As I write this, it is the start of Lent 2026, and I am reading the Gospel of John. The greatness of this Gospel comes from the aged John writing to tell that Jesus is the Son of God. After I accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, I was encouraged to read three chapters of John a day, which would take a week. This could have been to make a strong beginning, and I would not be weak in my walk with the Lord. One Christian school I taught at, it was pretty common if you got a surprise devotion to do you would open to the Book of John. Its contents are so good you could always find something important to talk about.

Lent is a time of reflection before Easter to focus on Jesus and what He did for you. It is not found in the Bible, but it is a good practice and tradition. Please count and check up on this statement: it is 47 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter. But Lent is 40 days of fasting and penitence! My friends in college pointed out to me that Sundays “did not count” and they could drink alcohol on that day. Actually, (No, we were not saved.) Sunday was already a day of obligation, but they justified it as not being part of the fasting period. They should have become lawyers, but they were not in a pre-law major.

Okay, another “homework” or study for you. Most of the focus of the Gospels is on Jesus’ “last year” before His ride into Jerusalem and much of that is filled with what happened after that ride or the time leading up to Passover, the Resurrection, and the Ascension. I begin this action filled period with the feeding of the 5,000. The intensity really heats up after the Transfiguration in Matthew 17. I guess Matthew, Mark, and Luke did such a great job talking about the Transfiguration that John does not include it in his telling of the story. Compare how much of the gospel is written after the feeding of the 5,000 to before it.

Back to John. His “last year” starts in Chapter 6 (out of 21) and I want to point out some important Jewish feast in John’s chapters. 7:2 is about the Feast of Tabernacles, which is in the seventh month (Jewish calendar). Chapter 10:22 is the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, which is in the winter months in Israel. John 11:54 and Matthew 19:1 put Jesus on the east bank of the Jordan River, where He is waiting for Passover (first month in the Jewish calendar). This timing and location have important historical events that are part of the song of redemption for Israel and us:

• Joshua and Israel crossing at Passover to take the Land. Joshua 3 and 4.
• David crossing, after Absalom’s rebellion, for his triumphant ride in to Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 19.
• Elijah and Elisha crossings during a change in prophets. 2 Kings 2.

People and their actions and reactions to Jesus, His words, and the miracles are what caught my attention for this post. The Twelve, His friends, the crowds, the Jews, the chief priest(s), and the Pharisees all have dialogue and drama because of Jesus in the Chapters of John. John 6:70, the trigger verse, comes after two important miracles: feeding the 5,000 and walking on water. He chose the Twelve and one was a devil is my basic translation. Devil or diabolos is Strong’s G 1228 and can refer to someone devil-like or a slanderer; demon is daimonion δαιμόνιον | Free Online Greek Dictionary | billmounce.com. John adds a personal footnote here but records no reactions from the men; contrast this to the reaction at supper when He uses the term betrayer. Jesus makes this announcement again in John 13:10 and 18, verse 11 is another footnote; again, John records no reaction from the men.

Personal thought – The Gospels are narratives and include “private” thoughts and conversations from meetings. How did John know what the Pharisees and chief priests were talking about? The first answer might be, the Holy Spirit revealed it to him and the other writers; there is a precedent for that with Elisha, and I believe that could have happened. For this thought, however, I will go to John and Luke for the source of this material. Luke records in Acts that priests and Pharisees were obedient to the faith and John talks about leaders believing, especially Joseph and Nicodemus. (See John 19:38+39.) This is where the private information probably came from.

Another sorrow-causing example. John 7:3 tells of Jesus’ brothers mocking Him about being famous. They had already tried to collect Jesus because they thought He was crazy. Jesus’ circle of family and friends provided some painful times for Him. John the Baptist sent disciples with questions, all the disciples ran away in the Garden, and Peter, the rock, denied Him; these could not have been good moments for Jesus.

Isaiah 53 predicts Jesus to be “a man of sorrow and acquainted with pain”. Normally, this is thought of starting in the Garden, they were there. But Jesus carried many painful moments with Him before His ride into Jerusalem and all the way to the cross.

The Good News is Jesus forgave His family and friends and even the Pharisees and priest who choose to have faith in Him. That mercy and grace extend to us today when we have doubts and fears. So, if Jesus can forgive a hater like Saul of Tarsus and make him Paul the Messenger to us, you can have hope that this Jesus thing works.

John wrote about miracles so we could believe in the name/power of Jesus the Messiah the Son of God. John also recorded why Jesus came, the people, he penned many examples of why we need to make Jesus Lord.