Steve’s Books
Tag Archives: John
Gems from John 2: The Temple
When the Jews asked for a sign that showed He had authority to drive out the moneymakers, Jesus pointed to the temple of His body. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:18-19). Why … Continue reading
Gems from John 2: Vision Lost
When Jesus came to Jerusalem one Passover, He found that the temple caretakers had lost their vision. What was to be a place for worshipers to pray on holy ground, became an opportunity for the caretakers to prey on the … Continue reading
Gems from John 2: Water to Wine
At a wedding at Cana in Galilee, Jesus miraculously turned water into wine. But John inserts a significant piece of detail that I’ve often overlooked: “Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification … Continue reading
Gems from John 1: Heaven is Opened
The Bible reveals the state of our hearts. We may come to the Scriptures initially skeptical of Jesus, as Nathaniel did in v. 46 (“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”). But when the Lord reveals His grace, He turns … Continue reading
Gems from John 1: Come and See
“The two disciples heard him [the baptizer] speak, and they followed Jesus” (John 1:37). John’s goal was to turn people to Jesus, not to build up a large following of his own. His job was to be the voice in … Continue reading
Gems from John: Witnesses
The Pharisees were doing their job when they investigated this man in unusual garb who preached an unusual message. They were expecting a Prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15, Acts 3:20-23), Elijah the prophet (Malachi 4:5), and the Chosen One (Isaiah … Continue reading
Gems from John 1: Witness
“John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, ‘This was He of whom I said, “He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me” ‘ ” (John 1:15). John the baptizer testified of the … Continue reading
Gems from John 1: Word Made Flesh
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). John opened this first chapter with the Word, the one who is God and also Creator. He was with God in the beginning, showing that He, being divine, was … Continue reading
Gems from John 1: Beginnings
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 WEB). With the use of “Word,” John seems to be addressing Greek and Jewish readers. For the Greek reader, the Word … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 7: John 11:1-44
In this sign, the raising of Lazarus from the dead is presented simply in two verses, John 11:43-44. But all the preceding verses in the chapter reveal great spiritual depths contained in this brief passage. Jesus raises the dead. In … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 6: John 9:1-41
The Lord healed a blind man on the Sabbath to reveal the spiritual blindness of others that we might believe in Him. The sign began with the philosophical question posed by the disciples when they saw a man born blind. … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 5: John 6:21-71
John chose to highlight particular signs or miracles to help us believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and find life in His name and no other. One of the miracles is the event of the multiplication of … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 4: John 5:1-15
John’s gospel has a stated purpose: “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). In this fourth sign, Jesus reaches … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 3: John 4:46-54
This is Jesus’ second sign He did in Galilee (John 4:54), though He had performed other miracles (John 2:23) after the first sign performed in Cana of Galilee. This second sign was that of a boy who was close to … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 2: John 2:12-22
Jesus disrupted the Jews’ lucrative commerce system in the outer court of the temple, which had been disturbing the worship of the godly non-Jews there (John 2:15-16). For this action, the Jews asked for a sign, for verification from God … Continue reading
The Seven Signs, part 1: John 2:3-12
This is the first article of a series focusing on the seven signs in the Gospel of John. It’s not often that a book states a purpose, but John’s gospel does: “these [accounts of miracles] are written that you may … Continue reading
The Light of the World
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The Word of God contains words inspired by God … Continue reading
No Other Way to the Father
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV). How do these two halves of the verse work together? What do the three attributes of the Son … Continue reading
The Way, the Truth, and the Life
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). How can we understand this verse, these three aspects of Jesus? This passage takes place … Continue reading
