Chapter 8
8:1-11
Jesus went to the Mt. of Olives. They sleep under the stars every time they go to Jerusalem. They stay in houses sometimes but in Jerusalem, this has been the common thing He has been doing.
The Pharisees and scribes bring a woman in adultery to Jesus, and they tell Him she was caught in the very act. Where is the man if she was caught in the act? They aren't being honest and they are exploiting a woman here. They say that Moses commands her to be stoned. They are trying to get Jesus to publicly oppose Moses. This is a trap. If you read the Torah, two willing people committing adultery are to be punished. Also. if she was raped, she is protected under Torah.
Jesus says if any of you are without sin, feel free to stone her. All of them walk away because they aren't sinless and publicly they'd show someone wasn't a sinner. They all leave and leave the woman there. Jesus asks where all her accusers are and she says "No one". Jesus is actually sinless and could condemn this woman but He is here to show mercy so He tells her to get up and "go and sin no more".
8:12-30
Jesus speaks to the Pharisees again and says, "I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the Light of Life". The Pharisees respond that Jesus is bearing false witness.
[God called Israel to live differently to light the way to bring the Gentiles to Yahweh and they failed. He is replacing Himself with Israel here for Jesus is the True Israel].
Jesus says that even if He did bear witness alone it would be true because He knows who He is, what He is doing is the Father's will, and He knows God because He is God. They are spiritually sick and He is not.
Jesus also shows here that He is the Judge, and isn't judging now, because He wants to save them. You can't accept the Father and reject Jesus. The Pharisees know He is God and willingly reject Him for darkness and evil. They will die in their sins chasing after Jesus when He ascends and not be able to get Him so they will go after His followers (reference to Revelation is found here too). He tells them He is God; I AM, the Name of God. They will die in their sin if they don't believe.
The present age is under dark spiritual powers. The world will be changed much like the Flood changed the world. Those who didn't; change for God stay in the world and perish while believers get the New World and coming age.
Jesus keeps saying "I AM". He is God and the Pharisees will know who He is when they crucify Him.
8:31-36
The ones who decide to follow Him Jesus talks to and says "If you are truly His disciples you'll love Me and follow and truly abide and know. You'll be set free from bondage from the enemy (Pharisees, Rome, demons, etc). He is also not telling them to break the Law. They answer: They've never been slaves. They don't know the Torah. They are more like Egypt, Babylon, etc. They don't know God.
8:37-51
Jesus responds that He knows they are Abraham's biological descendants but they seek to kill Jesus so the reality is that they are not special because they act just like the pagans and are thus sons of Satan following Satan's will versus following God's will. God doesn't care about biology. He cares about their faith. When Abraham met God He didn't try to kill God and they are. The Jews are aware of His birth since they accuse Him of being a bastard - they say he was born from fornication. They are basically accusing Him of that and Mary of being a whore or a liar about Jesus' birth - the Virgin Birth.
If they knew God He says they would love Him but they are not willing to receive Him and His words. They are not children of God. They could be but won't accept Jesus' words. They then accuse Him of being a demon-possessed Samaritan.
8:52-59
The Jews continue with the accusation that He is demon-possessed. They say this because Jesus is talking about how He knows Abraham even though He is not even 50 years old. He would have to be ancient or be God to know Abraham. They try to stone Jesus when He tells them He is God and was there even before Abraham existed. He is I AM. Yahweh Incarnate. Jesus escapes the Temple. It is not His time and so they cannot kill Him.
Chapter 9
9:1-12
Jesus walks by a man who has been blind from birth. The disciples ask Him whether the man was born blind due to him sinning or the man's parents having sinned. Jesus answers "Neither". but says that man is blind so that the works of God should be revealed in him. He heals the man. The man is not cursed. If He knows Christ he is really seeing. Jesus spits in the clay and heals the man by putting it in his eyes. When God creates Adam He creates him from clay. What is implied here is that He is creating new eyes for this blind man and this man very well might have had no eyes. Jesus has him wash in the Pool of Siloam and he can then see. The neighbors ask what is happening and he tells them about a man named Jesus.
