The Apostle John E-Book

Peter DeHaan

• Herausgeber: Publishdrive
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Dig into the profound writing of the Apostle John.  

John wrote the beloved gospel account of Jesus in the book of John, the mystifying end time prophecy of Revelation, and three oft forgotten, but heartfelt letters: 1, 2, and 3 John.  

Now, for the first time, explore them all together—John’s gospel, John’s letters, and John’s revelation—in this powerful and handy Bible study boxset.  

Grow in your faith and deepen your understanding of what it means to follow Jesus from the Apostle John. John was one of Jesus’s disciples, part of his inner circle, and an eyewitness to the life and ministry of our Savior. And John was the disciple Jesus loved.  

We should listen to what John says.  

In The Apostle John, lifetime student of the Bible and founder of ABibleADay.com, Peter DeHaan, digs deep into John’s insightful writing to unearth thought-provoking insights that can inform your beliefs and transform your life.  

In this evocative Bible study devotional, you’ll discover:

 - Why so many cherish John’s biography of Jesus  

 - Jesus’s gift of living water—so we’ll never thirst again  

 - The Good Shepherd who cares for us, his sheep  

 - A fresh approach to the book of Revelation  

 - A hope that good will triumph over evil in the end  

 - How to trust in a God who holds the past, present, and future in his hands  

 - A deeper appreciation for the two greatest commands: Love God and love others   

Inspire your soul and nourish your spirit.  

In The Apostle John you’ll encounter eye-opening insights from passages you thought were familiar. Find fresh truths as you gain a broader appreciation of John’s poetic biography of Jesus, the Apostle’s end time vision, and three inspiring letters.  

Ideal for individual or group study, this book includes Scripture references and questions inviting you to go deeper.  

Get The Apostle John today to expand your love and grow your faith.

Leseprobe

The Apostle John: Exploring John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation

(Dear Theophilus Bible Study Series boxset, books 6, 8, 9)

Peter DeHaan

The Apostle John: Exploring John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation © 2021–23 by Peter DeHaan.

Books 6, 8 and 9 in the Dear Theophilus Bible Study Series.

All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are brief excerpts, and the cover image, for reviews or academic research.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

ISBN: 979-8-88809-059-6 (ebook)

Published by Rock Rooster Books

Cover design by Taryn Nergaard

Contents

Living Water

Love One Another

John’s First Letter

John’s Second Letter

John’s Third Letter

A New Heaven and a New Earth

If You’re New to the Bible

About the Dear Theophilus Bible Study Series

About Peter DeHaan

Peter DeHaan’s Books

Living Water

40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John

Peter DeHaan, PhD

Living Water: 40 Reflections on Jesus’s Life and Love from the Gospel of John © 2021 by Peter DeHaan.

Book 6 in the Dear Theophilus Bible Study Series.

All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are brief excerpts, and the cover image, for reviews or academic research.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

ISBN:

978-1-948082-53-2 (e-book)

978-1-948082-54-9 (paperback)

978-1-948082-55-6 (hardcover)

979-8-88809-014-5 (audiobook)

Published by Rock Rooster Books

Credits:

Developmental editor: Cathy Rueter

Copy editor/proofreader: Robyn Mulder

Cover design: Taryn Nergaard

Author photo: Chele Reagh, PippinReaghDesign

The Gospel of John

The Bible has four biographies of Jesus. They’re each named after their author: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We often call these accounts Gospels because they proclaim the good news about Jesus.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke have many similar passages and accounts of the same events. Some sections match, while others are close. John differs from the other biographies of Jesus. As a result, the Gospel of John has more unique content than the other ones. Because of this, we can gain rich insights into the life and ministry of Jesus that the other three authors don’t cover.

John was a disciple of Jesus and part of his inner circle (along with Peter and John’s brother James). This makes John an eyewitness to what he recorded. His poetic writing is ideal for those who want to mull over his words. (In the same way it can frustrate readers who want information in a quick, easy-to-digest manner.)

John’s writing invites us to slow down, take our time, and consider the text. As you read John, contemplate his words with awe and cherish them for their layers of meaning.

Although Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention John often in their writing, he never refers to himself by name. (Do not confuse this John—Jesus’s disciple—with another John, John the Baptist.)

John, however, refers to himself a few times as “the one Jesus loved” or “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” We could view this as an overconfident self-assessment. But remember that John is one of the three disciples in Jesus’s inner circle, so this self-identity cannot be too far off. We might do better to understand John’s indirect references to himself as an act of humility. He doesn’t want to call attention to himself.

The book of John opens with a powerful poetic passage. His words have a mystical allure. We’ll cover this lyrical text in the next chapter.

What do you know about the Gospel of John? What do you hope to learn as you read this book?

[Discover more about John in John 21:20–24 and Galatians 2:9.]

Day 1: Jesus: The Word, the Life, and the Light

Today’s passage: John 1:1–14

Focus verse: In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. (John 1:4)

The book of John opens with a most moving passage. It’s lyrical, it’s evocative, and it is exquisite.

In this poetic prelude of John’s Gospel, he calls Jesus the Word, and asserts that the Word is God. This means Jesus is God. While some people may think it’s an overreach to claim that the Word refers to Jesus, keep reading.

To remove all doubt, John later states that this Word becomes human to join us on earth. Jesus becomes a man to live among us. Jesus, as the Word, shows us his glory as the one and only Son from Father God. Jesus overflows with grace and abounds in truth. He is the Word sent to us from God.

We often assume the Word of God means Scripture. But remember that the New Testament of the Bible didn’t exist until several centuries after Jesus’s death and resurrection. Because of this, we should consider God’s Word as his spoken Word, more so than his written Word. What if Jesus is more than the metaphorical Word? What if he serves as the actual Word of God? Yes, Jesus is the Word.

John also writes that in Jesus is life. Jesus is present when time begins and takes part in forming our existence. In fact, without Jesus, creation cannot occur. Physical life flows through Jesus at creation. In the same way, eternal life emanates through Jesus now. Jesus comes so we may have life and live with abundance (John 10:10). This theme of life recurs throughout the book of John, with his writing mentioning life in forty-one verses, more often than any other book in the Bible.

The life of Jesus, and the life through Jesus, gives us light. Just as the sun that Jesus created illuminates our physical world, the light that Jesus gives off now illuminates our spiritual world. This light shines for us in the darkness that surrounds us, exposing the evil in our world. Best of all, this light of Jesus overcomes the darkness, pushing it away. This means good is stronger than evil. God is more powerful than Satan. Hold on to this truth. Don’t forget it.

Jesus is the light. As the light—our true light—he comes into our world to save us. Though many do not recognize him or accept him, everyone who receives him and believes in his name become children of God, born of God.

Because of Jesus we’ve been born into the physical realm, and through our belief in him we are born a second time into the spiritual realm.

Take time to contemplate John’s profound opening to his biography, revealing Jesus as the Word, the life, and the light.

Do you recognize Jesus as Word, life, and light? Do you believe in him?

[Discover what else John says about the Word of God in 1 John 2:14, Revelation 1:1–2, Revelation 19:12–13, and Revelation 20:4.]

Day 2: Jesus and John the Baptist

Today’s passage: John 1:15–51

Focus verse: John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” (John 1:23)

We first meet John the Baptist in John 1:6. (Remember, John the Baptist is not the author of the book of John. John, the disciple of Jesus, is.)

John the Baptist comes to tell us about the light of Jesus so we might believe in him. In fact, God wants us all to believe—not that everyone will, but so that everyone has an opportunity to. Salvation isn’t a given. It’s a choice.

