THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 10-15)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Welcome to our study of the Book of John. This broadcast is being brought to you by individuals and congregations of the churches of Christ. We hope you will visit the churches of Christ in your area, and let them know how much you appreciate their support of this broadcast. If you have a Bible question or a spiritual concern, they would be happy to help you with it. If you would like a Bible study, they also would be glad to assist you with that. We, too, would like to be of service. Visit us on our website at www.thegospelofchrist.com, where we have streaming audio and video lessons of our broadcasts. You may download these and use them to assist you in your study of God’s Word. We also are making available CDs of these broadcasts, as well as VHS and DVDs. We will be glad to send any of these to you completely free of charge. We also would be glad to send you a Bible correspondence course. This is a course that you can take in your spare time. You receive it by mail, and when you complete one lesson, you can return it to us for grading. We then will send you that lesson (graded), along with the next lesson, and so on. At the end of the course, you will receive a “Certificate of Completion.” We believe this could prove very beneficial to you in your study of God’s Word.
As we examine John 10 and 11, we find Jesus making more of the “I am” type of statements. But how does He apply those?
Timothy Sparks:
Jesus is stressing that He is the door—the means of admission—into Heaven. We can enter only through Him. He provides access. He’s the only possible way to the Father. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the One Who permits the sheep to enter, and Who keeps the wolves from gaining access to the flock. He guides, guards, and protects His sheep. Jesus uses figurative terms like door, shepherd, etc., in order to help the disciples know Who He is, and how He can help them.
Ben Bailey:
At times, the disciples misunderstood Christ’s nature and mission. They frequently thought that He was going to establish an earthly kingdom. Jesus, on the other hand, was trying to tell them that He was going to have to go away. He wanted them to know that He was the door, He was the shepherd. If they would follow Him, He would lead them to Heaven. Yet their misunderstanding persisted, so Jesus is here attempting to get across to them certain important points. In the context of discussing His deity with His disciples, He said, “I and the Father are One” (Jn. 10:30). It was statements such as this that eventually took Jesus to the cross. While the Jews of Christ’s day might have been willing to look upon Him as a great prophet or rabbi, they were unwilling to accept Him as the Son of God. One of the main messages of the Book of John is that we must be able to see Jesus not just as the Savior, but as God in the flesh. This is why John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God” (1:1-2). At the birth of Jesus, He was going to be called “Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” As far back as Genesis 1:26-27, we find, “Let us make man in our image.” When we talk about God, we are talking about the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus as the Son of God—the One Who came in the flesh and died for us. In John 11, some of the things that Christ did showed that He was, in fact, deity, because no one but God could have done such things.
Timothy Sparks:
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” He’s leading up to His resurrection, but the disciples have no idea what He’s talking about. Later in that same chapter (vss. 28-29), Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.” Some people in religion today come to this passage to suggest that it is impossible to fall from God’s grace. Jesus, however, makes it clear that those who cannot be snatched away are those who continue to do the will of God. Paul wrote:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:35-39).
No one, and no thing, can remove us from the love of God. However, we can remove ourselves! This is why Jude wrote, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (vs. 21). As we move from chapter 10 into chapter 11, we see what is probably the greatest single sign—up to this point in Christ’s earthly ministry—of His deity. A dear friend of his by the name of Lazarus has died.
Ben Bailey:
We learn in John 11 that even death cannot separate us from the love of God. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, sent word to Jesus that “the one whom you love is sick.” Lazarus was indeed a dear friend of Christ’s. Jesus responded by saying, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (vs. 4). Lazarus does die—which prompts Christ to make the seemingly unusual statement, “I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe” (vs. 15). Jesus cries out: “Lazarus, come forth!” (vs. 43), and Lazarus arises from the dead. Someone has suggested that Jesus had to call Lazarus by name, because if He had said simply, “Come forth,” all who were in the tombs would have arisen from the dead! Such was the power that Christ possessed. He raised Lazarus from the dead, not just for the sake of Lazarus alone, but also for our sakes today—so that He could teach us about the resurrection. In John 11:25-26, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus was teaching: If you live your life according to Me and My will, I will be the resurrection for you, too. Though you may die in this life, this life is not all there is. What is the “hope” of Christianity? It is that we have the forgiveness of our sins. But if this life is all there is, then there really is no hope. That is the very point that Paul made in 1 Corinthians 15—if there is no resurrection, we, of all men, are most pitiable. The hope of Christianity is expressed in John 5:28-29—“The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life.” One day, you and I will come forth from our graves and live eternally. But the way we live here will determine where we live for eternity. For many people, when you talk about dying, they consider it to be the worst thing that could ever happen to them. But is death really the worst thing that can happen? Not according to passages such as Revelation 14:13 and Psalm 116:15—which teach that, if we remain faithful to God, death is our friend, not our enemy.
