John by Scott Risley (2013)

John the Apostle wrote this letter to persuade people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. He opens his letter by describing Jesus as the Word - the eternal, personal, creator God who has come to earth and is part of the Trinity. Some received Jesus as Messiah and many did not. How will you respond to Him?

John the Baptist was sent by God with the special purpose of telling people about Jesus. John modeled for us what it looks like to be a good witness for Jesus by 1) meeting Jesus as his Messiah; 2) telling people about Jesus; 3) being humble instead of seeking his own glory; 4) getting to see God's power unleashed. God wants to empower us to be good witnesses for Jesus, too.

John organized his Gospel account around seven miraculous signs Jesus performed so his readers would believe Jesus was the Messiah. The first sign was performed at a wedding in Cana. Jesus turned six large pots of water, which were normally used for Jewish ceremonial cleansing, into wine. Jesus revealed His power and showed He was bringing a new way of relating to God--from the inside out and from ritual to a relationship. God wants our hearts!

Jesus breaks tradition by asking a despised Samaritan woman at Jacob's well for a drink of water. Knowing all about her, he offers her living water, exposes her sordid past, answers her theological questions and reveals his true identity. When she realizes he is the Messiah, she leaves her water jar behind, runs back to the city to tell everyone about Jesus, and many Samaritans come to faith because of her testimony. There is great joy in God working through you to impact others for Him!

John 4 highlights the second of seven signs (miracles) that John describes in order to help the reader believe that Jesus is the Messiah. After a royal official begs Jesus to heal his dying son, Jesus leads him to Biblical faith and heals his son. Biblical faith believes God's Word, acts on God's Word and grows as it eventually sees. There are limitations to miracles: 1) they are different from evidence; 2) they require interpretation and remembering; 3) they can be manipulated by frauds. A TV clip of an ABC News Primetime Live investigation of W.V. Grant's phony faith healing ministry is included.

Two toxic mentalities are revealed through Jesus' miracle of healing a lame man: the victim mentality and the religious mentality. These mentalities are incompatible with real faith and keep people from believing. Jesus asks two questions as he interacts with the lame man and the Jewish leaders: 1) Do you want to get well; and 2) Are you willing to believe?

Scripture and secular historians confirm Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. Four witnesses to Jesus' identity include: 1) John the Baptist; 2) Jesus' works; 3) God's inner voice; and 4) Scripture. A prophecy from Daniel 9 also points to the validity of Jesus' claims. The evidence provided for the dates and events described in the prophecies are undeniable.

Jesus teaches his disciples three lessons through feeding the five thousand: 1) God wants availability over ability; 2) God works through weak people; 3) feeders get more food. God's blessings always prove to be much greater than our abilities.

Jesus performs miracles to show God's power and point to deeper spiritual truth. His claim, "I am the bread of life" was misunderstood and didn't meet the expectations of the disciples or the crowd that followed him. The disciples wanted to influence and significance while the crowd wanted their physical needs met. Properly understood, Jesus' message means we will experience hunger until we come to him. He knows our deepest need for spiritual life and can meet it if we choose to believe in him.

The Pharisees bring a woman they caught in adultery before Jesus. They attempt to trap Jesus into picking sides between the sinners or the Pharisees. Instead of falling into their trap, Jesus asks a question that silences them. Jesus wants people to be free from sin, experience forgiveness and wants to be the one to pay for all sin.

Jesus warns his critics and the crowd that he is the light of the world. He is our greatest need. Without Jesus, we will walk in the darkness which is a life of confusion rather a life of freedom from sin and a life headed to eternity.

Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath which stirs up negative attention from the Pharisees. Jesus then contrasts the response between the blind man and Pharisees. He points out the Pharisees are blinder than the man born blind because the blind man saw his need and believed in Jesus. Having the "I can see" attitude can impact others knowing Jesus and growing with Jesus. No matter who we are, we need to ask God to open our eyes.

Jesus is the good shepherd, and he demonstrates his love and care for us as his sheep by laying down his life for us, pursuing and knowing us personally, and including all kinds of people in his flock. Furthermore, Jesus promises to never lose us once we are in his care, and he allows us to be a part of his shepherding work by acting as spiritual leaders for others.

John illustrates Jesus as the resurrection and the life through Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. This confirms Christ's claim of being the Son of God, anticipates the greater resurrection and guarantees our resurrection so we can face death with hope. Through this account, we learn God feels anger and sorrow about death. Those who know God can grieve death with hope.

Jesus comes to Jerusalem and predicts his death. He was not the king people expected. Despite observing the miraculous signs Jesus performed throughout his ministry, many didn't believe and some were too afraid to admit they did believe. Jesus suffered and died so humanity could have life. His followers are to imitate his example to be truly great.

During Jesus' final night on earth, he had dinner with his disciples and washed their feet. His shocking act of humility was a powerful example of sacrificial service. Once we come into a relationship with Jesus, he wants us to embrace a lifestyle of serving others. Although pain and sacrifice are often involved in serving, Jesus promises that this is the path to experiencing true joy and happiness in life.\r\n

Jesus taught his disciples about the ministries of the Holy Spirit on the night before his crucifixion. Trusting in the Holy Spirit is the key to true spirituality and to all spiritual victory. We can do nothing supernaturally for God without the Holy Spirit. Will you step into the power, guidance, and closeness that only the Holy Spirit can provide?\r\n

Jesus used the metaphor of a gardener with the grapevine and branches to describe a fruitful life for God. He illustrated three types of people and commanded us to abide in him through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the only way to bear fruit for God. Practical ideas for how to abide and the benefits of abiding are given. What better life is there?\r\n

Jesus talked to his disciples about how to live victoriously in a hostile world designed by Satan and opposed to God. He told them that non-Christ followers will hate them because they hated him. These people hate because they know they are wrong. Living for Christ will involve suffering, but the Holy Spirit is always with us. In light of eternity the pain won't last very long, and the Father will give us whatever we ask according to His will because Jesus has overcome the world.\r\n

The human race has a wrong view of God. As Jesus approached the cross, the main thing on his mind was correcting that view. This passage contains Jesus' incredible prayer for his disciples and for all who believe through their message. Thanks to Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection, we can know God personally and have eternal life. We also have the privilege of glorifying God through our actions and words!\r\n

Peter and Judas both betrayed Jesus before his death - one by denying that he had ever met Jesus, and the other by turning him over to the murderous authorities. Even though these two men performed the same despicable act, Peter became a leader in the early church and Judas committed suicide. These two outcomes can only be explained by one factor: their response to their failure. Peter chose to repent while Judas chose to stay in his regret, and we as Christians are also faced with the same choice when we make mistakes in our own lives.

Death by crucifixion is brutal and bloody, and Jesus' death on the cross was no exception. However, Jesus' death was not merely an execution but rather God's plan for the salvation of mankind, and his death simultaneously fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and satisfied God's wrath. Through his sacrifice, we are able have our moral debt paid in full and to experience a personal relationship with God.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ has been portrayed by some scholars as a nice parable for modern, rational people. If the resurrection was not a literal, historical event; however, the ramifications for Christianity and humanity as a whole would be life-altering, and so the evidence must be examined thoroughly. The accounts given in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John present a complete picture of the events that transpired on that Sunday, and through studying them skeptics and believers alike can gain a realistic and accurate perspective of the resurrection.

When Christians fail, it is easy to believe that God has abandoned them or will punish them for their mistakes. The example of Peter's failure, however, demonstrates that God is gracious towards us and can even use our failures for good, and those who choose to accept the second chance God gives them can become more effective servants for Him.