John 9Does God Punish The Children For The Sins Of The Parents?; Miracle 6, Man Born Blind Healed, John 9:1-41; I Am The Light Of The World; Bible Critics Wrong Again; He Believed And Was Healed But Not Saved; Sin Hinders Prayers; The Jews;The Prayers Of Unbelievers; Young Earth?; He Worshiped JesusJerusalem Daily Photo, Yehuda Poch's gorgeous photo of almond blossoms in Latrun, central Israel. As the first of the trees to blossom, they are a delightful harbinger of spring in the Land of Israel.

5-29-2016

BIBLE IN FIVEPastor Dave KooyersValley Bible FellowshipBox 433Boonville CA 95415http://www.slideshare.net/dkooyers www.ValleyBibleFellowship.org

(707) 895-2325God bless you as you examine His Word,Your servant in Christ, 2Cor. 4:5These Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are provided "for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12-15). To help Christians to "to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ." So that "we are no longer...tossed here and there...by every wind of doctrine." They may be downloaded and modified free of charge. Matthew 10:8 Freely you received, freely give.

http://www.amazon.com/Pastors-Manual-Doing-Church-Growth/dp/097170094X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=8-2&keywords=a+pastor%27s+manual+on+doing

Let's read John 9

Eight weeks have passed between the two feasts;NAU John 7:37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feastNAU John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem;

John 9:1, Sins Of The ParentsNAU John 9:1 As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?The Jews believed that poverty or sickness was a direct result of someone's sin, or their parents.The Jews believed that someone could sin in the womb. (John, Believe and Live, Pg. 90)

John 9:1, Sins Of The ParentsNAU John 9:1 who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?NAU 1 Corinthians 11:27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.NAU 1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.The Jews believed that God would punish someone for their parents sin. But Scripture says;

John 9:1, Sins Of The ParentsNAU Ezekiel 18:2 this proverbThe fathers eat the sour grapes, But the children's teeth are set on edge '? 3 "As I live," declares the Lord God, "you are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. 4 "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die 20 "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

John 9:5, The LightNAU John 9:5 "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.CSB John 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.John 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.

John 9:5, The Light Luke 1:78-79 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.NAU Revelation 21:23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

John 9:5The LightJohn 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

John 9:5

NAU John 9:5 "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."If the earth is only 6,000years old, thenhow can we seelight from starsthat are millions of light years away?Einstein's scientifically accepted Theory of Relativity shows that time is relative to gravity and speed. Time simply varies depending on the amount of mass, acceleration and gravity. Therefore, any knowledgeable scientist will admit that in the extra-terrestrial spaces, creation light could have traveled at unfathomable speeds.In the Biblical model,Adam and Eve, as well as the trees, plants and animals, were created with the appearance of age. Even though they were only a few minutes old, they looked and acted like full-grown adults.Therefore scripture supports God simply preforming another miracle. If He could create the earth in 6 days, He certainly could create a light beam from the stars to earth!"It is I who made the earth, and created man upon it.I stretched out the heavenswith Myhands, and I ordained all their host."Is. 45:12"He stretches out the north over empty space,andhangs the earth on nothing.Job 26:7

Compass International, Inc.viaauth.ccsend.com, One MinuteBible Q & A

The Tetragrammaton Ha Shem = The Hebrew tetragrammaton is defined by Mac dictionary as;the Hebrew name of God transliterated in four letters as YHWH or JHVH and articulated as Yahweh or Jehovah.When the Hebrew translators in the Septuagint translation (LXX) came to this word they translated it into the Greek as . Jesus hammers his detractors 5Xs in 8

Ha ShemNAU Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you."NAU John 8:12,18, 24, 28, 58 ,9:5,10:7,11,36, 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life

NAU John 8:18,24,28, 58,9:5,10:7,11,36, 6:35 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life

The Tetragrammaton Ha Shem = The Hebrew tetra grammatonBGT Exodus 3:14

BGT John 8:12 BGT John 8:18 BGT John 8:24 ,BGT John 8:28 ,BGT John 8:58 .

