The John Project

John 6:13 surveys the aftermath of a miracle. And I’m just mesmerized by the simple statistics. Five loaves and two fish produced twelve baskets of food AFTER filling the bellies of five thousand men plus women and children. Now, I think we need to take just a few moments to consider the implications of this. Doesn’t it force us to reevaluate our faith? Did Jesus actually do this or not? If He did...

John chapter 6 verse 12 graphically illustrates two important truths about God: He is both lavish AND frugal. He is both abundant with His grace AND meticulous with His care. Let me explain. My wife and I are currently remodeling a home. And our contractor is continually asking us if we want this fixture, that color, this window, that door, this tile, or that trim. Frankly, it’s wearing us out. Bu...

The last half of John 6:11 describes how Jesus involved the Disciples in the loaves and fishes miracle. It says He distributed the multiplying food to the hungry people through them. The miraculous literally passed THROUGH their hands. They were conduits of wonder. I can’t even begin to imagine what an amazing experience that must have been for them. But as someone who longs to be more USEUL when...

The first part of John 6 verse 11 says that AFTER Jesus had received the loaves and fishes from the young man and BEFORE those meager provisions became bounty, He gave thanks. Now, EVERYTHING Jesus said and did was intentional, purposeful, and strategic. Among other things, He was modeling for us what a life of faith looks like. So, it’s incredibly important to pay close attention to EVERY move He...

In John chapter 6 verse 10, we’re told that Jesus asked His disciples to instruct the crowd to be seated in the grassy field. And Mark’s gospel gives us the additional information that Jesus wanted the people to be seated in groups of fifties and hundreds. And Mark also takes the time to specifically tell us that they did as instructed. Now, John 6:10 is easy to skip over on our way to the main ev...

Last time, we talked about how John 6 verses 5 and 6 show Jesus using a need – the hunger of thousands – to test faith. We learned that when God allows our faith to be challenged, His purpose is to INCREASE our spiritual health not deplete it. And we also learned that our Lord is ALWAYS in control of a trial’s outcome. He can be fully trusted. Now, verses 7 through 9 reveal three different types o...

John chapter 6 verse 5 moves us into the “loaves and fishes” narrative. A massive crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children was approaching. And when Jesus saw the multitude, He asked one of the Disciples a question: “How are we going to feed all these people?” Then, verse 6 tells us two very important things WE should remember whenever WE encounter a need that has the potential to overwhelm us w...

John chapter 6 opens with an account of the occasion when Jesus fed thousands of people with only five loaves and two fish. Pretty exciting stuff! But before going any further, I’d like to focus on just the first three words of verse one, “After these things…” Why? Because there’s ALWAYS a backstory. And this phrase lets us know there’s a context for what follows. The first four verses of the chap...

In John 5 verses 33-47, Jesus concludes the argument He was making to the religious leaders regarding His claim to be the Son of God by identifying four unassailable witnesses that had already testified on His behalf: John the Baptist, the miracles He performed, God the Father, and the Old Testament Scriptures. For those who resisted breaking with the pack to embrace his Lordship, Jesus was remind...

In the final section of John chapter 5, we have a kind of courtroom drama playing out. Jesus, like a skillful defense attorney presenting His final argument before the Jewish religious leaders, details the weighty testimonial evidence for His claim to be the Son of God. He begins in verse 31 by acknowledging that according to their Law which required two independent witnesses to establish the trut...

In John 5 verse 30, Jesus says that His assignment as divine judge, which He described in the preceding verses, is administered solely on the basis of instructions He receives from the Father. And in that context, He makes this incredible statement: “I can of Myself do nothing.” Now of course, as God incarnate, Jesus possessed everything required – authority, power, wisdom, knowledge – to do anyth...

In John 5 verses 27-29, Jesus describes His role as our judge. In the preceding two verses He referred to Himself as the Son of God who can right now offer spiritual life to those dead in their sins if they will simply respond to His voice calling them to faith. But here, as He describes a future occasion when His voice will call all those who have died physically to either a “resurrection of life...

In John 5 verse 24, after emphatically declaring to the Jewish leaders that He is co-equal with the Heavenly Father, Jesus goes on to say that FOR anyone who responds to His message by believing in the Father, three things become true: Something has already happened, something will never happen, and something is happening right now. But before we look a little closer at these, let’s make sure we u...

I’m not sure how it’s possible to become even more angry with someone after you’ve reached the point of wanting to kill them, but that’s the state of outrageous agitation the religious leaders had reached regarding Jesus. They had already issued a death sentence for His healing of a sick man on the Sabbath. But John 5 verse 18 informs us that they were even more ticked off at His clear claim of eq...

In John chapter 5 verse 17, Jesus responds to the Jewish religious leaders who have determined that He deserves the death penalty because He healed a man on the Sabbath Day. And He does so by making two things clear. One, that He is the Son of God. And two, that He was only doing what His Father has been and continues doing: working. Yes, Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells us that God res...

In John chapter 5 verse 16, we’re told flatly that the Jewish religious elite wanted to kill Jesus. And we’re also told why. It was because He had healed a sick man on the Sabbath. Now let me get this straight. The RELIGIOUS leaders wanted to KILL Jesus because He HEALED a man who had be sick for 38 years on the wrong day of the week? What am I missing here? Now, I know that Sabbath-keeping is an...

We’ve been considering the account in the first fifteen verses of John chapter five regarding the man at the Pool of Bethesda. Remember, this was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years – not really dying, but not really living either. Then, just like He does for each of us, Jesus showed up with an invitation for him to trade his brokenness for wholeness. But, He said the restoration proces...

Alright, let’s continue our consideration of Jesus’ healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda. And let’s remember that after 38 years of sickness, this man was clearly not dying, but he wasn’t really living either. So, Jesus entered the scene of his brokenness, and in the form of a simple question, offered him the opportunity to be restored to his intended state. Then, in John five verse eight, t...

In John chapter 5 verses 6 through 8, Jesus approaches a man who’s been sick for 38 years – not really dying, but not really living either – not really experiencing the life God intended for him. And Jesus asks him if he’d like to be made well. Now, the King James version of the Bible uses the word, whole, here instead of the word, well. And although, either word is appropriate, I like the King Ja...

In John chapter 5 verses 1-15, we have the record of Jesus healing a man at the pool of Bethesda. In the setup, we’re told that Jesus was in Jerusalem to attend one of the Jewish feasts, and that while He was there, he visited a pool where sick people were brought hoping to be healed by its waters. Verses 3 and 4 say that a “great multitude” or a large number of people with a variety of illnesses...

The final nine verses of John chapter four provide us with the record of Jesus healing the nobleman’s son. And among other things, it teaches us a very important lesson about faith. There are actually three types of faith on display in this passage. The first is what I call “what-have-I-got-to-lose” faith. And it’s based on what Jesus might do. It’s the kind of faith the nobleman exercised when he...

In John chapter 4 verses 43-45, we see that after Jesus had spent a couple of days with the Samaritans, He continued His journey northward to his home REGION. But, there’s a glaring omission in this passage. It says He returned to His home REGION of Galilee, but it doesn’t say that He went to His home TOWN of Nazareth. But, we ARE told why He may have chosen not to go to there. Verse 44 quotes Jes...

In John chapter 4 verse 35, Jesus asked His disciples a question. He said, “Don’t you guys have a saying, ‘There are still four months, and then comes the harvest?’” And then He went on to say, “But I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields. They are already white for harvest.” And of course, He was talking about the crowds of people that were right at that very moment on their way to...