Truth Really Matters

Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Comments — John 21

At the close of chapter 20, we are given the purpose of John’s book — to show us things that prove Jesus is the Son of God and more importantly that belief in Him/them will gain eternal life for whosoever will believe. This chapter gives additional proof that Jesus was alive after His resurrection. He showed Himself at the Sea of Galilee. Tiberius is a city on the southwest corner of the sea. He made 10 specific appearances to His disciples. He is no longer dwelling with them as He did before, but comes in and out.

v. 1-6 — There were seven disciples gathered. The number 7 is considered the number of completion because it concluded the 6 days of creation when all was finished. This also gave us the seven day week which was instituted by God. Other intervals like a day, a month, or a year have celestial correlations but the 7 day week came solely from God. The Great Commission had been given to the disciples already (John 20:21) and soon it would be time to fulfill Matt. 4:19 (“I will make you fishers of men”).

Peter tells his friends that he is going off fishing. Perhaps he is still reeling from his personal denial of the Lord and is feeling useless. Fishing at night is not usually for fun. It’s for livelihood. Peter is quitting. The sad consequence of that is that he is taking others with him because he is a leader. We see this in our own time when a preacher or other leader loses it. Those who follow him/her more than they follow Christ will fall and give up as well.

In this situation with Peter, the Lord intervenes quickly. Peter has supported his family by fishing, but this night the Lord doesn’t allow him success because a lesson is coming. [Sometimes the Lord allows people to continue through tough times because He is leading them elsewhere so they won’t be tempted in the wrong ways. It can also happen because someone is praying for another individual to get right with the Lord or to get saved.] Jesus is on the shore some distance away. He can disguise Himself as He did on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24 and Mark 16). They probably see only the form of a man and don’t recognize the Lord. When He speaks to them and they have success after following His instructions, they recognize Him. It probably jogged their memory of the previous time that the Lord gave them a miraculous catch of fish (Luke 5:1-10). “Without me ye can do nothing,” He had said (Jn. 15:5). Does it make a difference on what side of the boat they cast? Perhaps the lesson is to follow the Lord’s instructions.

Jesus is on the shore preparing a meal. Where did He get His fish? He probably created them. The disciples would know that He was not dependent on them, but they were certainly dependent on Him. The Lord allows us the privilege of working with Him, but He certainly doesn’t require the help. He lets us share his mission — to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10).

v. 7 — Peter wants to get to the Lord quickly now!

v. 9,10 — They see things prepared. He thought of everything, as usual, and tells them to bring their fish, also. The lesson: He is involved with ministry. Verse 10 refutes Calvinism — we are to get men, too. They had a choice here as well as in Luke 5. The choice was whether to obey or not. Some of the Lord’s work here is menial labor. He is still serving. We should not be afraid of menial labor either. God is always in the details, so we should do the same.

v. 11 — These are great fishes or “mega” fish. The count taken was 153. Picture Peter taking each fish out of the boat and laying it on the sand to count! There is a good bit of speculation about this number. Morris offers several explanations. Here is the primary one. “The reason why the disciples were careful to count, and John to record, the number of fishes brought to the shore must again involve symbolism, as there seems no other reason for it. It has been calculated that there were 153 distinct nations in the world at the time of Christ (the number is not much different at present); these were represented at Pentecost by 17 ethnic groups (see Ac. 2:8-11), when the disciples first began to carry out the Commission, preaching to the world in miniature, as it were.” He mentions some other calculations, but concludes that the number is more than coincidence.

v. 12 — The net was not broken. The previous time in Luke 5:6 the net did break. Human “fish” caught in the Gospel net, would be drawn to shore and never lost. There is no greater security in life than that of the repentant, born again believer.

This is a tiny picture of the marriage supper of the Lamb which they and we are looking forward to. They know they are out of fellowship with the Lord, yet He offers them reconciliation and food.

v. 13 — He’s reminding them of the Last Supper, but no cup because He won’t drink it with them again until He comes the second time (Luke 22).

v. 16 — The Lord is calling Peter by his original name Simon as if to say, “Are you going back to what you were?” Peter is the disciple of the Lord whereas Simon is the son of Jonas. “Do you love me more that these fish? — Love me and move on or love the fish and go back.” He talks of feeding His lambs. Lambs are babies. He’s telling Peter to take care of the new Christians as well as the older ones (sheep). Look at 1 Peter 2:21-25, especially verse 25. Bishop here is equivalent to Lord, but we also have responsibilities in this ministry of reconciliation. A pastor is an under shepherd. In 1 Peter 5:1-5, the instruction is to feed the flock, working under the guidance of the Chief Shepherd. Also notice that 1 Peter 2:24 is a picture of repentance (dead to sin or turning from sin).

v. 17 The third time Jesus asks Peter about loving His sheep, Peter is grieved. Why? He finally understands that it is a repetition of the three times Peter denied Christ. This will really stick in Peter’s mind now. The Lord often teaches His children this way — with some thought to “niggle” relentlessly in the mind. Simon, son of Jonas was the old man. Peter was the new name given. We will all get new names when we get to heaven and meet the Lord.

v. 18 — “Verily, verily” is saying, “Pay attention now.” History tells us that Peter died by crucifixion. The Lord is forewarning Peter of this. In describing the job that Peter will do, the Lord does not “candy coat” it, but gives him the real bottom line — “Take up your cross, and follow me.” Check out Luke 14:27-33. In making all decisions, but especially to follow Christ, count the cost, plan ahead, know what you are getting into. We should not fool those we witness to either. The modern day technique in America is to “candy coat” the Gospel. They offer prosperity, peace, a better life. That may be part of the road for some, but every Christian will be persecuted and despised because the world despised the Saviour. If there is no persecution then you probably aren’t doing the job and the Lord will chastise.

Look at 2 Tim. 4:5-6. Here is Paul ready to meet death. He was beheaded by Nero and he still encourages Timothy to do the work of the Lord no matter what the end result. In 2 Pet. 1:14, it may be near the end for Peter. Sometimes people know when they are about finished with life.

v. 19 — Here is encouragement to do as the Saviour did.

v. 20 — Peter does have stubbornness, doesn’t he? He exhibits the wrong attitude and asks about what will happen to John! As it turns out, John lives a long time, works much longer, and thus waits much longer to be with the Lord. History tells us that they tried to boil John in oil. It didn’t work. Why? Because it wasn’t his time — his work wasn’t finished yet. He still had to write Revelation.

v. 21-22 — “Don’t worry about John, Peter, just do as I have told you.” It doesn’t matter what the road is for someone else, do your own task. As it turned out, in one sense, John did tarry till the Lord came because he saw Him in the vision of Revelation where he was translated into the future. John was the last disciple to die. His brother was the first apostle martyred.

v. 24,25 — John gives his testimony that this is the truth. He also states that many others can verify it, . All of the work that Christ did/does in individuals and the creation would take unlimited numbers of books. Adam lived 930 years. To recount his life alone would take volumes! The four Gospels record what Jesus began to teach and to do. If all of the work of the Holy Spirit were compiled into books, the number would be astronomical. The Lord’s work is infinite and eternal.

Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Comments — John 20

The first day of the week is Sunday. This is the morning that the ladies came to the tomb. It was still dark. The resurrection was already done. Mary Magdalene got the wrong idea and ran to the men to tell them the authorities had taken the body away. She thought the body may have been moved or the grave desecrated. Peter and John ran to see. John got there first, saw the clothes, and knew it was not a grave robbery.

When they looked into the tomb, they saw the grave clothes. The body had been wrapped and then a separate “napkin” to cover the head and face. They saw the wrappings collapsed, but just as they had been on the body, and the head cloth neatly folded and set aside. The Lord was always concerned with neatness and orderliness. If the tomb had been ransacked, everything would have been thrown around and in a mess. There were armed guards outside as well. The body had simply passed through the wrappings just as the Lord later went through doors (John 20:19,26). When John saw the empty tomb, he believed, meaning he then understood that no other explanation but resurrection would suffice.

Morris says, “If Jesus had only swooned, or if the Romans or Jews had taken the body, it would soon have become known, and the spread of Christianity halted immediately. But the body was gone, and would soon ascend to heaven, to remain forever inaccessible to Jesus’ enemies, who would have liked to prove that Jesus was dead.”

The disciples began to remember some of the things the Lord had said to them. In Mark 8:31, He had told them that He would rise again. Now they were truly convinced of the miracle and the fact of the resurrection.

v. 10 — One looks at this reaction and shakes the head. Why did they make the mistake of leaving so soon and going home? Perhaps John wanted to tell Mary, Jesus’ mother, that He was alive again. They ignore Mary Magdalene and don’t share their knowledge with her. She gets to see the resurrected Christ. If this story had been written by ordinary men and not the Holy Spirit, the first witness would most certainly have been a man. How appropriate that a woman out of whom Jesus cast 7 devils (Mk. 16:9) gets to see Him first.

v. 12 — Look at Mary’s focus. She’s not impressed with the two angels, but is only thinking of her Lord. What a privilege she has to be the first to see Him again!

v. 14 — Her eyes are most likely filled with tears or the tomb is dark and she does not recognize Jesus.

v. 15 — “Why weepest thou?” He says. As usual, He’s always concerned with others. Mary is thinking of taking the situation in hand for herself. She couldn’t possibly handle a body by herself. In grief our thinking is often fuzzy.

v. 16 — He says her name in the same way He had said it many times before. Now, she recognizes the sound of his voice! The voices of our loved ones are very important. Even new born babies know their mother by the sound of her voice before their vision improves. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Jn. 10:27

Rabboni is Aramaic for Rabbi or Master. She grabs Him, probably at the knees or ankles. He must give her instructions not to cling to Him (He has a task and cannot be hindered) and then tells her He has a task for her to do. We are all one in the family now as taught in John 17.

Morris says here that the Lord needed to take the Old Testament saints from Abraham’s bosom to heaven. He had gone in the Spirit to proclaim his victory to the wicked spirits in prison (1 Pet. 3:18-20). Already many resurrected saints had appeared in Jerusalem (Ma. 27:52-53), but now He must take these with Him to the Father in heaven (Eph. 4:8-10).

This ascension (Eph 4:8-10) is not His real ascension which will come later (Acts 1:9-11) and then He will stay in heaven. Some things that we see on earth are pictures of the reality that is in heaven. Jesus’ blood is in heaven. The picture we had on the earth is described in Heb. 9:19-26 where Moses sprinkled the tabernacle and all vessels for ministry with blood. But now the “real” sacrifice has been made “once and for all.” Chapters 10 and 11 in Hebrews show us that pictures of the sacrifice aren’t sufficient. We don’t know exactly, but He must have taken His blood to heaven to the mercy seat. The mercy seat built for the tabernacle was only a copy of the real one in heaven.

v. 18 — How we would have liked to have seen this encounter!

v. 19 — Jesus came to them in this room in Jerusalem where they were hiding. Look at Matt. 28:7. They were supposed to have gone to Galilee where He would meet with them. In the days just following the resurrection, Jesus was seen by over 500 witnesses (1 Cor. 15:4. . .). Paul writes as if it is common knowledge that these people are available to testify to what they have seen. This fact is one of many infallible proofs of the truth of the Bible. Many of these people were still living when Paul wrote his letters and could have refuted the story. People who actually witnessed an event are first person witnesses. They are of the greatest importance in the eyes of historians who write about these occurrences. Their words are considered the most accurate because they experienced the event.

v. 20 — The disciples were still in shock after the death of Jesus and not fully understanding.

v. 21 — Angels and the Lord often say, “Fear not,” or “Peace,” when they appear. In effect they are saying, “Calm down,” “Get yourselves together,” “Everything is okay.” The word “as” here indicates the Great Commission and obedience is in doing ministry as He did. It’s much easier to minister in some places than in others.

v. 22 — Some, like Rice, believe that’s when the Holy Spirit came. Joe Murray doesn’t agree, but thinks it has happened all along. The majority opinion is that the full indwelling would be at Pentecost. Some think the Lord was acting symbolically here or the Holy Spirit could have come on the disciples for specific ministries, but Christ had promised that the Holy Spirit would soon indwell them permanently.

v. 23 — Here is a controversial comment! Much debate has ensued over these words. In Matt. 16:15 . . . (the keys) He is talking to the whole group. In 1 Pet. 2:5, He is talking to Jewish Christians (in Ephesians, He uses the term house of stones). In verse 9, the Great Commission appears, speaking to the people of God including the Gentiles. In Rev. 1:6, the Bible says all believers are priests (also Rev. 5:9-10).

“Remit” has the sense of ‘release,’ ‘leave,’ ‘forgive.’ The meaning is revealed by the entire record of the book of Acts. It could be re-phrased this way: “If there are sins of any ye may forgive, they are forgiven.” The key is for all to repent and believe. See also Acts 2:37-38 and Acts 8:20-22. Peter isn’t the way to God as the Roman Catholics like to claim! In Acts 10:43 we see the same phrase “remission of sins” and it comes from belief in Christ. So, preaching the Gospel is what is meant in John 20:23. The book of Acts repeatedly presents the pattern of preaching the Gospel that Jesus commands here.

The Lord knew the Scriptures would be warped. He gives people rope to hang themselves if they wish. He won’t force people, but He gives the truth. Taking verses out of context leads to a great deal of misconception. Verses on baptism are a good example. Taken alone, you could build a case that baptism washes away sin, but if you look at all of the verses on the subject, you know that it is a public testimony and a symbol that you have been redeemed by repentance and faith in Christ.

