Name means: “The Lord Has Been Gracious.”
Home: Probably raised in Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee; later lived at Ephesus; banished to the island of Patmos in his old age.
Family: Son of Zebedee; mother was probably Salome, who may have been a sister of Mary, making John a cousin of Jesus; younger brother of James.
Occupation: Commercial fisherman; disciple of Jesus and a member of His inner circle; author of a Gospel, three New Testament letters, and the Book of Revelation.
Best known for: His close relationship with Jesus and his New Testament writings.
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This passage, known as the prologue of John’s Gospel, was likely an early church hymn. It includes the Bible’s most detailed claim that Jesus is God come to earth in human form. It declares that He has existed from all eternity. He is distinct from God, and yet He is Himself God. He has forever enjoyed face-to-face relationships among the Godhead. Jesus is “the Word” (meaning “what is spoken, a statement, a speech”). Note the connection to God’s revelation of His name to Moses as “I AM WHO I AM” (Ex. 3:14), and to Jesus’ declaration of his eternal identity in John 8:58: “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Significantly, Jesus also makes seven other “I am” proclamations in the Gospel of John (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9; 10:11; 11:25: 14:6; 15:1).
Jesus is God’s expression in human form. He took on flesh and was born on earth to fully reveal God to humanity. To see Him is to see God, and to know Him is to experience God’s grace and truth (1:14).
And just as Jesus “became flesh” and “dwelt among us” (1:14), so are we to embody the good news about Christ in our everyday world. It is no coincidence that God calls those who have received Christ into their hearts to commit themselves to their communities and to live together in a way that reveals His glory.
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From before time began and stretching to all eternity, God exists in a divine partnership. All three persons of the Trinity worked together to bring the world into existence—Father (Gen. 1:1; John 5:17), Son (1:10; Col. 1:16), and Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4). The three members of the Godhead continue to maintain the created order and care for all creatures, and their work is happening right now in the heavens as God prepares an eternal dwelling place for His people (John 14:2, 3; Rev. 21:1, 2, 5). This triune God invites us to join with Him to accomplish His work in the world. In everything we do with our days, God invites us to participate in what He has been up to from the beginning.
More: God’s first appearance in Scripture is as a worker. See “God: The Original Worker” at John 5:17. Our own work is an extension of God’s endeavors in the world. See “People at Work” at Ps. 8:6.
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• A crossing on the Jordan River where John the Baptist carried out his work. The exact location is unknown.
• Name means “House of Passage,” although it may also be another name for Bethany (see Bethany’s profile at John 11:18).
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In addition to working in his family’s fishing business, Andrew followed John the Baptist. When Andrew heard John call Jesus “the Lamb of God,” he pursued Jesus, eager to learn more about this new Teacher. Talking with Jesus convinced Andrew that he had indeed found the long-awaited Messiah.
Scripture portrays Andrew as a connector, a man who liked to bring people together, especially when it meant leading people to Jesus.
• Andrew immediately found his brother Simon and told him the extraordinary news that he had found the Messiah. He brought his brother to meet Jesus, and the Lord called both men to follow Him.
• Andrew and the other disciples later found themselves confronted by thousands of people who had come to hear Jesus speak. Jesus asked His disciples where they could buy food for the crowd to eat, a proposition that must have been staggering. But Andrew led Jesus to a boy who had a handful of barley loaves and a couple of fish. The Lord took this meager supply and miraculously multiplied it to feed the crowd of about five thousand people (John 6:4–14).
• Not long before Jesus’ arrest, some Greeks wanted to meet Him. Andrew acted as the go-between who carried their request to his Teacher (12:20–22).
Tradition holds that Andrew spent his later years connecting even more people to Christ by spreading the gospel to Scythia, the region directly north of the Black Sea. Some say that he was martyred at Patrae in Achaia by crucifixion on an X-shaped cross.
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Name means: “Manly.”
Home: Bethsaida and Capernaum on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee.
Family: Son of Jonah; brother of Simon Peter.
Occupation: Fisherman; Jesus’ disciple and according to tradition, an apostle to Scythia (a region that includes parts of modern-day Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan among others).
Best known as: The person who introduced Peter to the Lord.
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• Name means “Watchtower.”
• Situated close enough to major trade routes to maintain contact with the larger world, but its relative remoteness contributed to a reputation for aloofness and a spirit of independence.
• Residents spoke a dialect of Aramaic that sounded uncultured to outsiders.
• Often the brunt of disrespect, as in Nathanael’s remark, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
• Hometown of Joseph and Mary and boyhood home of Jesus.
• Modern-day Nazareth is a mostly Arab community of more than 80,000 residents. Tourists frequent the Church of the Carpenter and a house where Jesus allegedly grew up.
• Archaeological digs have uncovered sites of numerous cities and Roman garrisons within five miles of Nazareth.
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Nazareth lay less than five miles from Sepphoris, the impressive capital city of Galilee that showcased the impact on Palestine of Greek culture and Roman wealth and power. But Nazareth shared none of those traits. Its location on top of a steep cliff ensured that its citizens would remain outsiders to the city below.
Nazareth had a reputation as a crude town that was resistant to change, but God chose it as the place where Jesus would grow up. His choice demonstrates God’s heart for all kinds of communities, including declining rural towns. God cares about us no matter where we come from.
After Nazareth dramatically rejected its home-grown leader (Luke 4:16–30), Jesus left and apparently never returned. His mother and brothers remained there, however. They endured the scorn of neighbors, who likely gossiped about Jesus’ birth and His mental state. For a while even Jesus’ brothers doubted His claims (John 7:5).
More: Galilee, the province in which Nazareth was located, was a seedbed for revolutionaries against Rome. See Galilee’s profile at Mark 1:14.
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In an Old Testament incident commonly referred to as “Jacob’s Ladder,” the patriarch Jacob dreamed of angels moving up and down a ladder to heaven while God repeated promises He had made to Jacob’s father and grandfather (Gen. 28:10–22). When Jacob awoke, he said in wonder, “Surely, the LORD is in this place” (28:16).
By reminding Nathanael of that story, Jesus tapped into one of the most potent concepts of Old Testament theology—that God’s presence makes places special. Wherever God or His representatives touched the ground, to the Israelites that spot became “Bethel,” or sacred space (literally “House of God”; see “Sacred Space” at Gen. 28:22).
Jesus told Nathanael that angels would one day ascend and descend on Him. This was a radical new twist. He was revealing that there were not only sacred places but a sacred Person, a truth with profound applications:
• People joined to Christ become His temples (1 Cor. 6:19). As His followers, we become sacred because of God’s presence in us.
• Everywhere we go becomes a sacred place. Jesus goes where we go—home, work, school, parks, stores, restaurants, libraries, hospitals, concert venues, movie theaters, museums, cemeteries, airports, aquariums—if we are there, so is the Lord.
• Workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities can no longer be regarded as enemy territory. Nor are churches the only holy buildings in town. When Christians live in a deep connection with God, an office becomes as sacred as any religious shrine. Nathanael found out that even a fig tree can become a place where God carries out His purposes (John 1:50).
• No place on earth is forsaken by God. When Christ’s people are there, Christ is present. This is a reality that has the power to transform communities and give struggling people a sense of significance and hope. God’s presence in us can make broken neighborhoods into Bethels.
We need a God who is as big as the places where we live and work. Knowing that we carry with us the Lord of the universe, we can be sure that He makes everywhere we go into a place where He shines forth His grace and truth. It’s up to us to see it.
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• A town near Nazareth, possibly at modern-day Kirf Kenna, four miles north of Nazareth, or perhaps the ruined city of Khirbet Kana, nine miles north of Nazareth.
• Name means “Place of Reeds.” Freshwater springs and shady fig trees are still found at Kirf Kenna.
• Mentioned in Scripture only by John as the site of Jesus’ first recorded miracle (John 2:1–11; 4:46) and the home of Nathanael (21:2).
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No ancient Jewish wedding would be without wine, a festive symbol of life and abundance. It represented an expectation of a good life to come for the newlyweds. But just as a young couple at Cana prepared to launch a new life, the unthinkable happened—they ran out of wine.
Actually, given that wedding festivities often lasted as long as a week, that may have been a common problem. Nevertheless, it would have been discouraging and probably an embarrassment to the host. Jesus seized the moment to reveal something about who He was. His turning water into wine for the wedding guests amazed His disciples and encouraged their faith (John 2:11). His mighty act communicated that He was the new wine bringing abundant life to the world. And He, like the wine He made, was not of inferior quality—He was the good wine, served at a time of new beginnings (2:10).
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The Seven Signs of John’s Gospel
As John wrote his Gospel, he had a distinct goal—a purpose he shared at the end of the book. He wanted his readers to know that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that [by] believing [they might] have life in His name” (John 20:31). With that in mind, he organized his account around seven miracles performed by Jesus. Each was a sign that pointed to His divine nature.
