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The Book of John
John was one of Jesus' 12 apostles. His father's name was Zebedee. In this book,
he never calls himself by his name. He calls himself "the disciple whom Jesus
loved". John wrote this book between the years AD 85 and AD 95. During
this time, he was serving in the church in the city of Ephesus (in the country
now called Turkey).
John's book is different than the books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Those books
show Jesus as king, but John's book shows Jesus as the Son of God.
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John 4
Jesus talks to a woman at a well in the area of Samaria.
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
The Pharisees heard about Jesus baptizing more
followers than John. The Lord knew that.
[1] When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus
made and baptized more disciples than John,
It was actually Jesus' disciples who
baptized people. Jesus Himself didn't do the baptizing.
[2] (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)
Jesus left the area of Judea and went back to Galilee.
On the way to Galilee, He traveled through Samaria.
[3] He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.
[4] And he must needs go through Samaria.
He came to a city named Sychar. This city is near the
land that Jacob gave to his son, Joseph.
[5] Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to
the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Jacob's well was still there. Jesus was tired from
traveling so He sat down on the well. It was about the 6th hour of the day.
[6] Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his
journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
A Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water.
Jesus told her to give Him a drink. His disciples weren't there. They had gone
into the city to buy some food.
[7] There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her,
Give me to drink.
[8] (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
The Samaritan woman asked Jesus, "You are a Jew, and Jews don't get along with
Samaritans. I am a Samaritan, but you asked me for a drink. Why?"
[9] Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being
a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no
dealings with the Samaritans.
Jesus said, "If you knew the gift of God and Who is
asking you for a drink, you would have asked Him for water. And He would have given you
living water."
[10] Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God,
and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of
him, and he would have given thee living water.
The woman said, "Sir, you don't have anything to put
water in to bring it out of the well. The well is very deep. Where do you get
living water? Are you greater than our ancestor, Jacob who dug the well and used
it for water for himself, his animals, and his children?"
[11] The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and
the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
[12] Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and
drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered her. He said, "Anyone who drinks this
water will be thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give him will
never be thirsty again. The water I give is from the well of living forever."
[13] Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again:
[14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman said, "Sir,
please give me this water so that I will never be thirsty again, and I will not
have to come to this well."
[15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst
not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus said, "Go call your husband and then come back."
[16] Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman said, "I do not have a husband." Jesus said
to her, "You are right. You have had 5 husbands, and you're
not married to the man you're with now."
[17] The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her,
Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
[18] For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not
thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The woman said, "Sir, I know that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain. You say that Jerusalem is where
we should go to worship."
[19] The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
[20] Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in
Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. The time is coming when you won't worship God on
the mountain or in Jerusalem. You worship something you don't know. But we know
who we worship. Salvation is coming from the Jews. It is now. The people who
truly believe God will worship God in spirit. That is how God wants people to
worship Him. God is a spirit. People who believe in Him must worship in spirit
and in
truth.
[21] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye
shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.
[22] Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation
is of the Jews.
[23] But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to
worship him.
[24] God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth.
The woman said, "I know that the Messiah will come. He
will be called Christ. When He comes, He will tell us everything.
[25] The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is
called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus said, "I am talking to you, and I am He (the
Christ, the Messiah)."
[26] Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Jesus' disciples came up and heard Him. They were
amazed at what He said to the woman. No one asked Him what He was doing or why
He was talking to her.
[27] And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with
the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?
The woman left her waterpot there at the well. She went back into the city.
She told the men in the city, "Come and see. There is a man who told me
everything that I have ever done. Isn't this the Christ?"
[28] The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city,
and saith to the men,
[29] Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not
this the Christ?
They all left the city and went out to Jesus.
[30] Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
While this was happening, Jesus' disciples encouraged
Him to eat. But Jesus said, "I have meat to eat that you don't know about."
[31] In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.
[32] But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
His disciples asked each other if anyone had brought
food to Jesus. But Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of God who sent Me. I
will finish His work."
[33] Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought
him ought to eat?
[34] Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent
me, and to finish his work.
Jesus continued, "Don't look out at the field and say that it won't be time for
the harvest for 4 months. I am telling you to look out at the fields and see
that it is almost time to harvest."
[35] Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?
behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are
white already to harvest.
The person who picks the crops receives pay. He gathers
the fruit of eternal life. The person who planted the seeds was blessed.
The person who planted the crops was blessed, too. They will be happy
together.
[36] And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life
eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
The saying is true that one plans and another reaps (gathers, picks). I am
sending you to pick the crops that you didn't plant. Other men planted, and now
you are part of their work."
[37] And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
[38] I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men
laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
After the woman at the well said, "He told me everything I ever did," many of
the Samaritan people believed Him.
[39] And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the
saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
The Samaritans wanted Him to stay with them, so He
stayed for 2 days.
[40] So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he
would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
Many more people believed in Him because of the things
He said.
