Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believein God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going. 

• They believe in God, but soon it will be more difficult to keep their faith in Jesus.
  • Things will become hard; once Jesus is arrested, they may feel hopeless.
  • Note: The sentence could be translated, "... keep having faith in me, too."
  • For more about the Messiah bringing peace, see: Isaiah 9:6-7; 52:7; 57:19: Ezekiel 37:26; Haggai 2:9; Acts 10:36: Romans 14:17.
• The Lord comforts them with a promise that he will one day take them to their heavenly home (vv.2-4).
  • Or does he? "House" (see 2:16-19 and 2:21-22) seems to refer to a reality on this earth. Jesus will not leave them as orphans (v.18), but will come soon. Thus a perfectly legitimate way of reading the passage is in reference to the promised Holy Spirit (Pentecost onwards).
  • Whether we understand John 14 as referring to heaven or not, when Jesus returns he will takes us to be with him.
    • We will rise from the dead (5:25).
    • No one goes to heaven before the second coming. See 3:13. For now, we wait.
    • This means that the Protestant doctrine that those who die proceed immediately to heaven or hell is not right.
    • For more on this, please see my book Heaven & Hell. For a short study of the intermediate state of the dead and the nature of eternal punishment, try What Happens After We Die?

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

• Thomas is confused (v.5). He does not know the way, to which Jesus responds that he himself is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus says there are no exceptions.
  • Jesus is the way to heaven. (See also 1:51.) He came to earth to give mankind a way to salvation; this was his purpose.
  • The Gospel of John consistently teaches that salvation is through Jesus alone. Refusal to believe is inexcusable (3:18 etc).
  • This also means that there is no "path to God" in other religions. Though these systems may contain some truth, they do not have the truth. Though, like the moon, they may reflect some light, they are not, like the son, the source of light.
  • V.6. is the 6th of 7 "I Am" sayings.
• There are ways to explain v.6 that will not cause the postmodern thinker immediately to bristle:
  • Way: Instead of Christianity being a system, it is a person, Christ. Preach Christ, not the church, not ourselves (2 Cor 4:5).
  • Truth: The truth isn't just a religion or set of doctrines, but a person, Jesus. Truth is relational.
  • Life: This is not self-centered, autonomous living, but shared, others-directed life. The full or abundant life (10:10) is available in Jesus Christ. The is life as God intended it to be lived!

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

• Philip asks to see the Father (v.8).
  • The request for God to reveal himself is similar to Moses' request in Exodus 33:18. (And the same Greek verb is used.)
  • Jesus insists that those who see him see the Father. See also 1:14,18; Colossians 2:9.
  • If this is a difficult concept for us, Jesus tells us to look at his works.
    • They are good and righteous.
    • They include miracles and signs that point us to ultimate spiritual reality.
    • They include wonders that only God could do. (For example, walking on water, calming storms, knowing people's thoughts, and much more.)
• Whoever believes in Jesus will do greater works than he did (v.12). What does this mean?
  • That we would accomplish more on the earth, since our geographical ministry is global, whereas Jesus' was local? Perhaps, but there may be another way to interpret this.
  • Couldn't it mean that we complete Jesus' ministry by being his agents in realizing the spiritual realities that all his words and miracles pointed to?
  • See also Colossians 1:24, another passage where our works build upon or supplement the works of Christ.
  • For until the Spirit was given (see John 7:39; Acts 2:38-39), these realities were more potential than actual.
• We bring the Spirit to others, enabling them to enjoy the blessings and power of the kingdom of God. Jesus laid the foundation, of course, but now everything he taught about is becoming real in the lives of his followers everywhere.
• A parallel thought is contained in 5:20: "For the Father loves his Son and shows him everything that he himself does, and he will show him greater works than these, so that you may be amazed."
• That the Christian church would work greater miracles? No, for that is not possible. No one did greater deeds than Jesus Christ, and so the neo-Pentecostal interpretation cannot be correct  -- that 14:12 promises spiritual people will do miracles.
• Whatever we ask in his name, he will do (vv.13-14).
  • This is so within the context of obedience.
  • His name means his authority. As long as our requests don't violate his moral will or his sovereign will, he will grant them.
  • The objects of our prayers being answered is that God be glorified. He is at the center, not we ourselves.
  • This is no carte blanche guarantee. A doting father will spoil his children; this is not God.
  • For more on meaning of "in the name of...", see Deuteronomy 18:7 and 1 Kings 18:32 (where the name represents authority); 2 Chronicles 2:4 (where the name represents presence); and especially Exodus 34:5-7 (where the name is the character of the one who owns it).

15 “If you love me, you will keepmy commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

• According to Jesus (vv.15,21), there is no such thing as loving Jesus while ignoring his commandments. How distorted the notion of being a Christian has become in our day!
• If we obey, Jesus will send another counselor to us (v.16).
  • "Another" counselor suggests that Jesus is the first counselor. When he returned to heaven, the Spirit took his place on earth.
  • The Greek parákletos means helper, intercessor, counselor, advocate. It is sometimes transliterated to paraklete.
  • The Spirit helps us, intercedes for us, inspires us...
• Receiving the Spirit is connected with obedience. See Acts 5:32.
• The world cannot accept the Spirit (v.17). See also 1 Corinthians 2:10-16.

18 “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19 In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

• Although Jesus will depart this world, the relational connection will be reestablished through the Spirit (vv.18-20).
• Re: v.20: The relationship Jesus had with the Father ("in the Father") will be similar to our relationship with Jesus ("in him").
• The obedience of verse 21 is a relational thing.
  • God loves everyone in the world, of course, as the Bible affirms. But vague acknowledgment ("easy believism") is not at all the same thing as reciprocation.
  • The relationship is two-way. It is nonsense to speak of loving God while ignoring his will (v.22ff). See also 1 Corinthians 8:3 with Matthew 7:23.
  • God reveals himself to us in Christ when we obey him (vv.21-24).
• Note: The Judas of verse 22 is Judas son of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). He seems to be the same person as Thaddaeus (called Lebbaeus in some manuscripts). For more, click here.

25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me; 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.

• The Spirit will come.
  • The Advocate / Counselor will teach the apostles and remind them of all the things Jesus had taught them (v.26).
  • The Spirit will come in Jesus' name, not in his own name --  just as Jesus did not come in his own name, but in the name of the Father.
  • The Spirit isn't said to bring new revelation so much as to remind the apostles about all that Jesus had taught them.
  • Considering the closest possible connection between Jesus and the Spirit (sometimes called the Spirit of Christ), this makes sense.
• For two examples of the Spirit "reminding" them, see 2:17,22 and 12:16.
• The teachings of the apostles were none other than the teachings of Jesus. When the later church altered the teachings of the faith, they were not doing so under the influence of the Spirit of Christ.
• Note: The Muslims claim that the paraklete is Muhammad! How do they do this?
  • They suggest that parakletos is a corruption of perikletos (praised one, a common epithet for the prophet Muhammad). And yet there is no textual evidence whatsoever for such a corruption.
  • They ignore the fact that the counselor was to come in Jesus' name (v.26).
  • They ignore the fact that the counselor was to remain with them forever (v.16), whereas Muhammad was on the earth barely 60 years.
• The peace that Jesus gives (v.27) is not just a vague wish for things to go well with us. The world has so little to offer. Saying "Shalom" is one thing; conferring it is another entirely. The peace/shalom of Jesus is salvation itself.
• Although Jesus is about to depart (die, and later ascend), this is all for the good.
• It will look as though the devil (v.30) is scoring a victory -- but appearances can be deceptive!
• Obeying the Father's will, even to the point of death, is supremely difficult, and yet this is Jesus' resolution (v.31). "Get up, let us go."

