Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/28) John 12:1-11

Jul28

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“The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” John

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. A joyous, praise-worthy thing, right? And yet the Jewish authorities seethed at Jesus’ growing popularity. They called a meeting of the Council to decide what to do with Him. “If He keeps growing in popularity, promoting Himself as King, the Romans will come and take away our place (Temple & priesthood) and destroy our nation. WE MUST DO SOMETHING!” And so they put out a warrant for Jesus’ arrest, planning to seize Him and kill Him. Jesus lay low. But now Passover was approaching. The BIG Question was whether He would show up in the Holy City or not.

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John 12:1-3.

Jesus had traveled back to Jerusalem with His disciples on the Friday before Passover, arriving in time for sundown and the beginning of the Sabbath. They are again staying with His friends in Bethany and eating the Sabbath meal with them. Martha is serving (but not complaining this time). Lazarus is reclining with Jesus and his men at the table.

And Mary, who in times past sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach, is again in this position. However, her heart is overflowing with gratitude and love for the Master. As she kneels there, she breaks open a small, very expensive alabaster jar of pure nard. (Nard is an oil extracted from a plant grown in India and imported, so perhaps you can imagine its fragrance…and its cost.)

(Actually, my fave perfume is from India as well and called Shalimar. It’s sugary sweet in fragrance.)

Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with the oil, and wipes it with her long hair, which she has let down. It is an act of pure love flowing from a tender heart.

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John 12:4-8.

A harsh, brittle accusation splits the air as Judas Iscariot gets to his feet. “Why was this ointment not sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?”

He perhaps points to Mary at Jesus’ feet, her hair tangled and oily, and looks away in disgust. 300 denarii was, after all, the equivalent of a year’s wages for a common laborer.

(John again adds a bit of explanation to his gospel narrative, telling us that, “Judas said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief! And having charge of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.” )

Jesus knew this, of course, and I can imagine Him looking deep into Judas’s eyes and saying, “Leave her alone.”

Then He explained to the others, “She may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have Me.”

As soon as he could, Judas left the meal and went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. (Mark 14:10-11)

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John 12:9-11.

Somehow = perhaps Judas spread the word = a large crowd of Jews learned that Jesus was there, and they came, not only on account of Him, but also to see the risen Lazarus. So … the official Jews made plans to kill Lazarus again. Even now, many of them were believing in Jesus when they saw Lazarus!

Jesus remained the rest of the Sabbath day (Saturday, until sundown) with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

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The next day was Sunday … Palm Sunday.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/27) John 11:45-57

Jul27

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“You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that one Man should die for the people…” John11:50

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus had finally arrived in Bethany. Lazarus was dead and in the tomb for four days. The sisters led Jesus to the burial cave that had a large stone covering the entrance. Martha protested for only a moment when Jesus said to take away the stone, thinking of decomposition. A simple reminder of seeing the glory of God moved her to obey. After Jesus prayed that the Jews observing would finally believe in Him, Jesus ordered Lazarus to come out of the tomb. And he did, amazing (shocking?) everyone. “Unbind him and let him go,” were Jesus’ words, and also His desire for all those enslaved in sin.

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John 11:45-46

“Many of the Jews who had come to mourn with Mary and Martha saw what happened and believed in Jesus.” (How could they not??) But, as we discovered before, the Jews in Judea/Jerusalem had a ‘divided opinion’ about Him.

“Some of the Jews (who also witnessed the dead Lazarus emerge from the tomb) “went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.”

Sheesh! Did they get any “brownie points?”

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John 11:47-53

It seems very casual at first that the Jewish leaders (chief priests/Saducees and Pharisees) called together the 70-member Sanhedrin, but this may be like calling the Supreme Court of the United States together during the summer recess. (Remember it is almost Passover.)

“What are we going to do?” Someone brings up, “This Man is performing many miracles.” (Yes, like raising the dead!)

“If we let Him go on like this … everyone will believe in Him … and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation!”

(Feel their panic and self-centeredness?)

Then the august high priest, Caiaphas, stands. “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one Man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

(John inserts here in his Gospel that Caiaphas ‘did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.’)

This was the last prophecy from God for Israel.

So from that day on they made plans to put Jesus to death.

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John 11:54

After raising Lazarus, Jesus stayed the Sabbath with His friends, then on Sunday, He went eastward to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there He stayed with His disciples.

