Welcome to Shema

1. Welcome to Shema Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord who is worthy to be praised for all eternity!

2. Shema Israel, AdonaiEloheinu, AdonaiEchad. Baruch shemk’vodmalchutol’olamva’ed. Shema

3. Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One! Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom, forever and ever. Amein. Shema

4. Last thing we read last week: • While he was speaking, many people believed him. The Source with Hebraic adaptation by Rabbi Lutton

5. Yeshua said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you stick with my Word, then you certainly are my disciples. And you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” • They answered, “We are Abraham’s descendants and we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. So how can you say that we will be set free?” John 8:31-38

6. “Let me emphasize this, everyone who sins is a slave to sin,” Yeshua replied. “A slave doesn’t have permanent standing in a family, but a son belongs to it forever. So then if the Son sets you free, you will be free in reality. I know that you are Abraham’s children.

7. Yet you are trying to kill me, because you haven’t made room for my Word. I am telling you what I have perceived from my Father – and you are doing what you heard from the Father!”

8. “Abraham is our father!” they cried. • Yeshua said, “If you really were Abraham’s children, then you would do the things that Abraham did! But as it is you want to kill me, a person who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do such things! You are doing the deeds of your father!” John 8:39-41

9. “We’re not illegitimate and unfaithful to God!” they exclaimed. “The only father we have is God!”

10. Yeshua said to them, “If God were your Father, then you would love me! I have come from God and I’m here now. I haven’t come on my own initiative – God sent me. Why don’t you understand what I’m saying to you? I’ll tell you why – it’s because you’re not willing to listen to my message! John 8:42-47

11. “You belong to your father Slanderer-Liar and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer right from the start, and he doesn’t rely on the truth because there’s no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he’s speaking in his native language, because he’s a liar and the father of lies!

12. “Because I’m telling you the truth, you don’t believe me! Which of you can expose me for sinning? Since I’m telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? The person who belongs to God hears God’s words. The reason you don’t hear is that you don’t belong to God!”

13. Certain Jews exclaimed, “Aren’t we right in saying that you’re a Samaritan that has an evil spirit!” • “I certainly do not have an evil spirit,” Yeshua answered. “I honor my Father and you dishonor me! I’m certainly not seeking my own honor – but there is One who is seeking and judging. Let me emphasize this, anyone who holds on firmly to my Word will not experience death, ever!” John 8:48-53

14. “Now we realize that you do have a demon!” certain Jews exclaimed. • “Abraham is dead, so are the Prophets, yet you say, ‘Anyone who holds on firmly to my Word will not experience death, ever!’ Are you more important than our ancestor Abraham, who is dead? And the Prophets are dead too! Who do you think you are!”

15. Yeshua answered, “If I give myself honor, it wouldn’t mean anything. It’s my Father, the One you claim is your God, who gives me honor. And you haven’t come to know him, but I know him. If I said I didn’t know him, I’d be a liar just like you lot. John 8:54-59

16. However, I do know him and I hold on firmly to his Word. Your ancestor Abraham was thrilled to foresee my time – he saw it and he was happy!” • “You’re not even fifty years old! How can you say you’ve seen Abraham!” certain Jews exclaimed.

17. Yeshua answered, “Let me emphasize this, I have been in existence since before Abraham was born!” • So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Yeshua hid and slipped out of the temple.

18. As Yeshua was walking along, he saw a person who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who was it who sinned – was it this guy or his parents, that caused him to be born blind?” • “It wasn’t this person or his parents!” Yeshua said. John 9:1-5

19. “However, his blindness resulted in the works of God being revealed through him. While it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, and then no one will be able to work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light that lights up the world.”

20. After Yeshua said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the spit, and spread it on the person’s eyes. He told him, “Go and wash yourself in the Swimming Pool of Siloam.” (“Siloam” means “Sent Out”). John 9:6-8

21. So he went off and washed himself, and came back seeing. His neighbors and the people who had previously observed him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same person who used to sit and beg?”

22. Some claimed that it was, but others said, “No way! It only looks like him!” • But the person himself insisted, “It’s really me!” John 9:9-12

23. “Well then, how were your eyes opened so you could see?” they asked. • He answered, “The person they call Yeshua made some mud and spread it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash myself. So I went there and washed myself, and then I could see!” • “Where is he?” they asked. • “I don’t know!” he answered.

