The Gospel of John

Week 1: The Gospel of John, Chapters 1:1 - 4:37

Sunday, March 1

Read John 1:1-18.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Greek word translated as “Word” is logos, and it is generally used to emphasize the message of a spoken word. John didn’t have to explain his use of this term to the people of his day. His readers would have considered “The Word of the Lord” to be synonymous with God Himself. God’s spoken Word was a manifestation of Himself—the communication of the Divine Mind and Will with human beings. Jesus’ key role as the Second Person of the Trinity is this communication. He is Emmanuel —“God with us”—the living expression of all God has ever wanted to communicate to us about Himself. John is saying here that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament and yet distinct (“the Word was with God and the Word was God”). This is the mystery of the Trinity—One God in Three Persons.

God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1). John tells us that all things were made “through” Jesus—the Word made flesh. He played an active role in creation and has always been One with the Father and the Spirit from the very beginning. This would have been a stunning concept to John’s readers, and it is difficult for all of us to comprehend.

Jesus is the Source of light and life. John’s Gospel regularly contrasts light and dark as representing the forces of good and evil, as well as reality and illusion. Even though Jesus is the Source of light and life and played an active role in the creation of the world, many of those He created did not recognize Him when He came in the flesh. But some did. And here is a central theme of John’s Gospel: Those who receive Jesus and believe in His name are adopted as children of God (vv. 12-13). Consider the implications of the Word becoming flesh. What does this tell you about our God? How has Jesus’ coming into your life changed you?

Spend some time in prayer, thanking Jesus for the ways He is currently shining His light into your life and for the ways He has revealed Himself to you in the past.

Read John 1:19-28.

John the Baptist’s ministry inspired hope among many of the Jews that the time for the Messiah’s arrival had finally come. John had to assure them that he was not the Messiah, but he identified himself as the forerunner whose appearance was prophesied in the book of Isaiah (see Isaiah 40:3). The baptism with water that John offered people was a baptism of repentance, in preparation for the coming Messiah. Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (John 1:33). John’s ministry was simply to prepare the way for Jesus, to recognize Jesus by the sign God had given him, and to point others to Jesus, the true Messiah. As Christians, we can follow John’s lead by pointing others to the Jesus.

Consider: Who has been John the Baptist in your life? Which believers have called in your wilderness and pointed you toward Jesus?

Thank God for the “John the Baptists” in your life. Ask Him to give you eyes to see the ways that He comes to you and ask for the ability and the grace to point others to Jesus.

Read John 1:29-34.

John the Baptist called Jesus “the Lamb of God.” In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed as sin offerings for individuals or for a community. These offerings foreshadowed Jesus’ sacrifice for all of us. Jesus is the true Lamb of God who “takes away the sin of the world.”

Jesus was John the Baptist’s cousin. When John said, “I myself did not know Him” (v. 31), he meant that he did not recognize Jesus until God gave the promised sign of the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. John had grown up with Jesus but did not know He was the Messiah and “would not have known” (v. 33) until God revealed this truth at just the right time.

When did you first realize who Jesus is? Recall the time in your life when Jesus was revealed to you as your Savior. Maybe this revelation was sudden and thrilling, or maybe it was a slow, sweet realization over time, especially if you grew up as a Christian. (In that case, think of the time your parents’ faith in Christ became your own.) Talk to God about this season of your life and thank Him for revealing Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away your sin.

Monday, March 2

Read John 1:35-42.

Once God revealed Jesus as the Lamb of God to John the Baptist, John began proclaiming this fact to everyone who would listen. As a result, two men began following Jesus. One of them was Andrew, Peter’s brother. Andrew was so excited about following Jesus that he went to tell Peter.

Read the passage again, this time remembering your own excitement when you first learned who Jesus is. Then, think about the people in your life who do not know Jesus yet, and pray for them. Ask God for opportunities to talk to them about what Jesus has done for you.

Read John 1:43-51.

After Andrew and Peter followed Jesus, He called Philip, and Philip invited Nathanael. Nathanael was skeptical until Jesus’ statement that He saw Nathanael “under the fig tree before Philip called [him].” This may seem like a little detail to mention, but it wasn’t little to Nathanael. It caused him to believe and confess immediately that Jesus is the Son of God.

Consider: How has Jesus shown up in your life in ways that have amazed you? What has made you certain that He is who He says He is?

Remember these “God moments” in conversation with the Lord, praising and worshipping Him for the ways He has amazed you and shown you a very personal, unconditional love as His child. Tuesday, March 3

Read John 2:1-11.

Jesus, His mother, and His disciples attended a wedding at Cana, and during the wedding feast, the wine ran out. This was a serious thing in a culture that put a high value on hospitality, and Mary went to Jesus, knowing He could do something about it.

Jesus’ response that His “hour has not yet come” could mean a number of different things, but one very insightful explanation looks at the way Jesus speaks of “His hour” throughout the Gospels. Whenever Jesus spoke of “His hour,” He was referring to when He would shed His blood so that we could all be cleansed and so that our thirsty hearts would be satisfied. When Mary spoke of a lack of physical wine, Jesus responded with an answer that reflected the people’s deeper need for spiritual wine— His blood.

Even though it was not yet His time to shed His blood for them, He gave them physical wine as a symbol of what was to come. He asked the servants fill jars used for ceremonial washing with water, which He then transformed into wine. This wine was so good the headwaiter commented on it. Yet the wine Jesus would provide later—His blood—would wash us clean in more than a ceremonial way; it would wash away all our sin, and it would be so good that it would satisfy our deepest thirst forever. Jesus’ comment was meant to draw attention to the symbolism of the miracle He was about to perform. This miracle also strengthened His disciples’ faith in Him.

Consider: This miracle was done to foreshadow what Jesus would do on the cross, but it was also done for a practical reason—to provide wine so that the wedding hosts would not be embarrassed, which seems like a little thing in comparison. Yet God even cares about the “little things” in our lives. In what ways has He shown His compassion for you in the “little things”?

This week when you take communion, think about the wedding at Cana and thank God for the wine that cleanses your heart and satisfies your soul and thank Him for caring about your daily life on earth as well as your eternal life in heaven. Wednesday, March 4

Read John 2:12-25.

After the wedding at Cana, Jesus spent some time with His disciples in Capernaum, where they lived. Then, they all went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. Here the disciples saw a different side of Jesus when He cleared the Temple of the traders and moneychangers and confronted the religious leaders.

In the time of Jesus, monetary Temple offerings had to be made using Temple currency, not Roman. So, the moneychangers made a business of exchanging coinage for those who had come to worship, and they made a very tidy profit doing it. Likewise, the traders sold animals for sacrifice at a premium to those who came from a great distance. Both groups of traders would have given a share of the profits to the high priest and his family, and Jewish writings report that the high-priestly family of this time was despised by the people for their dishonesty and greed. The traders, moneychangers, and even the religious leaders were profiting from people’s desire to worship God in the prescribed way, and they were doing this inside the Temple. To them, worship was a business opportunity!

No wonder Jesus was angered. It was righteous anger—anger at something that was coming between God and His people. Jesus is always angered by what comes between us and Him.

Read the passage again, this time visualizing Jesus as He cleanses the Temple. Ask yourself what tables need to be turned over in your own life. What is coming between you and God? Ask Jesus to for His help seeing these things and ridding your heart of them. Thank Him for His passionate love and His desire that nothing would separate Him from His people.

Thursday, March 5

Read John 3:1-15.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council made up of rabbis). Pharisees were zealous in their dedication to the Law. Jesus calls him “the teacher of Israel” (literal translation from the Greek of v. 10), which means Nicodemus held a high religious office that involved the authoritative interpretation of Scripture. So, Nicodemus was pretty high up in the religious ranks of Israel, yet he shows more humility than other Pharisees because he acknowledges that Jesus’ miracles prove He comes from God.

Still, Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night because he is afraid of what his colleagues will think if they find out (see John 7:45-52). He seems to want to start a religious discussion with Jesus, but before Nicodemus can even ask a question, Jesus tells him, “no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (v. 3). It’s as though Jesus is saying, “You won’t really understand the miracles or the reason for them until you are born of God, Nicodemus.”

Even after Jesus explains that this birth is different from physical birth, Nicodemus remains confused. Jesus wonders at Nicodemus’s inability to understand (v. 10) because of Nicodemus’s knowledge of Scripture. [The rebirth Jesus speaks of is prophesied in the Old Testament (see Ezekiel 11:19).]

This rebirth comes through “water” (the repentance signified by water baptism) and “the Spirit” (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which comes with belief in Christ). When Jesus says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases…so it is with everyone born of the Spirit,” He is using the same word in Greek in two different ways as an analogy. In Greek, “wind” and “Spirit” are the same word—pneuma. The Spirit, like the wind, is beyond our control, and we cannot predict His movements. Thus, the rebirth Jesus’ speaks of is not something we control; it is something we surrender to in faith, and when we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Spirit begins transforming us.

As our Savior, Jesus compares Himself to the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the desert (Numbers 21:9). The Israelites had sinned against God and, consequently, were attacked by poisonous snakes. When they confessed their sin and cried out for help, God told Moses to make a bronze snake (the symbol of the people’s judgment), put it on a pole, and lift it up. Anyone who looked on the snake would live. Likewise, Jesus was lifted up on the cross, and we can look to Him to be saved from the consequences of our sin in order to live spiritually and eternally.

Read Ezekiel 11:19. This verse prophesies the rebirth Jesus speaks of in John 3. When we accept Christ, we are reborn as God’s children, and we enter a process of rebirth called sanctification (being conformed to the image of Christ). The rebirth is both “already” and “not yet.”

Consider: What evidence do I see of the Holy Spirit working in me to give me new life and “an undivided heart”? Consider also: How am I like Nicodemus? Do I regularly come to Jesus in humility and with an open heart and mind? Am I also transparent about my need for Him, or do I hide my relationship with Him because I’m afraid of what my non-Christian friends will think about me?

Talk to God about anything that came up in your heart during today’s reading and reflection. Ask Him to reveal how His Spirit is at work in your transformation and ask Him to give you courage to tell others about your relationship with Him.

Read John 3:16-21.

These are Jesus’ words. (The more recent NIV translation does not include these verses in quotation marks, but every other major translation does.) Jesus is speaking of the cost of our eternal life. He paid a high price for you and me, but He did it out of love. The Greek word translated as “love” is agape. This kind of love is a choice. It is self-sacrificial. God chose to love sinners, and He expressed His love through self- sacrifice. The fact that God loves us in this way is amazing! And comforting.

Jesus said He didn’t come to “condemn” but to save (v. 17). He didn’t need to condemn because we are all lost (“condemned already”) until we put our trust in Him. Yet people still refuse to come to His light because they do not want their sin exposed (v. 20). But when we know the truth—that Jesus came to save and not to condemn—we can have courage to step into the light, trusting in Him to cleanse our sin, clothe us in His righteousness, and make us whole.

Read the passage again. Consider: Do I ever fear God’s condemnation? Do I sometimes want to hide in the dark?

If you answered “yes,” talk to God about this. Ask Him to deepen your awareness of His love for you through Jesus’ sacrifice. There is joy and freedom in knowing we have no reason to hide because of what Jesus has done!

Friday, March 6

Read John 3:22-36. John the Baptist was given a divine revelation so that he would recognize Jesus (see last week’s reading). In this passage, John confirms what Jesus has said and testifies that Jesus has come from heaven and speaks on His own authority. John also notes that no one accepts Jesus’ testimony. These verses, 31-36, echo Jesus’ words to Nicodemus (vv. 11-13; 16-18). Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life and whoever rejects Him remains under God’s wrath.

John the Baptist not only testifies that Jesus is the Messiah here, but he also shows great humility. He was the center of attention for a while. However, now that he has declared Jesus as the Messiah, his job is done. John is content with what he has “received from heaven.” He knows his place as “the bridegroom’s friend,” and he is ready for Jesus to “become greater” while he “become(s) less.” This is a humility that is born out of faith, trust, and obedience.

Consider: How content am I with the work God has given me? What can I learn from John the Baptist when my influence wanes or my position in life changes?

Ask God for the strength and humility to remain content when your circumstances change. Ask Him to help you look for satisfaction and contentment in your relationship with Him, knowing He has given you eternal life and made you His child. No prestige or honor is greater than this.

Saturday, March 7

Read John 4:1-26.

Jesus is traveling through Samaria on the way to Galilee. This was the direct route, but most rabbis and devout Jews avoided Samaria by going around it. The Samaritans were long-time enemies of the Jews and were considered unclean. In this passage, Jesus also engages a woman in conversation—another social taboo, especially for a rabbi. The woman is understandably confused when He asks her for a drink.

The woman had come to the well alone, showing that she was an outcast among the women of her town. Wells were the first-century place for socializing when water was drawn in the morning and evening. In a woman’s social life, it was the first-century equivalent of Starbucks.

After the woman expresses her surprise at Jesus’ request, He offers her water that will satisfy her deepest thirst, but the woman still thinks He is speaking of physical thirst. “Living water” was a common phrase of the time that meant water not drawn by human hands—water coming up from a spring instead of water from a well or cistern. But Jesus is speaking figuratively of water that will satisfy the woman’s thirst for a right relationship with God.

Even after Jesus tries to explain that the water He gives will lead to “eternal life,” the woman still thinks He is speaking of water that will quench her physical thirst, and she asks for it. At this point, Jesus shows that He knows her sins. His command for her to call her husband is the first culturally expected thing Jesus does because a married woman was not supposed to talk to a stranger without her husband present. But this command shifted the woman’s focus to her sin and need. (Jesus knew it would.) Her reply is a deflection, not a confession. Jesus then tells her He knows her sin—just as He knows her unrecognized thirst. He reveals her need and her true thirst.

Undoubtedly embarrassed, she acknowledges that His knowledge must mean He is a prophet, and she changes the subject to a theological controversy. Jesus answers her question but refuses to have the conversation derailed. In fact, when the woman expresses faith in the promised Messiah, Jesus reveals His true identity to her!