[41] And many more believed because of his own word;
They told the woman, "Now, we believe in Him. It's not
because of what you told us. We have heard Him for ourselves. We know for sure
that He is the Christ, the Saviour of the world."
[42] And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying:
for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the
Saviour of the world.
After 2 days, He left and went to the area of Galilee.
[43] Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
Jesus heals the son of a rich man in Capernaum.
Jesus Himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own country. When He
went to Galilee, the people there welcomed Him. They had been at the wedding
where He changed the water into wine.
[44] For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his
own country.
[45] Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him,
having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also
went unto the feast.
So, He went back to the town of Cana where He changed
the water into wine. A rich man lived near in a city named Capernaum. His son
was very sick and was almost dead. The man heard that Jesus was coming to
Galilee from Judah. The man went to see Jesus and asked Him to come heal his
son.
[46] So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water
wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
[47] When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he
went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for
he was at the point of death.
Jesus said, "Unless you see miracles, you won't believe."
[48] Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will
not believe.
The rich man asked Jesus to go with him and heal his son. Jesus said, "Go home,
your son is alive." The man believed Jesus and left to go home. While he was
traveling, one of his workers met him on the road. They told him that his son
was alive. The man asked the worker when his son got better. The worker told him
it was the day before about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. The rich man knew that
was the same time that Jesus told him his son would live. The rich man and all
of his workers now believed in Jesus.
[49] The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
[50] Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man
believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
[51] And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him,
saying, Thy son liveth.
[52] Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they
said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.
[53] So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus
said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
This is the second miracle that Jesus did when He left
Judaea and went to Galilee.
[54] This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come
out of Judaea into Galilee.
John 5
Jesus heals a man by the pool in Bethesda.
Jesus went to Jerusalem for a Jewish
feast.
[1] After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
Near Jerusalem, there is a pool by the place where they
sold sheep. The pool is called Bethesda. It had 5 porches. People
who were sick and disabled laid by the pool. Sometimes, an angel would
stir up the waters in the pool. The first person in the pool after the angel
would be healed. The people laid by the pool so they could try to be first.
[2] Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called
in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
[3] In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt,
withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
[4] For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and
troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water
stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
There was a man there who had been sick for 38 years.
Jesus saw the man. Jesus knew he had been sick for a long time. He asked the man,
"Do you want to be healthy?"
[5] And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight
years.
[6] When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in
that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
The sick man said, "Sir, I don't have anyone to help me
get into the pool after the angel. When I try to get in by myself, someone
else gets in front of me."
[7] The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is
troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down
before me.
Jesus told the man to get up, pick up his bed, and
walk.
[8] Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
The man was healthy immediately. He picked up his
bed and walked. This happened on the sabbath. The Jews told the man that
it was against the law for him to carry his bed because it was the sabbath.
[9] And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and
walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
[10] The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath
day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.
The man answered, "The man who made me healthy told me
to pick up my bed and walk."
[11] He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take
up thy bed, and walk.
They asked him, "What man told you to pick up your bed and walk?"
[12] Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up
thy bed, and walk?
The man who was healed didn't know who it was. Jesus
had left, and there was a crowd by the pool.
[13] And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed
himself away, a multitude being in that place.
After that, Jesus found the man in the temple. He
said to him, "You see, you are healthy now. Don't sin any more or something worse
might happen to you. "
[14] Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him,
Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
The man left and told the Jews it was Jesus who had healed him.
[15] The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had
made him whole.
The Jews are upset that Jesus healed someone on the sabbath.
So, the Jews wanted to arrest Jesus and kill Him
because He had healed the man on the sabbath day.
[16] And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him,
because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
Jesus said, "My Father works on this day, and I do,
too."
[17] But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
The Jews wanted to kill Him even more. They wanted to
kill Him because He broke the rule about working on the Sabbath and He said that
God was His Father. That meant He thought He was equal to God."
[18] Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only
had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself
equal with God.
Jesus says that people who believe in Him will live
forever.
Jesus answered them, "Truly I say to you that the Son
can't do anything by Himself unless He sees the Father do it first. What
the Father does, the Son will also do."
[19] Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for
what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
Jesus continued, "The Father loves the Son and shows
Him everything He can do. The Son will show you greater things than this.
You will be amazed at what the Son will do. God made dead people come
alive again, and the Son will do that, too. He will make some dead people come
alive. He will choose them.
[20] For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that
himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may
marvel.
[21] For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so
the Son quickeneth whom he will.
The Father doesn't judge any man. The Father will let the Son judge men. All men
should honor the Son the same way they honor the Father. If someone does not
honor the Son, he does not honor the Father who sent the Son.
[22] For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto
the Son:
[23] That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father.
He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
I say to you truly, if someone hears My word and
believes the One who sent Me, he will live forever. He will not be
condemned, but will pass from death into life.
