The Gospel of John – Lesson 23 – John 8:48-59

48 The Jews responded, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon. On the contrary, I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 I do not seek my own glory. There is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Amen, Amen, I tell you: If anyone holds on to my word, he will certainly never see death.” 52 So the Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets. Yet you say, ‘If anyone holds on to my word, he will certainly never taste death.’ 53 You are not greater than our father, Abraham, are you? He died. And the prophets died. Who do you think you are?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, about whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ 55 Yet you do not really know him, but I do know him. If I said, ‘I do not know him,’ I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I hold on to his word. 56 Your father Abraham was glad that he would see my day. He saw it and rejoiced.” 57 The Jews replied, “You aren’t even fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Before Abraham was born, I am.” 59 Then they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden and left the temple area.

When little children (and sometimes adults) get into an argument someone will call the other a bad name. This opens the door for the other to use a bad name in response. At first glance that might seem to be the case in this portion of God’s Word. Jesus had just called his audience children of the devil. Now the Jews responded by calling Jesus a Samaritan and someone possessed by a demon. Samaritans were detestable to the Jews. Their rivalry had existed for centuries. Jesus is the Son of God. To say he had a demon was to say he was the complete opposite of God’s Son.

The difference was the Jews used these names to insult Jesus. Jesus meanwhile called the Jews, children of Satan out of love. That might be hard to understand in the politically correct society we live in today. We have to guard every word so we don’t offend someone. But Jesus used harsh language because he wanted the Jews to see their lost condition so they would repent of their sins and believe that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

Jesus tried to explain to them the importance of trusting in him. Jesus said “If anyone holds on to my word, he will certainly never see death.” He prefaced this statement with a double “Amen.” The word “amen” means “it shall be so.” By repeating the word twice added emphasis that this was a trustworthy saying that deserves the full acceptance of all who hear it.

But Jesus’ audience completely misinterpreted what Jesus said. They reasoned that Abraham and the prophets all died. These men were faithful followers of God. But their faith didn’t keep them from dying. The Jews reasoned that Jesus was obviously lying. Everyone must die eventually, whether they are a follower of God or not.

Jesus’ response to their charges was designed to show how they had lost sight of what the Word of God promised. The Holy Scriptures pointed to the Messiah who would come to rescue the people from their sins. It is true we must all physically die someday. But the soul of the follower of Jesus never dies. It goes immediately to live on in the presence of our Lord forever. The body dies, but its death is only temporary. Through faith in Jesus it will rise to be reunited with the soul on the Last Day. All this is certain through faith in Jesus, whom God sent as the promised Messiah. Abraham trusted in God’s promises. Abraham was glad that God promised a Savior. He knew he could not save himself by his own works. He was glad that God provided a solution to his lost condition. Abraham also rejoiced in knowing that the Lord God had promised this Savior would come from his family line.

Once again, Jesus’ teaching revealed how hardened in sin his audience really was. Instead of seeing the truth of what Jesus said they argued that Abraham had died centuries earlier. Jesus was only about 30 years old at the time. He could not have known Abraham. Jesus replied by saying “Before Abraham was born, I am.” We talked in an earlier lesson about the “I AM” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. God gave this title to himself when he spoke to Moses from the burning bush in Exodus 3. It is the name God said he was to be known by for all time. By using this title, Jesus is proclaiming himself to be true God from eternity. Once again the double “Amen” at the beginning of the sentence further emphasizes that there is no doubt about what Jesus proclaimed. He is true God. He always has been and he always will be.

His audience clearly understood what Jesus was saying about himself. But their hearts were so hardened in unbelief that they refused to even consider the evidence Jesus had provided throughout his public ministry to prove what he said was the truth. They instantly decided he had spoken blasphemy. The penalty for this sin was death. They immediately took up stones to carry out their judgment. Once again Jesus proved himself to be true God. It was not his time to die yet. He hid himself and slipped away and no one was able to stop him.

We praise our Lord that like Abraham we believe God’s promise of the Savior. Our Lord cut through our sin-hardened hearts to let us see that Jesus is the true Son of God from eternity. Our hearts are glad like Abraham. We have additional reason to rejoice. Abraham looked ahead to the day of the Savior’s arrival. We live in fulfillment of God’s promises. We hold onto his promises by faith. We know that we will live eternally with our Lord in heaven.

Discussion Questions

1 – What foolish charge did the Jews bring against Jesus?
They accused him of being a Samaritan and of being demon-possessed. Their accusations had no facts to back them up. Such false charges further showed their unbelief.

2 – What did Jesus mean when he said those who hold onto his words would never see death?
Unless Jesus returns first, our bodies must one day face death. But Jesus spoke here of our souls. When the body of a Christian dies, their soul immediately goes to be with their Lord forever in heaven. The soul will remain in the safekeeping of the Lord until the Last Day when he calls our bodies from the grave. Body and soul will be reunited and we will live in eternal joy and peace with our Lord.

3 – The Jews believed in God. They knew the accounts of God in the Holy Scriptures were true. Why did Jesus say they did not know God?
They refused to believe in Jesus as true God. As 1 John 2:23 said “Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father. But the one who confesses the Son has the Father as well.”

4 – How did Jesus prove himself to be true God at the end of John 8?
The Jews believed Jesus had spoken blasphemy by calling himself God. They wanted to stone him to death. But Jesus simply slipped away from them. It was not his time to die yet. No human being could do anything to harm the Son of God until he allowed it to happen.


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 22 – John 8:31-47

31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. 32 You will also know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 “We are Abraham’s descendants,” they answered, “and we have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus answered, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Everyone who keeps committing sin is a slave to sin. 35 But a slave does not remain in the family forever. A son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free. 37 I know you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because there is no place for my word in you. 38 I am telling you what I have seen at the side of the Father. As for you, you do what you have heard at the side of your father.” 39 “Our father is Abraham!” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” Jesus told them, “you would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard at the side of God. Abraham did not do this. 41 You are doing the works of your father.” “We were not born of sexual immorality!” they said. “We have one Father: God.” 42 Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I came from God and I am here. Indeed, I have not come on my own, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand my message? It is because you are not able to listen to my word. 44 You belong to your father, the Devil, and you want to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not remain standing in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks from what is his, because he is a liar and the father of lying. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Who of you can convict me of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Whoever belongs to God listens to what God says. The reason you do not listen is that you do not belong to God.”