God seeks worshipers, not new ways to judge us. He wants to be in relationship with us and to satisfy our deepest thirst, which is for Him!

Read the passage again and notice that Jesus offers the woman living water before He points out her sin. God’s salvation is a free gift, so we should be unafraid to have Him point out our sin to us. We can repent, knowing that the love and forgiveness has been waiting for us all along.

Consider: What do I think I thirst for in life? Where do I look for satisfaction and happiness? Is there a deeper thirst beneath the things I think I thirst for?

Talk to God about this. Ask Him to give you an awareness of your thirst for Him and to lessen your thirst for earthly things. Spend some time with Jesus at the well today.

Read John 4:27-38.

The woman at the well leaves behind her water jar to go tell the people of her town that she believes she has met the Messiah. Leaving the jar behind was no small thing. In the first century, a woman’s water jar was an important possession because it was her means for carrying life-sustaining water to her home. It was also a burden she carried. So, the woman at the well left behind her burden and her means for gathering her own water, and she did this to go tell others where living water could be found.

This whole encounter was deeply satisfying to Jesus. It was “food” for Him. He had done the work of His Father and saved a soul.

Read Jeremiah 2:13. Consider: How do I try to dig my own cisterns and find my own “water” (i.e., satisfaction) in life without relying on God? How do my attempts to do this actually place a heavy burden on me as I try to quench my own thirst?

Ask God to help you lay your burden down and look to Him to be your spring of living water. Imagine Jesus’ pleasure in you coming to Him as your Source of life. Week 2: The Gospel of John, Chapters 4:39 - 7:53

Sunday, March 8

Read John 4:39-42.

When the Samaritans come to see Jesus, He stays two more days with them, and many believe in Him as a result. This is a wonderful example of what happens when we witness to someone. Like the woman, we can tell people what Jesus has done for us, but they have to “come and see” for themselves. Once they personally encounter Jesus, they are changed forever.

It can be scary to witness to others. Think about the woman at the well. She was an outcast, going to the well alone. But Jesus’ compassion toward her made her brave. She ran to tell the people who had ostracized her, and they responded!

Think about someone in your life who needs to meet Jesus. Pray for that person (or people) today and ask God to give you an opening to share and the courage to do so.

Read John 4:43-54.

Jesus arrives back in Galilee, where He is welcomed because of what the people had seen Him do in Jerusalem at Passover. A royal official approaches Jesus and asks Him to come heal his son. Jesus doesn’t go to the boy. He simply says the boy will live. Scripture says, “The man took Jesus at His word” and left. On his way home, servants met him to tell him that the boy had been healed. They reported that the healing took place at one in the afternoon on the previous day, which was the very time Jesus had pronounced that the boy would live!

In the passage, Jesus says that people want to see signs and wonders before they believe. The royal official didn’t see his son healed; he just “took Jesus at His word.”

Consider: How often do I want to see God do something amazing in order to strengthen my faith? Am I willing to “take Jesus at His word,” especially during times when I’m filled with doubt or fear?

Talk to God about your fears and doubts today. Ask Him to help you “take Him at His word,” believing the promises He makes to you in Scripture. Monday, March 9

Read John 5:1-15.

Jesus heals a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. The man is lying beside a pool known for its healing properties, and yet, Jesus approaches him and asks, “Do you want to get well?” At first glance, this question seems a bit odd—maybe even a little rude. If the man is lying there by the famous pool, isn’t it obvious he is there to be healed? But Jesus “learned [the man] had been in this condition for a long time,” so the question is a valid one.

Healing for this man would require an entire life change. He had been making a living by begging, and if he were healed, he would have to become responsible for himself and find work. Jesus simply asked him what the desire of his heart really was. He asks us the same thing. That positive change you say you want—do you really want it?

Read the passage again and try to imagine the whole scene. Look at the man’s face. Look at Jesus’ face. Hear the tone in their voices. Note that the man obeys his Healer, even though the command goes against the rules set by the religious leaders.

Consider: Is there a positive change I would like to see in my life? Is this something I really desire?

After you’ve examined your heart, talk to God about what you have discovered. Ask Him to help you change your desire if you find resistance to growth and/or healing. And don’t forget to ask Him for the growth and healing. Then, follow Him, obeying Him just as the healed invalid did. He longs to remake you into the image of Jesus because He loves you.

Read John 5:16-23.

Because Jesus was healing people on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders begin persecuting Him. Jesus responds by saying that His Father continues to work to keep the universe running, so Jesus works as well (v. 17). This statement is a claim to deity because it identifies Jesus with God’s creative and sustaining work. Jesus goes on to explain His relationship to the Father, and He says that He Himself is the Source of eternal life (v. 21). He adds, “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” (v. 24). “Life” in this last statement means more than eternal life, as wonderful as that is. To have “crossed from death to life” implies a new life now as well as in the future. This new life is infused with the Holy Spirit, given to us at our spiritual rebirth. With God’s power working in and through us, we can have true fellowship with Him and with other believers, and we can rely on God’s strength in our battles against sin and temptation. We can have His peace that passes understanding and His joy in the midst of trials and tribulations. We are even clothed in His righteousness. Now. Today. And we are on a journey to grow into this new life with Him as well.

Consider: How am I living as one who has passed from death to life? As I look back over the past 24 hours, how have I faithfully followed Christ? How have I strayed from following Him?

Spend some time reviewing your last 24 hours with God. Ask Him to show you when you were living close to Him—when you showed evidence of living that new life in Him. Ask Him to reveal when you were distant from Him. Finally, ask Him to help you remain closer to Him in the next 24 hours, whatever they will bring.

Tuesday, March 10

Read John 5:24-47.

Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that they have John the Baptist’s testimony that He is the Messiah but that they also have “weightier” testimony than this—the miracles Jesus does and the Scriptures that testify about Him. If the Jewish leaders will not believe what is written in the Scriptures, how will they believe what Jesus Himself says?

The Jewish leaders were focused on receiving honor from each other; they sought earthly rather than heavenly things. Even their focus on Scripture was legalistic. They thought that eternal life came through the Scriptures. Jesus tells them that they need to come to Him to have life.

Even those of us who are Christians can lose sight of our Source sometimes. We can search the Scriptures for the right answers to our problems and forget to go to Jesus with them. We can look to one another for approval and forget that our identity and worth is found solely in Christ.

Consider: Where do I find my sense of worth and identity? Is it in people or in Jesus? Do I go to Jesus to find life or to something else? Spend some time talking with Jesus today. Thank Him for being your Source of life and identity. Ask Him to help you with whatever is weighing on your heart. Release it to Him, and trust that He can work through your circumstances and your heart because He is who He says He is.

Wednesday, March 11

Read John 6:1-15.

Jesus asks Philip where they should buy bread for the 5,000 people who had begun following Him after seeing His miracles. He asks this question to “test” Philip, who doesn’t see a way to feed all the people. Andrew points out that they only have five loaves and two fish, which can hardly be expected to feed so many. Jesus then shows them that He can stretch the resources that they commit to Him. The feeding of the 5,000 is the only miracle that is reported in all four Gospels. It reminds us never to have a scarcity mindset in our walk with Christ. When He asks us to do something, we will be able to do it if we commit our gifts and resources to Him. But we are the ones who must submit and surrender to Him.

The crowd, on the other hand, tries to make Jesus submit to them when they attempt to make Him king “by force.” Of course, this flips the whole notion of what a king is upside down. A king is supposed to be the one in charge, not the people. Yet these people try to force Jesus to do what they want Him to do.

Consider: How often do I fear Jesus will not be able to use the resources I have? Do I ever try to manipulate Jesus into doing what I want Him to do, or do I come to Him as a willing subject, allowing Him to reign in my heart?

Ask God to help you surrender your gifts, talents, resources, and your need for control to Him. Spend some time talking with Him today about specific circumstances in your life that need to be handed over to Him. Ask Him to increase your faith so you trust that He is able to do “immeasurably more than all [you] ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).

Read John 6:15-40.

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus withdraws by Himself, and the disciples get into a boat and set out for Capernaum, across the Sea of Galilee. Jesus comes to them, walking on rough waters during the night. The disciples are frightened until Jesus announces that He is the One on the water and tells them not to be afraid. They take Him into the boat and “immediately” reach the shore.

The next day, the crowd searches for Jesus and cannot figure out where He went because they saw His disciples leave without Him in the only boat. No one tells the crowd what happened.

In the Gospels, some of Jesus’ most amazing miracles are done to nurture the faith of those who already believe. Jesus walked on the water for His disciples’ eyes only. Sometimes God will do something in each of our lives that is only meant for us in order to strengthen our faith. These “God moments” are gifts to be treasured in our hearts and only shared with others if we feel the Spirit’s leading us to do so.

Consider: In what ways has God worked in my own life to strengthen my faith?

Thank God for the ways He has walked to you on the rough waters of your life to reveal His Presence and take away your fears. Spend some time talking to Him about your current life circumstances and invite Him into the boat you currently find yourself in.

Thursday, March 12

Read John 6:41-59.

When the crowds from the feeding of the 5,000 find Jesus in Capernaum, He understands their true motive for seeking Him They were not interested in the signs that proved Jesus is the Messiah. They were interested in having Him provide them with more free food.

Even though they ask Jesus what they must do in order to do what “God requires,” they are only beginning a manipulative conversation with Him. He tells them they must believe in Him, and they answer by asking Him for a sign—even though they just saw Him feed them with five loaves and two fish! Their next statement reveals that Jesus was right about their true motive: they point out that, while their ancestors were in the desert with Moses, God gave them manna (“bread from heaven”) to eat. They aren’t just asking for a sign—they are telling Jesus which sign to perform! Jesus declares that He is the “bread of life”—the “true bread from heaven.” Then He tells them that believing in Him means eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This figurative speech is difficult for the crowd to hear, but it is a wonderful analogy. Bread was the foundation of the first-century diet. It was seen as essential to sustaining physical life. Jesus is essential to our spiritual life—He provides and sustains it. Just as material bread is eaten and digested so that it may nurture our bodies, we take Christ into our hearts by fully participating in faith in Him so that we are nurtured by Him and the Spirit can conform us to His image. Only Jesus is able to meet our deep need in this way. Only He can offer abundant and eternal life.

Consider: How has Jesus sustained you in the past? How is He sustaining you today?

In the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread.” Thank Him for giving you both physical and spiritual bread today. And thank Him for always giving you the bread you need, even though it may not be the kind of bread you thought you wanted.

Read John 6:60-71.

Jesus’ teaching that true life comes from eating His flesh and drinking His blood causes many “disciples” to turn away from following Him. This passage makes a distinction between the two types of disciples mentioned in the New Testament. The first kind of disciple is the kind who is an apprentice in training under an established teacher (“rabbi”). The Twelve were of this kind. The second kind of disciple is an “adherent”—one who goes along with a movement because it is popular, not out of any deep sense of belief or commitment. It is this kind of disciple who turns away from Jesus in this passage.

The Twelve remain, and when Jesus asks them if they want to leave, Peter confesses that there is no place else for them to go because they believe Jesus has the “words of eternal life” and that He truly is “the Holy One of God.” Consider: What kind of disciple am I? Do I follow Jesus because I want to get something from Him, like the crowds who wanted Him to keep giving them food to eat? Or do I truly want Him because of Who I believe He is?

As you examine your heart today, talk to God about what rises to the surface. Confess any ulterior motives you sense in your walk with Him and ask Him to redeem them and to purify your heart. Then thank Him for His unfailing love and guidance as the One who shares the “words of eternal life” with you. Friday, March 13

Read John 7:1-13.

During the existence of the Temple in Jerusalem, the Festival of the Tabernacles (also known as the Feast of Booths or Sukkot) was one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals when Israelites were required to go to the Temple. This was a harvest festival that also celebrated the Lord’s care of the people during their 40 years in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. For seven days, people lived in “booths,” temporary huts that would remind them of the dwellings used during the years the people wandered in the desert. So, everyone would be going to this festival.

Jesus’ brothers taunt Him in this passage about what they see as His aspirations to greatness. They don’t believe in Him at this point (though later on James and Jude would come to believe and become leaders in the early church). Because of His brothers’ unbelief and the Jewish leaders waiting in Jerusalem to kill Him, Jesus delays His trip and goes up to Jerusalem quietly. This is not a dishonest or cowardly act, but a strategic one. He knows His “time is not yet here,” meaning that there will be a day when He will enter Jerusalem openly as the Messiah (the day we now call Palm Sunday), and that day will usher in the time of His death. He has more to accomplish before that day comes in order to do the will of His Father.

Because the festival is a required one, the Jewish leaders look for Jesus. The crowds whisper their opinions for fear of the leaders, who have the power to cut them off from Israel’s religious and social life.

Read the passage again, and this time, listen to the tone of Jesus’ brothers as they taunt Him, remembering that at least two of them later came to believe in Him. Listen also to the crowd’s whispers and think about their fear in the face of serious cultural consequences.

Consider: How do I respond to those who reject or make fun of me or my faith? Do I write them off as enemies? Do I hide my faith or try to change myself in some way in order to gain their approval?

Ask God to help you have the courage to continue to live a life of faith openly and to pray for people who mock you because of it. Pray that you will seek your approval from God alone and ask for the perseverance to keep from writing people off as lost. God can soften even the most hardened unbeliever. Read John 7:14-24.

Halfway through the eight-day Festival of the Tabernacles, Jesus begins to openly teach in the temple courts. The Jewish leaders wonder how He got His training because a rabbi (teacher) was supposed to get his theological training by first becoming a disciple of a recognized, established rabbi. Yet none of the Jewish leaders had been Jesus’ teacher, and they could see that He had an advanced understanding of the Scriptures. Jesus says His teaching comes directly from God and that “anyone who chooses to do the will of God” will discover this is true. He goes on to say the Jewish leaders do not do the will of God—they do not keep the Law they claim to honor.

Jesus also addresses the religious leaders’ criticism that He breaks the Law by healing on the Sabbath. He points out that they don’t hesitate to observe the symbolic purification rite of circumcision on the Sabbath because it must be done on the 8th day after birth, yet they are angry that He cleanses and heals a man’s whole body on the Sabbath. Their reasoning is flawed, and it shows they are more concerned with the outward trappings of religion than doing God’s will or seeking God’s heart.

