Lent Day 15: The Pharisees

Pause

To prepare your heart, take a few moments to list a few ways you can see God at work in your life over the past few months. Be specific as you thank Him.

Read & Journal

Spend a few minutes reading over John 5:16-47 in its entirety. Meditate on what you’ve read by journaling through these prompts:

• What does Jesus’ interaction with the Pharisees reveal about Jesus’ character?

• What does this interaction reveal about Jesus’ mission or purpose?

• What does this interaction reveal about the Pharisees’ character? About what they thought was most important?

• The Pharisees knew all the rules and were well-versed in Scripture, but they completely missed Jesus. What might that look like today? Are there areas of your life in which you are at risk of being focused more on religion than knowing Jesus?

Ponder

In this conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus made clear who He was. He claimed equality with God (5:18), the ability to give eternal life (5:24), that He was the source of life (5:26), and that He judged sin (5:27). In effect, Jesus was declaring Himself the divine Son of God to the highest religious leaders of the day—and they were furious.

The Pharisees devoted themselves to studying the Scripture and the Law. They knew the teachings; they knew about the Messiah; they knew every rule that had ever been outlined to detail what it meant to be a “good” Jew. But when the Word made flesh stood in front of them, they missed Him. When the Messiah they knew to look for appeared, they reviled Him. They were well versed in the rules, but they missed the One who came to fulfill the Law.

In this season of Lent—and in our daily lives as believers—it’s easy to become immersed in the routines and practices of our faith. Instead of coming to God’s Word filled with wonder, we come with a checklist. Instead of coming to Sunday with a heart focused on worship and filled with expectation, we come expecting the same routine as last week. We know that God is at work in our lives and our world through His Holy Spirit, but we often don’t look or fail to see His handiwork. We can know the truths of Scripture and miss the Savior who still embodies them. Ask God to open your eyes to how He is at work in, around and through you and praise Him for who He is.