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What do we know?

How do we know what is true and what isn’t? People spend lifetimes proving truths, uncovering lies. Have you been told something to find out later it wasn’t the truth?

In 1995, a man by the name of Ray Santilli claimed he had footage of an alien autopsy from 1947. The autopsy was performed after the alien spacecraft crashed in Roswell, NM. Santilli said he got the video from a retired military cameraman from that time period. If he got it from a retired military cameraman it must be accurate and truthful, right? Well, it turned out it was a lie. Santilli admitted in 2006 that it was staged but claimed that real footage existed.

The letter to the Galatians was written by Paul to the churches in Galatia primarily because a false gospel was starting to spread. Galatians was said to be written around 48 A.D. This makes it one of the earliest, if not the earliest, NT letter. Jesus was still being proclaimed and worshipped as Lord and Savior, but some were adding to the things necessary for salvation, which then makes the gospel being taught partially true. If it is partially true then it is false. And a false gospel is then no longer the true gospel.

The Big Idea: The True Gospel is Critical

What is the true gospel? Paul reminds us of this in Galatians 2:16 saying, “yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” Faith alone is how we are saved. If we have given ourselves to Jesus, our old self is dead and we now have the Spirit which is the work of Jesus in us.

The gospel is complete

Think of your favorite food dish. Mine is lasagne. If I took the core ingredients out and replaced them with other ingredients, would it be lasagne? Or, if I added ingredients that didn't belong, say cookies and coffee and wood chips, would it be lasagne)? No (and yuck). It would not be what it is supposed to be. Replacing the core ingredients or adding unnecessary things would no longer make it lasagne. This is the same with the gospel.

Adding requirements for salvation besides faith is not the gospel Jesus gave. Paul is addressing the churches in Galtia to show the error of their ways. There was a group called the Judaizers who were teaching that the OT law had to be followed along with the gospel. Basically they were saying that you had to be a Jew to be a Christian. This is wrong. We know we don’t have to become Jewish to follow Jesus so what does this have to do with us? As long as there are people who believe in a gospel plus other things, and teaching that, we have to know the true gospel and teach the true gospel. The gospel can only be what was revealed and accomplished by Jesus.

When we read the early chapters in Galatians, it would appear that Paul is mad at them. He probably is, but he is mad because he knows that adding to the gospel does not make loving Jesus better. Paul wants only the truth for the Galatians and only love that is created in a changed heart by Jesus does that. We know Paul cares for them and is in a struggle for the truth to be realized. He tells us in Galatians 4:19, “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” He is comparing his feelings to childbirth, meaning he is in pain until the joy of the full birth. Until the Galatians stop and consider the true gospel, Paul will be in anguish.

Let’s stop and remember who Paul is, and was before Jesus changed his life. He was once Saul, a Pharisee. He persecuted the followers of Jesus (Acts 8:3) and he would have kept on doing it if Jesus didn’t reroute his life (Acts 9). Before Jesus interrupted Paul's trip to Damascus, he thought he was doing all the right things therefore being righteous under the law. He even reminds the Galatians in 1:14 of his old life. “And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” Paul (then Saul) was living out the Law and opposing the gospel. It took the direct revelation of the true gospel by Jesus (Galatians 1:12) to change Paul so the true gospel is all he would stand to be taught. Just the gospel!

This goes for us. Knowing the gospel is the most basic teaching we should know as Christians. Basic doesn’t mean simple but foundational (Matthew 7:24). Religions that do not claim Jesus as the Son of God and Savior don’t teach the gospel. If the gospel isn't revealed how can people be saved?

Then why the law?

Why would people in the church want to teach both faith in Christ plus the law? We are creatures of habit. We will continue to do something even after we are told or learn. This group called the Judaizers had heard the law all their lives. It’s what they knew and they knew it came from God. When God gave the law, He didn’t do it from a lack of love for His people. He gave the law because He wanted His people to be different from the rest of the people in the world. And not just at that point in time but for all time. He also knew that Jesus was the ultimate answer to the Law and would fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17) when the time was right (Galatians 4:4).

If the gospel is the only thing true for salvation, then why the law? Paul gives us a couple answers here in Galatians. Galatians 3:19 tells us, “Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.” Law is a restraint to bad behavior, not to good. We see this in Romans 13 when Paul is talking about authorities. We know authorities as those who enforce laws . We have set up authorities throughout the world because we could not obey the basic prescription of life God gave us in the 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17).

Paul tells us next that the law was our guardian. Galatians 3:24 says, “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Have you ever been bowling and seen the lanes where they have bumpers guarding the gutters? Think of the law in that way. The goal in bowling is to knock down the pins at the end of the narrow lane. Those who are good at bowling do not need the bumpers. They have practiced and bowled enough to gain experience to avoid going in the gutter. They know going in the gutter is not good. Avoiding sin is like avoiding the gutter - you have to know it is there. And that is where the Law is like the bumpers. The Law says “on the other side of me is destruction if you avoid me”.

The law exposes our sin. Sin is the condition that keeps us from being what God originally created. Sin is what keeps us from God. Sin tells us we have to keep working harder and harder so we can be loved. Sin messed up the created good. Jesus said He came not to abolish the law or the Prophets but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). What does this mean? What do you do when you fulfill something? You make it complete. Jesus fulfilled the law by not sinning against the law. He fulfilled the prophets by doing what they predicted. He was sinless but became sin so we could be righteous to God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus changes us

The law can never free us. Only Jesus sets us free. Only Jesus can take away our sins to restore us with God and make us new people. The sacrifices made under the Law could not forever remove sin. Hebrews 10:4 tells us, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” The ultimate removal of sin was taken upon the cross by Jesus so we could live in His glory and bring glory to Him. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

Jesus showed us that if we aren’t loving then we aren’t changed. Paul reminds us of the importance of love in Galatians 5:14 saying, “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Laws don’t change our heart but expose the wrong (sin) and Jesus showed us what was right, and that was love for one another. Love speaks the truth of the gospel. Our love would be the first fruit. 

