Thoughts on John – Part 2
JN 12:5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
JN 12:6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
Judas could talk a pious talk. He could make objections on what others were doing and give good sounding reasons why they were wrong. Why they should do it his way. After all the poor need help.
His problem was that it was just talk. In actuality he did not care for the poor. The Bible tells us his real reason was that he was the holder of the money and he was a thief. He held an office in the Lord’s work. Judas was the treasurer. But he was only in it for the money.
His kind are all around us today. They are in the Lord’s work. They pastor a big church or have a TBN show. But they are only in it for the money. They can talk a good talk and can deceive many.
The question then is how do I know if they are genuine? It is hard to tell for sure because we can’t see the heart. But here are a few signs to look out for:
1) The man moves into a 10 million dollar home.
2) The man’s watches and jewelry cost more than you make in a year
3) He will not preach the whole counsel of God.
- a) He will not preach against sin.
- b) He will not preach the blood, ect…
4) His message always makes you feel good. He is what you would call a cotton candy preacher. True preaching will bring conviction from time to time. If you don’t have a true man of God, you need to go find one.
If you have a true man of God, then you need to thank God for him and get behind him.
JN 12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
JN 12:10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;
JN 12:11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
The chief priests not only wanted to kill Jesus but they also wanted to kill Lazarus. The reason that they wanted to put Lazarus to death was because many people were believing on Jesus because of Lazarus. Verse 11 tells us that they went away from the dead religion of the chief priests and turned to Jesus. There is always a turning from when you turn to Jesus.
The chief priests were angry about losing their followers. Angry enough to kill. It hurt their pride that the people would leave them and follow another. They were also angry over the loss of power that they had over the people. Giving would also be down. No doubt there was some envy going on also. Instead of considering that they were wrong, they set out on a course of evil. This is what pride, envy, lust of power and money can bring you to.
The sins of pride, envy, and lust of power and money are terrible sins. If we follow after them, we will end up doing things that we never would have dreamed that we would have done. Instead we need to guard against them and the best way to do that is to keep our eyes upon Jesus. Continually walk with Him.
JN 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
You see something in Mary that is sadly lacking in Christians today. To her Jesus was worth giving. She did not hold back. Mary did not give only a few ounces. She did not figure out how much she could afford to give. You do not see her holding some back so she can have her sports, or her entertainment, or a fancy vacation. No she wanted to do something much more worthwhile with her money. She gave it to Jesus. She gave it all. What a heart she had. What a wonderful testimony. Jesus was high and lifted up in her eyes and to her He was worth giving everything. Makes you want to just shout Amen. But many people do not like this kind of heart. They will put it down, they will call you crazy, they will find fault in it. They did it back then and people do it today. Listen to what Jesus told them.
JN 12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
He told them to let her alone. She did a good thing in His eyes. She did it for Jesus.
If you don’t agree with a heart of giving, then you should just keep your wicked heart to yourself. Do what Jesus says and leave the givers alone. Don’t look down on them, don’t talk bad about them, and don’t discourage them. In fact the best thing that you can do is join them. Jesus is worthy.
JN 13:4 He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.
JN 13:5 After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.
There are those who teach that foot washing is a church ordinance and this is the scripture that they use to justify it. But there are several problems with their teaching that foot washing is a church ordinance.
1) This is their only text.
2) There are not any instructions given in any book of the Bible on how to carry it out. This is not the case with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
3) The church in the book of Acts is the model church for us to follow and you never see them foot washing each other. Everything else that a church is to be doing you see them doing. They did not practice foot washing because it is not an ordinance.
In verses 15 and 16 Jesus explains the foot washing that he gave to the disciples.
JN 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
JN 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
Jesus says that it was an example. It was an object lesson of service. Jesus said that the servant is not greater than his Lord. So if Jesus was willing to serve others, then we should to.
Jesus was willing to humble Himself and be a servant of others. We need to be willing to humble ourselves and be a servant to others. Jesus was willing to roll His sleeves up and get to work. He was not afraid to get dirty in the service of others. We should do the same.
Jesus said that the servant is not greater than his lord. And Jesus served others. The implication is clear. We are to serve others.