Sign | Meaning |
1. Turns water into wine (John 2:1–12) | Jesus is the Source of life. |
2. Heals a nobleman’s son (John 4:46–54) | Jesus is Master over distance. |
3. Heals a lame man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1–17) | Jesus is Master over time. |
4. Feeds 5,000 (John 6:1–14) | Jesus is the Bread of Life. |
5. Walks on water and stills a storm (John 6:15–21) | Jesus is Master over nature. |
6. Heals a man blind from birth (John 9:1–41) | Jesus is the Light of the World. |
7. Raises Lazarus from the dead (John 11:17–45) | Jesus has power over death. |
In Jewish thinking, the number seven signified perfection or completion. John’s seven miracles are based on the Old Testament understanding of the Messiah, and together they make the point that Jesus is perfect and complete. They demonstrate that He is the Messiah that Israel has been looking for, and that He alone offers eternal life.
Probably the last Gospel to be written, John’s book was nevertheless Christianity’s first statement of Jesus’ message in a way that directly related to the frame of mind of its day. John’s story is meticulously and artistically composed. It is also spiritually deep. The book’s profound thoughts have been the starting point for many in meeting and understanding the Master.
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Wine was a common beverage in biblical times. Galilee in particular was known for its skillful cultivation of grapes and expertise in winemaking. Galilean women and children pressed grapes in winepresses dug out of limestone. Often an artificial cave was hollowed out near the work area as a wine cellar.
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Jesus’ mother, brothers, and disciples went with Him during His early travels to Capernaum. But after this scene, Jesus’ mother disappears from John’s account until Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:25–27). Did Mary follow her Son? We do not get the sense that she traveled with Him. It may have taken her some time to better understand her Son’s divine nature and call. Or she may have had responsibilities at home that could not be ignored. Whatever the case, after Jesus ascended to heaven, Mary was among the early Christians who prayed and waited in the Upper Room for the promise of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14).
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The temple at Jerusalem underwent extensive reconstruction and renovation throughout Jesus’ lifetime. Looking to increase his popularity among the Jews, King Herod pledged to build a magnificent temple that would recall some of the glory of Solomon’s temple (compare 1 Kin. 6:1). Work began in 19 B.C. and was carried on long past his death, until A.D. 64.
The priests at first opposed Herod, suspicious that his real intent was to do away with the temple or erect something blasphemous in its place. But Herod proved he was serious, hiring ten thousand laborers and ordering a thousand wagons for hauling the cream-colored stone. When the structure was finished, it shone so brightly in the Mediterranean sun that it was difficult to look at directly.
Nonetheless, the priests still feared that their most sacred place would be corrupted. So Herod arranged for a thousand of the priests to be trained as carpenters and masons. This way, only priestly hands would construct the Most Holy Place. Unfortunately, the priests turned out to be their own worst enemies: they were poor craftsmen, and their work sometimes collapsed and had to be replaced.
In the end, all their hard work proved futile. Only a few years after the temple was finished, Roman armies surrounded and captured Jerusalem, completely destroying the city and its temple in A.D. 70 (see “Jerusalem Surrounded” at Luke 21:20).
More: Herod’s temple was magnificent, but its costliness and beauty probably failed to rival the original temple. See “Sparing No Expense” at 1 Kin. 5:5. The Herods built many splendid edifices while they governed Palestine. See “The Herods” at Acts 12:1, 2.
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Jesus’ nighttime meeting with Nicodemus (John 3:1–21) and midday encounter with the Samaritan woman (4:5–42) show Jesus’ consistent style of dealing with people in a world of sharp social divisions. Whether He encountered a respected spiritual leader such as Nicodemus or a street-smart loner like the woman of Samaria, Jesus met people on their own terms, treating them as unique individuals with unique concerns. His skill in relating to people models how we should communicate His good news in a pluralistic society.
Nicodemus was an upper-class Jew, a Pharisee from a prominent Jerusalem family. He approached Jesus alone at night. The Lord confronted him with his need to be “born again” (3:3), then let him go away to think things over. The next time we see him, he is defending Jesus on a technical religious matter (7:45–52). But Nicodemus apparently did not openly identify with Jesus until after the crucifixion, when he helped prepare His body for burial (19:39).
The Samaritan woman had led a scandalous life with a succession of husbands and then with a live-in companion. Her own community despised her, and as a Samaritan, she was also despised by the Jews (see “Jews and Samaritans” at John 4:9). Jesus met her in a heavily trafficked public location in broad daylight, first by herself and then with others. He told her of “living water” (4:10) and her need to worship in spirit and truth. She responded far more readily than Nicodemus. And her individual decision may have brought her entire clan along (4:39–41).
John records dozens of interactions between Jesus and people of all kinds. Some became His followers after they were fed (6:4–14), others after they were healed (9:1–38), and others after they saw the resurrected Christ (20:24–29). Some responded to the Lord’s miracles, others to His teaching.
As Jesus’ followers in a modern divided world, we present the gospel to some who are spiritually open and some who are not. A few actively seek to understand Christian truth. Others completely reject biblical truth and often believe that all who bear Christ’s name are intolerant hypocrites. Still others are at war with an incomplete idea about Western civilization that they equate with Christianity. Like Jesus, we need to use diverse approaches in addressing each individual. If we hope to effectively reach the world with His compassionate message, our first step is to shape our interactions with the people we interact with close to home—family, friends, coworkers, neighbors—so that we can perfect the art of meeting people right where they are.
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John the Baptist’s declaration that “He must increase, but I must decrease” seems to negate any thought of personal achievement, recognition, or material gain. But while we may feel as if John was setting an unrealistic standard, the truth is he lived what he preached, shunning the outward trappings of a successful ministry even by the standards of his own era.
But does God expect His followers to avoid success? Does He want us to fail on the job, in relationships, or in life? Can we thrive in our careers as well as in our spiritual lives, or are the two incompatible? Some Christians argue that job success creates credibility with others that opens them up to hearing about Christ. Others claim that they have no interest in being successful. Both might reflect genuine conviction and good intentions.
Success is a complex, emotional issue. The people who heard John the Baptist or Jesus preach were no less interested in prospering than we are, even if they defined success in different terms. Scripture speaks to the universal issue of human ambition through at least three principles illustrated by John the Baptist:
• It matters who defines success. The religious leaders who opposed John aggressively convinced people that they had God’s blessing because they descended from Abraham (3:7–9; Luke 3:8; John 8:39). But God said that what mattered was faith in Jesus. That was His measure of success, and unbelief would result in the ultimate failure—eternal death (3:36).
• Why and how we pursue success is as important as whether we achieve it. John preached to ordinary people who were trying to get ahead. In their scramble for success they took ethical shortcuts and ignored others’ needs. John challenged them to instead pursue concrete acts of charity, honesty, and justice in every part of life (Luke 3:8, 10–14).
• Success always carries a cost. John’s warning of God’s judgment came with a frightening image: “Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (3:9). Just as a forester would lay his ax at the foot of a tree while he decided which trees to cut down, God had sent John and Jesus as His final messengers before letting His judgment fall. People could choose how to respond. They could pay the price of pursuing their own gain at any cost, or they could respond in faith, letting the Lord determine whether their fortunes rose or fell.
God always gives us a choice whether to simply imitate the people around us, or to live life according to His definition of success. John the Baptist was able to carry out his ministry because he kept the right perspective on his God-given assignment. He accepted that he was merely Christ’s forerunner, not the Christ Himself (John 3:28, 29). He understood that Jesus’ ministry would grow and expand, and that any glory belonged to Him. His own role would diminish, hence his statement that “He must increase, but I must decrease” (3:30).
The cost of John’s obedience was imprisonment and execution (Matt. 14:1–12). Yet he gained a treasure out of all proportion to the price of martyrdom—the praise of Christ echoing throughout all eternity (11:7–11). His experience tells us to ask three vital questions:
• Who sets the standards I use to measure success?
• What are my motives and behavior in pursuing success?
• What price am I willing to pay to achieve success?
More: Solomon illustrates how a person can gain power, wealth, and prestige yet lack the true success that comes from knowing and honoring God. See “Unsatisfied with Success” at 2 Chr. 1:1. For more from Jesus on this topic, see “Quality, Not Quantity” at Matt. 25:14–30. Learn how Paul challenged the unchecked pursuit of personal gain in “Humility: The Scandalous Virtue” at Phil. 2:3.
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• Palestine’s central province under the Romans. Its leading city—also called Samaria—had been the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel before its fall to Assyria (722 B.C.).
• Noted for rich farmlands that produced high-quality grains, olives, and grapes.
• Served by five major roads, encouraging trade with Phoenicia, Syria, and Egypt.
• A prime target of invaders throughout history because of its reputation for prosperity.
More: Samaria was the only major city known to have been founded by the Israelites. To learn more about the city’s role in the Old Testament, see Samaria’s other profile at 1 Kin. 16:24.