We read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” The way which Jesus works in us to complete us is through the Holy Spirit. How do we know we are being completed? By our fruits and the first fruit listed is love. Why love? The whole law is fulfilled in love. Without love the others fruits don’t happen. When we love Jesus and know more and more about him, we begin to understand how enormous love is and how it shapes everything else.

The trouble we have is we continue in the flesh which keeps sin ongoing in our lives. Our salvation sets us free from the punishment of sin, which is separation from God, but there is still a sin nature in us that can produce some wicked things (Galatians 5:19-21). This is why we look to the fruit to determine, and for others to determine, our growth and sanctification. We can talk like Christians all day long. We can say the right things, do the right things, and appear to look good. We can show up on Wednesdays and Sundays and sit in the crowd. But, are you seeing fruit in your life? Are other people seeing fruit in your life? Our fruit exposes our love for Jesus and His gospel.

Now what?

We came out of the gospel of John with the great story of our Savior. When we read the other 3 gospels, we see and hear from Jesus. The trouble we can run into when we study the other books in the NT is hearing the author of those books and not the conviction of the Spirit that was given to them. Paul doesn’t share the gospel with the Galatians and then does not work to correct them without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He stands on the revelation that was given to him directly by Jesus and then tells them to get right. Not because he said so but because Jesus set them out on a mission. So goes for us also. Tell the gospel. Grow in sanctification. Bear fruit.

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What do we know?

What is your favorite story? Who is your favorite character in any story? Why are they your favorite?

Now, who has ever heard of Disney World? Who’s been? Walt Disney was one of the greatest visionaries to ever live. He and his brother started Disney in 1923 to create and tell animated stories. Over the years Disney, as a company, grew because of the focus on storytelling. We may know Disney now as a huge company with theme parks, TV channels and many, many movies, but it all started from a man's desire for people to experience a story. Walt was known to invest in the people who were creating and delivering the stories that made Disney famous.

Right now, we are reading part of the greatest story of all time - the story of Jesus. When we read the Bible and grow to know more about the story God has been weaving, it becomes our story. We are not separated from the Bible - we are a part of the story. As part of the story, we play a part, have a relationships with other biblical figures, and are connected with the ultimate creator of the story.

Stories have different components but they all have a beginning and an ending. We started John with “In the beginning” just like in Genesis. John didn’t create the story, he is telling it. He is in it. Stories can have heroes and they can have villains. Jesus is the hero in the Bible and in our story. We have a God who stepped down out of heaven to take care of salvation and provide the necessary preparation and instruction to be and make disciples until He returns.

The Big Idea: Jesus Serves, Prepares, and Prays

Jesus has spent 3 years with the disciples. They were witness to all He did. We know this since we have their writings and investigated accounts. He taught and spoke to many. But the disciples we know were more than just followers. He counted them as friends. Not just any friends but the closest of friends. Now is the time for Jesus to make sure they are ready for what is to come.

In John chapters 13-17, Jesus is closing in on the end of His earthly ministry and he has to make sure the disciples are ready. These few chapters, in my opinion, show us how important He held the disciples to be and how much He cared for them. John tells us in 13:1, “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Loved them to the end. Jesus’ love encompassed them and we can be confident it does the same for us who love Him.

Service requires care

What does it mean to serve? Why do we serve? Service is an act where we are not focusing on ourselves but on others. Jesus came in the flesh to serve and give Himself up as a ransom (Matthew 20:28). What Jesus shows us in John 13 is what the heart of a true believer looks like - it’s willing to be humbled to serve. A good way to think about humility and humbleness is this - it is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.

Jesus washed the disciples feet. Think about that. Everyone took off their shoes and socks and Jesus put on rubber gloves then took a scrub brush and cleaned their feet. Wrong! The only thing correct in the previous sentence was Jesus cleaned their feet. They didn’t have shoes and socks, just sandals which would let all the dirt and ick on the ground get on their feet. People then were not walking on sidewalks and paved roads. It was dirt, sand, and whatever ground they walked on. Rubber gloves? Yeah, no. Bare hands. Scrub brush? No again. Bare hands.

What Jesus showed the disciples (and us) was that service to one another requires us to put aside any thought of glory we may get in those acts of service. We are to serve without the possibility of praise, or honor, or recognition. We serve because we are called to serve. Hear what Jesus says to the disciples in John 13:12-16 after He was finished. “When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.’ ”

When we think about our service to others, are we considering doing things that put us face to face with people or just giving a few bucks here and there? Hear me when I say giving money is a great way to help. Money is necessary to both individuals and groups. Having a heart for service is having one that isn’t locked in a safe with the money you want to hold on to. This goes for our efforts also.

Service with care means that our will to serve comes from a changed heart that wants to change hearts. It is obvious and it shows in outward efforts of our faith. Matthew 5:16 tells us, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Glory be to God, not us. God’s care is the greatest anyone can receive.

Preparation requires action

What are things you prepare for? What do you prepare for on a daily basis? If you play a sport, how do you prepare? It can feel like we are always preparing for something. I am preparing to write as I write other things and prepare to teach weekly. You are preparing for tests as you prepare a paper as you prepare for your next game. This doesn’t mean our lives are full only with preparing. You write your paper and turn it in. Gameday comes and you do your best. Our doing, though, is dependent upon our preparing. The last test you did poorly on, how much did you prepare? If little to none, you found out the value of preparation.

Jesus spent 3 years with the same guys. Not meeting for breakfast on Saturday to talk about the week. Not to watch the game on Sunday. They were together everyday, with the exception of times Jesus sent them away to proclaim the kingdom (Matthew 10:5; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1). Throughout this time, He was preparing them for the time when he would not be there in the flesh. 

When you have a limited amount of time to teach and help to understand what was taught, you focus on what is most important. John’s gospel differs from Matthew, Mark, and Luke by showing us instances of intimate teaching we don’t see elsewhere. All of Jesus’ teaching is important. He proclaimed large, important ideas to groups and multitudes of people that are vital to truth. His teaching to the disciples, just He and them, were critical. They were going to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) and take the gospel to the nations. 

What actions did Jesus tell the disciples to take in this final night as a group? We already covered how he modeled serving, so what else? What He taught to them can be grouped into three actions - Obey Me, Trust Me, and Imitate Me.

Obey Me

Love one another 13:34-35, 15:12-14; Keep my commandments 14:15; Keep my word 14:23-24; Abide in me 15:4-5 (9-11); Remember my word 15:20, 16:1-4

Early in the gospel of John, we see Jesus assembling His crew - the disciples. He doesn’t do this through threatening words or coercion but by invitation (John 1:39,43). We as mere humans, subject to the sin in the world and challenges around us, are skeptical. Especially in this moment in history we can have a hard time determining our allegiances. If left to ourselves, without the gospel, we can easily pick what seems good for today then change to pick what seems good for tomorrow, even if it is not beneficial for us. We would go from one idea to another without a consistent foundation. This is why the truth of the gospel is so so important. 

Jesus taught us that we should love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18). We hear this, preach this, but have a hard time living it. Not all people around us are “lovable”. These could even be people in your own family. What does it mean, then, when Jesus gives a new command to love one another just as Jesus loved them (John 13:34-35)? Love your neighbor was a simple standard all can strive to do. Love one another just as Jesus loved us makes Jesus the standard for “how” we love. To what extent, meaning how far will you go to love your brothers and sisters in Christ? The cross? This is the model Jesus is leading to obey (John 15:13).

“You are my friends if you do as I command you” (John 15:15). Kind of hard to avoid this cause this leaves us only two options - we can be Jesus’ friend or not. What do we need to do to be Jesus’ friend? We do what he said (commanded) to do. When has a friendship in this world depended on doing all that another person said? We don’t tend to look at those as friendships. We see those as toxic relationships.  So how does doing all Jesus commanded not make for a toxic relationship? Because He is God. Following Jesus means we want to do as He has instructed, even the commands we see as impossible. This is why we depend on Him in all things. There is a very popular verse in Philippians 4:13 where Paul writes, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” which isn’t always used properly in context. All that Jesus commands us to do, even the things that seem impossible to us, when we are satisfied (content) with Him. To put it plainly, when He is our ultimate love, His commands are easy to follow because we need nothing else to make us happy.

Trust Me

Don’t be troubled, believe in God, believe in me 14:1; Have peace and give peace 14:27; Take heart 16:33

Trust. That means to hope for the best but expect the worst, right? You ever heard that phrase? That’s not trust but people use it anyway to lower expectations and avoid being disappointed. It's a way for us to not get our hopes up. The gospel is not that way. The gospel says trust what the Lord has done and will do. This trust isn’t an expectation that since we love Jesus we will only have sunny days and easy times. Jesus tells us the opposite in our reading of John 13-17. He doesn’t do this to scare us. He does this because he knows the truth prepares us and so we trust in Him.

There are three words connected to the meaning of trust - confidence, faith, and hope. Jesus is going to be leaving soon, and we know it isn’t for a vacation. His earthly ministry is done. Even though He has poured into the disciples for three years and revealed all He was told, they are still uneasy. So what does He do? He gives them confidence, faith, and hope. He tells them not to be troubled. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this!” 

Imitate Me

Do the works I do 14:12; Ask me 14:13-14; Go and bear fruit 15:16; 

We are imitators. We may think we are original but we aren’t. We are a collection of things we have learned from other people. So the question is, are you learning from people who know the Lord and work to imitate Him, or are you learning from the world?

In another letter by John, 3 John, he tells us in 1:11, “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” The word imitate in this verse is the same Greek word used in 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul writes, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

As imitators of Jesus we need to know what He said and did in order to do as He did. Will we be able to grant miracles and perform signs as he did? Or even as the disciples did? For the large (large) majority of us, probably no. Then what do we do? We give grace, show mercy, teach scripture, pray, and make the gospel known. 

Prayer requires relationship

What do you think I mean when I say relationship? In the least, 2 persons have to have knowledge of one another and have met. At its best, those 2 persons will have spent significant time together being vulnerable with emotions, true with words and care, and giving and gaining trust. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the least and 10 being the best, where do you think each of the disciples fit in their relationship with Jesus? I’d guess that several would be high on the scale with 8 or more. Judas Iscariot was probably low. He walked around and spent time with Jesus but did he really have a strong relationship with Him?

How about you? On a scale of 1 to 10, where are you in your relationship with Jesus? If you are a believer of Jesus, it is because He has given you His saving grace from your belief in Him. Our salvation is individual meaning He saved me or He saved you, not He saved my dad so I am also saved. I say all of this to talk about prayer and specifically the relationship with Jesus in prayer.

In John 17, what is commonly called the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus is praying to the Father after He finished His teaching to the disciples. From what we can tell, Jesus is still with the disciples when He is praying to the Father. He just finished giving final instructions and teaching to them. He had told the disciples they are His friends since He has revealed all that the Father told Him (John 15:15). Now, Jesus is 

There are 2 things I want you to notice here - Jesus’ relationship to the Father and to the disciples. Throughout John we see Jesus telling us He does nothing unless the Father says, does, or commands it. When we know Jesus stepped out of heaven, the statements He makes about being one with the Father make sense. We can be challenged by their meaning and significance because we are mostly accustomed to having interactions with people around us. Our prayer life is so important and it is also challenging. What we can rely on, as Jesus portrays in His prayer, is we have a heavenly Father prepared to hear. 

Remember, the disciples are still with Jesus. They are hearing this prayer. When we read through John 17, and put ourselves in the place of the disciples, we hear the Lord speaking truth and giving us confidence. And I don’t mean confidence like “You can do it if you try!” or “I know you’ll do great!”. I mean confidence that we who proclaim Jesus’ name and put our trust in Him are His. Here are several things He says that gives me great confidence:

• I am praying for them. (v 9)

• All mine are yours (v 10)

• Keep them from the evil one (v 15)

• Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth (v 17)

• Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world (v 24)

Our friendship with Jesus is greater than the friendships we have on earth. Our friends care for us, laugh with us, and help us when we need it. Jesus cares for us also. He made the truth known to us. He prayed for us. He responds to our prayers. And, He became a sacrifice so we can have a life eternally with Him. It’s hard to imagine in our “right-now” life what our eternal life will be because we can’t see it. What we know from scripture though is it will be greater than anything we have here and now. What we can be doing right now is to talk with Jesus more. Pray to Him. Thank Him. Give all to Him.

Now what?

Part of being a disciple is learning, which we do on Sundays and throughout the week on our own. A disciple that is making disciples is always learning. Part of this message was about preparation. We are always in a state of preparing and we are always doing. It would seem like we are a people who are going non-stop and struggle to prepare cause we are always doing. There’s truth in that. But like God calls us to rest, we need to prepare. Prayer helps us to prepare. Scripture helps us to prepare. One of my favorite verses is 1 Peter 3:15 which says we should “always be prepared”. 

I’d love to be prepared for everything. I’d love for you to be prepared for everything. We can get better the more we know Jesus who will prepare our minds, our hearts, and our efforts.

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What do we know?

So far in the Gospel of John (1-8), we have established why Jesus is here, who he is, and the authority He has. He is God. We get to look at Jesus’ ministry and scripture in the rearview mirror. What we are reading in John has already taken place. Theologians have had many years to study through the words and cultural meanings and challenges of scripture. Archeologists have uncovered hundreds of artifacts from the time of Christ which we read about in scripture. Historians have validated names and happenings from the Bible through non-Biblical sources. 

These are fantastic things! However, Jesus’ identity as God and man is crucial to the gospel narrative and no antique plate or unearthed crucified heal bone can show this. John’s gospel puts on full display, time and time again, the truth of Jesus’ identity as God and as man. He is Lord, Savior, and Redeemer.

The Big Idea: Jesus is who He says He is

Would you claim to be something you weren’t if the penalty for doing it would be death? Think about it like this. Would you walk into a police station as say, “I am a murderer and should be put to death for my crimes!” if you never even harmed anyone? I hope not. I wouldn’t. People would think something was seriously wrong with you if you did this.

What do you think was going through the minds of the people when Jesus did just this thing? Well, there wasn’t a police station, or murder, or even a crime. But what Jesus did was say He is God. There are only 2 results that can come from this - He’s telling the truth and is God or He is lying. If Jesus wasn’t God and was lying, then He was a blasphemer, which is punishable by death. This is what the Pharisees kept accusing Jesus of doing (John 10:33, Matthew 26:65, Mark 14:64, Luke 5:21).

Before Abraham was, I AM

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ” (John 8:58 ESV)

John’s gospel writing leaves us with no way to say Jesus never claimed to be God. Skeptics would say different. They would say, “Jesus never literally said ‘I am God’ so why do you keep claiming he is?”. Well, because He did. John 8:58 tells us “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’ ” This caps off Jesus speaking at the temple and chiding the Jewish leaders for not believing in Him. The accusations they give to Jesus and His responses about knowing the Father seem to escalate to this point in order for them to understand. Understand they don’t, but they know exactly who Jesus is talking about.

Is “I AM” sounding familiar to you. I hope so. But if you need a little help, let me jog your memory.

In Exodus 3:13–15 we read, “Then Moses said to God, 'If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’' God also said to Moses, 'Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.’ “

When Jesus tells them “before Abraham was, I am”, He is telling the Pharisees He is the living God. He’s not just saying “before Abraham was, I am” to purposely upset them. He’s making a declaration of truth! They wouldn’t listen to what He has said up to this point but He knew this statement would resonate. What the Pharisees would hear is what they already knew from what Moses experienced and wrote. 

We as people like to be validated by hearing something, preferably good, about ourselves. Jesus isn’t doing this for His sake, He’s doing it for theirs (and ours). John’s gospel records Jesus claiming His deity many times. There are seven times, seven statements, Jesus uses to describe Himself that we only get from John. 

I Am the Bread of Life

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’ “ (John 6:35 ESV)

Bread was a core part of the diet in Israel, as well as other places in the world throughout history. They didn’t have the options we have today to quickly get food. When they prepared food it came from what they could grow and harvest themselves. They knew the necessity of bread to their lives.

The Jewish community would also know from scripture of what their ancestors ate while in the wilderness. God provided manna for them which they would turn into cakes and bread. They did this for forty years. Now, they did not always like eating the manna during those forty years (Numbers 11). They would get tired of it and want some meat to eat. But think about what they would have if God did not provide it? They’d have nothing.

Jesus saying He is the bread of life obviously isn’t about food. And it really isn’t about Him turning into food. In verse 33, we get His meaning when He says, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” When God provided manna in the wilderness, it came down out of the sky, from heaven. Jesus may have been born to become man but He came from heaven. He is the one who gives life to the world.

I Am the Light of the World

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’ ” (John 8:12 ESV)

Think about a time you were in absolute darkness. Not in the metaphorical sense but in actual darkness. No light whatsoever. What could you see? Nothing. Absolute darkness is something we can be challenged to think about or picture in our minds. We have the ability to light up most any place we are. Even our phones have a flashlight on them. We have the ability to use a light to see where we are going and find things in the dark.

Jesus is telling us in John 8:12 that He is the light and can bring anyone out of the darkness. The sin we have, we are told, keeps us in the dark. We equate sin to darkness because we do not want it revealed to anyone and be seen. We can think if our sin is not known or seen then it doesn’t exist. But like a LEGO brick on the floor that your bare foot steps on in the dark, you understand sin that may be unseen does exist and is not painless.

All the things we do are known to God. A funny but not funny statement some people say is “Only God can judge me”. It is said in the context of “Who are you to judge or criticize me? You aren’t perfect. You have flaws.” It is true that we aren’t perfect, nor flawless. Only Jesus was flawless. The light He brings to our lives, and to the world, exposes all that we are. 

Nothing is hidden in Jesus’ light. When we give ourselves to Him, that light makes our darkness go away. Light and darkness don’t exist together. It’s either light or darkness. Without Jesus, darkness is all you have. With Jesus, the light shows us all of our imperfections and we can see all the things, the sins, that Jesus carried onto the cross for us. 

