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We are in John Chapter 6, where crowds of people have come to hear Jesus Christ and a little boy has handed over five loaves and two fish. The people are hungry and Jesus cares.

Make the people sit down. There were around 5,000 men, plus women and children. We do not know what the exact number was, but what we do know is that Jesus made the people sit down and sometimes we too have to say that to people.

Jesus took the bread and the fish. He gave thanks and He distributed the bread and the fish. He just kept breaking off more and more bread and fish, until the people…  ( Click for more )

We move right on to John Chapter 6 where we read, “Some time after this” – some time after what – after the healing of the man who had been paralysed for 38 years – after this first head to head confrontation with the hard cold legalistic Jews, where they hear Jesus Christ speak about judgment – and where they hear about the anointed Messiah the Son of God speak about heaven and hell.

We do not hear very much about the judgment of God in these days. I wonder why? Do not miss what Jesus says in Chapter 5 regarding those who have done good…  ( Click for more )

In John Chapter 5 and at verse 39 we have an astonishing statement from Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You search the Scriptures, but you have missed the secret, because you have missed what they are all about. They testify about Me. They point to Me.

These are massive points Jesus is speaking here.

In verses 37,38, Jesus is teaching that it is the providential Father – Almighty God – Who is behind me.

These men looked but they have missed, and were missing, what they were looking for.

It is possible to read the Bible and miss Jesus Christ. The Jews…  ( Click for more )

We have been looking at how Jesus dealt with the accusations of sacrilege and blasphemy in John chapter 5. How did Jesus deal with being accused, when men accused Him? He spoke out the truth of God. He did not run away from his accusers. He did not resign his commission nor give in nor give up. Jesus knew He was right, so He spoke the truth.

If I heal on the Sabbath I am right to heal on the Sabbath.

If I claim to be the Son of God, it is because I am the Son of God, so you better honour me and respect me. Verse 22. One day I will be your judge and I will determine…  ( Click for more )

Search and seek and read and dig deep, until you find and discover Jesus Christ. Many miss who Jesus Christ was and is. We are studying the concluding section of John Chapter 5.

Jesus is saying, you have from God the Father the evidence and testimony of John the Baptist, the miracles, and your own Scriptures, but you will not come to Me that you might have life.

I don’t receive honour from men, but the testimony of John honours Me. My Father honours Me when I work miracles, and the Scriptures respect and honour and praise Me.

Verse 42 – I know you. I…  ( Click for more )

We are in John Chapter 5 and we move on from verse 24, but we need a moment to recall the context. We have been looking at how Jesus dealt with the accusations of sacrilege and blasphemy, following the healing of that paralysed man by the Pool of Bethesda. How did Jesus deal with being accused, when men accused Him? He spoke out the truth of God. He did not run away from his accusers. He did not resign his commission nor give in nor give up. Jesus knew He was right, so He spoke the truth.

If I heal on the Sabbath I am right to heal on the Sabbath.

If I claim to…  ( Click for more )

Today, God is working for you. We are living in God’s seventh day, and if He did not work our universe and world would collapse in chaos. And, what is equally important – Jesus is still working – saving – healing – empowering – strengthening – and ministering to all sorts of various needs.

We are reading and studying in John Chapter 5 and verse 16 onwards.

By the Holy Spirit, the Father and the Son continue to work in all kinds of ways.

God is so busy today and Jesus is so busy today.

The Sabbath is a day of rest in which…  ( Click for more )

We were reading in the first part of John Chapter 5 of this paralysed man who waited 38 years for his body to be healed, and in the eyes of some he got healed on the wrong day. What Jesus Christ says and does can upset religious people.

It was the Sabbath Day and you were not allowed to carry your bed on the Sabbath Day, and this man who had been totally healed by Jesus Christ, and who was simply obeying Jesus, got into trouble with some religiously legalistic Jews.