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Although the Jews of the New Testament era did all they could to detour around Samaria, Jesus deliberately crossed the territory of a people widely regarded as spiritually and ethnically inferior (see “Jews and Samaritans” at John 4:9).
When Jesus struck up a conversation with a woman at Jacob’s well in Sychar (4:5–7), the discussion quickly turned personal. The woman was on the verge of confessing her belief in Jesus, but her culture gave her no authority over such a major decision. Those choices fell to men, often tribally, within clans. This cultural background made it unusual for any male—let alone a rabbi—to talk seriously with a woman in public. That may be one reason why the woman left as soon as the disciples appeared (4:27, 28). But she clearly left to tell her family and friends about Jesus (4:28–30), approaching the community’s decision-makers first. Her act opened up the entire village for Jesus, and He stayed there for two days (4:43).
This scene should shape our methods of communicating the Good News to other cultures. While Western culture tends to value individual independence, other cultures look to families or even larger social systems to make important decisions as a group. How the message is received is determined by family bonds and other relationships.
Western Christians must respect those values if they hope to cross into cultures other than their own. Jesus took a less-traveled road to bring an entire community to faith. What roads are we taking to spread His message? What roads are we avoiding?
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• A Samaritan city mentioned only once in the Bible.
• Exact location unknown; it could be the same as ancient Askar, one mile north of Jacob’s well, or Shechem, a community of biblical significance (see Shechem’s profile at Gen. 33:18).
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The fierce hatred between Jews and Samaritans went back many centuries. It dated to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. The victorious Assyrians deported twenty thousand, mostly upper-class Israelites and replaced them with pagan settlers from Babylon, Syria, and several other nations. These foreigners introduced idols and intermarried with the people of Israel, creating an ethnically mixed population (see “The Origin of the Samaritans” at 2 Kin. 17:24).
When the Jews of Judah returned from the Babylonian captivity and tried to rebuild Jerusalem, the temple, and the rest of their society, they met resistance from the Samaritans. The Jews looked down on their northern cousins’ mixed marriages and idolatrous habits. The Samaritans looked to Mount Gerizim rather than Jerusalem as the only true place of worship. The historic enmity between the two groups exploded when in 128 B.C. the Jews destroyed the Samaritans’ temple at Mount Gerizim, built nearly three hundred years earlier. By the time of Jesus, the hostility was so severe that the woman at the well was astonished that Jesus would even speak to her. As John explained, “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (John 4:9).
There are countless modern parallels to the Jewish-Samaritan conflict. Their animosity is mirrored whenever and wherever racial and ethnic barriers divide people. But the Gospels and the Book of Acts show how these barriers can be broken down. Jesus and His followers came into contact and spread the Christian message all over the Roman world to people of a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities.
Often it is not a person from a culture on the far side of the world that we find hardest to love. It is more often the nearby neighbor whose skin color, language, customs, or values seem like an insurmountable barrier. But in the kingdom of God there are no such barriers—not because there are no differences but because these things do not have to hinder people from reaching out to each other. If we want to be citizens of the kingdom, we must learn to see past our own prejudices and allow the Lord to reshape our minds and hearts. He will. But we must make the first move.
More: Jesus spoke some of His most memorable words about Samaritans. See “Bypassing Samaria” at Luke 9:51–56 and “Love Every Neighbor” at Luke 10:27–37. As the gospel spread from Jerusalem to other nations, it had to pass through Samaria. See “The Spread of the Gospel” at Acts 1:4.
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Geography makes Jesus’ second miraculous sign all the more significant. The nobleman and his dying son lived in Capernaum, the main city of the Galilee region (see Capernaum’s profile at Luke 4:31). But Jesus was twenty miles away at Cana (see Cana’s profile at John 2:1), where He had performed His first miracle (2:1–12). The nobleman walked forty miles round-trip—a two-day trek by foot—to implore Jesus to heal his son. With a word from Jesus (4:50), the boy was healed—as he lay in his bed twenty miles away.
When the nobleman returned home, he learned that his son had been healed at the same hour of Jesus’ speech. However, John notes that the nobleman did not walk away from Jesus in worry and doubt, despite Jesus’ previous statement suggesting that the man needed to “see signs and wonders” in order to believe. “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him,” writes John, “and he went his way.”
This illustrates an important point about miracles. Some people assume that miracles are meant to inspire faith. And it is true that some people in Scripture believed after witnessing miracles. But the Bible also says that miracles require faith. Matthew reports that Jesus did not perform many miracles at Nazareth “because of their unbelief” (Matt. 13:58). And when the disciples asked why they were unable to cast out a demon, Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief,” explaining that a faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains, but a lack of faith accomplishes nothing (17:20).
Miracles are mysterious things, and there are never any guarantees that God will do what we ask, no matter how faithfully we believe He can. But one thing is clear: if we do look for miracles in our lives, but we don’t have faith, we might as well stop looking.
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Always watching for infractions of their rules and traditions, and especially eager to catch Jesus and His followers in sin, the Pharisees verbally attacked a man who had been an invalid for decades. Jesus’ Sabbath-day miracles deeply offended these legalists.
God rested from His work on the seventh day of creation and designated it as His special day (Gen. 2:2, 3). He later established the seventh day as a holy day—a Sabbath, or day of rest, for Israel (Ex. 20:8–11). The Pharisees argued that man who was healed violated the Sabbath by carrying his bed (John 5:10), as did Jesus by raising him up on that day (5:16).
But Jesus said that even God breaks the Sabbath by continuing to work (5:17). Even though He has completed His creation, He still maintains it and provides for His creatures—even on the Sabbath. It is never the wrong day to do good.
More: For more on Jesus’ interactions with the Pharisees, see “Jesus Confronts the Legalists” at Luke 6:1–11.
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From God’s first appearance in Scripture onward, we learn that He is a worker. In the creation account (Gen. 1–2) He gets to work as a strategic planner, designer, civil engineer, land developer, project manager, artist, and more. The result of these skills was “very good” (1:31), so good that creation proclaims His glory (Ps. 19:1). His work wins Him honor (compare Is. 43:7; 60:21).
God’s work did not stop with the origination of the world. Moment by moment He still sustains creation and provides for His creatures. He continually works to bring people into a saving relationship with Him. And He eagerly enlists human beings to assist Him in accomplishing these tasks. Think of everything that implies:
1. Work is inherently good. Genesis says that God “worked” to bring the universe into existence (Gen. 2:2). That means that work is good in and of itself, since God only does what is good. The work we do reflects His original work. An engineer designing a bridge, a zoologist studying animals, and a farmer raising crops all perform jobs that God did at the beginning of the world.
2. Our work matters. By enlisting us in His plans, God gives us dignity. He created us “in His image” (1:26, 27), so just as He works, He has created us to work. Genesis even says that God gives human beings authority over His creation as managers. When we use the abilities He gives us, we become His partner in whatever we do. God uses doctors and nurses to meet health needs, retailers to distribute food and other essentials, lawyers to promote justice, and parents to nurture children. Our jobs matter to Him because they accomplish His purposes.
3. Work is not secular or sacred. God uses people like pastors and missionaries to meet spiritual and personal needs, but they are not the only people doing “God’s work.” God also cares about people’s physical, emotional, intellectual, and other needs. He watches how each one of us does our part to manage the earth. Accomplishing what God wants done in the world takes all kinds of skills and all kinds of people.
4. How we work must honor God. Our work has dignity. God created us in His image as workers. We are each coworkers with God who possess God-given abilities to carry out significant tasks. This all tells us that what we do and how we do it should bring God glory. The way we do the work He gives us should fill Him with joy.
More: Despite what many Christians think, work is not a punishment from God. See “The Toil of Work” at Gen. 3:17–19.
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John writes that the crowds followed Jesus because of His miracles (John 6:2), including His healing of a disabled man (5:1–17). This introduction sets the stage for one of Jesus’ most famous miracles, the feeding of the five thousand men (6:10). Counting women and children, the crowd likely surpassed ten thousand.
What Jesus did was remarkable in every way. Consider how few modern facilities can accommodate five thousand people for a sit-down meal. Yet Jesus miraculously provided for at least that many with leftovers to spare. John mentions that the food left over filled twelve baskets—perhaps with symbolic significance: one for each disciple, or one for each of Israel’s twelve tribes.
Faith was the overall result of the miracle; the crowd concluded that Jesus must be the Messiah (6:14). Yet doubt and rejection soon followed. Detractors pointed out that Jesus’ lunch may have been impressive, but it was only one meal. Moses, they said, had fed Israel in the wilderness for years (6:30, 31). Incredibly, they completely missed out on the whole point of the sign. Jesus did not merely deliver a meal. He was and is the Bread of Life (6:32–58).