JN 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
There are many reasons that we are to love the brethren. One of them is listed for us in verse 35. By our love for each other all men will know that we are truly Christ’s disciples. All men certainly includes the lost. Our love for each other testifies to a lost and dying world. In a good local church you will see people of all ages, cultures, backgrounds, and races loving each other. People who would otherwise have nothing in common find that they have a lot in common once they get saved. Time and time again I have seen people sacrifice for others with no thought of what they can get out of it. They simply do it out of godly love. God in our hearts gives us the capacity to love in a way that the lost world cannot.
Our love for the brethren is an important witness to the lost. That is one reason (there are many others) why God hates it when instead of loving the brethren we cause discord. Pay attention to the 7th thing in this list in Proverbs.
Pro 6:16 These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
JN 13:13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
Here is yet another place where Jesus claimed to be Master and Lord. No mere man can make that claim. It is a claim of His deity.
JN 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
JN 13:15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
Jesus declared who He is, He set an example of service for us. And we are expected to follow it. Notice His next statement.
JN 13:16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
If Jesus served, and He did, then who are we to not serve?
Jesus is about to leave them. Before He does He makes sure that the call to serve others is unmistakably clear. Then Jesus says this:
JN 13:17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Just knowing alone will not bring happiness. Jesus says, “happy are ye if ye do them.” IF. Here we find a principal. Being involved in the work of God is a joy. Serving others is a blessing to them, but it is also a blessing to you. It is a blessing to be a blessing.
The fact is that there is a joy in helping and serving others that you cannot experience any other way. You are not going to get it by being selfish, or by keeping to yourself, or by being hard hearted, unfriendly, and so on. It comes by giving of yourself. By serving others.
If your heart is close to Jesus, then you will love what He loves, care about what He cares about, and that is people. You start loving people thru action and Jesus will bless you for it. One way that He does it is by letting you share in the joy of being used in His work for His honor and glory.
I will say it again. It is a blessing to be a blessing.
JN 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Jesus is the only way to heaven. He is THE way. Allah will not get you there. The Pope cannot get you there. The church cannot get you there. Baptism cannot get you there. Good works cannot get you there. Your good outweighing your bad will not get you there.
No man cometh unto the Father, but by Jesus.
And Jesus is the truth. In Him is no darkness at all. In Him is no error and Jesus cannot lie. Jesus is the truth. All of this world’s religions and philosophies have errors in them. Only Jesus has absolute truth.
And Jesus is the life. He is the only provider of eternal life. He offers and provides eternal life to all that come.
What about you? Have you come to the way, the truth, and the life?
Are you relying on Jesus and Him alone for your salvation?
If you have, then are you telling others about the wonderful gift of eternal life that you have received?
JN 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Here we see a connection between biblical love and action. Real biblical love results in obedience. If you truly love Christ, then the natural result will be that you keep His commandments. The motivation behind obey Jesus is not works, it is not what I can get out of it, it is not status. The motivation to obey Jesus is love.
JN 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
JN 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
The result of loving Jesus and thus obeying Him is sweet fellowship with God. You cannot lose your salvation. However, you can choose to be disobedient. You can choose to love the things of this world more than Jesus. Many say that they don’t and might even believe it. But remember love and obedience are tied together.
JN 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Verse 24 is a very strong statement made by Jesus. Again we see love and obeying tied together. They go hand in hand. Jesus says that those who do not love Him will not keep His sayings.
If you really want to know how much you love Jesus, then stop and take a look at how obedient you are to Him.
JN 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Jesus is the giver of peace. It is not like the peace of this world. The peace of this world can dissolve almost instantly. Not only peace between countries, but peace at work, or between friends. One day everything is fine and peaceful and the next watch out! Trouble, discord, strife, and anger. That is the peace of the world. Jesus says that the peace that He gives is not like the world’s peace. His peace does not just instantly vanish. Jesus gives peace in many areas. First He gives peace with God. Man is born a sinner under condemnation. The Bible tells us that we are born enemies of God. When you accept Jesus as your Saviour, then the war is over. You have peace with God. And that peace is permanent. It does not go away. You cannot lose it. You will have it for all eternity. It is not a fleeting peace like the world’s peace.