Jesus promises that if we seek to do God’s will, then we will develop spiritual understanding. God will guide us. He’ll show us what His will is, and then we can live it. But we must be ready to do His will, no matter what.

Consider: How often do I seek to do God’s will in my life? Is this something I think about when facing life choices?

In your prayer time today, thank God for His love and His willingness to guide you, and ask Him to cultivate a deep desire in you to do His will. If you are facing any decision, pray He reveals His will to you and gives you the strength and discernment to follow where He leads.

Saturday, March 14

Read John 7:25-53.

This passage shows the confusion of the crowds concerning Jesus’ identity. Many were saying His miracles prove He is the Messiah. This only angers the chief priests and Pharisees, who try to have Jesus arrested. But no one will lay a hand on Him. On the last day of the Festival of the Tabernacles, Jesus calls on the crowds to believe in Him, promising that their spiritual thirst will be satisfied—that “rivers of living water will flow from within them” (v. 38). This is a deliberate reference to Isaiah 44:3, which says, “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” In the Old Testament, water was associated with blessing and purification. Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus would make it possible for all believers to be cleansed and blessed with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

When the temple guards refuse to arrest Jesus because they are amazed at His words, the religious leaders become even angrier. The leaders are proud to say none of them have believed in Jesus—only the crowds have, and they don’t know any better because they aren’t holy enough. This isn’t exactly true, though. Nicodemus, the Pharisee who believed Jesus came from God (see John 3), hesitantly defends Jesus. Nicodemus’s colleagues insult him by asking if he is from Galilee, too. (Galileans were considered uneducated hicks by the Pharisees and their class.)

The religious leaders assume Jesus was born in Galilee because He lived in Nazareth, which means they purposely never checked to see if Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies. Genealogies were important to the Jewish people, and they kept records. If the Jewish leaders had bothered to check, they would have seen that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was of the house and line of David—just as Scripture said the Messiah would be!

The religious leaders thought they knew Jesus, but they never bothered to check the records to verify their conclusions about Christ. We have all of Scripture to read to verify ours. Consider: Do I always go to Jesus to satisfy my spiritual thirst? Where do I go when I don’t go to Him? And how committed am I to searching the Scriptures so that I know Him better?

Thank Jesus today for being your Source of living water, and go drink deeply in your time with Him. If you’re not sure how, ask Him. Then just sit with Him for a while. He’ll show you. Week 3: The Gospel of John, Chapters 8:1 - 11:44

Sunday, March 15

Read John 8:1-11.

You might notice that in your Bible, John 7:53-8:11 is set apart in italics or relegated to a footnote. This is because the earliest extant Greek manuscripts (before the 5th century) do not contain these verses, and when they do start to appear in manuscripts, they show up in three other places in the book of John. Depending on the manuscript, they might come after John 7:36, 7:44, or 21:25, and in some manuscripts, they show up after Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53. That said, many experts believe the story of the woman caught in adultery is a real event from Jesus’ life that circulated by mouth among believers and was later added to the Gospel of John. The story is certainly consistent with the character and manner of both Jesus and the Pharisees. It is also consistent with the way the Pharisees regularly tried to trap Jesus and how He would use their attempts to teach the Gospel in some way.

In this passage, Jesus is teaching in the temple courts again when the religious leaders bring in a woman caught in adultery. They ask Jesus what should be done with her. They are hoping to trap Jesus because they know from His teaching that He will not sentence her to death, but if He doesn’t, He is directly contradicting the Law of Moses (see Deuteronomy 22:22 and Leviticus 20:10).

Jesus uses this event to show the Gospel to the Pharisees. He says, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” This forces the Pharisees to face their own incomplete perception of the Law and their misuse of it. All of the Law is founded on loving God and loving your neighbor (see Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:37-40). This doesn’t mean we should condone sin. [After all, Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery to “go now and leave your life of sin” (v. 11).] But it does mean that if we pursue holiness and righteousness without a deep sense of God’s grace and forgiveness in our own lives, then we will become cruel hypocrites. Jesus came to give us that grace and forgiveness, which inspire us to turn from sin when we encounter Him.

Consider: How have I refused to offer the grace to others that I have received? If I have refused to offer grace, have I fully accepted and experienced God’s grace myself? (Perhaps I am judging myself for something God has forgiven me for if I am also judging others?) Talk to God about the specific ways you have experienced His grace and forgiveness in your own life and thank Him for this. Ask Him to show you any hardness in your heart toward others’ sins and ask Him to help you view their sin through your experience of His grace.

Read John 8:12-20.

In this passage, Jesus calls Himself the “Light of the world” and says that those who follow Him will “never walk in darkness” (v.12). Jesus illuminates the truth—the realities of God and the world. We are not capable of seeing the truth without Him. If we believe in and follow Him, we will see everything as it really is—our sin, the world’s brokenness, and God’s grace and love. If we refuse to believe in Him, we are left with only “human standards” (see v. 15), which constantly shift according to the whims of culture and personal preference and, therefore, leave us in darkness, incapable of knowing God.

The Pharisees challenge Jesus, saying He cannot appear as His own witness to what He says. (Rabbis were supposed to support their teachings with the work of rabbis who had come before, and the courts required the testimony of two witnesses to pronounce something as truth.) Jesus points out that He Himself is one witness, and His Father is another. His Father sent Him and has already testified through the miracles Jesus has performed. The Pharisees do not understand what He means, and Jesus says that this is because they do not know Him, or they would also know His Father. They are still in darkness.

Consider: How has Jesus been Light in my world? What kinds of darkness has He illuminated for me?

Talk to Jesus about the darkness He has illuminated for you. Thank Him and express your love for Him. Sit in silence for a while and sense His love for and delight in you.

Read John 8:21-30.

Jesus tells the Pharisees that they cannot go where He is going (v. 21) and that if they do not believe in Him, they will “die in their sins” (v. 24). The Pharisees remain confused. They are confused about where Jesus could be going and who He is.

Jesus has been telling the Pharisees from the beginning that He is the Messiah. He has told people what His Father has told Him to say. Still, the Pharisees are blind. Jesus says they will know who He is after they have “lifted” Him up (v. 28). After they lift Him up on the cross, they will see confirming miracles—the darkness covering the land during the Crucifixion, the temple curtain torn in two at His death, and finally His Resurrection after three days. Yet, even after all of this, many of them will stubbornly refuse to believe.

The Pharisees cannot see things accurately because they are corrupted by their own sin. Without Jesus, we are corrupted by sin, too, so we have distorted vision as well. Only God can see everything accurately, and God the Son came to be our Light and show us the way.

Consider: How has sin kept me from seeing things in my life clearly in the past? How has Jesus helped me see things accurately?

Thank Jesus for the ways He has helped you see your sin and His forgiveness by giving you His perspective. Ask Him if there is currently any sin in your life that is clouding your vision. If there is, confess it, ask His forgiveness, and seek His help in turning from it.

Monday, March 16

Read John 8:31-59.

In this passage, Jesus says that those who “hold to [His] teaching” (i.e., obey Him) are “really [His] disciples.” Truth will be revealed to them, and this will bring freedom from the slavery of sin (vv. 31-32, 34-36). This means we must put Jesus’ words into practice before we can really experience the truth of them, and in this truth, there is freedom. This freedom we find in Christ is not freedom to do whatever we want when we want to do it. Instead, it is being who we really are—who God created us to be—and engaging in relationship with Him, where we find true joy. This freedom comes when we follow Jesus and see the truth of His words in our journey with Him.

The Pharisees are not only incapable of seeing the truth as it is illuminated by Jesus, the “Light of the world” (John 8:12), but they are also incapable of hearing it (vv. 43, 47). He has told them over and over that He came from God and is the Messiah, but they refuse to believe and put their faith in Him. When Jesus tells them they are slaves to sin but that through Him they can be set free, they insist that their physical descent from Abraham assures their freedom. Jesus responds that they do not do what Abraham did, so their physical descent from him means nothing. Instead, the Jewish leaders act like children of the devil, for they are seeking to kill Jesus, who is bringing them truth directly from God.

The leaders resort to name-calling, saying that Jesus is a Samaritan and demon- possessed. (Samaritans were descendants of imported settlers who married among the Jews and eventually distorted Jewish religious customs. The Jews and Samaritans were bitter enemies, so this is an insult.)

Jesus responds that He is not demon-possessed; in fact, whoever obeys Him will “never see death” (v. 51). Then, He identifies Himself with the personal name of God (Yahweh), which translated is “I Am Who I Am.” The Jewish leaders realize Jesus is claiming to be God, and they pick up stones to kill Him. He is able to slip away because it is not yet His time.

Obviously, we cannot perfectly obey Jesus, but we need to try if we are going to be His disciples. Consider: Do I accept Christ’s words mostly as theory, or do I sincerely try to live my life according to them? Do I ever rely on something other than Christ Himself for spiritual assurance?

Ask God to show you any way that you might be trying to live your life on your own terms or looking to something other than Him for assurance. (We are often blind to these things in our lives, but God is always ready to reveal them to us so that we can have an increasing measure of freedom!) If He shows you anything, ask for His forgiveness, and accept it. Don’t feel guilty. Our walk with Christ is about being conformed to His image, and that is a process. As we go through it, He will help us detach from the things that hold us back from relying solely on Him, and He will help us attach to Him, where we will find great freedom and joy!

Tuesday, March 17

Read John 9:1-12.

The reason for the disciples’ question is that first-century Jews believed sickness and disability were punishments for sin, but they ask it out of curiosity rather than out of any concern for the blind man. Jesus teaches them two lessons in response. The first lesson is that neither the man’s sin nor his parents’ sin was the cause of his disability. Sickness and tragedy happen because we live in a broken world—a world that has been broken since the Fall, when Adam and Eve sinned. However, God can redeem. God chose to use this man’s blindness “that the works of God might be displayed in him” (v. 3), revealing Jesus’ identity and bringing glory to God.

The second lesson Jesus teaches His disciples here is that they must use every opportunity to help people. Jesus says, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me” (v. 4, emphasis added). Jesus wants His disciples to join Him in having compassion for people and helping them first and foremost. Theological questions need to be saved for later.

It is interesting that Jesus puts mud on the blind man’s eyes and tells him to “go” and “wash” because usually Jesus heals by simply saying that it be so. Here, He doesn’t even assure the man that healing will happen. Still, the blind man obeys, and because he does so, he regains his sight. There is a lesson here as well. Jesus is illustrating the principle He just taught in the temple courts (see the previous chapter, John 8), and He repeats the same assertion He made there—that He is “the light of the world” (John 8:12 and 9:5). In the temple courts, Jesus expanded on this statement, saying those who “follow” (obey) Him “will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12) and those who “hold to [His] teaching…will know the truth, and the truth will set [them] free” (John 8:31-32). This means we are freed from darkness and come to know the truth through true belief, which is more than intellectual agreement. If we truly believe, we act on that belief, following and obeying Jesus. Then we will discover that what He says is true. Until then, we remain blind to spiritual reality. The blind man obeyed Jesus because he believed Jesus had the power to heal, and in that belief and obedience, the man gained his sight.

Read the passage again and imagine the scene in your mind. Hear the tones of the voices. Watch the man go and wash. Imagine his thoughts and feelings.

Consider: When tragedy strikes me or my family, do I look for God in the midst of it? Do I believe He can bring something good out of the brokenness of this world—even if I can’t readily see what that good could possibly be? In other words, do I believe God is good, and do I trust and obey, even when there is no promise of getting the outcome I desire?

Talk to Jesus today about whatever darkness might be weighing on your soul. Confess the ways you have been slow to believe and trust Him. Ask Him to increase your faith and help you to follow and obey, knowing He has the power to free you from darkness because He is the Light of the world.

Read John 9:13-23. The formerly blind man’s neighbors have a hard time believing he has been healed. When they can’t find Jesus, they take the man to the Pharisees, who are angry that the healing took place on the Sabbath.

Because Jesus does not “keep the Sabbath” according to the Pharisees’ own rules, they insist He cannot be from God (v. 16). Some of the people with the blind man ask how a “sinner” could “perform such signs,” and the Pharisees are “divided.” Their division is not about whether or not Jesus is from God, though; instead, they are divided on how to explain away the miracle of the blind man’s healing. So, they continue to question the man and refuse to believe the miracle happened until they send for his parents, who confirm that the man was blind but refuse to say how he was healed because they fear being “put out of the synagogue” by the Jewish leaders.

Read the passage again and note the simple statement of the formerly blind man: “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.” Then notice the division this simple statement causes. Witnessing is not about arguing a point. It is simply telling others what you know from your own experience. You don’t have to be a great theologian to witness to friends and family; you just have to tell them what Jesus has done for you. Some will believe you; others won’t. (And some may eventually come to believe after a time.) You cannot control the outcome, and you aren’t expected to. You only have to tell what you know, and let God handle the rest.

Talk to God today about what He has done in your life. Review in prayer those times when He has touched you. Ask Him to show you if someone in your life needs to hear one of those God stories and ask for the opportunity to share it. Then, thank Him for all He has done for you.

Wednesday March 18

Read John 9:24-34.

The Pharisees call the formerly blind man to them again and harass him. They imply he has lied to them since they believe Jesus is a sinner. The formerly blind man continues to witness by simply stating what he knows. He says, “Whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (v. 25) The Pharisees ask the same questions they asked before and the formerly blind man loses patience. He responds, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become His disciples too?” (v. 27) You can hear the sarcasm in his last question. It’s interesting that he isn’t afraid of the Pharisees the way his parents were (see yesterday’s reading). The man’s courage comes from his experience with Jesus. After all, why should he fear the Pharisees when he has experienced the power of Christ?

The man’s sarcasm causes the Pharisees to “hurl insults” at him and try to show their superiority by saying they are Moses’ disciples and they are certain God spoke to Moses. The formerly blind man cuts through their pomposity, though, when he says, “We know that God does not listen to sinners….If this man were not from God, He could do nothing” (vv. 31-33). The Pharisees cannot answer this logic, so they insult him again and throw him out.

