Gospel of John: The Son of God – A Gospel foreveryone – John has been called “the single most influential book of the New Testament” – “For many Christian people the Gospel according to St. John is the most precious book in the New Testament it is the book on which above all they feed their minds and nourish their hearts, and in which they rest their souls” – This Gospel has the most “penetrating gaze” of all the New Testament writers. A. T. Robertson says it is “the Holy of Holies of the New Testament”
AUTHOR: The human author was a Jew of Palestine, and an eyewitness of what he describes. The author claims to be "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (21:20, 24). The book consists largely of personal experiences of the author with Christ. "One may note all through the book evidences of an eye-witness in the vivid details." The internal evidence of the Gospel points directly to the Apostle John, the son of Zebedee and Salome, as the author (Matt. 19:20; Luke. 19:54; Mk. 3:17; Jn. 13:25; 18:16; 19:26; 20:2; Acts 3:4; 4:7; Rev. 1:9). He was the younger brother of James, and came from a fairly well-to-do family (Mark 15:40-41). He was a leader in the early church (Acts 3:1; 8:14; Gal. 2:9). All of the external evidence from the first centuries support John, the son of Zebedee, as the author. No other New Testament book has stronger external evidence since there were no real questions of authorship of John in the early church. He also wrote the three Epistles of John and Revelation. DATE: The majority of scholars date the Gospel of John in the last decade of the first century. Church tradition says John lived to an old age and to have died a natural death at Ephesus about A. D. 100. He was the last survivor of the apostolic group. The Gospel was probably written later than the three Synoptic Gospels, about A. D. 85-90. Three possible locations are suggested-Ephesus, Antioch, and Alexandria. PURPOSE: The author clearly states his purpose of writing in John 20:30-31. He writes to win others to like faith in Christ. John's thesis is given in 1:1-18. This Gospel was written for everyone. THEME: The deity of Jesus Christ is the theme of the book. The Divine Sonship of Jesus is set forth in John more than in anywhere else in the New Testament. Jesus is non-other than "the only begotten of the Father" (1:14, 18). All of John's evidence points to this conclusion. KEY VERSES: John 20:30-31. KEY WORD: The key word is "believe" which is found 98 times in this Gospel. STYLE: John writes for the thinking man. It is full of double meanings given in key words. He employs the language of the intellectuals of his time. The plan of this gospel is argumentative and not primarily biographical. A. T. Robertson wrote: "The language of the Fourth Gospel has the clarity of a spring, but we are not able to sound the bottom of the depths. Lucidity and profundity challenge and charm us as we linger over it." John uses quotes and allusions from the Old Testament. This Gospel contains more of Jesus' actual words than any of the other three gospels. John uses long discourses. He is a Jew who wrote in the Greek of his time. OMISSIONS IN JOHN: (1) No genealogy is recorded in this Gospel. (2) No account of His birth is given because He was "in the beginning." (3) Nothing about His boyhood is recorded by John. (4) Nothing about His temptations are recorded by John because God cannot be tempted. (5). No transfiguration is specified. (6) There are no parables in John. (7) No account of the ascension is given, or (8) the great commission. THEOLOGY OF JOHN: The Apostle John gives a clearer teaching about the Holy Spirit than any other gospel writer (14:26; 15:26; 16:7- 14). The book is filled with Deity. The Deity of Christ is found in every chapter. "The Word (logos) becomes flesh." John uses titles to portray the deity of Christ: "the Word was God" (1:1), "the lamb of God" (1:29), "the Messiah" (1:41), "the Son of God" (1:49), "the King of Israel" (1:49), the "Savior of the world" (4:42), "Lord and. . . God" (20:28), "I Am" (4:24, 26; 6:35; 8:12, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5). The amazing thing is Satan and demons have almost no place in this Gospel (8:44; 12:31; 17:15). John does not record any demons being cast out. He treats themes such as the logos, love, life, light, truth, abiding in Christ, Spirit, world, lamb, wine, temple, the deity as well as the humanity of Jesus, etc. He traces a parallel development of faith and unbelief. One of the unifying themes in the Gospel is the growth of faith and development of unbelief. [link]
Agape Catholic Bible Study: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN: BACKGROUND – It is John who gives us the theology of Christ as revealed in this deep mystery in which the promised Messiah comes to fulfilled the Old Covenant in His sacrifice and death on the cross, and through His resurrection to establish the New Covenant which transforms man’s relationship with God through the gift of the redemption and salvation of mankind – In John’s Gospel there is a deeply connected thread of the liturgy of the Old Covenant Church [Congregation] which will be transformed in Christ’s resurrection into the New Covenant creation – Grasping the multiple Old Covenant connections is very important to understanding and correctly interpreting John’s Gospel and its connection to Old Covenant feasts and sacraments – John’s Gospel reveals to us the Ministry of the Divinity of Christ and the mystery of Christ united in the Most Holy Trinity, the unity and diversity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
The Gospel According to John, Apostle of Jesus Christ, Bishop of Ephesus, stands as a unique testimony among the other 3 Gospels and indeed unique among the other books of the New Testament. Only in John's account of the ministry and life of Jesus of Nazareth is Jesus revealed as the "Word", the Living, creative Second Person of the Divine Trinity. It is John who gives us the theology of Christ as revealed in this deep mystery in which the promised Messiah comes to fulfilled the Old Covenant in His sacrifice and death on the cross, and through His resurrection to establish the New Covenant which transforms man's relationship with God through the gift of the redemption and salvation of mankind. When I had completed my year of research on John's Gospel I identified 5 statements of truth around which I would build this study: The fourth Gospel is the last Gospel to be written, therefore, John assumes we have read and studied the other 3 Gospel texts. Rather than just recording the events of Jesus' life, John is more concerned with the significance of Christ's coming and the His significance of His ministry. That the events and "signs" about which John writes had a deeper meaning not perceived at the time but through the ministry of the Holy Spirit these events and signs were revealed after Christ's resurrection and His appearance to the disciples and Apostles. It was after His resurrection that Jesus instructed the Apostles in the whole truth (John 2:20, 22; 12:16; 13:17-19; 14:26; 20:9; Luke 24:25-27, 44-48) and John's Gospel looks back on Christ's earthly life in the light of this complete understanding. In John's Gospel there is a deeply connected thread of the liturgy of the Old Covenant Church which will be transformed in Christ's resurrection into the New Covenant creation. Grasping the multiple Old Covenant connections is very important to understanding and correctly interpreting John's Gospel and its connection to Old Covenant feasts and sacraments. -- John's Gospel reveals to us the ministry of the divinity of Christ and the mystery of Christ united in the Most Holy Trinity, the unity and diversity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Authorship of the Fourth Gospel: The first questions we must address are the questions of authorship and the date this Gospel account was written. Today most modern Biblical scholars do not accept that John (Yehohanan) the Apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James the Greater, and Bishop of Ephesus is the author of the fourth Gospel despite the fact that the Fathers of the Church unanimously identified the Apostle John as the inspired writer. Why then is John the Apostle's authorship almost universally rejected in modern critical scholarship? The answer involves several objections as to why the son of the fisherman Zebedee could have authored such a deeply theological text. The following list is a summary of the most often expressed arguments against Johannine [St. John] authorship: ... Internal Evidence Which Points to John the Apostle as the Inspired Writer: Point #1: The other Gospel writers all identify the son of the priest Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth (kinswoman of Mary) as John "the Baptist" [or Baptizer]. It is obvious that the use of this title is necessary to avoid confusion with John son of Zebedee, the Apostle. But in the fourth Gospel, John son of Zechariah is identified simply as "John" 22 times (see John 1:6, 15, 19, 23, 26, 28, 29, 32, 35, 40; 3:23, 24, 25, 26, 27; 4:1; 