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Joh 7:8-10—Did Jesus lie to his unbelieving fleshly brothers? (w07 2/1 6 ¶4)
What example did Jesus Christ set in this regard? On one occasion, Jesus was conversing with some unbelievers who showed interest in his travel plans. “Pass on over from here and go into Judea,” they advised him. What was Jesus’ reply? “You go up to the festival [in Jerusalem]; I am not yet going up to this festival, because my due time has not yet fully come.” Shortly thereafter, Jesus did travel to Jerusalem for the festival. Why did he answer that way? They were not entitled to know the exact details of his whereabouts. So while Jesus did not utter an untruth, he gave them an incomplete answer in order to limit the possible harm they could do to him or to his followers. This was not a lie, for the apostle Peter wrote about Christ: “He committed no sin, nor was deception found in his mouth.”—John 7:1-13; 1 Peter 2:22.
Joh 8:58—What basis is there for rendering the last expression of this verse “I have been” instead of “I am,” and why is this important? (“I have been” study note on Joh 8:58, nwtsty)
I have been: The opposing Jews wanted to stone Jesus for claiming that he had “seen Abraham,” although, as they said, Jesus was “not yet 50 years old.” (Joh 8:57) Jesus’ response was to tell them about his prehuman existence as a mighty spirit creature in heaven before Abraham was born. Some claim that this verse identifies Jesus with God. They argue that the Greek expression used here, e·goʹ ei·miʹ (rendered “I am” in some Bibles), is an allusion to the Septuagint rendering of Ex 3:14 and that both verses should be rendered the same way. (See study note on Joh 4:26.) In this context, however, the action expressed by the Greek verb ei·miʹ started “before Abraham came into existence” and was still in progress. It is therefore properly translated “I have been” rather than “I am,” and a number of ancient and modern translations use wording similar to “I have been.” In fact, at Joh 14:9, the same form of the Greek verb ei·miʹ is used to render Jesus’ words: “Even after I have been with you men for such a long time, Philip, have you not come to know me?” Most translations use a similar wording, showing that depending on context there is no valid grammatical objection to rendering ei·miʹ as “have been.” (Other examples of rendering a present tense Greek verb using a present perfect tense verb are found at Lu 2:48; 13:7; 15:29; Joh 1:9; 5:6; 15:27; Ac 15:21; 2Co 12:19; 1Jo 3:8.) Also, Jesus’ reasoning recorded at Joh 8:54, 55 shows that he was not trying to portray himself as being the same person as his Father.
What has this week’s Bible reading taught you about Jehovah?
*** wp18 No. 3 p. 10 Suffering—Is It Punishment From God? ***
Some may wonder, does God really use sickness to make people suffer for their sins?
CONSIDER: Why would Jesus heal people who were sick if sickness and suffering were deserved punishments from God? Would that not amount to undermining God’s justice and righteousness? (Matthew 4:23, 24) Jesus would never counteract God’s actions. He said: “I always do the things pleasing to him” and, “I am doing just as the Father has commanded me to do.”—John 8:29; 14:31.
The Bible is clear. Jehovah God “is never unjust.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) For example, God would never cause an airplane disaster, killing hundreds of innocent people, because he wanted to punish someone on board! In harmony with God’s righteousness, Abraham, a faithful servant of God, said that God would never “sweep away the righteous with the wicked.” That would be “unthinkable,” he said. (Genesis 18:23, 25) The Bible also says that “God does not act wickedly”; he does not “do wrong.”—Job 34:10-12.
*** wp18 No. 3 p. 12 Who Is to Blame? ***
3. The Evil Ruler of the World. The Bible clearly identifies the primary cause of human suffering. It states: “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) That “wicked one” is Satan the Devil, a powerful spirit creature who was originally an angel of God but “did not stand fast in the truth.” (John 8:44) Other spirit creatures joined Satan and rebelled against God in order to pursue selfish desires, thus making themselves demons. (Genesis 6:1-5) Ever since their rebellion, Satan and his demons have exerted a powerful and cruel influence over this world’s affairs. This has been particularly so in our time. Now, the Devil has great anger and “is misleading the entire inhabited earth,” which has resulted in “woe for the earth.” (Revelation 12:9, 12) Indeed, Satan is a brutal dictator. He gets perverse satisfaction from human suffering. It is Satan—not God—who causes people to suffer.
CONSIDER: Only a heartless, diabolical evildoer would cause innocent people to suffer. By contrast, the Bible says: “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) In harmony with his loving personality, “it is unthinkable for the true God to act wickedly, for the Almighty to do wrong!”—Job 34:10.
*** w18 May pp. 18-19 par. 7 Why We “Keep Bearing Much Fruit” ***
7 As to the connection between obedience and love, Jesus earlier said to his apostles: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21) Moreover, by carrying out Jesus’ command to go and preach, we too show our love for God because Jesus’ commandments reflect his Father’s thinking. (Matt. 17:5; John 8:28) In response to our expression of love, Jehovah and Jesus keep us in their love.