After this opening passage in the book of John about Jesus being Word, life, and light, we now return our attention to John the Baptizer. John’s purpose, his ministry, is to point us to Jesus, preparing people to accept and follow him. John isn’t the light. He serves as a witness pointing to the light (John 1:7–8).

Here are a few things John the Baptist says about Jesus:

Jesus existed long before John. Though we understand this because John writes that Jesus created our world, the people John addresses aren’t aware of this detail. Explaining that Jesus comes before John hints at Jesus’s eternal nature (John 1:15).

Jesus will bless us with his abundance (John 1:16).

The law, God’s commands of right behavior and proper worship in the Old Testament, comes from Moses. In contrast, Jesus will offer grace and truth instead of rules and requirements (John 1:17).

No one has seen God, except for the Son of God, who is also God (John 1:18). If John’s statement that Jesus is God

and

God’s Son is confusing, consider that Jesus later says this about himself too (John 17:21–22).

Though some people who come to hear John the Baptist assume he’s their long-expected Savior, he insists he is not. Nor does he claim to be Elijah or even the Prophet (John 1:19–21), even though he embodies the prophesied return of Elijah and is a prophet too.

Instead, John quotes Isaiah’s prophecy about someone who will call out from a desolate place. This person will tell people to get ready to receive their Lord—that is, their Savior, Jesus the Messiah. John baptizes those who believe what he says.

The next day Jesus arrives. As soon as John the Baptist sees Jesus, he proclaims, “Look! Here comes God’s Lamb who will take away our sins. Though I baptized you with water, he will baptize you with Holy Spirit fire. I confirm Jesus is the chosen one sent by God.”

What does it mean that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit? Have you received Jesus’s Holy Spirit baptism?

[Discover more about Jesus coming to John the Baptist in Matthew 3:13–17, Mark 1:9–13, and Luke 3:21–22.]

Bonus Content: Jesus’s Disciples

Focus verse: When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. (John 1:37)

Matthew, Mark, and Luke list Jesus’s twelve disciples. John doesn’t. He does, however, sometimes refer to them as “the Twelve.” He also mentions a few by name.

Two disciples of John the Baptist decide to follow Jesus instead. One of them is Andrew, but the Bible doesn’t give the name of the other one. What we know is that when John points out Jesus, these two disciples leave John to go with him (John 1:35–37). Losing two of his followers doesn’t concern John. He later acknowledges that Jesus will increase in importance while he will decrease (John 3:30).

Andrew finds his brother, Simon Peter. He brings Peter to Jesus (John 1:40–42).

The next day Jesus invites Philip to join his team. Philip, Andrew, and Peter grew up together in the town of Bethsaida. This means they knew each other before meeting and following Jesus.

Philip finds Nathanael. “Come! We found the one the Law of Moses points to and the prophets wrote about.” Though skeptical, he goes with Philip. Jesus affirms Nathanael and reveals that he supernaturally saw Nathanael sitting under a shade tree before Philip sought him. Based on this, he believes. “You’re the Son of God and our king” (John 1:43–51).

In other passages, John mentions Judas Iscariot, Judas the son of James, and Thomas. This covers three of the other twelve disciples. But John doesn’t mention any other disciples by name, including himself and his own brother, James.

In these passages we see that Andrew hears about Jesus and brings his brother Peter. We also see that Philip follows Jesus and later brings Nathanael.

Who can we bring to Jesus?

[Discover more about John’s mentions of “the Twelve” disciples in John 6:67–71 and John 20:24.]

Day 3: Jesus’s First Miracle

Today’s passage: John 2:1–12

Focus verse: He revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:11)

Consider the miracles Jesus performs. He heals people with broken bodies, casts out evil spirits, and even raises dead people to life. Whatever their situation, Jesus makes their life better—much better. Yet his first miracle, right after he calls Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael to follow him, includes none of these grand supernatural signs.

Jesus’s first miracle is less astounding. Compared to his other incredible wonders, his first one is trivial. Yes, it’s still a miracle. We shouldn’t lose sight of that. Yet on the scale of supernatural significance, this one ranks near the bottom.

What is this miracle? Jesus makes wine from water at a party.

Here’s the situation.

Three days after Jesus calls his first disciples, they attend a wedding celebration. Mary, Jesus’s mother, is present too. Midway through the reception, social disaster strikes. The groom runs out of wine.

This isn’t a life-or-death situation, but only a public embarrassment. Yes, the people will remember what happened, that the man didn’t give them enough to drink. They’ll talk about his shortsightedness and failure to care for his guests. The man’s failure could come up at every wedding for years to come. It will form the basis for how the people in this town regard him and his bride. For years they’ll carry the stigma of running out of wine and disrespecting their guests.

Having nothing left to drink jeopardizes no one’s well-being. In fact, since many have already drunk too much, they may be better off not drinking any more.

Mary, aware of what happened, edges up to Jesus and whispers, “They ran out of wine.”

Jesus dismisses her concern in a way that seems disrespectful, but she ignores his apparent disregard for the groom’s plight. Instead, she instructs the servants, “Do whatever he says to do.” She’s done what she can and trusts Jesus to do what she cannot.

Despite telling Mary that he doesn’t want to get involved, Jesus acts. He tells the servants to fill six large jugs with water. Together they will hold well over one hundred gallons. They follow his instructions, and he tells them, “Take a sample to the master of ceremonies.”

The master takes a sip of the water, which Jesus has miraculously turned into wine, and commends the bridegroom for saving the best for last. This is unlike the typical practice of serving the best wine first and holding back the lesser quality vintages for when people have drunk enough not to care.

Jesus’s disciples see what he did, turning water into wine. In doing so, he reveals his power to them. Based on this, his disciples place their trust in him.

Do we need to see a miracle or sign before we trust Jesus?

[Discover some of Jesus’s other miracles in John 4:39–54, John 5:1–15, John 6:1–2, and John 9:1–7.]

Day 4: Angry Jesus

Today’s passage: John 2:13–24

Focus verse: “Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:16)

When you think of Jesus, what image comes to mind?

Is it Jesus, meek and mild? The little children gather around him and he gazes at them, his eyes brimming with compassion.

In another scene, Jesus stands on a boat near the shore. He instructs the people who flock to hear his counter-cultural words that remove judgment and emphasize love.

Another image is Jesus as the Good Shepherd—our Good Shepherd. He cares for his sheep, feeds the little lambs, and protects the flock from danger. For the one sheep that wanders off and gets lost or hurt, Jesus searches for it, finds it, and carries it back to the fold in his gentle, loving arms. Oh, to be safe in the arms of Jesus, secure in his embrace.

We celebrate Jesus who feeds the hungry, heals the hurting, and gives hope to the hopeless. We uphold his example and want to be more like him.

And even when the mob comes to arrest Jesus, he does not resist them. He does not seek his freedom or call an army of angels to rescue him. He goes with them without complaint.

Later, when on trial, accused and facing death, he says nothing to defend himself. He stays silent and accepts his fate.

This is how I view Jesus.

Yet Jesus has another side, one that’s easy for us to forget. It’s a physical Jesus, intense, one consumed with zeal.

In Jerusalem for the Passover, Jesus goes to the courtyard of the temple. He finds people conducting business instead of worshiping God. Some sell the cattle, sheep, and doves needed for the various sacrifices. Others serve as a currency exchange. They make a nice profit for their efforts. Though both enable worship, they don’t belong in the temple courts, at the very doors to the temple.

Incensed at how they have disrespected his father’s house, Jesus fashions a whip. He drives the merchants out of the temple’s courtyard, including their animals. He overturns the tables of the money changers, scattering coins everywhere. “Get out! My father’s house is not a marketplace!”

No one tries to stop him. They scurry away.

Is this an example that gives us permission to get violent for God? No. Remember that Jesus is God. His actions promote worship that respects his Father and the temple as a place of worship and connection.

Instead, this passage serves as a reminder to not let money and the world’s activities encroach on our worship time and our worship space.

What practices might we do today that make Jesus just as angry?

[Discover the foreshadowing of this event in Psalm 69:9.]

Day 5: You Must Be Born Again

Today’s passage: John 3:1–21

Focus verse: “I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)

Nicodemus—who only shows up in the book of John, albeit three times—comes to Jesus. He arrives in secret, in stealth at night, under the shroud of darkness. He’s a member of the religious council that opposes Jesus. They fear his growing influence and his threat to their way of life and the traditions they find comfort in.

If they learn of Nicodemus’s interest in Jesus, it will ruin him. They’ll kick him off the council, the religious elite will shun him, and Jewish society will ostracize him. He’s not willing to take this risk—at least not yet.

Still, he has a question burning in his soul that his religious training doesn’t cover, and his peers can’t answer. That’s why he sneaks off to meet Jesus at night. He finds the teacher and addresses him as Rabbi, but before he can voice his question, Jesus answers the uncertainty gnawing in Nicodemus’s soul. “To be part of God’s kingdom, you must be born again.”

“What?” Nicodemus doesn’t understand. “It’s impossible for an adult to be reborn as a baby.”

“First there’s physical birth—of water,” Jesus says. “After that we have spiritual birth—through the Holy Spirit. That’s what it means to be born again.”

“How so?” I’m glad he asked because I want clarification too.

“Once I sacrifice myself, everyone who believes in me and what I’ve done will have eternal life,” Jesus says.

He restates the importance of belief in the best-known verse in the Bible, John 3:16. Then he adds, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them” (John 3:36). Jesus, of course, is God’s one and only Son.

After a comforting reminder that Jesus hasn’t come to condemn the world—that is, to judge us—but to save humanity through him, he reaffirms the importance of believing in him a third time. “Everyone who believes faces no condemnation. But those who don’t believe stand condemned already.”

To be born again means to believe in Jesus. He says so three times to emphasize belief as an essential truth and to make sure we don’t miss it.

The Bible doesn’t record Nicodemus’s response to Jesus’s call to be reborn by believing in him. But we can infer he says, “Yes.”

The second time we read of Nicodemus, he advocates for Jesus’s life in front of the religious rulers. Though his words don’t sway them and result in them attacking him, at least he takes a stand for what’s right and doesn’t keep silent.

The last time we hear of Nicodemus occurs after Jesus’s death. In a bold act, Nicodemus helps Joseph of Arimathea prepare Jesus’s body for burial, according to the custom of the day.

At first Nicodemus approaches Jesus in private. Next, he takes a public stand for Jesus. Last, he shows his affinity for Jesus by helping bury his body. The actions of Nicodemus show he is born again.

Are you part of the Kingdom of God? That is, are you born again? All you need to do is believe in Jesus. If you are born again, are your actions enough to convict you of following Jesus?

[Discover more about being born again in 1 Peter 1:23. Learn more about Nicodemus in John 7:50–52 and John 19:38–42.]

Bonus Content: The Rabbi

Focus verse: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God.” (John 3:2)

You may expect to find the title Rabbi scattered throughout the Old Testament. It seems like an Old Testament word. Wrong. It’s a New Testament word. Rabbi only appears in the Gospels and then just three of them: Matthew, Mark, and John, with half showing up in the book of John. Most of these sixteen occurrences are a title of respect for Jesus.

John notes that Rabbi means teacher. But that’s all we can learn about this title from Scripture.

In one passage that mentions Rabbi, Jesus speaks to the people. He teaches about hypocrisy. He focuses on the inappropriate actions of the Pharisees and religious teachers. As Jesus mentions their errors, he condemns them for loving the way people fawn over them, giving greetings of respect and calling them Rabbi.