Luke 2:11Which Savior?NIV Isaiah 43:10I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.BGT Isaiah 43:10 Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Dallas Theological Seminary, Dr. Mark L. Baileyteachlovetransform@dts.eduviapursuantmail.com

John 9:6, Mixing Spit And Clay NAU John 9:6 When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes,Mixing spit and clay was specifically prohibited under Jewish traditionJesus not only did it, he did it on the Sabbath.Seems as though our Lord is still provoking them, even after chapter 8.

John 9:7, AnagramsNAU John 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.Proverbs 20:12 The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them.THE EYES:When you rearrange the letters:THEY SEE

Ecclesiastes 1:8 Mark 4:12 Luke 8:10 John 9:7 Acts 4:14 Hebrews 11:27 2 Peter 1:3 Proverbs 20:12, Anagrams

John 9:7, Critics wrong about the pool of Siloam! Jesus Research said, Secondly, the Gospel of John is viewed as having a later origin because it reveals some ignorance of Jerusalem. That is, the author of John knows little about first-century Jerusalem because he was never there and the Romans thoroughly destroyed it in 70 A.D. Therefore, he invented places like the Bethesda Pool having five porticoes (John 5) and the Pool of Siloam (John 9), investing in them heavy symbolism as he crafted his theological masterpieceBut Biblical Archaeology has blown them out of the water. Bible critics wrong again! But in 2004, archaeologists discovered an ancient pool in the southern portion of the City of David excavations, south of the Temple Mount, which had been hidden since 70 A.D Complete article is after the THE END slide (JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN).

http://int.icej.org/news/special-reports/jerusalem-finds-validating-gospel-john , JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN, John 5, 9

John9:7, God Tests Our FaithJohn 9:7 and said to him, "Go, wash [imperative]Sometimes God tests our faith.It was not his obedience of going to the pool of Siloam and washing that restored his sight. It was the Lord! His faith could not heal him, but following the Lords instruction, showed his faith in Jesus. Jesus healed many without making them wash, but to test his faith, Jesus required obedience to His words.People had to go and look at the bronze serpent in Numbers 21:9, John3:14, God could've healed them all without looking at the bronze serpent.Hebrews11:30, 2Kings5:14

1Corinthians10:13 2 Kings5:14 Joshua 6 Hebrews11:30 Numbers 21:9 John3:14, 9:7, God Tests Our Faith

John 9:7, Healed But Not SavedNAU John 9:7 came back seeing.The miracle of the physical healing gave him physical sight, and he understood Jesus to be a prophet (vss.17, 22, 25), yet he did not know Jesus. Jesus had to find him, reveal Himself to him so that he might be saved. NAU Luke 16:31 If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead."NAU Luke 17:17 And Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-- where are they? 18 "Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?"

John 9:7, Wash Your HandsJohn 9:7 he went away and washedI accompanied my four-year-old, Matt, to a pre-kindergarten screening session where they tested his hearing, eyesight, speech, and motor skills. The last stop was with the school nurse who emphasized the importance of washing hands before meals. "Germs from our hands can get on our food while eating," she explained."Oh, I don't need to worry about that," Matt assured her. "We use forks at our house."

Linda Economy, Floodwood, Minnesota.Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom.Utensil Safety

John 9:7, Wash Your HandsLeviticus 11:24 'By these, moreover, you will be made unclean: whoever touches their carcasses becomes unclean until evening, (Leviticus 15:11)Matthew 15:2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Mark 7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their handsJohn 13:9 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head."

Linda Economy, Floodwood, Minnesota.Christian Reader, "Kids of the Kingdom.Utensil Safety

John Believe And Live, Elmer Towns, Mal Couch and Ed Hindson, Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series, page 91

John 9:7, Pool Of SiloamNAU John 9:7 ..Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent)The pool of Siloam was, according to Elmer Towns, from which water was drawn on the eighth day following the Feast of Booths. In that ceremony the waters of Siloam were likened unto the "springs of salvation (Is. 12:3). Also, as John here emphasizes, the name Siloam means Sent" (9:7, see 9:4). Not only is this idea closely related to the sending of the Messiah into the world by God, but also one of the titles of the Messiah,Shiloh (Gen. 49:10; Is. 8:6), is actually translated Siloam by the Septuagint translators of Isaiah 8:6. (John, Believe and Live, Pg. 91)

(John, Believe and Live, Pg. 90)

John 9:7, Pool Of SiloamNAU John 9:7 ..Go, wash in the pool of Siloam " (which is translated, Sent)The pool of Siloam was not the closest pool. And it was quite a long walk.David Hocking says that the Jews would have understood a relationship of salvation with the pool of Siloam. On one feast day they would take a special golden pitcher, and with much procession, pomp and ceremony, parade to the pool of Siloam, draw water, then parade to the temple as an offering. This is based on; NAU Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." 3 Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.

