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Bible Study resources for the Gospel of John, to help individuals and small groups explore how the Bible applies to life today: background, commentary, questions. John Additional passages of the Gospel of John will be added approximately once a week, after I test-drive them with my Bible Study group and refine them. John 1:1-18 In the beginning, the Word was with God and was God, yet he chose to come and live among us. His life is the light that enlightens us, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:10-18 (Continuation of John 1:1-18) When John says the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he is talking about Jesus, the only Son of the Father. Jesus invites us to be sons and daughters of God also. Introduction to John The Gospel of John shows us Jesus Christ, who is both God and man and Son of the Father. It provides spiritual insights that go beyond what the other Gospels have, so that we can believe and have life. John 1:19-34 The religious authorities want to know who John the Baptist is. John is more interested in identifying who Jesus is. That's the central question for us, too. John 1:35-51 As Jesus gathers disciples, they try to decide who he is. He invites them to “Come and see.” Jesus says that to us, too. What is he inviting you to see right now? John 2:1-12 At the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus turns water into wine. It is far more than a miracle; it is a sign that God is present, calling us to “Do whatever he tells you.” John 2:13-25 Jesus cleanses the Temple, removing the sacrificial lambs he will one day take the place of. Where do we need his cleansing in the “temple” of our own life? John 3:1-15 Jesus tells us we need to be born again/from above in order to enter his kingdom. What does this mean, and what might our life look like if we are born from above? John 3:16-21 God loves us with an incomprehensibly immense love. But he doesn’t force us to accept it. People can choose to live in the darkness without him. John 3:22-36 John the Baptist sees from God’s perspective and provides a role model for avoiding jealousy. How can we allow Jesus to increase in our lives? John 4:1-42 Jesus helps the Samaritan woman sort out some religious questions and come to faith in him. How do we move from know about God to having faith in him? John 4:27-42 (Continuation of John 4:1-42) The fields are ripe for harvest. What can we learn from the Samaritan woman and Jesus about how to tell others about Jesus? John 4:43-54 Jesus’s word was enough for the royal official. How much faith do you place in Jesus’s word? John 5:1-9 Jesus told the paralytic man to “Arise, take up your mat, and walk.” Where is Jesus calling you to take a step of faith right now? John 5:8-18 Jesus gets in trouble for healing a man on the Sabbath. No one seems to care that God has done a marvelous deed. In what ways do we miss what God is doing by being too focused on rules and protocol? John 5:19-47 Jesus provides evidence that he comes from the Father and challenges the religious leaders to search the Scriptures to find him. How eagerly do we search the Scriptures and accept what he says? John 6:1-15 Jesus feeds a multitude by multiplying loaves of bread. The people miss the point. How are we vulnerable to missing the point of what God is trying to do? John 6:16-21 Jesus spends time alone, leaving the disciples to get across the lake without him. When he walks on the water and joins them, they reach their destination. How do we handle the times when we don’t feel his presence? John 6:22-33 The work of God is that we believe in Jesus. How can we treat believing as an action that brings us into relationship with the person Jesus? John 6:34-47 When Jesus says that he is the Bread of Life, some people grumble. Jesus calls us to believe him and have eternal life. How might grumbling undermine our faith? John 6:48-59 Jesus tells us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. How does your celebration of the Lord’s Supper/Eucharist/Holy Communion reflect this teaching? John 6:60-71 Some disciples leave Jesus. Peter says, “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” How is your life built on that kind of commitment to Jesus? John 7:1-13 Jesus had a clear awareness of his overall mission and when was the right moment for specific actions, and he did not let any temptations get in the way. How can you cultivate your sense of God’s timing and avoid temptations that might keep you from your mission? John 7:14-53 Jesus offers rivers of living water, referring to the Holy Spirit. Some believe in him, some have questions, and some reject him. How can you let the Holy Spirit flow more fully through you? John 8:1-11 Some men asked Jesus if would support the execution of a woman caught in adultery. Jesus’s response models mercy and does not support executing people. Can we embrace his approach? John 8:12-30 Jesus is the light of the world who gives us the light of life so that we do not have to walk in darkness. To know him is to know the Father. How can we embrace Jesus as the light of our lives and keep knowing him better? John 8:31-59 Jesus tells us to abide in his word and know the truth, which will set us free. He tells the religious leaders who relied on the fact that they were children of Abraham: “Before Abraham was, I AM.” How can we abide in him, know the truth, and allow him to set us free? John 9:1-41 Jesus illustrates that he is the light of the world as he heals a blind man and addresses the spiritual blindness of those who reject his work. How can we embrace Jesus’s light? John 10:1-21 Jesus is the Good Shepherd who provides for his sheep and lays down his life for his sheep. How does Jesus act as a good shepherd in your life? John 10:22-42 Jesus says, “My sheep follow me.” We are his sheep. How do we follow him? Jesus says, “I and the Father are one.” Why is that important? John 11:1-44 Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. How does he want to give new life to you, and how can you receive it? John 11:45-57 The chief priests decide that the only way to save their nation is to kill Jesus. It is easy to decide to use sinful means to achieve what we think are good ends. How can we avoid that trap? John 13:1-20 Jesus asks us to take a towel and wash each other’s feet. He modeled it first and then told us to do the same. Where is the towel that is waiting for you? John 13:21-38 Betrayal and an impending denial surround Jesus’s command to love one another. Can we love even when it is hard, as Jesus did? John 14:1-14 Jesus is the way to the Father. When we see him, we see the Father because he and the Father are one. He empowers us to do great things so that God will be glorified. How can you be like Jesus? John 14:15-24 Jesus links 3 things that we sometimes treat as separate: loving Jesus, keeping his commandments, and having the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. How can we welcome his presence within us to help us love him more and keep his commandments more readily? John 14:25-31 Jesus gives us a peace the world cannot give, a peace that quiets our troubled hearts and overcomes our fears. Nothing has power over him. How can you rest in his peace? John 15:1-17 Jesus speaks almost simultaneously about abiding in him and loving one another – the interior life and the exterior life. How are they related? How can you both abide him and bear his fruit in how you love others? John 17:1-19 Jesus prays for the disciples, asking the Father to consecrate them as he sends them out into the world. We, too, are called to be set apart or consecrated for the work he has for us. How well do we recognize and respond to our calling? John 20:1-18 The disciples don’t understand the Resurrection at first. Why is it so central to the Christian faith? John 20:19-31 Jesus appears to the disciples, imparts the Holy Spirit to them, commissions them, and gives special attention to Thomas’s need to see him. What do you need to hear from the risen Lord? John - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of John. Image at top by Travis Emmett, provided by Unsplash via Wix.