He is direct. “Don’t have others call you Rabbi. You are brothers, with one teacher.” From this we learn to use care in addressing our spiritual teachers, especially when they expect us to show respect. We could use their name instead and not feed into ungodly pride.

One verse that uses the word Rabbi doesn’t address Jesus but John the Baptist. This is interesting, but he’s a teacher too. The other times people in the Bible call someone Rabbi, they refer to Jesus. Scripture records Peter, Judas, Nathanael, Nicodemus, a blind man, two of John’s disciples, and Jesus’s disciples all calling him Rabbi.

Even though Jesus criticizes the religious elite for wanting people to call them Rabbi and tells them not to allow it, he doesn’t correct anyone who addresses him as Rabbi. He accepts the respect they give him—or in Judas’s case, the respect he pretends to give—and responds to them.

Jesus is worthy of our respect if we call him Rabbi. He alone is our Rabbi, our one teacher. We can also use other labels such as Savior, Redeemer, and Healer. We can even call him friend. This is because he views us as his friend.

Jesus is our Rabbi and our friend.

Do we think of Jesus as our Rabbi (teacher), friend, or something else? Why? How can we expand our view of him?

[Discover more about Jesus and the title of Rabbi in Matthew 23:1–12, John 1:38, and John 15:15.]

Day 6: John the Baptist’s Perspective

Today’s passage: John 3:22–36

Focus verse: “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30)

We live in a world that wants more. We desire more money. We seek more possessions. The newest of this and the best of that. And regardless of where we fit into society, we want more power and wish for more prestige. How much is enough? The answer is always the same: just a bit more. There’s nothing wrong with setting goals and wanting to improve our life, but we must keep things in perspective—God’s perspective. More isn’t always better.

Consider John the Baptist.

John has a successful ministry. He calls people to repent. Next, he baptizes them as a public display of their commitment. Though he doesn’t want to, he baptizes Jesus too—even though Jesus doesn’t need to repent of one single sin or undergo baptism. But by embracing baptism, the Holy Spirit anoints Jesus and prepares him for ministry.

Jesus now invites people to follow him as his disciples, even taking two of John’s followers. Jesus begins his ministry, and he baptizes people too.

John’s remaining disciples see this and become indignant for him, worried that Jesus is taking away from John’s ministry. “Look!” they complain. “Jesus—the one you baptized—is now baptizing people too. Everyone’s following him instead of you.”

“I can only do what God has called me to do,” John says. “Don’t you remember? I told you I am not the Messiah. My role is to prepare the way for him. He is like the groom at the wedding, and I am his attendant. I’ve waited for him and listened for him. Hearing his voice fills me with much joy—complete joy. Now that he has arrived, he must become more, and I must become less. Don’t be jealous on my account. This is how it should be.”

John doesn’t want more. He is content to become less. This is an example we can follow. As we point people to Jesus, we do so for his glory and not ours. More of him and less of us. Never forget that.

Do we take an ungodly pride in the ministry roles God has given us? What can we do to elevate Jesus, even if it means less for us?

[Discover more about another of Jesus’s followers, Paul, and how he views his ministry in 1 Corinthians 9:18, 2 Corinthians 4:5, Ephesians 3:8, and Philippians 1:15–18.]

Bonus Content: What Is Eternal Life?

Focus verse: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life. (John 3:36)

John the Baptist wraps up his teaching to his disciples by covering God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. “Everyone who believes in Jesus will have eternal life,” John says.

The phrase eternal life occurs forty-three times in the Bible. What does eternal life mean?

Some people think eternal life is synonymous with heaven. If we believe in Jesus, we will go to heaven when we die. This is eternal life.

This is a good start to our understanding of eternal life, but there’s more to it.

In Scripture, we see eternal life as beginning now, here in this world. Eternal life starts on the day we believe in Jesus’s good news. We learn this from John, who references eternal life far more than any other writer in the Bible (seventeen times). He often mentions eternal life in the present tense.