5:33, 35, 36; 10:40, 41, 41). If there was an author other than John the Apostle wouldn't it be expected that there would be confusion between which "John" was being mentioned in the text? John never identifies himself by name in the Gospel, but if it was understood by the various churches of Asia Minor that their Bishop, John the Apostle, was the inspired writer it was not necessary to make the differentiation between himself and John the Baptist. Point #2: As I mentioned earlier, it is generally agreed today that the inspired writer of the fourth Gospel was an Israelite (or Jew) from the region we now call Palestine. The author accurately portrays Old Covenant customs, religious traditions, and the fine points of halakhic (legal) regulations that were unique to Israel as God's holy covenant people. The inspired writer of this Gospel is knowledgeable about the different sects of 1st century Judaism and is especially knowledgeable about the geography and topography of what was the Roman dominated province of Judea and the city of Jerusalem, identifying and correctly describing sites that were not rediscovered in Jerusalem until the late 1800s. All these qualifications fit John the Apostle. Point #3: The author identifies himself as an eyewitness to the events of the fourth Gospel and as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." He uses this designation five times: John 13:23, John 19:26, John 20:2, John 21:7, John 21:20. The author of the book of Revelation (whom the Fathers of the Church testify is John son of Zebedee, Bishop of Ephesus) identifies himself as "John" five times: Revelation 1:1, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:9, Revelation 21:2, Revelation 22:8. This may be a coincidence but considering the symbolic use of numbers in both the Gospel and in Revelation it could be another indicator of John's authorship; 5 is the symbolic number of grace in Scripture (see the document "The Significance of Numbers in Scripture" in the Documents section of Agape Bible Study). But how do we know which of the Apostles is "the one Jesus loved"? The Synoptic Gospels identify 3 Apostles that Jesus singled out on important occasions. These were Peter, to whom Jesus gave the "keys of the kingdom", James, the son of Zebedee, and James' younger brother, the Apostle John. It was to this trinity of Apostles that Jesus chose to reveal Himself in His glory on the Mt. of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36). We can narrow down the identity of the inspired writer of the fourth Gospel to one of these 3 men and, by eliminating the other 2, we can come to one final name. The "beloved disciple" who authors the fourth Gospel cannot be Peter because the fourth Gospel records that on several occasions Peter was accompanied by the "beloved disciple" (John 20:2; 21:20). James Zebedee is eliminated as a candidate for the "beloved disciple" by the fact that he was the first Apostle to be martyred (circa 42AD). We have an accurate date for his martyrdom not only from Christian sources (Acts 12:2, etc.) but also from Jewish accounts. This fact eliminates James because the fourth Gospel was written at least 25 years after his death. That only leaves John, son of Zebedee as the "beloved disciple". [link]
Ray Stedman – Adventuring Through the Bible – The Gospel of John – The fourth Gospel holds peculiar significance to me for many reasons, but especially because it is written by [John] the disciple closest to our Lord – He was of that inner circle which included Peter and James, who went with our Lord through the most intimate circumstances of His ministry and heard more than any of the others – Therefore, we open this book with a sense of anticipation – Here is the Testimony of our Lord’s closest friend – But John goes deeper than that – He says that He [Jesus] is not only the Christ [Messiah], but **He is the Son of God – When you see Him in His delivering power, you are indeed seeing the Promised Deliverer, the Messiah – Does that amaze you? Have you thought that it was His miracles that proved He was God? No, no – They proved He was the Messiah, the Promised One. **It is His Words that prove He is God – Listen to them: “I am the bread of life” – That is, I am [Communion] the sustainer of life, the One who satisfies life (Mp3s)
The fourth Gospel holds peculiar significance to me for many reasons, but especially because it is written by the disciple closest to our Lord. When you read the Gospel of [John], you are reading the record of our Lord as seen through the eyes of a devoted disciple. Mark and Luke, of course, were dedicated Christians who knew and loved Jesus Christ, though they learned about him largely through the testimony of others, but John is one who leaned upon his breast. He was of that inner circle which included Peter and James, who went with our Lord through the most intimate circumstances of His ministry and heard more than any of the others. Therefore, we open this book with a sense of anticipation. Here is the testimony of our Lord's closest friend. In light of this, it is very startling to see how John's Gospel begins (chapter 1, verse 1): In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 RSV) Sometimes I think it is difficult to believe that Jesus is God. I know there is not a Christian who has not at one time or another felt the full force of all the arguments that would make him out to be nothing more than a man. There are times when we find it difficult to lay hold of the full intent of those words and think of the man Jesus as God. But if we find it difficult, how much more did his own disciples find it so? They, of all men, would be least likely to believe that he was God, for they lived with him and saw his humanity as none of us ever has or ever will. They must have been confronted again and again with a question that puzzled and troubled them, "Who is this man?" As they themselves said, "What manner of man is this who heals the sick, raises the dead, quiets the wind and changes the water to wine?" (Matthew 8:27) I have often pictured them lying out under the stars with our Lord on a summer night by the Sea of Galilee. I can imagine Peter or John or one of the others waking in the night, rising up on an elbow, and as he looked at the Lord Jesus sleeping beside him, saying to himself, "Is it true? Can this man be the eternal God? What is the secret of his being, the mystery of his coming?" No wonder they puzzled about him and constantly conversed among themselves about the mystery of his being. Yet, so overwhelming and convincing was the evidence they saw and heard that when they reached the end of the story, when John began to write down the recollections of those amazing days, he began with declaring the deity of Jesus, "This is the One who was in the beginning. He was the Word who was with God, who was in the beginning with God, and was God" (John 1:1). That is the theme of this Gospel of John. In Matthew we see the Lord as the King; in Mark we see him as the servant, always busy in ceaseless activity, serving men; in Luke we see his perfection of humanity, man as God intended man to be. Now, in the Gospel of John, we see his entrance into the Holy of Holies. We learn the secret of his life. The key to the Gospel of John is found in the next to the last chapter. There are two endings to this little Gospel. John adds a postscript, which we call Chapter 21, that has to do with certain things that occurred after the resurrection. But John had ended his Gospel with these words (chapter 20, verses 30, 31): Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these [that is, these signs] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing [that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God] you might have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 RSV) That is the twofold purpose of this book. First, John is setting out to give evidence why any man in any age or in any place can fully and wholeheartedly believe that Jesus is the Christ -- or to use the Hebrew form, Messiah, the Anointed One, the promised one. The second purpose is to show that he is the Son of God. ... The last miracle is the raising of Lazarus from the dead (see John 11:1-44), symbolizing the delivering of those who all their lives had been held under the bondage of Satan through fear of death. Thus these seven signs prove beyond question that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the expected One. But John goes deeper than that. He says that he is not only the Christ, but he is the Son of God. When you see him in his delivering power, you are indeed seeing the promised Deliverer, the Messiah. Ah, yes, John says, but that is not the greatest secret about him. When you see that he is the one able to do all these mighty things, meeting the deepest need of men's lives, look further and you will see there is glory yet. You discover that when you stand in the presence of his humanity, see his lovely eyes. feel the beating of his human heart, sense the compassion of his life poured out in service. you are also standing in the presence of God, you are seeing what God is like. "This One," he says, "is the Son of God." ... Does that amaze you? Have you thought that it was his miracles that proved he was God? No, no. They proved he was the Messiah, the Promised One. It is his words that prove he is God. Listen to them: "I am the bread of life," (John 6:35b RSV). That is, I am the sustainer of life, the One who satisfies life. [link]
