The Word: Encountering Jesus through the gospel of John
Featured
The resurrection is not only an event to be celebrated but a reality to be lived. It is the dawn of new creation that calls us to hope, a summons to a personal encounter with Jesus that invites us to faith, and Christ's commission that sends us forth in love.
John 19 emphasizes the profound sovereignty of Christ in his crucifixion, revealing how even in his suffering, every detail was part of God’s eternal plan for redemption. John highlights Christ’s compassion on the cross, his substitutionary death for sinners, and the fulfillment of Scripture, calling believers to trust in the completed work of Christ and embrace the community formed by his atoning sacrifice.
Christ’s kingdom flips worldly power structures on their head: it is a kingdom of peace, not violence; humility, not arrogance; love, not domination. Christ’s kingdom, while politically charged, brings about change through love, self-sacrifice, and hope for a renewed world.
John 18:1-11 explores how Jesus intentionally chose the location of his betrayal, demonstrating his sovereign control over his surroundings, his enemies, and the suffering he would endure, ultimately revealing the profound mystery and hope of the gospel.
In this week’s episode, we explore John 17, often called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. This prayer marks the culmination of Jesus’ farewell discourse, where He prays for Himself, His disciples, and all future believers. We focus on His desire for unity among His followers, not for unity’s sake, but to show the world God’s love through genuine, God-powered love for one another.
"The birth pangs of the new world have begun in his passion, and those who follow him share them. But the joy of the new creation has also begun in his resurrection, and those who follow the way of the cross also share the joy of the new world. For them, the sufferings of this present age are but “a little while” compared to the glory that is already dawning (Rom. 8:18–39).” — Lesslie Newbigin
Jesus teaches his disciples, amongst other things, that the ministry of the Holy Spirit enables us to not only see the glory, the holiness, the radiance, the majesty of God and affirm it but to magnificently rejoice in it — to find it beautiful.
Jesus teaches his disciples that a life of abiding in Him will have consequences. A life full of joy and love first and foremost, but also the potential for hatred and persecution from the world. Jesus wants his disciples to be prepared to face such hardships in life so that their faith is strengthened, not weakened.
God’s gracious and empowering presence with his people is not an invitation to settle down and forget the rest of the world: it is a summons to mission. As the true vine (i.e. the true Israel), Jesus calls us to be the true branches that bear true fruit which is his life being made visible in the midst of the life of the world.
In John 14, Jesus promises his disciples "another advocate." That advocate/helper/counselor is the "Spirit of truth." What the Spirit of God primarily wants to do is tell us, teach us, remind us that we are in Jesus and as such, we are in the Father.
As "the way, the truth, and the life," Jesus serves as the better/truer/eternal prophet, priest, and king. Therefore, his promise of “greater works” means that as prophet, priest, and king, his purposes will be amplified by his multiplying believers and expanding church.
In John 13, Jesus was flanked at the table (and in his whole life, really) by love and betrayal. As disciples of Jesus’, the more we are with him, become like him, and do what he did, the more that will be true of our life as well.
John 13:1-17 is not just about an honored teacher performing a shameful act to serve His pupils — It tells the story that God Himself, who has authority over all of the cosmos and reality itself — has taken on the role of a servant. Jesus’ people serve people because they are served-people.
John 12:37 says, "Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him,..." The temptation for us might be to think, "How is that possible?!" But there's a lot to unpack with what Jesus is trying to teach us through John's gospel here.
As best we can, let us strive together to examine the totality of scripture so that we may see the glory and beauty of our Lord Jesus. Let us be a gospel-informed people who revel in the knowledge of Christ.
Mary's annointing of Jesus at Bethany reveals to us what true worship looks like. Where others around her saw waste, Jesus saw worship. She had been so shaped/changed by Jesus that she couldn't help but give him what was costly and fitting.
Like the council that formed after Lazuarus's resurrection, we have to options: Bow to Jesus and his Kingdom and face the fallout of the empire/culture or bow to the empire/culture and face the fallout of Jesus and his Kingdom.
If Jesus had come to the earth with the sword of God’s wrath and judgement against evil, none of us would have been left to tell about it. However, he did NOT come with a sword in his hands but nails—NOT to bring judgement BUT to bear it.
The first third of the Lazarus story reveals that Lazarus isn't the only main character–his sisters, Mary and Martha are as well. And what we learn is that the gospel is a story of our God doing all things well, not all things easily.
Christ is the shepherd who loves us, who cares for us, who knows us He is he door to the Kingdom, our protection, our salvation, the source of abundant life. He is kind, he is gentle, he is selfless and in his giving of his life we find our own.
Jesus miraculously heals a blind man. He also brings true spiritual sight to those who believe and respond to Him with faithful allegiance. To those who follow Christ, you will face interpersonal hardships, however, our consolation and reward is Christ himself.
When we encounter suffering, we are faced with a choice: to allow bitterness to consume us or to allow our pain to make us better. Suffering serves as a crucible in which our faith is refined and strengthened.
Like the Jews in John 8, the proclamation that we can be free often offends us because we detect the implication that we are enslaved. But we are—we are slaves to sin (1 Kings 8:46; Romans 3:10–18). Abiding in Christ's truth, however, offers us freedom to truly live into who we were created to be—free from sin and free to live as sons/daughters of God and heirs with Christ.
Piper writes of John 7:53-8:1, “The most remarkable point of this story is that Jesusexalts himself above the Law of Moses, changes its appointed punishment, and reestablishes righteousness on the foundation of grace.”
C.S. Lewis writes in Mere Christianity: “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next… [they] all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with heaven… Aim at Heaven and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth and you will get neither.“
Even Jesus's own [half] brothers did not believe (i.e. have faith) in him. We see from John 7:1-13 that familiarity with Jesus does not necessarily equate submission to him. But the offer of Jesus is invitation into a 'new kind of family' through his own life, death, and resurrection! This is the family of God. More than mere metaphor—it is reality-altering truth!
The message of John 21 explores how Jesus meets us in our ordinary moments, restores us from our failures, and calls us to run the unique race He has set before us. Discover the power of Christ’s enduring presence and how the Gospel continues to shape our lives and bring glory to God.