Tag: John

‘You, Follow Me!’ (John 21:1-25)

Audio · ·

Many people think that the end of chapter 20 in John would be the perfect to finish the book. In fact, some try and suggest that chapter 21 added later; there is no evidence for that. John’s words in verses 30 and 31, ‘Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.,’ seem to be a good conclusion for the book.

But, as with many stories, the main part of the story is resolved there, but there are a couple of loose ends yet to tie up. And one of them, which is crucial for the future of the church in John’s day, is ‘What about Peter?’ Peter is still in the shadows. Remember, he had denied Jesus three times in the courtyard of the High Priest, and yet he goes on to become a significant figure in the future of the church. And what about other people like him? Can anyone deny the Lord Jesus in public, and yet go on to minister in His name later?

What about the future? What does the future hold for us? What does Jesus know about the future?

All of these questions are here in chapter 21. And they are all questions which we need to turn our attention to, because as we saw in chapter 20, Jesus sends His followers out on the same mission which He had.

So we see here in chapter 21, three things:

  1. The Lord Reveals Himself by Serving (v1-14)
  2. The Lord Restores Sinners to Serve (v15-19)
  3. The Lord Redirects Speculation to Service (v20-25)

Sunday 22nd April 2018

Review Questions

  • Why were the disciples in Galilee (v1, Mark 16:7)?
  • Who recognised Jesus?
  • How did the disciples know it was Jesus?
  • What must Christians do?
  • What makes us love (Luke 7:27)?
  • What do pastors do?
  • How can I glorify Jesus in death?
  • What should I do instead of worrying about the future?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

‘That You May Believe’ (John 20:19-31)

Audio · ·

The big question here is ‘What do you know? And how do you know it?’

Is a sunset beautiful? How do you know?

Husbands, let me ask you, do you know if your wife beautiful? And wives, do you know if you love your husband? How do you know? Can you measure it?

We actually know many things which cannot be observed, or measured, or learned from experience in the school of hard knocks. And if we restrict what we know to what we can sense, many parts of life will remain unknown to us.

In particular, there are many things which God’s Word teaches us which we could not know otherwise. And if we do not know them, if we do not believe them, then we are not alive at all. So, John tells us repeatedly in this chapter that what we believe makes all the difference.

  1. Jesus Equips and Sends Believers (v19-23)
  2. God Blesses Non-seeing Believers (v24-29)
  3. The Messiah Gives Believers Life (v30-31)

Sunday 8th April 2018

Review Questions

  • Do I believe what I can’t see? Yes/No
  • Why were the disciples afraid (v18)?
  • Why does Jesus say, ‘Peace!’ (v19)?
  • What is Jesus’ mission for us (v21 & 23)?
  • Why did Jesus breathe (v22)?
  • Why should we never skip church (v24-26)?
  • What does Thomas discover (v27-28)?
  • Why did John write (v30-31)?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

Long Live the King! (John 20:1-18)

Audio · ·

We read in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19,

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.“

Sure, Jesus taught many great things which you listen to. Yes, Jesus did many good things which you try to follow. But if we asked your friends, what difference would they say the resurrection of Jesus makes to your life?

Does Jesus’ resurrection make a difference to how you live?

In John 20, we meet 3 people for whom the resurrection makes all the difference in the world: Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John.

  1. Fearing the Open Tomb (v1-2)
  2. Believing the Empty Tomb (v3-10)
  3. Declaring the Risen Son (v11-18)

Sunday 1st April 2018

  • When did Mary go to the tomb? Why?
  • Why would we serve Jesus?
  • What did Mary fear?
  • What did Peter & John see?
  • Why did John believe?
  • Why should have Mary expected a miracle?
  • Who did Mary expect?
  • Why shouldn’t Mary cling to Jesus
  • What is my Easter message about Jesus?
  • A question I have:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

 

The King is Dead (John 19:17-42)

Audio · ·

Why is Good Friday good? How can Jesus’ death be good? How can anyone’s death be good?

  1. The King is Disgraced with Criminals (v16-27)
  2. The King Finishes His Work (v28-30)
  3. The King is Dead (v31-37)
  4. The King is Honoured in Burial (v38-42)

Good Friday 30th March 2018

  • Why was crucifixion particularly bad?
  • Who did Jesus love?
  • What was ‘finished’?
  • How can we know that Jesus was really dead?
  • What does it mean that Jesus ‘gave up his spirit?’
  • Why is Good Friday good?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

‘I Find No Guilt In Him’ (John 19:1-16)

Audio · ·

‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ That is the main question which Pilate asked Jesus. And it is the main question we must answer too. Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent of any crime, but he was afraid of the crowd. He more interested in preserving his position of power than acting on the truth. And we face that challenge too.

