1KINGS 2-3:
Yesterday we heard of Adonijah’s almost successful bid to become the next king. The prophet Nathan’s intervention saved the day.
PSALM 119:49-64:
God is telling us how important His Word is! In yesterday’s reading I find NLT’s rendering of this verse interesting:
Ps. 119:45 I will walk in freedom,
for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
Note that following God’s commandments does not violate freedom.
JOHN 5a:
To me it was meaningful to read yesterday that, “The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life.” The fields are certainly ripe. And I note, with wink and wry smile, that Jesus is talking of _heavenly wages_, because we missionaries don’t get top wages here on earth. But we remember that Paul said, “The difficulties we face on earth are nothing to be compared with the glories that await us.”
About the meeting between Jesus and the official, I want to give this observation: Observe how often it happens that Jesus speaks about or encourages believing in Him before his miracles of healing. The implication is clear: Belief is important in healing.
GNT Translation note:
John 5:28 Do not be surprised at this; the time is coming when all the dead will hear [the voice of the Son of Man, my voice,//his voice]
NLT Translation notes:
John 5:19 So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, [I, as the Son//the Son] can do nothing by [myself//himself]. [I only do what I see//He does only what he sees] the Father doing. Whatever [my//the] Father does, [I also do//the Son also does].
[It is very unnatural in almost every language to have someone talking about himself using ‘he/him’ instead of ‘I/me/my’. In some languages this is flat out ungrammatical. This is why a Bible translator is justified in changing the pronouns and footnoting the fact that he has made these changes. We should observe that there were special reasons why Jesus was both concealing and revealing his identity when talking of himself as the Son of Man. It is, however, impossible to duplicate this in the minds of the modern translation’s readers. ]
20 For [my//the] Father loves [Me//the Son] and shows [Me//him] everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will [involve Me in doing//show him how to do] even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished.
21 For just as [my//the] Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so [I, his Son give//the Son gives] life to anyone [I want//he wants].
22 In addition, [my//the] Father judges no one. Instead, he has given [Me//the Son] absolute authority to judge,
23 so that everyone will honor [Me as his//the] Son, just as they honor [my/the] Father. Anyone who does not honor [Me as his//the] Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent [Me/him].
25 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live.
26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to [Me,] his Son.
27 And he has given [Me/him] authority to judge everyone because [I am//he is] the Son of Man.
28Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear [my voice,] the voice of God’s Son,
29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.
30 I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
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