Thought questions:

• Love and obedience go together. Have I bought into the distorted notion that I can love God while disregarding his clear commandments? Is there any area of my life in which I have been consciously disobedient?
• Do I have the peace of Christ in my heart? Being calm is a good thing, but am I sure that the peace I experience is spiritual? Is this the peace that comes from an obedient love-faith relationship with Jesus, or the (more common) ethereal bliss unconnected with true discipleship? Jesus' peace flowed from his perfect obedience to the Father's will, and so should ours. This is neither legalism nor priding ourselves in our spiritual achievements, though some mistakenly assume it is.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

13:1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table,took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 

• The "hour" -- Jesus continues to act in God's timing. This theme will reach a crescendo at the cross.
• 13:5 ties in to 12:3.
  • There, after anointing his feet, Mary washes them with her hair. Here, Jesus washes the feet of his apostles.
  • As the verbs are the same in both passages, the connection is esp. obvious in the Greek: exémaxen [12:3] and ekmássein [13:5].

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet,but is entirely clean. And youare clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

• Peter objects (v.6ff). Pride sometimes keeps us from accepting God's grace, even though we are sorely in need of it. And yet without washing, we cannot be right with God.
• Foot washing was later considered so menial a task that Jewish slaves and children could not be required to do it (Mekh. Exod. 21.2.82a, based on Lev. 25:39). Gentiles, however, were an exception to this rule.

12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servantsare not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 

• Jesus calls the apostles to imitate him, to actively love others (v.12ff).
• If he, the master and teacher, was willing to wait on others in humbling ways, how much more ought we, his servants and students, to be willing to serve?
• For the words to Untitled, scroll all the way down.
• Knowledge is a liability if we don't live out to what we have been taught (v.17).
• Question: Is foot washing for today? Foot washing represents all actions of loving service rendered to one another. Surely we mustn't limit concrete expressions of love to the washing of feet! That would violate the spirit of the passage, which directs us to serve others as Christ served -- not in one way only, but in a multitude of ways. For more on this, listen to the podcasts on Bible & Culture.

18 I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But it is to fulfill the scripture, ‘The one who ate my breadhas lifted his heel against me.’ 19 I tell you this now, before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am he.20 Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.”

• The betrayer (v.18ff) will commit a heinous act.
  • In Eastern culture, to share bread with another created a bond not easily broken. To break this bond so vilely was unthinkable.
  • Psalm 55.13-14 -- how hard it must have been to take it from a friend! (And yet in John 15:15 Judas is not among those no longer called servants, but friends, as he has already embarked on his treacherous errand.)
  • The O.T. reference is Psalm 41:9. Jesus had trusted Judas, and was deeply hurt by his disloyalty (even though he knew that Judas would turn on him).
• Jesus knew in advance that Judas would fall away. Yet in the Bible, divine foreknowledge does not remove free will. It simply has access to the future as yet in the process of being determined. 
• How we treat Jesus is how we are responding to God. Thus, in betraying Christ, Judas was rejecting the Father. 

21 After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22 The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking. 23 One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him; 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. 25 So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.”So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.27 After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” 28 Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. 29 Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. 30 So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

• Jesus becomes troubled in spirit (v.21ff).
  • He is deeply hurt that one of his own disciples is betraying him.
  • The disciples have no idea which one of them it is. This is amazing, as it shows Jesus treated Judas the same as the others. None understands Jesus' conversation with Judas. (Only "the disciple Jesus loved" -- possibly John or someone else -- is shown the identity of the traitor.)
• When Judas took the morsel, Satan "entered him" (v.27). I believe this indicates Judas at that point crossed the point of no return. True repentance was no longer possible. Jesus then calls Judas to a decision -- a quick one.
• Despite the brightness of the full moon of Passover, "it was night" (v.30).
• Jesus knows that there is no going back.
  • With the end so clearly in sight, he speaks of how his death will glorify the father (vv.31-32).
  • See 7:39; 8:54; 11:4; 12:16,23,28; 17:1,5; and also 21:19.

31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him,God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

• Jesus knows he will soon die. Yet despite the shame that the world will attach to the event of the crucifixion, Jesus knows that this is a matter of glory.
• The new commandment (v.34ff) is set in the context of Jesus' departure (death).
• V.34 is the second of the three "disciple" passages in John (8:32; 13:34; 15:8 or 16).
• The Lord keeps the focus on relationships -- as he has done all along.

36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterward.” 37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

• Peter can't follow Jesus (to death) just yet. But he will later -- and in chapter 21 Jesus will allude to the execution of Peter.
• Peter swears he will lay down his life for Christ, but Jesus predicts the triple denial of the overconfident apostle. In chapter 21 Jesus will three times put a question to Peter, implicitly recalling the denials.
• Talk is cheap. As the proverb says, if we faint in the day of adversity, how little is our strength (Pr 24:10).

Untitled

Was it from a couch
  Or from heaven he arose that night?

Was it to the floor
  Or to the earth he descended that night?

Was it with towel
  Or human flesh he wrapped himself that night?

Was it with water
  Or with blood he washed them clean that night?

Was it to his to his table
  Or to his throne he returned that night?

That night!
  That night!
    That staggering night!
When men argued for greatness
  And God was on his knees

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

27 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, deliver me from this hour? But for this cause I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then there came a voice from heaven:  I have glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 Then the people that stood by and heard said, It thundered!  Others said an angel spoke to him. 30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

• As his inevitable execution approaches, Jesus is in anguish (v.27ff).
• Although this passage is much shorter than Matthew 26:36-46, we should not underestimate the difficulty for Jesus of submitting fully to the will of the Father.
• God responds thunderously, affirming that his name will be glorified through what is to happen.

31 Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples unto me. 33 This Jesus said signifying what death he would die.

34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.

• The Prince of this world, the devil (v.31) is now driven out.
  • See Luke 10:18 for a similar vision of the downfall of Satan.
  • The fall of Satan (v.31) has parallels in other scriptures. Isaiah 14 (referring to the King of Babylon) and Ezek 28 (referring to the King of Tyre) utilize the imagery of the fall of Satan. For a "cartoon" picture of the event, see Rev 12:10.
  • This does not mean that the world is ending, or that there is no need for the church and its mission. And yet in a real sense, Judgment Day has begun; salvation is being brought down; history is moving towards its conclusion.
• Jesus' death will draw "all men" to himself (v.32) -- not all human beings, but only those who accept the truth. The Father draws us to the Son (6:44) through the Cross.
  • Jesus' death will also enable the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3 -- that all nations might be blessed.
  • Being "lifted up" denotes crucifixion. The original Aramaic zeqaph means "set up; lift up; hang up." Crucifixion is a kind of hanging, since the hapless soul was suspended from a tree, stake, pole, etc.
• The notion violates the crowd's sensibilities (v.34).
  • They are scandalized by the idea that the Messiah might be killed (1 Corinthians 1:23).
  • After all, didn't Psalm 89:36-37 promise that the Davidic Messiah would be established forever? (Yes, but they have misinterpreted the passage.)
• Jesus urges them to decide to follow the truth (light) before it is too late (v.35ff).
• 12:37-50 forms the conclusion to the entire account of the public ministry of Jesus in chapters 2-12.

37 Although he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. 38 This was to fulfill the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

“Lord, who has believed our message,
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

39 And so they could not believe, because Isaiah also said,

40 “He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their heart,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
    and understand with their heart and turn—
    and I would heal them.”

41 Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him. 42 Nevertheless many, even of the authorities, believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved human glory more than the glory that comes from God.