What would you do? Would you do what’s right, stand with Jesus, and lose everything? Even your job? Your life?

If we see who Jesus is, not just as something we know, but something which changes how we think and what we love, then we will find ourselves able to live the truth and to resist the pressure to abandon Jesus.

  1. See the Perfect Man (v1-7)
  2. Fear the Son of God (v8-11)
  3. Honour the True King (v12-16)

Sunday 25th March 2018

  • What does Pilate know about Jesus?
  • Who is Jesus the king of?
  • What should we ‘see’ when we look at Jesus?
  • Why was Pilate afraid?
  • Why didn’t Jesus answer Pilate?
  • Are bad things God’s plan?
  • What makes one sin worse than another?
  • Who was the Jew’s king?
  • Who would my friends say is my king?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

’So You Are A King?’ (John 18:28-40)

Audio · ·

I’m not sure whether it’s an urban myth or not, but I’m told that for many years, if an ambulance officer suspected that someone had a concussion, they would ask them who the Prime Minister was, but that in recent years, that practice has been abandoned. It’s an essential question, isn’t it, to know who’s in charge. But our world is a world which has seen many rapid changes in the people who occupy the places of power, in our nation particularly. I think there was a four-year period where we had, was it 3 or 4 different Prime Ministers? That sort of instability is not a good thing for any nation.

But the more important question for us isn’t ‘Who rules out there?’ The question that’s of greatest importance, is ‘Who rules in here?’ We all have a seat for a king in the centre of our hearts. It is a place that rightly belongs to the Lord God Himself. He is the one who has made us. He is the one who decides the time that we enter into the world and the time that we will depart from it. He is the one who cares for us in each one of the days in between. He is the one who determines where we will spend eternity afterward. But very often, we don’t live like God deserves to sit on the throne of our lives. Very often, we live like we’re the king; it is we who get to decide what we will do. ‘I want to do this. I want to do that.’ And so I do.

Well, the question, ‘Who is the king?’ is at the heart of the passage that we read. Pilate asks it. He is the ruler over the Jews at this time, and he’s thinking in terms of nations and states, but standing before him is the one who should rule in his heart and in our hearts as well.

  1. Jesus’ Words are Fulfilled (v28-32)
  2. Jesus’ Kingdom is for Truth-Hearers (v33-38a)
  3. Do You Want the King of the Jews? (v38b-40)

Sunday 18th March 2018

  • Why wouldn’t the Jews enter Pilate’s headquarters?
  • What were they doing instead?
  • What was Pilate like?
  • How would Jesus’ words be fulfilled?
  • What is Jesus’ kingdom like?
  • Rulers should support Christianity: Y/N
  • What was Jesus’ purpose in life?
  • Do we like the truth?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer:

‘Ask Those Who Have Heard Me’ (John 18:12-27)

Audio · ·

Sunday 11th March 2018

It is a great compliment to be called a self-made man (or woman). We admire people who have engineered their own success, who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps rather than having it handed to them on a plate.

But self-reliance appears in our spiritual lives too. We can live what looks like a Godly Christian life, but without dependence on God in prayer. Or we can think that having been a Christian for a long time, we do not need to read our Bibles. Or it shows up by thinking that because we have been hurt by the church, we can live the Christian life on our own.

But John 18 shows us the outcome of relying on ourselves in spiritual things. John sets this in the context of the world in which we live (full of hard hearts) and contrasts spiritual self-reliance with the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.

  1. See the Hardness of Unconverted Hearts (v12-14)
  2. Marvell at the Submission of the Lord Jesus Christ (v19-24)
  3. Recognise the Weakness of a Real Christian (v15-18, 25-27)
  • What is the problem?
  • Is faith something I do or a gift God gives?
  • Why wasn’t Jesus arrested in public?
  • Was the trial fair? Why/why not?
  • Why didn’t Jesus escape?
  • Who scares Peter?
  • What does Peter fear most?
  • What should he have done?
  • What should we fear?
  • A question I have:
  • A truth to share:
  • Application:
  • Prayer: