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D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L
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S T U D I E S IN THE N EW T E S T A M E N T FOR INDIVIDUAL MEDITATION AND FAMILY WORSHIP
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By R. A. TORREY
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Him that has borne fruit through all the .centuries since. All opposition to Jesus is futile, and in the long run simply brings out His glory. In this case, as always, God made the wrath o f men to praise Him. “Never man so spake,” exclaimed the offi cers o f the Jews when they were interro gated as to why they had not arrested and brought Jesus. No wonder never man so spake, for He was not mere man, but “ God manifest in the flesh” (cf. John 14:9). Jesus spake as one who had come from another world, He uttered no mere guess concerning the other world and God, He spoke o f that which He had seen (John 3:11). The words o f Jesus must have sounded even more wonderful as He spoke them than they sound to us as we read them from the cold printed page. But even as we read them we are forced to exclaim, “ Never man so spake.” The rulers did not deny that Jesus spake as never man spake, they could not deny it, so they took refuge in the usual hiding place o f men who know in their hearts that they occupy a false posi tion, they sought to ridicule the officers and to browbeat them by showing that none of the rulers or scholars believed on Him. How foolish, and yet how human was the answer of the ecclesiastics, “Are ye also led astray?” A sneer is the favorite wea pon o f skeptics and all who oppose the, truth. It is the favorite weapon o f all destructive critics today. But a sneer is usually a confession that the one who sneers, in his own conscience knows' he is wrong. Then the priests” and Pharisees used a favorite argument o f those who oppose the truth, “Hath any o f the rulers believed?” This is a favorite argument with the discredited school o f destructive criticism today, and with all teachers of popular error. They tell us that none of the scholars any longer accept the Mosaic
Thursday, June I. John 7 : 40 - 44 .
The words o f Jesus caused a division among the multitude. There had been on other occasions a similar diversity o f opin ion about Jesus (cf. v. 12; Matt. 16:14-16). Some recognized Him as a prophet, others as the Christ. There was one great diffi culty in the way o f acceptig Him as the Christ, viz., He came out o f Galilee. The Scriptures had predicted a Christ o f the seed o f David, and from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Ps. 132:11; Isa. 11:1). They were right in their interpretation o f Scriptures about this, but were wrong in their applica tion, for Jesus Himself was o f the seed of David and from Bethlehem. When we have difficulties with the Scripture, or with Christ, we will always find in the ultimate outcome that the source o f the difficulty is in ourselves and not in the Scriptures nor in. Christ. Jesus is ever causing division among 'men just as here (cf. ch. 9:16; 10:19; Acts 14:4). Indeed He came to make division (Luke 12:51), that true men might be discerned by their right atti tude toward Him, and that 'evil men might be discerned by their wrong attitude toward Him. On this occasion the antagonism o f some went to that extent that they wished to arrest Him, doubtless that they might destroy Him. But they did not suc ceed in their awful purpose for “His hour was not yet come” (cf. v. 30; ch. 8:20; Acts 18:10).' No child o f God can be killed until his work is done and it is time for him to go. Friday, June 2 . John 7:45-53- The leaders had sent officers to arrest Jesus, _but this attempt upon His safety and life simply resulted in a testimony to
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