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Philip and the Greeks READ John 12:20-22 20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. Various applications can be made from this short passage. The words “Greeks” and “Gentiles” were basically interchangeable. The main point is that they are not Jewish. Note also that their re

Trust in the Light READ John 12:34-36 34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?” 35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then

Time for Supper READ John 13:1-3 Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. Chapters 13-17 in John’s gospel

Do As I Have Done READ John 13:15-17 15 “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” Some people debate whether foot washing is to be a church ordinance or just an example of serving others. Whether taken as a church ordinance or not, the importa

God's Glory READ John 13:31-32 31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once.” Jesus lets His close friends know that He is about at the end of His earthly life. Then He gives insight into the Godhead. The Father receives glory because of the Son and

Show Us the Father READ John 14:8-11 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe th

The Advocate READ John 14:25-26 25 “I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. 26 But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” This passage tells about the coming of the Holy Spirit as the “Advocate”; that is, as the representative of Jesus. Notice what the Holy Spirit would especially do for the disciples—He would teach them “everyt

Remain in My Love READ John 15:9-12 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” It is one thing to love others as some friend has loved you, but

The Spirit of Truth READ John 15:26-27 26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. 27 And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry.” Here again Jesus refers to the Advocate He will send. In John 14:16 the disciples were told He would never leave them, and in 14:26 He is referred to as Jesus’ representative. Here He is called “the Spirit

In a Little While READ John 16:16-18 16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” 17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will see me,’ and ‘I am going to the Father’? 18 And what does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand.” Reading now from the viewpoint of history, it is easier to understand now what Jesus

The High-Priestly Prayer READ John 17:1-2 1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. 2 For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him.” John 17 is commonly called “The High-Priestly Prayer” of Jesus. Matthew 6 records the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray, but John 17 is the prayer that Jesus Him

Keep Them Safe READ John 17:13-15 13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one.” The reason that Jesus told the disciples many things is that they might be fille

The Mount of Olives READ John 18:1-3 1 After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. 2 Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples. 3 The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns, and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus left Jerusalem

Interrogation READ John 18:19-21 19 Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. 20 Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. 21 Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” The high priest was asking for information he likely already knew. Although asking bo

Are You the King of the Jews READ John 18:33-35 33 Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him. 34 Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” 35 “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” Pilate now returned to his quarters to interrogate Jesus. Asking i

Crucify Him READ John 19:6-7 6 When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.” 7 The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” The religious unbelievers wanted Jesus put to death, but they already acknowledged they couldn’t do that. Pilate goaded them on by telling them to crucify H

Place of the Skull READ John 19:17-18 17 Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. Once Pilate turned Jesus over to be crucified, the religious leaders took Him away. Apparently Jesus was too physically weak to carry the cross all the way because of the beating He had endured. Other gospels

It Is Finished READ John 19:28-30 28 Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. This passage tells of the last three hours Jesus was on the cross. His humanity is shown in that He was t

The Stone Rolled Away READ John 20:1-2 1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Mary Magdalene was a faithful follower of Jesus. On the first day of the week she came to the to

Visitor READ John 20:19-20 19 That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. 20 As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Until now the location of the disciples has not been mentioned. Now it is learned they were in hiding. They assumed the Jewish le

The Reason READ John 20:30-31 30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name. These verses include the purpose of John’s Gospel. If you were doing a book review, you would search for the purpose of the author. Then you would read the b

Do You Love Me READ John 21:13-15 13 Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. 14 This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since he had been raised from the dead. 15 After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him. After indicating this was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after His r

Getting Started… In his letter to the Romans, Paul, the author, reveals a mystery that had been hidden in plain sight. The salvation that Jesus provided through His death and resurrection was not meant for the Jews only, but for the entire world. This would have been a startling revelation to the people of his day, but Paul, clearly and eloquently lays out his argument piece by piece in one of the most inspiring defenses of God’s long-abiding love for humanity. Join aut

Sent Out to Preach READ Romans 1:1-3 1 This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2 God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3 The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line. The custom in New Testament times was to say at the beginning of one’s letter who was writing. Paul reveals he is the author. Likely in t