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When Jesus called Himself the “bread of life” (John 6:35, 48), He was drawing on a rich symbol of Jewish life. Bread had an important place in Israel’s worship. During Pentecost, two loaves of leavened bread were offered as sacrifices (Lev. 23:17). In the tabernacle and the temple, the Levites placed twelve loaves of unleavened bread before the Lord to symbolize God’s presence with the twelve tribes (Ex. 25:30; see also “The Table of Showbread” at Ex. 25:23–30).
Each morning of the Exodus and the forty years of wilderness wandering, God miraculously sustained His people with manna from heaven (ch. 16). The bread-like manna was a “small round substance as fine as frost” (16:14). It looked “like white coriander seed” and tasted like “wafers made with honey” (16:31) or “pastry prepared with oil” (Num. 11:8).
It was this manna that Jesus had in mind when He called Himself “the true bread from heaven” (John 6:32), “the bread which came down from heaven” (6:41), and the “bread of life” (6:35, 48; compare 6:33, 49–51, 58). He is the spiritual food given by the Father to those who ask, seek, and knock (6:45; Matt. 7:7, 8).
Jesus imparted even more meaning to His words by delivering His “bread of life discourse” (John 6:26–58) during Passover (6:4, 22; see also “Passover” at Luke 22:7). The Feast of Unleavened Bread celebrated Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt. On the night before the Exodus—the night of the first Passover—the Israelites ate unleavened bread because they had no time to let their bread rise (Ex. 12:8; 13:6, 7).
Jesus wanted everyone to understand that He was God’s provision for people’s deepest needs. Just as God had provided for His people as they fled Egypt, so Jesus was ready to nourish all who came to Him.
Sadly, people balked at His teaching (John 6:30, 31, 41, 42, 52, 60). Their hearts were hard with unbelief. Many turned away (6:66). But to those who believed, Jesus gave abundant and eternal life.
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We might feel frustrated when people we care about continue to reject God despite our continual efforts. But we should remember that even the Lord’s own brothers did not believe that He was the Christ. They saw His miracles. They listened to His teaching. Yet they hesitated to accept that Jesus was the Son of God.
As Christians we are responsible for communicating the Good News. But it is the people who hear it who are accountable for responding in faith. If we hold ourselves liable for whether unbelievers accept or reject the message of Christ, we are putting ourselves in God’s place and carrying a weight He does not intend for us to bear.
That doesn’t mean we can be careless about how we share the gospel—or ignore how our life reflects on our credibility. Jesus’ brothers rejected Him in spite of His words and actions. But do people dismiss our faith because our lives contradict what we claim to believe?
At least some of Jesus’ brothers eventually believed in Him. James became a leader in the early church (Acts 15:13–21) and wrote the New Testament letter that bears his name. The author of Jude may also have been Jesus’ brother. Both men urged believers to put their faith into action and persevere in the face of attacks (James 2:2–26; Jude 3).
More: God brings people to Himself, but we have an essential role in the process. See “Whose Job Is Evangelism?” at John 16:8.
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The Pharisees had become so out of touch with the purpose of the Law that they could no longer tell the difference between appearance and reality. Jesus challenged them by appealing to the same Scriptures they claimed to value. As He did on many occasions, Jesus refused to let them abuse Him or others with their hypocrisy. See “Jesus Confronts the Legalists” at Luke 6:1–11.
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Jesus cried out to the crowds with spectacular timing. Jerusalem was packed with holiday visitors. It was the peak of the festivities, the moment when He would attract the most attention.
Each year the city swelled with worshipers for the annual Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths, or Tents; John 7:2). Every Jewish family within twenty miles of the city was required to leave home and live in a booth or tent in remembrance of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. Many camped out in the city for the week. Reunions and parties alternated with solemn processions from the temple to the pool of Siloam (9:7). As the throng pushed through the streets, they sang Psalms 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, and 118 in anticipation of God’s righteous reign over the holy city.
For the most part, Jesus kept a low profile during the festival (7:2–10). He taught in the temple (7:14), but He waited for the right moment to make a public declaration. It came on the last day of the feast (7:37), likely at the climax of the daily processional.
As on the previous six days, the high priest filled a goblet of water from Siloam and carried it back to the temple. At the moment he poured it out, the crowds erupted with shouts of “Oh, give thanks to the LORD” (Ps. 118:1) and “Save now, I pray, O LORD; O LORD, I pray, send now prosperity” (118:25) and again, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD.” The people shook myrtle, willow, and palm branches toward the altar, as if to remind God of His promises. After a pause, sacrifices were offered.
On the last day, just after the crowds had waved their branches, shaking them to pieces in a frenzy of enthusiasm, a voice suddenly cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). The Lord’s timing could not have been more perfect or His claim more explicit. As many in the crowd immediately understood, He had declared Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah, who would pour out the Holy Spirit (7:39–43).
John 7:37 is a turning point in John’s account of Jesus. From that point on, hostility against Him increased until His enemies finally arrested Him (18:12) in a vain attempt to shut off the Water of Life.
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Pharisees and other Judean citizens looked on their brothers from Galilee with scorn. To them the term Galilean was synonymous with fool, heathen, sinner, or worse. See “Jesus the Galilean” at Mark 1:14.
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The woman dragged in front of Jesus must have been furious. A case of adultery required capital punishment for both parties (Lev. 20:10). Did the accusers forget to bring the man? Was he one of their own? Or did they judge according to a double standard?
Jesus refrained from challenging her accusers’ hypocrisy, but He set a new standard for judgment: Let someone perfect decide the case (John 8:7; compare Matt. 5:48). He was the only one who met that qualification, and He indeed decided the case. He declined to condemn the woman, and admonished her to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
When we make moral judgments, we must guard against our own double standards. Jesus warned us against being eager to point out specks in others’ eyes while ignoring the planks in our own (Matt. 7:4, 5).
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John 8 records a bitter confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Lord sharply challenged the religious leaders’ refusal to accept His claims. They endangered their own standing before God, and their unbelief put all of Israel in peril. Calling Jesus a demon-crazed Samaritan was probably the most offensive insult His opponents could hurl at Him. In their minds, Samaritan and demon-possessed were virtually synonymous and expressed all of the bitterness, rage, and contempt they felt toward Jesus.
Jesus told the Pharisees … | The Pharisees responded … |
I know where I came from and where I’m going (John 8:14–18). | You were born illegitimately (John 8:19). |
You do not know God (John 8:19). | No response. |
Who are You? (John 8:25). | |
We’ve never needed freedom (John 8:33). | |
You are slaves of sin (John 8:34–38). | We are children of Abraham (John 8:39). |
You are murderers and liars, doing the deeds of your father (John 8:39–41). | We are not illegitimate [like You]; besides, God is our Father (John 8:41). |
Your father is the devil, a murderer and a liar (John 8:42–47). | You’re nothing but a demon-possessed Samaritan (John 8:48). |
I have power even over death (John 8:49–51). | Who do You think You are? (John 8:52–54). |
My Father honors Me [as His Son]; but you are liars (John 8:54–56). | You’re just a young upstart, yet You claim to have seen Abraham (John 8:57). |
They picked up stones to throw at Him (John 8:59). |
More: Jews and Samaritans were deeply divided by ethnic barriers. In fact, they had almost no dealings with each other—not unlike many societies today. See “Jews and Samaritans” at John 4:9.
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History teems with men who claimed to be gods. Christianity is unique in that it reveals that God became man. That is the dramatic meaning of Jesus’ words, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” I AM was the name God used to introduce Himself to the Hebrews (Ex. 3:14). By applying this name to Himself, Jesus declared to the world that God Himself stood in their midst. And He demonstrated that He was God through His words and actions. He healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave sins, and flawlessly lived out the moral precepts He taught. Most importantly, He backed up His claim by conquering death. Others have been regarded as divine, but all except Jesus have fallen short of God’s glory.
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The sixth miraculous sign in John’s Gospel reveals Jesus as the Light of the World, the giver of sight to the blind (John 9:5). The scene raises crucial questions about sin and disease. Like Job’s counselors (Job 4:7–9; 8:2–8; 11:4–20), Jesus’ disciples asked, “Whose sin caused this man’s blindness?” (John 9:2). Their puzzlement reflected a common perception about health and disease in the ancient world. Then as now, sickness was often assumed to be punishment for sin. Physical maladies and suffering were ascribed to God’s judgment.
The disciples’ question seems quaint and simplistic until we admit that we still wrestle the same issue: What ultimately causes sickness and death? Of course, we have the benefit of modern science and technology to understand medical issues better than ever before. But often we still look for a larger meaning behind physical health and disease.
Jesus devoted considerable time and teaching to issues of physical health, provoking plenty of questions in the process. His miracles confounded those who saw them firsthand no less than they puzzle us today.
Those first-century witnesses had no problem believing that Jesus actually healed the sick and even raised the dead. They accepted His miracles as miracles. They never accused Him of perpetrating an elaborate hoax. But they profoundly struggled to understand the source of His power. The spiritually open wondered aloud whether they signaled that He was the Messiah (7:31). His enemies accused Him of being in league with the devil (8:48; 10:19–21; Matt. 9:34).