9:13-41
They bring the former blind man to the Pharisee now. This is a sign and a miracle. He must be the Messiah. It had been the Sabbath when Jesus did this. The Pharisees get angry because He did this on the Sabbath, a day you're not supposed to do any work. They do not understand the purpose of the Sabbath. People start questioning the Pharisees "How can a sinner do such miracles?" This causes divisions. The Pharisees ask the blind man what He thinks about Jesus and he tells them He is a Prophet. The Jews don't believe he was born blind now until his parents come and say so. They say "i don't know ask him" because they will get kicked out of the synagogue for professing Jesus is the Messiah. The ex-blind man says "I don't know if he is a sinner but I now see". They keep questioning him and he goes "You don't listen. Why do you ask again? Want to be His disciple?"
The Pharisees answer "we don't know Jesus. We know Moses". So the ex-blind guy says: This is fascinating. You don't know Him but He has healed me". He lectures the Pharisees here with a proper understanding. He says God would not help a sinner do a miracle. He would be a good and righteous man though because He is from God. The Pharisees get angry and cast the ex-blind man out.
The man meets up with Jesus again after learning he was cast out and accepts Jesus as Lord and Messiah. Jesus makes the blind see and the blind. You cannot be healed if you won't admit you are blind/sick - the Pharisees could be saved.
Chapter 10
Jesus' conversation continues with the Pharisees.
10:1-6
He gives an illustration with a sheepfold gate. The one who enters the proper door knows the sheep and has raised them so he opens and they follow. The robber comes in the wrong way. A stranger would leave and flee (the sheep).
10:7-21
Jesus is the Door of the Sheep. The robbers and thieves are the Pharisees who tried and failed to lead the sheep (people). The sheepfold is where the sheep are safe. Christ says He is the Good Shepherd. The robber will destroy the sheepfold, kill the sheep, or try and steal one away from the Shepherd (God). The Pharisees are like Satan due to this and do, in fact, work with him. When a wolf comes, the good shepherd will fight for them versus this predator. The wolf is Satan through the Pharisees. The Pharisees abuse the people and let the people be preyed upon. They do not care about the people.
There is division among the people/ again and some claim Jesus is demon-possessed while others say that he healed a blind man and that demons don't do that. Jesus talks about these sheep (Jews) and other sheep (Gentiles) and that they will be onefold under the One Shepherd (Jesus).
10:22-24
It is winter and the Feast of Dedication now. A break. Jesus walks into the Temple and onto Solomon's Porch. They try to surround and force Him to tell them whether He is the Messiah publicly. This is also on the Feast of Dedication so everyone is thinking about Judas Maccabees and the Maccabeean Revolt right now.
10:25-42
Jesus says "I've told you before but you don't listen". They are not His sheep. Jesus calls them out and says that they are far from God and tells them why they are unwilling to follow. He then says "I and my Father are One".
They hear this and then try to stone Him again for blasphemy for declaring He is God. Jesus responds with Scripture (the OT) and the 81st Psalm that says "You are gods" (Ps 81 or 82 in the LXX). The Divine Council should be kept in mind here as it is in Ps 81/82. Yahweh is High King there while the kings claiming they are gods will fall.
The Scripture Jesus says "Can't be broken!" These people are referred to as gods. He declares He is God the Son and so they try to stone Him yet again.
If these fallen kings can be called gods why can't Jesus who was sent by God be called a god? More so! He is God and God Incarnate!
Jesus leaves and goes to the place where John was baptizing at first and He stays there for a time. Many come and find Jesus and believe in Him. John the Baptist did no miracles and people believed in him. Jesus meanwhile does miracles and they disbelieve.
Chapter 11
There is a shift here and we are now at the last week before Jesus dies and is raised. Everyone gets excited after this event because this is where Jesus raises Lazarus of Bethany. In Matthew and Mark's Gospel, the Patristics say they were structured around St. John's Gospel. Papias confirms this along with others. John gives us the big picture while the other three have a focus more on what point they are sharing. By 180 AD we eventually know we have the 4 Gospels altogether as a unit.
11:1-16
Jesus is another town. Lazarus, his friend has died after getting sick. He stays two days in the place He was at instead of going to see Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. He treks for four days to Judaea, six days since they told Jesus Lazarus was sick. The disciples ask why Jesus will go back since Jews are trying to kill Him there. Jesus responds with "it is time to go do this" (heal and revive Lazarus). Jesus says Lazarus is "asleep" and He will go to "wake" him up. No one has yet told Jesus that Lazarus has died. Jesus allowed Lazarus to pass away to glorify God and show His works. The disciples don't get that Jesus is saying Lazarus died until He says it plainly to them. Jesus is going to do this to show the people the glory of God. Thomas knows if they go to Bethany, they are probably going to die with Jesus. At the moment he is ready to die with Him.
