John
The Story of Jesus
Whats it to You! - 4/27/2024
April 28, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:18–22
Last week, we witnessed this beautiful moment as Jesus restored Peter from the damage he had done to himself through those three denials. Jesus loved Peter. So, in these following few verses, we see how Jesus assures Peter that he will never deny Him again. In fact, Jesus tells Peter that he would glorify God by dying a martyr's death in old age. Those words that assured him of his faithfulness as a follower of Jesus also brought a grim reality of the kind of death he would suffer. Jesus invited Peter to follow Him. By the time the gospel of John was written, Peter had already suffered a violent death. However, that day on the beach, while Peter walked and talked with Jesus, those prophetic words brought a bit of envy as he once again took his eyes off Jesus, but this time, he wasn't looking at the storm that nearly caused him to drown, this time he was looking back at the "beloved disciple" with envy and comparison. Jesus' path for Peter was uniquely his, and John's path was likewise. So, Jesus asked, "What is it to you." It was more of a statement than a question. Jesus calls each of us personally and uniquely to follow Him.
Do You Love Me? 4/20/2024
April 21, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:15–17
Jesus’ meeting on the beach with His boys was profound in many ways. Not only did He provide for their needs (the miraculous catch of fish), giving them a promise for the future, and demonstrated His servant-heart by feeding the disciples breakfast, but it also included the restoration of Peter, whose courage had failed him when Jesus was arrested. Having boasted that he would never deny the Lord, even if the other disciples did (Mt 26:33, 35; Mk 14:29; Lk 22:33; Jn 13:37), Peter had done so three times (Mt 26:69-75; Mk 14:66-72; Lk 22:55-62; Jn 18:15-18, 22-27). Every one of the gospels reports those denials in detail, but John also tells us that Jesus restored Peter. On the day He was resurrected, Jesus met with him privately (Lk 24:34; 1Co 15:5), and during that meeting, He must have forgiven him. However, that morning, by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus took Peter aside after breakfast and went for a walk with him. During that walk, He carefully healed the damage that those denials had produced, one denial at a time, and He also reaffirmed Peter’s call to ministry. Peter must have felt disqualified from serving Jesus after his denials, but thankfully (for Peter and us), Jesus does not call the qualified. Instead, He qualifies the called.
Breakfast on the Beach - 4/14/2024
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:9–14
Jesus shows up on the shore of the Sea of Galilee to cook breakfast for a group of hungry disciples, and we learn a powerful truth from this act of kindness. Jesus cares about our needs. He cares in practical ways. Jesus knew these men were desperate, hungry, tired, and cold, so He met them where they were. Jesus cares deeply about us. He not only has empathy but responds to us with kindness. Jesus sees and meets our needs because He is the greatest servant of all, and through His kindness, we can learn to be kind like Him.
Fishers of Men - 4/7/2024
April 7, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 21:1–11
After Jesus rose from the dead, He continued to appear to His disciples over the next forty days. The disciples remained in Jerusalem for at least eight days after the resurrection (Jn 20:26) and then traveled north to the Galilee region, just as Jesus and the angels had instructed them to do (Mt 26:32; 28:7, 10; Mk 16:7). They stayed in Galilee for an undisclosed amount of time and returned to Jerusalem at least ten days before Pentecost (Ac 1:3-4). Perhaps Jesus sent them north for their safety or simply just to be with family before the explosive growth of the church began (Ac 2:41; 4:4; 5:14). It was during this time in Galilee that John takes us to another appearance of Jesus. Chapter 21 begins with Jesus revealing Himself to a group of His disciples, which carried a symbolic miracle of provision and calling. They had gone back to fishing; after all, it was what they were good at, and it provided for their families. Jesus shows up on the shore with a familiar promise. Jesus provides and seeks intimacy even when we lack direction.
Proof- 3/31/2024
March 31, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 20:24–29
On Friday, Jesus took His last breath as He hung on the cross- a sinless Man who paid the judgment for all humanity. As Jesus hung on the cross, several Jewish prophesies were fulfilled: they divided one of Jesus' garments and cast lots for the other (Ps 22:11-18), His bones were not broken, and His side was pierced with a spear (Is 53:5; Zec 12:1-10). Isaiah fifty-three is about Jesus. This chapter so carefully describes the scene at the cross. This is critical because Isaiah was written 750 years before this moment. So, as these events unfolded, eyes willing to see were being opened to the idea that the Messiah was in their midst. Jesus took His last breath and said, "It is finished." Then, He bowed His head and delivered up His spirit. Joseph Arimathea (a prominent member of the Sanhedrin) asked if he could take Jesus' body to bury it before the Sabbath began. This is also significant as it fulfills another prophesy that the suffering Servant would be buried in a rich man's tomb (Is 53:9). On Sunday morning, the women returned to the tomb to care for Jesus' body, but instead, they were greeted by an angel telling them that Jesus had risen. They returned to tell the other disciples, and Jesus appeared to them. The other disciples did not believe them or Mary Magdalene, who had her own encounter with Jesus, but later that evening, while they were locked in a room hiding because they feared the religious leaders, Jesus appeared and said, "Peace be with you." It was at that moment they all believed and received the Holy Spirit. However, Thomas was not with them. Thomas is often known as "Doubting Thomas," as he said he would not believe without physical proof. Thankfully, Jesus invites us to test the truth of who He is so we may believe.
The Breath of Life - 3/16/2024
March 17, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 20:19–23
After Mary Magdalene's encounter with Jesus, she returned to the city to report to the disciples that she had seen the Risen Savior. The last time she reported to them, she told them that someone had stolen His body. It's hard to imagine what conversations were happening in that upper room as the disciples continued to hide in fear, but Mark 16:10-11 gives us a clue, "She (Mary) went and reported to those who had been with Him, while they were mourning and weeping. When they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they refused to believe it." There must have been a division starting amongst the group- those who believed in the Resurrected Jesus and those who believed He was dead. Jesus answered the unbelief of those in the room by showing up with the scars of His pierced body for our redemption. He answered their fear, grief, and unbelief with His presence, and then He breathed the Holy Spirit into them, giving them peace and the power to defeat fear.
The Revealed Truth- 3/10/2024
March 10, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 20:11–18
Misguided in their grief and what had been lost, the disciples could not see the impact of the resurrection. Amid all the prophecies that had come to be in the last few days, the disciple's crushed hopes and grief caused them to be blind and deaf to the very words Jesus had spoken. At this point, there were eyewitness accounts that the resurrected Jesus had been seen, and angels testified regarding the same, but heartbroken, they clung to His death rather than hope in the resurrection. They were leaving in profound grief for all they had lost. They lost their Rabbi. They lost their dream of overthrowing the Roman government, and because of that, they could not see the bigger picture. Jesus is so patient with their unbelief, even though they refuse to believe the eyewitness He had sent them. Thankfully, even in their unbelief, confusion, and sorrow, Jesus reveals Himself as the risen Savior.
Misguided - 3/3/24
March 3, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 20:1–10
Jesus' body has been tucked away in the tomb. The stone has been rolled in front of the entrance. The disciples went home to deal with their grief and the pain and to figure out what their future held for them. The King had died. They thought it was over. Of course, this was only the beginning. However, misguided in their grief and what had been lost, they could not see the impact of the resurrection. Amid all the prophecies that had come to be in the last few days, the disciple’s crushed hopes and grief caused them to be blind and deaf to the very words Jesus had spoken. Everything He said would happen was happening. Jesus' words speak life that takes us from a misguided perspective to experiencing the understanding, protection, and future we have in Jesus.
