to be looking up for Wilmer.

    It is no wonder then that his sudden death came as a big shock to both his family and friends alike.

    A Question of Faith

    “We were so surprised since we didn’t expect it (Wilmer’s death),” remarked Eric. He remembered during his son’s wake, he kept blaming himself as a father for his loss since he didn’t revert to western medicine.

    “A lot of people blamed me for that,” he sadly recalls. “You are already in grief and people still throw these accusations at you.” Despite these callous comments, Eric passively took in the low blows thinking that they have every right to say such things.

    Besides that, he had other things to ponder on.

    Wilmer’s death opened a floodgate which sent torrents of questions bursting through Eric’s mind. “It is then I started to ask questions like: Where is my son now, or when can I see him again?” he contemplated.

    Such reflections were then nothing new to Eric. When he was still practicing Buddhism/Taoism, Eric already had many questions about his life. He began to notice that there was something wrong with the way they worship their god/s in his religion. This prompted him to go further into Feng-shui, astrology, tarot cards and incense reading, New Age ideas and many others, yet all his questions about life remained unanswered. His soul-searching, however, had to come to an abrupt postponement when life’s worries eventually came knocking at the door.

    But his search for the truth was far from over. During the wake, Eric felt that he should still keep his religion. Nonetheless, this decision was half-hearted one for deep inside he knew that he just wanted to maintain an empty, mechanical ritual. Doubt had already begun to eat away his hollow faith.

    The Gift

    Eric was still listlessly separating his son’s things when he came across a penholder.

    It was an ordinary penholder – a little something his son had given him months before he passed away. He hadn’t really given his son’s token much thought since it was, after all … just an ordinary penholder.

    But now as he held it carefully in his hands, Eric suddenly saw the printed words on it which he hadn’t noticed before. It was a short message, a Bible verse to be exact. The verse was Psalm 37:5 (“Give yourself to the Lord; trust in Him and He will help you.”), from the Good News Translation.

    For Eric, these few simple words drove straight to his heart.

    “It was my son’s penholder that set off a trigger within me!” he exclaimed. “That short verse really touched me!”

    At that moment, he realized that God was subtly giving him a message through Wilmer.

    For the first time in his life, Eric felt a real and caring God directly intervening in his life. When he was a child, the only time he ever heard about God was through his household help who didn’t give anything clear or specific about Him. Likewise, he never had the opportunity to study in a Christian school. What he believed was that all people worshipped one and the same god but that each culture had its own religion.

    Making a complete turn around, Eric was determined to give up his Buddhist/Taoist practice and later told his wife about it.

    She took the news very well. A Christian who has lost track of her faith during her marriage, she decided to restore her faith the very day Wilmer passed away. Hearing Eric make such an announcement made things a lot easier for both of them.

    Absolution

    But God had more surprises in store for Eric. There was still the unresolved issue regarding Eric’s enormous personal guilt over his son’s death. God soon took care of that in His usual mysterious manner.

    The day after “re-discovering” the penholder, Eric had a little chat with a visitor to his son’s wake. The conversation eventually shifted to Wilmer and his illness where Eric casually mentioned that his son had a bloated belly. To this, the visitor assumed that a problem with the pancreas may have caused the swelling of his abdomen.

    Once again, another silent trigger set off in Eric’s mind. This time he recalled having heard his son’s oriental doctor mentioned that Wilmer may have a problem with his pancreas. Somehow, something behind the back of his mind told Eric that this was important and that he had to find out everything he could about this little detail.

    The moment he got home, Eric furiously started thumbing through every single medical book he had in his possession regarding pancreas and its related diseases. It was when he came across cystic fibrosis, an incurable congenital disease, that he hit pay dirt. He discovered that all the symptoms manifested by his son were consistent with those of the disease.

    If this was the case, then Eric would finally be released from the emotional baggage he had been carrying all this time.

    Not satisfied with just these facts, Eric went to bookstores and researched on the latest books for updated information regarding the disease. Later, he discovered that his recent findings further confirmed his suspicions that his son did have cystic fibrosis instead of the initial megacolon diagnosis made years back.

    With this, the only missing piece of the puzzle left was an expert opinion. Eric immediately consulted with a western doctor to whom he shared all the information that he had gathered. In reply, the doctor first said that though cystic fibrosis is rare among Asians, she concurred with Eric’s conclusion saying that the possibility that Wilmer had cystic fibrosis, which was roughly 95% confirmed given that he had manifested all the symptoms. The only thing lacking was an actual sweat test which would fully affirm the validity of Eric’s claim.

    It was through these things that Eric personally witnessed the grace of the Lord. He later reflected, “I was very confused at the time and He led me to the answer through the visitor who mentioned the pancreas. Thanks to the Lord, He gave me the wisdom to discover the truth, that I wasn’t truly accountable for my son’s death, since he was born with a disease that couldn’t be cured, so that I can finally have my peace of mind and stop blaming myself.”

    Though Eric hasn’t fully accepted Christ yet, the seeds of faith have already sprung within him.

    Light from Shade

    As expected, everything was going smoothly. God’s orchestrating of the peculiar events in Eric’s life during his son’s wake started moving towards the climax of the whole story. At this point, it seemed like the timing was right and everything started falling into place.

    With this, the Master Conductor started to set things into motion.

    Eric soon received another visit, this time from one of his brothers. “I didn’t know then that my brother was already a Christian,” said Eric. (Prior to the wake, a gap had already existed between the two brothers for months. It was during that sorrowful occasion that they were reconciled.) He approached me and asked if my son should receive a Buddhist/Taoist, Catholic or Christian interment service.”

    In truth, Eric was unable to confirm his son’s acceptance of Jesus Christ. His son never really talked much about his personal faith in his brief existence since it was understood then that Buddhism/Taoism was the official religion of their household.

    Thoughts of the penholder however sparked an insightful notion in him that perhaps the seemingly innocent gift could have borne mute testimony of his son’s faith.

    Without hesitation, Eric requested for a Christian service.

    “Going back to the penholder, I realized that he may have already accepted Christ without telling us,” he assured. “It is for this reason we chose that (Christian) service, thinking that that’s the last thing I could do to make my son happy.”

    Arrangement for the service soon went underway. Eric was soon receiving visitors from the Grace Christian High School faculty – former teachers of Wilmer. One of them was none other than the school principal. Upon meeting Eric, he wasted no time in giving him a crash course on eternal life and about accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour.

    It turned out that the crash course was Eric’s first Christian education. “Imagine, all this time the only thing I knew about God were stories told to me by house-helpers when I was little!” he enthused.

    It was also an eye-opener for him. “I was immediately attracted to the concept of eternal life,” he added. “I saw the chance of seeing my son again!”

    The Christian service took place a few days later. The pastor, in his sermon, touched on Eternal Life through Jesus Christ and the personal repentance of sins, accepting and believing in Him. (John 3:16)

    Then came the climax, the turning point in Eric’s life.

    “At that moment, I immediately asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be my Saviour!” said Eric with much conviction.

    The man who had lost something big in his life suddenly gained everything back.

