John presents Jesus as the Word—God’s revelation of himself to humanity. The Word is with God, preexistent, distinct from God, coequal with God, and a person.

Through the Word, God brought light to darkness and life to nothingness. The light and life we find in Jesus is supreme, eternal, and universal.

One of the great mysteries of the Gospel of John is that the world did not recognize Jesus. He was presented to all, rejected by most, and received by some.

When we recognize Jesus as God, we have the opportunity to become God’s children. As such, we become his witnesses—light in a dark world.

Jesus is the embodiment of God’s grace and truth. In him, we find undeserved favor and intimate access to God.

John the Baptist brings an important and difficult message, calling people to repent in preparation of the coming Messiah. God intentionally sets the stage for his people to receive Jesus.

Jesus does not meet the expectations of the Jewish people, which leads to many rejecting him.

In Jesus, God gives us what we need, not what we want. We believe we need something or someone to make our lives better. But Jesus shows us that we need a whole new way of life.

When John the Baptist’s disciples leave him to follow Jesus, he knows that God’s mission is more important than his personal role.

As Jesus begins to gather his disciples, he shows them his true nature. He is their access to God, the One who connects Heaven and earth.

Mary expects Jesus to solve an immediate problem. However, he is clear that not only has the time not yet come for him to reveal himself as Messiah, but that his mission transcends solving earthly problems.

While Jesus corrects his mother, he also cares for the bridegroom. For the first time, he reveals his glory and power, and it moves his disciples to belief.

The miracle of turning water into wine is symbolic—Jesus uses ceremonial jars that represent the restriction of the law and turns them into a sign of abundance.

Jesus’ miracle happens behind the scenes, which creates a paradigm for us as believers. Our obedience in small, quiet places is often where God is at work.

The disciples are moved to belief by Jesus’ power, but many are not, including his brothers. The problem is not one of information, but of the heart.

When Jesus encounters distraction and even corruption in the Temple, he exerts his authority, driving out the merchants and money changers.

Jesus is clear that his priority is God’s people being able to worship and connect with him without distraction.

In their entitlement, the religious leaders seek to get Jesus to perform on their terms by asking him to authenticate his authority with a miracle.

For a receptive heart, miracles affirm faith. But for one whose heart is hardened, miracles further strengthen that person’s resistance to Jesus.

As Jesus reveals himself, we are all given opportunities to humble ourselves and engage him. We are also given opportunities to resist and reject him.

Jesus is the true Temple—not only is he our access to God, he is the sacrifice that makes it possible for us to approach God.

Sometimes we miss Jesus because our appetites are too small. We are content with less than what he is offering.

As a Pharisee, Nicodemus misinterpreted and reduced God’s Old Testament promises. We too can misinterpret Scripture, which was not written to justify our own sense of rightness. It was given as a witness to who God is.

Just like Moses lifted the snake in the desert, Jesus offers himself as a greater deliverance. If we receive him on his terms, despite our lack of understanding, he will give us life that cannot be destroyed.

Jesus was sent not to judge the world, but to save the world. Judgment is therefore dependent on us and our reception of Jesus as he presents himself.

Jesus wants to give us more. He holds himself out as the fulfillment of Scripture, as the source of life, hope, forgiveness, and salvation. When our identities are challenged, Jesus reveals whether or not he is our real source of life.

Although John the Baptist’s ministry diminishes, he is filled with joy at Jesus’ success. John understands that Jesus is the main character and he is simply a witness.

Being able to receive with gladness what God gives to us is a mark of great spiritual maturity.

While none of us are the main character, we do have a role to play. We can find freedom in accepting our place and our assignment from God.

We naturally want attention and affirmation for ourselves. This is revealed through our anxiety, stuck marriages, hidden sin, busyness, and worry over our children.

Unlike the Old Testament prophets, Jesus receives the Holy Spirit without limit. His authority is in a different category.

The gospel reveals Jesus’ identity as God’s beloved Son, and we are invited into that loving relationship. We must choose either faith in Jesus, which is revealed by obedience and grants us access to eternal life, or our own autonomy—rejecting Jesus and remaining under God’s judgment.

