1 Now as Jesus was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth, 2 and His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him. 4 While it is daytime, we must do[A] the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 When Jesus had said this, He spit on the ground, made some mud, and applied it to the man’s eyes. 7 Then He told him, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came back seeing.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Stephen Shead

What a spectacular way for Jesus to illustrate that he is – as he claimed in chapter 8 – “the light of the world”! The point of the healing wasn’t to say that all Christians with a disability will be healed in this life. At the final resurrection, we will be raised in bodies that are healed of all sickness and disability, but when Jesus says, “Night is coming, when no one can work” (v 4), I think he’s saying that we should not expect the miracles he did in his earthly ministry to continue in the same way.

Anyway, the purpose of this healing was to prove that Jesus isn’t just words. He claimed to be “the light of the world” for everyone – the great “I AM”, as we saw yesterday. He is the one through whom the world was made, and he can bring us from the darkness of sin and death and spiritual blindness, to knowing God and finding new life in him.

But I think Jesus’s words in this passage are especially comforting to people with a disability or a chronic illness. It’s true that, in a very general way, all the things we suffer come from mankind’s sin in rebelling against God. That doesn’t mean that specific conditions must be because of that person’s sin, or even their family’s sin - Jesus knocks that firmly on the head. But he tells us something far more beautiful as well, when he says about the blind man, “this happened so that the works of God would be displayed in him” (v 3). For the person who trusts in Jesus, God uses even disability or chronic illness for his good and life-giving purposes. It might be a long time before we see how that is; and it might be by healing, or it might be by our growth in endurance and hope and joy through suffering. Either way, God is more than capable of using our brokenness to shine the light of Jesus so that other might see him and live.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stephen is our senior minister.

48 The Jews answered Him, “Are we not right to say that You are a Samaritan and You have a demon?”

49 “I do not have a demon,” Jesus replied, “but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 I do not seek My own glory. There is One who seeks it, and He is the Judge. 51 Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”

52 “Now we know that You have a demon!” declared the Jews. “Abraham died, and so did the prophets, yet You say that anyone who keeps Your word will never taste death. 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham? He died, as did the prophets. Who do You claim to be?”

54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify Myself, My glory means nothing. The One who glorifies Me is My Father, of whom you say ‘He is our God.’ 55 You do not know Him, but I know Him. If I said I did not know Him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know Him, and I keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

57 Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and You have seen Abraham?”

58 “Truly, truly, I tell you,” Jesus declared, “before Abraham was born, I am! ”

59 At this, they picked up stones to throw at Him. But Jesus was hidden and went out of the temple area.[I]

REFLECTIONS

Written by Adam Davies

“Who do You claim to be?” What a great question! Who is Jesus claiming to be? He talks about glory, never seeing death, being before Abraham – it seems to be the right question to ask: Who do you claim to be?

Either Jesus is crazy or he’s claiming to be way more than just some guy. I’ve heard some people talk about how Jesus is either Liar, Lunatic or Lord. Our answer to that question seems to change everything doesn’t it?

Trouble is, I don’t think the Jews who were asking Jesus in John 8 really wanted the answer. “We KNOW that You have a demon” (v 52) – it seems like they’ve already made up their minds. But for us, we really need to figure out whether we think Jesus is a demon possessed loony – delusions of grandeur, someone very unwell, perhaps needing our pity or to be put in care. Or if we think he’s a liar – trying to deceive us like some guru who claims to have answers if we’ll just give some money or sign our lives away to him, but who is just seeking their own gain. Or we realise that he is Lord – that his claims that he was before everything, that God is his Father and gives him the same glory, and that he has authority over life and death are all true, because he is God the Son, the eternal I AM, God come to us in the flesh.

Our world seems to have moved from ignoring Jesus the loony, to really hating Jesus the toxic oppressive liar, but I’m thankful to hear from pastors I know that there are people turning up to church for the very first time, eager to know if Jesus might actually be Lord and hold the key to forgiveness and eternal life. I’m certain that he does!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

39 “Abraham is our father,” they replied.

“If you were children of Abraham,” said Jesus, “you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. 41 You are doing the works of your father.”

“We are not illegitimate children,” they declared. “Our only Father is God Himself.”

42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on My own, but He sent Me.

43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!

