Today's Bible Study: What aspect of worship toward God is absolutely essential? In His conversation with the Samaritan woman in John 4:24, Jesus reminded her that “God is Spirit.” This verse represents the classical statement on the nature of God as Spirit. The phrase means that God is invisible (Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 11:27) as opposed to the physical or material nature of man (1:18; 3:6).The word order of this phrase puts an emphasis on “Spirit,” and the statement is essentially emphatic. Man could never comprehend the invisible God unless He revealed Himself, as He did in Scripture and the Incarnation. “Must worship.” Jesus is not speaking of a desirable element in worship but that which is absolutely necessary. “In spirit and truth.” The word “spirit” does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to the human spirit. Jesus’ point here is that a person must worship not simply by external conformity to religious rituals and places (outwardly) but inwardly (“in spirit”) with the proper heart attitude. The reference to “truth” refers to worship of God consistent with the revealed Scripture and centered on the “Word made flesh” who ultimately revealed His Father (14:6). The Samaritans also anticipated Messiah’s coming. The Samaritan woman responded, pushing toward the future.“ I who speak to you am He”—Jesus forthrightly declared Himself to be Messiah, though His habit was to avoid such declarations to His own Jewish people, who had such crassly political and militaristic views regarding Messiah (10:24;Mark 9:41).The “He” in this translation is not in the original Greek for Jesus literally said “I who speak to you am.” The usage of “I am” is reminiscent of 8:58. This claim constitutes the main point of the story regarding the Samaritan woman, upon which all worship is centered. ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-aspect-of-worship-toward-god-is.html

Today's Bible Study: What does it mean to be “born again”? In John 3:3,Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus does not even ask. He read Nicodemus’s heart and came to the very core of his problem, i.e., the need for spiritual transformation or regeneration produced by the Holy Spirit. He tells Nicodemus that he must be “born again.” The phrase literally means “born from above.” New birth is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the believer (2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Chapter 1:12, 13 indicates that “born again” also carries the idea “to become children of God” through trust in the name of the incarnate Word. Unless one is born again, he “cannot see the kingdom of God.” In context, this is primarily a reference to participation in the millennial kingdom at the end of the age, fervently anticipated by the Pharisees and other Jews. Since the Pharisees were supernaturalists, they naturally and eagerly expected the coming of the prophesied resurrection of the saints and institution of the messianic kingdom (Is. 11:1–16; Dan. 12:2). Their problem was that they thought that mere physical lineage and keeping of religious externals qualified them for entrance into the kingdom rather than the needed spiritual transformation which Jesus emphasized (see 8:33–39;Gal. 6:15). The coming of the kingdom at the end of the age can be described as the “regeneration” of the world (Matt. 19:28), but regeneration of the individual is required before the end of the world in order to enter the kingdom. Restating it, Jesus said that one must be “born of water and the Spirit” (v. 5). Jesus referred not to literal water here but to the need for “cleansing” (Ezek. 36:24–27). When water is used figuratively in the Old Testament, it consistently refers to renewal or spiritual cleansing, especially when used in conjunction with “spirit” (Num. 19:17–19; Ps. 51:9, 10; Is. 32:15; 44:3–5; 55:1–3; Jer. 2:13; Joel 2:28, 29). Thus, Jesus made reference to the spiritual washing or purification of the soul, accomplished by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God at the moment of salvation (Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5), required for belonging to His kingdom. ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-does-it-mean-to-be-born-again.html

