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    • #6: The Greatness of Jesus #2
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    • #26: Victory over all the power of the evil one, part 3
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    • # 30 Freedom through Jesus Christ
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    • #5: When a King and a Prophet Agreed in Prayer, part one
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12-13-17  #3:  JESUS’ VISIT TO THE TEMPLE

DURING THE FEAST OF DEDICATION
(John 10:22-29)


Hanukkah began yesterday at sundown. This Jewish feast is mentioned in the book of John.
 
In the winter of A.D. 29, Jesus was only about four months away from the time when he would die on the cross to pay for our sins and after three days be raised from the dead.  In the month of Kislev,  Jesus went to the festival of Dedication, which we call “Hanukkah”.

This eight-day festival commemorates the victory God gave His people over Antiochus IV Epiphanes. In 164 B. C., Antiochus and his army invaded the Jewish nation, defiled their temple and imposed his idolatry upon them (1 Maccabees 1:10-14, 21-25, 30-31, 41-62). He called himself “Antiochus”, meaning, “God made manifest” and he began a reign of terror as he demanded all adhere to his State religion. He decreed that all Jews cease practicing their religion and to sacrifice to his pagan gods. Those who refused were tortured and killed. He commanded all copies of the Scriptures to be burned. Then he instructed his soldiers to defile the temple with pagan sacrifices.  He was truly filled with what we would call an “anti-Christ” spirit (an anti-true anointing spirit.)
 
After Antiochus IV committed these atrocities, a Jewish priest named Mattathias and his sons rose up and led a revolt against him. In 167 B. C., through the small army they assembled, God gave His people a supernatural victory over the mighty pagan forces (1 Maccabees 1:41-64, 2:23-31, 42-48, 65-69, 3:1, 8, 10-27, 32-59, 4:1-35). Then the Jewish people were able to cleanse the temple and rededicate it to true worship. They celebrated their victory for eight days. They offered sacrifices on the sacrificial altar and burned incense on the golden altar and lit the lamps of the golden candlestick and placed bread on the table of showbread (1 Maccabees 4:36-60, 2 Maccabees 10:5-8).
 
It was during the festival that commemorates that victory that Jesus walked through the section of the temple called “Solomon's Porch”.  Suddenly he senses opposition. A group of men come from around the corner and surround him, demanding,

    “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you really are the Messiah, tell us out-right!”
    “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's Name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:25-28, NIV).
 
In this chapter Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. As our Shepherd, Jesus came to give us more abundant life, as he described,

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have and enjoy life,
and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)”
(John 10:10, AMP).
 
Those who listen to and follow Jesus’ voice receive abundant and eternal life, but those who follow the voices of false prophets or evil spirits will suffer loss and destruction. Jesus adds, “I am the door” (John 10:9a). Jesus is the door to the kingdom of heaven. He is the door to abundant life and the door to salvation and eternal life, as he described,
 
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
He will come in and go out and find pasture . . .”
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full . . .
My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one will snatch them away from me, . . .”
(John 10:9, 10b, NIV, 27-28, NLT)
 
What a tremendous Savior we serve!  He laid down His life so that we could be forgiven of all sin. He was raised from the dead so that we can have His life now and throughout eternity. It will take all eternity to thank and praise Him for all He has done for us!

Note: much of this devotional is from The Life of Jesus Foretold, pages 193-194, 196-197.

© COPYRIGHT 2021 by Stephen Long. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
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  • Books
    • Polycarp and the Second Century Church
    • The Life of Jesus Foretold
    • Proverbs of Faith, Hope and Love
    • 300 Things I Like About Who I am in Jesus
  • Reviews
    • Reviews of Polycarp and the 2nd century church
    • Reviews of The Life of Jesus Foretold
  • Devotionals & Articles
    • Life of Jesus Devotionals >
      • #1 Life of Jesus devotional
      • #2 Life of Jesus devotional
      • #3 Life of Jesus devotional
      • #4 Life of Jesus devotional
      • #5: Life of Jesus Devotional
      • #6 Life of Jesus devotional
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      • #8 Life of Jesus devotional
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      • # 11 Life of Jesus devotional
    • 2nd group - Life of Jesus Devotionals >
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    • 3rd group - Life of Jesus Devotionals >
      • #20 Life of Jesus Devotional
      • #21 Life of Jesus devotional
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      • #24 Life of Jesus devotional
      • # 25 Life of Jesus Devotional
      • #26 Life of Jesus Devotional
    • Church History Articles >
      • 8-1-16 The Second Century Church, part one
      • 8-15-16 Second Century Church, part two
      • 9-1-16 The Second Century Church, part three
      • 9-15-16 The Second Century Church, part four
      • 10-1-16 The Second Century Church part five
      • 10-15-16 The Second Century Church, part six
    • More Church History Articles >
      • 11-1-2016, The Second Century Church, part seven
      • 11-15-2016 The Second Century Church, part 8
      • 12-1-2016 The Second Century Church, part 9
      • 12-15-2016, The Second Century Church, part 10
      • 1-15-2017, The Second Century Church, part 11
  • Proverbs of Faith, Hope and Love
    • #1: The Love of God, from I John
    • #2: God's Love - Isaiah 58
    • #3: The Greatness of Jesus
    • #4: Our Sufficiency is in Christ
    • #5: The Importance of Our Words
    • #6: The Greatness of Jesus #2
    • #7 The Wisdom of God
    • #8 Faith and Prayer (from the teaching of Jesus)
    • #9 Faith and Prayer (from Romans)
    • #10 Faith and Prayer (from Hebrews)
    • # 11: God Gives us Hope
    • # 12: Mercy and Compassion
    • #13: The Lord is our Refuge
    • #14 Jesus is our Righteousness
    • #15 The Peace of God
    • #16 The Joy of the Lord
  • More Proverbs of Faith, Hope and Love
    • #17 Victory Over All the Power of the Evil One
    • #18: The Wisdom of God (from the teaching of Jesus)
    • #19 The Spirit of Truth
    • #20 The Love of God (from I Corinthians 13)
    • #21: The Love of God (from I Corinthians 13, part two)
    • #22: The Spirit of Truth, part two
    • #23: Victory Over All the Power of the Evil One, part 2
    • #24: The Whole Armor of God, part 1
    • #25: The Whole Armor of God, part 2
    • #26: Victory over all the power of the evil one, part 3
    • #27: Faith and Prayer, part 4
    • #28: Our God Gives us Hope, part two
    • #29: Victory over Fear
    • # 30 Freedom through Jesus Christ
  • Proverbs of Faith, Hope and Love, third group
    • #31: Seeking the Lord
  • Declarations of Faith
    • Declaration Proclaiming Forgiveness
    • Create Blessings!
  • Poems
    • #1 Poem Describing Heaven
    • Poem #2, A Great Battle at the End of Time
    • #3 Poem, the trials of Job
    • #4 Poem, God's Love from Romans
    • Poem #5: Receiving God's Rest
  • Miscellaneous Articles
    • # 1: "And the plague was stopped"
    • #2 "Let the Sun of Righteousness Arise!"
    • #3: The Pulling Down of Dagon
    • #4 The Pulling Down of Dagon, Part Two
    • #5: When a King and a Prophet Agreed in Prayer, part one
    • # 6: When a King and a Prophet agreed in prayer, part 2
    • #7: A Wall of Fire for our Nation