The woman’s need for water is real, but it is not her greatest need. We also can become obsessed with legitimate needs that are not our greatest need.

Jesus exposes her shame, which is painful. But we can only find genuine faith and healing when our sins are exposed.

In his love, Jesus forces her to a moment of judgment in order to give her an opportunity to go in a new direction. Likewise, if we are willing, Jesus will bear our shame.

It’s easy for us to think of Christianity as a series of rituals, but it is above all a relationship with Jesus. The substance of our faith is that Jesus died for us and put us in right relationship with God.

When the woman shares her story, many are compelled to hear more. We also should respond to God’s prompting, even when we don’t know where the journey will take us.

As Jesus returns to his hometown, he knows he will not be honored. However, he is not driven by a need for affirmation.

Most of the Galileans miss Jesus because they are distracted, judgmental, and demanding. They want Jesus to meet their agenda.

The official finds Jesus because he is broken, humble, and dependent. He understands his need, which makes it possible for him to receive Jesus with faith.

God uses pain as a doorway to his love and mercy. While suffering is difficult to endure, we can be encouraged that God uses it to reveal himself and draw us closer to him.

The official responds in faith even when he has no evidence of his son’s healing. Often, the only way we know we have faith is by obeying.

After finding his son alive and well, the official honors Jesus. When Jesus acts on our behalf, we also should take time to respond in faith and worship.

When Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, he creates tension for the Jewish leaders. They use the Scripture to exert control, and Jesus is threatening their power.

Jesus is clear that he is God’s Son, he is equal with God, and God has given him authority to judge as well as power over life and death.

Many seek Jesus as a way to better their lives. However, our biggest issue is not fulfilling our dreams—it is that we are dead and separated from God.

It’s normative in our culture to say you follow Jesus and live a life that does not reflect that reality. However, true belief leads to life change.

Like the Jewish leaders, we often twist the Scriptures to preserve our comfort and the illusion of control because we are fearful.

The crowd is drawn to Jesus because of his miracles. However, they are blinded by their own expectations and reliant on their own power, so they miss Jesus.

Jesus’ hiding from the crowd is a kindness. The worst thing that can happen to someone blinded by their own “truth” is to get what they want and realize it is not enough.

In contrast, the disciples simply desire to be with Jesus for who he is. They are operational, working in the field alongside him. It is important for us to serve on Jesus’ terms and not our own.

Life as a disciple includes obedience without understanding and waiting on Jesus. We must receive Jesus as he offers himself, not as we want him to be.

There will be times when we feel alone, but when we struggle through those fears and receive Jesus on his terms, he will act on our behalf.

Jesus is worthy of our trust because he is vulnerable for our sakes and patient with our limitations. We can trust that he is coming for us.

Many who follow Jesus are more interested in what he can do for them than in Jesus himself. Jesus will bring them to a point of decision—all must either believe in or reject him.

The only work we can do is to believe. Yes, our salvation represents a momentous work, but it is Jesus’ work, not our own.

Our independence is deeply embedded, and we all struggle to trust Jesus more than ourselves.

Like the crowd, we understand that if Jesus is King over our lives, he is in charge and we lose control. That element of risk requires faith in his goodness.

Our obedience to God is not always about our own benefit—it is about his glory. Part of following Jesus is obeying when we do not understand.

God is clearly sovereign over salvation, and we are responsible to pursue God and choose him. This is a mystery, and the fact that we cannot understand it is good.

Like Jesus’ brothers, we can seemingly be on board with Jesus without truly believing in him, seeking our own agendas instead.

The crowds recognize there is something different about Jesus’ teaching. Instead of attaching people to himself to gain affirmation, he promotes God and his kingdom.

Confronting them with their conflicting Sabbath rules, Jesus challenges the crowd to look beneath the surface to see what he is actually doing—bringing restoration. As a result, many believe in him.

Jesus is the solution to our spiritual thirst. Those who are thirsty, those who recognize their need, will come to him.

The defining quality of a Christian is the presence of the Holy Spirit working and regenerating them on the inside.

The Pharisees evaluate Jesus and reject him. In order to believe, we too evaluate Jesus, but we must also evaluate ourselves in order to recognize our spiritual thirst.

