John

65 AD
@2010

4 books of the Gospels / focus:

Matthew- Jesus as the Messiah of Israel / what Jesus said
Mark- Jesus as the obedient servant / what Jesus did
Luke- Jesus being the Son of Man / how Jesus felt
John- Jesus deity as Christ as the son of God / who Jesus was

Stylist:
Matthew- Groupings
Mark- Snapshot
Luke- Narrative and is most complete of all of the gospels.
John- Supernatural

The gospel of John is far different than the other gospels. John
mentions Christ 247 times, more than any other gospel writer.
The first three (synoptic) gospels focus on the human facts,
John on the divine. The synoptic gospels focus on the Galilean
ministry, and John focuses on the Judean ministries (near
Jerusalem). John’s gospel was written last so he assumes the
readers are familiar with the other three gospels.

OUTLINE
John 1- Introduction
John 2-12- Ministry to the world
John 13-17- Upper Room discourse
John 18-21- Climax

John’s gospel covers 3 1/2 years of Christ’s ministries. The

last 10 of the 21 chapters (1/2 of the book) focuses on Jesus’
last week. 1/3 of the verses focus on one 24 hour period. There
are all sorts of subtle ties in John’s gospel in the use of
words and structure that this book could be a lifetime study.

Arthur W. Pink believes the gospel of John is organized around 7

miracles, 7 discourses and 7 I Am statements. The order of the
miracles portrays the spiritual history of Israel.

7 miracles in John
1. Water into wine incident from Cana (John 2)
2. Healing of the Official’s son (John 4)
3. Restoring of the invalid man at the pool (John 5)
4. Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6)
5. Walking on the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
6. Gave sight to the blind man (John 9)
7. Raising of Lazarus (John 11)

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 John
Table of Contents

John 1- The Word becomes Flesh, John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah, John Testifies
About Jesus, John’s Disciples Follow Jesus, Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael 4-6

John 2- Jesus Changes Water to Wine, Jesus Clears the Temple Courts 6-8

John 3- Jesus Teaches Nicodemus, John Testifies Again about Jesus 8-9

John 4- Jesus Talks With a Samarian Woman, The Disciples Rejoin Jesus, Jesus Heals an
Official’s Son 10

John 5- The Healing at the Pool, The Authority of the Son, Testimonies about Jesus 10-12

John 6- Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand, Jesus Walks on Water, Jesus the Bread of Life, Many
Disciples Desert Jesus 12-14

John 7- Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus Teaches at the Feast, Division Over Who
Jesus Is, Unbelief of Jewish Leaders 14-16

John 8- Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony, Dispute Over Who Jesus Is, Dispute Over Whose
Children Jesus’ Opponents Are, Jesus Claims About Himself 16-17

John 9- Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind, The Pharisees Investigate the Healing, Spiritual Blindness

18-19
John 10- The Good Shepherd and His Sheep, Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims
19-21
John 11- The Death of Lazarus, Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus, Jesus Raises Lazarus from
the Dead, The Plot to Kill Jesus 22-24

John 12- Jesus Anointed at Bethany, Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as a King, Jesus Predicts His
Death, Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews 25-29

John 13- Jesus Washes His Disciples Feet, Jesus Predicts His Betrayal, Jesus Predicts Peter’s
Denial 29-31

John 14- Jesus Comforts His Disciples, Jesus The Way to the Father, Jesus Promises the Holy
Spirit 31-33

John 15- The Vine and The Branches, The World Hated Disciples, The Work of the Holy Spirit

33-35
John 16- Jesus Warning, The Holy Spirit Promised, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection Foretold,
Prayer Promises 35-36

John 17- Jesus Prays to be Glorified, Jesus Prays for His Disciples, Jesus Prays for All Believers

36-38
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John 18- Jesus Arrested, Peter’s First Denial, The High Priest Questions Jesus, Peter’s Second and
Third Denials, Jesus Before Pilate 38-41

John 19- Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified, The Crucifixion of Jesus, The Death of Jesus, The Burial
of Jesus 41-44

John 20- The Empty Tomb, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene, Jesus Appears to His Disciples,
Jesus Appears to Thomas, The Purpose of John’s Gospel 44-46

John 21- Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish, Jesus 46-47

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John 1
 The Word becomes Flesh, John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah,
John Testifies About Jesus, John’s Disciples Follow Jesus, Jesus Calls
Philip and Nathanael

In John 1 John the Baptist introduces Jesus as the Lamb of God.

The Lamb of God is a Jewish title and he is our Passover Lamb.
John starts in verse 1, in the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jehovah’s Witnesses
teach that Jesus Christ is not the Creator God but a lesser
created angel (Michael). Reviewing verse one, the Word was with
God (the Father) and God (the Son) was the Word. This
understanding, consistent with the rest of Scripture, eliminates
any contradiction of multiple gods. There is only one God,
revealed in a plurality of persons. The Jehovah’s Witnesses do
not have a solution to that alleged contradiction. John
continues, he (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. Through him was life, and that life was the light of all
mankind. Here John is mentioning Jesus is the creator of the
universe. John 1 has some interesting parallels to Genesis 1.
Both Genesis 1 and John 1 start with the phrase, in the
beginning. The Lord made everything. The creation, resurrection
and the redemption are ascribed to all three members of the
trinity in different places. Jesus Christ the creator is
something to focus on. He made the earth, the angels, anything.

Creation of the universe is ascribed to all 3 members of the Trinity

To the Father- I, the Lord, am the maker of all things, stretching out the heavens
by myself. And spreading out the earth all alone. - Isaiah 44:24.

To the Son- The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all
creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible
and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have
been created through him and for him. – Colossians 1:15-17. Also, John 1:3 verse.
See notes.

To The Spirit- The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me
life. -Job 33:4.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
overcome it. Jesus will echo the expression through the gospel
that he is the light of the world. There was a man sent from God
whose name was John (John The Baptist). John the Baptist was the
last prophet and he essentially closes the Old Testament- (Luke
16:16). He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,
so that through him all might believe. Two spots in the Old
Testament talk about this messenger leading the way prior to the
Messiah. I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.
Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the
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messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD
Almighty. – Malachi 3:1. We also find regarding a prophecy on John
the Baptist: A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for
the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.- Isaiah 40:3.
Malachi and Isaiah are referring to John the Baptist. Next John
mentions the phrase where he says, Jesus is the light. He came
to that which was his own (the Jews), but his own did not
receive him. We need to recognize when that the Jewish
leadership is what caused Israel to be disenfranchised of
Christ’s first coming. John continues, yet to all who did
receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God- children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of
God. The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among
us. Nobody has seen God the Father, but he became flesh in Jesus
Christ. Then John the Baptist testifies concerning Jesus saying
that Jesus is the one who he testified about. John the Baptist
said that he who comes after me has surpassed me because he was
before me. John is saying even though Jesus is younger than John
the Baptist (by 5 months), he actually is before him. He is
making reference to Christ’s preexistence. From Luke 1, John the
Baptist was 5 months older than Jesus Christ. Elizabeth was John
the Baptist mother and a cousin of Mary and the wife of a priest
named Zechariah. We can by looking at the Jewish calendar
determine John’s birthday to be on April 19th or 20th, 2BC which
incidentally was Passover on that year. John began his ministry
on the 15th of Tiberius Caesar and confirms an April 2BC
birthday for John. By using these calculations, Jesus might have
been born in the fall on the Feast of Trumpets in 2BC or around
September 29th. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and
Levites to ask whom John the Baptist was. John the Baptist said
he was not the Messiah. The Levites and priests asked him if he
was Elijah or ‘the prophet’ (Moses), and John tells them no.
John then testifies about Jesus. When John saw Jesus passing by,
he said, look, the Lamb of God! The Lamb of God is a strange
title. What kind of lamb? Passover lamb. Jesus first public
appearance highlights the fact that his destiny is to die as a
sacrifice. This is an illusion to Genesis 22 when Abraham
offered Isaac. Abraham and Isaac go up the hill and Isaac asks
him where is the lamb? Abraham responds to Isaac that God will
provide himself a lamb- an interesting phrase. 2000 years later
on that very spot, another Father offers his own son as an
offering for sin and that what John the Baptist here is alluding
to. John the Baptist then baptizes Jesus. John says, I saw the
Spirit come down from heaven as a dove. John doesn’t go into
much detail of the baptism as Matthew did from Matthew 3. After
the baptism Jesus starts immediately assembling his disciples.
Then two of John the Baptist’s disciples follow Jesus- Andrew
and John. Then Andrew recruits his brother Simon Peter and told
him we found the Messiah. John then recruits his brother James.
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We know from the synoptic gospels that Peter, James, John and
Andrew were the first four disciples. Jesus then calls Philip
and Nathanael. When Jesus meets Nathanael (Bartholomew), he
greets him and says, I saw you under the fig tree before Phillip
called you. Nathaniel then tells Jesus he is the son of God.
Jesus responds, you will see greater things than what happened
under the fig tree, and you will see heaven open, and the angels
of God ascending and descending on the son of Man.

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that
has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all
mankind. – John 1:1-4

 He was in the world, and though the world was made through
him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was
his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did
receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God— children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of
God. – John 1:10-13

 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ. – John 1:17

 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is
himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has
made him known. – John 1:18

John 2
 Jesus Changes Water to Wine, Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

John 2 starts with Jesus’ first miracle- turning water in wine

at a wedding ceremony in Cana on the third day. Jesus turned
water into wine by using 6 empty jars of stone. Jesus’ mother
and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the
wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, they have no more
wine. Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied, my hour has
not yet come. His mother said to the servants, do whatever he
tells you and Jesus turned water into wine. What Jesus did here
in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he
revealed his glory. Jesus’ first miracle turned water into wine
and nobody knew what happened except for the disciples and the
servants. It’s like a miracle that happened behind the scenes.
John also mentions this wedding took place on the third day.
What is the relevance of the third day for this miracle? John is
a Jew and in Genesis 1 (Sunday) receives a blessing, but day 2
(Monday) does not, and day 3 (Tuesday) receives a double
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blessing. So if you are Jewish, you get married on a Tuesday
because it is the day of the double blessing. Jewish weddings
are held on Tuesday if practical. John also never mentions Mary
by name, but instead the mother of Jesus. However Joseph doesn’t
appear anywhere. When Jesus refers to his mother as “woman”, it
is not a derogatory term like we might read in the English and
it is not a rebuke. Some Protestant commentators have a field
day with the term. The words he spoke to her are tender and
respectful. “Woman” is also the title that Mary bears that was
announced to Adam and Eve. God declared war on Satan in Genesis
chapter 3: And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring (seed) and hers; he will crush your head, and you
will strike his heel.” – Genesis 3:15. Out of that passage comes the
first Messianic prophecy and also one of the first titles of
Jesus Christ- the Seed of the Woman. Mary was the culmination of
that promise. Jesus is thirty years of age when he’s at the
wedding. Jesus says eight times in the gospel of John, “my hour
has not yet come”. The water to wine is Jesus’ first miracle and
we know this because John tells us. We also discover here in
John 2:12 and in other places in the Bible, Jesus had brothers.
Jesus’ mother was listed first, then his brothers and then the
disciples. In Matthew’s gospel, he names Jesus’ brothers: “Isn’t
this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his
brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? -Matthew 13:55. Paul
mentions by name one of Jesus’ brothers in Galatians: I saw none
of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother- Galatians 1:19. James
and Jude also wrote books in the Bible yet they did not believe
in him until after the resurrection. James became the chairman
of the counsel in Acts 15. John also makes it a point to mention
the jars are made of stone, are empty and that there are six of
them. Six is the number of man and is incomplete- seven is
complete. The jars are not made of gold or silver and they are
empty. What does that resemble? It resembles you and I. Before
we are filled with Christ, we are stone and empty. It is only
after Christ that we are filled. When we accept Christ and it is
the beginning of many great miracles in our life. The private
life is now over, and he’s on his program and now he begins to
assert himself into the role of the Messiah publicly. When it
was almost time for Passover, Jesus then clears the Temple
Courts at Passover (Matthew 21, Luke 19). In the temple courts
he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others
sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of
cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and
cattle; he scattered the coins of money changers and overturned
their tables. He said, get these out of here! Stop turning my
Father’s house into a market! The outer court here was supposed
to be a place of mediation and place of worship. The outer court
was a place the Jews could witness to Gentiles. Jesus drives
them out. Solomon, Ezra, Nehemiah when speaking of the Temple

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never referenced the Temple as Jesus did- “my Father’s house”.
The Jewish leaders responded to him, what sign can you show us
to prove your authority to do all this? Jesus answered them,
destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.
There is that third day again. The Jews respond, it has taken
forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise
it in three days? But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many
people saw the signs he was performing and believed his name.
But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all
people.

