Learning from 1 Peter – How to Shepherd the Flock

1 Peter 5:1-4 - “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

This passage provides guidelines for pastors and ministers.

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Learning from Isaiah 11 – Jesus, Banner for the Peoples

Isaiah 11:6-11 – “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. ⁷ The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸ The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. ⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.”

This chapter in Isaiah is a prophecy about the coming of Jesus Christ.  Isaiah lived about 700 years before Jesus came into the world.  He wrote more than any other Old Testament prophet about the coming of the Messiah.  Chapter 11 begins with a description of the sevenfold Spirit of God that would anoint the Messiah (that is, the “Christ”).  It then talks about the peace and harmony that will come when Jesus reigns on earth for 1000 years after His second coming.  When Jesus returns, there will be no more killing, disease, or death.

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Learning from John 18 – Jesus and Barabbas

John 18:38-40 – “What is truth?”  Pilate asked.  With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.  But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover.  Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?”

They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!”  Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

Pontus Pilate, the Roman Governor who presided over Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, had a custom of releasing a prisoner as a gesture of good will on the Passover, an important Jewish holiday.  On this occasion, he presented a choice to the crowds gathered outside the Governor’s Palace, letting them decide which of two prisoners he would release.  The choice was between Jesus and Barabbas, a Jewish rebel leader and murderer.  The people chose Barabbas, exactly as Pilate expected.

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Learning from John 15 – Jesus Is The Vine

John 15:1-6 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.

In John 15, Jesus describes himself as the VINE, and explains that we are branches of the Vine (that is, of Him). The teachings in this passage took place at the Last Supper, the night they arrested Jesus and took him away to his trial. What is the meaning of the statement that Jesus is the Vine?

Jesus uses the image of the Vine and branches to make four basic points about our salvation:

1) God expects and requires that we are spiritually fruitful

2) Close connection – we “remain in him” and he “remains in us,” sharing the same spiritual life and sustenance from eternity, in the same way that a vine and its branches share the same life and are part of the same organism

3) Absolute dependence – we can accomplish nothing (fruit) on our own, but only through our close connection with Him

4) If we lose our close connection with him, there are dire consequences – lack of fruit, and eventually, permanent severance and judgment.

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Learning from John 13 – Washing Their Feet

John 13:5-10 – After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to 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.”

“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”

Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”

“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”

Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean.”

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Learning from John 11 – Raising Lazarus

John 11:38-44 – Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. “Take away the stone,” he said.

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”  Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone…

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Learning from John 10 – Jesus Gives Us Abundant Life

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

God’s plan for his people is for them to have abundant life. He challenges us to give Him the opportunity for this by putting Him first, before everything else in our lives. God does not ask us to ignore or neglect our families, or jobs, or personal needs. He only asks that we put Him first, and then attend to these other things. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well.”

Abundant life includes two types of “abundance.”   There is material abundance and spiritual abundance. The second type is much more important, but many churches unfortunately focus on material abundance instead.

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Learning from John 9 – Jesus Heals the Blind Man

John 9:1-11 – As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “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 work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means Sent).  So the man went and washed, and came home seeing…

[We did not cover this passage in our meetings - these notes are to help "fill in the gaps" for those who are reviewing the chapters from the Gospel of John on their own or with their families between our meetings.]

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Learning from John 8 – Jesus is the Light of the World

John 8:12 – When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This story takes place during Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. This was either on the last day of the festival (see John 7:37), or the next day (see John 7:53-8:2).

“I am the Light” – This is a main theme of the Gospel of John (review John 1:4-9; John 3:19-21; John 11:9-10; John 12:35-36; John 12:46). Jesus is not talking about physical light, but rather spiritual light. In Genesis 1:3, “light” existed for three days before the creation of the sun itself (Genesis 1:16-18). Spiritual light is part of God’s essence – revelation, truth, and clarity..

What is the meaning of the statement, “I am the Light”? How do we define God’s light? We can make five points here. By analogy, physical light 1) enables us to see; 2) enables us to “be seen”; 3) it enables us to walk straight ahead; 4) it gives life – it is essential for life; and 5) light is how people have always marked out time – hours, days, months, and years.

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Learning from John 8 – Jesus Wrote on the Ground with His Finger

John 8:6 – “Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger…”

[Note: We did not cover this section of John 8 in our meeting due to time constraints; but I included this explanation here for those wanting to review the chapter as a whole before we move forward in the Gospel of John]

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