Today's Bible Study: What did Jesus mean by His comments about the temple in John 2? In John 2:18, the Jews demanded that Jesus show some type of miraculous sign that would indicate His authority for the actions that He had just taken in regulating the activities of the temple. Their demand of a sign reveals that they had not grasped the significance of Jesus’ rebuke that centered in their need for proper attitudes and holiness in worship. Such an action itself constituted a “sign” of Jesus’ person and authority. Moreover, they were requesting from Jesus a crass display of miracles on demand, further displaying their unbelief. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (v. 19). At His trial, the authorities charged Jesus (Mark 14:29, 58) with making a threatening statement against the temple, revealing that they did not understand Jesus’ response here. Once again John’s Gospel supplements the other Gospels at this point by indicating that Jesus enigmatically referred to His resurrection. As with His usage of parables, Jesus’ cryptic statement most likely was designed to reveal the truth to His disciples but conceal its meaning from unbelievers who questioned Him (Matt. 13:10, 11). Only after His resurrection, however, did the disciples understand the real significance of this statement (v. 22; Matt. 12:40). Importantly, through the death and resurrection of Christ, temple worship in Jerusalem was destroyed (see 4:21) and reinstituted in the hearts of those who were built into a spiritual temple called the church (Eph. 2:19–22). “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple”(v. 20). This was not a reference to the Solomonic temple, since it had been destroyed during the Babylonian conquest in 586 B.C. When the captives returned from Babylon, Zerubbabel and Joshua began rebuilding the temple (Ezra 1–4). Encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (Ezra 5:1–6:18), the Jews completed the work in 516 B.C. In 20/19 B.C., Herod the Great began a reconstruction and expansion. Workers completed the main part of the project in 10 years, but other parts were still being constructed even at the time Jesus cleansed the temple. The famous “Wailing Wall” is built on part of the Herodian temple foundation. ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-did-jesus-mean-by-his-comments.html

Today's Bible Study: Note the powerful words loaded into John 1:1. “In the beginning.” In contrast to 1 John 1:1 where John used a similar phrase (“from the beginning”) to refer to the starting point of Jesus’ ministry and gospel preaching, this phrase parallels Genesis 1:1 where the same phrase is used. John used the phrase in an absolute sense to refer to the beginning of the time-space-material universe. “Was.” The verb highlights the eternal preexistence of the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ. Before the universe began, the Second Person of the Trinity always existed; i.e., He always was (see 8:58). This word is used in contrast with the verb “was made” (or “were made”) in v. 3, which indicate a beginning in time. Because of John’s theme that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the Second Person of the Trinity, he did not include a genealogy as Matthew and Luke did. In terms of Jesus’ humanity, He had a human genealogy; but in terms of His deity, He has no genealogy. “The Word.” John borrowed the use of the term “Word” not only from the vocabulary of the Old Testament but also from Greek philosophy, in which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational principle of “divine reason,” “mind,” or even “wisdom.” John, however, imbued the term entirely with Old Testament and Christian meaning (e.g., Gen. 1:3 where God’s Word brought the world into being; Pss. 33:6; 107:20; Prov. 8:27 where God’s Word is His powerful self-expression in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not the exclusive background of John’s thought. Strategically, the term “Word” serves as a bridge-word to reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. John chose this concept because both Jews and Greeks were familiar with it. “The Word was with God.” The Word, as the Second Person of the Trinity, was in intimate fellowship with God the Father throughout all eternity. Yet, although the Word enjoyed the splendors of heaven and eternity with the Father (Is. 6:1–13; see 12:41; 17:5), He willingly gave up His heavenly status, taking the form of a man, and became subject to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). “Was God.” The Greek construction emphasizes that the Word had all the essence or attributes of Deity, i.e., Jesus the Messiah was fully God (Col. 2:9). Even in His incarnation when He emptied Himself, He did not cease to be God but took on a genuine human nature/body and voluntarily refrained from the independent exercise of the attributes of Deity. ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/note-powerful-words-loaded-into-john-11.html

Today's Bible Study: What was the resurrected body of Christ like? In Luke 24:31, it tells us that after the two men had traveled with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, “their eyes were opened,” i.e., by God. They had been sovereignly kept from recognizing Him until this point (v. 16). His resurrection body was glorified and altered from its previous appearance (see John’s description in Rev. 1:13–16), and this surely explains why even Mary did not recognize Him at first (John 20:14–16). But in this case, God actively intervened to keep them from recognizing Him until it was time for Him to depart. “He vanished from their sight.” His resurrection body, though real and tangible (John 20:27)—and even capable of ingesting earthly food (vv. 42, 43)—nonetheless possessed certain properties that indicate it was glorified, altered in a mysterious way (1 Cor. 15:35–54; Phil. 3:21). Christ could appear and disappear bodily, as seen in this text. His body could pass through solid objects—such as the grave clothes (v. 12) or the walls and doors of a closed room (John 20:19, 26). He could apparently travel great distances in a moment, for by the time these disciples returned to Jerusalem, Christ had already appeared to Peter (v. 34).The fact that He ascended into heaven bodily demonstrated that His resurrection body was already fit for heaven. Yet it was His body, the same one that was missing from the tomb, even retaining identifying features such as the nail wounds (John 20:25–27). He was no ghost or phantom. ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-was-resurrected-body-of-christ-like.html