Second Jesus gives peace in the midst of tribulation and trials. The peace of the world only exists when conditions are right. Things go wrong and there goes the peace. God’s peace is very different. His peace comes and is strong when conditions are not right. He can and will give peace at all times in any circumstance.
2Th 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord [be] with you all.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
He has the ability and the desire to always give us peace in our hearts. Our part is to let His peace rule in our hearts.
JN 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
JN 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
All too often we start thinking too much of ourselves. A preacher can spend hours and even days putting a sermon together and then he can deliver it with everything that he has. He can watch people’s faces as they hear it. He can see them come forward to pray during the invitation.
He can then be tempted to think that he really did something. When in actuality Jesus did the work. Without Him we can do nothing. Without Him all we can do is say a bunch of words.
Only God can speak to hearts. Only God can bring conviction. Only God can truly change lives.
And this principal not only applies to preachers. It applies to all Christians. Without Him you cannot escape temptation. Without Him you cannot have victory over sin. Without Him you cannot understand your Bible.
We need to always be mindful in all things that without Him we can do nothing. This gives all the glory to Him, which is where it belongs.
Verses 1 thru 6 is talking about how He is the vine and we are the branches. We can do nothing without Jesus. And in the middle of this Jesus says,
JN 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
In verse 4 Jesus continues on talking about the vine and the branches with an emphasis on how we need to abide in Him.
JN 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
JN 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
JN 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
JN 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
At first glance verse 3 seems to be out of place. Read verse 3 again. JN 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
There are no verses out of place in the Bible. Every one of them is exactly were God wants it. So what is a verse that tells us that the Word of God has a cleansing effect doing surrounded by verses that are talking about abiding in Christ?
You cannot be abiding in Christ and be walking in sin. In Him is no darkness at all and He will not fellowship with sin. Abiding in Christ is not talking about getting saved. It is talking about walking in close fellowship with Christ after you are saved. To walk close to Christ we need to confess our sins daily. The word of God is like a mirror. It shows us where we are messed up. The word of God brings conviction. It helps us to clean our lives up and bring them into conformity to the will of God. The Bible has a cleansing effect.
1) We are to abide in Christ and can do nothing without Him.
2) To abide in Christ we need to confess our sins and receive forgiveness. (1 John 1:5-10)
3) The Bible helps us grow in Christ. The Bible has a cleansing affect upon us. The Word of God has a big part in us being able to abide in Christ.
The application should be obvious. Since the Word of God helps us abide in Christ, then we need to be in the Word of God every day.
JN 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
There is a clear expectation from Jesus that we should bear fruit. It is to be expected. Bearing fruit is what is normal. It should not be a shock when a Christian bears fruit. No it is the other way around. It should be a shock when a Christian does not bear fruit. A lack of fruit means that something is wrong.
I have an orange tree and when it does not bear fruit, then I know something is wrong. The tree does not have enough nutrients, or its roots are getting choked out, or there is a lack of nitrogen in the soil. A tree needs the right amount of water and the right amount of light. When the tree does not produce, then steps need to be taken to get it back into a fruit bearing condition. A healthy tree will bear fruit.
A healthy Christian will bear fruit. If a Christian is living a fruitless life, then something is wrong. They are not being watered enough by the word, or they are not looking enough unto Jesus for light, or they have too much pride choking them out. It could be a lot of different things, but like the orange tree, the problem will not just go away on its own. Steps need to be taken. Maybe it is a return to prayer, or confessing sin to God, or a return to Bible study. If you are not bearing fruit, then take steps to get back to being a healthy Christian.
And notice how much fruit He expects from us. “that ye bear much fruit” Much fruit. And in this verse we are told that when we bear fruit that it glorifies God.
Do you want to glorify God? Do your want your life to count for something? Then live in a way that will allow God to use you to bear much fruit for Him.
JN 16:2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
JN 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
History is full of people who killed Christians and thought that they were doing God service by doing it. The Jews killed Stephen before the Bible was even finished thinking they were doing God a favor. Almost all of the Apostles suffered terrible deaths.
Millions and millions of Christians were butchered by the Catholics century after century. And they did it thinking that they were doing service to God.
