Bethel Baptist Church

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Scripture Reading: John 15:18-27 Up until this point in the gospel of John, Jesus had only made mention of the Holy Spirit on two occasions … speaking to Nicodemus (Jn 3:5,6) and speaking to the crowd in Capernaum (Jn 6:63).  Now, in the upper room discourse, Jesus brings the Holy Spirit to center stage (Jn 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:7-15). Jesus knew that these men would need the strength-giving comf...

 Scripture Reading: John 15:12-17 Continuing to say things specifically designed to encourage His apostles (and us), Jesus issues a command and He gives it twice … "love one another" (Jn 15:12,17).  It is a command that Jesus had also given earlier (Jn 13:34).  This command is found at least 15 times in the New Testament, using the word 'love' and many more times using synonyms.  Love between Chri...

Scripture Reading: John 15:1-11 Continuing to encourage the eleven apostles on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus gives the last of His "I am" statements in John's gospel.  "I am the true vine" (Jn 15:1).  What follows is an extended metaphor of the relationship between Christ and His own.  He is the vine and Christians are seen as branches, deriving their life and fruit from the vine. There...

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:9-20 The background to this section of 1 Corinthians 6 is the occurrence in the church in Corinth of church members taking other church members to court.  Paul reasons that believers must not take other believers before a state judge because, for the most part, these judges are unbelievers.  "When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law...

Scripture Reading: John 14:25-31 The concept of 'peace' is a major theme in the Bible, especially in the New Testament.  The word 'peace' occurs 95 times in the New Testament and is found in every book except 1 John. Few passages in Scripture are as sweet and comforting as this familiar promise of Jesus in John 14.  There is, in the Bible, the objective standing of peace with God.  "Therefore havi...

John 14:18-25

John 14:12-17

Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 It is highly significant that, from the time of Christ, the Holy Spirit inspired passages like today's passage.  This section reveals, in glorious description, the nature of the Son of God.  For two thousand years there have been multiplied false ideas about who Jesus is. Passages like Colossians 1:15-20 help us to clearly understand who Jesus is.  He is God t...

Scripture Reading: Luke 2:25-35 We all know that Christmas means more than eggnog and emotion, cards and commercials. But it is so easy, in the lunacy we call December, to lose sight of the Son of God. Usually the star in the Eastern sky is dimmed by the flashing of department store lights. How refreshing it is to return each year to the word of the living God and let the gospel writers focus our...

Scripture Reading: Galatians 4:4-7,  Titus 2:11-14 A few people recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah when He was born.  One of them was Anna, whom Luke said, "did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day" (Lk 2:37).  Upon seeing the blessed baby, Anna began to speak "to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (Lk 2:38).  Among the many ramifica...

Scripture Reading: Romans 3:23 As we begin to approach the Christmas season, it is important to understand the need the human race has for a Savior.  The birth of Christ means little to us, personally, unless we grasp the deep and urgent need we have for what Jesus was born to do.  Understanding Romans 3:23 drives us to comprehend our need for Him.  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory...

Scripture Reading: John 14:1-11 In this passage, it is particularly helpful to remember that John did not write in terms of chapter divisions. Chapter 13 ends with Jesus telling His disciples that he was going to go away and that they could not follow him. Further, He said that Peter would deny Him before the sun rose on the next day. These must have been very troubling words for the disciples to...

Scripture Reading: John 13:31-38 John 31:31 begins a section of John known as the 'upper room discourse.' It is only found in this gospel and contains the last instruction, at least recorded, that Jesus gave to the eleven apostles. Jesus was about to die, and He knew it. When you are dying, you only speak of the most important things. It is significant that in His dying encouragement to His discip...

Scripture Reading: John 13:10-30 The story of the life of Judas is one of the saddest stories in the Bible, indeed in all of human history. Judas had spiritual privileges beyond our wildest dreams. He lived with Jesus for three years, listening to His divine wisdom, beholding acts of omnipotent power. Yet in the presence of divinity in human form and in the face of divine perfections, Judas's hear...

Scripture Reading: John 12:36b-50 John does not record the scene in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion, but this passage captures the same emotions Jesus had as He faced His work on the cross. Jesus is ever aware that He has come to the earth, taking on human flesh, to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Here Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." God the Father r...

Scripture Reading: John 12:27-36a John does not record the scene in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed the night before His crucifixion, but this passage captures the same emotions Jesus had as He faced His work on the cross. Jesus is ever aware that He has come to the earth, taking on human flesh, to do the will of the Father who sent Him. Here Jesus prays, "Father, glorify your name." God the Father r...

Scripture Reading: John 12:12-26 After being hailed as the Messiah, the King of the Jews (Jn 12:12-19), Jesus is shown to be Sovereign over the Gentiles as well (Jn 12:20,21,32). Jesus did, in fact, come as the fulfillment of Old Testament promises of a king. But He did not come, the first time, to be the kind of ruler His generation expected. His glory would come through suffering, death, and res...

Scripture Reading: John 12-1-11               This section in John 12 is a study in contrast.  Mary, the sister of Lazarus, displays her deep devotion to and adoration of Jesus, on the one hand.  Judas displays his deep contempt for Jesus, on the other hand.  Jesus divides people into those two categories, and there is no third category.  Someone must either love Christ or reject Christ.  There is...

Scripture Reading: John 11:45-57 Though it is not mentioned in word, the gospel of Christ is at the center of this passage. The rejection of Jesus has now taken institutional form. John 11:47 says that "the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council." This is a reference to the Sanhedrin Council in Israel and it is the highest authority in the Jewish community. The High Priest himself, C...

Special Guest Speaker: Rev. Greg Hands Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 4:39, 33:27, Psalm 16:8, 125:2

Scripture Reading: John 11:1-16 John has deliberately selected some of the miracles of Jesus to include in his gospel as 'signs' pointing to the identity of our Lord as the Son of God. Perhaps the most spectacular 'sign' is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. J. C. Ryle says that this chapter in John is "one of the most remarkable in the New Testament. For grandeur and simplicity, for pathos and...

Scripture Reading: John 10:30-42 In the discourses between Jesus and the Jewish leaders, in the gospel of John, we are brought into the glories and mysteries of the infinite God.  Jesus says things that can only be true if He is God in human flesh.  "Whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise" (Jn 5:19).  "Before Abraham was, I am" (Jn 8:58).  On both occasions, the Jews wanted to put Jesus t...

Scripture Reading: John 10:19-30 The good shepherd promises to do several things for His sheep in this passage.  He calls them to Himself (Jn 10:3) … He leads His sheep (Jn 10:3) … He gives them abundant life (Jn 10:10) … He lays down His life for His sheep (Jn 10:11) … He knows them (Jn 10:14). John 10:28 contains another wondrous promise which Jesus declares concerning His sheep … "I give them e...