In Scripture we know that men cannot forgive sins. Look at Mark 2. The paralytic was forgiven of his sins by Jesus. The Jews say and know that only God can forgive sin and Jesus does not correct them. In 1 John 1:9-10, God forgives sin through Jesus Christ and it is conditional. By the way, this is a good evangelism passage, too.

Christ directed the apostles to declare the only method that can forgive sin. This was not a power to give judgment, but only a power to declare the character of those whom God would accept or reject in the day of judgment. They have laid down the marks whereby a child of God can be distinguished from a false professor, and according to what they have declared shall every case be decided in the day of judgment. — Matthew Henry.

v. 24 — Thomas missed “church” — meeting with the other disciples.

v. 26 — Where are they now? We don’t know. Here are some physics for you to think about — Jesus “pops” in while the doors are shut. “Peace” is a good thing to say when you just pop in out of nowhere! The Lord knew what Thomas had said.

Jesus is scarred forever and will remain in His glorified body. He doesn’t refuse worship because He is deserving of it, but Peter refuses worship from Cornelius. Peter is certainly horrified by the teachings and actions of the Roman Catholic Church done in his name!

v. 29 — A rebuke is given to Thomas for needing proof. Truth can be defined as information provided by God that is read, seen, or heard. The words are very important. Thomas had good reason to believe because the other disciples had given him good reasons. He had also heard the Lord predict this. Some people can have all the evidence in the world and exert their will not to believe. The Lord expects us to believe truth when we hear it. God’s truth is designed to be recognizable! He helps us by illumination of the Holy Spirit and the Word.

The Lord was gracious to relieve Thomas’s doubts. Thomas was ashamed of his unbelief, and cried out, “My Lord and my God!” — an address to recognize his Lord and Saviour.

v. 30 — Many of these signs were probably appearances of the Lord after the resurrection while He was still on earth. John and the other writers give plenty of evidence for an individual to believe.

v. 31 — There is only one way to God. Modernists despise John’s writings above any others, particularly the book of Revelation which pronounces judgment on unbelief.

The resurrection is the key to Christianity which sets it apart from other religions. It proves that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. It gives hope to every believer that he will live with Christ after his body dies. Who else ever conquered death but the Lord Jesus Christ?!

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes On Dave’s Comments — John 19

I would like to add a note here. I have been in many churches where pastors have given detailed descriptions of the cruelty of the crucifixion. I do not mean to downplay it by any means, but I am a very queasy person and cannot listen to such speeches without feeling ill. There have been times when the speaking has been so graphic that I had to leave the room. Let’s not embellish too much or spend inordinate time on the physical aspects of the crucifixion. Many people died in such a way. The difference with Jesus Christ is the spiritual significance of what He suffered. The most important aspect of it is the wrath of God that was poured out on the Son to pay for our crimes. I stress this in dealing with lost people because our puny minds cannot comprehend what the Lord went through for us. Instead of trying to shock others by gruesome details, let’s focus on the uniqueness of His death and resurrection.

This chapter focuses on the event and on the Lord. We must pull things out that aren’t mentioned and use the other Gospels to collect the facts. Why the scourging (whipping)? To appease the Jews? Maybe, but Dr. Dave surmises that Pilot is a vicious man and aggravated. He can take out his frustrations on Jesus Christ physically. Perhaps he is irritated at the lack of response from the Lord in the interrogation. We will not cut him any slack here. Murder and cruelty are always wrong.

The purple robe was to mock His “royalty.” The typology of the crown of thorns — thorns being part of the curse — was that the payment to do away with the curse is embodied in Jesus Christ. The soldiers smote Him because they were cruel also. There have been myriads of cruel people in the world’s history and there still are. Of course, they are all on Satan’s team! The Romans hated the Jews and vice versa. When the council members and other Jews talk to the Romans, they don’t come into the Palace because it was Passover. They would be defiled. Pilate sees this as a disdainful attitude on their part. After all, the Romans were the conquerors and the Jews look at them with hatred. Check out Isaiah 50:6 for a prophecy about this event. In verse 5 there, we see that the Lord will not be deterred from His course.

Pilate asserts the innocence of Christ, but he refuses to release Him. He finds no fault in Him but refuses to act — “words are cheap.” What you do reflects what you really believe. Look at the parable of the two sons working in the field. Which one acted on his belief even though he said he would not go and do the work? Our world is full of Pilates!

v. 5 — “Behold the man!” Pilate unwittingly fulfills prophecy in these words. Look at Zech. 6:12. In Zech. 9:9 — “Behold thy King” is a prophecy of the Triumphal entry. Isaiah 40:9 — “Behold your God!” Isaiah 42:1 — “Behold my servant.” While Pilate is seeking to show an absurd kingly figure, his sarcastic remark speaks prophecy. Morris says, “Note how these four scenes correspond to the respective pictures of Christ in the four Gospels — “King” in Matthew, “Servant” in Mark, “Man” in Luke, “God” in John. Pilate sarcastically used two of these titles, “Behold the man” in John 19:5, and “Behold your King in John 19:14.”

Luke emphasizes the humanity of the Lord. Mark shows His many deeds while Matthew focuses on the coming kingdom and Christ’s second coming.

v. 6 — He is acquitted again! Pilate is a coward. With all of the power of Rome behind him, he could have let the Lord go, but his own political advancement rules his actions. If the Jews want the crucifixion and it keeps order in the area, so be it.

v. 7 — The Jews show their rebellion and great lack of belief as they say, “He made himself the Son of God.”

v. 8 — Pilate is afraid. He has received a warning from his wife. He recognizes the truth in his conscience. Perhaps he even thinks it is a god sent down to the Jews. Romans believed in polytheism and had many stories about the “gods” appearing as men. He certainly had been awed by Jesus’ demeanor during questioning. He may have feared that the Lord really was deity.

v. 9 — Why doesn’t Jesus answer? Maybe because Pilate is snippy and demanding.

v. 11 — Jesus’ point is that He speaks recognizable truth. It’s a very rational answer from someone who is about to die. Who delivered Him? Caiaphas sent Him to Pilate. Judas betrayed him to the council. It’s not clear exactly who is referenced here, but some sins have more consequences than others. Pilate has great sin in this situation.

v. 12 — Pilate is under conviction, but the Jews play their cards. See James 4:4. The Jews switch sides here to stroke Pilate’s ego. Jesus claims He is a King, therefore, a threat to Caesar or so the argument goes. Politics wins the day, not truth.

v. 14,15 — The sixth hour (6:00 a.m.) is Roman time. Since this was written after the event of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and the dispersion, and to a different audience (the whole world) the Roman time is used. Jesus was on trial through the wee hours, delivered to Pilate at about dawn and now it is 6:00 a.m. The period on the cross starts at about 9:00 a.m. From noon until 3:00 p.m. is the darkness and death. He is buried by 6:00 p.m.

Another note here: Jesus did not die on Friday! I have a whole article on this on the website. Most of the world gets it wrong. See the article for the details.

Pilate says, “Behold your king!” and gives them one last chance to change their minds. The Jews still cry for crucifixion. The Jews have a complete role reversal and acclaim Caesar. God takes them seriously and they will suffer for it by being dispersed. See Jeremiah 16:9-13 which was just before Babylon took Judah captive for some 70 years.

v. 16 — Jews and Romans both take Him. The cross symbolizes the curse as well. Golgotha is a prophecy. The major event in Genesis that typifies this is Abraham taking his son to Mount Moriah, looking forward to the cross of Christ. According to 2 Chronicles 3:1, Solomon built the temple on Mt. Moriah where God had appeared to David (1 Chron. 21:15-22:1). It’s not certain that this is the same place as Abraham, but it could be. See Rice’s commentary on John, page 371.

v. 18 — The two criminals were most likely members of Barabbas’ band. Jesus was on the middle cross in Barabbas’ place. Jesus thus hung on a cross in the place of a sinner.

v. 19-21 — The Jews don’t like the phraseology and want it changed.

v. 22 — Pilate is insulting the Jews by the words. Now he won’t be pushed. What a weakling he is and so contrary in his judgments!

v. 23 — Here another prophecy is fulfilled — Psalm 22:18. Why so much attention to the coat? Is. 61:10 — the robe of righteousness is salvation. Jesus is stripped of His righteousness so we can have it. Rev. 7:13,14 — the “dress uniform” for saints. 2 Cor. 5:21 — He took off His robe of righteousness for us. Gen. 3:10 — Sin is represented by nakedness. Matt. 22:11-13 — You have it or you don’t. There are two camps, heaven and hell. It’s binary, you are either in or out, nothing in between.

The coat was probably a gift from someone. It was made without a seam meaning it was specially woven that way and thus more valuable. Maybe Mary and Martha gave it to him. They seem to have been a wealthy family. We can only speculate on that.

v. 25 — The Lord puts His mother into the care of a believer rather than His own half brothers. He is still thinking of others even while dying!

v. 28 — Everything important that He had to accomplish is now finished.

v. 29 — See Psalm 22 and 69. Hyssop is a long stalk plant (sometimes 3-4’) with blossoms on the end to reach far. The first offerings of vinegar with gall were denied but now He accepts the vinegar. Thirst also appears in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus — John 7:37. Christ suffered thirst so we may drink of everlasting life. (Things that are recorded often connect to something else. Discovering the connections is great!)

v. 31 — This is the preparation of the high Sabbath for Passover, not the weekly Sabbath.

History reports that Andrew died in 3 days on an “X” shaped cross.
Jesus chose the time of death to coincide with the Passover lamb being sacrificed in the temple and the veil separating man from God is torn in two, top to bottom — God reaching down to us. The leg breaking was to hasten the deaths so the bodies could be taken down before Sabbath. Prophecy stated that not a bone of the Saviour was to be broken so He had already given up the Ghost. It relates to the provision that sacrificial lambs could not have blemishes and must be perfect in form.

v. 34 — See also Ps. 69:20 — “reproach hath broken my heart.” This outpouring of fluids may suggest as Morris relates that “Jesus literally died of a broken heart, with the collapse of the ruptured heart cavity resulting in separation of the watery serum from the clotted blood in the pericardium. On the other hand, Jesus’ death was supernatural; He did not die naturally like others, but voluntarily ‘gave up the ghost,’ so there may not be a natural explanation for this phenomenon. He had promised to provide ‘living water’ to those who would ‘come unto me and drink’, and the water flowing from His opened side would at least be symbolic of the ‘water of life’ that would be eternally ‘proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb’ (Rev. 22:1)”

At any rate, the flow of these fluids showed He was dead already.

v. 35 — John has written the Gospel as an eyewitness to the truth. Check out Zech. 12: 9,10. Israel will someday recognize the Messiah.

v. 38,39 — Joseph takes the body. His beliefs are set now and his actions clearly show his love for the Lord. He would have prepared the tomb ahead of time nearby knowing the time would be short. He is a Sanhedrin member (Luke 23:51) and may not have been called to the trial either. The Romans would have thrown the bodies of the dead on a heap in Gehenna. Joseph and Nicodemus go to Pilate for the body, taking a public stand for their reverence of the Lord. They already had one hundred pounds of spices and burial clothing ready.

v. 40,41 — This tomb had been specially prepared for the Lord. Joseph’s home was Arimathaea, not Jerusalem, so it would likely not have been for himself or his family. A hundred pounds of myrrh and aloes was a very expensive “gift.” This rock-hewn tomb was definitely the tomb of a rich man.

See Matt. 12:38 – 41 — Jesus had to be in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights. Jesus was buried at evening time, Wednesday, the end of the preparation period for the High Sabbath. Thus he had to rise at what we would call Saturday night. Matt. 28:13 implies that the resurrection was at night since whatever happened could be explained by night action.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Commentaries — John 18

The time of day could be as late as 10:00 p.m. now. They are in the Garden of Gethsemane and have crossed over into the lower slope of the Mount of Olives in a park-like place. A few hours later, Judas comes. In the meantime, Jesus is praying and the disciples are sleeping. It’s reasonable to assume that it could be around 2:00 a.m. when Judas comes with the soldiers. John emphasizes Jesus as Deity throughout his Gospel. He does not necessarily repeat what others have put into their renderings. Each has a different emphasis. The book of John is a crucial one for unsaved people to read as it does focus on the Deity of Christ. Many throughout history have been saved by reading this book.

We have Christ’s example of prayer here. He chose an area that’s in the garden. It’s hard to say whether it was cultivated or wilderness. Out in nature away from the distractions of the world and everyday life, it is easier to concentrate on the things of the Lord. The example He sets for us here is to have established times and places for prayer, Scripture memory, and thinking on God’s Word.

v. 3 — Judas was a follower. Now he’s leading a band of men, from the wrong team, and comes with weapons. When things come up, analyze. Does it keep me going in that right direction or divert me from it? Satan is only too happy to put even pleasant looking opportunities in our path to distract us from the route the Lord would have us stay on. The group brings weapons. Approximately ten times before, attempts have been made on Jesus’ life and none succeeded. Some examples are in John 8:56-59 and John 10:31 — an attempted stoning. Now they think the weapons might help. How foolish, really. The Lord will only be taken when it is His time and the weapons won’t be necessary. Nothing would deter Him from fulfilling the Father’s will to be the sacrificial lamb for us.

v. 4 — “Jesus therefore knowing all things” comes forth to them. He had a foreknowledge of these events because they had been foreordained to happen. Even before Adam and Eve sinned, the plan had been devised to reconcile him and his ancestors to the Lord. Jesus takes the initiative here and approaches them. A good technique we can use when witnessing. “Whom seek ye?” He asks.

v. 5 — Judas “stood with them” as an enemy now.

v. 6,7– Here is recorded another “I AM” of Jesus. There is power in the spoken Word of God. Is. 55:11 says His Word will not return void, but will accomplish for Him what He wills. In Rev. 19, the sword from the Lord (spoken words) slays His enemies. In the garden, Jesus speaks and they fall to the ground! He is still taking the initiative and is in charge. They can only take Him if He allows it.

