The Gospel of John – Lesson 33 – John 12:12-26

12 The next day, the large crowd that had come for the Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 Taking palm branches, they went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written: 15 Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion. Look! Your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt. 16 At first, his disciples did not understand these things. But when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and that they did these things for him. 17 The crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead kept telling what they had seen. 18 This is another reason a crowd met him: They heard he had done this miraculous sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see? You are accomplishing nothing. Look! The world has gone after him.” 20 Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went to tell Andrew. Andrew came with Philip and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Amen, Amen, I tell you: Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it continues to be one kernel. But if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 Anyone who loves his life destroys it. And the one who hates his life in this world will hold on to it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. And where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

Everyone wanted to see Jesus. It’s not hard to understand why. The crowds that traveled with Jesus from Bethany wanted to keep on seeing Jesus after they witnessed how he raised Lazarus from the dead. The people of Jerusalem wanted to see Jesus. They heard about this powerful miracle and all the others that Jesus performed. Perhaps Jesus would do more miracles in their presence. Some Greeks who were in Jerusalem for the Passover wanted to see Jesus. They even approached Philip, one of the twelve disciples to see if he could get them an audience with Jesus.

As Jesus approached Jerusalem, the crowds who wanted to see him said the right things. “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” With these words, the people acknowledged that Jesus is the Savior that God promised to send. They confessed he is the true King of Israel. The word “Hosanna” literally means to “save.” But it soon became evident that the people really didn’t understand the work Jesus came to do. The people of Israel wanted a savior who would be a powerful king to make Israel into a great nation as they had been in the days of David and Solomon. They wanted someone to drive the Roman Empire out of their nation so they would be free again. As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the day we now call Palm Sunday, they believed Jesus could be the one God promised to send. Jesus already demonstrated his great power in all the miracles he did. Surely this man was the Savior they were looking for.

But Jesus taught that he came for a different reason. Jesus is the Savior God promised. But he wouldn’t establish his kingdom through great military victories. To be the Savior and King the people needed Jesus needed to die. Jesus used the example of a kernel of wheat to explain his mission. For a seed to achieve its purpose it needs to be buried in the ground. There the seed ceases to be a seed. It sprouts and grows and finally becomes a plant that produces wheat. In the same way, Jesus needed to die and be buried in the ground. Then he would rise again. The result would be a harvest of many souls who believe in Jesus and receive eternal life with him in heaven.

Like the Greeks who came to Philip, we want to see Jesus also. We’re not looking for a Savior who will give us a carefree and prosperous life on earth. We know that our life here will often be the opposite. To truly see and follow Jesus means we are ready to take up our cross and follow him. Jesus gave himself fully to the work of saving us, even though it cost him his life. We are ready to endure hardships in order to do the work our Lord gives us. We know that this life is only a temporary existence. By the grace of God, we see Jesus as the Savior who died and rose again. He is our eternal King who came to save us from our sins and to make us part of the harvest of souls that will one day join him forever in heaven.

Discussion Questions

1 – Look at the greeting the people shouted to Jesus as he approached Jerusalem. What were they confessing about Jesus with these words?
The word “Hosanna” means “save.” Whether the people understood it or not they were asking Jesus to be their Savior. When they called him “he who comes in the name of the Lord” they were confessing he is the Christ, the one whom God had promised to send to destroy the devil and his work. When they called him the King of Israel they confessed that he was descended from the line of David. He came to establish the throne of David forever as God had promised. (See 2 Samuel 7:16) This doesn’t mean he will establish an earthly kingdom. He reigns over all creation now and he will reign for all eternity in heaven.

2 – What did the disciples fail to understand at first when Jesus entered Jerusalem? (see verse 16)
They failed to see that Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Later, by the work of the Holy Spirit, the disciples saw that all this was further proof that Jesus is the Savior God promised to send.

3 – Some Greeks visiting Jerusalem wanted to see Jesus. What was Jesus trying to teach them in his response to their request? (See verses 23-24)
Jesus wanted everyone to understand that the reason he came to earth was to die and rise again. By his great sacrifice and resurrection he would win forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation for all who trust in him as their Savior.

4 – What lesson did Jesus want to teach us in verses 25-26?
Jesus wants us to understand what it means to follow him. Our focus will not be on this world and all that it offers. This is only our temporary home. Those who are focused only on this world have no place with Jesus in the life to come. Rather we want to focus our lives on following Jesus, by doing the will of God. God’s will is that we believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior and that we will show our love for God by striving to do his will in the world, even if it means we will suffer hardship for doing so.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 32 – John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, the hometown of Lazarus, who had died, the one Jesus raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about twelve ounces of very expensive perfume (pure nard) and anointed Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was going to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He did not say this because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief. He held the money box and used to steal what was put into it. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She intended to keep this for the day of my burial. Indeed, the poor you always have with you, but you are not always going to have me.” A large crowd of the Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too, 11 because it was on account of him that many of the Jews were leaving them and believing in Jesus.

Mary and Martha and Lazarus had much to be thankful for. Lazarus had died. Jesus showed his almighty power as he raised Lazarus from the dead and gave him back to the grieving sisters. They also were privileged to have Jesus as a guest in their home on earlier occasions. As they heard Jesus teach, this family was brought to trust in him as their Savior. Through this faith, they could be certain that death would not separate them. They would all one day live together with their Lord in heaven. Now the family wanted to offer their thanks to the Son of God. They could never fully repay Jesus for what he did. But they showed their thankfulness at a special meal that was given six days before the Passover.

Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3 records that the dinner was held in the home of Simon the Leper. We don’t know anything about this man. The title “leper” would suggest that at one time Jesus must have healed him from leprosy. Simon obviously wanted to show his thanks by hosting this dinner for Jesus at his home. Martha thanked Jesus in her own way. She took charge of serving the meal. Mary had another plan in mind to show her thanks and love to Jesus. Many people at the time wore sandals or they went barefoot. Obviously feet would become quite dirty by the end of the day. It was a common courtesy for the host to wash the feet of his guests when they entered his home. Mary went above and beyond the call of duty. Nard was one of the finest imported perfumes at the time. A bottle of nard would have been beyond the means of most people to afford. Mary used the expensive perfume to wash the feet of Jesus. Then in a show of total humility and service to her Lord, she wiped his feet with her hair. Truly Mary offered her best to Jesus.

But not everyone was impressed with Mary’s actions. Judas Iscariot; one of Jesus’ own disciples criticized Mary. He argued that the perfume was worth three hundred denarii. That was about one years’ wages at the time. Judas reasoned that the perfume could have been sold with the proceeds going to help the poor. On the surface, Judas’ argument might sound reasonable. But the Holy Spirit gives us insight into the thoughts of Judas. John was divinely-inspired to record that Judas didn’t care about the poor. He was the keeper of the disciples’ treasury. Satan was already at work in Judas. He was stealing from the treasury to supply his own desires. Proceeds from the sale of expensive perfume would have meant more money for Judas to indulge himself with. That love for money was going to cost Judas dearly in the near future. He betrayed Jesus into the hands of the Jewish Sanhedrin for 30 pieces of silver. When he realized what he had done Judas was filled with remorse and he went out and hanged himself. (See Matthew 27:1-5)

The Son of God saw through Judas’ hypocrisy. Jesus immediately told him to leave Mary alone. Jesus’ answer taught several important lessons. First, he predicted his own impending death. Secondly, Jesus was not saying that helping the poor wasn’t important. He indicated that there would always be poverty in the world. As Christians we will have many opportunities to help those in need. We should do so as our Lord gives us the means and the opportunities. Finally our Lord emphasized that God should always come first in our lives. Using our finest gifts to worship and honor our Lord is never a waste.

There are a couple important lessons here for all of us. We look to the example of Judas. His love for money had obviously been at work in his heart for some time. The longer we allow sin to linger in our hearts, the stronger it becomes. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” As the desire to sin grows stronger it will finally weaken and destroy faith in Jesus.

We also can learn from the lesson of Mary. All that we have is a trust from our Lord God. We want to use our gifts, talents, and treasures to bring glory to God. We remember how Jesus gave his best to save us. Out of love and thankfulness to him, we want to use our best to glorify him.

Discussion Questions

1 – Mary used a costly gift to honor Jesus. Why did Judas object?
Judas offered the excuse that the expensive perfume that Mary poured on Jesus’ feet could have been sold with the proceeds being given to the poor. The Holy Scriptures give us the insight that Judas did not care about the poor. He frequently used the money in the disciples’ treasury for his own purposes. He looked at the expensive perfume as a means to provide more money for himself.

2 – The example of Judas reminds us there will be hypocrites among God’s people. What can we learn from this example from God’s Word for how we deal with hypocrites?
We cannot read hearts, so we cannot know who the hypocrites are. Instead we should follow the example of Mary. Use the gifts our Lord has given us to bring glory to him. Let the Lord deal with those who are hypocrites in his own time.

3 – At first glance, Jesus appears to be insensitive toward the poor in verse 8. What is our Lord really saying?Jesus indicated there will always be poor people in the world. We should pray for them and provide assistance to them according to the means God has blessed us with. But we should always remember to put our Lord first in our lives.

4 – According to verses 10-11, how far were the wicked religious leaders in Jerusalem willing to go to keep their positions of authority?
They not only wanted to kill Jesus, they also wanted to kill Lazarus. Since many people heard how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead they wanted to see both Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests were angry because this miracle was leading many more people to Jesus.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 31 – John 11:45-57

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. They asked, “What are we going to do, because this man is doing many miraculous signs? 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 You do not even consider that it is better for us that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but, as high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not only for that nation, but also in order to gather into one the scattered children of God. 53 So from that day on they plotted to kill him. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer walked about openly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew into a region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim. And he stayed there with his disciples. 55 The Jewish Passover was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country to purify themselves before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple area, “What do you think? He certainly won’t come to the Festival, will he?” 57 The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he should report it so that they could arrest Jesus.

As the high priest of Judea, Caiaphas should have been Jesus’ most loyal follower. The office of high priest was instituted by God at the time of Moses, to be a mediator between God and his people. But by this time in history, the office of high priest was little more than a political office. The Roman governors in Judea frequently removed high priests from office if they weren’t submissive enough to Rome. The Romans had removed Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas from the position of high priest and gave it to his son-in-law.

Caiaphas was an enemy of Jesus. He presided over Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin. He even declared that Jesus had spoken blasphemy when he proclaimed himself to be the Son of God. Caiaphas showed his opposition to Jesus in our Scripture reading as well. The Sanhedrin met to consider what to do about Jesus. He had just raised Lazarus from the dead. Word of this and the many other miracles Jesus did were spreading everywhere. More people were putting their faith in Jesus. The Sanhedrin feared that the Romans would hear about the excitement Jesus was causing. If the Sanhedrin couldn’t keep the people under control, the Romans would do so themselves. They would likely remove the chief priests and Pharisees from their position of authority. They would probably also execute many people in the process.

Caiaphas immediately took charge of the situation. His focus was purely political. He wasn’t going to allow this son of a carpenter from Nazareth to put their positions of power in jeopardy. He proclaimed that Jesus needed to die. His reasoning was that it was better for this one man to die than that a whole nation should perish at the hands of the Romans. The decision was made. The Sanhedrin began looking for an opportunity to put Jesus to death.

