Category: A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 21
What does John Chapter 21 mean? When Jesus was first resurrected, He passed along instructions for the disciples to meet Him in Galilee (Matthew 28:5–10). He then appeared to groups of the disciples at least twice (John 20:19, 26). Eventually, the men made their way back to Galilee and are waiting…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 20
What does John Chapter 20 mean? The last time Jesus was seen in public, He was a mangled corpse being hastily buried in a sealed cave (John 19:1–4, 30, 38–42; Matthew 27:59–66). Despite His predictions (John 2:19–22; Mark 9:31; Luke 18:33) and prior miracles (John 11:43–44), His followers will be hesitant to understand, let alone…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 19
What does John Chapter 19 mean? Despite Jesus’ obvious innocence (John 18:36–38) and the personal vendetta of His enemies (Matthew 27:18), the Roman governor continues to try and appease the mob. What should have been an obvious prisoner exchange failed (John 18:39–40). Pilate tries to satisfy the crowd’s blood lust…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 18
What does John Chapter 18 mean? The events of this chapter fulfill several predictions made by Jesus earlier in His ministry (Matthew 20:18; John 12:32–33; 13:26–27). First is His betrayal by a close associate (John 13:21). The traitor is Judas, who has already conspired with Jesus’ enemies (Mark 14:10–11). Since John is…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 17
What does John Chapter 17 mean? The last several chapters detailed Jesus’ teachings during the Last Supper (John 13—16). Those statements warned about persecution, predicted the arrival of the Holy Spirit, encouraged Christian love, and even predicted the impending betrayal orchestrated by Judas. In this passage, John records an extended…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 16
What does John Chapter 16 mean? At the end of chapter 15, Jesus was predicting both persecution (John 15:18–21) and the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26–27). As He closes out His final teaching of the Last Supper (John 13:15), Christ both begins and ends with a call to…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 15
What does John Chapter 15 mean? John chapter 15 is a unique section of the Bible. Chapter and verse divisions were not original to the text; they were added centuries later to make it easier to find certain statements. Still, this is one of the few chapters composed entirely of…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 14
What does John Chapter 14 mean? During the last supper, Jesus made dire predictions. He noted that one of the inner circle would become a traitor (John 13:21), and said Peter would deny Him three times that very evening (John 13:38). This chapter begins a long address from Jesus: other…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 13
What does John Chapter 13 mean? Here begins the private teaching phase of the gospel of John. Through chapter 17, John’s text will focus on the words spoken by Jesus in the last hours prior to His arrest. This comes on the heels of an impassioned plea by Christ to…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 12
What does John Chapter 12 mean? When John wrote this gospel, the other three accounts of Jesus’ life—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—had already been established and distributed. Partly for that reason, it seems, he focuses on details which the other Gospels do not include. That’s especially true of meanings behind Jesus’…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 11
What does John Chapter 11 mean? This passage contains one of the most famous stories of the Bible: the resurrection of Lazarus. Scripture gives few details about the relationship between Jesus and the three siblings: Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. We know that Jesus spent some time in their home (Luke…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 10
What does John Chapter 10 mean? Chapter 10 continues uninterrupted from the end of chapter 9. In fact, all of chapters 7, 8, 9, and the first half of chapter 10 occur in a fairly continuous timeline. At the end of chapter 9, Jesus was debating those who objected to…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 9
What does John Chapter 9 mean? This passage of the gospel of John heightens the tension between Jesus and His followers, and the religious leaders who despise Him. In prior chapters, Jesus has confronted the hypocrisy of those who claim to understand Scripture, but who reject what it says. He…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 8
What does John Chapter 8 mean? The first section of this chapter describes Jesus’ encounter with opponents who have brought Him a woman guilty of sin. In this incident, Jesus demonstrates that these men are acting hypocritically: attempting to trick Jesus using the law, while they themselves are not completely…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 7
What does John Chapter 7 mean? Chapters 7 and 8 represent the beginning of the end of Jesus’ public ministry. In these passages, He will openly challenge the spiritual errors of the Jewish leaders, and declare His own role in the salvation of mankind. In response, the religious officials’ approach…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 6
What does John Chapter 6 mean? John chapter 6 packs several crucial moments into one narrative. The passage states that the events occur “after” the narrative of chapter 5, which turns out to be several months later. This chapter describes the high point of Jesus’ worldly popularity. He disrupts this…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 5
What does John Chapter 5 mean? Chapter 5 presents John’s first record of Jesus directly confronting His enemies. Most of this passage is taken up by the words of Christ Himself, responding to Jewish critics. Many of John’s recurring themes are found in this passage. Among these are the miraculous…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 4
What does John Chapter 4 mean? The gospel of John frequently uses contrast as a teaching tool. In chapter 2, there is a distinction between the joyous, secretive miracle at the wedding (John 2:6–10) and the public, dramatic cleansing of the temple (John 2:13–16). Chapter 3 presents another contrast. This…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 3
What does John Chapter 3 mean? The third chapter of John contains two related stories. First, Jesus is visited at night by a Pharisee, Nicodemus, who is curious about His teachings. Afterwards, John the Baptist explains why he’s content to see his own ministry fade into the background. This chapter…
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A Verse by Verse Study in the Gospel of John, (ESV) with Irv Risch, Chapter 2
What does John Chapter 2 mean? John chapter 1 introduced Jesus as “the Word” and “the Light,” truly and fully God (John 1:1–5). That passage also recorded conversations between John the Baptist and religious skeptics. Near the end of the chapter, Jesus begins to call His earliest disciples. The second…
Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded 