1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:06,360 Welcome back to another episode of the Grace Church Members 2 00:00:06,360 --> 00:00:08,280 Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Rivers, and 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,000 we have Bill White and Scott Mazingo in the room today. 4 00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:15,400 Our hope in this episode is to discuss an overview and recap of 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:17,440 the John series. Guys, welcome to the table. 6 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:19,000 Hey, Chris, good to see you this morning. 7 00:00:19,240 --> 00:00:20,760 Thanks, Chris. Good to be here. 8 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,720 Yeah. Well, I'd love Bill, you just 9 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:24,840 jump right in. Maybe just talk to us a little 10 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,640 bit about the rationale for this series. 11 00:00:29,860 --> 00:00:32,780 I think the rationale for this series, well, I don't think I 12 00:00:32,780 --> 00:00:35,500 know. The rationale for this series is 13 00:00:36,180 --> 00:00:44,140 that we want to do the best that we can to make sure that we as a 14 00:00:44,140 --> 00:00:47,100 community have a true relationship with with the 15 00:00:47,100 --> 00:00:50,260 living Christ that gives life to us. 16 00:00:50,340 --> 00:00:55,500 And and John is is so clear and what his agenda is. 17 00:00:55,500 --> 00:01:01,560 So in John 2031, he said. These things I have written so 18 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:07,000 that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that by 19 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,560 believing you may have life by the power of his name, that you 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,880 may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by 21 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:14,960 believing you may have life by the power of his name. 22 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,720 And he says In that same paragraph, he says I couldn't 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,120 have included. If I tried to include everything 24 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:23,840 Jesus did, the heavens wouldn't be big enough to write all the 25 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:25,970 books. He said, But what I have 26 00:01:25,970 --> 00:01:28,010 written, This is why I've written it. 27 00:01:28,210 --> 00:01:34,930 So the whole point is really to speak to religious people who 28 00:01:35,850 --> 00:01:40,490 think they know some things and to challenge them with the 29 00:01:40,490 --> 00:01:45,170 reality of who Jesus really is. Because your ideas don't give 30 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:49,810 you life. Jesus gives you life and. 31 00:01:50,540 --> 00:01:53,260 And what he is going to show throughout the book is how 32 00:01:53,260 --> 00:01:56,940 people miss Jesus not because they don't have information. 33 00:01:57,220 --> 00:02:01,420 They miss Jesus because they do have biblical information and 34 00:02:01,420 --> 00:02:04,980 because Jesus confounds their understanding of biblical 35 00:02:04,980 --> 00:02:08,979 information. And so our concern is that we 36 00:02:08,979 --> 00:02:10,900 could have a lot of people who are like that, who are in our 37 00:02:10,900 --> 00:02:17,220 church, who confuse knowing facts with having life. 38 00:02:18,710 --> 00:02:22,150 And John's Gospel just gives you opportunity after opportunity 39 00:02:22,150 --> 00:02:25,350 and some of the most beautiful images we have of who God is 40 00:02:25,350 --> 00:02:29,990 come to us from John's Gospel. So that's why we're doing it, 41 00:02:30,070 --> 00:02:33,190 yeah. Well, I love how explicit the 42 00:02:33,190 --> 00:02:35,790 mission of the book is in John, chapter 20. 43 00:02:36,150 --> 00:02:38,470 And then when you understand that and you go back and you 44 00:02:38,470 --> 00:02:41,830 just see these little stories and these encounters, John's 45 00:02:41,830 --> 00:02:45,110 doing the same thing each and every time, driving you to make 46 00:02:45,110 --> 00:02:48,650 a decision about who he is. When we think about jumping in 47 00:02:48,930 --> 00:02:52,850 this week, we're going to start back in Chapter 11. 48 00:02:53,370 --> 00:02:56,570 So some people may just be joining us for the first time 49 00:02:56,570 --> 00:02:58,450 over the summer. So what we thought we would do 50 00:02:58,450 --> 00:03:01,690 during this episode is just do a little bit of a review, a recap 51 00:03:01,690 --> 00:03:06,570 where we've been so that when we start up and we hit the last 52 00:03:06,570 --> 00:03:09,490 half of the book, people understand the context, they 53 00:03:09,490 --> 00:03:11,410 understand the flow. So let's just take a few 54 00:03:11,410 --> 00:03:12,890 minutes. We'll just talk through some 55 00:03:12,890 --> 00:03:15,970 parts of the, what we would just call part one of John 1st 10 56 00:03:15,970 --> 00:03:17,410 chapters. What were some of the 57 00:03:17,410 --> 00:03:19,050 highlights? What were some of the themes? 58 00:03:19,330 --> 00:03:21,610 And then we'll get into a little bit of what we can look forward 59 00:03:21,610 --> 00:03:24,250 to Part 2. So this is looking backwards. 60 00:03:24,890 --> 00:03:26,970 What would you like to share? What stood out to you about the 61 00:03:26,970 --> 00:03:30,850 first part of the book of John? One of the things that's super 62 00:03:30,850 --> 00:03:36,090 interesting to note is that we spent the entire spring working 63 00:03:36,090 --> 00:03:40,930 our way through the 1st 10 chapters, which pretty much 64 00:03:41,130 --> 00:03:44,940 covers. Jesus entire ministry. 65 00:03:44,940 --> 00:03:48,500 So we have this theological introduction where we get this 66 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,500 window back into before the creation of the world. 67 00:03:53,620 --> 00:03:55,700 So you get this theological introduction. 68 00:03:56,380 --> 00:04:00,020 You get this historical orientation through John the 69 00:04:00,020 --> 00:04:04,740 Baptist that the last of the prophets is here and he 70 00:04:04,740 --> 00:04:07,140 testifies to the reality of who Jesus is. 71 00:04:07,140 --> 00:04:09,820 The Holy Spirit testifies to the reality of who Jesus is. 72 00:04:10,230 --> 00:04:13,230 And then you have the events of Jesus, life and ministry. 73 00:04:13,990 --> 00:04:18,310 Basically three years of ministry leading up to John 74 00:04:18,310 --> 00:04:21,470 Chapter 11, which we real because of how John organizes, 75 00:04:21,470 --> 00:04:24,670 but we really don't know when John 11 takes place. 76 00:04:25,350 --> 00:04:30,350 But it's arranged as the week before the Passion. 77 00:04:30,350 --> 00:04:33,150 And I can tell you the reason why I think it's there. 78 00:04:33,150 --> 00:04:35,430 I don't know why it's there. It makes sense to me why it's 79 00:04:35,430 --> 00:04:39,670 there, but essentially you get 10 chapters. 80 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,480 On Jesus, entire ministry minus everything he did that John 81 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:47,520 thinks is important to tell us, which is 3 years of ministry 82 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:51,360 other than the death and the resurrection of Lazarus. 83 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:59,720 And then from chapter 12 all the way to chapter 21 is one week, 84 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,880 is one week. And so if you just look at the 85 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:08,820 book, what you can see is. John is making a case for who 86 00:05:08,900 --> 00:05:13,060 Jesus is and all that he did that his signs testified to who 87 00:05:13,060 --> 00:05:19,580 he was and then he is going to take zoom in on the Passion week 88 00:05:20,180 --> 00:05:22,500 and he is going to take us on the deep dive of that. 89 00:05:23,220 --> 00:05:28,820 So the 1st 10 chapters really are just laying the stage for 90 00:05:28,820 --> 00:05:33,180 what Jesus describes as him being exalted Jesus. 