What Jesus Did! 'Conflict Over Faith' — John 7:10-13

Sunday, May 22, 2022

But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, "He's a good man," but others said, "He's nothing but a fraud who deceives the people." But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
— John 7:10-13 NLT

Key Thought

People don't come to faith in a vacuum. The enemy of faith is always trying to cast doubt and reinforce unbelief with fear. Throughout John's story of Jesus, we will see the struggle to believe in the face of the fear of rejection. How many people around you would be more willing to believe if you were more open about your faith? Is there someone, or something, keeping you silent because of fear? Faith is not just believing in our heads and hearts; it is also believing with our lives - demonstrating our faith with our actions, words, and influence. Don't let fear silence your faith; someone around you has her or his salvation depending upon it!

Today's Prayer

Father, please give me courage and wisdom to demonstrate my faith in appropriate and effective ways. I need your help to influence those around me to come to Jesus. I need your guidance as I try to be bold about my faith without turning off those around me. In Jesus' name, I ask for your help so that I will have a redemptive influence in my world. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • John 12:37-44
  • John 9:18-23
  • John 19:38-40

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1 Related Resource by Heartlight

What Will You Decide?
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Precious One, Do you really want to know whether or not I came from God or I am a fraud? First, you need to realize that is the real question....."

Illustration

Illustration of John 7:10-13 NLT — "He's a good man," —— "He's nothing but a fraud who deceives the people."

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Sunday, May 22, 2022

Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Psalm 127:1
"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain."
Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
1 Peter 1:24
"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever."
Passion for Praise
A daily passage of Scripture emphasizing praise to our God.
'Find Shelter in Him' (Ps. 37:39-40)
"The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble. The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked. He saves them, and they find..."
Morning & Evening
The classic twice-daily devotional from Charles H. Spurgeon.
Evening Thought: Genesis 3:8
"My soul, now that the cool of the day has come, retire awhile and hearken to the voice of thy God. He is always ready to speak with thee when thou art..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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