To See Jesus

Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. (John 12:20-22) Read: Job 34:1 – 36:33, 2 Corinthians 4:1-12, Psalm 44:1-8, Proverbs 22:10-12 Relate: Sometimes, it is subtle…

Didn’t Get It

His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him. (John 12:16) Read: Job 28:1 – 30:31, 2 Corinthians 2:12-17, Psalm 42:1-11, Proverbs 22:7 Relate: Whenever I am reading something, I…

Your King Is Coming

Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.” (John 12:14-15) Read: Lamentations 2:1 – 4:22 Relate: Way back in the time of Abraham there was a priest/king who the patriarch paid his tithes to. His name…

Early Expectations

So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death.  As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples. It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover…

One For Many

Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.” (John 11:49-50) Read: Ezekiel 14:1 – 16:63 Relate: Which is more important, the individual or the group? Would…

No Stopping Him

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous…

Lazarus, Come Forth

Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” (John 11:43-44) Read: Ezekiel 5:1 – 9:11 Relate: Quick little jaunt down memory lane. I remember listening to this on…

Believing is Seeing

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” (John 11:40) Read: Jeremiah 37:11 – 38:28, Ezekiel 1:1 – 3:15 Relate: Did you ever have one of those “aha” moments when an earlier conversation all of a sudden makes a bit more sense? Perhaps it was a joke somebody told and…

Roll the Stone

The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.…

Jesus Wept

Jesus wept. (John 11:35) Read: Jeremiah 31:15-40, 49:34 – 51:14 Relate: I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been teaching a Sunday School class or children’s church or some other kids function and some smart aleck kid tries to convince me that the verse they were supposed to memorize was John 11:35. It seems that…