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MAY 23
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is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone 20 The people answered and said, “You have
wills to do His will, he shall know concerning a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?”
the doctrine, whether it is from God or 21 Jesus answered and said to them, “I did
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whether I speak on My own authority. He who one work, and you all marvel. Moses there-
speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but fore gave you circumcision (not that it is from
He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Moses, but from the fathers), and you cir-
Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in cumcise a man on the Sabbath. If a man
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Him. Did not Moses give you the law, yet receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that
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none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek the law of Moses should not be broken, are
to kill Me?” you angry with Me because I made a man
completely well on the Sabbath? Do not
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judge according to appearance, but judge
with righteous judgment.”
7:17 If anyone wills to do His will, he shall 25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said,
know. Those who are fundamentally commit- “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? But
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ted to doing God’s will will be guided by Him look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing
in the affirmation of His truth. God’s truth is to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is
self-authenticating through the teaching min- truly the Christ? However, we know where
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istry of the Holy Spirit (16:13; 1 John 2:20,27). this Man is from; but when the Christ comes,
no one knows where He is from.”
DAY 22: How confused were the Jewish people about who Jesus was?
John 7:12–27 reflects the confusion among the people. In vv. 12,13 the crowds, made up of
Judeans, Galileans, and Diaspora (scattered) Jews, expressed various opinions regarding Christ.The
spectrum ranged from superficial acceptance (“He is good”) to cynical rejection (“He deceives the
people”). The Jewish Talmud reveals that the latter view of deception became the predominant
opinion of many Jews.
Jesus’ knowledge of Scripture was supernatural. The people “marveled” (v. 15) that someone
who had never studied at any great rabbinical centers or under any great rabbis could display such
profound mastery of Scripture.Both the content and manner of Jesus’teachings were qualitatively
different from those of any other teacher. And the people were surprised that, in spite of the omi-
nous threat from the religious authorities (vv. 20,32), Jesus boldly proclaimed His identity (v. 26).
“Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?”they asked.The question indicates the
level of confusion and uncertainty as to who Jesus was and what to do about Him. They did not
really have any firm convictions regarding Jesus’identity.They were also perplexed at the religious
leaders’failure to arrest and silence Him if He really were a fraud. Such dense confusion caused the
crowd to wonder if the religious authorities in private concluded that He was indeed the Christ.
Mass confusion among all groups reigned regarding Jesus.
“No one knows where He is from”(v. 27). Only information regarding the Messiah’s birthplace
was revealed in Scripture (Mic.5:2;Matt.2:5,6).Beyond that,a tradition had developed in Jewish cir-
cles that the Messiah would appear suddenly to the people, based on a misinterpretation of Isaiah
53:8 and Malachi 3:1.In light of this,the meaning of this phrase most likely is that the identity of the
Messiah would be wholly unknown until He suddenly appeared in Israel and accomplished Israel’s
redemption.In contrast,Jesus had lived His life in Nazareth and was known (at least superficially) to
the people (v. 28).

May 23 who are with him will flee, and I will strike
only the king. Then I will bring back all the
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people to you. When all return except the man
whom you seek, all the people will be at
2 Samuel 17:1–18:33
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peace.” And the saying pleased Absalom and
Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, all the elders of Israel.
17 “Now let me choose twelve thousand 5 Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the
men, and I will arise and pursue David tonight. Archite also, and let us hear what he says too.”
2 I will come upon him while he is weary and 6 And when Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom
weak, and make him afraid. And all the people spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken
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