The people who witnessed His miracles anguished not about the healings but with what they were going to do with the man who—based on those healings—claimed to be the Messiah. Was He the Christ or not? And were they ready to welcome Him as Lord?
Modern culture struggles from a different point of view, doubting the credibility of the miracles themselves. People regularly accomplish feats long thought impossible. But the apparent rarity of clear-cut miracles—or their complete absence, some argue—causes skeptics to try to find explanations for Jesus’ actions that leave out the possibility of the supernatural. Maybe He cleverly manipulated the physical world in a way that people assumed was miraculous. Maybe His healings were merely illusions that duped the simple. Or maybe later believers invented His miracles to embellish the myth of a God-man.
These and other explanations reflect the skepticism of our age. Yet without a definitive explanation, we still end up at the same place as those who originally challenged Jesus’ miracles, to whom Jesus replied, “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you” (12:28). In other words, is it really the possibility of miracles that troubles us? Or is it the possibility that the One who performed them is in fact God?
More: Jesus has been called the Great Physician. The Bible generally has a high view of people who care for others’ physical needs. See “Worthy Physicians” at Job 13:4. When the Levitical priesthood was established, priests fulfilled the role of physicians in addition to their religious duties. To learn more, see “Body and Soul” at Lev. 12:6, 7 and “Priests as Physicians” at Lev. 13:2.
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Most of the healings that Jesus performed were intended to reveal His divine power and authority (John 9:2, 3, 32, 33). Consider these facts to get a fuller picture of His miraculous works:
• He healed people from all walks of life, both the untouchables and the well-off and well-connected.
• He did not heal everyone (Matt. 13:58).
• He recognized and dealt with the emotional side of illness—sadness, anger, disorientation, anxiety, conflict, fear, and aggression.
• He exhibited patience, compassion, and courage when confronting the sick.
• He never used spells, charms, incantations, drugs, incense, or herbs to ward off evil spirits or to heal people of their diseases. His power came directly from His divine nature.
• He drew connections between physical sickness and spiritual need (Mark 2:15–17).
• He often linked the healing of disease to faith and the forgiveness of sins.
• He refused to see all sickness as a sign of God’s judgment.
• He refused to allow religious traditions and taboos to prevent Him from relieving pain and suffering.
• His power to heal threatened the established authorities.
• His immediate followers displayed the same power over physical maladies, a sign that their message was from God.
• Sometimes illness and death showed God’s judgment (Acts 5:1–11; 12:19–23).
• His followers were not spared from physical afflictions. God used their sufferings to form their character.
• We can look forward to a time when He will bring an end to suffering, sorrow, pain, and disease (Rom. 8:18; Rev. 21:4).
More: Christ’s healings demonstrate His power over disease and infirmity. They also reveal God’s compassion. See “He Healed Them All” at Luke 4:40 to learn about some of the diseases and disabilities that Jesus and His followers treated.
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The Feast of Dedication was a minor feast held in the Jewish month of Chislev (November/December). We know it today as Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. This feast was not prescribed by Old Testament law. It originated as a celebration of the cleansing of the temple after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes, one of the cruelest rulers of all time.
A member of the Seleucid dynasty of Syria, Antiochus IV (175–164 B.C.) was surnamed Epiphanes (“A God Revealed”). His enemies called him Epimanes (“Madman”). Enterprising and ambitious, he endeavored to unify his empire by spreading Greek civilization and culture, bringing him into direct conflict with the Jews. With utter contempt for their religion, Antiochus erected an altar to the Greek god Zeus over the altar in the temple at Jerusalem. He forced Jews to participate in heathen festivities and ordered them executed if they were caught possessing a copy of the Law.
In 165 B.C., a man named Judas Maccabeus led a successful revolt that overthrew Seleucid domination of Palestine. The temple was cleansed on the twenty-fifth day of Chislev (which fell on December 25 that year). Antiochus retreated to Persia, where, true to his nickname, he died a madman.
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The intense hostility that Jesus faced is obvious in His opponents’ readiness to stone Him (compare John 8:59). Capital punishment by stoning was reserved for the most serious crimes against Mosaic law, including:
• child sacrifice (Lev. 20:2),
• consulting with mediums and occultists (20:27),
• blasphemy (24:16),
• breaking the Sabbath (Num. 15:32–36),
• worshiping false gods (Deut. 13:10),
• persistently rebelling against one’s parents (21:21),
• adultery (Ezek. 16:40), and
• direct disobedience of God’s express commands (Josh. 7:25).
Stoning was usually carried out by the men of the community (Deut. 21:21) after hearing testimony from at least two witnesses, who were required to cast the first stones (17:5–7). The execution usually took place outside the camp or city (Lev. 24:14, 23; 1 Kin. 21:10, 13).
Jesus must have seen trouble coming when His enemies “surrounded” Him (literally “closed in on Him”) as He walked in Solomon’s porch (John 10:23, 24). Executioners surrounded a stoning victim in order to cut off all means of escape.
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Name means: “God Has Helped.”
Not to be confused with: A beggar named Lazarus in one of Jesus’ parables (Luke 16:19–31).
Home: Bethany, near Jerusalem.
Family: Brother of Mary and Martha.
Best known for: Being raised from the dead by Jesus.
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Not to be confused with: Mary the mother of Jesus; Mary of Magdala (see her profile at Luke 8:2); Mary the mother of James and Joses (Matt. 27:55–61); or Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).
Home: Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho.
Family: Sister of Martha and Lazarus.
Best known for: Sitting at Jesus’ feet to worship and learn while her sister Martha served Him and His hungry disciples (Luke 10:38–42).
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Scripture records only one sentence spoken by Mary of Bethany (John 11:32), and even those words merely echoed what her sister Martha had already said (11:21). But her apparent scarcity of words was more than made up for by her devotion to Jesus. All three Gospels portray Mary at the feet of her Savior.
• As Jesus visited in her home, Mary listened at His feet (Luke 10:38–42).
• When Jesus came to Bethany after Lazarus’s death, a devastated Mary fell at His feet (John 11:32).
• During a Passover meal just before Jesus’ death, Mary poured fragrant oil on His head and feet and wiped His feet with her hair (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; John 12:1–8).
On each occasion, others openly criticized this quiet woman. Apparently, she either did not notice or did not care. She seemed to make choices based on a commitment to Jesus that went to the very core of her being. In return, Jesus defended her actions, giving her freedom to be His disciple.
Mary is a hero for anyone who lives in the shadow of a strong sibling or parent, or who prefers to listen rather than to speak. She demonstrates that bold preaching and leading are not the only ways we can follow Jesus. We also show devotion whenever we listen to the Lord’s voice and worship at His feet.
More: Mary’s sister Martha was an industrious, practical woman who never hesitated to speak her mind. Learn more about her in her profile at Luke 10:38 and “Practical and Spiritual” at Luke 10:38–42.
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• A village two miles east of Jerusalem on the southeast slope of the Mount of Olives, near the road to Jericho.
• Name means “House of Poverty.” Its modern Arab name is Al-Eizariya, “Place of Lazarus.”
• A favorite stopover for Jesus on trips to and from Jerusalem. He stayed with His close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
• Modern-day Bethany features a site claimed to be the tomb of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11:1–44).
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After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the chief priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders resolved to put Jesus to death (John 11:53). Until then, the conflict between them and the upstart Rabbi had been mostly a war of words. But raising Lazarus was an astonishing miracle witnessed by many. Jesus had raised at least two others, but those events had taken place in faraway Galilee (Mark 5:22–24, 35–43; Luke 7:11–17). Lazarus’s resurrection occurred in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem (John 11:18).
Not surprisingly, the miracle caused many to believe in Jesus (11:45). It provided undeniable proof of Jesus’ bold claim: “I am the resurrection and the life … and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (11:25, 26). Lazarus quickly became a curiosity, drawing onlookers who wanted to see for themselves the man whom Jesus had brought back to life (12:9).
This was the kind of publicity that Jesus’ enemies especially feared. Disputes over religious issues were something they could deal with, but a rapidly growing movement led by a popular Messiah-figure was another matter. Given the Romans’ vigilant attention to signs of rebellion, it was almost certain to have political repercussions (see “Jerusalem Surrounded” at Luke 21:20).
It was Caiaphas the high priest (see his profile at Matt. 26:3) who saw the usefulness of that fact. Why sacrifice the entire nation for the sake of Jesus, when Jesus could be sacrificed for the sake of the nation (John 11:49–52)? So the religious leaders made a plan for how they might bring Jesus before the Romans and have Him put away on a charge of rebellion. And even though Lazarus had just been brought back from the dead, they plotted to do away with him as well, as he was living evidence of Jesus’ power (12:10, 11).
