John 7:11-14

11 Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, “Where is He?” 

12 And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him. Some said, “He is good”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.” 

13 However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

Am I Willing to Speak “Openly of Him”, or Am I Fearful?

Why were the Jews looking for Jesus at the feast? Well…..since all Jewish men were required to attend, I would say that they were hoping He wouldn’t. If He didn’t show up, then this would give them something to hold against Him. Wasn’t this what they were always doing to Jesus? They were always trying to test Him, trap Him, or catch Him not keeping the law. Verse 12 makes it very plain that the subject of conversation at the feast was Jesus. Some spoke positively about Him, and some spoke negatively. Isn’t this how the world speaks about Jesus today? Some speak positively, and some don’t. Some believe in Him, and some don’t. But, even the people who believed in Him were afraid to speak up. 

Verse 13 is where the real lesson is found for me. The people at the feast were afraid to speak openly about their true feelings about Jesus, because of fear of the Jewish authorities. Isn’t fear a problem for us as Christians today? I know it has been for me in the past. I wanted to fit in with the world too much, and this caused me to not speak up for the truth or live out the truth. Fear caused me to be in a lost condition for a long time. What will people think of me? Will people think I’m weird? Will I lose friends over my beliefs? If I say what I really believe, will I be made fun of? You know…..the older I get, the less I fear. I have grown more and more concerned about what My Savior thinks, and less and less concerned about what people in the world think. I still have ups and downs. I have times where fear tries to creep in. I’m sure most people do. Sometimes I let fear get a foothold, but when I realize it’s there, I kick it to the curb as soon as I can.      2 Timothy 1:7 says this, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” This clearly says that fear does not come from God, so where does fear come from? Fear comes from Satan. He causes us to doubt God, and doubt ourselves. What a scary thought! Ok, I need to clarify something. Earlier in this post, I said that as I get older, the less I fear. That’s not entirely accurate. I have been in God’s Word more in the last few years than ever before in my life. So…..the answer for fear is God. I promise you…..the more that you are in God’s Word, the more courageous God will make you. It is not about age. There are a whole lot of people way younger than me who don’t let fear hold them back the way that I did at their age. It’s called spiritual maturity, and it has no age. It is about allowing God to infiltrate our very beings through His Word. We are either filled with fear, or filled with trust in God. The two can’t coexist. A lack of fear equals a deep trust in God. Fear equals a lack of trust in God. Here is the truth…..we can trust in God no matter how many times the world hurts us. Trusting God is about knowing…..beyond a shadow of a doubt…..that God has us in the palm of His hand forever…..no matter the physical pain we endure…..no matter the mental anguish we experience…..no matter the obstacles that are put in our paths. It makes me think of Paul and all that he endured while spreading the gospel. The trust that he had in God was immeasurable. 

As we move into verse 14, we see the Father’s timetable for Jesus coming full circle. When and how does Jesus decide to make Himself known to everyone at the feast? In the middle of the week, when the feast was in full swing, Jesus went to the temple and taught. Jesus wanted as many people to hear Him as possible. He obviously showed no fear as He went straight to the heart of the feast…..the temple, and began to speak God’s Word to the Jews. Jesus was the definition of fearless. His trust in His Father was beyond our capability or understanding.

So….I ask myself…..do I fully trust in My Savior, Jesus Christ? When I find myself struggling with fear, I turn to Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” I mean, think about that…..who can? Who or what do we have to fear if we have God, the Creator of the universe, first in our lives and on our sides? And then…..I read Romans 8:37-39,  “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” These verses are some of the most courage-building verses in the Bible for me personally! Nothing can separate us from Jesus! We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us! Jesus’ love is perfect, and perfect love casts out fear! (1 John 4:18) So…..my Sisters in Christ, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” These are the inspired words of Moses as he spoke some of his last words to God’s people before turning his leadership role over to Joshua. That word, “One”, with the capital letter stands for Jesus as well as God the Father,…..because Jesus was with the Father when Moses spoke those words. Jesus was always there…..just waiting on God’s perfect timing to make His entrance into the world, and turn it upside down for our salvation. Those words in Deuteronomy 31:6 are just as true for us today, as they were for them long ago. Jesus will NEVER leave us! He is our courage! He is our strength! He is our confidence! He is our only hope! We’ve got this, Sisters! No fear! 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about how to be saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus, and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves…..and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t or you are not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better…..to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat wondering what is going to happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you Father for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)