Three Years That Changed the World – Words of Peace and Joy in the Midst of Persecution (Jesus in John 16)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 18

Words of Peace and Joy in the Midst of Persecution

(Jesus in John 16)

Jesus is preparing his closest disciples for the persecution (trouble) they are about to face. In just a few short hours Jesus will be handed over to the Jewish religious leaders by Judas Iscariot, and they will begin a “mock” trial with the purpose of proving Jesus was a blasphemer and this will ultimately end in the crucifixion of Christ. Although they will have no grounds for killing Jesus, they will proceed to do so anyway bringing on the most vile and painful death known to man by crucifying Jesus on a cross. Jesus knew this would happen and although he knew Peter would deny him and the others would briefly scatter, he shared these words so they would still trust him in the midst of that persecution.

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me” (John 16:1-3)

Although these words were specifically spoken to the disciples, the reality is that all Christ Followers (Christians) will face persecution and tribulation until they are taken to be with Him in death or “rapture” or until Jesus returns and establishes his final kingdom on earth.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:9-14)

Jesus needed to proceed as God ordained it because it was necessary and beneficial to not just the 11 disciples he spoke to, but to all those who choose to believe in him. Had Jesus not voluntarily gone to the cross there would be no gospel (good news). Sin separates us from a Holy God and needs to be atoned for and that is exactly what is accomplished through Christ’s death on the cross. Christ “redeems” those who believe making them at-one (At-one-ment) with God. Jesus knew all this and although he prepared the disciples for what was about to take place, he knew they would briefly fall away which is why he made this declaration; “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. Next (John 17) Jesus will pray to his Father, knowing that only He could protect the disciples during the dark hours they were soon to face. Stay tuned – we will pick up there in our next lesson.

Peace and Joy in the Midst of PersecutionDownload

Three Years That Changed the World – Words About Proper Relationships (Jesus in John 15)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 17

Words About Proper Relationships

(Jesus in John 15)

Jesus continues teaching his closest disciples just hours before he is to be crucified and in this chapter of John he teaches them about the importance of proper relationships.

He begins with the importance of having a proper relationship with God and it is no accident that he makes his seventh “deity claim” in which he declares “I am the true vine”. Each of these “I am” statements found in the gospel of John are his undeniable claims to deity. As such he is declaring himself to be God.

  1. “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
  2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
  3. “I am the door/gate” (John 10:7)
  4. “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)
  5. “I am the resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)
  6. “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6)
  7. “I am the true vine” (John 15:1-5)

Understanding who God is helps in our having a proper relationship with Him. A true believer recognizes they belong to the vine (Christ) and will choose to abide (remain) in Christ by following him and being obedient to his words. This is the evidence of a genuine follower (disciple of Christ) and results in the blessings found in God’s will (His glory).

We must also maintain proper relationships with one another and one of the primary marks of a Christ follower is shown by how we love one another. It’s not optional – it is a command and love for one another is to be mutual. True Christian love is the churches most powerful example to an unbelieving world. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3:12-14)

The final instruction found in John 15 is to maintain a proper relationship with the world. We are to be in the world but not of the world so the world can see the difference. This will allow us to properly declare the truth that Jesus is God, the promised Messiah!

Words About Proper RelationshipsDownload

Three Years That Changed the World – Words of Comfort (Jesus in John 14)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 16

Words of Comfort

(Jesus in John 14)

Jesus, who had just told the disciples that one of them was going to betray him, recognizes they were troubled in spirit, and he chooses to calm their heart s by saying; “Let not your hearts be troubled”. He now spends time (still in the upper room) helping them to understand why.

The first several verses of John 14 (specifically 1-6), Jesus will once again affirm his deity. He will declare; “if you believe in God, believe also in me”, and “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This specific declaration is the 6th of the seven “I Am” statements (deity claims of Jesus) in John’s Gospel.

  1. “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35)
  2. “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12)
  3. “I am the door/gate” (John 10:7)
  4. “I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11)
  5. “I am the resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25)
  6. “I am the way, the truth and the life”(John 14:6)
  7. “I am the true vine” (John 15:1-5)

There is some confusion among the disciples as to their full understanding of what Jesus means when he says he is leaving them and then returning. This requires further teaching by Jesus and even some mild rebuke for their lack of full understanding after being with him for so long. The disciples were human and (like us) struggled with doubt and even despair as they faced losing the one who has loved and guided them for the last 3 years.

Jesus will spend the balance of John 14 telling them about the coming of the Holy Spirit who will be their advocate, their helper, counselor and their guide. In addition, Jesus will instruct them to follow his commands, specifically by loving God and loving others and to be obedient to all that he taught them. Toward the end of John 14, Jesus once again says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” because he recognizes the weight of the moment. They need only to trust him and God’s will shall be accomplished.

Words of ComfortDownload

Three Years That Changed The World – A Love That Knows NO Limits (Jesus in John 13)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 15

A Love That Knows No Limits

(Jesus in John 13)

As John pens the words in chapter 13, the 3½ years of Jesus’ public ministry (to Israel) had ended. Jesus was about to prepare his closest disciples for what was soon to take place for his “hour had now come”. This preparation will come through a series of discussions, lessons, and guidance over the next 5 chapters (John 13-17).

“It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” (John 13:1)

Jesus knew that his time to “leave this world” and “go to the Father” was in reference to his soon crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus will begin to prepare his closest disciples for what was about to take place and what they were to do. God was in complete control! These teachings/instructions would not be easy for the disciples to accept or even understand but the love of Jesus will become even more evident during this week. Although they will struggle and even feel overwhelmed, through the power of the Holy Spirit, at least 11 of them will endure.

Through the first 12 chapters of the Gospel of John, we witnessed the love that Jesus has for all of mankind (John 3:16) but most notably for his sheep (those who knew him as their savior) to be a special love. He will put that love on full display through humble service, his teachings and ultimately his death on the cross. Contained in these chapters (John 13-17) will be a practical demonstration of Jesus’ continual love for them and the first demonstration of that love will be washing the disciples’ feet.

Despite that love, Jesus knows that one of his very own will betray him. Jesus gave Judas every opportunity to fully trust in him, though Judas’ heart was already moving in the direction of betrayal, Jesus still washed his feet giving him a chance to repent of his sin (the betrayal of Jesus) and receive the same spiritual cleansing that the other 11 disciples were given.

Shortly after Judas is exposed for his betrayal and leaves the room, Jesus will give the other disciples a new commandment to live by – “To Love One Another” and in doing this, everyone will know they are his disciples as they continue his ministry. This will become the focus of the remainder of the time Jesus has with him before his arrest and this “love for others” will become the distinction between the works-based system of “pious religious leaders” and the faith-based practice of the genuine Spirit filled disciples.

A Love That Knows No Limits – Jesus in John 13Download

Three Years That Changed the World – Hosanna in the Highest (Jesus in John 12)

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 14

Hosanna in the Highest – Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord

(Jesus in John 12)

At the conclusion of John 11 we learned that the religious leaders were so spiritually blind that they openly rejected the one who claimed “I am the Resurrection and the Life”. They objected so vehemently that they were about to hatch a plan to have Jesus arrested, tried and put to death, hoping to forever silence him. Jesus knew that the Sanhedrin was plotting to have him arrested and ultimately killed but it wasn’t in God’s timing quite yet. There was still more for Jesus to do.

Jesus, the one who had been ministering for the past 3 and a half years performing miracles, wonders, and signs was on his way to Jerusalem (with a few brief stops) in what is commonly called the “triumphal entry” where He formally/officially presents Himself to Israel as the Messiah and Son of God. When this takes place, it will infuriate the religious leaders which will set in motion the chain of events that will quickly lead to his death at the precise time that was foreordained by God. In fact the remaining 10 chapters of the Gospel of John (John 12-21) cover approximately a 7 day period.

It might have been perceived by the crowd (perhaps they hoped) that Jesus would prove to be the promised Messiah that (they thought) would liberate them from Roman rule and domination and establish the promised kingdom (II Samuel 7:1-16). Jesus was their king, but their deliverance would come later when he is nailed to a cross for the sins of the world and raises from the dead, ascends to heaven, and awaits his final return to rule and reign as promised.

John records for us in chapter 12 of the anguish that Jesus felt knowing of his soon death on the cross where he would bear the sin of the world and the ultimate shame that would bring on him (someone who knew no sin) and for a brief moment separate him from the Father. John will close out the chapter with a rebuke by Jesus against the spiritual blindness of the Jews (those who will call for him to be crucified) who refused to believe in Him.

My prayer is (if you haven’t already done so) that you will open your eyes and see that Jesus is the Savior and Messiah and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior (“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, Romans 10:9-10) and be able to say; Hosanna in the Highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the Highest – Jesus in john 12Download

Three Years That Changed The World – “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”, Jesus in John 11

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Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 13

Jesus – I Am the Resurrection and the Life

(Jesus in John 11)

This chapter (John 11) introduces the story of Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. All three of these individuals have a very close relationship with Jesus and in addition to what John records here in chapters 11 & 12, Luke has a short narrative about Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. The chapter (John 11) begins by mentioning that Lazarus was very sick and quickly succumbs to whatever ailed him and he subsequently dies. Lazarus is not the focal point of this story but the events surrounding him, his sisters and his ultimate death will bring about a miracle in which Jesus will raise Lazarus from the dead.

There was a total of 4 days that passed before Jesus went to the location where Lazarus was. By the time Jesus arrives – Lazarus had already been dead. Jesus knowing what he was going to do (raise Lazarus from the dead) declared that himself and God were to be glorified through this, and the delay in the time of his arrival had nothing to do with Lazarus and everything to do with God’s plan.

Jesus knew full well that Lazarus was dead and that he would raise him from the dead (something the disciples would witness) to bring glory to God and to confirm himself to be equal with God (only God can raise someone from the dead).

Jesus uses this moment to reveal to Martha that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. Martha, though she believed in Jesus, may not have fully understood what Jesus was about to do. Jesus boldly declares the 5th of the 7 “I am” statements recorded in the Gospel of John – “I am the resurrection and the life”. Each of these “I am” statements are claims of deity (Jesus declaring himself to be God) and will cause some to believe in him and others to reject him.

The purpose of raising Lazarus from the dead extended beyond seeing Lazarus alive again. This was a sovereign act of Christ, designed to glorify himself and the Father by putting his resurrection power on full display to not just Martha and the others at Lazarus’ tomb but to all who read John’s Gospel.

The whole purpose for why John wrote his Gospel account is this: “Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31). My hope is that you too will believe and in doing so will have eternal life in the presence of God.

Part 13 – I Am the Resurrection and the Life – John 11Download

Three Years That Changed The World – Jesus the Good and True Shepherd, Jesus in John 10

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Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 12

Jesus – The Good and True Shepherd

(Jesus in John 10)

This discourse by Jesus (John 10) probably continues in the same setting as John 9 where Jesus is addressing the Pharisees (and others). Jesus uses the comparison of a Sheperd to his sheep and the lesson would have been easy to comprehend for those who heard him speak, as it’s a common analogy used throughout Scripture. The Old Testament prophets spoke of the one who would come and shepherd his people. The Pharisees misappropriated themselves as that true shepherd.

“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself, will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 34:11-15)

John 10 contains the 3rd and 4th of the “I Am” statements made by Jesus (“I am the Door/Gate, I am the good shepherd) which was intentional. These “I Am” statements (there are seven of them in the Gospel of John) are crucial for understanding Jesus’s self-revelation in the Gospel of John and his role in God’s plan of salvation. They are not just metaphors, but profound truths about his divine nature and mission. As the True Shepherd, Jesus came to heal and seek and save those who were lost. Those who are his sheep will hear and respond to his voice and those who are not his sheep will willfully choose to ignore him. The True Shepherd (the shepherd of the sheep) – who calls and knows his sheep by name, shows care and concern for his sheep, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. The purpose of this discourse is to show who the True Shepherd is and expose the false shepherds. This will result in a major dispute with the religious leaders as Jesus makes a bold claim; “I and the Father are One” which was a declaration to those who heard that Jesus was God. Although this was rejected by the religious leaders, it didn’t make it any less true! Jesus will later declare in John 14:6; “I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father, but by me”.

Jesus – The Good and True Shepherd – John 10Download

Three Years That Changed the World – Healing the Eyes and the Heart Jesus in John 9

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Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 11

Healing the Eyes and the Heart

(Jesus in John 9)

The Gospel of John is the only Gospel account that records the healing of a blind man who had been blind since birth. There is no record that the man asked to be healed, nor did anyone ask Jesus to heal him. In the same way that Jesus chose to heal the severely disabled man (John 5:5-8) for a specific purpose, Jesus chooses to heal this man who had been blind since birth for a purpose – to bring glory to God.

The story begins with the disciples of Jesus asking a question about the cause of the blind man’s physical condition. Jesus addresses their question and proceeds to heal the man by spitting on the ground, making mud and applying the mud to the man’s eyes. Jesus then instructs the man to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam and the man “came home seeing”.

Those who knew the man were perplexed as they were accustomed to seeing the blind man begging and yet now, he is no longer blind. Given that they knew he had been blind since birth they were extremely confused. They then involve the Pharisees who investigate the matter but refuse to accept that Jesus (someone they later label as a sinner) could have been responsible for such a miraculous healing.

The blind beggar wasn’t confused at all for he said, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”. He initially concludes that Jesus was a prophet but as the story unfolds, we will see that the healing that Jesus offers is more than the physical healing of the eyes. Jesus provides a way to be healed from spiritual blindness as well.

The conclusion that the formerly blind beggar eventually comes to was, that God and Jesus were One, since apart from God Jesus could not have done what he did by healing him. This was no insignificant conclusion and may well have been a direct revelation by God to this man who was originally born blind and brought to this very place at this specific time to be healed by Jesus and bring glory to God.

Sadly, although the Pharisees were presented with irrefutable proof of the divine power of Jesus, they still choose to willfully deny the undeniable. My prayer is that after reading this story and the details of the lesson that you will come to the same conclusion that the blind beggar came to and not follow in the ways of the Pharisees in this story.

Healing the Eyes and the Heart – Jesus in John 9Download

Three Years That Changed The World – Jesus The Light of the World

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Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 10

Jesus – The Light of the World

(John 8)

When you begin reading John 8, most modern translations such as the NIV (New Internation Version) and the ESV (English Standard Version), include verses 1-11 but choose to bracket or italicize it as not being original because the earliest (and many would say the most reliable) Greek manuscripts do not include the story of the woman taken in adultery. However, the Textus Receptus (Traditional Greek New Testament texts used to translate the King James Version – KJV, the German Bible and other English Translations) includes John 7:53—8:11. The attached slide presentation (PDF Download) addresses why this is the case with the intent of drawing some basic conclusions. Although some consider this controversial – there is no reason to let that be the focus for the main point of this chapter is the claim by Jesus in John 8:12; “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”.

This discourse/sermon by Jesus was a continuation of his teachings found in John 7 and addresses some of the questions the Pharisees and religious leaders had about him. These religious leaders ignored the miracles performed by Jesus and openly rejected his claims of being anything more than the son of a Jewish carpenter. The religious leaders thought their security (being one with God) rested in their familial relationship to Abraham and their self-made “religious practices”, but Jesus points out that by rejecting him, they are deceived and have no true relationship to God revealing they need to be set free from their spiritual bondage! It is no difference for us.

When thinking of the claim by Jesus; “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life”, there are just two responses:

  1. “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (John 10:9-13)
  2. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:17-18)
Jesus the Light of the WorldDownload

Three Years That Changed the World – The Claims of Christ: Deceiver or Deliverer

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Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 9

The Claims of Christ – Deceiver or Deliverer

(John 7)

The events recorded by John in chapter 6 would have taken place shortly before the Passover which would have been in our month of April. Since the Feast of Tabernacles was about to begin (John 7:1-2) and that festival was celebrated in our month of October we can conclude that about 6 months had passed since the events of John 6 took place.

It was during that 6-month period that Jesus ministered in the region of Galilee and the detail of what took place during that time is recorded in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. In addition to the healings, miracles and teaching of Jesus during this 6-month period, it becomes evident that Jesus was avoiding an open confrontation with the religious leaders. It wasn’t because he was afraid to face them (as we will see) but it was because it wasn’t his time for once that open confrontation begins, it will start the final clock that leads to his crucifixion and the timing of that was in God’s hands and not man’s.

Somewhere in the middle of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus shows up at the temple courts and begins to teach. Many of the listeners were amazed at his teachings and it confounded them for, in their minds, Jesus was the son of a carpenter with no formal religious training. How could someone like that teach the way Jesus did? What many of them weren’t willing to accept was Jesus’ claim to be from the Father. The key takeaway from this chapter is when Jesus claims; “Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own”. Jesus is claiming to be the promised Messiah and rather than seek to kill him they should instead follow him and then they would know his words are true! This chapter of John shows the unwillingness of the religious leaders to accept Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God who came to seek and to save those who were lost. It really shows how, even with God standing right there in their midst they chose their ways over God’s Way and in the end, they seek to do all they can to silence Jesus by having him crucified on a cross. The very ones who should have known who Jesus was and should have embraced him as their Savior and Lord instead choose to openly reject him. Although they rejected Jesus – God’s plan was for Jesus to go to the cross, be crucified and rise from the dead to give life to all who believe. I hope after reading this lesson that you will find Jesus not to be a deceiver but instead accept him as you Deliverer and follow him with you heart and soul.

The Claims of Christ – Deciever or Deliverer – John 7Download