Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

John 13:34 - To Love Like Christ

Love is an act of the will that obeys God and seeks His best in others.  God commanded the Israelites to “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut. 6:5) and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18).  Jesus provided a new commandment to love as He loves (John 13:34-35; 15:12).  Jesus’ love modeled obedience to the Father (John 14:31), commitment to His disciples (John 13:1), and humility and sacrifice for the undeserving (John 13:1-17; 1 John 3:16).  Christian love is modeled on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:44-47; Luke 6:32-35; John 13:34; 14:15; 15:12; 1 Cor. 13:4-8a; Eph. 5:1-2; 1 John 3:23; 4:10-11).

John 13:18-38

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus focuses on glorifying the Father and teaching the disciples to love one another. While eating with His disciples, Jesus identified Judas as the one who would betray Him; a betrayal that ultimately served God’s purpose for Jesus to go to the cross and die a substitutionary death.  Judas was the consummate hypocrite, for none of his friends suspected him of evil intent.  For years, Judas accepted Jesus’ gracious provision for him, but not His love. The Giver of grace found no place in the heart of Judas.  Jesus called Judas to walk with Him, knowing he would betray Him (John 6:70-71), and He protected his identity throughout His years of ministry, permitting the disciples to have false assumptions about him, right up the end (John 13:21-22).  If the disciples had known Judas’ true identity, it’s possible they would have turned against Judas, much like Peter turned against Malchus (John 18:10).  After receiving the morsel of bread, Satan entered Judas and both set their wills against Jesus; however, Jesus was in control of the situation, using both to bring about the cross.  After revealing Judas’ identity to John, Jesus sent Judas out to betray Him (John 13:27).  Jesus sought the Father’s glory by doing His will (John 13:31-32; cf. John 17:4), and teaching the disciples to love one another as He had loved them (John 13:31-35).  Peter seemingly ignored Jesus’ words about love and expressed a concern about His going away.  Jesus graciously comforted Peter by stating that he would be separated only for a short time and would be joined to Him later (John 13:36).  Peter then claimed he would die for the Lord, but Jesus explained that Peter would actually deny Him three times (John 13:37-38).

John 13:17 - The Glory of Humility

In relation to God, Christian humility is not a sense of worthlessness, but unworthiness of the Lord’s love and blessings (Eph. 2:8-9).  In relation to others, humility is not thinking less of self, but more of others (Philip. 2:3-4).  True Christian humility is voluntary—or self-imposed—as the believer surrenders his personal desires in loving service to others for their spiritual and material benefit.  Humility has the notion of child-like dependence, as Jesus taught His disciples (Matt. 18:3-4).  The greatest display of humility is found in God the Son who left His glory in heaven (Phi. 2:5-8; cf. John 17:5), became a man (John 1:1, 14; Heb. 10:5), became the servant of others (Mark 10:45; John 13:1-17), and ultimately “humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phi. 2:8).  The glory of humility is seen at the cross (John 12:23, 32-33), where Jesus gave His life as an atoning substitutionary sacrifice for others (Rom. 5:6-10; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Pet. 3:18).

John 13:1-17

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus provided an object lesson for the disciples that demonstrated forgiveness and humble service to others.  Jesus was under great pressure, knowing He was about to suffer crucifixion (Matt. 26:37-38); yet, He kept focus and demonstrated love and humility toward the disciples.  Jesus willingly laid aside His garments and put on the garments of a slave in order to teach humility.  No one forced Jesus into service, but rather, He humbled Himself and became the servant of others (Mark 10:45; Philip. 2:3-8).  Laying aside His garments and taking the towel of a humble servant was analogous to God the Son coming into the world and taking upon Himself humanity.  The Christian learns humility by looking to Christ.  Jesus’ object lesson is a picture of forgiveness and humble service to the undeserving.  Jesus stated to His disciples, “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14).  Here, the Lord instructed His disciples to forgive and humbly serve each other (cf. Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12-13; 1 Pet. 5:5).

John 12:42 - When Believer's Hide

Because of persecution, there have been times, and are times, when God’s people hide (κρύπτω krupto – to hide) themselves, or are hidden by others.  There appear to be both just and sinful reasons for hiding.  By faith, Moses’ parents hid him from Pharaoh (Heb. 11:23).  Obadiah hid one hundred prophets of the Lord and provided food and water for them (1 Kings 18:1-4).  These were true prophets, for a false prophet would not have been afraid of the public hostility of Ahab and Jezebel.  It is recorded that Jesus “hid Himself” (κρύπτω krupto) from an attack by the Jewish leadership (John 8:59).  Certainly there was no sin in Jesus’ action.  In contrast, it appears Elijah, in a state of irrational fear, ran for his life and hid in a cave (1 Kings 19:1-10).  He thought he was the last prophet in Israel and was unaware of 7000 faithful Israelites who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:18).  It would seem these 7000 believers were concealing their faith for fear of persecution; otherwise, Elijah would have known about them and not thought he was the last of God’s prophets (1 Ki. 19:10).  Some of the Jewish leadership in Jesus’ day had “believed in Him” (John 12:42a); however, “because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue” (Joh 12:42b).  These believers chose to hide their faith for sinful reasons, because “they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God” (John 12:42-43).  One could argue that Peter was hiding from persecution when he denied the Lord three times (Matt. 26:33-35, 69-75).  Scripture reveals Joseph of Arimathea was “a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one (κρύπτω krupto) for fear of the Jews” (John 19:38).  However, after the crucifixion, he exposed his faith for all to see, and apparently did not fear oppression.  Spiritual maturity and strong faith leads the believer to overcome fear and to live confidently in God’s will, seeking God’s glory over personal protection.

John 12:37-50

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus’ signs and teaching hardened those who were negative (John 12:37-41, 47-48) and softened those who were positive (John 12:42-46). Jesus had performed many signs as a witness that He is Messiah; however, no amount of evidence would suffice for those who were negative to Him and His message (John 12:37).  Isaiah too had experienced negative volition concerning the message God gave him for Israel (Isa. 6:8-13; 53:1; John 12:38-41).  Though most did not believe in Jesus as Messiah, there were some who did, even among the rulers, though they loved the approval of men more than God (John 12:42-43).  Jesus’ final public words revealed that to believe in Him was the same as believing in the Father who sent Him (John 12:44-45).  Jesus came as the Light into a world of darkness and those who believe in Him are transferred to His kingdom (John 12:46; cf. Col. 1:13-14).  Those who reject Jesus’ words will, eventually, be judged by those words (John 12:47-50). 