Studying the Four Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – Each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience group of people (PDF)
Studying the Four Gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. How they relate to and correspond with each other. Of first Importance when reading and studying the four Gospels is to recognize that each Gospel is written to a Specific defined audience and group of people. Matthew is written to the Jewish audience. Mark is written to the Roman, action - result oriented person. Luke is written to the Greek, thinking, discerning and understanding person. John is written to the "Born-Again" Christian Church member and why other additional writings are not in the Bible. [link]
Cradle to Grave – The Life of Jesus Christ (Mp3s)
The Tabernacle's purpose is to change lives! We do this by loving God, loving people and by teaching people how to follow Jesus and how to labor for His Kingdom. [link]
TheoCentric.com: The Gospel of John – The Word Became Flesh – John 1:14 “And the Word [O.T.] was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and Truth.” – The Word became flesh, not simply to die, but in order that we might live! – God united deity with humanity in Christ in order that humanity might forever be united with deity through Christ and in the Spirit! – In short, that we might share in the [Fellowship] Dance of Eternity… forever! – That we might know the love of Father, Son, and Spirit by sharing in the Sonship of Christ through the Spirit {Note: This extraordinary website TheoCentric.com has a slightly Christian Mystic approach. The Gospel of John is the union of the Word of God with the flesh of mankind and therefore there is a certain amount of Christian Mysticism involved in the Ministry of Jesus Christ although just enough that we as Christians should be aware of True Mysticism but exceedingly weary of the common everyday worldly mysticism and this website does an excellent job of separating and distinguishing between the two. – Also Note: The Word of God describes God and when God became human flesh as His Word had already described Him it was done so not as a philosophy or as pure mysticism but it was done as reality, the reality of God and as reality it is eternity.}
Today we celebrate the most important event of human history-the advent of our Lord, the birth of Jesus Christ. It is this event that is both the centerpiece and turning point of God's redemptive drama. But people are born all the time. What makes this birth so special? The uniqueness of the birth of Christ stems from who is born and why. Who is Jesus? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God" (John 1:1-2). Before time began and before a single thing was created, John reveals a relationship of love and delight at the heart of reality-indeed, a *relationship that is reality itself! In eternity past, the Word (Jesus) and God (the Father) participated in a shared life of love, joy, and communion. Jesus was in a "face-to-face" relationship with the Father, while at the same time (mystery of mysteries!) Jesus fully shared in the deity of the Father. This relationship of mutual life and love-this eternal giving, receiving, and sharing of self-is the [Fellowship] Dance of Eternity. This Dance is the eternal movement of Father to Son, Son to Father, and Son and Father to Spirit. This fullness of life, love, joy, and communion was complete, needing nothing or no one to fill any deficiency. It is from the fullness of this Dance that God created: "All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3). John fills in the gaps of Genesis by revealing that the Dance is the source of creation. It is not sovereign, impersonal, individual, and isolated power that is the source of all things. Rather, it is personal, relational, giving, and sharing love that is the source of all things. And this love which is the source of all things is also the goal and end of all things, for God made us to share in God's life, love, and communion. Let's make certain we understand this: God did not create us in order to love, but out of the abounding fullness of love between Father, Son, and Spirit, God created us to share in this love. In short, God created us to share in the Eternal Dance of Father, Son, and Spirit. ... Conclusion: God has said "yes" to humanity in the person of Christ. This is good news of great joy to all people! God has exalted humanity to the highest position through his union with humanity in Christ. A human being now shares in the Dance, making it possible for us to do so as well! Again, to use some clichés, God has "sunk to the lowest level" and "gone to the extreme" to embrace us. We are invited to the Dance of Eternity-a Dance of Love which is at the heart of reality. Will you accept the invitation by opening yourself up to the love of God in Christ? "But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in his name" (John 1:12). The invitation is open to all. Come join the Dance! [link]
Ex New-Ager Author’s Testimony (Mp3)
A few days before his revealing book was ready for distribution, Randall Baer died under "very suspicious circumstances" in an automobile "accident" in Colorado. His car went over a 350ft. precipice near Del Norte, in South Central Colorado. There were no skidmarks in the vicinity. Was Baer murdered for having blown the cover off the New Age movement through his book and this audio? By the grace of Jesus he released this audio to warn Christians of the many faces of the new Age Movement and how it is influencing everything, Churches, Bibles, Business, schools, government, exercise, medicine and so much more. Having been in the New Age movement for 15 years and a bestselling author of New Age Books, he came to the Lord Jesus, then made this audio and wrote a book exposing the New Age Movement. 5 days before the book was to be released, he was killed. But they could not stop us from getting this audio. so we share it with you. He died to get us this message, let us not let his death be in vain. [link]
CIA Disinfo Officers EXPOSED {Warning: first few seconds are graphic} (YouTube)
While some former clandestine military officers, clandestine intelligence agents, and NWO researchers like William Cooper, John Todd, Randall N. Baer, Phil Schneider and Fritz Springmeier have been murdered or imprisoned, a few suspicious individuals are allowed to lecture all around the globe, sell books, DVDs, t-shirts, and get airtime on television and radio shows. Why? Because their talking does not interfere with the plans of those who don't want you to know the truth. That's the story of David Icke, Alex Jones, the makers of Zeitgeist, and other shills, disinformation artists, pseudo-truthseekers and faux whistleblowers (like Ron Paul, Glenn Beck, Keith Olbermann, Jesse Ventura, Bill Maher, Penn & Teller, etc.). It's impossible to bury the truth forever - one way or another, it will always come out. The elite know this, and their rationale is: "If the truth is to come out anyway let it be OUR people that tell it" - so that they have control over it. Alex Jones was allowed to film the Cremation of Care ritual (that involves real human sacrifice) in Bohemian Grove because the elite want us - the small percentage of the population who cannot be controlled by the media - to be paralyzed with fear and to have no real leader to organize a rebellion. David Icke is allowed to educate those who he can reach as long as he can dirty the truth with his unfounded reptilian lies and confuse the shit out of conscious, open-minded people in hopes that, frustrated, we will give up truthseeking and delude ourselves into believing that there are no conspiracy facts or open secrets. The CIA's agenda is to flood the truth genre with disreputable content and thereby exhaust public interest. That's also why Illuminati Hollywood makes all these movies like "V for Vendetta", "The Matrix", "Angels and Demons", etc., so that when someone discovers the similarities to reality others will say: "You've watched too many movies, dude". [link]
John 1 – The Disciple and Apostle John in his Gospel immediately sets out the eternal Divine nature of Jesus Christ “the Word” and also the eternal Divine nature of God – The disciple John tells how he and his friend Andrew went from being disciples of John the Baptist to disciples of Jesus — ‘John 1:36-38 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he [John the Baptist] saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two [of John’s] disciples [Andrew, Peters brother and John, the writer of this Gospel of John] heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto Him, Rabbi, which is to say, being interpreted, Master, where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see.’
