John
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The Woman at the Well
The Woman at the Well
Samaria:
Samaria:
Give details about the Samaritan people and their disagreements with the Jews.
Samaritans could be considered as “half-breeds”. They were part Jewish and part Gentile. Israel had been in captivity earlier in their history. Upon returning to their land, some of the people could not prove their Jewish heritage and were treated s outsiders. Therefore, this newly developed group (the Samaritans) created their own temple and religious services to worship God other than in Jerusalem. Jews and Samaritans hated each other.
Set the Scene:
Set the Scene:
Jesus leaves where He was at and begins traveling. He can take a long route to avoid Samaria, or He can go right through. Don’t forget that Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Jesus was on a divine track. He was not there by accident.
Jesus now comes to a famous well called, Jacob’s well. Here He meet a Samaritan woman. It was not a publicly acceptable thing for a Jew to associate with a Samaritan. It was also not publically acceptable for a man to speak in public with an unassociated woman like this.
Jesus is a master at conversation. He is going to make a connection between a drink of water and eternal life. So He begins by asking for a drink of water.
She responds and recognizes this as an inappropriate request given social customs. Jesus reveals that if she was aware of who He was, then the situation would be reversed and she would be asking Him for a drink of living water. Similar to the situation with Nicodemus, she is thinking about the natural order of things. Jesus was not referring to a literal cup of water.
She questions his significance by comparing Him to Jacob their ancestor who dug and drank from that very well. Jesus, however, points out that people who drink water from Jacob’s well will be thirsty again. However, when someone has His living water, they will never thirst but will amount in eternal life.
Is your soul thirsting for something to satisfy it. Are you unsatisfied in life and just merely moving along? Jesus alone can satisfy the undeniable thirst that our soul has for Him. We all often try to satisfy that thirst with worldly things that only last a short amount of time. Psalm 42:1-2
Psalm 42:1–2 (ESV)
As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
She does not quite seem to understand yet and asks for a cup of this water to drink. She must have been excited at the thought of not having to go to the well day by day and draw water.
So Jesus again perceives the situation and now makes a statement that will hit a little closer to home. Go call for your husband and return. She replies honestly in saying that she does not have a husband. Jesus knew this along with the fact that she had 5 previous husbands and the man she was with was not her husband. She appears to be a promiscuous woman and her sinful life has been exposed bare before Jesus. She perceives that Jesus is from God, but does not associate Him as the Savior but rather a prophet.
In order for us to be saved by Jesus, there must be a conviction of sin. We must be enlightened of our troubled situation and trust in Jesus as our Savior. Jesus helps bring this process in the life of this woman.
However, She now changes the topic to discuss the differences between Jewish and Samaritan beliefs and worship systems. Maybe she is uncomfortable with how much Jesus knew about her life.....
Jews demand worship in Jerusalem, but the Samaritans worshipped on their mountain. Jesus cuts through this statement to reveal that a time would soon be coming where worshipping God would take place anywhere. It would be worship done in Spirit and in truth. God is not limited. His worship could be accomplished anywhere when done in association with the Spirit of God within that person.
This lady seems to actually know a little bit by indicating that a Messiah would come and clarify things to the people. Jesus then does something unusual. He plainly tells her that He is the Messiah. Jesus doesn’t usually make such a clear and cut statement but He does here with this woman.
At this point, the disciples are returning from the town where they were buying food. Seeing Jesus talking with this woman was unusual, but none of them questioned Him as to why He was. All of a sudden, this lady must have made a connection. She left in such a rush to go share that she didn’t care that she left her water pot back at the well.... She had found the water her soul had been longing for.
She returns to town and is telling people that Jesus knew everything about her…could He be the Messiah? The people hear her and begin to investigate the situation themselves.
It is interesting that the disciples themselves had gone into town and didn’t seem to tell anyone about Jesus. However, this woman just meets Him and is spreading word everywhere!
Do you ever get caught up in your own life that you forget that you have access to the living water and the world around you is literally dying of dehydration and thirst? Let us be more diligent to be on the lookout for opportunities to share this hope!
Now, the scene changes and we are back with Jesus and the disciples. They were trying to get Jesus to eat some of the food they had acquired. He would have likely been hungry and tired from His traveling. The disciples likely would have wanted Him to eat so that He could regain energy and strength. However, Jesus claims to have an alternate source of food. “Had someone else brought Jesus some food?”, the disciples thought.
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
Jesus then makes another comparison. This time he speaks of harvesting crops. After waiting for the crops to grow, there is the time for it to be harvested. Some people must sow (plant the seeds) and others must come behind in time and harvest the crops. This is the way that farming worked.
Jesus however, is making a spiritual bridge to teach a lesson. Jesus claims that the fields are ready to be harvested. These “fields” are people. Many people are ready to believe in Jesus, but they need someone to come and share the message of hope with them. (Example of me teaching the Nepali kids for years and then Philip stepping in when I left for school and they all suddenly wanted to accept Christ).