91 00:05:34,220 --> 00:05:37,780 In classic John fashion, Jesus all along is laying these hints 92 00:05:37,780 --> 00:05:40,260 that one day he's going to be lifted up and the idea of being 93 00:05:40,260 --> 00:05:44,740 exalted, of being glorified. And in the last half, what we're 94 00:05:44,740 --> 00:05:48,140 going to see is that's a very counterintuitive fulfillment of 95 00:05:48,140 --> 00:05:51,180 what Jesus has been saying because his glorification is His 96 00:05:51,180 --> 00:05:55,060 crucifixion. And so that's the tension that 97 00:05:55,060 --> 00:05:57,340 is being built through the 1st 10 chapters. 98 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:02,120 And the way in which John goes about it is he has these things 99 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:06,520 that he calls signs where Jesus is doing something, and then he 100 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:10,080 is explaining the significance of what he's done as revealing 101 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:13,920 who he is. And so you have this interplay 102 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:18,000 between Jesus does something that no one has ever done, and 103 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,520 then Jesus gives you sometimes clear, but most of the time 104 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:26,240 fairly cryptic explanations that are only going to really make 105 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:30,440 sense for his disciples. After his death and his 106 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:35,440 resurrection, and in some senses not until after Pentecost and 107 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,040 with the Holy Spirit do they go back and read the Old Testament 108 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,440 that they start figuring it out. Oh wait a minute, this is what 109 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:43,280 Jesus sorry y'all. Remember when Jesus said that 110 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,160 this is what he was talking about? 111 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:51,480 They they piece it all together. And so in the 1st 10 chapters 112 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,920 you realize this is one of the beautiful things to me. 113 00:06:55,400 --> 00:06:59,640 They don't really understand who Jesus is on many levels. 114 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:05,520 And the the mark of discipleship is not understanding him, it is 115 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:10,080 trusting him and obeying him, you know? 116 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,920 But it is interesting how Jesus is he. 117 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:19,440 He is kind in the sense that he uses very familiar expressions 118 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:24,150 of of Jewish life. And then he so he appeals to 119 00:07:24,150 --> 00:07:28,990 appeals to them at a wedding and in the temple and at the well 120 00:07:29,110 --> 00:07:31,270 and in a conversation with a rabbi. 121 00:07:31,790 --> 00:07:35,430 And so he's like trying to meet them on their terms, but then 122 00:07:35,430 --> 00:07:38,990 he's, he's refiguring what they should be thinking about. 123 00:07:39,390 --> 00:07:41,230 But he kind of meets them and then he like, takes them on a 124 00:07:41,230 --> 00:07:42,830 little journey. And then he next time he takes 125 00:07:42,830 --> 00:07:47,830 them on a little journey and and then it feels like though his I 126 00:07:47,830 --> 00:07:51,030 am statements, his signs. Seems like they're increasing in 127 00:07:51,030 --> 00:07:53,870 intensity over the course of 10 chapters. 128 00:07:53,870 --> 00:07:55,750 Is that is that true? Yeah. 129 00:07:55,910 --> 00:07:59,830 I I think definitively and and he makes these statements. 130 00:07:59,830 --> 00:08:05,390 I am the light of the world. I am living water. 131 00:08:05,510 --> 00:08:07,670 You know I've got living what come to me I'm. 132 00:08:07,790 --> 00:08:11,230 I'm the real well. So the woman at the well is a 133 00:08:11,230 --> 00:08:15,350 great example of what you're talking about, and he doesn't 134 00:08:15,350 --> 00:08:18,010 perform a sign. For her, she doesn't see 135 00:08:18,010 --> 00:08:19,930 anything. Well, I mean, it sort of does 136 00:08:19,930 --> 00:08:23,610 because he goes prophetic on her and he deconstructs her life. 137 00:08:23,930 --> 00:08:26,770 So that's, you know, but John doesn't call that a sign. 138 00:08:26,770 --> 00:08:31,890 But he engages her and and she's on one level and he's operating 139 00:08:31,890 --> 00:08:36,929 on another level and he keeps calling her up to him and she 140 00:08:36,929 --> 00:08:43,010 keeps missing it and and so he's deconstructing her life and 141 00:08:43,010 --> 00:08:45,250 telling her things that she's like how could you know these 142 00:08:45,250 --> 00:08:49,440 things about me? And and so she's like, Sir, I 143 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,680 perceive you're a prophet, so maybe you could answer my 144 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:55,960 religious question, you know, instead of talking about the 145 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:58,560 complexity of my life and my sin and my brokenness. 146 00:08:58,560 --> 00:09:00,720 I've been I've been looking for a guy like you to ask a 147 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:02,360 question. Clearly, you know some things 148 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,040 most people don't. Our fathers say that we should 149 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,280 worship here on Mount Garazine, you know, and they had some 150 00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:10,920 legitimate. Tension and all that, for sure. 151 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:15,440 Because that's where when the Exodus took place and Israel 152 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:19,160 first came in. Then, you know, to the land, the 153 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:23,480 folks were there on Mount Eball Eball and Gerasim and they 154 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,240 that's where they renewed their covenant vows. 155 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,720 And so the Samaritans were like, Nah, man, this is where it all 156 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,480 started. Jerusalem, that's where the 157 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,720 Jebusites were. And David, I mean, who cares 158 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:34,400 about all that? And so she asked, She's like, 159 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,160 well, can you settle this? So should we worship in 160 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:41,320 Jerusalem or here And so and Jesus is like look y'all are 161 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,360 wrong. You need to be in Jerusalem 162 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,680 because it's the devil line. He doesn't say all that, but 163 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:49,240 that's what he's saying. And she says, well, I've heard 164 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:52,000 that, you know, when the Messiah comes, he's going to clarify all 165 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:54,040 these things and then Jesus just drops it on her. 166 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:59,760 He says I who speak to you and he and she receives him and then 167 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:01,440 bears witness. And then there's this huge 168 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:06,440 harvest, you know, and. And so you have and and we don't 169 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:08,640 have any. The beautiful thing about John's 170 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:12,000 gospel and why I'm so thankful we have his personality and his 171 00:10:12,000 --> 00:10:14,640 literary gifting, is the other writers. 172 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,160 It's not to speak poorly of the other Gospels. 173 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:18,640 They're all inspired scripture and they're all great. 174 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,600 But John brings us that kind of color and that kind of intimate 175 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:31,280 image and this kind of pathos that Jesus has that you just 176 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:36,840 don't quite see anywhere else. And so you see that in in the 177 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:43,840 1st 10 chapters and and Jesus always makes that about I am who 178 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:48,080 I am. So the real tension that I see, 179 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:50,440 and I think it's really important for us as Western 180 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:55,560 Christians who who think of truth as being ideas, and there 181 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:57,760 is a sense in which ideas are true. 182 00:10:58,420 --> 00:11:00,860 Or their faults and ideas are very important. 183 00:11:00,860 --> 00:11:03,660 So I don't want anyone to hear me say that propositional truth 184 00:11:03,660 --> 00:11:09,620 is not important but Jesus. And the revelation of Jesus and 185 00:11:09,620 --> 00:11:12,500 being in a relationship with Jesus is more important than any 186 00:11:12,500 --> 00:11:14,900 other idea. Because any idea, no matter how 187 00:11:14,900 --> 00:11:20,060 good it is, is only partial. There is a greater fullness, and 188 00:11:20,060 --> 00:11:25,220 that fullness exists in God himself and and so Jesus is 189 00:11:25,220 --> 00:11:29,730 showing how wrong people were. And that they were going to have 190 00:11:29,730 --> 00:11:32,610 to humble themselves and just receive him as he offers 191 00:11:32,610 --> 00:11:33,970 himself. And y'all know that's a big 192 00:11:33,970 --> 00:11:38,370 phrase for me because I believe that's the most important thing 193 00:11:38,370 --> 00:11:42,570 for us is we have to stop trying to understand what God is doing 194 00:11:42,810 --> 00:11:47,330 and begin to obey Him. And whatever clarity God wants 195 00:11:47,330 --> 00:11:49,770 us to have is going to come as we're in the process of 196 00:11:49,770 --> 00:11:53,930 receiving Him as our Lord and acting on what He has told us. 197 00:11:54,490 --> 00:11:59,120 But even then, when we. Stand face to face before him. 198 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:04,160 All of our formulations are gonna melt in the light of who 199 00:12:04,160 --> 00:12:08,560 he really is, and that's a beautiful idea. 200 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:12,040 And John, I feel like makes that point more clearly than anybody. 201 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:17,320 So it seems like that this idea of obedience is one of the 202 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:19,760 things you want us to get out of this study. 203 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,540 Is there. What else would you suggest to 204 00:12:22,540 --> 00:12:25,300 us that you want us to get? Because we're jumping back into 205 00:12:25,300 --> 00:12:26,940 it. So what are your hopes for us 206 00:12:26,940 --> 00:12:28,820 and what else we would get out of this study? 207 00:12:29,340 --> 00:12:34,540 Well, the crescendo, as I understand it, of this 208 00:12:34,540 --> 00:12:38,620 revelation of Jesus through his deeds comes in John Chapter 11. 209 00:12:38,620 --> 00:12:41,980 I mean, ultimately it's on the cross and the resurrection, but 210 00:12:41,980 --> 00:12:48,900 in John Chapter 11, John positions the, the. 211 00:12:48,970 --> 00:12:55,050 The resurrection of Lazarus and Bethany as the final kind of I 212 00:12:55,050 --> 00:12:57,930 am statement in many ways. There's some other things that 213 00:12:57,930 --> 00:13:01,210 are there but but and Jesus says it to Martha. 214 00:13:01,210 --> 00:13:04,890 Martha comes to him and Martha says Lord, if you had been here 215 00:13:04,890 --> 00:13:07,290 my brother would not have died because Jesus knew he was sick 216 00:13:07,290 --> 00:13:12,890 and was going to die and Jesus waited 2 days and so Martha 217 00:13:12,890 --> 00:13:15,370 comes and she's like Lord, if you had been here he wouldn't 218 00:13:15,370 --> 00:13:18,450 have died. You got I'm confident you could 219 00:13:18,450 --> 00:13:21,410 have healed him. And Jesus tells her your 220 00:13:21,410 --> 00:13:23,730 brother's going to rise again and she's like Lord, I know he's 221 00:13:23,730 --> 00:13:29,290 going to rise again at the resurrection and and Jesus says 222 00:13:30,210 --> 00:13:33,370 no, don't you know I am the resurrection and the life? 223 00:13:35,370 --> 00:13:40,530 And this crazy idea that what Jesus is saying is that the 224 00:13:40,530 --> 00:13:44,810 resurrection is not a future event. 225 00:13:46,970 --> 00:13:50,890 That if I'm in your presence, resurrection life is here. 226 00:13:52,690 --> 00:13:55,050 And if you know me, you already have that. 227 00:13:57,090 --> 00:14:01,050 And so that idea that everything that we are looking for in this 228 00:14:01,050 --> 00:14:05,370 world is to be our lives are so simple. 229 00:14:05,890 --> 00:14:10,570 On the one hand, it's difficult but super simple that the 230 00:14:10,570 --> 00:14:13,930 solutions for our problems are not complicated solutions. 231 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:18,320 They're difficult because it's difficult to get over yourself 232 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,240 and to realize that all I have to do is be near Jesus. 233 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:24,800 And Jesus has everything I want. So if I will, that's why 234 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,240 obedience is so important, is I'm putting myself with Him. 235 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:33,160 I am just following him, you know, So if I follow him in 236 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:38,920 generosity and service in a life of ministry to other people, of 237 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,890 denying myself. Those things are not important 238 00:14:41,890 --> 00:14:43,570 because they're the right things to do. 239 00:14:43,570 --> 00:14:46,450 Those things are important because those things put me with 240 00:14:46,610 --> 00:14:49,450 Jesus. And when I am with Jesus, I have 241 00:14:49,450 --> 00:14:51,610 access to everything that he has. 242 00:14:51,610 --> 00:14:56,770 And and and that's such an important idea. 243 00:14:56,770 --> 00:15:01,610 It's why John later on in this first letter, which is very 244 00:15:01,610 --> 00:15:04,630 destabilizing. For people like us who think 245 00:15:04,630 --> 00:15:06,670 that, well, I know I know Jesus because I prayed. 246 00:15:06,670 --> 00:15:08,590 That's in my heart. And then I was baptized. 247 00:15:08,630 --> 00:15:11,430 And I believe these certain ideas propositionally. 248 00:15:11,830 --> 00:15:15,710 In his first letter, you know, to Christians on the other side 249 00:15:15,710 --> 00:15:19,510 of the resurrection in Pentecost, he deconstructs all 250 00:15:19,510 --> 00:15:21,950 of that and creates all this tension. 251 00:15:22,710 --> 00:15:25,910 And he says, basically he says the only way you know that you 252 00:15:26,150 --> 00:15:28,710 know Jesus and love Jesus is if you love him. 253 00:15:28,790 --> 00:15:30,950 The only way you know you know him is if you love him. 254 00:15:30,950 --> 00:15:33,390 And the only way you know you love him is if you obey it. 255 00:15:34,110 --> 00:15:39,150 So if you're not obeying Jesus in this moment, you can't have 256 00:15:39,150 --> 00:15:43,630 any confidence that you really love him. 257 00:15:43,950 --> 00:15:46,710 If you don't love him, you don't know him and you're outside of 258 00:15:46,710 --> 00:15:49,270 Christ. And then he names specific names 259 00:15:49,270 --> 00:15:50,910 of people used to be a part of the church. 260 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,320 And so I think that's where, when I'm talking about 261 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:57,280 obedience, it's not, is it obedience or is it love? 262 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,840 John wants to tie all those things together. 263 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,160 And basically what he's saying is this thing about receiving 264 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:06,360 Jesus as he offers himself. And so the the literature of the 265 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,240 stories, they are all serving that purpose. 