• Isaiah "saw" Jesus' glory, even if he did not fully grasp its meaning (see 1 Pet 1:10-12). This probably refers to a number of passages in Isaiah (6:1-7; 7:14; 9:1-6; 11:1ff; 42:1ff; 52:13-53:12; 601ff; 61:1ff; etc). Note the parallel with chapter 8, where Jesus says Abraham rejoiced at his day.
• Certainly many Jews believed in Christ, including many of the religious authorities (v.42)! Nicodemus was not alone.
• Despite all the signs (like the seven highlighted in this gospel, and many more), most people did not believe. This gives the lie to the common supposition that miracles make the difference as to whether people come to faith. If we are unwilling to follow the truth (7:17; 12:47ff), no miracle is likely to convince us.
• The widespread rejection of Jesus as Messiah fulfilled the words of Isaiah 6:9-10, a passage referred to in all four gospels as well as the book of Acts.
  • This does not mean that God willed their stubbornness, even if he foreknew it.
  • It is abundantly clear in the gospel of John that Jesus holds accountable those who reject him of their own free will.
• Vs.42-43 would have spoken to original readers of John, who may have been tempted to retain both their Jewish identity and their membership in the synagogue. (9:22, 12:42, and 16:2 all reflect significant tension between church and synagogue.)
• In the later 1st century, the synagogue liturgy took aim at the Christians. The 12th of the 18 Benedictions was revised about 80 AD to read: "For apostates let there be no hope, and the dominion of arrogance so speedily root out. Let the Nazarenes and Minim [heretics] be destroyed in a moment, and let them be blotted out of the book of life and not be inscribed with the righteous. Blessed are you, O Lord, who humbles the arrogant." The added parts are in italics. This is valuable background information for understanding John 12:42 and 16:2.
• Then as now, we must choose between human praise and divine glory (v.43).

44 Then Jesus cried aloud: “Whoever believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45 And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46 I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness. 47 I do not judge anyone who hears my words and does not keep them, for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my word has a judge; on the last day the word that I have spoken will serve as judge, 49 for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.

• Jesus' primary mission was not to judge the world, but to bring salvation.
• Strictly speaking, the word (vv.47-48) is the message of Jesus, not the Bible, as is often taught. This is not to say that the Bible as a whole is less important than the message of Christ, or that we need only focus on the "red-letter" words of Jesus. Of course the whole Bible is God's message to us.
• All will be judged by the truth (v.47), therefore we must accept the truth about Jesus (v.48) -- this is equivalent to accepting Christ (1:12-13).
• Jesus did not speak on his own (v.49); his words carry full divine authority.
• God's commandment is eternal life (v.50). This means simply that obeying it leads to life. See Deuteronomy 30:11ff.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

• The clock is ticking. There is a bounty on Jesus' head, and in less than a week he will be taking the Last Supper with his disciples. Here we find him at another meal, this time in Bethany.
• A dinner is held in Jesus' honor in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
  • As in Luke 10:38-42, Martha is working, while Mary takes advantage of some special time with the Lord.
  • Lazarus, we may take it, is just happy to be alive!

12:1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped themwith her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denariiand the money given to the poor?” 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

• Mary anoints Jesus. For details, see Matthew 26-A or Mark 14-A, which seem to recount the same event. Jesus' body was prepared for death time in 19:38-40.
• Judas Iscariot is not happy about this "waste." 300 denarii (days' wages) was what a workingman would make in a year. The ointment was worth a year's salary!
• Jesus replies that what she has done will be forever remembered.
• The poor are always with us, and we can help them at any time we like, but this was a unique opportunity. Mary did a good thing.

9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

• Lazarus was having a huge impact on many people (vv.9-11)! The text suggests that many others went to the house where the dinner was taking place -- or perhaps they came the following day.
• Lazarus' name has been entered on the priest's hit list.
• Jesus enters Jerusalem (v.12ff). This is the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21; Mark 11; Luke 19).
• In verses 17-19 we see that interest in Lazarus led many to greet Jesus as he entered the city.

12 The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
    the King of Israel!”

14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written:

15 “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

• Note: Whereas in the Synoptic Gospels, the crowd accompanies Jesus in his Triumphal Entry, in John it is emphasized that they go out to meet him (v.12) as he enters Jerusalem.
• Historical note: There is an enormous contrast between Jesus' entry and that of Simon Maccabaeus nearly two centuries earlier: "On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the year one hundred and seventy-one [3 June 141 BC], the Jews entered the citadel with shouts of jubilation, waving of palm branches, the music of harps and cymbals and lyres, and the singing of hymns and canticles, because a great enemy of Israel had been destroyed" (1 Macc. 13:51). How far Jesus was in spirit from the Zealots, the nationalist Jews who were willing to embrace violence as a means to political ends!

16 His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. 17 So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify.18 It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. 19 The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”

20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

• Some Gentiles (Greeks) have come to the Temple and want to meet Jesus (v.20ff).
  • They would have been allowed no farther than the Court of the Gentiles.
  • But they do not approach him directly. Rather, they first go Philip, who was from a Gentile area (Galilee).
• Philip apparently feels more comfortable going to Andrew, and through him to Jesus.
• It is implied that this coterie then met Jesus, and in light of verse 23 this meeting is highlighted as truly significant. Jesus is soon to bring about salvation for all men, not just the Jewish people.
• Verse 24 clearly refers to the impact of Jesus' death, but also to the impact of our dying to ourselves for Christ. We can affect the entire world. (See 14:12.)
  • Death takes place on two levels: physical (for Jesus and the martyrs), and volitional (in terms of our will to obey God, as we die to ourselves).
  • Jesus is preparing to die.
  • 12:24-25 is paralleled in the Synoptic gospels by Matthew 16:24-25; Mark 8:34-35; and Luke 9:23-24.
• Let us honor the Lord -- by following him (v.26), not through idle ceremony. As the ancient rabbis wrote, "Good anointing oil goes from the inner chamber right into the dining hall; but a good name goes from one end of the world to another" (Midr. Qoh. 7:1 [31a]).

Thought questions:

• When it comes to money, is my attitude closer to that of Mary, or of Judas?
• The gospel is for all nations, that all men and women might be drawn to Jesus. How's your international vision? Do you follow current events so that you know what to pray for around the world? Do you financially support missions? Would you be willing to move to another city or country for the cause of Christ?
• As I mediate on 12:24, am I conscious of any area of my life in which I am reluctant to obey God?
• Am I more moved by human opinion (peer pressure, the desire to be accepted, and so forth) or by my desire to please God?
• Since I will be judged by the word of Christ, how motivated am I to know Christ and know his word? Am I well described by such adjectives as diligent, studious, avid, conscientious, thorough, careful, industrious, assiduous, reflective, and focused?