(NOTE: This town is probably Ephron, located 4 miles northeast of Bethel and about 12 miles from Jerusalem.)

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John 11:55-57.

And so Passover approached. Many people were flooding Jerusalem the week before to be “purified” for the sacred holiday.

They were looking for Jesus and asking one another, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast or not at all?” What if He does? What if He doesn’t?

The chief priests and Pharisees had given strict orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should let them know, that they might arrest Him.

The mood was tense; people were watchful and jittery, guards were extra observant, and the religious leaders sat on pins and needles. Would Jesus try something spectacular? Would Roman soldiers flood their streets and take control?

(They were definitely NOT thinking of the meaning of Passover, and how God saved their ancestors from the death angel with a sacrificial lamb, whose blood stained their doors, allowing them to escape bitter slavery to an evil tyrant. )

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2 Corinthians 5:21

"For our sake 
He made Him to be sin 
who knew no sin, 
so that in Him, we might become 
the righteiousness of God."

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/24) John 11:38-44

Jul24

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“Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus has returned with his disciples to Judea, within a couple of miles of Jerusalem. There is danger here, as we will see in the next few readings. However, in obedience to His Father, Jesus has come to do the greatest of His miracles to bring Glory to His Father and to urge people to believe that God sent Him (He’s the Messiah).

His two friends, Martha and Mary, are sorrowing at the loss of their brother, Lazarus, who has died 4 days earlier. Jesus promises Martha that she will see the Glory of God (in the Resurrection) that day, and comforts Mary as He walks with her to the tomb. Jews who have come to commiserate with the women (or something more sinister) watch and judge Jesus.

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John 11:38-40.

At the cave where Lazarus is interred, where a large stone lies across the opening, Jesus, the sisters, and the people stop. They wait and watch Jesus. Again He is moved with indignation at the evidence of sin (death) in His creation.

“Take away the stone.”

The stone not only keeps animal scavengers and grave robbers away, but it also keeps the stench of decomposition inside.

“Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days,” cautions Martha.

Jesus turns to her and says, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”

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John 11:41-43.

Martha looks a moment longer at Jesus and perhaps nods. Then, as the crowd around raises their veils and shawls to cover their noses, Martha instructs several men to remove the stone. After some exertion, it is rolled to the side, leaving the dark open cave. Now, their attention is divided between the cave opening and Jesus. When He speaks, they watch Him.

Jesus looks toward heaven in prayer. “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I know that You always hear Me, but I said this so the people standing around may believe that You sent Me.” (That I am the Messiah.)

Then Jesus looked towards the tomb and cried out in a loud voice, “LAZARUS, COME OUT.”

(NOTE: Some say that if Jesus had NOT prefaced His command with Lazarus’ name, every dead person in graves would have been resurrected and appeared. What a sight!)

(But you know, that is EXACTLY what will happen at our Lord’s return. [See John 5:25, 28-29, READ it!] See also 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, when the dead in Christ shall rise.)

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John 11:43-44.

“Lazarus, come out!” shouted Jesus.

(Did the people all gasp and hold their breaths?? Did Martha and Mary? What did they expect to see??)

“And the man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips and his face wrapped with a cloth.”

(NOTE: No, not a mummy. The Hebrews did not wrap their loved ones tightly and all together like the Egyptians. Rather, they wrapped strips of linen around arms, legs, and the torso, layering strong spices in the folds to help counteract the smell. Then a separate cloth was wrapped around the head. Lazarus did not have to “hop” out of the cave entrance; his legs were wrapped separately.)

Nevertheless, he was still “bound” with the cords of death.

“Unbind him and let him go,” said Jesus kindly, and perhaps Martha and Mary did it themselves.

Can you imagine what a glad reunion that was? Hugs, weeping, touching warm, living skin, looking into moist, seeing eyes, and hearing that beloved voice again. WHAT a miracle!

And then, maybe questions … “What was it like?” “Where did you go?” “Did you see God?”

And yes, this is what believers will have to look forward to – reunion with loved ones long passed away. OH, WHAT A JOYOUS PROMISE from Jesus!

