Jesus had been born for this purpose, to give his life for the sin of the world. And, he did willingly lay down his life, but he didn’t take his own life. By not resisting those that cried “Crucify! Crucify!” in John 19:6 he established righteous and legal judgment against their unjust act, the murder of an innocent man. And he was innocent, sinless as Pilate said in John 19:6 “I do not find a basis for an accusation against him”. Yet, as Jesus said John 18:11 “The cup that the Father has given me—shall I not drink it?”. This was the plan, the mystery Jesus unveiled through his obedience and the mission we now carry in Ephesians 3:9 “and to enlighten everyone as to what is the administration of the mystery hidden from the ages by God, who created all things”.

Those Who Believe in Me Through Their Word

John 17:20–26 

The Cup That the Father Has Given Me

John 18:1–11
This was a time when the population of Jerusalem swelled with pilgrims for the Passover so there were likely few places where they could go to quietly pray. But in John 18:1 “there was a garden”, “Probably this walled olive grove was set aside by some wealthy supporter for the use of Jesus and his disciples.”¹ and it seems that Jesus frequented this place when he was in the area as it says in

John 18:2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, also knew about the place, because Jesus often gathered there with his disciples.)

It would have now been after sunset, however, the Passover is celebrated at the full moon so it would have been easy to make your way by the light of the moon, yet those who were ready to take Jesus by force came in

John 18:3 So Judas, taking the cohort and officers from the chief priests and from the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

Jesus knew they were coming and could have made them press into the garden, but he “went out and said to them, “Who are you looking for?” in John 18:4 and “They replied to him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” in John 18:5 then in

John 18:6 So when he said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

Jesus then asked for the freedom of his disciples in

John 18:8 Jesus replied, “I said to you that I am he! So if you are looking for me, let these men go,”

but Peter was ready to defend his master and pulled his sword but this was not the way Jesus would overcome evil and in

John 18:11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath! The cup that the Father has given me—shall I not drink it?”

 

The Officers of the Jews Seized Jesus

John 18:12–18
Jesus had presented himself freely to these men who had come with the intent to take him by force so as soon as they had the opportunity, seized and tied him in

John 18:12 Then the cohort and the military tribune and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and tied him up,

but they didn’t take him for a public hearing, they took him first in the night Annas in

John 18:13 and brought him to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.

There is much that is lost on us because we don’t know the history and politics of the day, but “Annas was the power behind the throne in Jerusalem. He himself had been high priest from ad 6 to 15. Four of his sons had also held the high priesthood, and Caiaphas was his son-in-law … when the Roman governors came, the office … went to the greatest sycophant and the highest bidder … The family of Annas was immensely rich, and one by one they had intrigued and bribed their way into office, while Annas remained the power behind it all … In the Court of the Gentiles, there were the sellers of victims for the sacrifices, those sellers whom Jesus had driven out … were called the Bazaars of Annas”²

While Peter and the other disciples had been left behind, “Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus” in John 18:15 and they came into the courtyard. Peter then begins his denial in

John 18:17 Then the female slave who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You are not also one of the disciples of this man, are you?” He said, “I am not!”

The High Priest Questioned Jesus

John 18:19–27

It is Not Permitted for us to Kill Anyone

John 18:28–38 

I Find No Basis for an Accusation

John 18:39–19:6
The Jews, those that had taken Jesus, brought him to Pilate, the Roman Governor of the region who was the only legal authority that could judge and carry out a death sentence. But when asked, they didn’t bring a charge or accusation, they only said “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you!” in John 18:30 and then “It is not permitted for us to kill anyone” John 18:31 Pilate questioned Jesus and in

John 18:38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no basis for an accusation against him.”

Then, as a good politician and seeking to placate the Jews, Pilate offered them a choice, freedom for Jesus or he would release Barabbas, “a revolutionary” in John 18:40. But “they shouted again” in

John 18:40 Then they shouted again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Pilate was still seeking to placate the crowd so in

John 19:1 So then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged.

and when the soldiers were finished with Jesus, he was bloodied and bleeding. Pilate prepares the crowd by saying again to them in

John 19:4 And Pilate came outside again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing him outside to you, so that you will know that I find no basis for an accusation against him.”

Now, the beaten and bloody Jesus is presented in

John 19:5 Then Jesus came outside wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, and he said to them, “Behold the man!”

but “the chief priests and the officers shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify!” in John 19:6 and Pilate says for the third time, “I do not find a basis for an accusation against him.”