David Hocking, the book of John Part 1, message # 24, About 29 minutes into it

John 9:22, The Jews was not National Israel or the laypeople but the Jewish leaders.NAS John 9:22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed, that if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. The phrase the Jews is used more in the Gospel of John than any other NAU book of the Bible (60 Xs). More than one fourth of all the uses are in the Gospel of John.John uses The Jews almost exclusively to mean the enemies of Christ, the Jewish leaders.

John 9:22, The Jews" was not National Israel or the laypeople but the Jewish leaders.NAS John 9:22 His parents were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed, that if anyone should confess Him to be Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

Gentiles were not allowed into the synagogues. Only the Jewish people. Jewish leadership is here distinct from Jewish people.

John 9:31, Hindered PrayersNAU John 9:31 "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.Oswald Chambers said,Some prayers are followed by silence because they are wrong, others because they are bigger than we can understand.R. A. Torrey said, Oh, men and women, pray through; pray through! Do not just begin to pray and pray a little while and throw up your hands and quit, but pray and pray and pray until God bends the heavens and comes down!NAU 1 Peter 3:7 You husbandsshow her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Word Doc. PrayerJohn 9:31, Prayer, DLK Word Doc. Prayer

John 9:31, Unbelievers PrayersQUESTION FOR THE DAY, Dear Compass,Your GMLs on Mormons were eye-opening. Now I have a question. We have a friend who is a Mormon and last week we went to an art show with her. She suggested we pray before we leave to have a safe trip and she led the prayer, out loud. If she was not praying to Jehovah God, was Jehovah God hearing her prayers? Who was she praying to?

John 9:31, Unbelievers PrayersANSWER: God knows everything so He certainly knows what she said. But since she has no relationship with God through Jesus, He views her prayers differently: Isaiah1:15You can only be clean through proper sacrifice in the Old Testament and through trusting Jesus' sacrifice in the Church Age. As far as who she was praying to, while she thought it was God, we're not exactly sure who it was.No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.2Corinthians11:14 But we are pretty sure it wasn't God since she has no relationship with Him.Additional resource for this GML: A past Compass eNews article about Mormonism. If you wish to read it, go to:http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs011/1103404634488/archive/1106675477687.html. You will need to scroll down the page to get to the article titled "The Mormon Cult."

John 9:31, Unbelievers PrayersJohn 9:31God does not hear sinnersNAU Psalm 66:18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;NAU Jeremiah 7:16 "As for you, do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I [LORD] do not hear you.Proverbs 28:9 He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

If Matthew 23:14 Is Original?Then, Prayers Of UnbelieversNAU Matthew 23:14 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation .Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.NAU Isaiah 1:15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

John 9:31, Unbelievers PrayersA female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time. To check it out, she went to the Wall, and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site. She watched him pray, and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview."Pardon me Sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name? "Morris Feinberg",he replied. "Sir, how long have you been coming to the Wailing Wall to pray?""For about 60 years.""60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?""I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims, I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop, I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man.""And how do you feel Sir, after doing this for 60 years?""It's like talking to a brick wall."

Isaiah 1:15, 59:2, Job 15:4 1 Peter 3:7, Hindered Prayers1 Peter 3:7 You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.Job 15:4 "Indeed, you do away with reverence And hinder meditation before God.Isaiah 59:2, 1:15 "So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

John 9:32, Young Earth?NAU John 9:32 "Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.NAU Mark 10:6 "But from the beginning of creation, God MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE.NAU 2 Peter 3:4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.NAU John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, He was a murderer from the beginning

John 9:35, Jesus cast him outNKJ John 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?This was the second of three chastisements under Judaism; #1 review lasted one week, #2 cast out lasted 30 days, #3 cut off was permanentFor 30 days he would have been alienated from his people, unable to do business, under a curse, ostracized by everyone.