Jesus speaks almost simultaneously about abiding in him and loving one another – the interior life and the exterior life. How are they related? How can you both abide him and bear his fruit in how you love others? [John 15:1-10; 15:11-17] Previous Next John List John 15:1-17 Jesus speaks almost simultaneously about abiding in him and loving one another – the interior life and the exterior life. How are they related? How can you both abide him and bear his fruit in how you love others? A grapevine at Gikas Winery, Spata, Greece. Photo by Tom Faletti, 3 Nov. 2023. Tom Faletti June 7, 2026 John 15:1-11 I am the vine; abide in me The Greek word menó is central to this passage. It means to abide, to remain, to stay, to live or dwell somewhere. The most common translations are to “remain” or “abide,” although to “stay” or “dwell’ also communicate the key connotation that you are continuing “in” a particular place or position – in this case, in a particular Someone and his love. Jesus uses this word 6 times in verses 4 through 7, urging us to abide in himself. He also uses it once in verse 7, calling on us to let his words stay in us, and 3 times in verses 9-10, telling us to remain in his love. To introduce us to the concept of abiding or remaining in him, Jesus gives us an image of a branch of a vine, which needs to remain attached to the vine to stay alive. What does that image tell us about what it means to “remain” or “abide” in him? The word “abide,” or “remain,” always implies a place: you abide or remain somewhere . Where does Jesus want us to remain or abide? In verse 1, Jesus says that he is the “true” vine. He may be using the word “true” to distinguish himself from Old Testament uses of that metaphor. In the Old Testament, Israel is described as God’s vineyard (Is. 5:1-7; Is. 27:2-6; Jer. 12:10-12) and God’s vine (Ps. 80:8-16 [80:9-17 in the NABRE]; Jer. 2:21). Now, Jesus says that he is God’s vine, the one and only vine in God’s vineyard. In what ways is Jesus the “true” vine? Israel was an imperfect and fickle vine – the people and their leaders did not stay true to their commitment God. Jesus can be counted on forever, and we can find life in him and through him forever. In verse 1, Jesus says that his Father is the vine-grower or vinedresser. He is referring to the kind of farmer who cultivates a grapevine, tends it, waters it, and prunes it. How is God the Father like a vine-grower? In what ways is this metaphor of the vine and branches appropriate for us? How is Jesus like a vine, and how are we like his branches? In verse 4, Jesus says, “Abide in me.” What does it mean to abide “in” Jesus? Why is that word “in” so important? How do you picture yourself abiding in Jesus? What image do you have in your mind as a symbol or picture of abiding in him? What do you do to help yourself to continue to abide in Jesus? There are many things we can do: prayer, Bible study, praise, gratitude, service, united our sufferings with his, sacrificing ourselves for others with a conscience focus on staying connected to Jesus. Our participation in Holy Communion is also a way to abide in Jesus. The same word “abide” that Jesus uses here, at the Last Supper, he also uses in the Bread of Life discourse in John 6:56, where he says, “The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” This suggests that our sharing in the Eucharist/the Lord’s Supper can help us to abide in him. What kinds of things happen that take us away from abiding in Jesus? Now let’s look at the rest of what Jesus says in this passage. What does Jesus say about the Father in verse 1? How does that add to the image of what God is doing? Verse 2 has two parts. First, Jesus says that the vine-grower removes the branches that do not bear fruit. Why is that necessary for a vine? A diseased branch can infect the good branches and cause them also to stop bearing fruit. In what way does this apply to people? Why is it necessary to remove the branches that do not bear fruit? Are such people not really connected to the vine in the first place? Or is a separation necessary because a life that does not bear fruit is a contradiction that is incompatible with abiding in Jesus? Explain. Both of these are possible. Some people adopt the label “Christian” but never actually commit to living with and for Jesus. God will not force them to live forever with him when they have not chosen to do so; sooner or later, there must be a separation. There are also times when false prophets must be identified so that the Body of Christ is not led astray. Second, he prunes the branches that do bear fruit. Why is pruning necessary for a vine? If we are seeking to abide in Jesus, we should not need to be removed from the vine; but everyone needs pruning. What does it mean for us to be “pruned” by God? God seeks to remove everything in us that is not compatible with a life of intimate communion with God: our selfishness and self-centeredness in all the ways it shows up in unloving actions, words, and attitudes; the ways we fail to handle the truth accurately; the ways we fail to live in faith, hope, and love; etc. Our calling is to be become fully like Jesus (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28). Everything that falls short of that must eventually be pruned away so that we reflect Christ entirely. How can we cooperate with God’s pruning in our lives? In verse 3, Jesus says that the disciples are already pruned. According to verse 3, how have they already been pruned? By his word. In what ways are we already pruned even though in other ways we still need pruning? In verse 5, what does Jesus say will happen if we abide in him? What are some examples of fruit that you are already bearing? What are some examples of fruit that you are not yet producing but that he may still want you to bear? In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul provides a list of the “fruit of the Spirit”: some of the interior dispositions that the Spirit works in us that then flow out into our actions. When we see that fruit in action in our lives, then we know that we are grounded in the Spirit. The Bible also points us to universal values such as justice and peace that come from the heart of God. When we respond to the promptings of the Spirit to try to address issues of justice and peace in our world so that God’s justice and peace can prevail, we are bringing forth the fruit of a life rooted in the heart of Jesus. In verse 5, Jesus says, “apart from me you can do nothing.” People do lots of good things. Even atheists do good things. In what sense is Jesus’s statement true? What is it that can’t be done apart from him? By using the metaphor of a vine, Jesus tells us that we cannot live or have growth unless we remain connected to him. If a branch is severed from a tree or vine, it stops growing and dies. The branch is absolutely dependent on the vine. What lessons can we draw for ourselves from this metaphor? What is the point of verse 6? Why must the branches that don’t bear any fruit be thrown out? People assume that God is doing the “throwing out” in verse 6, but Jesus doesn’t identify God as the actor. He simply takes it as an obvious fact that those who show no evidence (fruit) of a connection with Jesus can’t stay connected to him. Why is that so? Verse 7 is similar to 14:13-14 (“whatever you ask in my name, I will do”), but this time Jesus is saying that the criteria for receiving what we ask is (1) that we remain in him, and (2) that his words remain in us. How do we do that? What do these two requirements look like in practical terms? Why is it so important to abide in him and allow his words to abide in us, as a precondition for effective prayer? Verse 8 seems to be directed more to the people of John’s time and to us, rather than to those he has already identified as his disciples. What does this say to us? How is bearing fruit related to being a disciple of Jesus? In Jesus’s metaphor, there is only one vine. We are not separate trees in an orchard; we are separate branches on one vine. What are our obligations to each other as members of one vine? How does my growth and fruitfulness affect yours, and vice versa? When we live as Jesus’s disciples and bear fruit, Jesus says that the Father is glorified (verse 8). How does what we do in our lives glorify God? In verse 9, Jesus turns to the importance of remaining in his love. What does it mean to abide in or remain in his love? In verse 10, what does he say is the evidence that we are remaining in his love? How does this verse challenge you in how you live your life? In verse 11, Jesus changes the focus again. What does he say about joy? Jesus wants his joy to be in us and our joy to be complete. How are those related? How does our experience of the joy of the Lord relate to whether we are abiding in him or not? How does our experience of the joy of the Lord relate to whether we are keeping his commandments (including the commandment to love one another) or not? How does our experience of the joy of the Lord relate to the fact that Jesus loves us? What would it look like for our joy to be complete? John 15:12-17 Love one another as I love you What is Jesus’s command? Who is he telling us to love? Why do you think it matters so much to Jesus that we love one another? What does it look like in practice when we love one another? What is the connection between abiding in Jesus, which Jesus talked about in the previous passage, and loving one another? How are they connected? What is a new step you could take this week to love someone who has been hard to love? Why does Jesus call us his “friends” in verses 14-15? How does it make you feel, knowing that Jesus calls us his friends? How can you be the kind of friend Jesus wants you to be? Take a step back and consider this: When Jesus tells us to abide in him and to love one another, neither of those is a “one-size-fits-all” proposition. How we abide in him and love another will look different from person to person. We will have some things in common. We are all called to pray, to learn about God through his Word, to see Jesus in those around us who are in need, and to be connected to a local church or Christian community. But people may pray differently, have different ways of studying God’s Word, respond differently to the needs around them, and find different ways of being involved in the Christian community. We are not identical automatons. Paul explores this in his ode to the Body of Christ: we are not all hands; the body needs feet and ears and eyes (1 Cor. 12:12-31). Each of us is made in the image of God, but each of us has our own talents, gifts, interests, and opportunities to manifest that image of God. Even as we abide in the one Lord, we have different callings. So how we love others and how we abide in Christ will vary. What are the specific practices or ministries that God has called you to, that you need to be faithful to if you want to stay rooted in Christ? As you do those things, what can you do to make sure that you are maintaining a vital, abiding relationship with God, not just engaging in external actions? How do you keep abiding in him? One of the ways we love others is by encouraging others in the specific ways that they are called to abide in God and bear fruit. How can you help those around you to embracing the callings they have received from God, so that they, too, are abiding in Jesus? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Jesus gives us a peace the world cannot give, a peace that quiets our troubled hearts and overcomes our fears. Nothing has power over him. How can you rest in his peace? [John 14:25-26; 14:27-31] Previous Next John List John 14:25-31 Jesus gives us a peace the world cannot give, a peace that quiets our troubled hearts and overcomes our fears. Nothing has power over him. How can you rest in his peace? Image by Dámaris Azócar, provided by Unsplash via Wix. Tom Faletti May 29, 2026 John 14:25-31 My peace I give to you; do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid In verse 26, what does Jesus say the Holy Spirit will do? The Holy Spirit does not call attention to itself; it illuminates the words of Jesus. How can we open our hearts and minds and souls to be taught by the Holy Spirit? In verse 26, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will “remind you of all that I have said to you.” The “you” is plural, so this may be a promise to the Body of Christ as a whole, not to each individual. However, it raises an interesting question for us as individuals. Someone can only bring to your remembrance the things you already previously knew or experienced. If you only know a little of what Jesus has said, there isn’t much information stored in your memory to be brought back to your remembrance. What can you do to expand what you know about Jesus, so that the Holy Spirit can remind you of it when you need it most? In verse 27, Jesus offers us his peace, and he says his peace is not like the world’s peace. What is Jesus’s peace like, and how is it different from what the world gives? In the second half of verse 27, Jesus says, “Do not let your heart by troubled, nor let it be afraid.” Let’s take those separately. First, what is a troubled heart? What does it look like when your heart is troubled? How does Jesus’s peace respond to the needs of a troubled heart? Second, Jesus says, “Do not let your heart be afraid.” In what ways is being afraid different than being troubled? What kinds of things or situations can cause our heart to be afraid? How does Jesus’s peace help up deal with the things that cause us to be afraid? How can you rest in his peace? In verse 28, Jesus says that the disciples should be rejoicing that he is going to the Father. Of course, they aren’t rejoicing, because they don’t want him to leave. But Jesus sees where things are going. Are there ways we can rejoice even when we are losing someone? How can Jesus’s peace help us to rejoice even in times of loss? In verse 28, Jesus says that the Father is greater than he is. Jesus is fully God and fully human. He is speaking here partly from the perspective of the human and divine role he is playing. The Father sent him. He speaks only what he has heard from the Father. He does the work the Father has given him to do. And in John 13:16 he said that the one who is sent is not greater than the one who sends him. In these ways the Father is greater than him. As God, he is one with the Father (John 10:30) and therefore is not any less great. However, even though the Son is equally God, in the mystery of the Trinity it is also true that the Son is begotten of the Father, while the Father is entirely without origin (not begotten). Thus, the Son always defers to the greatness of the Father. In verse 30, Jesus says “the ruler of this world” is coming. Who is he referring to? Satan. Jesus immediately adds that the ruler of this world “has no power over me.” What does he mean? Jesus will be put to death. How is it that the ruler of this world has no power over him? In verse 31 Jesus explains that he is going to his death because he loves the Father, not because anyone has power over him. He is acting in obedience to the Father’s command, which will fulfill the Father’s plan of salvation for the world. How are we also sometimes called to submit to those who, in a spiritual sense, have no power over us, out of love for God and obedience to his commands? Looking beyond Jesus’s death and all the way to our time, it is still true that no one has power over Jesus. No devil, no ruler, no teacher of lies – no one has power over Jesus. How can that guide your thinking about what is going on in your world and in your life? How can this statement assure our hearts in times of trouble? In verse 31, Jesus says that he loves the Father. He does not say this explicitly anywhere else in the Gospels, yet there is never a time where it is in doubt. In everything he does, throughout his life on earth, we see that Jesus loves the Father. The chapter ends with Jesus saying, “Arise, let us go from here” (verse 31). Since John is presenting this entire discussion as happening at the Last Supper, this could be interpreted as a signal that they are leaving the supper and heading for the Mount of Olives. However, it is not until John 18:1 that John says they went out across the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane in 18:1. Some scholars think that chapters 15-17 are in insertion of additional material that is related to what we have seen in chapter 14. Others think that chapters 15-17 tell us what Jesus said as they walked through the city and past the Temple on their way out to the Kidron Valley. Others interpret the statement rhetorically: The ruler of this age has no power over me, so arouse yourselves and let’s go face him. Jesus wants to rouse your heart so that you have confidence in his love for you. Here is what Jesus has said in this chapter: No matter what you are facing, Jesus has not left you alone. The Father and Jesus dwell with you. You are in him and he is in you. No ruler, no devil, not even Satan himself has any power over Jesus. And Jesus has sent his Holy Spirit to live inside of you. What does that say to you right now? What are you facing, and