Glorious! Isaiah 6

Have you ever encountered something glorious?   Something that blew you away?

Perhaps a stunning mountain scene, or the classic icon of beauty, a glowing sunset.  

What comes to your mind?

A few weeks ago we looked at Isaiah Chapter 6 in our BSF study- where Isaiah encountered God in a mind blowing, glorious, almost indescribable way.   He "saw the LORD, seated on a throne, and the train of His robe filled the temple with glory."

He heard angelic beings calling out "holy, holy, holy", which indicates God's purity, his transcendence, his greatness beyond our understanding.  "The whole earth is full of His glory."   Isaiah felt the very foundations of this temple shake, and was overwhelmed. 

His response was from the depth of his soul  - he saw God more clearly than ever, and so saw his own impure heart, motives and words as never before.  He cried out his anguish, "I am ruined" - not worthy to be in the presence of God.  

Isaiah could do nothing about this, but God could.  God took the steps Isaiah needed for the healing of his wrong, his sin, his unworthiness before the Lord.

That is still the glorious work of God:  any who come to Him realizing their need and their unworthiness He will reach out and heal.   In humbly admitting all the wrong in life that keeps one from the presence of God, they will find they are restored.  

John 12:41 clarifies for us that Isaiah saw the Lord - the Lord Jesus Christ!  It is He who is Holy, glorious, and who cleanses from sin.   It is He who restores and heals us, and is then the very presence of God within us.   Now that is glorious!

Read Isaiah 6:1-7

Have you ever had an experience of God that "blew you away?"

How reverent is your opinion and worship of God?

How have you responded to God's offer of cleansing through Jesus?  

Galilee, Isaiah 9:1-7

The Sea of Galilee at sunrise.   

Isaiah 9:1 speaks of the land of Zebulun and Naphtali...."He shall make it glorious."  It is made glorious by the coming of the promised One, for 9:2 says "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them."

Jesus was raised in Nazareth, 20 miles from the Sea of Galilee.  Pictured above is

the 4th Century A.D. "White Synagogue" in Capernaum.  This is the town where Jesus based His Galilean ministry.  Isaiah's prophesy of God's Light coming to this area was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who said in John 8:12,  "I am the Light of the World; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life."   

The black stone at the base of the White Synagogue is the foundation of the earlier 1st Century synagogue where Jesus would have often taught.  

Your Notes:
Read Isaiah 9:1-7   
1.  Have you come to Jesus and had His light shine into your life?
2.  How has He been your Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace?
3.  Who do you know who needs to hear they can have light and life in Jesus?  

More reflections on Living Water; Isaiah 55:1, Exodus 17:6

Reflections on John: Living Water

Bottled water....we see it everywhere.  We have some of the country's best tasting tap water in Seattle, yet we spend money for unknown water in a bottle!  Marketing slogans tempt us:  

Evian....Live young!

Kerry - Refreshes in every sense!

Vittel.....A new life everyday!

But when you drink these waters, you will thirst again.  This is also true in life.  We often thirst for something;  fulfillment, love, purpose, stuff, travel, adventure;  but it is all only temporary.  We will thirst again and want more.  

In John Chapter 4 Jesus describes a type of water that quenches... fills... overflows... and actually fulfills the slogans plain water cannot.  Jesus offers Living Water, the source of eternal and true life satisfaction. 

"Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."  John 4:14 

Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "if any one is thirsty, let him come to ME and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the scripture said, 'from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'" John 8:37, 38

The water Jesus offers satisfies the true thirst of life; our need for God, for forgiveness, for wholeness and healing.  Living Water is the gift of abundant and eternal life, which is life in Christ Jesus, given by His Holy Spirit.  

Have you taken the drink of Living water offered by Jesus?  What blocks your drinking deeply of this Water of Life?   And are you continually drinking of Jesus through His Word, the Bible?  

Drink deep and be filled!   

Living Water... you can't bottle it, sell it, contain it... but you can receive it!

Ein Gedi, "Spring of the Goat",  an oasis

near the Dead Sea, Israel

John 21, Galilee

In John 21, Seven disciples of Jesus went fishing on the Sea of Galilee.  They had been fishing all night without success.  Jesus comes to the shore at dawn and called for them to throw the net on the other side of the boat; it was immediately filled to the breaking point with fish, although the net did not break.  This miracle caused the insightful disciple John to realize it was Jesus, and the passionate disciple Peter to then jump in and swim to his Lord.  Once the catch of 153 fish was hauled in, they all ate breakfast with Jesus on the shore.

The Sea of Galilee at sunrise, Mount Hermon in the distance.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Last November our travel group went aboard a tour "fishing boat."

A traditional net fishing demonstration was given.

The Yigon Allon Museum contains "The Jesus Boat," a fishing boat from the time of Jesus.  It was discovered in 1986 in the mud on the shore only a few miles from the city of Tiberius.  It took 14 years to preserve the 2000 year old wood, and has been on display since 2000 AD.  

Model of a Galilean fishing boat of Jesus' time.  

The Galilee from Mount Arbel.  In Israel, this fresh water lake is known as Lake Kinneret.  It lies 212 meters below sea level.  

The city of Tiberius at dusk.  

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus declared, "I AM..."

 "I AM the Bread of Life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, 

and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

John 6:35

"I AM the Light of the World.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

 but will have the light of life."  

John 8:12

"I AM the Gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."

John 10:9

"I AM the Good Shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

John 10:11

"I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

"I AM the Vine; you are the branches.  If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit."

John 15:5

All of Jesus' claims were validated by His death on the cross for our sin,  

for it was on the cross...

The Bread was broken to nourish our souls

The Light took on the darkness of sin to ultimately overcome it

The Gate appeared closed by death but in actuality opened heaven wide

The Good Shepherd was killed by the false in order to rescue the sheep

Jesus faced death in order to fully become the Resurrection and the Life

The Way is now opened to the Father; we can now walk the path of truth and life

The Vine was cut down that we could abide in the Father and He in us

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love.....

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15: 9,13

The Garden Tomb

This site is outside the current old city walls, and was discovered by a British archeologist in the later 1800's.  It has a lovely garden, and is a place tour groups can come to hold worship services and communion, which we did.  It was touching to hear hymns and readings in many other languages as we saw this potential place of Golgotha and the tomb.   The tomb found here was later identified as probably one from a time earlier than Christ, but this was still a meaningful place for our group to remember and celebrate the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross, as well as rejoice in the resurrection and the fact that His tomb, no matter where it actually was,  IS EMPTY!

This cliff is reminiscent of a skull (the meaning of Golgotha- "Place of the Skull") and was next to a well traveled road where crucifixions would have an impact on passersby.

The ancient tomb in this garden.  This gentleman is part of the British organization that runs the site. He gave an excellent gospel presentation and history of this place.  

Inside the tomb.