In chapter 11 we have reached the mid-point of John’s Gospel and are rewarded with Jesus’ most remarkable miracle to date. In this story we witness the tremendous faith of Martha and come face to face with Jesus’ humanity and divinity, as he responds to the loss of his friend Lazarus and raises him from
Life is short and none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Entering a new year provides an opportunity to both look back and look ahead, to examine our lives with the goal of making every day count. We might be surprised, encouraged, and challenged at how God views our past victories, as well as the sins
When Jesus states that He and the Father are one, his Jewish hearers want to stone Him for blasphemy. Jesus defends Himself by pointing to an obscure passage in Psalm 82 where God tells people, "you are gods." Then Jesus challenges his hearers, "…and the Scripture cannot be broken." In this lesson we explore the
Given that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are supposed to walk as he did, what does this characteristic of Jesus mean for our own lives? This lesson examines Jesus’, Paul’s, and Peter’s expectations for us as shepherds, whether of our family or our local church, and addresses the gap between the Biblical role
What did Jesus mean when He announced, "I am the Good Shepherd"? This may seem like an illustration that he came up with on the spot, but the Old Testament is full of talk of shepherds, and Jesus' use of the term is part of this conversation. In this lesson we consider five good shepherds
Jesus has healed a young blind man who stands up to and is rejected by the Pharisees. To put this in perspective, Jesus tells a parable about a sheepfold, a shepherd, thieves and robbers, and explains that He is "the door of the sheep." This confuses his hearers, but Jesus' teaching is profound and reveals
In John 9 Jesus performs an extraordinary miracle, giving sight (in an unusual way) to a young man born blind. Through this one event, Jesus answers the question of who sinned (the man or his parents), fulfills prophecy, reveals his divinity and identity as the Son of God, and comforts the afflicted. This lesson encourages
At the end of John 8 Jesus makes several remarkable statements for which the Jews take up stones to kill him. In addition to calling the Jews liars, Jesus says "if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death," that "Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" and
In John 8 Jesus called his enemies "sons of the devil." He then describes Satan as a murder from the beginning, a liar, and the father of lies. Although Jesus had much to say about Satan, many professing Christians today do not even believe in the existence of Satan as a real spiritual being with a personality.
The Liar and Father of Lies (Satan) (John 8:37-50) View Lesson
The Liar and Father of Lies (Satan) (John 8:37-50) View Lesson
Jesus tells the Jews who believe in him that if they abide in his teaching, they will be set free. Those who hear him are puzzled; they are already free men and have never been slaves! But Jesus is speaking of spiritual slavery, or being enslaved to sin. In this lesson we explore the freedom