During the past three weeks I’ve enjoyed reading one chapter a day in the gospel according to John and sharing with you some of my thoughts. Today is chapter 21, the final chapter in this book written by the disciple whom Jesus loved. What strikes me is the conversation between and Peter and Jesus. After… Read More »
Chapter Twenty
Chapter 20 tells the exciting story of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Think about that for a moment: He rose from the dead. Wow! Yet I’m struck by a verse in this chapter that is not so exciting or positive. It speaks to me because it speaks to the mentality of many Christians today. It… Read More »
Chapter Nineteen
John the disciple appears to have been present for the events described in chapters 18 and 19. He was definitely at the cross when Jesus was dying – he is the disciple whom Jesus loved mentioned in John 19:26. He was likely present at Jesus trial before the Jewish leaders in chapter 18. Note the… Read More »
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter 18 describes Jesus’ arrest and His trials before the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman authorities. A lot happens in these 40 verses, but I was struck by something Jesus did and why He did it. In verse 4 we’re told that Jesus “went forth” or “went out” to meet those who had come… Read More »
Chapter Seventeen
Every time I read chapter 17 I feel like I’m getting a look into the heart and soul of Jesus. The entire chapter is a record of Jesus’ prayer immediately before He was arrested in the garden. Earlier in John’s gospel the division of opinion regarding Jesus was evident and the hostility some felt toward… Read More »
Chapter Sixteen
There is so much in chapter 16 that is relevant for today. Let’s look at three things in particular. 1) Hostility toward Christians and martyrdom: In verse 2 Jesus makes it clear the His followers would eventually be “outcasts from the synagogue.” Jesus’ disciples and early followers were Jews who continued to worship in the… Read More »
Chapter Fifteen
In the first half of chapter 15 Jesus talked about the importance of our staying connected to Him if we are going to be productive in the Christian life. He used an analogy from nature to make His point – He talked about the branches and vines of a vineyard, a common scene in Judea.… Read More »
Chapter Fourteen
The opening verses of chapter 14 are ones I often use during funerals. But there is much more in this chapter of John than the comforting verses about our place in the Father’s house. Jesus also talks about the Holy Spirit in this chapter. He tells the disciples that He will not leave them “as… Read More »
Chapter Thirteen
Several things caught my attention as I read this chapter. For instance in verses 3-4 Jesus was fully aware or conscious of who He was when He was washing the disciples’ feet. Often we struggle to serve others when we are too conscious of our status. Knowing how submit our pride to the needs of… Read More »
Chapter Twelve
I want to briefly discuss three things that stood out to me as I read this chapter. 1) The damage that occurs when we are selfish: The hostility of the religious leaders toward Jesus we saw in the last chapter has turned into pure evil in chapter twelve. In verses 10-11 they were plotting to… Read More »