How you ask, can someone do something as terrible as murder and still think they are doing God a service.
The answer is found in verse 3. JN 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.
The reason they do it is because they do not know Jesus. They do it because they are not saved. Knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus are two different things. Saying you are saved and being saved are two different things.
Having Jesus on your lips and having Jesus in your heart are two different things.
Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
There are many groups that claim that the Holy Spirit does all kinds of strange things like making people flop around on the floor like a fish out of water. But what does the Word of God say that the Holy Spirit does? That is what we need to be concerned with. What does God say on the matter. The Bible is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice. In this Chapter Jesus tells us what one of the main jobs of the Holy Spirit is.
JN 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
JN 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
JN 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
JN 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
JN 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
One of the main jobs of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction to the hearts of men. The Holy Spirit reproves men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The Holy Spirit testifies not of Himself. He testifies of Christ.
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
The Holy Spirit brings conviction so that men might be saved. The Holy Spirit does not want the attention focused on Himself. He testifies of Jesus. You will never find in the Bible anywhere what they call being slayed in the spirit.
JN 16:26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:
Jesus cares! His eyes are upon His children. He knows our sorrows, our trials, our tribulations. He knows our every need. He hears every prayer we pray. That is all a wonderful truth. But He does more than just know and hear. Jesus says, I will pray the Father for you” He is involved. Jesus makes intersession on our behalf. God the Son praying for us to God the Father. I don’t know about you but there is no one that I would rather have praying for me than Jesus.
JN 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
In Chapter 15 Jesus says that we are clean thru the Word of God. And in this chapter Jesus teaches that we are Sanctified thru the Word of God.
To sanctify is to set apart unto God. Being set apart to something requires being set apart from something. The sanctify to in verse 17 is God. The setting apart from is the world. You see this in the context of the surrounding verses. Not the world physically (verse 15), but this evil world system.
After we are saved we are to grow in the Lord. We are to become more and more set apart unto Him. The Word of God is necessary to this process. We need the Word of God to grow.
1Pe 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
Do you want to grow in the Lord more?
Do you want to be more set apart unto God?
Do you want to have a closer walk with the Lord?
Then you need to be studying the Bible more.
Sadly to say many churches today do not understand this principal. They might understand it intellectually but not practically. Instead of the studying of the Word of God being the main thing, entertainment has become the main thing. For other churches it is rituals, and some are more social clubs than anything else. The preaching and the teaching of God’s Word need to have a prominent place. I hope that you have a good Bible teaching church to go to. But even that is not enough. You also need to be in the Word for yourself every day.
JN 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The world hates Christians. In many parts of the world people are killed simply because they are Christians. Others get thrown into prison, or persecuted in a variety of ways. It seems like the fewer Christians there are in a country, that the greater the persecution. Worldly men get more embolden with larger numbers.
America was founded as a Christian nation. Not everyone believed back then, but a large number did. Most of the founders did. Some to a greater degree than others. For most of the last 200 years Christians have been spared the brunt of persecution in America. Oh there has been some, but nothing like the rest of the world. Being Christian has been mainstream in this country. That is one reason for a lack of persecution here. But this is rapidly changing. How many lawsuits have you seen in the news that have been brought because someone is practicing Christianity. A teacher cannot even mention it. A teacher cannot even have a Bible on their desk. Others get attacked for praying in Jesus’ name. Some attack for having a Christmas tree or a manger scene. Employees are told to not even say Merry Christmas.
As the number of true Christians goes down attacks on Christianity go up. Christian you better get ready. This trend is likely to get much worse. Soon it might really cost you something to be a Christian in America. There will be a price to pay. There will be persecution . Very soon America could be more like the rest of the world as far as persecution against Christians.
Christian, you better get ready. Make sure your Christianity is more than skin deep. Is your Christianity real, or is it just some feel good entertainment. If we don’t have revival soon, persecution will be very real for anyone who stands for Jesus. I for one do not want to see persecution. I don’t think that you do either. But persecution will do some good. One thing is that it will purge the local Churches of chaff. The entertainment only seekers will leave. Those who are not for real, will leave. What you will have left is those who really love Jesus and love His Word enough to stand even when faced with vicious persecution. People like that will appreciate Bible study and good Bible preaching. They will be honestly trying to win others to Jesus. Persecution could return many local churches to doing what they should be doing, and purge them of sin. In that respect some persecution would be a good thing.