John 9:35, Jesus found himNKJ John 9:35 Jesus had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?NAU Luke 19:10 "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.NAU John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

NAU John 9:38 And he said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him.

John 9:38, He Worshiped HimJehovah witnesses refuse to worship JesusNAU Matthew 8:2 And a leper came to Him and bowed down before HimNAU Matthew 2:11they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped HimNAU Matthew 14:33 And those who were in the boat worshiped HimNAU Matthew 28:9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they worshiped Him.

John 9:38, He Worshiped HimNIVO Daniel 7:14 He [Son of Man] was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him06399 pelach )AramaicMeaning: 1) to serve, worship, revere, minister for, pay reverence toAsk a Jehovah's Witness if they pay reverence to, serve, worship, revere, minister for, Jesus Christ, Son of Man.

John 9:41, Spiritual Blindnessgracethrufaith.comQ.In John 9:41 Jesus said, If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim to see your sin remains.The part about being blind makes you not guilty of sinto whom would that apply? Does that mean that if someone is blind to their sin theyre not accountable for it in some way? Or does it mean that if they didnt know it was a sin, but they acted in good conscience, theyre o.k.?A.John 9is about Jesus healing a man born blind and the controversy it created among the Pharisees. From the rest of the chapter we know that Jesus was speaking metaphorically to the Pharisees in verse 41 by comparing blindness to the inability to understand the Scriptures. He was saying that had they not been capable of

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/spiritual-blindness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29Sunday, February 16th, 2014Interpreting VersesNew TestamentSin

John 9:41, Spiritual Blindnessgracethrufaith.comunderstanding, He would not have held them accountable for their sin.But having claimed that they were capable by presenting themselves as experts, they became accountable. Their sin was their refusal to recognize Jesus as their Messiah even though He was fulfilling Messianic prophecies from their own Scriptures right before their eyes.This analogy helps us see that children who are not intellectually mature enough to understand the consequences of sin, along with those who are not mentally competent to do so, are not held accountable for their sins like the rest of us are. If they die before theyre old enough to understand, or if they never become mentally competent, they will go to be with the Lord as if they had never sinned.http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/spiritual-blindness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/spiritual-blindness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29Sunday, February 16th, 2014Interpreting VersesNew TestamentSin

Don't forget to give thanks to the Lord for our veterans this Memorial Day

THEEND

They defend us from our adversaries at home and abroad!

Chapter 8 starts at 2:42 minutes inThe slides that follow, that have the blue background, are from DTS.http://courses.dts.edu/module-1/week-5/?login=dkooyers@gmail.com&utm_source=mc_automation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email5&utm_campaign=gospelofjohnfile:///Users/davidkooyers/Documents/Bible%20in%205%20Years,%20Keynote/John%207-8,%20Others,%20DTS,%20be105-week-5.pdf

http://courses.dts.edu/module-1/week-5/?login=dkooyers@gmail.com&utm_source=mc_automation&utm_medium=email&utm_content=email5&utm_campaign=gospelofjohn

http://int.icej.org/news/special-reports/jerusalem-finds-validating-gospel-john , JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN, John 5, 9JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN2nd Temple PeriodBy:John BlackPosted on:Sat, 09 Mar 2013 +0100When we study the life of Jesus, most Christians turn to the pages of the New Testament and the four canonical gospels. These include the three synoptic (chronological) gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, plus the book of John, which is a considerably different work.

The distinctive nature of John has led many modern scholars to conclude that John was the last gospel compiled, dating to the second century A.D. and, as such, is irrelevant for historical Jesus studies (known officially as Jesus Research since 1980).

These scholars argue it is of later authorship because John is dependent upon the synoptic gospels and it was written specifically to offer a much more theologically advanced and sophisticated literary work that served to complement the earlier gospel accounts.

Secondly, the Gospel of John is viewed as having a later origin because it reveals some ignorance of Jerusalem. That is, the author of John knows little about first-century Jerusalem because he was never there and the Romans thoroughly destroyed it in 70 A.D. Therefore, he invented places like the Bethesda Pool having five porticoes (John 5) and the Pool of Siloam (John 9), investing in them heavy symbolism as he crafted his theological masterpiece.

