2025 Bible Study Group

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 12

3 Mary then took a litra of perfume of very costly pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was going to betray Him, said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” 6Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to take from what was put into it.

Judas was the original Marxist. He claimed to be for the poor but was nothing more than a thief who would pocket from the money purse.

9 Then the large crowd from the Jews learned that He was there. And they came, not because of Jesus only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead. 10But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also; 11because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.

The villainy of the Pharisees is on full display here: they want to kill Lazarus because the Lord raised him from the dead. They are like the Hebrews who saw all of God's wonders when He brought them out of Egypt but they did not join hearing with faith.

14 And Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15“FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION; BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.” 16These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him, and that they had done these things to Him.

The disciples did not understand many of the signs that Jesus performed. He went out of His way to fulfill the Scriptures to the letter. It wasn't until Christ had opened their minds after the Resurrection that they understood the meaning behind His actions.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 12

27 “Now MY SOUL HAS BECOME DISMAYED; and what shall I say, ‘Father, SAVE ME from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.” 29So the crowd of people who stood by and heard it were saying that it had thundered; others were saying, “An angel has spoken to Him.” 30Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sake. 31Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

One of my favorite passages in John. There are echoes of Psalm 6. Throughout John, Jesus eludes death because His hour had not yet come. But now the hour has come and the ruler of this age, Satan, will be cast out. When Jesus died on the cross, to the unbelieving eye, it looks as if He was defeated. To the believing eye, Jesus was victorious and Satan was defeated.

37 But though He had done so many signs before them, they still were not believing in Him, 38so that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” 39For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, 40“HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, LEST THEY SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND RETURN AND I HEAL THEM.”

The judicial hardening of Isaiah is employed here by John. It is strange that many Christians shy away from it when it is so prevalent in the Apostle's theology, the other Gospels even reference this same passage. God has blinded the minds and hardened the hearts of the unbelieving so that they cannot believe, that is until the Spirit moves in any one of them.

41 These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke about Him. 42Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; 43for they loved the glory of men rather than the glory of God.

Isaiah had a vision of God's divine courtroom and saw God, and John clarifies that he saw Jesus. Many of the rulers did believe in Jesus but were afraid to lose their station. Not much has changed since then. If you know that God loves you and the richness of His reward then you know that the love and rewards from men is nothing in comparison.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 13

6 So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not realize now, but you will understand afterwards.” 8Peter said to Him, “You will never wash my feet—ever!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

Peter's refusal to be served by the Lord may come across as humble, but it is in reality prideful. It is false humility that denies to be served. Many do the same when they believe that God cannot save them despite themselves. So live up to His teaching and allow others to serve you, even as you seek to serve others.

17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. 18I do not speak about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘HE WHO EATS MY BREAD HAS LIFTED UP HIS HEEL AGAINST ME.’

Jesus knew from the beginning that Judas was the son of perdition and destined to betray Him. Judas did not "lose his salvation", was a member of the Elect, part of the New Covenant, etc, but the Lord took him on as a disciple so that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.

19 From now on I am telling you before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.

Another harkening back to Isaiah. Specifically chapter 41. God challenges the idols to accurately predict the future, which they cannot do, but only the true God can. Here, Jesus does the very thing that only God can do in Isaiah 41.

Isaiah 41:4 ‘I, Yahweh, am the first; and with the last, I am He.’ ”

Isaiah 41:21 “Bring near your case,” Yahweh says. “Bring forward your mighty arguments,” The King of Jacob says. 22 Let them bring it forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may establish our heart on them and know their outcome. Or cause us to hear of what is coming; 23 Declare the things that are to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together. 24 Behold, you are nothing, And your work is non-existent; He who chooses you is an abomination.

31 Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; 32if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.

Many scoff at God's self-glorification. 'Why does He need to glorify Himself?' they ask. God's self-glory is always communal, since He consists in Trinity. He deserves all the glory and knows that better than anyone else as the only truth-teller. The scoffers would rather assume that God is all for our salvation without regard to His glory, but this is one-sided. God is all for our salvation so that we are all for His glory.

