814 They Attempted Again To Seize Him, But He Escaped Their Clutches, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:39-42 with the Recenter With Christ app

The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:

Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

NET
39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, "John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!" 42 And many believed in Jesus there.

RSV
39 Again they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. 40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him; and they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true." 42 And many believed in him there.

Reflection on Scripture:

Imagine the ridiculous idea. A group of religious policemen go try and arrest the creator of everything on the earth they walked. When I read this I am overwhelmed by the irony of it all. Jesus on many occasions escaped capture. He would not go until his time came. Even when he was finally captured he did so knowingly. He even told Judas to betray him quickly. For us to assume that we can dictate God's plans is such a spiritually immature and damaging mindset.

Yet we are not above this mindset. We like to think we control our world. We like to feel empowered. In some ways this is something God has created within us. Our Godly drive to improve the world around us is good. If we are not careful we can get captured by the idea that we can bend God to our will. Equally unhelpful is that God wants to help us to do whatever we want. God wants our development and perfection and only he knows what it is.

With that said I do believe God wants us to learn to pursue good autonomously. Also I think he wants to empower us to engage with Him regarding our plans. I think this is drastically different than us being a law unto ourself and pursuing our own selfish desires and claiming it is what God wants. I believe that God wants us to reach out to him and plead for discernment regarding our lives. The goal should always be for us to seek God's will not to bend God's will to our own. I want you to ponder

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?

FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod

KJV
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

812 Is It Not Written In Your Law 'I Have Said You Are Gods'?, A Guided Christian Meditation on John 10:34-38 with the Recenter With Christ app

The purpose of this podcast is to help you find more peace in and connect with the true source of peace, Jesus Christ.

Outline: Relaxation, Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation and Visualization.
You can sit comfortably and uninterrupted for about 20 minutes.You should hopefully not be driving or anything tense or unrelaxing. If you feel comfortable to do so, I invite you to close your eyes.

Guided Relaxation / Guided Meditation:

Breathe and direct your thoughts to connecting with God. Let your stomach be a balloon inflate, deflate.

Scripture for Meditation

NIV
34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are "gods"'? 35 If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."

KJV
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Reflection on Scripture:

In some ways this feels like a challenge to our understanding. It seems wrong that Jesus said this. In defense of the accusations of blasphemy Jesus said the scriptures said ye are gods. I have seen a lot of commentary about this point and I don't mean to dig into deep meaning but Jesus' words are always important. Let's not miss an incredibly important idea. We are not holy. The natural human condition is not holy. To say humans are gods would be wrong and miss the point. What is it that makes men and women holy? It is the holy name of Jesus Christ. Just as there are no saintly people, the thing that makes someone a saint is the name of Jesus Christ. If we have taken upon us the name of Jesus then we can become holy.

Roman's says we are children, and as a result are heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Our suffering does not make us holy. Our struggles in life do not clean us from sin and spiritually transform us. But through the suffering of Jesus does transform us. The suffering Jesus experienced on the cross is what makes us holy. That is what makes us join heirs.

We should trust in Jesus who has promised us all the Father has. We don't need to fear the accusations the people laid on Him. He said He is the Son of God. We can trust that. Jesus did not claim any authority that He did not deserve. You can believe the works He did. The healings of lepers, and healing the blind were attested to by so many witnesses. The greatest work of all was His atoning sacrifice. Trust that work. Trust that Jesus is allowed to offer you what He has offered which is salvation, forgiveness, healing, and eventually completion. Through His works you become holy.

Meditation of Prayer:

Pray as directed by the Spirit.

Dedicate these moments to the patient waiting, when you feel ready ask God for understanding you desire from Him.

Meditation of God and His Glory / Hesychasm:

I invite you to sit in silence feeling patient for your own faults and trials.

Summarize what insights you have gained during this meditation and meditate and visualize positive change in your life:

This is a listener funded podcast at patreon.com/christianmeditationpodcast

Final Question: If you consider the invitation and command to persevere in the faith, what change in your life does that bring to your mind?

FIND ME ON:
Download my free app: Recenter with Christ
Website - ChristianMeditationPodcast.com
Voicemail - (602) 888-3795
Email: jared@christianmeditationpodcast.com
Apple Podcasts - Christian Meditation Podcast
Facebook.com/christianmeditationpodcast
Youtube.com/christianmeditaitonpodcast
Twitter - @ChristianMedPod