But God showed his total control over the situation. God used the words of the high priest for prophetic purposes. Jesus was going to die. The Son of God was going to give his life so that we would be spared from the judgment that our sins would have otherwise brought on us. Romans 6:23 said “For the wages of sin is death, but the undeserved gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Because we are sinners we earned death. Our physical death in this life would have been followed by eternal death in hell. But Jesus placed himself under God’s judgment in our place. He endured the pains of hell on the cross that ended with the sacrifice of his own life. Because the Son of God perished on the cross and rose again from the grave, we and all who trust in him as our Savior will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

God displayed his total control of the situation in another way. Jesus needed to die. But his death would not take place until the time God had chosen. Jesus still had work to do. He withdrew to a remote region where he would continue to proclaim God’s Word despite his enemies’ best efforts to destroy him. But Jesus didn’t stay in this area for long. We’ll see in our studies of the next chapter of John, how Jesus entered Jerusalem to fulfill the prophecy God made through the unbelieving Caiaphas.

God has many enemies in the world, who openly speak against the message of salvation he brings us in the Holy Scriptures. But as we see with the example of Caiaphas that God cause even his enemies to achieve his purpose. Caiaphas’ prophecy was soon followed by Jesus arrest and death. But all this happened so that we would not die in our sins, but rather that we would receive the gifts of forgiveness of our sins and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

Discussion Questions

1 – What were the results of Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead?
Many of the Jews who witnessed the miracle believed in Jesus. However when word of this miracle reached the Sanhedrin they became alarmed. They called a meeting where it was decided that Jesus must be put to death. No matter what Jesus taught or what miracles he did they continued to harden their hearts against him.

2 – What did Caiaphas the high priest mean when he said it was better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to perish?
Caiaphas was focused on worldly matters. He felt it was better for Jesus to be killed rather than for the entire nation to face possible destruction at the hands of the Roman Empire. What he didn’t realize was that God used him to prophesy about the work Jesus was going to do. Jesus was soon going to give his life to take away our sins. Because of this we won’t have to suffer eternal torment in hell.

3 – What are some other ways God uses his enemies to achieve his purpose?
God sometimes uses pagan nations to provide protection for his people. (Example: Egypt during the time of Jacob) God has also used his enemies to carry out his judgment when his people rebel against him. (Example: Babylon took Israel into captivity after they refused to repent of their sins) God also uses even pagan governments to provide peace and order in society. (Example: The Roman Empire in the time of the apostles)

4 – What was on the minds of many of the Jews as the Feast of the Passover approached?
They wondered if Jesus would come to Jerusalem for the Passover. Many of them doubted that he would come since the Sanhedrin had decided it was necessary for Jesus to die. Jesus did stay away from Jerusalem for a short time. But he knew the time was approaching quickly when he needed to go to Jerusalem to complete the work of our salvation. No death threat could keep Jesus from doing what he was sent to do.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 30 – John 11:17-44

17 When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. 19 Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, while Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha replied, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the Last Day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. 26 And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” 28 After she said this, Martha went back to call her sister Mary. She whispered, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet gone into the village, but was still where Martha met him. 31 The Jews who were with Mary in the house consoling her saw that she got up quickly and left. So they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and troubled. 34 He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38 Jesus was deeply moved again as he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. Martha, the dead man’s sister, told him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, because it has been four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 After he said this, he shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The man who had died came out with his feet and his hands bound with strips of linen and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus told them, “Loose him and let him go.”

Why did Jesus wait until Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days before he finally arrived on the scene? Couldn’t he have come sooner and spared Mary and Martha the grief they were now feeling? Couldn’t he have spared Lazarus from the suffering he must have endured in his final days? Jesus could have done any of those things. But our Lord had an important lesson to teach his followers. It was necessary for Lazarus to die that our Lord could teach us more about himself and the salvation he brings. Let’s learn from the Son of God as he brings comfort and deliverance to those who mourned over the death of Lazarus.

Mary and Martha both knew who Jesus is. Martha confessed that he is the Son of God. She also confessed that Jesus is the Christ. The title Christ means “The Anointed One.” He is the one chosen by God to fulfill the promise of a Savior. Mary and Martha both knew Jesus has amazing power. Both confessed that if Jesus had arrived sooner he could have prevented the death of their brother. But in their grief the sisters seem to have forgotten the full extent of Jesus’s power. Jesus made clear to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.” Now Jesus was about to back up those words with power.

Before we see the power of God in action, we need to look at another important truth Jesus revealed about himself. Sometimes people believe God is far away from us. He has no time to care about our day to day problems. Jesus proved that isn’t true. Notice how he responded to the grief of Mary and Martha. He was filled with compassion when he saw Mary weeping. When he arrived at the grave of Lazarus he shared their grief as he also wept. Our Lord is concerned for us in our times of trouble. He personally joins us in our grief. He wants to help us through those difficult times.

Jesus did more than share in their grief. He completely took it away. He called on his heavenly Father with full confidence that his Father would hear him and do what he asked. Then Jesus called to Lazarus to come out of the grave. Death had no choice but to obey. It immediately released its’ victim. Lazarus came out of the grave. God had preserved his body from decay. He came forward, fully restored and ready to continue his life.

What does Jesus teach us in all of this? Our Lord doesn’t promise that he will bring back our loved ones from the dead so they can rejoin us on earth. Such a resurrection would only be temporary. Lazarus had to die again eventually, as did Mary and Martha and all the others who witnessed Jesus’ miracle. Jesus promises something much better. He is the resurrection and the life. He has full control over death. He will raise us up on the Last Day and give eternal life in heaven to all who trust in him. When he raises us up, all traces of sin will be removed from us forever. Death won’t be able to claim us again. As he promised, “Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.”

Discussion Questions

1 – We often think of Martha as the woman who urged Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help serve the guests rather than listen to Jesus teach. (See Luke 10:38-42) What do we learn about Martha in our Scripture reading?
Martha had clearly spent time learning from Jesus as well. She confessed he is the Christ, the true Son of God. She also believed in the resurrection to life everlasting through Jesus.

2 – Where do we find comfort as we see Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb?
Our Lord is a personal God. He desires to have a close relationship with us. He shares our grief. He cares about us in our times of trouble and he will deliver us.

3 – What was the main reason for Jesus’ prayer?
He did this for our benefit so that we would believe that Jesus was sent to us by his heavenly Father. We believe and we have life in his name.

4 – What does Jesus teach us by raising Lazarus from the dead?
He is the resurrection and the life. He has full authority over life and death. He does not promise to raise our loved ones from the dead in the same way he raised Lazarus. But he does promise that he will raise us up from the dead on the Last Day. He promises to give eternal life to all who trust in him as their Savior.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 29 – John 11:1-16

Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother, Lazarus was sick, was the same Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one you love is sick!” When Jesus heard it, he said, “This sickness is not going to result in death, but it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed in the place where he was two more days. Then afterwards he said to his disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, recently the Jews were trying to stone you. And you are going back there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? If anyone walks around during the day, he does not stumble because he sees this world’s light. 10 But if anyone walks around at night, he stumbles because there is no light on him.” 11 He said this and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 Then the disciples said, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well.” 13 Jesus had been speaking about his death, but they thought he was merely talking about ordinary sleep. 14 So Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (called the Twin) said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go too, so that we may die with him.”

It’s always hard when someone close to us becomes seriously ill, especially if the illness is one that could be fatal. When the Son of God became true man to live among us, he experienced what it was like to have a close friend become seriously ill. Lazarus lived in the village of Bethany along with his sisters, Mary and Martha. Jesus had been a guest in their home before. (See Luke 10:38-42) When Lazarus became seriously ill, John records that Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus “Lord, the one you love is sick.” The ancient language of the Bible had several words that were translated “love.” The word for love that was used in this case emphasized a close friendship. Mary and Martha now appealed to Jesus to assist his close friend,  knowing that as the Son of God, Jesus could help them through this time of serious trouble.

But if Jesus had such a close friendship with Lazarus, why did he respond to the news of Lazarus’ illness the way he did? If you found out someone who was a close friend was seriously ill, wouldn’t you go and visit if it were possible. Even if you couldn’t visit, you’d probably at least send word expressing your concern and telling your friend that you’re praying for them. Yet Jesus did nothing initially other than to speak to his disciples about the situation.

Here we should look closer at what Jesus said to his disciples. It might seem confusing at first because we know Lazarus did die. If we do a literal translation of Jesus’ words from the original language of the Bible his statement goes like this: “This sickness is not to death but for the glory of God in order that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jesus didn’t say that death wouldn’t occur. But death wouldn’t be the final victor. Jesus would be glorified which would also bring glory to God the Father. God was in full control, death would only be used to achieve God’s purpose.

For further insight into Jesus’ actions consider how verse 5 tells us that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus. Here the original language of the Bible used a different word for “love” than the one used in verse 3. In this case the word means the unconditional love that our Lord shows to us. He loves us because he chooses to love us. God wants us to have eternity with him in heaven. The special unconditional love described in verse 5 moved Jesus to act in the way that was best for Lazarus and his sisters, even if it would cause them a time of sadness.

Finally, two days later, Jesus decided it was time for them to go to Judea. The disciples were stunned by the news. The last time they were in the area, the people tried to kill Jesus. Why would Jesus want to go back there now? Jesus made it clear that Lazarus had died. Jesus had waited until the proper time to go, in order to carry out his Father’s will. He announced his intentions to go and awaken Lazarus. In doing so he would strengthen the faith of his disciples, as well as the faith of Lazarus and his sisters.

Clearly the disciples’ faith needed a boost. Thomas saw no hope in the situation. He was devoted to his Lord to the extent that he was willing to accompany Jesus and to die with him. But he failed to trust that Jesus was in full control of the situation and that God would be glorified by what he was about to do.

We don’t always see God’s divine purpose when a loved one dies or when we are put in what seems like a dangerous situation. But remember, Jesus loves us, just as he loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. His love for us is also unconditional. He may allow us to suffer hardship for a little while. But ultimately he will use even such troubles to strengthen our trust in him. Let us always be ready to follow Jesus, even unto death, knowing that an eternal crown of life is waiting through faith in Him.

Discussion Questions

1 – When Jesus heard about Lazarus, he said this had happened so that God would be glorified. What did he mean by that?
Everything Jesus did was according to his Father’s will. God’s will is that we would come to believe in Jesus as our Savior and to come to eternal life in heaven. Whenever this happens, God is glorified. In this case, Jesus knew that he would raise Lazarus from the dead. God would be glorified as many people would turn to Jesus after seeing him do this powerful miracle.

2 – When Jesus announced they were going back to Judea, his disciples tried to dissuade him. They were afraid they would all be killed if they went back there. What did Jesus say in response?
Jesus was following his heavenly Father’s timetable. He needed to keep working during his time of public ministry. Jesus didn’t worry about death, because he knew his time hadn’t come yet. No enemy could arrest him and condemn him to death before God the Father allowed it.

3 – What comfort did Jesus give us concerning death in verse 11?
He first of all, said Lazarus was sleeping. Death is nothing more than a temporary sleep for our bodies. Jesus also said he was going to awaken Lazarus. Jesus has full control over life and death. He could call Lazarus from the grave and death would have no choice but to release him. In the same way, Jesus will one day call our bodies from the grave so that body and soul, we will dwell with our Lord forever.

