Recap

So far in John, we've read the prologue, Jesus' public ministry, the raising of Lazarus, the journey to Jerusalem, and started Jesus’ private ministry. John uniquely emphasises Jesus' divinity, presenting him as 'the Word,' who existed before creation and became flesh. He is the light of Genesis and the fulfilment of the tabernacle and Passover lamb. John the Baptist prepared the way, but unlike other gospels, there's no account of Jesus' baptism or temptation. Jesus is shown as God on earth, beyond the need for baptism or the threat of temptation. His first disciples immediately recognised him as the Messiah.

We saw Jesus engage with four key Jewish institutions. At a wedding in Cana, he performed his first miracle, turning water into wine, symbolising the abundance of God’s kingdom and the start of a new covenant. In Jerusalem, he cleared the temple of corruption, foreshadowing his death and resurrection as the true temple.

Next, Jesus met Nicodemus, a Rabbi, explaining that people need new life through being born again, not more teaching. At a sacred well, he revealed himself as the living water to a Samaritan woman, opening worship to all peoples.

Then, Jesus performed his second sign, healing an official's son, signifying his kingdom of life and health.

Jesus also interacted with four Jewish holy days. On the Sabbath, he healed a lame man (sign three), reminding the leaders that he works as his Father does. At Passover, he fed 5,000, walked on water (signs four and five), and declared himself the bread of life—the true Passover lamb.

During the Feast of Tabernacles, where the Jews remembered their time in the wilderness, Jesus taught in Jerusalem, calling himself the light of the world and the one who leads people out of slavery. He healed a blind man (sign six), revealing his identity but angering the leaders. Jesus also declared himself the Good Shepherd, echoing God’s promise in Ezekiel 34 and Moses' leadership.

At the Feast of Dedication where the Jews celebrated the temple, Jesus claimed, "I and the Father are one," positioning himself as the ultimate meeting point between humanity and God. Throughout his public ministry, Jesus demonstrated his authority to replace the old Jewish institutions and festivals, fulfilling and surpassing what had come before.

Then came the seventh miraculous sign. We read as Jesus resurrected his friend Lazarus. Not only was this a demonstration of his power, but Jesus showed himself to be king over life and death. The religious leaders were furious that Jesus had performed this miracle and committed themselves to killing him.

Then Jesus was anointed with perfume, and then entered Jerusalem on a donkey, welcomed as a king. He began to teach the people that he had come to die, and that in doing so he will defeat the corrupt spiritual beings that had authority. 

This started Jesus' private ministry through the Passover meal with his disciples. Through washing their feet, Jesus showed them how his kingdom does not involve seeking position or power. It is all about serving one another, just as he came to serve. The defining thing should be love. They will be known by how they over others, and it's through love they are grafted into God. They must hold on to this love as with it they will bear fruit. Without it, they will shrivel and die.

Once he's gone, Jesus will send them the Holy Spirit to be the tangible experience of their relationship with him. Finally, he warned them that they will face persecution, just as he has. But they are not to worry. He will still be with them through the Holy Spirit, leading them in the way they should go. 

John 16-18

Jesus encourages his disciples. He is telling them about all that they will face now, so when it comes, they are prepared. The disciples are clearly sad at the idea of losing Jesus, but he reminds them that by returning to the father, he can send them the Holy Spirit who will be with all of them at all times. The Holy Spirit will convict people of their sins, leading them to Jesus, and guide all believers, leading them into truth.

The disciples still don’t understand. Where’s Jesus going? What’s he talking about? So Jesus warns them that what’s about to happen is going to fill them with grief. But before long, their grief will be turned to joy, because they will see him again. And soon they will be able to pray directly to the father and ask him for what they need.

Something finally seems to click for the disciples, and now that they feel they’ve understood, they tell Jesus that they believe. Jesus responds that his time is almost here, and before long, they will scatter and run away. He’s telling them this not to judge them but to give them peace in these difficult times.