 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs
through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in
him. After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and
brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days. –
John 2:11:12.

John 3
 Jesus Teaches Nicodemus, John Testifies Again about Jesus

John 3 is the one thousandth chapter of the Bible. John

introduces us to a Pharisee named Nicodemus who was a member of
the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus was a professional Pharisee
and he kept the law. He was one of the four richest men in
Jerusalem. If there was any guy that had it all, it was
Nicodemus. He wasn’t a guy who was wealthy and abandoned
religion, he was as religious as you can get and was as
prominent as you can imagine. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night
and said to Jesus that he came from God. For no one could
perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus
replied, verily, verily I tell you, no one can see the kingdom
of God unless they are born again. Nicodemus asked, How can
someone be born when they are old? Surely they cannot enter a
second time into their mother’s womb to be born! Jesus answered,
verily, verily I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God
unless they are born of water and the Spirit. John uses water as
a metaphor. Water signifies cleansing. In John 4, Jesus refers
to himself as the Living Water. Paul looks at cleansing through
water in Ephesians: to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with
water through the word- Ephesians 5:26. John continues, flesh gives
birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should
not be surprised at my saying, ‘you’ must be born again. The
wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you
cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is
with everyone born of the Spirit. How can this be? Nicodemus
asked. You are Israel’s teacher, said Jesus, and you do not
understand these things? I have spoken to you of earthly things
and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of
heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one
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who came from heaven- the son of Man. Jesus is probably pointing
out that no one from earth has ever gone up to heaven and come
down again; the Son, who has come down from heaven, is the only
one who has been ‘up’ there. There is another conjecture that
some believe that since no one as of this time in history, that
is, the time of Christ, no one had entered into heaven. The Old
Testament believers instead went to Paradise when they died, but
this is another conjecture. John continues, for God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes
in him shall not perish but have eternal life. This verse is the
most popular Bible verse for a reason. It says it all. For God
did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to
save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already
because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only
Son. Then John the Baptist again testifies about Jesus. John
again says, I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him. The
one who comes from heaven is above all; the one who is from
earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.
The one who comes from heaven is above all. Whoever has accepted
it has certified that God is truthful. For the one whom God has
sent speaks the words of God, for God, gives the Spirit without
limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his
hands. Whomever believes in the Son has eternal life, but
whomever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath
remains on them. That’s a heavy verse.

 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom
of God unless they are born again. – John 3:3

 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. –
John 3:5

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life. – John 3:16

 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does

not believe stands condemned already because they have not
believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. – John 3:18

 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects
the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. –
John 3:36

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John 4
 Jesus Talks With a Samarian Woman, The Disciples Rejoin Jesus, Jesus
Heals an Official’s Son

Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was
gaining in popularity and baptizing more disciplines than John-
although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his
disciples. So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Jesus has a talk with a Samarian (Gentile) woman at the well
when he asks her if he could take a drink. Jews treated Gentiles
much like whites treated blacks in the old south, so she was
surprised he spoke to her. Jesus tells the woman she once had
five husbands and she started to believe. The woman told the
town that Jesus told her everything she ever did, and asked if
he was the Messiah. Many Samarians start to believe, not just
because of what she said, but because they heard for themselves.
Jesus spoke to the woman seven times at the well, while she
spoke to him six. More interesting evidence of design and the
Holy Spirit has engineered every detail here. Then Jesus leaves
for Galilee. The Galileans welcomed him. Jesus visited Cana in
Galilee one more time. A royal official had a son who lay sick
at Capernaum. The man begged Jesus to heal his son. Jesus said,
go, your son will live and the man took Jesus at his word and
departed. While he was on his way home, his servants met him
with the news that his boy was living. Then the father realized
that this was the exact time the boy was better was when Jesus
had said to him, “Your son will live”. So he and his whole
household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed
coming from Judea to Galilee. These events in John are the only
significant comments in John’s gospel in the Galilean ministry.
Most of John’s gospel focuses on Jesus in the Judean ministry.

John 5
 The Healing at the Pool, The Authority of the Son, Testimonies about
Jesus

Many regard John 5 as the key chapter for the entire gospel.
Jesus went to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals and
comes across a disabled person in Bethesda who had been an
invalid for thirty-eight years. Jesus cured the man on the
Sabbath and he could now pick up is mat and walk. Since it was
the Sabbath the Jewish leaders had a problem with the man
carrying the mat. Jesus had already slipped away from the crowd,
and when the Jewish leaders confronted the man about carrying
the mat on the Sabbath, he responded the man who made me well
told him to do it. The Jewish leaders asked this man who cured
him, but the man did not know. Later Jesus found this man at the
temple and reminded him he was well again and asked him to stop
sinning. The man then told the Jewish leaders it was Jesus who
cured him. Because Jesus was curing people on the Sabbath, the
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Jewish leaders began to persecute him. Here is a guy who healed
a man who was crippled for 38 years, and his reward is that the
Jewish leaders would be plotting to kill him. They will continue
to oppose him for 1 1/2 to 2 years from this verse before they
are successful in killing him. If they are upset about Jesus
breaking the Sabbath, they will really be upset by the end of
the chapter. There is one other spot in the Bible that
references 38 years. 38 years is the number of years at Mount
Sinai (Deuteronomy 2:14). These 38 years is a graphic picture of
Israel- blind. Israel was wandering in the wilderness for 38
years, and here this invalid man was paralyzed for 38 years.
Both Israel and the invalid were incapable of healing
themselves. This is a lesson we can apply to ourselves. We need
to trust with Lord Jesus Christ and he is our miracle. Before we
chose him, he chose us. There were two groups that would
persecute Jesus: The Pharisees (legalists) and the Sadducees
(didn’t believe in the resurrection). John then discusses the
authority of the Son. The Jewish leadership gets especially
upset with Jesus when he mentions God as “my Father”. Making
himself equal to God. This is blasphemy in their minds, and as a
result, they want Christ crucified. Jesus responds, verily,
verily I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do
only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father
does the Son also does. What Jesus is saying there is no
variance between the Father and the Son. It’s that
straightforward. The Father has given the Son the authority to
judge. Jesus then discusses how his testimony is supported by
his Father. Jesus says, for the works that the Father has given
me to finish- the very works that I am doing- testify that the
Father has sent me. The works here are the Messianic works.
Daniel 9:24-27 is a great example of these works. In these four
verses Gabriel gives Daniel a mathematical prophecy. What
Gabriel is telling Daniel is that there will be 173,880 days
from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah. Jesus on
that 173,880th day, for the first time allows himself to be
worshipped. Up to that day he won’t let it happen. Jesus rides
the donkey into Jerusalem and he weeps because Israel doesn’t
recognize the day of its visitation. It was the exact day that
Gabriel predicted. Jesus on the Mount of Olives for the
Transfiguration points Peter, James, John and Andrew back to
Daniel 9 as the key to end-time prophecy. John also among others
has been sent and testified about Christ. The Father has also
testified about Christ through the scriptures. Jesus says, you
study the scriptures diligently because you think that in them
you have eternal life. These are the very scriptures that
testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. But
do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser
is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you
would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not
believe what he wrote, how are you to believe what I say? The

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Pharisees venerated Moses more than any other. Jesus points out
the writings of Moses is what will accuse them. Jesus quotes
from each of the five books of Moses and quotes from Deuteronomy
more than other book in the Bible.

 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can
do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father
doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. –
John 5:19

 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted 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. – John 5:22

 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him
who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has
crossed over from death to life. – John 5:24

 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in

them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that
testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. –
John 5:39:40

John 6
 Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand, Jesus Walks on Water, Jesus the Bread of
Life, Many Disciples Desert Jesus

John 6 is the longest chapter in the gospel of John with 71

verses. It also covers a period of about 24 hours and occurs
about a year after John 5. It will include the first of Jesus’
seven “I am” statements. In Exodus 3 when Moses was before the
burning bush, Jesus said, “I am”. Jesus starts John 6 by
crossing the Sea of Galilee (Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd
of people followed him because they saw the signs he had
performed by healing the sick. Jesus went up on the mountainside
and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival
was near. Simon Peter’s brother Andrew then introduces a small
boy to Christ. This little boy has five loaves of bread and 2
fish. Every time we see Andrew he is introducing someone to
Jesus Christ. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and
distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He
did the same with the fish. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only
pre-crucifixion miracle covered in all four gospels. Jesus fed
the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This unlike Cana
was a very public, and broadly viewed miracle. This is just
another example that God throughout the scriptures makes use of
little things for miracles. David and Goliath is a classic
example where David used one stone to knock down Goliath. This
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is encouraging because God can use me and prefers to use the
little things. After the people saw the sign Jesus performed,
they began to ask if Jesus was a prophet? Jesus’ disciples in
the evening then go down to the lake and get on a boat and sail
across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark and there was
a strong wind blowing. When the disciples rowed out about three
or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on
water; and they were frightened. What we don’t pick up in the
John account, but you do in the Matthew account (Matthew 14:22)
was that Jesus insisted they get into the boat and go. We also
learn from the Matthew account that Peter became pretty excited
and when he saw Jesus, and ended up walking on water to him.
Peter then began to sink and became afraid. As long as Peter had
his eye focused on Jesus, he was in good shape. The minute he
started looking at the circumstances, he sunk. If we can all
just remember to keep our eyes always focused on Jesus. In the
Mark account, we learn that Jesus can see them, he could see
them and the disciples were fatigued. After Jesus walks on water
to the boat, he joins the disciples. The next day the crowds
went to Capernaum to search for Jesus. The crowd in Capernaum
then ask Jesus, what must we do to do the work God requires?
Jesus answers, the work of God is this: to believe in the one he
has sent. If we have a tendency towards legalism or get caught
up in some “requirement”, remember this verse. The work of God
to believe in the one he has sent. The law says don’t do this,
don’t do that- grace however says, it’s done. They then ask him,
what sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?
They just saw 5,000 men fed from 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish,
and they are asking about signs and references bread that Moses
gave the Jews. Jesus tells them it was the Father, not Moses who
gave them the bread. Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of
life. This is the first of the seven “I am” statements. For my
Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes
in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the
last day. The Jews there began to grumble because he said, I am
the bread that came down from heaven. They responded that he is
the son of Joseph and father and mother we know. How can he now
say, I came down from heaven? Jesus told them to stop grumbling
among yourselves and he said no one can come to me unless the
Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up the last
day. Verily, verily I tell you, the one who believes has eternal
life. I am the bread of life. Whoever eats this bread will live
forever. This bread if my flesh, which I will give for the life
of the world. Then the Jews began to argue sharply among
themselves, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Jesus
said to them, verily, verily I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink the blood, you have no life in
you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise them up the last day. Some of his disciples
became confused about what Jesus was teaching and some of his

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disciples decided not to follow him anymore. You do not want to
leave too, do you? Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered
him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal
life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy
One of God. Then Jesus replied, have I not chosen you, the
Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil! He meant Judas Iscariot, who
was of the Twelve, was later to betray him.

