Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

John 11

OVERVIEW

Remember that the Gospel of John can be divided into two halves. The first half is taken up by the seven signs:
First – Changing water into wine, ch. 2
Second – Healing the official’s son, ch. 4
Third – Healing the paralytic, ch. 5
Fourth – Feeding the five thousand, ch. 6
Fifth – Walking on water, ch. 6
Sixth – Healing the man born blind, ch. 9
Seventh – Raising Lazarus from the dead, ch 11

With the raising of Lazarus we complete the book of signs and enter the final days of Jesus’s ministry. It is after this seventh sign, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, that the Jews determine that Jesus must die (v. 50), setting the stage for the remainder of the gospel of John.

MARY, MARTHA, AND LAZARUS (1–6)

Lazarus (“Eleazar” in the Hebrew) is the brother of Mary and Martha. We met these two sisters previously, when Martha was busy with the serving, but Mary sat at the Lord’s feet (Luke 10:38-42). This is the same Mary that, in the next chapter, will anoint Jesus with costly oil (12:1-8).

With regard to Lazarus’ death, remember that when Jesus encounters these kinds of hardships he tells us instead of looking for the cause, we should look for the purpose (cf. 9:3).

GOING TO JUDEA 7-16

Jesus had only just barely escaped alive from Judea (7:1, 10:31, 39). To return to Judea now invites his own murder “. . . for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem” (Luke 13:33). The irony that is building is that Jesus’ determination to go to Judea to raise Lazarus from the dead is the presenting cause of the Jews’ determination murder him.

“I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE” 17-27

Jesus takes Martha from an understanding of a general theological truth to a confidence in Jesus himself. Martha joins Peter in confessing the Jesus is the Christ (6:69), the Son of God, come into this world (an important confession throughout 1 John).

LAZARUS WALKS 28-44

Jesus gives Martha an important lesson in the faith that she has already professed. The order is faith and then sight (v. 40). The order is God speaks and then we respond (v. 43-44). The healing work accomplished by the Word of God is fully and completely accomplished before Lazarus has anything to contribute. Like the bones of Ezekiel’s vision (Ez. 37), the Word of God, applied by the Spirit, supplies the entirety of life. Corpses contribute nothing but odor.

And while we are quick to see this in our understanding of how salvation works. Still, we are slow to apply this in our everyday lives. To be clear, your spiritual life is not something to be earned, negotiated, or bargained for. We simply receive what God has done. Understanding the sufficiency of Christ is crucial for your own spiritual health.

THE HARDNESS OF THE UNBELIEVING HEART 45-57

The glory of Jesus revealed in the resurrection of Lazarus (v. 40) offended the Jews who feared that this disruption could cost them their Temple (v. 48). And so they thought it better to murder the Messiah to save their Temple.

Read Full Article

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

““Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them…” (John 10).

Read Full Article

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷ And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸ Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

⁹ Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”

He said, “I am he.”

¹⁰ Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

¹¹ He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

¹² Then they said to him, “Where is He?”

He said, “I do not know.”

¹³ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

²⁵ He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

²⁶ Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

²⁸ Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³ If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

³⁴ They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

³⁶ He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

³⁷ And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

³⁸ Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains (John 9).

Read Full Article

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

John 8:21-59

Read Full Article

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

THE TEXT

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. ³ Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” ⁶ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

⁷ So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”⁸ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. ¹⁰ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”¹² Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”¹³ The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.”

¹⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. ¹⁵ You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. ¹⁶ And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me. ¹⁷ It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ¹⁸ I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”

¹⁹ Then they said to Him, “Where is Your Father?”Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also.” ²⁰ These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come. John 8:1–20

Read Full Article