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Scripture for memory (Prov 22:17-18 -- see also 3:3; 7:3, on internalizing God's word)

• 1:14 -- From the prologue: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV. Importance: Concise statement of the incarnation.
• 2:17 -- Observation from the Twelve: His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” NRSV (ditto following passages) Importance: Observation of quality of Jesus / the Father.
• 3:30 -- From John the Baptist: "He must increase, but I must decrease.” Importance: Concise explanation of the relationship between John the Baptizer and Jesus. Also a selfless prayer.
• 4:24 -- Jesus to the Samaritan woman: "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Importance: Explains religion that God accepts, including the separation of worship from any spatial institution.
• 5:39-40 -- Jesus to the Pharisees: “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life." Importance: A warning not to become overconfident or over-comfortable with God's word. Discerning Christ is not an intellectual game. 
• 6:35 -- Jesus to the remnants of the 5000: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Importance: The first "I am" saying. We thrive in Christ.
• 7:24 -- Jesus to the Jews (leaders): "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Importance: Exhortation to use our minds as we discern truth and error.
• 8:12 -- Jesus to the people: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Importance: The second "I am" saying. We see by the light of Christ.
• 9:25 -- The blind man to the Pharisees: He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” Importance: Source of a powerful Christian hymn. We see in Christ. 
• 10:7, 9 -- Jesus to the Pharisees: Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep...I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. Importance: The third "I am" saying. Christ is the way to pasture (see Ps 23).
• 10:11 -- Jesus to the Pharisees: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Importance: The fourth "I am" saying. Christ is the Shepherd (see Ezek 34).
• 11:25-26 -- Jesus to Martha: ...“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live [come back to life], even though they die;and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Importance: The fifth "I am" saying. Christ is the future (resurrection) life.

We'll do this again after John 21. Hopefully you're also looking forward to a fun quiz on John, once we reach the end of the series.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

11:1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

• A man is mortally ill. In fact, by the time the messenger arrives, he is already dead.
• The village of Bethany has been renamed, in honor of Lazarus. Today it is called El-Azariyeh.
• It is obvious from chapters 11 and 12 that Jesus and Lazarus have a very special relationship.
• The verb in v.3 is phileîs, not agapâs. In NT Greek, these are virtually synonyms. V.36 contains the same verb: 
• Jesus stayed two more days (v.6) before heading to Bethany. This was not to give Lazarus time to die. The chronology of the passage shows that he was in fact already dead at this time. (Add the extra two-day stay to the two travel days, one for the messenger and one for Jesus.)
• Jesus rightly foretells that this sickness will not end in death (v.4), but will glorify God. (See 9:3.)
• Further: Some scholars, such as Ben Witherington III, believe that the disciple whom Jesus loved is none other than Lazarus -- an intriguing possibility.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

• Jesus returns (from Galilee) to Judea (v.7ff), to the surprise of his disciples, since there is a bounty on Jesus' head. But Jesus is undeterred. He knows he is following God's timing and besides, Lazarus is his friend.
• Further: A day has 12 hours (v.9). As the length of the day varied through the seasons, so the length of an hour varied, expanding or contracting so that twelve spanned the hours between sunup and sundown.
• As usual, the disciples are thinking on "channel 2" (v.12). Jesus, on "channel 1," is referring to death, not physical sleep. Despite the confusion, one cannot help but admire Thomas, who immediately volunteers to accompany Jesus, even though it will lead to death. (In fact, Thomas was more or less correct in his assessment.) Verse 16 is therefore for all readers of this gospel: "Let's go so that we may die with him."
• Further: If Thomas was a twin (didymos, in Greek), whose twin was he? The most popular suggestion is that he was twin brother of Matthew. Please listen to the podcast on Thomas in the NT Character Study series. Or click on this link for more.

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

• Jesus arrives at Bethany (v.17ff) and speaks with Lazarus' sisters, beginning with Martha. Many others have come out to mourn.
• Martha is deeply grieving. Jesus promises that he will rise again (v.23). Once again, she is thinking on a different wavelength. Jesus did not mean he would arise "some day," but now.
• Jesus is the resurrection and the life (v.25) -- the fifth of seven I am statements.
• Verse 25 is better translated "will come (back) to life" than "will live."
• Moreover, in verse 26 Jesus promises life before death! Those who believe will never die. Physical death will be but a brief transition between time and eternity.
• Martha then confesses her full faith in Jesus as the Messiah (v.27).
  • How amazing that despite his divinity, holiness, fame, and power, Jesus still made friends with this family, appreciating and loving them wholeheartedly.
  • This is the 6th of the 7th confessions of faith in John.

28 When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. 34 He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus began to weep. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

• Having talked with Martha, Jesus now meets Mary, also deep in grief. Many others are weeping, and Jesus is deeply moved. His anger (vv.33,38) was apparently due to the refusal of the crowd to believe that he was the resurrection and the life.
• He bursts into tears -- tears that seem to have been more for Mary and Martha than for Lazarus. "Burst out weeping" is probably a better translation than "wept" (v.35), since it indicates continuous action.
• Jesus will now raise Lazarus from the dead (v.38ff).

38 Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

• The tomb was a cave (v.38).
  • Caves are abundant in Israel, and made natural and accessible burial sites.
  • To see what a typical first century tomb, click here.
• Martha objects: "By this time he stinketh" (KJV). That Lazarus had been four days in the tomb shows that he'd been buried on the day of this death -- normal practice at that time.
• Re: v.39, according to the Genesis Rabbah 100 [64a], "For three days the spirit returns to the tomb. It intends to reinhabit the corpse. But when it sees that the color of the corpses's face has changed, then it goes off and leaves the corpse." Thus Jesus' waiting till after the three-day period lends even greater punch to this miracle.
• The stone is removed, and Jesus prays. There is no shred of doubt in his mind that Lazarus will be reanimated. The prayer is not simply a request for Lazarus to be raised to life at all; it is uttered only for the sake of the witnesses to this incredible event.
• Jesus shouts, "Lazarus, come out!" As some preacher said, so powerful is Jesus' words that had he not specified to whom he was talking, everyone who had died would have come out! Lazarus emerges.
  • Lazarus is able to walk (hop?) out of the grave, but still his face has not been seen -- not until he has been unbound.
  • Here is a contrast. Lazarus emerges from the tomb with the graveclothes still wrapped around him. But Jesus would emerge from his grave without the cloth (20:6-7). Whereas Lazarus would still have to return to the grave (dying a second time), Jesus would triumph over death.
  • Always a practical man, Jesus directs that Lazarus be unbound. (What's the point of being raised to life if you've lost all mobility? Is there a lesson somewhere in there for us?)
  • Lazarus has been revivified--but not resurrected.
    • He does not possess a resurrection body.
    • His body does not have the qualities Jesus' will after the Resurrection.
    • Lazarus will die again. He has received a reprieve.
• Further: Lazarus' face had been wrapped in a separate cloth, as would Jesus' face (20:7). 

45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what he had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council, and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. 53 So from that day on they planned to put him to death.

• Once again, public reaction is divided. The miracle of the raising of Lazarus helped bring many people to faith, but others reported this to the Pharisees. This was not a neutral action -- notice the contrast between these people and those who believed (vv.45-46).
• The Pharisees in the Sanhedrin (v.47) would have been scribes.
• The Romans (v.48) had ruled Israel (part of the province of Syria) since 63 BC.
• The Jewish leaders are alarmed.
  • They are losing influence and control. Too many people like Jesus. Jerusalem isn't big enough for them and Jesus.
  • The Romans (their overlords) might come and remove their "place" (a word often denoting the Temple) and their nation (what little sovereignty the Jews still retained). This is, in fact, exactly what happened some 40 years later, though not because of Christ or the Christians; it was because of revolutionary action.
  • Either way, their power base is in danger -- from beneath as well as from above.
  • Caiaphas, serving as high priest (under the watchful eye of his powerful father-in-law Annas -- see Luke 3:2), suggests that it would be better for them if one man (Jesus) were to die rather than the entire nation being ruined (v.50).
    • Caiaphas was high priest "that year." What does this mean? That auspicious year (30 AD), when our Lord was crucified. Annual rotation -- a new high priest every year. Erratic succession. Pilate's predecessor, Gratus, frequently deposed high priests after only short terms in office. This seems to be the most likely possibility. The bones of Caiaphas were discovered in 1990, examined, and reinterred. His ornate ossuary (the bone box) is on display at the Israel Museum (Jerusalem), though these days it often goes on tour!
  • This was a sort of prophecy of Jesus' atoning death (v.51). Yet the reach of Jesus' death was to be broader than the Jewish nation alone. All God's people, even those outside the Holy Land, would benefit (v.52).
  • Following his lead, the authorities plotted Jesus' death.