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
I say to you truly that the time is coming and the
time is now. The dead will hear the Son of God's voice. The ones who
hear the voice will live.
[25] Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
The Father has life in Himself, and He gives to the Son to have life in Himself,
too.
[26] For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son
to have life in himself;
The Father has given the Son the authority to judge
men. This is because He is the Son of man.
[27] And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is
the Son of man.
Don't be surprised about this -- the time is coming when
all the dead people will hear His voice. They will come out of the grave.
Everyone will come out. The people who did good when they were alive will live
forever. The people who were bad and evil when they were alive will be condemned forever.
[28] Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice,
[29] And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation.
I can't do anything by Myself. I judge what I
hear. I am fair when I judge because I don't try to do My will, but the
will of My Father who sent Me.
[30] I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my
judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father
which hath sent me.
If I tell about Myself, it is not true. There is someone else who tells about
Me. He says the truth about Me. John told the truth
about me.
[31] If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true.
[32] There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the
witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
[33] Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth.
I don't receive my testimony about God from man. But I'm telling you these
things so that you might be saved.
[34] But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that
ye might be saved.
John was a burning and shining light. For a while, you
were willing to be happy in his light.
[35] He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a
season to rejoice in his light.
But my witness is greater than John's witness because
the Father sent Me. The works that I do are the works that the Father
gave Me to do. That shows that the Father sent Me.
[36] But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which
the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of
me, that the Father hath sent me.
The Father Himself sent Me. He told you about Me. You have not heard His
voice at any time. You have never seen His shape. You don't believe in Him
because you don't believe the one He has sent.
[37] And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of
me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
[38] And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him
ye believe not.
Look in the scriptures. You think you will live forever
if you study them. The scriptures tell about Me, but you don't come to Me
to live forever.
[39] Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life:
and they are they which testify of me.
[40] And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
I don't receive honor from men. I know you and that you
do not have God's love in you.
[41] I receive not honour from men.
[42] But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
Jesus continued to the Jews, "I have come in My Father's name, and you don't accept
me. If someone else comes in his own name, will you accept him?
[43] I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another
shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
How can you believe in Me when you are just honoring
one another? You are not trying to honor the One who comes from God only.
[44] How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek
not the honour that cometh from God only?
Don't think that I will accuse you to the Father. The
one who will accuse you is Moses, the one you trust. If you had believed Moses,
you would have believed Me because Moses wrote about Me. If you don't
believe what Moses wrote, how will you believe what I say?"
[45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that
accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
[46] For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote
of me.
[47] But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
John 6
Jesus feeds a huge crowd with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
After these things, Jesus went across the Sea of
Galilee (also called the sea of Tiberias). A big crowd was following Him because
they had seen Him healing people.
[1] After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the
sea of Tiberias.
[2] And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles
which he did on them that were diseased.
Jesus went up on a mountain and sat with His disciples.
The Jewish passover feast was coming soon.
[3] And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his
disciples.
[4] And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
Jesus looked up and saw the big crowd coming toward
Him. He said to Philip, "Where can we buy bread so the people can eat?"
Jesus already knew what He was going to do. He said this to test Philip.
[5] When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto
him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?
[6] And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
Philip answered Him, "Even if we had 200 pennyworth (in today's money--about a
day's pay for 200 people), we couldn't buy enough for everyone to have just a
little bite."
[7] Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not
sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.
One of the disciples was Andrew. He was Simon
Peter's brother. Andrew said to Jesus, "There is a boy here who has 5
loves of barley bread and 2 small fish. But what good will that do when there
are so many people?"
[8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
[9] There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small
fishes: but what are they among so many?
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
Jesus said, "Make the men sit down." There was a
lot of grass in this place. There were about 5,000 men. So, they sat down.
[10] And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in
the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
Jesus took the loaves of bread. He thanked God
for the bread. Then, He gave some bread to His disciples. The disciples gave
bread to the people who were sitting down. Then, they gave them as much fish as
they wanted.
[11] And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he
distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and
likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
When the people were full, Jesus said to His disciples, "Pick up the pieces that
are left so that nothing is lost."
[12] When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
The disciples picked up the pieces of the 5 loaves of bread. It filled up 12
baskets. This is what was left after everyone finished eating.
[13] Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets
with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto
them that had eaten.
Then, the men who saw the miracle that Jesus did said,
"This is truly a prophet who has come into the world."
[14] Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said,
This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
There is a big storm, and the disciples see Jesus walking on the water.
Jesus felt that the people would come and take Him
forcefully to make Him a king. He left again and went to a mountain by
himself.
[15] When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by
force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.
When it was evening, Jesus' disciples went down to the
sea. They got into a boat and sailed over the sea toward Capernaum. It was
dark, and Jesus wasn't with them.
[16] And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,
[17] And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And
it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.
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Picture from LaVista Church of Christ |
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