266 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:17,400 And then they're teeing us up for what that looks like on 267 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,480 Passion Week. You know, So what is, what does 268 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,400 that, what does that look like For Jesus to love us to the end 269 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:27,720 and he's going to give us a window into the Trinity. 270 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:29,640 That's different from anything else that we have in the 271 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:34,360 Scriptures. And his High Priestly Prayer and 272 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,440 his Farewell Discourse of High priestly Prayer, John 14 to John 273 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:41,240 17, is some of the most elegant personal. 274 00:16:42,660 --> 00:16:46,180 Intimate language where Jesus is praying for us. 275 00:16:46,300 --> 00:16:48,180 He's praying specifically for us. 276 00:16:48,340 --> 00:16:51,620 He's praying not just for those people, but for the people who 277 00:16:51,620 --> 00:16:55,380 would come after and who would believe their testimony, which 278 00:16:55,380 --> 00:16:59,740 is us, that he's thinking about us before he goes to the cross. 279 00:16:59,740 --> 00:17:02,900 I mean, it's just some of the most comforting literature and 280 00:17:02,900 --> 00:17:07,470 all of Scripture and. And and the 1st 10 chapters are 281 00:17:07,470 --> 00:17:10,270 setting us up for why that's such a beautiful thing. 282 00:17:10,270 --> 00:17:12,910 And so if you if you haven't really paid attention, I would 283 00:17:12,910 --> 00:17:14,109 encourage you to go back and listen. 284 00:17:14,109 --> 00:17:17,790 I went back and listened to a number of those sermons just in 285 00:17:17,790 --> 00:17:20,230 preparation for talking about it and thinking about how we got 286 00:17:20,230 --> 00:17:24,150 here. And I went back and read the 1st 287 00:17:24,150 --> 00:17:28,950 10 chapters to get oriented because then that really makes 288 00:17:29,230 --> 00:17:34,560 the Passion Week narrative. It makes all of that makes so 289 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,560 much more sense, yeah. And I think the idea of 290 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:42,200 obedience, obeying the things that Christ teaches, but doing 291 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:46,960 it through Christ in the power being in Christ in the power of 292 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:51,040 the Spirit, it's so complicated because in some ways the output 293 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,400 can look the same. That's right. 294 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:55,680 But the process is really what makes the difference of whether 295 00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:59,200 you know and whether you love. And sometimes we only see 296 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:02,710 output. And we can be on the wrong side 297 00:18:02,710 --> 00:18:05,150 of judging that output or we could be on the correct side. 298 00:18:05,150 --> 00:18:08,270 But but really what we need to do is kind of worry about our 299 00:18:08,270 --> 00:18:12,390 own journey and where are we? How how are we perceiving our 300 00:18:12,390 --> 00:18:15,870 life in Christ and obeying Christ through him. 301 00:18:16,670 --> 00:18:19,990 And I mean that's a probably another even another podcast but 302 00:18:19,990 --> 00:18:24,470 it but it it is interesting as you set up why are we doing this 303 00:18:24,470 --> 00:18:28,950 book we're trying to help people believe and have power by. 304 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:33,720 Believing in his name. And then Jesus goes to the 305 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,880 religious people who might be very similar to us today, and he 306 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,480 just meddles with all of their outputs, right? 307 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:44,080 He does like he meddles with all of their their feasts and their 308 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,680 festivals and their view of Sabbath and Passover and 309 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:49,280 tabernacles. And then that's where he just 310 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:52,080 breaks the paradigm apart. Yeah, because he says that all 311 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,760 of those things, he's like, you value these things so much, 312 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:57,040 right? And you're so worried about 313 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:01,390 being right about these things. He said, but these things are 314 00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:03,670 all about me. He's like, you're quoting Moses 315 00:19:03,670 --> 00:19:07,950 against me. He's like, and everything Moses 316 00:19:07,950 --> 00:19:12,110 said is about me, which he just deconstructs for people who want 317 00:19:12,110 --> 00:19:14,230 to say. I mean, I don't know about Jesus 318 00:19:14,230 --> 00:19:16,430 being this or that. He's a good moral teacher. 319 00:19:16,430 --> 00:19:19,430 It's like either Jesus is right or he's a total narcissist 320 00:19:20,190 --> 00:19:23,710 because he's saying that everything that has ever 321 00:19:23,710 --> 00:19:27,070 happened of significance was just a prefiguring. 322 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:29,840 Of who I am and what I came to do. 323 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:31,160 Your temple. Me. 324 00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:33,880 Yeah, You know, a wedding feast. Me, right? 325 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,800 You know. And and John 9 is is a great 326 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:38,600 example of that. I know that's one of your 327 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:42,960 favorite passages, but you know when when he heals the blind man 328 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,440 and the Pharisees, their major argument is you know you can't 329 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,280 do that on the Sabbath. We follow Moses. 330 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,360 You don't follow Moses, therefore we're right. 331 00:19:51,190 --> 00:19:54,390 And he gets into this. He uses this idea of seeing and 332 00:19:54,390 --> 00:19:58,430 not seeing and blindness and light, which, you know the theme 333 00:19:58,430 --> 00:20:00,790 of light is so strong all the way throughout the book. 334 00:20:01,150 --> 00:20:04,150 And he turns it. He basically does application in 335 00:20:04,150 --> 00:20:07,060 that passage and he says. You know, hey, you have 336 00:20:07,060 --> 00:20:08,980 spiritual blindness. You know, there are things that 337 00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:11,060 you think you see but you don't see. 338 00:20:11,700 --> 00:20:14,180 And he just, I just totally messes with him. 339 00:20:14,860 --> 00:20:17,260 But he's messing with us. You know, when we read that 340 00:20:17,260 --> 00:20:20,660 passage and we go okay, where where might I be spiritually 341 00:20:20,660 --> 00:20:24,780 blind? Where am I following along of a 342 00:20:24,780 --> 00:20:27,100 religious process? Or I'm seeking some kind of 343 00:20:27,100 --> 00:20:30,980 output and I'm really not doing it through love, through the 344 00:20:31,020 --> 00:20:33,700 through the power of of Christ. Through the power of the Holy 345 00:20:33,700 --> 00:20:35,750 Spirit. And so I mean the the 346 00:20:35,750 --> 00:20:37,990 implications are are many for us. 347 00:20:38,590 --> 00:20:41,870 I think that speak a little bit to the timing, you mentioned the 348 00:20:41,870 --> 00:20:46,710 timing of Lazarus because we we kind of ended part one at this 349 00:20:46,910 --> 00:20:51,630 pretty climactic moment and we will even see it depends on how 350 00:20:51,630 --> 00:20:54,030 much you want to give away of your your upcoming sermon. 