Tuesday, March 29

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68-69

Thought for the Day: Knowing God; Knowing His Word

Because Scripture witnesses to the revelation of God, it is the central resource of Christian faith. The Second Vatican Council declared the importance and authority of Scripture when it issued this statement: Since everything asserted by the inspired authors or sacred writers must be held to be asserted by the Holy Spirit, it follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching firmly, faithfully, and without error that truth which God wanted put into the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation. In other words, the truth of our faith is found in Scripture written by human authors inspired by the Holy Spirit. God has thus revealed himself in Scripture for our salvation.

Unlike the earliest Christians, we have easy access to Scripture, owning personal Bibles, putting Bible apps on our iPhones, etc. Yet we should not read Scripture and understand it as though it had never been read before. Tradition, correctly understood, is a way of understanding Scripture in line with how the Christian church has accepted it. Tradition is a history of interpreting and wrestling with God’s Word, meaning that Scripture is best understood in community rather than exclusively by the individual. Even the great reformers, Luther and Calvin, in the Reformation principle of sola scriptura (Scripture alone is authoritative), never intended for private judgment to supersede that of the Church.

And yet the great joy of going deep into our faith through Bible reading is primarily an individual activity. When the New Testament declares that Jesus is risen from the dead, it means that the relationship that the disciples had with Jesus in the days he walked with them can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere today! The difference is that we hear Jesus talking through Scripture. Whereas the original disciples, the earliest Christians, were only beginning to grasp at the truths about the divinity of Jesus and his sacrificial death, we can read and comprehend them in the Gospels and the other written biblical record. If we want to know Jesus as his disciples did, then we must walk with him through Scripture to get to know him.

In Knowing God, J. I. Packer writes: Knowing God is a matter of personal dealing, as is all direct acquaintance with personal beings. Knowing God is more than knowing about him; it is a matter of dealing with him as he opens up to you, and being dealt with by him as he takes knowledge of you. . . . a simple Bible reader and sermon hearer who is full of the Holy Spirit will develop a far deeper acquaintance with his God and Savior than a more learned scholar who is content with being theologically correct. The reason is that the former will deal with God regarding the practical application of truth to his life, whereas the latter will not. . . . To get to know another person, you have to commit yourself to his company and interests, and be ready to identify yourself with his concerns. Without this, your relationship with him can only be superficial and flavorless. Therefore, as the psalmist writes, “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). We come to know God by engaging with him in his Word. And as we do we will find that his Word brings us comfort as well as conviction of sin, hope for our future as well as knowledge of who we are today in Christ.

When Jesus confronted his disciples with difficult teaching, many of them turned away. But Peter said to him, “You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). When we come to know Jesus through his word, we come to know who he really is and believe in him. Nothing can annul God’s truth. As Psalm 119:151 states, “All your commands are true.” Jesus says, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). When we read God’s word we need to know that God stands behind all his promises. He does not change. He is a God who keeps covenant with us. We falter; we change. But the Word of God stands forever; the biblical revelation of the mind of God is valid forever. We can trust the Bible for it is God’s Holy Word.

Self-examination, repentance, prayer, and worship:

Before you pray, take some time to reflect on your sins. Perhaps there is one in particular about which you are concerned. Tell the Lord you are sorry, ask him to help you stop this sin, and then pray a prayer like the following:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; in your great compassion blot out my offenses. Wash me through and through from my wickedness, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions only too well, and my sin is ever before me. Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Spend further time in prayer and worship before studying the Gospel of John below.

Study: John 6:60-71, The Words of Eternal Life

 ⁶⁰ When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?" ⁶¹But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, "Do you take offense at this? ⁶²Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? ⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴But there are some of you who do not believe." (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁶⁵And he said, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father."

 ⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to the Twelve, "Do you want to go away as well?" ⁶⁸Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." ⁷⁰Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." ⁷¹He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.

Reflection Questions:

1)  It is interesting to note (verses 64, 70, and 71) that Jesus already knew that Judas was going to betray him and turn him over to be killed. Why do you think he let him remain in his inner circle of disciples?

2)  Peter tells Jesus that he has the words of eternal life. As you have read through John, what words of eternal life have you heard?