46 Which of you can prove Me guilty of sin? If I speak the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Annie Davies

When I read this passage I am struck by the strong language in Jesus’s argument with the Jews who didn’t believe in him. The Jews are biological children of Abraham. Their understanding was that they are part of God’s family by birth. However, Jesus says in v44 that their father is the devil! The reason is that the Jews don’t accept Jesus’s message and are trying to kill him. Can you imagine suddenly being told you are not part of God’s family when you thought you were? And then being told your father is actually the devil? It’s even more shocking than the scene in Star Wars Episode V where the noble Jedi Luke Skywalker finds out his father is the evil overload Darth Vader!

As Christians we are saved through faith in Jesus, trusting that Jesus took our sins away when he died on the cross for us. We now have the amazing privilege to call God our Father! If God is our Father, verse 47 challenges me to reflect on whether I hear his word and do it. For example, I have been remembering that God loves all people, and his invitation of salvation extends to everyone. However, there are definitely people who I find easier to love than others. And there are people who I am more willing to try to develop a relationship with and share the gospel with than others. When I take my son to swimming lessons, there are other parents sitting around the pool watching their kids in the lesson. There are some parents who I sit next to and may try to engage in conversation, and others who I don’t really want to talk to as they may be from a very different ethnic background or have limited English. This passage challenges me to put aside any personal bias and extend God’s love and his gospel of salvation to all people.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Annie is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

31 So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

33 “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered. “We have never been slaves to anyone. How can You say we will be set free?”

34 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

37 I know you are Abraham’s descendants, but you are trying to kill Me because My word has no place within you. 38 I speak of what I have seen in the presence of the Father, and you do what you have heard from your father.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Mihas

As I read this passage, I felt both comforted and gently challenged. It’s easy to think that because I believe in Jesus, I must already be living in full freedom, but His words invite me to look deeper.

There was a time in my walk with Christ where I felt completely chained by disappointment, sadness, and a sense that I couldn’t move forward. Even though I believed, I felt stuck. What carried me through wasn’t having all the answers, it was holding onto prayer and continuing in His word. Day by day, I chose to stay close to Him, even when I didn’t feel free. I didn’t rely on anything else to get me through that time. I leaned into Jesus for healing and trusted that He is the one who really does set us free.

That’s why His words here mean so much to me now: “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” There is something so powerful about simply staying, remaining in Him.

And the promise is full of hope: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Not partially free, but truly free! This passage reminds me that even in seasons where we feel stuck, Jesus is gently leading us into real and lasting freedom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

21 Again He said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”

22 So the Jews began to ask, “Will He kill Himself, since He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

23 Then He told them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 That is why I told you that you would die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

25 “Who are You?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. 26 “I have much to say about you and much to judge. But the One who sent Me is truthful, and what I have heard from Him, I tell the world.”

27 They did not understand that He was telling them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own, but speak exactly what the Father has taught Me. 29 He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.”

30 As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Keith Hengpoonthana

The hard reality is this: there are going to be people who hear or read the gospel but will not believe or understand it. But there will also be those that hear or read the gospel and will accept it as truth that Jesus is one who is sent by God the Father so that we might be saved and not perish in our sins. Jesus makes it clear that those who don’t believe in him will die in their sins.

I found Jesus’ words a painful reminder that there will probably be family and friends we care about who will not believe in him. It may well be that you have tried hard to share the good news with them. Jesus had the same experience, since he says he had been telling them “from the beginning” (v.25). This is not the first time they had encountered Jesus declaring he IS “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), but they still refused to believe and they still did not know Him.

Does that mean we should stop sharing the gospel with people like that? Definitely not! It would be wrong to hear Jesus rebuking these stubborn, non-believing Jews, and conclude that there are people we know who can’t possibly be saved. In fact, what really sticks out for me from this passage is the remarkable line in verse 30: “As Jesus spoke these things, many believed in Him.” He also said that more would come to know the truth after he had been lifted up on the cross and glorified (v.28).

We can never know who may or may not believe, or when someone will believe, but we do know that it will only be after they hear the gospel truth about Jesus being lifted up and glorified, and Jesus speaking the will of the Father. Some may believe after they hear it for the first time, and others after hearing it a hundred times, or even the very last time before their dying breath.

Are you currently praying for a non-believer? Pray that God would help you not to be discouraged and to persevere in sharing the gospel with them, even though it may be difficult to get through to them. Remember that our heavenly Father hears our prayers and only He can save. Are you bold enough to be like Jesus in telling the world the truth? My prayer for you is that by sharing the gospel many would come to believe and be saved. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Keith is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

12 Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. 16 But even if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone; I am with the Father who sent Me. 17 Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18 I am One who testifies about Myself, and the Father, who sent Me, also testifies about Me.”