351 00:20:54,430 --> 00:20:58,230 But basically, you know the disciples are saying, hey, if 352 00:20:58,230 --> 00:21:02,390 you go back into town and if you go Hill, if you go see Lazarus, 353 00:21:02,390 --> 00:21:05,270 if you go Hill, Lazarus, if you go see this family, this is 354 00:21:05,270 --> 00:21:07,070 going to be the end for you. Yeah, they're going to kill you 355 00:21:07,110 --> 00:21:10,990 because the tension has been rising so much and I think we 356 00:21:10,990 --> 00:21:14,910 don't really, we don't really think about the the humanity of 357 00:21:15,030 --> 00:21:20,590 Jesus as he is thinking through his mission from the Father. 358 00:21:21,030 --> 00:21:23,470 And it's like, OK, is this it? Is this my time? 359 00:21:24,070 --> 00:21:27,470 So speak a little bit about how you see that play out and it's. 360 00:21:27,470 --> 00:21:31,150 Such a beautiful on a bunch of different levels, so it's going 361 00:21:31,150 --> 00:21:33,390 to be real difficult. I'm teaching all of John 11. 362 00:21:33,390 --> 00:21:34,670 It's. It's already. 363 00:21:35,180 --> 00:21:38,580 Just overwhelming to me to think about trying to teach the whole 364 00:21:38,580 --> 00:21:42,660 thing, but there's so many beautiful things that are in it 365 00:21:42,700 --> 00:21:44,660 and so many things that are confounding. 366 00:21:44,660 --> 00:21:50,700 So at the very beginning of the chapter Jesus gets word that 367 00:21:50,860 --> 00:21:58,340 Lazarus is sick and and the text the way John said he says. 368 00:21:58,340 --> 00:22:03,590 So Jesus waited two more days. This is a man Jesus will love 369 00:22:03,590 --> 00:22:04,550 you. Get ready to see how much he 370 00:22:04,550 --> 00:22:07,230 loves him as you get through it. You know, it is one of the most 371 00:22:07,230 --> 00:22:11,590 human portrayals of Jesus that we have. 372 00:22:12,630 --> 00:22:18,870 And so the agony of all of that. And then he tells his disciples, 373 00:22:18,870 --> 00:22:20,830 all right, let's go. And they're all like, wait, 374 00:22:20,830 --> 00:22:23,910 wait, wait, wow, wow, these people are trying to kill you. 375 00:22:23,910 --> 00:22:26,670 We're going right back into the Lions thing because. 376 00:22:26,710 --> 00:22:28,910 Bethany's just outside of Jerusalem. 377 00:22:29,780 --> 00:22:31,820 You know, there are all these religious leaders who were 378 00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:33,580 there, who were living near the temple. 379 00:22:33,580 --> 00:22:35,780 I mean, there's no way that we can go in here. 380 00:22:36,660 --> 00:22:38,340 And they start trying to talk him out of it. 381 00:22:38,340 --> 00:22:40,620 And he says Lazarus is asleep, We got to wake him up. 382 00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:42,620 And they're like, no, man, don't. 383 00:22:42,740 --> 00:22:44,260 If if he's asleep, he'll wake up. 384 00:22:44,260 --> 00:22:45,740 It's fine. We're good. 385 00:22:45,740 --> 00:22:47,740 Let's stay out here. I mean, people were coming to 386 00:22:47,740 --> 00:22:49,780 him and people were believing in him while he was out there. 387 00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:55,380 We're doing good workout here. And he says, no, Lazarus is 388 00:22:55,380 --> 00:22:57,420 dead. And for your sakes, I'm glad I 389 00:22:57,420 --> 00:23:03,290 wasn't there. I mean just one statement and so 390 00:23:03,290 --> 00:23:06,370 and then Thomas is where we really get introduced to Thomas 391 00:23:06,370 --> 00:23:11,050 who is a fantastic character here and John's Gospel Thomas 392 00:23:11,050 --> 00:23:14,450 moves to the front at the end and Peter kind of recedes in a 393 00:23:14,810 --> 00:23:23,210 for for parts of it and and Thomas says let's go with him so 394 00:23:23,210 --> 00:23:26,630 that we can also die with him. And you just kind of get, I 395 00:23:26,630 --> 00:23:29,710 mean, Thomas has kind of got this pessimistic skeptic side to 396 00:23:29,710 --> 00:23:32,030 him. John invites you to read him 397 00:23:32,030 --> 00:23:36,070 that way, but he also has this intense kind of loyalty, you 398 00:23:36,070 --> 00:23:39,150 know, So it's just kind of, he's a little bit of a hyper realist 399 00:23:39,150 --> 00:23:41,990 dark soul, which part why I like him probably. 400 00:23:42,390 --> 00:23:46,270 But Thomas thought, let's go with him so we can also die with 401 00:23:46,270 --> 00:23:48,670 him. And the irony of all of that is 402 00:23:48,670 --> 00:23:52,220 that. What Jesus is getting ready to 403 00:23:52,220 --> 00:23:55,820 reveal is that death no longer has any hold. 404 00:23:57,540 --> 00:24:03,060 So they have to be willing to risk dying with him and and 405 00:24:03,060 --> 00:24:05,020 Thomas is like, no, we are all getting ready to die. 406 00:24:05,020 --> 00:24:07,540 But let's go, Amepia. So he's doing what's what we got 407 00:24:07,540 --> 00:24:08,820 to do. And I think that's such a 408 00:24:08,820 --> 00:24:11,860 beautiful image about what we're talking about all along is that 409 00:24:11,860 --> 00:24:13,660 you don't understand what he's doing. 410 00:24:13,900 --> 00:24:17,500 But if you go with him then they were they got to be there, 411 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:20,820 presumably when he told Martha. No, Martha, I'm not talking. 412 00:24:20,900 --> 00:24:23,820 About a future event. I'm here, I am the resurrection 413 00:24:23,820 --> 00:24:28,460 and the life. And then they get to see Jesus. 414 00:24:29,700 --> 00:24:34,420 When Jesus prays later in Chapter 11, he says, you know, 415 00:24:34,860 --> 00:24:41,060 you always hear me, Father and and I'm saying this just so 416 00:24:41,060 --> 00:24:44,340 these people who are around can hear me so that they know that 417 00:24:44,340 --> 00:24:45,940 we're talking and that's what this is about. 418 00:24:47,080 --> 00:24:51,200 And then he yells to Lazarus, who I believe has already been 419 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,560 raised, and tells him to come out, which is. 420 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,240 And they got to see all of that because they believed him. 421 00:24:58,240 --> 00:24:59,680 Even though they didn't understand him. 422 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:01,880 They obeyed him and went with him. 423 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:03,600 Even though they didn't understand what was getting 424 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:05,560 ready to do. They're just with him. 425 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:10,160 And so they got to see the glory of God, and that's going to 426 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:15,920 launch us in to all kinds of drama. 427 00:25:16,700 --> 00:25:20,340 The week of Passover and what we call His passion, his 428 00:25:20,340 --> 00:25:24,500 crucifixion, and really them abandoning him, even after they 429 00:25:24,500 --> 00:25:28,180 saw all of this, they still haven't gotten it. 430 00:25:28,620 --> 00:25:32,580 So in a real way, this is his last, this is the end of His 431 00:25:32,580 --> 00:25:34,940 ministry, this is his last miracle. 432 00:25:35,180 --> 00:25:39,660 And it's it's designed so that they can understand what's about 433 00:25:39,660 --> 00:25:43,900 to happen with him on the cross, that death has no power. 434 00:25:44,570 --> 00:25:47,610 But I love the way that you're you're putting us there with 435 00:25:47,610 --> 00:25:52,610 him, following him, not really knowing that Lazarus is going to 436 00:25:52,610 --> 00:25:54,970 walk out of that team, not really understanding how 437 00:25:55,290 --> 00:25:59,850 possible that is And the idea of of obeying out of love 438 00:25:59,850 --> 00:26:02,410 regardless of guarantee of outcome. 439 00:26:02,490 --> 00:26:06,450 I mean, I think that's really, that's really poignant and and 440 00:26:06,450 --> 00:26:08,810 it's just so interesting again, thinking about the entire 441 00:26:08,810 --> 00:26:13,360 passage, I mean the entire book of John for me, like the most 442 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,400 haunting verse from chapter one, verse 10. 443 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,800 You know, he came into the world and he's this light into the 444 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:22,960 world, but yet the light, the world did not recognize him. 445 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,480 You know the the darkness could not overcome the light, but yet 446 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:30,240 the light is so bright and there's some people that still 447 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:32,240 they just don't get. It they can't see it and they 448 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:34,320 don't get it. And then and then he takes it up 449 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:38,400 one more notch, which is where John just man, he he. 450 00:26:38,970 --> 00:26:42,450 He goes for the juggler because he talks about the world, which 451 00:26:42,450 --> 00:26:45,090 is one of the real interesting things that John talks about. 