We do not have a king except Caesar!

John 19:7–16

Study Verses

• John 18:1–11 The Cup That the Father Has Given Me
• John 18:12–18 The Officers of the Jews Seized Jesus
• John 18:39–19:6 I Find No Basis for an Accusation

Today’s Reading

• John 17:20-26
• John 18:1-40
• John 19:1-16

---

References

• 1. Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 576). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans.
• 2. Barclay, W. (2001). The Gospel of John (Vol. 2, p. 263-264). Louisville, KY: Edinburgh.

After the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus turns to a more private setting with his disciples and prepares them for what is ahead. God’s plan was not what might have been in their minds. Jesus talks to them about betrayal and denial and separation and says in John 16:2 “They will expel you from the synagogue … everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God”. This transition that was coming, Jesus death and resurrection followed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, was beyond anything that has ever happened and they responded in John 16:18 “We do not understand what he is speaking about!” Jesus opened the way so we could stand as sons and daughters and as he said in John 16:23–24 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you”. And it was from that Pentecost day that the disciples began to walk in power.

The World Hates You

John 15:18–27 

That You Will Not Fall Away

John 16:1–4
Jesus has just told his disciples that the world hates them, just as it hates him. This is just a few days after Jesus had gone to Bethany where “Before the triumphal entry Jesus was staying at the house of Lazarus (John 12:1–2), whom He had previously raised from the dead (John 11:38–44) … the Lazarus miracle had attracted the crowds (John 12:9, 17–18) … the decisive “sign” … to acclaim Jesus as the King of Israel while He approached and entered Jerusalem … (John 12:18)”¹ and as Jesus entered the city they, in

John 12:13 “took the branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, and began crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the king of Israel!”

After their supper together, Jesus has washed their feet, and spoken of betrayal. He commanded them to love one another and then spoke to Peter about his denial. He promises the Holy Spirit and tells them to remain in the vine and bear much fruit, saying again in

John 15:17 These things I command you: that you love one another.

How strange it must have seemed to them to hear him talk of the world hating them and in

John 16:2 They will expel you from the synagogue, but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

and this did happen as Saul persecuted the Church, the disciples, before his conversion. Now, Jesus says in

John 16:1 “I have said these things to you so that you will not fall away”.

There are times when we are vulnerable and until now, Jesus had been with them. He was able to calm the storm and encourage their faith as in

Mark 4:39–40 And he woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Be silent!” And the wind abated and there was a great calm. 40 And he said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you not yet have faith?”

but now, they would be at their most vulnerable, on their own as they go through this transition until the Holy Spirit comes. 

When He The Spirit of Truth Comes

John 16:5–15
Jesus has told them they will be hated by the world, thrown out of the Synagogues and “now I am going away” in John 16:5 so it isn’t any wonder that from triumph, now he says “sorrow has filled your hearts” in John 16:6. But his going away isn’t the end, in fact, Jesus says “it is better for you” in

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus goes on in John 16:8-10 telling them about sin and righteousness and judgment and “going away to the Father” and says “the ruler of this world has been condemned”. Then, as their heads must have been spinning trying to understand, he says in

John 16:12 I still have many things to say to you, but you are not able to bear them now.

and even as Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, it took time and in

Luke 24:45 Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

It wasn’t though, until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that we begin to see the apostles moving with power, as Jesus had told them, “he will guide you” in

John 16:13 But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come.

 

Whatever You Ask The Father in My Name

John 16:16–24
As the disciples are processing this message, and they have understood that Jesus is going away, he has mentioned this coming of the Holy Spirit and now says in

John 16:16 “A little while and you will see me no more, and again a little while and you will see me.

There is something beyond this separation but it was too hard for them and in

John 16:18 So they kept on saying, “What is this that he is saying, ‘A little while’? We do not understand what he is speaking about!”

There was a transition happening unlike anything that has ever happened and Jesus can only describe it to them as being like the pain of childbirth in John 16:21. They will have pain, but after that, everything will be different in

John 16:23–24 And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

As long as Jesus has been with them, they have come to him as leader, teacher, healer, provider and he would pray to the Father as in

John 11:41–42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes above and said, “Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. 42 And I know that you always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

Now he says to them, “whatever you ask the father in my name … you will receive”.