However, a paradigm shift in Jesus Research has taken place in recent years. It is a shift that is challenging the skeptical scholars while proving to be edifying for the believers in Christ. What is the catalyst for this shift? In a word Archaeology! More specifically Biblical Archaeology!

To be clear, it is not that biblical archaeology proves or disproves the Bible. As Avraham Biran, Director of the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, attests, the Bible, as a book of divine inspiration, needs no proof. Yet, it is the marriage of both disciplines, archaeology and biblical studies, that is rocking the boat of modern scholarship.

In a recent lecture in Jerusalem, James H. Charlesworth, Professor of New Testament Language and Literature and Editor of the Dead Sea Scrolls Project at Princeton Theological Seminary, outlined some of the new archeological finds in the environs of Jerusalem that are challenging the detractors of the Apostle John being the author of the book by his name. Charlesworth contended that recent finds demonstrate convincingly that the Gospel of John was probably written much earlier than often suggested and is, therefore, valuable for the study of the historical Jesus in recreating his time, place and social environment, and in helping us understand his life, actions, teachings and agenda.

For instance, John chapter 5 records the story of the healing of an invalid man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. The pool is said to have consisted of five porticoes, or porches.

For hundreds of years, people believing the pool did not exist read this text symbolically and theologically. Bethesda means house of mercy and was interpreted to be a symbol for the mercy Jesus showed the disabled man. Five porticoes symbolized the Pentateuch (Five Books of Moses), since there has not been found a pentagon (5-sided structure) in antiquity. And what the Pentateuch could not do, Jesus will do. Verse 8 reads, Jesus said to him, Stand up! providing a beautiful explanation of what Jesus does. Spiritually speaking, he makes people upright!

Beginning in the late 1800s and continuing in stages since then, archaeological excavations have been carried out in a location in the northeast quadrant of Jerusalems Old City based upon literary evidence in Josephus (War 2.15.5 328) and Eusebius (Onomasticon 58.2126). The Copper Scroll text discovered in 1947 at Qumran also describes a hidden treasure in the Bet Eshdatayin (pool precinct) in the pool at the entrance to its smaller basin (3Q15 11.12).

Bet Eshdatayin is in the dual Aramaic form and refers to two basins for the pool. Excavations have revealed sections of two massive pools, covered colonnades and a segment of Herodian steps in the general area described in John 5 and in Josephus writings. Rather than a pentagon shape, the five porticoes mentioned in John 5 surrounded the pools on the north, south, east and west, with the fifth portico dividing the 2 pools east to west (as seen in the photograph).

The photo depicts an artists rendition of the two pools north and south surrounded and divided by porticoes. The artists model of Second Temple Jerusalem can be viewed today at The Israel Museum.

The Herodian steps in the Pool of Bethesda (see photo) can be seen today and are believed to extend for the length of the southern pool, or approximately 100 meters. It is a massive pool that is mostly covered by a parking lot today. The repetition of steps-landing-steps-landing can be easily seen and is typical of amikvah, a pool or bath used to perform purification rites in Judaism.

In order to enter the courts of the Temple, located a little over 100 meters from the Pool of Bethesda, one had to be pure. In order to be pure, one had to be fully immersed in living water. Thus a host of scholars today believe that the Pool of Bethesda was a first-century mikvah that served this purpose for tens of thousands of Jerusalem residents and for the thousands more that visited Jerusalem during the three annual pilgrimage feasts.

It has been estimated by some that over 100,000 Jews were in Jerusalem during the feasts. That is a lot of living water needed for purification. It is likely the massive Pool of Bethesda helped to serve this purpose, along with other ritual baths surrounding the Temple. The requirement was that the worshipper must dip himself or herself in a mikvah before entering the courts of the Lord.

Re-reading John 5 with the pools, colonnades and steps in view, one can now easily envision the disabled man lying on his mat on the landing trying, with great difficulty, to immerse himself in the water just below. One can also envision another individual racing past him as the water is stirred up.