Meanwhile, the people of Samaria were coming out to meet Jesus and investigate the situation based on the word of the woman from the well. It is likely that Jesus message about the fields being ripe for harvest was also an indication of the people coming out to meet Him. John tells us that many people believed in Jesus just based on what the woman was telling them. But when they went out to Jesus, they asked Him to stay with them. Jesus stayed for two days and shared truth with the people. As a result of His words, many more believed in Jesus. Some of the people then began to say to the woman from the well:
They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
At some point in every Christian’s life, there needs to be a personal encounter with Jesus. It is wonderful when you all believe based on what we teach you regarding the Bible, but you must also come into contact with God personally and confirm within yourself that what you have heard from us is indeed true. Perhaps this encounter will be during your time spent in prayer. Not an audible voice, but perhaps one that seems to silently be speaking just as clearly to your soul. If you know Jesus as your Savior, then you should know what I’m referring to. It is it sense God’s presence with you and Him revealing things to you. I want you all to believe what I share with you, because I try to teach straight from God’s Word in the bible. But you must have a real relationship with Jesus in your own life. You cannot have a “church relationship” where you only think of God when you have to listen to me or Kevin share about Him. A relationship with Jesus is time spent in personal prayer and time reading the Bible. Not as a chore, but as something that you delight in doing. Jesus wants a relationship with you. And please don’t try to make the excuse that you don’t have the time. You have the time for the things that you prioritize. So if you lack time for Jesus, perhaps you need to rearrange your priorities.
Are you willing to step out in faith and believe that Jesus can offer you “living water” (Salvation and the Holy Spirit) which will leave you satisfied and no longer dying of thirst in life.
John 5: Healing on the Sabbath and Claims for Equality with God
John 5: Healing on the Sabbath and Claims for Equality with God
Describe the Pool of Bethesda:
Describe the Pool of Bethesda:
The excavations of a pool near the Sheep Gate have uncovered five porticoes or covered colonnades, confirming the accuracy of the description given here in the Fourth Gospel. The pool was actually two pools next to each other
There was a belief that angels would come and stir the pool. The first person in the pool would apparently be healed.
Plenty of people were likely here at this pool. However, Jesus singles out one man to perform a miracle. He asks if He wants to be healed, and rather than claiming his interest to be healed, he gives excuses of why he is still in the state that he is in. Jesus with a command of authority tells him to stand up and walk.
However it does not appear that this man placed any faith in Christ right away, for upon being asked about Jesus later on, he didn’t even know who had healed him.
Do we do the same thing? Do we seek God for favors and only ever pray when we are in need of something…yet all the while, you don’t even really know Him. He is treated like a genie in a bottle. No real faith, just someone to blame when things are tough or someone to ask for things when you are desperately in need. Does this sound like your relationship with God? If so, its time to dig deeper and start to know and believe in Christ.
The only problem in this situation is that this miracle was performed on the Sabbath. Describe the OT Law....The Jewish authority had taken the Law and made many religious additions to it which made it very burdensome to the people.
However, Jesus had not broken any Law. Latter on in John we see a passage where Jesus calls Himself Lord over the Sabbath. The reason that Jesus would perform a miracle on the sabbath is because the Father was also working. Jesus and the Father are equal, and therefore if the Father is accomplishing work on the Sabbath, then Jesus would as well. Rather than showing rejoicing that a miracle had been performed and that Jesus had shown grace and mercy, the authorities were angry with Jesus. They were spiritually blind. For if they had truly known the OT (Like they claimed to), then they would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Isa 35:3-6
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
The Sabbath was meant to help man. Not because God needed a day to rest. He is all powerful, He does not get tired. The Sabbath was intended to give us rest. Mark 2:27
And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Jesus’ Claim to be God
Jesus’ Claim to be God
(John 5:19-47)
Here Jesus clearly asserts that He and God are equal (vs 18b). Jesus did not do anything apart from the will of God. He did what God desired Him to do. Do we ever stop to think about what God wants for us to do in life?
Christ’s authority are then demonstrated in 2 primary spheres:
Resurrection John 5:21
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.
2. Judgement John 5:22-23
For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.
And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.
Then Jesus also demonstrates that there are witnesses that His testimony about Himself is true:
John the Baptist
You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
2. Jesus’ Miracles
But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.
3. God Himself
And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,
4. The Scriptures
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
5. Moses
Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”
The people loved and revered Moses who was the one who gave the people the Law from God. However Jesus says that they do not even believe Moses, because if they did, then they would have believed in Jesus (This is because Moses himself testified about Jesus). So by not believing in Jesus, they have proven themselves to not even believe in Moses…which would have greatly offended them.
There is so much more evidence regarding the truth of Jesus. Will you believe the truth and therefore receive Jesus? or will you be like the Jewish authorities who “refuse to come to” Jesus “that they may have life”. John 5:40
yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
John 6: Feeding the 5,000
John 6: Feeding the 5,000
Feeds the 5,000 (vv 1-14)
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
2. Walks on Water (vv. 15-25)
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”
3. Bread of Life Discussion (vv. 26-71)
John 6:26–71 (ESV)
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.” He spoke of Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray him.