As Jesus reveals himself as the light of the world and offers himself as the source of life, the tension with religious leaders escalates.

In defining himself as the light, Jesus clearly claims to be God’s presence in the world, bringing order out of chaos and pushing back the darkness of sin.

Jesus exposes our sin and offers a cure. And we must choose either to follow the light of Christ or despise him for disrupting our darkness.

Unless we believe Jesus is who he claims to be and accept him as he offers himself, then we will die in our sin, separated from God.

Jesus tells his audience that his death will also be his glorification, and it will be a moment of revelation for many. In offering himself up for us, he provides a path through death into eternal life if we accept him on his terms.

In response to Jesus’ message, the religious leaders resist the idea that they need freedom from sin. They feel privileged and entitled because of their Jewish heritage.

Jesus acknowledges the reality of Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to God. However, he is clear that his audience is not following Abraham’s example.

We also like to create our own categories of merit, but unless we reach despair over our brokenness, we will not see our need for what Jesus offers.

Jesus clearly claims equality with God, and it enrages his Jewish audience. If Jesus is who he claims to be, we must either offer our lives to him, or reject him.

Ultimately, our lives are not about us—they are about Jesus. He asks us to trust him and give ourselves to him in faith.

While the disciples are bogged down in their preconceptions of why a man would be born blind, Jesus sees and engages the man as a person.

Because God is our Creator, we exist for him—not ourselves. He has the right to do with us what seems best to him to reveal his power and glory.

We can trust God because Jesus came to suffer with us under the curse of the world’s brokenness and create a way out for us.

The man born blind is asked to obey in difficult circumstances. Even though he has very little information, he has courage born out of faith in Jesus.

Our faith cannot be built on answers and information—it lives through our stories of redemption.

Obeying Jesus and accepting him as he offers himself will disrupt our preconceived notions of the world. However, obedience is the only way to see Jesus.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus offers care, safety, and life. As his sheep, we follow and trust him because we know his voice.

The world has aligned itself with the values of the Enemy, and what it offers looks like freedom and affirmation, but that path ends in destruction.

In contrast, Jesus provides freedom from destruction. In order to enjoy Jesus’ protection, we have to trust him more than we trust ourselves.

We know Jesus is a Good Shepherd because he sacrifices himself for us. He was willing to take the judgment meant for us in order to provide us with eternal life.

God has pursued us in astonishing ways, and our response should be one of gratitude.

As believers, we can walk with the confidence of being cared for by our Shepherd. This enables us to rest in his protection even when we don’t understand his direction.

As Jesus offers himself to the Jews, they continue to reject him. The dark reality is that their opportunities to follow Jesus are diminishing.

There is an intimate connection between the Shepherd and his sheep—they follow him because they know and trust his voice. Likewise, the Shepherd knows his sheep.

Jesus offers us life that is both eternal and abundant. It may be different from what we imagine, but it will be stronger, better, and truer.

Because God has given believers to Jesus, nobody can take us from his hand. We can rest and have peace in his strength.

When Jesus offers himself, it creates a watershed moment. We must choose either to accept or reject him. This happens in both big and small ways throughout life.

When the disciples follow Jesus into danger, they believe they are walking towards death. However, Jesus is clear that death is fleeting and life is eternal.

Obedience in the face of real loss and risk is how we build our faith—how we stumble into glory.

Genuine faith needs the help of corrective lenses to see beyond the immediate.

When Martha confesses her faith, Jesus reveals a powerful truth—resurrection is not an event; resurrection is a person.

Jesus is either our greatest hope or our greatest threat. We all must either accept or reject him as king.

The enemies of Jesus cannot help but ultimately and even unwittingly accomplish his purposes.

Mary sacrifices herself for Jesus in an extravagant, intimate way. Her worship is born out of gratitude for what Jesus has done.

Although Judas is in close proximity to Jesus and other believers, his heart is hardened. What he values has alienated him from the Savior.

Jesus is clear that finding him is more important than anything else—nothing should get in the way of our pursuit of him.

One mark of a believer is a willingness to endure shame. God is pleased with those who are willing to bear up under suffering for the cause of Christ.