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/23) John 11:17-37

Jul23

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“I AM the resurrection and the life.” John 11:25a

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus and His disciples are away from Judea and Jerusalem and those who wish to arrest or kill Him. They’ve been there for a couple of months. His disciples are feeling safe. Now a message comes from Mary & Martha, who live less than 2 miles from Jerusalem, telling Jesus about their brother’s serious illness. It’s obvious they want Him to come ASAP to heal him. But Jesus waits two days, until Lazarus dies. (Whoa!) His disciples are shocked when He tells them He’s heading back to Bethany now that Lazarus is dead. What happens there will be for “the glory of God,” “so that the Son of God will be glorified,” and “so His disciples may ‘believe‘.” “Okay,” says Thomas with a sigh. “Let’s go die with Him.”

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John 11:17-20

The setting:

As Jesus nears Bethany, He finds that Lazarus had already been in the tomb FOUR DAYS.

He learns that MANY of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to “console” them concerning their brother (but also to spy on them…would Jesus come?). Jesus pauses outside the town. Martha hears He is near, and goes out to meet Him.

(Remember Martha is the older, practical sister; she takes care of the statistics of running the house, she’s planned the funeral, including all the food for the visitors, hired the official wailers, and saw to it that Lazarus was properly buried.)

She is brave and seems in control, and yet she is grieving inside.

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John 11:21-27

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It seems like she might have been thinking that, whispering that under her breath, since the moment of Lazarus’s last breath.

(If only. If only. If only. How many times have you and I said that in regret?)

But… something comes to mind. Jesus HAD healed at least two people – from a distance – while in Galilee. (John 4:49-53, the official’s son, and Luke 7:7-10, the centurion’s servant) He “could have” healed Lazarus from across the Jordan. But… Jesus always obeyed the Father, and THIS ultimate healing would bring glory to both Jesus and the Father.

Martha continued her anguish in a more hopeful, respectful way. “BUT even now, I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give you.”

“Your brother will rise again.” (Jesus told her right then He would raise her brother. She didn’t dare to hope for that to happen NOW, but asked about that “future” Day.)

“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on that day.“ (Yes, Martha had been listening to Jesus’ preaching. He had said many times that He would give eternal life to all who believed, AND would raise them ‘on the last day.’)

“I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me … though he were dead … yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, shall never die.”

(WOW, the DEAD shall live, and the LIVING shall never die!! What an amazing promise!)

“Do you believe this?” (Do WE believe this?)

“Yes, Lord. I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into this world.”

(You know, her bold statement was every bit as magnificent as Peter’s “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Matthew 16:16)

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John 11:28-33.

Meanwhile, Martha’s younger, more sensitive sister, Mary, remained in the house, overcome by her grief. Martha ran to her and whispered, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.”

Jesus remained cautious and outside the town, knowing the hearts of some of the Jews at their home. When Mary heard her sister’s message, she immediately got up and went outside to the place where Jesus was waiting.

(The Jews, sitting with Mary, supposed she was going to the tomb and went out with her, following her. So they observed this next scene.)

Mary fell at Jesus’ feet.

(A comforting place for her – remember she had sat at His feet listening to His teaching while Martha worked and complained, in Luke 10:38-42), and when (later) she would anoint Jesus’ feet and wipe them with her hair, in John12:1-8)

At His feet, Mary cried out the very same thing as Martha. (Had they been repeating this to each other since Lazarus’ death?) “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

Jesus saw her anguish. He couldn’t reason with her as with Martha. Mary cried, clinging to His feet in abject sorrow. (He also saw the group of Jews standing off, weeping too.)

And Jesus was DEEPLY MOVED (angry, outraged, indignant) in His Spirit and GREATLY TROUBLED. He saw the unbelief that “said” death was final, that “disbelieved” in the resurrection that He promised to those who believed. He saw the awful evidence, the pain and sorrow of death that SIN had brought to humans at the fall. And it angered Him.

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John 11:34-37.

“Where have you laid him?” Jesus asked.

“Lord, come and see.”

And seeing the stone cold tomb afar off, JESUS WEPT, a silent weeping. He cried, not from Lazarus’s death for He knew He was about to raise him, but out of grief for a fallen world in which sin had caused such sorrow and grief. (His own creation, so mangled by Satan and sin.)

The group of Jews nearby said, “See how He loved him.”

But SOME of them said, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying? (These were remembering that unheard-of-before miracle of Jesus healing a man BORN blind, back in September at the Feast of Tabernacles. (Had that former blind man, saved by grace, become a fiery testimony for Jesus?)