John Chapter 8
John Chapter 8
The Adulteress Woman (vv. 1-11)
The Adulteress Woman (vv. 1-11)
John 8:1–11 (ESV)
but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
The pharisees were trying to trap Jesus into doing something wrong so that they could punish Him. But Jesus saw right through their act and instead offered forgiveness to the woman.
Such sweet words that Jesus spoke to her: “Has no one condemned you?.....”Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more”.
Jesus offers forgiveness when everyone else desired condemnation.
Does this mean that Jesus doesn’t take sin serious? After all, He did just let her go free.... Jesus does not take sin lightly, rather He takes it very seriously considering the sacrifice he was about to make. Because Jesus is God and because of the act on the cross which He is about to perform on her (and all of our) behalf, Jesus could offer forgiveness.
However, note that after forgiving her, Jesus tells her to leave behind her life of sin. To stop living in sin.
Jesus is the Light of the World (vv. 12-30)
Jesus is the Light of the World (vv. 12-30)
Jesus makes 7 “I am” statements throughout the book of John. The first one we have already learned about: “I am the bread of Life” (John 6:35)
Now Jesus makes the statement of being the “Light of the World”. If He is the Light, then that would mean that the world is dark (in sin).
John 8:12 (ESV)
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:23–30 (ESV)
He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.” As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
*Don’t forget the key word from the book of John: “Believe”
If you are not willing to believe in Him, then will you will “die in your sin” (v. 21)
The Truth Will Set you Free (vv. 31-59)
The Truth Will Set you Free (vv. 31-59)
John 8:31–32 (ESV)
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus is the Truth!!! Likewise the message He brought is truth. Jesus is the one who sets us free!
What is freedom?
Freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want (contrary to normal opinion). Rather freedom is the ability to say “No”. Anyone could go out and get drunk or find drugs or have sex outside of marriage. But the real freedom is the power that Jesus gives us to finally be able to say “no” to these things and enjoy the life He has in store for us.
What is he freeing us from?
He is freeing us from having to sin (we now have a choice to say “no” to sin. We couldn’t do this before Jesus)
They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
They were confused by this because they didn’t ever see themselves as slaves. But Jesus clarifies that anyone who sins (aka everyone) is a slave of sin unless they are set free by the Son (Jesus).
The conversation between the people and Jesus continues and the people start to get really upset at what Jesus is saying. In fact, they claim that Jesus has a demon in Him!
John 8:56–59 (ESV)
Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
You probably don’t understand the significance of what we just read. Why would the people be ready to kill Jesus for saying that “before Abraham was, I am”.
The words “I am” were very special to the Jewish people, because it was a reference to God Himself. “I AM” was the title God gave Himself when sending Moses to the people of Israel (Exodus 3:14-15). Listen to what God said about this name in Exodus 3:15
Exodus 3:15 (ESV)
God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.
Therefore for Jesus to say that he is the great “I AM” was enough to make the people boil with anger enough to kill Jesus. He was claiming to be God. They were going to kill Jesus if He had not slipped away from them into the crowd.
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
What was something new that you learned tonight from John chapter 8?
Why was Jesus able to offer forgiveness to the adulteress woman?
He has the authority to forgive sins; and because of the sacrifice on the cross which He was about to offer.
What was Jesus’ 2nd (out of 7) “I AM” statements?
“I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12)
What does this statement mean?
If you are willing to be honest with the group, what is something that you need Jesus’ help in being set free from?
John Chapter 9
John Chapter 9
Healing of the Blind Man
Healing of the Blind Man
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
Explain passage and what just happened.
Controversy Over the Man
Controversy Over the Man
John 9:13–34 (ESV)
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
Oh Snap! That was an awesome scene.
Man brought to the pharisees and asked how he was healed. The man gives his answer and they get upset because it was done on the sabbath. Rather than rejoice of the man’s healing they are upset that Jesus did a miracle on the sabbath! How typical of the pharisees to miss the work of God because they were focused on their own self-made regulations (based on the law of Moses).
Like always, there was division amongst the people when Jesus is brought into the picture (v. 16). I love the following question they ask the man: “What do you say about him”
How applicable is that question to us!
They don’t believe the man’s story about being blind and therefore, call in the man’s parents to see of he truly was blind.
His parents throw him right under the bus and say “He is of age, ask him” (v. 21). They don’t offer him any support except for confirming that he was born blind. They did this because they feared that they would be thrown out of the synagogue (v. 22) (to be essential shut off from the center piece of their society…to be outcasts). They chose fear. Their son however, did not:
The man was not afraid to stand up for what he knew had happened for what he knew to be true (vv. 24-24). As a result, they cast him out.
They Meet Again
They Meet Again
Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.”
And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him.
And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.”
Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
Jesus discovers what has happened to the man and then finds him to talk with him.
He starts by asking the man if he believed in the “Son of Man” which was a reference to the Messiah they had been expecting (aka Jesus Himself).
Now remember, this man was blind when he first encountered Jesus. So he had heard His voice but never seen Him before.
Jesus enlightens the man by saying that He Himself was the Messiah. The man responded in faith and chose to believe and worship Him.