The plan succeeded brilliantly except for one detail that Caiaphas and his allies either overlooked or refused to believe: in arranging Jesus’ death, they gave Him an opportunity to prove once and for all that He had spoken the truth when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25).
More: The poet William Cowper was deeply affected after reading the story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. See here for an article on the life of William Cowper.
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Faced with Lazarus coming back from the dead and rising confusion among the Jewish Council, Caiaphas the high priest scorned his fellow leaders for being too stupid to understand how they should solve their predicament. For more on this leader who predicted that Jesus would die for the nation (John 11:50–52), see Caiaphas’s profile at Matthew 26:3 and “The Religious Power Broker” at Matthew 26:3–5.
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• A city surrounded by mountains four miles east of Bethel and fourteen miles northeast of Jerusalem.
• Named for one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Also known as Ephron and Ephrain.
• Name means “Fruitfulness.”
• Identified with the Old Testament city of Ophrah (Josh. 18:23; 1 Sam. 13:17) and is the site of modern-day et-Taiyibeh.
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Among Jews at the time of Christ, women and men participated in the rituals of mourning, but women likely prepared the body for interment. They washed the body and scented it with fragrant oil, an act of devotion that might be repeated at the tomb. The oil that Mary used on Jesus’ feet was spikenard, known for its strong fragrance and expensive cost; it was imported all the way from India. It was also the same perfume used by the woman praised in the Song of Solomon (Song 1:12; 4:13; see also “The Fragrance of Love” at Song 1:12–14).
Once washed and scented, the body was dressed in the person’s clothing or wrapped in specially prepared linens. It was carried as soon as possible on a bier to the tomb. Relatives, friends, and professional mourners (see “Flutes and Wailing” at Matt. 9:23) formed a procession, and anyone who happened upon the group was obliged to honor the deceased and the relatives by joining in the march. A eulogy was often delivered at the graveside.
The body was placed on a shelf in the tomb, which was sealed by a heavy, tight-fitting slab. Jews were expected to visit the tomb often, partly as a precaution against burying someone who only seemed dead.
More: For further details, see “Ancient Burial Practices” at 1 Cor. 15:42.
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The hour when the Son of God would be glorified was the hour of His death. The time was drawing near when Jesus would fulfill the purpose for which He came: to bring salvation to the world. The moment recorded in John 12:23 launched the final week of Jesus’ earthly life, spent in and around Jerusalem.
1. The Praetorium. The Roman governor Pilate pronounced judgment on Jesus, sentencing Him to death (John 18:28— 19:16).
2. The palace of Herod Antipas. Pilate sent Jesus to Herod, who attempted to examine Him, then dressed Him in a robe and sent Him back to Pilate (Luke 23:6–12).
3. Calvary and the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (possible locations). Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers on a hill called Calvary (Luke 23:33), also Golgotha (John 19:17, 18). His body was placed in a donated tomb nearby (19:38–42).
4. The Upper Room (possible location). Jesus ate the Passover meal with His disciples (Matt. 26:20–30) and gave the Upper Room discourse (John 13:17).
5. Bethany. Jesus stayed with Simon the leper (Matt. 26:6) and was anointed with perfume by Mary (John 12:1–8).
6. The Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus spent the night before His death in prayer until a group led by Judas arrested Him (Matt. 26:36–57; John 18:1–12).
7. Caiaphas's house (possible location). The Jewish Council and other leaders gathered to find grounds for putting Jesus to death (Matt. 26:57–68). Peter denied any association with Jesus (26:69–75).
8. Herod's temple. Following the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Jesus threw the money changers out of the temple and taught there, silencing His critics (Matt. 21:1—26:5).
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Studying the Scriptures
Audrey Wetherell Johnson (1907–1984) was raised by a mother who had experienced prestige, wealth, and parental estrangement. When her mother rejected a loyal but lifeless involvement in the Church of England in order to more actively follow Christ with other like-minded believers, she was forced to leave her parent’s home and forfeit a sizeable fortune. After marrying and starting her own family, however, she was convinced that she had struck the better deal. Johnson asserted that her mother gave up financial affluence in order to give her children spiritual influence, a gift she called “the greatest inheritance I could ever have.”
The woman who became known simply as “Miss Johnson” had no idea that she would pass down this inheritance to hundreds of thousands of women, men, and children through her founding of Bible Study Fellowship, a network of weekly classes that operates in nearly forty nations.
Johnson spent her early years in France, where her parents worked as missionaries, but she returned to England on an overloaded boat as World War I broke out across Europe. She grew up claiming Christian faith but never rejecting sin or committing herself fully to God. As a teenager she returned to France to finish her education. The philosophy student frequented intellectual salons, read widely, and became an agnostic who pitied her family for clinging to “biblical myths.”
After another sudden return to England, Johnson attended business college. Even as she continued to reject her faith and sought to create an alternative belief system, God hammered away at her mind, asking, “Believest thou that I am the Son of God?” (compare Acts 8:37). The revelation that Jesus was God come to earth in human flesh caused her to break down in tears of joy and worship.
Johnson’s conversion did not cause her to accept all of Scripture as God’s infallible truth until she entered correspondence courses with well-known Bible scholars. Finally being persuaded of the veracity of the Bible, Johnson openly confessed her commitment to Christ, His Word, and His service. She studied nursing in preparation for the mission field, and in 1936 she sailed on a steamship bound for China.
During her stay, Johnson nearly died of an obstruction after a routine appendectomy, and upon the Japanese invasion she was confined to an internment camp along with two thousand other foreigners. At one especially tense moment, all the prisoners were gathered and guards raised their rifles and awaited the order to shoot. But realizing that they risked retaliation if they opened fire, the guards shuffled the prisoners back into their huts. In that moment Johnson began to recall another time when God had rescued her from danger—the danger of agnosticism. “And that was a much more important deliverance,” she wrote, “for it freed me unto Jesus Christ, and made me see my purpose in relation to Him for all of my life. You see, He had created me for commitment” (Created for Commitment).
As Johnson recuperated in California after the war, five women asked her to lead them in a study of the Scriptures. Decades of an active teaching ministry coalesced into a careful method that has spread worldwide. Combining wisdom with practicality, Johnson’s love for God’s Word has led thousands to a deeper knowledge of Christ through the work of Bible Study Fellowship. Faithfully following the words of her Savior, Johnson built a fruitful legacy: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor” (John 12:26).
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Jesus lived under His Father’s authority, faithfully representing Him to the world. Consider two applications of that reality for us today:
• As Christians, we live under Christ’s authority and are responsible for faithfully representing Him throughout our world. That fact requires us to be intimately familiar with Jesus and His words, commands, and purposes. That means serious commitment to continuously exploring Scripture.
• As workers, we serve under human authorities and are responsible for faithfully representing our supervisors and organizations to others. That necessitates our becoming thoroughly informed about our employer’s values, goals, policies, and procedures.
Representing God and representing human authorities are not easy assignments. It’s easy to twist our work and words to fit our own purposes. But Jesus modeled two principles that help us serve those in authority effectively. First, He asked questions and listened to answers—for example, with Nicodemus (John 3:1–21) and the woman at the well (4:1–26). Second, He was clear about His mission and secure in His position. As a result, He never felt compelled to prove or promote Himself. That made Him significantly different from many of the leaders of His day, who “loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (12:43).
More: Scripture says plenty about our relationship to our employers. See “The Lord’s Employees” at Col. 3:22–24.
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As Jesus neared the end of His ministry, he held a dinner for His closest followers. Instead of delivering a speech congratulating Himself on His noteworthy accomplishments, He left His seat at the head of the table and found the basin and towel of a household servant. He knelt to wash the feet of every person at the table—even Judas, His betrayer. Foot-washing was an act of hospitality to weary, dusty guests and was normally performed by household servants (Luke 7:44). Leaders and hosts never stooped to that menial task. But Jesus did.
Seated once again at the table, Jesus asked whether His followers understood what He had done (John 13:12). He urged them to assume the same posture, following His example in serving others. He assured them of His blessing if they did (13:15–17).
Jesus still calls His followers to be leaders in serving others, not only in the church but also in our public and professional lives. No corporate memo or rousing speech will ever have the impact of a leader consistently modeling a servant’s attitude—placing others’ needs before our own, taking measurable action to meet those needs, and doing it all without looking for reward.
More: For more on the meaning of servant-leadership, see “Servant-Leaders” at Matt. 20:25–28.
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Jesus said that a key test of our commitment to Him is our love for other believers—not just our words but attitudes and actions as well. Jesus did not promise that others would know we are His disciples by what we say, or how we dress, or what we know. He said they would know us when we love each other “as I have loved you.” Shortly after Jesus spoke these words, He gave His life for His friends and for us.
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Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “Helper.” The Greek word paraclete means “one called alongside to help.” By giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus shows us that He will never live at a distance. Following Him is not like chasing someone walking ahead of us; it’s like falling into rhythm with someone walking beside us.