Consider: What blessings have I received from God that make me bold when I think of them? The truth is that all believers have received so much from God that anything we might possibly lose by putting our faith in Him pales in comparison.

Talk to God about all you have gained from your relationship with Him—about how you have experienced His power in your life. Meditate on these things and allow God’s love for you to embolden you for the challenges and conflicts you currently face in your life.

Read John 9:35-41.

After the religious leaders throw the formerly blind man out, Jesus hears about it and finds the man. Jesus asks him if he believes in the Son of Man, and the man shows his willingness to believe on Jesus’ word alone. Jesus says He is the Son, and the man believes and worships Him. Jesus then comments on the man’s faith in contrast to the unbelief of the Pharisees. The blind man sees, and those who believe they see are actually blind because they refuse to see the truth that so obviously comes directly from God.

This passage reminds me of something Steven James wrote in Sailing Between the Stars: Musings on the Mysteries of Faith:

In the crazy world of Christianity, those who think themselves wise are really fools in disguise, while those who know they’re fools become our greatest prophets and teachers. Those who are most aware of their sins are our greatest saints, while those who think they’re not really all that bad (at least compared to most people) are the greatest sinners. Those who think they’re humble are proud, but those who know they’re proud are humble. Those who believe themselves to be free are the most enchained; those who see their chains are finally free. As long as I think I can see, I’m blind. And only when I’m brave enough to admit that I’m beyond all hope does hope come crashing in and cleanse my heart.

The Pharisees were proud fools who were blind and enslaved but believed they were wise, free, and clear-sighted. Yet they deliberately refused to believe in Jesus despite the evidence of many miracles, so they were guilty, and their sin remained on them. If they could only have overcome their pride, they would have found freedom and forgiveness.

Consider: Is there any way that my pride is interfering in my relationships with God or others? When am I willing to listen to Jesus, ready to believe and do what He commands, like the formerly blind man? When am I more like the Pharisees, holding on to my pride rather than doing what I know I should do?

Spend some time with God, asking Him to show you where your heart still needs softening. Ask Him to show you where you still have chains, and ask Him to free you from them, remembering that He is faithful to do so because He’s freed you from so much in the past.

Thursday, March 19

Read John 10:1-10.

This passage is a continuation of the conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees from John 9. Jesus tells the Pharisees that anyone who enters the sheep pen by any way other than the gate is “a thief and a robber” (v. 1). The Greek word translated “thief” is kleptes, which means “someone who takes by stealth or removes secretly,” while the word translated “robber” is lestes, which means “someone who plunders or takes by force.” God’s people are the sheep, and they have lived in fear of both the Pharisees and the Romans for different reasons. The Pharisees hold the power to kick them out of their religious and social circles and place heavy moral demands on them. So, the Pharisees steal away the people’s sense of security in God’s love by behaving as though religious observances are more important than the heart behind them. The Romans oppress the people economically and politically, plundering and taking what they can by force. Neither of these groups nor any would-be messiahs who have come before Jesus (see v. 8) can be the true shepherd because they all care about themselves more than the people they lead. Jesus is just the opposite.

Jesus is the shepherd. Anyone who belongs to God recognizes His voice and will follow Him. Jesus is also the gate, and “whoever enters through [Him] will be saved” (v.9). The Pharisees refuse to enter by Him, and the Romans wouldn’t even entertain the idea. Still, Jesus came as the true Messiah, and He came openly into the sheep pen.

The reason Jesus is both shepherd and gate has to do with a practice of first-century shepherds. Sheep were taken into the sheep pen at night to protect them from predators. The sheep pen only had one entrance (the gate), and the shepherd would lie down to sleep in that opening so that nothing could get to the sheep without going through him first. Likewise, Jesus places His own body between us and sin. He gave His life that we might live—that we might “come in and go out and find pasture” and that we might “have life and have it to the full” (vv. 9-10).

Spend some time with the Lord today, thanking Him for being your Gate and your Shepherd, protecting you, dying for you, and making a way for you to be free to live an abundant life with Him. Even though you might be in the midst of something difficult, look for the ways He is offering you comfort and “pasture” as His beloved child.

Read John 10:11-21.

This passage is a continuation of the analogy that we read yesterday. Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, trying to help them understand who He is and His reason for coming. He uses the analogy of a sheep pen. He is both the gate through which the sheep pass and the shepherd who guards and protects them. Yesterday’s reading focused on Jesus as the Gate, and today’s focuses on His role as Shepherd. He is not just any shepherd, but the Good Shepherd who “lays down His life for the sheep” (v. 11).

The Pharisees are merely “hired hands.” They do not own the sheep, and they run when trouble comes. They “care nothing for the sheep” (v. 13); instead, they are more concerned with their own prestige and comfort.

Jesus knows His sheep because they are His, and they know Him and follow Him. In this passage, Jesus also mentions sheep that are “not of this sheep pen” (v. 16). He alludes to the fact that Gentiles will also come to Him, and all believers, regardless of their nation or ethnicity, will be “one flock” with Jesus as Shepherd.

The crowd listening to this conversation is divided upon hearing Jesus’ words. Some think He sounds “mad” or possessed, while others disagree and point to the healing of the blind man as proof. Some do not hear Jesus’ voice, while others do—just as Jesus said. Read the passage again, this time listening to Jesus’ tone as He speaks of laying down His life for the sheep—for you. You belong to Jesus. You are precious to Him, and He delights in you. He willingly gave His life for you. Spend some time just being with Him today, soaking up His love for you and trusting in His guidance for your life as your Good Shepherd.

Friday, March 20

Read John 10:22-42.

Jesus is in Jerusalem for the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah), and the Jewish leaders begin questioning Him again, asking Him to tell them “plainly” if He is the Messiah (v. 24). (They are really trying desperately to figure out how to explain away Jesus and His words.) Jesus responds that He has told them, and yet they do not believe, even with the evidence of the miracles, because they are not His sheep (vv. 25-26). He repeats what he told them earlier about His sheep listening and following Him, but this time He adds that “no one will snatch them out of [His] hand” and that His Father has given Him the sheep (vv. 28-29). Then, He concludes by saying, “I and the Father are one” (v. 30).

The Jewish leaders immediately recognize Jesus’ words as a claim to deity, and they pick up stones to stone Him (v. 31). Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, in which God says, “I said, ‘You are “gods”; you are all sons of the Most High.’” This Scripture does not mean that mere men can make a claim to deity but that God has granted them some authority on earth as His children (sons) and representatives. So, why would they stone Jesus for making a similar yet greater claim when His miracles show He has a right to make it? Other men were granted a little authority and called “sons of the Most High.” He has ultimate authority, proven by the miracles, so He can rightly say He is one with the Father. He concludes, “…even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father” (v. 38). At this, the leaders attempt to seize Him again, but He escapes. Jesus goes back across the Jordan River, and many people go to Him and believe. His sheep listen and follow Him, just as He said.

Consider this: Because of Jesus’ claims, no one can say He was simply a good man and wise teacher. As theologians have noted, Jesus did not leave us any room for thinking of Him this way. Instead, He left us with a “trilemma”—we must each decide if we believe Him to be a liar, a lunatic, or God with us in human flesh. Those who believe in Him do so because they recognize His voice.

Consider: I know Jesus’ voice as my Savior. How have I learned to recognize His voice as my Lord when I need direction?

Prayer is a conversation, and conversations are never one-sided. In your time with God today, be sure to listen as much as you talk. Learning to hear Jesus’ voice in the midst of life’s chaos is a lifelong process.

Saturday, March 21

Read John 11:1-16.

Jesus’ good friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus live in Bethany, 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives. So, when Mary and Martha send word that Lazarus is sick, Jesus’ disciples are concerned about Him going. The proximity to Jerusalem makes the trip dangerous since the Jewish leaders tried to stone Jesus the last time He was in the area. But Jesus is intent on going because He knows Lazarus’s sickness has a purpose; it will bring glory to God by revealing Jesus as God’s Son, who even has power over death.

Jesus does not go to Lazarus right away. In fact, verse 6 tells us, “So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days…” At first glance, this seems odd. If you love someone and hear that person is sick, wouldn’t you go see him or her immediately? Yet with God, timing is important. Jesus waits until Lazarus dies because He wants to show those He loves how great His power really is so that they might believe in Him and have eternal life. He says to His disciples, “For your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe…” (v. 15, emphasis added). Bringing Lazarus back from the dead would certainly secure people’s faith.

The disciples are confused throughout this passage. They are confused as to why Jesus would go toward Jerusalem when people are trying to kill Him. They are confused as to why Jesus wants to go “wake [Lazarus] up” when sleep is obviously what a sick person needs. They don’t even respond when Jesus answers their question about going up to Jerusalem with a rhetorical question about the number of hours in a day. In the end, the disciples simply follow where He leads, knowing it could mean their deaths. They have learned that Jesus always has the answers, even when they don’t even fully understand the questions!

Consider: How am I doing trusting Jesus in my current circumstances? When I don’t understand what is happening or when He seems slow in coming to me in my situation, do I begin to think He doesn’t care? Or can I rest in the knowledge that He knows what is best?

Thank God for His perfect timing and His constant love. If you are having trouble seeing Him in your circumstances or understanding the way He is directing you, ask Him to reveal Himself to you in the midst of your confusion and to strengthen your faith. Rest in the knowledge that what He wants most from you is relationship. He has gone to great lengths to be with you forever.

Read John 11:17-44.

Jesus raises Lazarus, who had been dead for four days. This miracle proves to those who witness it that Jesus is the Messiah. He has been sent from heaven and granted power over death. He had told His disciples before they all left for Bethany that He was going to “wake [Lazarus] up” so that they might believe (see John 11:11-15). Yet this passage shows us not only that Jesus is the Messiah but also the kind of Messiah He is. Notice how Jesus responds to Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Both greet Him with the same words: “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). Jesus, however, responds differently to each sister based upon her personality.

We know a little about Mary and Martha from Luke 10:38-42 and from the accounts of Mary anointing Jesus with expensive perfume at Simon the leper’s home in Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, and John 12:1-8 (note that she is not the sinful woman who anoints Jesus in Simon the Pharisee’s home in Luke 7:36-50). We know from these accounts that Martha is a practical, direct woman, and Mary is more sensitive and contemplative. Martha is a “thinker,” while Mary is a “feeler.” Jesus responds to them accordingly. When Martha confronts Jesus, He says plainly, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23), which leads into a theological discussion about the resurrection of the body. Martha shows her faith in Jesus, but she limits His ability to act in her present situation. Jesus asks her to have faith in the present moment, too, because He is “the resurrection and the life” and “the one who believes in [Him] will live, even though they die” (v. 25). He has power to give physical and spiritual life.

Now, notice how Jesus responds to Mary. When she confronts Him with the same statement, she weeps, and He is “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” (v. 33). He simply asks, “Where have you laid him?” and then He weeps as well (vv. 34-35)—with Mary and for her.

Martha needed answers. Mary needed someone to come alongside her in her grief. Jesus gave each exactly what she needed. Then, He raised their brother.

Read the passage again, this time listening closely to Martha and Mary. See how each is grieving and notice Jesus’ words and actions toward each of them.

God created you uniquely. He knows you inside and out, and He comes alongside you in a relationship that is just between you and Him. He has never had another relationship with any other human being that is exactly like the relationship He has with you. As a community of believers, we can share in a corporate experience of God, and we can share what God does in each of our lives to encourage each other. However, our individual experiences of God are personal, unique, sacred relationships.

Spend some time with Him today, thinking about the ways He speaks to you. Consider how He has ministered to you in times of grief and of joy, and thank Him for the relationship you share. Week 4: The Gospel of John, Chapters 11:45 - 14:31

Sunday, March 22

Read John 11:45-57.

Among the crowd who witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus were people who were sympathetic to the Pharisees. While some of these people believed in Jesus after witnessing the miracle, some went straight to the Pharisees, who join with the chief priests to call a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They fear Jesus’ miracles and His Messianic claims will cause people to begin openly acknowledging Him as the Messiah and to proclaim Him king. This would threaten Roman rule, and since the Messianic prophecies came from the Jews’ religion, Rome would send in armies to destroy the temple and rescind the rights and authority that had been granted the Sanhedrin. Ultimately, the chief priests and Pharisees were bothered most by the threat to their prestige and power.

When Caiaphas, the high priest, tells the council, “You know nothing at all!” he is frustrated by their hesitation to put Jesus to death. There is some discussion about what to do, but Caiaphas sees only one alternative—that Jesus must die before the whole nation is put at risk because of Him. Ironically, Caiaphas’s words have a much deeper meaning than the one he intended. Scripture tells us he “did not say this on his own”; it was a God-given prophecy. Jesus will “die for the people” so that they do not “perish” (v. 50), but He will die willingly to save them from their sins, not against His will to protect the status quo and maintain an already uneasy peace with Rome. (Notice that God can even use those who are opposed to His will.)

Because of Caiaphas’s words, the Sanhedrin begins plotting to kill Jesus, and Jesus withdraws from the public eye because it is not quite yet His time.

Consider that Jesus’ enemies didn’t really have any power over Him. The Sanhedrin continued to have free will, but events were moving forward according to God’s will anyway. Even the high priest’s words, spoken of his own free will, were a prophecy of what would happen. Nothing can stop God and His love for you. Jesus was going to go to the cross at the right time in order to save you, and He went of His own free will. Do you think He cannot foresee what is happening in your own life and bring good from it? Spend some time with God today, thanking Him for never giving up on loving you. Think about how His will has always been pursuing you, seeking to save and to forgive. Thank Him for times in your life when you could see that nothing was going to keep Him from reaching you, not even your enemies or life’s tragedies.

Monday, March 23

Read John 12:1-11.

Jesus comes to Bethany again before the Passover, and a dinner is given in His honor. According to Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9, this dinner takes place at Simon the leper’s home. Lazarus is one of the guests, and Martha is serving. While Jesus is at the table, Mary takes expensive perfume and anoints Jesus’ feet (and His head according to the other accounts), and then she wipes his feet with her hair. This is an act of pure love and devotion.