24. They took the person who used to be blind to the Pharisees. Now the day on which Yeshua had made the mud and restored the person’s sight was a Sabbath Day. So the Pharisees also asked him how he’d got his sight back. He responded, “He spread mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I came away able to see.” John 9:13-17

25. Some of the Pharisees said, “This person isn’t from God, because he doesn’t keep the Sabbath Day!” • Others said, “But how can a person who’s a sinner do such miraculous signs?”

26. Then they turned back to the blind person and said, “So, what do you have to say about him, since it was your sight he restored?” • “He’s a prophet!” the person exclaimed.

27. Certain Jews still didn’t believe that the person had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for his parents. They asked them, “Is this person your son? You reckon he was born blind? How is it that he can see now?” John 9:18-23

28. The parents answered, “We know that he’s our son, and that he was born blind, but we haven’t got a clue how he can see now, or who did it. Why don’t you ask him! He’s of age! He can speak for himself!” His parents said this because they were scared of the certain Jews who had already decided that anyone who agreed that Yeshua was the Anointed One would be put out of the synagogue. This is why they said, “He’s of • age! He can speak for himself!”

29. So for the second time certain Jews summoned the person who had been blind. They said to him, “Give God the honor! We know that this guy is a sinner.” • He answered, “I don’t know whether he’s a sinner or not! But there’s one thing I do know – I used to be blind but now I can see!” John 9:24-29

30. “What did he do to you? How did he restore your sight?” they asked. • He said, “I’ve already told you once but you didn’t listen! Why do you want to hear it again? I don’t suppose you want to become his disciples, too!” • So they hurled abuse at him. “You’re this guy’s disciple!” they exclaimed

31. “We’re disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this guy, who knows where he comes from!”

32. “Well, what a surprise!” the person said. “You don’t know where he comes from, yet he restored my sight! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but listens to godly people who do his purpose. No one’s ever heard of giving sight to someone who was born blind! If this person wasn’t from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything!” John 9:30-33

33. Certain Jews exclaimed, “You were born sinful, through and through! How dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. John 9:34

34. Yeshua heard that they had thrown him out. When he found him, he asked him, “Do you believe the Son of Man? The person asked, “Who is he, sir? Tell me so I can place my faith in him.” “You’ve both seen and heard him!” Yeshua answered. “It’s me, the one who’s speaking to you now!” John 9:35-41

35. He said, “Lord, I believe!” and he worshipped him. • Yeshua said, “I have come into this world to judge it, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” • So some of the Pharisees who were with him said, “Surely we’re not blind, too?” • Yeshua said to them, “If you were blind, you wouldn’t have any sin, but the fact that you say, ‘We see,’ indicates your sin remains!

36. “I’ll make this quite clear. The person who doesn’t go into the sheep pen through the gateway, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The person who goes in through the gateway is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear their shepherd’s voice. John 10:1-6

37. The shepherd calls the sheep by name and leads them out. The sheep follow their shepherd, who leads them. The sheep follow the shepherd because they know their shepherd’s voice. They will never follow a stranger – in fact they’ll run away from that person, because they don’t recognize a stranger’s voice.” This was the illustration Yeshua used, but they didn’t understand what he was talking about.

38. So Yeshua spoke to them again, “Let me make this clear. I am the gateway for the sheep. All those who ever turned up before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t hear them. I am the gateway. If anyone goes in through me, the gateway, that person will be saved, and will move about freely and will find grazing land. John 10:7-13

39. “The thief comes solely to rob and kill and destroy. I come so that they will have life and have it excessively. “I myself am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep.

40. When the hired hand notices the wolf coming, the hired hand leaves the sheep and runs away – and the wolf grabs them and drags them off, and scatters them. The hired hand doesn’t care about the sheep and thus runs away.

41. “I myself am the good shepherd and I recognize my sheep and my sheep recognize me. In the same way too my Father recognizes me and I recognize the Father. And I give up my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen. I must bring them too. They too will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd John 10:14-18

42. “The reason my Father loves me is that I give up my life, in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I give it up of my own free will. I have authority to give it up and to take it back again. I have received this command from my Father.”

43. The illustration caused another division among certain Jews. Many of them said, “He’s got an evil spirit and he’s raving like a madman! Why do you listen to him?” Others said, “These aren’t the words of someone who has an evil spirit! Surely a demon can’t restore sight to the blind!” John 10:19-21

44. And in conclusion: