Three Years That Changed The World

Lesson 1 – When The Word Became Flesh (John 1:1-18)

This new series of lessons (primarily focused on the Gospel of John) is about Jesus and His life on this earth – more specifically His three years of ministry and His ultimate death and resurrection. He will be born of a virgin (Mary), lead a sinless life, teach others to love God, to love one another, and to proclaim the good news that He is the Savior of the World! There will be those who believe in Him and those who reject him, but it doesn’t change the fact that He Is who He claimed to be – “God manifested in the flesh”.

This lesson begins with two significant events: the birth and ministry of John the Baptist and the birth and ministry of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Both individuals will be interconnected from their birth all the way to their death. One (John the Baptist) will point the way to Jesus and the other (Jesus) will point the way to salvation for he will declare; “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” – John 14:6.

Though not specifically stated in the Gospel of John, the author of the book is undisputedly the Apostle John (“One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him” John 13:23). Of the four Gospel writers (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), it will be John who will primarily focus on the Deity of Jesus Christ. As such, his first words are “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made”. (John 1:1-3)

John could write these words and testify of the deity of Jesus Christ, not just here but throughout the gospel of John and his other writings, and not just because he knew them to be true but because they are true. To believe in the deity of Jesus Christ is completely essential for he can be nothing less than God. This will be the focus of our first lesson; “When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. I hope you enjoy it!

Three Years That Changed The World

Lesson 2 – Two People, Two Messages, One Truth – John 1:19-37

This lesson begins with the introduction of John the Baptist and focuses on his ministry and purpose. That purpose was to preach repentance to the Jews and those who heard him, baptize them (a sign of an inward obedience to God), and prepare them for the coming Messiah, whom he will call “the Lamb of God, who comes to take away the sins of the world”.

There will be many who repent and do as John preached but there will be others (many of them are “religious leaders”) who will question John’s motives and authority but that will not deter John from completing his mission. That mission is to acknowledge Jesus as the Lamb of God, baptize Him and direct others to repent of their sin and follow Jesus which is precisely what he does.

The message of John and the message of Jesus were the same. John would point others to Jesus and Jesus will point them to salvation through His ultimate sacrifice on the cross.

It is because of sin that Jesus came, and sin is what separates us from God and needs to be dealt with if we ever want to spend time in His presence:

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8)

“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) The lesson will conclude with John the Baptist transitioning his ministry and instruct those disciples who followed him to now follow Jesus. In our next lesson titled; “Come Follow Me” we will see how the 12 disciples (someday called the 12 Apostles) will leave everything to follow Jesus – stay tuned!

Three Years That Changed The World

Lesson 3 – Come Follow Me – John 1:38-51

This lesson picks up just after John baptized Jesus. Although John the Baptist will continue to preach and point the way to Jesus, the emphasis and focus of the Gospel writers from this point forward will be on Jesus and not John the Baptist.

In fact, two of John the Baptist’s disciples (Andrew and John) will begin following Jesus shortly after Jesus is baptized. Although they will start following Jesus, there will be several encounters between John, Andrew, Peter and James before they fully commit to Jesus and leave their occupation as fisherman of fish and become fisherman of men! This lesson will reveal their hearts and motives behind their desire and decision to follow Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior and King. It is quite a compelling story that is just beginning to unfold.

Two others (Philip and Nathanael/Bartholomew) will recognize that Jesus is the Son of God, the King of Israel and leave everything to follow him. Their story is equally compelling as Nathanael (after meeting Jesus) will come to a full understanding of what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 139:1-4, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”

The remaining 6 disciples will begin following Jesus later but all 12 will be called to go and preach the gospel (the Good News that Jesus is the Savior) and make disciples and compel others to also follow Jesus.

This 3-year journey in which Jesus will teach them who he is, why he has come and what they are to do is written in the 4 Gospel accounts. As we read through the Gospels (specifically the Gospel of John) we will witness multiple miracles, wonders and signs along with multitudes of people who are healed of all types of diseases and infirmities.

In the end, It is my prayer and hope that you will embrace what John writes toward the end of his Gospel account, “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)

Three Years That Changed The World

Lesson 4 – Miracles Are God’s Business – John 2:1-12

Sometime after Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael to follow him; Mary, Jesus, and his disciples will head towards the region of Galilee (more specifically Cana). They will be invited to a wedding in Cana, and this will be the scene of the very first “public” miracle by Jesus.

It is interesting that Jesus chose this moment to perform his first miracle in public and the fact that he did it at a wedding ceremony shows the value that he placed on the sacredness and importance of the marriage relationship. Jesus took something completely ordinary (water) and turned it into something extraordinary (the choicest wine). There was no magic wand, no scripted words, and no fanfare – he just made it happen and it was so.

This miracle which is only recorded by John and not the other 3 gospel writers can be easily overlooked if we don’t take the time to carefully examine it. For starters, how about you try it! You can make wine (some can make it better than others) but it takes more than just water to make that happen. Jesus didn’t add anything to the water – he just made water become wine. We also learn from John’s record that the disciples believed the miracle and no doubt increased their faith in Jesus, but there is no record that the servants who poured the wine from the water jars who witnessed the miracle believed. This is why some people can read about this miracle and believe while others can read it and not believe.

This might have been the first miracle performed by Jesus but it won’t be his last. In fact, John (the Apostle and gospel writer) will record 8 of the 35 miracles performed by Jesus that we find written in the New Testament. We know that Jesus performed more than 35 miracles for he will perform mass healings of people when he fed the 4000 recorded in Matthew 15; “Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing”.

You have to ask yourself; why did he turn water into wine, why did he heal people of their diseases, why did he cast out demons whose sole purpose was to torment people, why did he feed masses of people with so little? Because he loves them and because he wants people to believe and follow him. He sees the pain of this world (pain not caused by Him) and wants to deliver people from the pain of their sin and the miracles he performed were for that purpose; “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)

Take a good hard look through this lesson – download the PDF and examine the scriptures for yourself. It is quite compelling to see the compassion and the power displayed by Jesus and yet some will accept him while others reject him. My prayer is that you will accept Him.

Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 5

Jesus – There is Something About That Name

(John 2:13 – John 3:36)

After spending some time in Capernaum, Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover festival in the spring of 27 AD. Because it was the Passover (the most significant feast celebrated by the Jews), the city of Jerusalem would have naturally been bustling with people, merchants (selling and trading their wares) and pilgrims from various regions of Roman Empire. The merchants (those selling cattle, sheep, doves etc.) and “money changers” were probably setup in the Temple area known as the Court of the Gentiles.

John will write about what transpires when Jesus encounters these merchants and money changers who are defiling the intended use of the Temple which was supposed to be used for true and proper worship of God. Ironically, if this was just some random, ordinary rabbi/teacher creating this pandemonium then his actions should have been met with opposition, but no one stopped him, and I find that interesting. Instead of stopping Jesus (they had the ability to do so), they challenge his authority and ask for a sign. They either thought him to be a prophet (like Elijah), a crazed lunatic (like John the Baptist), or someone else. The answer Jesus gave them wasn’t at all what they were looking for (and he knew it because he knew their hearts) and because they were spiritually blind the answer only confused them more. They completely miss the point! Jesus will perform many miracles while he was in Jerusalem and John (the author of this Gospel) tells us that many people will believe in Jesus because “There is Just Something About Thant Name”.

All this commotion will get the attention of a significant religious leader named Nicodemus. He will be taught a lesson that will stump and confuse him for Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be “Born Again”. It is an interesting dialogue, and, in the end, it can be summed up with this statement; Nicodemus struggled with who Jesus was – was he really God? Nicodemus could accept he was sent from God but to conclude he was God took faith, and Nicodemus didn’t seem ready at this point to take that step.

The words of Jesus are compelling and the thought that “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” may have been too much for Nicodemus to grasp but it doesn’t make it any less true. Eternal life now becomes the focal point of the Gospel (Good News) for Jesus would give his life so that we might be saved (not perish). As Jesus continues his ministry, he will demonstrate the love that God has for the world (all of mankind) and will teach his disciples how to live as God intended them to live and to embrace him as the one who could save them from the sins that separated them from their Father in heaven. My prayer is that you come to that same conclusion.

Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 6

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

(John 4)

After leaving the Judean countryside, Jesus once again makes his way to the region of Galilee. He will make a planned visit to a well located near the town of Sychar which is in the broader region of Samaria. The purpose in stopping at the well was to meet with and have a conversation with an unnamed woman who is often referred to as the “Woman at the Well” or “The Samaritan Woman” for she was a Samaritan who came there to draw water from the well near the town of Sychar.

The division and near bitter animosity between Jews and Samaritans remained an issue prior to, during and even after the time Jesus walked this earth. This made this visit extremely significant for it showed that God cares for the whole of mankind and the Samaritan Woman needed to witness the love and compassion Jesus was offering.

The lesson Jesus used to get his point across involved the comparison of physical water (able to quench the physical thirst of our bodies) and something that lasted for a short period of time to living water (able to quench the thirst of our soul) which was eternal. This translated to the need that the Samaritan Woman and her entire village needed which was the salvation of their souls and the reason Jesus stopped to see her. Only the “Living Water” that Jesus offered could fully quench that thirst and to receive that water the woman needed to recognize her sin (which separated her from God) and embrace Jesus as her Savior/Messiah which she does. There are several lessons found throughout this chapter of the Gospel of John; from the breaking down of the social barriers that separate us, to having love and compassion for those considered downcast and unwanted, and having an understanding that it is faith and not works that save us. Salvation comes to those who accept Jesus Christ as Messiah and he is the only one capable of making us right with God; “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 7

Jesus Removes All Religious Barriers

(John 5)

While in Samaria – Jesus helps to remove the Social/Cultural Barriers that stood in the way of the Samaritan people from having a “right” relationship with God. This was his purpose in meeting with the Woman at the Well by showing her He was the promised Messiah and she no longer needed to allow those cultural barriers to keep her from seeking and worshipping God as God intended.

The next recorded event in the Gospel of John is when he heals the man at the pool of Bethesda who was severely disabled. (John 5:1-13). This healing will spark a significant rift between the religious leaders and Jesus for 2 reasons:

1. The healing of the severely disabled man took place on the Sabbath and the severely disabled man was instructed by Jesus to pick up and carry his mat for he was now completely healed and could now walk. These actions by Jesus and the severely disabled man violated the Jewish traditions/regulations established by the religious leaders, especially their man-made laws related to the Sabbath itself.
2. The actions and declarations by Jesus made him equal with God. Although this was completely true – the religious leaders rejected that idea and considered it blasphemy.

To fully understand this opposition, its necessary to explore the events that take place in Galilee between John 4 and John 5 which are recorded in the other 3 Gospel accounts (Synoptic Gospels). During Jesus ministry in Galilee the following events take place:

1. Jesus will proclaim – “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (Mark 1:14-15)
2. Jesus will perform many miracles and healings
3. The religious leaders will continue to challenge the authority of Jesus
4. Jesus will call Matthew to follow him
5. Jesus will preach his famous “Sermon on the Mount” where he will teach the people how to live rightly with God and their fellow man
6. Jesus will calm the storm, heal a demon possessed man, raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead and heal two blind men among many other miracles.

So, when John writes this portion of his Gospel account(John 5) about the healing of the severely disabled man and the hostile opposition by the religious leaders towards Jesus – it really shows that accepting that Jesus is Equal with God is the difference between belief and unbelief. This seems to be the focal point of John 5 and will continue to be the division between the religious leaders (unbelief) and the truth of the Gospel (belief) which recognizes Jesus is God – the Promised Messiah.