4 – Jesus plainly told his disciples in verse 14 that Lazarus was dead. He also said he was glad for the disciples’ sake that he was not there at the time. Why would he say that?
Jesus said he was glad he was not there so that his disciples would believe. It was time to teach the disciples that he has full authority over death. By displaying this power, his disciples would become all the more certain that Jesus is the true Son of God. This miracle and all the other things Jesus said and did are recorded that we may trust in him as well. (See John 20:31)


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John Lesson 28 – John 10:22-42

22 Then the Festival of Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 So the Jews gathered around Jesus, asking, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I am doing in my Father’s name testify about me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” 31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33 “We are not going to stone you for a good work,” the Jews answered, “but for blasphemy, because although you are a man, you make yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said you are gods’? 35 If he called those people ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world? Do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I am doing them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works so that you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.” 39 So they tried to arrest him again, but he eluded their grasp. 40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and were saying, “John never did a miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there.

One of the most frustrating situations to deal with is when you try to explain something to someone and they just don’t get it. You repeat yourself several times and they either can’t understand or they refuse to even try to understand what you’re saying. Imagine how Jesus must have felt when the Jews confronted him at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem with this question. “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus had told them on numerous occasions that he is the Christ (the anointed one from God). He not only spoke the words, he also proved he is the Christ by the many miracles he did.

The problem wasn’t Jesus failing to tell them who he is. The problem is sinful human beings continually harden their hearts against the truth that Jesus is the true Son of God. We find a good example of this in our Scripture lesson. Jesus did what the unbelieving Jews wanted. He told them plainly that he is the Christ. Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” The Holy Scriptures testified that the promised Christ would be God himself who would come to us in human flesh. Jesus obviously was a flesh and blood human being. By confessing that he is one with the Father, he is confessing that he is also true God. The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying. They took up stones to kill Jesus. In their minds Jesus had spoken blasphemy. He claimed to be God. According to their law, this sin was punishable by death.

Such hardened unbelief is a reminder of how blessed we truly are. Jesus said in verse 27, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” When we hear Jesus say that he is one with the Father we don’t have the desire to throw stones at him or to walk away from him and never return. Whenever we read the Holy Scriptures we have no doubts that God is speaking to us. We know this because the Holy Spirit has graciously worked in our hearts so we believe that the Holy Scriptures are the pure Word of God. God’s Word confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and our Savior.

Our Lord Jesus makes several gracious promises to those who follow him in faith. He gives us eternal life. Because Jesus lived, died, and rose again from the dead, our sins are forgiven. We follow him because we believe his promise that he is the only way to eternal life.

He promises that we will never perish. It is true that someday we will die, unless Jesus comes back first. But we don’t truly perish. Death is merely a temporary sleep for our bodies. Our soul will not die. It immediately goes to live with our Lord forever. Our soul waits for the day when Jesus will raise our bodies from the dead. On that day he will reunite us body and soul to live with him forever.

No one will ever snatch us out of Jesus’ hands. As we learned in our last lesson, Jesus is our Good Shepherd. Our Shepherd always protects his sheep. Jesus can provide us with protection that no one else can. He is the almighty Son of God. Nothing in the universe can stand against him. With Jesus holding us in his hands we don’t need to fear any evil. Hold onto him in faith and no one will ever snatch you away from the eternal life he has prepared for you.

At the close of our Scripture lesson we hear that many people heard Jesus’ message and they believed. Praise to our Lord that we have heard Jesus’ voice and we believe also. Because he is our Savior, no one can snatch us away from him. We will not perish. We will have eternal life with him.

Discussion Questions

1 – Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Festival of Dedication. What was the purpose of this festival?
This feast celebrated the purification of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 B.C. This purification occurred after Israel successfully revolted against the Seleucid Empire. Today the Festival of Dedication is known as Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.

2 – What does Jesus mean when he said in verse 30 “I and the father are one?”
Jesus is confessing that he is true God, just as the Father is God. Jesus isn’t merely similar to the Father; he is fully united with the Father. As we confess in the Doctrine of the Trinity; God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three distinct persons, yet they are one divine being.

3 – What did Jesus mean when he said in verse 34 “I said you are gods?”
Jesus is here quoting from Psalm 82:6. “I said, ‘You are gods,’ you are all sons of the Most High.” We are not gods in the sense that we are divine beings. But God has appointed men to be his representatives on earth. As sons of the Most High God we are among his representatives. He has entrusted the task of proclaiming his Word until he returns.

4 – What important truth is Jesus proclaiming when he says in verse 35 “The Scripture cannot be broken?”
Jesus teaches that the Holy Scriptures are completely true. They are without error. We can believe everything that the Holy Scriptures teach us. God not only gave us his Word, he also continues to keep its teachings pure until Jesus returns.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 27 – John 10:1-21

“Amen, Amen, I tell you: Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the door, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration in speaking to the people, but they did not understand what he was telling them. So Jesus said again, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: I am the door for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. Whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10“A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired man, who is not a shepherd, does not own the sheep. He sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he works for money, he does not care about the sheep. 14“I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15 (just as the Father knows me and I know the Father). And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I also have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This is the commission I received from my Father.” 19 There was a division among the Jews again because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind! Why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the sayings of someone demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Jesus often used examples from everyday life to teach truths of God’s Word. In John 10, Jesus used the example of the shepherd and his sheep. At night the shepherd would lead the sheep to the sheep pen. There the sheep would be safer from thieves and predators. In the daytime the shepherd would lead his sheep out through the door of the sheep pen to pastures where they could eat and drink. The shepherd and the sheep would develop a close connection. When the shepherd came to the sheep pen, he would call out to his sheep. The sheep knew the shepherds’ voice and they would follow him. If someone else they didn’t know came to the sheep pen the sheep wouldn’t follow when he called.