John 12:21 - The Doctrine of Providence

"Providence is normally defined in Christian theology as the unceasing activity of the Creator whereby, in overflowing bounty and goodwill (Ps. 145:9 cf. Mt. 5:45–48), he upholds his creatures in ordered existence (Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3), guides and governs all events, circumstances and free acts of angels and men (cf. Ps. 107; Jb. 1:12; 2:6; Gn. 45:5–8), and directs everything to its appointed goal, for his own glory (cf. Eph. 1:9–12)."[1]
God’s providence refers to His wise and personal acts, whereby He creates and controls circumstances in order to direct history according to His predetermined plan, all for His glory and the benefit of His elect.  People live in the flow of history, and are moved by the circumstances God controls.  The Lord “does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35).  God is good and “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11; cf. Ps. 103:19; 135:6; Dan. 4:35), and “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28).  By His sovereign will God created all things in heaven and earth, and sustains and directs them as He desires.  God “is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:17).  The Lord knows all things at all times.  He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground (Matt. 10:29), and the ever-changing number of hairs on our head (Matt. 10:30).  He knows our thoughts before we think them (Ps. 139:2), and our words before we speak them (Ps. 139:4).  He knows our wickedness (Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-22), and chooses to love us by grace, in spite of our sinfulness (Matt. 5:45; Rom. 5:6-10; Eph. 2:1-9).  Some He elects to purpose, even from the womb (Jer. 1:5; Gal. 1:15).  Because God is righteous, all His actions are just.  Because He is loving and good, He directs all things for the benefit of His elect.  The wicked are also under God’s sovereign control, and He uses them for His own ends (Prov. 16:4).  God’s sovereignty, expressed through His providential control, produces confidence in those who know He is directing all things after the counsel of His will.  The growing believer knows “it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13).  Where the Bible is silent, the believer seeks to discern God’s will through His providential direction as He guides people circumstantially.  The growing believer takes great delight in knowing God is in control of His creation and is directing all things according to His providential plan.
 
 
[1] J. I. Packer, “Providence” in New Bible Dictionary, ed. D. R. W. Wood, I. H. Marshall, A. R. Millard and D. J. Wiseman, 3rd ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 979.

John 12:20-36

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus recognized His hour had come for him to glorify the Father by going to the cross.  Jesus was rejected by the Jewish leadership (John 5:18; 10:33; 19:7), and would soon be rejected by the majority in Israel (John 12:34, 37).  However, there were many Jews who did believe in Jesus (John 12:10-11, 42), and it appears Gentiles were drawn to Him as well (John 12:20).  Philip and Andrew came to Jesus and told Him the Gentiles wished to see Him (John 12:21-22), and this led Jesus to speak about His death which would glorify His Father (John 12:23).  It appears Jesus’ death hinted at the provision of salvation for Gentiles who would form part of the body of Christ, the church (see John 10:16; Eph. 2:11-19).  Jesus spoke paradoxically about dying to live, and sacrificing to benefit (John 12:24-26).  The sacrificial death and humiliation of the cross would result in God’s glory and salvation to others.  People who love God first and value the things He values will, by comparison, hate the values of this world.  Though the cross was difficult to face, Jesus knew He was in God’s will, and sought the Father’s glory (John 12:27; 28a).   The Father publicly affirmed Jesus’ course (John 12:28b), though others did not understand the Father’s revelation (John 12:29; cf. Rom. 1:18-21).  Divine revelation does not always lead to illumination, as God must open the heart to understand it (Luke 24:44-45; Acts 16:14).  God’s revelation was for the benefit of those who heard it, because it affirmed the Father’s will concerning the cross.  Jesus then explained that judgment was upon the world (John 12:31), and this refers to Satan and his world-system which is hostile to God.  Satan defeated himself when he tried to defeat Jesus.  Jesus then explained that He was going to die by crucifixion (John 12:32-33); however, those who heard Him were perplexed, because dying on a cross did not fit their preconceived ideas about the Messiah, whom they believed would live forever (John 12:34).  Jesus then pressed upon His followers to walk in the light of His presence while they had it (John 12:35), explaining that those who believe in Him will become children of light (John 12:36; cf. John 8:12; Eph. 5:8-10).  God’s unseen providential hand was controlling the circumstances in the life of Christ to bring Him to the cross for His glory and the benefit of others.  It was God’s providence that put the Lord Jesus on the cross to be crucified by the hands of godless men (Acts 2:23; 4:27-28).  Jesus died a substitutionary death, even for those who crucified Him (Rom. 3:25; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).

John 12:1 - Divine Perspective

God is sovereign (Ps. 115:3; 135:6; Isa. 46:9-10; Dan. 4:35), controlling kings and nations to do His will (Prov. 21:1; Dan. 2:21).  Though God never creates evil, He can does control those who do (John 6:70-71; 19:10-11; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28).  In sovereignty, the Father has elected some to salvation (John 6: 64-65; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:4-5), illuminating them to the Gospel (Acts 16:14; cf. Luke 24:45-46), and providing forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7), righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21), and eternal life (John 10:28).

John 12:1-19

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus welcomed Mary’s adoration for Him, as well as the praise of those who welcomed Him as the King of Israel. Jesus enjoyed a meal with friends at Bethany several days before He went to Jerusalem for the Passover (John 12:1-2).  It was during supper that Mary expressed adoration for Jesus by pouring a costly perfume over His feet and wiping them with her hair (John 12:3).  Mary was at Jesus’ feet three times: first, learning His word (Luke 10:38-42); second, seeking comfort when her brother died (John 11:31-32); and third, showing adoration by anointing His head and feet before His burial (John 12:1-8; cf. Matt. 26:6-7).  Judas and Jesus both saw Mary’s actions and had totally different responses.  Judas became angry (along with the other disciples; see Matt. 26:6-9), perceiving Mary’s actions as wasteful, and being a thief, he felt deprived of stolen profits he might have obtained, had the perfume been sold (John 12:6).  Jesus welcomed Mary’s action, seeing it as an expression of adoration for Him, her Messiah and Savior.  The pleasant aroma of Mary’s selfless adoration could not overcome the stench of selfishness in Judas’ heart.
"When she came to the feet of Jesus, Mary took the place of a slave. When she undid her hair (something Jewish women did not do in public), she humbled herself and laid her glory at His feet (see 1 Cor. 11:15). Of course, she was misunderstood and criticized; but that is what usually happens when somebody gives his or her best to the Lord."[1]
Jesus entered Jerusalem according to prophetic promise (Zech. 9:9).  Many in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as the King of Israel (John 12:12-15), though not as Savior.  The disciples did not perceive the prophetic significance of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem, but they understood later, after His resurrection (John 12:16).  Some who had witnessed the resuscitation of Lazarus were testifying of Jesus and many came to believe in Him (John 12:17-18; cf. vss. 9-11).  The Pharisees perceived the crowds’ response to Jesus as contrary to their selfish authority (John 12:19). 
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1, 339.

John 11:43 - The Doctrine of Resurrection

The Bible reveals both resuscitation and resurrection.  Resuscitation means a person who has died is brought back to life but will die again (see Matt. 27:50-53; Luke 7:15; 8:53-55; John 11:43-44; 12:9-11).  Resurrection means a person will be brought back to life with a new body and will never again experience death.  Jesus was the first Person to be resurrected (John 20:1-18; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rev. 1:5).  In the future, Jesus will resurrect Christians at the time of the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:14-17), OT saints (Job 19:25-27; Ezek. 37:21-25; Dan. 12:1-2; Matt. 19:28), saints who were martyred during the Tribulation (Rev. 20:4), and finally all unbelievers at the end of the Millennium (Rev. 20:5). 
What happens between death and resurrection?  Some teach that when a person dies, the soul enters into a state of unconscious sleep, unaware of anything, until the time of future resurrection.  However, the Bible teaches that the soul separates from the body at death (Eccl. 12:7), and continues in a state of consciousness.  Examples include Lazarus and the Rich man (Luke 16:19-31), and Moses and Elijah who appeared alive at Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:1-4).  Further, when talking to the thief on the cross, Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).  Since the thief was going to die physically, Jesus must have been referring to his soul, which has consciousness after physical death.  This reality is promoted by Paul, who preferred to be absent from his body in order to be present with Christ (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23).