_Today's Bible Study:_ *Contrast the spiritual anointings of David and Saul.* David was first anointed by Samuel “in the midst of his brothers” (1 Sam. 16:13). David’s first anointing was before his family/house. His second anointing would be before the assembly of his tribe, Judah; and his third anointing would be before the nation Israel. At this time, “the Spirit of the LORD came upon David.” This familiar Old Testament expression relates to empowerment for some God-given task (see 10:6, 11; 11:6; 19:20, 23; 2 Sam. 23:2; 2 Chr. 20:14; Is. 11:2; 61:1; Ezek. 11:5; 37:1). David’s anointing was an external symbol of an inward work of God. The operation of the Holy Spirit in this case was not for regeneration, but for empowerment to perform his (David’s) role in God’s program for Israel. After David sinned with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11; 12), he prayed, “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11). When David’s ascent to the throne began, Saul’s slow and painful descent began also. “The Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 16:14). Without God’s empowering Holy Spirit, Saul was effectively no longer king over Israel (15:28), although his physical removal from the throne, and his death, happened many years later. “And a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” God, in His sovereignty, allowed an evil spirit to torment Saul (see Judg. 9:23; 1 Kin. 22:19–23; Job 1:6–12) for His purpose of establishing the throne of David. This spirit, a messenger from Satan, is to be distinguished from a troubled emotional state brought on by indwelling sin or the harmful consequences of the sinful acts of others (e.g., spirit of jealousy, Num. 5:14). This demon spirit attacked Saul from without, for there is no evidence that the demon indwelt Saul. Saul, whose inward constitution was already prone to questionable judgment and the fear of men, began to experience God’s judgment in the form of severe bouts of depression, anger, and delusion, initiated and aggravated by the evil spirit assigned to him. There are several New Testament occasions where God turned people over to demons or Satan for judgment (see Acts 5:1–3; 1 Cor. 5:1–7; 1 Tim.1:18–20). ```©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE``` http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/contrast-spiritual-anointings-of-david.html

Today's Bible Study: What happened on the day that Christ was resurrected from the dead? Early in the morning, certain women came to the tomb “bringing the spices which they had prepared” (Luke 24:1). But they found “the stone rolled away” (v. 2). Matthew 28:2–4 records that an earthquake occurred and an angel rolled the stone away. The Roman guards fainted with fear. Mark, Luke, and John make no mention of the guards, so it appears they fled when they awoke to find the empty tomb. The women must have arrived shortly after. Finding the stone rolled away, the women entered the tomb, but found it empty (v. 3). While they were still in the tomb, the angels suddenly appeared (v. 4; Mark 16:5). Only Luke mentioned both angels. Mark was concerned only with the one who spoke for the duo. Such minor differences in the Gospel accounts are all reconcilable. The angel who spoke reminded them of Jesus’ promises (vv. 6–8), then sent them to find Peter and the disciples to report that Jesus was risen (Matt. 28:7, 8; Mark 16:7, 8). The women did as they were told (vv. 9–11). The disciples were skeptical at first (v. 11), but ran to where the tomb was, John arriving first (John 20:4), but Peter actually entering the tomb first (John 20:6). They saw the linen wrappings intact but empty, proof that Jesus was risen (v. 12; John 20:6–8). They left immediately (v. 12; John 20:10). Meanwhile, Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb and was standing outside weeping when Christ suddenly appeared to her (John 20:11–18). That was His first appearance (Mark 16:9). Sometime soon after that, He met the other women on the road and appeared to them, as well (Matt. 28:9, 10). Later that day He appeared to two of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (vv. 13–32) and to Peter (v. 34). ©BY PASTOR JUDAH OLATUNDE @highlight http://judaholatunde.blogspot.com/2025/05/what-happened-on-day-that-christ-was.html