John
Jesus is Crucified
Becoming even more fearful and realizing that Jesus is innocent, Pilate again attempted to release Him (v. 12). With this, the crowd started to accuse Pilate of being a traitor to Caesar. He knew that if the Jews contacted Caesar and told him that Pilate had released a man who threatened Roman …
Only One Way to Experience Salvation
There is only one way to experience salvation and become a child of God and that is through God’s power (v. 12). There are three ways by which you cannot become a child of God (v. 13)."Which were born not of blood.†This means you are not a child of God by regular birt …
You Are of Your Father The Devil
The Jews claimed Abraham as their spiritual father, but Jesus responded by stating that spiritual descendants of Abraham do what Abraham did, believing and obeying God (v. 39). These Jews were very unlike Abraham (v.40). He listened to God’s truth and obeyed it, but these religious …
Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus
Angered that Jesus would claim equality with the Father, these Jews “took up stones to kill Him†(v. 31). Jesus asks why his good work deserved such cruel treatment (v. 32). They claimed that they did not have a problem with His works. They objected to Him, a mere man, claiming to be …
Rejection by Many Followers
As the people began to understand Jesus’s teachings, they found them to be totally unacceptable. Besides the hostile Jewish leaders, many of the Galilean disciples turned away from Him. The popular enthusiasm for Jesus as a political Messiah (v. 15) was then over. They saw that He was …
Some Greeks Seek Jesus
The attention is now turned from the Jews to the Greeks as a group of them approach Philip and ask for an interview with Christ (vv. 20-21). It is thought that these Greeks were wanderers of the ancient world that came to the Jewish feast seeking truth. We have already seen how important the …
News of Lazarus’ Death
Verses 1 through 6 describe the setting for a miracle. Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, had become gravely ill (v. 1). Lazarus lived in Bethany with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the …
The Measure, Means, and Might of Prayer
Last time, Jesus told his disciples that they had seen the Father (v. 7). Philip responded, “Lord, if you would show us the Father, that would be enough for us!†(v. 8). Philip’s heart was in the right place, but he had missed the point. Jesus is God. Everything God wanted us to know about Him …
The Disciples Warn Jesus About Going to Judea
Jesus heard that Lazarus was sickness unto death and proposed to his disciples that they should return to Judea. His disciples were concerned as they knew how dangerous this would be (vv. 7-8). They remembered the previous conflicts with the rulers. Jesus calmed their fears by reminding …
Understanding God’s Word and Applying It
“In that day†refers to the time after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. “In that day†the disciples would not be able to talk with Jesus directly. They would not be able to ask him for things since He would be with the Father in heaven (vv. 23, 28). Instead, they would be able to ask the Father …