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‘I am the resurrection and the life’ – John 11:17-57
Jesus had been debating with the Jewish authorities about His authority, whether He came from God and whether He was God. Jesus had told them plainly that He and the Father are one. Here, He showed that again in a way that is hard to deny. He raised Lazarus from the dead. The sisters loved…
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Jesus’ Delay – John 11:1-17
When the messenger arrived, telling Jesus that Lazarus was dying, Jesus immediately pronounced that the illness would not end in death. Then He stayed where He was for two more days. John is careful to tell us that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and Lazarus because staying where He was for two more days seems like…
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Spiritual Security – John 10:22-42
Jesus was surrounded by a group of religious leaders who wanted to kill Him. They wanted Him to state plainly that He was the Messiah, probably so they would have a good excuse to stone Him. Jesus told them that they had a choice. He had already told them that He and the Father are…
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The Good Shepherd – John 10:1-21
We see all the benefits from having a Good Shepherd like Jesus. Notice that these benefits all come from relationship. The sheep know and hear His voice. He calls the sheep by name. The sheep follow Him because they recognize His voice. Jesus also said that the “Good Shepherd lays down His life for the…
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‘I was blind, and now I can see’ – John 9:13-41
Jesus healed the man born blind on the Sabbath. The Pharisees used this as an excuse to claim He was sinful and couldn’t be from God because He didn’t keep the Sabbath. They called the man in to be questioned, not once but twice. They called in his parents to make sure that he had…
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Curiosity and Compassion – John 9:1-12
Jesus and the disciples came across a man who had been born blind. The disciples’ first impulse was not to help the man, but to place blame for his condition. They assumed the blindness was a punishment for the man’s sin or his parents’ sin. We can also be too quick to blame others for…
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‘The truth will set you free’ – John 8:21-59
We usually see the truth as a set of actual facts, but the truth Jesus is talking about is more than that. It is a genuine view of reality. The truth is a vision of spiritual reality, a reality that is hidden to those without Him. That’s why Jesus said we will know the truth…
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The Light of the World – John 8:1-20
Think about being in darkness. It’s hard to move, to walk. You stumble into things, trip and fall. Your fears are exaggerated. Shadows become threats. You don’t know what is in the darkness with you. You find it hard to know what is real and what is imagination. In the light, you see reality clearly.…
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‘No man ever spoke like this’ – John 7:25-53
The people and the Jewish leaders were confused about Jesus. They couldn’t decide who He was. They debated whether He was a prophet, a deceiver or someone demon possessed. But, as Jesus spoke of the Father who sent Him, some people believed in Him. That was too much for the Jewish leaders who sent the…
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‘For not even His brothers believed in Him’ – John 7:1-24
Verse 5 tells us that Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in Him. Further, there is a mocking, taunting tone to their remarks to Jesus in verses 3 and 4. They challenge Jesus to do more at the festival. They belittle His ministry as “seeking public recognition.” But for at least some of His brothers,…