ERCC DEVOTIONAL (TEKAN) DAILY SPIRITUAL DIET; WEDNESDAY 29TH NOVEMBER, 2023.
TEXT: JOHN 9: 13 - 23.
SPIRITUAL FOCUS: THE PHARISEES INQUIRED ABOUT THE PERSON WHOM JESUS HEALED.
Jesus healed a man who was born blind because He demonstrated the power that He had. The Pharisees'did not always like what He does. Always trying to find a reason to destroy Him.
Out of sheer desperation and disgust, they sought to discredit Jesus' miracle of giving sight to the blind. Unfortunately, they did not succeed because everyone saw the once blind man now hale and hearty.
When they could not succeed, they want back to accusing Jesus of doing unnecessary work on the Sabbath. Sadly, the parents, instead of rejoicing over their son's recovery, were afraid to express their joy openly.
The benevolent boy described how he was able to see again without fear of anything. The boy's actions further hurt the Pharisees, who say that Jesus is not a man of God. Today there are many people who are like the Pharisees.
They deny Jesus, despite His authority. This denial and hatred also affected the missionaries who brought light and the story of salvation. They built schools and hospitals, etc. yet they were not fully accepted. Today, the Christians are being discriminated. Let this not bother us, let us hold on to Jesus.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Let us witness Jesus by our lives.
PRAYER: Lord God, help me in any situation I find myself to still show forth your praise and glory and to testify without fear or favour in Jesus' name, Amen.
JOHN 9: 13 - 23 (KJV).
13 They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