John 11:37-50

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (7th sign) with the result that many believed in Jesus as Messiah, but the Jewish leadership rejected Him and decided to kill Him. Jesus knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead; yet, his death, and the pain it caused Mary and Martha, troubled Jesus (John 11:30-38).  Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead for God’s glory (John 11:38-40), so that others might believe in Him as Messiah (John 11:41-45).  However, some who witnessed the miracle rejected Jesus and went to inform the Pharisees, who felt compelled to kill Jesus for political reasons, because they viewed Israel as their nation rather than God’s (John 11:46-57).  Though hostile to God, Caiaphas unwittingly prophesied as an act of divine sovereignty, as God spoke through a sinful man to a sinful audience (John 11:49-51).  The reality was that God was in complete control. 

John 11:29 - Women in the Life and Ministry of Jesus

The Gospels give prominence to certain women in Jesus’ life and ministry.  There are unnamed women that Jesus healed: Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:30-31), a widow who had lost her son (Luke 7:11-15), a woman who had been crippled for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17), and a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years (Mark 5:22-29).  There are unnamed women who were impressed with Jesus: the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-42), a woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (Luke 7:36-50), those who traveled with Jesus and funded His ministry (some are named and others not; Matt. 27:55-56; Luke 8:1-3), and those who followed Him after His arrest (Luke 23:27).  Those specifically named include: Mary, Jesus’ mother (John 2:1-11; 19:25-27), Joanna and Susanna (Luke 8:3), Mary and Martha of Bethany (Luke 10:38-39; John 11:1-44; 12:1-8), and Mary Magdalene who was the first to see the risen Lord and report His resurrection to others (John 20:1-17).  

John 11:1-29

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus sought the glory of God (John 11:4), which would be accomplished through raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:11), and increasing the disciple’s faith (John 11:14-15).  Jesus learned from Martha and Mary that their brother Lazarus was sick (John 11:1-3).  Lazarus’ sickness and death was included in God’s plan and would result in His glory (John 11:4).  Jesus delayed several days before going to Bethany (John 11:5-7), but His delay was not a request denied.  Jesus’ disciples were concerned about His going near Jerusalem; however, Jesus was not concerned, because He was walking in God’s will (John 11:8-10).  Jesus revealed that Lazarus had died, and though this is sad news, He knew Lazarus’ resuscitation would strengthen their faith (John 11:11-16).  Jesus arrived in Bethany four days after Lazarus had died (John 11:17), and found many had been comforting Martha and Mary (John 11:18-19).  Martha came to Jesus (John 11:20), and He comforted her with reassuring words that pointed to Himself as the Resurrection and Life (John 11:21-26), and she expressed faith in Jesus that He is the Messiah (John 11:27).  Finally, Martha went to Mary and said, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you” (John 11:28).  The Savior of the world had come to Bethany and called Mary by name, and “she got up quickly and was coming to Him” (John 11:29). 

John 10:28 - Eternal Security and the Life of Faith

When one believes in Jesus as Savior, he/she is born again and given eternal life (John 3:16-18; 10:28).  Eternal life is a gift, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, to those who trust Him as Savior (Rom. 4:1-5; 5:6-10; Eph. 2:8-9).  Eternal life means we are eternally secure in our salvation, since it rests entirely in God’s ability to save and keep us saved.  “Eternal security is the work of God that guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received, is forever and cannot be lost. The concept of eternal security emphasizes God’s activity in guaranteeing the eternal possession of the gift of eternal life.”[1]  Believers may sin (1 John 2:1), and though they may suffer severe punishment (Heb. 12:5-13), even to the point of death (1 John 5:16-17), their salvation is never in jeopardy (John 10:28; Rom. 8:1; 38-39).  Those who are given eternal life are called to a life of righteousness (Tit. 2:11-14), in conformity to God’s word (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), and in the power of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16; Eph. 5:18-21).
 
[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 379.

John 10:22-42

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus’ works reveal Him as the Christ, and He gives eternal life those who believe in Him (John 10:28). Jesus words and life affirmed His divinity, but many rejected His claims, taking offense when He made Himself equal with God the Father (see John 5:18; 8:59).  Jesus pointed to His miracles as proof of His Messiahship (John 10:32, 37-38).  When the Jews took exception with Jesus’ claim to deity, He challenged them with Scripture.  Psalm 82:6 was an address to Israel’s judges, who served as surrogate voices for God to His people, and were thus called “gods”.  “They were called ‘gods’ not because they were actually divine, but because they represented God when they judged the people. The Hebrew word for ‘gods’ (elohim) is literally ‘mighty ones’ and may be applied to important figures such as judges.”[1]  The argument is from the lesser to the greater.  If the OT referred to human judges as gods, then it stands with greater reason that Jesus could refer to Himself as God and not be in conflict with Scripture, especially since His ministry was in harmony with the Father’s plan.  The unbelieving Jews rejected Jesus’ claim and sought to arrest Him for blasphemy; but Jesus eluded them again, for it was not yet His time to be taken.  Jesus then went away, beyond the Jordan, to the place where He began His ministry (see John 1:28-29), and there encountered many who believed in Him (John 10:40-42).  John the Baptist—who performed no miracles—was used greatly by the Lord because he pointed others to Christ for salvation.
 
[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1528.

John 10:11 - Pastors and Teachers

In the Old Testament, God is referred to as the Shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His people (Isa. 40:11; Ps. 23:1-6; 80:1; 100:1-3; Ezek. 34:10-16).  Under the Mosaic Law, God appointed human leaders who shared His values and modeled His behavior, to lead His people (2 Sam. 5:1-3; cf. 1 Sam. 17:34-37; Jer. 3:15).  However, throughout Israel’s history there have been many false shepherds who devoured God’s people and gave nothing in return (Isa. 56:9-12; Jer. 23:1-4; Ezek. 34:1-10).  In the midst of such poor leadership, God promised He would raise David to shepherd Israel in the future (Ezek. 34:23-25; 37:24-28).  In the New Testament, Jesus is called the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14), the Great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20), and the Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), who provides (John 10:7-9, 11, 14, 16-17) and instructs His people (Mark 6:34).  In the Church age, God has appointed under-shepherds (i.e. pastors) to lead, feed and protect His people (John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28-32; Eph. 4:11-14, 1 Pet. 5:1-2).  Pastors are appointed by God (Acts 20:28; cf. Eph. 4:11).  They are referred to as elders, bishops, and overseers (Acts 20:17, 28; Tit. 1:5-7; 1 Pet. 5:1-5), who work within the church, and with the church, serving as examples, and not “lording” their authority over others (1 Pet. 5:3).  Pastors are servants, doing God’s will and serving others in truth.

John 10:1-21

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as the Door of the sheep and the Good Shepherd who calls and leads His elect into a relationship with Him.  Previously, Jesus sought the man who had been healed of blindness and brought him into His fold (John 9:35-38).  The elect turn to Jesus and follow Him because they know His voice and respond positively.  Jesus is both the Door as well as the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name and leads them into a relationship with Him.  “The scene pictures Jesus’ calling every individual whom the Father had given Him to follow Him out from the other non-elect Jews.”[1]  Jesus reveals that there are false shepherds who selfishly seek to lead others astray (John 10:1, 8, 10), causing only harm, and fleeing when danger appears (John 10:12-13).  In contrast, Jesus lays down His life for the sheep that they might have life in Him (John 10:14-18).  Previously, Jesus presented Himself as the Bread of life (John 6:35), the Light of the world (John 8:12), the I AM of Abraham and Moses (John 8:58), and here presents Himself as the Door of the sheep (John 10:7), and the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).  Later, He will present Himself as the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and the True Vine (John 15:1, 5).
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jn 10:3.

