With the public ministry of Jesus now at an end, John’s Gospel records that during the Passover supper, Christ rose and washed His disciples’ feet. With full knowledge of all that was about to transpire in the days to come, Jesus demonstrated His humility and love toward His followers. As Alistair Begg explains, His foot washing serves as both an illustration of what would take place at the cross—the King laying down His life for His people—and an example of how believers should live in humble service to one another.

After reporting the animosity exhibited toward Jesus by the chief priests and Pharisees, John’s Gospel records the curiosity of the Greeks, who, at the Passover, sought Him out to speak with Him. In this setting, Jesus spoke of how a grain of wheat must die to bear fruit. Explaining the pivotal moment marked by the arrival and interest of the gentiles, Alistair Begg reminds us that although the disciples wished Jesus not to die, His death is the key to life.

The Gospel of John is a highly concentrated look at Jesus’ life, during which He performed many signs and miracles. Frustrated by these signs and in concern for themselves, the chief priests and Pharisees rejected Jesus and planned to put Him to death. Discussing key events in the first half of John’s narrative, Alistair Begg emphasizes the evangelistic purpose of the biblical record, written so that we may believe and have life in Him. Only Jesus has the authority to defeat death, as His death and resurrection are the source of our spiritual life.

Jesus proclaimed Himself the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep by name. In this study from John’s Gospel, Alistair Begg teaches that when it comes to gaining access to God and heaven, there’s only one Door, one Shepherd, and one flock. Ultimate security lies not in the walls of our enclosure or in the strength of our faith but in our proximity to Jesus, the indestructible Shepherd in whom we place our trust. Believers will know His voice and enjoy abundant life.

How are Christians to walk the fine line between affirming and reviling those whose actions declare them to be God’s enemies? That is the question Alistair Begg seeks to answer as he addresses the controversy surrounding the counsel he gave to a grandmother in the summer of 2023. Turning to Luke 15, Alistair reminds us that the inclination toward pharisaism is alive and well within all our hearts. It is something we always must guard against—especially as we press on toward purity and holiness in the midst of an aimless and confused generation.

When Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber,” He was using a familiar picture. Explaining both the context and the content of Jesus’ statement, Alistair Begg reminds us that this metaphor is depicts God, who, in Christ, is the ultimate Shepherd, seeking and providing for His people. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus offers the only way of salvation. If we’re in Christ, we will know His voice and follow Him.

As conversations with Jesus in the temple grew more heated, His listeners wrestled with what to believe about Him and demanded to know who He was claiming to be. Jesus replied to them, “Before Abraham was, I am,” revealing that He is God the Son from all eternity. Alistair Begg examines Jesus’ words, underscoring their foundational and theological significance. Jesus is the eternal Christ, master of time, and ruler of the ages. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever—and because of who He is, He has power and authority to save all who believe in Him.

What does it mean to “never see death”? Alistair Begg teaches that while death is sin’s penalty and each of us will confront the reality of physical death, if we’re in Christ, death no longer has the power to condemn us and separate us from God. As the sinless Savior, Jesus was the only one qualified to pay the penalty for sin, and in Him death is destroyed. Those who trust in Jesus have hope for eternity with Him.

As Jesus preached in the temple, He made a bold and extravagant promise, telling His listeners, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” Incredulous at His claim, the people opposed Him. Alistair Begg explains that the words of Jesus always demand a response, for they are the very words of God. Jesus offers a freedom that only He can provide—one that ultimately frees us from the unnatural intrusion of pain, decay, and death itself. By trusting in Him, the one who has conquered sin and death, we will not perish but have eternal life.

When Jesus gave instruction to aspiring disciples, He delivered the true but difficult news that “everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Not understanding how they could be enslaved, His listeners questioned Him. Alistair Begg addresses this provocative statement from Jesus, explaining that apart from Christ, we are all bound to sin. Counter to contemporary thinking, the problem is within us: we sin because we are sinners. Only Jesus, who gave up His own freedom to secure our own, sets us free from sin’s reign and allows us to live in a way that pleases God, our Maker.