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We are in John Chapter 18, where a gang appears at the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus Christ is arrested, then questioned and then insultingly struck on the face.

Peter did more than any other disciple, but not enough.

Peter went further than any other disciple, but not far enough. He was the only one to stick up for Jesus, but it was so very wrong to become involved in this reckless sword play, with 200 soldiers present. This is the impulsive rash Peter.

Violence only breeds violence. This battle has to be fought out on a spiritual level, and not just physical. …  ( Click for more )

We move on into John Chapter 18. We have been some weeks in John Chapter 17, reading that profound prayer of Jesus Christ.

Much of this final week in the earthly life of Jesus Christ has been spent teaching the disciples. From Chapter 12, He has washed their feet and answered their questions. He has celebrated the Passover and has given bread and wine that new spiritual significance.

He has warned them about the reality of persecution, and not to be overly surprised when that happens. It will happen and it continues to happen all across our world in these present…  ( Click for more )

We are in the concluding verses of John Chapter 17, where Jesus Christ is praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Having mentioned briefly that astonishing degree of unity which we witnessed thirty and forty years ago I want to repeat these comments, as some reading this may be totally unaware of what happened over a period of around twenty years.

When I recall what was happening back in the 1970’s and 1980’s it was remarkable. Following that global and universal outpouring of the Holy Spirit, there was inter-communion, at these ‘Charismatic Conferences’…  ( Click for more )

At the beginning, and for a good number of years, there was one holy catholic Church and it was powerful and influential, as Peter and John, and Paul and Silas and Timothy, travelled and preached and taught. So it will be again one day. How that will happen I do not know, but the Word of God makes it plain and clear.

Verse 21 of John Chapter 17 has been called the Divine mix-up. But that is what it will be like. And with a mighty goal or aim in view – that the world may believe that You have sent ME.

It does not say that all the world is going to be converted,…  ( Click for more )

We remain, and almost linger, in John Chapter 17. Jesus is in the Garden. His earthly life is almost over. He is in the final words stage, and many of His final words are words of prayer. Jesus is praying. Only Jesus could have prayed these words and we now come to verses 18 to 26.

“Father as You sent Me into the world, that is how I am going to send them into the world.” We need to hear this time and time again. Jesus was born of the Spirit and some 30 years later, as He emerges from the River Jordan, Jesus is anointed or baptised with the Holy Spirit…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Christ’s call to His Disciples, then and now, is for our lives to be holy, to be set apart, to be different, to be like Him, loving, compassionate, forgiving, powerful, bold, challenging, courageous, and also, willing to minister to the needs of a hostile world. There is no way at all whereby we can be reconciled to this world, and with this world, and we simply have to accept that. This is why it is so vitally important to be at peace with God, and united in fellowship with one another.

Our interests are different – our values are different – our…  ( Click for more )

We are in John’s Gospel, at Chapter 17, where we hear Jesus Christ, the Son of God, at prayer, before he goes to the Cross to shed His blood to wash away our sin and to die that we might have and know eternal life. Come again into what could be called the Holy of Holies, as we read the Lord’s Prayer, remembering that only Jesus Christ could pray these words.

In verses 1 to 5, His prayer is concerning Himself and yet there is not a word of selfishness in it. In verse 3, we saw how exclusive our Christian Faith is. To know God, and to have eternal life, we need…  ( Click for more )

We are studying in John Chapter 17, where Jesus Christ is praying and in verse 6 Jesus prays about what He has done. “Father, I have introduced these men to You.”

Jesus has revealed God the Father to those men whom the Father has given to Him.

We must never despise anyone whom God has given to Jesus. We read that we must never touch the Lord’s anointed.

They have kept Your Word. Of all the important things that could have been on the heart of mind of Jesus on this occasion it was that. They have kept or obeyed Your word. Kept means –…  ( Click for more )

There is a crisis in the Church just now, in so many places and in so many areas – such as I have never witnessed over these past forty five years – and we so need this word, and of course, we so need every part of the Word of God.

We can only receive salvation from Jesus Christ, and from no-one else, and not from any other source.

After He saves us and rescues us, then it is one gift after another. Do you see clearly how He uses the Power of the Father? He uses that power to wash and cleanse sinners from all their filth.

In our studies we have reached…  ( Click for more )

We come to John Chapter 17. Jesus had spent that final evening with His disciples, at the conclusion of His final week on earth, when He had been teaching and sharing as much as they could absorb.

When we come to John Chapter 17, it is as if we are entering the New Testament Holy of Holies. We are listening to Jesus Christ at prayer. Think of the setting.

This is the Lord’s Prayer. He is the only Person on earth Who could have prayed these words. There is no confession of sin. Jesus taught His Disciples to pray for forgiveness. “Forgive us our sins…  ( Click for more )

In John’s Gospel at Chapter 16 and verse 27, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, explains to His disciples that God the Father loves you because you love Me. It is quite an extraordinary statement, but do check it out and find it to be true.

Then Jesus makes a statement that nobody else could make. Jesus speaks about coming from the Father and entering the world, and leaving the world and going back to the Father. This is not a riddle. He is the only one who could do those four things – came – entered – leaving – returning.

Verse 29 – The…  ( Click for more )

We concluded last week’s study in John Chapter 16 by saying – remain in the Word of God as we have it in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. That can save you and keep you from years of heartache and disappointment and sadness, and worse!