452 00:26:46,250 --> 00:26:50,290 He uses that phrase over and over again, and you have to 453 00:26:50,290 --> 00:26:52,730 really work to understand. He's got layers of meaning 454 00:26:52,730 --> 00:26:55,450 stacked in it and he's wanting you to interact with that and 455 00:26:55,450 --> 00:26:58,490 think about all of it. But then he goes from the world, 456 00:26:59,690 --> 00:27:02,770 didn't understand them, didn't recognize him, and then it, and 457 00:27:02,770 --> 00:27:05,970 then it says he came to his own. He uses a parallelism. 458 00:27:06,350 --> 00:27:08,590 And he says he came to the world, the world, and recognized 459 00:27:08,590 --> 00:27:10,430 him. And he came to his own and his 460 00:27:10,470 --> 00:27:14,550 own received him not he was rejected. 461 00:27:14,990 --> 00:27:18,670 So his special people, his peculiar possession and and 462 00:27:18,670 --> 00:27:22,430 John's going to use the phrase is is unique to John of how he 463 00:27:22,430 --> 00:27:25,030 speaks about the religious establishment as the Jews. 464 00:27:25,590 --> 00:27:29,870 And John was a Jew. But he uses this kind of summary 465 00:27:29,910 --> 00:27:32,670 term calling it the Jews. He doesn't often he'll talk 466 00:27:32,670 --> 00:27:34,310 about Pharisees. He'll talk about. 467 00:27:35,370 --> 00:27:37,810 Some of that but but he uses this term the Jews and that's 468 00:27:37,810 --> 00:27:42,050 peculiar to John and and he set you up to see that the people 469 00:27:42,050 --> 00:27:45,570 that God had revealed himself to who had the most reason to 470 00:27:45,570 --> 00:27:50,210 receive him, they actually not just didn't recognize him they 471 00:27:50,570 --> 00:27:52,770 they projected they. They killed him. 472 00:27:52,850 --> 00:27:54,890 He's he's he's set you up. And it is. 473 00:27:54,890 --> 00:27:59,010 You're right. It is so poignant, which is why 474 00:27:59,010 --> 00:28:02,970 John's Gospel is so good. To go back and read over and 475 00:28:02,970 --> 00:28:04,850 over again, I mean all scripture, we need to be reading 476 00:28:04,850 --> 00:28:07,730 it all the time. But the more you read John, it's 477 00:28:07,730 --> 00:28:10,490 just it's layers. Leon Morris devoted a lot of his 478 00:28:10,490 --> 00:28:12,330 life. He wrote one of the most 479 00:28:12,330 --> 00:28:15,610 important commentaries on John, certainly in the 20th century. 480 00:28:15,610 --> 00:28:17,570 But it's one of the ones that people I think will still be 481 00:28:17,570 --> 00:28:19,290 reading 100 years from now, probably. 482 00:28:19,850 --> 00:28:24,570 And and he says at the beginning, I want to get it just 483 00:28:24,570 --> 00:28:27,130 right, he says. I like the comparison of John's 484 00:28:27,130 --> 00:28:31,170 Gospel to a pool in which a child may wade. 485 00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:36,060 And an elephant can swim. It is both simple and profound. 486 00:28:36,340 --> 00:28:40,740 It is for the various beginner in the faith and for the mature 487 00:28:40,740 --> 00:28:44,580 Christian. Its appeal is immediate and 488 00:28:44,580 --> 00:28:47,940 never failing. It is a simple gospel. 489 00:28:48,220 --> 00:28:51,980 The humblest believer can read it and understand it and profit 490 00:28:51,980 --> 00:28:53,940 by it. And then he goes on. 491 00:28:53,940 --> 00:28:55,420 I mean, and I just think that's a. 492 00:28:57,070 --> 00:28:59,430 John had a peculiar literary gift. 493 00:28:59,750 --> 00:29:03,110 And so it's a worthy thing to think about. 494 00:29:03,110 --> 00:29:07,590 The more you study it, the more confounding it is, but also you 495 00:29:07,590 --> 00:29:09,710 find new comforts every time you read it. 496 00:29:10,310 --> 00:29:13,390 So I'm, I'm really excited that we're getting the opportunity to 497 00:29:13,390 --> 00:29:16,150 do it. And I think I just want to 498 00:29:16,470 --> 00:29:22,190 encourage you to not run from the tension that the text puts 499 00:29:22,190 --> 00:29:25,950 you in because John is doing it. Importantly, if John. 500 00:29:26,570 --> 00:29:29,130 Wanted to make something clear for you. 501 00:29:29,810 --> 00:29:32,570 He make it clear. But there are a lot of places 502 00:29:32,570 --> 00:29:37,050 where he's intentionally putting you in a position of 503 00:29:37,050 --> 00:29:41,330 uncertainty. And and I think in most of those 504 00:29:41,330 --> 00:29:44,490 places where he's doing that, it's because he's wanting you to 505 00:29:44,490 --> 00:29:47,810 see that God is more than your ability to understand. 506 00:29:48,250 --> 00:29:53,370 He's wanting to put you in a position to just humbly obey and 507 00:29:53,370 --> 00:29:57,090 then receive Jesus on his terms. And, and and that. 508 00:29:57,090 --> 00:29:59,650 Because that's what eternity is going to be in the new heavens 509 00:29:59,650 --> 00:30:01,050 and new earth. None of us are going to get 510 00:30:01,050 --> 00:30:04,050 there and be like, oh, this confirms all my Orthodox 511 00:30:04,050 --> 00:30:07,490 formulations of the Trinity. You know what I'm saying? 512 00:30:07,490 --> 00:30:08,530 Who cares? Nobody. 513 00:30:08,570 --> 00:30:10,450 Nobody's going to care about any of that. 514 00:30:10,930 --> 00:30:14,650 And I'm not saying that those ideas are important, but we just 515 00:30:14,650 --> 00:30:17,290 have to. John is intentionally. 516 00:30:17,530 --> 00:30:20,370 He knows the danger of a commitment to be right. 517 00:30:21,370 --> 00:30:24,010 And so he wants to make sure that. 518 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:26,400 What we really do is love and obey Jesus. 519 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:31,480 And so anyway, I think that's that's the for me, for my money, 520 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:34,920 that's the core of the message for us and we're going to be in 521 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,880 the Gospel of John all fall really leading up towards 522 00:30:38,880 --> 00:30:41,600 Christmas. We have more organized minds 523 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:43,640 than mine who are in charge of that. 524 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,080 I just kind of do what I'm told when it comes to this stuff. 525 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:48,440 I know what my assignments are. But yeah, I think so. 526 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,320 Well, and the reason I bring that up is I don't, I don't want 527 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:54,920 us to rush through it in the sense that, you know, you jump 528 00:30:54,920 --> 00:30:59,560 in this fall with us. You have time to go back through 529 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:03,190 the 1st 10 chapters to understand that the tension 530 00:31:03,190 --> 00:31:05,830 that's been building to understand how Jesus is using 531 00:31:05,870 --> 00:31:08,910 every one of these encounters and John is telling these 532 00:31:08,910 --> 00:31:12,230 stories specifically. So at the end of each of them 533 00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:15,630 you are forced to make a decision along with the people 534 00:31:15,630 --> 00:31:19,950 in the text of who Jesus is. Like you just cannot get away 535 00:31:19,950 --> 00:31:21,150 from. It Yeah, that's right, John, 536 00:31:21,190 --> 00:31:24,150 Chapter 6, you're either the people, you're either the crowd 537 00:31:24,470 --> 00:31:27,070 who saw some interesting stuff happen and you came along and 538 00:31:27,070 --> 00:31:28,630 you're like, oh man, I'll tell you what. 539 00:31:29,050 --> 00:31:31,850 If this guy got on board with my agenda, gave me the family I 540 00:31:31,850 --> 00:31:34,010 wanted, the job I wanted and everything, my life would be a 541 00:31:34,010 --> 00:31:35,770 lot better. I got to, I got to do that. 542 00:31:36,210 --> 00:31:40,730 Or you're the disciples who, even though you don't know even 543 00:31:40,730 --> 00:31:45,730 where he is and and fully what he's doing, you're just in awe 544 00:31:45,730 --> 00:31:48,610 of who he is and you got to stick with