Jesus turns water to wine
1. John 2:1
2. To show us the great power of our God
Jesus heals son of nobleman (John 4:54)
1. Bringing into the world a new life
John heals invalid man sick for 38 years (John 5:
Feeding of 5,000 (John 6
1. Only John records Jesus saying I am the bread of life. I have fed your bodies and I can feed your souls
Jesus walks on water (John 6)
1. Even nature was subordinate to His rule
2. Have you felt like you’re perishing and wondered if Jesus is paying attention? Is he asleep?

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv4vtIDBYLI

Duration 39:20

Saturday May 18, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Teen: "Living a Life of Faith Right Now" by Chris McCurley

Saturday May 18, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 3:30PM Tent Speaker

Speaker: Chris McCurley

“Living a Life of Faith Right Now”

“If today was the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do today?”

– Steve Jobs

Is the life you are currently living going to get you to heaven?

Would you change anything about your schedule if you knew today was going to be your last day on earth?

John 15:1-11

The secret to life - Abide in Christ. Get this right. It will always be worth it if you abide in Christ. Put God first. Often we think if we are good/do good, then we can earn God’s favor and He will bless us in this life and let us into heaven. But we shouldn’t have a performance-based mindset on life. In reality, we can never do enough and it’s not all about that anyway.

Everything in our society is about productivity.

Work hard – more money – more valuable to society.

School – work hard – get good grades.

As a church, it’s not all about productivity. We cannot work our way to heaven. Don’t be a performance-based Christian. Have faith in God, not faith in religion. In John 15, Jesus is not speaking about productivity, but instead connectivity. Christianity is not as much about rules as it is relationship.

“Fruit production or lack thereof is simply a manifestation of our attachment to the vine.”

The Bible is not a rule book, but a story of redemption.

John 15:12-17

Abide in Me and I will abide in you. This is Jesus’ invitation. Matthew 7:21-23.

John 14:15. Plenty of people are moral, but not necessarily Christians. Rules modify behavior. A relationship with Jesus gives our lives and our deeds meaning.

Put God first, please Him by doing good and following rules. Don’t focus so heavily on the rules that you forget the relationship.

Good connection – Leads to good fruit.

What puts your soul in jeopardy is not a lack of productivity but a lack of relationship.

When you are connected to the source (God), you will grow and produce fruit, which is a byproduct of being attached to the vine.

The worst part of hell is not weeping and gnashing of teeth; it’s that God is not there.

The best part of heaven is that God is there.

You’d have to step over the cross of Christ to get to hell; you have to refuse Him.

John 15:9

A life on the vine is the best life, full of love and joy. It’s so much more than a list of rules to check off. Start with the relationship.

We need to allow our relationship with Jesus to drive everything in our lives: Work, school, family, church.

Is what I do the result of who I am with?

We often read the Bible with appreciation and for information, but need to ask ourselves, how does this apply to me?

Is the way I am currently living going to get me to heaven? – a question to ask ourselves often.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-6Qe9-BrqU

Duration 34:59

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - "Loving to the Limit" by Wayne Jones

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 3:30PM Auditorium Speaker

Speaker: Wayne Jones

John 13 -

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet

13 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.

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

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

⁷Jesus replied, “You do not realize 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!”

¹⁰Jesus 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.” ¹¹For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

¹²When 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. ¹⁴Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷Now 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 fulfill 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. ²⁰Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.”

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

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

²⁵Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶Jesus 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. ²⁷As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” ²⁸But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. ²⁹Since 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. ³⁰As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³²If 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. ³⁵By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

³⁶Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

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

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

Wayne reflects on the themes of chapter 13. He does this through breaking down the text into four views.