Jesus used this example to show the relationship between him and his flock (all his followers). Notice that Jesus began his teaching by saying “Amen” twice. The word means “Yes it shall be so.” By repeating the amen twice, Jesus is putting extra emphasis on what he is about to say.

Notice this section of God’s Word also contains two more “I Am” statements. As we talked in previous lessons, Jesus is again proclaiming he is true God. Each “I Am” statement reveals more about God and his relationship with us.

First Jesus said “I am the door for the sheep.” In John 1 Jesus was called “the Word.” The Word Jesus brings to us calls us to trust in him as our Savior. He is the only doorway to eternal life. All who hear his Word and believe are now a part of his flock. The Word is also the means by which Jesus nourishes his flock. The Word of God keeps our faith in Jesus strong so that we do not fall away from him. No one can enter heaven through any door other than Jesus.

Jesus said those who came before him were thieves and robbers. This refers to the false prophets who claimed they were from God, but in reality their messages went against the pure Word of God. An example was the Pharisees at Jesus’ time. They were pointing people away from Jesus and emphasizing works to become right with God. Jesus called them thieves and robbers because their message robbed people of the only way to eternal life.

Jesus also called himself the “Good Shepherd.” The role of the shepherd was to lead the sheep to safe pastures and to protect them from predators. Sometimes the shepherd had to put his life on the line to protect his sheep. With this example, Jesus foretold his impending death on the cross. By laying down his life, he rescued us from the predators, sin, death, and the devil. By his death on the cross, Jesus washed us clean of all our sins. He also rose again from the grave to deliver us from death and the devil and to give eternal life to all who trust in him.

Jesus remains our door. We know that there is no other way to eternal life except through him. We listen to the message of his Word. We refuse to listen to false teachers. We believe the warning Jesus gave us. False teachers are trying to steal our salvation and lead us to eternal torment in hell.

Jesus is also our good shepherd. We put our trust in him to protect us from our enemies. Sin cannot overcome us because Jesus won our forgiveness on the cross. Death cannot overcome us because Jesus rose from the dead. The devil will not overcome us. Jesus has already crushed his power. The devil cannot accuse us any longer. Our Good Shepherd will protect us and lead us to eternal life.

Discussion Questions

1 – We are the sheep of Jesus’ flock. Why won’t we listen to the voice of strangers? (verse 5)
By the grace of God we believe Jesus is the only way to eternal life. The stranger represents false teachers (as do the thieves and robbers in verse 8). We know their message is contrary to God’s Word. False teaching only leads us away from Jesus. We want nothing to do with such a message.

2 – What did Jesus mean in verse 10 when he said “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly?”
Even in this life we enjoy peace, joy, and contentment in knowing that we are God’s children through faith in Jesus. We trust that God will work things work out for our good. He will finally lead us to eternal life.

3 – Who are the other sheep Jesus talked about in verse 16?
Jesus’ ministry up to this point was focused mostly on the Jews. However he always intended that the good news of the Gospel would be proclaimed to all nations. He knew that people from many places would hear the Gospel and believe in him and have eternal life. We are included among those other sheep.

4 – What did Jesus refer to when he said in verse 18, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again?”
Jesus pointed ahead to his death and resurrection. He emphasizes he would not be defeated by death. He would freely give himself over to death in order to save us. Death would not be able to hold him any longer than what God planned. Jesus had full authority to take his life up again at the time God had chosen.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 26 – John 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. When he found him, he asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” 36 “Who is he, sir,” the man replied, “that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus answered, “You have seen him, and he is the very one who is speaking with you.” 38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” and he knelt down and worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, in order that those who do not see will see, and those who do see will become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus told them, “If you were blind, you would not hold on to sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”

“What’s the matter, are you blind?” People will sometimes use that uncomplimentary statement on someone who missed something they clearly should have seen. Sports fans will direct those words at the referee who made a bad call against their team. A driver who has been in an accident might say the same thing to the driver who ran the stop sign and caused the accident. Jesus could have said the same thing to those he encountered in our study on the closing portion on John 9. But Jesus goal is not to hurl insults at someone who missed what they should have seen. His goal is to open our eyes so that we all will see the saving truth he brings us.

Jesus had cured a man of a blindness that plagued him all his life. For the first time he could see the world around him. But some of his first experiences after gaining his eyesight weren’t pleasant. As we saw in our last lesson, the Pharisees brought him in for questioning. They didn’t like the truthful answers the man gave so the Pharisees threw him out of the synagogue.

Jesus didn’t waste any time reaching out to the man he’d just healed. The man could see the world around him. But his spiritual eyes were still blinded to the most important truth of all. Jesus asked if he believed in the Son of God. The Holy Scriptures foretold that the promised Savior would be God’s own Son who would be born into the world as a flesh and blood human being. (Isaiah 7:14) The man apparently knew the promise Scripture had made. He wanted to believe. But he did not yet understand that Jesus was the fulfillment of the promised Savior. 

Now it was time for Jesus to cure the man of his spiritual blindness. He pointed to himself as the Son of God. God graciously worked in the man’s heart. He was not put off by Jesus’ humble outward appearance. He immediately confessed his faith in Jesus and worshipped him. The healing was complete. A man who was once physically and spiritually blind was now fully cured of both. He was now a true child of God.

The Pharisees saw Jesus also. They’d been watching him for sometimes now. They saw the miracles. They witnessed Old Testament prophecies about the promised Savior fulfilled in Jesus. They heard him teach with authority greater than anything they’d ever heard before. They heard the testimonies of this former blind man and others. Yet they still hardened their hearts to the truth. They refused to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the true Son of God. They scoffed at his proclamation that they were blind.