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And YES, Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying. But, again, He always did the Father’s will, and THAT was, at this time, that Jesus would be glorified by raising a dead and buried man back to life.

This would “picture” sinners even today who were “dead in their trespasses and sin” being “made alive together with Christ (by God’s grace) and raised up with Him to sit us with Him in heavenly places.” This would show “to the coming ages, the immeasurable riches of God’s grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/22) John 11:1-16

Jul22

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“Then Jesus told them plainly, ‘Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, SO THAT you may believe.'” John 11:14-15

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – The religious leaders were divided about Jesus. Most viewed Him as a law-breaker, worthy of death, but a few wondered how a “law-breaker” could do such miracles. They wanted to get it straight from Jesus (“in writing,” if you will). They ask Him, “ARE YOU THE CHRIST?” (Or probably more truthfully, ‘Are you SAYING that you are the Christ?’) Jesus kind of chuckles to Himself. “I’ve told you, and you don’t believe,” (a hundred times!!) “I, and the Father, are one.” That did it. They tried both to stone Jesus and arrest Him. But, not His time, not His hour, and they failed.

And Jesus with his close twelve went far east and north to where His ministry began. Across the Jordan to where John baptized Him and He heard His Father identify Him and tell Him of His good pleasure.” Jesus is basically DONE with His public ministry. Israel as a whole has rejected Him. He will begin now with the final, intimate training of his disciples and close friends.

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John 11:1-6,

It’s a few months later; spring and Passover are approaching. Jesus and his disciples get a message from Bethany (a town near Jerusalem). It’s from the sisters and their brother, whom Jesus loves and has spent many a meal and evening with: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.

“Lord, he whom You love is ill.”

The sisters believed this was a serious illness, or they probably wouldn’t have sent for Jesus. They expected Him to come and heal their brother. (How old Lazarus was, we are not sure, but probably younger than his sisters, or he would have been named as the head of the house.)

Jesus spoke to His disciples, who were wondering what He would do. “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in that place. The disciples probably sighed with relief, remembering how “hot” Jerusalem was for Jesus at the Feast of Dedication.

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But… did Jesus speak an “untruth” when He said Lazarus’ illness did NOT lead to death? Because we KNOW that Lazarus died, was mourned for, and was buried. No way did Jesus deceive. What Jesus said here is a tremendous comfort for us if we think about it. OUR death is not “final” in Jesus’ eyes either.

Remember when He was preaching about being the “bread of life” (John 6:39-40), He said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

We may die physically, but if we are true believers in Christ and his death for us … we WILL be resurrected to eternal life with Him. Praise GOD! Lazarus was just going to get a little taste of it.

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John 11:7-10.

Just when the disciples were breathing easy again, Jesus announced, “Let us go to Judea again.”

The disciples were confused. “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there AGAIN??”

Jesus answers them a bit cryptically. “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

Huh?

As long as Jesus did His Father’s will (i.e., during the daylight period of his ministry when He is able to work), He was safe. The “nighttime” would soon come when His earthly work would end and He would “stumble” (die). For now, He could still safely complete God’s purposes.

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John 11:11-16

The disciples were still digesting what he said about being safe in the daytime of God’s will, when Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”

“Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” It’s true, if a seriously ill person finally falls into a natural sleep, it means he’s getting better. NOW, the disciples thought, Jesus wouldn’t have to go to Judea. But no, they had thought wrong.

“Lazarus has died,” Jesus clarified. “And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that YOU may believe. But let us go to him.”

The disciples already believed in Jesus (at least eleven of them did). But Jesus wanted to strengthen their faith in Him as the Messiah and the Son of God before the dire events that would soon happen. (His arrest, trials, death.)

I can almost hear Thomas sigh. Then he said to the others, “Let US also go, that WE may die with him.”

Thomas loved His Lord. If Jesus was going to die at the hands of those mean old Jewish authorities, then he wanted to die with Him. Fatalistic, pessimistic, maybe. But Thomas shows a love that has kept martyrs through the ages firm in their faith. Jesus is my all and all. I will gladly die with and for Him.

Thomas has a couple more big hurdles to go over before we see the last of him. (At the Last Supper, and after Jesus is resurrected.) But he persevered, and his faith was rewarded.