 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God

requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe
in the one he has sent.” – John 6:28-29

 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to

me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never
be thirsty. – John 6:35

 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and
believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at
the last day.” – John 6:40

 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God;
only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who
believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. – John 6:46-48

 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in
you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,
and I will raise them up at the last day. – John 6:53-54

John 7
 Jesus Goes to the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus Teaches at the Feast,
Division Over Who Jesus Is, Unbelief of Jewish Leaders

Jesus was still in Galilee and was not yet ready to move to
Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to
kill him. But when the Feast of Tabernacles was near, Jesus’
brothers said to him, leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that
your disciples there may see the works you do. The Feast of
Tabernacles takes place for seven days. It takes place sometime
between late September and late October. For seven days their
goal is to remind them of the wandering in the wilderness for
those 40 years. They construct a facility and live in what is
like a tent for the seven days. John continues, for even his own
brothers did not believe him. Therefore Jesus told them, my time
is not yet here. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me
because I testify that its works are evil. John tells us that
Jesus’ brothers did not believe he was the Messiah. For even his
own brothers did not believe in him. – John 7:5. In Matthew’s gospel,

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Jesus brothers are named. (Matthew 13:53-56.) In John’s gospel
Jesus’ brothers are suggesting their brother Jesus to go
Jerusalem; as they are taunting him or challenging him on who
some are saying he is. The verse also confirms that these
brothers are not disciples, and don’t follow Christ. Basically
his brothers were saying to put your money where your mouth is.
Jesus told his brothers to attend the Feast of Tabernacles, and
that he was going to stay back in Galilee because his time has
not yet come. His hour will be when he rides the donkey into
Jerusalem from Zechariah 9:9. However after his brothers went to
the Festival, he went also, not publicly but in secret. At the
festival, the Jewish leaders were looking for Jesus. Some of the
Jews were saying he was a good man, and others were saying he
deceives the people. Not until halfway through the festival did
Jesus go the temple courts and being to teach. So Jesus begins
to preach and around day 4 at the Feast of Tabernacles. This is
also about a year and a half after Jesus healed the invalid man
at the pool in Bethesda. Some of the Jews were amazed at Jesus’
teaching and he tells them it comes from the Father. Jesus then
asks them, why are you trying to kill me? They said he was
demon-possessed. Jesus then speaks of legalism and how
circumcision is an exception to it. Jesus discusses how a boy
can be circumcised on the Sabbath, but it’s illegal to heal
someone on the Sabbath. At that point some of the people of
Jerusalem began to ask, isn’t this the man they are trying to
kill? Then Jesus cried out, yes, you know me, and you know where
I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me
is true. Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said,
when the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this
man? On the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles,
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, let anyone who is thirsty
come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has
said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this
he meant the Spirit. Up to that time the Spirit had not been
given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. On hearing his
words, some of the people said, surely, this man is the Prophet.
They are probably referring to Deuteronomy 18:14 or Malachi 4:5
where Moses or Elijah would be raised up. Others believed he was
the Messiah. Still others asked, how can this Messiah come from
Galilee? Does not the Scripture say that the Messiah will come
from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where
David lived? However Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would
minister in Galilee even though he would be born in Bethlehem.
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In
the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the
future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond
the Jordan. – Isaiah 9:1. Micah predicts he would be born in
Bethlehem. But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among
the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over
Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” – Micah 5:2. Thus
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the people were divided because of Jesus. Some wanted to seize
him, but no one laid a hand on him. Finally the temple guards
went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they asked
the guards, why didn’t you bring him in? The guards replied, no
one has ever spoke the way this man does. The Pharisees
responded, you mean you were deceived also? Nicodemus who had
gone to Jesus earlier and one of their own (Pharisee) asked,
does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out
what he has been doing? They replied, are you from Galilee too?
Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out
of Galilee. The Pharisees were wrong about no prophets coming
from Galilee. Both Jonah and Nahum came from Galilee.

 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so

that your disciples there may see the works you do. No one who
wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are
doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his
own brothers did not believe in him. – John 7:6-9

John 8
 Dispute Over Jesus’ Testimony, Dispute Over Who Jesus Is, Dispute Over
Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are, Jesus Claims About Himself

John 8 is a chapter where we begin to see our “Sunday school

Jesus” have a change in tone. This chapter focuses completely on
the Pharisees disputing who Jesus is. The Pharisees and the Lord
themselves take off the gloves and will go at it. At the
beginning of John 8, we are six months from the cross. John 8
starts with the Jewish leadership trying to stone a sinful
woman, but it ends with the same group of characters attempting
to stone a sinless Messiah. Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
At dawn he appeared in the temple courts, and he sat down to
teach them. The teachers of the law and Pharisees brought in a
woman caught in adultery and they brought her before Jesus and
asked his opinion. The Pharisees told Christ that the Law of
Moses commanded us to stone such women, and they wanted his
opinion. One question to ask ourselves as we get into this story
is where is the man? Both parties are guilty of adultery, and
both should be stoned, but the guy is nowhere to be found. The
Jews just finished up the Feast of Tabernacles where there is a
temptation for foolishness. We also need to realize that we are
all in her shoes, not in the adultery sense, but we are all
guilty of sin. The Pharisees were using this question as a way
to trap Jesus. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the
ground with a finger. Where is the first place we find Jesus
writing in the scripture? The 10 commandments were written by
the finger of God. The same finger of God is writing in the
ground. When the Pharisees kept on questioning our Lord, he
straightened up and said to them, let any one of you who is
without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. Again he
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stooped down and wrote on the ground. They are started to walk
away until only Jesus and the woman were left. Jesus
straightened up and asked her if anyone is condemning her? She
said, No one sir. Jesus said, then neither do I condemn you. Go
now and leave your life of sin. When Jesus spoke again to the
people, he said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me
will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.
The Pharisees challenge him on who he is and Jesus responds that
he knows where is from and where he is going. Jesus then says, I
stand with the Father, who sent me. Then they asked him, where
is your father? You do not know me or my Father, Jesus replied.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also. Jesus tells them
that if God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come
here from God. The Jews accused him of being demon-possessed.
Jesus said he wasn’t possessed by demons and that whomever obeys
his words will never see death. They responded that they now
knew Jesus was demon possessed because Abraham died and so did
the prophets, yet you claim whoever obeys your word will never
die. The Jews asked Jesus is he was greater than their father
Abraham? Jesus responds that Abraham rejoiced at the thought of
seeing my day; he saw it and was glad. You are not yet fifty
years old, they said to him, and you have seen Abraham! Jesus
answered, verily, verily I tell you, before Abraham was born, I
am! This “I am” statement isn’t just an interesting play on
words. In order to understand this, we should understand Exodus
3 at the burning bush: Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites
and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask
me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I
AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent
me to you.’” – Exodus 3:13-14. Jesus is declaring that he is the
voice of the burning bush not only by his “I am” statement, but
that even before Moses, Jesus says he saw Abraham. If we are
unclear at what Jesus is saying with the “I am” statement, we
just have to look for the Pharisees to let us know they are
offended. Their anger is demonstrated by the next verse. Then
they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself,
slipping away from the temple grounds. If Jesus wasn’t stating
he was the voice of the burning bush, then why are the Pharisees
so angry? It’s because they understand that Jesus claims that he
is the voice from Exodus 3. They are so upset that they are
going to stone Jesus for blasphemy. We know whenever the
Pharisees are upset it is because of something important. The
grammar in the Greek also suggests that they already started to
stone Jesus.

 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to
my teaching, you are really my disciples. – John 8:31

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  “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was
born, I am!” – John 8:58
John 9
 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind, The Pharisees Investigate the Healing,
Spiritual Blindness

John 9 is a continuation of John 8 where the Pharisees question

who Jesus is. As Jesus he went along, he saw a man blind from
birth. His disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or
his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus responds that it
happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. The
predicament of the blind man is the same problem we all have.
That’s why John 9 is so extremely significant. The blind man is
the natural man. Jesus spit and made some mud with saliva. He
had the blind man rub it in his eyes, and the man could then
see. His neighbors asked how he could now see? He responded that
Jesus cured his blindness. What all of us need to do is to put
ourselves in the blind man’s shoes. All of us are blind since
birth and beyond the help of man. We have nothing without
Christ. The Pharisees investigated the miracle and they did not
believe the man had been blind. They question the man and he
tells them he was blind but can now see and he asked them if
they wanted to become his disciples too? They hurled insults at
the man saying they are disciples of Moses. They still did not
believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until
they sent for the man’s parents. The man’s parents however were
afraid of the Jewish leaders. They confirmed their son was blind
but were afraid to answer their questions. The man who was
blindness was cured basically tells the Pharisees that this guy
cured his blindness, and you don’t even know where he is from
and that they have not done their homework. The man adds, we
know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the
godly person who does his will. If this man were not from God,
he could do nothing. They then threw this man was thrown out of
the synagogue. This demonstrates the arrogant are un-teachable.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians: For the foolishness of God is wiser than
human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
– 1 Corinthians 1:25. The foolishness of God is one of the strangest
phrases in literature and to put that phrase together takes some
guts. God sometimes will go out of his way to do things in a
weird manner. The Noah example where God had him build a barge
and had it sit in the yard for 120 years. 1 Corinthians 1:18
speaks of the foolishness of the cross to- foolishness only to
those that will perish. Jesus heard that they threw him out, and
when he found him, he said, do you believe in the Son of Man?
Who is he, sir? the man asked. Tell me so that I may believe in
him. Jesus said, you have now seen him; in fact, he is the one
speaking with you. This is only one of four cases in the gospel
of John where Jesus expressly declares his divine son-ship.
(John 5:25, John 10:36, John 11:4, and this John 9:37 verse).
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Jesus announces to them he is the Lord. Then the man said, Lord,
I believe, and he worshiped him. Jesus then speaks of spiritual
blindness. Jesus says that the blind are ones who claim that
they can see. The blind man cannot see spiritually. We will all
get a chance to meet him in heaven. Are we blind also? The
blind man has the same predicament that we have. We are all born
in sin and born without the ability to see God.

 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the

godly person who does his will. – John 9:31

 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found
him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he,
sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one
speaking with you.” – John 9:35-37

John 10
 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep, Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

John 10 is a chapter to offend everyoneJ. John 10 is a response

from the closing events from John 9 where the man that was
formerly blind gets thrown out of the synagogue because he
became a disciple of Jesus Christ. Jesus starts out talking
about a metaphor about the Good Shepherd and his sheep. We are
the sheep and Jesus is the shepherd. The Pharisees however did
not understand what our Lord was talking about. Jesus said,
verily, verily I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Here
again Jesus uses the “I am” statement that he used from Exodus 3
and the burning bush. Jesus then says, I am the gate; whoever
enters through me will be saved. That’s an interesting verse.
Whoever goes into the gate by are saved. This is one of the many
places where we know the concept of being saved is a once and
for all event. Jesus then adds, no sheep of Christ can ever
perish. One thing we need to be sure of, is are we his sheep?
Jesus is our shepherd. Jesus adds, I am the good shepherd; I
know my sheep and my sheep know me- just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father- and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Here is another one of those “I am” statements. Also here Jesus
refers to himself as the good shepherd. We read in Hebrews that
Jesus is the great shepherd: Now may the God of peace, who through
the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord
Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep. – Hebrews 13:20. In 1 Peter, he
Jesus is referred to as the great shepherd: And when the Chief
Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade
away. – 1 Peter 5:4. The Jews heard these words were divided again.
Many of them said, he is demon possessed and raving mad. There
was further conflict at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem.
There were two temples that have been built. The original one
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built by Solomon destroyed by the Babylonians. The second was
Nehemiah’s. The temple was desecrated in 168 BC which lead to
the Maccabean revolt by the Jews. The revolt succeeded. On the
third anniversary of the desecration, they rededicated that
temple is celebrated to this very day called Hanukkah. Hanukkah
is validated in the New Testament here with the Dedication. The
Jews were getting anxious and ask Jesus, how long he will keep
them in suspense about who he was. They said if he was the
Messiah to tell them. Jesus answered, I did tell you, but you
did not believe. The Pharisees certainly have plenty of evidence
by now (healing the invalid at the pool at Bethesda Jesus
feeding the 5,000 blind man cured, etc). However Jesus declared
it to his disciples very plainly earlier in John- Then Nathanael
declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” Jesus
said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will
see greater things than that.” – John 1:49-50. Jesus however doesn’t
declare that he is the Son of God directly to the religious
leaders as he makes it impossible for them to seize him until
his time has come. Jesus adds, the works I do in my Father’s
name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are
not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they
follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never
perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. There cannot be
a stronger statement- “his sheep will never perish and neither
will no one will snatch them from my hand”. The Christian life
is not a probationary life. Jesus adds, my Father, who has given
them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of
my Father’s hand. These verses have two hands involved. If we
are Christ’s sheep, the shepherd’s duty is to care for the
flock. Jesus is our shepherd. Whose duty is it to protect the
sheep? - The shepherd. If eternal life can be forfeited, it’s a
contradiction in terms. The sheep cannot perish! The devil can
do many things to the sheep, but cannot destroy. If our
salvation hangs on anything other than the completed works of
Jesus Christ, we are in trouble. If Christ came to seek and to
save what is lost, and yet if we can somehow become unsaved, and
therefore undo what Christ came to do, wouldn’t it have be wise
for God to take us to heaven the moment we were saved in order
to be sure that we make it? If we died tonight, why would God
admit us into heaven? If our answer is that we tried hard, or we
did our best- then strike one, strike two. If my response was
that I believe in God, wrong again. The devil also believes and
trembles- You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons
believe that—and shudder. – James 2:19. I teach Bible studies, or
give to the poor, I’m a good person, or I donate a lot of money
to charity - those are all strikeouts. We are saved by faith
alone. Someone who believes you can lose your salvation does not
understand what happened on that cross 2,000 years ago. Hell is
a real place for real people (Revelation 20). Crucifying the son
of God was not severe enough to put those men outside the
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boundaries of God’s forgiveness. If one person ends up in hell
who at one point in their life put their trust in Christ, does
that not make what Christ said to Nicodemus- for God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John
3:16, a lie? Once saved, always saved. To believe we can become
un-adopted means that man has successfully thwarted the
predestined word of God. Jesus then adds, I and the Father are
one. It’s a deity between the Father and Son being equal. This
is a major point because we will see in the next verse the
Pharisees are outraged and pick up stones. Anytime the Pharisees
get upset, pay careful attention to what was just said and
understand the point. Jesus then asks the Pharisees on why they
are trying to stone him? They respond saying he is a mere man
claiming to be God. They tried to then seize the Lord but he
escaped. Then Jesus went back across to Bethabara, the place
where John had been baptizing in the early days. Bethabara was
also the place where Joshua first entered the promise land.
Jesus crosses the Jordan at this location. This signifies
structurally that Jesus’ public ministry is now over and the
rest of the book of John deals with the climax. It has been two
years since John The Baptist had been murdered but many remember
him and many people came to the Lord here.

 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. – John

10:9

 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The
works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not
believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my
voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my
hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. – John 10:25-
29

 I and the Father are one. – John 10:30

 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said
you are “gods”’ If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of
God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about the
one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the
world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said,
‘I am God’s Son’? – John 10:34-36

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John 11
 The Death of Lazarus, Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus, Jesus Raises
Lazarus from the Dead, The Plot to Kill Jesus

John 11 is the halfway point of John, but we are only within one
week from the cross. These last eleven chapters focus on the
last week prior to the crucifixion. The raising of Lazarus is
only recorded in the gospel of John. All of us are in the same
position as Lazarus was. We are dead in trespasses and sins. He
goes through four stages. First he was dead. Second he is raised
from the dead by Jesus Christ but still bound by our grave
clothes and still hanging on from the past. Are there grave
clothes that are keeping us from the freedom we can have through
Jesus Christ? We need to be free from our past death. Third, he
was dangerous. The Jewish leadership had to get rid of him as
they didn’t want Lazarus walking around town. (Guess what the
Lord did for me yesterday?). We need to be dangerous for the
Lord in this secular world. Fourth phrase, is dining at the
Lord’s Table. Are we ready for that? Lazarus was from Bethany
and has two sisters- Mary Magdalene and Martha. This is the same
Mary and Martha from Luke 10. There is no evidence prior the
resurrection realized what was up except for her. Jesus told the
disciples many times what was going on regarding what was
coming. Mary was listening and it was only after the
resurrection did they put it all together. Mary didn’t forget.
There is also another Lazarus from Luke 16. The Lazarus from
Luke was the story of the rich man and this poor man named
Lazarus who ate table scraps from this rich man. Lazarus was
poor, but depended on God. The rich man calls out to Abraham to
be saved, but was denied. Also in the Luke account, Martha
welcomes Jesus into their home, and Mary was listening to Jesus
preach instead of helping Martha with the chores. Jesus tells
Martha she is worried about too many things and basically
allowed Mary to continue to listen to him. We learn that Mary
Magdalene poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her
hair (Matthew 26 and Mark 14). Judas was upset with Mary for
pouring the perfume on Jesus because the ointment cost the
equivalent of a year’s worth of wages. Mary, Martha, Lazarus and
Jesus are all very close. Back to the John account we know that
in Galilee is much less dangerous than Judea at this point. Mary
and Martha go to the Lord and tell him that Lazarus is sick.
Jesus tells the girls that his sickness will not end in death.
Jesus stayed in Galilee two more days before heading back
towards Judea and seeing Lazarus. Bethany was less than two
miles from Jerusalem. Jerusalem is getting tense and the
leadership is beginning to take a more aggressive stance against
Jesus. Thomas understands that if they head back to Judea, they
might all end up dead. When Jesus gets to Lazarus’ home Jesus is

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told Lazarus is now dead. Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them in the loss of their brother. Jesus said however
that he will wake him up. Lazarus has already been in the tomb
for four days. Martha went out to meet Jesus and tells him if he
would have been there, that her brother Lazarus would not have
died. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha
answered, I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the
last day. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and
whoever lives my believing in me will never die. Do you believe
this? Yes, Lord, she replied. I believe that you are the
Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world. After
she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary
aside. There is another one of those “I am” statements. Mary
then goes over to Jesus and she fell at his feet and said, Lord,
if you had been here, my brother would not have died. We can
think of Paul’s writing in Romans. And we know that in all things God
works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according
to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 If God permits it, it must have been
for the best and our authority on that is Romans 8:28 and lots
of other passages. When Jesus saw Mary and the Jews weeping, he
was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. The shortest verse in
the Bible is from John 11:35- Jesus wept. The Jews were divided
about Jesus at this point. One group said that he loved him,
while another group asked since he who opened the eyes of the
blind man have kept this man from dying? Jesus, once more deeply
moved, came to the tomb and asked them to take away the stone.
Martha responded, but, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor,
for he has been there four days. Then Jesus said, did I not tell
you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they
took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, Father, I
thank you that you have heard me. A question to ask ourselves is
why does the Father always answer the Son’s prayers? Because he
always does his will. Maybe that is a clue on why some of our
prayers are not answered. We know from Psalms: If I regard iniquity in
my heart, the Lord will not hear me – Psalm 66:18 If we do the Lord’s
will, he hears us. John says the same thing in his epistle: If our
hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he
knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have
confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we
keep his commands and do what pleases him. – 1 John 3:20-22. Then
Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! Lazarus then
came out of the tomb. This is the last great public witness in
the miracle sense. Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary,
and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. But some of them
went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. The
Jewish leadership then form to create a plot to kill Jesus. The
the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the
Sanhedrin and they said, this man performing many miracles. The
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Pharisees here acknowledge that Jesus is performing miracles!
Everyone knew that Lazarus died and now the Pharisees have a
problem. Jesus is becoming more and more popular. The holiday
crowd is also starting to assemble and it is becoming visible.
The Jewish leadership adds, if we let him go on like this,
everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and
take away both our temple and our nation. The Pharisees are
intending not to believe. The temple was the Jews source of
power and status. If everyone starts following Jesus, the Romans
will start getting into the act and take away their temple.
Losing the temple was the Jews’ mindset. However forty years
later, the Romans did come and did destroy the city and took the
temple and took the entire nation into captivity. Caiaphas, the
high priest that year, spoke up and said, it is better that one
man to die instead of a whole nation perishing. Caiaphas is
saying Jesus is expendable and they needed to knock him off. The
Jewish leadership from that day on plotted to put Jesus to
death. Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the
people of Judea. This was a secret discussion to kill Jesus, but
he knew it. How? Because God is omniscient (all-knowing).
Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a
village called Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.
Ephraim is about 20 miles north of Jerusalem and 5 miles east of
Bethel. It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, and many
went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial
cleansing before the Passover. The Jewish leadership kept
looking for Jesus and wondered if he was coming to the festival
at all? The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders
that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so
that they might arrest him. They had to do this carefully for
many reasons. First, Jesus was getting popular. Second, they
didn’t want to cause a disturbance. The Romans had only one
occupation and that was to keep peace. If it gets back to Rome
where things are out of control, then it would be trouble. To
keep the Romans happy is to keep the area quiet.

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one
who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever
lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” –
John 11:25-26

 Jesus wept. – John 11:35

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John 12
 Jesus Anointed at Bethany, Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as a King, Jesus
Predicts His Death, Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

John 12 begins the final week of Jesus Christ’s ministry on

earth. Jesus is still in Bethany and it was six days before
Passover and a dinner took place in Jesus’ honor. Lazarus,
Martha and Mary Magdalene were there along with the disciples.
Mary Magdalene took a pint of expensive perfume and poured it on
Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. Mary anointed
Christ. It is important to remember that first Lazarus was dead.
Second he was raised from the dead, but still bound by our grave
clothes. Third, he was dangerous and those against Christ had to
plot to kill him as they didn’t want someone who could proclaim
Christ running around. Forth, we believers will eventually be
dining with the Lord. Mary had her hair unbound, and it was
considered a disgrace in that day for a woman to have unbound
hair. It was a “turn-on” move by prostitutes. However this can
viewed as a very intimate form of worship. Judas objected to
Mary pouring the perfume on Jesus’ feet arguing it was worth a
year worth of wages they could have given to the poor. Judas did
not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was
a thief; as he was the treasurer. Jesus responded, you will
always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.
Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there
and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom
he had raised from the dead. The chief priests continued their
plot to kill Jesus and Lazarus as well. The next day the great
crowd that had come for the Passover Feast heard that Jesus was
on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to
meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord! What they are singing comes from Psalm 118.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the
LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on
us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the
altar. You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will
exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;his love endures forever.
– Psalm 118:26:29. The main point is that these Plasms highlight a
very unique event in history. It leads to an opportunity to
review the most fantastic passages in the scripture- the last
four verses that complete Daniel 9. The key thing about Daniel
is that it is part of the Tanakh (Old Testament) and it was
translated into Greek 285 years before Christ was born. The
Jewish Tanakh was originally in Hebrew. Greek was the
international language at that time and the result of that work
is known as the Septuagint, the translation of the Tanakh. Most
of the quotes from the New Testament are quoting from the
Septuagint as opposed to the original Hebrew version- the
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Tanakh. It proves to anyone that the Old Testament was in black
and white virtually three centuries before Christ was born. In
Daniel 9, he receives a visit from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel is
always a messenger on behalf of the Messiah in both the New and
Old Testaments. Gabriel gives Daniel a mathematical prophecy.
Daniel is a slave in Babylon and he is praying because he knows
that the 70 year captivity is about over as he is reading from
Jeremiah where he says they will be slaves in Babylon for 70
years. In Daniel 9, the four verses are 24-27. Daniel9:24 is the
scope of the verse: “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and
your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for
wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and
prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. – Daniel 9:24. The seventy
sevens of Daniel are not yet complete. We as gentiles use a week
of weeks, which is seven days. The Jews also have a week of
years, which is seven years. The reason why Israel went into
captivity for 70 years is because they didn’t keep the Sabbath
of the land for those 490 years and God said they owed him 70.
These seventy sevens that Gabriel tells Daniel refers to these
490 years. God tolerates their disobedience for 490 years. Most
of these requirements are still incomplete, but will eventually
be completed after Jesus’ second coming. Daniel 9:25 says: Know
therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to
restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven
weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and
the wall, even in troublous times. –Daniel 9:25. There will be 70 weeks
altogether, but there will be two clusters: 7 weeks and 62 weeks
as a cluster for a total of 69 weeks. In the King James, it says
threescore and two weeks which means 62 weeks. (A score is 20
weeks, so three score is 60 weeks. 60 weeks and 2 weeks is 62
weeks. There is a missing verse (week 70) that will be dealt
with in verse 27. This is a mathematical prophecy. From that
commandment (to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, not the Temple)
unto the anointed one or the prince (The Messiah) is 69 weeks.
Scholars are unsure why these 69 weeks of years are divided up
into 7 and 62. Verse 27 will detail the remaining week (the last
7 years). In verse 25, from the commandment to rebuilt the city
of Jerusalem to the Messiah will be 69 weeks. Daniel 9:26 says:
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for
himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the
end of the war desolations are determined. – Daniel 9:26. After the sixty
two weeks, (the seven weeks is already complete) the Messiah
will be cut off. Daniel says that after the 69 weeks (when Jesus
rode the donkey into Jerusalem), the Messiah will be executed
for a capital crime. In the Old Testament, it says the Messiah
will be executed. The verse then talks about the people of some
forthcoming leader (the prince that shall come) and destroy the
city and the sanctuary. 38 years after Christ crucifixion, the
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5th, 10th, 12th, and 15th Roman legions under the leadership of
Titus laid siege to the city of Jerusalem, and slaughtered a
million Jews and destroyed the city and the sanctuary. There are
a series of events to occur that are after the 69th week and
before the 70th week. Our presumption is that all 70 weeks are
contiguous. Verse 26 however several details after the 69th
start but before the 70th. The clue is that there is an
interval. The events in verse 26 have been going on for 2000
years. What we are looking for is the 70th week of Daniel. It’s
detailed for us in several places but most thoroughly in
Revelation 6-19. The mathematical prophecy is based on God using
360 day years and we know that from Genesis among other places.
Sir Robert Anderson noticed that if you took 69 (of 7 years
each) and multiply it by 360 days years (69*7*360) you get
173,880 days. He was the one that noticed something interesting.
The decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2) and
that date is documentable. That decree was on March 14, 445 BC
by the decree of Artaxerxes Longimanus. That Palm Sunday is
173,880th day from the decree of Artaxerxes. For more
information from another source, see: http://barr-
family.com/godsword/daniel.htm. This date of March 14, 445 BC is
in black and white in the Septuagint translation. Jesus also
rides into Jerusalem on the tenth of Nisan. It’s the other end
that is the tricky part. The algebraic calculation from 445 BC
to 32 AD is 476 years. (445+32= 477, but we have to subtract out
year 0. You subtract out year 0 because we go from 1BC to 1AD).
You then take this 476 years and multiply that by our calendar
of 365 days, you get 173,740. But then you have March 14th to
April 6 which is another 24 days which takes us to 173,764 days.
Then we have the leap year problem. You have to add a day for
every 4 years and subtract 3 for each century. The net of it is
116 days. When you add that up you now are at 173,880 days. This
173,880 is the exact number of days that Gabriel told Daniel
five centuries earlier. It is the most fantastic irrefutable
prophecy demonstrating the deity of Jesus Christ. The very day
that Israel was to expect her Messiah presenting himself as
King. The day the Jesus rides the donkey into Jerusalem on Palm
Sunday (Saturday night) is the first time Jesus allowed himself
to be worshipped as the King of Israel. This account is probably
best viewed in Luke 19. Then Jesus weeps in Jerusalem: As he
approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you,
even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now
it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your
enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem
you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children
within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did
not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” – Luke 19:41-44. This was
the precise day that Gabriel told Daniel 5 centuries earlier.
Jesus wept because the Jews did not know the day of his
visitation and the Daniel 9 prophecy. It has been hidden from
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the Jews eyes for how long? Not forever. Israel will be blinded
until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. This could mean that
Israel is blinded until the Rapture? God is not done with
Israel. John continues, blessed is the king of Israel! John
continues, Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is
written: Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is
coming, seated on a donkey’s colt. Jesus is fulfilling a
prophecy from Zechariah. Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout,
Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. – Zechariah
9:9. Luke 19 also answers the question why was Jerusalem
destroyed in 70AD. Verses 43-44 explain that the reason
Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD is because they did not know
this Daniel 9 prophecy. The 70th week of Daniel starts with the
signing of treaty and in the middle of that treaty he will
violate it and betrays Israel. Once that treaty is signed, the
clock again starts ticking for last of the 7 years which
includes the last half known as the Great Tribulation. We won’t
fully understand John 12 without this background. While Jesus is
on the donkey, and while many in the crowd are singing Hosanna
to Jesus as he rides into the Jerusalem, the disciples did not
understand the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9. Jesus then predicts
his death. Jesus said, the hour has come for the Son of Man to
be glorified. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while
anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am,
my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves
me. In less than four days, Jesus is going to be praying in
Gethsemane about if there is any other way then going to the
cross to take it. Jesus prays that prayer asking the Father is
there any other way for man to be reconciled before God. Then a
voice came from heaven: I have glorified it, and will glorify it
again. This is the third time the silence of heaven has been
broken in the gospels. The first time was the beginning of
Jesus’ ministry at his baptism (Mark 1). The second time was the
beginning on his last trip to Jerusalem at the Transfiguration
(Mark 9). The third time is here at the beginning of the final
week. The crowd heard it and believed it was thunder, an angel,
or the voice of the Father. Jesus said the voice was for your
benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world;
now the prince of this world (Satan) will be driven out. The
crowd asked Jesus who was the Son of Man? Then Jesus told them,
you are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk
while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. When he
had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.
Even after Jesus had performed so many miracles in their
presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to
fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: Lord, who has believed
our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
This was a prophecy from Isaiah 53. Isaiah prophesized that the
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Lord’s enemies would be blind, and their hearts would be
hardened. However some of the Pharisees did believe, but they
would not acknowledge it publicly out of fear they would be
kicked out of the synagogue. Then Jesus cried out, whoever
believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who
sent me. I have come into the world as a light, so that no one
who believes in me should stay in darkness. If anyone hears my
words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I
did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is
a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words;
the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.
For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me
commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his
command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what
the Father has told me to say.

 If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that
person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my
words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last
day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me
commanded me to say all that I have spoken. – John 12”47-49

John 13
 Jesus Washes His Disciples Feet, Jesus Predicts His Betrayal, Jesus
Predicts Peter’s Denial

