The Complete Story of The Book of John Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

What if I told you that the story of Jesus does not start in a manger in Bethlehem? It does not start with shepherds, a star, or wise men. The Gospel of John takes us back much further than history. It takes us back to eternity. It pulls back the curtain on the universe before the stars were born. The other Gospels tell us what Jesus did, but John tells us who Jesus is. It begins with a sentence that is simple enough for a child to read, but deep enough to study for a lifetime. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This Word is Jesus. He is the logic, the power, and the mind behind everything that exists. John wants us to understand that the man who walked on dusty roads is the same God who created the galaxies. Through Him, all things were made. Without Him, nothing was made that has been made. Imagine the Creator of the universe stepping down into His own creation. He did not come as a spirit or a ghost. He became a human being. He felt the cold wind, the hunger in His stomach, and the touch of a friend. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Why did He do this? He came to bring light into a dark world. John writes that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Before the Messiah revealed Himself, God sent a man to prepare the way. His name was John the Baptist. He was not a king in a palace. He was a rugged man living in the wilderness. He baptized people in the Jordan River, calling them to turn away from their sins. The religious leaders sent priests to ask Him, Who are You? They wanted to know if He was the Messiah. But John the Baptist knew His place. He was not the light. He was just a witness to the light. He called himself a voice crying out in the desert. One day, John looked up and saw Jesus coming toward him. In that moment, he spoke the words that revealed the mission of Jesus. Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This was a shocking statement. For centuries, the Jewish people had sacrificed lambs to cover their sins. Now, John was saying that this man was the final sacrifice. Jesus would not just cover sin. He would take it away completely. The next day, two of John's disciples decided to follow Jesus. One of them was Andrew. He was so convinced that he ran to find his brother Simon to tell him the news. We have found the Messiah. When Jesus met Simon, He gave him a new name. He called him Cephas, which means Peter or Rock. Jesus was already building the foundation of His church. The next day, Jesus found Philip and said to him, Follow me. Philip then found Nathanael. Nathanael was skeptical. He asked if anything good could come from a small town like Nazareth. Philip simply replied, Come and see. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He told Nathanael that he saw him sitting under the fig tree before Philip called him. Nathanael was amazed because no one could have known that. He declared, Rabbi, you are the son of God. Jesus replied, You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that. Three days later, there was a wedding in the village of Cana. Jesus, His mother Mary, and His disciples were invited. In those days, a wedding was a massive celebration that lasted for days. But something went wrong. The wine ran out. This was a shameful social disaster for the groom's family. Mary turned to Jesus and said, They have no wine. Jesus saw six stone water jars standing nearby. These were used for ceremonial washing. Each one held 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus told the servants, Fill the jars with water. They filled them to the brim. Then He told them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. Somewhere between the jar and the cup, a miracle happened. The plain water turned into rich, delicious wine. The master of the banquet tasted it and was astonished. He told the bridegroom, Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best till now. This was the first sign Jesus performed. It showed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him. It showed that Jesus brings joy, abundance, and transformation. Jesus then traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover. He went to the temple courts, which should have been a place of prayer. Instead, He found a marketplace. Men were selling cattle, sheep, and doves. Others were sitting at tables exchanging money. Jesus made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. Get these out of here. Stop turning my father's house into a market. His disciples remembered the scripture that said, Zeal for your house will consume me. The religious leaders were angry and asked for a sign to prove His authority. Jesus answered them, Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days. They thought He was talking about the building which took 46 years to build. But the temple He had spoken of was His body. He was predicting His own death and resurrection. Among the religious leaders, there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He saw the signs Jesus was doing and knew God must be with him. But Nicodemus was afraid of what others might think. So he came to visit Jesus at night. Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him. Jesus did not focus on the compliments. He focused on Nicodemus' soul. Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. Nicodemus was confused. He asked, How can someone be born when they are old? He was thinking about physical birth. But Jesus explained that He was talking about a spiritual rebirth. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the spirit gives birth to spirit. In this quiet conversation, Jesus spoke the most famous words in the entire Bible. He summarized the gospel in one sentence. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Jesus explained that He did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it through Him. Jesus left Judea to go back to Galilee. He had to go through Samaria. The Jews and Samaritans hated each other and refused to associate. Tired from His journey, Jesus sat down by Jacob's well. It was noon, the hottest part of the day. A Samaritan woman came to draw water. She came alone at noon, likely to avoid the judgment of the other women in the town. Jesus broke all social rules by speaking to her. Will you give me a drink? The woman was shocked. She asked, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, The woman was curious. She wanted this water so she would never be thirsty again. But Jesus gently exposed her broken life. He told her to go call her husband. I have no husband, she replied. Jesus said to her, You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is you have had five husbands and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have said is quite true. She realized he was a prophet. She tried to change the subject to religion, asking where the proper place to worship was. Jesus told her that a time is coming when true worshipers will worship the Father in the spirit and in truth. Then the woman mentioned the Messiah. Jesus looked at her and revealed his identity clearly. I, the one speaking to you, I am he. She left her water jar and ran back to the town. She told everyone, Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah? Because of her testimony, many Samaritans believed in him. If this message is clear to you, hit subscribe. May the Lord draw us closer to him. God bless you. When Jesus returned to Cana, a royal official came to him. His son was sick and close to death in Capernaum, which was miles away. The father begged Jesus to come and heal his son. Jesus simply told him, Go, your son will live. The man took Jesus at his word and departed. While he was still on his way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. The father asked what time the boy got better. They said, Yesterday at one in the afternoon, the fever left him. The father realized that was the exact time Jesus had spoken the words. He and his entire household believed. This showed that Jesus' power is not limited by distance. Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. There was a pool called Bethesda where many disabled people lay. The blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. One man had been there for 38 years. Jesus asked him, Do you want to get well? The man explained that he had no one to help him into the pool when the water was stirred. Jesus did not help him into the water. Instead, he spoke a command, Get up, pick up your mat and walk. At once, the man was cured. He picked up his mat and walked. But this happened on a Sabbath day. The Jewish leaders saw the man carrying his mat and told him it was against the law. When they found out Jesus healed him, they began to persecute Jesus. Jesus answered them, My father is always at his work to this very day and I too am working. This made the leaders even angrier because he was calling God his own father, making himself equal with God. Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee. A great crowd followed him. It was near the time of the Jewish Passover. Jesus saw the crowd and asked Philip where they could buy bread for all these people. Andrew spoke up, Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many? Jesus had the people sit down on the grass. There were about 5,000 men, not counting women and children. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them. He did the same with the fish. Everyone ate as much as they wanted. When they were full, Jesus said, Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. They filled 12 baskets with the leftovers. That evening, the disciples got into a boat to cross the lake. A strong wind began to blow and the waters grew rough. Suddenly, they saw Jesus walking on the water approaching the boat. They were terrified, but he said to them, It is I. Don't be afraid. The next day, the crowd found Jesus on the other side. They wanted more food, but Jesus challenged them. He told them not to work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life. Then Jesus made a bold declaration, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. Many of his followers found this teaching too hard and turned back. Jesus asked the 12 disciples, You do not want to leave too, do you? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Jesus went to Jerusalem for the festival of tabernacles. The religious leaders were trying to arrest him, but his time had not yet come. Jesus stood up in the temple courts and taught. He declared, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. The Pharisees challenged his testimony. A heated debate followed. Jesus told them that they were from below, but he was from above. He told them that if they held to his teaching, they would know the truth, and the truth would set them free. The argument escalated until the religious leaders claimed Abraham as their father. Jesus told them, Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad. You are not yet 50 years old, they said to him, and you have seen Abraham. Very truly, I tell you, Jesus answered. Before Abraham was born, I am. By using the title, I am, Jesus was claiming the very name of God. They picked up stones to kill him, but he hid himself and slipped away. As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind? Neither this man nor his parents sinned, said Jesus, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. He told him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. The man went and washed, and he came home seeing. The neighbors were astonished. They brought the man to the Pharisees. Because Jesus had made mud on the Sabbath, the Pharisees claimed Jesus was a sinner. They interrogated the man and his parents. The man replied, Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know, I was blind, but now I see. The man eventually concluded that Jesus must be from God. The Pharisees were furious and threw him out of the synagogue. Jesus heard this and found the man. The man believed in Jesus and worshipped him. Jesus used a picture from everyday life to explain his love. He described a sheep pen. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. But Jesus has a different purpose. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. Then he said something just as bold. I am the gate for the sheep. He continued, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He explained that he has other sheep that are not of this sheep pen, referring to the Gentiles, and that he must bring them also. There will be one flock and one shepherd. The story now takes us to the village of Bethany, just a short walk from Jerusalem. Here lived a family that was very close to Jesus. Two sisters, Mary and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus. These were not just acquaintances. They were his dear friends. But a crisis struck this home. Lazarus became dangerously sick. The sisters did what any of us would do in a time of desperation. They sent a messenger to Jesus. They did not even ask him to come. They simply stated the problem, trusting in his love. The message was short and heartbreaking. Lord, the one you love is sick. When Jesus heard this, his response was puzzling. He did not panic. He did not rush to pack his bags. Instead, he made a strange declaration. This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory, so that God's Son may be glorified through it. Then, the Gospel of John tells us something that seems to contradict itself. It says that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was for two more days. Imagine the confusion of the disciples. Imagine the agony of the sisters, watching the road, waiting for Jesus to arrive, only to see the sun set day after day without him. Why would he wait? In our human understanding, love means rushing to help. But Jesus was operating on a different timeline. He was not just planning a healing. He was planning a revelation that would shake the foundations of death itself. Finally, after two days, Jesus told his disciples, let us go back to Judea. The disciples were terrified. They reminded Jesus that the religious leaders there had just tried to stone him. Going back was a death sentence. But Jesus was determined. He told them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. Thomas, often remembered for his doubt, showed incredible bravery here. He looked at the other disciples and said, let us also go, that we may die with him. When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, the worst had happened. Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. This detail is crucial. In the Jewish tradition of that time, there was a belief that the spirit of a person might hover near the body for three days. But by the fourth day, hope was gone. Decomposition had begun. The situation was completely irreversible. Martha, always the active one, heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him, while Mary stayed at the house sitting in grief. Martha said to Jesus what must have been playing in her mind over and over again. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. This was not just a statement of fact. It was a cry of pain. Yet even in her grief, she held on to a glimmer of faith. She told Jesus she knew God would give him whatever he asked. Jesus looked at her and promised, your brother will rise again. Martha thought he was talking about the distant future, about the final resurrection at the end of time. But Jesus stopped her. He wanted her to understand that the resurrection was not just an event on a calendar. It was a person standing right in front of her. He spoke the fifth and perhaps most powerful I am statement in the gospel. I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even though they die. And whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? Martha made a bold confession of faith, calling him the Messiah, and then went to get her sister. Mary came running and fell at Jesus's feet. She wept, repeating the same words her sister had said. Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. We often think of God as distant or unemotional, but here we see the heart of God breaking for his friends. He asked where they had laid him. Then we find the shortest verse in the entire Bible and one of the most profound. Jesus wept. He knew he was about to raise Lazarus. He knew the joy that was coming, yet he still stopped to cry. He entered into their suffering. He felt the sting of death that has plagued humanity since the beginning. The people watching said, see how he loved him. Jesus, still groaning in spirit, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. He gave a command that shocked everyone. Take away the stone. Martha, ever practical, protested. She warned him that by now there would be a bad smell, for he had been dead for four days. She was trying to protect the dignity of her brother and the feelings of everyone present. But Jesus looked at her and reminded her of his promise. Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. A hush must have fallen over the crowd. The dark, gaping mouth of the cave was open. Jesus looked up to heaven. He did not pray for power. He prayed for the benefit of the people watching, so they would know that the Father had sent him. Then Jesus called in a loud voice. He did not whisper. He shouted into the jaws of death. Lazarus, come out! Imagine the tension in that moment, the silence, and then movement in the darkness. The dead man came out. He was shuffling, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and a cloth around his face. He was alive. Jesus said to them, take off the grave clothes and let him go. This was not a magic trick. This was the Creator commanding his creation. He reversed the process of death. This miracle was undeniable. Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. However, this great act of life set the wheels of death in motion for Jesus. Some of the witnesses went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. The high priest, Caiaphas, and the council met in fear. They realized that if they let him go on like this, everyone would believe in him and the Romans would come and take away their nation. From that day on, they plotted to take his life. The raising of Lazarus is the turning point in the Gospel of John. It shows us that Jesus has the ultimate authority over life and death, but it also shows us the cost. To give Lazarus his life back, Jesus would soon have to give up his own. The sun had set and the darkness was gathering over Jerusalem. It was the night before the Passover, the most sacred night of the Jewish year. Jesus knew that his hour had come. He knew that he was about to leave this world and go to the Father. But before he faced the cross, he wanted to show his disciples the full extent of his love. They gathered in a furnished upper room to share their last meal together. The atmosphere should have been solemn, but there was an undercurrent of tension. The disciples were still concerned with status and who was the most important among them. In that culture, the job of washing the dust off guests' feet belonged to the lowest servant in the house. But there was no servant present and none of the disciples were willing to lower themselves to do it. Then Jesus did the unthinkable. The creator of the universe stood up from the meal. He took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist. He poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel. The room must have fallen into a stunned silence. The silence broke when Jesus came to Simon Peter. Peter was horrified to see his master kneeling before him. Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus replied, You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand. Peter, in his pride, refused. No, said Peter, you shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Peter, realizing that this washing symbolized a relationship with Jesus, immediately swung to the other extreme, asking Jesus to wash his hands and head as well. But Jesus told him that he was already clean. He only needed his feet washed. When Jesus finished, he put his clothes back on and returned to his place. He looked at them and asked, Do you understand what I have done for you? He was teaching them that in his kingdom the leader is the one who serves. Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. But the intimacy of the evening was pierced by a dark reality. Jesus was troubled in spirit. He revealed that one of the men eating with him was going to betray him. He dipped a piece of bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, What you are about to do, do quickly. Judas went out into the night. With the betrayer gone, Jesus could now speak freely to his true family. He gave them a legacy, a rule of life that would define the church forever. A new command I give you, love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. After Judas left, the mood in the room shifted to fear. Jesus told them plainly that he was going away and they could not follow him yet. Peter asked why he could not follow, declaring he would lay down his life for Jesus. But Jesus predicted that before the rooster crowed, Peter would deny him three times. Seeing the panic in their eyes, Jesus spoke words of profound comfort. He needed them to trust him even when everything seemed to be falling apart. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe also in me. My father's house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? He promised that he would come back to take them to be with him. He told them they knew the way to the place he was going. But Thomas, honest and confused, spoke up. Lord, we don't know where you are going. So how can we know the way? Thomas was looking for a map, but Jesus pointed to himself. He gave the sixth great I am statement of the gospel. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. This was a claim of exclusivity and divinity. Jesus is not just one of many paths to God. He is the only path. Philip then asked Jesus to show them the Father. Jesus replied with a stunning revelation of his identity. Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. He wanted them to understand that God is not a distant faceless force. If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Jesus knew that the disciples felt abandoned. He was leaving, and they felt like orphans. But Jesus promised them that his departure was actually a good thing. If he stayed, he could only be in one place at a time. But if he went to the Father, he would send a helper who could be with them everywhere. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the Spirit of Truth. This advocate is the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that the world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knows him. But the disciples know him, for he lives with them and will be in them. This was a revolutionary teaching. God would no longer dwell in a temple made of stone. He would dwell inside the hearts of his people. Jesus explained that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things and remind them of everything Jesus had said. He also left them with a gift that the world could never give. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. But Jesus was also honest about the future. He warned them that the world would hate them just as it hated him. He told them that they would have trouble. He compared their coming sorrow to a woman in labor. The pain is intense and real, but it is temporary and it leads to new life. I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world. As they prepared to leave the upper room, Jesus gave them one final powerful metaphor to explain how they were to survive and thrive without his physical presence. He likely passed by the vineyards that grew around Jerusalem or perhaps he pointed to the fruit of the vine on the table. He said, I am the true vine and my father is the gardener. This is the seventh and final I am statement. He explained that a branch cannot produce fruit by itself. It must remain attached to the vine. In the same way, the disciples could do nothing of spiritual value unless they remained connected to him. I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. The key word here is remain or abide. It means to make your home in him, to stay connected through prayer, obedience and love. If a branch is broken off, it withers and is thrown into the fire. But if it stays connected, the life of the vine flows through it, producing grapes. Jesus defined this fruit as love. He repeated his command to love one another, but this time he defined what that love looks like. It is sacrificial. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. He told them that he no longer called them servants because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, he called them friends. He chose them and appointed them to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. After finishing his teaching, Jesus did not look at the disciples. He looked toward heaven. The Gospel of John records this long intimate conversation between the son and the father. It is often called the high priestly prayer because Jesus stands in the gap for his people. First, Jesus prayed for himself. He knew the cross was waiting. Father, the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son may glorify you. He did not ask to escape the pain. He asked that through his death, the true character and love of God would be revealed to the world. Next, he prayed for his disciples. He knew he was leaving them in a hostile world. He did not ask God to take them out of the world, but to protect them from the evil one. He prayed that they would be sanctified or set apart by the truth. Sanctify them by the truth. Your word is truth. Finally, Jesus did something extraordinary. He looked down the corridor of time and prayed for you. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. His greatest desire for his future followers was unity. He prayed that we would be brought to complete unity so that the world would know that God sent Jesus and loves them. He closed his prayer with a declaration of love and a promise of his presence. I have made you known to them and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them. With this prayer finished, Jesus had completed his ministry of teaching. Now he was ready to face the sacrifice. He crossed the Kidron Valley with his disciples and entered an olive grove where the betrayal awaited. Judas knew the place. He arrived with a detachment of soldiers carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, Who is it you want? Jesus of Nazareth, they replied. I am he, Jesus said. When Jesus said, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground. Even in his arrest, Jesus was in control. He allowed them to bind him. They took him to the high priest and Peter followed at a distance. It was cold, so Peter stood with the servants and officials around a fire. While standing there, Peter was asked three times if he was one of Jesus' disciples. Three times, Peter denied it, saying, I am not. At that moment, a rooster crowed. Jesus was then taken to the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. Facing the prisoner, he asked, Are you the king of the Jews? Jesus said, My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now, my kingdom is from another place. What is truth? The governor asked. He found no basis for a charge against Jesus. He offered to release him according to the custom. But the crowd shouted back, No, not him. Give us Barabbas. Barabbas was a revolutionary. Pilate then had Jesus flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the Jews. Although he tried to free him, the leaders shouted, Crucify, crucify. Finally, the Roman ruler handed him over to be crucified. Jesus carried his own cross to a place called the Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him with two others. A notice was prepared and fastened to the cross. It read, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. When Jesus saw her there and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, Woman, here is your son. And to the disciple, Here is your mother. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, Jesus said, I am thirsty. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it and lifted it to his lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, It is finished. With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. It was the day of preparation for the Sabbath. The soldiers came to break the legs of the men to hasten their death. But when they came to Jesus, they found he was already dead. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus' body. They wrapped it in spices and strips of linen and laid it in a new tomb in a nearby garden. Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. She ran to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple, John. They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him. Peter and John ran to the tomb. John arrived first but did not go in. Peter arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. John also went inside. He saw and believed. They went back to where they were staying. But Mary stood outside the tomb crying. She turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was him. Woman, he said, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for? Thinking he was the gardener, she said, Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him. Jesus said to her, Mary. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, Rabboni, which means teacher. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news. I have seen the Lord. On the evening of that first day of the week, the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them. Peace be with you. He showed them his hands and sighed. The disciples were overjoyed. Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When they told him, he said, Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. A week later, his disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them. He said to Thomas, Put your finger here, see my hands, reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, My Lord and my God. Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again by the Sea of Galilee. Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel and others were there. Peter said, I'm going out to fish. And they all went with him. They fished all night but caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize it was Jesus. He called out to them, Friends, haven't you any fish? No, they answered. He said, Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some. When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. John said to Peter, It is the Lord. Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it and some bread. Jesus said to them, Come and have breakfast. After breakfast, Jesus reinstated Peter. Peter had denied Jesus three times by a charcoal fire. Now by a charcoal fire, Jesus asked him three questions. Simon, son of John, do you love me? Yes, Lord, he said. You know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my lambs. Again, Jesus said, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep. The third time he said to him, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time. He said, Lord, you know all things. You know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep. Jesus then said to Peter, Follow me. John concludes his gospel by telling us the reason he wrote down these specific signs. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John testifies that if every one of the things Jesus did were written down, even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. This is the story of the Word who became flesh, the light who conquered darkness, and the Lamb who took away the sin of the world. It is an invitation for you to believe and to find life in him.