Gospel Reading:  John 7:40-53

40 When many of the people heard His words, they said, "For sure, this is the One Who speaks for God." 41 Others said, "He is the Christ!" Some said, "The Christ would not come from the country of Galilee, would He? 42 Do not the Holy Writings say that the Christ will come from the family of David? Will He not come from the town of Bethlehem where David lived?" 43 The people were divided in what they thought about Him. 44 Some of them wanted to take Him. But no one put their hands on Him.

 45 The soldiers came back to the religious leaders of the Jews and to the proud religious law-keepers. They said to the soldiers, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The soldiers answered, "No man has ever spoken like this Man speaks." 47 The proud religious law-keepers said, "Have you been led the wrong way also? 48 Has anyone of the leaders or anyone from our group believed in Him? 49 As for all these people, they do not know the Law. They are guilty and will be punished by God."

 50 (Nicodemus was one of the proud religious law-keepers. He had come to Jesus at another time.) Nicodemus said to them, 51 "Our Law does not say a man is guilty before he has been in court and before we know what he has done." 52 They said to him, "Are you from Galilee also? Look into the Word of God yourself. You will see that no one who speaks for God comes from Galilee." 53 *Then everyone went home.

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20

19 But I was like a gentle lamb led to be killed. I did not know that they had made plans against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit. Let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more." 20 But, O Lord of All, Who is right as He judges, Who tests the heart and the mind, let me see You punish them. For I have put my cause before You.

Meditation: There will often come a time when we have to take a stand for Christ and for the gospel. To stand for Jesus may provoke mockery or unpopularity. It may even entail hardship, sacrifice, and suffering. There are fundamentally two choices we must choose between: to have our lives fueled by God’s selfless love for others or by our own self-centered love and selfish desires, to be loyal to God’s wise rule and kingdom laws or to the standards of a worldly kingdom opposed to God, to be servants of Jesus our Master or slaves of sin and Satan. Are you ready to stand for Jesus and to show him honor and loyalty whatever it may cost you?

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, your gospel brings joy and freedom. May I be loyal to you always, even though it produce a cross on earth, that I may share in your crown in eternity".

Psalm 7:2-12

2 Or they will tear me like a lion, carrying me away where there is no one to help.
 3 O Lord my God, if I have done this, and there is guilt on my hands,

 4 if I have done wrong to him who was at peace with me, or without a reason have robbed him who worked against me,
 5 let him who hates me come for me and catch me. Let him break me under his feet until I die, and lay my honor in the dust.

 6 Rise up in Your anger, O Lord. Rise up against the anger of those who hate me. Awake, my God, and help me. Prove what is right.
 7 Let the people gather around You, and rule over them from Your throne.
 8 May the Lord judge which people are guilty or not. O Lord, judge in my favor if I am right with You, and if I am without blame.
 9 Let the sins of the sinful stop. But build up those who are right with You. For the God Who is right and good tests both the hearts and the minds.
 10 I am kept safe by God, Who saves those who are pure in heart.

 11 God is always right in how He judges. He is angry with the sinful every day.
 12 If a man is not sorry for his sins and will not turn from them, God will make His sword sharp. He will string His bow and make it ready.