11:17-44
They have already had Lazarus in the tomb for 4 days. John is in Ephesus so he explains where Bethany is in Judaea for that reason. The Greeks would not know where this is, especially considering that Jerusalem has been ruined since 70 AD and only began rebuilding somewhat in 80 AD. When Jesus shows up, Martha comes up to Jesus a bit upset but with faith and says "If you had been here, my brother would be alive". She believes Jesus is special and maybe at the very least believes He is a prophet. Jesus tells her that he will "get up/rise again" - someone who is physically dead becoming physically alive. The same body that goes into the tomb comes out of the tomb.
[Job 19] Jesus weeps for Lazarus and says "I Am the Resurrection". He "groaned" in the Spirit - a laborious pain, kind of groaning here, shaking. Jesus is almost a bit troubled. The horrors of death are before Him ruining His Creation. Jesus calls out Lazarus from the grave. Lazarus revives and comes walking out.
11:45-57
Many come to believe but some go to the Sanhedrin/Pharisees and tell them about all this and this triggers a showdown. The Pharisees become concerned because the commoners they hate think Jesus is the Messiah/King and they fear that the Romans will get upset and ruin Jerusalem and their gig here making money.
Caiaphas the high priest that year gets involved and says that one man should die rather than all the people - a utilitarian argument here. Caiaphas doesn't realize it but he spoke prophetically in v. 49-52. They commit to killing Jesus. Jesus travels to Ephraim for a time. The Passover draws near and many people from all around are arriving.
Chapter 12
12:1-11
The Pharisees put a WANTED list out on Jesus. Jesus and the Apostles all eat at Lazarus' home with Martha and Mary, his sisters. Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus and Mary anoints His feet. This oil is quite expensive and Judas gets pissed off, not because he cares for the poor but because he has been stealing from their money box that was for the whole group to share.
Many of the Judeans come to see Jesus and Lazarus. The chief priests plot to murder Lazarus too also because of his rising from death, many Jews believe in Jesus.
12:12-16
Triumph of Palm Sunday
Jesus is received here in a parallel way to the Roman Emperor. This peasant looks like a challenge to Ceasar. Zechariah 9:9 is quoted. God will return to His people and rescue them, bringing them out of the Exile. Clearly, John is saying that Jesus is God here. The people praise Jesus with "Hosanna! Praise Him!" and only when Jesus was glorified did John say they understood what had happened here and what had been fulfilled. This is also fulfilling a judgment on Israel.
12:17-28
The people who saw Lazarus be raised bear witness about Jesus. The Pharisees tell the Chief Priest he has accomplished nothing with the bounty. There are some Greeks who have come to Jerusalem and go to see Phillip of Bethsaida because he is a Jew who could speak Greek. These Greeks were likely part of the fad where they were intrigued with Jerusalem (those they call God-fearing Gentiles). Phillip tells Andrew and they tell Jesus.
Jesus answers them with "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified". He then talks about a grain of wheat falling and dying, to produce much grain. He is telling them He has come to die to bring salvation to all people. If anyone serves the Son they honor and serve the Father.
Jesus is troubled but this is His purpose and His will. Christ has two wills: the Divine and human will. God did not create us to die. Death is foreign to Him. It is foreign to God and humanity; we all have an abhorrence to Death. Jesus then says to the Father, "Glorify Your Name!" Then a voice from heaven; a response from the Father that is audible says, "I have... and will glorify it again".
12:29-34
Some claim to have heard thunder. Those closer claim it was an angel and Jesus tells the crowd that they have heard the Father's voice.
12:31-33
"Now is the judgment on this world". Satan is about to lose His power. When He is raised, He will draw ALL PEOPLE(s) to Himself. ALL PEOPLE will be able to be saved. Choose this day your god to serve. The people see He is saying He will die so they wonder how He will raise back up if He dies. They think Messiah is to remain around forever.