The world hates Christians. As the world completely takes over our country more of that hate will become evident. Christian are you ready? How deep is your faith? Will you stand for Jesus if it costs you your job? How about your freedom?
JN 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
JN 18:6 As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Jesus had just finished praying in the garden. They came to take Jesus to trial and then to crucify Him. Jesus says the words I am he, and they all fell backward to the ground. This was a clear demonstration of His Power as the Son of God. With nothing but a spoken word He makes them fall to the ground.
Jesus was showing them that they did not have any power to take Him. And when He went with them, they would know that He went willingly.
He was giving these wicked men another chance to see Him for who He really is. God manifested in the flesh. The demonstration of His power here shows that He went to the cross willingly. He went to the cross because He loves us.
The nails did not hold Him there. His Love held Him there. He had the power to get down at any time. Jesus choose to suffer the cross to pay for our sins so that we could be saved.
Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
JN 18:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
JN 18:2 And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
Judas knew where to find Jesus because Jesus often went to this garden. He took His disciples there many times. It was a place to get away from the bustle and confusion that was going on all around Him. A place that was good for private communion with God the Father. Jesus was teaching His disciples the need to have time alone with God. Many times in the Bible do we read about Jesus retiring from the multitude so that He could be alone in prayer.
We need to follow the example that Jesus gave us. We all need to have a time and a place where we regularly get alone with God. No T.V. no radio, no visitors, no cell phone going off. In short we need a time without interruptions; a time that we set aside for quiet devotion with God. We need to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world for reading the Bible, meditating upon it, and for prayer.
This is an extremely important area of the Christian life that we can easily let slip. A missed day here and another there. And before you know it you have scheduled your alone time for God for a variety of other things. Things that in themselves might not be bad, but they still steal the time that you need to spend alone with God.
JN 18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.
Jesus always did things the right way. He is the perfect sinless Son of God. Notice here that Jesus says, “in secret have I said nothing.” What a wonderful example for us. Jesus never talked behind someone else’s back. Everything He said was up front, honest, and done out in the open. What Jesus said was out in the open for all to hear, and examine.
This is a simple truth. If what you say cannot hold up to the light of day, then you should not say it. If what you say about someone cannot be said to their face, then you should not say it. If what you teach cannot be taught out in the open, then it should not be taught. There are some religious organizations that have one set of lessons that the world in large can hear and then others that are only for their devout. Only after they get them brain washed do they really teach what they believe and they do it in secret.
True Christianity is not that way. What we teach is done out in the open for all to hear and examine. We have no secret writings, just the Bible. Christianity is not afraid of questions or of close examination. Jesus taught out in the open for all to hear, and those who follow Him will do the same.
JN 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
You will see that this was not a normal weekly Sabbath day that was coming. The day after Jesus died was a high day.
Any day that was set apart to God was a Sabbath day. We usually only think of the weekly Sabbath but there were many others. Passover was also a Sabbath day. Passover was always to be held on the 14th day of the month. So the high Sabbath day of Passover could fall on a Monday, or a Tuesday, or any other day of the week.
The year that Jesus died Passover fell on a Thursday. So Jesus died on Wednesday before the high Sabbath day of Passover which on that year was Thursday.
Jesus was in the grave for 3 full days just like He said He would be. Jesus was in the grave for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and then rose again on Sunday.
Why is this important? If Jesus was not in the grave for 3 days, then Jesus lied. If Jesus lied, then He was a sinner and could not die for your sins.
Those that believe in Good Friday are not good students of the Word of God.
JN 19:4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
JN 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!
Pilate had already questioned Jesus and found no fault in Him. Pilate wanted to release Jesus but the Jews were in an uproar and clamoring for His death. Pilate then had Jesus scourged. Jesus took the beating and ridicule different than other men. Jesus bore it with patience and meekness. Pilate then brings Jesus out to plainly declare that Jesus is innocent. I think that maybe Pilate was hoping that when they seen how severely Jesus had been punished that they would be satisfied and that Pilate could let Jesus go. But they were not satisfied with a severe beating. They would accept nothing but murder.
