All four gospels record Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Is there special significance in this event? In this lesson we take a look at donkeys in the Bible, the prophecies foretelling Jesus' donkey ride, and how this story can be used to bring others to faith in the Christ. Teaching Notes The Triumphal
Judas was most famous for betraying Jesus. However, John draws attention to his underlying sin: greed. His love of money led to deceit, betrayal and other terrible sins. In this lesson we take a wide-ranging look at what the Bible has to say about the sin of greed, and examine both good and bad examples
After Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead, the Jewish leaders see Him as a growing threat. They convene the council at which Caiaphas, the high priest, speaks. In making the case to kill Jesus, Caiaphas unknowingly utters a prophecy: it is better for one man (Jesus) to die than for the whole nation to perish.
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