The intimacy of the moment
The supremacy of love
The illustration of this mandate. The phrase "As I have loved you"
The growing Gnosticism

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAybu0sG2Nc

Duration 40:10

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Teacher Workshop for Children by Traci Sproule Part 2

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30 MPR 4 Speaker

Speaker:Traci Sproule

Stepping into the Bible

Lecture #2: ...You can do it

The Hallway

The Classrooms

The Media Center

The Teacher's Binder

5 copies of each binder—one for each teacher
Intended to give teachers “everything” needed
- Teacher Instruction
- Lesson Plan
- Handwork
- Songbook and flash drive
Intended to unify our educational efforts
Intended to ensure consistency
Intended to be easily adaptable to all ages

The Lesson Plan

Take Home Review Sheet
- Objective
- Scripture Reference
- Memory Verse
- Lesson Facts
- Review Questions
Narrative
Discussion Questions for Older Kids
Wednesday Night Highlights
Suggested Songs

The Curriculum

16 Semesters
- Customized numbering system: Semester.Session.Lesson
280 lessons of original material
8 Old Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
8 New Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
2-week mini-session
Rotation every four weeks

Decisions to Make / Lessons Learned

This was a whole new way of teaching for everyone involved, including the curriculum, the schedule, the rotation, etc.
- We implemented mandatory Teacher Training
  - Every three years: In-depth training for all teachers, explaining of how to teach in this new program
  - Before every semester: Teacher Meeting to discuss expectations and answer any questions
The rotation of classes every 4 weeks (in a 20-week semester) would mean most of the kids would start classes out of order
- We decided the older kids would go through in chronological order
- We created the timeline bulletin board in each classroom to show where each room fit
The change from the 13-week quarter system to a 20-week semester system created some issues with the middle school, high school and adult classes that were still on the quarter system
- We decided to change all of our upper classes (middle school, high school and adults) over to the 20-week semester system – divided in half, so that we now have 10-week sessions for our upper classes instead of 13-week quarters
- During the Two-Week Mini-Session, when the children all meet together for review and Bible drills, all of the upper classes meet together in the auditorium for two weeks of an intergenerational Bible class
The rotation of different-sized children through classes with different-sized furniture creates some difficulty
- We decided to move the furniture from class to class every four weeks
- We have also considered purchasing furniture that would fit multiple age groups
The rotation of classes every 4 weeks created confusion for the parents to know which classroom their kids were in
- We created magnets for the metal door frames, to make easy (but unobtrusive) room identification
We had to get used to starting and stopping semesters at seemingly “random” times
We had to decide how and when to promote our kids to their next grade levels

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUAnFjvP7jM

Duration 41:55

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Teacher Workshop for Children by Traci Sproule Part 1

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30 MPR 4 Speaker

Speaker:Traci Sproule

Stepping into the Bible

Lecture #1: If you can dream it...

The Dream

Congregation: Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ
The congregation has a strong history of children’s Bible classes
We desired and talked about writing our own curriculum for years
Finally, the dream became more than just a dream
- December 2009 - The Initial Meeting: An Idea Sparked
- January 2010 - The Concept Presented: A Curriculum Adopted
- Mid 2012 - The Elder Challenge: A Target Set
- January 2013 - The Teaching Begins: A Work in Progress
- August 2019 - The Curriculum Finished: A Dream Realized

The Development: Envision

We wanted a curriculum that truly fit our needs
- A program that would teach the Bible
- A program that focused on Bible education over entertainment
- A complete program that was not a collection from various sources
- A consistent direction, format and appearance throughout
- A reusable program that would not become outdated over time
- An engaging program that got the parents involved at home each week

We wanted an immersive experience
- From the moment the kids entered their hallway
- When they walked into their classrooms
- We wanted just a few weeks in each classroom to keep them engaged

We wanted a complete teaching resource
- Something that would make it easier for our teachers to prepare
- Something that would make it easier for our teachers to teach
- Something that would make it easier for members to agree to teach
- Something that would guarantee consistency of lessons from teacher to teacher

The Development: Evaluate

We evaluated our Media Center
- Loaded with teaching resourced created and developed for over 40 years
- Space enough for designing and storing room decorations
We evaluated our classroom arrangement
- Classroom space would allow for five teaching rooms, plus one other room
- Divided our children’s classes (Age 3 thru Grade 5) into five age groups
  - Age 3-4, K, Grade 1, Grades 2-3, Grades 4-5
We evaluated key people
- First, we developed a curriculum development committee
- Then, we developed small auxiliary committees (2-3 people on each one)
  - Classroom Decoration Committee
  - Hallway Committee
  - Teaching Resources Committee