Now we can begin to understand that what the Gospel of John describes is precisely what had happened. The surviving literary records, such as the Copper Scroll, Josephus, Tacitus and the New Testament, refer to the water systems of Jerusalem, but none except John specifically mentions the Pool of Bethesda. That is to say, no other literary record but John and the Copper Scroll appear to have been aware of the pools which were likely destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

This is especially important because the Gospel of John is the only gospel that claims to have an eyewitness. Luke interviews the eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4), but John actually claims to have been an eyewitness to the miracles of Jesus (John 1:14; 19:35; 21:24-25).

Therefore, the story in John 5 was not a later creation of Christology (explaining the divinity of Jesus), but a real historical event that took place in a real time at a real place. That is how he knew the details about the pool, its name, its function, the age of the disabled man and the fact he was lying on a mat. All of these incredible details of the account attest to the eyewitness testimony of John, thereby adding to the credibility of its author and the early date of its authorship.

Visitors to Jerusalem today can enter the premises of St. Annes Church in the Muslim Quarter and see the real place where Jesus healed the invalid, perhaps on the very steps that you can observe today.

Meanwhile, John 9 tells the story of Jesus healing a blind man by smearing mud on his eyes and telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The old paradigm in Jesus Research interpreted this passage on a very Christological basis, since they concluded there was no Pool of Siloam nor a relationship between the Gospel of John and actual history. The invented story simply shows how Jesus is the light of the world (verse 5) by showing the progression from first receiving physical eyesight followed eventually by receiving spiritual eyesight.

But in 2004, archaeologists discovered an ancient pool in the southern portion of the City of David excavations, south of the Temple Mount, which had been hidden since 70 A.D. The 50-meter northern edge and part of the eastern edge of the pool have been excavated while the remaining pool is on property owned by the Greek Orthodox Church.

Like the Pool of Bethesda, one can easily see the pattern of steps and platforms allowing pilgrims to easily enter the pool for full immersion in preparation for entering the Temple located 700 meters to the north. That is to say, like the Pool of Bethesda, the Pool of Siloam was also likely a mikvah, according to many archaeologists. These two pools represent the largestmikvaot(plural form) that have been discovered to date in the Land of Israel. Also, like the Pool of Bethesda, it is conceivable that Jesus immersed himself at this pool before entering the Temple.

The discipline of biblical archaeology and its resulting discoveries are forcing Jesus Research to undergo a paradigm shift. It is challenging the skeptic scholar because the recent discoveries of the Pool of Bethesda and Pool of Siloam demonstrate that the author of the Gospel of John knew intimate details of pre-70 AD Jerusalem that even Josephus failed to know or mention. He also knew things about Jerusalem that we did not know ten years ago.

The accuracy of the Johannine information is clearly established, writes Urban C. von Wahlde, Professor of Theology at Loyola University of Chicago, in his workJesus and Archaeology. John can no longer be read as strictly a theological work comprised of invented stories to illustrate its theological truths.

Moreover, biblical archaeology is proving edifying to the passionate believer who can now point with confidence to the excavated Pool of Bethesda and say, Jesus healed a disabled man here. Or, they can sit on the steps of the Pool of Siloam, read John 9 and imagine how the story unfolded before their very eyes, bolstering their faith in the Light of the world.

http://int.icej.org/news/special-reports/jerusalem-finds-validating-gospel-johnhttp://int.icej.org/news/special-reports/jerusalem-finds-validating-gospel-john , JERUSALEM FINDS VALIDATING GOSPEL OF JOHN, John 5, 9

The Seven Miracles In JohnSaturday, April 5th, 2014A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