And so Jesus begins to pray. He asks God to glorify him, to lift him up for all to see, so that he might complete his mission to give his followers eternal life. He then focuses on his disciples, the ones who he has taught and led.

He asks that God will protect them. While he has been on earth, Jesus has looked after and cared for them, but now that he is returning to the father, he asks that God still cares for them and keeps them from the evil one, Satan. May they be kept in truth as they are sent out into the world to carry on Jesus’ ministry.

And may they be united as one, both with Jesus and the father, and with one another. May they learn to love one another just as Jesus has loved them and the father has loved Jesus.

Having finished his private ministry, Jesus leads his disciples out into a garden. There, Judas meets them with a group of guards. Jesus asks them who they are looking for and they respond, “Jesus of Nazareth”. Then something quite interesting happens. Jesus responds “I am he” and the guards fall backwards.

We have seen Jesus use many different ‘I am’ statements throughout this gospel, each showing a different aspect of his nature. John has been building a case for Jesus’ divinity through all these uses, and that all culminates in this moment as Jesus says “I am he” and the guards fall backwards.

They are in the presence of God, and for a moment, it’s too much for them. Taking charge of the situation, Jesus tells the guards to take him and let his disciples go. In this gospel, Peter is named as the one who cuts off a guard’s ear, and Jesus rebukes him.

Jesus is arrested and taken before the high priest. But John’s Jesus is a little less meek and mild than the one we see in the other gospels. While in the other gospels Jesus mostly stays silently, here Jesus challenges the religious leaders.

He points out that he has been teaching openly in the synagogues, but they choose to arrest him in secret. In other words, he’s accusing them of being shady. One of the officers strikes him for speaking out against the high priest, but Jesus dares them to point out one thing that he has done wrong.

They then take them to the local governor, Pilate, asking him to have Jesus killed because they are not allowed to. Pilate questions Jesus, and Jesus admits to him that he is a king, but not in the way that Pilate is thinking. Jesus' kingdom isn’t an earthly kingdom, but it has come to earth to lead people into truth.

Finding nothing wrong with Jesus Pilate wants to let him go, but the religious leaders insist that Jesus must die. While this is all happening, three different people come to Peter asking if he is with Jesus and both times he denies it.

Psalm 108

This psalm is attributed to king David and falls into the category of praise psalm. It is a reworking of Psalm 57 and Psalm 60. Psalm 108:1-5 almost directly quotes Psalm 57:7-11, while Psalm 108:6-13 almost directly quotes Psalm 60:5-12. Both these psalms are lament psalms, and so it is noteworthy that this psalmist repurposes them into a praise psalm.

Psalm 108:1-5 - Exalt God before all the nations for his steadfast love

Psalm 108:6-9 - God redeems his people from their enemies

Psalm 108:10-13 - Victory comes from God

The psalmist starts with praise to God, because it is in God they have become steady. They will start the day with praise for God, almost awaking the dawn itself with their praise.

They will praise God in public, letting other people know of all that God has done. This includes people of other nations. Why? Because he is a loving and faithful God. So the psalmist exalts God on high over all the earth.

This praise turns the psalmist to future victories. They recall God’s promise to them. He starts by saying he will divide up Shechem and the Vale or Succoth. These are both place that Jacob/Israel visited as entered back into the land of Canaan (Genesis 33:17-19).

He then lists places in Israel from north to south. Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah all belong to him. In short, God is in control over his land.

God then turns to Israel’s enemies and discredits them. Moab, Edom, and Philistia will all submit to his authority. Who could defeat God and lead him to submit to these nations?

The psalmist asks for God to go with them in future battles. Help us defeat our enemies because we can’t do it in our own strength. If God were to go with them, they would see victory and defeat their enemies.

This psalm was likely written after the exile when the people have returned to the land. They have experienced the victory that the generations before them were asking God for. To celebrate this, they take the lament psalms of the previous generation and repurpose them as praise psalms to celebrate the very answer to prayer the lament psalms had been asking for.

This new psalm affirms the authority that God has over all nations and celebrates and praises him for it.