John 9:1-41

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as Messiah by healing a blind man (John 9:1-7; cf. Isa. 29:18; 35:5). Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth, and this stirred the Pharisees to provide an answer to those who witnessed the miracle.  The Pharisees asked four times how the man came to be healed (John 9:10, 15, 19, 26), but their questions did not originate from an honest inquiry, for they were deeply biased.  The man healed of his blindness was not intimidated by the Pharisees, and demonstrated consistent biblical rationales in his discussion.  Jesus allowed the man to have his confrontation with the Pharisees and came to him after he had been excommunicated from the synagogue.  The man lost the support of the synagogue, but gained Christ.  Religious pride kept the Jewish leaders from seeing/accepting the miracles Jesus performed as signs that He is the Messiah. God controls infirmities as well as healing (see Ex. 4:11; Ps. 146:8).  There are cases in Scripture where God did not heal people and used sickness or hardship to his advantage (1 Sam. 16:14-16; 2 Ki. 13:14; 1 Cor. 11:27-30; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Phil. 2:25-30; 2 Tim. 4:20).  Sickness and disease are not always about sin or discipline.  We live in a fallen world and we experience sickness and disease because of Adam’s sin. 

John 8:30-59

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as the Son of God who liberates enslaved sinners, those who trust in their flesh. Jesus had been speaking primarily to hostile Jewish unbelievers (John 8:21-24), but John reveals that many believed in Him (John 8:30-31).  Jesus’ strong language in John 8:30-59 raises questions about His audience, which can be viewed three different ways: first, the faith of those who “believed” was superficial and their hostility shows they were never saved; second, there was a mixed group of believers and unbelievers (see John 8:30-31, 48), and Jesus primarily spoke to the latter; and third, those who “believed” exercised genuine faith, and their hostility is a demonstration of carnality (like that of other believers; see Matt. 16:13-23; 26:33-35; 58-75; Acts 5:1-10; 1 Cor. 3:1-3; 11:17-30).  Jesus revealed that being a biological descendant of Abraham does not automatically make one a child of God; rather, Abraham’s spiritual descendants (see Rom. 2:28-29; 9:6, 8; Gal. 3:29) are those who have believed in Christ (John 1:12-13; Eph. 1:5; Gal. 3:26).

John 8:21 - Sin and Forgiveness

Jesus reveals that sin keeps one out of heaven (John 8:21, 24); specifically the sin of unbelief that He is the promised Messiah (cf. John 16:8-9).  When one comes to faith in Christ, he/she is forgiven of all their sins (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14), past, present, and future (Heb. 10:10-14).  Forgiveness is first judicial, removing the penalty of sin (John 3:18; 5:24; Rom. 8:1; 8:33-34).  Forgiveness is also familial, restoring fellowship with God after we’ve sinned (1 John 1:5-10; cf. Ps. 32:1-5). 
The forgiveness John speaks about here [i.e. 1 John 1:9] is parental, not judicial. Judicial forgiveness means forgiveness from the penalty of sins, which the sinner receives when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called judicial because it is granted by God acting as Judge. But what about sins which a person commits after conversion? As far as the penalty is concerned, the price has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. But as far as fellowship in the family of God is concerned, the sinning saint needs parental forgiveness, that is, the forgiveness of His Father. He obtains it by confessing his sin. We need judicial forgiveness only once; that takes care of the penalty of all our sins—past, present, and future. But we need parental forgiveness throughout our Christian life.[1]
 
[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2310-11.

John 8:12-29

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals He has come from heaven as the Light of the world to offer life to those who believe in Him.  Jesus revealed Himself as the Light of the world (John 8:12; cf. 1:4, 9; 12:35, 46).  Darkness is a picture of spiritual blindness, evil, and rebellion against God (John 1:4-5; 3:19).  Light is a picture of God’s life and holiness (John 1:4; 1 John 1:5).  To follow Jesus means we believe in Him as Savior (John 3:16), and learn to walk as children of Light (Eph. 5:8-10).  The hostile Pharisees accused Jesus of testifying about Himself (John 8:13), but Jesus revealed His testimony is true (John 8:14-15), and that God the Father also testifies about Him (John 8:18).  John reveals the Pharisees did not understand Jesus’ words (John 8:19, 27).  Jesus said these things in the temple (John 8:20), and revealed to His hearers they would die in their sin unless they believed in Him (John 8:21-24).  Jesus’ hearers would know His claims to be true at the cross (John 8:26-28).  Finally, Jesus revealed His Father was always with Him and that Jesus always pleased Him (John 8:29).

John 8:1-11

The Central Idea of the Text is that scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus in order to trap Him; however, Jesus exposed their sinful hearts and showed grace to the woman. The motive behind the scribes and Pharisees had little to do with the Mosaic Law or convicting the woman caught in adultery; rather, they were only concerned about trapping Jesus in a dilemma concerning the Law of Moses and Roman law (see Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22; John 8:1-6; 18:31).  By Law, the witnesses/accusers were to be the ones casting stones (Deut. 17:6-7), but they conveniently excluded themselves as having any obligation to the Mosaic Law.  The religious leaders were not concerned with her sin, her humiliation, or even whether she died; Jesus was the greater prize to be caught and killed, and they were willing to use this woman to obtain their objective.  At first, Jesus did not answer them, but after they persisted, He stated that if any among them was without sin, he should cast the first stone (John 8:7-8).  After feeling convicted, the accusers left one by one, leaving Jesus alone with the woman (John 8:9).  Jesus asked the woman where her accusers had gone (John 8:10). And then stated that He would not condemn her, and told her to “Go. From now on sin no more” (John 8:10-11). 

John 7:39 - Basic Ministries of God the Holy Spirit

During His discourse, Jesus spoke of the future ministry of God the Holy Spirit (John 7:39; cf. John 15:26; 16:7), which would occur after His resurrection and ascension on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:1-4).  The Holy Spirit was active in the lives of OT saints such as Artisans (Ex. 31:1-5), Judges (Num. 11:25-29; Jud. 3:9-10), Prophets (Ezek. 2:2), and Kings (1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13); however, He did not indwell every believer, and could be removed as an act of divine discipline (1 Sam. 16:14-16; Ps. 51:11).  After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit’s ministry includes regeneration (John 3:1-6; 1 Pet. 1:3; 23), indwelling (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19), baptizing (1 Cor. 12:13), sealing (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30), gifting (1 Cor. 12:4-7), filling (Eph. 5:18), equipping (Eph. 4:11-16), and sustaining each believer (Gal. 5:16, 25).  The work of the Holy Spirit is to lead us to spiritual maturity so that we may be effective in our ministries to others. 