54 Jesus therefore no longer walked about openly among the Jews, but went from there to a town called Ephraim in the region near the wilderness; and he remained there with the disciples.

• As a result, Jesus could no longer walk about openly, retreating instead to the village of Ephraim, a safe distance from Jerusalem. 
• From here he and his disciples could see the streams of pilgrims approaching the city.

55 Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and were asking one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus was should let them know, so that they might arrest him.

• The Passover was near (v.55). This is the third or fourth Passover mentioned in John's gospel.
• Expectations are running high, and many are eager for Jesus to make an appearance (v.56).
  • To do so is to court danger: both arrest (v.57) and execution.
  • The tension is mounting...

Questions for thought:

• You are a witness to Lazarus' resurrection, and a few days later happen to be at a wealthy friend's house. One of the chief priests, whom you immediately recognize, walks into the room. You humbly introduce yourself, and he wishes you God's peace and asks how things are. You begin relating the phenomenal miracle you have just seen. But the look on the priest's face is not a happy one; he does not seem open to considering the possibility that Jesus is a man from God. What do you do? (Do you finish telling the story, abbreviate it, abruptly break it off, or change the subject? What would be going through your head?)
• Ideally the Jewish leaders would not have conspired to bring about the death of Jesus. Yet his ministry was a threat to civil order and stability. Do you think compromises of principle are ever allowable, in the interest of the greater public good? Do you agree with the following statement: "The higher up the leader, the more often he will be required to sacrifice principle in order to keep the wheels turning"?
• If you are a "busy leader," as was Jesus, do you have room in your schedule, and in your heart, for others? Are you emotionally close to your own Marys, Marthas, and Lazaruses?
• Are my feelings suppressed, or do I experience -- and express -- the full range of human emotion?
• What does Jesus being the resurrection and the life mean to you?
• How are the "resurrections" of Jesus (John 20) and Lazarus (John 11) similar? different?

How would I have felt as a bystander if I had witnessed Lazarus emerge from the tomb? (Read 12:17 if you're stuck.)

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

10:1 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

• Calling the sheep "by name" (v.3) does not mean that shepherds had individual names for each sheep.
  • Rather, each shepherd used a different call.
  • When flocks were commingled, they were separated once as the sheep followed the call of their shepherd.
• Concerning hearing God's voice (v.4), how do I distinguish what I know through scripture from what I sense God may be trying to tell me through life situations?
  • Do I believe he could be leading me through objective sensations?
  • (For more on this, click here or here.)
• In regard to verse 6, "figure of speech" (paroimia) is translated parabolé in the LXX. The two are functionally equivalent.
• Since the crowd did not understand the illustration (v.6), Jesus tries a more explicit approach (v.7ff).

7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go 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.

• "All who came before me" (v.8) refers not to the legitimate O.T. prophets, or to John the Baptist, but to the mercenary priests of the present hierarchical system and the Pharisees (see Matthew 23:13; Luke 11:52).
• It would also have applied, at the time John was published, to false Messiahs within Judaism, pagan saviors or redeemer gods within the various Greco-Roman and oriental cults, and even heretical teachers who had left the church. Yet it most directly -- and obviously -- applies to the leaders (Pharisees) in John 9. Remember, there were no chapter numbers originally; these sections are connected.
• Jesus offers abundant life (v.10). This refers not to material prosperity (alone), but to spiritual well-being (which may or may not entail material advantages).

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care 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.

• When Jesus claims to be the Good Shepherd, he:
  • Utilizes a common biblical metaphor. For example, Psalm 23 says, "The Lord is my Shepherd."
  • Underscores the importance of his personal relationship with the sheep.
  • Identifies himself with the divine Messiah and son of David of Ezekiel 34. For more on the Messianic prophecy of Ezekiel 34 alluded to in this chapter, click here. See also Zechariah 13:7-9; Isaiah 40:11; and Psalms 28 and 80.
  • Compares himself with the Jewish leaders, whom he clearly considers mercenary in their approach to shepherding. In Ezekiel 34 God himself rebukes the selfish shepherds of Israel, who had neglected the sheep.
  • Recall also the shepherd passages of the Synoptic Gospels, especially Luke 15:1-7 and Matthew 18:12-14.
• The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (v.11).
  • While it may be doubtful a shepherd would really risk his life for one sheep, it is certain that the Lord put himself at risk for each one of us.
  • 1 John 3:16, though using similar language to that in verse 11, refers to putting others first, more than to literally dying for them.

16 I have other sheep that do not belong to 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 in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

• With respect to verse 16, see also 3:16; 6:51; 12:20,24,31-32. The Good Shepherd dies for all, not just for the Jews. The church was to include Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, one flock.
• No one takes Jesus' life from him (v.18).
  • He is not saying that he was not truly to be executed, but that this would not have happened apart from his will.
  • It was all a matter of divine timing and the will of the Father.

19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

• Once again, the people are divided in their reactions to Jesus (vv.19-21).
  • Some said he was insane. For even disagreeing with the party line, Jesus us insane by definition. This reminds me of the old Soviet Union. Dissidents would be sent off to the gulag. (Anyone crazy enough to reject the superior thinking of Lenin and Stalin must be insane, and thus must be committed into psychiatric care!)
  • Some said he was possessed by a demon.
• Others pointed out the bad logic of such positions, citing the miraculous healing of chapter 9.

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”

• The setting of the this passage is the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah (v.22).
  • Its origins lie in the so-called Intertestamental Period (c.400 BC-AD 30).
  • It is found in the O.T. Apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees 4:59. (For the full text of this book, click here.)
  • Ironically, since the Jewish Bible no longer contains 1-2 Maccabees, the only scriptural mention of this important Jewish holiday is in John 10 -- in the New Testament!
  • Unlike the Feast of Tabernacles, this one could be celebrated at home.
• Jesus is walking under the cover of Solomon's Colonnade, which offered protection from the common winter rains (v.23). Of course this was not strictly speaking Solomon's colonnade (v.23), since the first Solomon's temple had been razed by the Babylonians in 587/586 BC.
• The crowd demands a direct answer from Jesus (v.24): Is he the Christ, or not? Jesus replies that the answer has already been given (v,25), but they didn't like the response (v.26).
• The reason: they lack faith; they aren't part of the flock.
  • Unlike these false believers, true followers can rest assured in God's grace (v.28-29). See also the end of Romans 8.
  • Jesus does not say that it is impossible to lose one's salvation, despite the common teaching of "Once saved, always saved." For more, click here.
• Jesus does not claim to be identical with the Father (v.30). They are one in action (the neuter hen), not one in person (which would have been the masculine heis). Recall that they differ in rank (order), not nature.
• Then Jesus adds that he and the father are one (v.30). That is, since he is one with the Father, and no one can thwart God's purposes, nobody can take disciples away from Jesus.
  • This is a clear claim to divinity, as shown by the crowd's reaction in v.31ff. Jesus will also defend his divinity in v.34ff.
  • In the Trinity, Jesus shares the same nature with the Father, but not the same rank, since the Father is greater than the Son (eternally).

31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.