In the previous section of John 8, Jesus spoke to those who refused to believe his testimony that he is the true Son of God. Now we notice that Jesus directs his comments to a different segment of his audience. Some of the Jews believed in Jesus. However, it quickly becomes clear from the conversation that their faith in Jesus was not complete. His teaching and miracles convinced them that he truly did come from God. They wanted to follow him. But their new faith needed direction. They needed to understand what it means to be Jesus’ disciples. The Jews were descendants of Abraham. They placed great value on their ancestry. They reasoned that God chose Abraham and his descendants to be his special chosen people. Therefore, they believed they were disciples of God because they could trace their lineage back to Abraham.

But the Son of God taught that being his disciples didn’t depend on who our ancestors are. Being Jesus’ disciples means that we remain in his word. To remain in Jesus’ words means that we hear, believe and obey them. We hear and believe his message that we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory. We believe that Jesus is our only Savior. He alone won forgiveness of our sins and gives eternal life to all who trust in him. Jesus said that those who remain in his words are set free from their sins. This means we are free from the guilty verdict sin places on us and the punishment that must accompany this verdict. We are set free from trying to win God’s favor by our works, which we could never do. Those who remain in Jesus’ words live in the certainty that we are children of God and heirs of eternal life. The truth that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings really does set us free.

But the Jews didn’t want to believe they needed to be set free. Abraham was a free man. His descendants must be free also. But Jesus proclaimed that they were slaves to sin. This proclamation is equally true of us. That’s a hard truth to swallow. Sure we sin, but we’re not slaves are we? Let’s try a simple test. We know that sin makes God angry. We know that sin separates us from God. As God’s people we want to do God’s will. So, try to spend the next five minutes without committing a single sin. If we’re honest with ourselves we must admit we can’t achieve that goal. Like it or not, we are by nature slaves to sin.

Jesus’ words got even stronger. The Jews called themselves children of Abraham. Jesus countered by saying they were not children of Abraham. They shared the same bloodline as Abraham. But they were not spiritual children of Abraham. Genesis 15:6 said, “Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” True children of Abraham would believe God’s promises as Abraham did. But the Jews were rejecting God’s promises and how they were being fulfilled in Jesus. They were children of the Devil instead. Jesus called the Devil a liar. He was the “father of lies” because he rejected God in the beginning and deceived many others into following him. He is a murderer because he strives to lead as many people as he can to eternal death in hell. Those who truly belong to God will strive to follow God and do what he says. Those who don’t follow God don’t belong to him. They belong to Satan instead. There is no middle ground here. Jesus’ words make it clear, we either belong to the Lord or we don’t.

As you read our Savior’s words in this lesson, give thanks. Many of the physical descendants of Abraham heard Jesus’ clear words and rejected them. You hear our Savior speak and you believe that he is the true Son of God and our Savior. This is a precious gift from God. As Martin Luther wrote in his explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles Creed, “I believe that I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” (Luther’s Small Catechism, page 5, Northwestern Publishing House, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2017) By the work of the Holy Spirit you are Jesus’ disciple. You know the truth of God’s Word. The truth sets you free.

Discussion Questions

1 – Many people claim to be disciples of Jesus. According to Jesus, who are his disciples?
Jesus said his disciples hold onto his teachings. This doesn’t mean we pick which teachings we want to hold onto and disregard the ones we don’t. His disciples believe that all that our Lord says to us is sacred. His disciples want to gladly hear all his teachings, believe them, and obey them.

2 – How do Jesus teachings set us free?
Without the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we would be left to try to earn God’s favor by keeping his commandments. We couldn’t do this because God requires his commands be kept perfectly. Our sinful nature prevents us from doing this. Without Jesus we would be condemned for our sins and would have to suffer the eternal punishment God requires for our guilt. But Jesus fulfilled the Law for us and paid the penalty our sins earned us. God now declares us to be not guilty of our sins for Jesus sake. Jesus truly has set us free.

3 – What did the Jews mean in verse 41 when they said “We were not born of sexual immorality?
Mary, the mother of Jesus was found to be pregnant before she was joined in marriage with Joseph. This happened because the Christ child was conceived in her by the Holy Spirit. Many did not believe this miracle. They assumed Mary became pregnant due to sexual relations outside of marriage. They denied the clear promises of Scripture that the virgin woman would conceive and give birth to a son (Isaiah 7:14)

4 – What was the difference between the children of Abraham the Jews claimed to be and the true children of Abraham Jesus spoke of?
The Jews were physical descendants of Abraham. Jesus spoke of spiritual descendants. True children of Abraham share the same faith as Abraham.


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 21 – John 8:12-30

12 When Jesus spoke to them again, he said, “I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 13 So the Pharisees said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.” 14 “Even if I testify about myself,” Jesus replied, “my testimony is valid, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I came from or where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh. I am not judging anyone. 16 But even if I were to judge, my judgment would be true, because I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. 17 Even in your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is valid. 18 I am one who testifies about myself, and the Father who sent me testifies about me.” 19 Then they asked him, “Where is your Father?” “You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple area near the offering box. But no one arrested him, because his time had not arrived yet. 21 So he told them again, “I am going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So the Jews asked, “He won’t kill himself, will he, because he says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 “You are from below,” he told them. “I am from above. You are of this world. I am not of this world. 24 That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am the one, you will die in your sins.” 25 “Who are you?” they asked. Jesus replied, “What I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you. But the one who sent me is true. And what I heard from him, these are the things I am telling the world.” 27 They did not understand that he was talking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am the one, and that I do nothing on my own. But I speak exactly as the Father taught me. 29 The one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what pleases him.” 30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

With the opening words of this reading, John makes it clear that this conversation with the Pharisees happened sometime after the previous section of Scripture. Jesus began by saying “I am the Light of the World.” One of the characteristics of the Gospel of John is a series of statements Jesus made called the “I AM” statements. We’ve already encountered some of these statements in our studies of the Gospel of John. In John 4:26 Jesus said to the Samaritan woman “I who speak to you am he.” In John 6:35 he said “I am the bread of life.” Later in John 10:11 he said “I am the good shepherd.” In John 14:6 he said “I am the way and the truth and the life.”