*** w18 September p. 7 par. 18 “If You Know These Things, Happy You Are if You Do Them” ***
18 Doing what we know to be right brings rich blessings. No wonder Proverbs 4:7 says that “wisdom is the most important thing”! Although wisdom is based on knowledge, it particularly has to do with the decisions we make rather than just the facts we understand. Even ants reveal wisdom. Ants demonstrate instinctive wisdom by preparing their food in the summer. (Prov. 30:24, 25) Christ, “the wisdom of God,” always does the things pleasing to the Father. (1 Cor. 1:24; John 8:29) God knows the difference between making the right choice and acting on that choice. And he rewards those who demonstrate humility with endurance and who practice what they know to be true. (Read Matthew 7:21-23.) Therefore, work to preserve the spiritual environment in which genuine humility can flourish. Applying what we know to be true takes time and requires patience, but it is a mark of humility that leads to happiness now and forever.
*** wp17 No. 2 p. 12 Escape From Slavery—Then and Now ***
“With Jehovah our God there is no injustice,” says the Bible, and it assures us that he has not changed. (2 Chronicles 19:7; Malachi 3:6) God sent Jesus to “proclaim liberty to the captives . . . , to send the crushed ones away free.” (Luke 4:18) Did this mean freedom for every literal slave? Apparently not. Jesus was sent to liberate people from bondage to sin and death. He later declared: “The truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Even today, the truth that Jesus taught liberates people in many ways.—See the box “Escape From a Different Kind of Slavery.”
*** wp17 No. 6 p. 6 What Is the Best Gift of All? ***
The gift of God’s only-begotten Son—that would certainly be the greatest gift that any one of us could ever receive, for thereby we can be freed from the bondage to sin, old age, and death. (Psalm 51:5; John 8:34) Try as we may, on our own there is nothing we can do to be released from that bondage. However, in his great love, God provided what is needed to bring about that release. By giving his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as the ransom, Jehovah God gave obedient mankind the prospect of life everlasting. But what exactly is the ransom? Why is it necessary? And how can we benefit from it?
*** w17 September p. 10 par. 9 Imitate Jehovah’s Compassion ***
9 We can learn a lesson from Jesus. He felt compassion for the crowds he met, for “they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” How did he react to their pitiful state? “He started to teach them many things.” (Matt. 9:36; read Mark 6:34.) His attitude was in stark contrast to that of the Pharisees, who had no desire to help the common people. (Matt. 12:9-14; 23:4; John 7:49) Do you not feel a yearning, similar to what Jesus had, to feed spiritually famished people?
*** w15 4/15 pp. 19-20 par. 2 How Real Is Your Relationship With Jehovah? ***
2 How real to you is your personal relationship with Jehovah? Would you like to strengthen it? James 4:8 tells you how you can do that: “Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you.” Note that this is a two-way process. As we take steps to draw close to God, he takes reciprocating action toward us. This interaction, frequently repeated, progressively strengthens our relationship with Jehovah. As a result, that relationship becomes very real to us. We develop the kind of confidence Jesus had when he said: “The One who sent me is real, and . . . I know him.” (John 7:28, 29) Specifically, though, what steps can you take to draw closer to Jehovah?
What other spiritual gems have you discovered in this week’s Bible reading?
*** w18 February p. 21 par. 12 What Does It Mean to Be a Spiritual Person? ***
12 Yet, of all the people who have lived, who is the most outstanding example of a spiritual person? It is Jesus, of course. Throughout his life and ministry, he showed that he wanted to imitate his Father, Jehovah. He thought, felt, and acted like Jehovah and lived in harmony with God’s will and standards. (John 8:29; 14:9; 15:10) Note, for example, how Jehovah’s feelings of compassion are described by the prophet Isaiah, and compare that description with what the Gospel writer Mark reports about Jesus’ feelings. (Read Isaiah 63:9; Mark 6:34.) Are we like Jesus, ever ready to show compassionate concern when we meet people who need help? In addition, Jesus devoted himself to the work of preaching and teaching the good news. (Luke 4:43) All such feelings and actions are marks of a spiritual person.
*** w18 April p. 7 pars. 14-15 The Way to True Freedom ***
14 In contrast, Jesus Christ pointed out a simple way to enjoy true freedom. He said: “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31, 32) Jesus’ direction for gaining true freedom involves two requirements: First, accept the truth that he taught, and second, become his disciple. Doing so will lead to true freedom. But freedom from what? Jesus went on to explain: “Every doer of sin is a slave of sin. . . . If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free.”—John 8:34, 36.
15 Clearly, the freedom that Jesus promised his disciples is far superior to the social or political freedom that most people yearn for today. When Jesus said: “If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free,” he was talking about liberation from the greatest bondage and oppression that humankind has ever experienced—being “a slave of sin.” Not only can sin lead us to doing what is bad but it can also prevent us from doing what we know is right or from living up to what we know we are capable of. In that sense we are slaves of sin, and the outcome is frustration, pain, suffering, and finally death. (Rom. 6:23) The apostle Paul felt this pain and agony deeply. (Read Romans 7:21-25.) It is only when the shackles of sin are thrown off that we can hope to have the true freedom that our first human parents once enjoyed.
