Day 5 of 21 Days

Today is day 5 and you should be settling down in your fast. It should be becoming much easier. Headaches and cravings should begin to subside. Continue to utilize your prayer journal; concentrate on your own personal prayer time and place. During the 7am & 7pm prayer, focus corporately on needs for our entire church. i.e. church family, future, finances, favor, fruitfulness, and faithfulness.

Fasting is one of the most powerful spiritual disciplines that you could ever participate in. One of the greatest benefits of fasting is it promotes intimacy with God. Charles Swindoll says it this way, “We have become a body of people who look more like a herd of cattle in a stampede than a flock of sheep that God has lead to still water and laid down in green pastures.”

Our devotional today is found in John chapter 5. Jesus is attending a Jewish feast in Jerusalem. The feast is not named but it was probably one of the three Feasts of Obligation: the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Pentecost. These were called Feasts of Obligations because every male Jew who lived within twenty miles of Jerusalem was required by law to attend them. It is significant that Jesus was seen attending the feast for two reason. (1) It gave Him an opportunity to reach a large number of people. Most of the people who attended the feast would be God-fearing people and have their minds on God; therefore, they would be more prepared for the gospel. (2) It gave Him an opportunity to teach people to be faithful to the worship of God. He, the Son of God Himself, was faithful.

I know that you’ve read it already but prayerfully read it once again using my outline as your guide and watch God open your eyes to the excitement of hearing God speak.

Scene 1: A picture of the world's desperate need (v.2-4).

Scene 2: A picture of Jesus' power to meet the world's need (v.5-9).

Scene 3: A picture of dead religion trying to meet the world's need (v.10-12).

Scene 4: A picture of the believer's responsibility (v.13-14).

Scene 5: A picture of the world rejecting God's Savior (v.15-16).

Jesus makes two claims in John 5:17 (ESV) But Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now and I am working. Claim one, God is my Father. Claim two, God and I are one.

Jesus claim of His possessed equality was backed up in verses 19-30 as He gave proof after proof which unequivocally verified His claim.

Proof 1: His obedience (v.19).

Proof 2: His great works (v.20).

Proof 3: His power to quicken and to give life, to raise up the dead (v.21).

Proof 4: His control over the whole judicial process (v.22-23).

Proof 5: His authority over man's destiny, to save men from death to life (v.24-25).

Proof 6: His energy of life, His self-existence (v.26).

Proof 7: His power to execute judgment (v.27).

Proof 8: His claim to be the Son of Man (v.27).

Proof 9: His power to resurrect all men from the grave (v.28-30).

After making His claim & backing it up with His proof, Jesus proceeds by calling witness after witness to testify of His authority.

Witness #1 The witness of Jesus Himself (v.31).

Witness # 2 The witness within: the Spirit (v.32).

Witness # 3 The witness of John the Baptist (v.33-35).

Witness # 4 The witness of miraculous works (v.36).

Witness # 5 The witness of God Himself (v.37-38).

Witness # 6 The witness of the Scriptures (v.39).