    In no time at all, Eric’s once Buddhist/Taoist household was bustling with newborn Christians. “Now that we have become Christians, we don’t practice Chinese/Buddhist/Taoist rituals or traditions anymore,” he noted with unmistakable pride, “It is because we now believe that because of Jesus Christ, we are freed from all worldly traditions.”

    So zealous was he with pursuing his newfound faith that he was motivated to buy his own Bible and was able to read from cover to cover (both the Old and New Testament) in 100 days! “People like my brother and daughter started calling me ‘pastor’ since I was able to accomplish that feat,” he noted humorously.

    The ‘Pastor’ claimed, however, that he wasn’t able to finish it in one sitting.

    He said that the trick to it is to carry the Bible with you at all times while finding time to relish its contents. “I always carry the Bible wherever I go, like when I accompany my wife to the market, or when I go fetch my children in school,” he shares. “I sometimes read a paragraph, stop then carry on where I last left off. It’s like reading a novel!”

    But to Eric, the Bible was more than just fun reading. Through it, he was able to unlock the answers to all of life’s questions. He considered that this old belief, which was a mixture of Buddhism and Taoism, lacking, since it did not clearly explain many of his queries of life’s mysteries.

    Eric noted, “It is then (when I finish reading the Bible) that I began to fully understand who God really is, His desires for us, and the true meaning of His salvation for us.” He further adds, “Also amazingly, all the questions I had about life were answered as well.”

    This, he says, is how he finally and truly committed himself to the Lord.

    Since Wilmer’s passing, Eric and his family’s Christian faith have already come a long way. Eric and his wife have opened a small Bible study in their home every Monday evening. At times, Eric would be invited by others to share their personal testimony while sharing God’s Word to both believers and non-believers alike.

    “If I can be of any use for the glory of God, then I am willing to serve or share God’s Good News to anybody who is willing to listen,” offered Eric thoughtfully.

    Nevertheless, one question continued to haunt Eric incessantly.

    Regarding Wilmer

    “Is my son saved?”

    Eric had asked this question of a pastor since it bothered him to think that his son had never openly mentioned anything about accepting Jesus Christ when he was still alive.

    To this, the pastor replied that the age of accountability (regarding faith) varied so “only God truly knows.” The pastor believes however, Wilmer is safely tucked in our Heavenly Father’s arms.

    Nevertheless, God was faithful to Eric and it was through that question that He imparted many recollections to him which eventually set his mind at ease. Somehow, he felt that God was telling him not to worry about his son.

    It was then that he suddenly recalled a small incident that occurred a week before his son passed away.

    He remembered being in the room with his son one evening. “I always spend some time with him in his room every night since I’m close to my children,” he tearfully recounted. “Never did he want me to leave the room. He is very affectionate. He always wants me to sit beside him.”

    But not that night.

    That evening, Wilmer didn’t want dad to stay long in his room. “I remembered him saying, ‘Dad, please go to your room.’ On my part, I was puzzled why he wanted me to leave,” narrated Eric. “Nevertheless, I followed his wishes because I respect him.”

    Eric recollected leaving the room and closing the door. But before heading for bed, Eric decided to listen at the door out of curiosity.

    “I listened intently and I heard him whispering.” Eric soon realized that his son’s quiet whispers was actually a prayer.

    At that time he didn’t have a clue as to who Wilmer was praying to or for what reason. But now, in retrospect, Eric believes that his son was saying a prayer to the Lord.

    “Come to think of it, he (Wilmer) wouldn’t ask me to go out of the room if he were praying to the idols in the house,” Eric reasoned out in his reflection. “I think he didn’t feel comfortable with me hanging around his room while he prayed since our family didn’t believe in Jesus Christ at that time.” Perhaps this could explain why Wilmer was so secretive about his Christian faith. If one was to believe this assumption.

    Eric also remembered times when Wilmer would sometimes ask him if he could go to the Sunday school at Grace Christian Church. “I remember discouraging him back then since I reasoned out that his body was weak so he should rest during the weekend,” he said. “I told him that he could always go to the chapel on weekdays.”

    All these bit and pieces of his memories with Wilmer, Eric believes, are unspoken reassurances of his son’s salvation.

    “How I recalled all these tiny instances was through the Lord,” he concluded.

    Once, while with his family, Eric spoke about his concern for Wilmer’s salvation. It was then that the elder sister of Wilmer, only twelve years old then, confessed that both she and her brother (Wilmer) had decided to trust in Jesus earlier before the passing of her brother.

    Strangely, it seemed that life only truly began for Eric and his family after the painful experience. So much has happened in their lives that it can now clearly be seen that Wilmer’s early passing was not in vain after all.

    With this, Eric shares with us the verse, John 12:24, which he thinks best describes God’s purpose behind his son’s fleeting existence in this world. “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

    “I know this verse refers to Christ Jesus as the single seed,” he says, “yet I also think that this verse is applicable to us, telling us how the Lord posthumously used my son for us to believe in Jesus Christ, and what we should be doing with our lives as Christians.”

    “If my one and only son didn’t die, not that we are now glad he did, but he and his sister would have remained as the only ones in the family who believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. His death has restored my wife’s faith, and led me to know our Lord Jesus Christ because of our great love for our son and our desire to be with him again. So in the end, his short life did bear many seeds.”

    “Before, it was only my desire to see my son again that I came to accept Jesus Christ. But now, having fully understood His Good News and knowing He is the one and only God, I have come to realize that we ought to worship Him and not just believe in Him.”

    Human lives are curious collections of both happiness and sorrow. Sadly, life’s tragedies, both big and small, stand out more than the happy moments interspersed between them. Yet, it was during these troubles moments that God chooses to unveil His mysterious, yet glorious plan!

    Wilmer’s seemingly untimely passing was a great tragedy to the family. Eric’s personal testimony, however, shows us that even the most heartbreaking sorrow can yield blessings to many.

    A Postface From Me

    Time really flies so fast. It has been a couple of decades since my one and only son went to be with the Lord. I decided to publish this personal testimony of mine in relation to my last blog posting. God truly is amazing. In the last twenty years, there are many stories to tell on how the Lord Jesus Christ has guided us in our journey of faith to where and how we are now. But in summary, I was only able to do everything and continue our journey of faith through Christ Jesus who strengthens us. All glory belongs to Him!

    If you want to follow our journey of unlearning tradition and relearning Scripture, you can stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox.

  • Small Details May Say A Lot; The Conclusion (The True Sabbath Rest)

    As noted in my earlier post, the Sabbath serves as the central theme in John 5. The Gospel mentions the Sabbath ten times, with four occurrences in this chapter alone. This focus makes sense because the events in John 5 take place during the Jewish Fall Harvest Festival—the Feast of Booths—since the core of that celebration is Sabbath rest.

    This theme of rest is particularly meaningful when contrasted with the unrest of exile. As a young man, the prophet Daniel was taken into exile (Daniel 1:3–6). This Exile, also known as the Seventy Years of Babylonian Captivity, fulfilled God’s declared judgment on Judah, the southern kingdom and final remnant of David and Solomon’s monarchy. For context, see Jeremiah 25:3–14.

    For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all His servants the prophets, saying, “Turn now, every one of you, from his evil ways and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.” Yet you have not listened to Me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.

    Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations, I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of the mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the milestones and the light of the lamp. The whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste. I will bring upon the land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.

    By Daniel’s later years, he may have reached his eighties, since seventy years had passed after his exile to Babylon. See Daniel 9:1–2.

    In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of Chaldeans – in the first year of his reign, I Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

    After the seventy-year Babylonian captivity ended—the judgment God announced through Jeremiah—Daniel asked the LORD for mercy and restoration. The answer to Daniel’s prayer and request appears in Daniel 9:24–27. We can examine Daniel 9:24, which captures the full scope of God’s declaration:

    Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.

    Perhaps to Daniel’s surprise, God is not finished with Israel; he was informed of the final judgment, described as “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin.” The atonement was “to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness,” and finally, God’s dwelling presence—the tabernacle (booths)—was “to anoint a most holy place.” By the way, the themes in Daniel 9:24 align with elements in John 5.

    John 5:30, spoke of Judgment, which is the culmination of the Feast of Trumpets.

    I can do nothing of My own. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will but the will of Him [God the Father] who sent Me.

    Next, John 5:21, spoke of Resurrection, the fulfillment of the Feast of Atonement.

    For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.

    Finally, John 5:24, spoke of Eternal Life, the consummation of the Feast of Booths.

    Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

    Daniel’s life spanned the era of the first Gentile kingdom, Babylon, and into the second, the Medo-Persian Empire. He understood this transition when he was called to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2). In this dream, God revealed that four Gentile kingdoms would rule over Israel before the coming of the Son of Man—the Anointed One, the Deliverer of Israel (Daniel 2:44-45). This prophetic confirmation is further elaborated in Daniel 7.

    The fulfillment of God’s Messianic Kingdom, as foretold, would take place during the reign of the fourth Gentile kingdom (Daniel 2:40–45). Scripture names the first three kingdoms: Babylon (Daniel 2:37–38), Medo-Persia, and Greece (Daniel 8:20–21). The fourth kingdom remains unnamed, but Daniel 7:7 provides a vital clue about its identity.

    After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke into pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

    About 600 years later, the identity of the fourth kingdom was finally revealed by the apostle John. See Revelation 13:1 and 17:7-11.

    And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Revelation 13:1)

    But the angel said to me [John], “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the books of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and it to come. This calls for a mind of wisdom: the seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also the seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eight but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.” (Revelation 17:7-11)

    It should be noted that in the Greek, the seven mountains could also be translated as “seven hills,” and there is only one city at the time of the apostle, perhaps even now, that was known to sit on seven hills— that is, Rome. The seven kings, five of whom have fallen, refers to the Roman emperors, beginning with (1) Julius Caesar, (2) Augustus Caesar, (3) Tiberius Caesar, (4) Caligula Caesar, (5) Claudius Caesar; “one is,” refers to Nero Caesar— the emperor reigning at the time of Peter, John, and Paul.

    Now, let us see Revelation 1:9-10.

    I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

    According to the King James Concordance, “trumpet” is mentioned eleven times in the New Testament, with six of those instances appearing in the Book of Revelation, including Revelation 1:10. This frequent use of the trumpet imagery calls to mind the Fall Harvest Festivals of Leviticus 23, which begin with the Feast of Trumpets, followed by the Feast of Atonement, and finally the Feast of Booths.

    Incidentally, the “Lord’s Day” of Revelation 1:10, which the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries said was “from G2962; belonging to the Lord,” could not be referring to a Sunday, as traditionally suggested, but the Sabbath. See Genesis 2:2–3.

    And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.

    Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definition defined “holy” as to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. Therefore, the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, was sanctified, consecrated, and set apart for the LORD God; hence, the Lord’s Day or a “day belonging to the Lord.”

    See also Exodus 20:8-10, of the Ten Commandments:

    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God … For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

    The Lord’s Day cannot be a Sunday, which traditionally was derived from the phrase “first day of the week” found in every gospel narrative concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

    See first, John 19:42-20:1.

    So because of the Jewish Day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

    What is the Day of Preparation? See John 19:31.

    Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jew asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

    Every Passover and Unleavened Bread Festival, there would be two Sabbaths in the week: a regular Sabbath [the seventh day of the week; Saturday to us] and the High or Special Sabbath, which could be any day of the week as long as it is the fifteenth of Nisan. Leviticus 23:7 states, “On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work [Sabbath rest].” The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the beginning of the Passover-week festival, the fifteenth of Nisan.

    The Passover event in Exodus occurred “between the two evenings” (Exodus 12:6–8, translated “twilight”), beginning on the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the Preparation for the Passover. The Jewish day begins at sunset and ends before sunset (6pm to before 6pm); unlike ours, which is 12 midnight to before 12 midnight. Hence, Exodus 12:29 states:

    At midnight [Hebrew “middle of two night” H2677 & H3915] the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt …

    Jesus, then, was crucified on the day of Preparation (John 19:14). He was buried before sundown, the beginning of the High Sabbath, 15th of Nisan (John 19:30, 42). Now, in John 20:1, “first day of the week” in the Greek actually means on “one Sabbath or first Sabbath“— meaning, first Sabbath after the High Sabbath. Yes, “Sabbath” (G4521, from Hebrew H7676) but was somehow translated “week” by the English translation of the Bible.

    See again John 19:42-20:1

    So because the Jewish Day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Now on the [One] first [Sabbath] day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.

    Interlinear Bible for John 20:1,

    <1161> The first <3391> day of the week <4521> cometh <2064> (5736) Mary <3137> Magdalene <3094> early <4404>, when it was <5607> (5752) yet <2089> dark <4653>, unto <1519> the sepulchre <3419>, and <2532> seeth <991> (5719) the stone <3037> taken away <142> (5772) from <1537> the sepulchre <3419>.

    A check on an interlinear Bible said “The first” G3391, irregular feminine of G1520, which Thayer’s Greek Definition defined to mean “one.” Next, “day of the week” G4521, defined by Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries as “Of Hebrew origin” [H7676]— the Sabbath.

    Now, see also Mark 15:42,47; 16:1-2.

    And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation [14th of Nisan], that is, the day before the Sabbath [15th of Nisan] … Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where He was laid. When the Sabbath [High] was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on the first [One, G1520] day of the week [Sabbath, G4521], when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.

    See also Luke 23:56-24:1.

    Then they returned and prepared the spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath [High] they rested according to the commandment. But on the first [One, G1520] day of the week [Sabbath, G4521], at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”

    Lastly, Matthew 28:1

    Now after the Sabbath [High], toward the dawn of the first [One, G1520] day of the week [Sabbath, G4521], Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.

    Now Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 declared Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed. Then, in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Christ was the firstfruits, speaking of His resurrection. Therefore, another proof that Jesus could not have resurrected on a Sunday, as traditionally taught and believed, but rather on a Sabbath, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits of Leviticus 23, which occurred on a Sabbath (G4521), following the High Sabbath (John 19:31).

    See Leviticus 23:10-11,15-16 from the NASB translation, a literal word-for-word translation.

    “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

    “You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath …“

    To count seven complete sabbaths, then the beginning of the count must also be on a Sabbath; thereby, the day after the High Sabbath refers to the regular weekly Sabbath. Clearly then, Jesus resurrected back to life on a Sabbath, not Sunday; fulfilling therefore the Feast of Firstfruits.

    To review: Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 declared Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed. Then, in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Christ was the firstfruits, speaking of His resurrection. Therefore, once more, another proof that Jesus could not have resurrected on a Sunday, as traditionally taught and believed, but rather on a Sabbath, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits of Leviticus 23:10–11, which always occurs on a Sabbath following the High Sabbath.

    Although Rome leveled Jerusalem in AD 70 during summer instead of winter, it is striking that Jesus observed, “Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.” (Matthew 24:20)

    From our earlier study, it follows that the timing must align with a Sabbath, since Revelation describes John hearing a loud voice like a trumpet “on the Lord’s Day.” The events throughout the Book of Revelation point to the Last Day and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, completing the Fall Harvest Festivals in Leviticus 23.

    On a side note, the Bible refers to the “Day of the Lord” (Acts 2:20; 1 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2 Peter 3:10) as God’s judgment day, which serves as the central theme of the Book of Revelation. The Lord’s Day is unlikely to be a Sunday; it appears to be a Sabbath and aligns with “the Day of the Lord” in its meaning.

    Revelation 14:6-7,13

    Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water … And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’”

    By the way, “a loud voice” in Revelation 1:10 was said to be “like a trumpet,” so similarly “a loud voice” in Revelation 14:7 must also be “like a trumpet,” which declared the arrival of the time of God’s judgment. Following the sound of the trumpet, a voice from heaven then declared, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

    The significance of Revelation 14:13 may be seen through the words of Hebrews 4:9-10.

    So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.

    Perhaps that was why Jesus would heal even on a Sabbath, indicating therefore that He was working— first to make Himself known and believed by people (John 6:29) and second, to fulfill the true Sabbath Rest (Revelation 14:13; Hebrews 4:9–10), which would be a reality only after God rested from His work (Hebrews 4:9–10). So the apostle’s narrative on John 5:16–17 makes real sense now.

    And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”

    It should be worth mentioning then that on top of the Seven Jewish Feasts of Leviticus 23 was the command to observe the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3), since that was the essence of all the festivities of Israel, the fulfillment or the renewal of Genesis 2:2–3.

    See Leviticus 23:3.

    Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.

    Next, Genesis 2:2-3.

    And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.

    A small detail indeed reveals a lot. We must seek to know the true teachings of the Scripture. Traditions have blinded us from understanding the true essence of the Sabbath, which speaks of the salvation plan of God. Not until God had rested from His work would His creation ever experience and understand the true Sabbath Rest of God. See Revelation 21:3–4.

    And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling place [tabernacle] of God is with man, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

    The doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus and his fulfillment of the Final Harvest Feast, the Fall Festivals, need not be divided into specific events, since Paul noted this.

    Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raise imperishable, and we will be changed … But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52,56)

    Truly, a little deflection from the truth can indeed lead to a devastating false assumption. The Roman Empire, the fourth Gentile kingdom reigning over Israel, ceased to exist for more than a millennium now. So what does that tell us? Be reminded that God showed Daniel that the Messianic reign of Jesus Christ would occur within the time of the fourth Gentile kingdom, Rome. The Bible never spoke of a revived Roman Empire. Don’t you think we ought to take seriously our study of the Bible?

    P.S. I have always wanted to understand the doctrine of the last things, eschatology. It was quite important and personal to me, for I wanted to be assured of what happened after death. That was the question that bothered me while I was at the wake of my only son. It’s been twenty years now. Glory be to God that finally I now comprehend Scripture, and the Lord Jesus Christ has graciously provided me understanding concerning the said doctrine.

    The Lord Jesus Christ impressed His words in Isaiah 30:20–21 upon me while I wrestled with whether to begin seminary training so late in life. Scripture says, “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:20–21)

    Looking back, I recognize that the Lord, my Teacher, Jesus Christ, graciously led me and my family to know Him and grasp His Word. This journey started at my son’s wake, who posthumously showed me God’s goodness through a penholder he had given me months before joining the Lord. Here is a link to the blog “Regarding Wilmer,” which recounts my path to Christianity.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • Small Details May Say A Lot (Signs, and the Sabbath)

    Introduction to John 5 (Continuation of “Small Details May Say A Lot”)

    A quick reading of John 5 might lead many to assume, “Oh well, it’s another miracle story of Jesus Christ, this time about a man invalid for 38 years.” I remember, years ago, that whenever I prepared for my upcoming Bible study, I often asked myself, “What specific difference does this miracle story offer compared to earlier accounts by the gospel writers?” Because we may appear to be reading one miracle after another, perhaps believing all these tales simply confirm Jesus’ divinity. Jesus is God; that is true and should never be questioned. Yet the matter is not so simple. We must recall that the Gospels were written for a particular audience—the Jews—under a particular circumstance. They were waiting for the appearance of the Christ, the Anointed One of God, as promised for their deliverance.

    Through God’s call and promise to Abraham, the Jews became God’s children. Genesis recounts the narrative of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—until Jacob received the name Israel. The history of Israel had already been declared to Abraham, including the prediction that Israel would endure slavery in a foreign land before God would guide them out during the Exodus (Genesis 15:13–14). As expected, the LORD God established a bilateral covenant with Israel after completing the promised rescue from Egypt. The Torah—the first five books of the Old Testament, from Genesis to Deuteronomy—was composed by Moses and shaped the relationship between God and Israel.

    And God said “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years. (Genesis 1:14)

    And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. (Genesis 9:12-13)

    You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you [Abraham]. (Genesis 17:11)

    He [God] said, “But I will be with you [Moses], and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

    All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes that He commanded you. They shall be a sign and wonder against you and your offspring forever. (Deuteronomy 31:45-46)

    The Torah presents signs as a key feature in God’s relationship with Israel. It is natural that Paul, a Jew, observed, “For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). Signs carried substantial weight among Jews, especially for recognizing the promised Messiah. Speaking through Isaiah about the coming Christ, the LORD God said,

    Behold My Servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom My soul delights; I put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations … I am the LORD; I have called You in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and keep You; I will give You as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1,6-7)

    It is unsurprising that, alongside Jesus’ ministry, He was healing and performing signs. Across the Gospels, including John, the focus extends beyond miracles to “signs.” The Greek term “sign” appears seventeen times in John’s Gospel. Examples of passages mentioning “sign” follow:

    “Now when He [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing” (John 2:23)

    “This man [Nicodemus] came to Jesus by night and said to Him [Jesus], “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with Him.” (John 3:2)

    And a large crowd was following Him [Jesus], because they saw the signs that He was doing on the sick … When the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” (John 6:2,14)

    Yet many of the people believed in Him [Jesus]. They said, “When the Christ appears, will He do more signs than this man has done?” (John 7:31)

    And many came to Him [Jesus]. And they said, “John [the baptist] did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true. (John 10:41)

    The reason why the crowd went to meet Him [Jesus] was that they heard He had done this sign … Though He [Jesus] had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him. (John 12:18,37)

    Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31)

    The Gospel of John recounts numerous events, proofs, and signs identifying Jesus as the Christ; yet John 12:37 notes, “though Jesus had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him.” Was this merely a result of Jewish stubbornness?

    Let us pause and consider John 9:13–17. The passage notes that Scripture stated,

    They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He [Jesus] put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?” He said “He is a prophet.”

    Now in John 5:8-9, 16, it said,

    Jesus said to him [the invalid man], “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath … And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

    Despite the overwhelming signs of Jesus, His healing on a Sabbath became a hindrance to the Pharisees from believing in Him. Several times in the Gospels, that was the issue raised against Jesus— He performed miracles on a Sabbath. What was the Sabbath to a Jew? See Exodus 20:8–11.

    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

    The Sabbath ban on work originated in the Ten Commandments delivered by God through Moses at Mount Sinai during the wilderness period following the Exodus. This restriction was reaffirmed during the Covenant Renewal after Israel’s Golden Calf sin (Exodus 32). Consequently, the Sabbath holds major importance for Jews because God repeated it in the bilateral covenant renewal with Israel (Exodus 34:10–28).

    And He [LORD] said, “Behold, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels, such as have not been created in all the earth or in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it’s an awesome thing that I will do with you. Observe what I command you this day … (Exodus 34:10-11a).

    Take care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it becomes a snare in your midst … (Exodus 34:12).

    You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Passover]. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt … (Exodus 34:18).

    Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest [Sabbath Rest]. You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, the firstfruits of wheat harvest [Pentecost], and the Feast of Ingathering [Booths] at the year’s end. Three times in the year shall all your males appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out nations before you and enlarge your borders; no one shall covet your land, when you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times in the year” … (Exodus 34:21-24).

    And the LORD said to Moses, ” Write these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” So he [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 34:27-28).

    During the era of Jesus, Israel lived under Roman rule. Three times each year, the people gathered before the LORD for spring harvest celebrations: (1) the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread, along with the Feast of Firstfruits; (2) the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost; and (3) the fall harvest festivals—the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. Together, these form the seven annual Jewish Feasts described in Leviticus 23. Each time they observed a feast, they may have watched for the arrival or signs of the Christ.

    On the other hand, the Sabbath Rest carried great weight as a command from the LORD God to Israel. It formed part of the binding terms within God’s bilateral covenant with Israel; consequently, the Jews and Pharisees had some ground for claiming Jesus violated the Sabbath. Yet Jesus appears to have selected the Sabbath repeatedly for His signs (Mark 3:2–5; Mark 6:2; Luke 6:6–10; Luke 13:10–14; John 5:9–16; John 9:14). In John 5, He healed a man on a Sabbath as well. The word “Sabbath” appears ten times in John’s Gospel, with four instances in John 5. The Sabbath is therefore a major theme here, and small details do say a lot.

    P.S. A continuation of this blog is coming next.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • Small Details May Say A Lot (Introduction)

    Even after posting three blogs on John 9, there is still room for a few insights, particularly on the two interesting remarks of Jesus Christ. First, in John 9:4, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” What does Jesus mean by saying “as long as it is day, night is coming”? And the second, John 9:39, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Lord willing, both will be explained as we go along in our study of the Gospel of John.

    Continuing my study of the Gospel of John, I came across John 5:1. “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The Bible does not mention which particular Jewish Feast John was referring to, so this will be my focus in this blog and following blog postings.

    As I noted in my earlier post on Spiritual Blindness, the LORD God established seven Jewish annual feasts in Leviticus 23. These seven feasts can also be grouped into three harvest festivals. Three times each year, Jews traveled from many places to Jerusalem for these gatherings—the Passover Feast, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The three harvest festivals followed the agricultural cycles in Palestine: barley, then wheat, and finally fruits or grapes. God’s sovereignty is evident here, don’t you think?

    The first harvest festival begins with the Feast of Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8), culminating with the thanksgiving harvest of barley— the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9–11). The second harvest festival was the Feast of Wheat or Pentecost, celebrating the thanksgiving harvest of wheat (Leviticus 23:15–16). Lastly, the third harvest festival begins with the Feast of Trumpets, then the Feast of Atonement, and finally the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths or Ingathering— it’s the harvest of fruits or grapes (Leviticus 23:33–36).

    Here is the overview of the Jewish Annual Festivals or Feasts. The first four Spring Festivals—from Passover to Pentecost—span the initial three months of the Jewish calendar year. After a four-month summer interval, the final three Fall Festivals follow: the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, and the concluding Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacle or Booths).

    Now, on our study of John 5:1, specifically John’s mention of the “feast of the Jews,” Albert Barnes said: Probably, the Passover, though it is not certain. There were two other feasts – the Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.

    On the other hand, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary said: The feast of the Jews is probably not the Passover, which John usually refers to by name (John 2:13; John 6:4; John 11:55). It may have been Purim, which is not a divine institution but a Jewish-instigated feast to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews and Queen Esther. It is literally a feast of the Jews.

    Lastly, Robertson’s Word Pictures said: As a matter of fact there is no way of telling what feast it was which Jesus here attended. Even if it was not the passover, there may well be another passover not mentioned besides the three named by John. (John 2:13, John 2:23; John 6:4; John 12:1)

    I reviewed only three Bible commentaries, and their views on John 5:1 do not align, which suggests such sources are not entirely reliable. Grasping the Leviticus 23 Jewish Feasts could help separate fact from fiction. For instance, it might confirm whether Jesus Christ completed three or three and a half years of earthly ministry with His disciples.

    The NNIBC (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary) correctly identifies three Gospel passages—John 2:13, John 6:4, and John 11:55—that link Jesus Christ to three annual Jewish festivals, including “the Passover.”

    Let us review every verse in John’s Gospel that mentions “Passover.” John 2:13 and John 2:23 point to the first annual Jewish festival involving Jesus Christ. John 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28; 18:39; and 19:14 address the third and final festival, since the narrative follows Jesus’ final week with His disciples leading to His crucifixion. John 6:4 therefore relates to the second festival during Jesus’ earthly ministry. This internal evidence suggests his ministry spans three successive years of the annual Passover.

    Across all four Gospels, Jesus’ earthly ministry began after His baptism by John the Baptist (John 1:29–39; Matthew 3:13–17, 4:12–18; Mark 1:9–15; Luke 3:21–23), with John 2:13 noting the first Passover festival involving him. Yet before this Passover appearance in John 2:13—which followed His baptism in John 1:29–33—the apostle John described Jesus serving at a wedding in Cana. It follows that Jesus carried out at least three or three and a half years of ministry, starting at age 30, as Luke 3:23 indicates.

    Returning to the “feast of the Jews” described by the apostle in John 5:1, we already recognize that John records three Passover Festivals involving Jesus. We should also see that a complete cycle of the annual Jewish feasts starts with Passover and concludes with the Feast of Booths (Tabernacle or Ingathering). Notably, John explicitly names only one Feast of Booths in his Gospel, at John 7:2. Following the narrative flow, John 6:4, “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews was at hand,” connects naturally to John 7:2, “Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand,” presenting a full cycle of the second annual festival involving Jesus.