John 13 through 17 as the Upper Room discourse. The Upper

Discourse in John takes the place of the Olivet Discourse we see
in the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). John does not
include the Olivet Discourse but instead uses this Upper Room
Discourse. Jesus’ focus at this point is not on his mission, but
is instead on the disciples, which is amazing. The Feast of
Passover is the 14th of Nisan. It was on the 14th of Nisan when
Jesus was crucified. What many people forget is that a Jewish
day starts at sundown. The Passover is to be offered between the
evenings. They have their meal after 6PM and the Passover
doesn’t end until the following evening. It was just before the
Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to
leave this world and go to the Father. The evening meal was in
progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of
Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Then after the meal, Jesus
began to wash the disciple’s feet. Peter asked Jesus if he was
going to wash his feet? Jesus replied, yes he was and Peter
objected to the Lord washing his feet. Jesus answered, unless I
wash you, you have no part with me. Then, Lord, Simon Peter
replied, not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!
Jesus answered, those who have had a bath need only to wash
their feet. However Jesus knew that not all of the disciples
were clean, and one was going to betray him. Jesus then
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instructs the disciples that he has provided an example, and
they should wash each other’s feet. In the corresponding passage
from Luke 22, the disciples get into a bickering contest as to
who is going to be the greatest in the kingdom. The
demonstration of the King washing the disciple’s feet was
brought to their attention as a rebuttal to their pride. Jesus
then predicts his betrayal. Jesus says, he who shared my bread
has turned against me. Jesus is quoting from Psalms here: Even my
close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned
against me. – Psalm 41:9. The local application of Psalm 41:9 when
David was betrayed. Jesus is applying this scripture
prophetically. There is one interesting difference in that Jesus
leaves out “someone I trusted” in his comment. Jesus then says,
I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does
happen you will believe that I am who I am. There is another “I
am” statement. Jesus then predicts his betrayal. Jesus adds,
verily, verily I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.
Jesus knows that Judas will betray him in a few hours, but he
doesn’t want the disciples shook more than necessary. He wants
them to remember that he knew it was coming. He prophesied about
the betrayal. He’s helping them build their faith. John was
reclining next to the Lord. With all respect to DiVinci, The
Passover was typically on a table one foot high and they laid
with their feet away from the table reclining on mats. The
general inference by scholars was that John was on the right and
thus was able to speak intimately with him. Judas was on the
left of Jesus sitting in the seat of honor. Peter asks John to
ask Jesus which disciple will betray him. It is interesting if
we watch the narrative carefully that there seems to be some
distance at the table between Peter and Jesus. If Peter is right
there, he could ask, but he asks John to ask for him. John then
asks Jesus who is going to betray him and Jesus answered, it is
the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have
dipped it in the dish. Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave
it to Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan
entered into him. We probably have no idea what this actually
means. This isn’t demon possession, but this is Satan himself
entering him. Subsequent to this event, Judas will go to the
high priest and try and undo their deal. Judas says: I have sinned,
he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood. What is that to us? they replied.
That’s your responsibility. –Matthew 27:4. As soon as Judas had taken
the bread, he went out and it was night. Judas is now gone so
the atmosphere changes. Jesus tells the disciples, I will be
with you only a little longer. Jesus then tells the disciples
to: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one
another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another. Simon Peter asked him, Lord, where are
you going? Jesus replied, where I am going, you cannot follow
now, but you will follow later. Jesus then predicts that Peter
would deny him three times before the rooster crows.
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  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved
you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John
13:34-35

John 14
 Jesus Comforts His Disciples, Jesus The Way to the Father, Jesus
Promises the Holy Spirit

John 14 continues with the Upper Room Discourse. The Lord knows
that before this evening s over, that he will be arrested. Jesus
realizes that the disciples will be shook by the events that
will occur over the next 24 hours. Jesus tells them if you
believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many
rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am
going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me. My
father’s house here is heaven, not the temple. When Jesus speaks
of preparing a place for you and says he will come back and take
you with me, he is discussing the rapture. Paul adds on the
Rapture: According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still
alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede
those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from
heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the
trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who
are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. – 1
Thessalonians 4:15-17. When the Lord comes for his Church, there
will be a generation alive down and they will be caught up
together with him in the clouds. The rapture is a strange idea
if you really think about it, but it is coming. The word rapture
is a Latin translation. Paul gives us another illusion. Listen, I
tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a
flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will
sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. – 1
Corinthians 15:51-52. When Paul says we will not sleep, it means
some of us will not pass away. Sleep is a euphemistic word for
death. If we do a careful study of the Bible, we will see there
are many passages that provide illusions on Christ’s return to
the earth. As we make a list and gather information from those
passages about Christ’s return, the illusions fall into two
buckets. There are two different kinds. One of the buckets
implies he comes in secret. The other bucket implies every eye
shall see him. As we make our list, we can see that each one is
contradictory. What emerges out of that is the realization is
that he comes back twice. Once for his Church, and once to
fulfill the commitments to Israel. One of the contradictions is
that his return comes as a surprise (No man knows the day or
hour). The other one is very precisely scheduled and it
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interrupts a period of time Gabriel told to Daniel from Daniel
9. Paul tells us in Romans 11:25 that God won’t deal with Israel
until the Church is complete. When the Church is complete, the
Father tells the Son to come get us. We have this strange,
bizarre event that his own are going to be removed. Thomas then
asks Jesus, Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can
we know the way? Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That’s
quite an incredible verse. This verse speaks to the
exclusiveness of Christ. There is only one way to heaven and
that is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Three times Jesus prays
in Gethsemane to get off the hook for going to the cross. If
there is any other way for us to get to heaven other than Jesus
Christ, then Jesus’ prayer wasn’t answered and he died in vain.
There is one way and only way to get into heaven and that’s
through Christ. Jesus refers to the saying “the way”. How many
times in the New Testament do we see that phrase? 7. Truth is
when the word and the deed became one. The ultimate truth is
when the word of God became flesh and dwelled among us. Jesus is
also the life. Jesus then says, verily, verily I tell you,
whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing. And
I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. He reveals this in the context of prayer.
He reveals that the greatest thing you can ask for is the
presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life. It sounds so
simple, yet it is so profound. If you study the apostles
carefully, it’s only after the coming of the Holy Spirit that
their faith was established, their power was communicated, and
their love was purified and deepened. The Comforter is the Holy
Spirit. We always pray in Jesus’ name on the basis of his
credibility. Jesus then gives us this incredible verse when he
says, you may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
The power our Lord Jesus Christ has is available to us. It’s
believing in Christ and praying in his name that is being
applied here. If we pray according to God’s will, he will answer
our prayers. Jesus then adds, if you love me, keep my commands.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another
Comforter to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of
truth. The world cannot accept him (The Holy Spirit), because it
neither sees him nor knows him. We need to remember that we
shouldn’t expect the world to see what we see. If we see things
in the scripture that our friend doesn’t see, don’t be shocked.
The scripture says here the Holy Spirit will show us things the
world cannot see. And he won’t be able to see those either
unless he has the Holy Spirit. Jesus will then show the apostles
three ways below how God will reveal himself to believers, but
not the world. These three ways are fellowship, dwelling in
spirit, and the inner-peace. Jesus adds, anyone who does not
love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not
my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. But the

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Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my
name, will teach you all things and will remind you of
everything I have said to you. Fellowship is one example God
reveals himself through us, but not the world. Jesus then tells
the disciples to not let their hearts be troubled. Judas (not
Iscariot) asks Jesus, how can you manifest yourself to us but
not the world? There are three ways God will reveal himself to
us but not through the world. The first way is through
fellowship. The second way is by the in dwelling spirit. The
Holy Spirit indwells us when we first believed. Sometimes our
lives don’t manifest that. Sometimes we have an apparent
contradiction and get discussed with our walk. The third way God
will reveal himself through us is through inner-peace.

 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6

 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter,
that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth,
whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or
know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and
will be in you. – John 14:16-17

 All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Comforter, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach
you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give
to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and
do not be afraid.- John 14:25-27

John 15
 The Vine and The Branches, The World Hated Disciples, The Work of the
Holy Spirit

John 15 still takes place in the upper room and is a part of the
Upper Room Discourse. Judas has now left and the Lord is dealing
with this eleven. The vine is discussed actively in John 15, and
is also spoken of in Psalms. You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you
drove out the nations and planted it. – Psalm 80:8. Israel came out of
Egypt, and although the vine isn’t producing fruit right now, it
will. The vine is an idiom (an expression whose meaning is not
predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements.
An example is to kick the bucket). Jesus is the true vine and
his believers are the branches. The purpose of the vine is to
produce fruit. How do we bear fruit for Christ? By winning souls
for him. By attracting, convicting and being used as a vehicle
by which the Holy Spirit leads to the conversion of others is a
way to bear fruit. Jesus said, I am the vine; you are the
branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much
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fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in
me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such
branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. This
does not mean you can lose your salvation. A man, (the you)
phrase is in the singular. The things that are burned are plural
and they don’t agree. This is about the rewards that are being
lost. Paul discusses rewards in 1 Corinthians. If anyone builds on
this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their
work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will
be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.
If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is
burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though
only as one escaping through the flames. – 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. This
means the person is still saved, but by the “skin of their
teeth”. Jesus adds, if you remain in me and my words remain in
you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This
verse happens to be quite astounding. It’s a command to ask and
it’s clear in the Greek. This has to be in harmony and infinite
communion, abiding in his words. We must ask what is according
to his will. John builds on this thought in his first epistle:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything
according to his will, he hears us. – 1 John 5:14. James also elaborates
on asking God for anything: When you ask, you do not receive, because
you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your
pleasures. – James 4:3. It’s similar to praying, as we need to pray
according to his will. John continues this is my Father’s glory,
that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
True discipleship is a growing experience. We should be growing
in our walk. Jesus adds, as the Father has loved me, so have I
loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you
will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands
and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may
be in you and that your joy may be complete. It is interesting
that verse 9&10 speak of love, verse 11 speaks of joy, and verse
12 speaks of peace. This is exactly what Galatians 5 talks about:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things
there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23. It is interesting how that all
stays together. Jesus then instructs the disciples to love each
other as I have loved you. He then says, that we didn’t choose
him, but he chose us so that we can go bear fruit. Next Jesus is
going to talk about how the world hates the disciples. It’s a
mere hours before his arrest and crucifixion. In the subsequent
verses, Jesus will use the word hate 7 times. Jesus says, if the
world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you
belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is,
you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world. That is why the world hates you. The Lord is warning his
disciples in advance what they are in for. He wants them to
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anticipate what will soon be going on here in the world. James
adds to this thought about being friends in the world. You
adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means
enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the
world becomes an enemy of God. – James 4:4. We as Christians should
not be in a popularity contest because if we are popular, we
should be taking a deep look at ourselves. It is interesting
that there is no evidence that as long as the master was with
them, the disciples suffered no persecution. The Pharisees
always deal with the Lord directly, not the disciples. Even
during the Triumphal Entry they tell Jesus to rebuke his
disciples, but don’t go after them. After he is gone, then they
will indeed suffer for him. This passage rebukes in many ways
our attempt to be popular. John continues, if they persecuted
me, they will persecute you also. Whoever hates me hates my
Father as well. But this is to fulfill what is written in their
Law: ‘They hated me without reason. What he is pointing out here
in the Tanakh, they predict they will hate him without a cause.
It’s the word of God itself that testifies against Israel. Jesus
then speaks of the Holy Spirit by saying when the Comforter
comes, he will testify about Christ. The chapter closes by
making the point that the Trinity are all equal in nature,
separate in person, and subservient in duties.