This subject isn’t merely good Bible trivia. The words “I am” call to mind what God said to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3). Moses asked the Lord what name he should use if the Israelites asked who sent him to them. God replied “I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14) Jesus was using this same wording when he spoke about himself. His meaning was clear. Jesus is proclaiming he is the same God who called Moses to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. Even Jesus’ enemies understood what Jesus was saying. Later in John 8 we will see how Jesus used another “I am” statement. In response the Jews picked up stones to kill him. In their minds he spoke blasphemy since he used a title that God had used for himself.

Jesus called himself the “Light of the World.” The meaning is quite simple. From the moment we enter this world until the moment we depart in death, sin is our constant companion. Sin penetrates ever part of our being with a thick oppressive darkness we could never escape from. This darkness hides our eyes from our lost condition. It keeps us from seeing that we are under God’s judgment and there is nothing we could do to escape our guilt.

You can see this darkness in those Jesus spoke to. The Pharisees told Jesus his testimony wasn’t valid, because Jesus testified about himself. Jewish law stated you could not establish a case with only one witness. (See Deuteronomy 17:6) They refused to consider the clear testimony the Holy Scriptures gave about Jesus as he fulfilled every prophecy about the promised Messiah. They refused to consider his miracles. Jesus did things only God could do. They refused to consider his powerful teaching which clearly explained the Holy Scriptures. They kept asking Jesus who he was, but they would not listen to his answer. They wouldn’t accept the clear testimony he gave them that he is the true Son of God and the Savior of the world. They walked in darkness just as the sinful world walks in darkness concerning Jesus today. It is the same darkness we were born into this world with. Without the gift of the Holy Spirit we could not believe in Jesus.

Jesus, the Light of the World changed all that for us. He said “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus light shined on some of those in his audience. The closing verse of our reading said “As he was saying these things, many believed in him.” Our Lord graciously did the same thing with us. The light of salvation he brings penetrated to the core of our sin darkened souls and filled us with the good news that he alone is our Savior. That Gospel light lets us see that Jesus won the forgiveness of our sins. All who trust in him have eternal life. Jesus isn’t the only one who testifies to this. His heavenly Father testified about his Son from the beginning. The Holy Spirit testifies to us through Word and Sacrament. All Scripture clearly points us to Jesus Christ as the light that cuts through the darkness of sin and makes us heirs of eternal life.

Discussion Questions

1 – The Pharisees stated that Jesus’ testimony wasn’t valid because he testified about himself. How did Jesus show the validity of his testimony?
His testimony would have been valid on its own because Jesus is the Son of God. But his testimony was also supported by his heavenly Father and by the Holy Scriptures.

2 – The Pharisees believed in God, yet how could Jesus say they didn’t know the Father?
The Pharisees refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messiah. Jesus said in John 14:10 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I am telling you I am not speaking on my own, but the Father who remains in me is doing his works.” Those who reject Jesus also reject God the Father who sent him.

3 – When the Pharisees asked Jesus “Who are you,” why did Jesus answer them as he did?
Jesus had clearly testified about himself from the beginning of his ministry. They kept asking him because they didn’t believe in him. He also made it clear that everything he said and did was in full agreement with the will of God the Father. Only the Son of God could make such a statement.

4 – What truths did Jesus explain about his relationship with his heavenly Father?
The Father and the Son, (along with the Holy Spirit) are perfectly untied in all things. They are three persons in one divine being. The Son is never alone. The Father always remains with him. Everything Jesus does pleases his heavenly Father because Jesus’ will is in perfect agreement with the will of God the Father.  


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 20 – John 8:1-11

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning, he came back into the temple courts. And all the people kept coming to him. He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery and had her stand in the center. “Teacher,” they said to him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” They asked this to test him, so that they might have evidence to accuse him. Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. But when they kept on asking him for an answer, he stood up and said to them, “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then he stooped down again and wrote on the ground. When they heard this, they went away one by one, beginning with the older men. Jesus was left alone with the woman in the center. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. Then Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

There is something wrong with this picture. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus who was caught in the act of adultery. They were correct in saying the penalty for adultery according to the Law given at Mt. Sinai was death (See Leviticus 20:10). But did you notice something missing? It takes two people to commit adultery. Leviticus 20:10 demanded that both the man and the woman caught in the act of adultery must be put to death. If the accusers really wanted Jesus to decide the case, why didn’t they bring both offenders before him? Another consideration is why they even involved Jesus in the first place. These men were supposed to be Israel’s religious leaders. Why didn’t they simply decide the matter for themselves? In most cases when the scribes or Pharisees came before Jesus they were trying to find some way to discredit him. That was probably the case here. They probably felt they had Jesus trapped by this situation. If Jesus said to let the woman go then he was violating God’s Law. If he said to stone her to death he was violating Roman law. The Romans ruled the land. Only they could impose the death penalty. Either way the scribes and Pharisees thought they had Jesus in trouble.

Jesus saw something that was even more wrong with this picture. He didn’t question whether the woman was guilty. He didn’t question what God’s Law said about the punishment for adultery. But the woman’s accusers failed to see there was more than one guilty party standing before Jesus. That’s why Jesus said to them “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Once again the Son of gave the perfect answer. In this case he showed that all have sinned and fallen short of the standard God has established. Any sin is detestable to God. Romans 6:23 said “For the wages of sin is death.” Any sin makes us worthy of God’s judgment now and in eternity.

But there was one more thing that seemed wrong here. The crowd got Jesus’ message. They had no choice but to disperse. The only people left at the scene were Jesus and the woman. Notice that Jesus didn’t say the scribes and Pharisees were wrong about their accusations against this woman. The fact that Jesus told her not to sin anymore is a good indication she was guilty and deserving God’s judgment. All the ones who were equally guilty were gone away. The only one left was the sinless Son of God. If anyone had the right to punish this woman for her sins it was him. He would have been perfectly justified to carry out the Law by stoning the woman to death. We might even say that he as the Son of God had an obligation to do so under the commands of God’s Law.