him, you know? 545 00:31:49,210 --> 00:31:52,730 And you have to find yourself in each of those settings you got 546 00:31:52,730 --> 00:31:54,870 to. The point that John wants to 547 00:31:54,870 --> 00:31:58,830 make is he wants to make sure if if you look at John 2031, which 548 00:31:58,830 --> 00:32:02,590 we referenced at the beginning, the way he uses the verb tense 549 00:32:02,590 --> 00:32:04,070 is there. You can get in trouble by trying 550 00:32:04,070 --> 00:32:07,310 to do too much with this. But John, John does this kind of 551 00:32:07,310 --> 00:32:09,190 set. It's the way he likes to play. 552 00:32:09,670 --> 00:32:16,550 And he says there there's an argument to be made that that he 553 00:32:16,550 --> 00:32:20,710 says these things I have written so that you may keep on 554 00:32:20,710 --> 00:32:23,940 believing. And by keeping on believing, you 555 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:25,580 may have life by the power of his name. 556 00:32:25,740 --> 00:32:28,540 And that is consistent with the way John writes even in his 557 00:32:28,540 --> 00:32:31,460 epistles. John is very concerned not with 558 00:32:31,460 --> 00:32:35,900 something you did two years ago. John is very concerned with what 559 00:32:35,900 --> 00:32:40,860 you are doing right now. And so this kind of continuous 560 00:32:40,860 --> 00:32:46,500 journey that you are on and I think that's the place for us. 561 00:32:46,780 --> 00:32:49,020 You know, it's let's go on that journey and let's not think 562 00:32:49,020 --> 00:32:51,120 about. Yes, I came into a relationship 563 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,320 with God. At this point, let's think about 564 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:57,320 I am in a relationship with Jesus right now, and what does 565 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:00,400 the choices that I am making? What do the choices I'm making 566 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,520 right now reveal about where I fit in this story? 567 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:06,120 Am I with the crowd trying to get Jesus on board with my 568 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,760 agenda and so missing him and wandering away? 569 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:12,160 Or am I with his disciples who are doing risky things that it 570 00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:14,000 doesn't look like are necessarily going to work out 571 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,300 well? But what else am I going to do? 572 00:33:16,300 --> 00:33:20,260 Because he's got the words of life, you know, and we all have 573 00:33:20,260 --> 00:33:21,940 to do that, and nobody can do it for you. 574 00:33:21,940 --> 00:33:23,220 You don't need to be looking around. 575 00:33:23,220 --> 00:33:25,620 You made this point earlier. You don't need to be looking 576 00:33:25,620 --> 00:33:28,140 around at other people and wondering what they're doing. 577 00:33:28,380 --> 00:33:31,140 You did not what your wife is doing, not even what your kids 578 00:33:31,140 --> 00:33:34,100 are doing. You know it's impossible for you 579 00:33:34,100 --> 00:33:36,460 to read what's going on inside somebody else. 580 00:33:37,750 --> 00:33:40,230 It doesn't mean you're not concerned for folks and you 581 00:33:40,230 --> 00:33:43,230 don't speak about it, but the main thing that he is saying is 582 00:33:43,230 --> 00:33:47,070 you just have to follow me and and it's very interesting. 583 00:33:47,070 --> 00:33:49,790 You'll see at the very end, one of the last things that we have 584 00:33:49,790 --> 00:33:54,030 in John's Gospel is you have Peter and John with Jesus, Jesus 585 00:33:54,030 --> 00:33:57,790 restoring Peter after he's denied him three times and Peter 586 00:33:57,790 --> 00:34:00,670 are talking and Jesus tells Peter you're going to die. 587 00:34:00,670 --> 00:34:05,750 For me, that's a tough nut, you know and. 588 00:34:07,410 --> 00:34:10,250 And and for a man who just denied him, it's also comforting 589 00:34:10,250 --> 00:34:12,290 because he's like, no man. You were afraid to die for me 590 00:34:12,290 --> 00:34:14,010 now, but you are going to get that honor. 591 00:34:14,010 --> 00:34:15,650 You're going to die for me. You're going to get a second 592 00:34:15,650 --> 00:34:16,290 chance. And Peter. 593 00:34:16,290 --> 00:34:19,330 Classic Peter. He looks over and he says hey, 594 00:34:19,330 --> 00:34:21,770 well, what about him? That guy. 595 00:34:22,090 --> 00:34:23,810 Yeah, what about that guy? What about John? 596 00:34:24,050 --> 00:34:26,929 You know, and Jesus says, hey man, that's none of your 597 00:34:26,929 --> 00:34:29,850 business, he said. If I want him to be alive until 598 00:34:29,850 --> 00:34:34,159 I return then. You don't need to worry about 599 00:34:34,159 --> 00:34:36,199 that. You do you, right, which is so 600 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:39,320 classic. And and John puts this little 601 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,679 parentheses in there. He's like now some people 602 00:34:42,719 --> 00:34:45,560 because of that a rumor circulated that Jesus said this 603 00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:49,239 guy was going to be alive until Jesus returned. 604 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:52,040 And John, we believe was the last of the original 12 605 00:34:52,040 --> 00:34:54,719 disciples to be alive. He died in exile on Patmus, we 606 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:57,240 believe. In his 90s, probably. 607 00:34:57,680 --> 00:35:01,160 And so John, as he's writing this, he's like, Jesus never 608 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:03,320 said that I was going to live until he returned. 609 00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,200 But all of the occasion for all of that is Peter's like, well, 610 00:35:06,200 --> 00:35:07,960 what about him? And he's like, man, dog, that 611 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,240 ain't none of your business. I just need you to do you You 612 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:12,800 follow me? I got a path for you. 613 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,610 You walk your path. And it and it just brings us 614 00:35:15,610 --> 00:35:17,530 back to that idea. It really does I. 615 00:35:17,570 --> 00:35:20,130 Just I have to follow, I didn't think about it until you said 616 00:35:20,130 --> 00:35:22,250 that earlier. I was like that is one of the 617 00:35:22,250 --> 00:35:25,290 last things is that where we have all these challenges, we 618 00:35:25,290 --> 00:35:26,570 can't turn around and take all this. 619 00:35:26,770 --> 00:35:29,810 This is about my personal relationship, not individual 620 00:35:29,810 --> 00:35:32,650 relationship with Jesus, but my personal relationship with 621 00:35:32,650 --> 00:35:34,010 Jesus. And I need to be careful about 622 00:35:34,010 --> 00:35:36,610 being involved in other people's business ultimately. 623 00:35:36,850 --> 00:35:38,610 Because you read that and you're like, why would John include 624 00:35:38,610 --> 00:35:39,370 that? It's like, because that's 625 00:35:39,370 --> 00:35:40,970 exactly what we would have been thinking. 626 00:35:41,010 --> 00:35:42,570 That's exactly right. Like, what about Bill? 627 00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:44,290 What about Chris? What's in it for, you know? 628 00:35:44,530 --> 00:35:46,530 Yeah, that's right. And so I would just encourage 629 00:35:46,530 --> 00:35:49,810 you as you find your place in the story and we, we, we move 630 00:35:49,810 --> 00:35:53,490 through some things that may seem very familiar. 631 00:35:53,570 --> 00:35:56,010 You know, Jesus arrest, Jesus is crucifixion. 632 00:35:56,050 --> 00:36:00,050 Jesus is resurrection. That you would not treat them as 633 00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:04,090 familiar, that you would, you would dwell in the text and you 634 00:36:04,090 --> 00:36:07,970 would really let some of these extremely intimate passages. 635 00:36:07,970 --> 00:36:10,530 You know, you've got Jesus talking to the Father. 