S – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit
John 15:1–2 ESV
O – Jesus establishes that He is the vine (the connecting point for man to God) and God is the gardener. If someone isn’t bearing fruit, he is removed from God. Interestingly, the one that is bearing fruit is pruned. The greek word is katharŏs, kath-ar-os´:clean (lit. or fig.):— clean, clear, pure (James Strong, The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996).
A – If one isn’t in relationship with God or not bearing fruit, he is removed. But those who do know God and doing good things still have “parts that need to be cleansed, removed or purified.” God will continue to work on us and give us challenges to refine us to bear more fruit. There is still pain when you are bearing fruit.
R – Heavenly Father, you are the Master Gardener. You prune and mold us creating pain in our lives. Empower us to step toward your pruning and cleansing so we can bear more fruit.
S – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Johnn 14:6 ESV
O – Commentary:
Jesus’ words, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life, are the sixth of Jesus’ seven “I am” statements in the Gospel of John (6:48; 8:12; 10:9, 11; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1). Jesus is the “Way” because He is the “Truth” and the “Life.” As the Father is Truth and Life, Jesus is the embodiment of God so people can come to the Father (cf. 1:4, 14, 18; 11:25). By His words, No one comes to the Father except through Me, Jesus stressed that salvation, contrary to what many people think, is not obtainable through many ways. Only one Way exists (cf. Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus is the only access to the Father because He is the only One from the Father
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 322.
A – There are many “gods” in this world. God stands alone as the one, true God above all of them. He is who He says He is. Jesus was the bridge to Him by coming to earth in the form of a man who was fully God and fully man. We must accept Jesus as the Son of God to know God the Father. To some, this sounds very narrow and restricting. To me, this is simple and inviting to all people and in a way that anyone can make that decision.
R – Heavenly Father, you are the One, True God. Thank you for giving us access to you through Jesus your Son. We accept him as God in the form of man who died for our sins on the cross. We accept salvation through Him so we can have a relationship with you. Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit who guides and helps us each day.
S – Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him
John 13:3–5 ESV
O – Commentary:
Jesus knew that the time had come (cf. 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 12:23, 27; 17:1) for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Jesus’ death and resurrection were now imminent. He had come to die in obedience to the Father’s will. His coming was also an act of love for all mankind (3:16). But He has a special love for His sheep: He loved His own. Then He showed them the full extent of His love. His humble service (13:1–17), His teaching (13:18–17:26), and finally His death (chaps. 18–19) are in view. All three revealed His love
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 319.
A – The phrase “knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands,” is the mind blowing part of this verse. Given all authority over everything, Jesus submits to his fathers plan and then serves his disciples. It is such a great demonstration of God’s love for us. The commentary is spot on – his service, teaching and death – all point to his love for us.
R – Heavenly Father, you are God. It is humbling to see how Christ demonstrates his love for us in his life and death. Help us to never take it for granted. Help us to see the depth and sacrifice that Jesus demonstrates for us.
S – Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God
The Greek word translated “glory” (nrsv) or “praise” (niv, kjv) can also be translated “reputation” or “honor” but contrasts here with Jesus’ glorification (12:23). Ancient moralists sometimes condemned those who sought much glory; but achieving honor and status and avoiding shame were central obsessions, especially in urban masculine culture.
A – We look at the leaders with sadness and contempt because they didn’t recognize that Jesus was the Messiah and they wanted status with honor. We can also be like them. Will we stand for Jesus when our reputation, position and title is on the line? Can we boldly share our faith with people who don’t know Christ? Search yourself to see if you are more of a disciple or a religious leader?
R- Heavenly Father, you are worthy of all praise and glory. Search our hearts of any area where we are afraid of believing or sharing you. We are all in even though it may cost us something. Give us the courage to face those revelations and grow closer to you.
S – When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept
Deeply moved may either be translated “groaned” or more likely “angered.” The Greek word enebrimēsato (from embrimaomai) seems to connote anger or sternness. (This Gr. verb is used only five times in the NT, each time of the Lord’s words or feelings: Matt. 9:30; Mark 1:43; 14:5; John 11:33, 38.)
