Devotion

Read: John 12:34-36; Isaiah 42:6, 7

When the audience heard from Jesus that He would die, they could not reconcile how such a tragic end would come to their Messiah. So they argued that He would not die. When they asked  “who is this son of man?” they were simply asking what kind of son of man is Jesus if He is going to die? It is true that the Scripture teaches that the Lord liveth forever; and yet it also teaches that He would die bearing our sins. But death and grave cannot keep Him. He will resurrect and live for ever. They were not ready to believe Him by faith...

Read: John 4:20-26; Isaiah 55:7

Having recognised Christ as a prophet than a mere Jew, the woman asked Him regarding a dispute about worship between the Jews and the Samaritans: “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (v.20). She expected Him to answer correctly, for she had recognised Him as a true prophet. (“This mountain” refers to Mt. Gerizim, the place of Samaritan worship.) In verse 22 and 23, Jesus told her that the real issue is not the location of worship, but that one should believe Jesus Christ who was born among the Jews. True worship is not dependant on the place but on pure and believing heart that offers the worship. Jesus also affirmed the fact that salvation is of the Jews, as the Saviour comes from the Jews...

Read: John 14:16; Ephesians 1:13-14

Jesus assured the troubled disciples that they would not be left alone to fend for themselves but would have a supernatural Comforter to aid them. The Greek word for “comforter” is“parakletos,” which literally means “one who is called (kaleo) alongside (para).” Jesus is saying, “I am going to send the Holy Spirit who will come alongside to comfort you.” What did Jesus mean by referring to the Holy Spirit as “another Comforter?” It is important to understand the word “another” correctly. The Greeks had two words that meant “another.” One was heteros, which means “another kind,” as in, “This garden has many roses. Another flower we have here is carnation. It refers to something of a different kind. The second word is allos, and it is also translated “another,” but it means “another of the same kind,” as in, “I love this rose you gave me. I will buy another one from you...

Read: John 6:41-42; 1 Corinthians 10:10

Earlier, Jesus claimed with reference to Himself that “my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (vv.32a–33). He also said, “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (vv.38).

“The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread, which came down from heaven” (v.41). The mention of “the Jews” here is another of John’s many uses of this expression in the specialised sense of “Jewish leaders...

Read: John 6:34-40; Hebrews 7:25

Just as Jesus had whetted the appetite of the woman of Samaria by His description of living water (Jn 4:10), He aroused the desire of the multitude for the “bread of life.” They appeared to desire it. They said, “Lord, evermore give us this bread” (v.34b).

But their eagerness was misplaced. Their asking revealed that they did not understand that He was really offering Himself to them. Therefore, Jesus explicitly stated: “I am the bread of life” (v.35). Receiving Him by faith as the Redeemer from sin and the Giver of eternal life would result in spiritual satisfaction that would never cease...

Read: John 15:26-27; Acts 1:8

Christ declared a comforting message lest any should fear. He promised them the special ministry of the Comforter, which would keep them in His truth and comfort that they may function as efficient ministers of the Gospel.

The world would disagree, alter, and even reject the truth of Christ. But the Spirit will enable the believers to know the truth and boldly testify, for they themselves have the Spirit’s testimony within them. Whenever and wherever enemy may rise, Christians will have the company of a divine Comforter. When there is earthly hostility, there will be heavenly consolation...

Read: John 15:22-25; 1 John 2:23

More reasons for the world’s hatred for Christians are mentioned in today’s text.

Because the world is ignorant of God (v.21): Jesus said that the world’s ignorance of God is the true cause of its enmity to Christ and His disciples (v. 21). They know not God as the One who sent our Lord Jesus, and authorized Him to be the great Redeemer. No one can rightly know God if he does not know Him in Christ; and those who persecute those whom He sends show that they know not that He was sent of God...

Read: John 15:17-21; Luke 6:22

The disciples needed to be told that the wonderful promises of the Lord would not mean that their life would be trouble-free. Christian ministry would not be easy in a rebellious, Christ-hating world. The world was going to treat them the same way it treated their Master; and they were going to be despised and persecuted even killed.

In verse 17, before He explains the hatred of the world, Jesus commanded “that you love one another.” In a hostile world, they desperately needed love from each other...

Read: John 1:19-28; 1 Peter 3:15

Verse 19 begins with the words, “And this is the record of John.” The word “record” indicates the certainty with which John the Baptiser witnessed. He would even give his life for the truth he declared. From his witnessing of Christ, we can glean some important principles for effective witnessing.

Readiness to Answer the Unbelievers: This spiritual preparedness was well evident in the life of John the Baptist...

Read: John 1:15-17;  Matthew 3:11-17

The author of this Gospel, John, recorded for us in this passage the testimony of John the Baptist concerning the Person of Jesus Christ. After establishing the deity of Christ by proving that He is the Word, the Life, the Light, and the incarnated God, the author once again reinforces the truth of Christ’s deity using John the Baptiser’s testimony. He testifies that Christ’s superiority above all the prophets points to Him as a divine prophet...