John 7:25-52

The Central Idea of the Text is that the Jewish leadership and people continue to be divided over Jesus concerning whether He is the Messiah or not. After Jesus’ teaching in Jerusalem, many of the Jewish people were divided over their understanding of Him because He was permitted to speak openly (John 7:25-26).  The Jewish people presumed to know where Jesus originated (John 7:27), they did not know His heavenly origins (John 7:28-29).  Some in the crowd believed in Jesus (John 7:31), but the Jewish leadership wanted to have Him arrested (John 7:30, 32, 44).  Jesus spoke about His departure from the world and that others would not be able to follow (John 7:33-36).  Jesus also revealed that He would send the Holy Spirit to those who would believe in Him (John 7:37-39).  Jesus’ words caused a division among the people concerning His origins and identity (John 7:40-44).  The Jewish leadership then attacked the Levitical officers, the people, and even Nicodemus in an attempt to dissuade them from believing in Jesus (John 7:45-52).

John 7:17 - Revelation, Illumination and Application

Jesus explained that knowing/accepting God’s word is predicated on a desire to do (ποιέω poieo – to do, make) God’s will (John 7:17).  Those who are set against God cannot know/accept His word, because they desire to follow Satan and do his will (John 8:42-44; cf. 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:14-16).  Godly desire leads to biblical learning (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:2), and biblical learning leads to divine illumination (Ps. 119:18, 97-99, 130; John 16:12-13; Luke 24:44-45; 1 Cor. 2:10-13; Eph. 1:17-18), and illumination leads to spiritual growth (Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17) and practical application (Matt. 7:24-27; Jam. 1:22).  The growing Christian who learns and applies God’s word will seek the interests of others over self (Phil. 2:3-4), will love others (1 Cor. 13:4-8a; 1 Thess. 3:11-12; 4:9; 1 John 4:7-11), pray for others (Jam. 5:16), encourage others (1 Thess. 5:11), edify others (Rom. 15:1-2; Eph. 4:29), be kind and forgiving (Eph. 4:32), serve others (Gal. 5:13; 1 Pet. 4:10), and do good works (Eph. 2:10; Tit. 2:11-14).  

John 7:1-24

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus goes up to Jerusalem for the Feast of Booths and to teach in the temple, which reveals a mounting Jewish hostility. Just prior to attending the Feast of Booths we learn that Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him as the Messiah (John 7:1-9); and more so, many in Jerusalem were divided over their opinions of Him (John 7:10-13).  During the feast Jesus began to teach in the temple, and His teaching perplexed those who heard Him (John 7:14-15).  Jesus stated that His teaching was derived from heaven, not from the traditional rabbinic schools of His day (John 7:16), and that those who were willing to submit themselves to God would know/accept His teachings (John 7:17).  Jesus’ teaching glorified the One who sent Him (John 7:18).  Jesus points out to the Jewish leadership that they claim to follow Moses, but then violate Moses’ teaching by wanting to Kill Him (John 7:19; cf. Ex. 20:13), to which the crowd reacts by saying Jesus has a demon (John 7:20).  Jesus then references His healing the lame man on the Sabbath as the basis for why others wanted to Kill Him (John 7:21), and then shows that the Jewish leadership is inconsistent because they’re willing to circumcise on the Sabbath, but then criticize Jesus for healing on the Sabbath (John 7:22-23).  Jesus instructs them to judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24). 

John 6:66 - The Doctrine of Division

Biblically, there are legitimate and illegitimate reasons for divisions/separations.  God causes some divisions and He calls His people to do the same.
Sin causes universal separation from God (Isa. 59:2; Rom. 3:23).
Fleshly quarrels cause divisions (1 Cor. 1:10-13); though such quarrels are necessary to distinguish the spiritual from the immature (1 Cor. 11:18-19).
Unbelievers cause division in the church (Jude 1:17-19).
God divided rebellious men at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9).
God separated Israel out from Egypt during the exodus (Ex. 3:1-14:31).
Jesus’ teaching caused division (Luke 12:51-53; John 6:66; 7:40-43; 9:16; 10:14-19).
God separates believers from Satan’s kingdom of darkness and transfers them to His kingdom (Col. 1:13-14).
Christians should not be bound with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-17).
Believers should separate from false teachers (Rom. 16:17; 2 John 1:7-11), and those who live in gross immorality (1 Cor. 5:1-2, 9-11; 2 Tim. 3:1-5).
Jesus will separate people at His Second Coming (Matt. 25:31-33).
Jesus will separate unbelievers to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11-15).

John 6:52-71

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus offends many by His teaching that eternal life comes to those who believe in Him.  Eating and drinking is a picture of believing in Jesus for salvation. Hostile Jews rejected Jesus’ teaching that He was from God and that eternal life comes only to those who eat His flesh and drink His blood—a picture of believing on Jesus for salvation (John 6:52-58; cf. John 6:40).  Jesus’ teaching occurred in the synagogue at Capernaum (John 6:59).  Jesus’ followers understood what He was saying, but found it difficult to accept (John 6:60-62).  Jesus plainly states that His words refer to things spiritual that require faith to accept (John 6:63-64), which only the elect receive (John 6:65).  Many of Jesus’ disciples turned away from Him because His teaching became too radical for them to accept (John 6:66).  Jesus then tested the Twelve concerning their understanding of His words and Peter—speaking for the group—confessed they believe and know Jesus is the Holy One of God (John 6:67-69).  Jesus accepts Peter’s statement, but corrects him concerning one person, Judas, whom He declares will betray Him at a future time (John 6:70-71).

John 6:22-51

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as the heavenly provision that provides eternal life; of which the elect will receive. The crowds who saw Jesus multiply the food sought Him for another free meal (John 6:22-26), but Jesus directed them to work for spiritual food which He would offer (John 6:27).  The crowd asked what they could do to work the works of God (John 6:28), and Jesus explained the work of God is to believe in Jesus (John 6:29).  The unbelieving crowds asked Jesus for a sign to authenticate Himself and mentioned the manna Moses provided for Israel in the wilderness as a sign that validated his divine calling (John 6:30-31).  Jesus corrected their faulty theology and revealed that God the Father provided the manna for the Israelites in the wilderness and then speaks of the true manna from heaven that gives life to the world (John 6:32-33).  When the crowds asked for this bread, Jesus pointed to Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:34-35).  Eating the bread is a picture of faith in Christ, in that one receives and benefits that which is provided freely by another.  But the crowds did not believe (John 6:36), and Jesus explains that only those whom the Father gives to Him will come to Him and receive eternal life and resurrection life (John 6:37-40).  The unbelieving Jews failed to understand Jesus’ divine origins, perceiving Him only as human (John 6:41-42).  Jesus rejects their grumblings and again reveals that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him, and such a one will believe in Jesus and receive eternal life (John 6:43-51).

John 6:21 - The Doctrine of Testing

It is God’s will to test (Heb. נָסָה nasah & בָּחַן bachan, Grk. πειράζω peirazo & δοκιμάζω dokimazo) us with various trials—either blessings or adversity—in order to advance us spiritually.  Tests by themselves do not automatically produce growth; rather, it’s our faith response to them that brings spiritual advancement.  Biblical reasons for testing:
To see whether we will follow God’s commands (Gen. 22:1-12; cf. Ex. 16:1-5, 16-20, 26-28; Deut. 8:2; Judg. 2:18-22; 3:4; 2 Cor. 2:9).
To reveal what’s in our hearts and whether we love God or not (Deut. 13:1-4; cf. 2 Chron. 32:30-31; Rev. 3:10).
To produce a healthy fear of God (Ex. 20:18-20).
To produce humility for our good (Deut. 8:16-18).
To prove Jesus’ divinity (Matt. 4:1-11).
To educate the believer concerning God’s ability to provide (John 6:5-13).
To produce godly character (Jam. 1:2-4).
To prove the quality of our faith (1 Pet. 1:6-7).
That we may share in the sufferings of Christ (1 Pet. 4:12-13).
The humble believer welcomes God’s tests (Ps. 26:1-3; 139:23-24).