(And, tradition says that Thomas was killed by a spear while preaching the Gospel in India about 40 years later.)

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Back to Lazarus next time.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/21) John 10:22-42

Jul21

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“” John

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – Jesus clearly stated that HE was the good Shepherd of Israel. He kept His sheep safe, fed them, and in fact, would lay down His life for them. He also compared Himself to the gate or door into the sheepfold – the ONLY door. There is only one way to safety, to God, to salvation, to heaven, and it is Jesus. Jesus knows that the very authorities who are harassing Him are the ones who will demand His death at the hands of the Roman government, but with power He reminds them that HE is the one with the authority, the power to give up His life. AND, He alone has the power and authority to “take it up again,” or be resurrected to life. A division among the leaders about Jesus is beginning to be apparent. But the evil core will press till they kill Him.

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John 10:22-30.

It’s now about a month or so later, in December. The Feast of Dedication, also called the Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, is being celebrated.

(NOTE: This is not one of the Feasts that God required Israel to celebrate. In fact, it didn’t even start until 164 BC. In 170 BC, Israel fought against the then Syrian leader, Antiochus Epiphanes, who had captured Jerusalem and defiled the Temple. This Hasmonian family successfully freed the temple and the land from Syrian dominance until 63 BC, when Rome, under Pompey, took control.

This bit of guerrilla warfare was called the “Maccabean Revolt.” However, the Temple needed cleansing and their was but ONE day’s worth of sacred oil to anoint all the holy articles. It would take 8 days to make a new supply and they prayed. God allowed that ONE day’s worth of oil to light the Candlestick in the Temple for the EIGHT days. (This is why the eight candles on a Menorah are lit each night on Hanukkah today, in remembrance of that Miracle.)

Anyway, Jesus was in Jerusalem again. Since it was winter and cold, He was on the eastern side of the Temple under the sheltering “porch,” or colonnade, of Solomon (presumably with His disciples).

Some of the religious authorities approached Jesus, gathered in a circle around Him, and demanded, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you ARE the Christ (Messiah), tell us plainly.”

Jesus answered them plainly. “I told you, and you do not believe.” Yes, He had. And several times they picked up stones to kill Him for blasphemy. But they wanted to hear His words again, encircling Him as they did, so He couldn’t escape this time.

Jesus tells them that the “works” (miracles) He does in His Father’s name should be enough proof of Who He is. But they can’t “see” that, because they are not “His sheep.” They can’t “hear” His voice calling them to follow Him either. If they DID see and hear… and believe, Jesus said He would give them eternal life, and they would never perish.

Then Jesus said that “His sheep” are safe. “No one can snatch them out of My hand.” And, “No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand either.” Why? And here is the clincher they were waiting for: “The Father and I are One.”

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John 10:31-39

And the Jews picked up stones to stone Him.

Jesus holds them back with His words. “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”

“It’s not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for BLASPHEMY, because YOU, being a man, make Yourself GOD,” they answer.

Then Jesus holds them back with what WE think is a very confusing argument. He talks about God calling some unjust judges “gods” (Psalm 82:6), and they know that the scripture can’t be broken; and so what’s the problem with Him calling Himself “the Son of God?”

They are perplexed for a minute, thinking that over.

Jesus continues, “If I am NOT doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; BUT if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that … the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Again they sought to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands.

Hey, when it is NOT the time for arresting Him, NOTHING can stop Jesus’ escape.

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John 10:41-42.

Because of the increasing hostility, Jesus left Jerusalem and retreated across the Jordan River to where John had been baptizing. (This is where Jesus’ ministry had begun, with His own baptism, the Holy Spirit descending on Him, and the voice of His Father.) Many followed Him there, people who had heard John’s declarations about Him, and they believed in Him.

Jesus remained there until it was time for that “last” journey to Jerusalem near Passover, which would end in His death (and Resurrection).

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/20) John 10:1-27

Jul20

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“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved…“ John 10:9a

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – In three parts, Jesus has healed a man born blind, watched as the man’s faith grew under persecution by the Jewish leaders, and then blossomed into true discipleship and worship when he met Jesus face to face.

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John 10:1-6

Jesus continues speaking to the same people from chapter 9: religious leaders (false shepherds) who were blind so they could not lead God’s people; the people listening, whom Jesus refers to as the sheep (all Israel); and the few believers in the crowd (My sheep).