Timothy Sparks:
Psalm 116:15 teaches us that “precious in the eyes of the Lord is the
death of His saints.” Revelation 14:13 says, “'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says
the Spirit, ‘that
they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’” Paul puts it this
way: “For to me to
live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Paul’s point is that, either
way, he’s a winner. If we die in Christ, as
Paul said in Philippians 1:23, “to be with Christ is far better.” For the
faithful child of God, death should not be viewed as an enemy, but more
like an angel that transports us, as the old song suggests, “nearer to the
heart of God.” If we die as a faithful Christian, death is the way by which we
will share in the eternal glory that God has prepared for us. Paul said, “For I
consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us”
(Rom. 8:18).
From Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead, we learn that Jesus is Who He claimed to be. Interestingly, however, before Christ
raised His friend from the dead, the text says, “When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews
who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled” (Jn. 11:33). Then
we see in the shortest verse in the English Bible: “Jesus wept” (vs.
35). The Jews standing nearby said, “Behold how He loved him” (vs. 36). Perhaps Jesus
wasn’t just weeping because those around Him who were weeping (as Paul
described in Romans 12:15). Perhaps He wept because He knew that once He had raised Lazarus from
the dead, wicked Jews would seek to kill Lazarus once more. Or, perhaps Jesus wept at the thought of having
to bring Lazarus back to this world from the safekeeping of God. When Lazarus came forth from
the grave, Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him
go” (vs. 44). Perhaps there is some symbolism in that statement for those
people today who are set free by Jesus.
Ben Bailey:
As we see Lazarus being unbound and set free by the Lord, it provides us with a figurative picture of how people today are set free from sin. The only way we can overcome the “binding” of sin—the only way you can truly escape death—is through Jesus Christ. Jesus is our only hope. As John said, Jesus is “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (1:29). Sin has us in a death grip, and by ourselves there is nothing we can do about it. But as a Christian, death and sin no longer have a stranglehold on us. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He [God] made Him [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” We thus see in Lazarus a picture of how we can overcome sin and death—if we stay faithful to the Savior all the days of our lives. But herein lies the problem. Many times, we don’t stay faithful. John 12 presents just such a case in Judas, who was the keeper of the funds for the apostles. Mary has used some very costly oil to anoint the Lord before His death, and the disciples begin to complain.
Timothy Sparks:
Judas asked, “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” It is clear from the context that this had to do with greed—something about which Jesus had warned them. Sadly, people today fall prey to the love of money, which is the root of all kinds of evil.
Ben Bailey:
The example of Judas’ greed applies to people today who put worldly things ahead of godly things. Judas “acted like” he was concerned for the poor, but the text makes it clear that he really was concerned about getting the money for himself. The message here is that we shouldn’t be like Judas. He was more concerned about money and possessions than he was about serving the Savior. Judas went astray because of his pride and greed. We, too, must be careful, so that we don’t allow the things of the world to keep us from following Christ. Worldliness and godliness cannot go hand in hand. James said, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (4:4). We live in the world, but we are not of the world. If we can keep from getting too attached to the things of the world, it will help us not to want to stay here! Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). Do we really look upon death as “gain”? Or, sometimes, do things like a big house, a nice car, or a sizable bank account take our focus away from God? Jesus commented on the fact that it’s hard for rich people to enter the kingdom. This is not to suggest that there is something inherently wrong with having money. But we must be careful not to let it get in the way of serving God.
Timothy Sparks:
As we look at John 12:32-33, we find Jesus saying, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself. This He said, signifying by what death He would die.” Jesus was pointing out that He would die on the cross. As He was “lifted up,” He (through the shedding of His blood) would be able to “draw all people” to Him. It would be by the means of the cross that salvation would come to those who choose to be obedient to Christ. In the Book of Numbers, God had Moses raise up a bronze serpent so that the people who had been bitten by snakes could be healed and live. In a similar fashion, Jesus was lifted up so that people who came to Him and obeyed Him could be healed and live. In John 12:48, Jesus makes it clear as to how we will be judged.
Ben Bailey:
Jesus discusses those who will reject Him, and how horrible that will be for those people. He said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him —the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (vs. 48). The word that Jesus spoke will judge us on the last day. We are not going to judged by the words of Mohammed in the Koran. We are not going to be judged by any other words, other than the words of Christ. On the Day of Judgment, all that will matter is whether or not you followed the teachings of Christ. We do not live under the Law of Moses any longer. As John pointed out, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (1:17). The Law of Moses was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14-15). Thus, we will be judged by Christ’s words. This is important, because if you reject His teachings now, on the Day of Judgment, it will be those same teachings that will judge you. Paul taught, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-11). One day, everyone must recognize Jesus as God’s Son. Why not do that now—while you have control over where your soul spends eternity? You will be a believer someday. Why not do it this side of eternity so you can prepare yourself for glory.
Timothy Sparks:
In John 13, Jesus picks up a cloth and a pan of water and begins to wash
the disciples’ feet. When Jesus
comes to Simon, Simon asks, “Lord, are you washing my feet?” Then Peter continues, “You shall never wash my feet!” (vss.