John 6:1-21

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus miraculously feeds more than five thousand as the fourth sign-miracle, and then walks on water as the fifth sign-miracle of His Messiahship. The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle mentioned in all four Gospels (Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:32-44; Luke 9:10-17).  Jesus was followed by a large crowd as He travelled to the east side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:1-2).  While seated on a mountain, Jesus saw the masses and tested Philip with a question concerning where they might get something for them to eat (John 6:3-6).  Philip replied that 200 hundred Denarii would not be enough to purchase food for everyone (John 6:6), and Andrew mentioned the meager meal of a nearby child (John 6:8-9).  Jesus then took the five loaves and two fishes, gave thanks, and miraculously multiplied the food to feed everyone present, collecting twelve baskets of leftovers (John 6:10-13).  Jesus rejected the people’s push to make Him king because their motive was sinful (John 6:14-15).  The disciples left Jesus and went out on the Sea of Galilee at night, alone, in windy conditions (John 6:16-19).  Jesus came to them, walking on the water, spoke and calmed their fears.  The disciples received Jesus into the boat and were immediately on the western side of the Sea of Galilee (John 6:20-21). 

John 5:47 - Future Judgments of Jesus

Jesus’ future judgments include: 1) rewards for believers at the Bema seat (1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Cor. 5:10), 2) the judgment of the Antichrist, false prophet, and hostile nations at Jesus’ Second Coming (Rev. 19:11-21), 3) judgment of Gentile believers and unbelievers at the end of the Tribulation (Matt. 25:31-46), 4) the temporary judgment of Satan who is cast in the abyss (Rev. 20:1-3), 5) rewards for believers who were martyred during the Tribulation (Rev. 20:4), 6) the eternal judgment of Satan and demons who are cast into the Lake of Fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10), 7) the judgment and punishment of all unbelievers at the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15).

John 5:19-47

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus operates in harmony with the Father and has authority to give life and to judge.  He also reveals four witnesses to His divine nature and work: God the Father, John the Baptist, Jesus’ signs, and Scripture. Jesus operates in harmony with His Father; who has given Him authority to act (John 5:19-21).  The Father has given the right to judge to the Son (Acts 17:31), and to reject the Son is to reject the Father (John 5:22-24).  Anyone who claims to know God, but rejects Jesus as the Christ, knows neither the Father nor the Son.  Jesus will judge all those He raises from the dead (John 5:25-30), and the good works of believers will testify to their new life (see John 3:16-21; 6:28-29; Eph. 2:8-9).  Jesus’ claims to heal, give life, and judge have the witness of others (John 5:31-32).  Biblically, two or more witnesses were necessary to validate a legal claim (Deut. 17:6; 19:15).  Jesus had four who testify that He is Messiah and has authority: God the Father (John 5:31-32; 37-38), John the Baptist (John 5:33-35; cf. John 1:7; 29-36), Jesus’ signs (John 5:36), and the Scripture (John 5:39-40).  The Jewish leadership rejected Jesus and, therefore, rejected life (John 5:40).  Jesus did not seek glory from men (John 5:41).  The Jewish leadership did not have the love of God within them (John 5:42), and like many of their forefathers, they would accept a false prophet (John 5:43).  They preferred the glory of men to the glory of God (John 5:44).  The Jewish leadership claimed to follow Moses, but their claim was false, for Moses pointed to Jesus, whom they rejected (John 5:45-47).

John 5:18 - The Meaning of the Sabbath

The Sabbath was a holy day in which God commanded Israel to cease from all labor (Ex. 20:8-11).  The Sabbath was between God and Israel as a perpetual sign of the Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 31:12-17), it was to give them rest from labor that brought profit (Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-14).  God pronounced the death penalty upon all who profaned the Sabbath (Ex. 31:14-15; Num. 15:32-36).  Biblical violations of the Sabbath included gathering manna (Ex. 16:23-30), kindling a fire in one’s home (Ex. 35:1-3), gathering wood (Num. 15:32-35), carrying a load (Jer. 17:21-22), or engaging in business (Amos 8:4-6; cf. Neh. 13:15-21).  The Sabbath was to be a day of rest from all one’s labors.  Jesus declared “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).  However, Rabbis had invented additional commands for the Sabbath, and it was these additions that made the Sabbath a burden rather than a blessing.  As Lord of the Sabbath Jesus declared that acts of necessity and compassion were permitted on the Sabbath (see Matt. 12:10-14; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 7:19-24).  Jesus kept the Sabbath as Scripture prescribed, but not according to rabbinic tradition, for which He and His disciples were wrongly attacked (Matt. 12:1-2).  Jesus’ healing the disabled man at the pool of Bethesda did not violate the Sabbath (John 5:1-9); nor a blind man (John 9:14-16), nor a man’s shriveled hand (Mark 3:1-5), nor a crippled woman (Luke 13:10-17), nor a man who suffered from dropsy (Luke 14:1-6).  The Sabbath was obligatory only upon Israel, and only for the duration of the Mosaic Covenant, which has been replaced with the New Covenant (Heb. 8:6-7, 13). 

John 5:1-18

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus performs His third sign by healing an invalid at the pool of Bethesda, which sparks a Sabbath controversy. Jesus came to Jerusalem for a feast and came to a pool called Bethesda where there were many disabled persons (John 5:1-4).  Jesus encountered a man who had been disabled for thirty eight years and asked him if he wished to get well (John 5:5-6).  The disabled man wanted to be made well, but he was helpless to change his condition and was not able to enter the pool he thought would heal him (John 5:7).  Jesus commanded the man to get up, take up his bed and walk, and the man was immediately healed (John 5:8-9a).  The healing took place on the Sabbath (John 5:9b), and the Jewish leadership was greatly troubled when they saw the man carrying his pallet and told him he was in violation of the Sabbath (John 5:10).  The man shifted blame to Jesus, saying, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’” (John 5:11).  When the Jewish leadership asked who told him to do this thing (John 5:12), the man did not know, for Jesus had slipped away through the crowd (John 5:13).  Afterward, Jesus found the man in the temple and told him, “do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you” (John 5:14).  And rather than thank Jesus, or follow His command to obey, the man runs away and tells the Jewish leadership (John 5:15).  The Jewish leadership began to persecute Jesus because He healed a man on the Sabbath (John 5:16).  Jesus defends Himself against their false charge of breaking the Sabbath by pointing out that His Father—God—works on the Sabbath, and being equal to His Father, He is working too (John 5:17-18). 

