JESUS KNEW FROM THE BEGINNING
Friday – February 8, 2019, Adar A 3, 5779
Greeting precious saints of God and welcome back to this powerful Bible Study of the Book of John. The featured picture is of yours truly taken at Christmas time on a recent trip to Texas. Many wonderful friends in Texas and of course two great children and several grandchildren. God is good! I intend to return to Texas in a few months and will be ministering in two different Churches. I will keep you informed so if you are in the San Antonio area you can choose to attend or not. I hope we can all agree this has been another exceptional week in the Word of God. Our God is so good to open His good Word for our understanding and obedience. When we put Him first, His Word first, value Him and the Word far above all else our response will be obedience to the Word. Obedience to the Word brings victory without fail and in an overwhelming way whereas anything less allows defeat. We choose. And, no, God is not going around giving people thorns in the flesh to keep them in humility and prevent pride. We choose to be clothed in humility and we choose to put pride under or not. Human suffering does not bring glory (show the goodness) to God. Now let’s go ahead and read our primary Bible text aloud.
John 6:63-66 (KJV)
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
I want to deal briefly with the phrase “Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not”. The question to ask that seems obvious is this, what beginning. Are we talking about the beginning of Genesis 1:1, are we talking about the counsels of Heaven before the foundation of the world, the beginning of His ministry, or the beginning of this particular encounter? Those who have a predestination theology which says that God has known the outcome of all things for each of us individually from before the creation and picked winners and losers they would say in the Counsels of Heaven. This of course is a doctrine of demons and would lead people to the conclusion that if they were picked, they will be saved and if not, they won’t be and they therefore need to do nothing having no say in the matter. The Truth is that this salvation is open to all and each of us individually have all the say in the matter. Some of this thought of predestination comes about from phrases like we see in verse sixty-five. It appears that Jesus is saying that the only way anyone can come to Him is if the Father gives permission with the other side of the coin saying there those who never get permission. As a reminder let’s look back to verse forty-four.
John 6:44 (KJV)
44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
We don’t know we need God until we are told and that can happen in many ways. In the end Romans 1:20 tells us that none will have an excuse when they stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment. All persons either at the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Great White Throne Judgment will have made a clear choice for or against making Jesus Lord and Savior. It would be unjust for some people to have no choice in the matter.
John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
It is the love of God that draws men to the Christ, the Father is drawing all men to the Christ (Messiah = Jesus). We see from the whole (part of the whole) counsel of Scripture that the Father does not want anyone to be lost. In John 3:16 we see the word “whosoever” indicating that all have an equal opportunity for everlasting life (salvation). In 2nd Peter we see that the Father is not willing that anyone perish. Oh, what a loving and compassionate God we serve. He was and still is longsuffering towards me for sure, His mercy was and is on a high setting, and I am so thankful.
As we look at verse sixty-six in our primary text, we see that many disciples “went back, and walked no more with him”. How many of us have run into hard saying like eat my flesh and drink my blood and walked no more with Him? This does not necessarily mean that they repudiated Christ, trampled the Blood underfoot, and thereby returned knowingly to the kingdom of darkness but that they were one of the sheep on the periphery.
Amos 3:3 (KJV)
3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
If we are not in agreement with the Word then we are not walking with Him but are a straggler on the edge of the flock and very vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy and may even be devoured. Let’s not do that!
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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