Although many praise Jesus at his triumphal entry, he does not come to give them what they want. He comes to give them what they need.

As Jesus turns to face the end of his life on earth, he knows suffering and glory will be intertwined. The path to glory is costly.

The way to fruitfulness is death. Jesus calls us to follow him in the pattern of death producing life.

When we hold tightly to the things of the world to satisfy our souls, they will be corrupted and flee us. Even good things cannot sustain us.

In the face of deep distress and anxiety, Jesus has faith in God’s purposes. His hope for God’s glory empowers him to take the next step of obedience.

Satan believes Jesus’ death will be his path to the throne. Ironically, the cross is Jesus’ path to the throne.

Some believe in Jesus, and some reject him. Each of us must also respond by accepting him as he offers himself or we have rejected him, whether by choice or indifference.

Teach someone a life skill.

Care for people in a difficult season.

Help disciple someone who is struggling with sin.

Learn how not to fight—how to be willing to lose.

Learn how to forgive—to absorb the weight of someone else’s sin and move forward.

Jesus’ definition of love is different from our culture. He is with us, he tells us the truth, and he sacrifices himself for us.

In washing the disciples’ feet, Jesus symbolizes the truth that he will wash away our sin, take it on himself, and make us clean with his holiness.

Jesus takes on the posture and practice of a slave—even to Judas, who will reject and betray him.

As Americans, giving up what we view as our rights for the good of others is countercultural. Independence is deeply embedded in our souls.

Those who follow Jesus’ example in living like slaves will be blessed by God.

Even when Jesus is about to suffer betrayal and death, he is thinking about how to care for his disciples rather than looking for comfort from them.

Jesus has authority over this moment, yet he feels the wrongness of the world deeply. He has empathy for our brokenness, suffering, and temptation.

In the face of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus does not judge him. Jesus continues to offer himself in an intimate way that honors Judas.

Receiving communion from Jesus should have been the greatest honor of Judas’ life. However, he chooses to harbor his small, petty sin, and his heart is hardened.

Peter is ready for action, but he is not prepared to die in shame. While he fails in this moment, he stays with Jesus and will get his chance to show his loyalty.

Jesus is clear that his disciples cannot be fruitful apart from him. When we remain in Christ, we can have a vibrant relationship with God and be useful to his Kingdom.

The Holy Spirit produces fruit in and through us. However, we must repent and turn from our sin in order for him to work.

A fruitful life is borne out of obedience to God and sacrificial love for others.

Sacrificing ourselves to find joy and be fruitful feels counterintuitive, but it’s incredibly compelling.

Jesus modeled the fruitful life by allowing himself to be pruned, to be cut off from God so that we could have access to him.

The world is defined as those who reject Jesus—be they religious or pagan. And the world will also oppose those who follow Jesus.

Jesus’ moment of greatest glory is his crucifixion, which creates a paradigm for believers. To partner with Jesus in his suffering is to partner with him in glory.

Jesus’ revelation to the religious leaders magnifies their guilt. In the same way, the more we reject what Jesus reveals to us, the greater our guilt.

Peter warns against taking a principled, judgmental stand towards the world and meddling in their choices. Instead, we are to bear humble witness of Jesus’ work.

Jesus prepares his disciples for hardship by explaining that their sorrow in this world will be momentary, and their joy with him will be eternal.

We are like sheep—easily scattered, fragile, and self-centered. Our natural tendency is to mistrust God when things don’t go well.

The only way to have lasting peace in this world is in Christ. We must put our faith in his life, death, and resurrection, and abide in him through prayer.

Although the troubles of this world seem overwhelming, Jesus has overcome the world. A day is coming when he will reveal himself as King.

Jesus longs for restoration of the relationship he had with the Father before the world began. In the same way, eternal life for us is rooted in having a relationship with God, not simply knowing who he is.

The cross is a gateway to the full revelation of God’s glory in Christ.

Just as the cross is a turning point for Jesus, so must we come to terms with what it means for us. Death to self and acceptance of Christ is the only way to enduring glory.

Before his death, Jesus advocates for his disciples and for us. Jesus now lives forever to intercede on our behalf.