Royal Redeemer -2/18/24
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 19:17–30
For the past several weeks, we have been following the trial of Jesus. Last week, we discovered the brutality of Jesus' suffering as He was scourged and beaten. This week, we begin the journey to the cross and His last moments before He takes His last breath. If you are like us, the brutality and barbaric nature of the crucifixion can leave your heart racing and cause you to wonder if you can handle hearing the details of what actually happens to the body of Jesus through the process. Well, take a deep breath. We will leave most of those details to the other gospels and the expert doctors you can find on YouTube to walk you through it. John's gospel was the last of the four gospels to be written, and it seems he wrote it to clarify certain truths about Jesus. His gospel has information that he recalled but had been overlooked by the other three writers. So when we come to his account of the crucifixion, we find that John leaves out many of the details recorded by the others, such as Simon of Cyrene helping to carry the cross (Mk 15:21; Lk 23:26), the crowd of mourners following Jesus (Lk 23:27-31), Jesus asking the Father to forgive those who crucified Him (Lk 23:34), the religious rulers mocking Him (Mk 15:31-32; Lk 23:35), the soldiers offering Him wine mixed with myrrh (Mk 15:23), the dialogue with the two thieves (Mt 27:44; Mk 15:32; Lk 23:39-43), Jesus' cry from Psalm 22:1 (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34-36), the three hours of darkness (Mt 27:45; Mk 15:33; Lk 23:44), the veil of the temple torn in two (Lk 23:45), Jesus' commitment of His spirit to the Father (Lk 23:46), the earthquake (Mt 27:51, 54), the centurion's faith (Mt 27:54; Mk 15:39; Lk 23:47) and the crowd's response to all the strange wonders (Lk 23:48). John also adds new information that he personally knew because he did not flee when Jesus was arrested. He followed Him through all His trials and stood near the cross while Jesus died. So, John saw and heard things the others did not (Jn 19:35). When he wrote his description of the crucifixion, he selected and emphasized only a few events, ones which the other gospel writers had either mentioned only briefly or not at all, probably because they were not near enough to have seen or heard them. And as we look more closely at the events John chose to report, we will discover that he carefully selected each one to teach us a profound truth. He will show us that God was testifying to His Son even during those horrible hours when so many negative things were happening. God was not silent even then. He honored His Son by providing prophetic "signs" that declared who He is. Today, we will see that Jesus, the Son of Man, was given authority to become our Royal Redeemer. Let's read the passage.
A King's Burial - 2/24/2024
February 25, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 19:42
Jesus' throne was disguised as a cross, and on that cross, it was finished- our sin, our pain, our sickness, our sorrow. It is finished by the blood of the Lamb, our Royal Redeemer! Jesus' last words were, "It is finished!" and then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit (Jn. 19:30). This is a sobering moment. It was at this moment that the dreams and hopes of the disciples seemed lost, as their conquering King's lifeless body now hung on a criminal's cross. At this moment, it seems the only thing to do is bury His body and try to move on. They were defeated, grieving, and beaten. That is the mood. However, that was not an ordinary man hanging on that cross; instead, it is our King, our Royal Redeemer, and He deserves to be buried in that same way. So, two unsuspecting men ensured His body was cared for immediately: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. Up to this point, both men had been secret disciples of Jesus, but at that moment, they risked it all to worship their King the only way they knew how: by taking care of His body. These men were making a choice, a final stand. Before their eyes, they saw the fulfilled prophecies of Jesus' death, a testimony to His Kingship that demanded a response.
Choosing Jesus - 2/11/24
February 11, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 18:38–40, John 19:1–16
Choice is a powerful sign of freedom and autonomy. When you give an upset child a choice, regardless of the outcome, they will suddenly stop protesting in favor of having the power to choose. As we get older, choice can cause pressure. Something as simple as “What do you want to eat?” can cause angst. However, just like a child, if choice is taken from us, we will rear up to gain it back. The reason we do this is because choice is closely related to freedom. From the beginning, God gave humanity this same choice. We can choose Him or deny Him. When Adam and Eve chose sin and death, which led to separation from God, His immediate response was to institute a plan of redemption (Gen. 3:15). He sent Jesus to atone for our sins. Jesus is our final sacrifice. However, even in this, His love refuses to take freedom from His creation. The choice is ours. Over the last few weeks, we have watched as the Jewish leader’s bitterness grew into hate and murderous thoughts. It now culminates with them shouting for crucifixion and even choosing to blasphemy God to see this happen. We will watch as Pilate tries to save the life of Jesus, even though He rejected Jesus as Savior, representing what happens when we see Jesus as just a good man rather than the Son of God. Finally, we will consider our own hearts. Do we want to stand with the crowd, sit in the seat of judgment, or stand with Jesus? We all have a choice in Jesus’ death & resurrection.