But we praise our Lord that he always acts according to his own holy will and not according to our will. Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ In fact, I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mercy is what Jesus showed to this woman. After he pointed out that the woman’s accusers were no longer present he forgave her. At the same time he taught her how she should live as a forgiven sinner, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”

We are not required to stone someone to death for the sin of adultery any longer. That was a command given to one nation at one time. But there is much we can learn from this account. The wage we earn for our sins is still death. God still has every right to bring us under his judgment for any sin we commit. But in mercy our Lord desires to treat us with mercy just as he treated the sinful woman in John 8. Our Lord doesn’t look the other way and pretend our sins didn’t happen. Jesus carried the punishment of our sins to the cross where he paid the death penalty for us. Now he calls on us to live a life of repentance. Confess our sins and trust in God’s mercy. Then in grateful response to our Lord for his mercy let us leave behind our life of sin and follow our Lord in faith striving to live according to his holy will.

Discussion Questions

1 – The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman before Jesus and charged her with the sin of adultery. What penalty did God’s Law demand for such a crime?
In Leviticus 20:10, God demanded that if a man and woman were caught in the sin of adultery both of them were to be put to death.

2 – Why did the accusers bring the woman before Jesus?
Clearly their goal was to trap Jesus in his words. It is likely they thought they had Jesus trapped either way. If he said to let the woman go then he was defying God’s Law. If he demanded that she be put to death he was defying the law of the land. Rome ruled over the province of Judea. According to Roman law, only the Roman government could hand out the death penalty. Either verdict Jesus gave would seemingly land him in trouble.

3 – How did Jesus avoid the trap and get to the heart of the matter at the same time?
He gave the perfect response. He didn’t deny the guilt of the woman. But he let all the accusers see that they were equally guilty before God. Sometimes human beings like to think certain sins are worse than others. Jesus showed that the sins of the accusers made them just as guilty before God as the woman caught in adultery.

4 – Jesus told the woman “Neither do I condemn you.” Some have incorrectly used Jesus’ words to say we can’t condemn someone of their sins because Jesus is accepting of everyone just the way they are. How would you respond?
Jesus was not accepting of the woman’s sins. He told her to “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” Jesus doesn’t condone any sin. The reason he forgave the woman is because he had come to sacrifice his life to pay for her sins. God’s mercy doesn’t give us an excuse to go on sinning. God’s mercy ought to lead us to show our thanks to him by striving to turn away from our sins and instead to live our lives according to his holy will.  


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 19 – John 7:25-53

25 Some of the people from Jerusalem were saying, “Isn’t this the man they want to kill? 26 Yet, look! He’s speaking openly, and they don’t say a thing to him. Certainly the rulers have not concluded that he is the Christ, have they? 27 But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” 28 Then Jesus called out as he was teaching in the temple courts, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own, but the one who sent me is real. You do not know him. 29 I know him because I am from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. 31 But many in the crowd believed in him and asked, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more miraculous signs than this man, will he?” 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about him, so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent guards to arrest him. 33 Then Jesus said, “I am going to be with you only a little while longer. Then I am going away to the one who sent me. 34 You will be looking for me and will not find me, and where I am going to be, you cannot come.” 35 Then the Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? He does not intend to go to the Jews scattered among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, does he? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will be looking for me and will not find me, and where I am going to be, you cannot come’?” 37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and called out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! 38 As the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive. For the Holy Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been glorified. 40 After hearing his words, some of the people said, “This is truly the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Surely the Christ does not come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s descendants and from the little town of Bethlehem where David lived?” 43 So the people were divided because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 Then the guards came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 The guards answered, “No one ever spoke the way this man does!” 47 So the Pharisees answered them, “You have not been deceived too, have you? 48 Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd, which does not know the law, is cursed!” 50 One of them, Nicodemus, who had come to Jesus earlier, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man before we hear from him and find out what he’s doing?” 52 “You are not from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Search and you will see that a prophet does not come from Galilee.” 53 Then each of them went home.

As I write this Bible study we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So-called experts continue to change their minds about when this pandemic will hit its peak and how many people will die. Others argue whether it’s better for states to continue stay at home orders or allow businesses to get back to work. We hear differences of opinion concerning if and when life will get back to normal or when a vaccine will finally be developed or if this whole issue is some kind of government conspiracy. I’ve heard more and more people lamenting that they don’t know who or what to believe anymore.

In the last half of John 7 the people of Jerusalem were sharply divided over a different issue. Who is Jesus? Some correctly believed that he is the Christ. Others argued that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. Certainly the Christ couldn’t come from there. Even the guards of the chief priests were filled with doubts. They were sent to arrest Jesus. But they didn’t carry out their assignment. They had never heard anyone speak like Jesus before (including their own religious leaders). Meanwhile the chief priests and the Pharisees took a hard stand. They didn’t believe that Jesus was the Christ, so no one else should believe he is either. Even when Nicodemus tried to be a voice of reason the Jewish leaders quickly silenced him. Finally, when their sinful human minds couldn’t come up with any answers they simply went home.

The question today still rages. Who is Jesus? Some call him a great teacher. Others call him an important prophet from God. Others see him as a good man who died for what he believed in. Still others see him as a Jewish radical who misled many people.

In the midst of all the misinformation, doubts and confusion, Jesus speaks to us with words of truth. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! As the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from deep within the person who believes in me.” John gave us insight into these words as he told us Jesus was going to send the Holy Spirit after he ascended to eternal glory in heaven. The Holy Spirit cuts through all the misinformation and lets us see the truth about Jesus. It’s not a truth that was new or hidden for centuries. The truth is Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He invites us to drink deeply from the Gospel. This good news assures us that Jesus came to be with us for a little while to win the forgiveness of all our sins. He rose from the grave and ascended into heaven with the assurance that he will one day come back to take us to be with him where he is.