Three Years That Changed The World – Lesson 8

A Demonstration of Divine Power

(John 6)

The focus of this lesson is on two significant miracles performed by Jesus in which he displays his Divine Power:

1. The Feeding of the 5000
2. Jesus Walks on the Water

The timing of the events recorded in John 6 happen sometime after the disciples had been preaching throughout the Galilean region and after John the Batist was killed (beheaded) by Herod Antipas (Mark 6). As such the time between John 5 and John 6 would have been about 6 months and the events of John 6 would have been approximately 1-1.5 years before Jesus was crucified.

Prior to the actual miracle of the Feeding of the 5000, Jesus had crossed (by boat) to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (just east of Capernaum) and went up to the mountainside which would have been in what is today referred to as modern day Golan Heights.

A great crowd (many of them had previously witnessed the miracles Jesus had performed in the region of Galilee) began to assemble in the area where Jesus and his disciples were. The crowd was probably in excess of 10,000 people (men, woman and children) and after a series of discussions with his disciples, Jesus had compassion on the crowd and miraculously fed all of them with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and there was even food leftover.

The second miracle happened shortly after the Feeding of the 5000 and it involved Jesus walking on water. The event and the miracle are recorded in 3 out of the 4 gospel accounts (Luke being the only one to not mention it) and this is the fifth miraculous sign recorded by John and intended to demonstrate the divine power/authority of Jesus over the laws of nature. There has never been another recorded event like this and although skeptics have lobbed their attempts to lessen its significance – it no doubt solidified the faith of those disciples in the boat for they recognized God was in their midst.

The balance of John 6 addresses the significance of the Divine Authority that Jesus will claim in the first of his “I Am” statements recorded in John’s Gospel. This will be a hard teaching for some to accept but it doesn’t make it any less true that God was in their midst.

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.

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 these verses 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)

“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)

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 accounts 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.

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”.

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 5^th 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.

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.

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.

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 them moment. They need only to trust him and God’s will shall be accomplished.

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!

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.

Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 19

Understanding the Heart of God

(Jesus in John 17)

Jesus concludes his teaching time (John 13-16) with his disciples. During his time with them in the upper room – Jesus:

1. Washed the disciples’ feet – showing he deeply loved them (John 13:1-12)
2. Ate a final meal with them where he tells them he would be betrayed by one of them (John 13:18-30) and that he was about to die (John 13:31-38)
3. Provided comfort that he would not leave them alone and would send the Holy Spirit to indwell them and teach them everything they needed to know. (John 14)
4. Instructs them to remain in his love (abide in him) and warns them that the world will hate them just as they hated him, but to remain strong. (John 15)
5. Instructs them to not lose hope, because even in anticipation of his death on the cross he boldly declares, “I have overcome the world!” (John 16)

Now Jesus moves to a time of prayer as recorded in John 17. Jesus begins his prayer by looking upwards to where God dwells. When Jesus asks the Father to “glorify your Son” he was asking that the eternal plan of redemption (salvation) be consummated exactly as it had been sovereignly ordained. This prayer by Jesus considers that his death on the cross (though future) was a certainty and would be perfectly accomplished because nothing could prevent the Father’s purposes from being realized. It is also important to understand that only Jesus (who lived a sinless life) could accomplish this work (presenting himself as a sacrifice for sin) that the Father requested him to do. Were it not for the cross, there would be no salvation from sin (for anyone), no hope, and no eternal destiny for anyone other than total separation from God.

This next portion of Jesus’ prayer (John 17:6-19) is primarily focused on the 11 remaining disciples. As Jesus continues his prayer, he will emphasize that it will be their belief, faith and trust that will sustain them, for it won’t be until after the resurrection of Jesus that they will fully grasp why he had to die. Jesus was concerned for his disciples because he knew that the world (those who reject Jesus and the entirety of evil) would be hostile toward them and he already warned them as such. John 16:1-11). Jesus will ask the Father for  their “spiritual protection”, and he also asks the Father to sanctify and purify them as they prepare to preach the truth to the world.

Jesus finishes his prayer by praying for all future believers (John 17:20-26), that they will be united together, in the same way that He is united to the Father.

Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 20

Betrayal in the Garden

(Jesus in John 18)

Jesus finished his teaching time with his disciples (John 13-17):

1. He taught them to serve (John 13)
2. He comforted and encouraged them (John 14)
3. He taught them to lean into him, abide in him, obey him and to love him (John 15)
4. He prepared them for what was about to take place with not just himself (death on a cross) but also the persecution they would face (John 16)
5. He taught them how to pray (John 17)

After Jesus finished praying, he and the disciples left Jerusalem, then cross the Kidron Valley, and head to the western slope of the Mount of Olives where they will visit the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus frequented this area to teach his disciples and to pour out his heart to the Father. It will be Judas who betrays Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and his personal knowledge of its significance will aid Judas as he guides the religious leaders in arresting Jesus there. It is sad to think that Judas (a trusted friend) will betray Jesus in this sacred place, but Judas, who is motivated by greed, seems to care more for himself than anything else.

There is an interesting parallel to another garden mentioned in the Bible – the Garden of Eden, where a different type of betrayal occurred.

The Garden of Eden

1. A beautiful place where God walked and communed directly with Adam and Eve
2. A perfect place of intimacy between God and his creation
3. A place where Satan tempted Eve to betray God (commit sin) and led Adam to do the same

The Garden of Gethsemane

1. A sacred place where Jesus communed with his Father
2. A quiet place where Jesus often taught his disciples and shared his deepest thoughts
3. A place where Satan led Judas to betray Jesus

The remainder of John 18 tells the story of the arrest of Jesus, his 3 religious trials and his 3 civil trials, along with Peter’s denial of Jesus, not just once but 3 times.

It is worthwhile to stop and remind ourselves that, despite the hatred, jealousy and evil desires that the Jewish religious leaders had toward Jesus, they were only capable of pulling off this sham trial and ultimately the most vile and criminal death sentence ever brought against an innocent man, because God allowed it. This plot to kill Jesus had been in the works for some time (John 5:18) but now in God’s timing he permitted Judas to betray him and hand him over to the religious leaders so they could carry out their plans to silence Jesus. Sadly, Pilate is unable to stop the vehement and vicious hatred the religious leaders had for Jesus, and as we will see in the next chapter, they will cry out – “crucify him”!

Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 21

Death on a Cross

(Jesus in John 19)

When I embarked on this study – “Three Years That Changed The World”, primarily focusing on the Gospel of John – I knew that this chapter (John 19) would be the most difficult of them all as it describes the detail of the death of Jesus on the cross. It also brings to mind as to who is truly responsible for the death of Jesus on the cross. Was it the Jewish religious leaders, was it Pilate, or was it the Roman government as a whole?

While it’s true that all 3 groups listed above played a significant role in the actual crucifixion itself, the real reason all of this took place was God’s predetermined plan to create a way for Jesus to take on the sins of all those who would believe in him and create a path of redemption through his shed blood on the cross they crucified him on. Jesus was not a victim, and his death was not because of any scheme of man, it was because the Father willed it so. How do we know this:

“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:22-24)

As we see from John’s description of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus, it saddens my heart to read the vehement and cruel animosity the religious leaders had toward Jesus. Even Pilate attempts to lessen the punishment by declaring Jesus to be innocent but he is unsuccessful in stopping their cries to crucify him.

So the question of the day is – “Why the Cross”? Because we are all sinners and our sin separates us from a Holy and Righteous God; “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The only one who could bridge that gap between fallen man and God is Jesus Christ; “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8),  “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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18). It is your choice to believe!

Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 22

He is Risen – Just as He Said

(Jesus in John 20)

When Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot and subsequently arrested by representatives of the chief priests and elders, He voluntarily submitted to be taken to trial before the Sanhedrin (The governing body of Jewish Temple). Jesus did this as it was a fulfillment of what the Old Testament prophets spoke of (read – Isaiah 53). This was all a part of God’s plan. The initial accusations and charges didn’t rise to the level of requiring death, but when the high priest asked Jesus; “are you the Messiah, the Son of God? It was His response that provides the answer to Why the Resurrection? “You have said so, Jesus replied. But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). To the Jewish leaders who heard this response by Jesus, they considered it blasphemy, for to them Jesus was declaring himself to be equal with God. However, their method of punishment for such a claim was to be stone the person to death. This was not the plan of God but instead Jesus would be presented before a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate who ultimately would pronounce judgement to crucify Him. As such, hundreds, if not thousands would witness the horrendous punishment inflicted by the Roman soldiers upon Jesus (a fulfillment of what the prophets foretold) and ultimately nailed Him to the cross because God willed it so. At any point, Jesus could have called the entire host of angels to stop such a cruel punishment, but He voluntarily submitted Himself to die for the sins of the world. Jesus was nailed to the cross and there were sufficient witnesses to that fact – four gospel accounts, 26 New Testament books, hundreds and probably thousands who witnessed the crucifixion and death.

After His death, Jesus was placed in a tomb. The religious leaders went to great extremes to ensure His body stayed there and even had a stone rolled in front of the opening of the tomb to ensure his body could not be stolen. Well, 3 days later Jesus rose from the dead, because He is God and to fulfill what He told His disciples He would do. Now, there have been plenty of doubters and skeptics from then until now who claim it didn’t happen. To deny the resurrection doesn’t mean it didn’t happen but the evidence that it did happen is overwhelming! You will have to read the attached lesson to see for yourself and if I didn’t cover it thorough enough – read the Bible for yourself and draw your own conclusions. Consider this:

Why the Resurrection? Because that was always God’s plan to redeem fallen man and ransom us from eternal separation from the One who created us. All He asks is that we trust and believe Him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 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 3:16-18)

“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)

Three Years That Changed the World – Lesson 23

The Need for Restoration and Renewal

(Jesus in John 21)

The events that John records in this final account (John 21), occur after the disciples had left Jerusalem and made their way north to Galilee just as Jesus commanded them to do. Jesus had risen from the dead and revealed himself to his closest disciples’ multiple times as well as to many others.

We know from John’s account in chapter 21, that only 7 of the 11 disciples met with Jesus at the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They had been fishing all night but didn’t catch a thing. After coming back to shore, they met with Jesus, although they didn’t recognize him at first.

Since this was early in the morning it meant that the disciples had been fishing all night and a possible indication that this wasn’t a recreational adventure but a return to Peter’s former trade as a fisherman. Fishing at night was what serious fisherman would do as that is when they would expect to catch fish. The seven disciples were; Peter, James, John (Sons of Zebedee), probably Andrew and Philipp (the unnamed disciples) along with Thomas, and Nathanael.

Jesus had lit a fire and already started cooking breakfast (fish and bread) which he miraculously provided prior to the disciples landing on shore with their catch of fish. Not that long prior to this event, Peter had denied Jesus while he was sitting beside a fire (John 18:18,25) and now while sitting beside another fire he was about to be restored by the very one that he denied knowing.

There was a total of three questions that Jesus asked. Although we aren’t specifically told why Jesus asked these three questions in the manner that he did, the assumption is that it may have paralleled the three denials that Peter made as to whether he knew Jesus and or followed him. Perhaps the Lord may have been trying to emphasize to Peter the requirement for “full devotion” to the work he was called to do, and Peter may have been lacking in that area. Jesus’ interaction with Peter seemed to have several purposes which this account in John 21 reveals and the ultimate goal was to see Peter fully restored to his place of ministry. Peter was being challenged to abandon everything (this would include any worldly pursuits such as his own fishing business) and follow Jesus with his whole heart. Further, Jesus was probably instilling into Peter the expected commitment to the ministry he was called to; “Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19). The significance of this instruction by Jesus was tied not only to Peter’s restoration but to show his responsibility to care for (like a shepherd/Pastor) for his flock.

John closes his Gospel (being an eyewitness to the events recorded in his Gospel account) having the authority to declare that what he wrote about Jesus was 100% true.

“This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21:24-25)

Neither John nor the other Gospel writers could not have captured everything Jesus said or did. What was written was done so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and contained everything we needed to know.

“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)