19 “Where is Your Father?” they asked Him.

“You do not know Me or My Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well.”

20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Bethany Rowlands

Sometimes I catch myself thinking of God the Father as having a different character or will than Jesus the Son. I used to think of Jesus as helping me to please the Father. I’ve had friends tell me they like the Jesus of the New Testament, but not the angry God of the Old Testament. I’ve read writings that talk of worshipping the Creator while confident Jesus was just a man we can ignore.

The passage today in John doesn’t give me room to separate God in that way. Yes, the Father, Son and Spirit have different roles and activities in God’s big plan. The Father sends and the Son is sent. But the passage’s claim is clear that the Father, Son and Spirit have the same goal, the same judgement of sin and the same heart to save sinners.

In fact, the passage says that by knowing Jesus, a person knows the Father! They are not separate or different, but they are one. The Father is with Jesus and Jesus came to reveal who the Father is. Jesus said the people listening to Him in John 8 don’t know the Father because they don’t accept Jesus!

How I respond to Jesus IS how I respond to the Father. I can’t say I trust Jesus but not the Father. I can’t follow God but not accept Jesus as Lord. The Father and the Son and the Spirit are one God. So the challenge is, do I believe what Jesus said about Himself and the Father, or have I made up a different, fragmented picture of God? When Scripture says something about the Father or Jesus that I don’t like, do I seek to understand God better or do I start to prefer Jesus or the Father over the other? Pray and ask God to help you grow in your understanding and your trust in his character, revealed to us in Jesus his Son.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bethany is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Early in the morning He went back into the temple courts. All the people came to Him, and He sat down to teach them. 3 The scribes and Pharisees, however, brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before them 4 and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. So what do You say?”

6 They said this to test Him, in order to have a basis for accusing Him. But Jesus bent down and began to write on the ground with His finger.

7 When they continued to question Him, He straightened up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” 8 And again He bent down and wrote on the ground.

9 When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. 10 Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, Lord,” she answered.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Now go and sin no more.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Shead

I find this passage both intriguing and confronting. Did you notice that the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus only the woman caught in adultery? By definition, there must also have been a man caught in adultery. The seventh of the ten commandments says, “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex 20:14). And the Old Testament law lays out the consequences: “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death” (Lev 20:10). The Pharisees are displaying their hypocrisy and double standards here by bringing only the woman to Jesus; the man was also guilty! In any case, it’s clear the woman’s sin was very serious. She was condemned by the law and deserved the death penalty.

I’m trying to imagine how the woman would have felt when she was brought to Jesus in the temple. Perhaps she felt indignant, because her partner in crime seems to have escaped without judgment. I’m guessing she felt both ashamed and fearful: ashamed, because her sin had been exposed in front of Jesus and all the people gathered in the temple; and fearful, because she deserved the harshest penalty the law could bring.

But Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and the woman shows the depth of his love and compassion. Instead of condemning her as the Pharisees wanted, and as she deserved, Jesus offers her another chance. Earlier in the book, we read, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17). The woman is on the receiving end of God’s love. Her shame and fear have turned into surprise and gratitude!

It’s so easy to see the sin in others and be critical and judgmental. Instead, we should pray that God will help us to see our own sin. If we’re honest, we will admit that we deserve to be condemned too. Let’s pray that God will help us to turn away from our sin, to accept his offer of forgiveness, and to be thankful and rejoice in the salvation he offers to us and other sinners through Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.

45 Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”

46 “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.

47 “Have you also been deceived?” replied the Pharisees. 48 “Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law, they are under a curse.”

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who himself was one of them, asked, 51 “Does our law convict a man without first hearing from him to determine what he has done?”

52 “Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”

53 Then each went to his own home.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Linda Vu

Reading John 7:45–53 made me pause and notice how divided people were about Jesus. Some were amazed by Him, others were confused, and the leaders were angry and defensive. What struck me most was how the guards, who were sent to arrest Jesus, came back empty-handed, captivated by His words. The officers could not find any fault in His teaching to justify arresting Him. It made me reflect on the power of truth. They weren’t scholars or religious leaders, yet they sensed there was something different about Jesus.

Nicodemus also stood out to me. Even though he was one of the Pharisees, he spoke up and asked whether the law judges someone without first hearing them. His response wasn’t dramatic, but would have taken courage. It reminds me that faithfulness can look like small, quiet moments of standing for fairness and truth when others are against it.