“You can’t do that! It doesn’t matter who told you. You are not allowed to do what…  ( Click for more )

When Jesus Christ healed that paralysed man by the Pool of Bethesda he very soon got into bother, because Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath, and you were not allowed to carry your mat on the Sabbath. We are studying John Chapter 5.

This is the first hint in John of confrontation, and opposition. Two things were meeting – the religion of the letter and the life and power of Almighty God – traditions and regulation and the presence and moving of the Holy Spirit – of the form of powerless godlessness and the might and power of our creator God – or, man’s…  ( Click for more )

We are overhearing that conversation in John Chapter 5 where Jesus Christ speaks to a man who has been lying by the pool of Bethesda for 38 years.

He says to Jesus, “I can’t help being this way. No-one will lift me into the water and just when I am trying to get in somebody steps in before me.” For some 38 years, this man would have begged, and people had provided him with some sort of existence. He had resigned himself to his condition.

I have no-one to help me. What a sad situation to be in. Had he lost his friends? When the time came for a lift,…  ( Click for more )

In John Chapter 5 and at verse 1, we read of Jesus Christ going back to Jerusalem.

Now, there is a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda Pool, and it has five porches.

You can visit this pool today. It was discovered around 1888, and it has been carefully excavated. I have had the privilege of visiting this area in Jerusalem on various occasions, and it is situated only a quarter of mile from the Temple area.

Around this pool lay hundreds of lame, weak, sick, blind, withering, paralysed people, waiting for the moving of the water. It is a picture of absolute misery and…  ( Click for more )

Two days later, Jesus left this scene of revival in Samaria, and went north. Jesus was moving away from where it could be comparatively easy, to a difficult and tough situation.

God often calls us to move where it is hard or where it is harder.

Jesus has been speaking about how it is hard to witness where you are known best. A prophet is not appreciated by those who know him well.

They had received Jesus with open arms. There was a warm welcome, and there were warm welcomes in various places because He was a miracle worker, but they were not receiving Him as a prophet. …  ( Click for more )

We move on in the Gospel of John to Chapter 4 and verse 16. We have been reading of Jesus Christ being willing and prepared to go through Samaria, and we saw Jesus being so prepared to speak with this immoral woman. Not many Jews would have been willing to do that.

Jesus does things which others might not be so willing to do!

Jesus begins very simply by asking for a drink of water, and Jesus led her to that point of being spiritual thirsty.

Jesus seeks to make people spiritually thirsty and spiritually restless, and to that point where they are ready to receive what…  ( Click for more )

In John’s Gospel at Chapter 4, we have this astonishing and revealing conversation between Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and a woman of Samaria, who has come out to the well at noon to draw water and Jesus is soon referring to the Holy Spirit. She attempts to shrug it all off. We meet people like this far too often.

The deeper Jesus went, the shallower she became! Have you ever noticed that?

Some try to laugh it off, and treat it all so lightly, and make a joke of spiritual things. Never joke when Jesus is serious, and never be flippant with Christ and over spiritual…  ( Click for more )

Jesus Christ and His disciples have entered what might have been regarded by many as a no-go area. Jesus and His chosen men are walking through Samaria. We are reading John Chapter 4.

It is hot. It is noon. Jesus is weary, thirsty, hungry, tired and worn out, and the disciples go into the village to buy some food. Jesus sits down on top of the well.

A woman comes out to draw water and Jesus requests a drink.

What a strange time to come out and draw water – noon! Maybe she did not want to meet anyone. She was a loner. She appeared to like and prefer men…  ( Click for more )

We move on in the Gospel of John to Chapter 4. Over these past weeks, we have seen Jesus at a village wedding changing water into wine. We have been reading of Jesus in Jerusalem observing the Jewish Passover, but having to cleanse the Temple of things and behaviour that ought never to have been present. Jesus was ridding it of rather obvious sin, as people were being defrauded and robbed and maltreated, in the House of God, in the place of Worship and Prayer.