Morris says the people there may have been reacting so strongly due to the countenance of Jesus when He spoke the words “I AM.” This is His divine title that was used by Jehovah to Moses at the burning bush.

A number of passages speak of Jesus with a bright countenance, especially in Revelation. (This isn’t one.) In John 1, He is described as the light of the world. In Matthew 17 we have a glimpse of the to-be-glorified Christ in the transfiguration. It is certainly difficult for sinful man to stand in the presence of Deity. But here we simply have the example of a Spirit-filled man headed for the cross.

v. 8,9 — He negotiates for His eleven disciples. He will not lose a single one and continues to care for them right to the end. John 6:37and 39, chapters 15, 16, 17 and John 18:9 say that all are His and will remain His except the son of perdition.

v. 10 — Peter has bad aim with a sword! Malchus is graciously healed by the Lord. In the early years of reading the New Testament letters, people still recognized the names or knew the people mentioned in Scripture. It adds a good bit of authenticity to the account in those early times. You can be sure they were testifying for the Lord and they could be tracked down by skeptics to substantiate the account.

v. 11 — This verse should settle a number of issues. Look back at Luke 22:42-44. Many misinterpret this verse by saying that Jesus was praying in the garden not to die, because He knew He was going to the cross. In John 18, He’s past the payer in the Garden and still talking of the “cup.” In His prayer, He was referring to the experience of the wrath of God that He would soon bear for all humanity. His holy nature recoiled at that. Now He has the strength and He is ready. There was never any question of His not going to the cross to fulfill the Father’s will.

v. 12 — That these people felt they must bind Him in case He tried something else, shows you how little they understood. He’s already knocked them over, but He showed no resistance at first when He approached them.

v. 13 — Annas had been the high priest and his term was up. He still ruled, although his son-in-law Caiaphas was now officially the high priest. It also gave them time to get the Sanhedrin together. There’s no record in Scripture, but there may have been one member not awakened for this meeting — Nicodemus.

v. 14 — In John 11:49-50, Caiaphas had suggested that Jesus should die so the Romans would be appeased and not bring further trouble. This was right after the raising of Lazarus.

v. 15 — Simon Peter and John were more bold at first. The rest scattered. Peter did not go into the palace of the high priest at first, whereas John went inside the courtyard (not in the building). Peter failed because of fear and he was not prepared to be challenged. We should think ahead and plan for possible contingencies, having ready responses for circumstances that may occur. Always be ready to speak the truth.

v. 18 — Don’t hang out with the enemy. It only brings problems. If you keep walking into temptation you will fall. See Psalm 1.

v. 19 — The high priest asks Jesus of His disciples and Jesus ignores the question. Of the twelve, the inner three — Peter, James, and John — were closer to the Lord. James was the first martyred. John was the closest of all and lived the longest. The high priest wants a theological debate, but the Lord ignores the bait — a good example for us to ignore foolish questions.

v. 20,21 — There is no disrespect or defiance in the Lord’s tone. He knows there were many people who heard Him including spies from the Sanhedrin, so He does not need to explain. We don’t have to answer argumentative questions either. There is no sense of Him giving Ananias chances or calls to repentance. Jesus gave Judas several. Ananias is probably like Pharaoh and has crossed the line. Now it’s too late for him.

v. 22 — This un-named officer (because he’s on the wrong team) is offended at the treatment given to Ananias. How ashamed he would be if he knew that Jesus is God!

v. 24 — The Sanhedrin is gathered (probably 69 of the 70 members since Nicodemus is later known to have become a Christian and helps with the Lord’s burial). Peter’s denials get easier and more vehement.

v. 25-27 — “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.” Prov. 29:25. Trust in the Lord, flee youthful lusts, follow charity, avoid temptation etc. With obnoxious argumentative types, Dave will often walk away. They are not inclined to listen and be swayed by our arguments.

v. 28 — They are in the Roman hall of judgment now — probably the Praetorium or Castle Antonia in the magnificent palace Herod the Great had built which was occupied by the Roman governor when he was in town. Romans are Gentiles so the Jewish leaders don’t enter since it is Passover week. If they did, they would be “unclean.” The arrest and direct interrogation even violates their own Jewish laws. Jesus is supposed to have defense council and due process of law. The trial is in the wee hours of darkness. To prepare a defense would take time and such time is owed to the accused, but there is none of that in this situation.

v. 29 — They don’t answer Pilate’s question. They want Roman authority to lynch the Lord.

v. 32 — In John 12 (and Matt. 20:19), Jesus had said that He would be crucified — a Roman death. Jews would have stoned Him (Lev. 24:16) for blasphemy, and indeed they had tried earlier. They want Jesus to be humiliated and to suffer. See the prophecy of Psalm 22.

v. 33-36 — The whole inquisition should have ended here when Jesus says His kingdom is not of this world. At first, Pilate is not asking a genuine question (v. 34) and shows some attitude, but then he becomes more interested in the accusations against Jesus. This time the Lord answers (v. 36).

v. 37 — It’s as though Jesus is saying to Pilate, “You said it!” He’s giving Pilate some very serious information here, but then Pilate changes again and Jesus remains mute.

v. 38 — Morris says that “philosophers have searched for truth all through the ages, but like Pilate, have never found it. Even in the last days, men will be ‘ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:1,7).’ But for those who sincerely desire the truth . . . (the Holy Spirit) . . . will lead them to the Lord Jesus, who is ‘the Truth.’”
Pilate could find no fault or reason to crucify Jesus.

v. 39,40 — The case is dismissed again! Pilate is trying to get out of the situation. Like many politicians decisions were made to ensure his own position. He needed the support of the political body in Jerusalem to rule there and keep his career. There were three crosses, probably for Barabbas and two of his men. Most likely, Jesus got one of them in Barabbas’ place. The crowd here is stirred up by the Jewish leaders. The people in the crowd have a great lack of discernment. Look at Malachi 3:16-18, speaking of the Millenium. Looking forward in time, we see that the Jews will have discernment which implies that they did not have it before. They will participate in Judgment, too — verse 18.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Commentary — John 17

This chapter more than any other may separate Christianity as the truth from all other religions. Exclusivity is the key theme in this portion of Scripture. There is only one speaker — Jesus to the Father. It could appropriately be called the Lord’s Prayer more than Matthew 6 which is better called the Model Prayer.

It begins with a refutation of a major heresy of our time: Oneness Pentecostalism. They do not believe in a distinction among the three persons of the Trinity.

The hour for the cross is coming. From Genesis all the way through, the Bible emphasizes the glorification of the Son through the Father. It puts together Justice and Mercy and the Love of the Son through the Father. Look at Psalm 85:10 — mercy and truth, righteousness and judgment. We hear this a lot — “God is loving, He’ll forgive me.” Where is the justice in that? God will judge sin and wrong. Where is the love in that? The Lord combines both justice and mercy. He can give mercy because He has provided the payment for sin Himself and told us how we can access it. Complete mercy and love is gained by an act of will on our part and sacrifice on the Lord’s part. In dying as our substitute, Christ did the love part to satisfy God’s need for justice. We can repent — only God can regenerate.

v. 2 — The exclusivity of Christianity is apparent here. Jesus Christ has power over life and death and complete authority for the coming judgment (the Father gave it to Him). This does not prove election as the Calvinists would wish. This produces the question of “Who does God give to the Son?” In this prayer of Jesus to His Father, the focus is on the 11 disciples – see verse 6 – it is clear that the reference in verse two is not to some imaginary “elect,” but rather to the 11. Certainly all men/women are drawn and have opportunity. Those who get converted are given to Jesus — not to Joseph Smith, Muhammad, Shiva etc. — to be kept now and forever.

v. 3 — Here is an incredible claim. It refers to experiential knowledge, not just “head” knowledge. In looking at the nature of salvation, could you prove to a Christian that God doesn’t exist? That’s ridiculous in view of the nature of the life of a Christian. A Christian knows God. He is real. The changes in the life of a believer make it clear. There seem to be many people who believe the same doctrines we do, but they don’t know the Lord. They are fooled into being false converts by their own trust and complacency. Many in the religious world know about Christ, but they have never met Him. This is a very important distinction. There is also the crowd that hears about just praying a prayer and asking Jesus into their heart. They try it and nothing in their life changes. “I tried Christianity and it didn’t work,” they say. The trouble is they didn’t really get regeneration and now they are harder than ever to talk to.

v. 4 — If a preacher made this claim, we would think he was a big liar. There are times when we glorify God, but Christ can claim it perfectly without question. “I have finished the work,” He said. He taught, preached, restored the lost, trained the disciples, died, came to life again and commanded His followers to do what He did. His was a life of obedience and service to God. He tells us to do the same. Paul was a great example of serving the Lord. 2 Tim. 4:1-8 is a good passage to describe what the life of the Christian should be about. Paul said he ran the race and finished his course. So should we.

v. 5 — We are reminded of the pre-existent Christ. From the beginning, God did not need us. He chose to create us. The character of Christ offering Himself was always there, but not revealed to us until the proper time. Glory has more meanings than we know. Jesus laid aside his former glory for a time to finish God’s work. Christ was desirous of being with His Father again.

It must have been somewhat lonely when He lived on earth. We certainly can feel that way, too. When others around us don’t respond to our pleas for salvation and reconciliation with God, we may walk a solitary path. There are hymns and a body of thought about how we shouldn’t be lonely because the Lord promises to be with us always. Don’t believe it. Many people in the Bible experienced lives of loneliness. Look at Abraham, Moses, Joseph, and many of the prophets like Hosea, Jonah, Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. They lived their lives to obey and honor God. Anyone who does, will feel a loneliness because he is not with his Father and other believers in heaven, and mankind seems to disregard him.

v. 6 — We can please the Lord. A verse commonly taken out of context is Isaiah 64:6. This example of righteousness as filthy rags was a testimony for the time in which Isaiah lived. This prophetic passage is telling us that in the closing days of the tribulation, Israel will humble themselves before God. They will confess their sin and acknowledge their wickedness. Their professed righteousness in following the rabbinical laws and the added regulations they enforced will be perceived as filthy rags. They will have to turn in utter humility and recognize their offense in practicing a works religion.

Of course, our sin is a great barrier between us and a righteous God, but we should not extend this thought to say that everything we do is this way. There are things that please Him and we can do those things. Take a look at Ephesians 4-6. Children that obey their parents please the Lord. Husbands and wives that love each other please Him. Walking worthy of our calling, loving the brethren, obeying Christ’s commandments are all things that He delights in. I John 3:22,23 says we receive of Him because we do those things that please Him. One of the most important commandments of all is to believe on the name of the Son and love one another. There are some people who feel they could never be loved by God. The Bible never says that. These verses and many others are some examples to use with them.

The disciples got a good report here. We can have one if we keep working for the Lord and finish our course.

v. 7 — Knowledge is important. Being familiar with Scripture is very important, but study of the lives of other Christians, missionaries, and historians who have the proper worldview can be good as well. Their experiences can be very encouraging when we feel isolated. They are connected with the Father through Christ and we see the same in our own experience. This continuity is special and wonderful. Paul traveled a great deal. He visited the churches he had started to tell them about other churches, needs, and blessings. Brother Andrew found that Christians behind the Iron Curtain were thrilled to have greetings from Christians on the outside and to know that they were not forgotten. Sharing God’s blessings with other believers is very encouraging and important.

v. 8 — To know God you must know Christ. It changes everything. There is a unity of faith in all true believers through the ages because of God’s Word and His presence in them. At this stage there was no doubt in the minds of the disciples that Jesus came from God and to know Jesus is to know God as well.

v. 9 — Here’s a curious thought. Why not pray for the world rather than just the eleven? They have the words and knowledge and will execute the Great Commission by preaching. It is their job to spread the Gospel.

v. 10 — Christ is glorified in His disciples and in us by bringing forth fruit, pointing to Him, pointing to the cross. We glorify Him when we do those things.

v. 11 — Jesus Christ is already looking beyond tomorrow and the cross. “Keep” means to “take care of,” “don’t let go of,” “watch over,” “guard.” God expects us to have unity based on the Word which comes from God through Jesus to His disciples. In this prayer, the Lord asks for unity among His disciples in the same way in which the Trinity has unity with each other. The unity of the Godhead is our example.

v. 12 — Since Jesus says here that He kept all that the Father gave Him, Judas was not one of them from the beginning. This term “son of perdition” is used later in 2 Thess. 2:3 in reference to the antichrist. It’s the spirit of Satan causing the trouble. See Psalm 41:9.

v. 13 — “My joy fulfilled in them” would be appropriate as more are brought into the family and the kingdom which is the ultimate goal of the disciples and all followers of Christ.

v. 14 — Nothing has changed since these words were recorded! The world would hate these first disciples because of the Word and the same is true for us. It is not uncommon today to have people think we are fools for believing in the Bible and in the saving grace of Christ. If they had kept to themselves and worshipped quietly there may have been no problem. As soon as they/we try to bring others into the same beliefs, the hackles rise and people are offended. These men would be different after having spent this time with the Lord and seeing Him defeat death and it showed. If your life doesn’t seem different to others, then you might not be living a true Christian life. Self examination may be in order. Satan focuses his work on the believers. It’s good to remember frequently that we are at war with him.

v. 15 — Christians have to remain here on earth to continue preaching the Word and the message of salvation. Keeping them from evil would involve resistance to Satan’s influences (everything that is evil in our world is traceable to Satan because there are only two forces on this planet. He uses people to accomplish his desires but he is the architect of much that is wrong in our culture).

Sorenson says, “Someone has likened the Christian experience to being in a boat floating on the ocean of the world, We get into trouble only as we allow the ocean into the boat. Jesus prayed that God would preserve His people in the world from the evil of the world. It is noteworthy as well that the phrase ‘the evil’ could also be rendered ‘the evil one.’”

v. 16 — Here is a mark of a disciple. We are no longer citizens of Earth but citizens of the heavenly kingdom. We serve here as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20).

v. 17 — Sanctify means to separate them out from the world — to make holy. If you are presenting the Gospel and living the Christian life, people will often choose to separate from you. Other truths teach that doing right will bring you honor. For example, acting according to Biblical principles on the job may bring you honor or help you gain more responsibility. With a Biblical foundation, the Christian knows how to do right in other areas of his/her life, too. It is the Word working in your life that makes you different.

v. 18 — The Great Commission is stated here in the Lord’s prayer. We have work to do still.

v. 19 — The Lord set Himself apart from the world as an example to us. Remember how He went out to pray by Himself and to talk to His Father. He acted in ways that were unconventional sometimes. For example, He went out of His way to rendezvous with the Samaritan woman. He took His time to get to Lazarus in order to show His power by bringing Him back to life. Sometimes our path seems a bit odd, but the Lord is working and accomplishing His will. He calls us to live a different life than ordinary folk.

In Acts 20, Paul spends a great deal of time meeting with the Christians and instructing them in Biblical truth. The disciples were commissioned to teach “whatsoever things I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20) and Paul worked at doing just that in all of the churches he was responsible for. The leaders in every church should try to teach their members the whole Word of God and not get stuck on a few pet themes. Notice in Acts 20:32, that the knowledge of the Word builds us up and sanctifies.

v. 20-22 — In this part of His prayer, He includes all future believers — that includes us! This is sometimes used by ecumenicals to say we should all get together, but Christ says it is the Biblical truth that unifies. Those who reject it will hate those who practice it.

The unity that He is referring to here is within the context of the local church — intra-church — not inter-church unity with other outside bodies. If fellow Christians cannot get along with each other in their own church, how can they have a ministry to those outside? Unity among the brethren shows the power of God.

The truth is the binding force for it produces unity and then glory to the Lord. Does the Father love the Son more or the Christian more? The same. This will only be apparent and appreciated in eternity because it is way beyond our understanding of student, teacher, creator relationships.

v. 23 — If you can say as President Bush said, “We all worship the same god,” you have so missed it! Our union with Christ becomes a testimony to the world that there is something different and supernatural going on — His love, His message.

v. 24-26 — The truth will be declared which allows God’s love to be shared and shown to believers. There is risk of hatred along the way, but Jesus is setting the pattern. He’s praying for the disciples to come through and do His will. It is only through His strength that we can accomplish anything that gives glory to God.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Comments — John 16

v. 1 — The warning of the difficult times to come instructs the believer not to be offended personally or to blame God when rejected and persecuted. This is basically a fact. Christ said the world hated Him and it will hate His followers, too.

See 2 Tim. 1:8,15. We are commanded not to be ashamed of the Gospel or offended. You don’t get credit or sympathy for being offended. It’s not a theological problem. Persecutors do so because they do not know God. Things began to change greatly once the persecution came. It served to spread the Gospel throughout the known world.

v. 2 — This type of response has been going on since the beginning of the church. You see it in Paul’s ministry in New Testament times, and in later history up to the present the persecution of the Roman Catholics, Muslims, Hindus etc. against Bible believers. They all think they are doing God a service in persecuting others. See also John 5:16-18. There are two main items of offense against the Jews as they see it. Jesus broke the religious rules (traditions of men) and claims He is God in the flesh and the only way to God. The book of John focuses on this theme of Jesus being God in the flesh.

v. 3 — Notice that little word “because.” The Lord tells us the persecution will come and why. Don’t be surprised when lost people act the way they do and as Satan does. They are in sync with Satan and his forces. Behavior is always a question of will. They don’t want to know the truth.

v. 4,5 — Thomas had asked about where Jesus was going earlier, but now they are somber and too quiet in their listening. They are trying to take it all in and understand, but they are confused. Most probably, they are upset (v. 6) and having difficulty processing His words. They don’t want Him to go away and don’t understand why He must.

v. 7-11 — The bad news is that He must go away, but the good news is that the Comforter will come. He helps us, encourages us, teaches us, and is an advocate for us with the Father.

Reprove has the meaning of “convict” or “bring under conviction” or “convince” or “correct.”

The Holy Spirit has two main functions. He is to comfort the believer and to reprove the world of sin. When Dr. Dave is talking to someone, either physically or on the phone, I often pray the Holy Spirit will be working on that person to help them recognize the ring of truth. Why are these three — sin, righteousness, and judgment — listed?

First, the Holy Spirit reproves about sin because of unbelief. He shows the individual that he needs a Saviour. He speaks into the heart of the sinner: you are lost, condemned, you need a Saviour, turn to Christ. There is no other way out if the person chooses not to repent and believe — he’s already condemned and will remain that way.

Second, the Holy Spirit reproves about righteousness because Jesus is with the Father and will be seen no more on the earth until His second coming. Therefore, the Holy Spirit’s work is to do the reproving on the earth. He often uses the example of righteousness that Jesus gave us when He walked the earth. He shows the individual that righteousness is the opposite of sin.

He shows what is right, spiritually, morally, ethically etc. To repent from sin, one must love good. He will use the conscience to tweak the individual. People do know what is right. Ask anyone if murder or rape or theft is wrong and they will agree because of the God given conscience within them.

Third, the Holy Spirit will reprove about judgment. The prince of this world is Satan. The Holy Spirit will lay a sense of judgment on people. Satan has already been judged and will be sent to the lake of fire (hell). This place was made for Satan and his rebellious angels (making a case for the reasonableness of hell and judgment). If an individual rejects the Gospel, he/she will share the same fate. There are only two teams — God and Satan, Heaven and Hell.

Though the disciples were sad that Jesus would be leaving them, it was necessary and good. While on earth, Jesus had taken on a human body. He could only be in one place at a time. In His Spirit, though, He could be with all of the disciples, in all ages, throughout the whole world, because the Spirit is invisible and omnipresent. (These thoughts are from Morris, but not a direct quote).

Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, so the unforgivable sin is to reject Him and His offer of salvation. We are already condemned (see John 3:18). It is sin that separates us from God. The decision the unbeliever can make is to get out from under that condemnation by repenting and turning in faith to Christ. The Holy Spirit has a ministry to the ungodly in the world to convict them of their sin. Those who witness, need to focus on communicating the need for a Saviour and the vital need for believing on Jesus. To those who remain unforgiven, judgment and condemnation will be their future for having rejected Christ’s righteousness.

v. 12 — Jesus gives a hint that there will be much more for Him to say, but not now. The New Testament will contain His words.

v. 13 — When it is time to write down the New Testament, the Holy Spirit will guide them and help them to remember what the Lord wants recorded. He gives them the words and they are the pen to get it down on paper. More prophecy will be coming as well.

v. 14 — The Son glorifies the Father, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son. In fact, in verses 12-14, we see order in the Trinity — the Father speaks to the Spirit who speaks not of Himself, but who glorifies the Son. Then the Holy Spirit helps people to understand the truth.

v. 15 — All things worth having are spiritual things. They are available to all that seek them.

v. 16 — Most commentators get this wrong. It’s not the burial and resurrection that He is talking about. A little while to Christ can easily be a couple of thousand years as shown by other verses. It may seem like a long time to people like us due to our short life spans. The Lord is outside of time. It’s important to recognize this as long range prophecy.

v. 17-19 — These words are the disciples talking among themselves and puzzling over what He has said. The Lord knows they are lacking understanding and begins to enlighten them more.

v. 20 — The normal experience of Christianity down through history has been full of sorrow and persecution. The American experience has been quite different. There was some limited persecution in our history, but it has not matched the norm of the rest of the world where most Christians have suffered and been stressed. The result has been a long time cooling off of spiritual things and a very pervasive and destructive apathy that is difficult to penetrate. The church usually grows and thrives under persecution. That’s why some of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world actually pray for persecution for America so that we will wake up and embrace the Gospel!

Sorenson adds that “the world would rejoice at His death while they [the disciples] grieved. No doubt, Satan, and his minions in the Sanhedrin, and the dens of hell rejoiced and danced with glee as Jesus hung dying upon the cross. But He then declared that His disciples’ sorrow would be turned to joy [when they saw His resurrection].”

Resurrection appearances may have been somewhat confusing to the disciples. He seems to appear and disappear rather than settling down with them as He had before. Jesus was with them for a time, but then He left them and ascended to the Father. In Acts, we see the disciples gather and go into prayer mode waiting for the promised Holy Spirit to arrive.

v. 21 — Take a look at Isaiah 26:16-19. It speaks of the end times and the dead arising. This was fulfilled at Christ’s resurrection and will be completed when He returns and “all that are in the graves. . . shall come forth” (Jo. 5:28-29).

See also Rev. 12:1,2. . . Messiah comes through the Jews and Satan tries to kill Him. Satan has tried to kill the Jewish people throughout their history, first to prevent the incarnation of the Messiah, and since then to prevent His return to save His people and establish His kingdom.

The experience of travail and suffering in birth came as the result of the curse when Eve rejected God’s Word. However, the suffering brings new life into the world. The Lord uses this common experience to explain what God is doing with the whole creation. In the end, delivery will come and things will be put right again.

The women who witnessed the resurrection seemed to have more joy than the men. They were in the moment and more emotionally oriented. Men want the whole plan laid out. They finally get it at the giving of the Great Commission and at Pentecost.

v. 22 — This is more than just the crucifixion. Their whole lives are difficult from this time on. However, the resurrection left them with a joy and power which served them well for the rest of their lives.

v. 23 — The phrase “in that day” is prophetic (referring to the time after His resurrection). They will no longer be able to ask Him questions because He won’t be with them on earth. Then they will use prayer to make requests. Anything is possible through prayer in Jesus name (His authority).

v. 24 — They haven’t been asking questions or making requests because He has been with them. After He is gone, it will be different. Prayer communication will be essential. They will learn the added joy and blessing of answered prayer.

v. 25 — A prophetic pronouncement. Up to this time, Jesus had sometimes taught in a more secretive fashion using symbolism, metaphor, allegory etc. Soon, the time was coming when he would speak directly and plainly. After His resurrection he was much more direct. Parables and symbolism would not be necessary. The Great Commission is very clear and succinct.

v. 26 — The “ask in my name” phrase means with authority; “at that day” is still future. Jesus had been praying for them, but now they will pray and ask for themselves. He will still be mediator even though they will have direct access to God.

v. 27 — The core of knowing God is to know Christ. Note that God loves all, but He reserves special love for those who love His Son and trust Him. They also receive special blessings as they are a part of the family.

v. 28 — He is predicting the ascension.

v. 29,30 — The disciples appear to be feeling pressure to speak in the affirmative, but instead show their lack of understanding and speak poorly. After all they had seen and heard in their three years with the Lord, you would think they would have understood better. (How long does it take for any of us to learn spiritual lessons?) Jesus rebukes them in verse 31 for their unbelief. Too much of their knowledge is head knowledge. What you really believe strongly causes action, not just talk.

v. 32,33 — The Lord leaves them with a prediction and some comfort. Though He is speaking about God being with Him during the next few terrible hours, it is a promise for all believers, too. (Matt. 28:20; Heb. 13:5). Before going to prayer, He tells them that He has overcome the world and they should be encouraged by that.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments — John 15

The place is the Garden of Gethsemane near the Mount of Olives just before the crucifixion. The seventh “I AM” of John’s Gospel is proclaimed.

Morris says, this is the last one, asserting His deity and His ability to save and reign. The others are as follows: (1) “the bread of life” — 6:36; (2) “the light of the world” — 8:12; (3) “the door” — 10:9; (4) “the good shepherd” — 10:11; (5) “the resurrection and the life” — 11:25; (6) “the way, the truth, and the life” — 14:6; (7) “the true vine” — 15:1. As the seven “I AM” statements affirm His deity, the seven “signs” (see 20:30-31) confirm it.