Overall, this passage made me reflect on my own response to Jesus. Am I open and listening like the guards? Or defensive like the Pharisees? Or quietly seeking truth like Nicodemus? It encourages me to keep an open heart and to have the courage to respond with honesty, even when others disagree. Sometimes Jesus’ teachings can be hard to accept. Will I become defensive like the Pharisees, making excuses? Or will I listen and accept the truth?

Pray with me: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your truth and for speaking words that reach our hearts. Help us to be open and willing to listen, not defensive or hardened. Give us courage like Nicodemus to stand for what is right, even in small ways. Shape our heart to love Your truth and respond with humility and faith. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda is a member of our Fairfield Morning congregation.

37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said: ‘Streams of living water will flow from within him.’” 39 He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40 On hearing these words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.”

41 Others declared, “This is the Christ.”

But still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived? ”

43 So there was division in the crowd because of Jesus. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Helen Mitry

Over the past few weeks at Growth Group we have been studying Jesus through the lens of the Old Testament and seeing how every promise God made points towards him. Today in John’s Gospel we also see how the Old Testament celebrations and rituals were fulfilled in Jesus. It took me a while to write this devotion as there was a lot of cultural context to consider. However after doing some digging, it made sense!

We are told that it is the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles for the Jews. A “tabernacle” was a kind of tent, so can you guess what they did to celebrate this festival? Each family would make their own little temporary shelter and camp out for the week! This sounds like a Gus Cameron type of celebration. This festival reminded them of God’s goodness to Israel when they had camped in the wilderness for 40 years after he rescued them from Egypt.

Another important theme in this celebration is water, because if you were stranded in the wilderness you would definitely want water! For 7 days they would pour water from the Pool of Siloam on the altar to remind each other that God had provided them with water in the desert. (The Pool of Siloam will feature again when Jesus heals a blind man in chapter 9.)

In today’s passage Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.” I don’t think it was a coincidence that Jesus chose to preach this message on this day, at this celebration and to this crowd. “Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” This is Jesus talking about the Holy Spirit. Jesus is calling the crowd to him – and not just that crowd back them. He is calling us as well. We can come to Jesus thirsty, and he will satisfy our deepest need. We only need to believe in him to receive the Holy Spirit. Come to Jesus, the only source of living water.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.

32 When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him. 33 So Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

35 At this, the Jews said to one another, “Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him? Will He go where the Jews are dispersed among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36 What does He mean by saying, ‘You will look for Me, but you will not find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Herman Tu

Imagine this: You’ve recruited Stephen Shead to lead your Bible study. You have all been praying for this moment. And he finally comes … and the first words he speaks in front of you all are: “I will do no more Bible studies. Plus, you will not find me at all.” One of your group members says, “He is going back to Chile!” But he says he isn't and you cannot find him.

How would you feel? I would be shocked. Confused. Curious. And I would feel utterly stupid. (Of course, I’m not really comparing Stephen to Jesus – that’s just a fun little illustration!)

When Jesus arrives on the scene, he performs many miracles and teaches as one with authority. The Jewish people see this and begin to realise that the Christ has potentially come (v25). Could this be the prophesied Messiah who would bring his people into an enduring kingdom? We’re told that some of the Jewish people were starting to believe in Him (v31) – they would have been so excited that he had come.

So it’s no wonder that when Jesus said, “I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am going to the One who sent Me” (v33), the Jewish people became shocked too. There is a mismatch between expectations and understanding.

Then again, many of them did not believe, and they had already tried to seize Jesus (v30). And the religious leaders were still intent on killing Jesus and were trying to arrest him (v32). It’s not surprising that Jesus left them confused – it was not yet his time to die (v30).

Thankfully, the Jewish people’s confusion about Jesus helps us to accurately see Jesus.

“Where does He intend to go that we will not find Him?” We know! He is going to the cross, to fulfil the mission the Father has sent him to carry out, and to conquer sin and death.

“You will look for Me, but you will not find Me.” We know how to find him! They were chasing after the wrong kind of Messiah and so rejected Jesus. But we know that Jesus is the Messiah, and we have found him by trusting in him.

“Where I am, you cannot come”? We know! Jesus is seated at the right hand of power.

Jesus always had in mind the will of his Father. He knew in miraculous detail where he was going and the pain he would suffer on the cross for us. Give thanks for God’s great rescue plan through His Son. Pray for those who do not see Jesus clearly, that they may see Him as Saviour and Lord over all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Herman is a member of our Fairfield Evening congregation.