I Have Conquered the World

John 16:25–33

This is Life Eternal

John 17:1–5

The Men Whom You Gave Me Out of the World

John 17:6–19

Study Verses

• John 16:1–4 That You Will Not Fall Away
• John 16:5–15 When He The Spirit of Truth Comes
• John 16:16–24 Whatever You Ask The Father in My Name

Today’s Reading

• John 15:18-27
• John 16:1-33
• John 17:1-19

---

References

• 1. Markley, J. R. (2016). Triumphal Entry. In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, … W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Jesus is preparing his disciples for the transition ahead. He will no longer be with them on the earth, but by the Holy Spirit, he will continue to be with them. He says this in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” to those he had just eaten supper with, his closest disciples, those that would be apostles. He spoke to them about bearing fruit and loving one another and said in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives”. Then he said in John 15:11 “I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete”. All of this hinges on this repeated statement in John 15:12 “This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you”. If we can get past the word commandment to which many attach the connotation of “a burdensome requirement” and get the message from Jesus, it is that love is the key to joy and fruitful fulfillment.

What You Are Doing, Do Quickly!

John 13:21–30

A New Commandment I Give You

John 13:31–38

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

John 14:1–14 

My Peace I Give To You

John 14:15–31
Jesus is explaining how things will change after he ascends to heaven. It will be different for those of us that love him in

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”.

because we who love him will receive “the Spirit of truth” in John 14:17 who is described as an “advocate” here in

John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, in order that he may be with you forever”

and this same “advocate” will teach in

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name—that one will teach you all things, and will remind you of everything that I said to you.

and there is also the promise for us that love him that the “Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.” in John 14:21 and “will take up residence with him” in John 14:23. But even more, we will have his peace in

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you—not as the world gives, I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

But Jesus had also said “the world will see me no longer” in John 14:19 and spoke of “the spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive” in John 14:17. The world will carry on not seeing God or knowing him, without his peace because they have rejected Jesus Christ.

When Jesus began his ministry, he was tempted by the devil who said worship me and I will give you all these kingdoms in

Matthew 4:8–9 Again the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, 9 and he said to him, “I will give to you all these things, if you will fall down and worship me.”

but Jesus refused so in

Luke 4:13 And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until a favorable time.

Now, at the end of his ministry, the devil thinks he finally has Jesus and will crucify him but Jesus knows “he has no power over me” in

John 14:30 I will no longer speak much with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has no power over me.

What Jesus was explaining to his disciples is that the devil and his world system has no power over us unless we give it to him. 

My Father Is Glorified by This

John 15:1–8
Jesus had taught them that he and the Father were one and that they would “take up residence” in us in John 14:23. He now describes this relationship as that of a vine and its fruit with Jesus as the root that nourishes it and the Father as the gardener, the “vinedresser” in

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Jesus then tells them that in order to bear fruit, they must remain in him. The natural mind thinks we must use our intelligence, our ability, our labor yet in God’s kingdom, it is “the one who remains in me” that bears fruit in

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him—this one bears much fruit, for apart from me you are not able to do anything.

then he says in

John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you bear much fruit, and prove to be my disciples.

 

That My Joy May Be In You

John 15:9–17
Jesus says “these things” for our joy in

John 15:11 I have spoken these things to you in order that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made complete.

but what things does he mean? He has just said “remain in my love” in John 15:9 and “ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love” in John 15:10 and he began this subject earlier with

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

and not long before that he had told them in

John 13:34–35 “A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another—just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

so clearly loving him and keeping his commandments is not meant to be a burdensome thing, instead, it should fill us with his joy and be a welcome sign to all around us of the goodness of God. Now Jesus repeats this commandment in

John 15:12 This is my commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you.

this is a key for our own joy and also for bearing fruit in God’s kingdom in John 15:16 and he repeats it again saying “I command you” in

John 15:17 These things I command you: that you love one another.

Study Verses

• John 14:15–31 My Peace I Give To You
• John 15:1–8 My Father Is Glorified by This
• John 15:9–17 That My Joy May Be In You

Today’s Reading

• John 13:21-38
• John 14:1-31
• John 15:1-17

---

Many miracles have been recorded and many that have testified of the power of God to transform their lives through Jesus Christ, yet some still refuse to believe as it says in John 12:38 “Lord, who has believed our message?”. And some who have believed, have fallen short as in John 12:42–43 “they did not confess it, … For they loved the praise of men more than praise from God”. Jesus came to reveal the will of God, and he says in John 12:47b “For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world” and in John 12:50 “And I know that his commandment is eternal life”. And as Jesus nears the end of his time he focuses on his disciples and performs a symbolic act, he washes their feet and tells them in John 13:14 “you also ought to wash one another’s feet”. The world is tough, and we ought to love one another by helping each other stay clean, just as Jesus demonstrated with his disciples and as Jesus said in John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”

The King of Israel!