JN 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
JN 19:8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
Pilate is worried now, and goes and ask Jesus about His origin.
JN 19:9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
JN 19:10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
JN 19:11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
Jesus now plainly tells Pilate that what he is doing is a sin. He says that those that delivered Him to Pilate hath the greater sin. Pilate was still committing sin by treating Jesus this way and sending Him to die, but those who were clamoring for His death were committing a greater sin.
Pilate now has enough evidence to know who Jesus is. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent. He knows that Jesus has claimed to be the Son of God (a term claiming deity). Pilate has witnessed Jesus handle a beating like no other man. He has been told that what he is doing is a sin. We can tell that this greatly affected Pilate by his reaction.
JN 19:12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
Pilate wanted to stand for Jesus, but he decided not to. He would have a revolt on his hands if he released Jesus. That would cause him all kinds of problems. Instead of standing for Jesus, he sent Him to be crucified. In the end Pilate felt the price was too high.
What about you? If you are really going to stand for Jesus, you will have to pay a price. There are people who will think less of you. There are others who will throw rocks your way or even worse. Is bearing some reproach a price you are willing to pay?
JN 19:26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
JN 19:27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
There were a few that stood by the cross. There was a few women, one of which was the Lord’s mother. They were not alone. One disciple was also there. One man out of 11 braved the danger and endured the shame of the cross. The crowd was hostile. Anyone standing in support of Jesus would have been a target. I greatly admire those women and that one solitary man. I admire their love for Jesus. I admire their courage. I admire them taking the hard stand and standing in the place of danger for the Lord. What a testimony! What a great example for us! Too many today will not even hand out gospel tracts for the Lord. The persecution that we might get for standing for Jesus is nothing like it was standing at the cross that day. The crowd did not just dislike Jesus or disagree with Him. They were murdering Him and reveling in the awful dark deed. Can you image what it must have been like to stand there that day in support of Jesus?
But notice something else. God kept them safe. God does provide the grace and the protection to stand for Him. May we all pray for more boldness to stand for Jesus.
JN 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
The scriptures were written so that we might believe in Jesus and thereby have eternal life.
It is because of the Bible that we know about Jesus. It is because of the Bible that people get saved.
Rom 10:17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Faith comes by hearing the word of God. God chose the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
But without the Bible pastors would have nothing to preach. Without the Bible there would be no foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Without the Bible men would not know for sure how to be saved from an eternity in hell.
This fact alone makes the Bible the most precious book ever written.
How precious is the Word of God to you?
JN 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
JN 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
JN 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
There was something special about the linen clothes that caused a disciple to believe that Christ had risen (vs 8). The linen was not made of anything special. The linen had no special powers or anything crazy like that. They were simply strips of cloth that were used to wrap the body for burial, as was the custom of that day.
What was so amazing about the linen was as the Bible says, “the linen clothes lie.” They were just lying there without the body. They were not wadded up in a corner. They were not in disarray like they would be if someone unwrapped the body. They were simply lying there where they were put. However, the body of Jesus was gone. Now what is so amazing about that you say. Well the body of Jesus was a mess. He was beaten and had wounds all over His body. After 3 days the body fluids and blood would have dried attaching the linen to the body. It would have been very difficult to remove the linen from the body. The disciple saw the state of the body. He knew that those grave clothes could not be taken off and still be lying like they were, unless Jesus rose from the dead and in the power of God came up out of the grave clothes. The testimony of the linen clothes lying the way they were was startling enough to make the disciple believe. Remember at this point they do not yet understand the resurrection.
JN 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Christ had plainly told them that he would rise again, but they did not understand it. It was an idea that was foreign to their thinking. Jesus will explain the scriptures to them over the next 40 days before He ascends. But at the tomb John did not understand yet and still he believed when He saw the grave clothes. They were a strong undeniable testimony of the resurrection of Jesus. They were left in the tomb by Jesus as proof of His resurrection.
JN 20:27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
Thomas was a great doubter. This is where we get the saying your a doubting Thomas. But when he seen Jesus all doubt was gone. And after he seen Jesus he made a profession of faith.