37 Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You.” 38Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times.

Jesus again predicts the future, first in Judas' betrayal, then in Peter's denial. But not only had Christ predicted Peter's denial, but He also predicted Peter's restoration, which He does not do for Judas. This shows that Jesus is not simply making a guess which can be falsified by men's free actions, but He is telling of God's unchangeable decree that no creature can falsify.

 

[Tippy]

John 5- Jesus heals a lame man

Jesus heals a sick man which apparently breaks the sabbath rules and then he reveals himslef to be God's son.

'the father judges no one' part is a little confusing as isn't God involved in deciding who is a sinner and who is not let alone his judgements in the OT?

The people who listen to the message will get eternal life. And even the Dead will rise again, creating walking dead zombie images in my mind I have to say.

Some referenes to Moses writing about him in scripture as a rebuke to 'scripture heads' not believing in Jesus. Question, what exactly did Moses write about Jesus and when?

Need to catch up a bit since I see we are now on JOHN 12 -

John 6-

Jesus feeds 5 thousand

With the miracles like this I wonder if it didn't get exaggerated a bit, at least my younger more disbelieving self. As in, maybe he arrived with more fish than people expected and that over time get blown up to be seen as feeding five thousand.

Jesus Walks on Water-

Same with this one and I even hada sacriligous joke about this in the past claiming that maybe Jesus wore inflatable shoes

Jesus - the bread of life

'don't be concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the son of man can give you.'

Interesting part where Jesus claims to have seen God that he does not give us a description.

"Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him' sounds kind of disturbing out of context

Makes a prediction that Judas will betray him

John 7- Jesus and his brothers

Jewish leaders were plotting death of Jesus shows some wisdom with 'my time has not yet come' giving a sense that is an order to destiny and perhaps we can have similar senses in our own lives.

Then Jesus teaches openly at the temple and people were questioning 'how does he know so much when he hasn't been trained' and Jesus said it was the will of God. And he says it's not about HIM but the truth!

Things a get a bit complex as people are mad at Jesus for healing on the sabbath but discusses hypocricy as they sometimes circumcise sons on Sabbath.

Is Jesus the messiah?

People expect even more miraculous signs.

Still does seem weird to me as an inquirer we don't see more signs or something very obvious like a parting of seas or something that would immediately make people see that the supernatural is real rather than more subtle things.

Jesus making more predictions about when the time is to come and what will happen gives the book a narrative propulsion.

Some people apparently didn't believe he was a messiah as they didn't think he was from the King David line.

And apparently the scriptures said no prophet comes from Galilee so they let him go

John 8 - A woman caught in adultery

LAw says to stone the aforementioned woman and he lets her go! Showing more forgiveness than Old Testament i suppose

'I am the light!' but Pharisees are mad.

Jesus has more wisdom in lines like 'everyone who sins is a slave of sin'

Jesus confuses and angers everyone by calling them sons of devils and his relation to God, which people still disbelieve.

John 9-

Jesus heals a man born blind

Interesting comment when asked if blindness was punishment for a past life the man says 'this happened so the power of God could be seen in him'

So in some ways our misfortunes are opportunities

Such as when you are sick you appreciate being healthy or if you get an injury it is humbling. There is good in bad and vice versa.

Again the jews are disbelieving even afer the blind healing.

spiritual blindness - the blind/seeing thing reminds me of Tiresias in Sophocles and Oedipus too where sometimes when blind we see more deeply truth and a good pair of eyes does not give insight into spiritual matters.

John 10 - Good shepherd

Christ is the good shepherd and we are the flock!

Brings a different meaning to the insult 'sheeple!'

He says he will sacrifice his life for the sheep if a wolf comes. Wolf is the devil? He sacrifices life for us.

The people were still divided. Was he a false prophet or not?

If Jesus came back now is there even a monoculture to respond to him? Also, the fact Jesus was not believed in his own time does open the door for crazies to claim to be a messiah.