636 00:36:10,650 --> 00:36:12,570 I mean, doesn't get more intimate than that. 637 00:36:13,270 --> 00:36:18,070 Your understanding of the Holy Spirit, just just dwell in this 638 00:36:18,070 --> 00:36:23,550 last half of the book and really let it take, continue to take 639 00:36:23,550 --> 00:36:25,910 you on this journey and just don't rush it. 640 00:36:26,150 --> 00:36:28,910 And so I'm looking forward to it. 641 00:36:29,030 --> 00:36:32,390 I think this has been a great opportunity for us to all get 642 00:36:32,390 --> 00:36:35,470 caught up mentally and get ready for the fall. 643 00:36:35,990 --> 00:36:39,270 I have one just as an aside as a. 644 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:43,080 Just as I'm just one of the members of the teaching team and 645 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:48,680 so this is not just for me personally but I would just ask 646 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:53,640 all of you as as we as we study I'd ask you to pray for us. 647 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,360 Because we we need it's gotten clear to me. 648 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:01,000 We we, we need to hear the voice of God, and I need to hear the 649 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,130 voice of God. And the Spirit of God inspired 650 00:37:05,130 --> 00:37:08,090 the scriptures. And the Spirit of God attends 651 00:37:08,090 --> 00:37:10,930 the study, the reading and the preaching of the scriptures. 652 00:37:11,570 --> 00:37:15,770 And and we as a church need fresh infusions of God's grace, 653 00:37:15,770 --> 00:37:18,410 and those come to us in a variety of ways. 654 00:37:19,010 --> 00:37:22,570 But one of the primary means of grace that God has given us is 655 00:37:22,610 --> 00:37:25,730 this this teaching ministry this corporate teaching ministry. 656 00:37:26,130 --> 00:37:29,130 And so I I would just ask if if y'all would pray. 657 00:37:29,330 --> 00:37:32,070 You know and. If the members of our church 658 00:37:32,070 --> 00:37:38,590 would pray not just for not for us to perform well, but for God 659 00:37:38,590 --> 00:37:42,110 to work in our hearts to give us insight, stuff that we wouldn't 660 00:37:42,110 --> 00:37:45,110 have thought about, you know, but that God would just be at 661 00:37:45,110 --> 00:37:48,270 work in us. So that our application of this 662 00:37:48,270 --> 00:37:52,070 would be a timely word for this moment and for us all to be 663 00:37:52,070 --> 00:37:56,390 aware we need to hear from the Lord and He wants to speak to 664 00:37:56,390 --> 00:37:59,480 us. But he wants us to seek him and 665 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:01,080 we can't just take that for granted. 666 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,680 And we're not here. I'm not here to be a performer 667 00:38:03,680 --> 00:38:06,440 when I teach. None of our teachers are here to 668 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,560 perform. We're working hard to to get 669 00:38:08,560 --> 00:38:10,600 ourselves out of the way and not be self indulgent in our 670 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:13,800 communication and just talk about things we're interested 671 00:38:13,800 --> 00:38:16,000 in. But to really pray for and think 672 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:19,600 about how do I love God's people as we share this, But we have 673 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:22,520 limited perspective and wisdom and we need the Spirit of God to 674 00:38:22,520 --> 00:38:26,130 be guiding us. And so I would just ask as we 675 00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:29,210 enter into this, it's a unique opportunity for us and the 676 00:38:29,210 --> 00:38:34,730 season and I don't use that word lightly unique, but I believe it 677 00:38:34,730 --> 00:38:38,970 is And and so I would ask that that you would as as the old 678 00:38:38,970 --> 00:38:43,570 people would talk about beseech the Lord on on behalf of both 679 00:38:44,050 --> 00:38:48,330 teacher and hearer that that God would do a work because we need 680 00:38:48,330 --> 00:38:51,490 God to move and speak powerfully in our midst otherwise we're 681 00:38:51,490 --> 00:38:54,590 just a. Social organization that has 682 00:38:54,590 --> 00:38:59,230 some good ideas, but but we that the living Christ, the eternal 683 00:38:59,230 --> 00:39:01,110 Word, would be present with His people. 684 00:39:01,110 --> 00:39:05,790 But to redeem, to transform and to make us agents of change in 685 00:39:05,790 --> 00:39:08,230 the world, we need to not take that for granted. 686 00:39:08,230 --> 00:39:10,310 And we need Him to personally do that so. 687 00:39:11,070 --> 00:39:13,350 Well, why don't we do that together, just as we wrap this 688 00:39:13,350 --> 00:39:16,830 up, you know, we want to thank you for joining us. 689 00:39:16,830 --> 00:39:20,350 We want if you're new to our church, we want to ask you to. 690 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:22,960 You know, subscribe. We'd love for you to join us in 691 00:39:22,960 --> 00:39:26,760 this In these conversations. There are additional resources 692 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,040 on our podcast page, so you can check those out. 693 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,720 So thanks for joining us. Why don't we end today, Scott? 694 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:35,000 Why don't you pray for our series, pray for our teaching 695 00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:36,960 team, and just close us out? Sure. 696 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:41,040 Be honored to Father. We are very grateful that you 697 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:44,840 have been so kind to us. Thank you for most importantly 698 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:47,600 the person, the work of Jesus on our behalf. 699 00:39:48,650 --> 00:39:52,690 Thank you that we are we can find ourselves in Christ 700 00:39:52,730 --> 00:39:58,610 forgiven of our sins with a new power, a new purpose by the work 701 00:39:58,610 --> 00:40:02,610 of the Spirit and a new destination which is eternal 702 00:40:02,610 --> 00:40:06,050 life with you, new heavens, new earth and Father. 703 00:40:06,930 --> 00:40:11,290 We pray for that to become more and more clear every time we go 704 00:40:11,290 --> 00:40:15,530 to the scriptures that we would be self forgetful and that. 705 00:40:17,170 --> 00:40:20,490 The narrative of the story, of the work that you have done on 706 00:40:20,490 --> 00:40:23,930 our behalf would just grow. That we would see you more 707 00:40:23,930 --> 00:40:29,050 clearly, that we would be more overwhelmed by your character, 708 00:40:29,130 --> 00:40:32,210 by your nature, by your goodness, by the person of 709 00:40:32,210 --> 00:40:34,610 Christ, by the power of the Spirit and God. 710 00:40:34,610 --> 00:40:38,330 We pray that our teachers would just continue to humbly but 711 00:40:38,330 --> 00:40:40,370 confidently lead us in that journey. 712 00:40:41,010 --> 00:40:42,490 God, we live in a world where are. 713 00:40:42,490 --> 00:40:45,690 There are a lot of distractions and there are a lot of opinions 714 00:40:45,690 --> 00:40:49,120 and there are a lot of judgments on what's best for me. 715 00:40:49,520 --> 00:40:52,040 And we can't seem to get out of our own way. 716 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,240 And so we pray that when we come to the scriptures, we would 717 00:40:56,240 --> 00:40:59,360 think of ourselves less and think of you more. 718 00:40:59,680 --> 00:41:03,560 And by doing that we would see how much you really love us. 719 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:07,680 The plan that you have for us through Christ and the path that 720 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:10,080 you've provided. Lord, you have given us 721 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,720 everything we need for living a godly life, and we pray we would 722 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:16,780 not be blind and forgetful to that, and that the good news 723 00:41:16,780 --> 00:41:20,020 would resonate each and every time we come to the Scriptures 724 00:41:20,020 --> 00:41:23,740 and particularly when we gather corporately on on the weekends. 725 00:41:23,740 --> 00:41:27,180 We pray you would do something special in our midst, that we 726 00:41:27,180 --> 00:41:32,740 may be encouraged in our faith and emboldened to live out our 727 00:41:33,260 --> 00:41:35,900 gospel purpose for You. We pray this thing in Jesus 728 00:41:35,900 --> 00:41:36,780 name. Amen. 729 00:41:37,140 --> 00:41:38,420 Amen. Thanks guys.