The Development: Execute

The Curriculum Committee – Writing “Stepping into the Bible”
- We sat down as a group, with open Bibles, and identified Bible lessons to teach
  - We ended up identifying 280 Bible lessons to be part of the curriculum
- We decided to do away with the 13-week quarter system
  - We wanted the children to rotate classrooms (in Bible scenes) on a frequent basis
- We decided that each age group would be taught in each classroom for four weeks
  - Each classroom represented a particular division of Biblical narrative
  - Four lessons were grouped together to be taught in each room
  - We called these 4-week teaching rounds, “Sessions”
- We decided that we would rotate every four weeks through the five classrooms
  - Each age group would have an opportunity to be taught in each classroom
  - The total time for these rotations would be 20 weeks, which we called, “Semesters”
- Finally, an internal “writing” committee began creating each lesson plan
  - Each lesson plan was intended for all age groups – tailored by the teacher to their specific class
- Each lesson was written to contain specific and consistent elements:
  - Objective
  - Scripture Reference
  - Memory Verse
  - Lesson Facts
  - Review Questions
  - Narrative
  - Discussion Questions for Older Kids
The Classroom Committee – Creating the Environment
- Design and decorate FIVE classrooms for each semester, with each classroom representing an immersion into one of the 4-lesson sessions
- Create some kind of picture-based timeline in the room
- Realized a need for time between semesters to change each classroom
  - Created the 2-week mini-session
  - For two weeks, the children’s hallway was blocked off for the rooms to be changed out
  - All of the children (Age 3 thru Grade 5) met together in our multipurpose room
  - A special team was created to coordinate the 2-week mini-session for the kids
The Hallway Committee – Immerse Upon Arrival
- Transform the entire hallway where our children’s classes meet
- Bible stories to come alive on the walls, covering every square inch
- Tell the story of the Bible from one end of the hallway to the other
- Include some 3-D elements coming out of the walls
The Teaching Resources Committee – Reinforcing the Lessons
- Each classroom to be stocked with visual aids to help enhance teaching the lesson
- Ample selection of handwork for the children that corresponded to the Bible lesson
- Songs that would fit and reinforce each lesson
- Make Wednesday nights special, providing additional lesson reinforcement

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9beg5Z6iD0

Duration 40:40

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Into The Word: "The I AM Statements" by Jeff Jenkins

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30PM Tent Speaker

Speaker: Jeff Jenkins

There is a lot of times in John where Jesus says I am
Jews were the only people who had only one God. So many over groups worship more than one god or idol.
Psalm 16:24
Jews believed anyone who asked you to worship other Gods should be put to death. So when Jesus says I am he is falling into this scrutiny.
There are some stuff days in life. What will keep you going in these times.
Jesus is the light of the world
Although Jesus is not still on the earth physically, Christians still share his light to others.
John 18. Jesus is claiming to be God.
John 10. Jesus is the good shepherd.
John 14. Jesus claims to be the only way to get to God
Ephesians 2:12 describes what we were like before Christ

Speaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPDt5PPZ5M8

Duration 39:10

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Teacher Workshop for Adults - Teens by David Sproule Part 2

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 3:30 MPR 4 Speaker

Speaker:David Sproule

10-class training class to train people to teach teens and adults

Teacher Selection

(Page 6 of notebook)
Everyone Needs to Teach.
Not Everyone Needs to Teach (in a Classroom).
There Needs to Be a Selection Process.
- Elders have some responsibility to guard the flock