We should live together and care for one another in such a way that it is astonishing and compelling to the world around us.

While we may feel like our fight is in the flesh and blood difficulties of this world, the real battle is in the unseen spiritual realm, where Jesus is ruling.

Judas betrays Jesus because he wants to be on the winning team. When we’re angry with God because life isn’t going the way we expected, our hearts are exposed to have similar expectations of Jesus as Judas did.

Since Jesus steps forward for us, we have the freedom to step forward for others, secure in the value he has given us.

By telling Peter to put away his sword, Jesus reveals his battle plan. In this spiritual fight, nations and political parties are merely used in the fight to conquer sin and death.

Just like the Father takes Caiaphas’ dark words against Jesus and uses them as a prophecy for his redemption plan, he takes the worst things about us and turns them for good.

John compares Jesus and Peter in this moment, and they differ in their mission, identity, action, and posture.

Because Jesus is clear on his identity and mission, his posture is resolute. He is grounded in the Father’s plan.

Like Peter, many of us are far more interested in our rights, acquiring power, and winning the day for our own purposes and comfort.

Jesus embraced the cross, and it becomes a paradigm for us—when we identify with Christ in suffering for others, we will share in his glory.

God is our creator and judge, yet we often sit in judgment of him. Ironically, our judgment of him determines our eternal destiny.

Jesus’ trial occurs at the height of Passover. He is our Passover Lamb—his blood covers us so God’s judgment falls on him in our place.

This trial is not Jesus’ trial; it is our trial. And he is willing to be cursed for us.

Like Pilate, the world cannot understand a power greater than we can comprehend wrapped in vulnerability and meekness.

Barabbas is representative—a guilty criminal goes free, and an innocent man dies in his place. It is the greatest evil that brings about the greatest good.

While it may appear that Jesus is losing, the reality is—God is winning. In contrast, when we feel like we are winning in life, we are often losing.

Pilate is the individual with the most perceived power; however, he is fearful, unstable, and ultimately has no control over the situation.

When the Jewish leaders are presented with Jesus as their king, they pledge allegiance to Caesar. Like them, we often want the king who delivers our desired outcomes.

Jesus’ innocence is vital for him to be an effective sacrifice.

We bring all the sin; he brings all the righteousness. He walks away with all the sin; we walk away with all the righteousness. This is the essence of the gospel—the great exchange.

The Fall left us broken and searching for something to fill the void within our souls. Jesus both takes on our thirst and provides the only source of true life.

Ironically, the Jewish leaders are fearful that Jesus’ death will spoil the special Sabbath of the Passover celebration. In reality, Jesus is both our Sabbath and our Passover lamb.

Although the scene of Jesus' death is full of cruelty and chaos, God is sovereign over all of it, and he is working according to his good purposes.

If we desire to share in Jesus’ glory, then we must also share in his suffering. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus both commit to identifying with Jesus at great cost.

Every time we take communion, we proclaim the death of Jesus. He was pierced and striped for us, and he drank the cup of judgment that should have been ours.

The role of sight is significant—the disciples and Mary Magdalene unite their seeing with understanding, which leads to the action of belief.

Mary, who is marginalized in her culture, is the first human to meet and bear witness to the resurrected Jesus. God chooses those out of the flow of their culture to advance his Kingdom.

When Jesus is first reunited with his disciples, he greets them in fellowship, commissions them with a mission, and prepares them to receive power and authority as they spread the gospel.

God will judge the world; however, he calls us to both hold each other accountable and extend forgiveness within the body of believers.

Thomas had to see Jesus in order to believe in his resurrection. Jesus then declares that those who believe without seeing will receive a special blessing.

Jesus engages Peter around his failure, acknowledging his pain while restoring Peter and mobilizing him to serve.

Like Peter, we must be willing to humble ourselves and trust Jesus’ ability to forgive us. We cannot forgive ourselves—we can only learn to receive forgiveness from God.

We all suffer and prosper in unique ways. We cannot compare our journey to someone else’s.

Jesus is returning for his people. He’s created an opportunity for us to enter his story and be part of the flow of what he is doing to advance his Kingdom.