Jesus was filled with love for these lost souls. He tried to reach them with the saving truth that he proclaimed. But first Jesus needed to confront the sin-hardened Pharisees with the Law to lead them to see their sins and their need for a Savior. The Pharisees boasted of their great spiritual knowledge. They claimed that they were experts on the Holy Scriptures. Jesus told them that because they claimed to see they remained guilty. They rejected Jesus and put their trust in their own righteousness. Without Jesus they had no forgiveness of their sins. They would be judged by their own merits which were far short of what God demanded. They remained lost and condemned sinners in God’s sight. The only cure to their blindness was right in front of them, but they refused to see it. Truly they were still blind.

As we studied John 9 together, we addressed questions about why Jesus did things the way he did on this occasion. Why did this man need to be blind all his life? Why didn’t Jesus immediately come to his aid while he was being accused by the Pharisees? Couldn’t Jesus have prevented him from being thrown out of the synagogue? But let us instead focus on the grace and mercy Jesus showed the blind man. Our Lord knew exactly what he was doing. The end result of his work was that the man had his eyes so he could see. But more importantly, Jesus opened his eyes to the truth of salvation that only Jesus could bring.

Jesus shows us here how he graciously deals with us. All people come into this world spiritually blind. But our Lord Jesus has shown us amazing grace by giving his life to rescue us from our sins. He has opened our eyes to the truth that he alone is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to eternal life except through him. (John 14:6) Let all praise, honor, and glory be to our Lord Jesus. He has opened our eyes to see the truth of eternal life in him alone.

Discussion Questions

1- In John 9:5 Jesus called himself the “Light of the World.” How did Jesus show himself to be the “Light of the World” in this account?
A man who did not know Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world had his eyes opened so he believed the truth. By the grace of God we have heard Jesus’ testimony about himself and we believe. The light of salvation in Christ alone now shines brightly in our lives.

2 – What does this account tell us about our personal ministry of God’s Word?
Our job is to proclaim the Word of God in its truth and purity. Some will hear the truth and believe in Jesus. Others will hear the message and reject it. If many people rejected Jesus’ own testimony they will reject ours as well. But that doesn’t change our mission. We continue to confess Jesus Christ, and we pray that the Holy Spirit will work in people’s hearts to lead them to see and believe in Jesus as their Savior also.

3 – What strong judgment did Jesus announce to the Pharisees?
They claimed that they could see the truth of God’s Word. But they completely rejected Jesus. They were blind to the fact that they were lost and condemned sinners. Their only hope was Jesus and they refused to believe him. Truly they were spiritually blind

4 – What is the only cure for spiritual blindness?
Romans 10:17 said, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” God promises to work saving faith in Jesus through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. He does not promise to lead people to faith by any other means.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 25 – John 9:13-34

13 They brought this man who had been blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 So the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man told them. “I washed, and now I see.” 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath.” Others were saying, “How can a sinful man work such miraculous signs?” There was division among them, 17 so they said to the blind man again, “What do you say about him, because he opened your eyes?” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and received his sight, until they summoned the parents of the man who had received his sight. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? How is it, then, that he can see now?” 20 “We know that this is our son,” his parents answered, “and that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how he can see now, or who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jews. For the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” 24 So for a second time they summoned the man who had been blind. They told him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.” 26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I already told you, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?” 28 They ridiculed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But this man—we do not know where he comes from.” 30 “That’s amazing!” the man answered. “You do not know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. But he does listen to anyone who worships God and does his will. 32 From the beginning of time, no one has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were entirely born in sinfulness! Yet you presume to teach us?” And they threw him out.

In our last lesson we talked about how unfairly this unnamed blind man seemed to be treated. The unfairness just seems to keep piling up on this poor man in this lesson. It was bad enough that he spent his entire life being blind. Now, things had finally begun to look up for him. Jesus graciously gave the man his sight. Just imagine how wonderful it must have been to see his family, his neighbors, his home, birds, animals and the surrounding countryside all for the first time. But all too quickly he was going to see something he probably didn’t want to see. He was brought before the Pharisees.

The people wanted answers to what had just happened. How could a man who was blind his whole life, suddenly be able to see? They brought the man before their religious leaders. Surely they would know what was going on. But anyone who was hoping for the Pharisees to provide answers went away disappointed. They didn’t have any answers either. Some of them immediately condemned Jesus for healing someone on the Sabbath Day. Surely this man couldn’t be from God. Others noted that no sinful man could have done the incredible miracle that Jesus did. They were divided among themselves.

But why did the former blind man have to be stuck in the middle of all this. At this point he knew so little about Jesus. He knew Jesus healed him. He knew that no one could do such a miracle if he weren’t from God. He told the Pharisees the truth of what happened. He pointed out simple truths about God that the Pharisees all should have known. Wasn’t it unfair for them to get angry at him and throw him out of the synagogue? Wasn’t it even more unfair that Jesus left him all alone at this moment? Surely the Son of God knew what was happening. Shouldn’t Jesus have been there at that moment to make his own defense and spare this man from the encounter with the Pharisees?

But God had a purpose in allowing things to happen as they did. The former blind man told what he did know about Jesus. The Pharisees tried to get him to denounce Jesus. But their insults and threats didn’t prevail. The man held firm in his infant faith. He continued to stand firm on the truth that Jesus healed him. Anyone who could do such a miracle must be from God. His testimony did not convince the hardhearted Pharisees. But God used this event to strengthen the man’s own trust. Even when the Pharisees cast him out he did not waver in the truth. In our next lesson we’ll see how Jesus came and supplied what the man was still missing in his faith.

Sometimes our faith will be put to the test. We may not feel that we are ready to testify about Jesus. But our Lord supplies us with what we need. The former blind man testified to what he did know and he held onto those truths no matter what. With each testing of our faith our Lord strengthens us. He makes us more certain of our salvation and prepares us to testify about the good news of Jesus. See those times of testing as God working in us for a good purpose. As Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-5, Not only this, but we also rejoice confidently in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces patient endurance, and patient endurance produces tested character, and tested character produces hope. And hope will not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who was given to us.”