I Am the Door

“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.’ “ (John 10:7–9 ESV)

There are examples in the Bible which we don’t immediately relate to when they are used. This is one of them. Yes, we know what sheep are, and we have a good idea what shepherds do. You may be thinking, “I know what a door is. I have, like, 10 of them in my house. There are three that let us go in and out of the house.” This is where we need an understanding of what Jesus is talking about to grasp the magnitude of what He is saying.

The door Jesus is referring to here is the door into the sheepfold. A sheepfold is an area where the sheep are kept that was typically surrounded by rock walls. This kept the sheep in, but also worked to keep predators out. The people Jesus would have been speaking to during this time would know what a sheepfold is and its significance.

There was one way into the sheepfold - the door. This door was simply an opening. It wasn’t a big, thick wooden slab or metal gate you would close. The sheepfold was only protected by a person guarding this opening. The person guarding the sheepfold determined what, or who, got in. So guess what the sheepfold symbolizes? Dwelling with God in His Kingdom. This means Jesus is the one who determines who gets in and who doesn’t.

Jesus is exclusive. To say otherwise is to avoid the entirety of scripture. We hear in Luke 13:24, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Not many doors but door, Singular. “That’s not fair!” Is a common response to what Christianity says about salvation. If Jesus Himself did not say it, then it would be some made-up way for us to be exclusive. But Jesus said it. Jesus also said to love your neighbor. By this your neighbor could come to know Jesus and He can call them to Himself. 

I Am the Good Shepherd

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:11–15 ESV)

Shepherding could seem like a boring job compared to jobs we can have today. Engineer. Astronaut. Gamer. Instagram influencer (just kidding). If you are an animal lover though, think about spending all your time taking care of the sheep in your care. It wouldn’t be just a job. Being a shepherd would define you.

We get to see the guiding and loving nature of Jesus as the Good Shepherd in Psalm 23:1-3. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Listening to Jesus say He is a shepherd makes sense, doesn’t it. He is God and He wants to take care of those who have been given Him to care for. Reading the passage in John 10:11-15 gives us a sense of Jesus’ relationship to us. He knows us, we know Him. He’s not just some guy doing a job, like the hired hand, then clocking out and going home. The sheep are cared for all day, everyday, around the clock. But if a time came that the sheep were threatened, the shepherd, a true shepherd, would put Himself in the way to the point of sacrificing His life.

Jesus as the Good Shepherd defines both a true guide and a protector that would sacrifice what he has been given. Both of these roles care for people. All those the Father gave to Jesus cannot be taken from Him (John 10:29). 

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.’ ” (John 11:25–27 ESV)

Lazarus is dead. Something happened to him where he got sick and died. It happens. We are saddened by death but we know it is a part of life. But what if Jesus was your friend? I don’t mean like a shirt that says “Jesus is my homeboy”. I mean you have spent time with Him. You’ve eaten meals with Him. You truly know who He is. You know His power.

We see in John 11 something incredible. “Of course we do”, you may be thinking because of the miracle Jesus does. Yes, the miracle is incredible. All miracles are incredible because they are given by God. What is incredible in John 11 is we get to see the full scope of Jesus from His humanity to His deity. 

When Jesus is told that Lazarus was sick and to come quick, He stayed where He was. Sounds kinda mean, right? Like Jesus didn’t care. We know different. Jesus tells us in John 11:4 that what is going to happen will show His glory. His deity makes this known. When He arrives in Bethany and taken to Lazarus’ tomb, where others were mourning, Jesus cries. He weeps, we are told. There is His humanity. 

But what about the whole “resurrection and the life” thing? Jesus brought Lazarus from a state of being fully dead to being fully alive. Fully dead to fully alive. Jesus goes from fully dead on a Friday to fully alive on a Sunday. Only the power of Jesus as God can do this. He turns death to life, physically and spiritually. Our spiritually dead hearts are given life by him when we believe and trust in Him. We give our life to Him to give us the true life void of the eternal perils of sin.

I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ “ (John 14:6 ESV)

This verse is one of the most well known of Jesus’ declarations. It summarizes so much of what Jesus taught in a mere simple statement. We talked about Jesus as “the Door” already. The door is what you walk through. When Jesus said He is the door, He didn’t say He was only one of the doors. He is the ONLY door. This statement is as critical to believing Jesus as Peter’s statement that Jesus is the Christ (Matthew 16:16).

As “the Way”, Jesus is saying He is the true way to get to the Father. There is no other way. Like “the Door” statement, He is saying the path to God is exclusive and cannot be obtained any other way. None. Being a good person? Nope. Only believing and trusting in Jesus. Keeping the law fully? Nope. Only believing and trusting in Jesus. Only believing and trusting in Jesus? Yes. I’m emphasizing only Jesus because it has to be said and reminded. 

What about “the Truth”? Well, the truth from God and what Jesus revealed while on earth is what we rely on as our standard. Anything that is counter to what the Father and the Son have revealed is not the truth. In our day and age, the truths we know from God can be counter to what the world calls truth. But as I just said, counter to God is not truth. Knowing God’s word is so very important for believers because it gives us the truth to stand up against false teachings and lies.

This the third “Life” Jesus says in these “I Am” statements. If we didn’t know He was life before now then we surely weren’t listening. Life, true and eternal life, is only given by Jesus. When we confess Jesus as our Savior, He makes our dead hearts come to life. And all life exists because of Him, as creator and sustainer. 

I Am the True Vine

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. (John 15:1–2 ESV)

I do not grow things. I’m not a gardener nor have plants that require constant care. So, I’m not an expert on vines and have to rely on common information about vines. One thing I believe that we know grows on vines are grapes. We can think of a vineyard where grapes are grown to make wine. Wine was readily available in Jesus’ time. There was probably as much wine available to them as sweet tea is to Southerners today (or pop to Northerners). Wine was common since neither running water nor water treatment was a thing back then. 

Why does Jesus use this metaphor? Like all of Jesus’ comparisons, He would use what people would know. If Jesus’ ministry was today instead of when it was, He would speak to things that are common to us. A society in the 1st century would know agriculture, meaning most people would know what it takes to grow and care for food. Since we all don’t know about grapevines, there are 3 core parts for simplicity - the vine, the branches, and the fruit. Fruit grows on the branches and the branches grow on the vine. 

“I am the true vine” is Jesus’ claim. 

Branches with good fruit and no fruit will be attached to this vine. The branches that do not grow fruit are cut and thrown into the fire (John 15:6). Branches that grow fruit will be pruned to grow more fruit. Clear? No?

Again, Jesus is the vine. In order for the branches, us, to bear good fruit, we have to abide in (obey and depend upon) Jesus. Those who do not produce fruit, non-believers, those will be separated from Him. Jesus has all authority and sovereignty. For those of us who put our faith in Him, we are depending on Him and have a relationship. This maintains our connection with Him. Those that don’t will not stay attached.

Now what?

We don’t have Jesus physically walking among us like we read in John or the other gospel books. We don’t have Him sitting and eating with us everyday. We don’t have Him speaking to us and giving us teaching while sitting around a fire. His physical, human presence is not here. It can be challenging for us to relate to someone whom we’ve only read about. This is a reason why people who aren’t followers of Jesus sees the Bible as fiction. 

Our connection to Jesus is through the Holy Spirit that He had the Father send to us. We who believe do not sit in darkness. We may wonder or be confused at times but we aren’t separated from God. Like Jesus revealed Himself as God to first century Israel, the Spirit reveals to us.

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What do we know?

We have authority in all aspects of our lives. Parents, teachers, bosses, laws, and others. Our fallen nature, meaning the sin that is natural to all of us since Adam and Eve, does not like authority. As a matter of fact, our desire to have authority over God’s authority got us going down this road in the first place. We want to do what we want to do, even when it isn’t good for us. Even if it is against God.

What do we know about authority? What does it mean to be an authority? If you were to look at the definition of authority, you would see common words no matter the source. There are two words that stand out and represent what we, as humans, do with authority in many instances. These are power and control. Have you ever heard anyone say, “I’m in control here” or “I’m in charge, not you”? These are statements that are made when someone needs to show they are the authority.

Jesus stepped into this world in the flesh not having to say these type things. As creator, as sustainer, as God, His authority is eternal. He knows the authority He has. We can either believe Him or not, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jesus is in charge. 

The Big Idea: All authority is Jesus’. Always.

We learn in Matthew 28:18 that all authority on heaven and earth is Jesus’. Paul expands on this and gives us a fantastic summary of this in Colossians 1:16-20 saying, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”.

In John 5, we see Jesus’ authority and where that authority comes from. The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem, specifically the Pharisees, have a problem with Jesus. Jesus is doing things that disrupt their power. The power of the Pharisees comes from traditions they have created outside of the law and they expect those traditions to be treated as law and followed. But Jesus knows the true law, and as creator of it, He knows the intent of it. Only the eternal authority of Jesus can show what real versus created authority looks like here on Earth.

True authority comes from God

We looked earlier at the core components of most authority, which are power and control. Now I will say that not all authority on earth exhibits these components in self-serving ways. There are people who see their authority as a way to benefit others. But even if we have an earthly authority to benefit others, our inherent sin can create in us a desire to use that authority, though for good, to force what we determine is good in this world. 

Jesus’ authority is so incredible when we compare it to authority we have without Him. His authority, from the Father, displays real truth and real life, which shows His real power.

“Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’ ” (John 18:37) Jesus says He is bearing witness to the truth. This means that the truth already exists and he is not making it up. But what truth would this be? Where would this truth be from? The Father.

In John 5:19-47, we see Jesus refer to the Father a number of times. When we think of absolute truth, we think to the things God has established, what He has said, and what He has shown. Jesus tells us where His truth comes from in John 5:19–20, “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel.’ ” 

When we read on in chapter 5 we see many connections Jesus makes with the Father.  The Father says, the Son says. The Father does, the Son does. The Father has life, the Son has life. The relationship between the Father and the Son is never disconnected. They aren’t independent. They are one. 

Acting in truth is what Jesus wants from us. The truth displays His power - the power to give eternal life. Believing the truth and confessing the truth brings salvation (Romans 10:9). 

We read in John 5:21, “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.” There are two things here. First, our spiritually dead hearts are given life to live out the truth Jesus gives and to glorify Him. Second, when Jesus returns, the resurrection of the body will take place. No earthly authority we know can do this. Nothing, no thing, can give life unless it can create life. 

Jesus tells us later in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

Real truth and real life go hand in hand. We cannot live a life as intended by God without knowing the truth that He has given. This truth isn’t given anywhere except in His Word, in scripture. “And the Word became flesh” (John 1:1) says it directly that the Word came to life in the form of Jesus. 

Created authority comes from man

Who created games when you were little? When we make up games we also make up rules. The easiest way to become an authority is to be the one who creates the rules. Then you become the person who keeps up with everyone one else keeping or breaking the rules. This is a common way we see authority.

God provided laws for how He wanted His people to live, conduct themselves, and govern themselves for His glory. What we read in scripture is how Israel avoided those laws, forgot the laws, and had to be reminded multiple times of the God who gave them the laws. The laws were challenging. The laws exposed the sin in the hearts of the people. When we change from helping others to understand and obey the laws to creating rules to obey the laws, we have become a created authority.

This is where the Jewish authorities come in. The ruling authority in Israel that we read in the Gospels is called the Sanhedrin. Think of a very large supreme court with over a 100 judges on it. The Sanhedrin has its origin in the Old testament, in Numbers and Deuteronomy. God established the roles of the judges and officers to serve the people of Israel and uphold the law He gave. This became the Sanhedrin which consists of two groups - the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These two groups, though part of one large council, are very different. 