What is Truth? - 2/4/24
February 4, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 18:28–38
Last week, we explored how a seed of bitterness can grow into a root. As easy as it is to villainize the men who brutally attacked Jesus, it was this tiny seed that was watered and given space to grow that we can all find ourselves doing in our own hearts. We learned that when anger becomes a bitter root, we give the enemy permission to wreak havoc. Once that seed has been planted and the root has grown, it is critical to remove the whole root when removing bitterness. This can be harder than it seems because, for many, bitterness becomes an old friend, a comfort, and a punishment to those who have wronged us. We don’t realize how destructive it is until it has either had its full fury or has been removed. Yet, it is poisonous to our hearts and our relationships. It will begin to choke the Truth out of our lives, and hatred will take its place. However, there is good news: the Truth found in Jesus can set us free. In today’s passage Pilate asked Jesus, “What is Truth?” Truth was standing in front of him, bound and already beaten. Jesus offered this Truth to everyone He met. Today, we will see how different groups responded to this Truth. Jesus offers this Truth to us today. Truth found in Jesus brings us from sin and death into a life of blessing and purpose.
Uprooting Bitterness - 1/28/24
January 28, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 18:19–24
All people become angry at times. But what causes a person's temper to rise to the point where they become unrestrained? What makes a person hate someone so much they are willing to lay aside all sense of justice, violate laws they have sworn to uphold, and arrange for their victim to die as painfully as possible? As we read the accounts of Jesus' predawn trials, there is a terrible component of cruelty that sneaks into the picture and grows until we watch people spitting in His face, beating Him with their fists, and slapping Him when He's blindfolded, with His hands tied behind His back. It's just not normal. Some force has entered in and seems to have taken control of them. It's shocking to read what was done to Jesus, but if we are honest with ourselves, that type of rage is not entirely unfamiliar to us. Human history is filled with examples of it. Quite honestly, we don't have to look back into history at all to find these examples. Many of us have been the victim of angry outbursts or have felt that rage come over us and propel us to do or say things we never thought we would. Today, we will follow Jesus through those predawn trials at the high priest's residence and watch as that strange rage enters and takes over. How does that influence enter our own lives, and how do we stop it from ever coming in again? We want to lock the door on that uninvited spirit. Horrible things can happen when a person allows an offense to take root in their heart. Toxic attitudes don't die with time; they keep growing. When anger becomes a bitter root, we give the enemy permission to wreak havoc. However, God's Word has shown us that we can close that door by dealing with that attitude.
Learning to Live - 1/20/24
January 21, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 18:10–18, John 18:25–27
Last week, we witnessed Jesus being confronted in the garden by Judas, the Roman cohort, the Pharisees, and the chief priest's officers. We watched as Jesus kept the peace, protecting His disciples and those who came to arrest Him. Judas kissed Jesus, which must have really angered the disciples. Peter drew his sword and cut off the ear of the High Priest's servant. Jesus quickly redeemed this by placing the ear back in its proper place. When the enemy comes against us, the authority, love, and protection of Jesus will always be near to bring His redemption. As we continue to read, we will witness Peter's famous denial. Peter was prepared to die for Jesus, but he was not prepared to live for Jesus. We often read of Peter's fierceness, regular correction, and denials and see a man unhinged. However, Peter was not unhinged. He was a man willing to lay his life down for Jesus. In his flesh, he was willing to die, but he had not learned to live for Jesus in his spirit. Thankfully, this is not the end of Peter's story. Peter failed. He denied Jesus. However, Peter is also known as the rock upon which Jesus would build His Church. Just like Peter, we must choose to learn to live for Jesus. Jesus doesn't choose us because of who we are but because of who He is in us.
The Protection of Jesus -1/14/2024
January 14, 2024 • Pastor Steve & Jen • John 18:1–11
We ended John 17, which is Jesus' longest recorded prayer. Jesus prayed a faith-filled prayer as He prayed for Himself (17:1-5). He spoke as if He had already been resurrected. As He prayed for the disciples (17:6-19), He spoke as if they had already become the men they would become after Pentecost. As He prayed for future believers (17:20-26), He spoke as if the Church was already operating in unity, His glory, and love. As we enter chapter 18, Jesus has finished His prayer and walks to the garden with His disciples. This night, recorded over several chapters (John 13-19) up to this point, was full of conspiracy, betrayal, and conspiring, but now we are entering the Passion story as told by John. The story begins in a garden across the Kidron Valley, where Jesus is arrested. In this scene, we will see the deity of Jesus and the protection and redemption He provides for all He intends to die for, first His disciples and the very people who have come to arrest Him. When the enemy comes against us, the authority, love, and protection of Jesus will always be near to bring His redemption.