John 21: 15 – 25. Peter learns a very powerful and valuable thing in these final verses of John’s gospel: no matter what we’ve done or how big we make out our failures to be, they will never be barriers that are too huge to stop Jesus working in our lives to renew and restore. […]
John 13:1-17; 21:1-14. There are two significant moments in John’s gospel when Jesus serves His disciples in a way that they were not expecting. In John 13 that was as Jesus stooped down to wash His disciples feet. In John 21 it happened as He cooked them breakfast. Both occasions point towards mission. In John […]
John 20: 19 – 31. We said on Easter Sunday that there really should be no more room for doubt or disbelief as the full revelation of the gospel is seen in our risen Lord and Saviour. Yet, John takes some time in the rest of chapter 20 to detail the times and places where […]
John 20:1-18. If Jesus’ prayer in John 17 can be described as “one of the mountain peaks of revelation in this gospel”, then the resurrection is another one – the main one that stands high above all others! There really should be no more room for doubt or disbelief as the full revelation of the […]
John 17: 1 – 26. One biblical scholar has described this chapter of John as “perhaps the most sacred passage in the four gospels” (W Temple), and another as “one of the mountain peaks of revelation in this gospel” (B Milne). Jesus, on the way to the cross, pauses to pray. He includes his own […]
John 12:12-19; 14:1-31; 16:5-23. In moments of distress and bewilderment, John shows us Jesus as the giver of comfort and hope. Jesus showed His own distress as He approached Jerusalem (see Luke 19:41), yet was soon surrounded by crowds of people jubilantly celebrating that He was there. Soon after, emotions would swing back to distress […]
Caused by others: 6:60-71; 9:35-41; 10:22-42; 11:45-57; 12:37-50; 18:15-18; 18:25-27 Predicted by Jesus: 5:16-47; 12:20-36; 13:18-38; 15:18 – 16:4 This is the first theme in John that focuses on something negative. So many of those around Jesus rejected Him, His ways, His teaching and the fullness of life that He was offering. It’s perhaps easier […]
John 6:25 – 59; 7:1 – 8:59; 10:1 – 21; 12:1 – 11; 15:1 – 17. With our modern-day mantra that we are free to be people of our own making through a freedom to choose being so prevalent, it’s perhaps challenging for some to hear that themes of direction and instruction are included in […]
John 3:1-21; 4:1-42; 4:43-54; 5:1-15; 9:1-34; 11:1-44 John uses two contrasting examples of a person’s standing in community to make a point. The first is Nicodemus (chapter 3), a member of the social elite of the time, the Sanhedrin, and a respected teacher. He came to Jesus under the cover of darkness so that his […]
John 2:1 – 25; John 6 1 – 24. John very quickly moves from introducing the person of Jesus, to emphasising the miraculous power of Jesus. In doing that he confronts his readers early on with an understanding of Jesus through a revelation of his glory. Yes, the miracles are a sign of power as […]