John chapter 14

vs 21

What Jesus has just said is a bit of a parallelism - he started in vs 15 talking about loving him and obeying his commands, and now he finishes this little speech with whoever obeys his commands loves him. He then expounds on it to show that the love will be reciprocal, and not just between himself and those who obey him, but with the Father too.

There is another important idea hidden away in this verse. It is to those who love and obey Jesus that he will "show" himself to (NASB says disclose, KJV says manifest). The idea being, then, that if you love Jesus, by obeying his commands, then he will reveal more of himself to you - your relationship and understanding of Jesus will grow.

vs 22

Bit of a smarter cookie, that Judas Notiscariot. This is quite a searching question, and one which is asked of us every time someone says "But what about all the people who haven't heard?"

vs 23

Jesus doesn't say it out and out, but instead is at pains to point out that what he has just said is not only for the Twelve. It is for anyone who does it. Anyone who loves Jesus and obeys his commands can have this relationship with God, and God and Jesus will make their home with him. This seems to me to be a reference to the Holy Spirit, who will be mentioned in a couple of verses' time.

Jesus won't make himself known to all people. He'll be dead soon. With that in mind, the message is clearer - go out and tell people about Jesus, so they can love him, because anyone who loves him will have a home with God.

vs 24

And the flip side is also true, that those who don't obey Jesus don't love him, and the suggestion most probably is that they will not have a home with God. Jesus thinks this is so important that he puts the stamp of God on his words. Of course, all Jesus' words have that stamp, but these ones he specifically mentions it.

vs 25

The teachings of Jesus, though, are only the beginning of the picture. He was only around for three and a bit years. Thankfully, though, there is more to the picture than that.

vs 26

There is another Skywalker, but it's not a person. This time, it's the Holy Spirit, and when it comes, it will teach all things, and also remind us of the things that Jesus said. Useful even more today, when we hadn't heard all of what Jesus had to say first hand.

vs 27

Certainly not peace as in "world peace". Rather, it is 'Jesus Peace' - the kind of peace which allows him to go and get nailed to a cross without complaint. And the apostles are going to need a lot of that peace too.

But it is more than that. It is not a worldly peace - that is, a fleeting peace, a thing that is here and then is gone. It is an eternal peace. Jesus Peace is not just for this world. It is an eternal peace. It starts now, and ends never.

And that peace should protect them from fear. They should not be troubled, but instead know that they have God's love and Jesus' love if they follow his commands.

vs 28

Jesus wants to go back to the Father. Going to bw with the Father is an awesome thing, and so if the disciples really love him, they wouldn't begrudge him that. I guess they just don't want him to have to get there via a cross.

vs 29

If it had happened suddenly, without warning, I think Christianity would have died on the spot. Even though the disciples didn't get it, and were troubled and afraid, they at least had been told what was going to happen, so that when it did happen, they could put it together.

vs 30-31

The time has come for Jesus to go and do this thing. He wants the disciples to make sure that they know that this is not the victory of Satan. It might look like it. It looks a lot like it. But Jesus is going out there willingly, not at the behest of evil, not to give evil victory. His example will be one of his own love for the Father, and his obedience to God's commands. What he has just spent all this time talking about, he is about to exemplify.

John chapter 14

vs 11

I blame February somehow.

The evidence of miracles is, to Jesus, the least convincing thing about his lordship. Fair enough too. I mean, people had done miracles before Jesus, but that did not make them the Son of God.

vs 12

And in fact, Jesus knows that even greater things will be done in God's name. Now, that is of course besides his own resurrection. I'm not saying that other resurrections don't happen, but Jesus' will always be superior, because no one else came and did it for him.

Jesus seems to suggest, too, that the reason more potent things will be doable is because he is going to the Father. I'm not quite sure how that works theologically, but the best explanation I would think is that it's just a timing thing - the time after Jesus' resurrection is more incredible than the time before.

vs 13

Well, there's another good reason - that if we do do incredible things in Jesus' name, then it brings glory to God. But I don't think it would be as glorifying to God if we all went around doing miracles or whatever before Jesus' death.

vs 14

That is a very unqualified statement. It's the kind of question we as Christians constantly find ourselves needing to disarm and fiddle with. Was it a promise only to the disciples? Is the period of miracle working over? Does it really mean that if we ask for anything that's already God's will, we will get it?

My experience has tended to be number three, but it does feel limiting. Perhaps we're just so unwilling to actually ask. Or perhaps we are unwilling to actually be doing what Jesus wants, so that he will give us anything.

vs 15

I think it's interesting that this sentence comes straight after the one where Jesus promises to do anything we ask. If we love Jesus, we will obey his commands. If we obey his commands, we will live a life directed by God. If we are living a life directed by God, then he probably will do whatever we ask.

vs 16

Jesus is a counsellor, but the Holy Spirit is the one that hangs around with us on earth while we wait for Jesus to get back.

vs 17

The Spirit is much maligned, and not just outside the church. Sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking that we believe in the binity. And yet the Spirit is perhaps for modern Christians the most important part of the trinity - we can't see Jesus, but we can see the work of the Spirit in our own lives and in the lives of others. It is with the Spirit that we have our closest union.

vs 18

Jesus isn't replacing himself with the Spirit - he promises he will return. But neither does he leave us empty-handed - just as the disciples were honoured to be in the presence of God through their dealings with Jesus Christ, so we should be honoured, because we are in the presence of God dwelling in us. That's quite a potent truth once you get your brain around it.

vs 19

I assume this is referring to the resurrection - the world rejects Christ, but the disciples will actually see him after he returns from the dead, and because he lives (after death) then so shall we all live. Jesus' resurrection really is the key to our eternal life. Without it, his death would have been a sad tragedy.

vs 20

The resurrection brings to light a whole lot of things - it really is the crux of Christianity. Like Paul says, if Christ did not resurrect, then we are all lost. Our hope is useless. But if Jesus did resurrect, then we have a serious truth to confront as humanity. For those of us who have accepted him, though, it means a realisation that Jesus is God, and that we abide in Christ, and also that he abides in us.

If anything, Jesus abiding in us is even more complex. I'm going to chicken out and say that, because of the triune nature of our God, Jesus does live within us because of the Holy Spirit living in us. But this could be just as much a statement regarding the inward nature of Christ being inside us and transforming us into Christ, if you know what I mean. Perhaps that's reading too much into it.

John chapter 14

vs 1

Context is a wonderful thing. You can read some verses, or some you will hear over and over again, because they are good verses, but nothing beats going through the whole thing and seeing what the situation behind those verses is. I think chapters 14-17 are going to be like that for John. Says alot about how good a book it is, but also about how much we need to recognise the context of those chapters.

Jesus' classic words here are not floating in a deep nothingness. He's just told his disciples that one of them will betray him, one will deny him three times, and that he's going somewhere they can't follow, for now. Is it any wonder he says that they shouldn't let their hearts be troubled? He wants them to trust him, to have faith that this isn't going to end badly. They should trust him as they trust God - completely. But not just to trust him generally - they need to trust him specifically in an understanding that God is above all the doubts, betrayals and denials of his people. His purpose will always be on top.

vs 2

And Jesus, even though he is going away, is going to be with God. They all should know what that means - it's not like it's the first time Jesus has said he's going to die, but now they're probably a little more worried. They know his opponents want to kill him, and they know that one of them will betray him to them. Jesus knows it too, but he is telling them that it's part of the plan. He goes away to prepared places for his people in heaven.

vs 3

And the end result of the plan is that they will go to be with the Father (and Jesus) too. But Jesus has to go away to do that. He can't hang around with the disciples on their knock-about romp through Israel for ever. Three and a bit years, it's not as long as they'd like I guess. But Jesus thought it was long enough. But he will return. I'm assuming he's talking about his end-times return here, rather than his return from the dead. Because he didn't take them all with him when he came back from the dead.

vs 4

Apparently, if they'd been listening, they would know.

vs 5

Thomas is there to prove him wrong though. Well done! It's only fair, though, to me anyway. The way John portrays Jesus, especially what Jesus says, is very confusing, and you never really know when to take his words literally, or whether he's painting a word picture or using symbols. So what is Thomas meant to think now? Is Jesus really going to the Father? Is he going to die to do that? Or what?

vs 6

An alternate translation is "I am the true and living way". The point is that Jesus was talking about going to be with the Father, and preparing places for his disciples there. And he's the only one that can do that, that can get you to the Father's house.