The Seven Miracles In JohnSaturday, April 5th, 2014FeaturedGraceHealingIsraelSalvationA Bible Study by Jack KelleyIn the past Ive explained the need for 4 Gospels and the tremendous increase in understanding we can gain by comparing events from the different perspectives of each (readThe Four Faces of Jesus). In this study well focus on the unique character of Johns Gospel.Due to his extensive use of symbolism Johns Gospel, written to the church, can be the most intriguing. Everything he recorded in his gospel actually happened, but he arranged and described them in such a way as to convey additional truth beyond the obvious point of his narrative. Sometimes he even rearranged the order of events to underscore emphasize this additional truth.John 2is a good example of this. He placed the cleansing of the Temple right after the wedding at Cana to illustrate the point that the Lord came to create an intimate personal relationship with His church (as in a marriage), not to fix a broken religion.The focus of Johns gospel is the Lords Judean ministry and really only the last part of that. He devoted most of 9 chapters (John 12-20) to the Lords last week and used 1/3 of the gospels 879 verses to describe His last 24 hours. The first 11 chapters define the Lords ministry through Johns selective use of 7 miracles, and well use them to show how Johns Gospel contains more than meets the eye.Miracle 1, Water Into Wine (John 2:1-11)This one is misunderstood by most and yet results in the disciples putting their faith in the Lord. (This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His Glory and the disciples put their faith in Him,John 2:11). It seems so insignificant when compared the opening miracles in the other gospels, which involved either casting out demons or curing leprosy.This miracle took place because an embarrassing discovery had been made. A wedding banquet Jesus was attending was in full swing when the servants suddenly realized they were out of wine. His mother, who was also there, asked Him to help. The Lord had 6 empty jars of stone filled with water which He then turned into wine. The master of the banquet proclaimed the wine Jesus had made to be superior to the wine they had served earlier, saying they had saved the best for last.Look at the symbolism: These six stone jars normally held water used for used for ceremonial cleansing, an important part of Old Covenant life. Now they contained wine, which is often associated with the New Covenant due to the Lords Supper.Whats more, the wine these jars now contained was superior to the wine the wedding guests had been drinking before, just as the New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). This miracle symbolized nothing less than the Mission of the Messiah; changing the empty way of mans religion into a living, joyful, relationship with the Lord, as demonstrated by the wedding celebration.Miracle 2, Healing the Officials Son (John 4:43-54).Heres an act of Gods Grace, pure and simple. Theres no indication of the officials nationality or background, his religious conviction or his worthiness, only his faith. He had heard of Jesus and of His miraculous power and begged Him to come heal his dying son. Jesus didnt go with him but simply told the man his son would live. The man took Jesus at His word and departed for home. The next day, while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. From their discussion he learned that his son had been made well from the very time he had spoken with Jesus. Because of this He and all his household became believers, saved by grace through faith.Miracle 3, The Healing at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-9)Tradition holds that an angel periodically stirred the waters at the Pool of Bethesda. The first one into the water when that happened was healed. Many people who were sick or disabled waited there by the pool day after day for a chance to be healed. But a cripple cant get himself to the pool in time. This man had been crippled for 38 years and had repeatedly tried and failed. Then Jesus came along and healed him.I believe this mans predicament demonstrates the poverty of the Law, which was never intended to heal us of our infirmities (physical and spiritual) but to show us our need for a Savior that were hopeless and helpless without Him.He was at the very edge of healing, but all of his unsuccessful efforts to get into the pool had only made it obvious that his infirmity was preventing him from being healed. In the same way, the Law leaves us at the very edge of salvation but all of our unsuccessful efforts to keep it only make it obvious that our sinfulness will prevent us from being saved. Just like the cripple needed someone to heal him, we need someone to save us.Miracle 4, The Feeding of the 5000 (John 6:1-5).This is perhaps the best known of all the Lords miracles and the only one before the resurrection that is recorded in all four gospels. A large crowd had followed Jesus into a remote location and Jesus could see that they would need to be fed. But the men alone numbered 5,000 and adding the women and children could have more than doubled that number. Andrew found a boy with 5 small barley loaves and 2 small fish, and Jesus multiplied it into a satisfying meal for everyone with enough left over to fill 12 baskets.This is the practical demonstration of the Lords promise that if we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, all our other needs will be met as well (Matt. 6:31-33). But theres more in view here than just our physical needs. We who believe in Jesus will never again feel that emptiness that tells us theres more to life than just having our physical needs met. This is what Jesus meant when He said;I AM the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty(John 6:35).