Discussion Questions

1 – Why did many of the Pharisees immediately reject Jesus?
Jesus had healed the blind man on the Sabbath Day. They believed this violated the Sabbath laws that commanded no regular work should be done on the Sabbath Day.

2 – What intimidating threat had the Pharisees made to keep anyone from following and witnessing for Jesus?
They stated that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be thrown out of the synagogue. This is why the man’s parents would only confess that he was their son and that he had been blind. They left it to their son to tell the rest.

3 – In our next lesson we’ll see how Jesus told the Pharisees about their spiritual blindness. How did they show their blindness in this portion of Scripture?
They were so hardened in their desire to be rid of Jesus that they refused to even consider the evidence that no one could have done the miracle Jesus did if he were not from God. They were clearly not interested in learning the truth about Jesus.

4 – What can we learn from the example of the former blind man when we are given the opportunity to tell about Jesus?
God does not demand us to explain things we don’t know. Just tell the truth of what Jesus has done for you in your life. Also trust that your Lord will go with you and will give you the strength you need to confess the good news of Jesus.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 24 – John 9:1-12

As Jesus was passing by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that God’s works might be revealed in connection with him. I must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.” After saying this, Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and spread the mud on the man’s eyes. “Go,” Jesus told him, “wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means “Sent”). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. His neighbors and those who had seen him before this as a beggar asked, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “He is the one.” Others said, “No, but he looks like him.” He kept saying, “I am the one!” 10 So they asked him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man who is called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12 “Where is he?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he said.

What did I do to deserve this? It’s a question many people ask when something bad happens to them. Perhaps their current struggles are just a matter of bad luck. Or could it be those struggles are punishment for some really bad sin? That was the issue Jesus’ disciples brought before their Lord. During their travels, Jesus and his disciples encountered a man who was born blind. In the disciples’ minds there could be only one reason for such misfortune. God must be punishing someone for their sins.

Jesus made it clear that punishment for sin was not the reason why this man had been unable to see his entire life. Jesus reminded his disciples of his purpose. He had come to bring salvation to the fallen human race. To do this he first needed to make himself known as the true Son of God and the only way to eternal life. His time was limited. He had to bring the good news of the Gospel to as many people as he could while he had the opportunity. This blind man would be one vehicle by which the Son of God would make himself known to the world.

But doesn’t this situation create some questions in our minds? Jesus is the all-powerful Son of God. Couldn’t he find some other way to reveal himself and his work? Did this man really have to spend all those years without being able to see? Let’s not stop at this one incident. How many other people has God allowed to suffer in order to do his work? We like to give advice to God, don’t we? Maybe if God listened to us his work would still get done but there would perhaps be less suffering.

Then there is another question. Why did Jesus need to spit on the ground and make mud and spread it on the man’s eyes? Doesn’t that sound a little degrading? Jesus healed so many other people just by speaking or laying hands on them. Did he really need to add these unnecessary steps? Doesn’t this same question come up with many people? Why doesn’t God just give me what I want the way I want it? Why does God make us go through what seems like unnecessary suffering before he answers our prayers?

Let’s take the first question first. Was it really unfair that this man had to suffer with total blindness for so many years? I wonder how this man would respond if we could ask him that question right now? By the end of John 9, the former blind man believed that Jesus is the true Son of God and his Savior. Blessed with that faith, heaven became his eternal home. If this man could offer his confession to us right now, I don’t think he would be accusing God of being unfair. Rather he would offer endless praise to his Lord for doing what was needed to bring him out of the darkness of sin and into the light of salvation that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ. He would gladly confess that because of Jesus, his sins were forgiven. Whatever short-term troubles he faced were nothing compared to the eternal joy that is now his.

The second question might be a little more difficult to answer. The truth is, Jesus doesn’t offer any explanation as to why he chose this particular method to heal this blind man. Let this answer satisfy us in this situation or in any other situation where we find ourselves questioning God. We don’t always know why God does things the way he does. But God does know the reason. God doesn’t waste time with unnecessary actions. Everything he does serves a purpose. That purpose is to finally bring us to eternal life in heaven. We may never fully understand the reasons for everything God does. But we know he is always working to bring us to our eternal home in heaven.

As Paul wrote in Romans 11:33-36: 33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how untraceable his ways! 34  “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his adviser?” 35 “Or who has first given to God that he will be repaid?” 36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Discussion Questions

1 – How did Jesus answer the disciples question about whether the blind mans’ sins or his parents’ sins led to his blindness?
Jesus made it clear the blindness was not directly because of sin. God’s purpose was to reveal the saving work of Jesus through this man and his blindness.

2 – What does Jesus’ answer say to us concerning the work he gives us to do?
Like Jesus, we ought to work while it is day. That means we shouldn’t put off the opportunities our Lord places before us. As Jesus said “Night is coming when no one can work.” We have a time of grace now to do the work of our Lord. We don’t know when that time of grace will end. When Jesus returns on the Last Day it will be too late to tell someone else about Jesus or to set a good example of faith with our lives. Do the work your Lord gives you now while there is still time.

3 – What confusion resulted among the people when they saw the blind man was healed?
Some believed that he was the former blind man. Others thought he was someone else. No one was sure about what had happened.

4 – At this point what did the blind man know about Jesus?
He knew that Jesus had healed him. He knew the instructions Jesus gave him. However, there were still many things he didn’t know. Jesus still had work to do in this man’s life. We’ll study more about God’s gracious dealings with this man as we continue our study of John 9 in our next lessons.


If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.