vs 7

Jesus wants them to get that! From now on, they should see God the Father when they look at Jesus. Will they? Not yet, they still don't get it. But Jesus is saying that they do, even if they don't realise it now. They do know the Father, because they do know Jesus.

vs 8

Whoops, but another disciple wants to prove Jesus wrong. Philip is now showing that he, too, doesn't get it. They want to see the Father. But didn't Jesus just say "If you know me, you know my Father as well?" But Philip wants to see it, with his own two beadies. "That will be enough". But would it? So often we look back and say "If only we could meet Jesus, that would be enough for me. That would clinch it for me. Then I could really have faith." Well, meet Philip. He was there, and he wanted more.

vs 9

Jesus, I think, is suitably peeved. How can he say it? We met Philip back in chapter 1. He's been there with Jesus the full time. He's the third disciple. But he still doesn't get it. So Jesus makes it clear. He says that if you look at him, you are looking at the Father. Same same. Now, at the end, the night before he goes to die, and Philip comes out with this pearler.

vs 10

The Father is in Jesus! God in Jesus is God at work, God in action, God on earth. Don't you believe, Philip? How much more do you need to see? You've witnessed every miracle, heard everything he had to say. But that hasn't been enough. Peter was one of the three who saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain. He still goes on to deny Jesus as Christ three times. Is it ever going to be enough?

At some point, you have got to look at what you think you really need to see and hear before you're going to believe, and then look back at all the things you actually have seen and heard, and you'll probably realise "Hey, ok, I have actually got a hell of a lot of evidence here, and a hell of a lot of reasonable propositions, and a whole lot of seeming coincidences, and so on and so on". That's what Jesus is asking Philip to do here. Don't just set the standard as "one bit more than I have, and then I'll believe". Look at what you've already got! Because if you call on God to do one more thing, one bigger thing, and he doesn't do it, you are in a lot of trouble. It means you've already got enough. God can't be unjust. He just can't. And so if you ask for something ("Reveal the Father, that will be enough") and it doesn't come, the truth is you've already got enough information. God isn't a miracle candy-machine. He knows you better than you know yourself. He'll give you what you need, and to ask more is just rude really. Jesus got upset at Philip, and I think that was fair.

John chapter 13

vs 31

Jesus takes his own glory, and that of God, very seriously. And yet it is in this act of betrayal that he sees a fulfilment, or a culmination, of the glory that his work has brought to God.

vs 32

Because God is glorified, so the Son will be glorified, and it will happen immediately. There us still a fulfilment to occur, but the wheels are in motion.

vs 33

He's going to die. The disciples could support Jesus in a lot of ways I guess (although their primary role was to learn from Jesus), but they could not follow him to death. Not yet, anyway. A lot of them would. But not yet. Later.

vs 34

The command which John never forget. It sounds so simple, but it is truly profound. It does not come after the washing of their feet by accident either - because this is an act of love which Jesus expects his disciples to follow in.

vs 35

This is how Jesus expects his message to be spread - in and through love. This command is more than just an acceptance, a tolerance, a friendship, or even an intimacy. It is a service. The footwashing is the representation of the love Jesus expects them to have for each other. It is a submissiveness. Such a love will be apart from anything the world knows. It will stand out as something special. Something peculiar. Something desirable.

vs 36

Peter, did you even hear me? I said Love one another. I said you can't come, so deal with it. But oh, no, Peter is locked on this idea that he's going to be separated from Jesus, and he wants to show how big and tough a man he is. Jesus tells him it's not going to happen. Not now anyway. Later, Peter, you will suffer and die, will that make you happy? You know, it probably did. Because by then, he probably understood a whole lot more.

vs 37

But at the moment, he's frustrated. Where can Jesus be going that Peter won't follow. He'll follow him to death if he has to! He's passionate, he loves his master, and he will do whatever it takes.

vs 38

Ouch. Peter really does love Jesus, and to hear this is probably a knife in the chest. It's all well and good to say such things, see, and Peter did know that Jesus' life was on the line. But I don't think he really believed Jesus was going to die. He was prepared to fight for Jesus, and perhaps die in battle. But he doesn't expect what's about to happen. And now, he is going to be marked forever as the one who denied Jesus 3 times. All the disciples ran off - who knows what their stories were - but we all remember Peter.

John chapter 13

vs 21

How did John know he was troubled in spirit? What does that mean? Well, we get the general jist of it, because he's trying to say that one his his inner 12 is going to betray him. That's pretty shocking - the amount of respect and honour you are meant to have for your master, let alone for someone who is the Messiah, should preclude any such idea. They already know the Pharisees are out to get them - but someone on the inside?

vs 22

None of them had suspicions at the time, it seems. Perhaps the way he said it suggested it was going to be the fulfilment of a prophecy, and so they realised it could be any of them.

vs 23-24

It's this sort of little detail that really lets you know that John was there. And at such a privileged position, right next to Jesus. Why didn't Peter ask him himself? It could be a cultural thing that discussion didn't fly across the table, but I don't know.

vs 25

Anyway, he does ask where Peter doesn't.

vs 26-27

In John's gospel, Jesus marks out Judas openly. And it says that only after he took the bread did Satan enter him. So could it hacve been anyone? Was Judas marked from before the beginning of time? So many questions here. Jesus then tells him to get about and do the thing he is about to do.

vs 28

Everyone else, though, doesn't realise that he was being so immediate. Judas probably did. It must be hard to betray someone who knows you're going to do it, and has just said it to you.

vs 29

John, being one of those who didn't understand at the time, gives us a fair insight into what the people were thinking at the time.

vs 30

Jesus did tell him to do it quickly, after all. Obedient, in a way.

John chapter 13

vs 11

Thank you John, for spelling that out. But it does show us that Jesus was fully aware that Judas needed something. He needed to be clean, as it were. And Jesus' foot washing does not represent his cleansing of the disciples - Peter is already clean, Judas is not clean, and the foot washing will not change that.

vs 12

Their answer was probably a dumb-founded, "Ummm, wha?" That's how I like to think about it, anyway. Their stunned silence might show that they would often sit silently and let Jesus explain himself. Either that, or John just doesn't include the bit where they all clambour to give Jesus their opinion about what he has done.

vs 13

Jesus is a teacher, and he is their Lord. This links to the footwashing thing, as it was common for a master to have his disciples wash his feet as a showing of submission to the master but also because it was seen as an honour to do so.

vs 14

This was the completely unheard of thing. You actually never washed the feet of a peer. Someone better than you? Of course. If the king visited your home, you would wash his feet. But you were never expected to have your friend wash your feet. You would get a slave to do it for you. If you couldn't afford a slave, you'd have your wife to do such things, or one of the children.

vs 15

But now Jesus has broken the back of this tradition by washing the disciples feet. He is sending them a message - serve each other. Be humble towards each other. This is a similar situation to Jesus taking these guys to the poor quarters and healing lepers and the blind. The sick and poor are there to be helped, not dodged out of religious cleanliness. So, your brothers are there to serve and honour, not to treat as equals or despise.

vs 16

If Jesus, their master, has washed their feet, they cannot think that they, as students, cannot wash each other's feet. Because he is greater than them, and yet even he has done it.

vs 17

And indeed, serving your brothers in this way and with this attitude will be a blessing. Following in the will of God will always be a blessing, even if it means being demeaned or tortured or pained somehow.

vs 18

Judas' betrayal is coming. Does he even know yet? Who knows. Jesus isn't saying this to make him feel bad, he is saying it to show the fulfilment of Scripture, which points to him as Lord.

vs 19

He wants the disciples to know that Jesus is the one Messiah, the one prophesyed about in the OT. He wants to tell them this first, so that they know it wasn't a surprise to him. Of course, it's entirely unbelievable to them now, but they will look back on it and see how clued in Jesus was.

vs 20

Jesus here is passing on (without losing himself) the authority of his teaching and the role of spreading it to the nations. Of course, the disciples probably don't have any idea, but just as Jesus has shown the intimacy between himself and God earlier on, so now he shows that those who welcome his disciples also welcome him. Later on they will receive that commission in force, but at the moment they are seeing a hint of it.

But why does he say it now? Most probably as a bit of a counteraction of the upcoming betrayal (of both Peter and, more finally, Judas). He is saying that his disciples really need to close ranks with him now, they need to show that they are side by side with him, because Jesus and God will be accepted through them. Now is the time for unity - right before his betrayal.

