Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

Read John 7:25-39. Jesus was not averse to keeping traditions however he was not bound by traditions and was prepared to reinterpret them for his cultural setting.  So Jesus goes up to the festival of tabernacles and teaches in their synagogue so much so that his teaching astounded them. Jesus knew that the religious bigots wanted to kill him so he posed them a question. Since it is not lawful to work on the Sabbath or the heal someone why do you then circumcise people? Obviously they could not answer him so they decided to kill him, although the majority of people in the crowd regarded him as the messiah.  Jesus was trying to take his hearers beyond their traditional barriers to believe in a God who could reinterpret the law for the current generation. The most striking thing that john recorded was that of Jesus promising his followers the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This is the final piece to break down their tradition. The promise of the Spirit will cause the follower of Jesus to transcend tradition in a way that enables them to enter into a true and fulfilling relationship with Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. As we get closer to the day that we celebrate his birth be prepared to allow his Spirit to quench your thirst and don’t be bound by tradition.