Do You Obey?

Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. The people were surprised when they heard him. "How does he know so much when he hasn't been trained?" they asked. So Jesus told them, "My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me." The crowd replied, "You're demon possessed! Who's trying to kill you?" Jesus replied, "I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses' law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly." John 7:14-24

Meditate. Consider obedience.

        

Model of the Temple in Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Israel

The Feast of Tabernacles during Jesus time was a Feast in which Jewish men were required to go to the Temple in Jerusalem.  During His third year of ministry, Jesus refused to go to that feast with His brothers, but then after it started, He obediently went to Jerusalem. There Jesus spoke for His Father…our Father. He was teaching in the Temple. What do you suppose He was teaching? It must have been inspiring since the people were surprised and acknowledged that He knew so much. Jesus goes on to say that those who do God’s will discern whether His teaching is from God or His own. Do God’s will….

For it is my Father's will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day." John 6:40 

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

So are you striving to do God’s will? Are you seeking to honor God—speaking the truth? Or do you speak for yourself? 

            I think this is interesting that Jesus didn’t want to go to Jerusalem because He knew they were trying to kill Him, but He obediently went anyway. It reminds me of a parable He told about two sons who were asked to work in their father’s vineyard.

But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway. Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go. "Which of the two obeyed his father?" They replied, "The first." Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins. Matthew 21:28-32

Which son are you like? I think Jesus was like the first one—ultimately obedient. That’s how I want to be. There is always a choice involved. Obedience is the one—the key.

            What do we learn about Jesus’ character from this passage of Scripture today?

 

Prayer – Thank You, Jesus, for obediently coming to be our Messiah—for being willing to give up Your life for each of us…for all mankind. I’m sorry that people rejected You—but I am eternally grateful that You revealed Yourself to me…that You chose me. 

 

Verse of Salvation ~ There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other. John 15:13-17

 

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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