Why was Jesus angry? Some have argued that He was angry because of the people’s unbelief or hypocritical wailing. But this seems foreign to the context. A better explanation is that Jesus was angry at the tyranny of Satan who had brought sorrow and death to people through sin (cf. 8:44; Heb. 2:14–15). Also Jesus was troubled (etaraxen, lit., “stirred” or “agitated,” like the pool water in John 5:7; cf. 12:27; 13:21; 14:1, 27). This disturbance was because of His conflict with sin, death, and Satan.
11:35–37. Jesus’ weeping differed from that of the people. His quiet shedding of tears (edakrysen) differed from their loud wailing (klaiontas, v. 33). His weeping was over the tragic consequences of sin. The crowd interpreted His tears as an expression of love, or frustration at not being there to heal Lazarus.
A – Jesus showed human qualities and God qualities at the same time. He was angered by sin and move by compassion for his loved ones. He didn’t keep those emotions inside and stuff them down. He was vulnerable and allowed others to see how it challenged him. Interestingly, he stayed on task and did God’s will in the situation.
R – Heavenly Father, you are God and we are made in your image. Empower us today to embody our true emotions as mirrors to what you are doing in and through us. We want to be real and authentic. As we do this, we want to accomplish your will and purposes today.
S – Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
O – The blind man is healed and Jesus goes looking for him. He didn’t leave him alone to deal with it…he found him to bring him to resolution. Even in his initial disbelief, Jesus answers his questions back to belief.
A – In our unbelief, God goes looking for us. He meets us in where we are and continues to reveal himself until we choose. We all have blind spots. This is a great illustration of God’s heart as he walks with us.
R – Heavenly Father, you are Jehovah Rophe our healer. Thank you for meeting us in our blind spots and helping us to see you more each day
S – Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
John 8:58 -59 ESV
O – Commentary:
Jesus then affirmed His superiority over the prophets and Abraham. Abraham came into being; but when he was born, Jesus was already existing. I Am is a title of Deity (cf. Ex. 3:14; Isa. 41:4; 43:11–13; John 8:28); the Jews’ response (v. 59) showed they understood it that way. Jesus, because of His equality with God (5:18; 20:28; Phil. 2:6; Col. 2:9), existed from all eternity (John 1:1).
8:59. Jesus’ clear affirmation of His deity evoked a crisis. They had to decide whether He was what He claimed or was a blasphemer (cf. 5:18). Stoning was the normal punishment for this sin. The words, but Jesus hid Himself, could refer to a supernatural means of escape. The NIV‘s slipping away (lit., “He went out”) implies ordinary means (cf. 5:13; 10:39; 12:36). Once again His time had not yet come
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 306–307.
A – Jesus makes the bold statement. He angers the crowd by claiming to be God and their reaction aligns with the custom of the day. One of the attributes of the Holy Spirit is courage. (Isiah 11:2). We need to be bold and courageous when it comes to speaking the truth. We don’t have to be demeaning or disrespectful. We can speak the truth in love, courage and certainty when it lines up with God’s word and character.
R- Heavenly Father, you are the Truth and Life. Empower our words to align with your word and character. Give us courage to speak them with a heart that honors You and people.
S – After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.
John 6:66–69 ESV
O – Commentary:
6:66. His rejecting their desire to make Him their political king; His demand for personal faith; His teaching on atonement; His stress on total human inability and on salvation as a work of God—all these proved to be unpalatable for many people. They gave up being His disciples (“disciples” here refers to followers in general, not to the 12 Apostles; this is evident in v. 67).
6:67. You do not want to leave too, do you? He framed this question to encourage their weak faith. The Twelve were affected by the apostasy of the many, and Jesus used that occasion to refine their faith. They did not fully understand His words either and would not until after the Resurrection (20:9).