Is. 5:1-7. The vine is in the vineyard. The vineyard is God’s people, the Israelites. The wild grapes that came up were not the right fruit. Other fruits corrupted the vineyard such as false religions and rebellion against the Lord. Check out Matt. 21:33-44 , the story of the wicked husbandman. The vines were Israel at first, but the Gentiles will be grafted in as well. Also look at Ps. 80:14-19, a Messianic prophecy. Difficult times will come to the people in the future. They must look to God for deliverance.

v. 1, 2 — There are two kinds of fruit from the Christian. There is the fruit of the Spirit which is internal growth and then reproduction.

This portion of Scripture is mostly concerned with the reproduction of ourselves, thereby teaching others to repent and get saved. The Father is the husbandman. He owns and cares for the vineyard. Never was any landowner so wise, watchful and caring about his vineyard than God. He’s involved through Christ. Every branch is a “lost person.” The unfruitful branches are purged (cut out). This can enable the fruitful branches to bear more fruit. Pruning is done on trees to open up the branches so there is not too much foliage. Then the air and light can get to the fruit to make it good. After pruning, the branch will produce more fruit. A branch with no fruit production may be indicative of some kind of problem such as disease or death. It is removed to allow those that do produce to have even more fruit. The “religious lost” person who thinks he is a Christian will not bear fruit and will be purged (separated out at judgment). An unfruitful branch is useless to the husbandman and will be destroyed.

v. 3 — The Word of God cleanses. We can also see the primacy of God’s Word in Eph. 5:26 and Ps. 119:9.

v. 4 — What does this command, “to abide in Him,” mean? It is accomplished through Bible reading, prayer, communion with the Lord even in our daily business and dealings with people. Ps. 1:2 — “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” There is a form of meditation that is Biblical. In Eastern religions, meditation is to empty oneself and be open to spiritual habitation. That is very dangerous! Demons are just waiting for opportunities to influence people. Things like Yoga, journaling, mystic practices, using drugs or alcohol, visions, fortunetelling, Ouija boards etc. are common ways demons can get a hold on an individual. In Christian practice, meditating is thinking on God’s Word and being filled with His presence. Thinking about what the Word teaches and understanding how to use it in a practical sense is important to our spiritual growth. Think! Don’t empty your mind, but fill it with knowledge and wisdom!

Clearly, a branch separated from the vine will die and no longer produce fruit. It’s important to hold fast to the truth the Lord gives us. Keep studying the Word, praying, learning, and witnessing.

v. 5 — Depending on the Lord and getting away from self is very important. His help is the only way to have real spiritual fruit. We want to do things ourselves. We get little or no credit for that anyway. To share in the Lord’s work and watch Him do things in our lives is so much more edifying. This is a powerful and difficult teaching because we SLIP every day! Abiding will bring much more fruit and much more glory to the Lord.

Sometimes abiding is waiting. We humans are impatient creatures, too. Answers don’t always come right when we expect them. The Lord has His own timetable and we certainly want to be in sync with Him.

v. 6 — There is more at stake than just losing rewards when the Lord is rejected. It results in everlasting punishment and fire. John the Baptist preached like this. See Matt. 3:7-10 (also Luke 3) and the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 7:15-20. Corrupt trees produce evil fruit and good trees produce good fruit. The same language is employed in each case. Therefore this passage is talking about lost people being cast into the fire – it is NOT about a loss of rewards for weak Christians, as many preachers would claim. There are only two types of people in Scripture: saved and serving the Lord, bearing fruit AND lost, living for the world, and headed for hell. See Gal 5:19-25 and Rom 8:1-10 for a clear exposition of the two types. Many preachers whose ministries produce false converts would claim a third type: saved, but living for the devil. Scripture does not know of this type.

A Christian that speaks to one who is willing to hear the Gospel and repent can produce another Christian. Some produce more than others, but we should all try.

1. Prov. 11:30 — He that “winneth souls is wise.” Spiritual children can produce fruit of their own. Fruit has a potential for producing another tree (bearing seed) which in turn produces more fruit.

2. Ps. 126:5,6 — Here is a promise. If we care enough for souls, we can reap a harvest.

3. Jn. 4:35,36 — Sowing and reaping and rejoicing together is a real picture of team work. There may be multiple sowers and thus many surprises along the road or when we get to heaven.

4. Matt. 13:23 — Having the Word and understanding it yields fruit. Some bring forth more than others. The amount may be up to us, depending upon how much we abide in Him.

5. Gal. 5:22,23 — These well known verses list the fruit of the believer. Each Christian can grow in his attributes and thereby produce good fruit. We are to cultivate these qualities with persistence.

v. 7 — Check out John 14:13 also. Think of the story of the unjust judge. The way to get prayers answered is to keep working and keep asking. As the believer is conformed more to the Master, the prayer life is more conformed to His will. Abiding and keeping close to the Lord is the way to have a productive prayer life.

v. 8 — How do we glorify God? Bear fruit! Disciples show evidence of belonging to Christ by following His example and being involved in the Great Commission. Giving to missions is good, but every believer should be involved in the Great Commission in his own neighborhood. Bearing fruit is discipleship fulfilled. It creates more believers and glorifies God.

v. 9,10 — He established the pattern to be followed. This continuing in His love is the same as abiding in Him. We live in His love, continue in it, allow it to flow through us to others, and bear fruit. They abide in Christ, too, and let it flow onward and more fruit is produced.

v. 11 — Who isn’t looking for joy? Happiness is more dependent on circumstances. Can a Chinese Christian in prison experience joy? Yes. God is not constrained by physical conditions. They can still pray and be involved in His work where they are. Some of the pastors we have read about, that were in prison, got the worst jobs, but they did their best and worked at helping others as much as they were able. Some of the greatest revivals have started in Communist prisons. So how do we obtain joy? By abiding in His love and keeping His commandments. Do things His way for them to be successful.

Being fruitful produces joy. See 2 John 4; 3 John 4; Phil 4:1; 1 Thess. 2:19-20. The best kind of joy is in leading someone to Christ and watching them grow.

v. 12 — He’s already stated the first commandment — to love God. Here is another one — to love others as He did (in like manner). There is no limit to loving Him and working for Him.

v. 13 — This is an heroic illustration that even the world recognizes as the ultimate gift. Jesus is now within hours of the cross to lay down His life for others.

v. 14 — This is more than masses of people agreeing on a few fundamentals that they all embrace while having disagreements about other areas. Here Jesus says do “whatsoever” He did. Look at Ps. 119:128. The Psalmist says to esteem all of the Lord’s precepts. We are not allowed to pick and choose!

Servants do not have many rights and privileges, but to be elevated to friend status means to be on the same social plane as the Lord. To be a joint heir means equal sharing. We still serve the Lord but our future is secure and wondrous. We have no idea what great things await us in heaven!

v. 15 — Christianity is knowledge based on a friendship level. Servants obey without necessarily knowing why they are doing what they are told. Friends and coworkers laboring together, know why and what the big picture is. Scripture is given to instruct us in every important aspect of life, especially in the Lord’s service.

v. 16 — The phrase “ordained you” means commissioned, sent forth, established, a pronouncement made upon what to do. He’s talking to the 11 disciples. Since they reproduce others (also disciples), it applies to us, too. Matthew 28:18-20 is “recursive” – each generation teaches the next “all things”, a pattern that has gone on for 2000 years now. All of those who are chosen for a particular work continue in the commission through time. In Romans 8, the thought starts in verse 16 and on to the end of the chapter. The connecting words like “for,” “and,” “because,” and “moreover,” beg the reader to look back for context and to continue until the entire thought is fully revealed. (Paul often writes in long complex sentences. Perhaps it was because he wanted people to get the full context. It’s dangerous to take a small portion of Scripture out of context without checking all around it to get the entire meaning.) In verse 29 and on, the word “predestinate” means believers will be conformed to the image of Christ. It is connected to the words that follow it which explain the meaning.

Check out Eph. 2:8-10. “Ordained” has an object after it telling us what to do — walk in the good works that show we have been regenerated by God.

Ephesians 1:4 is a favorite passage for the Calvinists. The phraseology is important. He hath chosen us . . . “that we should be” and then tells us what we are chosen for: to be holy and blameless in love. There is no period after chosen. Every individual on earth can become chosen of God and all in the same way — repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. For those that do repent, God has chosen for them all sorts of privileges, blessings, and responsibilities. Never in Scripture do we find that God has chosen or predestinated particular souls for heaven and others for hell. He desires ALL to come to repentance and chooses those that do to be part of His family and enjoy a great inheritance.

Ephesians 1:11,13 tells us again that the predestinating is to conform the believer into the image of Christ.

Take 1 Peter 1:2 for another example. We are “elected” unto obedience to Christ and the book is written to Christians. God’s foreknowledge is that when someone becomes a believer, he/she will undergo the processes that will conform them (elected) to become a disciple that follows Christ’s commandments. Take the simplest interpretation and remember that Scripture defines itself.

v. 17 — Repetition of a thought or command means it is important. The believer should take careful note of what is repeated.

v. 18 — This is a good test. Does the world hate you? Have you experienced it in your Christian walk? (Granted, overt hatred in America is not what it is in other countries, but if you continue to give the Biblical Gospel and preach/teach the exclusivity of Christ, you will get resistance). Don’t abuse this prediction or boast of it or feel proud about it. It’s simply a fact of life.

v. 19 — This is primarily directed at the 11 who Jesus chose to train while He was here. The underlying principle stands and that is that the world hated Christ and they will hate any who belong to Him also.

v. 20 — Jesus promises a blessing (Matt. 5) on those persecuted. Every Christian shall have some persecution. If you aren’t having any, you had better examine yourself. Maybe you aren’t out doing what you should.

v. 21 — The differences between unbelievers and true believers have been evidenced all through history. Persecutors do not know Him, therefore, persecutors cannot be Christians. Both Calvin and Luther were persecutors. When Paul changed, did he switch and persecute Jews and unbelievers? No, of course not. He preached to them and tried to persuade them. Forcing religion is not God’s way. Even our own colonies persecuted others and tried to force church attendance.

v. 22 — Accountability increases with knowledge. This doesn’t mean they weren’t sinners, but now they know more and all are without excuse. The Messiah showed Himself to them. Perhaps God hardened the Jews’ attitude toward Rome (like Pharaoh was hardened – namely, God gave him additional courage to continue on the path that Pharaoh wanted anyway) so that they would be judged and destroyed by Rome later.

v. 25 — Ps. 69:4, a Messianic Psalm, was referred to by Jesus when He went to the temple the first time (4,7-9) and turned the tables. Looking at Psalm 109:3-6,8; we see a reference to enemies in verse 3, prayer in the garden in verse 4, Judas’ betrayal in verse 5, and Satan using Judas in verse 6. There is a prediction of Judas’ replacement in verse 8. Peter decided to take that task on himself rather than waiting for Paul. Scripture is pretty clear that the Lord’s choice was Paul and that He had a very specific ministry in mind for him to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

v. 26,27 — The Holy Spirit’s function is also cited in John 14:26. How does the Spirit testify of Him? The work of the Holy Spirit is clearly shown in Acts as the Great Commission is carried out. When a believer “preaches” (gives the Gospel), the Holy Spirit testifies to the hearer that he is hearing the truth. God does His part, but depends on us doing our part. Do we care enough to do our part?

In Luke 24, the Lord is with His disciples eating and drinking after the resurrection. He travels with the two on the road to Emmaus. In verse 44, He tells about how all things must be fulfilled concerning Him. That would include the future second coming and the end times. He is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit. His disciples had been with Him personally and offer first hand testimony. Hundreds of witnesses saw the resurrected Lord.

The Word testifies of Him. Think about it — a book written by over 50 authors over a period of 4,000 years that explains the past, tells the future, gives the way of salvation to any that wants it. This book was written by men with the inspiration and help of the Holy Spirit. Even though Paul was not one of the original twelve, he saw the Lord on the road to Damascus. He was personally instructed by Him for three years in the desert before starting his ministry. There is more than enough proof of the truth of the Scriptural record to anyone who is open to hear it.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dave’s Comments — John 14

v. 1 — Who is in the room now? Jesus and the eleven disciples. At the end, they depart to the garden. Why is this beginning about troubled hearts? The Lord had just predicted the denials of Peter. He was a leader among the eleven. If he falls, the others may have doubts as well. Jesus says He will be going where they cannot come (at least not now, but later, when they die, they will join Him in heaven after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension changes things). The use of “ye” in the first verse is plural so He’s talking about all of them. “Your heart” is aimed individually at everyone in the group to guard his own heart. The disciples are all of one mind. The Lord reiterates that He is equal with God by asking them to believe in Him also.
Matthew Henry says, “Christ’s disciples, more than others, should keep their minds quiet, when everything else is unquiet.”. . . The remedy against unquiet is to believe and so gain comfort.

v. 2 — Here is one of the wonderful pronouncements of Christ. Heaven is a real place, not a state of mind. God has many abiding places in the whole universe. Jesus will be going back to where God is. There are many “mansions” to be prepared where He is going. Some people object to this description as being large dwelling places. It’s usually translated as “abiding places.” I actually heard one preacher say it would be small apartments! He said we would be so happy to be where Jesus is , that we wouldn’t care if the rooms were small! There is plenty of room in the New Jerusalem. It is 1500 miles high and wide (Rev. 21:16). Even several billion believers could each have huge mansions and estates! A simple calculation shows that for a resident population of 2 billion, each individual could be allocated over a cubic mile (!!!), while still allowing over 1/3 of the real estate to be dedicated to public and royal use. Thus your average individual estate could have a square mile of real estate with a mile of air space above.