Miracle 5, Walking on the Water (John 6:16-25).The 5th miracle is also well known to everyone familiar with the Lords ministry. The disciples had labored all night long to row only about half way across the Sea of Galilee (about 3 miles), when the Lord passed by them walking on the water! When they realized it was Jesus, they let him into the boat and immediately reached their destination. Without Him they were struggling just to make headway, but with Him in their midst the struggle was over.Miracle 6, Healing The Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41).A man had been blind from birth. Jesus made some mud, put it on the mans eyes and told him to go wash it off. When the man did as Jesus instructed he could see.While Jesus performed this miracle early in Chapter 9, the balance of the narrative clearly (and sometimes comically) shows how much more spiritual discernment this blind beggar had than the learned officials of the religion, who had studied all their lives. In their experience, no one had ever opened the eyes of a man born blind and they were determined to discredit the lowly beggar, especially since this event took place on the Sabbath. A lengthy interrogation followed, where the beggar put the religious experts to shame, and they ended up throwing him out. Afterward Jesus found him and introduced Himself. The man became a believer and worshiped him.Jesus said He came so the blind would see and those who see would become blind. When the Pharisees asked if He thought they were blind He said,If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains (John 9:39-41).As it concerns your eternity, it doesnt matter what you claim to know about Jesus. What matters is whether you know Jesus.Miracle 7, Raising Lazarus From The Dead (John 11:1-44).The last miracle John recorded before the resurrection shows the fulfillment of our Lords promise to all who believe in His name, as He called Lazarus out of the grave and restored him from death to life. The text shows that even thoughJesus knew Lazarus was sick He actually waited until Lazarus was dead and buried before He responded to the sisters call for help. He did this so He could bring Lazarus back to life. It was an unmistakable model of the resurrection of the believing dead that contains the tiniest hint of the rapture. I dont think people who dont already know about the rapture see this, but those who do can take comfort in this faint hint contained inJohn 11:25-26.Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?(John 11:25-26).Whats The Point?Near the end of his gospel account John said,Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name(John 20:30-31).This tells us he selected these seven miracles specifically for their ability to help us believe that Jesus is who He claimed to be, and that by believing we might have eternal life. So what does these particular miracles show us that would help us believe?Miracle 1 shows He came to take us from the stone cold and empty way of mans religion into a living and joyful relationship with Him.Miracle 2 shows we are saved by grace through faith.Miracle 3 shows our own futile works are insufficient to save ourselves. We need Him to save us.Miracle 4 is a demonstration of His supernatural care and provision for those who seek Him.Miracle 5 shows that because of His miraculous power, we can easily accomplish things through Him that would be all but impossible on our own.Miracle 6 reveals that if well allow it, He can cause even the lowliest person born spiritually blind to see and believe, andMiracle 7 is a promise that all who believe in Him will live even though they die, and those who live and believe will never die.I purposely confined my commentary on these miracles to what I believe John was trying to convey to us in his gospel. Some of these miracles are contained in one or more of the other gospels where you might see details John didnt include or where the emphasis might be a little different. Matthews account of Jesus walking on the water is a good example (Matt. 14:22-33). I encourage you to read the different accounts of all these miracles to get the whole story. Selah 04-05-14http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

http://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/spiritual-life/the-seven-miracles-in-john/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

John 9:41, Spiritual Blindnessgracethrufaith.comQ.In John 9:41 Jesus said, If you were blind you would not be guilty of sin, but now that you claim to see your sin remains.The part about being blind makes you not guilty of sinto whom would that apply? Does that mean that if someone is blind to their sin theyre not accountable for it in some way? Or does it mean that if they didnt know it was a sin, but they acted in good conscience, theyre o.k.?A.John 9is about Jesus healing a man born blind and the controversy it created among the Pharisees. From the rest of the chapter we know that Jesus was speaking metaphorically to the Pharisees in verse 41 by comparing blindness to the inability to understand the Scriptures. He was saying that had they not been capable of understanding, He would not have held them accountable for their sin.But having claimed that they were capable by presenting themselves as experts, they became accountable. Their sin was their refusal to recognize Jesus as their Messiah even though He was fulfilling Messianic prophecies from their own Scriptures right before their eyes.This analogy helps us see that children who are not intellectually mature enough to understand the consequences of sin, along with those who are not mentally competent to do so, are not held accountable for their sins like the rest of us are. If they die before theyre old enough to understand, or if they never become mentally competent, they will go to be with the Lord as if they had never sinned.http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/spiritual-blindness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29

http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher/spiritual-blindness/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Gracethrufaith+%28GraceThruFaith%29Sunday, February 16th, 2014Interpreting VersesNew TestamentSin