John 4:48 - Signs, Miracles and Wonders

A sign (Heb. אוֹת oth, Grk σημεῖον semeion) is a unique mark or act whereby something is specifically known.  A wonder (Heb. מוֹפֵת mopheth, Grk. τέρας teras) is something miraculous that amazes. A miracle (Grk. δύναμις dunamis) refers to power, strength, or the ability to work wonders.  Signs, wonders, and miracles are seen throughout Scripture:
Old Testament prophets performed signs and wonders to validate their message as being from God (Ex. 4:1-9; 1 Kings 18:36-39).
God used distressing signs and wonders against Pharaoh in order to deliver Israel from captivity (Deut. 6:20-23; 26:1-9).
Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles for the purpose of proving Himself as the Messiah (John 3:2; 9:32-33).
Herod sought to be entertained by seeing a miracle (see Luke 23:7-9).
The majority rejected Jesus, though He’d performed many signs (John 12:37).
The Pharisees attributed Jesus’ miracles to Satan (Matt. 12:22-24).
Some Samaritans believed in Jesus “because of His word” (John 4:41).
Some Jews believed after seeing “signs and wonders” (John 4:48, 53).
Some of Jesus’ disciples saw His miracles and believed in Him (John 2:11), or had their faith strengthened (John 20:29).
Jesus’ apostles performed signs and wonders to validate their message, both before the cross (Matt. 10:1-8; Mark 16:20), and after the cross (Acts 14:1-4; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:1-4). The apostolic miracles diminished with time as the gospel advanced and the New Testament was written. Paul, who once was able to perform miracles (2 Cor. 12:12), eventually became powerless. Paul left Trophimus sick in Miletus (2 Tim. 4:20), and only had practical advice for the physical ailments of his friend Timothy (1 Tim. 5:23).  Also, Paul could not remove his thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
Satan enables some to perform signs and wonders such as the Egyptian magicians (Ex. 7:20-22), false prophets (Deut. 13:1-5; Matt. 7:15-23; 24:24), and the coming Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:13-14).
God sovereignly heals and performs miracles today, but these often come in response to prayer, not as a special gift that enables one to perform signs and wonders. For the believer, faith should rest upon God’s word (John 20:30-31; 1 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 10:17), not upon miracles, signs, or wonders.

John 4:43-54

The Central Idea of the Text is that John selected Jesus’ healing the sick son of a royal official as the second sign to validate Him as Messiah. After spending two days with the Samaritans, Jesus then journeyed on to Galilee (John 4:43).  The Samaritans had honored Jesus by welcoming Him for who He is, the Messiah (John 4:25-26, 40-42), whereas the Jews in Galilee had dishonored Jesus because they received Him only for the miracles He performed (John 4:44-45).  When Jesus arrived at Cana, a royal official implored Him to cure his sick son who was in Capernaum (John 4:46-47).  Jesus rebukes the royal official, as well as those standing nearby, for seeing Jesus as a healer but not as the Messiah (John 4:48).  The royal official ignores Jesus’ rebuke and pleads for his son to be healed (John 4:49).  Jesus refuses his request to “come down” but answers his greater concern to heal his son, and the royal official believed the word of Jesus (John 4:50).  As he was traveling home, the royal official was met by some of his servants who informed him his son was healed (John 4:51).  When he asked about the time of healing, his servants revealed it was at the same hour Jesus spoke (John 4:52).  As a result, the royal official—as well as his whole household—believed in Jesus Messiah (John 4:53).  Though Jesus had performed other miraculous signs (John 2:23; 3:2), this is the second sign John handpicked to prove Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:54; cf. John 20:30-31).

John 4:27-42

The Central Idea of the Text is that many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus as Savior because of the witness of the Samaritan woman. Jesus’ disciples returned from the Samaritan city and were astonished to find Him speaking with a Samaritan woman (John 4:27).  The Samaritan woman—who now possessed living water, which was welling up within her; see John 4:13-14—left her waterpot and went into town to share with others her excitement about Jesus, and many came to see the Man for themselves (John 4:28-30).  Meanwhile, the disciples who had returned from the city, were concerned about Jesus and were trying to get Him to eat something.  Jesus used their concern as a teaching opportunity to communicate what nourishes and energizes Him spiritually (John 4:31-33).  Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work” (John 4:34).  The primary work of Jesus was to go to the cross and die for the sin of others, that they might have forgiveness of sins and the gifts of eternal life and righteousness (John 3:16; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21).  Then, using an agricultural analogy of sowing and reaping, Jesus explained to His disciples that they were co-laborers with other believers—OT prophets including John the Baptist—in the ministry of leading others to salvation (John 4:35-38).  Many Samaritans came to believe in Jesus as their Savior because of the witness of the woman who had spoken to Him at the well; however, others came to believe after they spoke with Jesus personally (John 4:39-42).

John 4:26 - Jesus the Messiah

The Old Testament revealed the coming of a special person, an anointed one, called the Messiah (מָשִׁיחַ Mashiach) or Christ (Χριστός Christos).  The purpose of the Gospels is to reveal that Jesus is the Messiah/Christ (Matt. 1:1, 16-17; 16:16-17; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11; John 1:41; 20:31).  When Jesus was talking with disciples on the road to Emmaus, He said, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).  Below is a brief listing of the OT and NT verses pertaining to the Messiah:
He would be fully human (Gen. 3:15; cf. Luke 3:38).
He would be fully divine (Isa. 9:6; cf. John 1:1, 14; 20:28).
He would be a descendant of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3; Matt. 1:1; Gal. 3:16).
He would come from the line of Judah (Gen. 49:10; Luke 3:30).
He would be a descendant of David (2 Sam. 7:12-13; Matt. 1:1).
He would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:13-15; cf. Luke 1:26-27; 34).
He would be born in the city of Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; cf. Matt. 2:1).
He would be preceded by a special messenger (Isa. 40:3; cf. John 1:22-23).
He would bring good news (Isa. 61:1; cf. Luke 4:16-21).
He would heal the sick (Isa. 35:5-6; Mark 6:56).
He would be despised and rejected by men (Isa. 53:1-3; Mark 8:31).
He would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Zech. 9:9; cf. John 12:14-15).
He would bring an end to animal sacrifices (Dan. 9:24-27; Heb. 10:10-14).
He would die (Ps. 22:16-18; Zech. 12:10; Mark 15:37-39).
He would die for others (Isa. 53:4-12; Mark 10:45).
He would be placed in a grave (Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57-60).
He would be resurrected (Ps. 16:10; Isa. 53:10; cf. John 20:1-20).
He will eventually rule over Israel on the throne of David (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:34-37; cf. Matt. 19:28; Luke 1:31-33; Rev. 20:1-6).

John 4:1-26

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus crosses the social and religious barriers of His day in order to reveal Himself as the Messiah to a Samaritan woman. While traveling through Samaria to Galilee, Jesus came to the city of Sychar and stopped at Jacob’s well about noontime (John 4:3-6).  While Jesus’ disciples were in the city buying food, He met a Samaritan woman and asked her for a drink (John 4:7-8).  The meeting is providential.  Typical Jews despised Samaritans and had no dealings with them.  Rabbinic teaching stated that Samaritan women were perpetually menstruating and were therefore ceremonially unclean at all times.  The Samaritan woman was surprised that Jesus spoke with her and Jesus used the opportunity to reveal Himself as the Messiah and to offer her the gift of eternal life—presented as “living water” (John 4:9-14).  The Samaritan woman misunderstood Jesus’ offer as referring to literal water (John 4:15).  Jesus then revealed her past—but not in a condemning way—and the woman perceived Jesus as a prophet (John 4:16-19).  Perhaps feeling uncomfortable discussing her past relationships, the Samaritan woman changed the subject by comparing Jewish and Samaritan worship (John 4:20).  Jesus explained that salvation is from the Jews (John 4:21-22) and that an hour is coming—and had come—in which people will worship God in spirit and truth, not in a physical location or falsehood (John 4:23-24).  The Samaritan woman comments that Messiah is coming (John 4:25), and Jesus plainly reveals that He is Messiah (John 4:26).

