John 17 records the prayer of Jesus, immediately before His suffering. This prayer is divided into three parts: First, Jesus prays for Himself (17:1–5). Second, Jesus prays for His disciples (17:6–19). Third, Jesus prays for all believers (17:20–2...

The Son of God is saying to the Father, “I want these believers, those You have given Me, to be with Me in heaven.” Jesus wants you in heaven.

Jesus is about to go to the cross. He is going to wear the crown of thorns. Nails will be driven...

Jesus explained the purpose of His death and resurrection when He said, “I am going to prepare a place for you.” That’s why He went to the cross. That’s why He went to the grave. That’s why He rose on the third day.

Jesus did these things t...

Jesus will take all His people to the Father’s house. He gives you His word on this, and He will do it in one of two ways.

If you die before Christ comes, He will take you to the Father’s house without your body: “We would rather ...

We are not to imagine Jesus working around the clock to get heaven organised before the second coming. If He can create the cosmos out of nothing with a word, then He can get heaven ready for believers with a single command.

When Jesus say...

Where do people get the idea that if you follow Jesus you can expect a life that is free from failure, disappointment, and loss?

This is precisely the opposite of what Jesus Himself said. Jesus confronted His disciples with the realities of...

When Jesus says, “Let not your hearts be troubled,” He is not saying, “I will make this world a better place for you. It will get better over the centuries.” Or “As you get older, the experience of failure, disappointment, and loss will recede.”</...

The Bible speaks in several places about Jesus living in us. In Ephesians, Paul prayed that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph. 3:17). And in Colossians, Paul spoke about “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Knowing th...

Suppose you go to the doctor, and you are diagnosed with some serious condition: “This will need treatment, and there are two ways we can go. The first is surgery, but there is an alternative, and it’s noninvasive.”

At this point, most peop...

How do we know the presence of Jesus in our lives today? In what way is He with us? And how exactly does He help us?

After Jesus rose on that first Easter morning, He appeared to His disciples multiple times over a 40-day period. Then He w...

Obedience to Jesus here is not simply calling yourself a Christian. The hardest days of your life will be your greatest opportunity to confess Him. Here are five ways to confess Jesus:

1. Confess the glory of Christ in costly obedience</...

If you only read this verse in isolation, it might sound like Jesus is saying that salvation is by works: “If you do this for Me; I will do that for you.” But this is not the message of the gospel.

We are saved by the blood of Jesus, not b...

The word ‘acknowledge’ (or confess) in the Greek is homologeo. Homo means ‘one’ and logeo means ‘word.’ Put them together and it means “to be of one word,” or to say the same thing.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the tr...

If you were to make a list of the greatest days of your life, you’d probably have a few to choose from. They would likely include graduations, weddings, birthdays, and retirements.

But Jesus speaks here about a day so momentous that it wil...

For centuries Evangelicals have had a clear understanding of the message of the gospel. The message is the incarnation and the atonement. God became man in Jesus Christ. Christ died on the cross for our sins and broke the power of death b...

Here are seven observations suggested by Jesus’ analogy of fishing.

1. Some people are really good at fishing, but anyone can do it.
You don’t have to know much about fishing to catch a fish, and God gives some people s...

What did the disciples gain from three years of following Jesus? What will you learn from following Jesus that will make you effective in bringing people to Him?

A new interest in people
The disciples lived in a world ...

Jesus says, “Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” Not now, not in the future, not ever.

Not only is this a marvellous incentive for sinners coming to Christ, it is a wonderful assurance for believers who have come to Christ. “Whoeve...

When you move toward Jesus, He is there for you, ready to receive you. He won’t drive you away. The word comes is in the present continuous tense. “Whoever is coming.” “Whoever is on the way.” Think of the prodigal son on his way home. He...

The first camera was on God the Father who gives certain people to His Son. The second camera is focused on the sinner who is coming to Jesus.

Jesus invites all people to come to Him: “Whoever comes to me…” You cannot get more inclusive th...

Jesus speaks about believers as the Father’s gift to Him. The Father gives people to the Son.

The people who are given to Christ come to Him. Who are these people the Father has given? How do we know who they are? They are the ones who come...

When Jesus says that you will find rest for your soul, He doesn’t mean sleep. He’s saying, “I will put an end to your inner turmoil. Bring your hurts and fears, your regrets and disappointments, your anxieties and your inadequacies to Me. Bring th...

Jesus is saying the same thing in two different ways. We know that because He makes the same promise: “I will give you rest…You will find rest for your souls.”

What do we have to do to find this rest? The condition is stated in two differe...

Notice that there is something for you to do: “Come to me.” Either you will do this, or you won’t, and Jesus says your experience depends on this.

Jesus doesn’t say, “Practise spiritual disciplines.” He was speaking to the most religious p...

For the next four weeks, we are going to look at what Jesus Christ is willing to do for us. Seven times in the Bible, Jesus specifically said He will do something for us.

• I will give you rest.
• I will never cast you out.</...

Notice that John uses the word “know.” He’s talking about assurance. So what do we know?

We know that we will see Christ
“We know that when he appears… we shall see him as he is” (3:2). The Christian life is a life of f...

Sometimes we fail to recognise the work of the Spirit in our lives because His work in us is not yet complete.

Suppose you have a good friend who is a master craftsman. He wants to give you a new kitchen. Your old kitchen is a mess. Nothin...

Here are two final observations about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

6. The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus
“The Spirit is the one who testifies” (5:6). The Holy Spirit bears witness to Jesus by showing us how muc...

Here are two more observations about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

4. The Holy Spirit gives spiritual sight
“You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge” (2:20). This cannot mean that believers...