John chapter 13

vs 1

John is setting up the scene here, but instead of setting it up with its situation, he is setting it up with its meaning. Quite a difference to how we do things. We like things to be suspenseful, they like things to be clear? That's probably too simplistic.

vs 2

Had Judas actually done the deed and gone and spoken to the Pharisees and agreed yet? I don't think he had. Of course, there is some hindsight going on here, because the book is written after the fact, and obviously Jesus would have known, being Jesus, but was it obvious, even in hindsight, to the others?

vs 3

Jesus knew more than just what Judas was thinking - he had the big picture in mind.

vs 4

So he's basically in his undies. It is probably a very servant-looking sight.

vs 5

And here Jesus actually does the act that the last 4 verses have been pointing ahead to. So we can see this is done out of love for the disciples, because he knew about Judas, and because he knew God had given him all things. His response is a servant one. Not typical, is it?

vs 6

Seems a dumb question, if he'd already done other people's. Well done Peter, you always come out on top in the brains department.

vs 7

Jesus simply tells him the truth. And you would think, upon Jesus' statement, that Peter would accept it, shut up, and let him do it.

vs 8

So the first thing Peter does is rebuff him. And Jesus says, fairly, that if you can't accept what he's doing, you can't accept him.

vs 9

So then, instead, Peter vascillates the other way, and misreads what Jesus is doing, and wants a whole bath, thinking this is some sort of cleansing.

vs 10

Well, that's quite a statement. This is not for cleansing. It is for love, fellowship and because he is God. It is a physical picture of what Jesus is all about. The "not all of you" reference is obviously about Judas. So because he is not clean, it lets us know what Jesus means by the rest of them being clean.

John chapter 12

vs 42

John is telling us that people did believe in Jesus, even people among the religious leadership, but that they were too afraid of the social consequences of expressing such a belief. And you get the feeling that John thinks this doesn't really make them much of a believer at all, if they aren't prepared to stand up for Christ.

vs 43

This verse uses very strong language. It shows that these people, even though they believed in Jesus' claims, were more worried about their social status than about a relationship with God. That's pretty damning.

vs 44

So Jesus is making it plain - belief in him is belief in God also. These people, especially the religious leaders who feel convicted about him, must realise that a rejection of God's Son is a rejection of God himself.

vs 45

This statement is pretty much the same thing in this context, or more of a reasoning for why the rejection is so complete. But it has much wider ranging implications. It is yet another statement of Christ's deity. It means that when we want to know what God is like, we can look at Jesus. That's a very bold statement.

vs 46

Once again Jesus is the light. Perhaps in this scenario, social pressure is the darkness. Jesus has drawn a line in the sand - you can have God, and believe and accept Jesus, or you can have your social standing, but at the expense not only of the Messiah, but of the God who sent him as well.

vs 47

Jesus at this present time is not on the world to judge it (a popular misconception about the role of the Messiah in his coming, shared probably by even John the Baptist!). He is saying that at the present time, he is in the world to save it. There will be judgement - oh what judgement will there be! - but not at this time.

vs 48

But Jesus does not even need to be judge - the words that he has spoken can be enough to find us guilty of ignoring or, worse yet, betraying the Christ. He has told the people who he is. He has told them what he's doing. Those who listen, those who believe, those who act on it, will be fine.

vs 49

But Jesus' words are given even more weight, because they are in fact the words of God. They are his command, and the commands of God are given special privilege, even (perhaps especially) among the Jews and Pharisees. If they want to follow God's commands, they should be following Jesus' words.

vs 50

And by inference, whatever he says will lead to eternal life.

John Chapter 12

vs 31

The prince of this world? The Roman governor? The Emperor? It is of course Satan. And Jesus' language probably would have suggested that to at least some of his listeners, because of the connotation the word "world" has. While it could have meant the physical world, I think his usage probably would have brought at least some people to see he meant the temporal world. That would certainly fit with the world being judged.

vs 32-33

The lifting up, John tells us, refers to Jesus' death, as opposed to his ascension. I wonder if that was a somewhat idiomatic phrase at the time, "Eat your beans, or the romans will have you lifted up boy!"

Jesus also outlines the purpose of this death. 'All' is most likely hyperbole. He certainly seeks to draw all men to himself, and in potential all men could come to him and be saved.

vs 34

The crowd certainly seem to know what Jesus is saying when he says "lifted up". What confuses them more is that their idea is of an eternal messiah (which of course Jesus is, but it's hard to see at this point) and they also are unfamiliar with the term Son of Man used as a messianic term.

vs 35

Can Jesus answer a single question straight? Not this time. But his words are pertinent. The crowd doesn't understand how the Messiah cannot be eternal, and they want to know about this Son of Man. Jesus is telling them that their Messiah isn't going to be around long, and so they should make the most of this last time to make sure they are walking in the right direction.

vs 36

And the way they do that is not by walking somewhere, but by putting their trust in Jesus as their light. Because Christianity has never been about doing something (walking) but about trusting Jesus in everything. And yes, trusting is still verb, yadda yadda, I'm not getting into that theological debate here. The point is that Jesus is telling them to believe him and trust him because of who he is, not because he is there with them at the time. Jesus is going to be gone for a long, long time. If the only people who trusted him were the people who met him, then Christianity was dead before it began. But these lucky crowds have it both ways - they can see Jesus, and remember that, but also can have faith in him once he's gone.

And now he goes and hides somewhere.

vs 37

Miracles can only get you so far. The OT makes it clear time and time again - why would the NT times be any different? Why would our times be any different?

vs 38

John uses this Isaiah verse in a very Mattean way - to show a fulfillment of prophecy.

vs 39-40

And then he does it again, but this time he is showing not just the fulfilment of the prophecy, but why it is happening, again from the OT. This gives us just a little bit of insight into how the early church used their scriptures. These verses show us obviously that it is God who opens the eyes so that people can see Jesus and who opens the ears so that people can understand the message he brings. So here again is the paradox - that Jesus tells the people that they should trust him while they've got him, and yet Isaiah says that God will only open the ears of those he chooses to.

vs 41

John is just cementing the fact that Isaiah saw a glimpse of Jesus' future glory, and so he was able to prophesy this event. So the use of Isaiah and of prophecy was not only to the people at the time for a fulfilment in their time, but it had a greater fulfilment. Prophecy is wierd stuff.

John chapter 12

vs 21

Maybe it's important that they came to Philip because he's from Bethsaida. It probably was pretty Greek, or so I have been led to believe.

Anyway, these non-Jews have come to see Jesus. The news has gotten far enough out of Jerusalem and Judea to hit a few Greeks.

vs 22

A little chinese whispers game later, and Jesus knows.

vs 23

Now this seems like a fairly extravagant response to a simple request, doesn't it? I have heard before people say that because Jesus came primarily for the Jews, that now the gentiles wanted to talk to him, he had go go get crucified quick for some reason. I'm afraid I don't truck with the idea really.

What does sound more reasonable is that the climax has been reached in Jesus' ministry. His job isn't to trumpet his message of salvation to the nations. But these guys show that it has gotten to the stage where Jesus' message is appealing to non-Jews. For Jesus, this climax I think is the more important thing.

vs 24

Jesus can't go off and wander the empire converting people. Someone has to die first, and it's him. He's got to get on with the dying, so that the Holy Spirit can empower the disciples and others to get out there and finish that part of the job.

vs 25

This includes Jesus. Jesus is the extreme example here. And everyone has to follow in this example. The people listening to Jesus, his disciples, are going to have to make this choice.

vs 26

We're going to end up in heaven eventually, probably a little quicker than normal if we take Jesus seriously on this. Is there something wrong with that? The church only seems to grow faster when people are prepared to take Jesus at his word anyway.

vs 27

But Jesus is probably shaking at this point. The adreneline is starting to pump, because he knows that there isn't long till he's going to be killed, and pretty awfully. He's probably shaking a little bit. But he can't ask to be saved from his ordeal, because it is the primary objective of his coming. Everything else has led up to this one week. No wonder it gets so much coverage in the gospels.

vs 28

Jesus' attitude is that if he can glorify God in any way, that is what he'll do. And obviously this is a comfort to him as well - that if God's name is being glorified, anything else that is happening is secondary.