• In verses 34-36 Jesus refers to Psalm 82:6, where certain prominent Israelites are called "gods."
  • Since Jesus comes directly from the Father and obeys his will, it is a fortiori even more appropriate for him to be recognized as God's Son.
  • For more on this, click here.
• Note that Jesus refers to the Psalms as "Law" (v.34).
  • Sometimes in the Bible the word Law refers to Torah (the first five O.T. books, or Pentateuch).
  • Other times, like here, it refers to the entire O.T.
• Moreover, even if they were disinclined to believe him, honest minds should be led by the evidence to see the divine origin of Christ (v.38).
• Still the crowd is unable to catch him (v.39). He eludes them because it is not yet his time.

40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41 Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

• Jesus returns to the (former) territory of John the Baptist (v.40), where he initially directed his disciples to Jesus (1:28-34). We've come full circle.
• He is positively received by those acquainted with John's ministry.
• It is evident that John was truly preparing the way for the ministry of Christ. Jesus was in no way "sheep stealing" from the Baptist.
• In verse 41 John's former followers admit that he had never performed a miracle.
  • And yet according to Luke 1:15, in some sense he was "Spirit-filled" from birth.
  • Thus it follows that being filled with the Spirit does not necessarily involve miraculous abilities or experiences.
• Many come to faith in Christ (v.42).

In the next chapter (11) we'll read of one of Jesus' most dramatic signs: the raising of Lazarus from the dead -- also the seventh of the seven signs in John.

Things to think about

• In the last few chapters many have difficulties recognizing Jesus. This recognition may be analyzed:
  • John 5-6 -- motivation -- people are improperly motivated.
  • John 7-8 -- cognition -- people are unable to think.
  • John 8-9 -- vision -- they are unable to see.
  • John 10 -- audition -- they are unable to hear.
• Do I recognize the voice of our Shepherd? How well do I know his Word?
• Am I experiencing "life to the full" (the abundant life of verse 10)? Is anything missing?
• If I am a leader, why do I lead? If I am a church staff member, do I have the heart of a true shepherd, or is there anything of the mercenary in me?
• Do I appreciate the grace of God
  • No external power can force me to leave God.
  • Do I realize that I am the only one who can spoil the priceless gift of God in Christ?

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

9:1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 

• The man was physically blind (v.1ff). This blindness was not temporary, but congenital.
• The O.T. does say that the sins of the parents can be "visited" on the children (Exodus 20:5), but what about the second possibility, the idea that the man himself may have sinned prenatally?
  • Some rabbis discussed the sins of Jacob and Esau while still in the womb.
  • Thus the reference is not to a previous life, but to life in utero.
• At no time before had anyone ever healed a man born blind, nor do such miracles occur today (in my experience, although you may wish to consult Craig Keener's magnum opus, Miracles).
• Jesus' disciples were blind (v.2).
  • Their question reflects the outlook of the ancient world on sin, and reminds us of the view of Job's three "comforters": sickness and misfortune are caused by sin. (This is a basic tenet of today's "Prosperity Theology.")
  • They do not care for him as a person, only for the theological conundrum he presents.

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 Wemust work the works of him who sent mewhile it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 

• Jesus offers no explanation as to the cause of the blindness, but sees a divine possibility.
• There is hope in the light of Christ -- the "daylight" by whose light we can work. Jesus reasserts that he is the light of the world. (Several of the "I Am" sayings are repeated -- this one, from 8:12.)
• The man is healed.
  • The healing could have been direct and instantaneous, but it includes saliva and dirt and a walk to a pool. 
  • The man wasn't healed by faith alone; the blessing came only as he went in obedience to Jesus' command. So it is with us.
  • Sending him to wash in the Pool of Siloam (v.7) is reminiscent of Elisha sending Naaman to wash in the Jordan (2 Kings 5).
  • The miracle shows that Jesus is the promised Messiah. See Isaiah 29:18.
• Siloam (v.7) is laden with linguistic significance.
  • Shiloh was the place where God revealed himself before the Temple was built in Jerusalem. Shiloh is mentioned frequently in Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, and Jeremiah.
  • There is a Messianic prophecy connected with this in Genesis 49:10.
  • And yet Isaiah 8:6 shows the Jews rejecting the waters of Shiloah (Siloam, in Hebrew).
  • Interestingly, the Pool of Siloam was only discovered in 2005. See the report at the Bibleplaces website.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

• The neighbors notice.
  • Here was a man they saw every day -- and yet the implications of admitting the authenticity of the miracles were huge.
  • Many of his neighbors and acquaintances were "blind" (v.8ff). 

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

• According to Jewish law (rabbinic tradition, not Torah), Jesus had violated the Sabbath.
  • Spittle must not be put into the eyes on the Sabbath (J. 'Abod. Zar. 14d), while another passage refers to differing opinions over whether eyes may be anointed on the Sabbath (B. 'Abod. Zar. 28b).
  • Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warned the people of God not to listen to a miracle-worker if he led them away from God's law.

Thus there was some basis for the Jewish leaders' viewpoint vis-à-vis Jesus (though no justification for their stubborn refusal to reconsider their interpretations and believe).

The blind man's statement "He is a prophet" (v.17) is parallel to the Samaritan woman's recognition in 4:19.

18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiahwould be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

• His parents too are blind (vv.18ff).
• "He is of age" (v.23) shows that he was over 13 years old, and thus legally accountable as an adult.
• Verse 22 shows the real reason for their reticence to acknowledge Jesus as the healer.
  • This verse would have been especially meaningful at the time of the rupture between church and synagogue, particularly after 70 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its Temple (assuming John was written in the 90s -- some scholars place it pre-70).
  • In the same way, we are called to take our stand with Christ, even if this leads to ostracism.

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 

• "Give glory to God" is a solemn oath. See Joshua 7:19, where Joshua interrogates Achan.
• V.25 supplied the inspiration for John Newton's famous hymn, Amazing Grace.

26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “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?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

• The Pharisees were blindest of all (v.13ff, 24ff).
• Up to a point they had been pretending to be impartial, operating under the guise of an open examination (v.24).
• Now their true colors are shown (v.34). Their minds are already made up; no amount of evidence will change them.
• And yet in accusing the man of having been born in sin, the Pharisees are in effect admitting the miracle as legitimate!
• Note: v.31 is sometimes taken as a doctrinal statement, yet this will not do.
  • God hears all prayers -- as Solomon requested in his prayer (1 Kings 8:41-43).
  • It is the defiant one, the one in deliberate sin, whose prayer will not be accepted (Ps 66:18).

35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”36 He answered, “And who is he, sir?  Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord,I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains."

• Jesus follows up with the man (v.35), just as he did with the invalid he healed in chapter 5.
• "Son of Man" is a Messianic title in the book of Daniel.
• The result is that the man recognizes who Jesus is, falling at his feet in humble gratitude.
• The blind see and the seeing are blind. Refer to 1:3-4 and 3:19-21.