what do Jesus’s words say to you? Take a step back and consider this: A casual observer might think that Satan had a temporary victory when Jesus was put to death on the cross on Calvary, a victory that was only reversed when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. Jesus’s statements in verses 30-31 refute that idea. Satan never had any power over Jesus: not before he went to the cross, not while he was dying on the cross, not even during the 3 days that Jesus was dead and in the tomb. Jesus always had greater power; he just chose to demonstrate his power in a way that the world does not think of as “power,” the way of self-sacrificing love. How can we reorient our thinking and allow God to transform your hearts and minds so that we do not see power the way the world sees power, but instead see how powerfully God moves in acts of sacrificial love? Often, we are silent when people around us voice the mindset of the world that power equates with force and the ability to do violence. By our silence, we unintentionally reinforce that false idea of power. How can we become more confident voices offering to others a different way of thinking that is guided by the One whose self-sacrificing power is greater than all the supposed powers of this world? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Jesus is the way to the Father. When we see him, we see the Father because he and the Father are one. He empowers us to do great things so that God will be glorified. How can you be like Jesus? [John 14:1-11; 14:1-12; 14:12-14; 14:13-14] Previous Next John List John 14:1-14 Jesus is the way to the Father. When we see him, we see the Father because he and the Father are one. He empowers us to do great things so that God will be glorified. How can you be like Jesus? Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti April 27, 2026 Read John 14:1-14 Jesus tells the disciples that he is the way to the Father Verses 1-3 Jesus urges the disciples to maintain their faith as he goes to prepare a place for them The tone is somber as Jesus begins this discourse. Jesus has announced that Judas will betray him and that Peter will deny him. How do you think the disciples are feeling as Jesus begins to speak here? In verse 1, Jesus says to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In the second half of verse 1, he tells them how to do that. What does he urge them to do? The Greek verb Jesus uses in the second half of verse 1 can mean to “believe in,” “trust,” or “put your faith in” Jesus ( Liddell and Scott , p. 641). Which of those words best captures your attitude toward Jesus – that you believe in , trust , or put your faith in him – and why? Jesus does not want his disciples to despair when he is crucified, and John does not want the Christians of his time to lose hope when they face persecution. When Jesus says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” what does that say to you personally? In verse 2, what does Jesus say about his Father’s house, and what does he say he is going to do? What does Jesus promise in verse 3? What do you think he is referring to when he refers to his “Father’s house” where there will be a “place” for us? In verse 2, Jesus says that his Father’s house has many “dwelling places” or “rooms.” The Greek word means a place to stay or abide. What do you think Jesus means when he says that his Father’s house has many of these places? What do you think it means when Jesus says he is going to prepare a place for us? What preparation is needed? In verse 3, Jesus says that he will come back and take us to himself, so that we will be where he is. What does that mean? Although Jesus’s reference to coming back certainly includes his eschatological return at the end of time, he also comes to us by his Spirit in many ways throughout our lives. How do you experience his “coming” even as you live? How does this promise from Jesus make you feel? How does this promise make you want to respond? What questions do verses 1-3 raise in your mind, and how do you think Jesus would answer those questions? Verses 4-6 I am the way, the truth, and the life In verse 4, Jesus tells them that where he is going, they know the way. Thomas objects. What does Thomas say in verse 5? Do you think Thomas’s objection is valid? Why or why not? How does Jesus answer in verse 6? What does it mean for you when Jesus says he is the “way”? When he says he is the “truth”? When he says he is the “life”? When Jesus says he is the way, that means that I don’t choose the way; he does. When he says he is the truth, that means I don’t choose what truth is; he does. Acts of the Apostles frequently refers to the faith of the early church as “the way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14; 24:22). I am called to follow his way, not make my own way. Similarly, I am called to embrace the truth he has revealed and live the life he offers. Jesus is not just a prophet: he does not just tell us how to get to the Father. He is not just a guide: he does not just show us the way to God . He is the way. In what ways is he the way, and the way to what? How do you experience Jesus being the way and the truth and the life in your life? In John 8:32, Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” How is truth essential to genuine freedom, and how do you experience freedom through the One who said, “I am the truth”? Jesus adds in verse 6 that no one comes to the Father except through him. What does that mean to you? What do you think verse 6 means with regard to people who died before Jesus lived, or who were raised in another faith and never had a chance to know Jesus? How might he provide the way for them? Some people hear Jesus’s statement, “No one comes to the Father except through me,” and wonder whether Christ died for all people or only for those who ultimately live forever with God. The Bible is clear that Christ died for all: In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul says that Christ died for all. In 1 John 2:2, John says that Jesus’s propitiation or expiation was not only for our sins but for the sins of the whole world. Hebrews 2:9 says that Christ tasted death for everyone. 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 Timothy 4:10; Titus 2:11; John 1:29; and Isaiah 53:6 provide similar statements indicating that Christ died for all. (In Romans 8:20-23, Paul even suggests that the whole of creation, not just all humans, groan as it awaits redemption.) These passages show that, although not everyone chooses to avail themselves of the offer to come to the Father, Jesus provides the way for everyone. What do people need to do to avail themselves of the “way” to the Father that Christ provides? Verses 7-11 You know me, so you know the Father and you know the way In verse 7, Jesus first makes a conditional statement that is literally, “If you had known me, you would have known the Father,” or “If you have known me, you have known the Father.” Since Jesus has made it possible to know the Father, he adds a declarative statement: “From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” What does this mean? How does verse 7 apply also to us? Philip hears Jesus say that they have seen the Father. He is not convinced that they actually have seen the Father, so in verse 8, he says, “Show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” What do you think Philip has in mind? What does he hope to see, and how will it be “enough”? In verse 7, Jesus indicates that because they know him, they know the Father. In verse 9, he says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” What does he mean when he says they have “seen” the Father? Jesus elaborates in verse 10: “I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” What does this mean? In verses 10 and 11, Jesus again points to his works as a sign that the Father is in him. What has led you to believe that Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus? What do these verses say to you about your faith? Verses 12-14 You will do greater things; ask anything of me in my name and I will do it Different Bibles divide up the verses in different ways. Verse 12 begins with “Amen, amen (or truly, truly), I say to you,” which might signal a transition a new point, and verse 13 begins with “And,” which might signal that it relates to verse 12. Therefore, we will examine verses 12-14 as a unit. In verse 12, Jesus first says that the people who believe in him will do the works that