His Best Friend's Gospel

In John 19:1-17, Jesus trial continues, but there is more on trial than merely Jesus the man. The very nature of truth, power, and authority are also put on trial here. Jesus is the King the people need, the king who was promised, but not, perhaps the king they wanted. So then — as now — people reject him, and choose to follow others. At the end of it all, the…

Christian creeds affirm the truth that Jesus “was crucified for us, under Pontius Pilate”. This truth, historical and factual, grounds the Christian faith and gospel narrative not in the realms of mythology, but history. In John 18:28-40, we read about this time when Jesus stands trial before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, at the request of the Jewish…

In John 18:15-27, the disciple Peter denies Jesus, not once, but three times. This betrayal marks a pivotal moment in Jesus’ final days as even those closest to him begin to turn on him, and betray their master. But Jesus knew this was coming — he even tells Peter this is going to happen in John 13. And unlike Judas, this isn’t the end of Peter’s…

In John 17:20-27, Jesus personally prays for the believers that will follow on account of his message, and his disciples who shared it — that’s us! And what he prays for is our unity! But right now, to the outside world, the church really doesn’t look very united. So what is happening? Did Jesus prayer fail? Or are we missing something about what true unity…

Sometimes what looks like defeat can actually be victory, and what appears to be a victory may be a defeat. But how do we respond when we don’t see the full picture, and can we always see the difference? Jesus was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief”. In John 16:16-22, we look at how he prepared his disciples for the grief and sorrow that they would experience…

Jesus used many agricultural parables and pictures to help people understand his message. In John 15:1-11, John records for us one of these parables — the picture of the vine, and the branches. But in a world increasingly disconnected from the land, do we understand this picture? Do we recognize the powerful significance of this image? We look at this teaching, and think…

In John 14:15-31 Jesus promises that his people will receive the Holy Spirit in detail for the first time. When he does, the things he says about who the Holy Spirit is, and what He will do in their lives that may surprise us, given our assumptions and preconceptions many may have about this, What does that mean for us as believers, and how do we live in the light of…

As Jesus continues to teach his disciples during their last days together on earth, he continues to prepare them for his imminent death, and the trials that are to come.In doing so, he proclaims to be The Way, The Truth, and The Life — making an exclusive claim for all who are lost. He claims to be…

How do we respond to betrayal? Where do we turn when people turn on us? In John 13:21-30 Jesus is confronted with his imminant betrayal by his friend Judas. How did Jesus walk with Judas for so long knowing he was going to turn on him? How did he respond when the hour came? Why didn’t the other disciples realize he was never truly one of them? We look at this passage, and…

In John 12:1-12, Mary responds to her encounter with her messiah, following the resurrection of her brother Lazarus in the previous chapter. After understanding who she is, here she responds in worship, anointing Jesus feet with expensive perfume. We compare and contrast her reaction, the reaction of Judas, and the things the other disciples pick up on, and the lessons…