LHC Midday Word

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

The Gospel according to JOHN - Chapter Fifteen

The vine and the branches

1 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: love each other.

The world hates the disciples

18 ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: “They hated me without reason.”

The work of the Holy Spirit

26 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

John 15: “vine” (vv.1 & 5)

The other 3 Gospels abound in parables, but this comparison is one of only 3 recounted by John (the 2 others are “living water” and “the bread of life” in chapters 4 and 6 respectively).

The imagery brings echoes of Isaiah’s song (“the vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the house of Israel” 5 v.7), and thereby implies Jesus’ divinity.

Without such an identity it would be blasphemy for him to affirm twice “I am the vine, you are the branches”, adding “apart from me you can do nothing” (vv.1 & 5). “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine” (v.4).

That’s how much we need him – totally!

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READINGS

The Gospel according to JOHN

- Chapter 15 -

Read by David Suchet -

The Gospel according to John

Read by Sir David Suchet

https://youtu.be/PKiAXVxOm6o

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OVERVIEWS

THE Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 1 to 12

- Overview -

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/G-2e9mMf7E8

THE Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 13 to 12

- Overview -

The Bible Project

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STUDY - LINKS

The Gospel according to

JOHN

by Tim Mackie

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/QHmGcmmnSI4

https://youtu.be/ttawDNQV7Bw

The Gospel according to JOHN

Part 1

David Pawson

https://youtu.be/gO9mdZIJYbU

The Gospel according to JOHN

Part 2

David Pawson

https://youtu.be/G2R7ljD_I7k

FILM

The Gospel according to JOHN

“The Life of Jesus”

Official Full movie

https://youtu.be/2mgUPt2KI08

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SONG

Abide in me

by Andrew Marcus

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Monday, 18 October 2021

The Gospel according to JOHN - Chapter Fourteen

Jesus comforts his disciples

1 ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.’

Jesus the way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’

6 Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.’

8 Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.’

9 Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

15 ‘If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you for ever – 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realise that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.’

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, ‘But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’

23 Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25 ‘All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28 ‘You heard me say, “I am going away and I am coming back to you.” If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

‘Come now; let us leave.

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

John 14: “except” (v.6)

Most human rules have exceptions, but not this one given by Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (v.6). The operative word is the “way”, and it’s the route by which one “comes to the Father”; in fact the opening phrase in Greek actually means ‘I am the true and living way’.

There are reasons why this is absolutely correct:

[A] God is holy but we are not, so a separation exists (Isaiah 59 v.2);

[B] God is a just Judge, so obliged to punish sin;

[C] Jesus bore our punishment (Isaiah 53 v.5). No exceptions – all must and may come to God via him.

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READINGS

The Gospel according to JOHN

- Chapter 14 -

Read by David Suchet

The Gospel according to John

Read by Sir David Suchet

https://youtu.be/PKiAXVxOm6o

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OVERVIEWS

THE Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 1 to 12

- Overview -

The Bible Project

https://youtu.be/G-2e9mMf7E8

The Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 13 to 12

- Overview -

The Bible Project

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STUDY LINKS

Knowing the Father

JOHN 14

Timothy Keller

https://youtu.be/OuOK9_sPabY

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The Gospel according to

JOHN

by Tim Mackie

(The Bible Project)

https://youtu.be/QHmGcmmnSI4

https://youtu.be/ttawDNQV7Bw

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The Gospel according to JOHN

Part 1

David Pawson

https://youtu.be/gO9mdZIJYbU

The Gospel according to JOHN

Part 2

David Pawson

https://youtu.be/G2R7ljD_I7k

FILM

The Gospel according to JOHN

“The Life of Jesus”

Official Full movie

https://youtu.be/2mgUPt2KI08

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SONG

- My Peace -

by Maranatha Singers

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Sunday, 17 October 2021

The Gospel according to JOHN - Chapter Thirteen

THE Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 13 to 12

- Overview -

The Bible Project

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel round his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped round him.

6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’

7 Jesus replied, ‘You do not realise now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’

8 ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘you shall never wash my feet.’

Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.’

9 ‘Then, Lord,’ Simon Peter replied, ‘not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!’

10 Jesus answered, ‘Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.’ 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. 13 ‘You call me “Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus predicts his betrayal

18 ‘I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfil this passage of Scripture: “He who shared my bread has turned against me.”

19 ‘I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.’

21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’

22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’

25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’

26 Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, ‘What you are about to do, do quickly.’ 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Jesus predicts Peter’s denial

31 When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

33 ‘My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come.

34 ‘A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’

36 Simon Peter asked him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’

Jesus replied, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.’

37 Peter asked, ‘Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’

38 Then Jesus answered, ‘Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the cock crows, you will disown me three times!

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Word by Word Meditations

by Fred Ursell

John 13: “rightly” (v.13)

The old saying goes, ‘if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.’ That’s sensible traditional wisdom, an a principle worth applying rightly to one’s life as a believer. Jesus says to all of his 12 disciples (Judas hadn’t left yet), “you call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am” (v.13). As He closes these particular remarks He adds, “now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (v.17).

See the progression from knowing rightly

[1^st step] to calling Jesus rightly Teacher and Lord

[2^nd step], and on to acting rightly

[3^rd step]. Don’t trip up like Judas!

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READINGS

The Gospel according to JOHN

Chapter 13 -

Read by David Suchet -