Jesus now does a play on words: He compares physical blindness to spiritual blindness (the inability to perceive the things of God). Jesus came that the blind would see and that those who see would be blind.
Jesus physically healed blind people, but here is a reference to the fact that sinners (spiritually blind people) were now seeing the truth and being healed of their blindness. Now they understand the truth about Jesus and they believe in Him.
Those who claim to be “spiritually seeing” would actually be blinded by the coming of Jesus. Out of everyone, the pharisees and religious leaders should have been the ones to understand who Jesus was and they works that He was performing were signs of being the Messiah. However, upon Jesus doing these things, they were only making themselves blind by the way that they rejected Him and sought to kill Him.
The pharisees heard Jesus saying these things and asked about their own state: “Are we also blind?”
Jesus tells them that because they claim to have spiritual sight (and yet rejected Him) that they actually were blind and therefore they remain guilty.
In Matthew 23, Jesus has some strong words against the Pharisees for the way they had been living:
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Matthew 23:23–28 (NASB95)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.
“You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.
“So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
These men faked what they really were. Nobody likes a hypocrite. Someone who says one thing and even tells others to do it…but they themselves don’t do it. The Pharisees were actually keeping people away from Jesus. And therefore, He had some serious words to say about them.
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
When there is pressure around other people to fit in, are you willing to reject (or have you rejected) Jesus? What can we learn from the blind man’s boldness? (His boldness for Jesus even though He didn’t know Him led to his own salvation! We are blessed when we stand up for Jesus and endure harassment or mean words; Matthew 5:11-12)
We (Nate and Penny) are often the one’s sharing the Bible and our thoughts. Now we want to hear from you. To quote our passage today: “What do you say about Him?” (John 9:17). What are your thoughts about who Jesus is. Who is He to you?
How did Jesus use the man’s blindness to teach a lesson? (Physical blindness led to an example of spiritual blindness. Only Jesus can heal us of this disease!)
What is a hypocrite? Who in our story were hypocrites? Why was this a bad thing? (Preach one thing but do the opposite; Pharisees were hypocrites; this led people away from Jesus)
John Chapter 10
John Chapter 10
I Am The Door For The Sheep
I Am The Door For The Sheep
John 10:1–10 (ESV)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Explain what a Sheep Fold is and then show a picture of it.
This is a morning scene of a shepherd. He goes to the fold to retrieve his flock. Several flocks are all in the fold together.
Only way to get in and successfully get the sheep out is to g through the gate. Therefore the gatekeeper would have to recognize the shepherd and allow him to retrieve his sheep. There was not an actual door, but rather the gatekeeper laid across the door to protect the path.
When he calls out to his sheep, they would recognize his voice and come to him. The other sheep are not familiar with his voice and would not follow him. There was a close relationship between the shepherd and the sheep.
Essentially, for the sheep to enter and exit the fold, they had to go by their shepherd. This is where we can see that Jesus was the door for His sheep. They would not enter and have safety apart from their shepherd leading them there. Neither would they go out and have pasture without Him letting them out.
The poor teachers and leaders of Israel before Him were not the people’s true shepherd. They were just seen throwing a “sheep out of the flock” in chapter 9 (blind man was cast out by the pharisees). Jesus, however, welcomed him into His flock!
The “thief” mentioned is likely a reference to Satan and his desire to kill, steal and destroy the work and people of God.
Jesus came for a different purpose! He came to give life and life abundantly.
Will you go to the “Door” which offers life and abundant peace and enjoyment. Jesus offers this, but we must accept it and choose to live in it.
I Am The Good Shepherd
I Am The Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Jesus is the Good Shepherd. This is in contrast to the “hired hand”. This is the shepherd that does not care about the well-being of the sheep. He is just there for the money. If danger comes, he isn’t putting his life on the line for the sheep.
Jesus, however, is different. He is the Good Shepherd… the One that willingly lays down His life for the sheep. No one takes His life from Him. It is given based on His own giving. Jesus was not a helpless pawn on history’s chessboard.
Likewise, Jesus knows which sheep (people) belong to Him. And likewise, the people that belong to Jesus know who their Shepherd is!
Now Jesus also mentions bringing more sheep into His fold. This is a reference to us… the gentiles. We are not Jewish people. But Jesus says that He would save both Jews and Gentiles!
VV. 19-21 are a repeating theme. Some people hear his words and claim Him to be a demon and want to get rid of Jesus. Others listen to Him and recognize who He is!
Jesus Clearly Claims His Divinity
Jesus Clearly Claims His Divinity
John 10:22–33 (ESV)
At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
What an awesome passage! Jesus says that he KNOWS His sheep. He has a special relationship with those that belong to Him. Likewise, His sheep recognize His voice and follow Him.
Are we following Jesus? Do we recognize His calling in our life to submit to Him and believe in Him…to obey Him. These will be the marks of the true follower of Jesus that is saved.
Or are some of us like the other sheep who hear the voice of Jesus but do not recognize it and in fact go the other way because it is unfamiliar to them? The only way to heaven is through Jesus, who is the gate and the Good Shepherd.
