John 17:6-19

John 16:25-33

John 15:1-11

John Chapter 14

Continuing our series through the Gospel of John

John 13:12-16, 15:18-20

Jesus never tells us simply what we want to hear, but He plainly teaches the difficult realities of the Christian life. As His people, we are called to be willing to die to ourselves and our sin, humbling ourselves, and loyally following Christ, wherever He leads. However, we are promised the fruits of following Him, His righteousness shone in us, and even sharing His inheritance of the nations.

To the unregenerate, the idea of free grace is terrifying because it takes control completely out of our hands. Christ’s demand is for our whole being, and that kills the autonomy we want in our rebellion. But true faith is based only on the free grace of God in Christ, and if He isn’t everything to us, then He is nothing.

After the death of Lazarus, Jesus interacts with Martha and Mary, dealing with the finality of death as the result of sin. In these interactions, we see clearly the deity of Christ in His claim to be the exclusive source of life, as well as His humanity in His real emotion and indignation toward death, an enemy.

10 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 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. This charge I have received from my Father.”

John 9:34-41

Jesus’ healing of the man born blind began serious controversy, the nature of which is exemplary of the responses unbelievers have to the gospel. We see examples of skepticism, hostility, and division, revealing just how deep our sinful nature runs.

In John’s gospel, Jesus time and again reveals the ugly reality of the Pharisees’ false religion. His response is always to plainly tell the truth, as well as offer hope. And no matter how much people may reject or revile us, we must do the same.

Every Christian struggles at times with assurance; in John 8, Jesus teaches us that we can be certain of our salvation. We are called to abide in Christ, to be absolutely anchored in him alone. When we do this, we are freed from the enslavement and guilt of sin. So we must examine ourselves; do we manifest the obedience, repentance, and freedom that accompany abiding in Christ.

At the end of Jesus’ time at the Feast of Booths in John 7, he makes it clear that the feast, and everything it pointed to, were fulfilled in him. He shows himself to be the only source of true life, deliverance, and salvation, and the call to all people is to trust in him alone.

As we continue our series through John, we see Jesus again and again establishing his authority, not by man or by other teachers, but by who he is - the Son of God. His teachings are perfect, originating from Heaven itself. And he doesn’t stop with simply establishing his authority, but he exposes the sinful hearts of the false teachers. We are called to discern every teaching according to its consistency with God’s Word.

John chapter 6 comes to a close with this bold teaching of Jesus: He is the only one who is sufficient, who meets all of our needs, and who must fill us completely. And unless he calls us, we cannot come.

As we look through John chapter 6, we see Jesus claim to be the exclusive savior, the only one who can truly satisfy us. The only thing that gives true assurance is faith in Jesus Christ.

When Jesus establishes who he is, he does so on the authority of the Old Testament Scripture. As we look at some of the Old Testament, it is clear that all of it points to Christ; however, in order to see it and truly put faith in Christ, the sinful heart must first be changed. The Bible must shape our worldview, not the other way around.

John 5:1-17 demonstrates to us two flavors of unbelief with which we are familiar. With the healed invalid, we see someone so near the truth, but lukewarm to it, with no conviction or true faith. The Pharisees demonstrate a legalism that seeks to work so hard at getting to God, that it results in pride, and a rejection of God. As Christians, we rest in the grace of God in fulfilling the law for us, and we do not back down from confrontation or opposition.

In a more detailed look at Jesus’ encounter with the Woman at the well, we see several key characteristics of the gospel. It is the only offer of life and it confronts us in our sin. However, it also goes on to pay the price for our sin, and even changes our lives.

Christianity challenges our natural ideas of success and gain - consistent Christian living must result in our decrease. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we must be made nothing, so that people would see not us, but Christ in us.

In our sin and in our pride, we would like to think that we have some part in our salvation.  Jesus teaches that the opposite is true - being born again is all of grace and is all of God.  We don't have the power to win souls for Christ.  The Lord saves whom He will, but as Christians we must proclaim the Gospel as He gives us opportunity, we must pray for the lost, and we must place our confidence in Jesus Christ to change hearts as only He is able to do. 

There are a number of misconceptions about miracles, which typically come in two extremes: embarrassment over affirming miracles, or downplaying their majesty. Miracles are a direct act of God in the natural world, essential to the Christian faith, which serve to validate the message of redemption.

John the Baptist’s testimony regarding Christ ought to be ours. We humbly tell others about Christ, tell about the work of Christ, and point people away from ourselves, that they may follow Jesus.

At the incarnation God the Son truly, fully put on humanity. He identified with us completely, withstood every temptation perfectly, and bore the punishment, as a man, for us. This is why He is the only means of our salvation.

The prologue to the Gospel of John is packed with so much depth; we get the deity of Christ, the Trinity, and we see the only way to salvation: God Himself coming to His people.