Teacher Preparation

(Page 7 of notebook)
Class #1: Introduction to Teaching at This Congregation
- Teach
- Teach the Bible
Class #2: How to Be an Effective Bible Class Teacher
- Have a deep reverence for God
- Soberly be reminded of your responsibility
- Only teach what fits you
  - Don't teach what you don't know
  - Some topics don't need to be taught by some people
  - Only teach what fits the students
  - Only each what you have made your own
  - Realize each class is important
  - Don't forget your goal
Class #3: General Principles for Preparing Bible Class Lessons
- Pray
- Let Bible explains itself before consulting commentaries
- Keep it in context
- Thoroughly study and prepare in advance
Class #4: Preparing a Textual Study for a Bible Class Lesson (See Lesson 8)
Class #5: Preparing a Topical Study for a Bible Class Lesson (See Lesson 9)
Class #6: Preparing a Character Study for a Bible Class Lesson (See Lesson 10)
Class #7: General Principles for Presenting Bible Class Lessons
- Use your notes
- Don't raise questions you can't answer
- Lean on the mature, knowledgeable Christians in the class for support.
  - Might be a sister offering wisdom in class
- Wrap up the class in a nice package
Class #8: Students Presenting Textual Bible Studies
Class #9: Students Presenting Topical Bible Studies
Class #10: Students Presenting Bible Character Studies

Teacher Evaluation

Evaluation Is Essential to Ensure Excellence in Our Education Efforts.
Talk to the Teacher.
There Needs to Be an Evaluation Process.

Teacher Appreciation

Showing Appreciation Is Biblical.
Showing Appreciation Is Effective.
Showing Appreciation Is Simple.
- Publicly
- Short notes
- Annual Teacher Appreciation Banquet

The Blessing of Being a Bible Class Teacher

Many Excuses Are Offered to Avoid Being a Bible Class Teacher.
The Blessings & Benefits from Being a Bible Class Teacher Are Innumerable.
The Blessings of Being a Bible Class Teacher Far Outweigh the Excuses.
Will You Accept the Challenge of Being an Effective, Loving, Passionate Bible Class Teacher?

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rLQj7kurnY

Duration 40:51

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - Teacher Workshop for Adults - Teens by David Sproule Part 1

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30 MPR 4 Speaker

Speaker:David Sproule

The need for Bible teaching in the church

There has always been a need for Bible teaching in the church.
- Sharing of Paul's letters
The condition of our society and homes emphasizes a need for Bible teaching.
- Large number of broken homes
What is the cannon, universal need of every person today?
The Bible and, therefore, Bible education is essential in the church.

The biblical Authority for Bible teaching in the church

In the Old Testament, teaching God's word was done regularly.
In the life of Jesus, teaching God's word was done regularly
In the New Testament, teaching God's word has done regularly
- Jesus instructed His disciples to teach others,
- We see the emphasis of the early church on teaching,
- We see certain teachers and certain students identified
The Bible Gives Ample Authority for Teaching the Bible to Children & Adults.
- The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing” (Rom. 10:17).

The expediency of making Bible classes fit your congregation

All that the church does must be done by the authority of Christ.
While Teaching the Bible Is Required, the Method Used in the Bible School Is Expedient.
- An expedient aids in carrying out God’s will in a manner in which He has authorized.
- The expedient itself must be authorized, but it does allow for options in its implementation.
- Thus, the church must teach the Bible, and it can do so in a way that best fits that congregation.
  - The day
  - The time
  - The format
  - The schedule
  - The curriculum
Each congregation is unique.

Stepping into the Bible

The Dream

Congregation: Palm Beach Lakes church of Christ
The congregation has a strong history of children’s Bible classes
We desired and talked about writing our own curriculum for years
Finally, the dream became more than just a dream
- December 2009 - The Initial Meeting: An Idea Sparked
- January 2010 - The Concept Presented: A Curriculum Adopted
- Mid 2012 - The Elder Challenge: A Target Set
- January 2013 - The Teaching Begins: A Work in Progress
- August 2019 - The Curriculum Finished: A Dream Realized

The Development: Envision

We wanted a curriculum that truly fit our needs
- A program that would teach the Bible
- A program that focused on Bible education over entertainment
- A complete program that was not a collection from various sources
- A consistent direction, format and appearance throughout
- An engaging program that got the parents involved at home each week
We wanted an immersive experience
- From the moment the kids entered their hallway
- When they walked into their classrooms
- We wanted just a few weeks in each classroom to keep them engaged
We wanted a complete teaching resource
- Something that would make it easier for our teachers to prepare and teach
- Something that would make it easier for members to agree to teach
- Something that would guarantee consistency of lessons from teacher to teacher