Doubts and fears fill the lives of even the strongest Christians. The devil, the world and our sinful flesh constantly try to drive us to despair that or sins separate us from God forever. Without Jesus, they would be right. But Jesus has come. He is the Christ, God promised to send. He has made you a precious child of God now and forever. Whenever doubts fill your mind about this or any of the truths about Jesus, come at his gracious invitation and drink from the Gospel. Let the good news of Jesus flow through you and make you certain that eternal life in heaven is yours through faith in Jesus Christ. That’s the truth. Just believe.

Discussion Questions

1 – As Jesus openly taught in Jerusalem, the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to arrest him. Why couldn’t they?
Verse 30 of our reading indicates that Jesus’ time had not yet come. God had already determined when Jesus would be arrested and put to death. But he still had much work to do before that happened. God is always in complete control. No one can hinder his plans. Jesus would complete God’s plan of our salvation in the time and way God chose.

2 – What did Jesus mean when he said in verse 34, “You will be looking for me and will not find me, and where I am going to be, you cannot come?”
Jesus spoke of his death and his return to heaven. No unbeliever can go there. Those who refuse to believe in Jesus as their only Savior remain separated from God forever.

3 – What gracious invitation did Jesus extend at the end of the Feast?
Come to Jesus and drink the life-giving water he provides. This is the message of the Gospel. Be refreshed in knowing that Jesus gave his life for you and rose again that you have eternal life in him.

4 – Why did the Pharisees speak out against Nicodemus even though he was one of them?
Nicodemus had been taught by Jesus privately on an earlier occasion. (See John 3) He wanted Jesus to at least receive a fair hearing. But the Pharisees were so hardened in their unbelief that they refused to listen to the truth Jesus proclaimed. It is an act of pure grace that God began to work faith in Jesus in Nicodemus. We praise our Lord that he cut through our sinful flesh to create saving faith in Jesus in us.


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 18 – John 7:1-24

After this, Jesus moved around in Galilee. He did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to find a way to kill him. Now the Jewish Festival of Shelters was near. So his brothers said to him, “You should leave here and go to Judea so your disciples there can also see the works you are doing. Indeed, no one acts in secret who wants to be known in public. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” For even his own brothers did not believe in him. So Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not arrived yet, but any time is the right time for you. The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. You go up to the festival. I am not going up to this festival yet, because the right time for me has not yet arrived.” After he said this, he stayed in Galilee. 10 However, after his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up, not openly but in a private way. 11 At the festival, the Jews kept looking for him. They asked, “Where is he?” 12 And there was widespread whispering about him in the crowds. Some were saying, “He’s a good man.” Others were saying, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 Yet no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jews. 14 When the festival was already half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts and began to teach. 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, “How does this man know what is written without being instructed?” 16 Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but it comes from him who sent me. 17 If anyone wants to do his will, he will know whether my teaching is from God or if I speak on my own. 18 The one who speaks on his own is seeking his own glory. But he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him—that is the one who is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19 Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you does what the law tells you. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20 “You have a demon!” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you are all amazed. 22 Consider this: Because Moses has given you circumcision (not that it comes from Moses, but from the fathers), you circumcise a man even on the Sabbath. 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry at me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by outward appearance. Instead make a right judgment.”

The Festival of Shelters was one of three major festivals God commanded the Jews were to come together to celebrate every year. (The other two were the Passover and Pentecost.) This festival commemorated how God guided the Israelites through the wilderness in the days of Moses until they finally reached the Promised Land. During that journey they lived in temporary homes or tents. During the Festival of Shelters the Jews would remember those days by living in tents once again.

At this time the leaders of the Jews wanted to kill Jesus. They still remembered how Jesus recently healed a crippled man on the Sabbath Day. (See John 5) At this same time Jesus’ brothers wanted him to go to Jerusalem where he could draw more attention to his teachings and miracles. In Jerusalem many people were wondering if Jesus would come to Jerusalem for the Festival or not. But Jesus made it clear that his activities were not determined by the will of human beings. Jesus said in verse 6 of our reading “The right time for me has not arrived yet, but any time is the right time for you.” God’s plan of our salvation was carried out according to God’s timetable. Everything Jesus did was accomplished at the time his heavenly Father determined. He would go to Jerusalem. But the time was in God’s hands.

Jesus went to the Festival secretly at first. He began to teach publicly when the Festival was half over. John does not record what Jesus said when he began to teach. But his message caught everyone’s attention. This set the stage for the main message Jesus wanted to bring to them. The things he was teaching were not something he had made up. His teachings were what God said right along in his Word. Not only did Jesus’ teachings perfectly coincide with the Holy Scriptures, but also his actions perfectly fulfilled everything the Scriptures promised about the promised Messiah. All the evidence pointed to Jesus as the true Son of God and the promised Savior of the world.

But the Jews responded by looking at Jesus through the eyes of their own flawed interpretation of God’s Law. Instead of looking at what Scripture said and making their judgments accordingly, they looked only at outward appearances. Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath Day. The Jews reasoned that the Third Commandment forbid all work on the Sabbath Day so they felt Jesus violated God’s Law. Jesus pointed out that male babies were circumcised eight days after they were born according to the Law (See Leviticus 12:3). If the eighth day was a Sabbath Day the circumcision was done anyway. Jesus showed mercy to a crippled man when he healed him and called him to repentance on the Sabbath Day. In Hosea 6:6 God said “For I desire mercy not sacrifice.” In other words God’s Law was not meant to be an outward going through the motions. All God’s commandments were to be kept with an attitude of love for God and love for our neighbor as ourselves.

Sometime we also judge by outward appearances. With look with favor on the one who gives larger offerings to the church or the one who is better dressed when they come to the Lord’s house or the one who seems to outwardly live a better life. Remember how Jesus showed mercy and kindness to the poor, the lame and the blind. Remember how often he has shown mercy and kindness to us when we were spiritually poor, lame and blind due to sin. Our Lord didn’t do this because we deserved his mercy. Out of love he chose to show mercy. Let us remember what Jesus said. Stop judging by outward appearance. Make a right judgment. See other souls as those who also need God’s mercy and love. Share Jesus with them. Show mercy and love to them just as Jesus showed it to us.

Discussion Questions

1 – Why didn’t Jesus go to the Feast of Shelters (also called the Feast of the Tabernacles) initially?
Jesus did everything according to the times established by his heavenly Father. Many of the Jews wanted to put Jesus to death. Jesus knew it was not yet time for this to happen.

