Below are the block highlighted verses from John.
Bible texts below, as elsewhere in this site, and in the text Three Books, are taken from the NET Bible®. Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible®, copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1
Foretelling what Christ as “the Light” will accomplish on His journey into space-time
12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.
[Note: this verse number is not identified in the printed copy of Three Books, so it is not highlighted there].
Chapter 3
Jesus speaking to Nicodemus
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’
Jesus answering Nicodemus’ wonderment as to what “born again” (or “born from above”) means
14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”
16 For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19 Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.
Jesus’ closing claim to Nicodemus
36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.
Chapter 4
Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well
14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”
Jesus talking with His disciples who were in shock that He had been talking to a Samaritan woman
34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to complete his work.
Chapter 5
Jesus responds to the crowd seeking him after the miraculous feeding in Galilee
26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 27 Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”
Chapter 6
Jesus points the crowd away from their physical hunger, needs, even craving for free food, to their deeper and greater need for spiritual food that feeds a person’s innermost being
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe. 37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me—that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father—for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Jesus makes clear that no natural hunger, driven as it is by natural forces, is ever drawn toward true spiritual food. For a person to hunger for God’s food for the inner being, both the food and the inner hunger for it must come from God Himself.
44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. 46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God—he has seen the Father.) 47 I tell you the solemn truth, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person may eat from it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jesus claims that the food (“bread”) of His life gives and sustains eternal life.
58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Jesus now explains to His disciples why the crowds have departed: they were not then given the hunger for spiritual life.
63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) 65 So Jesus added, “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.”
Chapter 7
Jesus speaking to the crowds who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the religious feast celebration restoration.
37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 38 let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’”
Chapter 8
Jesus speaking to the Pharisees after they had sought to trap Him in judging the woman they had “caught” in adultery.
12 Then Jesus spoke out again, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Jesus telling the Pharisees, to their shock and horror, that it was they, not the woman they had “caught” who were under God’s judgment
24 Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
Jesus telling the Pharisees that the true freedom that they lacked required entry through the gateway of faith in Him
31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Jesus finally proclaims the message of eternal life to the Pharisees, who could only think of and react to thoughts of physical death
51 I tell you the solemn truth, if anyone obeys my teaching, he will never see death.”
Chapter 10
Jesus talks with His disciples, his core learner / followers.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. 14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus makes clear to His disciples that He is their source of absolutely secure and eternal life, and the true source of His being.
27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”
Chapter 11
Jesus talking with Lazarus’ sister, Martha, after His arrival after Lazarus’ death and before He raises Lazarus from the dead.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, 26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”
Chapter 12
Jesus speaks to Gentiles who had requested a meeting with Him shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which was just a few days prior to His crucifixion.
25 The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life.
These were Jesus’ final public words to the crowds gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover, which very symbolism, from the time of the Exodus, pointed to the substitutionary sacrifice that He, the very Lamb of God, was about to complete.
44 But Jesus shouted out, “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.
Chapter 13
Jesus is speaking to His 11 disciples in the upper room / last supper, preparing them for His death on the cross, and their new calling.
34 “I give you a new commandment—to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples—if you have love for one another.”
Chapter 14
Jesus is speaking to His 11 disciples in the upper room / last supper, preparing them for His death on the cross, and their new calling.
1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going away to make ready a place for you. 3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.
Jesus makes again His dramatic, and exclusive claim, here in anticipation of His substitutionary death on our behalf uniquely removing forever the barrier between us fallen children and God our Father.
6 Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus comforts His disciples with this message of the only peace that truly matters—our peace with God—which peace resides even in the midst of the tremendous trial they will undergo.
27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.
Chapter 15
Jesus instructs His disciples, and us, that our true life now is to be as intimate as branches are to the vine of which they are a part, and by which they are sustained.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.
Jesus now makes clear that God’s commandments are not the burden of the Mosaic Law—which no man had (until Christ) fulfilled. The new commandment is the expression of love.
9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 12 My commandment is this—to love one another just as I have loved you.
Jesus tells His disciples that as branches on a new vine, they will bear fruit, and do so in a loving relationship one with another.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 17 This I command you—to love one another.
Jesus warns His disciples that “the world” (that organized system of self-righteousness, and the worship of “me”) will not be a benign place for them: as it hated Christ, it will likewise hate them.
19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you do not belong to the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.
Jesus fortells that His disciples will have the Holy Spirit (“the Advocate”) who will continue to teach them, and that as the unique witnesses of Jesus’ public ministry will enable them to proclaim the message of the Gospel, as John has done in this book.
26 When the Advocate comes, whom I will send you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me, 27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Chapter 16
Jesus concludes His upper room discourse with His disciples with this message of peace, and and hope
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.”
Chapter 17
John has recorded Jesus’ prayer with God the Father as He prepares for the work of the cross, in which He is both the High Priest, and the sacrifice (“The Lamb of God”)
3 Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
Jesus so concludes His prayer to the Father.
26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”
Chapter 18
Jesus gives His final word to the Roman governor (Pontius Pilate), proclaiming that He had by being a blood Son of the line of David, King of the Jews, as well as the Prophet of God and High Priest on behalf of all men.
37 Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate asked, “What is truth?”
Chapter 19
Jesus completes His substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, ending (“Finished!”) with “sour wine,” connecting us to the “sweet wine” of His miracle at the wedding at Cana at the beginning of His ministry (John 3). We have now been joyously “wed” to Christ, but at a cost not humanly comprehensible.
30 When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Chapter 20
The resurrected Jesus now confirms the great message of Peace with God, and reaffirms the calling of His disciples.
21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.”
The words of the Apostle John, one of the 11 disciples who uniquely became Apostles, summarizing his inspired scope of writing the Gospel we have just read
31 But these are recorded so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Chapter 21
Jesus’ final resurrection appearance in John’s Gospel restores Peter (who had earlier, out of fear, denied knowing Jesus), by renewing Peter’s calling as being an under-shepherd to his the Shepherd (John 10), responsible to “feed” (disciple) Jesus’ “sheep” (those who would later be called by God to faith).
17 Jesus said a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.
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