The Development: Execute

The Curriculum Committee – Writing “Stepping into the Bible”
- We sat down as a group, with open Bibles, and identified Bible lessons to teach
  - We ended up identifying 280 Bible lessons to be part of the curriculum
- We decided to do away with the 13-week quarter system
  - We wanted the children to rotate classrooms (in Bible scenes) on a frequent basis
- We decided that each age group would be taught in each classroom for four weeks
  - Each classroom represented a particular division of Biblical narrative
  - Four lessons were grouped together to be taught in each room
  - We called these 4-week teaching rounds, “Sessions”
- We decided that we would rotate every four weeks through the five classrooms
  - Each age group would have an opportunity to be taught in each classroom
  - The total time for these rotations would be 20 weeks, which we called, “Semesters”
- Finally, an internal “writing” committee began creating each lesson plan
  - Each lesson plan was intended for all age groups – tailored by the teacher to their specific class

The Classroom Committee – Creating the Environment
- Design and decorate FIVE classrooms for each semester, with each classroom representing an immersion into one of the 4-lesson sessions
- Create some kind of picture-based timeline in the room
- Realized a need for time (two weeks) between semesters to change each classroom
The Hallway Committee – Immerse Upon Arrival
- Transform the entire hallway where our children’s classes meet
- Bible stories to come alive on the walls, covering every square inch
- Tell the story of the Bible from one end of the hallway to the other
- Include some 3-D elements coming out of the walls
The Teaching Resources Committee – Reinforcing the Lessons
- Each classroom to be stocked with visual aids to help enhance teaching the lesson
- Ample selection of handwork for the children that corresponded to the Bible lesson
- Songs that would fit and reinforce each lesson
- Make Wednesday nights special, providing additional lesson reinforcement

The Classrooms

(Several pictures)

The Media Center

(Pictures)

The Teacher's Binder

Each binder has four lessons (for each classroom)
Intended to give teachers “everything” needed
- Teacher Instruction
- Lesson Plan
- Handwork
- Songbook and flash drive
Intended to unify our educational efforts
Intended to ensure consistency
Intended to be easily adaptable to all ages

The Lesson Plan

Take Home Review Sheet (picture)
- Objective
- Scripture Reference
- Memory Verse
- Lesson Facts
- Review Questions
Narrative
Discussion Questions for Older Kids
Wednesday Night Highlights
Suggested Songs (pictures)

The Curriculum

16 Semesters
- Customized numbering system: Semester.Session.Lesson
280 lessons of original material
8 Old Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
8 New Testament semesters (with 1 review semester)
2-week mini-session
Rotation every four weeks

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mBFZooJPFg

Duration: 45:43

Friday May 17, 2024

Equipped 2024 - "God's Grand Entrance" by John Moore

Friday May 17, 2024

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 2:30PM Auditorium Speaker

Speaker: John Moore

John 12 -

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

12 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. ³Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵“Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

⁹Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

¹²The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. ¹³They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,

“Hosanna!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Blessed is the king of Israel!”

¹⁴Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:

¹⁵“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion;
see, your king is coming,
seated on a donkey’s colt.”

¹⁶At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him.

¹⁷Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. ¹⁸Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. ¹⁹So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Jesus Predicts His Death

²⁰Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. ²¹They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.” ²²Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

²³Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

²⁷“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. ³¹Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ³³He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

³⁴The crowd spoke up, “We have heard from the Law that the Messiah will remain forever, so how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this ‘Son of Man’?”

³⁵Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. ³⁶Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.” When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Belief and Unbelief Among the Jews

³⁷Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. ³⁸This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet:

“Lord, who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere:

⁴⁰“He has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts,
so they can neither see with their eyes,
    nor understand with their hearts,
    nor turn—and I would heal them.^"

⁴¹Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

⁴²Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³for they loved human praise more than praise from God.

⁴⁴Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. ⁴⁵The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

⁴⁷“If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁸There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. ⁴⁹For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. ⁵⁰I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

John looks at John 12 and reflects on why Mary anoints Jesus.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCaxUkincU

Duration 41:38