Day 305. Luke 19–20

After His resurrection, Jesus spends forty days with His disciples, teaching them about God's kingdom before ascending into heaven. He promises that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and become His witnesses to the ends of the earth. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fills the believers, Peter preaches, and about three thousand people are added to the church. The apostles begin performing signs and wonders, and Peter heals a man who had been unable to walk, using the opportunity to proclaim Jesus as the source of life and restoration.

Jesus is sentenced, crucified, and buried, fulfilling the Scriptures even in His final moments. After His resurrection, He appears to Mary Magdalene and later to His disciples, showing them His wounds and giving them peace. Thomas moves from doubt to the declaration, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus then appears by the Sea of Galilee, provides an abundant catch of fish, and restores Peter, commissioning him to care for His sheep. John closes by affirming the truth of Jesus' testimony and the abundance of His works.

Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure, promising that the Holy Spirit will guide them into truth, convict the world, and glorify Him. He assures them that their sorrow will turn into joy and encourages them to take heart because He has overcome the world. In His prayer, Jesus commits His disciples and all future believers to the Father, asking that they may be united and sanctified in truth. He is then betrayed and arrested, questioned before the authorities, and denied by Peter.

Jesus washes His disciples' feet, demonstrating that greatness in His kingdom is expressed through humble service and love. During the Last Supper, He identifies Judas as His betrayer and gives His disciples a new commandment: to love one another as He has loved them. He comforts them with the promise of the Holy Spirit and teaches that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Through the picture of the vine and branches, Jesus emphasises the importance of abiding in Him, bearing fruit, and remaining in His love.

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, revealing His authority over death and declaring Himself the resurrection and the life. This miracle leads many to believe, but it also intensifies the religious leaders' determination to kill Him. Mary anoints Jesus in preparation for His burial, and Jesus enters Jerusalem to the praise of the crowds. He then speaks about His approaching death, explaining that a grain of wheat must fall into the ground and die to produce much fruit.

Jesus heals a man born blind, and the resulting controversy exposes the spiritual blindness of the religious leaders. The man comes to recognise and worship Jesus, while those who claim to see refuse to believe. Jesus then describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, calls them by name, and lays down His life for them. He promises that His sheep will receive eternal life and that no one can snatch them from His hand.

Jesus teaches during the Feast of Tabernacles, and people debate His identity and authority. He invites the thirsty to come to Him and receive living water, pointing to the Spirit. The religious leaders challenge Him, but Jesus declares that He is the Light of the World. He exposes the bondage of sin and teaches that true freedom comes through abiding in His word. The chapter culminates in His declaration, “Before Abraham was, I am,” revealing His divine identity.

Jesus heals a man who has been unable to walk for thirty-eight years, provoking conflict over the Sabbath. He explains His unique relationship with the Father and His authority to give life and judge. Jesus feeds five thousand people and walks on the sea, revealing His power. He then declares Himself the Bread of Life, teaching that true life comes through believing in Him and receiving what He offers, even as many struggle with His words.

Jesus tells Nicodemus that one must be born again, born of the Spirit, to enter God's kingdom, and reveals God's love in sending His Son to save the world. John the Baptist continues to point away from himself and toward Jesus. In Samaria, Jesus speaks with a woman at a well, revealing Himself as the source of living water and the Messiah. Many Samaritans believe, and Jesus later heals an official's son, showing that His word carries life-giving authority.

John opens by revealing Jesus as the eternal Word, who was with God and is God, and who became flesh to dwell among humanity. John the Baptist bears witness to Jesus as the Lamb of God, and Jesus calls His first disciples. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turns water into wine, revealing His glory. He then cleanses the temple, declaring that His body is the true temple, and points toward His death and resurrection.