2 – Why does the world hate Jesus?
As Jesus said in verse 7, he testified that the works of the world are evil. Those who follow the ways of the sinful world don’t like being considered evil. They don’t want to believe they need a Savior to rescue them from their sins. Jesus taught the truth, but the sinful world doesn’t want to hold to the truth.

3 – Why were the people of Jerusalem afraid to speak publicly about Jesus?
The leaders of the Jews hated Jesus and wanted him dead. These leaders had a lot of power and influence. Nobody wanted to incur their wrath.

4 – How did Jesus reveal the hypocrisy and ignorance of the Jewish leaders?
He pointed out how they criticized Jesus for healing a crippled man on the Sabbath Day, yet they also worked by circumcising children on the Sabbath Day.

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 17 – John 6:60-71

60 When they heard it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching! Who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this cause you to stumble in your faith? 62 What if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh does not help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning those who would not believe and the one who would betray him. 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is given to him by my Father.” 66 After this, many of his disciples turned back and were not walking with him anymore. 67 So Jesus asked the Twelve, “You do not want to leave too, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 He meant Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, one of the Twelve, because Judas was going to betray Jesus.

God’s Word contains some teachings that are hard for human beings to accept. Consider these examples. Those cute little babies that everyone loves to hold are sinful human beings who deserve God’s judgment. No matter how many good things you do in life, you can never accomplish enough to earn the forgiveness of your sins. Your sins make you just as guilty before God as those committed by a mass murderer or a terrorist or a cruel tyrant. We can’t make a decision by ourselves to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior. Such faith is a gift only God can give us. Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in heaven. Any other path is a road that leads to eternal destruction.

People don’t want to hear such teachings. We like to believe our sins aren’t as bad as the next person. We want to think God will consider us to be good people who deserve to be in heaven. God will surely accept me just the way I am. Many people who don’t hear what they want to hear in church will walk away. They want to believe they can choose their own way to earn God’s favor and to have eternal life in heaven.

Jesus knew what it was like to have people reject him. Just prior to our Scripture reading for today, Jesus was being followed by a large crowd. He had just performed an amazing miracle of feeding thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. People followed Jesus wanting to see more miracles. Instead Jesus pointed to himself as the “Bread of Life.” Only by partaking of his flesh and blood can anyone be saved. We partake of Jesus through the Holy Scriptures and the Sacraments. This teaching wasn’t what the people wanted to hear. Many of them stopped following Jesus altogether.

Jesus turned to his own closest followers and put the question to them. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” It might have seemed like leaving Jesus would be an easy thing to do. Why follow someone who suddenly became unpopular with the crowds? But popularity wasn’t what was important for the Twelve. Simon Peter answered for the group. “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” God was gracious to these men. They heard the teachings of Jesus. God opened their hearts to see and believe the truth. No one else could offer what Jesus offered them. Jesus is the Messiah that God promised to send. There is no other way to eternal life except through him. Even if all others left him they would not leave.

It’s not easy to be a follower of Jesus in the world today. There are so many other religions out there. An increasing number of people will say you don’t need to be a part of any organized religion. Find your own way to come to God. You make your own rules. You do what seems right to you. But for us there is no other choice. Jesus isn’t just another teacher. He is the Son of God. He is the promised Savior of the world. His sinless life fulfilled God’s Law for us. His death took away our sins. His resurrection defeated death and opened the way to eternal life for us. There really is on other option. By the grace of God we believe and confess: “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Discussion Questions

1 – Remember that many people in the crowd following Jesus were called his disciples. Why were they having such a hard time accepting his teachings?
Many of them still did not understand who Jesus was. They saw him as a great teacher and miracle worker but not the Son of God. They also wanted Jesus to make their earthly lives better. They weren’t looking for someone to save them from their sins. They believed they were already God’s people simply because they were descendants of Abraham. 

2 – What precious truth did Peter confess in response to Jesus’ question? 
Jesus is the Son of God. He is the Messiah, God promised in the Holy Scriptures. Jesus’ message proclaimed that the only way to eternal life was through faith in him.

 3 – In response to Peter’s confession what truth did Jesus reveal?
They did not come to this faith in Jesus on their own. They were chosen by God. Only God can enable someone to believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior. As Ephesians 2:8-9 stated, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”     

4 – What warning did Jesus also give?
He already knew that one of his own disciples would betray him. Judas had the privilege of walking with Jesus for three years and learning from him. Yet in the end he fell away from faith. His love for money was stronger than his love for God. We must always be careful that we don’t fall victim to temptation as Judas did. The words of 1 Corinthians 10:13 warn us, “So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall.” We must always stand on the sure foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that we remain faithful to the end and receive the crown of life our Lord Jesus has won for us.

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 16 – John 6:25-59

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: You are not looking for me because you saw the miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not continue to work for the food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 So they said to him, “What should we do to carry out the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God: that you believe in the one he sent.” 30 Then they asked him, “So what miraculous sign are you going to do, that we may see it and believe you? What miraculous sign are you going to perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the real bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said to him, “give us this bread all the time!” 35 “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus told them. “The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I said to you that you have also seen me, and you do not believe. 37 Everyone the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me: that I should lose none of those he has given me, but raise them up on the Last Day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life. And I will raise him up on the Last Day.” 41 So the Jews started grumbling about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They asked, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? So how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus answered them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the Last Day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 I am not saying that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God. He is the one who has seen the Father. 47 Amen, Amen, I tell you: The one who believes in me has eternal life. 48 “I am the Bread of Life. 49 Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” 52 At that, the Jews argued among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day. 55 For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like your fathers ate and died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Jesus was experiencing a time of great popularity. Big crowds were following him everywhere. On this occasion the crowds journeyed a great distance to locate Jesus. But the problem was the people were following Jesus for the wrong reasons. The previous day they saw Jesus do an amazing miracle. He took a small amount of food and used it to provide enough food for thousands of people to eat their fill. When they were finished eating there was more food left over than what they started with. As the people found Jesus they were probably filled with anticipation. By now they were probably getting hungry again. Perhaps Jesus would give them another miracle meal. Perhaps he would do something even more amazing.
Jesus needed to show them that their hearts weren’t focused on the right things. The miraculous meal he provided them the previous day met their physical needs for a short time. The same thing was true when God miraculously fed the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years in the time of Moses. Every day God provided them with enough food to sustain their bodies. But the next day they would always need to eat again. But now Jesus promised to give them a special food that would never spoil. It was food that would endure to eternal life.”