God's response is a sure sign of comfort to Jesus, but also a sign that Jesus is not undergoing mere melodramatics - he is really dialoguing with God here, and God's response is in the affirmative - his name will always be glorified.

vs 29

And the crowd hears this voice, and now they are surely even more amazed. They might not really get the message that Jesus has been preaching, but they heard the voice. Whether it was an angel or God's voice itself, the people heard it, and it was like thunder. They too know, now, that something is going down in Jerusalem-town.

vs 30

Jesus says that the voice is for the sake of the people, and not him. Obviously Jesus appreciates the message of the voice, but as far as he is concerned he didn't need to hear it aurally. He already knows what God's will is. He can see God's actions. He knows as truth that God will always glorify his name. But now the people know that Jesus wasn't talking crap.

Will they remember this voice when they're calling out for Jesus to be crucified? That, I think, highlights the value of miracles. They're great for a little while, but you can forget them easily.

John chapter 12

vs 12

Ok, you know how earlier it said that Passover would be in about 6 days. Well, Jesus is heading to Jerusalem for this Passover, but this time, it's going to be different.

vs 13

I'm sure this would have been quite the greeting. Things would have been really buzzing. I'm sure you know as well as I do that this time, Jesus isn't going to enjoy his stay in Jerusalem. Take a moment to look at what chapter we're up to. Only 12. There's what, 20 or 21 chapters of John. And at chapter 12 we are already at the week of his crucifixion. This is obviously an important time.

The people were greeting him with palm fronds etc because that's how you greet a king, or someone exceedingly special. But oh how fickle people can be.

vs 14-15

Jesus even fulfils a little bit of OT Scripture here, by riding on a donkey. I don't think there's anything particularly special about that - he just does it so that, anyone who had their OT glasses on would see a picture that was there, pointing to him.

vs 16

Clueless. They probably knew their OTs better than us, but they still didn't get it. At least, not till afterwards.

vs 17

This miracle was bigtime stuff. I mean, he was really quite dead when Jesus got there. That's powerful. And so many people saw it happen - it was really undeniable. Someone big is here. But how many will remember that Jesus raised people from the dead when the crowd is shouting "Crucify"?

vs 18

Even if they weren't drop dead supporters, they wanted to at least hear him now. News of a resurrection brings a lot of interest. Remember also that there was a theological debate at the time about resurrection - the Saducees didn't believe in it - and so the idea that someone actually got brought back to life after a fair period of death would be a big event theologically.

vs 19

They must have felt between a big heavy thing and a large igneous thing. Poor Pharisees. They didn't believe he was the Christ, and yet he was attracting so much attention! They thought he was going to cause riots and trouble, and that Rome was going to come and crush them. They were frustrated and afraid.

vs 20

Greeks? What are they doing in Jerusalem over Passover? They are probably proselytes - gentiles who have gone through all the rigmarole of becoming full believers in God. They still are ranked second to a Jew, but they are convicted enough of the truth of Judaism that they want to follow it anyway. I doubt that they came just for the cake and parties anyway.

John chapter 12

vs 1

John has, at the end of his story, helpfully given us a bit of a timetable as to when it happened.

vs 2

The women served, of course, because in the culture that was what they were meant to do. Just like today ;)

vs 3

This does come a bit out of the blue. Interestingly, John needs to tell us what nard is, so his readers were unlikely to know. What was Lazarus and his sisters doing with it? Good question. In any case, it was obviously a very nice thing to do. Remember, people don't have baths as often in the Middle East, so dunking someone in perfume is what the polite host/ess would do to their guests to make them welcome. Normally you'd just do it with oil, perfume is extra special.

vs 4

John feels the need to point out, in case we forget, that Judas is the bad guy here. There's no secret, no mystery, no build up. The bag guy, apart from Pharisees etc, is Judas Iscariot.

vs 5

It's a fair question, and it's the sort of thing we ask all the time in Christian circles. When the church spent all its money on huge monestaries and cathedrals, instead of feeding the obviously poor people around it, the same question may well have been asked.

vs 6

But Judas isn't asking it out of selfless concern. He just wants more money in the bag for his embessling purposes. At least, that's what John writes. There has been a fair amount of attempts in recent times to paint Judas as less of a bastard. The gospels do not paint him as a nice guy who was forced into what he was doing. John doesn't anyway.

vs 7

Obviously Jesus isn't getting buried that day. But he is in Bethany, and he's surprisingly close to the time he is going to be crucified. Also, he has recently been doing stuff with dead people, so it's a fairly fitting time.

vs 8

The church probably gave the same answer when it built monasteries instead of feeding poor people. We do in fact have the poor now, and not Jesus, so we should be helping them out.

vs 9

Raising someone from the dead was a bit of a crowd stirrer, apparently. I can't imagine it would get as much interest today. Of course it would, don't be silly. It's an incredible miracle.

vs 10-11

So now it's not just Jesus they're after, but Lazarus as well! What bastards! I mean, he was really on the demand side of miracles, not the supply side. It seems really bad form to kill someone who God took all the effort of raising from the dead. Quite bad form.

John chapter 11

vs 51

What an interesting thing to prophesy! The text doesn't seem to suggest that he made it up himself, but he obviously interpreted it in the sense of Pharisees and religious leaders being the best, and Jesus just being someone expendable.

vs 52

There was definitely a divide between the Jews of Jerusalem and the diaspora Jews. The idea was that Jesus was going to be a uniting force, not just a saving force.

vs 53

Now here's the thing - even if God sends you a prophecy that someone, through their death, is going to accomplish something good, that doesn't mean you kill them. You are still culpable for your actions - God just does his thing through the actions of the sinful.

vs 54

Jesus was fully aware that there were people plotting to take his life. He takes some immediate action, but it doesn't turn him off his final purpose. He goes bush for the moment though, because he still has things he needs to teach his disciples.

vs 55

John is the only person to mention several passovers. I've lost count of which one we're up to here. But sufficed to say that they are obviously important points in the calendar, and so John marks them. Jesus doesn't ignore any of them either.

vs 56

Of course, people are expecting him to make an appearance. He made one at the last festival, and so now the people are looking for him. He's a bit of a fixture, his name's really gotten about.

vs 57

The Pharisees and chief priests weren't making it easy though. But Jesus is the man, he'll find a way.

John Chapter 11

vs 41

Away rolls the stone, and Jesus puts on some street theatre for the benefit of those around him. I say this, because apparently he has already prayed to God, and is just thanking him for listening. You'll note that Lazarus hasn't come out yet, so there is no indication that he's going to be ok.

One thing I will point out though - there is no record of a terrible smell. Martha has already said that if you move the stone, there will be a death stench in there. But apparently, there isn't. Why do I bring this up?

I mention it because some people might want to claim that Lazarus wasn't really dead, and that the inadequate medical training of people back then meant that they buried Lazarus while he was still alive. And this, supposedly, would account for the lack of smell - he never really died, so there is no stench of rotting death.

Well I think that, in some small insignificant way, this shows that God takes care of the little things as well as the big ones, and that when he does something, he can completely reverse what should have been. When God brings you back to life, he doesn't just work with the bits that are left. He completely regenerates you. And he can also reverse the negative effects of rotting, rigor-mortis and smelliness.

Now that makes science and history fundamentally questionable, because if God can "go back in time" as it were and change what were reportable physical instances, as well as final results, then record-keeping and cause-and-effect fall down.

vs 42

Jesus, like I said, is putting on a little show. He knows God hears him, but he wants everyone else to see what has just happened and to attribute it to God. It has happened so quickly, after all.

vs 43

Which is the natural thing to say if your friend is dead but has returned to life and is yet still in his tomb.

vs 44

Lazarus came out re-enacting a scene from the Mummy because thats what they did to corpses back then. How we treat our dead separates us from the animals, apparently. Although, ants are very particular about what they do with their dead. But we never seem to attribute it to some sort of myrmecine religious experience.

vs 45

I mean, seriously. If you just saw someone come back to life after being in the tomb for 4 days, that's pretty awesome.

vs 46

Oh, come on! How lame are you to go and dob on Jesus for bringing his friend back to life. You guys suck.

vs 47

The Pharisees and chief priests are having a bit of a confidence problem. Jesus is a bigger man than them, and they feel small.

vs 48

But see, the Sanhedrin were not just bothered about the fact that Jesus had different ideas to them, but also that it could end in Roman military action and the stripping of their current freedoms. So they were not being completely selfish (they were being fairly selfish) but they were also worried that, as a fraud, Jesus would cause more trouble that he was worth.

vs 49

The high priest had other ideas, though.

vs 50

It might sound like Ciaphas knows what he's talking about. He doesn't. He thinks that if they kill Jesus, they will save Israel. Boy, aren't they going to be in for a surprise.