We have been reading of Jesus down at the Jordan River, and today we see Jesus and His disciples making their way…  ( Click for more )

We are reading in John Chapter 3 at verse 27 and studying the significance of these words and their practical application for faith and life. John explains to his own men – A man can only receive what God has given him from heaven. It is God the Father Who is raising up this ministry along the river. It is God Who has given Him all these people. Jesus was along the river and it looked as if he was drawing bigger crowds than John and John’s disciples appeared to regard this as a bit of competition.

If God moves the people along the river to another place, that is His…  ( Click for more )

We were reading that exciting and probing conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus Christ, where the theme is, “You must be born again”. If you are not born again, you will not even be able to see the Kingdom of God, and you will certainly not be able to enter it.

This is why we must make sure we see people fully and adequately born again.

We now go outdoors. We leave the city of Jerusalem and we make our way down to the Jordan River, and there we see Jesus and His Disciples ministering and baptising, although Jesus Himself is not actually baptising. Chapter…  ( Click for more )

John Chapter 3 verse 16 is a well known verse but even in the Church of Jesus Christ, how many know what it really means? I do not think even in my early days that I ever preached on this verse. This is a very different type of study from what I usually write but do check it out for yourself, because wrong believing will lead to wrong behaviour, and dodgy doctrine will affect our deeds. Our creed influences our conduct greatly.

Let’s go through the verse and see what it really says.

It has been used as a gospel verse, but is it?

Only those who have been rescued from…  ( Click for more )

We are in John Chapter 3 and reading of this religious leader, this theological professor, who at that present time was spiritually blind. That is a serious condition for anyone to be in. Nicodemus and Jesus Christ are having a profound conversation. And Jesus has begun to explain to Nicodemus that he requires a radical change and transformation in his life and it would be like being born again, or born anew, or born from above.

Nicodemus asks “How?” Is he saying – I am too old to change? I cannot start all over again, and I have my position to think of. I have…  ( Click for more )

It is never good to interrupt a conversation but that is what happens if we stop in the middle of these verses in John Chapter 3. It is a crucial conversation and we are so privileged to be permitted to overhear it. The conversation is between Jesus Christ and a man called Nicodemus. It is one of the most crucial conversations ever to be recorded.

Nicodemus is a religious leader in Jerusalem. We could even regard him as a professor of theology. When we meet him he is blind – not physically but spiritually. Here is a theological professor who is spiritually blind. He has…  ( Click for more )

Nicodemus comes to Jesus Christ one night and Jesus goes right to the heart of the issue immediately. We are reading in John Chapter 3. Nicodemus, you must be born again, and then, you will be on the inside, and then you will be able to see.

Notice how Jesus skips all the palavers, and Jesus gets right to the point. Study this passage carefully because there are essential lessons and truth to be gleaned from this conversation. This is by no means a superficial encounter.

Jesus could have spent so much time ‘counselling’ but He doesn’t.

This is the point…  ( Click for more )

When Jesus looks at a man and when He moves around and among men, and when He sees a faith that is real and deep and which has that desire and longing to grow and mature, Jesus will be prepared to share and reveal many things to that man. We move into John Chapter 3 in our studies.

There was a man in Jerusalem who wanted to go further and he is called Nicodemus. He wanted what Jesus could give. He had a thirst for that which was spiritually real. He had seen the miracles, and now he was hungry for the Word of God. He was ready for something more – for something deeper.…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading John Chapter 2 where we have seen the significance of Jesus Christ transforming water into wine, and then going up to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, when he found the Temple to be like a market place.

Jesus took time to make a whip to clean up the Temple. Jesus was concerned about what was going on in the place of Worship, and Jesus continues to be concerned about what is going on in the place of Worship, and how we behave and sing and praise and pray and listen to His Word when we, as part of the Church, come together.

Now, Jesus was also performing…  ( Click for more )