Initially the crowd wanted what Jesus promised. But then Jesus explained he wasn’t talking about food for their physical bodies. He was talking about food for their souls. He promised the one who ate what he provided would never go hungry. That’s when Jesus announced that, “I am the Bread of Life,” Jesus told them. “The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.” 

This statement angered the people. How could Jesus be the “Bread of Life?” Did he really want them to eat his flesh? That would be cannibalism. But Jesus was talking about food for the soul. We feast on the Bread of Life when we partake of the good news of the Gospel and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and our Savior. This special Bread of Life satisfies us with everything we need for our salvation. Jesus supplies all those needs. The more we partake of the good news of Jesus, the more certain we become that our sins are forgiven and that eternal life in heaven is ours.

Sometimes we’re like the crowds that followed Jesus. We’re looking for impressive visible displays of our Lord’s power. We’re not satisfied when he doesn’t give it to us. But our Lord is merciful to us. He gives us something truly impressive. He gives us the good news of the Gospel. The message seems so simple on the surface. But the good news that Jesus humbly gave his life to forgive our sins fills us up so completely that we will never hunger or thirst for anything to make us right with God. Our Lord invites us to come often and feast on his flesh and blood often in his Word. We can be certain that the one who feasts on our Savior will never hunger or thirst for anything needed for our salvation. As Jesus promised in verse 54 of our lesson, “The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day.”

Discussion Questions

1 – The crowds traveled a great distance to find Jesus. Why wasn’t he impressed with their devotion?
Jesus looked into their hearts and saw they were only focused on the fact that he filled their stomachs the previous day. They were looking at Jesus as a traveling miracle worker who would provide their bodily needs. They totally ignored their need for a Savior from sin, death and the devil.

2 – In verse 38, Jesus said he came to do the will of the one who sent him and not his own will. If Jesus is the Son of God, then isn’t his will the same as that of his heavenly Father?
Jesus is the Son of God and his will fully agreed with his heavenly Fathers’ will. But as Philippians 2 reminds us that Jesus made himself nothing and took on the nature of a servant so he could humble himself even to death on the cross. (See Philippians 2:5-8) Although he always remained God, he hid his divine nature so he could submit completely to the will of his heavenly Father. By this he won forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation for us.

3 – Is Jesus referring to the Lord’s Supper in verse 54 when he tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood for eternal life?
It is true that we partake of Jesus’ true body and blood in the Lord’s Supper and that the Lord does assure us of eternal life in this special meal. However at the time, this was not what Jesus referred to. The Lord’s Supper wasn’t instituted until Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples on the night before he died. At the time Jesus spoke these words he was specifically referring to partaking of him through his Word.

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 15 – John 6:16-24

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 A strong wind started to blow, and the sea became rough.19 After they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea toward their boat, and they were afraid.20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid!” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.22 The next day, the crowd that stayed on the other side of the sea noticed that only one boat was there. They also knew that Jesus had not stepped into the boat with his disciples, but they had gone away without him. 23 Other boats from Tiberias came to shore near the place where they ate the bread after the Lord gave thanks. 24 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

Being caught in a storm can be a scary thing. I remember once when I lived in Wisconsin that the tornado sirens went off in our community. It was a scary moment when my wife and I saw the funnel clouds approaching. As we retreated to the basement we couldn’t help but wonder what would be left of our home when the storm passed over. Would we even live to see what was left? Fortunately the tornado didn’t touch down in our community. We escaped with no injuries and no property damage. But others aren’t always so lucky. Bad storms often result in serious damages to homes and the loss of life.

Now imagine what it was like for Jesus’ disciples as they were caught in a storm on the Sea of Galilee in the middle of the night. The Sea of Galilee is known for sudden storms. Some of the disciples were experienced fishermen. They had probably lived through storms like these before. They knew a hard task was in front of them as they fought for survival in their wooden fishing boat.

But then something else occurred that terrified them even more. After Jesus performed a miracle of feeding thousands of people on a small amount of food (See John 6:1-15) he sent his disciples on ahead by boat. Now it was time for him to rejoin his disciples. As the Son of God he didn’t need a boat to catch up to them. He has full authority over all creation. Jesus was able to simply walk on water. He had no fears of the wind and the waves. All forces of nature must submit to him. But from a distance his disciples didn’t know it was him. Fear took over. According to the account of this same event in the Gospel of Matthew, their sinful minds came to the conclusion that this must be some kind of spirit. (See Matthew 14:26)

Even from a distance, Jesus knew their fears. He brought peace and calm to his disciples as he called out, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” That simple sentence changed everything. The disciples knew Jesus’ voice. They fully trusted him. Their fears left them as Jesus climbed on board the boat. Immediately he caused the boat to reach the shore. Everyone was safe.

Jesus’ words made all the difference in the world for his disciples. His comforting proclamation that he was with them was enough to convince them that no harm was going to come to them in what seemed like a life-threatening situation. We are Jesus’ disciples. His words make all the difference in the world for us also. What situations in life cause fear to well up inside of you? Are you ever afraid because of your health, financial matters, family troubles, conflicts with others or problems at work? Listen as Jesus says to you “It is I. Do not be afraid.” It’s true that we might not hear Jesus’ actual voice speaking to us. But he does promise us in John 10, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28) We hear Jesus’ voice speaking to us every time we read the Holy Scriptures. Our Lord assures us that he remains with us in good times and bad. He will never leave us under any circumstance. Even when our times of trouble linger, our Lord assures us that no power in the universe can ever snatch us out of his hands. No matter what happens, his comforting voice tells us he is with us always. He gave his life to save you. Just believe. He will give eternal life in heaven to you.