John chapter 11

vs 31

So Mary wasn't going by herself - there was a bunch of people going with her who were there to comfort her.

vs 32

Ok, yes, this is a bit more of an emotional response to Jesus' arrival. But it's the same attitude.


vs 33

What does "deeply moved in his spirit and troubled" mean? Surely it's just a more complicated way of saying that he got upset. You know, everyone is crying, Mary is at his feet weeping, that's a fairly upsetting sight. Jesus is upset about Lazarus, sure, but surely it is the sight of how much this death has upset everyone else that pains him so much.

vs 34

So Jesus goes to visit the tomb. Again, the people probably think Jesus is going there to mourn him.

vs 35-36

And perhaps he is mourning him. That's what everyone else seems to think. But perhaps his is weeping because of the pain that this death has brought to all these other people. Overall, death is not a happy thing. Well, that depends on which Christian theologian you ask. Some would say that death per se is not to be feared in Jewish culture, and that the only deaths that are very sad are those of young children or tragic deaths of men before their time. Death at a ripe old age was supposedly seen as a gift from God. I remain unconvinced, and I'm looking forward to reading more on the subject. it might not sound important, but it has large and long ramifications, reaching all the way back to creation and sin.

vs 37

Some of the people do not think that Jesus is mourning Lazarus. After all, if he loved him so much, couldn't he have healed him?

vs 38

See, this verse says that Jesus was again deeply moved. That would suggest to me that now, upon reaching the tomb, seeing the reality of it perhaps, he is moved because of the death of his friend. So maybe we've got all bases covered now.

vs 39

There is some mention around the traps that the Jews believed that the soul of a person hung around a body for 3 days, before leaving when they saw the body start to rot, and after this a person was really dead, and nothing was bringing them back. The problem is that this belief really appeared only after Jesus, and I'll bet that it was created partly to say that Jesus wasn't really dead. In any case, a body that is four days old supposedly is going to start to smell. Four days old is actually a misnomer - he has been in the tomb four days. Who knows how long the burial rites and stuff normally took (Jesus was a bit of an exception - he went fast). They could have kept the body in the household for two or three days for people to come and pay their respects - it's not uncommon.

vs 40

Actually, he told the disciples that. But he did say it, and now, they are going to.

John Chapter 11

vs 21

Martha obviously wanted Jesus to heal her brother and save him from death. But it seems to late now. Remember, if the twins (hehehe) Martha and Mary were living with Lazarus, they were more or less relying on him for their support. With him gone, they would now most likely be very poor.

vs 22

Martha isn't quite expressing the faith that Jesus can raise Lazarus from the dead - remember, she doesn't want Jesus to open the tomb. She believes her brother will be raised at the last day. So what is she expressing? A faith in Jesus which believes that even though he didn't save Lazarus, he is still in an intimate relationship with God. I mean, did Jesus heal everyone in Jerusalem and Judea of their ills while he was there? He just didn't make it in time for Lazarus.

vs 23

Jesus seems to be talking pretty plainly in this chapter.

vs 24

And obviously Martha is used to Jesus speaking in less-than-plain ways as well. But her statement shows us that a resurrection from the dead in the last days was fairly well accepted by the 1st century Jews. Except the Saducees. But who likes the Saducees?

vs 25-26

It is so much easier for us to understand what Jesus is saying in hindsight. See, even here he is speaking more or less plainly, but in a twisted way. The first time he says "dies" in vs 25, he means physical death. So even Lazarus' situation is covered. It is very much a picture of resurrection.

But verse 26 is not talking about physical death. The truth is that Lazarus will die again. He could have gotten sick and died the next week. A meteor could have fallen out of the sky and killed him when he stepped out of the tomb. Eventually he must have died, because he's not still wandering about.

But whoever has the life of Christ, and believes, will never die eternally. And Lazarus will be there in heaven as much as anybody. Jesus may even be pushing Martha to state her belief that it is only through Jesus that Lazarus will find eternal life and be raised on the last day - not because he was a good Jew or any other reason. Remember- resurrection at the last day is cold comfort - it only means you're alive for judgement.

vs 27

Martha's answer to Jesus' question is that yes, she believes. She qualifies what she means - she believes that Jesus is the Messiah come into the world. She believes that he's telling the truth. Does she really understand what he's saying at the minute? Possibly not. She doesn't express a comprehension with what Jesus says, instead she expresses a faith in who he is, and so she is able to believe him even if she doesn't quite get it at the moment.

vs 28

We assume that Jesus really was calling for Mary, and that Martha isn't just saying it to get her to come and see Jesus.

vs 29

Mary was keen to see Jesus, because she goes out as soon as she hears he is calling for her. Perhaps she wasn't keen to have him or anyone else see her grief. Now grief and wailing are typical in the Middle Eastern culture - just watch the next funeral of a Palestinian kid killed by an Israeli soldier or something - and they are perhaps a more openly emotional people than you or I, but there are still rules that govern such behaviour. The fact that you could (and still can) hire professional mourners to cry and wail at a funeral shows that a lot of the emotion at such events is "put on" to show that you really cared for the person (even if you didn't really).

So it is still possible that Mary was so grief-stricken, and perhaps a little upset with Jesus too, that she didn't want to come out and make a public scene. Because public scenes are especially socially taboo in these cultures.

vs 30

And we get a little message about where Jesus was at the time.

John Chapter 11

vs 11

Again I say that sleep is a good description of what happens to Christians when they die. But of course, Jesus is using it in the more immediate sense here - in that Lazarus is dead, but he's coming back real soon.

vs 12

Well, they might not have had MRI machines, but they knew that if sick people sleep, they can get better. At least they cared.

vs 13

So John clears up what Jesus meant, so we understand both what Jesus said and the disciples' response.

vs 14-15

Jesus tells them he's dead. He also says that he's glad he wasn't there for their sake, but I don't think that includes him. I think Jesus would have liked to spare Lazarus the pain of death. I think he would have liked to have saved Mary and Martha from the pain of loss. I think he felt those things himself, even though he knew he could bring him back.

vs 16

John obviously includes this statement of Thomas to show that the disciples would try and apply everything that Jesus said spiritually, when sometimes he just meant things literally. Like "Lazarus is dead" means "Lazarus is dead".

vs 17

It obviously takes a while to walk to these places. But again, Jesus may have taken his time, just so Lazarus was well and truly dead.

vs 18-19

So already a lot of people had come and visited the sisters because their brother was dead. This means a lot of witnesses. Lazarus was really quite dead. It also shows the kind of people we're talking about - community minded, travelling out to grieve with the sisters. Lazarus was probably a fairly important person too.

vs 20

Not much to say about this verse. I looked it up in the commentary I still haven't returned to the library (ack!) just to make sure there was no cultural importance. It's just a little detail that tells us something more about Martha (and I guess Mary by comparison).

John chapter 11

vs 1

Fairly straightforward. Just remember, though, that in the last few verses, Jesus has left Jerusalem, crossed the Jordan to where TB was working, and now has gone back to Bethany. Bethany isn't all that far from Jerusalem - it's where Jesus gets anointed.

vs 2

I don't think the other gospels recognise her as Mary. Perhaps they do. Anyway, John wants to make that connection.

vs 3

Jesus obviously had a connection with Lazarus, because of the way his sisters speak of him to Jesus. It's good to know that Jesus had friends.

vs 4

Death might be in the middle, mind, but not at the end. And what could glorify Jesus more than saving someone from a deadly illness?

vs 5

Those people who choose to try and read homosexuality into the Bible (and into all other classical literature) would read verse 3 as meaning that Jesus and Lazarus were a thing. But then you get to verse 5, and you'd have Jesus getting on some hot love with the whole family. And that's just wrong. Who's going to think that guy is the Messiah?