Final thoughts

• In this story, it is only Jesus who truly sees --
  • And the blind man, whose perception of Jesus moves from stranger (v.6) to healer (v.7) to prophet (v.17) to Lord (v.38).
  • Again, see chapter 4 for a progression in faith and spiritual perception on the part of the Samaritan woman.
• John 9 portrays in living color what happens when Light enters this dark world.
  • How we respond to the truth God reveals to us determines our standing with God.
  • Two themes are intertwined in chapter 9: revelation and judgment. These themes are present throughout the gospel of John.
• This account is also in many ways a perfect picture of conversion to Christ, which all true believers have experienced.
• Jesus shows us the Father (1:14, 18; 10:30; 14:9).
  • In John 9 we understand that God is light -- which is not mere knowledge or intellect, since there is a strong moral component to the light.
  • He is the one who opens the eyes of our heart (Eph 1:18).
  • We see that God does not favor the powerful or the establishment or the respectable, but those who honor him by embracing the truth.
  • We notice that nearly everyone claims to know God, or be in the light, or to be doing the right thing. Yet there is a simplicity in knowing God, exhibited in the life of the blind man and of course also in the behavior of Jesus, that the highborn and the highbrow easily miss.
  • God powerfully transforms our lives.
• We can easily make this chapter into a group Bible discussion.
  • Are there certain characters in chapter 9 with which you identify? Blind man, disciples, parents, neighbors, Pharisees, Jesus? If so, why? How are your attitudes or experiences similar?
  • Is there a definite time in your life when you crossed from over from darkness to light, from blindness to sight? On what date did this take place?
  • Are you able to share with others about the change? How do they usually react? Does the prospect of peer pressure, or the fear of family rejection, or the possibility of religious persecution affect how public you are in expressing your faith in Christ?
  • See the group studies in Till the Nets are Full (formerly Shining Like Stars).
    • John 4 (the Samaritan Woman). [This is study VII.]
    • John 5 (The Healing at the Pool). [This is study XIV.]
    • John 6+ (The I Am Sayings) [This is study VIII.]
    • John 9 (the Blind Man), which is another more or less complete chapter with multiple clearly identifiable characters. [This is study V.]
    • And there are many other good group studies from John:
      • John 2: Water to Wine and The Clearing of the Temple
      • John 3: Nicodemus (chapters 3, 7, 19).
      • John 8: The Woman Caught in Adultery
      • John 20: "Doubting" Thomas
      • And so on....

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 

• "Again Jesus spoke" ties in to 7:38. 
  • Remember that 7:53-8:11 is not in the original; it interrupts the flow.
  • Thus the statement is spoken in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles.
• In the second "I am statement," Christ claims to be the light of the world (v.12).
  • Just as the pillar of fire led the Israelites through the desert after the Exodus, so Jesus will lead his people.
  • Hence the emphasis on following the light. (The Israelites followed the pillar.)
  • For more on the background to the "I am" statements, in addition to previous comments on John 6:35, see Isaiah 41:4 and 43:10-11, where the OT Greek LXX reads ego eimi ("I am").
  • Jesus does not say, "Look -- there's the light," or "I've found the light!" Rather, he boldly claims, "I am the light."
  • The Bible teaches that because God is our light (Psalm 27:1), Jesus is the light (John 8:12). Further, the Word is a light (Psalm 119:105), and as we live out the truth, we ourselves are to be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).
  • The truth that Jesus is the light of the world (v.12) will be vividly illustrated in chapter 9 when Jesus heals the man born blind (9:5).

13 Then the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.” 14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I judge no one. 16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. 17 In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. 18 I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.” 19 Then they said to him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while he was teaching in the treasury of the temple, but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

• The Pharisees challenge his statement as unsubstantiated (v.13).
  • They will not accept testimony without witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15 requires witnesses for testimony to be valid.
  • Jesus responds that his testimony corresponds with the judgment of his Father (vv.14-18), and thus is not at all invalid. God himself is Jesus' witness!
• They judge by human standards (v.15). See 7:24. Jesus claims to "judge no one": not a repudiation of judgment or the judgment day, but a denial of judging by human standards.
• Misunderstanding his reference to his Father (they are on "channel 2"), they then inquire about his earthly father (v.19).
• This interaction takes place in the treasury of the temple (v.20).
  • The treasury was located in the Court of the Women, between the Court of the Israelites and the Court of Gentiles.
  • The gadzophulakion (also Mark 12:41,43; Luke 21:1) is either the Temple Treasury or the offering box itself.
• The leaders wanted to arrest him, but it was not his time.

21 Again he said to them, “I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 Then the Jews said, “Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?”

• Jesus said that he would go away, where they could not follow (v.21).
• Many Jews believed that suicides would be consigned to the deepest part of Hades, the underworld.

23 He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” 25 They said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Why do I speak to you at all? 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.” 27 They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father.

• Jesus replies that he is from above -- it is they who are from below (v.23).
• Unless they believe what he has said ("I am," v.24), they will die in their unbelief.
• Again they question his authority, and identity (v.25).
• His response can be taken two ways, as in the NIV "Just what I have been claiming all along," or as above in the NRSV. The Amplified Bible has: "Jesus replied, [Why do I even speak to you!] I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first."

28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

• Jesus predicts that once he has been lifted up (crucified), men will better understand his divine origin and the truth of his words (v.28).
• Jesus claims to always obey the Father, for which reason he is not alone. God is with him in his life and words (v.29).
• Even at this point it seems that many believed Jesus was speaking the truth (v.30), although the antagonism continues into the final section of John 8.
• The negative reaction well illustrates 3:19-20. Darkness always resists the light.
• Verse 30 may be taken as the final verse in this section, or the first verse in the section that follows.

31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?”

• Jesus now calls the Jews who believed his message (v.30) to an obedient faith (v.31). This is the only way the truth will set them free (v.32).
• They react poorly to the challenge, rejecting the freedom Jesus offers, which comes only from obedience (v.34ff).
  • The irony of their retort is pathetic. What about the Egyptians? Midianites? Assyrians? Babylonians? Greeks? And what about the present Roman occupation (63 BC+)?
  • They take their stand on nationalistic and religious pride (v.33).
  • Ezra 9:9 is also à propos.

34 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. 35 The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. 36 So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

• Just as a train is "free" only when it stays on the rails, so humans experience true freedom when they walk in the path of God's commands.
• For more passages about spiritual freedom, see Psalm 119:45; Romans 8:21; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1; Ephesians 3:12; James 1:25, 2:12; 2 Peter 2:19.
• There are three passages in John where Jesus spells out what it means to be a disciple. (This also makes an excellent "discipleship study.")
  • John 8 -- We must remain in his word.
  • John 13 -- We must love one another as he loved us.
  • John 15 -- We must live a productive (fruitful) life.

37 I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. 38 I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father."

• They have no room for his message (vv.37,43), and are ready to do away with Jesus.
• Jesus claims to have come from the very presence of God (v.38). In a number of places in this gospel he says that he has come down from heaven.

39 They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, 40 but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. 44 You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.”

• When the Jews retort, "We are not children of fornication" (v.41), they are claiming, in effect, "We are not guilty of spiritual harlotry."
  • The prophet Hosea, and Jesus, accused Israel of spiritual unfaithfulness. They are defending themselves.
  • It is possible that their words are a slur on Jesus' paternity, but this interpretation evolved in the early third century, and is probably not in view in this passage.
• Jesus reminds them that their antagonistic response is nothing like the attitude of Abraham, their alleged father. "Like father, like son." Their father is the devil (v.44), and they resemble him in several ways.
• Here Jesus also tells us several things about the devil (vv.44-45):
  • His desires are contrary to God's.
  • He is a murderer.
  • He is not truthful, and lies.
  • Putting it all together, we see a power bent on his own way, and willing to do whatever it takes to persuade others to follow him.
• "Which of you convicts me of sin?" (v.46).
  • What a claim! On the lips of no other human would these words have been received with anything other than astonishment or offense. But the truth is, none of the charges against Jesus we find on the lips of his enemies is true. Nor is there any hint of sin in Jesus' personal life.
  • Jesus is saying, in effect, that his life backs up his message and divine origin. "What action of mine warrants this response on your part?" There is no excuse for anyone to reject his teaching, let alone with such vitriol.
  • Compare John 8:46 to 1 Kings 8:46.
• Those who do not accept the truth show that they are not of God (v.47).