When we follow Jesus, eternal life begins at once, right now, today. It hatches here on earth through Jesus and continues into heaven when our physical bodies die.

If we follow Jesus, are we enjoying eternal life today? Why not?

[Discover more about eternal life in John 3:14–17, John 3:34–36, John 5:24, and John 5:39–40.]

Day 7: Living Water

Today’s passage: John 4:1–42

Focus verse: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)

People need water to live. Though we can survive many days without food, we can only make it a few without water. Without regular hydration, we will die. Water is essential to life.

In parts of the world, this life-sustaining substance is available in our homes. We turn on a faucet and all the water we want flows forth. Other areas aren’t so fortunate, with water not as accessible. People must travel, sometimes quite far, to find the water they need to survive. Sometimes it’s clean, but too often it’s dirty or, even worse, polluted. Such is the daily reality for too many people.

Two thousand years ago few people had running water. They went to the town’s well every day to draw water. Water was more essential than food. This is what we see in the first part of John 4.

Jesus and his disciples stop in Samaria on their way to Galilee. It’s midday and Jesus rests by the town’s well as his disciples go into town to buy food. A woman comes out to fetch water. We assume she goes at noon because during the heat of the day no one else will be there. Everyone else would’ve gotten their daily supply of water in the early morning before it got hot. Because of her sordid past, she wants to lessen her interactions with others, protecting herself from their critical looks and judgmental words.

Jesus asks her for a drink.

This surprises her because it’s unacceptable. The first problem is a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman. The second issue is that Jesus will need to drink from her cup. Both are things that religious Jews seek to avoid.

Now he surprises her even more. “If you knew who I was, you’d ask me for living water.”

She assumes he means physical water, but he’s referring to spiritual water. The kind that wells up to supply eternal life.

Jesus proves his supernatural power to her by revealing that he knows about her past. But he doesn’t judge her. Instead, Jesus accepts her for who she is.

She goes into town and tells everyone about Jesus. Based on her testimony, they come out to meet him. They believe in him and beg him to stay. He spends the next two days with them before resuming his trip to Galilee.

Jesus knows everything about this Samaritan woman, but he accepts her despite the lifestyle she leads. He offers her love that she doesn’t deserve without criticizing her life choices. In this way, Jesus shows her grace and mercy.

As for the woman, she seeks water to satiate her body, but Jesus gives her living water to save her soul. He offers her eternal life. She only needs to believe in him to receive it.

Have you believed in Jesus and received his living water that leads to eternal life? Have we followed the example of the Samaritan woman and told others about him? Is our testimony convincing enough so others might believe?

[Discover more about living water in Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 17:13, Zechariah 14:8, John 7:38, and Revelation 7:17. Read more about life-giving water in Ezekiel 47:9 and Revelation 22:17.]

Bonus Content: In Spirit and Truth

Focus verse: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)

This is a perplexing verse. What does it mean to worship God in the Spirit and in truth? Let’s consider these two words.

First, to worship in Spirit and truth means to focus so much on God that we become unaware of, and unconcerned with, what is happening in the physical world around us. He becomes what matters.

Though this worship often starts with something physical, such as singing a song, full worship moves to our soul and then to our spirit, where we fully connect with God to the exclusion of all else.

To help understand this, consider 1 Thessalonians 5:23, which ends with “May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Note that Paul lists spirit first, soul next, and body last. Most people cling to the opposite order, focusing on the body (the physical) first, giving little thought to the soul, and seldom considering the spirit.

A wise perspective is that we are a spirit, we have a soul (our mind, will, and emotions), and we live in a body.

Our body is temporary, while our spirit will live on. That’s what matters.

Though God appreciates any worship and connection with him, worshiping him in the Spirit is best because he is Spirit—and so are we.

Second, is to worship God truthfully. Think of truth as honesty and integrity.