    As noted earlier, John 11:55—“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand …”—addresses the third and final Passover tied to Jesus. Because the following account describes Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, we face one clear choice. I disagree with Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary that John might mean “Purim,” a non-divinely established festival from Esther’s time (Esther 9:23–32), since the content of John 5, especially Jesus Christ’s teaching there, aligns with the core of the Feast of Booths. I will explore that in my next blog post. For now, we can consider the nature of the Passover Feast in relation to Jesus Christ’s ministry.

    John concluded his Gospel with the Passover narrative involving Jesus Christ. From a human viewpoint, this marked the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From God’s perspective, He became the true offering acceptable to God—the fulfillment of the Leviticus 23 “Passover Feast.” It is worth noting that Jesus Christ came to satisfy all requirements of the first, or Old, Covenant (Exodus 12:2-6). As Matthew 5:17–18 records, Jesus declared:

    Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, nor a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

    For in doing so, He would be qualified to inaugurate the second or New Covenant of God. See Hebrews 10:5-10:

    Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said, “Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but a body have You prepared for Me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God. as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’” When He said above, “You have neither desired not taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the Law), then He added, “Behold I have come to do Your will.” He does away with the first in order to established the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

    Next, see 1 Corinthians 5:7, the apostle Paul wrote,

    Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really were unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.

    Looking then at both Hebrews 10:5–10 and 1 Corinthians 5:7, without a doubt, Jesus Christ indeed fulfilled both the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread at the Cross.

    The apostle Paul described believers as “unleavened,” not through their own actions but through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the Cross. In Colossians 2:13–14, Paul also noted:

    And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the Cross.

    The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread having been fulfilled, the cancelling of the record of debt that stood against the believers was then consummated at the cross. So Jesus uttered, “It is finished” (John 19:30), then gave up His spirit. But it should be noted that though atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ had been completed, yet the Mosaic Law remains and is still in effect at the point of Christ’s death, resurrection, and even after His ascension. Therefore, salvation is assured but has yet to take its full effect, see Hebrews 9:28.

    A side note: Many have long held that because Christ Jesus died on the cross and rose again, everything is complete and salvation is secured forever. We frequently hear the phrase “Once saved, always saved,” which is a common interpretation that can lead believers to assume that regardless of how they live, their claim of faith in Christ guarantees salvation to the end. This is one subtle yet implied traditional idea often presented.

    Let us again look at 1 Corinthians 5:7, but this time we will include the context:

    Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the sexually immoral of the world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-13)

    “Purge the evil person from among you” appears in the Old Testament within the Law of Moses, see Deuteronomy 13:5; 17:7, 12; 21:21; and 22:21, 24. This phrase was also applied against Israel, particularly the Tribe of Benjamin, in Judges 20:13. It served as a call for believers to separate themselves or be sanctified. As Hebrews 10:10 notes, “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

    The Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary defined “sanctification” as the process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God (John 17:7) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3–4), sanctification results in holiness, or purification from guilt and the power of sin.

    I notice two issues in the NNIBD explanation. The first may be a typo: the reference for “accomplished by the Word” in John’s Gospel should be John 17:17 rather than John 17:7. The second involves a common traditional reading of Paul’s use of “Spirit” in Romans 8:4. The dictionary describes it “as the Holy Spirit,” so a quick glance at Romans 8:3–4 might suggest Paul contrasts “flesh” with “Holy Spirit.” However, a careful review of Paul’s broader argument in Romans, such as Romans 7:4–6, could clarify his actual meaning.

    Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the Law through the Body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead. In order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we are released from the Law, having died to which held us captive, so that we serve in the NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT and not in the old way of the written code.

    In other words, Paul’s usage of “flesh” was actually a reference to the “Law,” contrasting it with the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the new way of the Spirit, which is not in the old way of written code— the Law of Moses.

    Another passage to look at such be in 2 Corinthians 3:4-8, Paul wrote:

    Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to ministers of the NEW COVENANT, not of letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?

    By “letter,” as against the “Spirit,” Paul was contrasting the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Therefore, the “letter” refers to the “written code” mentioned also by Paul in Romans, while the “Spirit” refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the New Covenant of God.

    Sanctification, then, is the process of God’s grace displayed on the cross, setting apart believers for God, declaring them therefore “righteous, holy, and pure” from guilt and the power of sin. However, sanctification also is a process by which every believer, now having been declared righteous, free from guilt and the power of sin, should live by. In other words, Christians should walk the talk.

    See Romans 6:17-18:

    But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching [the Gospel] to which you were committed, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking on human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, SO NOW PRESENT YOUR MEMBERS AS SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADING TO SANCTIFICATION.

    To make this clearer, I will restate the passage above, this time with a paraphrased English version that is easier to grasp. The New Living Translation of Romans 6:17–19 notes,

    Thank God! Once you were slaved to sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching [the Gospel] we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper to sin. NOW YOU MUST GIVE YOURSELVES SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING SO THAT YOU WILL BECOME HOLY.

    Note: “Holy” and “sanctification” share the same Greek term. Understanding this nuance helps us recognize that Bible dictionaries, like the commentaries noted earlier, are not entirely reliable. We should learn to study the Bible with care, applying proper exegesis to Scripture rather than letting tradition shape our grasp of God’s Word. Only then can we be confident that our beliefs reflect the true revelation of Scripture.

    Returning to 1 Corinthians 5:7–13, celebrating the festival—meaning Passover and Unleavened Bread—implies believers should align their practice with a confession of faith expressed through sincerity and truth. This is essentially walking the talk. If we claim sanctification through Christ, we should live accordingly. Likewise, Jesus’s statement “It is finished” (John 19:30) signaled His completion of the first two Jewish feasts in Leviticus 23.

    It is misleading to interpret Jesus’ statement in John 19:30 as proof that salvation is finished at the cross; instead, it marks an initial, significant stage in God’s plan. Claiming “once saved, always saved” from that verse is both illogical and unbiblical, particularly because Paul warned of a future judgment in his letter to the same believers in Corinth. See 2 Corinthians 5:10–11.

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.

    It is also important to recognize that Paul’s statement of judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:10 points to the Second Coming Judgment of Jesus Christ. This aligns with Revelation 20:11–15.

    Then I saw a great white throne and Him who seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.

    In conclusion, believers cannot reasonably assert “once saved, always saved” solely on the basis of Jesus’ one-time sacrifice and death at the cross. If salvation were revoked at God’s judgment because people fall short, Christ’s redemptive work would appear inadequate. Instead, we must recognize that God’s plan requires Jesus Christ to have fulfilled all Seven Jewish Feasts, not merely observed them; only then does salvation become real. This is why Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 5:17–18:

    Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

    I realize this blog may prompt many questions, as it once did for me before I grasped Scripture more clearly. The more traditions we have absorbed, the harder it becomes to understand the Bible’s true teachings. Untangling these ideas takes time, but as the saying goes, “Patience is a virtue.” Proceed one step at a time. I personally must increase my effort to let the Word of God speak, rather than letting traditional ideas shape my interpretation.