Note also that this verse refutes Calvinism — there is no limit to the houses that can be provided. Alcorn says it is no coincidence that Jesus was a carpenter who is now preparing places for His children.

v. 3 — This is a beautiful promise! If I prepare a place, I will come back and get you to be with Me. People we talk to want to go to heaven, but express no interest in being with the Lord. Now, they like rock and roll church services. They have little or no Bible knowledge. They still enjoy their sinful living through the week. Point this out to them. Ask them what attracts them to heaven. Most people have inaccurate ideas of what heaven is and what it will be like. Tell them that if these kinds of people were in heaven, it wouldn’t be any different than earth now. Heaven is for believers who have been redeemed and reborn into different creatures. Others would not enjoy it there.

We saw an interview recently with a European who did not believe in God. She said she thought there is some kind of place that people go to when they die where those in wheel chairs can walk and the blind can see, etc. That’s as far as her thinking went. Most people would agree that if you have suffered in this life, you should go somewhere afterward that is wonderful. That’s not Biblically accurate. Heaven is not where the wrongs of the earth are made right. It is where those who believe in Christ and belong to Him share their life with Him. It wouldn’t be heaven if Christ is not there. The entrance requirements are clearly spelled out in Scripture.

v. 5 — This is a fair and practical question from Thomas. When the body dies, how do we get to where the Lord is?

v. 6 — Jesus is the way, the truth, the life. “Focus on me,” He says, “and Me, only.” He didn’t come to show us the way, He is the way. The exclusivity of Christianity is key to understanding how to be with Him for eternity. Many people “feel” this is arrogant and object to the claim. John 10 says He is the door. In other Scripture, He is the Good Shepherd, the bread, the way, the light of the world etc. He certainly made the point in many different ways, so people have no excuses for not understanding. One cannot be a Christian without understanding this exclusivity. To try to get others to understand it, is loving, not “intolerant.”

In a practical sense, here is how death works. The body dies and is buried. The soul goes either to heaven (the believer) or a holding place (the unbeliever) until judgment when the soul and body will be reunited. The saved continue in their glorified bodies, abiding with the Lord. The lost go to hell in their bodies which were in the grave and are now joined again with the soul.

v. 8 — Philip asks the dumb question. He doesn’t get it. He’s a Jew and he would like to see God. The Scripture says God is a Spirit even though Jesus is God in person. Jesus rebukes Philip a bit. Jews didn’t really have a concept of a triune God so maybe this is why Philip doesn’t seem to understand. Whenever we introduce some man, woman, or child to Jesus Christ, we are bringing him face to face with God. That is the whole purpose of witnessing to others — to help in Christ’s work by acquainting people with God and leading them to believing faith. Our part is preaching / teaching / praying. The sinner’s part is willful repenting / believing / trusting. God’s part is drawing / persuading / convicting / regenerating / indwelling.

v. 9 — Jesus says Philip should have understood this, by now, from the Lord’s own teachings. Calvinists keep God very distant, as one who makes arbitrary decisions according to His whims. The believer has a friend, servant, co-laborer, heir relationship with Jesus. The Satanic lie is to get people to think God is a harsh task master which keeps them from investigating the truth.

v. 10-11 — “At least believe the miracles I’ve done,” Jesus said. The works that Jesus did showed the power of the Father in Him. We are to continue the work with His Spirit in us.

v. 12 — What works? Jesus led people to salvation. Here is the Great Commission. Our works will not be greater in quality but in quantity. The disciples (and us) were to go all over the world spreading the Good News. Peter saw large numbers of people saved on the day of Pentecost. Various revivals in history have produced large numbers of converts.

v. 13-14 — “In my name” gives the sense of power of attorney or ambassador. The meaning of His will encompasses acting on His behalf as an agent for His work and in accordance with what He wills to have done. The Word tells us what to do to obey Him. In America, Christians have made it a rote habit to pray in the name of Jesus and say those words every time. We certainly want to pray for things to be done that are His will and not just personal requests. The result of prayers is to bring glory to God. Ask for things that are right according to God’s will. A good example would be for someone to be saved. Remember that He won’t overpower their will in such a request. The Lord does desire all to be saved, so it’s right to ask for Him to work in their life and bring them to a place where they would repent. If they do, He will be swift to regenerate them. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit interprets our prayers for us.

v. 15 — Love here is identified with the saved. If not saved, you cannot say you love God. Those who do love Him, obey Him.

v. 16-17 — “I will pray,” meaning I will ask the Father to send you a Comforter. Prayer is asking. The capital “C” means the Holy Spirit is a person. He is with us forever — a promise of eternal security.

The worldly man cannot understand spiritual truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. He is quite oblivious to it and doesn’t seek for it. Of course, he can understand enough to repent and have faith in Jesus Christ, since all men have a conscience put there by God. Look at all the things going on in the world and the courses taught without even acknowledging that God exists! Jesus foretells the coming indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It’s a transition from Him dwelling with you in physical form, which is the case now, to the change to come — dwelling in the believers. In the physical body which Christ took and will keep, He cannot be omnipresent, but the Spirit can be. The indwelling of the Spirit in the body makes the body different from before. It becomes the temple of God.

“Comforter” has all the implications of a helper, an attorney, an advocate, and an encouraging friend. We are not orphans!

v. 18 — This is a wonderful promise (and a reference to the Trinity)! The plan is for the Lord to always be with us by indwelling us. Do you sometimes feel alone or discouraged? Remember this promise and cling to the Lord for strength.

v. 19 — Here is a resurrection promise for the near term and far term. We may not physically “see” Him, but we know Him through His Word and through the things we see Him doing in our lives and in other believers.

v. 20 — This is very significant. The huge sign of Jesus’ ministry is the resurrection. It is unique in history. It gives the disciples boldness to preach the Gospel with a new level of knowledge. It connects Jesus with the Father and the disciples with Jesus — total union. Nothing can separate us “from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39. See also John 10:27-30,38 and 17:22-23.

v. 21 — Look also at Eph. 2:8-10 and James 2. These are talking about works of the believer. How many types of people live here? There are disciples and then there are the lost, but no “carnal Christians.” Look at Galatians 5:19-25. The works of the flesh are listed. These are the unsaved people. Then the fruits of the Spirit are listed. These are the believers. There is no other in between that would be a carnal Christian. That’s an unbiblical concept. Sure, some believers can stray into worldly living, but not for the long term. A true believer who slips too far will be chastised by the Lord or removed from earth. Those who live a consistent pattern of worldliness are living in the flesh. Scripture says the believers have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. They are in accordance with the Lord’s will and His commandments. Their works are the result of salvation. They are not to gain it or insure it.

Romans 8:16 is the evidence of being a Christian. You recognize your new relationship with the Lord more and more over time. Many can get fooled and think they are truly regenerated. A good test for yourself would be to read 1 John which has at least 10 tests of one’s belief.

The Father loves His children in a different way than the world loves its own. This love produced the cross which is how we can be reconciled with Him.

In verses 16, 21, and 28 of this chapter, we see the order of the hierarchy — the pre-eminence of the Father over the Son and the Son over man. Check out 1 Tim. 2:5. This doesn’t mean they are not equal. The Trinity is not easily understood. Attempts to make it so by using analogies like a person wearing three different hats and thus performing different roles, but yet the same person, are demeaning and cannot even begin to describe the Trinity – and often downright heretical. It is mysterious to us and that’s a good thing. We wouldn’t want to fully understand God. We need to keep a very high view of Him and His wonderful qualities. There is so much else that we clearly understand yet don’t do, that we need not be overly concerned about the deeper things beyond our comprehension.

v. 22 — “This is too deep for me!” says Judas (not Iscariot — known as Thaddeus or Lebbaeus). I think we can all identify with that cry! Is it a fair question? You decide. He is still thinking on the practical human level. It takes trust to follow the Lord and believe what He says.

v. 23-24 — Here is a simple enough answer — trust me and keep my commandments. These are the conditions for His love. If showing love for the Lord is keeping His commandments, the converse is also true. A lack of real love for Him is shown by disobedience of His Word. If we “believe” Him, we should act like it! Though we will go to live with Him after death, He abides with us now through the indwelling Holy Spirit. This will continue throughout eternity (1 Thess. 4:17).

v. 25-26 — The Holy Spirit will help them write the New Testament Scriptures later. The Spirit remains with us to teach us, as we read the Scriptures and study them. He can help us use them as we witness to people. Compare John 14:26 with 15:26. In chapter 14, the Father sends the Holy Spirit. In chapter 15, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit. The Scripture makes it clear how interconnected the three persons of the Trinity are.

Morris says, “John wrote his Gospel, and the detailed discourses of Jesus recorded in it, approximately 50 years after the events occurred, yet he was able to recall and reproduce them all by the supernatural inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The same would have been true for the other New Testament writers. We can be confident, therefore, that our entire Bible is altogether true and trustworthy in view of this promise, as well as the many assurances of inspiration of the Old Testament (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).”

God was determined and competent to give us an inerrant Bible, as He promised throughout Scripture. We have such in the original and carefully preserved Masoretic Hebrew and Greek Received Texts, translated accurately into English in the King James version of the Bible. Please check out our article “The 10 Most Deadly Heresies” in the Discipleship section of this web site. Heresy number 8 describes the problems associated with different “errant” versions and texts.

v. 27 — This is a wonderful reassurance! Are there some forms of peace in the world? Yes, but usually when the one saying so is the one in charge! For example, Islam and Communists insist on having their own way and making everyone else conform to it. It gives a false peace at best. The promise here is like Philippians 4:6,7. Don’t worry about anything. 1 Pet. 5:5,6 — He’s in control, give Him your burdens in humility, because He cares. Is. 26:3 — The way to peace is to stay focused on Him. Is. 30:15 — Trust should be in the Lord. “Come to Me,” He says. Ps. 23:4 — Even in our final hours, He can still carry us through. Ps. 32:10,11 — The commands are to be glad, rejoice, trust, shout, have joy, and have a proper heart. Ps. 55:22 — If you don’t cast your burden on the Lord, you will have to carry it yourself. In Pilgrims Progress, the Pilgrim’s first burden cast off was his sin. What a relief it was to him to be rid of the heavy weight on his back! We don’t always let Him carry our burdens for us. Sometimes that means giving it over and over to Him, because we pray and then the burden returns. It’s okay to keep giving it to Him. If you do that often enough, you will leave it with Him and have peace about the matter.

v. 28-29 — The Lord is telling his disciples what is to come, but there is a larger thought here. It’s a short term prophecy which will produce faith and belief when fulfilled. See Deut. 18 for the tests of prophecy. Fulfilled prophecy was very important in Dr. Dave’s conversion. Since he has the scientific mind, the proofs of prophecies that actually came to pass, but which were stated sometimes hundreds of years before the event, held a lot of weight in establishing the truth of the Bible. If men wrote the Bible, they would not be so honest in the foibles of its heroes and the things prophesied would not have been on the mark every time. More and more archeological evidence supports Bible prophecies.

v. 30 — Satan has control of the world. He came into Judas and used him. Sometimes it appears he is having his day, but the Lord will triumph. Nothing can hold Jesus Christ in that grave or anywhere else! The Devil and his fellow demons are 100% opposed to the Lord. We should be very sensitive to this and have nothing to do with his work. We must be able to recognize it all around us. For example: Dr. Dave sees Obama as more evil than Clinton was. Look at his “works.” Does he have the best interest of the country at heart? No. He uses his power for his own agenda and the destruction of the foundations of freedom in America.

v. 31 — While walking to the garden, the Lord continues to execute His Father’s instruction and commands. Following His obedient example, we will execute the instructions and commands of Jesus. See James 1:12 on enduring temptation.

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Comments on Dr. Dave’s Notes — John 13

A sign of a servant: Foot washing in a dry and dusty climate where sandals are worn is a refreshing and healthy custom. See Gen. 24:32 and 43:24; Luke 7:44; 1 Tim. 5:10; John 13:4-15. Notice that widows, to be helped by the church, had qualifications to meet. One of those was foot washing, which denoted that the woman was given over to serving others. In our culture, the practice does not have much meaning because we have no need of it. However, the principle to learn, is that of the Lord’s example who washed the feet of the disciples to show that no one was to be master over another. Each was to be a servant of the other. We are also admonished to practice hospitality to others.

When we lived in the upper peninsula of Michigan, it was common practice to take off our shoes/boots at the door. In the winter, hostesses often provided warm slippers for their guests to wear while in the house. Customs vary from culture to culture and country to country. Those churches who feel it’s necessary to practice foot washing today, are a bit too literal in their interpretation of Scripture. It is the underlying principle that we must learn. Caring for guests and our brethren in the faith is an important way of showing our love for the Lord.

v. 1 — Here is the phrase “his hour.” Why now? In the calendar, it is Passover time. The first type of the sacrifice Christ would make occurs in Genesis when an animal must be killed to clothe Adam and Eve. Perhaps it was a lamb. Then came the Passover itself when the Israelites were spared the deaths of the firstborns administered by the angel in Moses’ day. It began their freedom from bondage even as belief in Christ frees us from an eternity in hell.