JN 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.
He very clearly declared who Jesus now was to him. His Lord and his God. He finally realized that Jesus was deity. He was God manifested in the flesh. Now if Jesus was not God, then a rebuke would be necessary. But no rebuke would come. This is further proof that Jesus was God.
JN 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Thomas was a great doubter and he needed to see to believe. We do not get that opportunity today. Jesus is sitting on the throne in heaven at the right hand of the Father. He does not physically show Himself so that people will believe. The fact is that seeing Jesus is not necessary for us to believe. We have been given plenty of proof. In fact we have something that Thomas did not have. We have the completed, perfect, pure, preserved Word of God. It is all that is necessary to believe. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God and Jesus said blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Have you believed in Jesus?
JN 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do?
JN 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
Peter was just told to feed Jesus’ sheep. And then Jesus foretold the way that Peter was going to die.
Peter then says what shall this man do, referring to another apostle. Jesus answers what is that to thee. And then Jesus tells Peter to follow thou me.
Peter took his eyes off of what Jesus told him to do and put his eyes on what Jesus told others to do. Jesus told Peter to never mind what I tell others to do. That is none of your business. You just worry about yourself.
The same principal applies to us today. Too many Christians want a certain ministry because they see that others have it.
The reverse is also true. Some do not want to enter a certain ministry because Jesus has not asked someone else to do the same thing.
What Jesus does or does not tell others to do is not to be our concern. What we need to be concerned with is what is Jesus asking me to do.
JN 21:3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
JN 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
JN 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
JN 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Jesus had already risen from the dead. Peter and John had been to the tomb and seen the linen clothes. And now the disciples go fishing. This was not a pleasure trip. Fishing was the occupation for many of them before they met Christ. Jesus had told them to leave their jobs as fishermen and follow Him, and He would make them fishers of men. They now decide to go back to fishing. Going back to their old occupation was clearly against the will of God for them.
Their endeavor was met with total failure. They fished all night and caught nothing. Now I can go out with a fishing pole and accomplish that no problem. But they were fishing with nets. It is pretty hard to fish all night in an inland lake with nets and not get at least one fish. This was not an accident. God was at work. He was using fishing as an object lesson. He is teaching them that He has a job for them to do. They still need to be fishers of men. They were called men of God. If they chose to go back to their old occupation, God was not going to bless their endeavor.
Then Jesus talks to them and commands them to cast the net on the right side. They do it and catch more fish than they can draw in. Hopefully you see the difference. They were fishing in disobedience to God and caught absolutely nothing. This is contrasted by fishing in obedience to God and they caught a great many fishes. What a powerful object lesson to men who had been told to leave fishing for fishes and become fishers of men. They got the point and never went back to their old trade. Instead they turned the world upside down for Christ. They fished for men and brought in a great harvest.
We see here that God wanted them to stay faithful to the work that they were called to do. The same is true for us. God has a job for every born again believer, and how ever big or small that job is, we need to stick with it.
JN 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.
JN 21:23 Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
Twisting scripture or at least miss teaching what it says is nothing new. It was going on before the ink was dry on the New Testament. Jesus never said that the disciple would not die. However, that is the saying that went abroad. And notice this false teaching went abroad among the brethren. This false hood went out among so many that it warranted mentioning it in the Word of God. People do love to tell some new thing. Especially if it is exciting, or novel. Can’t you almost hear it. “Wow, did you hear that Jesus said that that disciple would not die.” And so it spread like wildfire. The first person miss quoted what Jesus said, and those who heard it did not bother to verify it before they passed it along. And because of it error spread.
We see the same thing today. Someone will misrepresent scripture. They will say that it says something that it really does not. The health and wealth false gospel for example. It is false, but people find it new and exciting. It tickles their ears and so instead of studying to check out if it is true or not people just jump on the bandwagon and pass the false hood along. Just like in this Bible account, at first someone miss represents scripture and the people who hear it do not take the time or spend the effort to find out if it is true. And so error spreads like wildfire. Often error spreads much faster than truth. As Christians we should always be careful to check things out for ourselves. Make sure of the Biblical truth of a matter before we pass it along.
See more lessons from the Gospels