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. 51 Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

• Unable to specify a particular sin, the Jews resort to name-calling (v.48). To this Jesus responds coolly and objectively (v.49ff).
• Why do they call him a Samaritan (v.48)?
  • He was not a Judean -- at least by upbringing. Though born in Bethlehem in Judah, he probably had a Galilean accent, as nearly all his life he had lived in the north (Nazareth and Capernaum).
  • Samaritans were viewed as heretics, as they had a slightly different Bible, even altering the Ten Commandments.
  • They rejected the Temple and the Jewish priesthood.
  • At least two Samaritan prophets made outrageous claims.
    • Simon Magus (Acts 8) worked wonders and claimed to be "the Great Power."
    • Dositheus claimed to be the Son of God.
    • As for the claim of demon-possession, the second century Justin Martyr viewed both these Samaritans as possessed (Apol. 26:1,4-5).
  • And yet Jesus was warm in his outreach to the Samaritans. For more on this, click here.
• Again Jesus returns to the theme of freedom.
  • Whoever obeys his teaching, he promises, will not see death (v.51).
  • He refers of course to spiritual death, not physical.

52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55 though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

• The Jews are greatly offended at this claim, realizing that Jesus is implicitly elevating himself above Abraham and the prophets. Even Abraham, spiritual father of the nation, had died, and here is Jesus, claiming it is possible not to die at all!
• Jesus knows God (v.55). Nowhere in John does he claim to believe in God, but to know him. This knowledge is not academic, but intimate. Christ knows the Father as he knows himself. (Another implication of divinity.)
• In regard to verse 56, Abraham saw into the future. See, e.g., Genesis 15:5-6,17-21; 12:1-3. It was common among Jews in the first century to ascribe to Abraham knowledge of the end of days and the Messiah.
• Verse 57 does not suggest that Jesus was nearing 50.
  • In fact, he would only have been about 35 at the time of his death.
  • The age of 50 simply denotes an elder, a man at the end of his working life (Numbers 4:2-3,39; 8:24-25). Jesus is not even 50 years old (v.57); it is ludicrous that he would have special information about a man who had died nearly two millennia earlier.
• "Before Abraham was born, I am" (v.58) has a parallel in the Greek O.T., which was the Bible of most early Christians. There we read: "Before the mountains were born / or you brought forth the earth and the world / from everlasting to everlasting you are (Psalm 90:2 [LXX Ps 89:2]).
• Jesus goes further:
  • Abraham, to whom God had made promises about Messianic times, rejoiced in the things being fulfilled through Jesus' ministry.
  • Pushing the crowd to the very limit, Jesus then implies his divinity: "Before Abraham was born, I am" (v.58).
    • The response: the crowd wants to execute him for blasphemy.
    • Jesus eludes them. (His time had still not come!)

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

• This a well-known passage, even though it is not in the original manuscripts of John's gospel.
  • This pericope is not written in the style of John, nor is it original to John.
  • It is missing from the earliest Greek manuscripts of John. Of course this was the original language of the gospel, and evidence here should be weighed most heavily.
  • It is missing also from the oldest Syriac manuscripts.
  • The passage is found in the following manuscripts, though often with an asterisk or obelisk, indicating doubt as to its authenticity:
    • The later Koine Greek manuscripts.
    • The Latin Vulgate (c.400 AD) and some Old Latin manuscripts.
    • The Ethiopic version.
    • The writings of Augustine and Ambrose (c.400 AD).
    • Codex D.
  • It often does not appear at its present position. Other locations include:
    • Following Luke 21:38.
    • After John 7:36.
    • After John 7:44.
    • After 21:25.
  • No eastern commentator mentions the passage before the 10th century, and no Greek commentator mentions the passage before the 12th century.
• Still, it rings true, is of early origin, and is therefore is found in most Bibles. Few scholars believe the account to misrepresent Jesus, even if it was not originally in its present location in John.

[53 Then each of them went home, 8:1 while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them.

• As was Jesus' custom during the feasts, he taught in the day and stayed evenings somewhere on the Mount of Olives (v.1). He probably enjoyed the hospitality of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. (Search your concordance under Bethany.)
• The venue for his teaching was the temple complex. (And by forgiving the adulteress, he was challenging, "usurping," the authority of the priests.)
• The time was early morning, before the heat of the day.
• He taught in the seated position (v.2), which was the normal posture of a rabbi with his disciples.

3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him.

• Then comes the shocking interruption (v.3).
  • The question, and the arrest of the woman, seem staged.
  • Since adultery takes place in secret, it is likely that the accusers had been waiting (and hoping) for the transgression to take place. Their posturing, like the adultery itself, was premeditated.
  • Only the woman has been brought in, despite the implicit charge that the man had been present (v.4).
• The accusers have little concern for her.
  • Their aim is only to trap Jesus.
  • Would Jesus then contradict himself, or the Mosaic law?
• Here is the trap (vv.5-6).
  • Jesus advocated compassion. He forbade us even to hate our enemies. He had intimated that the new covenant was in the process of being inaugurated -- that the old law might not apply anymore.
  • And yet the Torah required the death penalty for both parties (Leviticus 20:10).
  • Would contradict the Torah, or his own teaching?

Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."]

• Masterfully, Jesus extricates both himself and the woman from the dilemma.
  • His reply is perfectly suited to the occasion. Jesus was always an excellent thinker on his feet.
  • About Jesus' writing in the dirt:
    • Many have speculated what word(s) -- if any -- he wrote.
    • He seems to be deflecting the attention from the woman and her accusers -- perhaps regaining control of the situation.
  • Acknowledging the demand of the law for adulterers ("Let anyone without sin cast the first stone...") while confronting all present with their own sin (and potential hypocrisy in judging her) (v.7ff).
  • Everyone in the group is challenged!
    • The older in the crowd, realizing that Jesus occupies the moral high ground and will not be trapped, walk away.
    • The younger in the crowd, less savvy and more moralistic, linger longer, but they too in the end leave the scene.
    • The accusers apparently depart as well.
• In the end, only two persons remain.
• While offering her divine forgiveness, Jesus hardly condones her immorality. "Sin no more" (v.11).
• The heart-warming vignette demonstrates the church's attitude towards erring members.
  • Sin will not be taken lightly, yet...
  • ... forgiveness is always available -- if there is repentance.

Conclusion

• Although most NT scholars reject the story as original in the fourth gospel, they are also of one mind in accepting its veracity.
  • It is perfectly in character with what we know of Jesus and his attitude towards sin/sinners.
  • It is unlikely to be an invention of the later church, since in the second century sin was dealt with much more harshly than it is in this passage.
  • Some early Christian preserved the story, and some early copyist of John placed it between chapters 7 and 8, probably because it seemed a good fit (verses about judgment, tensions between Jesus and the Pharisees).
• This passage is one of several understood by early Christians to forbid capital punishment.
  • For example, consider the words of Lactantius (c.290-300 AD): When God forbids us to kill, he not only prohibits the violence that is condemned by public laws, but he also forbids the violence that is deemed lawful by men. Thus it is not lawful for a just man to engage in warfare, since his warfare is injustice itself. Nor is it [lawful] to accuse anyone of a capital offense. It makes no difference whether you put a man to death by word, or by the sword. It is the act of putting to death itself which is prohibited. Therefore, regarding this precept of God there should be no exception at all. Rather it is always unlawful to put to death a man, whom God willed to be a sacred creature.
  • For more on this, see my article on The Death Penalty, or the various lessons on crime and punishment. 
• Had I been present, which of the characters in this story would I have been: an older person, a younger person, the woman, or the accusers?