Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; neither is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your —”
The teacher paused. Those who had been looking down or away looked up, including John, who, two paces from the master’s feet, sat half listening, half wool gathering. He had heard this lesson before.
“Lord,” John began.
He held up a finger to John, silencing him. “Do you hear it?”
The sound of shuffling sandals, mutters, yawns in the temple; then John could hear the distant thunder himself — the dull roar of a mob. The master quietly moved away from his audience and John scurried to his feet, eager to see what was unfolding.
The morning sun caught his eyes as he came out of the temple and as he cast up a hand to shield his vision, he almost tumbled over the teacher, who kneeled in the courtyard.
He laughed at John’s clumsiness. “What’s the matter, John, did my lesson dull your senses?”
“Lord, the sun is —”
“Yes. The son’s warmth increases. In a short time, the heat will become unbearable. John, go quickly and fetch me a twig.”
“A what?”
“A twig. A twig! Can’t you see a crowd comes to challenge me? I must have something to defend myself!” His expressions were exaggerated, self-mocking.
“Jesus, sometimes….”
“Never mind. I’ll use my finger. Squat down here beside me.”
John hunkered down and leaned toward him.
“Look down the street. What do you see?”
“A bunch of people making their way toward us.”
Jesus sighed heavily. “John, what do you see?” he reached out and caressed John’s cheek as he asked.
“I see…Pharisees. And the scribes. In their midst, it looks like a woman. They’re treating her shamefully, striking her. Her clothes are torn…Lord, what did she do?”
“She’s caught in the eye of the storm, Beloved.”
“What do you mean, Lord?”
“Do you remember being out on the sea — all of us — and the storm came up suddenly, and —”
“And you were asleep.”
“Yes. What happened?”
“You calmed the seas with a word.”
“That woman approaching us comes in the eye of the storm.”
“I don’t understand, Lord.”
“Then listen and learn.”
Turn to the Gospel of John, chapter eight, for the rest of the story.
Text: 1 John 1:1–7
That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us); that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.
This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
For Thought
- John was an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry. What did he see? What did he hear? What did his hands handle?
- Imagine yourself at the wedding feast in Cana (John 2:1–11). What do you hear Jesus say and what do others say to you about him?
- Visit the temple with John and Jesus in John 2:13–25. What emotions do you experience as Jesus challenges the moneychangers?
- Stand on the mountain with Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1–8). How awesome is Jesus in his glory?
- Stand beside the disciples as Jesus calls Lazarus from the tomb (John 10:1–45); feast with Lazarus and his family as they celebrate Jesus’ miracle. Now, reach out and touch Lazarus. What does resurrection feel like?
- Finally, put yourself in a small boat on Galilee (John 21). Feel the breeze in your hair, breathe in the pungent smell of the fish. Now look at the man on the beach calling out to you — the same man you saw crucified a few days before. What’s going through your mind as he calls you to him?
- John says that he and his fellow eyewitnesses have written down what they experienced to complete their joy. How did recording these things complete their joy? How do we experience a similar joy?
- John speaks in absolutes in this letter, as evident in the second paragraph of our lesson text: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Do we tend to “gray” things up instead of looking at the black and white?
- In John 8, Jesus does not condemn the woman caught in adultery. As we move through this study of John’s first letter, compare and contrast this resolution with John’s absolute statements.
Water to Wine
- This week, be an eyewitness to God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. If writing comes easy for you, keep a small notebook with you or scraps of paper and record instances where you encounter God with your five senses.
- In your prayer time, constantly request of the Father His help in walking in the light. Begin now! If you keep a prayer journal, record the ways God is leading you to walk in the light, as he is in the light.