 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever

you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:7

 If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you
belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you
do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the
world. That is why the world hates you. – John 15:18-19

 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. – John 15:23

John 16
 Jesus Warning, The Holy Spirit Promised, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
Foretold, Prayer Promises

John 16 is still a part of the Upper Room Discourse. The Lord

knows that within a few hours that he will be arrested and in
the grave, yet throughout all of this time, he still manages to
encourage his disciples. Jesus warns the disciples that those
who might attempt to kill them will believe they are doing so as
a service to God. Jesus also tells them it is good he is going
away because the Comforter (Holy Spirit) will not come to them
until he goes away. What Jesus is saying to the disciples is
that there is something of greater benefit to them then Jesus
earthly presence. When Jesus was on earth, he could not be in
Jerusalem and in Galilee at the same time. Once he is gone, he

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regains his omnipresence. We will find out later on that the
disciples were far more effective in distributing the gospel
when Jesus was gone. Jesus then speaks of the Holy Spirit and
tells the disciples the Holy Spirit will never speak of himself,
or anything about the Father that Jesus had not already told us,
but will speak only about Christ and emphasizes that the Holy
Spirit will complete their understanding. John continues, Jesus
went on to say, in a little while you will see me no more, and
then after a little while you will see me. Jesus says “a little
while” 7 times in this chapter. The disciples are puzzled as to
what’s going on and they shouldn’t have been. Jesus saw that
they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, are you
asking one another what I meant when I said, in a little while
you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will
see me? We need to remember that we never to be shy about going
to him because he knows before we ask what’s on our mind. He is
looking for that fellowship from us. He knew what their desires
were to ask him. We read in Isaiah: Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear. – Isaiah 65:24. Jesus adds,
verily, verily I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the
world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to
joy. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you
again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
Verily, verily I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you
ask in my name. Jesus is giving the disciples full access to the
Father. Paul comments on this having direct access to the Father
in Timothy: For there is one God and one mediator between God and
mankind, the man Christ Jesus, - 1 Timothy 2:5. Jesus adds, ask and
you will receive, and your joy will be complete. This discussion
is similar to the previous chapter on the Lord will provide
whatever we ask for. If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. – John 15:7. However
we must ask what is according to God’s will. Jesus again alludes
that the he is leaving the world and going back to the Father.
Jesus then warns the disciples that they will be scattered.

John 17
 Jesus Prays to be Glorified, Jesus Prays for His Disciples, Jesus Prays for
All Believers

John 17 is what we should consider the Lord’s Prayer. Do not

read John 17, but mediate on it. John 17 is organized in 3
sections- Jesus praying for himself, Jesus praying for his
disciples, and Jesus praying for all believers. John 17 is the
climax of the Upper Room Discourse, and to many scholars this
chapter is the climax of the New Testament. Some scholars
believe that the Lord’s Prayer took place here in the Upper
Room, while heading believe the Lord’s Prayer took place
somewhere in a place on the way towards Gethsemane. It is the

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longest recorded prayer of our Lord. John 17 has a pattern of
7’s in it- 49 at least. Jesus has a habit of praying out loud
and we find it in many places. In Luke 3, we discover that Jesus
at his Baptism, he was baptized while praying to the Father. In
Mark 1, we find our Lord praying at the commencement of his
public ministry. In Luke 6, we find him praying the evening
prior selecting his disciples. He prayed all night long. In Luke
9, Jesus is praying at the Transfiguration. On the cross as
Jesus ceased to breath as he finished praying. We find Jesus
himself, the son of God, in an active habit of prayer. This
behavior of vocal prayer should be before us. It has been said
the most important work that we Christians have isn’t winning
souls, or isn’t a long list of other good things to do. Our most
important work is prayer. Jesus will first pray for himself.
John starts, after Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and
prayed: Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your
Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all
people that he might give eternal life to all those you have
given him. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the
glory I had with you before the world began. One of Jesus’
petition to his Father was to restore him where he was before
Mary. Jesus then prays an intercessor (for his own) prayer for
his disciples. John continues, I have revealed you to those whom
you gave me out of the world. For I gave them the words you gave
me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came
from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I
am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,
for they are yours. It is interesting that Jesus is not praying
for the world in this role. Jesus does pray for his enemies on
the cross however. We will find in Romans 10 and Timothy 2:1 it
is our duty to pray for the world. We shouldn’t overreact to
this prayer here of Jesus only praying for his own. John
continues, I will remain in the world no longer, but they are
still in the world, and I am coming to you. Jesus is passing the
responsibility in a sense to the Father. John continues, Holy
Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you
gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am coming to
you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world,
so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
Jesus wants you to have his joy right now. What does this mean?
A miserable Christian is an oxymoron. I have given them your
word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world
any more than I am of the world. The world is under dominion
from its prince- Satan. We look at this world and it’s a mess,
yet we are surprised. If we sense animosity from the world, we
shouldn’t be surprised. The world is hostile to us. We are in a
different from the world and we may not understand that. We
really don’t understand that we are aliens to the world. We have
a different standard. We are in Christ, not in Adam. We have a
different nature. We are born in the Spirit not the flesh if we

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are in Christ. We have a different master and we are not of the
God of this world. We have a different citizenship. The world
does not receive the gospel because it doesn’t want to. The
scripture says: the fool has said in his heart there is no God, not in his
mind but in his heart. The fool says in his heart, there is no God. They are
corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. – Psalm 14:1.
It’s a question of volition, not intellect. John continues, my
prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you
protect them from the evil one. Jesus now prays for all
believers. John continues, sanctify them by the truth; your word
is truth. We are either sanctified (set apart after salvation)
through God or we aren’t. If we are in Christ, we are either
washed once and for all in his blood. There is also an aspect of
sanctification that is progressive or growing. There is also a
washing that is daily. John continues, my prayer is not for them
alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through
their message. This verse is the climax of this whole chapter.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe prays for
you, I and all believers! Jesus prayed for us here since we are
believers. Jesus does not pray for those who will never believe
in this prayer. We still do need to pray for the world as
mentioned earlier. John continues, I have given them the glory
that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them
and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them
even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given
me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you
have given me because you loved me before the creation of the
world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I
know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you
known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that
the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be
in them. Jesus knew us when he prayed that prayer.

 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will
believe in me through their message, – John 17:21

John 18
 Jesus Arrested, Peter’s First Denial, The High Priest Questions Jesus,
Peter’s Second and Third Denials, Jesus Before Pilate

The events in John 18-21 are the basis for all the things we
have read so far. The parallel passages to John 18 are Matthew
26, Mark 14, and Luke 22. The scene switches from the upper room
to the garden. Prior to Jesus being arrested, we know from
Matthew’s gospel that Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray. He took
Peter, James and John with him. Jesus says, My Father, if it is
possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
- Matthew 26:39. Jesus is asking the Father is there any other way

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to avoid the cross to let him off the hook, but nevertheless he
is willing to do whatever his Father wants. This prayer carries
a foundational insight. If there was any other way for us to be
reconciled to God, the Father did not hear Jesus’ prayer and he
died in vain. He didn’t pray this prayer once, but three times.
When Jesus finished praying he left his disciples and crossed
the Kidron Valley where he and his disciples went. Judas came to
the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials
from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying
torches, lanterns and weapons. The 69 weeks of Daniel where the
Messiah is to be cut-off is about to be fulfilled. Jesus,
knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked
them, who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. He’s
not just Jesus of Nazareth, but it’s far as they would go. I am
he, Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with
them.) Jesus responds with another “I am” statement. The he is
added in the English. The “am that I am” was the voice of the
burning bush in Exodus 3:14. The “I am” from the burning bush is
the same words he is using now. He then asks them to let the
disciples go. Then Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck
the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. Jesus
healed the high priest’s ear so the high priest didn’t have an
ear missing. But he also did in healing the ear saved Peter’s
life. Jesus had lots of things for Peter to do before Peter met
his death. Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. The Jewish
officials then arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him
first to the father-in-law of Caiaphas’ (high priest). There was
a total of six trials- 3 Jewish, 3 Gentile. The trials will take
place before Annas (Caiaphas’ father in law), Caiaphas, and the
Sanhedrin. Then the Lord will be brought before three Gentile
trials. First before Pilate, Herod and then back to Pilate again
for the wrap-up. John tells us about the Annas trial where the
synoptic gospels do not. Caiaphas was the one who had advised
the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the
people (John 11). Caiaphas was the legal head of the nation of
Israel and he declares the purpose and character of Jesus’ death
and that he was dying for the people. Jesus’ trial was
completely illegal.

• The binding of a prisoner before he was condemned unless

resistance was offered was illegal- and Jesus offered none.
• It was illegal for the judge to participate in the
arresting of the accused, and they were the ones doing it.
• No legal transactions including a trial could occur at
night.
• No prisoner could be convicted on his own evidence. Jesus
was tried because he said he was God.
• The judges sought false witnesses against Jesus.

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 • In the Jewish court, the accused is considered innocent
until they get two or more witnesses. When the witnesses
first disagreed, the prisoner should have been dismissed.
• No witnesses were ever called for the defense.
• The trial took place in a home versus trial chamber which
was illegal.
• The court lacked the civil authority to convict a man to
death.
• It was illegal to conduct a court trial on Passover.
• A guilty verdict was issued with no evidence.
• While an acquittal could come on the same day, a guilty
verdict required a majority of two on a subsequent day.
• No prisoner could be convicted on his own evidence.

Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because

this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus
into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside
at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high
priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and
brought Peter in. Many scholars presume this other disciple was
John. It is John’s style to refer to himself without identity.
However it could be Nicodemus, or it could have been Joseph of
Arimathea (buried Jesus after the crucifixion). Peter then
denies for the first time to a servant girl on duty that he
knows Jesus. Meanwhile (shifting inside), the high priest
questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus
replied. I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where
all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why
question me? Ask those who heard me. Then one of the Jewish
officials nearby slapped him in the face and asked is this the
way you answer the high priest? Jesus was entitled to be
protected by the judges, but there is none of that protection.
Jesus wanted an explanation on what he said that was wrong and
wants to know since he spoke the truth why was he hit? Then
Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest. Meanwhile
Peter denies he is one of Jesus’ disciples a second and third
time, and at the moment the rooster crows. Then the Jewish
leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman
governor- Pilate. By now it was early morning, and to avoid
ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because
they wanted to be able to eat The Passover. These guys have an
illegal trial and trying to murder this guy with false evidence,
and they are worried about being ceremonially impure so they can
celebrate the Passover! They felt that if they entered the
threshold of the Gentile home, they are richly impure and they
cannot celebrate Passover. They ask Pilate to meet him on their
ground outside. They have violated all of the trial rights of
the accused. They are going to execute the Messiah on Passover,
yet they are worried about being richly impure. Pilate came out
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and asked the Jewish leaders what charges are they bringing him?
Also in the Matthew account, the high priests could not get the
accusers to agree. Jesus was required by law to respond to their
accusations, which was for blasphemy. We learn in the Luke
gospel that the high priest (Caiaphas) tears Jesus clothes- Luke
26:65. In the book of Leviticus states that a priest should
never tear anyone’s clothes: The priest who is the highest among his
brothers, on whose head the anointing oil has been poured and who has
been consecrated to wear the garments, shall not uncover his head nor tear
his clothes – Leviticus 21:10. The Jewish leadership responded to
Pilate that if he were not a criminal, we would not have handed
him over to you. Pilate told them to take him yourselves and
judge him by your own law. Pilate didn’t want any part of this.
The Jewish leaders wanted the Lord dead and said they have no
right to execute anyone (since they were under Roman law).
Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and
asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Pilate responded, am
I a Jew? Your own people and chief priests handed you over to
me. What have you done? Jesus said, his kingdom is not of this
world and it was from another place. He adds that the reason he
was born was to testify to the truth. It is interesting that
Jesus claims to be king, and Pilate accepts it. Pilate from here
on refers to him as the king and puts the official label of him
as King of the Jews on the cross. Pilate then went back out and
stated, I find no basis for a charge against him. This isn’t a
casual qualitative assessment. Pilate pronounces him innocent.
The arrest and trial was all illegal both in Jewish and Roman
law. He discovers Jesus is a Galilean and that gives him a
bureaucratic loophole because the governor of Galilee is Herod
and he is in town for Passover. He sends Jesus to Herod to let
him deal with this. Herod sends him back to Pilate. The Romans
allows for the release of one prisoner at the time of the
Passover as a token gesture. Pilate asks the crowd if they want
me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” Notice how Pilate always
refers to Jesus. The crowd shouted back, No, not him! Give us
Barabbas!