'John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Note: In the opening of his Gospel John writes "In the beginning was the Word" some have said that because the word "the" is used with "the Word" it means that Jesus is not God when in fact it actually means that Jesus is God. Had John used "a" instead of "the" it might mean that Jesus was one of many god's like a word god, or a thought god, or a god of reason or intellect or something but the Apostle John purposely used the definite article "the" in order to limit the words of the Bible to be exclusively about Jesus Christ and in doing so proclaiming Jesus to be the human manifestation of the eternal God spoken by Word into the ears of the Prophets and written by Word onto the pages and scrolls of the Bible.' - 'John 1:15-18 John [the Baptist] bare witness of Him (Jesus), and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is Preferred before me: for He (Jesus) was [eternally] before me. And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ. No [human] man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He (Jesus) hath declared [represented] Him.' - John continues to decisively portray the unique Divinity of God among mankind in Jesus Christ.
John 2 – Jesus begins to call and assemble His Disciples – Twelve of His Disciples would become His Apostles – The first miracle in the Gospel of John is recorded – The turning of water into wine for a wedding festival — ‘John 2:11 This beginning [1st] of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His Glory; and His disciples believed on Him.’
'John 2:13 And the Jews' Passover [first of three Passover Feasts during the Ministry of Jesus] was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple [the first time], and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's House an House of merchandise. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine House hath eaten Me up. Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign [miracle] shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these [authoritative] things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this Temple, and in Three Days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But He spake of the Temple of His Body. When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the Word which Jesus had said. Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in [inside] man.' - Jesus demonstrates the proper way to cleanse a situation in the illustration of making "a scourge of small cords" apparently Jesus wove together three cords to make one cleansing cord this illustrate that two people plus the witness of the Holy Spirit should be involved in any cleansing removal situation. - 'Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord [including and involving the Holy Spirit] is not quickly broken.'
BasicChristian.org: The Christian Walk Illustrated in the 7 Miracles of Jesus Recorded in the Gospel of John (PDF Available)
These are Seven Miracles performed by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of John by John a disciple of Jesus. John was an eyewitness present at each of these seven miracles. These miracles are illustrations representing miracles that Jesus is currently doing in the life of each and every Christian. Colossians 1:10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. -- Topics: [Miracle #1] {John 2:1-12} Turning wedding water into wine. The New Christian is now clean and becomes filled with the Holy Spirit. -- [Miracle #2] {John 4: 46-54} Healing the Nobleman's Son. Our cured Life and Nobility in Jesus Christ. -- [Miracle #3] {John 5:1-17} Healing of the lame man to walk. The Christian can now walk a Christian lifestyle. -- [Miracle #4] {John 6:1-13} Feeding the Thousands with Bread and Fish. Fellowship of strengthening, building up, and nourishment in the faith among the believers. -- [Miracle #5] {John 6:16-21} Jesus calms the disciples during a storm. Jesus calms our fears during the storms of life. -- [Miracle #6] {John 9:1-41} Blind eyes opened. Apostles with their eyes opened to the hopeless plight of humanity are sent out to non-believers. -- [Miracle #7] {John 11:1-45} Resurrection of Lazarus from death to life. Resurrection of the believer from physical death to eternal life. ... Introduction: After accepting Jesus as our very own personal Lord and Savior by knowing that without the sacrifice of Jesus, what He did for us on the cross, that we would be permanently dead in our sin and rebellion, separated forever from God. Now that the sin has been paid for and taken away at the cross of Jesus we Christians are now free from sin and reunited with God in the Resurrection of Jesus. But what do we do now? After our conversion [Heavenly focus] for the Christian the conversion is just the start of Christianity the best is yet to come. In the fascinating Gospel of John, John one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus and an eyewitness that was present at all seven miracles, lays out seven miracles that Jesus Himself performed while in person on the earth and in a specific order. These seven miracles in the Gospel of John are a model of the very miracles that Jesus is doing right now this very moment and day in the life of every single living and breathing Christian. Let's take a look at the 7 miracles that Jesus performed and that His disciple John recorded for us. [link]
John 3 – Jesus instructs about how to become ‘born again’ in order to enter the Kingdom of God — ‘John 3:5-6 Jesus answered [Nicodemus], Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water [human] and of the Spirit [re-birth], he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh [physical – earthly]; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit [Spiritual – Heavenly].’
'John 3:15-21 That whosoever believeth in Him (Jesus) should not perish, *but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him (Jesus) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved [corrected]. But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought [fashioned] in God.' - The Kingdom of God is about life and it is about eternity it's not about being good and then becoming better in Jesus Christ it's about being dead and lost in sin and becoming new and Spiritually alive in Jesus Christ.
John 4 – Jesus instructs his disciples in Priestly functions that would be included in His Christian Church – Jesus meets a woman at the well in Samaria — ‘John 4:1-4 When therefore the Lord (Jesus) knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John [the Baptist], Though Jesus Himself baptized not [not with water but after His Resurrection with His Spirit], but his disciples [baptized with water], He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And He must needs go through Samaria [Jesus had an eternal appointment with a woman at a well].’