John 12:12–19

Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls Into the Earth and Dies

John 12:20–26

Father, Deliver Me From This Hour

John 12:27–36 

Lord, Who Has Believed Our Message

John 12:37–43
Jesus performed many miracles and yet there were those that did not believe in

John 12:37 But as many signs as he had performed before them, they did not believe in him,

yet this was prophesied by Isaiah who, in John 12:41 “saw his glory” and declared the desire of God, that they would “turn, and I heal them” in

John 12:38b–40 “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” 39 For this reason they were not able to believe, because again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their hearts and turn, and I heal them.”

but even some of those that believed, fell short because in

John 12:42–43 Yet despite that, even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be expelled from the synagogue. 43 For they loved the praise of men more than praise from God.

Salvation is not just believing, it is life turned toward God in John 12:40, it is believing and confessing in

Romans 10:9–10 that if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

 

His Commandment is Eternal Life

John 12:44–50
Jesus always did the will of the Father as he says in

John 5:30 I am able to do nothing from myself. Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me.

so he was able to say things like

John 10:30 The Father and I are one.

John 12:44–45 But Jesus cried out and said, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me.

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Am I with you so long a time and you have not known me, Philip? The one who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’

So when we hear what Jesus has to say and when we see what Jesus did, we know the will of the Father. And, the will of the Father is not as some have said, to condemn the world. The will of the Father is what Jesus said in

John 12:47b For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

and Jesus came, not only to save from sin and death in the world but to grant us eternal life with him in

John 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So the things that I say, just as the Father said to me, thus I say.”

 

He Began to Wash the Feet of the Disciples

John 13:1–11
As Jesus is coming to the time of Passover, the time when he would become the sacrificial lamb for the world, many focus on the betrayal and what Judas was about to do. But Jesus was focused on his disciples in

John 13:1 Now before the feast of Passover, Jesus, knowing that his hour had come that he would depart from this world to the Father, and having loved his own in the world, loved them to the end.

John chooses to underscore that love by an act of service that Jesus performed in

John 13:4–5 he got up from the dinner and took off his outer clothing, and taking a towel, tied it around himself. 5 Then he poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them dry with the towel which he had tied around himself.

This washing of feet is not something we practice or maybe even understand, but “Where the soil is dry and dusty and sandals or similar footwear is worn, frequent washing of the feet is not only a luxury, but a necessity for comfort and health … it’s great hospitality and consideration to see that the feet of guests are washed with cool water … Genesis 24:32 … Genesis 43:24 … Luke 7:44”.¹

but washing would normally be done before the meal and in preparation for it. Here, Jesus is using this act of washing their feet to make a different point. As John said, Jesus is loving them and he is instructing them for the time after he will be taken.

First, Jesus humbles himself because “Just before this, John tells us that Jesus has been given all things by God the Father: He possesses the entire universe (v. 3). Here, Jesus strips Himself of what is likely His only possession on earth and only identification as a rabbi (rabbis were often recognized by their robes) (to) wash the feet … an act that only slaves performed.”²

Second, Jesus told them “to wash one another’s feet” in

John 13:13–14 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, for I am. 14 If then I—your Lord and Teacher—wash your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

They would continue in the world and our feet represent our contact with the world. We are continually dirtied by it and we must continually cleanse ourselves. But it goes further than this. If you see your brother or sister is soiled by the world, it is our role to humbly cleanse them.

Third, Jesus told them to “receive anyone I send” in

John 13:20 Truly, truly I say to you, the one who receives anyone I send receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me.”

There is hospitality that we are to extend to those that are called into God’s kingdom. This does not mean that we are to abuse ourselves to the benefit of others, it is that we are to in

2 Corinthians 9:7–8 Each one should give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or from compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to cause all grace to abound to you, so that in everything at all times, because you have enough of everything, you may overflow in every good work.

