That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || In this famous story of the adulterous woman from John chapter 8, we are reminded that we, like the adulterous woman, stand before the Lord condemned. And Satan, just like the Scribes and Pharisees, stands by our side accusing us to the Lord. But just as Jesus silenced the woman’s accusers, Jesus silences Satan, our accuser, and declares to us, just as He did to the woman, that through Him there is therefore now no condemnation.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || In the closing verses of John 7 we see it’s the last day of the Feast of Booths and Jesus cries out “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38). It’s important we understand what took place on the last day of the Feast in order to more fully understand the significance of Christ’s invitation. On this final day, the priest would gather water from the pool of Siloam and bring it to the Temple where he would ultimately pour it out at the altar. This pouring out of the water both reminded them of God pouring out His blessing on them, as well as the promise that one day He would pour out His Spirit upon them. Christ, using this moment, reveals that it will be through Him this promise is fulfilled.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || During the Feast of Booths Jesus went up into the Temple and began teaching. We see in this moment His teaching caused many to marvel because He did not have the expected credentials and training. While we see in this text many would ultimately question and doubt who Jesus claimed to be, we also see some judged rightly; not by appearances but by right judgment. Rightly discerning His teaching with authority and many signs revealed He is the Christ.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || In the opening verses of chapter 7 we see the Jews, and even Jesus’s own brothers, have uncertainty about who Jesus is. But Jesus, we see, is certain about Himself His mission. In this text we see 3 things about Jesus that we should look to in seasons of uncertainty, like the one our world is currently facing; His example, humanity, and sovereignty.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || At the end of John 6 Jesus says the words He has spoken are ‘spirit and life’ and we are reminded in these closing verses that Jesus’s words divide, reveal, and give life. May our response to this truth not be to abandon Jesus, like many of His followers. Instead, may it be the same as Simon Peter’s; ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || John tells us in chapter 20 he wrote these things down ‘that you may believe.’ Everything we see in John, the miraculous signs and Jesus’s words, are there to point us to the truth that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And yet we see so over and over in John, and the other gospels, the people of God oftentimes miss this truth. Why? It’s because, as Paul says to the Corinthians, a veil lies over their hearts. This is one reason we celebrate the resurrection. Because the grave is empty and Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, those who turn to Him will have the veil lifted and He allows us to more fully see and understand this truth. John 6 contains foundational truths to the Christian faith. On this Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we study John 6, in light of the resurrection, and four foundational truths we find in this chapter.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || In the opening verses of John 6 Jesus performs a well-known sign, or miracle; the feeding of the five thousand. Through this sign Christ once again reveals His authority, and also reminds us of the incredible truth that He is more than enough. A timely reminder as we face a global pandemic in which we sometimes find ourselves lacking essential needs and are being reminded that life is a vapor.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || John chapter 5 resembles a trial. It opens with an accusation; Jesus broke the Sabbath law when He commanded a man to carry his bed on the Sabbath. We then see in the middle section Jesus gives His response and evidence, and then in the closing verses of chapter 5, He sets forth His witnesses. One of those witnesses is Moses, who wrote of Jesus. Reminding us that the whole of Scripture points to Jesus as the One who would perfectly fulfill the Law.

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || After healing the sick man and commanding him to take up his mat and walk, and purportedly breaks the Sabbath law, Jesus becomes the target of the Jewish leaders’ persecution. In response to this, Jesus declares He is the Son of God and claims authority they believed only God possessed. How do we as Christians respond to the authority of Christ?

That You May Believe | The Gospel of John || In the beginning verses of chapter 5 Jesus heals a man who had been ill for 38 years. The remarkable thing we see in this moment is that this man was not looking to Jesus for salvation, in fact he was looking to something else entirely for healing, and yet Jesus showed mercy to this man by approaching him. What a sweet reminder for us! As Paul says in Romans 5, ‘God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’