John 3:36 - The Wrath of God

The biblical teaching of the wrath of God means that God hates sin (see Ex. 32:9-10; Deut. 9:7-8; 2 Kings 22:13).  God judges and condemns that which He hates.  The Biblical teaching of the love of God reveals that God satisfied every demand of His righteousness by judging our sin in the substitute of His Son, Jesus, who bore the wrath that rightfully belongs to us (Isa. 53:6-12; Mark 10:45; Rom. 5:8-9; 1 Pet. 2:21-24; 3:18).  God is completely propitiated by the blood of Christ (Rom. 3:21-26; Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).  Those who reject Christ as Savior continue under God’s wrath (John 3:36; Rom. 1:18-32; 1 Thess. 2:14-16; 5:9-10).  Those who trust Jesus as their Savior receive: forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13-14), the imputation of God’s righteousness (Rom. 5:17-18; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9), no condemnation (Rom. 8:1, 31-39), reconciliation with God (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18-19), peace with God (Rom. 5:1; Col. 1:20), immunity from the wrath to come (Rom. 5:8-9; Eph. 2:1-7; 5:1-10; 1 Thess. 1:9-10; 5:9-10), and a command not to retaliate when attacked, but to pray for others and leave them to God’s judgment (Rom. 12:17-21; 2 Thess. 1:5-7).

John 3:22-36

The Central Idea of the Text is that the ministry of John the Baptist must decrease and the ministry of Christ must increase.  John the Baptist and the disciples of Jesus (John 4:3) were baptizing Jews at the same time with the message that the kingdom of God/heaven is near (John 3:22-24; cf. Matt. 3:2; 4:17).  After a discussion about purification with a Jew (John 3:25), the disciples of John the Baptist approach him with a concern that Jesus’ new ministry is gaining more attention than John’s ministry (John 3:26).  John the Baptist corrects their thinking by explaining true ministry and results are determined by heaven and not men (John 3:27).  John the Baptist makes it clear that he is not the Christ (John 3:28), but likens himself as the friend of a bridegroom who is joyful about his friends future success (John 3:29).  Concerning his ministry, John the Baptist humbly states, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).  John the Baptist explains that Christ is superior because He comes from above and His message and ministry is greater (John 3:31-33).  John the Baptist also explains that Jesus—unlike others—has received the Holy Spirit without limitation (John 3:34), and that the Father has given all things into His hand (John 3:36).  Because of Jesus preeminent position, the Father will give eternal life to all who believe in Him as Savior, but His wrath continues to abide on those who fail to obey the command to believe (John 3:36).

John 3:1-21 Summary

The kingdom of God is the prophesied earthly kingdom in which Jesus will reign for a thousand years (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 89:34-36; Luke 1:31-35; cf. Matt. 6:9-10; 19:28; 20:21; 25:31; Acts 1:6; Rev. 20:1-6).  Christ’s earthly kingdom will become the eternal kingdom (1 Cor. 15:24-25).  Both believing Jews and Gentiles will share in that kingdom.  There is a sense in which Christ is already ruling now from heaven, and His kingdom includes all humanity, both saved and unsaved (Matt. 13:36-43; Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13-14), and after His physical return to earth in the future (Rev. 19:11-21), He will remove all unbelievers and rule on the throne of David in Israel (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 89:34-36; Luke 1:31-35; Rev. 20:1-6).

John 3:1-21

The Central Idea of the Text is that a Jewish leader visits Jesus—believing He is from God—and Jesus educates him concerning his need to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of God. Nicodemus is a Pharisee, ruler (John 3:1), and teacher in Israel (John 3:10).  He appears positive to Jesus, so he came to Him seeking discussion (John 3:2; cf. John 7:50-51); however, he also appears fearful, and this is most likely why he visited Him at night (John 3:2; cf. John 9:22; 12:42-43).  By the end of Jesus’ ministry, Nicodemus publicly aligned himself with Jesus (John 19:38-39).  Jesus explained to Nicodemus the necessity of being born again, which means that a person must be given spiritual life from heaven (John 3:3-11; cf. 1 Pet. 1:3, 23).  Jesus then explained to Nicodemus how to be born again (John 3:12-21).  For John, eternal life was conditioned solely on a person’s personal faith in Jesus as the Christ (John 3:16-18; 20:31; cf. Acts 4:12; 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).  We learn later that only those who are drawn by the Father will believe (John 6:40, 44, 65; cf. Matt. 16:15-17; Acts 13:48; Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess. 2:13).

John 2:1-25 Summary

Jesus and His family and disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana; however, a problem arose when the wine for the celebration ran out, which would have greatly embarrassed the groom and bride.  At the request of His mother, Jesus solved the problem by supernaturally turning water into fine wine (an alcoholic drink); though some may have abused His gift.  Jews were obligated to observe the annual Passover Feast which memorialized the exodus from slavery in Egypt (Deut. 16:1-8).  More so, the Jewish temple was to be the place where people—Jews and Gentiles—came to pray, sacrifice, and worship God.  However, when Jesus arrived at the temple He was greatly upset that many had converted it into a marketplace for personal gain rather than a holy place of worship to the Lord.  Jesus drove out the animals and moneychangers in order to restore the proper function of the temple.  It appears Jesus cleansed the temple again toward the end of His earthly ministry and it was at that time the Jewish leadership sought to kill Him (Mark 11:15-18).  In time, the Jewish temple would be destroyed (in 70 A.D.), and worship would not be geographically dependent (John 4:20-24). 

John 2:1-25

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus socialized at the wedding in Cana as well as the Jewish Temple during Passover and in both places asserted His power and authority as the Messiah.

John 1:19-51 Summary

The narrative covers the duration of four days in which John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Messiah (John 1:19-28; 29-34; 35-42; 43-51).  John the Baptist had an exalted view of Jesus as the Messiah and humbly considered himself unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals, a task normally assigned to the lowliest of slaves.  John twice identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 36).  Both instances were designed to point his disciples to Jesus that they might follow Him.  John the Baptist was assigned the task of preparing the way for the Messiah, and once Jesus began His ministry, John’s task would diminish (John 3:22-36).  We learn from John the Baptist, Andrew and Philip that biblical evangelism is often relational, in which a believer points—not pushes—others to search out Jesus for themselves.  Salvation occurs when a person recognizes and accepts Jesus as the Messiah and trusts in Him alone to save (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:30-31; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5).

John 1:19-51

The Central Idea of the Text is that John the Baptist identifies Jesus as Messiah to his disciples, who in turn, point others to Jesus.

John 1:1-18 Summary

God the Son—the Word—was with God the Father from eternity past (John 1:1; 17:5, 24).  John helps elucidate the doctrine of the Trinity, in which there is one God who eternally exists as three persons: God the Father (Gal. 1:1; Eph. 6:23; Phil. 2:11), God the Son (John 1:1, 14:18; 8:58; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:11-12; 2 Cor. 13:14).  God the Son has existed eternally, but His humanity was added in time and continues forever.