12:35-36
Jesus responds: For a while longer, the light (Him) is with you. Walk while you have the light (Jesus), lest darkness (the world) overtake you... because if you're in the dark you'll stumble because you can't see. These words were hidden from the people. They didn't accept them. They don't understand because to them the Messiah is supposed to establish a kingdom forever. So if He dies how can He do that? Not in the way the Jews expected obviously - through His death and His Resurrection.
A major change is taking place soon through the Cross. People will be judged and cut off and there will be a remnant. It is happening NOW. St. John the Baptist said earlier the axe was already at the tree.
12:37-43
Although Jesus did and showed them so many signs and miracles, they did not believe, thus it fulfills Isaiah's prophecy in Isa 53 and 6:10. Still... some did believe even some of the "rulers" (Pharisees) but they would not confess because they would be kicked out of the synagogue. They cared more about the world than God.
Isaiah 53 is John doing some apologetics here to explain why the people who were waiting for a Messiah rejected Him. Isaiah 53 is the Servant's Songs. It talks of the Messiah's woes and sufferings. The next is Isaiah 6 about Israel's judgment by the Assyrians. Here it is about Jesus bringing judgment through the Cross, later 70 and 132-136 AD, and so on. They will face the consequences of their actions. He will judge but also deliver His People. It is a pattern where God intervenes against evil.
12:44-50
He has not come to condemn the world. The world condemns itself. He has come to save it. They judge themselves on the Last Day. They will be held accountable for their actions.
Chapter 13
13:1-17
Before the Passover Feast, Jesus knew it was His hour to be killed and depart from here to the Father. John mentions that Jesus loved them all. After supper, Judas let the devil consume him and was planning to betray Jesus. Jesus already knew what was going to happen and began washing all the disciples' feet. Peter objects to this at first but Jesus then explains that he is preparing them for greater and so Peter then asks Jesus to wash all of him. He tries to show them and they get this all later, but Jesus is exercising authority and teaching them to be like Him here.
13:18-30
He says before it happens that He knows Judas will betray Him and it was prophesied. He tells them one of them is a traitor and so all of them are asking, "Is it me?" They all had their doubts and didn't understand. Their loyalty is lost but they will redeem themselves.
13:31-38
When Judas leaves, Jesus says, "NOW the Son of Man is GLORIFIED and God is glorified in Him". He is glorified through His sufferings, death, and the Cross. Christ is glorified so the Father too is glorified and tells them a new command to follow: To love another like He loved them.
Chapter 14
14:1-14
Jesus tells them not to be troubled; "you believe in God, believe also in Me". Trust and worship and be loyal to Me like you are with God.
"My Father's house" - the age to come, the Kingdom, the world to come is being prepared. He is going to the Cross to begin a New Heaven and a New Earth through the Resurrection. Things will all begin to be made New through the Resurrection.
The New Creation will be resurrected and transfigured. All of the universe will be changed. Jesus talks of the 2nd Coming but also talks of enduring martyrdom here. Thomas and Phillip both get confused and have been with Him for three years and still don't get what Jesus says here until later.
14:15-17
The HELPER here is the Holy Spirit. He is to come. Christ does not abandon the Apostles or us. The world doesn't get or receive God the Spirit because they don't see or know Him/Christ/the Father.
14:18-24
I will not leave you orphans. I will come to you. He describes the Ascension here. He is not going to leave them. If we have the Spirit, we also have the Father and the Son. The three are one Triune God.
Judas (not Iscariot here) doesn't grasp this. Eternal life begins now and continues in the age to come.
14:25-31
Their "peace" is a whole concept of peace in personhood. A state where everything is in proper order. He is leaving them this PEACE. The ruler of this world (Satan) is coming and has nothing on ME (Christ).
Chapter 15
15:1-17
Continues to speak and says "I am the True Vine. The Father is the Vinedresser. He uses an analogy here. Every branch that grows fruit is properly connected to the Vine. If they are not, they get cut off completely. If you are faithful you will produce fruit but be "pruned" so it ends up flourishing. It is painful at the time for the plant but ultimately a good thing for it.
[The Early Christians believed Jupiter/Zeus existed and were demons/Satan].
15:18-27
Jesus prepares them for the Ascension and Pentecost. They will be persecuted by the kingdom of Satan/evil. The people of this world are ruled by Satan and they hate the Kingdom of God and God's people.
The Spirit PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER - No Filioque in the Creed. This is the Scripture that shares this scriptural truth that is also found in the Creed.
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