This last part of this passage also speaks about the eternal security of a believer. Many if not most Christians probably go through a period in their life when they wonder whether they will truly be saved…or what if something I did made me lose my salvation. These verses speak so clearly! Once saved, you are secure in the hands of God, and no one can snatch you out.
If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.
Jesus now makes the claim that even if the people were not to believe His words, simply His miracles and deeds should have been evidence enough to them. But many wanted to kill Him. However, others would end up believing in Him.
Prayer:
Prayer:
First announce that if someone is tired of putting it off, and tired of playing around, that today would be the day that they did business with God and chose to believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins. That they can trust in Him as the Good Shepherd to save them and not abandon them. He came to give them life abundantly!
Please don’t go home without telling someone (me, Penny, Teresa).
Pray!
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
What were the 2 “I am” statements of Jesus in today’s passage? (“I am the door/gate” & “I am the Good Shepherd”)
2. What are some characteristics of the sheep that belong to Jesus? (They know His voice, they follow Him, their Shepherd protects them, they have peace and eternal/abundant life)
3. What makes Jesus the Good Shepherd? (He lays down His life for the sheep. He died for us! He is not like the hired hand that runs away)
4. **This may be just a thought of reflection, but great if they are willing to answer out loud** Are you in the sheep fold of Jesus? Do you follow and obey Jesus? Do you have eternal life and know that you are going to heaven?
John Chapter 11
John Chapter 11
John 11:1–44 (ESV)
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
**This was not going to result in Lazarus’s actual death, but in God’s glory!
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
**Jesus did not fear what might happen to Him. He knew that walking in the light of God’s will would result in His safety. When we are in God’s will, nothing will happen to us that God didn’t know about and allow to come into our lives. When we are walking in the darkness (aka sin) then we might have reason to worry about destructive things, for sin is very destructive in our lives.
** The disciples thought that Lazarus was just asleep and would then get the needed rest to recover, but then Jesus was open with them and revealed that he was already dead.
Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
** Jesus was friends with Lazarus and his 2 sisters (Mary and Martha). Martha sees Him first while Mary stays. She comments that if Jesus had been there, her brother would not have died…for people were saved and healed in Jesus’ presence, not dying (apart from His crucifixion with the criminals). There does not seem to be a sense of blame here although it may be possible. She would have known that her brother died before Jesus could have arrived.
** Mary’s statements demonstrate her faith that Jesus is the Messiah. But she had in mind that Jesus would raise his body in the last days (as indicated by scripture) but Jesus was referring to what would happen in just a few moments.
** Mary believed what was written in the bible about the resurrection in the last days. Other people then did not believe that there would be a bodily resurrection. But we also must remember that doctrines or certain studies are not what save us. Rather it is a Redeemer…Jesus!
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eleven: The Last Miracle—The Last Enemy (John 11)
When you are sick, you want a doctor and not a medical book or a formula. When you are being sued, you want a lawyer and not a law book. Likewise, when you face your last enemy, death, you want the Saviour and not a doctrine written in a book. In Jesus Christ, every doctrine is made personal (1 Cor. 1:30). When you belong to Him, you have all that you ever will need in life, death, time, or eternity!
** Jesus’ 5th “I am” statement is listed here.
When a Christian dies, the Bible says that our soul will go to be with Jesus. However, when Jesus returns to earth again, He will Jesus will resurrect our bodies to a perfect and glorified state. So Jesus will resurrect our bodies, but Jesus also gives life now and today to those who believe in Him. This is eternal life which means that you can know without a doubt where you will go when you die. This is given through faith and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins… and that He truly is your Savior. The theme of John is “Believe”....remember? It’s mentioned 98 times!
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”
**Mary has the same response as Martha did. Perhaps they discussed this together before Jesus had arrived?
** The wording “deeply moved” could actually be translated as “angered” or “indignation”. Jesus was really upset at what sin and sickness and disease does to mankind.
Jesus even weeps here. This demonstrates His humanity as He had emotions and grieved what had happened to His friend and the sadness of the sisters (etc). Isaiah 53:3
Isaiah 53:3 (ESV)
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
**In the final moment, Martha’s faith (vv.27) seems to have failed. She objects with statements about a bad odor.
Jesus reminds her about the promise about what would happen is she believed in Him. John 11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
Martha lets go and the stone was rolled away!
To summarize the rest of the chapter:
Many people believed in Jesus when they saw this
Others went back and reported it to the religious leaders. Upon hearing this they decide that they were going to kill Him, because they believed that He was misleading the whole country. John 11:47-48
So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
After this miracle, Jesus stoped walking publicly amongst the people.
Review Questions:
Review Questions:
Who were Jesus’ friends in this story? And what was the situation that was going on with them?
What was Jesus’ 5th “I Am” statement? (I am the resurrection and the life)
Does sin and it’s consequences bother you like it did Jesus?
- If sin is just seen as normal or not that bad, then you don’t fully understand the gospel. Sin is literally the worst! It is the reason for all hurt and pain and death. It is what separates us for an eternity from God. We need to take sin very serious like Jesus did!