The Pharisees, whom we hear more of, are very zealous for the law. They are so zealous that they created more rules to keep the law. These traditions were then enforced by them on the Jewish people. The Sudducees, in contrast, were less zealous for the law than they were power and prestige. They didn’t want to upset the Roman authorities so they could be the Jewish authority. The Pharisees and Sadducees did not like each other, but when their authority was threatened by Jesus, they worked together to get Him out of the way.

We don’t get a positive view about these Jewish rulers from the Gospels, or even in Acts. We see them butting heads with Jesus and the apostles multiple times. We read several times in scripture where the Pharisees get bent out of shape over Jesus doing something on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28; Matthew 12:1–8; Luke 6:1–5; Mark 3:1–6; Matthew 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11). Their concern is for the law they enforce instead of the glory of God.

This is what we see in John 5:5-17 when Jesus heals the invalid man. They miss the fact that a miracle has happened. The miracle, the act of grace from God, is overlooked to try and protect their own personal status. Our status can become our authority. We can get so wrapped up in our identity that anything that stands against it becomes an enemy. Even Jesus. The Sanhedrin had an identity of ruling. We make our wants and desires our authority. 

Living in authority is complicated, and necessary

“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” Jesus tells us this in Matthew 22:21 when He is being questioned by the Jewish leaders. Remember, during this period of history, Rome occupied a majority of the known world. This means they occupied Jerusalem. The Jewish authorities did not like Rome being there as the land was given to Israel by God and Rome did not have a right to it. Needless to say Israel did not want to obey Rome, but they appeased them so Israel could retain some authority over itself.

Ultimately, the Jewish authority had to rely on the Roman authority to put Jesus to death. Does this mean we should not trust any authority but Jesus? When we see what happened then, and then we look at the challenges around us today, shouldn’t we just live only around other followers of Jesus and create our own nation? As Paul would say, “By no means!” 

The gospel doesn’t tell us to talk amongst ourselves but to make it known that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the fulfillment of God’s promise and any who repent and believe can have what Jesus promised. Jesus makes it known that He doesn’t want us separated from the world until the right time, His return. Later in John 17:13–19 we read, “But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Our relationship to the world, and the authority in it, is complicated but necessary. There will be times when we align with culture in the world and times we won’t. We can’t go and make disciples without interacting with all nations, all peoples. We are commanded to do this. Paul tells us in Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” 

What if the authority is against God? What about the times when a law is the opposite of what Jesus commands? Our first thought should always be to what God has commanded. We can see many differences around us between God and the world. We see things in our country that are counter to the goodness of God. One thing to remember when we see these things - the world, the people around you that do not know Jesus, will not be “lawed” into heaven. Only faith in Jesus will get them there. 

Now what?

Knowing Jesus’ teachings and commands are critical for us as His followers. What is necessary for us is to do as Jesus commanded - love God with everything we have and love our neighbors (Matthew 22:37-40). Truth and life come from God and when we live that out and share that message we are showing the world that the authority of God is good.

What does scripture tell us?

Matthew 28:18
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Leviticus 19:18
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. (ESV)

2 Timothy 1:7–8
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

Resources

The Bible Project: John
https://thebibleproject.com/explore/john/

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What do we know?

The Gospel of John was written by - wait for it - the apostle John. Sorry for the obvious snark. The books of the New Testament were named for either the person who wrote it or who it was written for. This means the Gospel of Matthew was written by...Matthew. The book of Ephesians was written for...the church in Ephesus, where the people would be Ephesians. There are a few exceptions though. These would be Acts, Hebrews, and Revelation. That will be a discussion for a different time.

Something is different about the Gospel of John than in the other 3 Gospels. What do you think it is? The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are what are called the synoptic gospels. They are called synoptic because ‘they “see together with a common view” (the word synoptic literally means “together sight”). Matthew, Mark, and Luke cover many of the same events in Jesus’ life—most of them from Jesus’ ministry in Galilee—in much the same order. Nearly 90 percent of Mark’s content is found in Matthew, and about 50 percent of Mark appears in Luke. All of the parables of Christ are found in the Synoptics (the Gospel of John contains no parables).’ [1]

How is John different? The main difference between John and the others is how John contains more theological content about the person of Christ and the meaning of faith. John has a high focus for both the deity of Jesus and the humanity of Jesus. He introduces us to the full Jesus - from before creation to His ascension. When we add in the book of Revelation, which was also written by John, we get to see the full picture of Jesus - from beginning to end (to new beginning).

The Big Idea: Introducing, Jesus!

In the first few chapters in the Gospel of John, he introduces us to Jesus. This is not a standard introduction. He doesn’t come out and say “Hey everybody, this is Jesus. He is 30 years old and enjoys long walks. The great thing about him is he is the Messiah promised to us. We should worship and obey Him. Any questions?” That would be like me saying “Hi, I’m Shannon. I think I’m pretty smart. You should listen to what I have to say.” If I were to say that I’d have plenty of people with a whole line of questions ready to ask beginning with “Why should I listen to you? Just cause you say I should doesn’t mean I should.”

Why Jesus is here

“Why” is such a great question. It’s short and requires a thoughtful answer. You can’t answer it with a YES or NO. It requires a reason. For Jesus, as we see throughout John’s gospel, “why” is answered and supported time and time again.

John tells us right in the first chapter why Jesus has come. John, the disciple/apostle, introduces us to John, the Baptist, early in chapter 1. To avoid confusion, let me distinguish between the John’s because when you read the gospel of John for the first time it can create confusion. I will call the apostle John “JA” and John the Baptist “JB”. First, they aren’t the same person. We get introduced to JB and learn about him in Luke’s gospel. JB is Jesus’ cousin. JB is the son of Elizabeth, who is the cousin of Mary, Jesus’ mother. JB is the baby who leapt in his mother's womb when Mary visited and was pregnant with Jesus. JB would have known Jesus all His life, but JA only meets Jesus when Jesus begins His ministry. JB serves a specific role, announcing the ministry of Jesus. JA serves Jesus and tells about Him through 5 separate writings (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Revelation).

Now back to the why.

In John 1:29–30, JA tells us “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’” 

Did you catch the why? Take away the sin of the world.