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Jesus said that He alone can provide the peace we need to live with integrity and wholeness in a turbulent world. Try as we might, there is no way we can arrange our lives to avoid the impact of rapid and sometimes terrifying change. No assortment of life strategies can give us the kind of inner peace and confidence we long for. Only Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5).
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Jesus described a true relationship with Him in terms that even people who know nothing about plants can understand. Just as branches must stay connected to the stem to stay alive, so we must live in an unbroken relationship with our Lord:
• Jesus is our sole source of life (John 15:1).
• If we let sin into our lives, we lose connection with Him and with other believers (15:4; 1 John 1:6, 7).
• Jesus wants us to be productive (John 15:5–8).
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Jesus used strong words when He said that others would oppose us for following Him. The fact that we will face hatred and persecution indicates that the reality and depth of our commitment to Him will be tested when it starts to cost us something.
We no doubt expect to be occasionally misunderstood or even harassed. But we may not be prepared to be hated because of Him. Faith may bring criticism at home. It may cost us a promotion or other career opportunity. A lived-out faith can bring unwarranted legal action. Or it can cause an uncomfortable silence as friends abandon us. Sooner or later, following Christ has a cost. Those who think they can escape untouched are misguided. Jesus’ words suggest that if we never encounter opposition, then our commitment to Him may not be real.
It is also possible for our actions or words to offend others because they are inappropriate. Whatever hostility we then receive is not persecution. We are called to live with grace and truth, not rudeness and obnoxiousness. True persecution involves unmerited hostility for acting in a way that mimics Christ (1 Pet. 2:12–21).
More: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor, theologian, and author of The Cost of Discipleship, suffered intense persecution and death at the hands of the Nazis. See here for an article on his life.
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One fact is certain about evangelism: it makes almost anyone squirm, whether Christian or non-Christian. Bring up anything about religion—let alone the facts of the gospel—and the atmosphere turns tense. That awkward feeling makes many Christians fold their hands and shut their mouths when it comes to leading people into a relationship with Jesus. Thinking that it is God’s job to bring people to faith, they choose to check out of the process.
In one sense it is up to God to bring about salvation. As John 16:8 shows, the Holy Spirit is the world’s supreme evangelist. Yet other passages urge us to work with the Spirit in influencing others to consider the facts about Jesus. To understand our part in this joint effort, we need to rediscover the Spirit’s evangelistic work. This involves:
• Common grace. No matter how bad things get in the world—war, poverty, financial upheaval, disease, crime, family chaos—everything would be far worse if God’s Spirit did not constantly move throughout the world, restraining evil’s full onslaught and promoting good. The Spirit does this for all people, whether or not they believe in God, hence the name, “common grace.” This gracious work prepares non-believers to accept God’s offer of salvation (Ps. 104:24–30).
• Spiritual awakening. People who make no claim to following Jesus often talk glibly about life and avoid discussing spiritual issues. The Spirit’s job is break through their resistance and show these people their true spiritual state. He may use a disturbed conscience, a lost hope, a tremendous joy, or an overwhelming fear. At times He uses the law, government, or human kindness (Is. 57:20, 21; Joel 2:28–32; Rom. 2:1–6, 15, 16).
• Conviction of sin. When the Spirit pierces the conscience of non-Christians, they may feel acute guilt and fear of God’s judgment (John 16:8; Acts 5:1–11). This might cause them to attack any Christians within reach. But their rejection of truth does not necessarily signal that we have failed as Christ’s representatives. We should also remember that their anger is justified if our approach is insensitive.
• Rebirth. Christians often take credit for this work of the Spirit. Rebirth involves imparting new life to a lost sinner (John 3:5–8), a task only the Spirit can accomplish. As Christians, we can only help this process along.
• Sealing and equipping. The Spirit seals those who newly believe in Christ, confirming and guaranteeing their place in God’s family and assuring them that they have indeed met God (2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 1:13). The Spirit also equips Christians to live as new creatures by giving them spiritual power and gifts, and bonding His followers together. New appetites develop—a love for Scripture, a hatred of evil, and a desire to share the faith; these come from the Spirit.
If the Spirit accomplishes those things, how can we cooperate in the task of evangelism? Here are four ways:
• Identify with Christ. We can start by acknowledging our life in Christ, sensitively yet publicly declaring our spiritual convictions and commitments. We can act with Christlike love toward others and demonstrate integrity in everything we do. And we can identify with God’s people. We need not endorse everything done by other Christians, but we can affirm our membership in God’s family (John 13:14, 15; 17:14–19; Phil. 3:17).
• Speak the gospel. Jesus preached repentance and the forgiveness of sins, and He asks us to verbally communicate that gospel message to others. Our actions alone are not enough to guide people toward Christ, so evangelism demands more than a mute witness. We must also provide information that presents His message clearly and persuasively (Matt. 4:17; Col. 1:26–29).
• Appeal for a decision. God gives people a choice to accept or reject His offer of salvation. As the Spirit gives us opportunity, we should present the gospel and then ask our listener to decide what to do: become reconciled to God through Jesus or go on living life without Him (2 Cor. 5:18–20). We can appeal to others to accept Jesus’ gift of new life, but timing our invitation is crucial. Forcing a premature decision with high-pressure tactics produces hostility and rejection, and it often creates lasting pain that closes people’s minds and hearts to the gospel.
• Train new believers. We cooperate with the Spirit by helping new Christians become established in their new life. Like a mother who nurtures her newborn child, we can support those who are young in the faith (1 Thess. 2:7, 8; 2 Tim. 2:2). We can help them resist temptation, develop new values, build relationships with other Christians, and gain insight into the Bible. We can invite them to pray with us, discuss God’s Word, and worship the Lord.
Evangelism is a cooperative effort between the Holy Spirit and Christ’s followers. As we interact with others, we should ask God to show us how He is working in them and how we can contribute to the process. We will sometimes sow new seeds, other times water what someone else has planted. Once in a while we must root out a noxious weed left by someone else. But our objective should always be to reap a harvest that glorifies God (compare John 4:34–38; 1 Cor. 3:5–7).
More: For more on the message we are to proclaim, see “The Gospel” at Luke 7:22. To learn about one of the most famous evangelists of all time, see here for an article on the life of Billy Sunday.
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An alternative translation to “sorrow” in John 16:21 is “pain.” There were few ways first-century women could relieve pain during labor. Since births took place at home, all of the disciples had probably heard a woman scream out in pain while giving birth. Childbearing was often fatal for the child, the mother, or both.
Jesus used a powerful metaphor in comparing the coming sorrow of His followers with the pains of a woman in labor. Their agony could not be avoided. But Jesus did offer hope: He promised that they would see Him again. When they were reunited with Him, their joy would be as great as a woman whose baby has finally come safely into the world. As we find ourselves overcome by the anguish of life in a broken world, we too can look forward with hope to the day we will finally meet Jesus face-to-face.
More: In Bible times a baby would be delivered with the help of a midwife. To learn more about midwives’ work, see the entry for “Midwife” in the Jobs and Occupations index.
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When persecution struck the early church, early Christians sought refuge in Rome’s catacombs. But their flight was only temporary. They were forced underground only by the most extreme violence. They were normally active participants in their society.
Scripture recognizes a tension between fleeing and engaging with the world. Passages like Romans 12:2 and 1 Peter 1:14–16 urge us to pursue a distinctive lifestyle. Our holy commitments, character, and conduct should set us apart from people who do not claim to know or follow God. But Jesus also calls us to live side by side with those same people. He sends us into the world to impact our surroundings (see “Salt and Light” at Matt. 5:13–16 and “Faith Impacts the World” at Mark 16:15, 16).
The push and pull between pursuing a unique Christian lifestyle and engaging with our surrounding culture inevitably leads to conflict. If we live out our loyalty to Christ, we can expect tension with people who choose a different course. Whether we face mild jokes and insults or open hostility and even violence, Christianity involves conflict with the world we are called to reach (compare 2 Tim. 3:12; see also “The Painful Path to Peace” at 1 Pet. 4:12–19).
As we navigate this tension, the New Testament gives us plenty of examples to follow:
• Jesus. The Messiah arrived in our world to offer us a new relationship with God. He could have remained in His heavenly home, yet He voluntarily left everything to die for us and deliver God’s offer of forgiveness, love, and acceptance to a rebellious humanity (Phil. 2:5–8). Many people initially showed interest in Him, but eventually most turned against Him. Knowing full well the fate that awaited Him, He entered Jerusalem, ready to face persecution, arrest, and even death. His followers tried to divert Him (Mark 8:31–33), but He was determined to follow God’s call into the world. Isolation and safety were not options.