    In closing, returning to John 9:39, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” By judgment, Jesus Christ also pointed to the same judgment described by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:11–15, which I discussed earlier. On the other hand, John 9:4–5 makes it clear that “day” refers to, though is not restricted to, the time He was in the world (John 9:5). It covers the brief period after His ascension, when His immediate disciples were sent—this time by Jesus Christ—to carry out the work of God the Father (John 20:21), to believe in Jesus Christ, whom the Father has sent (John 6:29). Meanwhile, “night” aligns with the judgment spoken by Jesus Christ in John 9:39.

    Returning to our conversation on John 5:1, what was biblically anticipated from Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of the Feast of Booths? We will examine John 5 next.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • Spiritual Blindness: Concluding Thoughts on John 9

    In my previous post, I noted, “The healed blind man did not only experience restored eyesight, but more importantly recovery from spiritual blindness.” Notably, John 1 also suggests the concept of spiritual blindness. Consider John 1:10–11:

    He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.

    We will examine the first chapter of John’s Gospel to see how the apostle outlined his summary in the opening verses, then compare it with John 9. Before proceeding, we should refresh our grasp of the continuing context in John 9, which immediately follows the intense conflicts of the previous chapter.

    In John 8, Jesus delivered a lengthy critique of the Pharisees and scribes. In fact, friction between Jesus Christ and the Sanhedrin appears as early as John 7:32. The Sanhedrin functioned as the supreme religious authority and court among the Jewish people during Jesus’s era. It included both Sadducees and Pharisees under the High Priest, totaling 71 members. After Jerusalem’s destruction in AD 70, the Sanhedrin was dissolved.

    Pharisees and scribes were regarded as the leading interpreters of Scripture. Their encounter with Jesus may have started near the temple (John 8:2) and probably ended within its grounds, since John 8:59 records, “So they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple.” The exchange became tense because Jesus claimed divinity by stating, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Did Jesus err in taking the title “I am” from Exodus 3:14? The LORD God identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3 as the great “I Am,” calling him to guide Israel from Egypt. In 1 Corinthians 10:1–4, Paul retells the Exodus and identifies Jesus Christ as the Rock that guided Israel. Let us now consider John 1:1–5:

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

    Then, in John 1:14,16-18, the apostle wrote:

    “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth … For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has even seen God; the only God who is at the Father’s side, He had made Him known.”

    Psalm 33:6,9 says, “By the Word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host … For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, it stood firm.”

    Both John and the Psalmist spoke of the Word; that is, Christ Jesus, the only Son of the Father. He spoke, then everything came to exist. Therefore, Jesus Christ is indeed the Great “I am,” the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, God.

    Consider how this reality is reflected in the events of John 9:30-33:

    The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, God listens to Him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

    Remarkable, isn’t it? The formerly blind man echoed what John stated in John 1:1–5: Jesus Christ is of divine origin. This matches what Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes, prompting their desire to stone him (8:58–59). It is ironic that the Pharisees, who should know Scripture better, seemed less perceptive than the man. This appears to be a case of spiritual blindness, don’t you think?

    Spiritual blindness, therefore, does not mean ignorance of the Scripture, but rather having false beliefs.

    Again in John 1:9-13:

    The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

    The former blind man answered the inquiry from his fellow Jew, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash,’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” (John 9:11)

    The man born blind encountered Jesus, the True light that illuminates everyone, which explains why he could perceive Jesus’s origin more clearly than the Pharisees. He also gained his sight—a welcome addition, I might add.

    So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a Prophet.” (John 9:15-17)

    The blind man recognized the signs and declared, “Jesus is the Prophet of God.” Because he believed Jesus, Christ granted him the right to become a child of God. Coincidence? Certainly not—everything arises through God’s divine providence. Scripture noted,

    But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, 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)

    The formerly blind man did not choose to know Christ Jesus; instead, Jesus stated, “But that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). Likewise, the “work of God is for people to believe in Jesus Christ, whom the Father has sent” (John 6:29). The mission is complete.

    The blind man accurately identified Jesus as the Prophet of God, because the “Son of Man”—the Messianic title of Christ—implies He is the Anointed One of God the Father; consequently, Jesus should fulfill all three roles: Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15), Priest (Psalm 110:4), and King (Psalm 2:6–9).

    However, the Pharisees had also met Jesus Christ, yet they challenged him within the temple area. In fact, the parents of the man born blind declined to speak about Jesus Christ, particularly to acknowledge him as the Christ, because the religious leaders—including the Pharisees—had already agreed to expel anyone who confessed faith in the Son of Man (John 9:22).

    True enough, the former blind man was only able to confess faith in Jesus, for in the fullness of Christ he had received grace upon grace (John 1:16). Indeed, such an amazing grace was displayed by Christ Jesus in John 9:35–38:

    Jesus heard that they had cast him [the former blind man] out, and having found him He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him.’“

    The blind man was literally in darkness, and we may say he actually personified the whole nation of Israel in the story— blind spiritually. The healing of the man born blind indeed was an impossible task humanly speaking— exactly what the healed blind man said to the Pharisees: “Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind” (John 9:32). See Isaiah’s prophecy concerning Jesus Christ, the Anointed One of God the Father:

    Behold My Servant, whom I uphold, My Chosen, in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)

    Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it: “I am the LORD; I have called You in righteousness; I will take You by the hand and keep You; I will give You as a Covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols. Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.” (Isaiah 42:5-9)

    The Pharisees, aware of the scriptural prophecies regarding the Christ, likely recognized the signs; nevertheless, many others declined to accept Christ and labeled Him a sinner because He healed on a Sabbath. See John 9:16:

    Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

    Because the Pharisees upheld the Law of Moses, Jesus said to them,

    For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words? (John 5:46-47)

    The Pharisees failed to see Christ in Scripture due to their self-centeredness, believing that no matter what they do, they would always be God’s children. A false assumption. In Matthew 3, John the Baptist was baptizing in the Jordan River, and the Pharisees came to him. John said to them,

    And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. (Matthew 3:9)

    So again John 1:12-13:

    But to all who did receive Him [Jesus Christ], who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

    Spiritual blindness can be deadly. The Pharisees comprehended all prophecies in Scripture. It was not that they couldn’t see the signs; they did. They were not victims of unbelief; rather, they were enslaved by their false beliefs. See Mark 7:8–9, 13:

    You leave the commandment of God and hold to tradition of men. You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! Thus making void the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.

    The Pharisees asserted they upheld Moses’s teachings (John 5:46–47). They may have done so in part, yet in reality they constructed their own traditions. These human-made customs kept them from recognizing that Jesus Christ, “the Son of Man — is the Lord of Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8).

    Similarly, the only way for anyone seeking or studying Scripture to find the True Christ of the Bible is to allow the Word of God to speak to us. Do not allow traditions or creeds of men to be our guide; rather, Scripture alone!

    The story of John 9 should inspire us to see it’s all by God’s grace that anyone can come to know Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. The former blind man, humanly speaking, lost a lot when he received his sight. He may have lost or was severed from his parents and the community, since he had been cast out of the synagogue. Yet, it is amazing how people who seemed to have lost a lot found it easier to find Christ.