Jesus first taught Isaiah 61 (Luke 4:16-21) in a synagogue in Nazareth up to the point in verse 2 when the day of vengeance is mentioned. That is a future event which shall be accomplished at the second coming. After reading up to that point, Jesus said, “ This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” His timing is always impeccable. Now His hour is perfectly timed to correspond to the yearly Passover feast. He will die as the lamb that taketh away the sins of the world.

He “loved His own” means the disciples. These are the ones He chose (John 6:37). They are “all the Father gave me.” He loved them to the end meaning to the end of His earthly life and the completion of His work here. He loves them still! He loved them despite their squabbles, their spiritual immaturity, their petulance, and even betrayal by Judas.

v. 2 — People can be open to demonic influence. We are not exactly sure what influences Satan has, but we know he can affect the hearts and minds of men. Scripture tells us that Judas was not saved. He loves money. He’s a thief. He is practicing sin even while claiming to be a disciple of Jesus Christ (easily available to him as he handles the purse and dips into it for himself). His heart was already greedy so it was easy for Satan to influence him further. John 17:12 tells us he had never been a true disciple.

v. 3 — This verse tells us that Jesus came from God. When did His life begin? Never! He has always been just as God has always been. This refutes oneness Pentecostalism. They do not believe in the Trinity, but rather that Jesus IS the Father. But this verse distinguishes the two persons. Jehovah’s Witnesses, on the other hand believe in too much distinction – that Jesus is a separately created being. All such heresies are damnable.

Morgan presents an interesting perspective. “Too often the death of Jesus is spoken of as a martyrdom, the heroic surrender to the inevitable in circumstances. There is no scintilla of truth in that view of the Cross. The New Testament accounts all reveal Him as moving with the mien and attitude of One carrying out a Divine program; His soul troubled, but always seeing through the gloom to the glory,”

v. 4 — Right after the discussion at the table of who’s going to be the greatest, Jesus begins the foot washing. Again, His timing is perfect. This was not a normal part of a Passover preparation dinner, but the institution of something new. The disciples must have felt shocked and “tiny.” He’s taking on the form and job of an obedient lowly servant. See Phil. 2:3. 1 Pet. 5 gives instruction to elders about feeding the flock, not being obsessed with money, being examples, submitting one to another, practicing humility. Did Peter remember the dinner when he wrote this and applied it to ministry? Most likely, he came to learn much more about this type of service by the time he wrote his book. When he had protested against the washing, Jesus explained that he could not be one of His unless it was done. Peter quickly changed his mind knowing that to have no part of Christ would be intolerable for him. Peter was teachable. Can we say the same for ourselves?

v. 6 — Today, the Pope allows people, indeed requires them, to kiss his ring and warps the principle of service and humility. He accepts worship unworthily. The Roman Catholics have created a ceremony that is inappropriate. Some Baptists that practice foot washing took a cultural practice and the words “do as I do” literally and turned it into a ceremony. The words are interpreted as “like or similar” not ”do exactly what I do.”

v. 7 — “You will understand this later,” He says, “Trust me.” Peter, in his usual impetuous way, wants an explicit answer, but sometimes we just don’t know why things happen. Trust the Lord knowing that He has everything under control. Walk by faith and not sight. It builds the relationship with the Lord.

v. 8-9 — Notice the singular pronoun “thou” specifying Peter only. He turns quickly and goes to the other extreme — wash my head and hands, too. Today, more and more people have trouble admitting wrong and turning from bad behavior. There seems to be an epidemic of self-righteousness with the post-modernists. You believe what you want and I’ll believe what I want. The only thing they don’t tolerate is belief in the Biblical Jesus/God. Jesus predicted that men would hate us and the Gospel.

v. 10 — Ye are clean. Ye is the plural pronoun meaning all of them (except one). Culturally, you take a bath and get clean. Walking to someone’s house gets the feet dirty. When you arrive, you need only wash the feet to be clean again. We pick up “dirt” every day and need to get clean again. Sins still need to be forgiven on a regular basis. Take them to the Lord in prayer and be made clean.

Morris elaborates on the two terms “wash.” The first washed means “bathed all over,” as in the ”washing of regeneration” in Titus 3:5 or the “washing of water by the word” in Eph. 5:26. The second “wash” refers to partial cleansing of that part that needs it. Thus, regeneration occurs only once, but is followed by daily confession and cleansing (1 John 1:7,9 likely has both meanings in view). The heads (mind) and hands may need daily cleansing too, after walking daily in a sinful world. The mind needs renewing as instructed in Rom. 12:1-2 and the hands need preparation for service.

v. 11-17 — Some moderns and “red letter adherents “ take this portion literally, but Jesus is really talking about service. “If ye know these things” He says, “you will be happy in doing them.” In other words, to serve others is how to be happy. In defining happiness, we would have to start with having knowledge of God and then doing what He prescribes — the types of service Jesus did. He was humble and fulfilled His God given role — our example to follow. The more miserable people are the self- absorbed ones focused on acquiring stuff, or working too much, or being self-indulgent. Think of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, or Serena Williams, for example. They all have foundations that try to help people so they can “grab some good feeling” by philanthropy. Happiest are those people who are not thinking about being happy, but are busy in serving others. This yields true contentment.

Notice that the disciples most often address Jesus as Lord. Though His human name was Jesus, they use His title to show their relationship to Him. Addressing Him the same way in prayer reminds us that we are His servants and we honor Him by being obedient. There is a trend in these modern times to belittle Jesus, speaking of Him as a special personal buddy or treating Him as a “prayer genie” to get things. This is not appropriate. Recognizing His godliness and righteousness keeps us in the position of humble servants. We need to always be conscious of what a wonderful thing He has done in allowing us to share in His work and serve others on His behalf.

v. 18 — “I know whom I have chosen” (the eleven and Paul) but one of you will betray me. Judas pretended to care for the poor to indulge his own thievery. The Scripture fulfilled is Ps. 41:9. Psalm 41:4 is a good prayer for us when we are “soul sick.” Verse 5 is Jesus speaking prophetically. In verse 9, the lifted up heel is an Arab cultural insult. (Remember the Arabs hitting the statue of Saddam Hussein with their shoes?). Verses 11-13: Jesus will sit at the right hand of God. Verse 13 refutes replacement theology. God is still the God of Israel and will accomplish His plan for them and through them.

To eat at someone’s table and then turn against him, is another breach of common courtesy and hospitality in Eastern culture today. It was no less important then.

v. 19 — Here is another “I AM” statement. Though they will not now understand all He says that is coming to pass, they will understand it later. Nothing that is coming is a surprise to the Lord. The disciples should have been more aware — Mary, Lazarus’ sister, understood He was going to die.

v. 20 — To get to God, one must go through Jesus. As the disciples face the crisis of His death, they will need this encouragement. Later, He gives them a commission to be His representatives and take the Gospel to the whole world. We also represent Christ and God when we witness to people.

v. 21 — Remember that “you” is plural.

v. 22 — They are dumbfounded! They have no suspicion of Judas who had done all the things the others did. Most likely, a good bit of conversation was buzzing among them during the dinner trying to figure this out.

The disciples would have been positioned around the dinner table on floor cushions, half reclining. John was clearly seated next to the Lord.

v. 24-27 — Peter signals to John to ask the Lord whom the traitor is. Jesus says the one who takes the sop (a piece of bread dipped in a bowl of gravy or soup) is he. It was an act of friendship to offer such a morsel to someone. Immediately after Judas takes it, Satan enters into him. We can surmise that Satan was present in the room watching the proceedings. Whether he could not enter in until the Lord gave permission is unknown, but it may be that his intervention is constrained. The book of Job provides examples of restraining Satan. What is implied, is that Jesus gave Judas one last chance to repent. Remember the phrase “my friend” from Ps. 41’s prophecy? When he did not, Satan saw his chance to take over.

Did the others hear the answer in verse 26? We can’t be sure. John may have noticed the sop being passed but didn’t realize just what the betrayal would be or when. Perhaps the others thought Jesus had sent Judas out to purchase something they needed. Judas wants the power of being one of the elite in a restored Jewish kingdom, but he has gotten discouraged about the direction of the Lord’s ministry. He then bails to get whatever he can out of the situation.

v. 30 — The worst sins are committed at night in the dark — John 3:18-20.

v. 31 — Jesus begins a series of teachings for the believers. If His death would glorify God, the Father would later glorify Jesus. Indeed, Jesus will sit on David’s throne and rule the earth. Perhaps, Jesus was thinking back to the glory He had before coming to earth. After going through the dark night that is coming, He would be restored to His glory but in a different sense. He would forevermore be identified as the Son of Man as well as the deliverer. All of the things that are coming — the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension will glorify the Father. How does a Christian glorify God/Christ? Not when they meet together as the modern churches do, but when they point people to Christ.

v. 33-35 — “Little children” is an affectionate, endearing term. Masters of that day would often refer to their students as little children. Previously, the Lord had stated the two greatest commandments (Matt. 22:37-40) which are also found in Lev. 19:18, Deut. 5 and 6:4. When the Israelites were preparing to enter the promised land, Moses taught the commandments again for the new generation that had grown up in the wilderness. Thus, we see the two greatest commandments in the Old Testament and Jesus reiterates them to the Pharisees when asked what the greatest commandment of the law is.

Now, the Lord is giving a new commandment: to love as Jesus loves. See also
Rom. 5:8 / 2 Cor. 5:14 / 1 John 3:16 & 4:9-11. He is expanding the Golden Rule. We are only capable of this kind of behavior with the help of the Holy Spirit. There are lost people who do good things and are kind. This, however, is a calling to a lifestyle more especially among believers that is so different that even unbelievers can see the effects. How are we doing? Poorly! Most churches design a show and prohibit true fellowship. Hardly any go out into the streets and share the Gospel. Why are there so many kinds of churches? Because people can’t get along with each other! When members get upset at something in one church, they often leave it for another that makes them more comfortable. It’s a far cry from the ”being of one mind” mentality of the first believers gathered and waiting for the Holy Spirit to come. Yet it is to be the key distinguishing characteristic of the believers.

Verse 35 is one of the most challenging and hardest verses in Scripture to fulfill. The type of love here is in giving one’s self to others. It is commanded and will be quite discernible to others.