'John 4:6-39 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the [eternal] gift of God, and who it is [Messiah] that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee [Spiritual] living water. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our [1/2] father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this [earthly] water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the [nourishing, Spiritual] water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into [eternal] everlasting life. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is [a live-in boyfriend] not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a Prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain [Mt. Gerizim]; and ye say, that in Jerusalem [Mt. Zion] is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for Salvation is of the Jews. *But the hour cometh, and now is, when the True Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. *God is a Spirit: and they that Worship Him must Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. The woman saith unto Him, I know that Messias (Messiah) cometh, which is called Christ: when He is come, He will tell us all [such religious] things. *Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He [Messiah/Christ]. And upon this came His disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? *The woman then left her [earthly] waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, *Come, see a man, which told me all [living with men] things that ever I did [without condemnation]: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto Him. In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. ... And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him (Jesus) for the saying of the woman, which testified, He (Jesus) told me all that ever I did [without condemnation].' - It is often the goodness of God that draws people to Jesus. Jesus showed compassion when people needed compassion and Jesus showed contempt for man's preferences when the situation needed a radical redirection. But whether showing compassion or contempt Jesus did it in limited amounts and He did it at a time and in a manner that would draw everyone involved into a closer relationship and understanding with God.
John 5 – Jesus keeps His works and His ministry focused and confined to the main task at hand – Representing His Father here on earth to mankind and accomplishing the task of the Cross and the Resurrection — ‘John 5:36-43 But I (Jesus) have greater witness than that of John [the Baptist]: for the works [cross and resurrection] which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me. And the Father Himself, which hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me [at the baptism]. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape. And ye have not His Word abiding in you: for (Jesus) whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not. *Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which Testify of Me. And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father’s Name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name [Antichrist], him ye will receive.’
John 5:22-29 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son (Jesus): That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, *He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead [living spiritually dead] shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall [Spiritually] live. For as the Father hath Life in Himself; so hath He given to the Son to have Life in Himself; And hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves [physically dead] shall hear His voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. - Creation life for both humans and angels is everlasting and therefore the judgment to go with it is also everlasting.
John 6 – Jesus’ 5th Miracle ‘walking on water’ that is recorded in the Gospel of John – Jesus demonstrated that He had complete authority over all realms – The spiritual realm the human realm and the physical realm of nature — ‘John 6:19-21 So when they (Disciples) had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship [boat]: and they were afraid. But He (Jesus) saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid. *Then they willingly received Him into the ship [boat]: and immediately the ship was at the land [destination] whither they went.’
'John 6:33-40 For the bread [Manna] of God is He (Jesus) which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto Him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And *Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen Me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out [reject]. For I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that *every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.' - The eternal life and the eternal Kingdom of God that Jesus is offering is to be received inside of us at this point it is an internal Spiritual Kingdom. To miss out on the concept that the Kingdom of God is available now in Jesus Christ and to be unaware of its internal existence is to miss out on the Kingdom itself.
John 7 – Jesus continues to teach and to make that point that what mankind has it temporary and is passing away but what He has to offer is eternal — ‘John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast [Feast of Tabernacles, shelters – temporary homes], Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly [inner-life] shall flow rivers of living water [eternal Tabernacle]. But this spake He of the [Holy] Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet Glorified [Resurrection].’ – ‘John 7:52-53 They [Pharisees] answered and said unto Him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no Prophet. And every man went unto his own [tabernacle] house.’
'John 7:2-10 Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. His brethren (brothers; James, Jude, etc.) therefore said unto Him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. *For neither did his brethren believe in him [James and Jude are known to have become believers after His resurrection]. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Go ye up unto this feast: *I go not up yet unto this feast; *for My time is not yet full come. When He had said these words unto them, He abode still in Galilee. But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret [in Resurrection Spirit].' - The time of Jesus to fulfill the Feast of Tabernacles has not yet com in full that is why Jesus went in part in secret. The Feast of Tabernacles is a 'Fall feast' a 'Second Coming' Feast that has begun now with the giving of the Holy Spirit but we do not yet have our permanent bodies we still 'tabernacle' in our physical bodies while on earth. Jesus went to the Feast of Tabernacles 'secretly' to give the Living Water to those who would believe in Him and receive it but the rest of the Feast the tabernacle becoming a temple will be completed at the Second Coming of Jesus.
Did Jesus Lie? – “Look What’s Missing” from modern [NIV] bibles {Note: I just emailed Chick Tracts for verification on David Daniels’ claim that an unidentified Christian host of an unidentified Christian call in show made the comment “wiggle room” that Jesus might have lied. As soon as I can locate the specific name of the show and of the host and possibly a date and time of the show to go along with the accusations I’ll post them. It’s completely inappropriate to make an accusation like that without any substantiating material. ***Updated: Now that I’m forced to speculate as to who the Christian radio call in show host was I’m going to go with the first name that popped into my head and speculate that Don Stewart who has hosted and co-hosts many Calvary Chapel radio shows is the referred to host and my second guess at this moment is Christian Research Institute Bible Answer Man, Hank Hanegraaff. So until we have more details or until the next speculation, Cheers!!! – Also Note: The NKJV in John 7:8 has the word ‘yet’ but it is footnoted that other manuscripts do not have that word implying that it should not be there. As deceptive as the NIV is known to be the NKJV [New King James Version] is possibly the most deceptive of all modern bible versions. The deceptive NKJV should be completely avoided by everyone seeking to fellowship with God through His holy word the Bible. ~ God bless you, David Anson Brown} (YouTube)
Author David Daniels shares information from chapter 1 of his book, "Look What's Missing," and shows why it's so important that your Bible is not missing anything! The book is available at www.chick.com or www.amazon.com. [link]
Bible Versions Controversy Explained – Highly Recommended (Mp3)
Can you trust the new versions? before you say yes, you need to hear this message. learn where they came from [Antichrist agenda], who is behind them [practically everyone, NWO], and HEAR ACTUAL AUDIO FROM CHUCK SWENDOL, DR. D.A. WAITE AND OTHERS.. Learn what you need to know before you use that new [NKJV, NIV, Message, etc.] bible version. [link]
John 8 – Jesus teaches that freedom and eternity comes only from Truth and that His Words are Truth and therefore are freedom and eternity — ‘John 8:31-32 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.’
'John 8:1-12 [After the Feast of Tabernacles] Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives. And early in the morning He came again into the Temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down, and taught them. And the Scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him [trying to get Jesus to contradict the Laws of Moses, but Jesus is the voice that spoke the Law to Moses]. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground [dust, sin], as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up [resurrection] Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, *being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up [resurrection] Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life.'
John 9 – Jesus performs His 6th Miracle in the Gospel of John by healing a man blind since birth — ‘John 9:17 They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of Him (Jesus), that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He (Jesus) is a prophet.’
'John 9:5-15 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When He (Jesus) had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay [mankind, clay - the condition of frail humanity] of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam [Lit. Greek - Apostle], which is by interpretation, Sent. He went His way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. The neighbors therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? He answered and said, A Man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes [with clay], and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam [Apostle], and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight. Then said they unto him, Where is He? He said, I know not. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I [went and] washed, and do see.' - The clay that Jesus made and anointed the eyes of the blind man with is the clay of humanity. The man was physically blind but he was also unaware that others who were not blind were still suffering just as much as he was but in different was. The man was "Sent out" Apostatized to go into the world and to see how others live others who do not have the luxury of begging in the Temple itself where the generosity of mankind is at its best but going out into the world and seeing the condition of the world apart from the Temple.