Judas objects to this use of the perfume, which, he says, might have been sold and the money given to the poor. Note that he really has an ulterior motive. As the keeper of the money, he wants to help himself to it. Like the Pharisees who say they want to kill Jesus to protect the people but really want Him gone to protect their own power and prestige, Judas does not want to do anything good with the money from the perfume; he simply wants it for himself.

Jesus does not point out Judas’s true motive, but He tells Judas to leave Mary alone because she is preparing Him for His burial. He acknowledges Mary’s sacrificial act of love toward Him.

Read the passage again. Imagine Mary’s face and her movements. Listen to the sound of Judas’s complaint. Then, ask the Lord to cleanse your heart of ulterior motives. Spend some time pouring your heart out in praise to Him. You can anoint Him with your love in prayer.

Read John 12:12-19.

Many people have gathered in Jerusalem for Passover, and they’ve heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. So, when Jesus enters Jerusalem for Passover, the crowd comes out to meet Him, waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!” (v. 13). We remember this day as Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. At this, the beginning of Holy Week, Jesus is popular with the crowds. They cry, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save now!” They expect Jesus, as Messiah, to be an earthly king and drive out the Romans. He will soon disappoint them, though, and they will turn on Him.

The next two verses tell us Jesus was seated on a young donkey in fulfillment of prophecy (specifically Zechariah 9:9): “Do not be afraid, Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” The words the people shouted also echo Psalm 118:25-26. All of this happened to show who Jesus is. The disciples would not realize this event fulfilled prophecy until after the Resurrection.

The adulation of the crowds worries the Pharisees, who have already been looking for a reason to put Jesus to death. This reception increases their jealousy and their resolve to kill Jesus.

One more note about Jesus’ coming on a donkey: It was traditional in that time and culture for a king who was coming in peace to come on a donkey. Conversely, when a king went into battle, he rode a horse. Note that in Revelation, Jesus comes on a white horse (Rev. 19:11). On Palm Sunday, He came in peace in order to save. Later, He will come in a final battle against evil.

Imagine the scene on the crowded streets of Jerusalem—the people shouting, the palm fronds waving, and Jesus in the middle of all the activity, riding the young donkey. In the midst of the joy, He knew He was headed to the cross. He knew the praises would soon turn to curses.

Spend some time talking to God today. Confess your need for Jesus to save you, knowing we can all be as fickle as the crowd, passionate one day and rebellious the next. Let your heart shout, “Hosanna!” Listen to praise music if you like. Most of all, thank Jesus for His love and faithfulness in the face of your sin and need. Thank Him for not giving up on you when you become disappointed that He is not doing things in your life the way you expect Him to.

Read John 12:20-36.

Some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for Passover ask to see Jesus. He does not go to them; instead, He predicts His death. It is time for Him to withdraw from the crowds, which He does at the end of this passage. His death is looming, and His “soul is troubled” (v. 27). Yet He knows He came to die. He is resolved to it and cries out, “Father, glorify Your name!” (v. 28). Jesus’ exclamation is answered by an affirming voice from heaven, which some hear as thunder and others hear as the voice of an angel. It is evident some hear the voice clearly, and Jesus tells them that the voice was for their benefit so that their faith would be strengthened.

When Jesus speaks of the kind of death He will die, saying He will be “lifted up,” the crowd does not understand. They remind Jesus that the Messiah is supposed to remain forever. Jesus does not answer them directly. He simply tells them to believe in the “light” while they have it with them. Yet most of the crowd will not have faith simply because He asks them to. This is why He leaves them. They will start to turn on Him, and His time, though near, has not yet come.

When Jesus speaks of His death in this passage, He uses the analogy of a seed falling to the earth and dying. Then, He adds, “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 will also be” (vv. 25-26). Like the seed that dies and loses its identity as a seed in order to multiply itself, believers must follow in Jesus’ footsteps, giving up their “life in this world” in order to have “eternal life.” Here, Jesus uses two different Greek words translated as “life.” We lose our worldly self (psyche) with all its drives and selfish motivations, surrendering to Christ’s will so that we gain spiritual life (zoe), both now and in eternity.

Consider: What drives and motivations are part of my “worldly” life/self? Detaching from these things and attaching to God comprise the Christian journey. Dying to self (i.e., losing this worldly life) is a process that begins when we accept Christ. Then, the Holy Spirit goes to work in us and begins sanctifying us. This process isn’t completed until we die. We become more and more alive and free in this life until we pass into the eternal life with Jesus after death.

Ask God to reveal the ways you need to die to this worldly life. Ask Him to help you follow in Jesus’ footsteps, giving up your will for His, knowing this is where true joy and real life is found. Tuesday, March 24

Read John 12:37-50.

In spite of Jesus’ miracles, the Jewish leaders still refuse to believe in Him. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which said that many people would not believe (see Isaiah 6:10 and 53:1). We know at least one Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (Nicodemus) believed in Jesus, and it is likely more believed as well. This passage tells us many among the leaders of the Jews did believe but feared being put out of the synagogue if they openly professed their faith. Verse 43 tells us that “they loved human praise more than praise from God.”

Jesus says whoever believes in Him also believes in the Father, who sent Him. Jesus adds that He came into the world “as a light” so no one who believes in Him will stay in darkness (v. 46). He doesn’t judge those who reject Him; instead, His words, which come directly from the Father, lead to eternal life. Therefore, those who reject Him will be judged by the words themselves. If they reject the words of eternal life, they are judged already (see John 3:17-19).

In previous weeks, we have examined how others’ opinions can be more important to us than they should be. This kind of self-examination should not be a one-time exercise. That’s why it comes up more than once in Scripture. It’s a real issue. In this passage, the leaders who believe in Jesus fear the opinions of others more than they have confidence in Jesus’ power. Their fear is a kind of betrayal. Ours can be, too, when we forget God’s power and focus on our fear instead.

Ask God to reveal how your fears inhibit your faith—not just your fears of others’ opinions but also your fears in general. Ask Him to help you overcome your fears with a clear understanding of His love and power. Thank Him for His patience with you and His never-ending love.

Wednesday, March 25

Read John 13:1-17.

It is the Thursday night before Good Friday. Jesus and His disciples are eating the Passover meal together (the Last Supper). Since He knows His time has come, Jesus wants to show His love for His disciples and leave them with a lesson as He does so. He rises from the table, removes His outer garment, and takes the role of the lowest household servant, washing His disciples’ feet.

At first, Peter is aghast and refuses Jesus’ act of love and service. This was a menial task performed by the lowest members of society, not something an esteemed rabbi would do, even for loved ones. Jesus tells Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me” (v. 8). To which Peter responds by asking Jesus to wash his head and hands, too!

Jesus tells Peter, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean” (v. 10). He is speaking metaphorically. The bath is symbolic of the cleansing of the whole person through faith in Him. The act of foot washing is both symbolic of the spiritual cleansing that has already taken place and a model of how believers should serve one another. Some commentators take the symbolism a step further, saying that, while the bath symbolizes the cleansing at conversion, the foot washing symbolizes the continual need for confession and cleansing as believers “walk through life” getting their “feet dirty” in the sins of daily living.

Read the passage again and imagine how Jesus looks as He gets down on His knees. Throughout John’s Gospel, we have read about how the Pharisees cherished their prestige and power. Jesus shows His disciples that they are not to be this way. If they want to be great in the Kingdom, they should follow His example and serve others. God’s perspective flips the world’s upside down—the meek inherit the earth, the poor in spirit are rich, and the servants are the leaders.

Imagine the disciples’ faces as their Master washes their dirty feet. Imagine the tones in Peter’s and Jesus’ voices. Now, imagine Jesus washing your feet. How does it feel? Do you relate at all to Peter’s response? How will you follow Christ’s example?

Thank Jesus for His loving service to you. Thank Him for washing you clean. Then, talk to Him about who needs to be served this week in your life. Who needs to feel the tender touch of caring hands? Who needs a meal or a kind word? Who needs you to spend some time with them? Ask God to show you who needs serving and to help you serve them in the way Jesus would. Thursday, March 26

Read John 13:18-30.

Jesus predicts His betrayal, telling His disciples He is doing so to help them believe. He knows His death will shake their faith. No one expected the Messiah to die, so Jesus wants His disciples to remember that He knew all along what was about to happen and how it would happen.

Jesus openly names Judas as His betrayer, giving Judas one last chance to repent. Instead, Judas leaves on his traitorous errand. Verse 27 says, “Satan entered into [Judas]” as soon as he took the offered bread, the sign Jesus gave of His betrayer. Judas’s acceptance of the bread shows his refusal to repent.

It’s important to understand that Satan did not cause Judas to betray Jesus. Judas had free will, just like the rest of us. In fact, Judas had already set plans in motion to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin before “Satan entered into him.” Satan can only tighten his hold on those who have already hardened their hearts and turned their backs on Jesus.

So, why did Judas do it? Scripture isn’t clear, but the two most common theories are (1) he was simply greedy or (2) he wanted to force Jesus’ hand because he felt Jesus was not acting quickly enough to ascend the throne as Messiah and save Israel. Many commentators favor the second theory because after Jesus is condemned to death, Judas tries to give back the money and commits suicide (Matthew 27:3-5).

It seems Judas may have believed that bringing about a confrontation between Jesus and the Sanhedrin would force Jesus to defend Himself and take His place as Messiah and King of Israel. When that didn’t happen, Judas felt crushing guilt and despair. But we don’t know for sure if this is the case. Regardless, either Judas was greedy, or he thought he knew better than God. (The following article offers a more in-depth look at Judas’s motives, including an interesting take on the symbolism of the potter’s field, which was bought with the 30 pieces of silver and is where Judas was buried: https:// www.sermonwriter.com/sermons/matthew-2614-28-hope-for-the-hopeless-in-the- potters-field-london/ .)

Consider: Based on what the disciples knew of prophecy, none of them expected the Messiah to die. That’s why Jesus prepared them. Have you ever thought God was going to do something, only to find that the opposite happened? Did it shake your faith? Have you ever tried to make things happen the way you thought they should, only to find that you were wrong to do so?

Ask God for the ability to continue to look for Him in the midst of confusing or tragic circumstances. Ask Him to help you maintain your faith when things don’t seem to be working out the way you believed they would.

Read John 13:31-38.

After Judas leaves to betray Him, Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for His coming death and Resurrection. He has told them to emulate Him in serving each other (washing each other’s feet). Now, He leaves them with this “new command”: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (v. 34). The Greek word translated as “new” is kainen, which doesn’t mean “new” as in “recent,” but rather “new in quality (innovation), fresh in development…not found exactly like this before” (see HELPS Word-studies #2537).

The command to love is not totally new. It’s found in the Old Testament, which tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18). Yet Jesus calls His command new because there is a fresh development to it, a new focus. We are still supposed to love our neighbor, but now we are to love each other with an even deeper love, and Jesus is our model. His self-sacrificial love is the standard by which we measure our love for our Christian brothers and sisters. We don’t just love each other as we love ourselves; we love each other as Christ has loved us.

Jesus tells His disciples that when they love each other this way, the world will notice. Looking at the Christian community, the world will realize this self-sacrificial love is proof Jesus is real and that His people belong to Him because they are able to love this way.

Peter does not seem to pay much attention to this new command; instead, he cannot get past Jesus’ statement that He is about to leave them. Peter does not want to be left behind. In his typical fashion, Peter impetuously insists he will die for Jesus before he will be left behind. Jesus tells Peter that, in actuality, he will deny Jesus three times before the rooster crows.

In light of our weaknesses (even Peter denies Jesus when faced with death), Jesus’ command for us to love each other as He has loved us is a pretty tall order. The truth is, we’re not always that lovable. Yet Jesus asks us to choose to love self-sacrificially, even when it’s hard—even when indifference or dislike seem easier. The key to keeping this command is to remember that we need to remain rooted in Him (which He will remind us of in John 15). We cannot love well on our own, but if we continually remember Jesus’ love for us and seek to rely on Him in our relationships, then we truly can love each other well…and change the world in the process.

Talk to God today about the way you are loving Him and others. Ask Him to give you a clear vision of Jesus’ love for you and ask Him to help you internalize that love so that you can extend it to others. You might talk to Him about another believer in your life whom you find difficult to love. Ask Him how you might learn to show love in your interactions with this person.

Friday, March 27

Read John 14:1-14.

Peter must have felt terrible hearing he would deny Jesus, but Jesus follows this bad news with, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me” (v.1). He’s essentially saying, “I know what I’m telling you is hard to hear. Peter, you are weak, but believe in Me. All of you believe in the One who sent Me, so believe in Me. Everything will work out.”

Then, Jesus tells them He is going to “prepare a place” for them in His Father’s house so that He may come back and take them to be with Him. The “rooms” in His “Father’s house” reflect the image of a first-century “insula.” As male children married, they would bring their wives into their father’s household, where their “rooms” or “homes” were built onto their father’s house so they could remain close to their father. Though John does not give us the details of the Lord’s Supper in the same way as the other Gospels, there is a beautiful connection between Jesus’ offering of the wine and His mention of going to prepare a place for believers. For an excellent exposition on this connection, please see this five-minute video teaching: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eOaWb7AIVVc It’s totally worth the five minutes!

After Jesus tells his disciples He’s going to prepare a place for them, He adds, “You know the way to the place where I am going” (v. 4). The way is through Him. In a personal relationship with Him, we find the way to God. He confirms this in verse 6: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus also tells His disciples that if they know Him, they know the Father (v. 7) because He is so intimately connected to the Father that His message and work are the Father’s message and work. The Father is in Him, and He is in the Father. And because He is going to His Father, His disciples will be able to do even greater things than He has done. He will work through them, doing whatever they ask in His name (vv. 12-14). Some commentators think “greater things” refers to the worldwide spreading of the faith. This may be the case, but it is also a greater thing for the Spirit to work through sinful human beings, making them God’s agents in this world and conforming them to the image of Christ.