So obviously Jesus had come to love this family in a more platonic sense, and they him. Which is fair enough, considering all he does for them.

vs 6

Jesus is up to something. If someone is sick, you go see them straight away - especially if you've got supernatural healing powers! But Jesus doesn't this time.

vs 7

After the two days, he wants to go back to Judea, more specifically Bethany we guess.

vs 8

Yes, he wants to go back to the same place where they tried to stone him.

vs 9-10

But Jesus doesn't just say "No worries, she'll be right". He gives them an explanation. By using a picture of light and darkness, he is showing the disciples that because he walks by God's light (he is the light of the world), he knows the path that he is treading. He's not taking stupid risks, he's not going into the unknown, he is following the path God has for him. Eventually, that is going to include death.

Jesus is saying that if you walk in God's way, you'll be fine. Oh yeah, people might stone you, or treat you badly, or hate you. You might get hurt, insulted, rejected. But you'll be fine eternally. It's when we turn from God's way and follow our own way, which might look like the smart and safe way to go, that suddenly we are going to stumble and fall and get hurt.

John chapter 10

vs 32

This is one of the classic times that shows Jesus using irony. He did obviously have a sense of humour, and sometimes it could be pretty dry. Making fun of the people about to stone you - priceless.

vs 33

There's always a problem with making rules about how someone can't do something unless they are someone. The problem is when someone actually is that specific someone, and you try and enforce your rule, you bone up.

vs 34-35

It's actually written in a Psalm, but close enough. In my opinion, Jesus is using this argument a bit facetiously. It is not meant to be taken as serious theological scholarship, but only to show the Pharisees the logical conclusion of their own wolly-mindedness.

vs 36

Here is his real point - The Bible says that God calls some people his Son, and designates himself as their Father. But the Pharisees are accusing Jesus of blasphemy, even though there is a historical precedent for this. The fact is, that God was going to send his Son, and now he's here, they want to stone him. S-m-r-t.

vs 37

Jesus wants them to judge him not by the rules they have enshrined, but by Jesus' actions and words first. Because who knows, he might just be the exception to their preciosu rules.

vs 38

If nothing else, if they're not going to listen to his words, at least accept the miracles which he has done. Even if they won't listen to him, at least accept that God is working.

vs 39

Their reaction was to try and arrest him, so he just does his ninja thing and slips away.

vs 40

So Jesus goes back t the Jordan, to see the people who believed John TB and lived around there, perhaps even some of TB's own disciples.

vs 41-42

What a change of pace for Jesus! Instead of constant harping about his words and an ignoring of his actions and a bunch of preconceived ideas, Jesus is now faced with a group of people who are willing to accept who he is, because of TB's testimony and because of the words they have now heard from him. And John TB didn't even do any miracles! But people were willing to look at his words for themselves, and weigh them up, and come to a well founded belief.

The contrast between them and the Pharisees is stark.

John chapter 10

vs 21

Again, the argument rages on. He might sound a little bit out of the ordinary, but is it possible for a demon to empower acts of healing?

vs 22-23

So it's Hannakuh, and Jesus is walking along where the Christians would hang out in Acts.

vs 24

Reading his words in hindsight, it does seem fairly plain. And yet, people wanted more than that. They wanted absolute confirmation, I guess mostly because Jesus wasn't acting the way many of them expected the Christ to act.

vs 25

Jesus did tell them, several times, and in several different ways by now. He has said he was the good shepherd, that he is the gate, he said he is the bread of life, all of which reflect his authority and position. He's done heaps of miracles, more surely than is necessary to prove who he is, and they still ignore him.

vs 26

He's still explaining the whole sheep thing now. This is one of those times where we are encountering the paradox of Christian faith - you must believe, and it seems in John that the invitation is universal, but God also elects people, and they cannot come to God without that election. John is not afraid of this paradox, and both sides are emphasised in his gospel.

vs 27

People who do know he is the Messiah are already following him - perhaps literally. But even if they are not literally following him around, they are still a follower of his.

vs 28

And with a payoff like that, why wouldn't you follow Jesus? The point is here, though, that Jesus is out and out claiming that he has the authority to give eternal life, and that he actually does so. More than that, they are protected, they are assured this new life.

vs 29

And this assurance and certainty is based in the authority of God the Father. Which is pretty assured.

vs 30

This is the second time he has said this - the first time, he said "I AM", and they tried to stone him.

vs 31

Oop, there go the stones.

John chapter 10

vs 11

Obviously shepherds didn't just kill themselves for their sheep for no reason. I think the idea is that he puts his life on the line for the sheep. After all, if all you have is your sheep, and then you lose them, well, what's the point of living? Fighting off thieves and wolves and stuff was just par for the course for a shepherd.

And it's the same for the church too. The choice of Jesus' words here is obvious in its meaning to us, but at the time it was still unclear what he was talking about with all this dying stuff.

vs 12

I don't think the hired hand is meant to represent anyone in particular (although I'm sure everyone could come up with an opinion). I think the reason the hired hand is mentioned is just to compare it to the shepherd, which is Christ. Others would not die for the church, but Jesus would. Whoever those others are isn't really important.

vs 13

Again, this is just showing why the true shepherd will lay his life down for his sheep, by comparing it to why others won't.

It was the love of Christ for us that compelled him, just as it should compel us.

vs 14

Jesus repeats his earlier point, that sheep know their shepherd, and he also knows who his sheep are. There is a double recognition here - some people see Jesus for who he is (even blind or ex-blind people) and Jesus sees those who will follow him.

vs 15

And this relationship is the same as Jesus' relationship with God the father. It doesn't mean we are Christ, it means we know Christ. Easy enough for those early Christians who met him to say, but it is a true for us, even though we haven't met him physically. Only yesterday Brian and I were talking about how you can usually tell when you meet a Christian as opposed to a church goer, even if they're not evangelical or whatever.

Jesus is also repeating two other key points. One is that he knows God the Father (which people were still iffy about) and the other that he will die for his sheep because he knows them, and he has relationship with them.

vs 16

My assumption here is that Jesus is talking about the gentiles. But this is one of those verses which whole heresies are based on (Mormonism, to name one) so I'm not going to be too dogmatic here, but I do think my opinion is justified. Certainly moreso than the Mormon rubbish.

If what I am saying is right, then Jesus is forshadowing the addition of gentiles to the church, and them being one glorious whole.

vs 17

Jesus is doing God's will, up to and including his death. Well, now we really know what he's talking about with the whole "take it up again". But everyone else would have been totally confused.

vs 18

Interestingly, Jesus says that no one takes it from him. And in a way, this is true. It does not remove the responsibility from those who killed him (that is, all of us) - someone allowing you to do a wrong action does not excuse you from doing the wrong action. Someone forcing you to do a wrong action is a different matter, called negative responsibility, but that's not what we're dealing with here - Jesus says he willingly put his life on the cross, but that doesn't mean that the people who dragged him and nailed him there aren't responsible.

vs 19

Again, division is made amongst the hearers. What was splitting them? Probably all sorts of stuff. His mentioning of his knowing God, his mentioning that he will die but come back to life again, his recent name calling, saying the Pharisees are blind and will be judged as sinners... Jesus knew how to stir the crowd.

vs 20

Some of them thought he was demon possessed. Like I said - spiritual stuff has to come from one of two places in a Jewish mindset, and if you don't want to accept Jesus as from God, then you only have one alternative.

John chapter 10

I left a verse off Chapter 9!

vs 41

If they actually were blind (not physically but spiritually, because Jesus is the light of the world) then they wouldn't be guilty of their sin, that is, the sin of rejecting Jesus. They would just be ignorant.

But because they are happy with the revelation of God through the law, and moreover with their interpretation of it, then they really are guilty, and that guilt will remain with them till the end of time. Ouch.

NOW...

Chapter 10

vs 1

We have to assume that Jesus' words are still to the Pharisees here. Of course, he's not speaking specifically to the Pharisees - the ex-blind guy is still there I assume, and if there was some Pharisees within earshot, then perhaps he's in the temple, or just in some public place.

Now, you really have to follow this parable closely. Thankfully, Jesus explains it, because I think we'd simplify it.