John 10 – Jesus now teaches that He has more sheep to bring into His flock and into His pasture than just the natural sheep of Israel — ‘John 10:16 And other sheep [Gentiles] I have, which are not of this [Jewish] fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’
John 10:7-18 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers [i.e. King Saul - a type of Satan]: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd [i.e. King David - a type of Jesus]: the good shepherd giveth His Life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling [i.e King Solomon - a type of the Antichrist], and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down My life [Cross], that I might take it again [Resurrection]. *No man taketh it [life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father. - The cross of Jesus Christ was not an accident nor the work of man or even of devils it was the predetermined plan of God because only the cross of Jesus could free mankind from our self-imposed predicament of sin and death and liberate us into the Heavenly eternal life that we were created to be a part of with God in Heaven.
John 11 – Jesus performs His 7th Ministry Miracle in the Gospel of John when He calls the dead Lazarus by name and raises him back to life – ‘John 11:43-45 43 And when He (Jesus) thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he (Lazarus) that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.’
'John 11:11-27 These things said He: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, *that I may awake him out of sleep [it's not that people sleep when they die but that sleep is a reference to death in that it is harmless to the Christian]. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him. Then when Jesus came, he found that he [Lazarus] had lain in the grave four days already. ... Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, *Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. *Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die [separate from God]. Believest thou this? She saith unto Him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.' - Jesus is unequivocally demonstrating that as God He has authority over human life and death and over human separation from God or human reconciliation to God.
John 12 – The Gospel of John now takes us into Holy Week that last week of Jesus’ Ministry physically among mankind on earth – “Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany” with the day of Passover plus the three days and three nights in the Tomb this places Jesus’ and the Disciples arrival at Bethany on the Friday 10 days before the Sunday Resurrection with the actual Triumphal Entry “On the next day” occurring on the next day the Saturday Sabbath Day — ‘John 12:1-2 Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made Him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.’ – ‘John 12:12-15 On the next day [10th of Nisan – selection of the Passover lamb] much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion (Zion): behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.’
John 12:20-32 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the [Passover] feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified. ... And I, if I be lifted up [crucifixion and resurrection] from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.' - The Gentiles were not allowed to seek Jesus until after His death and resurrection as only then will He "draw all men" unto Himself. - Note: It's hard for a Gentile to understand but actually both the O.T. and the N.T. Covenants of God are with the Jews [Jeremiah 31:31] and belong to the Jews [Hebrews 8:8]. There was no Gentile representation at the Passover when the N.T. was initiated apart from the Promise of God given to Abraham [Genesis 12:3] that in Jesus all Nations would be blessed. Everyone involved with and seated at the Passover Table was Jewish including Jesus and none of them became a Christian by eating the Passover. The Jewish Disciples of Jesus became Christian followers of Jesus the same way everyone else does by acknowledging His sinless death on the cross and by acknowledging His resurrection of eternal life. The New Testament that was instituted the evening of the Passover and went into effect with the death and resurrection of Jesus and is for the 'House of Israel'. The New Testament was not finalized at the Passover it was finalized and institutionalized with the giving of the Holy Spirit an event that happened after the Resurrection of Jesus [and after the betrayal and rejection of Jesus] then when He ascended into Heaven briefly the Day of His Resurrection and He was received by His Father in Heaven as the acceptable Atonement offering for mankind to God the Father then that same Resurrection day sent the Comforter the Holy Spirit to mankind in the Baptism of Jesus Christ. As Gentile Christians we have entered into the Jewish New Testament Covenant by the Promises of God not by the Covent of God. The New Testament Covenant belongs to the Jews and through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ we are invited and welcomed into their Covenant to be partakers of their promises and of the blessings that have been given to the Jews from God. Having received an invitation to join in on their eternal Heavenly blessings we need to be certain that we do not, even accidently, take away from the Jews what already belongs to the Jews and we also need to make certain that we are grateful to God and to the Jews for the free gift we have been given and to receive it with gratitude and thankfulness so we don't accidently give a false impression of taking from the Jews something that is not ours and of being guilty of appearing to take and enter the Kingdom of God by force when in fact it has been freely given to us in the promises of God.
John 13 – The day off the Passover after a lunch Jesus washes the feet of His disciples in preparation of the Passover later that evening — ‘John 13:31-35 Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out [of the upper room], Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God be glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek Me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come [by the Laws of Moses]; so now I say to you. A New [Perspective] Commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you [New Perspective – He gave His life for us], that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.’
'John 13:1-12 Now *before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. And supper [lunch] being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him; Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; He riseth from supper [lunch], and laid aside His garments; and took a towel, and girded Himself. After that He poureth water into a bason [basin], and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded. ... So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again ...' - 'John 13:21-3121 When Jesus had thus said, He was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples [John], whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him (John), that he should ask who it should be of whom He (Jesus) spake. He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto Him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop [sauce], when I have dipped [bread in] it. And when He had dipped [bread in] the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him (Judas). Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the [Passover] table knew for what intent He spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast [Feast of Unleavened Bread]; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night [the Passover Feast is the only Feast that is not also a sundown curfew feast]. Therefore, when he (Judas) was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.'
John 14 – Judas having left before the conclusion of the Passover Feast – Jesus and remaining eleven Disciples conclude the Feast of Passover by singing a Psalm – Then the Passover Feast not being a curfew feast Jesus and His eleven Disciples depart the upper room and go to the Garden of Gethsemane, on Mount Olivet – Along the way to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus explains that unless He departs the earth and goes back into Heaven that the Holy Spirit cannot be given or sent to mankind [mankind would still be in sin and cannot receive the Holy Spirit] — ‘John 14:1-4 Let not your heart be troubled: ye 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 [to Heaven] and prepare a place for you, I will come again [Second Coming], and receive you unto Myself; that where I Am, there ye may be also. And whither I go [Heaven] ye know, and the way [through Jesus Christ] ye know.’
John 14:15-21 If ye love Me (Jesus), keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter [Holy Spirit], that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; *for He dwelleth with you, and *shall be in you [born again]. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye (Disciples) see Me: because I live [Resurrection], ye shall [resurrection] live also. At that day ye shall know that I Am in My Father, and ye in Me, and *I in you [Resurrection Day]. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and *I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him (believer-follower).
52 different weekly Bible passages to read before taking the Lord’s Supper – Jeff Himmel, the preacher at the Spring Warrior Church of Christ in Taylor County, Florida, wrote an interesting article in the church’s weekly LifeLines bulletin entitled, Thoughts Around the Lord’s Table {Note: These are some excellent verses but the pastor who wrote and published this article seemed to have the ever present agenda of putting all modern [paraphrase] bible versions on the same level as the KJV [translation] Bible. – Also Note: The various modern bible versions (NKJV, NIV, TNIV, NLT) are not “translations” but are what are called “paraphrases” where the modern ‘translators’ simply paraphrased the text of the modern bible versions with what they think the Bible should have originally said [and they use knowingly fraudulent and forged documents to attempt to justify their often egregious and erroneous paraphrases]. A paraphrase (opinionated) bible version is very, very different from the Trustworthy, accurately translated [mostly word for word at about 99.9%] KJV Bible.}
52 Passages to read before taking the Lord's Supper: Before we pass around the Lord's Supper each week at Spring Warrior (Acts 20:7), the man responsible for leading the observance will usually read a passage from the Bible reminding us either of the significance of taking the Lord's Supper or the significance of Christ's death. In his article, Mr. Himmel points out that Christians oftentimes needlessly limit their choice of passages to simply a trite few (e.g., Matthew 26:26-29 1 Corinthians 11, etc.). There are many more passages available. So my challenge to the readers is this: If you lead the Lord's Supper, what passages do you read aloud? If you don't "head the table" in your congregation, but do read from your Bible while the Lord's Supper is being passed around, what passages do you read? I will begin our list with the tried and true mentioned in Jeff's article. Let's see if we can't come up with 52 different passages, one for each week throughout the year. Add your passages via a comment. Matthew 26:26-29. Matthew's account of the evening in which Christ instituted the Lord's Supper. Mark 14:22-26. Mark's parallel account to Matthew 26. Luke 22:14-22. Luke's account of the institution of the Lord's Supper differs from that described in Matthew and Mark in that it tells of Jesus instructing the disciples to "divide" the cup among themselves before partaking of the bread and fruit of the vine. This passage is useful when studying with someone who insists that everyone in the congregation should drink from the same cup ("one-cuppers"). Acts 20:7. Yes, this is a great passage for the authority for the observance occurring on the first day of the week, but can't we come up with a better passage for the meaning of the occasion? 1 Corinthians 11:23-29. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes." (1 Cor. 11:26, NKJV) Psalm 22, often referred to as the Psalm of the Cross. "They have pierced my hands and my feet ... They divide my garments among them" (NIV vss. 16, 19). and cast lots for my clothing Isaiah 53. A Messianic prophecy which actually begins In Isa. 52:13. Romans 5:6-11. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV) 1 Corinthians 5:7 with Exodus 12:5, 14 (or Numbers 28:19). Christ is our Passover sacrifice who saves us from death. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 with Exodus 12:14-20. Taking the memorial feast in sincerity and truth. not in a sinful condition, and not with sinners. 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. "And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. " (2 Cor. 5:15, TNIV) 4/26/2009 Philippians 2:5-11. "He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!" (Phil 2:8, TNIV) Philippians 3:10 with 1 Corinthians 11:24 and 1 Corinthians 10:16-18. "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10, NKJV). Christ says that the bread represents his body which was broken for us. Paul says that we partake or share the communion. So, in a sense, by partaking of the Lord's Supper we share in the sufferings of Christ. (5/17/09) Hebrews 2:14-18. "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2:14-15, NKJV) Hebrews 9:12-15. "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:13-14, NKJV) You could start reading in verse 1, but I have paired these down into smaller readings simply to prepare our minds for taking the Lord's Supper. Hebrews 9:16-28. "He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. ... Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." (Heb. 9:26, 28, NKJV) Hebrews 10:1-10. "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. ... He takes away the first that He may establish the second." (Heb. 10:4, 9, NKJV) Hebrews 10:11-18. "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God. ... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. ... Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin." (Heb. 10:12, 14, 18, NKJV) 1 John 4:9-10. "God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love-not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins." (NLT) Jeremiah 31:-34 with Matthew 26:26-28. "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant .... I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."(Jer. 31:31, 34) "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. 26:27-28) Luke 22:20 with Genesis 31:44-54. Pointing out that part of the purpose behind the memorial feast is to remind people of their covenant relationship with God in much the same way that Jacob and Laban shared a feast to memorialize their covenant of peace. Exodus 12:5, 14 (or Numbers 28:19) with John 1:29. "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" John 3:16. By partaking in the communion, we are proclaiming Christ's life, death and resurrection. John 3:16 affirms that Christ was obedient to the will of God to the point of death for all who believe in Christ. Some may want to read this passage with 1 John 4:9-10. Deuteronomy 8:3 with John 6:30-33, 48-51. God gave the Jews manna so they would learn that they could not live by bread alone. Then He gave the world Jesus, the bread of life. John 6:54-56 with Deuteronomy 12:16 & Leviticus 17:10-11. Under the Old Law of Moses, God was given the blood of the sacrifice. Men were prohibited from drinking blood because life is in the blood. Under the New Covenant, Christ says that whoever drinks his blood has eternal life, and figuratively, we drink his blood when we drink the fruit of the vine. Although the context of John 6 is not directly related to the Lord's Supper, Christ is saying that whoever believes in Him eats His flesh and drinks His blood. Who believes Christ, but those who obey all His teachings, including the command (1 Cor. 11:24-25) to eat the Lord's Supper? (3/22/09) Acts 2:21-36, Peter's sermon on Pentecost. "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it" (Acts 2:23-24, NKJV). 1 Corinthians 10:24 with Deuteronomy 16:3. Comparing Christ's body of suffering to the Passover bread of suffering. 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. When we come together and share the same bread and fruit of the vine, we stress not only our unity and equality before God, but also His call for us to be holy, sanctified, set apart and consecrated. "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God." (2 Cor. 6:14-16, NKJV) Ephesians 2:11-18. Christ's death reconciled Jew and Gentile to each other and to God. The fruit of the vine represents Christ's blood which was shed for the remission of sins. (Matt. 26:27-28) Colossians 2:11-15, "... buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ... having nailed it to the cross...." (NKJV) What additional passages can you come up with? [link]
John 15 – Jesus and the Disciples are still continuing ther walk to the Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus continues to instruct the Disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit about His Resurrection and about their eternity with Him in Heaven — ‘John 15:1-5 I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman [Caretaker].’
'John 15:1-5 I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Husbandman [Caretaker]. Every branch (Disciple) in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth [cleanses] it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the Vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I Am the Vine, ye (Disciples) are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.' - In Jesus there is life and fruitfulness [relationship with God] apart from Jesus there is no fruitfulness [relationship with God] and no life.
John 16 – Jesus explains that the life of a Disciple without the physical presence of Jesus is going to be difficult — ‘John 16:1-3 These things have I (Jesus) spoken unto you, that ye (Disciples) should not be offended. They [religious and political leaders] shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.’
'John 16:7-16 Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the Truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: *for if I go not away, the Comforter [Holy Spirit] will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, *He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on Me; Of righteousness, because I [Righteousness] go to My Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince [Satan] of this world [system] is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: *for He [Holy Spirit] shall not speak [referencing] of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear [be in agreement with], that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come. He shall glorify Me: *for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that He shall take of Mine, and shall shew it unto you. *A little while, and ye shall not see Me [Crucifixion death]: and again, a little while, and ye shall see Me [Resurrection Life], because I go to the Father.'