(Israel is often compared to sheep in the Old Testament, with the Lord as their shepherd (Psalm 23:1). “He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in his arms (Isaiah 40:11), and promises that one day, “I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15.)

Jesus tells them, “in a metaphor,” that HE is the Shepherd of the sheep. When He speaks to “His sheep,” they hear him and follow Him. They know His voice and trust Him.

And although the religious leaders knew the O. T. scriptures, revealing that they were NOT the kind of shepherds that pleased the Lord. “They did not understand what Jesus was saying to them.”

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john 10:7-9

Jesus elaborates on the metaphor of sheep and shepherds from a different angle.

“I am the door of the sheep(fold). All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.”

“I am the door. If anyone enters BY ME, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” Jesus is saying that belief in HIM is the only way to be saved. (John 14:5 says it even more clearly, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” )

The door, the gate, the way. There is NO OTHER possible means to be saved except by Jesus and faith in His atoning work on the cross.

Jesus continues to state this even more clearly. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

He compares Himself and His way of shepherding to that of the current and past shepherds of Israel. They were as ‘hired hands,’ not really caring for the sheep, only what they could get from the job. In their case, prestige, admiration, money. BUT, when real difficulty came, they were nowhere to be found, protecting themselves from the “wolves” who attacked the sheep. They were … BAD shepherds!

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

There is personal knowledge between the Good Shepherd and His own. He knows them personally, cares for them (read Psalm 23 again), and will sacrifice Himself for them.

“And I have ‘other sheep’ that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and THEY will listen to my voice.”

Jesus is speaking of most of us, Gentiles, non-Jews. Yes, He has opened His “sheepfold” to include us as well, to any who come to Him by faith.

“So there will be ONE FLOCK, one Shepherd.”

Paul reinforces this truth. In Christ “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on ALL who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12.

And also, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus. And, if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:28-29

Wow, what a promise!

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Then, probably looking straight at those religious authorities who will (in a few months) take Jesus to trial and demand His life from the Roman governor, looking at THEM, Jesus says…

“I lay down my life that I may take it up again. NO ONE takes it from me, but I lay it down of my OWN accord. I HAVE AUTHORITY to lay it down, and I have AUTHORITY to take it up again. I received this from My Father.”

WHEW! I wonder if they stepped back a pace or two at the power of Jesus’ words?

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John 10:19-21.

It’s interesting that “there was again division among the Jews because of these words.“

Many said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to Him?

But others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

This is not the first time that there was division among the authorities.

In John 7:40-52, some were “wowed” by Jesus’ words, and Nicodemus even questions their ire against Him. (We know that both Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, members of the Sanhedrin, later believed in Jesus and were responsible for burying His body after the crucifixion.)

John 9:16 tells us that at the testimony of the formerly blind man, “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner do such signs/’ And there was a division among them”

Acts 6:7 also says that “a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” under the apostles’ preaching. (That must have stirred up a hornet’s nest!)

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Anyway, it was much like today. Some will believe in Jesus and receive everlasting life and resurrection on the last day… and some will refuse to believe and forfeit eternal life in heaven for agony in hell… for eternity. Oh, be one of the former ones!!

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/17) John 9:35-41

Jul17

Read and believe in Jesus

“Lord, I believe, and he worshiped Him.” John 938

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – The Jewish leaders found the man that Jesus cured from congenital blindness, and accused him of letting Jesus heal him “on the Sabbath.”

The more they questioned the man, the stronger and clearer became his testimony. “This Jesus is a Prophet; He ‘opened’ my eyes; He healed my blindness from birth (unheard of in the history of man); He worships God; He does God’s will; and God listens to Him. If He were not from God, He could do nothing.” And, “Do YOU want to be His disciples too?” Their response; Grrrrr!

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(NOTE: I’m trying a larger font. My glaucoma eyes struggle to see the small ones. No comments, so I guess I’ll keep it.)

(Part Three of three, Jesus heals the blind man and makes him one of His own.)

John 9:35-38.

When the authorities heard this (and had no answer), they used the only power they had. They excommunicated the former blind man, now turned a disciple of Jesus.

This was harsh. It meant no one in this synagogue/Temple (or any other synagogue in Israel) could eat with this man or trade with him. Of course, as a former beggar, he didn’t have “a trade” anyway. THIS was what his parents feared when the Pharisees questioned them.