Jesus didn’t come to teach us good lessons in the hope we would be better people. Brushing your teeth twice a day, eating all your vegetables, and doing your homework everyday is not the message He gave to convince people to want to come to heaven. Jesus is the reason you and I can have eternal life.

Who Jesus is

We don’t have to wait long to find out who Jesus is. When I say “who”, I mean more than the surface level information. Most of us know He had a mom named Mary who was married to Joseph. But, John/JA doesn’t start out with that type of info as he tells about Jesus. He tells us the greater things about Him - His character, His greatness, His roles, and His title. Let’s talk about the number of things John reveals to us in just the first 4 chapters (John 1-4).

Jesus is the eternal God.

Right at the very beginning (John 1:1), John writes “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word was God. John is referring to Jesus as the Word, thus telling us Jesus is God. Not to mention he tells us Jesus is eternal. “In the beginning was the Word,...” (John 1:1). There hasn’t been a time when Jesus did not exist.

Word means God? God means Word? Huh?

Word in Greek is Logos. In Greek philosophy, Logos is used to refer to divine reason or the mind of God. The readers of John’s message would know what Logos means and make the association. If this isn’t good enough for you to establish Jesus as God, John goes on to record later Jesus telling us He is with His “I am” statements.

Jesus is a shepherd.

In ancient times the shepherd was not a revered job, meaning people weren’t competing to become one. It was a lowly job; a humble job. You hung out with animals at all hours of the day, rain or shine. 

You might be thinking “I thought Jesus was a carpenter?” When it is said that Jesus was a shepherd, this doesn’t mean it was his occupation, his job. Later on in John, as well as in other parts of scripture (Psalm 119:176;Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 50:6; 1 Peter 2:25), we are referred to as lost sheep and are lost without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). What is essential for the gathering of sheep? Since I can guarantee 99.9% of us do not work with sheep, I’ll tell you. A shepherd. Though John does not explicitly say Jesus is a shepherd in chapters 1-4, we see from Jesus’ words in John 10:27 that John views Jesus as a shepherd. 

In John 1:35-51, Jesus is bringing together the first of his disciples - Andrew, Peter, Phillip, Nathanael.  Jesus is beginning to gather His sheep.

Jesus is powerful.

Since we have said Jesus is God and therefore eternal, we know then Jesus is powerful. Look again at John 1:3 where John says, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

Jesus’ first sign (miracle) during His ministry was at the wedding in Cana when He turned water into wine. If we only see the water changing to wine, we could think it is just a cheap miracle. Thinking about it, we might say, “Couldn’t He have done something cooler than that?” Let me break this down for us. Jesus as God can do as He wants. The first ever miracle done was creation and who did that? Jesus. John reminded us of this in verse 1:3. Something, being creation, was made out of nothing. The natural universe we know did not exist until He made it. 

So, turning water into wine, may seem small compared to creation but the sign itself was huge since it showed people Jesus’ divine power. John tells us the impact it made in 2:11 “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” The disciples believed.

Jesus is wise.

Chapter 3 introduces us to Nicodemus, a Pharisee. He is a member of what is called the Sanhedrin which is the Jewish ruling council. This means Nicodemus is a Jewish official and an important person in the Jewish community. This also means he is very knowledgeable about scripture, specifically the Torah, which are the first 5 books of the Old Testament. I emphasize the Torah because it contains the Law. These are the rules the Sanhedrin would govern by and Nicodemus would be involved with this.

When Nicodemus comes to Jesus, Jesus has already had run-ins with the Jewish leaders. If we have negative encounters with someone or a group, we might have disdain for them. Simply put, we’d be ticked off at them. That’s not how Jesus treats Nicodemus. Nicodemus came to Jesus telling Jesus he knows He is sent by God and recognizing the miracles He’s done. Jesus responds with what appears to be cordial conversation and teaching.

We don’t know fully why Nicodemus wanted to meet with Jesus, but what we do know is Jesus spoke truth to him and used His wisdom to bring understanding to Nicodemus. Starting in verse 3:10, Jesus explains what Nicodemus needs to grasp. Within this conversation we get the ever famous John 3:16 verse. What you should see though is Jesus tells Nicodemus in 3:17 the ‘why’ of His mission.

To give truth in the face of criticism or misunderstanding requires wisdom. For us, this means we need to know what Jesus taught and how He taught it. What we see from Jesus in chapter 3 is that we have a God who not only has wisdom but works to make sure others gain wisdom.

Jesus is compassionate.

The account of the woman at the well in John 4 should be a mirror for us. I look at it in that sense. On the surface it appears to be a woman going about her day, which part of it is to go to the well to get water. This is not the case. She is out getting water by herself in the middle of the day. Culturally during that time, the well was a gathering place where community and conversation took place. Getting water would have also been done in the mornings, making her doing this at midday stand out. 

This woman was an outcast in the community. Jesus knew this. Jesus knew her. Yet Jesus gave her the keys to the kingdom.

Our sin may not have looked like this woman’s, but it was still sin. Those of us who proclaim Jesus as Lord had this moment (or moments) with Jesus when we were fully revealed His grace and mercy. What Jesus showed us through His encounter at the well was that we are known to Him - all the big, bad, and ugly - and His forgiveness can still be ours. The cross wasn’t for the worst of sin but for all sin. 

Sacrifice requires compassion. Compassion requires a love for others. This is the God we have.

Now what?

This is just the beginning of what John has to tell us about our Savior. I love learning so knowing facts is part of my gathering of knowledge. We saw at the beginning of this lesson the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) give us great facts about Jesus’ ministry on earth. John does this just as well and gives us insights into Jesus we don’t see in the other gospels. Jesus is God and we will come to know more as we study John. “Come and see”, as we are all invited to know Jesus. 

What does scripture tell us?

John 1:29–30
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

John 1:43–46
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

John 3:2
This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

John 3:17
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 10:27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Resources

The Bible Project: John - https://thebibleproject.com/explore/john/

[1 ] What are the Synoptic Gospels?: https://www.gotquestions.org/Synoptic-Gospels.html

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