    Although much remains to discuss in John 9, I have chosen to end my blog post on “Spiritual Blindness” here. If the Lord permits, I may add a follow-up post later.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • Spiritual Blindness: A Further Exploration of the Study on John 9 (Part 2)

    The central characters within John 9 involve Jesus Christ, the man born blind and the Pharisees or the Jewish Religious Leaders. The story began with Jesus and His disciples leaving the Temple area (8:59). He then passed by the man born blind (9:1). The disciples, seeing the blind man, then asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, the man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

    From the flow of events, this question appeared to have been prompted by a common cultural belief connecting inborn disability with sin. As Albert Barnes notes in his commentary on John 9:2, “It was a universal opinion among the Jews that calamities of all kinds were the effects of sin.” This perspective is later confirmed in the narrative when the Pharisees express this exact idea to the man born blind, saying, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” (John 9:34).

    Here is a clear example of a Jewish tradition that may not necessarily be supported by Scripture. Or, if the Bible does contain quotes that seem to express such an idea, they may have been misunderstood (examples include Psalm 51:5; Job 15:14–16; Job 25:4). Verses of Scripture must be considered within their context and narrative flow to rightly interpret their meaning.

    To understand the origin of these traditions, it is helpful to look at the historical context. At the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (145 B.C.), the Seleucid king of the Third Gentile kingdom of the Book of Daniel, three Jewish religious sects came to exist— the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. Only the first two were clearly mentioned in the Bible. It was suggested that the Essenes, a secluded Jewish sect, might be regarded as the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Sadducees, another Jewish sect known for their denial of the doctrine of resurrection, perhaps only on face value, claimed belief only in the Torah, the First Five Books of Moses (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Sadducees mostly came from the prominent Jewish families— the priests, merchants, and aristocrats. The high priests and the most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees (Acts 5:17).

    Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. They also embraced all the books of the Old Testament Scripture. Yet, they held creeds or traditions that were not founded in the Scripture. See Matthew 15:1-3: the Bible states,

    Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the traditions of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” [The Pharisees were referring to ceremonial washing of hands.] He [Jesus] answered them, ‘And why do you break the commandments of God for the sake of your traditions?

    Adam Clarke, in his commentary on John 9:2 said, “The doctrine of the transmigration of souls appears to have been an article in the creed of the Pharisees.” This clearly was not taught in the Bible. The influence of the Pharisees on the masses cannot be denied. It was not surprising then that even the disciples of Jesus, Jew as they are, also had a notion that inborn physical defects are a consequence of sin.

    Returning to verse 3 of John 9, Jesus challenged the common Jewish idea that sin linked directly to inborn disability, stating: “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

    Christ likely did not propose that disability reflects divine design. Instead, he indicated the man’s blindness was not caused by anyone’s sin; even so, God intended to reveal His works through him. To demonstrate this, in verse 6, Jesus spat on the ground and formed mud with saliva, then applied it—or anointed it, as the NASB states—to the blind man’s eyes.

    We should not treat this as a formula or recipe for miraculous healing, because Jesus restored sight to many others without repeating the same ritual. In Matthew 9:27–29, He merely touched two blind men’s eyes and said, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” In Mark 8:22–25, he used both methods—spitting on the eyes of two blind men rather than on the ground to form mud—and later touched them. Instead, the purpose of shaping mud and placing it on the eyes of the man born blind was to set up a moment for Jesus to instruct him: “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” which means Sent. (John 9:7)

    Again, Albert Barnes offered two explanations: first, the directive seemed comparable to 2 Kings 5:10, where Elisha told Naaman the Syrian, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”

    The narrative in 2 Kings later shows that the recovery was arranged so the Syrian might recognize and trust the LORD God of Israel, whom Elisha served.

    Second, some proposed that “Siloam” shares a root with Shiloh in Genesis 49:10 (“The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh—that is, the Sent of God: the Messiah—come.”).

    The second idea might stir interest in the link between “Shiloh” and “Siloam,” though I lack proof for it. Strong’s Definition lists “Shiloh” under Strong # H7886, whereas “Siloam” appears to derive from the same Hebrew term in Isaiah 8:6—“Shiloah,” marked Strong # H7975. John rendered that word in his gospel as “Sent.”

    It is worth observing that the Gospel of John repeatedly uses the Greek term “Sent” for Jesus Christ—the One Sent by God the Father. If “Siloam or Shiloah” is understood as Jesus Christ, Sent by the Father, then Isaiah 8:6 may be rendered as “Because this people has refused the waters of ‘Sent’”—meaning Jesus Christ. He had now appeared in Israel and asked the blind man, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam or Sent,” which is again Jesus Christ, the Messiah, thereby announcing the Messiah’s arrival as foretold in Genesis 49:10.

    “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. And the obedience of the peoples to Him”  (Genesis 49:10 MKJV).

    In Isaiah 7–8, as the combined forces of northern Israel and Syria threatened Judah or Jerusalem, the LORD God urged King Ahaz to rely on Him. Offering assurance of divine care, the LORD God gave a sign: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).” This Old Testament promise found fulfillment in the announcement of Jesus Christ’s birth; see Matthew 1:23–25. By contrast, Isaiah 8:6 was spoken against Judah because King Ahaz sought alliance and protection from Assyria rather than trusting the LORD’s rescue.

    Thus, we must recognize that verse 7 stands as a key moment in John 9. Linking it to Jesus Christ’s opening question—posed to introduce Himself before the man born blind whom He had healed—He asked: “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” It is evident that Jesus intended the blind man in John 9 to encounter God’s works. As Jesus had explained to His disciples in John 9:3, “That the works of God might be displayed in him.”

    But what is the “work of God”? Was it about the miraculous healing of the blind man? That question was answered by Christ in John 6:29. The Bible said: “This is the work of God, that you may believe in Him [Jesus] whom He [God the Father] has Sent [Christ].”

    The man who was born blind did not only experience restoration from physical blindness, but more importantly, spiritual blindness.

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!

  • Spiritual Blindness: A Study on John 9 (Introduction)

    This Sunday, our house gathering focused on our study of John 9 from the Gospel of John, a disciple of Jesus Christ.

    The story of the man born blind appeared only in the Gospel of John. Following the flow of narrative presented by John, Jesus came to Jerusalem about the middle of the Jewish Feast (John 7:14)— the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (John 7:2). The following Spring Feast of the next Jewish year, Jesus Christ was crucified. 

    The Jews observed seven annual festivals: the Feast of the Passover and Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost—these first four occurred during spring. Spring in Palestine marked the start of the Jewish year. After a four-month span of summer, the final three fall festivals followed: the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. God regulated these seven annual festivals in Leviticus 23.

    All seven Jewish feasts find completion through Christ Jesus, the Son of Man. Scripture describes Christ fulfilling the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. His resurrection fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits, as noted in 1 Corinthians 15:23. Finally, His ascension allowed the Holy Spirit to arrive at Pentecost, recorded in Acts 1-2.

    The final portion of the Seven Jewish Feasts centers on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: judgment through Trumpets, redemption through Atonement, and finally Eden restored through Tabernacle.

    The central theme in John 9—Jesus restoring sight to the blind man—reflects an offer of salvation through trust in the Son of Man, echoed in John 9:39: “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’” Yet the Jewish religious leaders remained spiritually blind, a point emphasized in John 9:40–41: “Some of the Pharisees near Jesus heard these things, and said to Him, ‘Are we also blind?’ Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.’”

    Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!