(The “casting out” of the ex-blind man actually foretold the greater separation of the synagogues from the followers of Jesus that was coming.)

Jesus had been following what was happening to the man, and after his excommunication, “found” him.

“Do you believe in ‘the Son of Man’?” Jesus asked him.

“Who is He, sir, that I may believe in Him?”

And clearly, openly (as He had revealed to the Samaritan woman), Jesus told him WHO He was. “You have seen Him, and it is He who is speaking to you.”

Lord, I believe,” said the new believer in Jesus the Christ, and he WORSHIPED Jesus.

(I wonder what that looked like? We’ve seen people who have been healed (or had a loved one healed) and especially those to whom Jesus revealed Himself, fall on their knees and “thank” Jesus. We’ve seen them immediately testify to others about who Jesus is. But to “worship” Him….? I imagine he must have fallen on his knees and thanked the God of Heaven for sending the Messiah of Israel, and praised Jesus for WHO He was.”

How do YOU picture it?

Jesus accepted the worship. Note that.

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.John 9:39-41

Then He said a mini parable. “For judgment I came into this world, that THOSE WHO DO NOT SEE may see, and… THOSE WHO SEE… may become blind.” (Thinking of Isaiah 6:10 and 42:19, no doubt.)

Whoa, what did Jesus mean?

“Those who do not see, and yet think they do” are the ones who think they are “enlightened” and have great insight, but in reality cannot see the Messiah of God when He is standing before them. In judgment, God blinds their eyes and stops their ears so they “cannot” see and hear.

Yes, it’s a hard concept. God IS sovereign. He opens some spiritual eyes and closes others. And He gets glory from both.

“Are WE also blind??” asked some of the Pharisees standing near and hearing Jesus’ words to His new disciple.

Well, “Yes,” you and I might say. “You can’t SEE that Jesus is the Messiah!”

It was their UNBELIEF that made them blind; that is the sin that kept them in darkness. But, in a twisted way, they were satisfied that their darkness WAS light, and continued in their rejection of Jesus as Christ. If they had only come humbly to Jesus…..

John 3:18-20. “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does NOT believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.“

See also 1 John 1:5-7.

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/16) John 9:13-34

Jul16

Read and believe in Jesus

“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. “ John 9:25b

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – (Part one of three) Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth. He made mud from his spit and some clay on the ground, applied it to the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He did, and he could instantly see. People who knew him could hardly believe it. WHO did this? They asked. “Jesus,” the man said. WHERE is He? They asked. “I do not know,” the former blind man said.

(NOTE: I’m trying a larger font. My glaucoma eyes struggle to see the small ones. Comment if you don’t like it.)

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Part Two (of three): The Pharisees harass the formerly blind man, hoping to catch Jesus.

John 9:13-17

People who knew the formerly blind man brought him to the Pharisees. (Why?) It was the Sabbath (of course), and they knew that Jesus healing on this day was a big “no-no” to these uber-strict law teachers.

“How did you receive your sight?” asked the Pharisees.

“He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see,” explained the man simply.

Some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.”

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

So they asked the formerly blind man again, “What do YOU say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?”

“He is a prophet.”

(Who now were the “blind” ones. The religious leaders were certainly walking in spiritual darkness, and they did it by choice.)

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John 9:18-23.

Hmmm, maybe this man was never blind. Maybe he’s faking it… So the Pharisees asked the man’s parents for verification. “Is this your son, who you SAY was born blind? How then does he see?”

His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”

The parents, of course, were afraid of the powerful Pharisees for these leaders had already agreed that if anyone should “confess Jesus” to be the Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. And so, they said that their son was of age and to ask him.

(Sheesh! Not a very caring family were they, to just throw him to the wolves, so THEY wouldn’t be persecuted.)

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John 9:24-34.

So the “court” called the ex-blind man back to give testimony again. “Give glory to God. We know that this Man is a sinner.”

“Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” (A fantastic personal testimony.)

“What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes? They tried again, probably to trip him up.

“I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

(Whoa, this man is getting brave. He almost sounds like Paul at some of his trials.)

And now the religious leaders are on the defensive. They argue back, “YOU are His disciple, but WE are disciples of Moses. WE know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this Man, we do not know where He comes from.”