Discussion Questions

1 – Jesus’ disciples had seen him do amazing miracles before. Why were they terrified as they saw him walking on water?
The disciples were sinful human beings like all of us. Our Lord has graciously delivered us from many times of trouble. Yet when another time of trouble occurs, doubts and fears often take over and we forget our Lord’s gracious promises to be with us always. But our Lord was gracious to his disciples in their time of doubt. He is gracious to us and delivers us also, even in our times of doubts and fears.

2 – Why did the crowds follow Jesus when they discovered he had departed?
They had witnessed an amazing miracle when Jesus fed thousands of people on five loaves of bread and two fish. They wanted to see more. Their motives were not God pleasing. In the next section of John 6, Jesus confronted the crowd with these words, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: You are not looking for me because you saw the miraculous signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” (See John 6:26)

3 – What does Jesus teach us through his miracles on the Sea of Galilee?
As is the case with all of Jesus’ miracles, he teaches us that he is the true Son of God and our Savior. We also learn that even in the worst times of trouble his comforting words speak to us in the Holy Scriptures. He assures us as he did his disciples, “It is I. Do not be afraid.”

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 14 – John 6:1-15

1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias). 2 A large crowd followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he was performing on those who were sick. 3 Jesus went up on the hillside and sat down there with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near. 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a huge crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 But Jesus was saying this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to have just a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 9 “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what is that for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. There were about five thousand men. 11 Then Jesus took the loaves and, after giving thanks, he distributed pieces to those who were seated. He also did the same with the fish—as much as they wanted. 12 When the people were full, he told his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with pieces from the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the miraculous sign Jesus did, they said, “This really is the Prophet who is coming into the world.” 15 When Jesus realized that they intended to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

I sometimes wonder what it must have been like to have been one of Jesus’ disciples as he fed this big crowd by the Sea of Galilee. John records there were 5,000 men present. We don’t know how many women or children were in the audience. The people had probably walked a great distance to see Jesus. They would be hungry after the trip. Jesus knew this was an issue so he brought the matter to his disciple’s attention. I can just imagine the disciple’s thoughts. What were they supposed to do? There weren’t many towns in the area where people could buy food. Philip pointed out they would need more money than the disciples had to provide an adequate meal for everyone. Andrew noted that one boy in the crowd had five loaves of bread and two fish. That wouldn’t begin to meet the needs of a hungry crowd.

But Jesus wasn’t at a loss. He’d only asked the disciples to put their faith to the test. He wanted them to return the dilemma to Jesus. He wanted them to put their complete trust in him in every situation. Jesus took the bread and fish and gave thanks to God. Then he gave the food to the disciples to distribute to the people. Could you blame the disciples for shaking their heads in disbelief at this moment? They were going to run out of food in no time. There were a lot of people who were going to go hungry.

But imagine their amazement when the food didn’t run out. The food kept multiplying. Everyone had as much bread and fish as they wanted to eat. They must have been even more amazed when they gathered up the leftovers and found they had more food than what they started with. Jesus’ amazing miracle was intended to strengthen his disciple’s faith in him. Once again Jesus proved he is the true Son of God. Only God could do what Jesus did.

But the crowd missed the point of what Jesus had done. The problem began with their motivation for following Jesus to begin with. John noted in verse 2 of our text, “A large crowd followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he was performing on those who were sick.” They had already witnessed Jesus do some powerful miracles. They wanted to see him do even more. Now that Jesus showed them another miraculous sign John tells us, “When the people saw the miraculous sign Jesus did, they said, “This really is the Prophet who is coming into the world.” (Verse 14) The Prophet the people spoke of takes us back to Deuteronomy 18:15. Moses said, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brother Israelites. Listen to him.” Moses pointed ahead to Jesus. But the people thought only about how God provided them food every day in the wilderness during the time of Moses. They didn’t want to let Jesus get away. They wanted to make him a king so he could provide for them every day. Jesus couldn’t allow this to happen. He wasn’t here to be an earthly king. He came to rescue us from our sins. For the good of everyone, Jesus went away by himself.

Jesus shows God’s amazing love for us in this account. Our Lord is concerned for our daily physical needs. He daily meets those needs. He doesn’t normally provide for us by miracle. But he does give us the ability to work to earn a living. He does bless us with the right conditions so our crops grow and produce a harvest. Through these means God answers our prayers to provide us with our daily bread.

But most of all the Son of God shows his great concern for our spiritual needs. He used his powerful teachings and miracles to prove he is the true Son of God and our promised Savior. He also lets nothing distract him from his mission to bring forgiveness of sins, life and salvation to all who trust in him.

Discussion Questions

1 – John records that the people followed Jesus because they saw his powerful miracles. How was this both a good thing and a bad thing?
It was good because the people were coming to hear Jesus teach them. Romans 10:17 said “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” God uses the message of the Gospel to bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. As long as the people were coming to Jesus there was a chance for them to hear the Gospel and believe. The problem was their motivation for following was in the wrong place. Many of them were only interested in Jesus because he could use his miracles to provide for their earthly needs. They weren’t looking for a Savior to rescue them from their sins.

2 – If Jesus already knew how he was going to provide food for this large crowd why did he question Philip about this matter?
John records that Jesus did this to test him. (Verse 6) He wanted to see if Philip and the other disciples trusted him as the true Son of God. He wanted Philip to bring the matter to his Lord and trust that he would provide for his people.

3 – The disciples showed they still had much to learn. Philip saw only that they didn’t have enough money to buy food for everyone in the crowd. Andrew saw only that there wasn’t enough food on hand to meet everyone’s needs. How are we often like the disciples?
Often when we are facing difficulties we fall into the trap of looking at things only from an earthly point of view. We forget that our Lord has promised us “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me.” (Psalm 50:15) Our Lord wants us to trust in him by calling on him in our times of need. Our Lord promises he will hear us and help us in the time and way that he knows is best.

4 – The people wanted to make Jesus a king. Why wouldn’t Jesus allow this to happen?
Jesus didn’t come here to set up an earthly kingdom. He later told Pontius Pilate (My kingdom is not of this world.” (John 18:36) Jesus came to be our Savior to win for us a place in his eternal kingdom. Jesus would not allow anything to prevent him from carrying out his mission.

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.