Author: michael

John 13:1-17 1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. ² The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” ⁸ “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” ⁹ “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” ¹⁰ Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” ¹¹ For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. ¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Before the Passover, the Lord Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world and returned to the Father. Since he loved his own in the world, he loved them to the end. He was going to show his love by washing his disciples’ feet, and to set as an example for his disciples to serve one another in humility. We know that only servants wash the feet of their masters, and no masters wash the feet of their servants. Foot-washing is something a servant does, it is a humble job. Here we see the highest chose to do the lowest job. The Lord Jesus said: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29) The meekness and humility of the Lord Jesus was manifested in his actions. The Lord Jesus set an example for us to wash one another’s feet and serve one another in humility.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀

John 12:44-50 ⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵ The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. ⁴⁷ “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸ There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹ For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰ I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

To believe in the Lord Jesus is to believe in God the Father who sent him into the world. When people see the Lord Jesus, they see God the Father who sent him. The Lord Jesus manifests the Father. When people see the Lord Jesus, they see God the Father. They are not the same person. God is trinity, Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus said that He came into the world as light, so that whoever believes in him should not stay in darkness, whoever follows Him may have the light of life. The Lord Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. But  on the last day, when the Lord Jesus comes again, there will be judgment. Those who reject the Lord and do not accept the Lord’s words will be judged, and the words spoken by the Lord will judge them on the last day. What the Lord Jesus said was what God the Father told him. The Lord Jesus spoke the word of life, the word of eternal life. Whoever believes in him and receives his word has eternal life.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀

John 12:37-43 ³⁷ Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸ This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” ³⁹ For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.”⁴¹ Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.⁴² Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

The Lord Jesus left them and hid himself because the Jews wanted to kill him. Although he performed many miracles, they still did not believe in him. The purpose of the miracles is to make people believe, here it says that they didn’t believe even they saw the miracles, This was to fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Isaiah 6:10 also says: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.” This fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, the Father spoke from heaven with a voice, the testimony of John the Baptist, and the Old Testament prophecies about the Lord Jesus, yet they still did not believe, is it because the Lord would not let them believe? The Lord wants all people to come to repentance and turn to Him, but they disbelieved, hard-hearted, and were unwilling to turn to God. The Bible tells us that we are saved by grace through faith. There are two aspects to salvation, one is by the grace of God, and the other is by our faith. Some of the rulers believed in the Lord Jesus, but because of the Pharisees, they dared not admit it, for fear of being expelled from the synagogue. If anyone believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Pharisees would throw them out of the synagogue. They did this because they loved the praise of man more than the praise of God.

It is said here that the Israelites were partially hardened, but when the number of the Gentiles, that is, we non-Israelis being saved, is full, the whole house of Israel will be saved. May God bless you all!

John 12:12-19 Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the king of Israel!” ¹⁴ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: ¹⁵ “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” ¹⁶ At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. ¹⁷ Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸ Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹ So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Many people were going to Jerusalem for the Passover. Knowing that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. Most of the people spread their clothes on the road, others cut down branches to spread on the road, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the king of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!” What does Hosanna mean? Hosanna means: save, we pray, here it is the word of praise.
This is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!  Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9)
The Lord Jesus did not ride a war horse as King. He was gentle. He humbly rode on a donkey and the foal of a donkey. The disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus died and rose again, the disciples understood that the scriptures prophesied about the Lord Jesus. Because the Lord Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees felt helpless when they saw that everyone followed Jesus. Hope more people will believe in the Lord.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀

John 12:1-11 1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” ⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Here it says that six days before the Passover, which is very close to the day of the death of the Lord Jesus, someone prepared a feast for the Lord Jesus in Bethany. From the parallel passage, we know that it was in the house of Simon the leper, Lazarus who was raised from the dead was also among those who were at the table with Jesus, and Lazarus’ sister Mary took a pint of very expensive perfume, poured it on the head of the Lord Jesus, anointed his feet, and wiped it with her own hair, the price of the perfume was worth more than a year’s wages at the time. Some of the disciples were very displeased and felt that it was a waste. They said that the perfume could be sold for a lot of money to help the poor. Judas, who was about to betray Jesus, also said the same thing, he didn’t care for the poor, he carried the purse and often stole the money from it. The Lord Jesus said, “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” There are always poor around, but the Lord Jesus would soon pass away, and there were not many opportunities to do good deeds for the Lord Jesus directly. Mary loved the Lord and did it to prepare for the day of the Lord’s burial, The good deeds she did to the Lord Jesus are remembered all over the world. Many Jews came to see the Lord Jesus and Lazarus who was raised from the dead, but the chief priests plot to kill Lazarus besides killing the Lord Jesus, to remove the evidence that the Lord Jesus raised him from the dead. Many people believed in the Lord Jesus because of Lazarus, I hope that more people will come to believe in the Lord Jesus.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀

John 11 47-57 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Here we see that the chief priests and the Pharisees knew that the Lord Jesus performed many miracles, not only did they not believe, but they were looking for countermeasures. They said, “If we let him go like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take our land and our people.” At that time, the Jews were under the Romans’ rule, if everyone believed in Jesus, they thought that this was a threat to the Romans’ rule, and the Romans would take action against them. There was a man named Caiaphas, the high priest of that year said to them, “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” As the high priest, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and he didn’t prophecy on purpose, they did not know that the death of the Lord Jesus was to save the Israelites and the world. They wanted to put the Lord Jesus to death so that the Romans would not come to destroy them. So they plot to kill Jesus. The Lord Jesus knew everything, so he did not walk openly among the Jews, but was with the disciples in a village called Ephraim near the wilderness,  not that he was afraid, but his time had not yet come. Hope that many people will believe in the Lord because of many miracles He performed and know His love for us, his death on the cross for the salvation of mankind.
May God bless you and your family.

John 11:38-46 ³⁸ Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ³⁹ “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” ⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” ⁴⁵ Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

Here we see that the Lord Jesus came to the tomb, and the tomb was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. The tomb is not like the ones we see nowadays. The Lord Jesus told people to remove the stone. Martha said, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” Martha didn’t seem to believe that the Lord Jesus would raise Lazarus, so the Lord Jesus said to Martha, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” The Lord Jesus prayed to God the Father, and then cried out with a loud voice to the dead man, “Lazarus, come out!” Then the dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” We saw that when the Lord Jesus was working, he also wanted people to participate in his work. When the Jews saw what Jesus did, many believed in him. The Lord Jesus performed signs and wonders for the purpose that people may believe.

⁵² and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. ⁵³ They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. (Matthew 27:52-53)
Here we see that after the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross and raised from the dead, the tombs of many saints were opened, and many saints were raised and appeared to many people.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
Here it is said that when the Lord Jesus comes again, the dead in Christ will be raised first, and then we who are alive and remain will be caught up with them in the clouds, and meet the Lord in the air, and we will be with the Lord forever.

in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:52)
When the Lord Jesus comes again, when the trumpet sounds for the last time, the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable, with an imperishable body, and our body will be instantly changed to a glorious, imperishable body .
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀

John 11:1-16 1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 8 “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.” 11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Here we see that a man named Lazarus in Bethany was sick. He was the brother of Mary and her sister Martha. There are several Mary’s in the Bible. This Mary poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. They sent someone to tell the Lord Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick. They knew that the Lord Jesus had done many miracles and hoped that the Lord Jesus would heal him. The Lord Jesus could go there right away to heal Lazarus or could heal him without seeing him, but he waited two days, allowed Lazarus to die naturally, and then manifested the power of resurrection.
We saw earlier that the Jews in Judea wanted to stone the Lord Jesus, but he still decided to go, to do the work that the heavenly Father entrusted him to do before he left the world, and then he said that Lazarus had fallen asleep, and he was going to wake him up. The Bible speaks of death as sleep, the Lord Jesus knows everything, He knew that Lazarus was dead, and He would resurrect him. The disciples thought he meant a literal sleep. Thomas said to the other disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas was very brave at this time, but when the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” I hope that more people will believe in the Lord Jesus and be blessed by the Lord.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😀