You Also Ought to Wash One Another’s Feet

John 13:12–20

Study Verses

• John 12:37–43 Lord, Who Has Believed Our Message
• John 12:44–50 His Commandment is Eternal Life
• John 13:1–11 He Began to Wash the Feet of the Disciples

Today’s Reading

• John 12:12-50
• John 13:1-20

---

References

• 1. Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (p. 25). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.
• 2. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 13:4–5). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Jesus has a close relationship with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus and has had a strong impact on their lives. But when Lazarus gets sick, and Jesus delays coming, his sisters mourn his death as they lay him in the tomb. Martha is first to greet Jesus as he arrives and looks forward to the future resurrection, but Jesus says believe. Mary is upset, she has lost her brother and says in John 11:32 “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Jesus simply says in John 11:34 “Where have you laid him?” Then, Jesus asks them to do act, he says in John 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Sometimes it seems that God is too late. Sometimes he asks what seems to be too much of us. But faith in God requires action and Jesus says to us as in John 11:40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” If you believe, take action as he is leading you. Jesus isn’t asking us to do something he wouldn’t, he gave his own life to open the way for our salvation.

Lord, If You Had Been Here

John 11:17–27 

Where Have You Laid Him?

John 11:28–37
When Jesus was told about that Lazarus was sick, he responded immediately in

John 11:4 And when he heard it, Jesus said, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

but he didn’t react. Instead, “he remained in the place where he was two days” in John 11:6. We are often moved by the feelings of others and, if you can hear this without me seeming too unfeeling, we can easily be driven by the drama of the moment. Jesus finished what he was doing and in

John 11:17 So when he arrived, Jesus found he had already been four days in the tomb.

Martha was first to go to him in John 11:20 though this is seldom mentioned because later Martha is busy serving while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet. But it is Martha that is first to say in

John 11:27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who comes into the world.”

and now Martha summons Mary in

John 11:28 And when she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary privately, saying, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

and when she comes to Jesus, it isn’t with the faith we might think. Mary rebukes Jesus for not coming sooner as if he is too late and says in

John 11:32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus simply responds “Where have you laid him?” in John 11:34 but there are others also that are also questioning why Jesus didn’t do something. They are also saying Jesus is too late in

John 11:37 But some of them said, “Was not this man who opened the eyes of the blind able to do something so that this man also would not have died?”

 

Take Away the Stone

John 11:38–44
Jesus had said from the moment he heard about Lazarus sickness that this would be for the glory of God. When he met Martha, he told her about the resurrection and she believed. But now, standing at the tomb, she doubts in

John 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the one who had died, said to him, “Lord, he is stinking already, because it has been four days.”

Jesus encourages her to act on her faith and not respond to her fear in

John 11:40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”

Jesus first gave thanks and spoke personally, quietly, to the father in

John 11:41–42 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes above and said, “Father, I give thanks to you that you hear me. 42 And I know that you always hear me, but for the sake of the crowd standing around I said it, so that they may believe that you sent me.”

and then, in a loud voice for everyone to hear, he said “Lazarus come out!” in John 11:43 and Lazarus came. 

One Man Should Die for the People

John 11:45–57
Lazarus rose from the dead after four days. You would think everyone would be celebrating this miracle and many did in

John 11:45 Then many of the Jews who had come with Mary and saw the things which he did believed in him.

but there were others that somehow thought they should report this thing as if something wrong had happened in

John 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

The Jewish leaders were not interested in the life of Lazarus being restored, they are afraid people will follow Jesus. And if people follow him, their place in the Roman hierarchy will be jeopardized in

John 11:48 If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

They don’t understand that they have been taken by the devil. Jesus had been tempted in

Luke 4:6–7 And the devil said to him, “I will give you all this domain and their glory, because it has been handed over to me, and I can give it to whomever I want. 7 So if you will worship before me, all this will be yours.”

yet Jesus turned away and would not. But these leaders of Israel were afraid they would lose what they had been given. Then in

John 11:49–50 But a certain one of them, Caiaphas (who was high priest in that year), said to them, “You do not know anything at all! 50 Nor do you consider that it is profitable for you that one man should die for the people, and the whole nation not perish.”

Just as they didn’t see their subservience to the kingdom of the devil, the world system, they also didn’t see God’s plan in

1 Corinthians 2:7–8 but we speak the hidden wisdom of God in a mystery, which God predestined before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew. For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Jesus came to Bethany

John 12:1–11

Study Verses

• John 11:28–37 Where Have You Laid Him?
• John 11:38–44 Take Away the Stone
• John 11:45–57 One Man Should Die for the People

Today’s Reading

• John 11:17-57
• John 12:1-11

---

As Jesus faces the crowds, there are those that believe and those that refuse his words. Jesus uses an example they would all be familiar with and talks about the response of sheep to their shepherd. He says in John 10:4 “the sheep follow him because they know his voice” and those that don’t follow are not his sheep. But then Jesus says in John 10:9 “I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and will go out and will find pasture”. This is an unexpected way to think about the shepherd but Jesus is the way, the entrance into the kingdom of God. He explains further in John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me”. And while Jesus had been saying, for example in Matthew 15:24 “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”, he now opens the way for all who believe by saying in John 10:16 “And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd”.

