Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Jesus concludes his prayer by praying for all who come to believe. He prays for unity - that the church would be one like he and the Father are one. In fact, he says that it is unity that will enable…

Jesus sends his disciples into the world in the very same way the Father sent him. They are agents of the gospel for the glory of God. His prayer for them is for their protection from wandering and f…

Jesus begins his prayer by asking to be glorified. He is praying for the reality of resurrection in the face of the cross. This resurrection will not only glorify Jesus, but also the Father. And it w…

When Jesus tells his disciples he is going away, he also urges them to abide or remain in him. Not only is this counterintuitive, but it seems impossible. Yet Jesus is talking about being so immersed…

Jesus tells his disciples that the Spirit will come to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Spirit exposes the truth about sin and the emptiness of human effort or religion so t…

Jesus is careful to tell his disciples that the world will be resistant the gospel message. If the world hated Jesus, they will also hate those who follow him. This rub comes when his followers refus…

Intimacy with God and obedience to him are inextricably bound together.  If we want the full life that comes from seeing and knowing God, then we have to follow his commands. And if we want to follow…

True and full life only comes from intimacy with God. And the only way to access this kind of relationship is through Jesus. In him, we discover new creation truth and life that makes the original re…

The gospel of John winds down with the beautiful story of Peter's restoration by Jesus. Peter is led to feel the weight of his sin so he can feel the even greater weight of God's grace. The forgivene…

Thomas is famously and wrongly demeaned for doubt.  In fact, what Jesus warns Thomas about is how to process doubt. We are all constantly moving either toward belief or unbelief. So it matters profou…

As Mary stands outside the tomb, twice she is asked, "Why are you crying?" Of course she is upset about Jesus, but also about what she has lost - a new life and a new identity. But with the sound of …

The resurrection of Jesus is not just a Christian doctrine or even simply a fact. It is the central truth to a whole new reality of life. The resurrection of Jesus means new creation. Ever the master…

As Jesus welcomed the disciples to the table, he also bowed low to humbly wash their feet. But it wasn't feet he was actually offering to wash. It was hearts. Jesus has invited everyone to his table,…

Upon his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus embraces the hoped fo- posture of an incoming Messianic king of Israel. However, as John has reminded us form the beginning, Jesus follows God's plans not those o…

As much as Jesus loved Lazarus, he also hates death and all the chaos it brings to our lives and world. Yet, he cares for Martha and Mary in very specific ways to meet their personal needs. In raisin…

Jesus is moved by his love for Lazarus and his sisters to help him. However, if that is true, then why did he make the strange choice to wait a few days before going to them? He wants people  to beli…

Sheep are at their core incredible helpless and incredibly valuable. That's why they need a shepherd. As humans, we inherently know that we are sheep in need of a sheered. The question is which sheph…

John sets Jesus' miraculous healing of a blind man right in the midst of the continuing unbelief of the religious leaders.  Their pride left them unable to see the scope of the human problem and unab…

When Jesus tells his Jewish audience that they can experience freedom, they are quick to dismiss him. As children of Abraham, they are already free. However, Jesus tells that that they are enslaved t…

Jesus' brother encourage him to go to Jerusalem during the feast and gather a crowd and further his ministry. John tells us they say this because they don't believe in him. They want Jesus to prove h…