John 17 – The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus – Jesus Prays for His disciples and all of this future followers His ‘High Priestly Prayer’ — ‘John 17:1-3 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given Him power over all flesh, *that He should give Eternal Life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And *this is Life Eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.’ – ‘John 17:20-21 Neither pray I for these (Disciples) alone [only], but for them [future Disciples] also which shall believe on Me through their word [Ministry]; that they all may be one [Church]; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one [body] in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent Me.
John 17:1-26 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify Thee: As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, *that He (Jesus) should give Eternal Life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And *this is Life Eternal, that they (humans) might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou Me with thine own self with *the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. I have manifested Thy Name unto the men which thou gavest Me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them Me; and *they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given Me are of Thee. *For I have given unto them (Disciples) the Words which thou gavest Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them (Disciples): *I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I Am Glorified in them (Disciples). And now I Am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, *keep through Thine own Name those whom thou hast given Me, that they [Disciples] may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy Name: those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition [Judas by his own freewill]; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and *these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Thy Word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I Am not of the world. I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil. *They are not of the world, even as I Am not of the world. Sanctify them through Thy Truth: Thy Word is Truth. As thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I Sanctify [go to Heaven] Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the Truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but *for them [future Disciples] also which shall Believe on Me through their word [Ministry]; That they all may be one [Church]; as thou, Father, art in Me, and I in thee, that they also may be one [body] in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent Me. And the Glory which thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, *and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am [in Heaven and while on earth]; that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee: but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me. And I have declared unto them Thy Name, and will declare it: that the Love wherewith Thou hast Loved Me may be in them, and I in them.' The High Priestly Prayer of Jesus to His Father in Heaven revealing to His Disciples His heart towards His father and His heart towards all His Disciples.
John 18 – After His High Priestly Prayer to His Father in Heaven – Jesus steps over the small stream “brook of Cedron” and Jesus with His eleven disciples arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane – Jesus separates Himself from His followers and goes a short distance to pray – Judas bringing Temple guards to arrest Jesus catches up with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is arrested and brought to Jerusalem to multiple trials involving the Sanhedrin, Herod and finally Pontius Pilate who will sentence Jesus to death on the cross – As the dawn arises Peter will deny knowing Jesus three times — ‘John 18:1-2 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and His disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed Him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with His disciples.’
'John 18:28 Then [Jewish leaders] led they Jesus from Caiaphas [the High Priest installed by Rome while Annas was the High Priest, there were two High Priests] unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the Passover [the Unleavened Bread portion of the Passover Week, the Crucifixion day was a Feast curfew day, Unleavened Bread has a curfew the Passover does not].' - 'John 18:36-38 Jesus answered [Pontius Pilate], *My Kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants [physically] fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My Kingdom not from hence [the Kingdom of Jesus is no from Heaven]. Pilate therefore said unto Him, Art thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I Am a King. [Yes] To this end was I born, and for this cause [King of the World] came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the Truth. Every one that is of the Truth heareth My Voice. Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth?' - Note: The 'Thou sayst' was apparently a custom, and it was required when someone was in court facing Roman charges against them, to confirm dialect especially between a Roman and another culture. When a Roman official spoke the non-Roman would reply 'thou sayest' to confirm that they understood what the Roman was saying.'
John 19 – The rejection, death and burial of Jesus Christ is completed – The Crucifixion day is the [15th of Nisan] on the Feast of Unleavened Bread day the day after the [14th of Nisan] and the Passover Day – It is the same day [Exodus 12:17] that the Children of God left Egypt after the original death of the firstborn Passover in Egypt – {The Apostle Paul explains that the Passover was the night Jesus was betrayed [1 Corinthians 11:23 – “That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread”] the day before His Crucifixion.} — John 19:4-5 [Pontius] Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring Him (Jesus) forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in Him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! – ‘Zechariah 6:11-12 Then take silver and gold, and make Crowns [silver – High Priest crown, gold – Kings crown], and set them upon the head of Joshua (Jesus) the son of Josedech, the High Priest; and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, ‘Behold the man’ whose name is the Branch (Nazarene), and He shall grow up out of His place and He shall build the [Heavenly] Temple of the LORD:’
John 19:25-27 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the Disciple [John] standing by, whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son [Christian fellowship]! Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother [Christian fellowship]! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. - The name Mary in Hebrew means bitter so it was a 'bitter,' 'bitter,' 'bitter,' day, event and place to be at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ for the followers of Jesus. Note: Jesus on the cross united His Mother Mary and His Disciple John in Christian fellowship not in some form of worldly adoption. Biblically had Mary adopted the Disciple John then he would have gone to her house because that is what the adoption is it is rights and privileges of the house or estate. Apparently Joseph was clearly deceased not being available for any of the events of the adult life of Jesus and also apparently none of the brothers and sisters were followers of Him either, until after the resurrection so Jesus sent His mother to be with John and the soon to be forming Christian Church.
John 20 – Resurrection Day – The first Jewish converts to Christianity through belief in the eternal life Resurrection of Jesus Christ – The Spirit Baptism of Jesus Christ begins – With the receiving of the Spirit of Jesus Christ a person [Jew or Gentile] becomes a Christian – The Christian Church begins! — ‘John 20:14 And when she [Mary Magdalene] had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and *knew not that it was Jesus.’ [Note: Only Christians can recognize Jesus while Mary and the other Jewish Disciples and followers all had to become Christians like the Gentiles have to as well to then recognize Jesus] – ‘Colossians 1:27 … [the Resurrected Jesus] Christ in you, the hope of glory’
John 20:19-23 Then the same day [Resurrection Day] at evening, being [Sunday] the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when He had so said, He shewed unto them his hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as My Father [in Heaven] hath sent Me [Jesus has been back to Heaven], even so send I you. And when He had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost [Having been to Heaven and received by the Father as the acceptable Atonement the Holy Spirit is now given and available to all mankind]: Whose soever sins ye remit [discernment via the Holy Spirit], they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain [discernment via the Holy Spirit], they are retained.
John 21 – After His crucifixion and Glorious resurrection Jesus spends 40 more days with His Disciples instructing them in His eternal Kingdom – The Kingdom that that they are to present to all mankind — ‘John 21:1 After these [crucifixion and resurrection] things Jesus shewed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias (aka the Sea of Galilee and Lake Gennesaret); and on this wise shewed He Himself.’
'John 21:24-25 This is the disciple [John] which Testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we [Apostles] know that His Testimony [Jesus Christ] is True. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.' - The beloved Disciple and Apostle of Jesus Christ closes his Gospel to the Christian Church with his personal Testimony that what he has written and recorded for mankind is based in fact and actually did happen and occurred as he has written.