In verse 16, we come to some sentences which can at first appear a puzzle to some people, where Jesus Christ says, You shall not see me – then you shall see Me. You shall soon see what it is all about. You shall experience me in a new way. You shall see the significance of what is about to happen. Jesus is almost…  ( Click for more )

Over these past weeks we have been reading and studying in the Gospel of John. We have been in the Upper Room watching and listening and observing, and then walking down from the Upper Room past the Temple towards the Garden of Gethsemane. We have read of the washing of feet, stooping and serving – Judas leaving the room – the atmosphere lifting – Jesus teaching and informing His disciples of what is about to happen and what they can expect and face as they serve.

During that Passover meal Jesus takes the bread and the wine and imparts that new meaning and…  ( Click for more )

While evangelising – while sharing your faith – you will receive spiritual help.

When God has chosen you and ordained you and appointed you and anointed you, you can depend upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We are moving from John Chapter 15 and into Chapter 16.

Jesus Christ is teaching us what to expect, in the world and from the world, so that we will not give up or give in when all these things actually happen, and take place. Jesus is sharing all this with us, so that the work will go on.

In the light of all that Jesus has been teaching,…  ( Click for more )

In these closing verses of John’s Gospel, Chapter 15, we saw how Jesus Christ moved on from the importance of Christian disciples loving one another, to speak about hate! That is one of the reasons why we are commanded to love one another, because the world will hate us – or reject us. This note of persecution becomes more prominent.

Bearing fruit for Jesus Christ inevitably involves suffering.

Those disciples were soon going to know what it meant to serve Jesus Christ the Messiah and King and Lord, in a hostile world. The disciple of Jesus Christ is…  ( Click for more )

Union with Jesus Christ involves union with one another, and it is not automatic. Nobody in the Church of Jesus Christ will quarrel with that reality, but it is a sad and tragic reality. This is something that has to be worked at, and that is why Jesus commands it.

One man once said – “I love Jesus Christ so much, I have no love for anyone else.” That too is tragic – and it is really not true!

In verse 13, of John Chapter 15, Jesus goes on to express how great His love is – I love you so much I will lay down my life for you. When a man…  ( Click for more )

We are in John Chapter 15, where Jesus Christ is saying, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. I am the vine and you are the branches. We have been thinking of how God the Father comes with His hoe to remove those things which make unnecessary demands upon our time – those things which tend to draw us away from being totally committed to Jesus Christ. Let them go easily. Do not struggle, and don’t look back ever, wishing you had held on to them.

The Father also comes with His pruning knife and He cuts us back, and He cuts us down to size…  ( Click for more )

We are reading in John Chapter 15, where Jesus is speaking about the vine and the Father being the vinedresser or gardener. God comes with His hoe to remove things which ought not to be in out lives and He comes with His Pruning Knife to cut us back and even to cut us down.

We do not speak about this aspect of the work of Almighty God the gardener very often, but it is important, so that when it happens to us personally we know exactly what is happening, and why God is acting in such a positive manner.

This is one of Jesus’ visual aids and sometimes we only pay attention…  ( Click for more )

We are reading and studying in John’s Gospel where in Chapter 15, Jesus Christ and His men are making their way from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane, and as they pass the gates of the Temple Jesus sees these two large clusters of golden grapes on the doors. Israel had been planted as the vineyard of the Lord God Almighty and God had never been able to pick the fruit. Israel was planted to be the people who would be the light to the Gentile nations, but the light had never shone all that brightly, and now Jesus says, “I am the real vine, and my Father is…  ( Click for more )

Notice how John is so Christ centred, in these closing verses of John Chapter 14. This passage is focusing upon Jesus Christ, and how Jesus Christ cares for, and is concerned about, those whom He calls.

No matter what you are going through or experiencing in these present days, know that the risen living Jesus cares for you and that He is concerned about every detail.

Jesus has been speaking about peace, and peace can be vague and illusive and many strive for peace, and march for peace, and hold ‘Peace Rallies’, but peace like Jesus Himself is unique and uniquely…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Christ is now ready to make His Will – verse 27. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. We are reading in John Chapter 14.

Consider all He was about to leave – His clothes to the soldiers – His mother He gave to John – His body would go into the hands of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus – His Spirit was commended to God the Father – and to His disciples He bequeathed His peace.

People can leave you money, property, possession, and things - but only Jesus Christ can give you peace.

It is when we receive the peace…  ( Click for more )

In John’s Gospel, at Chapter 14, we are approaching these final words which Jesus Christ shared with his chosen and beloved disciples in the Upper Room. We must not rush through these crucial words of our Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amidst all our reading and studying and preaching and teaching it is good to pause and simply remind ourselves that these are the words of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who shed his blood and died, to wash us and forgive us, and save us from sin and sins.

In this conversation, we have been listening to, and overhearing some of the most…  ( Click for more )

This is the real division that runs through the whole of society – those who have the Spirit of Jesus and those who do not – those who are born again and those who are not – those who belong to Jesus Christ the Saviour and Lord and those who do not confess Jesus Christ with holy reverence. We read the details in John Chapter 14. Understand what Jesus Christ is saying and teaching here.

Jesus then goes on to teach another wonderful truth. Up till now, I have been on the outside of you – soon I will live inside you by the Holy Spirit. I cannot explain…  ( Click for more )

As we read and study John Chapters 13,14, we see Jesus Christ and His men around the Table partaking of the Passover meal and once the traitor Judas leaves, Jesus speaks about being glorified and loving one another as I have loved you. He is also answering the questions His disciples raise. Where are You going and How can we know the way and Who will we meet there if we follow You? Jesus answers thee important questions which His men raise. They can be questions people raise today.

The answers dispel all doubts and fears and just wondering.

I am going to prepare…  ( Click for more )