v. 36-38 — If Peter and the disciples died here with Christ, they could not go with Him. Their spirits would go to Sheol, not the Father, because Jesus has to take His blood to the mercy seat in heaven first. He conquers hell during His time in the grave. Look at 1 Cor. 15 and 2 Cor. 5:21. Christ is doing things to prepare the way for others to be with Him and the Father at their death. Later, when the disciples die, they will go directly to be with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Peter understands death is involved here but he can’t see how it will change things in the future. He must have been extremely puzzled by the Lord’s prediction of the denials to come. By morning he will completely understand. If we had warning of some particular sin we would commit, would we be strong enough to avoid it? One wonders. The hope of looking forward to a sinless existence is most encouraging to the believer!

~~~Bonnie

Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments—John Chapter 12

v. 1. . .—In the timeline, we are now 6 days before the Crucifixion (down to the end, almost to the wire etc.). In Bethany about 2-3 miles from Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples are in the familiar pattern of spending some “family” time with Mary and Martha and most especially the newly raised Lazarus. This family was probably quite wealthy if they could entertain the Lord and His disciples and Mary could offer a large amount of spikenard to anoint Jesus. The dinner here in Lazarus’ honor was held at the home of Simon the Leper (accounts in Matt. 26 and Mark 14 give us additional details). It is not the same supper as Luke 7 or the same woman. Perhaps Martha was known for hospitality because she is serving at this dinner. It is not her house, but she was probably asked to help. Spikenard was a costly perfume with a wonderful fragrance imported from the Far East and made into oils or ointments. The other Gospels record that Mary anointed the Lord’s feet and his hair and the entire house was filled with a most pleasant fragrance. Alabaster boxes of spikenard have been found in the tombs of wealthy Pharaohs. This is clearly an act of worship to the Lord. Mary must have paid better attention than the disciples for she knows that Jesus is soon to be sacrificed as He had mentioned several times by now.

v. 4-6—Judas was the only disciple not from Galilee but from Kerioth of Judea. As treasurer of the group, he was a thief and an embezzler. He hasn’t changed since the beginning. His true character is shown here. He objects to Mary spending almost a year’s income at this moment. Judas didn’t really care for the poor, but as Sorenson says, “saw only shekel signs flying out of his clutches.” His entire legacy that will stick with him for his entire life and eternity is that of betrayal. (The same is true for all lost people. However they lived their lives, they will be known for that always.) Mary, on the other hand, lives on through the Scripture. The Lord promised her story as a memorial to be recorded in the written Word.

Rice says, “Is it a waste to sacrifice for Jesus? John and Betty Stam went as missionaries to China. They were brilliant in mind, wholly devoted and well trained. Alas, when they were soon murdered by communist bandits In China, some people cried out, ‘What a waste!’ But no life laid down for Christ is wasted. [Any money or expense or provision sacrificed for Him is blessed and worthwhile].” <:>

Jesus doesn’t even respond to Judas’ remark. Sometimes, He avoids questions that are distractions—sometimes, we should do the same (use good judgment when deciding).

v. 7—This is a rare occasion that Jesus really speaks up for Himself. Unlike men and angels in the Scripture, He accepts worship. Mary believed the Old Testament. She had listened to Jesus through these years and knew what was coming.

v. 8 — Jesus taught us that the world political system is always trying to fight poverty without the Lord. They want power and control. Our own President Johnson initiated his “war on poverty.” The bottom line is that it’s a way to get votes. The poor vote for the promises made. Government handouts do not teach men/women to work and take care of themselves. Poverty has never been eliminated no matter what solution the government has tried, whether in the past or today. The Bible says if a man doesn’t work, he doesn’t eat. Our current administration will do anything to get people dependent on the government.

v. 9 — Many people came to see Lazarus (2 Cor. 5:7). Jesus was never about putting on a show, but healed out of compassion. A few of the occasions were to specifically bring glory to the Father. We take the Lord at His Word. There is logic and truth in the Scripture, but beware of emotion and entertainment at the Lord’s expense.

v. 10 — If the Pharisees had put Lazarus to death, the Lord could certainly have raised him again. Their thinking, that this made many Jews go away from them, is ridiculous. They certainly do not understand the whole issue of conversion. Gentile believers didn’t need such amazing signs to repent and be born again.

v. 12, 13 — Look back at John 11:56. The people were looking for Jesus. He stays away for a time before this celebration and the buzz grows. By the time He arrives, they are turning it into a big event. It is not time for Him to come as King. For the people to use the phrase “in the name of the Lord” was not quite appropriate. He actually is the Lord and the Messiah, but these people are still looking for a deliverer from oppression.

It was usual to strew flowers and branches, spread carpets, lay down garments in the pathway of conquerors and great princes, as well as others for whom it was intended to show particular honor and respect. In a similar way, Jehu was recognized as King in 2 Kings 9:13. In modern times, we see this custom carried on in the wedding ceremony when the brides path is strewn with flower petals as a sign of honor. Important, powerful, or famous people are often honored with a red carpet spread in their walkway during a ceremony. (from The New Manners and Customs of the Bible book)

We see by this passage, that there were many trees in Israel at this time. The land was not always as desolate as it is today. When Titus besieged the city in 70 A.D., he cut down many of the trees. A lot of them were used to make crosses to kill the Jews. This and further abuse over time has made the area a desert today.

v. 14 — Look at Zech. 9:9. Check the context. Prophecies cited in the NT have more information related to them than just the prophetic verse itself. In Zech. 9:1, Damascus is the capitol of Syria (enemy of Israel). Tyre and Sidon are in present day Lebanon. Verse 4 is predicting the coming destruction of Tyre under Alexander the Great. Gaza, Ashkelon, and Ekron are in the land of the Philistines. Verse 6 — Foreigners came and the region was occupied by a mixed population. Through the ages, there has been lots of destruction and judgment of Israel’s enemies. The biggest is yet to come as seen here in verse 10. The prophecy pictures a “lowly” or afflicted king able to bring salvation, but he comes in a manner unlike kings. There are no chariots or soldiers — only a lowly donkey. He identifies himself with the poor and common people. We know from other Scripture that His second coming will be very different. He will come in fire with angels the next time.

Morris has a good suggestion on viewing prophecy. “A frequently used illustration is that of an observer looking at two far-off mountain peaks. Unaware that there is a great valley between the peaks, he assumes that they are part of the same mountain, describing the two together.”

The phrase “lowly and riding upon an ass” seems out of place here. These events are 100’s of years apart referring to the first and then the second coming. The people honoring Jesus at the “Triumphal Entry,” as it is called, don’t understand the complexity of the prophecy. The Jews in John 12 saw this as a sign, but not as a humble Savior. They think He is going to rule now. It’s reasonable to assume they would have been searching Scripture and talking a great deal about whether He was “the One” or not. Some leaders must have thought He was coming as the King in Zechariah. After all, they’ve had three years to search out scriptures that might fit. When they see it won’t happen, they turn away violently without the contrition and humility required for salvation.

v. 16 — The disciples, who seemed rather confused through this time, get it later. Sometimes, we are the same. Fortunately, we have the Holy Spirit to help us recognize truth.

v. 18 — Could the people have recognized Him now? Yes, as individuals, but they were following their leaders. The responsibility is shared by leaders and followers.

v. 19 — Fear of loss of power can keep many from responding to the truth as shown here. Today, people want to run their own lives. With the prosperity in America, they see no need for God.

v. 20 — These may have been dispersed “westernized” Jews and probably had Greek names. They seek out Philip and Andrew who also have Greek names rather than Hebrew. Even today, there is much controversy among Jews in Israel that are of different cultures and races. Like many religions, there are a variety of factions and beliefs among them.

v. 21 — “ We would see Jesus” of whom they’ve heard — better to have said we want to “hear” Jesus. Truth is better than sight. Hearing produces faith.

v. 22, 23 — Beginning with this discourse, Jesus, for the first time, says His time has come. Previously, He said it had not come, but now He describes what is coming. He is referring to the cross, resurrection, ascension, glorification, etc. History is about to be changed!

v. 24 — (1) He has to die first to bear much fruit. (2) [v. 25, 26] You must die to self — give up the seed and invest it to get more and more. The seed we must give up is our life (a vapor, at best, compared to eternity). Give it up and get more! That doesn’t sound logical. Moving from death to life is the choice of any man or woman who is lost. This verse is all about repentance. Jesus’ purpose was to seek and save the lost. We do it, too, in order to serve Him and help Him in His work. Matt. 28:18-20 is the Great Commission.

Once in a while we meet someone on the street (just a week or so ago with a 70 year old, as a matter of fact) and Dave will ask them if they share the Gospel with others. “Of course I do,” they self righteously sputter. “Well, when did you do that last?” “Well . . . uh . . . I can’t remember exactly” and they cannot give an answer. Some refer back to their teen years or long ago when they might have said something to someone once. The Mormons are like this. Their young men put in their two year stint and then do nothing more in that regard for the rest of their lives – I’m glad they cool off! The intent is to know that the stakes are so high, that people are depending on us to get the Word out. If a blind man was about to step off a cliff, you would warn him, wouldn’t you? Would you care if he got snippy with you? NO! You must warn him so your conscience is clear and he has a chance to live.

v. 26 — This is a verse that teaches rewards. God made us and He knows that we do respond to rewards. As part of the family, we share in the good things and we endure some trials, too.

v. 27 — This is a rhetorical question — one that needs no answer. In the garden, we see the anguish Christ has, knowing that He must suffer the wrath of God in order to save us. Now, He sets His face as a flint (Is 50:7). He will fulfill His life’s work. He’s always patient, kind, and thoughtful of others through His whole ministry while knowing what the end will be.

The biggest emphasis in mega churches today is “worship, ” meaning “the show.” What is the purpose of worship? Calvinists say it is to bring glory to God. Jesus teaches that the Son of Man is glorified by the Gospel and therefore, later, the preaching of it. It’s okay to sing praises together, pray together, testify, and meet together as pairs, groups, or churches. However, worship and bringing glory to God are centered in the preaching of the Gospel. By this, we don’t mean people sitting in pews and listening to a preacher. Actually, that is teaching.

Preaching (though it is often seen as a profession in our culture) in the modern sense is giving a discourse on some portion of Scripture, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, it is proclaiming the Gospel way of salvation. It is telling the Good News of Jesus Christ which must include the need for repentance and belief. It is teaching Bible truths and exhortation, such that a person can understand and accept the terms of salvation. This was the extemporaneous manner of preaching that Christ and His disciples used. This is most effective on a one-on-one basis, which example Jesus gave us over and over again in His own ministry here on earth.

So, right now, while the seed is being sown and the souls harvested, it is the time to preach and gather in those who would be saved. It is not the time to be simply attending ,singing, and superficially encouraging the members without reaching out to the lost on a regular basis. That cannot be called worship. That will come later. Right now is the time to work and get the harvest in. Doing this work, as described in the verses that give the Great Commission, is true worship.

v. 28 — The Father can’t contain Himself, so He speaks from Heaven. He chooses some moments to personally and publicly verify His Son’s work.

v. 29 — “Let him who hath ears, hear.”

v. 30 — He always thinks of others!

v. 31 — Look at Heb. 2:13 . . .The devil has all in bondage. That system is broken by the cross.

v. 32 — All men. Everyone has a chance for salvation. There’s no Calvinism here. The invitation is open to everybody.

v. 34 — Is. 9:6,7. You could ask them this question. “Do you want justice now? For you, too? Judged for everything you have said, thought, and done up to now?” There’s an argumentative tone here. They have heard Him before, yet keep harping on the same thing. Jesus doesn’t answer this one. We get this same treatment on the street sometimes. We are actually looking for people who are genuinely concerned about their spiritual state. You can waste a lot of time defending Christianity to those who are just arguing for argument’s sake.

v. 35 — The binary aspect of Christianity is strong here. There are only two teams, two choices, light or dark, heaven or hell (lake of fire).

v. 36 — Believe and keep on believing on Him. We’ve talked about this strong life-changing type of belief before. This is not merely intellectual belief, but so strong that it transforms the life and changes the actions. Actions reflect core beliefs. The children of light are the believers — the true born again Christians. He said his piece and then left. He didn’t get phone numbers or addresses or entertain questions.

v. 37 — Despite the miracles, they didn’t believe. To get saved, you must be broken inside. Miracles don’t do that. They impress, but don’t produce the broken spirit needed for salvation. We might remember the awesomeness, but that does not necessarily make a change in life or action.

v. 38 — See Isaiah 53.

v. 40 — Looking at the example of Pharaoh may help here. He got to the point where his heart was so hard and rebellious that he was beyond help. God used that condition of his heart to give him courage in his rebellion. Otherwise, Pharaoh would have surrendered out of fear before the completion of all ten plagues. Eventually, Pharaoh gave in, but his heart was still rebellious on the inside.

The situation with the Jews was similar. John uses a reference to Isaiah. Chapter 53 is clearly a prophecy of the suffering Messiah and the cross. They refuse to accept it. Then the reference to Is. 6:6-10 indicates that they could not believe. The hardness of their hearts for so long had blinded their hearts from believing, thus fulfilling a prophecy made by Isaiah 700 years before. This curse shows how dangerous it is to delay or play games with God. He had finally said to the Jews, “Have it your way!” and the hardness/veil is still there in our present time (2 Cor. 3:14-15 and Rom. 11:8-11).

On the surface, this seems to be harsh. Israel’s broken relationship with God will be used by God for good. They don’t want to get right. They will even change their understanding. They will rationalize and make excuses. They will put themselves in a good light, because they don’t want to repent from being wrong, wasting time, wasting life etc. Is. 6:10 — preaching will make them more resistant to the message as time goes by. In verse 11, the question “how long?” is answered with a picture of the Tribulation and people getting harder and harder. Even in the Tribulation time, the people on earth will understand that it is Jesus/God who is working and still they will refuse to bow to Him and get saved.

V. 42 -43 — Rice said some got saved but stayed hidden – wrong! It doesn’t match Scripture in Matthew 10:32-33 — they weren’t truly saved. See Lu. 16:15. The leaders understood but stayed lost. They are now the hardest crowd on the planet to whom to witness.

v. 44 — This verse proves the interpretation of verses 42 and 43. One must go through Jesus to find God.

v. 46 – “I am” – the source of both physical and spiritual light, the only way out of darkness. There is no other way.

v. 48-50 — Let me say, that a good number of people disregard the Old Testament or will say, “I don’t believe all parts of the Bible.” We are not allowed to pick and choose. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Those who say such things will be judged by those words later. Consider 1 John 3:23. Which commandment brings everlasting life? Here is the answer. The two most important things a Christian can do: believe on the name of Jesus and love the brethren — John 15:12.

Some food for thought from Bonnie: It occurs to me that in the modern day church, there are many false converts, even in the most Biblically-based congregations. Worship is defined by Webster as the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being consisting of adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving etc.; to honor with extravagant love and extreme submission. In many modern church services, there is gyrating to rock music, waving of hands, and loud preaching. It’ s a weekly “show” aimed at entertainment.

In Acts 2, the believers met WITH ONE ACCORD and were given the Holy Spirit. In its infancy, this group was quite pure, but it didn’t take long for sin to rear its ugly head. The early group was characterized by such phrases as “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine;” “all that believed were together;” “and they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple.” However, by chapter 5, Ananias and Sapphira decide to lie to the Holy Spirit and judgment immediately comes upon them.

Doesn’t true worship require a spirit of unity? Doesn’t it need worshippers who are worthy members of the family of God? Then our modern churches aren’t worshipping God in spirit and in truth. What they do in the regularly scheduled weekly meetings is not worship.

Psalm 1 says, ”Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, NOR SINNERS IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS.”

When the whole church is gathered together in the future, without any outsiders, there will be appropriate corporate worship before the Lord, because all who are present belong to Him and are worthy to praise Him.

True worship then, would be demonstrating our love toward God. How best do we do that? John 14:15 says if we love Christ, we will keep His commandments. 1 John 5:1-3 describes the primary characteristics of a Christian and tells us that obeying the commandments is not grievous. John 15:12 says to love the brethren. The two greatest commandments, as restated by Christ, are to love God wholeheartedly and love our fellow man. The Great commission is the primary way to demonstrate love toward God because it is doing the work He gave us to do for Him. Bottom line: If we spread the Gospel and love our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are worshiping God.

~~~Bonnie