Your Word is a Lamp....

John 4 Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John  2  (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples), 3  he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. 1-2 Jesus withdraws because His time has not yet come; This is not the only time we hear these words from Jesus: Besides   John 7:8, we also hear these words several times in Luke’s Gospel - and Jesus himself says this to his mother in ch.2. And until his time does come, he will remain mostly hidden; exercising great wisdom, forbearance and patience - and obeying to the letter, the instructions of His Father, through the strength of the Holy Spirit.  John the Baptist will himself, fall like a seed to the ground (John 12:24)…ultimately laying down his life, like all the OT prophets who went before him; who have now    fully prepared the soil…and paved the Way…for the One who has now come - and will soon, at exactly the...

It is the year 4BC: It’s been over  500 years since the Jews began to return from exile to Judah. During that time they have rebuilt cities and walls - and been conquered again - first by Greece and then Rome. A remnant of Jews still remain in Persia - and continue through their study of the scriptures and adherence to rituals of worship, to be a signpost for the God of the Bible to the pagans around them. Amongst these pagans are the magi of Matthew ch. 2. These are most likely descendants from those magi who studied with the prophet Daniel; They had knowledge and enlightenment to a degree, of the Lord YHWH; We can surmise this because of: 1. Their actions: traveling  some 800-900 miles over challenging terrain, to the territory of Judea, because of Biblical prophecy; 2. Their words: “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews?” They knew from the writings handed down from Daniel and the prophets - that a King - a Messiah for all nations - was coming:  “…for we ...

John 3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203&version=NIV vs2 Nicodemus seems to have come on behalf of others, who are too afraid of showing any affiliation with Jesus at all. Nicodemus himself comes by night, for fear the turmoil it may cause if he comes during the day; and also, of possibly jeopardizing his own position in the Sanhedrin - and this is the problem! vs 3-7 It was widely taught amongst the Jews that they as descendants of Abraham were automatically assured a place in Heaven - and that Messiah would come to usher in a New World where they would have “pre-eminence”. Jesus wastes no time in telling Nicodemus (with all his scholarly title and prestige) how far he really is from the Kingdom of God…so far in fact, that he - and all of us - must die to this life and be “born again” to a new one.  “again”  (Greek  anothen ) can be also translated “from above.” Because the flesh (the first birth) cannot fulfill what is required by God. In our nat...