4. What “Stone” do you need to let go of in your life that you will finally believe Jesus’ promises and trust Him with your life? Basically, what is holding you back right now from fully trusting Jesus with either your salvation or your daily walk with Him?
- Please know that if you want to believe in Jesus and trust in Him for your salvation from sin, then the invitation is always open…until its not (we don’t know when we will die). We encourage you to seek God today!
John Chapter 12
John Chapter 12
John 12 (ESV)
Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
**Hosanna means “save now!” - The people wanted to be saved from Rome who was their oppressor.
**Notice the humble entrance by Jesus. He did not come in on a white horse life a warrior-king likely would have. Rather he came on a lowly donkey. Jesus was coming for a different type of saving that the people did not recognize. However one day, as mentioned by the book of Revelation, Jesus will return as a victorious King on a horse and that will be for Him defeating Satan and sin.
** Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem like this was prophesied in the old testament and He fulfilled it here!
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him.”
Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
** Jesus gives this illustration regarding a seed and dying in order to be fruitful. Basically when a seed falls to the ground, it gets buried into the soil and the seed it self dies in order that a plant will grow forth from it.
I googled how this subject about a seed being put into the ground and “dying”. This is a quote of what I found:
“The seed, which contains the fullest potential of life, ceases to be a seed so that the plant inside may live. Essentially, its original form has died, and the seed becomes something new.”
Jesus had to die in order that He would be raised back to life and be glorified.
In a similar manner, the bible tells us that if we wish to be a Christian, then we must die to ourself and become a new creation in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says: This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Similarly, Galatians 2:20 says:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
If we are to become a Christian and Follow Jesus, then we also must “die” to our old way of living and become a new creation in Christ. Slowly but surely, your desires in life will begin to change. Before you wanted nothing to do with God but wanted to enjoy sin. Now, these things aren’t so entertaining anymore. You feel loved and value and purpose. You have access to peace that you have never known before. You have confidence of your future in heaven. You are still walking around with your same body, but the person that you are is completely new! It is not an old version of yourself that got a makeover. You are new. This is like what Jesus was talking about when He spoke with Nicodemus at night time. You must be born again!
This does not mean that you will now be perfect and never sin again. Thats far from it. You will still be tempted by various sins, but now you have the convictions of the Holy Spirit telling you not to do it. And at that point, it is your choice whether you will listen to God or do what the Bible calls “quenching the Spirit”. Its kinda like a fire extinguisher quenching the flames of a fire. You choose to silence and shove down the voice of God bidding you to choose Him over the sin. That is not a a good place to be, but I think we have all done it many times before. If you find yourself in this situation now, pray to God for forgiveness and consciously be more active to draw close and restore your fellowship with Him!
“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us,
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes,
and understand with their heart, and turn,
and I would heal them.”
Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
John Chapter 13
John Chapter 13
John 13 (ESV)
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.
When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
John Chapter 14
John Chapter 14
John 14:1–6 (ESV)
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Remember, Jesus just told His disciples that one of them would betray Him (Jesus) and also that Peter would deny Him 3 times before the rooster even crows the next morning.
Now He goes on to comfort them. Part of this comfort is that Jesus is going away to prepare a place for them in Heaven. That means that one day He will return to bring them to be with Him.
Thomas still does not understand that Jesus is speaking of Heaven and tells Jesus that they don’t know how to get to the place where Jesus is going.
This leads us to the next to final “I am” statements of Jesus. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is saying that there is only one path to heaven. And it is to go through Him!
Share the various views of religion around the world regarding how to get to heaven.
Use paper trick to show the cross as the only way to Heaven.
Sailboat - Can a sailboat get me to heaven? NO! It can not get me to heaven any more than being a good person will.
House/Church - Can going to church get me to heaven? No! showing up to church and singing songs does not get you to heaven.
Airplane - Can an airplane get me to heaven? No! It will not get me to heaven any more than being “religious” will
Rocket - Well the airplane failed…how about a rocket? No! Maybe some people would relate this to doing good things for God… can’t I earn my way to heaven by doing good things to make God happy? No!
Cross - This is the only way to Heaven… through Jesus! “I am the way, the truth and the life”. Nobody gets to heaven except by trusting in Jesus as your savior. To believe that Jesus will forgive your sins and save you.
John Chapter 15
John Chapter 15
We will skip past the rest of chapter 14, but if you choose to read it, you will see that Jesus continues to teach his disciples about His oneness with God the Father ad also the way that the Holy Spirit would be sent to help them.
Chapter 15 now introduces the idea of being a productive follower of Jesus! Like Jesus often does, He uses a physical object to teach a spiritual truth so that the people would understand.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.
This is the final “I am” statement of Jesus.
Here we see that Jesus compares Himself as a grapevine.
John 15:1–5 (ESV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We cannot produce any fruit if we are not attached to the vine where all the nourishment comes from. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing that is truly “good” or “fruitful”.
The condition for us bearing fruit is that we abide in Jesus. What does that mean to abide?