*** w18 May p. 28 par. 4 Young Ones—Stand Firm Against the Devil ***
4 Similarly, the truths we learn from God’s Word protect us from the spiritual harm that false teachings cause. (John 8:31, 32; 1 John 4:1) And the more we love divine truths, the easier it is to carry our “breastplate,” that is, to live by God’s righteous standards. (Ps. 111:7, 8; 1 John 5:3) In addition, when we have a clear understanding of the truths from God’s Word, we can confidently stand our ground and defend them against opposers.—1 Pet. 3:15.
*** w18 June p. 9 par. 4 May We All Be One as Jehovah and Jesus Are One ***
4 Jesus himself was subjected to prejudice. When Philip told Nathanael that he had found the Messiah, Nathanael replied: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) Apparently, Nathanael knew of the prophecy at Micah 5:2 and considered Nazareth too insignificant to be the Messiah’s hometown. Similarly, prominent Judeans despised Jesus because he was a Galilean. (John 7:52) Many Judeans viewed the people of Galilee as inferior. Other Jews sought to insult Jesus by calling him a Samaritan. (John 8:48) The Samaritan people were ethnically and religiously distinct from the Jews. Both Judeans and Galileans had little respect for the Samaritans and avoided them.—John 4:9.
*** w18 August pp. 8-9 par. 2 Do Not Judge by the Outward Appearance ***
2 Each day we make judgments about people. Yet, as imperfect humans, we are not able to judge matters perfectly as Jesus does. We tend to be influenced by what appears to our eyes. Nonetheless, when Jesus was on earth, he commanded: “Stop judging by the outward appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) Clearly, Jesus wants us to be like him and not judge others by their outward appearance. In this article, we will discuss three areas in which people are frequently influenced by what appears to their eyes: race or ethnicity, wealth, and age. In each area, we will consider practical ways to obey Jesus’ command.
*** w17 January p. 25 par. 12 You Can Remain Modest Under Test ***
12 Modesty helps us always to dress, groom, and comport ourselves in a decent and respectable manner. We realize that we win people’s hearts, not by boasting or drawing undue attention to ourselves, but by displaying a “quiet and mild spirit.” (Read 1 Peter 3:3, 4; Jer. 9:23, 24) Vain sentiments in our hearts will eventually show up in our actions. We might drop hints, for example, implying that we enjoy special privileges, possess inside information, or have special relationships with responsible brothers. Or we might explain things in such a way that only we get the credit for ideas or accomplishments that others also contributed to. Again, Jesus set a wonderful example. A good portion of what he said was either a quotation from or an allusion to the Hebrew Scriptures. He modestly spoke that way so that his hearers would know that what he said was coming from Jehovah and was not the product of his own intellect or wisdom.—John 8:28.
*** w17 July p. 28 Winning the Battle for Your Mind ***
Now if mere men can fool us with their propaganda, what might Satan be able to do? He has studied human behavior since man was created. “The whole world” now lies in his power. He can use any part of it to disseminate his lies. (1 John 5:19; John 8:44) So effective has Satan been in ‘blinding people’s minds’ that he now ‘misleads the entire inhabited earth.’ (2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:9) How can you resist his propaganda?
*** w16 September p. 29 par. 6 Parents, Help Your Children Build Faith ***
6 As a teacher, Jesus reached hearts because he loved Jehovah, God’s Word, and people. (Luke 24:32; John 7:46) Similar love will help parents reach the hearts of their children. (Read Deuteronomy 6:5-8; Luke 6:45.) So parents, be good students of the Bible and of our study aids. Take an interest in creation and in articles in our publications that discuss this topic. (Matt. 6:26, 28) Your doing so will broaden your knowledge, deepen your appreciation for Jehovah, and better equip you to teach your young ones.—Luke 6:40.
*** w15 10/15 p. 32 “The Naive Person Believes Every Word” ***
Today it is possible to spread news—true or false, useful or worthless, harmless or dangerous—at an incredible speed. Anyone who sends an e-mail or a text to even one person has to realize that whether it was intended or not, the content could travel all over the world in a flash. May we therefore resist the urge to forward information quickly and indiscriminately. When we read sensational news items, remember that love is not unduly suspicious; nor is it naive or gullible. Above all, love refuses to believe malevolent insinuations about Jehovah’s organization or lies about our brothers that are circulated by people who are slaves to “the father of the lie,” Satan the Devil. (John 8:44; 1 Cor. 13:7) Thinking ability and discernment will help us become “shrewd” and consider how to handle responsibly the increasing amount of information available to us on a daily basis. As the Bible says, “the naive will inherit foolishness, but the shrewd are crowned with knowledge.”—Prov. 14:18.
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