Do You Believe in the Son of Man?

John 9:35–41

I Am the Door of the Sheep

John 10:1–10 

I Am the Good Shepherd

John 10:11–21
Sheep were one of the main animals used by the Jewish people for their sacrifices and for their food. Jesus had just healed the man blind from birth and had talked with him afterward in the temple courts. Then, seeking to justify themselves in

John 9:40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, “We are not also blind, are we?”

as these Pharisees claimed not just natural sight but understanding, and they are resisting his words, now Jesus speaks to them about sheep. He uses this because they all would have seen this behavior in sheep. He says in

John 10:4 Whenever he sends out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

Shepherds do use sheepdogs because there are always a few stragglers, but when the shepherd is ready to move, he calls the sheep and leads the way. And if you have ever seen a good shepherd at work, he will put the sheep in a place of protection overnight to keep them from the wolves. So it is when the sheep are in this place of protection that Jesus then describes the thief and robber who are trying to sneak past the shepherd in

John 10:1 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter through the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up at some other place—that one is a thief and a robber.

and then Jesus describes the good shepherd in

John 10:2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Then Jesus makes a statement that is difficult for them. He says he is the door and though he doesn’t say it directly here, Jesus is the door into God’s kingdom in

John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Jesus declares himself as the door of salvation in

John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and will go out and will find pasture.

Later, Jesus role is described more fully in

Hebrews 10:19–20 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence for the entrance into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way which he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, his flesh,

then it says, “let us approach” in Hebrews 10:22. Now Jesus says his sheep know him in

John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd, and I know my own, and my own know me,

but these leaders that claim to have God’s plan for people, these Pharisees who have been resisting his words, they are described as the hired hand in

John 10:12–13 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf approaching and abandons the sheep and runs away—and the wolf seizes them and scatters them—13 because he is a hired hand and he is not concerned about the sheep.

Jesus then makes one more important statement, and this is particularly important because through much of Jesus ministry his focus was on “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” in

Matthew 10:5–6 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them saying, “Do not go on the road to the Gentiles, and do not enter into a city of the Samaritans, 6 but go instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

and he himself, first turned away this Canaanite woman in

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

but now, Jesus opens his arms to others in

John 10:16 And I have other sheep which are not from this fold. I must bring these also, and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock—one shepherd.

and at the end of his ministry, he tells his disciples in

Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

 

If You Are The Christ, Tell Us Plainly!

John 10:22–33
Jesus has been teaching and demonstrating miracles of healing and in every other place where he had been and still “the Jews” come to him in

John 10:24 So the Jews surrounded him and began to say to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly!”

What more could Jesus have done? What else could he have said? What other miracles did they need? Jesus says very plainly to them in

John 10:25–26 Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe! The deeds that I do in the name of my Father, these testify about me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep!

It wasn’t that these people had not heard the words and it wasn’t that they had not seen the miracles, it was that they refused to believe, they refused to accept Jesus and by refusing him, they are also refusing God the Father. To come to God, we must accept something about his character and nature as it says in

Hebrews 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and is a rewarder of those who seek him.

Those who opposed Jesus only had a consciousness of sin, they only knew God as the one in the Holy of Holies where no man could approach. So, when Jesus made this statement in

John 10:30 The Father and I are one.”

they were ready to stone him in

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?”

 

Believe The Deeds

John 10:34–42
Jesus set in front of his accusers the deeds that he had performed and said to them in

John 10:37–38 If I do not do the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

Even so, with all of the evidence in front of them, “the Jews”, the unbelieving ones, were still in

John 10:39 So they were seeking again to seize him, and he departed out of their hand.

Yet others accepted the work, they saw the deeds and believed in

John 10:41–42 And many came to him and began to say, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in him there.

The One Whom You Love is Sick

John 11:1–6

So That You May Believe

John 11:7–16

Study Verses

• John 10:11–21 I Am the Good Shepherd
• John 10:22–33 If You Are The Christ, Tell Us Plainly!
• John 10:34–42 Believe The Deeds

Today’s Reading

• John 9:35-41
• John 10:1-42
• John 11:1-16

---