• Paul. The church’s leading messenger started out hating anyone who followed Jesus. Yet God redirected his life to become a global envoy of faith and forgiveness. Paul’s first days as a Christian were spent in isolation in Arabia, but his withdrawal lasted only long enough for Saul to emerge as Paul the apostle. He crisscrossed the Roman empire, bringing the gospel to dozens of cities and towns. When his encounters led to misunderstandings, deportations, arrests, physical abuse, and attempts on his life, Paul may have longed for the safer, quieter days of his Arabian retreat. But once he responded to God’s call to go out into the world, there was no turning back. Throughout his life he challenged others to live, work, and witness among those who do not know God (1 Cor. 4:16–20).
• Peter. Peter struggled to break out of the separatist mentality he had grown up with. He disliked the prospect of suffering and rejection, and at times he took steps to preempt it (Mark 8:31–38; Luke 22:54–62; John 18:10, 11). He liked even less the idea of sharing God’s good news of salvation with Samaritans and Gentiles. But Christ kept calling Peter back to re-engage the world (Acts 10). He eventually learned the necessity of suffering (1 Pet. 4:1, 2) and called others to do whatever good they could in the world (2:11, 12).
• Barnabas. A respected landowner, Barnabas enjoyed a relatively safe calling as a leader of Jerusalem’s infant church. But he accepted an assignment to visit Antioch and investigate rumors of Gentile converts to the predominantly Jewish movement. He found that God was bringing all nations into the community of faith. He sought out Paul, an unknown, to help him establish the new converts in the faith (Acts 11:19–26). They later traveled to Jerusalem to defend and extend this new expansion in the growing work of God (15:1–33).
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Pontius Pilate assumed that he had more power than Jesus because he had the authority to condemn Him to death. But Jesus knew that all power ultimately comes from God, even the power wielded by governments (John 19:11; Rom. 13:1). One of the reasons Jesus could endure the injustices of His trial was that He was submitting to God’s will (John 18:11). Pilate and his underlings exercised limited authority. They could not stop God’s purposes from being fulfilled.
Whatever power we have—at home, at work, in our community—it comes from God. And He holds us accountable for how we exercise authority.
More: For more on how to use power appropriately, see “Practical Principles for Leadership” at Ex. 18:13–23 and “Lessons on Authority” at Num. 12:13, as well as the articles under “Power” in the Themes to Study index. Scripture challenges Christians to subject themselves to government. See “Governmental Authority” at Rom. 13:1–7.
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Jesus went to His death attended by a loyal following of women who had stood by Him throughout His ministry. Women played a major part in Jesus’ life and work. It was a woman or women who …
• Nurtured Him as He grew up (Luke 2:51).
• Traveled with Him and helped finance His ministry (8:1–3).
• Listened to Him teach (10:39).
• Were featured in His parables (Matt. 13:33; 24:41).
• Shared the good news that He was the Messiah (John 4:28–30).
• Offered hospitality to Him and His companions (Mark 1:29–31).
• Were treated by Him with respect and compassion (John 4:5–27; 11:32, 33).
• Were healed by Him (Matt. 9:20–22; Luke 13:10–17).
• Were praised by Him for their faith (Mark 7:24–30).
• Were commended by Him for their generosity (12:41–44).
• Worshiped Him and prepared His body for burial before His crucifixion (Matt. 26:6–13).
• Stood by Him at the cross (27:55; John 19:25).
• Assisted in His burial (Mark 16:1; Luke 23:55—24:1).
• First saw Him resurrected (John 20:16).
• Went to tell the rest of His followers that He was risen from the dead (20:18).
More: Meet some of the individual women who followed Jesus in “The Women Who Followed Jesus” at Luke 8:1–3. First-century women were crucial to spreading the gospel. See “Women and the Growth of Christianity” at Phil. 4:3.
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John’s account of the first Easter Sunday is part of a crucial body of evidence that underscores the Resurrection as a historical fact. See “Evidence for the Resurrection” at Mark 16:1–8.
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The Gift of the Cross
Until art critic John Ruskin was introduced to the work of Isabella Lilias Trotter (1853–1928), he believed that women lacked any real ability to paint. He was unenthusiastic when Trotter’s mother sent him “a pretty little note” asking him to look over her daughter’s drawings. But upon viewing them Ruskin immediately recognized Trotter’s enormous talent, and during her first meeting with him, she not only rapidly acquired the skills which he could teach her but seemed to surpass his lessons in an instant. Ruskin became convinced that if Trotter devoted herself to painting, she “would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal.” He was dismayed that the young prodigy spent so much of her time ministering on the streets of London.
Trotter learned at home that Christianity should never be limited to Sunday morning. Her father traveled widely and shared his faith with prisoners, students, and the mentally ill. He died when Trotter was twelve, but his example lived on. While Lilias Trotter had always been spiritually perceptive, her growth accelerated as she attended deeper-life conferences during her early twenties. She volunteered with the YWCA, providing job training as well as shelter for women in desperate circumstances, determined to equip them for a better life.
While Trotter was ecstatic at Ruskin’s attention, she concluded that unreserved devotion to art would keep her from fully serving God. She disappointed family and friends by sacrificing such a promising future in the arts in favor of applying herself to evangelistic efforts, but it was in her ministry that Trotter felt the greatest freedom, what she called a “liberty of those who have nothing to lose because they have nothing to keep.”
In 1887 Trotter responded to an appeal to take the message of Christ to people in a faraway land. When a mission group rejected her application, she secured her own funding to serve God among the Muslims of Algeria. For the next four decades, she preached along the coast and rode by camel deep into the Sahara desert. More than thirty workers joined her in what became the Algiers Mission Band.
Trotter never abandoned her art. Her illustrations fill her devotional writings, including The Parables of the Cross and The Parables of the Christ-life. Her words still speak deeply to our need for Jesus’ sacrifice for the sake of both our eternal salvation and our well-being in this world:
“The death of the Cross”—death’s triumph hour—that was the point where God’s gate opened; and to that gate we come again and again, as our lives unfold, and through it pass even on earth to our joyful resurrection, to a life each time more abundant, for each time the dying is a deeper dying. The Christian life is a process of deliverance out of one world into another, and “death,” as has been truly said, “is the only way out of any world in which we are.” …
It is when we come to self-despair, when we feel ourselves locked in, waiting our doom, that the glory and the beauty of God’s way of escape dawns upon us, and we submit ourselves to Him in it. All resistance breaks down as faith closes on the fact: “He loved me and gave Himself for me.” We receive the atonement so hardly won, and we go out into life not only pardoned, but cleared and justified (The Parables of the Cross).
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Although Thomas had traveled with Jesus and heard His teaching firsthand for at least three years, he still needed time, evidence, and personal persuasion before he would accept the Resurrection. Jesus responded to his doubt by inviting him to check the facts. He presented His wounds for Thomas’s inspection and did not scold him for wanting certainty.
Jesus honors the mind and heart of every seeker or doubter. He knows that surrendering to Him too easily often means that loyalty to Him can be torn apart when more questions arise. He applauds people who probe the corners of their doubts and fears in order to be sure of the truth. He even promised that the Spirit would aid those who seek to discover the facts about Him (John 16:12–16).
The encounter with Thomas shows that God invites us to bring our doubts to Him. He delights in hearing our arguments and questions, never shunning those who doubt Him, the Christian faith, or the church. He does not want His people to fear tough questions.
More: C. S. Lewis was a master of apologetics, the defense of Christianity through rational argument. But he also experienced seasons of crippling doubt. See here for an article on his life.
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Luke told his readers in the opening verses of Luke and Acts what those books are about and why he wrote them, but John hangs the key to his Gospel at the back door of his narrative. This was a common practice in ancient writings. What we would call a preface often appeared at the end of a book, where it summarized the writer’s purpose. John’s “preface” tells us that he wanted his readers to find faith and life as a result of reading his narrative. For that reason he included seven miraculous signs that reveal Jesus as the authentic, life-giving Son of God. See “The Seven Signs of John’s Gospel” at John 2:1–12.
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Peter might have felt beyond forgiveness. He had risen to a position of leadership among Jesus’ followers. He had even been given the “keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19). And he had positioned himself as Jesus’ defender when Roman soldiers came to arrest Him (John 18:10). But in the heat of Christ’s trial, conviction, and crucifixion, Peter denied three times that he even knew Him (18:15–18, 25–27) and afterward disappeared. The Lord’s prediction of Peter’s desertion came true (13:31–38).
When Jesus engaged Peter in a conversation after His resurrection, the once-brash disciple might have felt that he was permanently disqualified from further service. But Jesus graciously reconnected with Peter and called him to a life of genuine love and a central role in furthering His work.
This world doesn’t often offer second and third chances. If we fail once too often, we are written off. But Christ offers boundless forgiveness and love to any who own up to their failures and repent (Luke 7:47). We should offer nothing less.
More: Scripture repeatedly stresses the power of abundant forgiveness. See “Seventy Times Seven” at Matt. 18:21–35 and “Confessions That Bring Healing” at 1 Sam. 15:25.
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