As for receiving whatever we ask for “in Jesus’ name,” it is important to note that this does not mean Jesus is our vending machine. To “ask in His name” means that (1) we pray with confidence that He is who He says He is and (2) we align the content and motivations of our prayers with His character. A “name” in the time of Jesus was associated with the character and quality of the person or thing the name signified.

Consider: How is my prayer life—really? Am I talking to God in relationship, so that I begin to understand His heart for my life? Do my requests in Jesus’ name reflect His character? Talk to God about these things. When you start to see your life as a journey with Jesus, prayer becomes more vibrant, more real, and the answers you begin to see to it fill you with gratitude.

Saturday, March 28

Read John 14:15-31.

Jesus tells His disciples that if they love Him, they will obey Him and will have the Holy Spirit’s help. The world cannot accept the Spirit; He only comes to be with and live in Jesus’ followers. Because the Spirit lives in us, Jesus never “leaves us as orphans” (v. 18). He lives in us, and we live in Him. In verse 10, Jesus tells His disciples that He lives in the Father and the Father lives in Him. Now He adds that we are in Him as well. God has extended the community of the Trinity to include His children, who can now, because of Jesus, be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Thaddeus (also called Judas) asks Jesus why He will not show Himself to the world. Even now, the disciples still expect Jesus to be a political Messiah in some way—to ascend the throne of King David and rule Israel, and He would have to show Himself to the world in order to do so. But Jesus has other plans. He responds that He and the Father will only “make a home” with those who obey and follow Him. He adds that the Holy Spirit will come and teach them and remind them of everything they need to know (vv. 23-26).

Before they leave the upper room, Jesus promises them a peace unlike any in this world. He tells them again (as He did at the beginning of the chapter) not to let their hearts be troubled. He adds that they should be happy for Him since He is going to the Father and that He is telling them all these things so they will believe when everything comes to pass. Even though it may seem for a short time as though evil is winning, it isn’t. Jesus plans to lay down His life in obedience.

Consider: How does God “make a home” with me? How have I sensed the Holy Spirit leading, guiding, and teaching me in the past? Spend some time talking with the Holy Spirit. We often address the Father or Jesus in prayer but rarely the Spirit, yet He is a Person of the Trinity, too. Ask Him to show you what you most need to learn right now and ask for eyes to see and ears to hear. Thank Him for His constant Presence in your life. Week 5: The Gospel of John, Chapters 15:1 - 18:18

Sunday, March 29

Read John 15:1-17.

Jesus compares His future relationship with His disciples to that of a vine and its branches. As His disciples, we must remain connected to Him as our Source of nourishment. “Apart from [Him] we can do nothing” (v. 5). The Father is the Gardener, who prunes us so that we are more fruitful, bringing Christ’s love and righteousness into the world.

As the Father loves the Son, so the Son loves us and gives us the Spirit, who flows into us (the branches) from Him (the Vine) when we remain in Him by obeying out of our love for Him (v. 10). This loving, fruitful connection to Jesus will also cause His “joy” to be in us, making our joy complete (v. 11). So, obedience leads to joy, not to oppression, and the key to obeying Christ is to love as He does. This is the new and final command He leaves with His disciples, repeating it three times in His final discourse with them (John 13:34, 15:12, 15:17).

This loving connection between Jesus the Vine and us as the branches also has an impact on the world. For a more complete picture of how all of this works, this four- minute video is worth a watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeYp6L-LXSA

Consider: Am I remaining and abiding in Jesus? If so, how am I doing this? Is there evidence of my abiding in the way I am loving others?

Talk to God about your answers to these questions. Thank Him for His care of and love for you and ask Him to show you how you can better remain connected to Jesus, your true Source of life and love, so that you may better extend His love to the world.

Monday, March 30

Read John 15:18-27.

Jesus reminds His disciples that the world will hate and persecute them because the world hates and persecutes Him. He refers to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who have seen the miracles and yet have not believed, saying that they are guilty of sin because of this. They hated Him without reason, which means they must hate the Father as well. They have seen God in the flesh and have turned away and despised Him for nothing but self-centered reasons.

The unbelief of most of the world does not surprise God, however. It was prophesied. Jesus’ goodness and perfection reveals the world’s sin and depravity in contrast. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who thought of themselves as good, must have really hated this. And this attitude continues today. People don’t like to be reminded that they are sinners, so they criticize Christ followers. If they only knew that in confession and forgiveness there is freedom! That’s why believers share the Good News.

After Jesus talks about the unbelief of the world, He begins telling the disciples that when they receive the Holy Spirit, He will testify about Jesus. The Holy Spirit will also give them the words to testify about Jesus since they know Him firsthand.

Consider: Have I ever been treated differently because of my faith—even mistreated or hated? What was that like? Do I know anyone who is hostile to Christianity? How might I continue to testify about Jesus—both in the way I live and with the words I speak—so that the world may see my testimony? Talk to God about these things and ask Him to give you the courage to live a life of faith, even when doing so makes you the outcast or the odd one in the room.

Tuesday, March 31

Read John 16:1-16.

Jesus continues to prepare His disciples for His death, Resurrection, and Ascension. He wants them to remain steadfast in their faith after He physically leaves them because the world, which does not know God, will do its best to persecute them (vv. 2-3). However, they will have the “Advocate”—the Holy Spirit—to guide them to the truth.

The Greek word translated as “Advocate” in verse 7 of the NIV is “parakletos.” Other Bible translations have rendered it as “Comforter” or “Counselor,” but literally translated, it means, “One who is called alongside.” [It comes from the preposition “para” (“by the side of, near to”) and the verb “kaleo” (“to call”).] This means the Holy Spirit is the One who comes alongside every believer—so close that He actually indwells us (see Romans 8:9-11). Jesus has already mentioned the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and 15, but here He offers His disciples more detail. The Spirit cannot come to them unless Jesus goes away, and when the Spirit comes, He will not only guide the disciples into the truth but will also show that the world’s ideas about sin, righteousness, and judgment are all wrong. Rejecting Jesus is the sin that condemns; righteousness is found in Christ alone; and judgment comes when the “prince of this world” (Satan) is convicted and condemned.

Jesus knows that what He has said to prepare His disciples is weighing heavily on them, so He does not tell them everything. He intends to leave some things for the Spirit to reveal. The Spirit will always point believers to Jesus and speak only what He hears from Christ because Father, Son, and Spirit are One—united in mind, will, and action.

Consider: How do I experience the Spirit “coming alongside” me in my daily life?

Ask God to give you a sensitive “ear” to His guiding voice. Thank Him for His continual Presence with you, comforting, counseling, guiding, encouraging, and loving you through everything you experience.

Wednesday, April 1

Read John 16:17-24.

Jesus tells His disciples that “in a little while” they will no longer see Him, and then after another “little while,” they will see Him again (v. 16). His disciples do not understand what He means by this or what He means when He says He is going to the Father.

Jesus explains that, pretty soon, they will “weep and mourn” while the world “rejoices” (v. 20). Yet their grief will not last; it will soon be “turned to joy” (v. 20). He compares this to a woman in labor, who forgets the pain she endured after her baby is born. The disciples’ grief will end this way, and when it does, no one will be able to take that joy away (v. 22). Then, they will no longer be filled with questions for Jesus (as they are now); instead, they will receive whatever they ask for from the Father in Jesus’ name. Whenever the Bible talks about receiving whatever we ask for “in Jesus’ name,” it does not mean God is a vending machine who responds to the right words. Asking “in Jesus’ name” means we have come to know WHO Jesus is, and therefore, our hearts have come to desire what He desires. Thus, we ask for things that align with His character, and we ask with confidence in His love, mercy, and power.

After the Resurrection, the disciples had this knowledge of Jesus’ character and power firsthand. They undoubtedly had a deep joy and felt a closeness to Him that enabled their hearts to beat in time with His in such a way that their desires and prayers reflected His desires and prayers. God always answers these kinds of prayers, and the believer experiences a deeper relationship with Him that brings joy and satisfaction (see v. 24).

Consider: Am I continually growing closer to Christ so that His desires for others and for myself are becoming mine? Do I long to grow closer to Him so that my joy no longer depends on anything in this world of change and decay, but instead depends solely on His love?

Talk to God about your answers to the above questions. Ask Him to align your heart and its desires with His. Thank Him that this is possible because of what Jesus did for you.

Read John 16:25-33.

The disciples finally understand that Jesus is going back to His Father, and they express their belief in Him. Jesus responds that the time is now upon them when they won’t show this belief; instead, they will all desert Him in fear. They won’t even stay together. They’ll “scatter” to their own homes (v. 32). When their faith is tested, it will crumble. But that won’t last, and in the meantime, Jesus will not be totally alone. He knows the Father will be with Him.

Jesus also knows His disciples’ desertion will not be permanent. He is preparing them so that they will have some realizations after His death and Resurrection. Their faith will be restored—so much so, that they will no longer fear what men can do to them! They will have the peace Jesus wants them to have because they have seen Him overcome death.

Jesus’ words in verse 33 are also for us: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The world’s troubles should never cause us to despair. Jesus is more powerful than any troubles or sorrows we may face, and He loves us with an everlasting love. Talk to God about your current troubles, and then reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross to save you. Think about His Resurrection and know that the power behind that miracle is available to you. Jesus will not take away all your troubles, but He will walk with you through them. If you cling to Him, you will emerge from those troubles stronger and a little more like Him. You will also find a peace and joy that do not change with your circumstances. Ask God to strengthen your faith and help you stay close to Him, and then thank Him for overcoming the world for you and making His peace and joy available to you.

Thursday, April 2

Read John 17:1-5.

These verses begin what is known as Jesus’ “High Priestly Prayer.” Israel’s high priest would intercede for himself and for God’s people, and in John 17, Jesus intercedes for Himself, His disciples, and all believers. After talking to His disciples about what will soon happen and preparing them for His death (John 13-16), Jesus turns His attention to His Father and prays. A key theme of His prayer is glorification. Jesus asks to be glorified by the Father so that He in turn may glorify the Father. Jesus has already brought God the Father glory by doing His will, revealing the beauty and majesty of the Father in every word He has spoken and every miracle He has done (v. 4). Likewise, the Father has given the Son glory by granting Him “authority over all people” (v. 2). Now, Jesus asks to be glorified in His death and Resurrection. This act will display the beauty and majesty of Jesus, which He will, in turn, offer up to show the beauty and majesty of His Father (v. 1). This mutual glorification reveals the intimate, loving relationship of the Trinity.

It is difficult to speak of the nature of our Triune God because we have no adequate words for this mystery. We say, “one God in three Persons,” but it’s difficult to explain what exactly we mean by that. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are co-equal and co- eternal. They are not three separate Gods—they are One—but they are also not interchangeable.

The early church fathers chose to describe the relationship of the Persons of the Trinity as a “perichoresis,” a compound Greek word from “peri” (“around”) and “choerin” (“to make room or give way”). Because we get “perimeter” from “peri” and “choreography” from “choerin,” many scholars have compared the nature of the Trinity to a “circle dance” where the Persons co-indwell each other and “interpenetrate.” In other words, the individuality of the three Persons is maintained while each Person shares in the life of the others as One God. All three Persons will and act together. The Son lives for and in the Father, and the Father lives for and in the Son. The Spirit lives for and in both Father and Son. The Son gives the Spirit; the Spirit reveals the Son; the Son speaks what the Father gives Him to say. For a better explanation than I can give, see this six-minute video https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1PFywhf2k

Understanding the intimate relationship of the Trinity can help us understand what Jesus is asking His Father for in this first of five petitions in the High Priestly Prayer. He is asking for His beauty and majesty to be revealed in what is about to happen so that He can reveal the Father’s beauty and majesty (and the Spirit’s, who will be given to all believers and who will, in turn, bring glory to the Son [see John 16:14], who brings glory to the Father…and the beautiful circle dance of Trinitarian love goes on…).

Ask God to give you a better understanding of who He is and thank Him that you, as a believer, may bring Him glory. When you do His will, prompted by His Spirit living in you, He is expressing Himself through you. You are displaying His beauty to the world —a living testimony of what He has done in you.

Read John 17:6-19.

Jesus continues His High Priestly Prayer with two more petitions. After asking the Father to glorify Him that He might bring more glory to His Father, He prays (1) for the Father to protect His disciples and (2) for the disciples to be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus begins these petitions by stating that the work given to Him has been completed. He has revealed Himself to the disciples the Father gave Him, relating all the Father has given Him to say. Because of this, the disciples have come to believe. Their belief has brought glory to Jesus—glory that He shares with His Father. Verse 10 is more evidence of the “perichoretic” oneness of the Trinity—that intimate relationship between the three Persons as one God (see yesterday’s reading). Now, the disciples have been invited into this intimate, loving relationship, and Jesus asks the Father to protect them since they will still be in a hostile world after He leaves (v. 11) and the devil will inevitably persecute them as well (v. 16).

In Verse 13, Jesus reveals that He is saying these things aloud to help His disciples. He has often prayed to the Father before in private, but now He speaks openly so that His joy may be His disciples’ joy. They will be able to look back on this prayer and find assurance in Jesus’ words for the difficult times ahead. The second petition in this part of Jesus’ prayer is for the disciples’ sanctification. As Lawrence Richards says in his Bible Reader’s Companion, “God’s way is not to take us out of the world, but to take the world out of us.” Sanctification (literally being “set apart”) is the process of being conformed to Christ’s image. So, Jesus is praying for His disciples’ spiritual growth and formation as the Holy Spirit works in them, guiding them into all truth (see John 16:13).

Jesus is sending the disciples into the world just as He was sent into it. They will continue the work He began. He “sanctifies” Himself (sets Himself apart from the world, dying and rising again) so that the disciples may be “sanctified” (set apart by being conformed to His image). Their sanctification is only possible because of His death and Resurrection.

This is a beautiful part of the prayer because Jesus is asking that His friends come under the love, protection, and guidance of the Trinity. And this prayer is not just for the disciples, but for all believers, as we will see in tomorrow’s reading. Jesus prays for those who have been given to Him—those He has revealed Himself to. If Christ has revealed Himself to you, then you, too, are no longer “of this world,” and you are loved, protected, and guided by God.