6,8). The text continues: “Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash
you, you have no part with
Ben Bailey:
This, apparently, was a lesson that Judas never learned. He kept the money bag for the apostles, but was a thief. Jesus tells the disciples, “One of you is going to betray me.” He tells them that it will be whoever dips his hand with Christ’s. Judas is the one who does so. Jesus told Judas, “Whatever you do, do quickly,” and Judas departed. Afterwards, Jesus teaches His disciples about how to love one another. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” This commandment wasn’t really new, in the sense that no one had ever been commanded to love before. Even in the Old Testament, people had been taught to love God and to love their neighbors as themselves. But Jesus was trying to refresh this idea for His disciples so that it would be forefront in their minds. Jesus knew that He was about to die and leave them behind, so it would be important that they have a loving, family type relationship. We live in a world that’s not always loving and kind. Sadly, the same thing can be said of the church at various times. We need to understand what real love is all about—and Jesus is the greatest example of that! Real love is not about self; rather, it is about giving and sacrificing on behalf of others. If we really love, we are as concerned about others as we are about ourselves. Our love for others is not necessarily something we do for ourselves, but instead is something we do in a spiritual sense to help others go to Heaven.
Timothy Sparks:
Jesus then explains the upcoming circumstances wherein Peter will deny the Lord three times. Peter, of course, says that such a thing will never happen. Yet it does. In John 14:1, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know” (vss. 1-4). Thomas then said to Christ, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus’ response is recorded in verse 6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus is the Way; without Him there is no going. Jesus is the Truth; without Him there is no knowing. Jesus is the life; without Him there is no living. Christ came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). He came “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Tit. 1:2). Jesus came to direct us to Heaven. His comments in John 14 are most comforting for those people who will faithfully follow Jesus all the days of their lives.
Ben Bailey:
In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” In John 15:14, He said, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” We cannot enjoy the glories of Heaven unless we are willing to obey Christ. Some have suggested the “commandment keeping” isn’t really all that important. As long as you affirm your love for God, and as long as you try your hardest to live the Christian life, you don’t have to worry about keeping all the commandments of God. Just “do what feels right.” This is not what Jesus said. He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Mt. 7:21). Jesus asked: “Why do you call Me Lord, yet do not the things that I say?” (Lk. 6:46). Thus, it is apparent from Scripture that if we are going to follow Jesus, we must be prepared to do whatever He says and to obey His teachings.
Timothy Sparks:
In John 15, Jesus say, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (vs. ). He is our sustenance. He is the way we grow. In this context, Jesus makes it clear that if any vine (i.e., an individual Christian) does not bear fruit, then that vine will be pruned—cut off and burned. Thus, Jesus is stressing the importance of staying united with, and connected to, Him in order to be able to continue to grow. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:4, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” People who do not strive to stay connected can be cut off from their eternal inheritance. John 15 teaches us that we must abide in Christ. We do that by abiding in (obeying) His Word. If we do that, then we are truly His disciples and will continue to grow.
We hope that at this time, you will consider your own salvation. Are you saved? Are you in Christ? God has given us a plan of salvation in the New Testament. You can read it for yourself. In John 8:24, Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” We must believe that Jesus is Lord of our lives, and is the risen Savior Who died for our sins. We must believe that so much that we are willing to change. Jesus demands that when I become His child, I change from the world to Him. In Luke 13:3, Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” Plus, we must make the good confession that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10), and then we must be baptized for the remission of our sins. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). As the apostle Peter said, baptism “does also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21). And then we can live faithful lives to Jesus (Rev. 2:10). Once we have become a child of God, everything we think, say, or do must center on, and revolve around, Jesus Christ as the main focus of our lives.
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1. In John 10, Jesus used figurative language (“I am the Good Shepherd,” “I am the door,” etc.) to describe Himself. What was His purpose in doing this?
2. When Jesus said, “I and the Father are One” (Jn. 10:30), this was His way of expressing something. What was that “something”?
3. In John 10:28-29, Jesus referred to the fact that no one would be able to “snatch” His disciples out of His hand. If this is accepted at face value, then is it possible for a Christian to ever be lost? If so, how?
4. Jesus intentionally waited until Lazarus had died before He showed up at his home in Bethany. What did Jesus do such a thing?
5. One of the main messages of the Book of John is that we must not see Jesus just as our Savior, but as “something else.” What is that something else?
6. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul stated that if the resurrection of Christ is not true, then Christians are, of all people, most pitiable. Explain why this is the case.
7. What was the sole purpose of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead?
8. Explain Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians 5:21—“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
9. What did Paul mean when he wrote: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21)?
10. Jesus referred to an event that was in His disciples’ future when He said, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (Jn. 12:32). What was the future event to which Jesus was referring?
11. In John 12:48, Jesus taught that in the last day, “something” would judge us. What is that something?
12. The Scriptures make it clear that, eventually, every knee will bow to Christ as Savior. Where is that taught?
13. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (Jn 13), what lesson was He trying to get across to them?
14. In John 13:34-35, Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” What was “new” about this commandment?
15. According to John 14:15 and John 15:14, how important is it for Christians today to keep God’s commandments?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,