John 19
 Jesus Sentenced to Be Crucified, The Crucifixion of Jesus, The Death of
Jesus, The Burial of Jesus

John 19 chronicles the most significant event in the history of

mankind and the most dramatic event in the history of the
universe. Pilate and Herod (Luke 23) both proclaim Jesus as
innocent. Pilate is looking for an excuse to get out of this
jam. He believes Jesus is innocent, and he also wants to get
this ugly predicament off his back. Pilate has the authority,
and he knows he is innocent and tries to find a way to get out
from under this. Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. It is
illegal because he hasn’t been sentenced. His intention was to
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chastise him and then release him (Luke 23). He is playing
politician here. Jesus is so beat up by the time he gets to the
cross, he is unrecognizable (the last section of Isaiah 52, and
53). The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it
on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to
him again and again, saying, Hail, king of the Jews! And they
slapped him in the face. The Roman soldiers are mocking and
assaulting the Lord. Once more Pilate came out and said to the
Jews gathered there, Look, I am bringing him out to you to let
you know that I find no basis for a charge against him. Pilate
is pronouncing him innocent. When Jesus came out wearing the
crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, Here
is the man! As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw
him, they shouted, Crucify! Crucify! But Pilate answered, You
take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a
charge against him. If they would have thought Pilate was being
serious, they would have taken him up on his offer. The Jewish
leaders insisted, we have a law, and according to that law he
must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God. There are 7
different indictments, but this is the key charge- blasphemy.
When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, and he went
back inside the palace. Pilate now understands that Jesus is
claiming to be God. We should understand that Pilate is a pagan
leader- a product of Greek and Roman mythology. The concept of
God dwelling among man was intrinsic to their culture. We know
from Matthew’s gospel that Pilate’s wife had a dream and she
told him to have nothing to do with Jesus. Now we learn the real
motive of the Sanhedrin- that he is claiming to be the son of
God. Pilate asks Jesus a total of how many questions? 7- you got
it! Next Pilate is about to ask Jesus his sixth of seven
questions. He asks, where do you come from? But Jesus gave him
no answer. Do you refuse to speak to me? Pilate said. Don’t you
realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you? Jesus
answered, you would have no power over me if it were not given
to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you
is guilty of a greater sin. It doesn’t mean that Pilate’s sin
wasn’t great. It just means that Caiaphas’ was greater. This is
the last official testimony Jesus gives before he is crucified.
Pilate has a problem. He wants to release Jesus and seeks every
way he can, but he doesn’t have the guts to choose Jesus over
the world. Pilate kept trying to set Jesus free, but the Jewish
leaders kept shouting, If you let this man go, you are no friend
of Caesar. The Jews are accusing Pilate of being disloyal to
Caesar. When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out. It was the
day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. Here is
your king, Pilate said to the Jews. Pilate chooses to declare
Christ the King. But they shouted, take him away! Take him away!
Crucify him! Shall I crucify your king? Pilate asked. We have no
king but Caesar, the chief priests answered. That’s an amazing
statement for the Jewish leadership to make. They despise Rome

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for them being subrogated to them, but here it serves their
purpose to get Pilate in the corner because they are declaring
allegiance to Caesar. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to
be crucified. We are about to observe the most significant event
in human history. It’s in Luke 23 that Jesus prays to the Father
to forgive them for they know not what they do. The soldiers
took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the
place of the Skull (which in Hebrew/Aramaic is called Golgotha).
There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each
side and Jesus in the middle. Pilate had a notice prepared and
fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF
THE JEWS. This is Pilate’s way of putting a needle into these
characters that put him into this jam in the first place. He
knew it would offend the Jewish leadership. It is interesting
that this representative leaders proclaims Jesus as Israel’s
Messiah- as he tacks it on the cross. Many of the Jews read this
sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city.
The sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. The chief
priests protested to Pilate, do not write The King of the Jews,
but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews. Pilate
answered, what I have written, I have written. Near the cross of
Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was the only one who
knew he was going to die. When Jesus saw his mother there, and
the disciple whom he loved (John’s phrase for himself) standing
nearby, he said to her, woman, here is your son, and to the
disciple, here is your mother. From that time on, John took
Jesus’ birth mother Mary into his home. The burden of the first
born is to provide for the parents, and with Jesus being the
first born gives that burden to his disciple John. Later,
knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that
Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, I am thirsty. A jar of
wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the
sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’
lips. This fulfills a Psalm: They put gall in my food and gave me
vinegar for my thirst. Psalm 69:21. When he had received the drink,
Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and
gave up his spirit. The moment of this death, was the moment of
his salvation. Grace said it is paid in full. (Romans 6:3, and
Galatians 2:20). There is nothing left for us to do. Jesus
surrendered his life willingly. It wasn’t the nails that held
him to the cross, it was his love for you and I. It was the day
of Preparation (one of the seven Sabbaths), and the next day was
to be a special Sabbath (Feast of Unleavened Bread). Because the
Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses
during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken
and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke
the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and
then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found
that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. In Exodus
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we get instructions on how to prepare the Passover meal: It must
be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not
break any of the bones. The whole community of Israel must celebrate it. –
Exodus 12:46-47. The Passover lamb is instructed not to have a
bone broken. Also in Psalms when speaking of the Messiah, we
read: he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. – Psalm
34:20. The soldiers were ordered to break the bones. That is
amazingly accommodating not to break Jesus’ legs because the
penalty was probably severe for not following orders. The Roman
army was very severe and because they did, they conquered the
world. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a
spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. We read in the
Psalms: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have
enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. – Psalm 22:16. John
adds, these things happened so that the scripture would be
fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken, and, as another
scripture says, they will look on the one they have pierced.
John is tying what happened to the scripture. We read in
Zechariah: And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one
they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only
child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. –
Zechariah 12:10. Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for
Jesus’ body. Joseph had access to Pilate which is like us having
access to the governor. He must have been wealthy and powerful
figure. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly
because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission,
he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus,
the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Joseph of
Arimathea and Nicodemus wrapped Jesus’ body and laid Jesus in
the tomb.

John 20
 The Empty Tomb, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene, Jesus Appears to
His Disciples, Jesus Appears to Thomas, The Purpose of John’s Gospel

John 20 covers the most certain event in the Bible- the

resurrection. Paul defines the gospel for us: For I delivered to you
as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in
accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day in accordance with the Scriptures – 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. John
is the only gospel writer of the four that was an eyewitness to
the resurrection. Early on the first day of the week (Sunday
morning) Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw the stone had
been removed. Mary Magdalene was the one person that picked up
that Jesus was going to die. The disciples throughout the
gospels were confused. Mary was also the first to recognize
Christ. Mark and Luke point out that Mary Magdalene had three

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other women with her, Mary the mother of James, Salome and
Joanna. Mary ran to Peter and John and said, they have taken the
Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!
So Peter and the John started running for the tomb. John outran
Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at
the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Peter
came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw
the strips of linen lying and the cloth that had been wrapped
around Jesus’ head. Then John gets in the tomb. He saw and
believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that
Jesus had risen from the dead.) Then the disciples went back to
where they were staying. Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two
angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the
head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are
you crying?” They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I
don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around
and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it
was Jesus. He asked her, Woman, why are you crying? Who is it
you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said,
sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put
him, and I will get him. Jesus said to her, Mary. She then
recognized Jesus and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni! (which means
“Teacher”). Jesus said, go to my brothers and tell them, I am
ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
Mary Magdalene that she had seen the Lord! And she told them
that he had said these things to her. In the Luke gospel, we
learn of the Emmaus Road story. It entailed two guys walking
seven miles on the Emmaus Road joined by this apparent stranger
who gives them a seven mile Bible study. The stranger is Jesus
incognito and he asks them these questions on why they are so
sad. They feel like asking him where have you been fellah?
Cleopas and the other disciple didn’t recognize this stranger as
he talks about himself in the third person, but it was Jesus.
The Emmaus Road story took place on Sunday afternoon. John will
pick up with the events of Sunday night. On the evening of that
first day of the week (Sunday), when the disciples were
together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,
Jesus came and stood among them and said, peace be with you!
After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The
disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus
said, peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending
you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the
Holy Spirit. Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the
disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, we
have seen the Lord! But he said to them, unless I see the nail
marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and
put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later his
disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.
Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them

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and said, peace be with you! Then he said to Thomas, put your
finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into
my side. The disciples never told Jesus that Thomas didn’t
believe. The Lord knew. John continues, stop doubting and
believe. We have another prophecy from Zechariah: If someone asks,
‘What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was
given at the house of my friends.’ - Zechariah 13:6. Now when looking at
this, we realize the Roman soldiers that put spikes in his
wrists was not the house of his friends. It wasn’t the Roman
spikes that wounded Jesus; it was Thomas’ unbelief. Thomas said
to him, my Lord and my God! Then Jesus told him, because you
have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed. This is all of us. Jesus performed
many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not
recorded in this book. But these are written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name. The resurrection of
Jesus Christ- Christianity’s most certain event, Christianity’s
most crucial event.

John 21
 Jesus and the Miraculous Catch of Fish, Jesus Reinstates Peter

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of

Galilee. Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael (Bartholomew), James and
John, and two other disciples were together. The other two were
probably Andrew and Philip. The disciples went fishing but
caught no fish. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore,
but the disciples did not realize that it was him. He called out
to them asking them if they caught any fish, and they said no.
He then told them to put their net on the right side of the boat
and they would find some. When they did, they were unable to
haul the net in because of the large number of fish they caught.
This event parallels an event we know from Luke 5 where the
disciples were fishing and were unsuccessful. Jesus tells them
to throw the net on the other side of the boat and when they
did, they caught so much fish it almost broke the net. Then John
said to Peter, it is the Lord! As soon as Simon Peter heard him
say, it is the Lord, he jumped into the water. The other
disciples followed in the boat. When they landed, they saw a
fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
Jesus said to them, bring some of the fish you have just caught.
It was full of 153 large fish. Jesus fixes them breakfast. None
of the disciples dared ask him, who are you as they knew it was
the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and
did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus
appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.
When they had finished eating, Jesus asked Peter on three
consecutive occasions if he loved him, and Peter said yes each
time. By the third time he asked, Peter was hurt. The repeated
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questions to Peter on whether he loved the Lord caused Peter to
grieve. We need to ask that question of ourselves on Christ. Do
we love our Lord? Peter then asked the Lord if he was going to
ask John if he loved him? Jesus answered, if I want him to
remain alive until I return, what is that to you? Jesus simply
rebukes his curiosity here. Jesus tells Peter not to concern
yourself with what will happen to John. What’s it to you if John
shall hang around until I return? It’s none of your business. He
needs to keep his eyes on Jesus, and all of us need to do that.
Christians need not keep an eye on other Christians, but instead
on Christ. The rumor spread among the believers that John would
not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only
said, if I want him to remain alive until I return. John
concludes his gospel, this is the disciple who testifies to
these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony
is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of
them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world
would not have room for the books that would be written.

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