Spend some time with God today, pondering the ways He is “taking the world out of you.” Ask Him to show you how He is shaping you to be like Christ so that you may cooperate with Him in this, and thank Him for His continual love, protection, and guidance.

Friday, April 3

Read John 17:20-26.

Jesus makes the final two petitions in His High Priestly Prayer, and both are for unity. First, He asks that all believers be made one, just as He and the Father are one. Then, He asks that all believers be made one with Him and the Father. This is quite a prayer! All believers are invited into that beautiful selfless love and mutual self-sacrifice that is the very nature of the Trinity!

Jesus’ petition that we be made one as a community of believers is the foundation of Paul’s description of the Body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12), and His petition that we would be made one with God happens when believers, loved and redeemed by Father and Son, are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and guided into our roles in the Body of Christ. Because of what Christ has done, we can have unity with God and each other!

In previous readings this week, we have seen how the Persons of the Trinity give each other glory. Jesus now says He has shared that glory with us as well (v. 22) so that we may be unified, and in doing Jesus’ will (loving God and others), we give glory to God. Living out this love in unified community will be a testimony of Christ to the world. As the old hymn says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” God’s love for us will be reflected in our love for each other, and the world will take notice.

Thank God for accepting you and inviting you into His love, unifying you with other believers and with Him. Spend some time talking to Him today about how you can live out this love in your relationships with Him and others.

Saturday, April 4

Read John 18:1-14.

After Jesus finishes His High Priestly Prayer, He and His disciples go into the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. We know from the other Gospel accounts that Jesus now goes off to pray by Himself.

While they are in the garden, Judas leads a group of soldiers and some of the chief priests and Pharisees to Jesus. Jesus knows what is about to happen but still asks, “Who is it you want?” (v. 4). When they reply, “Jesus of Nazareth” and Jesus says, “I am He,” the whole group “[draws] back and [falls] to the ground” (v. 5). There is no natural explanation for this. These people have come with weapons to arrest Jesus. They believe Him to be guilty of blasphemy, and yet they “fall to the ground” before Him. Could this have happened to show His disciples that no human being has any power over Jesus that He Himself has not allowed? That’s certainly one explanation. It’s also likely that, having experienced this demonstration of power, the soldiers would now obey Jesus’ command to leave His disciples alone (v. 8).

Simon Peter, exhibiting his customary impulsiveness, jumps to Jesus’ defense, even though Jesus has just said He is fulfilling Scripture. Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Malchus, who is likely the leader of the group as the high priest’s representative. (Luke 22:51 tells us that Jesus immediately heals Malchus.) Jesus scolds Peter, telling him to put his sword away because this is all happening as part of God’s plan. Then, the leaders arrest Jesus and take Him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest.

Annas had been high priest from 6-15 AD. Even though the Romans deposed him, his sons and son-in-law succeeded him, and he maintained a lot of influence over them. It seems he was the power behind the office. This interrogation would be the first step on Jesus’ way to the cross.

Nothing happens without God’s knowledge. Like Peter in this passage, sometimes it’s easy for us to forget that, and we can’t always see why God allows things. However, we can be certain that He is good and He is love. Spend some time with Him today, resting in that knowledge and expressing your love and gratitude.

Read John 18:15-18.

Jesus has been taken before Annas, who is the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest. Annas was formerly the high priest, and he wielded a lot of influence with his sons and son-in-law, who all succeeded him in the office. He held unofficial, but significant, authority and would still have been referred to by the title, just as we continue to refer to former Presidents of the United States.

Two disciples have followed Jesus to Annas’ home, Peter and a disciple who knows the high priest. Many commentators believe this unnamed disciple is John, but John always refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” So, others have made a case for Judas, who would have had connections with the high priest due to his betrayal and who was already with the arresting party. It is possible John refuses to name Judas here simply because of the betrayal.

The unnamed disciple gains Peter’s entry to the high priest’s courtyard, and the servant girl sent to get him asks if he is Jesus’ disciple. Peter denies it. Just a few hours before, Peter had said he was willing to die for Jesus (John 13:37), and in the garden, he had used his sword to defend Jesus against a group of soldiers (John 18:10). Now, he is too afraid to admit his association with Jesus to a servant girl. Women’s testimony was considered invalid in those days, and this girl is a servant with no power. Her word would have no weight, yet Peter even fears her now.

Peter exhibits the complexity all of us have. One day we can be on fire for God, and the next, lukewarm—or even doubting. We need Jesus even to maintain our faith in Him. Jesus told Peter to expect this weakness, and after Peter succumbed to it, he repented and found forgiveness. Judas, on the other hand, despaired rather than repent. Notice the difference.

Spend some time talking to God about your faith in Christ. When in the last month have you been on fire for Him? When have you turned away? Do the opinions of others ever cause you to hide your faith? Notice any weaknesses in yourself as you answer these questions and ask God to forgive you and strengthen you so that your faith and trust in Him continue to grow. Week 6: The Gospel of John, Chapters 18:19 - 21:25

Sunday, April 5

Read John 18:19-27.

While Peter is warming himself by the fire in the high priest’s courtyard, Annas questions Jesus about His teachings. Jesus says He has done nothing in secret; there are plenty of witnesses to what He has taught. According to Jewish law, this is actually how a trial should be held—openly with witnesses. Jesus is indirectly pointing out that these secret proceedings are not legal.

A true trial could occur only at regular meeting places of the Sanhedrin—not the high priest’s home. In addition, a trial could not occur at night or on the eve of Sabbath or a feast day, and sentencing had to occur the day after the trial. Everything the leaders are doing is against the law.

One of the officials slaps and reprimands Jesus, who again points out the injustice. If He has said or taught something wrong, they need testimony to that effect. Annas then sends Jesus to his son-in-law, Caiaphas, who is the current high priest.

Meanwhile, Peter is still by the fire with some of the high priest’s servants and officials, who ask him if he is one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter denies it but is immediately called out by a relative of Malchus, the servant whose ear Peter had cut off. This man was with the arresting party; he witnessed Peter cut off Malchus’s ear. In spite of this, Peter again denies his association with Jesus—for the third time. Then, he hears a rooster crow.

Jesus had told Peter that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny Him three times (John 13:38). John does not tell us how Peter felt, but both Mathew and Mark tell us Peter then “went outside and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75; see Mark 14:72).

Like Peter, all of us will fail in our faith at some point. We’re human. And while that is cause for us to mourn, God knows our weakness. It was no surprise to Jesus that Peter would fail in this way. So, today, instead of dwelling on the failures that we asked forgiveness for yesterday, spend some time dwelling on the goodness of God in the face of your weakness. Thank Him for His patience and lovingkindness toward you and worship Him! Read John 18:28-40.

John does not tell us what went on between Jesus and Caiaphas, but after the interview with Caiaphas, Jesus is brought before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The Jewish officials could not enter the governor’s palace because to enter a Gentile’s home would make them ceremonially unclean and unable to eat the Passover, so Pilate comes out to them and asks about the charges against Jesus, who hasn’t done anything in violation of Roman law.

The officials insist Jesus is a criminal, but Pilate believes Jesus could only have done something to violate Jewish religious law, so he tells the officials to judge Jesus themselves. The officials don’t just want to punish Jesus, however; they want Him executed, and they have no authority to do this. The reason the leaders want Jesus executed is to prove to the populace that He is not the Messiah because it was common knowledge that anyone hung on a tree was under God’s curse (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23). Thus, the leaders’ rejection of Jesus would be vindicated. How little they understood of the Messianic prophecies and God’s plan!

Their request puts Pilate in a tricky situation. He must maintain order in this area of the Roman Empire, and he has no desire to get in the middle of a local religious squabble. At the same time, he wants to keep the Jewish leaders happy so that they won’t stir up any insurrections, which were always possible due to the zealots’ hatred of Rome. In addition, it was a precarious time for Pilate politically. He was a protégé of Sejanus, a Roman consul and personal friend of Caesar who suddenly lost favor and was executed two years earlier. So, Pilate couldn’t afford even the slightest perception of disloyalty to Caesar. With these things in mind, Pilate takes Jesus into the palace to question him. After all, if Jesus is a dangerous zealot, He must be executed.

Thus, Pilate asks Jesus if He is king of the Jews. Jesus responds, “Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about Me?” (v. 34). Pilate says he’s not a Jew—he has no interest in this fight; he’s just trying to figure out why the Jewish leaders want Jesus killed.

Jesus answers that His kingdom is not of this world; He has no land or troops here. Pilate latches onto this statement, trying to get Jesus to admit He is a king, but Jesus simply says He came to this world to “testify to the truth” (v. 37). Jesus seems to be offering this truth to Pilate here, but Pilate’s response shows that he doubts the existence of absolute truth. At this point, Pilate seems to decide Jesus is just a harmless religious fanatic— someone whose theology clashes with that of the Jewish leaders, so he goes out to tell the leaders he finds no reason to execute Jesus. Thinking he has found a “loophole” to this escalating situation, Pilate reminds the crowd that he releases one prisoner every year at Passover time as a gesture of goodwill. Pilate suggests that this year that prisoner should be Jesus, but the crowd shouts for Barabbas instead—a man who had participated in an actual uprising against Rome.

Neither Pilate nor the Jewish leaders really knew what was happening. Each was trying to control the situation to maintain their authority and power, and both thought they had power over Jesus. In actuality, neither had any power that had not been given to them. From all outward appearances, Jesus was being used as a pawn, but in actuality, He was (and is) the King of Kings! We humans sometimes get so involved in trying to maintain control that we fail to see the larger picture—the work God is doing right under our noses. We forget that He is in control and that whatever we have has been given by Him.

Spend some time in surrender today. Surrender your circumstances and your need for control over to God. Ask Him to lift you up and give you a glimpse of His “10,000- foot view” of your life. Ask Him to save you from your own nearsightedness. Then thank Him for never leaving you in control—as much as you think you want that sometimes!

Monday, April 6

Read John 19:1-27.

Pilate sends Jesus to be flogged. A Roman flogging could kill a person. The flesh was stripped from Jesus’ back, and He lost a lot of blood. The soldiers who flogged Him made a crown of thorns for His head, draped Him in a purple robe, and mocked Him.

Pilate thought this brutal flogging would appease the Jewish leaders. To show how badly Jesus had been punished, Pilate brings Him before them and once again says he finds no basis for executing Jesus. But as soon as the leaders see Jesus, they shout for His crucifixion.

For the fourth time, Pilate tells them he finds no reason to execute Jesus and insists the Jewish leaders execute Him if they feel that strongly about it. This is where one of the leaders finally tells Pilate the whole story—that Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God. Verse 8 says Pilate becomes “even more afraid” upon hearing this. Why would a Roman governor be “afraid” to begin with? And why would this assertion make him “more afraid” when he doesn’t even practice the same religion?

Matthew 27:19 tells us Pilate’s wife had sent him a message just before the crowd called for the release of Barabbas. Her message was, “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of Him.”

Most Romans took dreams very seriously. Augustus Caesar (63 BC-14 AD) even made a law that anyone who dreamed about the Roman commonwealth was required to proclaim the dream in the marketplace, and Plutarch (46-120 AD) argued that the gods could speak to anyone (not just priests) in dreams. So, this message from his wife, followed shortly by the revelation that Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God, must have shaken Pilate. If you add to this the impression Jesus Himself must have made on Pilate, it is little wonder this Roman governor was afraid. On top of all of this, Pilate could find no good legal reason to crucify Jesus.

Pilate takes Jesus for another private interview, asking where He is from. Jesus refuses to tell him. Now, Jesus’ hometown is public knowledge that Pilate already knew (see John 19:19). Pilate wants to know if Jesus is divine. (The Romans believed that some men were sons of gods.)

Pilate tries to intimidate Jesus into answering by threatening Him with death, but Jesus simply says Pilate would have no power if it were not given to him. In other words, Jesus is saying, “Pilate, you’re just a pawn in a bigger game than you realize.” This seems to frighten Pilate even more. He returns to the Jewish leaders and renews his efforts to free Jesus. The leaders continue to argue that Jesus has claimed to be king, which would mean He opposes Caesar.

Still conflicted, Pilate brings Jesus before the crowd a second time, sits down in the judge’s seat, and declares that Jesus is King of the Jews. The crowd again shouts for His crucifixion, and the leaders insist they have no king but Caesar, so Pilate gives in and orders Jesus’ crucifixion.

Pilate was a cruel despot who had oppressed the Jewish people for years, yet in Jesus’ Presence, his fear and vulnerability were revealed, proving Jesus’ power even when He appeared weak. No earthly power is greater than Jesus. Spend time in His Presence today, relying on His strength to carry you in your weakness and knowing that He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Soldiers take Jesus to Golgotha (literally “the place of a skull”). It is called this because the cliffside looks like a skull (see http://www.israeljerusalem.com/golgotha- israel.htm). Jesus carries His own cross to this place. While some artists depict Jesus shouldering the entire cross, this would not have been the case. The upright beams used for crucifixion were already at Golgotha. A criminal on his way to execution carried the horizontal beam on his back. Keep in mind that Jesus’ back was already stripped bare from the flogging, and He was weak from loss of blood. This was part of the torturous ordeal He endured for us.

Once at Golgotha, the soldiers nail Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross with large spikes (5-7 inches long). He is crucified between two criminals, and Pilate has a sign hung above Jesus proclaiming Him to be the “King of the Jews” in the three languages of the area—Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish leaders protest this, but Pilate refuses to change the sign.

The soldiers divide Jesus’ outer garments, but they cast lots for the seamless robe (or tunic) He would have worn nearest His skin. This fulfills one of the Messianic prophecies in Psalm 22.

Jesus has been deserted by most of His friends and disciples at this point. Only some of His female followers and John remain. Three Marys are there—Jesus’ mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the wife of Cleopas (one of two people Jesus would later appear to on the Road to Emmaus). Even as He suffers the agony of the cross, Jesus thinks of others. He entrusts His mother’s future care to John, who afterwards takes Mary into his home.