Jesus claims even in the Bible leaders are referred to as 'Gods' which is a strange argument. Is he saying that's OK to do or not? (fact check, it's a reference to Psalm 82 where gods means judged or leaders)

John 11-

Raising of Lazarus

Is the Mary in this chapter the same Mary who is considered to be the mother of God? NOt sure (fact check - no it's Mary of Bethany)

He comes to Lazarus 4 days after his death and says 'I am the resurrection and I am the life and anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.'

A nice little premonition of the later resurrection in the Lazarus story although cynics could say he did some sort of switcheroo or that maybe Lazarus was just comatosed (or whatever that would have been in those times).

The Pharisees get scared of Jesus' rise due to his miracles and plot his death.

John 12-

The Lazarus thing was for sure a game changer and many are now starting to believe Jesus.

Key quote - those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.'

No one believes hm which apparently Isaiah predicted when he said 'Lord, who has believed our message? To whom has the lod revealed his powerful arm?'

and Isaih also said 'The lord has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts - so that their eyes cannot see'

Those who reject him will be judged on Judgement day!

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 14

8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all so long and have you not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

In John 1, Jesus is said to be the exegesis of the Father. In the words of Hebrews, He is the exact imprint of His nature. It is not possible to worship Jesus without worshiping the Father and it is not possible to worship the Father without worshiping the Son.

12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father.

The Apostles did indeed perform great works, even greater works than Jesus. You can see it in Acts. Jesus healed by touching, but the Apostles' shadows would heal people as they passed over them. Jesus' going to the Father directly results in Him sending the Holy Spirit, who enables the Apostles to perform their greater works.

21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

Jesus gives us the description of those who love Him, they keep His commandments. This is sometimes misused to smuggle in a works-based salvation by some, but it is not John's intention here to extrapolate on the primacy of faith over works. No man can truthfully say that he has faithfully kept all of God's commandments as he ought, but those who love Christ are characterized by following His commandments.

26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

The Holy Spirit teaches the New Covenant members all things, just as Jeremiah said would be, and as Jesus already said in John 6.

27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.

The world gives conditionally but God gives unconditionally. His peace can never be taken away because His love is unconditional and His promises are faithful. God will never break the Covenant. The Apostles as of yet have been slow to believe in Jesus' words, too easily given to doubt and despair when they should have been utterly convinced that Christ would fulfill all that He said He would do. And He said that He would die in Jerusalem, the ruler of the world coming for Him, Satan, refers to the crucifixion plot being carried out. Jesus will go away but He will return to them, telling them before it happens, so that when it does happen, they will believe.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 15

5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Apart from Christ we can do nothing. This is why I reject the kind of thinking that says "Christ may have opened the way, but it's up to me to walk in on my own." I can't even walk in without Christ and the Holy Spirit working in me, for apart from God I can do nothing.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.

Christ's commandments are not burdensome, as John will say in 1 John. It is not burdensome to love, especially the brethren. Or rather, they are not burdensome to those whom the Spirit is directing. But even love has an object and a meaning. Love, in New Testament terminology, primarily means self-sacrifice. This is how Christ loved us and how we are called to love each other. God is love, that is, God is the God of self-sacrifice. The world seems to think that love means to love someone for what you can get out of them, but this is contrary to the truth.

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

Because of the enmity set between Christ and Satan by God, there is no neutrality. There is only the way of life and the way of death. If you follow Christ, then the world will hate you because you aspire to a better, heavenly country, not satisfied by the fleeting pleasures of the world. If the world is against Christ, then we are against the world.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 16

1 “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. 2They will put you out of the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God.

This was certainly true when the Jews first began to persecute the Christians, not knowing Christ or the Scriptures, they rebelled against God and mistook it for serving Him. But do not think that only Jews have persecuted Christians, every worldly power that has rebelled against Christ's dominion has also persecuted His Church, even now.

7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, has been accomplishing these responsibilities of His office ever since Christ sent Him. He convicts the world by prophecy, for when those who are indwelt by the Spirit speak prophetically to the world, He makes known to the world what they ought not do. He makes known righteousness by teaching men about the Father and Son and what they have accomplished. He makes known that Satan is a defeated foe who's kingdom cannot endure.

33 These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

John will later say in 1 John 5 that faith is the victory that has overcome the world. It is not up to us to win the battle. Christ has already won. We fight from a place of victory.

 

[Samseau]

7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

This is actually why the Holy Spirit is primarily sourced through the Orthodox Church. For Christ is speaking to his Apostles here, and the Church they established is where the Holy Spirit that was sent to them resides today.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 17

Very important chapter. This chapter is why I made the switch to the Legacy Standard Bible, due to the consistency of the translation. It's better to have a smaller team translate the whole thing. When you have a larger committee, which can sometimes be upwards of 100 people, then the translation can come out less consistent due to separate teams translating different portions, which is why I left the English Standard Version. I took a particular interest in this chapter because of how it connects to Hebrews 10. Much of the latter half of Hebrews is an expounding of Christ's office as High Priest of the New Covenant. This chapter contains what is known as the High Priestly prayer, it gives us intertrinitarian dialogue and shows us how Christ Himself understood His role as High Priest.

3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

This is misused by anti-trinitarians to discredit Jesus's divinity. I could go to many passages of Scripture that plainly identify Jesus as God, I could even go to the Father directly calling the Son God in the Psalms and as it is referenced in Hebrews, but none of that is necessary to avoid error here. Jesus is not saying only the Father is God and He is not. The qualifier is that God is the only true God compared to all other false gods and idols and that eternal life is to know Him and Jesus Christ. The anti-trinitarians do not know Jesus Christ since they do not know Him as He has revealed Himself in the Gospel, and since they don't know Him, they don't know the Father either.

9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours

While it is true that God loves the entire cosmos in one sense, it is also true that He has a particular covenant love that cannot be universal by definition, otherwise there would be no need of a covenant. Jesus's intercession here is not universal but particular, He is not praying for the world, but for those whom the Father gave to the Son. The High Priest, when he functioned in his priestly office, interceded for the people of Israel under the Old Covenant. So too is Christ's Priestly intercession an exclusive benefit for those who are under the New Covenant.

12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.

Christ never lost any of His disciples, truly. He is able to save them to the uttermost. But Judas, though being an Apostle, was not a true believer and went as it was foretold of him. You see the necessity of the Scriptures being fulfilled, it comes before all else.

15 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18As You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. 19For their sake I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

It was not God's intention to take His Elect out of the world at the advent of Christ. That is a Gnostic imagining. It was His intention to draw His Elect out of the nations and use them to renovate the world until the end comes, they are safeguarded from falling away to Satan due to the Father answering Christ's intercession. Just as Jesus was sent, made an Apostle by the Father, so too did He send, make Apostles of men. His self-sanctification is a fulfillment of His High Priestly role, for the High Priest would also undergo consecration to perform his duties, not that Christ needed to be made holy, but He does these things, like being baptized, to fulfill all righteousness.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

Christ's intercession is not limited to just His Apostles, but to all of His disciples, all His Elect who believe in Him.

22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23I in them and You in Me, that they may be aperfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

Jesus wants to draw His Elect into perfect harmony with Himself just as He and Father have always enjoyed perfect communion. The Trinitarian love that flows through the Father, Son, and Spirit is extended to draw the Church in.

 

[GodfatherPartTwo]

John 18

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, into which He entered awith His disciples.

It is not insignificant that Jesus's Passion should begin in Gethsemane. What was lost in the Garden of Eden was now to be reclaimed in the Garden of Gethsemane.

10 Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus.

It is interesting that Peter should fight against the militia, but fly when questioned by a servant girl. What prompted one over the other?

37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You yourself said I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?

The Gospel of John has been all about the truth. Jesus is the truth. The Word of God is the truth. I can hardly think of any greater spiritual blindness than to stare Jesus in the face and ask "what is truth?"