In our practices today, the worship of some people draws attention to themselves. They worship so that others will notice and esteem them as spiritual or godly.

Some people worry what those around them might think. They alter their worship for fear they’ll face embarrassment or criticism. This may mean tempering their physical displays of worship or embellishing their actions.

To worship God means disregarding what those around us may think or say, whether it’s positive or negative. They don’t matter. God does.

May we worship our Creator in the Spirit and in truth.

What must you do to worship in Spirit and truth?

[Discover more about worship and the Holy Spirit in Acts 13:2.]

Day 8: Jesus Breaks the Sabbath

Today’s passage: John 4:43 to 5:30

Focus verse: At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath. (John 5:9)

In Genesis, after God finishes his amazing creation, he takes time on the seventh day to rest. Later, in the Old Testament, God tells his people to keep the Sabbath holy and not work. Yes, they take a day off from work.

In his commands to rest and revere the Sabbath, God never tells them to go to the temple every Sabbath. Though a few of their special celebrations fall on the Sabbath and involve the temple, temple attendance isn’t a weekly command.

As the people rest on God’s holy day and worship him, what does he do? Does he have a Sabbath rest too? What does he do on our Sundays?

Just as he did after he created us, I once assumed God rests along with us. He’d sit back and receive our worship. I imagined our adoration restoring him, even to where the more engaging our praise, the more energized he became. I assumed that as we take a break, so would he. That God, along with us, rests one day out of seven for a mini re-creation. Now we’re both ready to start a new week.

Although an imaginative idea, Scripture doesn’t support it.

Jesus heals a lame man on the Sabbath. His detractors confront him. They criticize him for working on the day that God commanded everyone to rest.

Jesus sees this differently. He explains that as his Father God is always working, he is too. Aside from the creation account, we don’t read that God and his Son rest on the seventh day.

No, as we rest and worship, God works. And I’m okay with that. If God were to rest, for even one day, what would become of us? I need him every moment of every day, so I’m glad he doesn’t take a break.

What does your Sunday look like? Do you apply the Old Testament commands for a Sabbath rest from your weekly schedule? Do you follow God’s instruction to keep the day holy?

In the early days of Jesus’s church, the first day of the week becomes their special day instead of the Sabbath. Many Christians today apply the Old Testament directives for Sabbath rest and holiness to Sunday.

Yet, Jesus models doing good and helping others, even if it occurs on the day of rest.

Do we rest one day each week and keep it holy? Or do we do good on Sunday and help others, regardless of what people might think? Can we do both?

[Discover more about the Sabbath in Genesis 2:2–3, Exodus 20:8–11, and Mark 2:23–28.]

Day 9: Three Testimonies for Jesus

Today’s passage: John 5:31–47

Focus verse: “There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.” (John 5:32)

In the Old Testament of the Bible, Moses writes that one witness is insufficient. To prove a point requires two or, even better, three testimonies. The context is someone who has committed a crime, but the principle of needing multiple witnesses to confirm a matter carries through to the New Testament.

Though two are good, three are better. The Bible often repeats concepts three times for emphasis, to make a point, such as saying God is “holy, holy, holy” (Revelation 4:8).

Jesus tells people he is the Savior. He is the Messiah they’ve been expecting. Often, he is indirect, such as when talking to the Samaritan woman. Other times, he is more direct, such as in Mark 14:61–62. Yet, he also acknowledges that what he says about himself doesn’t carry much weight. Though we believe Jesus is the Son of God and value everything he says, a skeptic won’t accept what Jesus says about himself.

Jesus understands this. He calls three witnesses to give testimony to who he is.

Remember the poetic opening to the book of John? In this we have reference to the first testimony for Jesus. John the Baptist came as a witness to testify about the light—that is, Jesus—so that the people will believe (John 1:7). John later calls Jesus the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Next, he confirms Jesus is God’s Chosen One (John 1:34). Jesus reminds the people what John said about him. John is his first witness.