“What does it mean to “abide”? It means to keep in fellowship with Christ so that His life can work in and through us to produce fruit. This certainly involves the Word of God and the confession of sin so that nothing hinders our communion with Him (John 15:3). It also involves obeying Him because we love Him (John 15:9–10) (Wiersbe).”
What is the fruit? The fruit is obeying Jesus… loving others, being honest, worshipping God, serving others, tell others about Jesus, live in a way where our character displays godliness.
Jesus wants us to abide in Him so that God is glorified and so that our joy may be made full/complete John 15:6
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
The New Commandment to Love one another
The New Commandment to Love one another
Jesus then goes on to explain His desire for them to love one another:
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus doesn’t ask us to do something here that He hasn’t already done for us! He was the example of the greatest form of love. The love which is self-sacrificing.
Warning of Persecution
Warning of Persecution
Finally, Jesus goes on to warn them that persecution and hard times will come for a believer in Jesus.
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
The reason the world and other people will hate on Christians is because they do not know Jesus. Many will hate us because they hated Jesus 1st.
Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
What was the first “I am” statement that we learned about tonight? (I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life)
What does this statement teach us about Jesus? (Only way to heaven. “Narrow is the gate”)
What was the 2nd “I am” statement of Jesus today? (I am the true vine)
What does this teach us about Jesus? (He provides us with the power and the strength we need to abide with Him)
What does it mean to abide with Jesus? (To be living in obedience to Him and not allowing any sin to hinder or block my relationship with Him…confession is necessary. The result of abiding in Jesus is great joy for us).
What does bearing fruit for Jesus mean? (To be living out our obedience to Him! To love, serve, worship, share the gospel, etc.)
John Chapter 18-19
John Chapter 18-19
Review for the past few weeks leading up to today.
Jesus performs one of His most remarkable miracles and resurrects Lazarus from the dead.
The Pharisees are set and determined on having Him killed
Passover festival is about to take place in Jerusalem. So Jesus travels back to Jerusalem. When He is on the mount of Olives (show picture), He rides in to Jerusalem on a donkey (humbly). The people are taking off their coats and laying them on the ground (same with the palm branches). They are shouting “Hosanna” (which means “save now”). Too bad they did not understand the type of saving Jesus was there to accomplish. They wanted freedom from the nation of Rome who was oppressing them. Jesus, however, brought a different type of salvation that they did not expect (salvation from sins).
Jesus is in Jerusalem.
Lets, get a timeline going:
Sunday = arrival to Jerusalem
Monday = clears the temple from money changers
Tuesday = Jesus talks with people and shares some parables
Wednesday = Nothing in scripture recorded
Thursday night/Early Friday Morning = The Last supper where Jesus washes His disciples feet and gives them an example for serving and loving one another (we talked about this a few weeks ago). Jesus also talks to His disciples and comforts them for what is going to happen - He promises that He will send the Holy Spirit to be with them and help them when He is gone. (my mom should have talked about some of this stuff with you last week). The Holy Spirit is the mark and seal that someone is saved and is going to Heaven. If you know Christ, the Holy Spirit is what convicts you to do right, teaches you and helps you to understand the Bible, guides your decisions etc.
This is also where our story picks up today. Jesus finishes talking with His disciples and then takes them to the garden of Gethsemane. (at the base of the mount of olives). (Show pictures of this place and also the Kidron valley which Jesus crossed to get to the mount of Olives). He prays here to God knowing what is about to happen to Him. Scripture even describes that He is sweating blood because of the agony going on within Him (not just death, but also having to take on the wrath of God for the sins of the whole world! Thats a lot of sin!).
Read John 18: 1-11
When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. So he asked them again, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”
Explain what just happened.
Show pictures of people falling when Jesus said that He is “I AM”
Now Jesus has been arrested is going on trial before the Jewish people first. Jesus goes through quiet a few trials/judgements.
He was taken to Annas the high priest’s father-in-law
Then he was taken to Caiphas the high priest (read John 8:12-24)
Peter then makes his 3 denials of knowing Jesus.By the third denial, this is what happens: Luke 22:61
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.”
Peter goes away and weeps bitterly because of what had happened.
Do you remember that Jesus said that this very thing would happen? John 13:38
Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.
Into Friday morning at this point:
Jesus now brought before Pilate the Governor for trial
Why? because the Jews were not allowed to put someone to death for their crimes. The romans had to do it for them.
Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
Read John 19:1-30
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin.”
From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.
So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am King of the Jews.’ ” Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.”
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, so they said to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be.” This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,
“They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots.”
So the soldiers did these things, but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Pilate wanted to release Him, but the people were insistent that He be crucified. The same city which had welcomed Him in on Sunday were now less than a week later screaming for Him to be crucified.
Pilate hands Him over and Jesus is both physically beat (whipped, slapped, etc.) and mocked as they put the crown of thorns and purple robe on Him. How terrible that the actual Savior of the people was mockingly treated like a fake and beat nearly so extremely.
Jesus was then made to carry His own cross. We also see in another gospel account that Jesus only makes it a certain distance and then they make a traveler help Him carry the cross the rest of the way. This is how weak Jesus was at this point after the physical beatings He endured.
Jesus crucified. Prophecy fulfilled.
***Use the book page 152 to explain what happened in order of events while Jesus was on the cross and what happened after***
Finish John 19 by reading vs 31-42. Remind them that this Sunday will be the “triumphal entry of Jesus” into Jerusalem. So next week is when all these events took place about 2,000 years ago.
John Chapter 20 and 21
John Chapter 20 and 21
John 20 (ESV)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”
3 So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb.
4 Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.
5 And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there,
7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;
9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.
12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.
13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”
14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
We are blessed when we believe and don’t physically see Jesus before us! This is called Faith!
This book was written so that we may believe!!!
John Chapter 21 - Peter’s Public Restoration
John Chapter 21 - Peter’s Public Restoration
Review from last week. Jesus was crucified, buried and risen. Meets Mary and she doesn’t recognize Him. He sees His disciples, but Thomas was not there and he refused to believe unless he saw and touched Jesus for Himself. Well Jesus allowed Him to.... Blessed are those who believe w/o seeing!!!
What was the theme statement for why John wrote about all of this?
Do you all believe these things?
Today we get a glimpse of Jesus’ 3rd re-appearance to His disciples.
1 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.
2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.”
6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish.
7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.
8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.”
11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish.
14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?”
21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!”
23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Okay, I want to break this down into a few sections so that we can really understand what is going on here.
We see that the disciples are back in Galilee and Jesus had told them to go there because He would see them there.
Peter is familiar with fishing and he desires to go out and to do some while they are waiting in Galilee. I don’t know if this is because Peter felt useless after having denied Christ or if he was unconfident in moving forward with ministry in relation to Christ? Was it right or wrong for Peter to return to his former occupation after he had been specifically called out from it by Jesus? I lean towards believing it was wrong. I think that perhaps it had something to do with a wrong motive to return to something familiar after having fallen short to Jesus.
It is important, however, to note that Jesus and Peter had already likely met and dealt with his sin of 3x denials. 1 Cor. 15:5 and Luke 24:34 both hint that Jesus met up separately with Peter.
Although this sin was likely already dealt with between Peter and Jesus themselves, this was also a public sin. Public sin should be dealt with publicly, and private sin should be dealt with privately. Here, Jesus asks Peter 3x if he loves Him. 3 public denials and 3 public affirmations.
I also want to mention that a lot of the events going on likely reminded Peter of previous things that had taken place. Luke 5:1-11 describes the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry when Jesus allows Peter to perform a miraculous catch of fish after not catching anything all night long. Then he tells Peter that he will now be fishing for men! And Peter leaves behind these things and follows Jesus. Fast forward about 3 years or so and Peter is back fishing and hadn’t caught anything all night. A man tells him to cast his net to the other side and then they are overflowing with fish. Talking about “deja-vu”!!! Jesus then tells him again: You, follow me!!!
Another similarity may be when peter shows up to shore and finds Jesus with fish cooking and loaves of bread ready to have breakfast with His disciples. This likely reminded Peter of the feeding of the 5,000. Finally, the Bible is specific enough to mention that Jesus was cooking with a charcoal fire (John 21:9). Similarly, Peter was warming his hands by a charcoal fire outside of Jesus’ trial where he denies even knowing Him (John 18:18).
Why would this be significant to mention? Charcoal has a distinct smell when being burned. The sense of smell is the most linked sense to memory. When we smell a certain food or a certain drink, we often have either good or bad memories associated with them (mention the oregano essential oil). Here, we can only imagine if this charcoal fire would have brought back the painful memory of Peter denying that he knew Jesus and then Jesus looking out from His trial and looking right at Peter.
I think these are all significant details that when compiled together are going to help Peter finally move forward and essentially “get back on the horse” with Jesus’ ministry. Reminded of past miracles and failures, and now empowered to move forward in the will of God for his life. Notice that Jesus the Good Shepherd uses the word “sheep” or “lambs” to refer to other Christians who follow Jesus! It would be Peter’s responsibility to watch over and help lead the church of God. Thats what pastors do today as well. Pastors are often referred to as shepherds.
The book of Acts goes on to explain in detail that Peter became a very bold speaker and pastor for Jesus’ people!
Notice also, what is the driving point or motivation that would cause Peter to follow Jesus? In order to shepherd the sheep, Peter needed to do something…or have something…Jesus asks Him 3x about this: Do You Love Me?
John tells us in his letter that those who love God will obey Him! (John 14:21)
Do you love God? Then it should be demonstrated in your life by obeying Him!
Jesus desire people who love Him and are willing to follow Him! If you are willing to do these things, Jesus can transform and change your life in so many wonderful ways that you cannot even imagine. I mean, look at Peter. He was a fisherman (not the most prestigious job) and yet he became one of the most influential men in the course of Church history!!!
Finally, John closes the letter to remind his audience that this letter was not an all-inclusive look at Jesus’ life. There were so many other miracles and events that Jesus did. If they were all recorded in detail, it would require such an endless supply of books to write them all down! So John specifically shared what he did so that people might come to know Jesus and also believe that they may have life everlasting!!!
Thats the end of the book of John!!!