So he starts off with the fact that people who enter a sheep pen through some way other than the front gate are up to no good. That applies to most things I guess - the guy climbing through your window better wear a big red hat and your house better be on fire, otherwise he's probably up to no good.

vs 2

Someone who enters properly has a reason to be there. Like a shepherd. Or perhaps a sheep.

vs 3

Sheep are funny creatures, but they do know who looks after them, and they do come when called. Sheep and cows are domesticated - by now, they like hanging with humans. But they can recognise the good ones and the ones they don't know. Something everyone who heard Jesus would know, and something I guess less of us are aware of.

vs 4

Remember, this isn't the time of big business farming with millions of sheep - you just have your own sheep, just a few, and so you can look after them yourself.

vs 5

And they do that too. And if you've ever tried to catch a sheep, well, it's fun.

vs 6

Ok, so it's all well and good that Jesus said these things, but even the people around him didn't get why he was saying it. "Thanks for the farmyard lesson, Jesus, I'll be sure to pat my sheep some more so they follow me. Your point being?"

vs 7

So Jesus explains himself, and it's not what you're first expecting. You're expecting Jesus to be the shepherd, or at the very least the watchman. But no, first of all, he is the gate. So Jesus is an entry point into a safe place.

vs 8

This verse obviously shows that there have been pretenders to the role of Messiah in the past. I mean, Jesus can't be saying that Moses, Elijah, and the other prophets were fakes and the real sheep didn't listen to them. So instead, he's talking about people who were fakes. He's the real deal, but he has also protected his selected sheep from the fakers.

vs 9

Will be saved or will be kept safe. The sheep of Jesus' flock get the good life. Notice that it's not just about protection behind the wall and gates of Jesus - it is about finding pasture, so it is protection but also care.

vs 10

False messiahs and those people who pretend that they are leading people towards God (and most of them probably know they are pretending) are in it to steal and kill and destroy. Just think of the picture of the charlatan tent-revival faith healer in the USA and how much damage that has done to Christianity, or the money-grubbing televangelist.

Jesus isn't like that. He hasn't come to steal the sheep, or kill them. He has come to look after them, to give them a good life and a long life. Eternally, that is. This life will still have thieves and destruction.

John chapter 9

vs 31

Of course God can hear sinners, but the idea is that God only listens to those who do his will. Now this blind guy should know better than anyone that there isn't a causal link between sin and punishment, but he also knows that he was healed, that it was an act of God, and that Jesus was a righteous man.

The fact that he says "We know" isn't really a truth at all - the Pharisees were arguing whether they could "know" this to be a fact.

vs 32

So although blind people might have been healed, it seems they were those who had gone blind in later life. It really was a big deal, no wonder the Pharisees were picking on him.

vs 33

The vast, vast, vast majority of people, including all the Pharisees, cannot heal people by telling them to be healed. Not even by touching them. Not even by rubbing mud in their eyes. So he's got a point. The down and dirty theology of it probably isn't so simple, but this guy, and everybody, knows that such cool things can't happen for no reason.

vs 34

The Pharisees can obviously understand the truth of his words, and so they insult him with an obvious untruth, and kick him out. He must have cut deep with his comments.

vs 35

Jesus heard that, instead of accepting the testimony of this man who had been miraculously healed, and who through it was giving glory to God, they Pharisees had insulted him and kicked him out. So he goes and finds him, and asks him if he believes in the Son of Man (his own title).

Like I said, the guy had some faith, but to have a general faith about God and his ability to send a Messiah (even the Pharisees had that), and to recognise and accept the specific Messiah, well those are two different things. So Jesus wants to clarify.

vs 36

And this guy is keen! Now see, he knows Jesus is someone special. Is he the Son of Man? Who knows. But he's offering to tell this guy about the Son of Man, so he jumps at the opportunity. He wants to thank God for all he has done for him.

Remember, also, that the guy has never seen Jesus - his eyes were only opened when he washed them at the pool of Siloam. Jesus wasn't there anymore.

vs 37

Anyone who says Jesus does not claim to be the Son of Man himself, read this verse. Then read it again. Then hit yourself with the Bible. Go on, do it.Dooo iiit!

vs 38

This guy instantly accepts it. He's been cured of blindness, yes, but he's also seen the pompous hypocritical inadequacy of the Pharisees, and he wants to follow the God he knows about, not the rules of the people who ignored him his whole life.

vs 39

The blind guy might have only thought that, since he wasn't all that sinful, (I mean, he has accepted that Jesus is the Christ, so he has welcomed God's Messiah) that there was going to be a reversing of roles at the end times - that the bad guys were going to be struck blind like he had been.

If Jesus had the power to heal people of blindness, surely he had the power to judge and blind too?

vs 40

Now, see, the Pharisees are asking if they are blind, because that's the better position to be in according to Jesus. Better to be blind now and be able to see at the end, than to start off seeing and end up blind. They want to put themselves in the winning group.

John chapter 9

vs 21

Fair enough, because they weren't there, so they weren't witnesses to his healing. They can say what he is saying, but their only proof is that their son can see, and that he is saying it.

vs 22-23

However, as you can see there was a bit of scare tactics going on on the part of the Pharisees. Remember, synagogue wasn't just for Saturday best - it was a hub of social activity, and getting kicked out of it meant no longer hearing from the word of God, but also not being in the social circle. Who wanted that?

Now this doesn't mean that they necessarily believed that Jesus was the Christ - it just means that if they repeated what their son was saying, they were afraid they'd be out of the synagogue.

vs 24

They obviously sent him away, because they now call him back, and this time they want him to admit that Jesus is a sinner and that it was God who directly, without Jesus, healed him.

vs 25

The blind man (we don't even know his name!) just states the truth. Now remember, when he was blind, did the Pharisees come and look after him? Did the Jewish society treat him like a full member, or perhaps a member with special needs? Or did they let him sit at the gate of the town and beg?

So now that he can see, and the Pharisees are trying to grill him, who does he care more about? Them, who can try to ostracise him when they already did, or Jesus, who came and healed him when he was a nobody?

vs 26

They want exact answers, because they are looking for ways to trap Jesus. They want to know about his use of dirty spit and dirt, they want to know about him healing of the Sabbath. They want to know if he summoned any demons. Come on, give them something to work with blind guy!

vs 27

Now, you might think that the blind guy is saying this with full sincerity, but since he started with "You're not listening" and they have already convicted Jesus as a sinner, I'm pretty sure he is using some of that sarcastic wit that God gave him.

vs 28

Oh, Moses! Huzzah! That sinful murderer who tried to get away from doing God's will and ended up never entering the Promised Land! Lucky you!

vs 29

The Pharisees are basically showing their ignorance. They have argued this out amongst themselves, but obviously the majority (or at least the vocal ones) are convinced that Jesus can't be of God because he's not following the rules of the Pharisees.

vs 30

And it is remarkable that the religious leaders don't know where someone who is doing miracles has come from. But it takes an ex-blind man to have the balls to say it to their face. Remember when Jesus said this guy would show God in his life? Look at him go!

John chapter 9

vs 11

The once-blind man does not hesitate to tell people who healed him. He is not like the man at the pool, who didn't know who it was - he knew it was Jesus, so that suggests that they did talk a bit.

This also brings up another idea about Jesus rubbing mud in the guy's eyes. If I was blind, and someone came up and said "I'm going to spit in the dirt, and rub the mud I make in your eyes, and then when you clean it off you will see again", I think his very next words would have to be something like "Trust me", because can you imagine having mud in your eyes? Even if you can't see, you would have itchy scratchy dirt in your eyes! So this guy obviously did have some faith, because I wouldn't allow someone to do that to me.

vs 12

Of course, by the time he had gone and washed his eyes, Jesus had probably moved on, so he didn't know where he was now.

vs 13

Here we se some of the normal people dobbing this guy into the Pharisees. So it shows you that there was a good amount of laymen Jews who were just as complicit in the Pharisees' crazy legalism.

vs 14

Oh no! God did something on the Sabbath! Does grain stop growing on the Sabbath? Does a cut on your finger stop healing if it's the Sabbath? Does the world stop spinning on the Sabbath?

Of course not. God isn't limited in when he can work, and so neither are his servants. We are limited in how we can work, because we aren't omnipotent.

vs 15

So now the Pharisees are weighing in on this poor man's happy occasion. He tells them the same story.

vs 16

And there is division between people with brains and people with none. And you know what? I think we'd have exactly the same stupid arguments about Jesus, and I know we do have the same stupid arguments about Christians. "Oh, wow, look at that excellent work that guy is doing in the name of Jesus, he must be a Christian" "But he's got long hair, he can't be a Christian".

vs 17

So they ask the primary witness, and he says the guy must be a prophet. He's been blind all his life, and someone healed him. What other reason can their be?

vs 18

These guys are hard hearted pricks. Why would someone lie about this? I wish I could say that the Pharisees were trying to establish that he hadn't been healed on the Sabbath, but you can tell from the tone that they're just bastards. Because he doesn't agree with them, because he thinks that Jesus is a prophet, they want to grill him some more.

vs 19

So they rope his parents in. Now in their defence, this does give them the testimony of 2-3 witnesses that he is their son and that he was born blind. It doesn't give them witnesses on how he got his sight back because, of course, they weren't there.

vs 20

They acknowledge their son, and probably are full of joy that he can see. They tell them so.

