If I could only have one book of the Bible it would be the gospel of John. The synoptic gospels tell us the life of Jesus, where he went, what he did and what he said. I love all that but John tells us what Jesus meant by what he said which is the truth of God that leads to salvation. John confirms Jesus is God and was preexistent. The book of John is the spiritual gospel and therefore the precious gospel. The gospel of John could be called the gospel of the Holy Spirit because it’s obvious the Holy Spirit took on a greater role with John’s gospel. Jesus faced a dilemma. God came to earth in the incarnation of Jesus to save us from our sins and to make himself known. The problem was the Jews had a law that anyone claiming to be God must be stoned to death for this blasphemy. Jesus set about healing people and doing miraculous signs that only God can do so the people themselves would conclude Jesus was God without him having to declare it.
Numerous times in the first three gospels the priests and scribes wanted to seize Jesus and kill him and each time they didn’t. The gospels usually say he simply walked away unharmed. I always wondered how God prevented Jesus from being harmed during these encounters because I know Satan was behind it. The Old Testament gives us plenty of examples how God usually defeated men who came against Israel or anyone who God wanted to protect. God would confuse them mentally making them turn on each other, become tentative and fearful or sometimes become downright terrorized for no apparent reason and run away. I think God merely confused the Jews mentally to the point where they couldn’t act.
John 8:59 – Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
John 10:39 – Therefore they sought again to seize Him (Jesus), but He escaped out of their hand.
Obviously the Jewish authorities tried to kill Jesus many more times than the gospels indicate. Just when I thought I had it all figured out we have these two verses in John which blow a hole in my theory. In John 8:59, “hid himself” means Jesus made himself invisible. I can’t read it any other way. Jesus didn’t put scales on their eyes. It was something he did to himself. Jesus didn’t slink away. Jesus walked boldly through the midst of them and they couldn’t see him because he was invisible. Jesus passed by and walked out the door of the temple. John 10:39, hints that Jesus took some sort of evasive action which may also have been invisibility. God can protect Jesus any way he wants whether it be by confusing the mind or by invisibility or whatever. I’m just saying the early gospels may not have provided enough information on how Jesus was able to evade being stoned to death. Each of the seven times in John where Jesus claimed the personal name of God, “I AM,” the Jews tried to kill Jesus and the power of God protected him until his time had come.
John 6:19-21 – So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
The Sea of Galilee is fifteen miles long and seven miles wide so the disciples were in the middle of the lake when they encountered Jesus and a good five to six miles from their destination which was Capernaum. So within seconds Jesus, his disciples, and the boat were miraculously transported six miles to the shore of Capernaum. God can easily do whatever he wishes but if he does it’s for a reason. God has a reason for every word written in the Bible. For the life of me I can’t understand why everyone in the boat needed to get to shore so quickly and why God is telling us about it. If anyone has the answer please let me know.
Witnessing for Christ