Emboldened (perhaps even by the Holy Spirit), the former blind man speaks to the now spiritually blind teachers of the law.

“Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where He comes from and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to Him. NEVER since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

(Wow! Jesus has let a powerhouse preacher loose in Jerusalem. Praise God!)

Humiliated and mortified, and with nothing to say back to the “seeing man’s” wisdom, the Pharisees resort to nastiness. “YOU were born in utter sin, and would YOU teach US???”

And they cast him out of the synagogue. (Excommunicated.)

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(Wow, oh, Lord, make me as strong and brave as this man when I am (so lightly teased) for my belief in Christ. Make me willing to give up anything to stand for You.)

(Part Three of three of Jesus healing the blind man, next.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026 (7/15) John 9:1-12

Jul15

Read and believe in Jesus

“Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?” John 9:8

The Gospel according to John

REVIEW – The religious leaders accused Jesus of “having a demon,” or worse (to them) of being “a Samaritan” after Jesus revealed His view of them – their father was the devil, a murderer and a liar. This was not a name-calling contest; Jesus was explaining why they would not (could not) see Him for who He was, sent from God, their Messiah, and that He was bringing truth to them. After their bragging that they had the great patriarch, Abraham, as their “father,” Jesus shocked and horrified them by saying that “Before Abraham WAS … I AM.” Not only was He claiming His eternality, but also stating that He was God. They tried to kill Jesus then and there, but because “His hour had not come,” and His death was NOT to come by stoning, He slipped right out of their presence, unseen.

(NOTE: I’m trying a larger font. My glaucoma eyes struggle to see the small fonts. Comment if you don’t (or do) like it.)

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Part One (of three): Jesus heals the Man Born Blind

John 9:1-5

Not long after the events in chapter 8, we find Jesus and the disciples returning to the Temple area, where, on most days, the poor, crippled, and congenitally sick lay, hoping for alms from the people who entered to worship God.

Jesus “saw” a blind man there, “who had been blind from birth.” How was it possible to know that just by looking at a person? Were the eye sockets “empty?” Were the lids so shriveled as to show there had been no use for a long, long time? Jesus would know everything, of course, but it seemed the disciples saw it too.

“Rabbi,’ they asked Jesus, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Now I’ve always wondered how a baby in the womb could sin to a degree that he would be born blind. Yes, there is the truth that from conception we ALL have the sin-nature passed down to us from Adam. But then, why are we not ALL born blind? The parents are a different thing. There are some diseases brought on by sin (such as syphilis) that can affect an unborn infant’s eyes. Also, the Jews had in their tradition other sins of parents that could bring injury to their unborn children.

But Jesus said neither was the case with this man sitting at the gate of the temple, begging for alms. It was “that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

Does that mean we sometimes suffer so that God will be glorified? Yes. Think of the book and story of Job. Think of the life of Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son. Think of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Jesus told His disciples that the time was short. (He would be crucified in less than 6 months.) He had to work “the works of His Father” while it was still day. “As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” And then Jesus proceeded to bring light and vision to the never-seeing blind man.

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John 9:6-7

Jesus used some of His own saliva mixed with the clay on the ground to make a bit of damp mud. Then, having alerted him (we assume), He pressed this mud on the eyelids of the man “born blind.” “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” Jesus instructed.

(This pool was where just days before a ceremonial jug of water had been drawn and carried up to the Temple, with the people remembering and praising God for supplying water for them in the wilderness. That same time when Jesus had cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come to ME.”)

The pool is about 1/3-1/2 miles down the “Pilgrim’s Way” and would have taken him (with help) about 20 minutes to reach.

Whether the man had help finding the pool or not, he obeyed Jesus’ command. And when he’d finished washing the mud from his eyelids, he could see (for the first time ever). What must that have been like? Beautiful? Scary? Amazing? Did he praise God?

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John 9:8-12

It seems he might have wanted to thank Jesus, for he made his way back up to the temple mount. Many people saw and heard him on the way.

“Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” they wondered.

“It IS he!” said some.

Others said, “No, but it is LIKE him.”

“I AM the man!” the ex-blind man said.

“Then how were your eyes opened?” they asked.

He explained, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. So I did, and I received my sight.”

“Where is He (Jesus)?” they demanded.

“I don’t know,” he said.

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Part Two, next time.