John Chapter 9

vs 1

Was Jesus looking out for him? I mean, the guy might have been looking for Jesus, but it's hard when you're blind. However, it seems more like a chance encounter. Again, they wouldn't have known just off the tops of their heads that he was born blind - so Jesus probably was going around to the poor beggar people, talking to them. Which is as strange then as it is now.

vs 2

Now the disciples want to know about sin. It's really easy for us, just like them, to make the assumption that sin has direct consequences. Like you kill someone, so your next child is born blind. Or you commit adultery, so you catch herpes.

But in reality, everyone knows that sin isn't like that. Some people sin amazingly hugely all through their lives and nothing seems to happen to them. Other people seem to be godly and righteous, and get trampled under by the weight of maladies, disasters and problems that plague them.

vs 3

Is Jesus saying that this guy was struck blind at birth specifically so Jesus could now come and heal him? Or is he saying that all maladies are there so that those with them can display in a more obvious way the work of God in their life? Either way it's pretty harsh if you think of it as a direct action from God. But if you think of is as an allowance of God, then it doesn't seem so much like God blinded a baby to prove a point. More like these things happen, and God makes good come out of them.

vs 4

Jesus words aren't just for him - they are for all his disciples, and that includes us too. The poor, the disabled, the sick, the needy, they will always be around - partly because we create them, partly because sin will not go away on this world - and it is our job to help them out as much as it was Jesus' job. God doesn't put them there for us to help. They are there because of the terrible nature of sin which they inherit from Adam and they commit themselves.

There is a time coming when this won't be possible anymore. When night falls on the world - that is, when it ends - sick and poor people won't need help anymore. They'll be forced in front of the throne of judgement like everyone else. The main difference between them and everyone else, of course, being that if you'd gone to them with the message of the gospel, they were more likely to listen than rich people.

vs 5

But as long as Jesus is around, he can help them and also heal them. That won't last, so it seems, but in fact Jesus' light shines on this world until he returns. Then darkness will fall in a big way.

vs 6

What's the significance of this action? Jesus could heal people from suburbs away, so why rub some mud in his eyes? I've heard a few ideas. Some people think that Jesus needed to show a physical sign of what he was doing for some reason. Others think that the blind guy might not have had enough faith to be healed the normal way.

But here's another one for you from Carson's invaluable commentary. One scholar did some work with an anthropologist, and came up with the idea that body excreta (blood, and saliva as well as urine and fecal matter) are all seen as religiously "dirty". But when Jesus uses them, they make people well. There is an underlying understanding in the culture of the time that a person with appropriate power and authority can make these things religiously "clean", and this does extend to Jewish culture (what do they use on the altar? Blood!).

So the idea goes that Jesus, using spit to clean someone, shows his religious authority. And if you think about how much the Pharisees care about how Jesus went about healing this particular guy, then it kind of makes sense. For your consideration anyway.

vs 7

So the guy does what Jesus says, and lo and behold he is healed. I think I saw that one coming.

vs 8

Of course everybody local would know him, even if he is a beggar, because they would have seen him begging, if not known his parents. So it's pretty surprising when you see someone who has been blind his whole life suddenly able to see.

vs 9

Of course, some people couldn't believe it. They thought he was just a look alike, a blow in from out of town. But he himself pointed out that he was the same guy, and so testified to the miracle.

vs 10

And people wanted to know how it had happened. People saw the transformation, and wanted to know how it had come about.

John chapter 8

vs 51

Now of course, everyone who kept Jesus' words died. But he is talking about a much more important death - an eternal spiritual death. It's little wonder that early Christians called death "sleep" (including Jesus), because when you are going to live forever, the period in between being alive now and being alive forever is just a little nap.

vs 52-53

But of course, the Pharisees don't get it, and so they have another little hissy fit. To them, demon-possessed now means mentally ill - because they are saying that his words don't make any sense. They do leave a couple of people out, though. Like Enoch and Elijah.

So they want to know now if Jesus thinks he is greater than those who did die. Do they really want to know, or do they just want to make him look bad?

vs 54

Jesus in fact doesn't claim any greatness. Instead, he is at pains to point out that it is God who makes him great. If anyone thinks he is great for any reason, then it is because of his Father.

vs 55

Jesus can't lie about it. He does know God. And he has to speak out and say so, because these guys who say they do know God don't really know him at all. They've shoved God out and replaced him with legalistic ideals.

vs 56

Jesus now acknowledges at least that they say their father is Abraham (which was their first response) and says that when Abraham looked forward to the time of the coming Messiah, he was glad. But now his sons are not glad, they are belligerent and abusive of the Christ.

vs 57

Why did they choose fifty I wonder? In any case, Jesus isn't even forty, but they chose fifty. Yes, of course he hadn't actually seen Abraham, and neither had they. But there was obviously something about how Jesus said it which made it seem like he knew Abraham. If this is a condensed version of Jesus' words, then we can assume it just wasn't included in depth.

vs 58

Now it's only fair that the Pharisees get upset at this point. It's hard to tell from Jesus' words if you haven't read the OT, but he is using the term for God (you know, Yhwh).

vs 59

Since it is understood that even using that word was considered blasphemy, calling yourself God would almost certainly appear blasphemous. So they want to stone him, but he disappears, not in a ninja-like puff of smoke, just into the crowd.

And it would be fair enough, too, at least to get angry at someone making such a claim, if he hadn't already backed it up with miracles, and if it wasn't actually true. Pity for the Pharisees.

John chapter 8

vs 41

So who is Jesus intimating their father is now? Whoever it is, it is someone who wants to see Jesus dead.

They take umbrage at the suggestion that they are somehow illegitimate (I don't know where this suggestion comes from), and the people then say that their true father is God. It's funny that their first answer was Abraham, and then God only comes out later.

vs 42

Jesus says, though, that their father can't be God. If it was, then they would have accepted Jesus, they would know what he said and they'd love him, because of course they'd be brothers.

vs 43

Instead, they are suffering exactly the opposite effect - they can't understand the words Jesus gives to them, because they are unable to. It's not just that they don't want to, or that they aren't prepared to - they cannot.

vs 44

This is powerful speech. He is calling them all sons of the devil. They all follow in the footsteps of their father - and if that means they are murdering or plotting murder, then it's obvious who their father is. And that's not God. They also ignore the truth, because their father doesn't speak truth, only lies. That's his native language! And they just lap it up.

Now if they weren't insulted by now, surely they will be.

vs 45

So they listen to Satan instead of God, and because Jesus tells them the truth, they don't listen to him either. If Jesus had just been a man, then by now you'd think he had self-fulfilled his own prophecy about them wanting to kill him. He's done pretty well at insulting their heritage and now insulting them personally.

vs 46

But you see, Jesus is not just blasting them for no reason. He is pleading with them. He can show openly that he has not sinned. He is speaking God's truth. He wants them to believe.

vs 47

He's not accusing them of being sons of Satan so that they kill him - he's accusing them of it so they realise that this is what they are, and change to what they want to be - sons of God.

vs 48

So now, after Jesus has called them sons of Satan and not true Jews and haters of God, they think that it's just a mudslinging match, and they come back with some insults of their own.

Demon-possessed is almost understandable. When you see that someone is obviously affected by something supernatural, they can either be of God or of Satan. So they're just picking one instead of the other.

But a Samaritan? Everyone knows he's not a Samaritan. Everyone knows that. It's like calling someone a terrorist. It's just a baseless insult.

vs 49

Jesus corrects them, and warns them. Not only are they wrong, but they are dishonouring one who comes from God.

vs 50

Jesus isn't seeking glory for himself, but God is seeking glory, and they aren't glorifying God at all by their actions at the moment. That same God is judge, and he is going to judge these guys as sons of Satan. Jesus is really warning them. You wonder if any of them had any doubts.