John always refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This does not mean John saw himself as Jesus’ favorite; instead, he simply chooses to define himself by the love of his Savior. Jesus’ love is the core of John’s personal identity. (May the same be said for all of us.)

Tuesday, April 7

Read John 19: 28-42.

In fulfillment of yet another Messianic prophecy (Psalm 69:21), Jesus says He is thirsty and is given cheap Roman vinegar wine (sour wine) to drink. Extreme thirst was part of crucifixion due to loss of fluids through blood and sweat. The sour wine is offered on a sponge lifted up on a branch of hyssop. This is highly symbolic. Hyssop was used to spread the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the Jews’ doorposts during the first Passover; it was a sign that the angel of the Lord was to pass over those homes, whose occupants were protected by the blood of the lamb.

Upon receiving this drink, all of the prophecies are fulfilled, so Jesus says, “It is finished,” and gives up His spirit. This clearly shows Jesus’ ability to “lay [His life] down of [His] own accord” (John 10:18) since most crucifixions took 2-4 days to complete.

Because it is the day of preparation for the Passover, the Jewish leaders do not want bodies left on the crosses, so in order to speed death, the soldiers go to break the men’s legs. (This would make it impossible for them to breathe well since they needed to push themselves up with their feet to get a full breath.) When the soldiers come to Jesus, they discover He is already dead. One soldier pierces His side with a spear to be sure. This fulfills two prophecies: (1) His bones would not be broken and (2) He would be “pierced” (see Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20; Zechariah 12:10).

“He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Rest in your Savior on this Easter. Read Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. Know that He loves you enough to go through all this so that He can be with you now and for all eternity so that, like John, you can always identify yourself as “the disciple whom Jesus loves.”

Pilate grants Joseph of Arimathea’s request for Jesus’ body. Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a prominent member of the Sanhedrin (see John 3), accompanies Joseph, who is also a member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). So, at least two of the Jewish leaders believed in Jesus and disagreed with the council’s position. Nicodemus did try to argue for just treatment of Jesus but was met with ridicule (John 7:50-51). Both men had kept their belief in Jesus a secret for fear of their colleagues, yet they take a huge risk in asking for Jesus’ body.

Joseph, a very wealthy man, provides the tomb—a new tomb that was likely purchased for his own use—and Nicodemus brings the burial spices. The two men prepare Jesus’ body for burial together, making themselves ceremonially unclean. So, in honoring Jesus with a proper burial, both men risk their reputations and give up their ability to celebrate the Passover the next day. Though they didn’t realize it at the time, their act of love and honor for Jesus was part of the most important event in history—the event that every Passover celebration ultimately pointed to. We don’t know what happened to Joseph and Nicodemus after this. There is some scant extrabiblical evidence that Nicodemus was kicked out of the Sanhedrin and banished from Jerusalem. There is no evidence at all of what happened to Joseph.

Isaiah 53:9 (NLT) says of the Messiah, “He was buried like a criminal; He was put in a rich man’s grave.” Thus, Joseph’s generosity and kindness fulfilled yet another Messianic prophecy.

As you continue to consider the events of Good Friday and anticipate the joy of Jesus’ Resurrection, think about the people who mourned for Jesus—their disillusionment, disappointment, confusion, fear, and sorrow. We read the story knowing it’s not yet over—the Good News is still to come. They lived the story believing it was over—that death and darkness had won. Let your knowledge of the Good News inform your own story. Though you don’t yet know its ending, Jesus’ death and Resurrection mean that your life will not end in sorrow and uncertainty if you put your faith in Him. Thank Him for this and spend some time in worship, honoring Him as Joseph and Nicodemus did.

Wednesday, April 8

Read John 20:1-18.

He is Risen!

Early in the morning on the first day of the week (after the Passover feast), Mary Magdalene and several other women go to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body. They knew Joseph and Nicodemus had prepared Jesus’ body, so either they intend to finish traditional burial rites, applying spices to the outside of the wrapped body, or they plan to anoint Jesus out of love and devotion.

John only mentions Mary Magdalene visiting the tomb, but note that when she sees the stone rolled away and runs to tell Peter and John, she says, “WE don’t know where they have put [Jesus]!” (v. 2, emphasis added). The other gospels tell us there were at least four others with Mary: Salome, Joanna, Mary (the mother of James the younger and Joseph), and “others,” which probably included Mary, the wife of Cleopas, who was present with Mary Magdalene at the Crucifixion (see Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1, and Luke 24:10). Mary is alone when she speaks to Peter and John. She had left the other women at the tomb. Matthew 28, Mark 16, and Luke 24 tell us that the other women entered the tomb, encountered two angels, then went off to find the other disciples. (Mary had gone only to Peter and John.)

Meanwhile, Mary, Peter, and John return to the tomb. John reaches the tomb first and looks in; then Peter arrives and, in typical Peter fashion, rushes right in. Both see the graveclothes, and upon entering the tomb, John immediately believes, though neither yet understands that this was supposed to happen. Both Peter and John return to where they had been staying.

Mary, however, remains at the tomb, grieving and alone. When she looks inside, the two angels who had appeared to the other women appear to her. Apparently, her grief is so overwhelming this doesn’t shake her! They ask why she is crying, and she responds that she doesn’t know where “they” have taken her Lord. She turns from the tomb and sees a man. We are not told why she doesn’t recognize Jesus, but if she is crying so hard she’s not even astonished by angels, it’s likely her head is down, and she’s wiping away tears. Jesus asks why she is crying, and thinking He is the gardener, she asks where He has laid Jesus so she can bury Him properly.

That’s when Jesus calls her name. In that instant, Mary turns toward Him, and as she does so, everything changes for her. Her grief is turned to joy. Any doubts she might have had about Jesus being the Messiah vanish. And she is filled with new life and hope. She calls out, “Teacher!”—a cry that must have overflowed with joy and relief.

Jesus tells her not to “hold on to Him.” This doesn’t mean she could not touch Him (others do later); it means she is not to expect that He will stay. He says He will soon be ascending to the Father and tells her to go and tell the disciples what she has seen and heard.

Jesus still calls our names, and we have the choice whether or not we will turn toward Him, not only to believe in Him for our salvation but also to trust Him in our daily lives. He’s waiting to transform your grief into joy, your fear into faith, and your confusion into hope. Turn toward Him this Easter Sunday and greet Him with joy and praise!

Thursday, April 9

Read John 20:19-31. It is the evening of the first Easter. Mary has told Peter and John about seeing Jesus outside the tomb. The other women who were with her at the tomb have also encountered Jesus (after Mary had gone to tell Peter and John), and these women have told the rest of the disciples (see Matthew 28:8-10). Peter and John have been to the tomb and found it empty, but at this point on Easter Sunday, none of the disciples has yet seen Jesus. They are still hiding from the Jewish leaders—afraid for their own lives. They are having a hard time believing the women (see Luke 24:9-11; 22-24). (Note: Women were not considered reliable sources at this time. They could not testify in court, which is one of many reasons this story could not have been made up. If it had been, the author never would have chosen women as the first witnesses to the Resurrection.)

While the door is still locked, Jesus comes and stands among them. John does not tell us how Jesus enters the room. We know He is not a ghost or spirit. He wants to show them this, so He asks for food and eats it in their presence (see Luke 24:37-43). He also shows them His hands, feet, and side. The Bible speaks of resurrected bodies being the result of a transformation. They will still be bodies, but there will be differences from our earthly bodies (see Philippians 3:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:35-55). This could explain why Mary Magdalene and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 did not immediately recognize Jesus and why Jesus was able to enter when the room was locked.

In any case, the disciples are able to see and touch the wounds of the Crucifixion, and they are “overjoyed.” Jesus now breathes on them with the promise of Holy Spirit, who would enable them to go out and spread the Gospel. (Some commentators believe that “breathed on them” could be an Aramaic idiom that meant He “encouraged them” with the promise of the Holy Spirit, who would descend on them at Pentecost.)

During this passage, Jesus says, “Peace be with you!” three times. He knows that His Resurrection is going to shake his disciples’ world. It will be a turning point for all of them. They will now go out to spread the Good News, and they will be persecuted for it. But He sends them out with a supernatural peace and strength.

Only Thomas is not present at this first meeting of the Resurrected Christ and His disciples. When he hears about it, he says that unless he sees and touches Jesus’ wounds himself, he will not believe. (This is where we get the phrase “doubting Thomas.”) God is gracious to Thomas, though. Jesus appears again to the disciples when the doors are locked, and He tells Thomas, “Put your fingers here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe” (v. 27). Thomas does believe, proclaiming, “My Lord and my God!” (v. 28). There can be no doubt any more. Jesus is alive! Jesus ends this passage by saying, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (v. 29). That’s us. We haven’t seen in the way the disciples saw. We are asked to believe by faith, and as His disciples, we also have the Holy Spirit so that we may continue the work of spreading the Good News of Christ.

Consider: When am I most likely to struggle with doubt? Why?

Thomas had seen Jesus perform wondrous miracles. He had the testimony of his friends that Jesus had risen. Why did he need further proof? We will never really know. But we can know when it comes to our own hearts. Spend some time praying about your answers to the questions above. Ask God to help you in your personal struggles with doubt or cynicism. If you are struggling with doubt today, begin thanking God for all the times He has shown up in your life. (Sometimes we just need to be reminded.)

Good Friday, April 10

Read John 21:1-14.

This is the third time Jesus appears to His disciples after rising from the dead. He makes them breakfast on the shore as they are out fishing on the Sea of Galilee. In fact, this encounter is a more relational version of the one Jesus first had with these fishermen—the one where He called them to be His disciples (see Luke 5).

In both this passage and Luke 5, the men have caught nothing, and Jesus tells them to let down their net for a catch. In both instances, the net nearly breaks because there are so many fish! Since this is a reprise of the miracle that occurred at their discipleship call, John immediately knows the man on the distant shore is Jesus, and Peter is so excited that he jumps into the water and swims to the shore. He cannot wait to see his Savior!

Read Luke 5:1-11 and then read John 21:1-14 again. Why do you suppose Jesus performs this same miracle a second time for His disciples?

Perhaps it was meant to be a reminder of where they started together and how far they had come. It was certainly one more way to strengthen the disciples’ faith for all that lay ahead of them. But to fix them breakfast as well? What a warm welcome the food and the fire must have been, made all the warmer by Jesus’ Presence and His love for them.

Thinking of this warm welcome, it is easy to see why Peter longed for it, and yet, Peter’s eagerness to be alone with Jesus before the rest of the disciples arrive on shore is a bit surprising. Jesus and Peter haven’t had a one-on-one conversation since Peter’s denial, which Peter has felt shame and regret over. So, here’s the lesson for us…

When we sin, we can be tempted to avoid time alone with God. We can let our shame and guilt drive us away. They should do just the opposite because we know how loving and merciful our God is! When we feel like hiding, we should will ourselves to run to Jesus (or swim) as hard and as fast as we can! There is always healing and acceptance in the arms that were stretched out on the cross for us.

Spend some time alone with Jesus today. If you feel shame or guilt, confess what you have done, and rest in His forgiveness. Thank Him that His love for you is unconditional. You can’t do anything that will make Him love you any more or any less. You are His beloved child—and always will be.

Saturday, April 11

Read John 21:15-25.

Yesterday, we saw how Jesus warmly welcomed His disciples to breakfast on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. In the miracle of the fish, He reminded them of their “call experience.” This was done especially for Peter’s benefit.

Peter had denied Jesus. Three times while Jesus was being tried, Peter denied ever having known Him. Afterwards, Peter “wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75; Luke 22:62). Even though he was overjoyed that Jesus was alive, his disappointment in himself must have weighed heavily on him. Perhaps that is why he went back to fishing. Maybe he thought that since he had messed things up so badly as a disciple that all he was good for was fishing—going back to his old job. But Jesus saw things differently.

Some commentators believe that when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love Me more than these?” (v. 15) that Jesus is referring to the fish. In other words, “Peter, do you love Me more than your old life?” (What “these” refers to is unclear, but the ultimate meaning is clear—Peter is to love Jesus more than anything else in his life.) Peter says he does love Jesus more. Then, Jesus asks Peter this question two more times, allowing Peter to answer “yes” each time. And each time, Jesus tells Peter that this love must be shown in how Peter cares for Jesus’ “sheep.”

Peter is at first hurt by Jesus’ repetitions of the same question, but when you think about it, Jesus’ repetition was meant to heal. Peter had denied Jesus three times. Now, Jesus gives him the chance to affirm his love three times. Peter needs to accept the love and forgiveness Jesus offers in order to be able to extend that love and forgiveness to Jesus’ “sheep.”

Then, Jesus hints at the kind of death Peter will die if he leaves behind his fisherman’s life to spread the Gospel. Jesus closes this prophecy with, “Follow Me!” (v. 19). (Again, this is very much like the first time Jesus called Peter in Luke 5.)

Peter wonders about John’s life, and Jesus tells him that John’s fate is really not Peter’s concern. Each believer has been called to a specific role in spreading the Gospel. There is no comparison.

There is a lesson here for us. Like Peter, we will mess up. We’ll fail. These failures do not disqualify us from having a relationship with Jesus or doing the work He calls us to do. He is always asking, “Do you love Me?” If we answer “yes,” then we have no choice but to keep following Him, loving those He puts in our path to love, doing the good works He planned in advance for us to do (see Ephesians 2:10), and allowing His Spirit to conform us to His image (Romans 8:29). We should never compare our lot in life to another’s; we all have our unique part in God’s story, and He loves each and every one of us with an everlasting love.

Consider the way you have been uniquely called and equipped to share the love and forgiveness of Jesus with others. If you are a believer, then you can’t go back to the kind of life you lived before you knew Him. This doesn’t mean you have to change careers; instead, it means you have been changed in such a way that your deepest desire is to live for Him now instead of for yourself. And when you mess up (because you will), remember that He forgives. He wants you to keep following, even though it will be imperfectly.

Talk to God about the way He has shaped you and ask Him to continue to show you your role in His story. Thank Him for changing you—for saving you. And bask in His love and grace today.