6:68–69. Peter, as a spokesman, gave his confession of faith. The path may be difficult, but he was convinced that Jesus’ words lead to life. No one else has the gift of eternal life. “We have believed and have known” is a better translation of the Greek perfect tenses (niv: We believe and know). Peter was confident of the apostles’ commitment to Jesus as the Holy One of God. This title is unusual (a demon addressed Jesus that way; Mark 1:24). It suggests Jesus’ transcendence (“the Holy One”) and His representation of the Father (“of God”); thus it is another way of confessing Him as Messiah
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 298.
A – Lots of great principles here. Jesus knew they wanted to make him the “earthly” king of the Jews and that was not his mission. As he unveiled God’s plan and claimed to be God in human form, he made them choose who they thought he was. Many today will walk away from God because he isn’t tangible enough. Secondly, this discourse challenged the disciples’ core faith and belief. As believers, our faith is tested by God, the enemy, circumstances and life – all pointing to the same question – “Do you want to leave Jesus too?” Finally, Peter speaks for the disciples and us – When you truly believe in Jesus as a savior, where else can you go to find salvation, relationship with God and eternal life?
R – Heavenly Father, you Holy and Yahweh. There is only you that is God, Savior and the Holy One. We choose you today in the testing of our faith and trust in you. Empower us to grow in our faith and love so as the tests grow, we meet them with more conviction and resolve in our relationship with you.
S – 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:17–18 CSB
O – Commentary:
But Jesus pointed to the continuous work of God as a justification for His Sabbath activity. God sustains the universe, begets life, and visits judgments. It is not wrong for His Son to do works of grace and mercy on the Sabbath. The words My Father should be noted. Jesus did not say “your Father” or even “our Father.” His opponents did not miss His claim to Diety.
5:18. The Sabbath controversy was enough to cause them to hate Jesus, but the implication of His claim that God is His own Father was impossible for them to accept. To them, God has no equals. Jesus’ claim, in their thinking, was a monstrous blasphemy. To be equal with God suggested, they thought, two gods and therefore polytheism. To make oneself “equal with God” was a claim of arrogant independence.
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 290.
A – The Jews were right – God has no equal. But, they were wrong, Jesus is God in human flesh. Who would be so arrogant to act like they were God? We do that today. God has given us direction in the Bible and his Holy Spirit to help us live a life that honors God. There are those who reject Jesus all together and those who acknowledge him but live life by their own rules and standards. The big question we will answer is what did we do with Jesus. He said, “I am the way, truth and life.”
R – Heavenly Father, you are God. We acknowledge that Jesus is God and so is the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ role is to be our savior and we accept him. We also choose to live a life according to your word and promptings. Empower us to do that today.
S – But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:23–24 ESV
O – Commentary:
With the advent of the Messiah the time came for a new order of worship. True worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God (3:21; 14:6) and the one and only Way to the Father (Acts 4:12). To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. To worship in Spirit is to worship in the new realm which God has revealed to people. The Father is seeking true worshipers because He wants people to live in reality, not in falsehood. Everybody is a worshiper (Rom. 1:25) but because of sin many are blind and constantly put their trust in worthless objects.
4:24. God is Spirit is a better translation than the KJV‘s “God is a Spirit.” God is not one Spirit among many. This is a declaration of His invisible nature. He is not confined to one location. Worship of God can be done only through the One (Jesus) who expresses God’s invisible nature (1:18) and by virtue of the Holy Spirit who opens to a believer the new realm of the kingdom
Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 286.
A – Jesus is the bridge to God in salvation, worship and relationship. Our worship to God is not confined to music. Yet, it is a a whole life that brings honor and glory to him. We have the Holy Spirit to empower us to use every aspect of our life as a way to give back to God the reverence he deserves.
R – Heavenly Father, you are worthy of our worship. You alone are God and worthy of our worship. Empower every aspect of our lives to point back to you our reverence and awe of your character, power and love. We worship you through your son, Jesus. We love you today.
Just Add Water . Chris Bonham 