John 11 "I Am The Resurrection And The Life"

““Jesus said to her (Martha), I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Believe you this?” (v.25-26)

Here Jesus is once again speaking to Martha of the resurrection. But this time He states, “I Am the resurrection." Signifying He is able to raise men from death to life and that He could do it now. Literally telling her not to worry, your brother Lazarus will rise. 

Martha is so grief stricken she does not make the connection. She believes in the resurrection of believers “in the last day”(v.24), but, did not see it as a possibility this day. However, from the moment Jesus heard Lazarus was sick He knew, “It was not unto death, but for the glory of God. That the Son of God might be glorified thereby” (v.4), and men would acknowledge Him for who He is.

Today many are sick unto death, but there is a remedy for all who believe. Just as Lazarus’s was raised from physical death and was resurrected to glorify the Father and the Son, so all who believe in Jesus may be resurrected from spiritual death to glorify the Son and the Father. Fro He has concurred sin, death, hell, and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:55-56). 
Thanks be to God!  

The Truth: Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You.” (John 17:1)

John 10 "He Knows His Sheep"

Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.” (vv.24-29)

Here we see a hostile ambush of Jesus as He simply walked into the temple. The sense is that the Jews encircled him, preventing His escape with a hostile purpose. The religious leaders (once again described as the Jews) refused to listen to or believe in Jesus. The problem wasn’t that Jesus was unclear about who He was and where He came from. The problem was that the religious leaders had hearts of unbelief that they wanted to discredit Jesus. Yet, the works Jesus did demonstrated that He was from God, and that He was true to His word. 

The religious leaders wanted Jesus to speak plainly, and here He spoke more plainly than they probably wanted. Jesus previously told them they were not true shepherds (John 10:5, 10:8, 10:10, 10:12-13). Now Jesus tells them they were not even true sheep, because the Messiah’s sheep believe and hear His voice. Meaning, His people, those who believe He is the Son of God, hear and obey His Word - and He knows them. 

In Jesus’s day many people that followed Him were not of Him. Not being true believers they wanted something from Him; healing, food, to witness one of His miracles. But those who truly believed He knows, and gives them eternal life (v.28).

Some people today are still looking for something from God. In times of trouble they check-in with Him, even make a request of Him pretending to know Him. Oh they might even go to church on occasion. But, according to our passage, He does not know them. Why? because they do not believe in Him (v.26)  and neither do they hear His voice (v.27). 

The Truth: “The Lord knows those who are His.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

John 9 "Who Sinned?"

“And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.” (v.2)

When something unexplainable happens some people want to immediately blame God for the illness, misfortune, or tragic event that has occurred. When an illness like cancer strikes someone, some tend to think of it as a punishment from God for some secret sin. While it is true that all death can be traced back to man’s original sin, we should not reason that some sin must be the cause of sickness, misfortune, or tragedy in any individuals life. This is why our LORD replied, “Neither has this man nor his parents sinned (v.3), undercutting all pat answers to affliction.

Perhaps emotional illness, more than any other kind of suffering, is subject to shortsighted, judgmental responses. Most physical diseases are socially acceptable, but a stigma still hangs over most psychological disorders. In her book God's Remedy for Depression, Vivian Clark tells of a discussion on the topic, "Is Depression Sin for the Christian?" One person said, "Because it can't coexist with the fruit of the Spirit, which is joy, it must be a sin." Another added, "There is no reason for Christians to be depressed." Just then, a sad-faced woman slipped away from the group. For days she had been despondent and unable to gain victory. Those remarks added to her depression.

Some emotional problems may indeed be caused by wrong attitudes or secret sins. But all of us transgress, and yet not everyone breaks down. The causes of depression and mental illness are so varied and complex that we must not engage in simplistic solutions. To help someone, we shouldn't immediately ask, "Who sinned?" Rather, we should pray for those who suffer with this illness that they may receive His peace and that the glory of God may be revealed.

True compassion invests everything necessary to heal the hurts of others.

The Truth
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:1-5)

John 8 "The Slavery of Sin"

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say unto you, everyone who commits sin, is the slave of it.” (v.34)

When we repeatedly give in to a particular sin, we become a slave to it. Slowly it begins to take over lives until most people feel powerless to break free from their habit. Guilt and shame begin to mount while ones self identify and confidence begins to fade. 

Once we start down the wrong path, turning back is difficult. Some of the most dangerous practices bring only temporary pleasure but a lifetime of pain and misery. Those who are willing to endure the pain for the temporary pleasure are addicted, hooked, enslaved. 

Freedom however, is found in becoming a slave of Jesus Christ. When we are in the grip of any evil practice that is ruining our life, we can simply acknowledge our sin and helplessness to the LORD, submit fully to Him, and be assured that He will forgive and deliver us.

The pleasures of sin are for a season, but its wages are for eternity.

The Truth: “Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16)

John 7 ”Living Water”

"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart (spirit) will flow rivers of living water.”  (vv.37-38)

Jesus made this declaration on the last day of a Jewish celebration called, The Festival of Shelters. This was a feast instituted by God to help the people of Israel remember their wanderings in the wilderness, and when they lived in temporary shelters after their exodus from Egypt. Each day during the festival, the priests would draw water from the Pool of Siloam and pour it out at the altar in the Temple. It was done in remembrance of the water that supernaturally came forth from a rock that Moses struck.

While God gave His people physical life through Moses by providing water when they were once dying of thirst in the desert, He, through an even greater man (Jesus), wants to give living water to all who are dying of spiritual thirst. We, as believers in Jesus, are promised here in our text rivers of “living water” from His heart, if we just come to Him and drink.

The Truth: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

John 6 “I Am The Bread of Life”

And Jesus said unto them (the Jews), “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (v.35)

After Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish, they were willing to follow Him wherever He went, and even proclaim Him as their king, their Messiah. Why? because of His miracles, because He could fill their stomachs, because He met their physical needs. In fact, the next day the people sought Him out (after He had left them) and found Him on the other side of the sea- not simply to be with Him, but to get something from Him, another meal. And Jesus called them on it (v.26).

Following Jesus should never be about what He can do for us, never about what we might receive in return. As a true disciple we come to Him, believing in Him for who He is, “The bread of life.” His Word then sustains us; we never hunger, never thirst, never die, and will never be separated from Him consciously - unlike those who seek their own desires.

The Truth: "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them." (Isaiah 49:10) 

John 5 "Honor The Son"

“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.” (vv.17-18) 

Here the Jews were ready to kill Jesus, not just for healing a man who had an infirmity thirty-eight years on the sabbath (v.5), but more for His claim that God was His Father (v.17). If untrue, His claim would be considered blasphemy and punishable by death (Lev.24:11, 16). However, if His claim is true, then there is no crime and He is who He claims to be. 

Here in chapter 5 John gives us a fourfold witness to Jesus’s claim of Sonship through the recording of Christ’s own words.

First, he records that John the Baptist bore witness of Jesus (vv.33-35). Upon seeing Jesus coming to be baptized of him John states, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John1:29) And later saying of Him, “I saw a Spirit descending from heaven, like a dove, and He remained upon Him” (v.32). And finally, “I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God (v.34). 

Second (and even greater witness than John), He sites Christ’s very works (v.36). Jesus had said to His detractors many times, “If you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know that the Father is in Me and I in Him.” (John 10:38). A Pharisee by the name of Nicodemus testified of Christ’s works saying, “We know you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs (works) that You do unless, God is with him” (John 3:2). 

Next we see in chapter 5 a reference to the Father Himself testifying of Jesus after His baptism by John the Baptist (v.37) where God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) And again when Jesus was transfigured on a high mountain in front of Peter, James and John a voice came out of a “bright  cloud” saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him.” (Matthew 17:5) 

Finally John’s records the words of Jesus that speak of, “the scriptures themselves as testifying of Him” (v.39) and even Moses, their great Prophet, believed and wrote of Jesus (v.46).

So why didn’t these educated Jewish priests believe that Jesus was the Son of God? Why wouldn’t they accept Him and His claim to Sonship and receive everlasting life? The answer, I believe, is found in verse 42 where Jesus states; “I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.” 

So sad that those who called themselves "Holy men of God", who should have known the scriptures and validated His position through them, were blind to it. But their blindness (that would eventually lead to His death through their false accusations), lead to salvation for all that would honor Him and believe on His name. For Jesus is more than a "teacher" who came from God. He is the beloved Son of God.

The Truth

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:17)

John 4 "God Is Spirit"

“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (v.24)

God is not a corporeal being, made up of blood, flesh, and bones. Nor does He have senses as bodies have, to be pleased through fleshly appetites. He is however a spiritual Being, the Father of spirits, and requires spiritual worship proportioned to His being. Therefore, those worship Him, must do it with their spirits, and according to the rule that he has prescribed, in truth.

Though He required, of His people under the law, a more ritualistic form of worship, this is now to stop and a new and more personal/spiritual worship was to begin. The spirit or the soul of man, as influenced by the Holy Spirit, could now worship God and have communion with him directly.

Therefore no priest or temple is needed, for our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and our God does not dwell in temples made by hands (Acts 7:48) but in our hearts. 

If we are in Jesus, our spirits identify with His Spirit for a personal relationship with God. The veil of the law is lifted and the glory of the new covenant is established. Hallelujah! 

The Truth

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (1 Corinthians 3:17)

John 3 "A Belief Unto Everlasting Life"

“He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God stays on him.” (v.36)

The major topic of chapter 3 is the kingdom of God. Nicodemus, a Pharisee, came to Jesus by night, voiced his recognition of God’s power residing in Jesus by saying, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do the signs that You do unless God is with Him" (v.2). Nicodemus here seemed more interested in the power Jesus had displayed in performing miracles, than in who Jesus actually was. 

But Jesus instead of engaging Nicodemus in a conversation about His power, chose to speak to him about the kingdom of God saying, "Unless one is born of water and the spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, 'You must be born again' (vv.5-7).

The gospel is that simple, one must be born into the spirit go God by accepting His Son, not because He can do powerful miracles, but because of who He died and rose again, that He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and is preparing a place for us in His kingdom forever.

The Truth: ”For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

John 2 "Jesus Knows The Heart"

"Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." (vv.23-25)

Here in out text many people believed in Jesus for what He could do, not for who He was. They were caught up in the many signs and miracles that He performed, but did not believe in their hearts that He was the Son of God. Therefore, seeing their hearts and knowing their motives He did not put His trust in them nor commit to them. He acted cautiously and prudently concerning them. 

Thus, there is a faith to which Christ will not unveil himself - will not give himself to. Conditional faith in the Name of Christ, produced by "signs," real or artificial, fictitious or sacramental, mystic, or miraculous, is not comparable to the faith in Christ Himself. Saying we believe that Christ existed, or that we believe in the signs and miracles He performed, is not true faith in Him and who He was.

As Jesus would later say to Nicodemus (who recognized that the signs He was performing meant God was with Him), "no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again" (John 3:3). In other words, believing in signs is not enough, you must believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God. So while you may be able to fool others by; playing church, living a moral life, or saying you are a Christian, you can't fool God. 

The Truth: "for the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b)

John 1 “Grace Through Jesus Christ”

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (v.17)

Early in chapter 1 the apostle John records the start of Jesus’ life as an event that took place before the beginning of time (v.1). And that in Him, there was life; and the life was the light of men (v.4).  John then records there was a man, John the Baptist, sent from God to bear witness of this light (v.7). His ministry declared that He (Christ) was the true Light; the greater Light, and that He was God manifested in the flesh (v.14).

Here in our text, John tells us “the law” was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Meaning, the law pointed out the pollution of human nature, the guilt and punishment of sin. But it could not justify man (John 5:45). The Gospel however, in opposition to the law, is God’s grace and declaration of His love, and truth. Christ, the author of the Gospel, the fulfiller of the promises, and the giver of all grace, is superior to the law. Through Him (Jesus) everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39)

Grace and Truth, “the Gospel” given through Jesus Christ, Hallelujah!

The Truth: “Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the Law. For the Law merely brings awareness of sin.” (Romans 3:20) “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Ecclesiastes 12 “Solomon’s Conclusion”

“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” (vv.13-14)

During a reign distinguished by peace and prosperity, Solomon developed spiritual heart problems. When he was old, his wives turned his heart away from his God. The result was a sad end to a previously exemplary life (v.9). This once wise king who had it all, lost it all, and pondered it all, ended the book with this final conclusion: “Fear God and keep His commandments.”

Those are six words worth heeding, for life “under the sun” has no real meaning. Significance is not found in the number of our days here on earth, but in what our eternal God will say about how we have used them.

The Truth: “For He comes to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.” (Psalm 96:13)

Ecclesiastes 11 “Sowing and Reaping”

“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” (v.1)

The principle of sowing and reaping is often used to warn about the inevitable consequences of evil deeds. But it can also be used as an encouragement to believers in their service for Christ. The love you give, the forgiveness you show, and the patience and forbearance that grace your life will surely (in time), produce much fruit.

The friend you long to bring to Christ may refuse to be reconciled to Him. His/Her heart may seem to be very hard, and your prayers and efforts may appear to be lost; but they are not! They will come back to you a hundredfold. Give God time! The results are working themselves out slowly but surely. There must be seedtime, and summer before the autumn reaping.

Therefore, keep on sowing! In His own time, and in His own way, the Lord will send the harvest!

The Truth: "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." (Galatians 6:7)

Ecclesiastes 10 “Matters of The Heart”

“A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left.” (v.2)

While many have stated that political conservatives would love to use as a verse to condemn liberals, it is really a statement noting how the wise man and the foolish man head in completely opposite directions. That theme runs throughout this passage. Scattered along the way are some very good pieces of advice we all should take note of.

Verse 4 talks of remaining calm in the face of anger, even when its source is a powerful leader. And, while there may be a great temptation to storm away from an outburst, calmly continuing in your duties can smooth the rough waters. Along the same line, showing respect to your superiors, even when you think they are wrong, displays great humility.

Therefore, while circumstances all around you may be screaming at you to react emotionally in one direction, use wisdom and restraint and go in the opposite. A wise person controls his tongue. It is better to speak carefully then to speak in haste, or to say nothing at all than to blurt out something you will regret.

The Truth: “The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way.” (Proverbs 14:8)  

Ecclesiastes 9 “Be Heavenly Minded on Earth”

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol (the grave), where you go.” (v.9)

Just weeks before he was to collect a $1.5 million inheritance, a 43-year-old Australian construction worker died when a wall fell on him. Witnesses said the backhoe operator had taken shelter from a brisk wind when a brick wall collapsed on him.

This may be the kind of untimely misfortune that caused Solomon to wonder about the futility of life (v.2). He knew that we face uncertainty throughout our lives (v.12), and that security seems impossible to come by. So Solomon concluded that if we are wise, we will live for the moment. Yet living only for the moment was not Solomon's ultimate resolution to his dilemma.

Eventually he came to realize that there is only one solid foundation for living with uncertainty. After facing his own sins and distractions, he concluded, "Fear God and keep His commandments" (12:13). That's the only wise way to live for the moment--realizing that God will give eternal value or loss to everything we are now doing or thinking (v.14).

While it is certain we can’t earn our way into heaven by doing good works alone, we can bring a little heaven to earth, by doing all the good we can in life.

The Truth: “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3:23)

Ecclesiastes 8 “God’s Timing”

“For there is a proper time and procedure for every delight, though a man’s trouble is heavy upon him.” (v.6)

Oh how often we need to be reminded that some things take time—God’s time. For instance, when the Israelites first left Egypt, God sent them on the long route to the Promised Land (Ex. 13:17-18). During that time He prepared them, taught them, and challenged them.

In our microwave world, we want everything done instantaneously. But sometimes that’s not God’s plan. He needs to prepare us, teach us, and challenge for every delight. God’s timetable may often move slowly, but it always moves surely.

God has created a plan for each one of us, but the way we go about trusting His plan can dictate our overall happiness. When we pray we open up the communication line between God and ourselves. It allows us to go to Him before seeking help anywhere else, and it shows our submission to Him and His plan for us. The plan He has for us always exceeds our wildest expectations because it aligns with what we are meant to be doing, not what we expect to be doing.

The Truth: “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” (Jeremiah 29:11-12)