he does. What works does Jesus do that his followers also do? In the second half of verse 12, Jesus adds that those who believe in him (in Greek he uses the singular pronoun “he”) will do greater works than his works. How can this be? What works have followers of Jesus done, down through the centuries, that are greater than the works Jesus did while he was on the earth? Jesus’s time on earth was limited to a short ministry of only a few years and in only a few places, one place at a time. His followers have been able to spread the word of God, and show the love of God, to people all over the globe, for 2,000 years. In this way, the members of the Body of Christ, working individually and together, have been able to do many things that Jesus, in his one human body in 3 years of public ministry, could not do. Only Jesus could save us, but collectively, we can bring the good news of Jesus, in word and deed, to far more people. What great work might God be calling you to do or to be a part of? What do verses 13 and 14 say? There are two conditions attached to what Jesus says in verses 13-14. First, he says that whatever you ask, you must ask “in my name.” What do you think Jesus means when he says we must ask in his name? Is he just giving us a formula, some special words to say at the end our prayer in order to get what we want, or does it have a deeper meaning? What does it mean, to ask in his name? People sometimes turn these words into a formula, but Jesus did not encourage formulas in praying; he modeled praying for what would glorify the Father (see, for example, John 12:28; 17:1-5). Therefore, to ask in Jesus’s name would be to ask only what Jesus would ask, to ask only for what would glorify the Father. Consider some other uses of the phrase “in the name of”: Stop in the name of the law; I speak to you in the name of the king; the document was signed in the name of the mayor. “In the name of” has a connotation of acting consistent with the character and authority of the person who has the real power. If we desire to pray in Jesus’s name, how can we be sure that what we are asking for is consistent with his character and will? How do you discern what the will of God is, so that your prayers are truly being made in Jesus’s name? The second condition Jesus attaches to this statement is in verse 13, where Jesus says that he does what we ask “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” This suggests that in order for Jesus to do what we ask in his name, it must be something that will glorify God. How can we focus our prayers on what glorifies God? Verses 13 and 14 have a direct connection to verse 12. In verse 12, Jesus says that his followers will do greater works than he. In verses 13-14, he says that whatever we ask in his name, he will do. The only reason we can do “greater” works than Jesus did while he was on earth is because he has the power and works through us when we ask for and do things that are consistent with his name and that will bring glory to God. How can we pray in a way that (1) recognizes that God is the source of all power but (2) also recognizes that God wants to do great things through us? How might you adjust how you pray to better reflect what Jesus says here? Take a step back and consider this: In John 1:18, John says, “No one has ever seen God, [but] God the only Son . . . has made him known.” In John 14:9, Jesus says that whoever has seen Jesus has seen the Father. The apostle Paul spent a lot of time reflecting on the relationship between the Father and the Son. In Colossians 1:15, Paul says that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God.” In other words, if you want to know what God looks like, look at what Jesus looks like. Of course, Paul is not talking about Jesus’s physical appearance as a human, although I imagine that Jesus might have had a winsome smile, a joyful laugh, and sometimes a twinkle in his eye as he told his parables. Paul presumably had in mind more fundamental attributes that Jesus manifested, such as his loving heart, his wisdom, his self-sacrificing nature, the peace he exuded to those who were fearful, and so on. Take a moment to picture Jesus, the real Jesus. In what ways do you think he was the image of the invisible God? We were made in the image of God. Although our reflection of God’s image is not perfect, his goal is to restore us to his image. Paul says that we, “gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image” (2 Cor. 3:18, NABRE). What can you do to allow God to transform you into his image, so that when people see you, they see a visible image of the invisible God? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Jesus links 3 things that we sometimes treat as separate: loving Jesus, keeping his commandments, and having the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. How can we welcome his presence within us to help us to love him more and keep his commandments more readily? [John 14:15-21; 14:22-24] Previous Next John List John 14:15-24 Jesus links 3 things that we sometimes treat as separate: loving Jesus, keeping his commandments, and having the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. How can we welcome his presence within us to help us love him more and keep his commandments more readily? Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680). Untitled (the Holy Spirit presented as a dove). Circa 1660. Stained glass. In the apse of Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Photo by Dnalor 01, CC BY-SA 3.0 AT via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rom,_Vatikan,_Basilika_St._Peter,_Die_Taube_des_Heiligen_Geistes_(Cathedra_Petri,_Bernini).jpg . Tom Faletti May 4, 2026 Read John 14:15-24 If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will send you the Spirit of truth In verse 15, Jesus says that if we love him, we will keep his commandments. What does it mean to keep his commandments? Why does he connect loving him and keeping his commandments? What is the connection between love and following or obeying his teachings? Jesus hopes we will keep his commandments consistently, but he knows we are not perfect. That’s why he died. 1 John 1:8-10 says that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and make God out to be a liar. So how can we interpret verse 15 in light of our tendency to sin? Does the fact that we sin mean we don’t love Jesus, or that we don’t yet love him enough , or what? The fact that we are not perfect doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. What is Jesus asking us to do here? What can we do to get better at responding to what Jesus says here? The word in verse 16 that is translated Advocate or Comforter or Helper or Counselor is the Greek word Paraklētos . (Our word Paraclete comes from the Latin translation of the word). No single English word captures the meaning of this word. It was used as a legal term for a lawyer or defense attorney, but it literally means one who is called alongside to help – from para meaning “alongside” and kletos meaning “called” – so it can mean an advocate, a counselor, or a comforter. How is the Holy Spirit an advocate? A counselor? A comforter? How have you experienced the Holy Spirit acting as an advocate, a counselor, or a comforter in your life? Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “another” advocate because Jesus is the first advocate, as John indicates in 1 John 2:1. In verse 16 Jesus says the Holy Spirit will be with you always. What does that mean to you? In verse 17, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the “spirit of truth.” Why is truth so important in the Holy Spirit’s role as our Advocate, Counselor, and Comforter? In Greek, nouns can be masculine, feminine, or neuter. The Greek word for “spirit” is neuter, so John uses the neuter pronoun “it” when referring to the Spirit in verse 17. We often use the pronoun “he” because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7; Phil. 1:19; Gal. 4:6) and because using a personal pronoun underscores that the Holy Spirit is a Person, not a thing. In verse 17, Jesus says the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit because it neither sees nor knows the Holy Spirit. Why is this the case? What is needed in order to see, know, and receive the Holy Spirit? Jesus adds in verse 17 that the Holy Spirit dwells with you and will be in you. Ever since he imparted the Holy Spirit to his disciples after his resurrection, the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers, so the Holy Spirit dwells in us. How do you experience the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? For verse 18, the NRSV provides the most literal translation of Jesus’s words: “I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” This is not referring to his return at the end of time, but rather to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in those who believe in Jesus. Jesus is saying that if the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, then Jesus is with you. How is that so? God is a Trinity of Persons, but he is one God. So if the Holy Spirit is in us, Jesus is in us in spirit, even though not in body. In John 14:23, Jesus says that if you love Jesus and keep his word, the Father and Jesus will come to you and make their dwelling with you. Putting it all together, if you are a follower of Jesus, then all 3 Persons of the Trinity dwell in you. Therefore, you are, very much, not an orphan. Do you ever have times when you feel like God has abandoned you or like you are an orphan? If so, how can developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit who lives within you help deal with that feeling? In verse 20, Jesus indicates that after his death and resurrection, the disciples will come to understand not only that Jesus is in the Father but also that the disciples are in Jesus. In other words, we share a taste of the relationship between Jesus and the Father as we live in Jesus and he lives in us. How is our communion with Jesus a limited but real reflection of the communion among the Persons of the Trinity? In verse 21, Jesus returns to the point he made in verse 15: This relationship we have with God, this indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is based on love. According to verse 21, how do you know if you love Jesus? This love is not just a one-way street, where we are called to love God. We are also loved by the Father (verse 21). How have you experienced the love of God in your life? Does being loved make you want to love God all the more? At the end of verse 21, Jesus adds that he will reveal himself to those who love him. What do you think that means? How have you experienced Jesus revealing himself to you? In verse 22, John refers to a Judas who is not the Iscariot. Jesus had more than one disciple named Judas, and this is not the one who betrayed him. This Judas is confused. He is expecting Jesus to do what most Jews of that time thought the Messiah would do: reveal himself in a dramatic, public confrontation with the Roman Empire that would free the Jewish people from domination. He is shocked that Jesus is saying he will only reveal himself to the disciples. What does Jesus say in verse 23? In verse 23, Jesus links together these 3 points: loving Jesus, keeping his commandments, and having God dwell with us? Why do you think those three points are so deeply connected with each other? In verse 17, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will dwell within us. In verse 23, Jesus says that he and the Father will abide with us. How does it feel to know that all three Persons of the Trinity dwell in you? We may not be perfect, but what does verse 23 say to us about how to live our lives? What does it look like when people truly love Jesus, make a concerted effort to keep his word, and allow God to dwell in us? How does God’s indwelling help us to keep his word? How can you respond more fully to Jesus’s gift of the Holy Spirit? Take a step back and consider this: Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German minister who stood up against the Nazi dictatorship during World War II as the Third Reich worked to subvert Christianity and force churches to support its evil work. He ultimately sacrificed his life because of his commitment to his faith. (See Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Discipleship, Responsibility, Transformation for more about his remarkable life and teachings.) While he was training pastors to resist the Nazi regime and stay true to the gospel, he wrote a book published in the United States under the title The Cost of Discipleship in which he challenged everyone in God’s Church to embrace “costly grace,” not “cheap grace” (Bonhoeffer, pp. 45ff). Cheap grace is the belief that, because Jesus died for our sins, it doesn’t matter whether we obey his commandments or not: we can receive God’s grace and the gift of his Spirit, and live with God forever, without having ever lived according to Jesus’s teachings. Costly grace calls us to die to ourselves and live for Christ: to follow his commandments, live according to his example, and submit to the leadership of the Spirit of God who dwells within us. In John 14, Jesus is clearly calling us to a life of costly grace, as we follow the One who gave up his life to give us life, and as we embrace his mission. In what aspects of your life are you tempted to settle for “cheap grace” and not fully follow the commandments and teachings of Jesus? In what ways does your church or the Christian culture around you settle for a low level of conversion rather than transformed lives lived fully for Jesus? We can’t be all that God wants us to be on our own strength. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit helps us to be what we are called to be. The Spirit works to transform us and shape us so that we become people who do Jesus’s will joyfully. How can you allow the Holy Spirit to transform you and increase your love for Jesus, so that you can become the kind of person who follows all that Jesus taught? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of John. Previous Next John List John - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of John. Some of the resources on the author's bookshelf. Tom Faletti February 22, 2026 Major Sources Brown, Raymond E. An Introduction to the New Testament . Yale University Press, 1997. Bruce, F.F. The Gospel of John . Eerdmans, 1983. Ellis, David J. “John.” The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Flanagan, Neal M., O.S.M. The Gospel According to John and the Johannine Epistles . Collegeville Bible Commentary. The Liturgical Press, 1983. Fredrikson, Roger L. John . The Communicator’s Commentary (Mastering the New Testament) , Lloyd J. Ogilvie, general editor. Word Books, 1985. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: The New Testament, Revised Standard Edition, Second Catholic Edition . Ignatius Press, 2010. Interlinear Bible. Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/interlinear/ . The International Bible Commentary: With the New International Version . F.F. Bruce, General Editor. Marshall Pickering/Zondervan, 1986. Liddell, Henry George and Robert Scott . An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon, Founded Upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon . Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1899. Perseus Digital Library , Tufts University, https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0058 . For the full Lexicon from 1940 available online, see A Greek-English Lexicon , Furman Classics Editions, http://folio2.furman.edu/lsj/ or A Greek-English Lexicon , Internet Archive , Volume I: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0001/mode/2up and Volume II: https://archive.org/details/b31364949_0002/mode/2up . New American Bible, revised edition (NABRE) . Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2010. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. The New Oxford Annotated Bible: New Revised Standard Version: With the Apocrypha: An Ecumenical Study Bible . Eds. Michael D. Coogan, Marc Z. Brettler, Carol A. Newsom, and Pheme Perkins. 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010. New Revised Standard Version Bible , copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Perkins, Pheme. “The Gospel According to John.” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary . Edited by Raymond E. Brown, et al. Prentice Hall, 1990. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance . Bible Hub , https://biblehub.com/greek/21.htm . Vine, William E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary , 1940, StudyLight.org , https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved.html . Additional Sources Augustine. The Confessions . Circa AD 397-400. Translated by J.G. Pilkington. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series , Vol. 1. Edited by Philip Schaff. Christian Literature Publishing Co., Buffalo, NY, 1887. Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1101.htm . Augustine. The Works of Saint Augustine: Sermons , Part III, Volume 6: Sermons 184-229Z. Translation and notes by Edmund Hill, O.P. Edited by John E. Rotelle, O.S.A. New City Press, New Rochelle, New York, 1993 (copyright Augustinian Heritage Institute). Wesley Scholar , https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Sermons-184-229.pdf . Augustine. The Works of Saint Augustine: Sermons , Part III, Volume 7: Sermons 230-272B. Translation and notes by Edmund Hill, O.P. Edited by John E. Rotelle, O.S.A. New City Press, New Rochelle, New York, 1993 (copyright Augustinian Heritage Institute). Wesley Scholar , https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Augustine-Sermons-230-272.pdf . Barclay, William. The Gospel of John, Volume 1. 2 nd edition. The Daily Study Bible. The Saint Andrew Press, 1956. Note: All of the volumes in Barclay’s Daily Study Bible series can be viewed online at “William Barclay's Daily Study Bible,” Bible Portal , https://bibleportal.com/commentary/william-barclay . Barclay, William. The Gospel of John, Volume 2. 2 nd edition. The Daily Study Bible. The Saint Andrew Press, 1956. Note: All of the volumes in Barclay’s Daily Study Bible series can be viewed online at “William Barclay's Daily Study Bible,” Bible Portal , https://bibleportal.com/commentary/william-barclay . Biblical Archaeology Society. “The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus’ Miracles.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society , 29 July, 2025, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/the-bethesda-pool-site-of-one-of-jesus-miracles/ . Biblical Archaeology Society. “The Siloam Pool: Where Jesus Healed the Blind Man.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society , 1 July, 2025, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/biblical-archaeology-sites/the-siloam-pool-where-jesus-healed-the-blind-man/ . Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship . (Originally published in 1937 in German as Nachfolge .) English revised and unabridged edition, The Macmillan Company, 1963. Brown, Raymond E. The Community of the Beloved Disciple . Paulist Press, 1979. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2003. The Vatican , https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM . Christianity Today. “What Did Jesus Mean in John 6:54 Where He Says, ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life ...’? Is He Referring to Communion?” Christianity Today , 2009, https://store.christianitytoday.com/blogs/articles/eternal-life . Cooke, Sam. “Jesus Gave Me Water.” Specialty Profiles: Sam Cooke With The Soul Stirrers, Universal Music Group, Specialty Records, Distributed by Concord, 1990. YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbcmMgEgn6U . Encyclopaedia Britannica (the editors of). “logos.” Britannica , https://www.britannica.com/topic/logos . Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History , Book III. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250103.htm . Eusebius. Ecclesiastical History . Book VI. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/250106.htm . Francis, Pope. Spes Non Confundit (Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025) . The Vatican , 9 May 2024, https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/bulls/documents/20240509_spes-non-confundit_bolla-giubileo2025.html . Hyman, David. “Bethany & Lazarus' tomb.” Israel with David Hyman , 20 Apr. 2023. YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP2txHymko8 . Irenaeus. Adversus Haereses ( Against Heresies ). Book III, Chapter 1. New Advent , https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0103301.htm . Josephus, Flavius. Antiquities of the Jews . AD 93 or 94. Christian Classics Ethereal Library , https://www.ccel.org/ccel/josephus/complete.toc.html . Justin, the Martyr. First Apology . Circa AD 155-157. Translated by Cyril C. Richardson, Early Christian Fathers, Vol. 1 . The Westminster Press, 1953. Christian Classics Ethereal Library , https://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.x.ii.iii.html . McElwee, Joshua J. “Francis: Priests should 'have the smell' of their people.” National Catholic Reporter , 28 Mar. 2013, https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/francis-priests-should-have-smell-their-people . Sloyan, Gerard S. What Are They Saying About John?, Revised Edition . Paulist Press, 2006. Staples, Tim. “Are Catholics Cannibals?” Catholic Answers , 7 Nov. 2014, https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/are-catholics-cannibals . Steinmeyer, Nathan. “Rethinking the Pool of Siloam.” Bible History Daily. Biblical Archaeology Society , 15 Jan. 2024, https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/rethinking-the-pool-of-siloam/ . Vaillancourt Murphy, Krisanne. “In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus signals His opposition to the death penalty.” Paragraphs 6-20 by Tom Faletti. Vatican News , 4 Apr. 2025, https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-04/catholic-mobilizing-network-death-penalty-gospel-reflection.html . The Vatican. “New Revision of Number 2267 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Death Penalty – Rescriptum ‘Ex Audientia SS.mi’” Vatican , 11 May 2018, https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20180801_catechismo-penadimorte_en.html . Wasserman, Tommy. “Does the Woman Caught in Adultery Belong in the Bible?” Text & Canon Institute , 8 Feb. 2022, https://textandcanon.org/does-the-woman-caught-in-adultery-belong-in-the-bible/ . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous John List Next

Betrayal and an impending denial surround Jesus's command to love one another. Can we love even when it is hard, as Jesus did? [John 13:21-30; 13:31-35; 13:36-38] Previous Next John List John 13:21-38 Betrayal and an impending denial surround Jesus’s command to love one another. Can we love even when it is hard, as Jesus did? Judas leaves the Last Supper with a moneybag in hand, as the devil enters at the right. Pieter Pourbus (c. 1523–1584). The Last Supper . 1548. Cropped. Groeningemuseum, Bruges, Belgium. Photo by Vassil, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Groeningemuseum_Pieter_Pourbus_Last_Supper_01052015_1.jpg . Tom Faletti May 15, 2026 Read John 13:21-30 Jesus announces that he will be betrayed In verse 21, Jesus is troubled for the third time (see also 11:33; 12:27). What does he tell the disciples? How do the disciples react to the statement that one of them will betray Jesus? In verse 22, we see the first reference to “the one whom Jesus loved.” We will also see this “beloved disciple,” as the scholars call him, at the foot of the cross, at the empty tomb, and in other places. He is traditionally considered to be the apostle John. How do you think he came to be known as “the one whom Jesus loved”? The beloved disciple is reclining at Jesus’s side – literally, “in the bosom of Jesus.” (At festive meals in Jesus’s time people would lie on their sides on cushions around a low table. If they laid on your left side in order to eat with their right hand, the one to Jesus’s right who be able to lean back into the bosom of Jesus.) Look at the social dynamics between Jesus, this beloved disciple/John, and Peter. What can we learn about the relationships between them from the clues here? Background on “the disciple whom Jesus loved” Besides here in 13:22, we also see “the one whom Jesus loved” identified in the same way several other times: In 19:26, he is standing at the foot of the cross with Jesus’s mother Mary. Jesus says to Mary, “Woman, behold your son,” and to him, “Behold your mother.” In 20:2, he runs with Simon Peter to the empty tomb, enters the tomb, and believes. In 21:7, after the Resurrection, when he and some other disciples are fishing, he is the first to recognize that the man who calls to them from the shore is Jesus. In 21:20, the authors of the final chapter of this Gospel identify him, the beloved disciple at the Last Supper, as the one who wrote the first 20 chapters of this Gospel. There are some other passages that might be referring to the same person: In 18:15 there is someone called “another disciple” who, is known to the high priest, goes into the high priest’s courtyard after Jesus is arrested, and asks that Peter be allowed to come in also. In 20:2, the one who runs with Peter to the empty tomb is called “the other disciple whom Jesus loved,” which suggests that the “another disciple” in the courtyard is the same as “the one whom Jesus loved.” In 1:37, the first two people to follow Jesus are an unnamed disciple and Andrew. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter, and the unnamed disciple could be this same disciple who is not named throughout the Gospel. In all of these places, this disciple has traditionally been thought to be the apostle John, although some modern scholars have suggested that he might be someone else – perhaps an unnamed disciple who is not one of the 12 apostles. At Peter’s suggestion, John asks Jesus who it is that will betray him. How does Jesus show them quietly who it is? Dipping a morsel was one of the rituals of the Passover feast (dipping a bitter herb in salt water). Although John does not tell us about the moment when Jesus offers the bread and the cup, his story is consistent with this being the Passover meal described in the other Gospels. The fact that Jesus offers the morsel to Judas could have been taken by Judas as a gesture of fellowship and friendship, and Judas could have turned away from his plans for betrayal and chosen to be reconciled to Jesus, but Judas was no longer open to changing his mind. Verse 27 says that after Judas takes the morsel into himself, Satan enters him. Satan’s action was possible because Judas opened the door. In our everyday lives, we don’t usually face such soul-defining moments. But are there ways that we either shut the door to Satan or open a door that allow him to gain a foothold in some piece of our lives? How? Jesus knows that Judas’s mind is made up, so he tells him to go and do it quickly. The disciples have no idea what that interaction is about. We are sometimes oblivious to the evil going on around us. Sometimes that’s a good thing, but other times, we might be able to intervene if we had eyes to see the wrongs that are being done. How can we learn to see what is going on around us at a spiritual level – to see as God sees – when we have opportunities to do something to protect someone from being mistreated or help them see how God is working in their life? God does not override human free will to prevent people from doing evil. What does God do instead? Without violating our free will, how does God nudge us to resist temptation and evil? Sometimes we are very aware of the evil being done around us ,but we are powerless to stop it. How can we handle being in situations like that, and what lessons can we learn from Jesus? Read John 13:31-35 Jesus gives us a new commandment: Love one another as he loves us Jesus says again that he is about to be glorified – that is, he is about to sacrifice his life for all people. That is the context in which he offers them what he calls a new commandment. The Old Testament has commands to love God and love your neighbor. How is this commandment new? How does Jesus’s command go further than the Old Testament command to love your neighbor? When the Law said to love your neighbor, that was understood to mean their fellow Jews, not Gentiles. Christians understand Jesus’s love command to include Gentiles. Jesus also teaches that our neighbor includes anyone in need who we can help (Luke 10:25-37), and that we are even called to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). In addition, he tells us to love as he loved, which is a far greater love than the Old Testament’s love of neighbor. How much does Jesus say we should love one another? As much as he has loved us. What does that kind of love look like in practical terms? Jesus tells us to love as he loved us, and then he shows us how great his love is by dying for us on the cross. What does that tell us about the kind of love he wants us to show? Where might you have an opportunity to rise to a higher level of love in some particular area of your life? In verse 33, Jesus calls the disciples his “little children.” But in verse 34, he tells them that he won’t be with them much longer. In 14:18, he will assure them that this does not mean they will be orphans, because he will return and because his Spirit will live in them. But here, his statement that he won’t be with them much longer proceeds this new commandment to love one another. Why does the fact that Jesus is no longer with us physically make it all the more important that we love one another? When we love each other, Jesus isn’t really gone; he is present in and through us. What does verse 35 say? What will be the effect, if we have this kind of love for each other? To what extent do you think it is true today that people can know who the followers of Jesus are because of their love for one another? What could we do personally, and what could our churches do, so that more people would know by our love or each other that we are Jesus’s disciples? Read John 13:36-38 Jesus predicts Peter’s denial Peter is troubled by the idea that he can’t follow Jesus wherever he goes. He wants to know why. What bold claim does Peter make in verse 37? Peter is being overconfident, but he is undoubtedly speaking sincerely: he truly believes what he says here. What does this tell us about him? What does it tell us about the kind of faith he wants to have in Jesus? What is Jesus’s response to Peter in verse 38? Look at the end of verse 36. Jesus tells Peter, “You can’t follow me now, but you will follow afterward (or later).” What does that mean? In what ways will Peter follow Jesus later? In what ways are we called to follow Jesus? Why do you think John placed Jesus’s command to love one another between Jesus’s discussion of Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial of him? Take a step back and consider this: It is intriguing that Jesus’s command to love is surrounded by Jesus’s announcement of Judas’s impending betrayal of him and his caution to Peter that he will soon deny Jesus. Did John place these three events in this sequence in order to highlight that the commandment to love one another may be difficult but that Jesus has shown us the way of embracing it anyway? As we try to live a life devoted fully to Jesus, we may be betrayed by someone we thought was a friend. We may be ghosted or have someone act like they were never our friend. We may be rejected by people we thought were allies in our service to God. Even so, we are still called to love as Jesus loved. As John put it in 13:1: “Having loved his own, he loved them to the end.” In following Jesus, we also must love those whom God has given to us and love them to the end. Have you ever felt betrayed or denied by someone whom you thought was on your side? Have you ever been the one who denied or betrayed someone else? What would Jesus want you to do about it? Why do you think Jesus sticks with us, even though we often fail him? How can you have the same attitude toward others that Jesus has toward you? Bibliography See John - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/john/bibliography . Copyright © 2026, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. 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Integrity means your words line up with your actions. Previous Matthew List Next Matthew 5:33-37 Integrity means your words line up with your actions. Image provided by Wix. Tom Faletti May 2, 2024 Matthew 5:33-37 Oaths: what are you saying? What did the Old Testament Law say about oaths in Leviticus 19:12? What kind of oaths were prohibited? (See also Deuteronomy 23:21-23.) In Jesus’s time, Jews made oaths and vows frequently and casually. William Barclay says they developed arcane rules for which oaths actually had to be honored and which could be ignored without repercussions (Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Volume 1 , p. 157). If you didn’t include God himself in your oath, it didn’t “count.” What does Jesus say about oaths? What are the reasons behind Jesus’s prohibit of these oaths? We do not have control over the heavens, the earth, or even our own bodies, so we have no right to be swearing by them. What do you think about Jesus’s rule, and why? If I leave the heavens, etc., out of my oath is it OK? Or is Jesus making a bigger point? How often do you make promises? How seriously do you take your promises? How do you respond when someone says, “Promise me you’ll . . .”? Some people often signal that they are about to say something honest with a phrase such as: “I’m not going to lie to you,” “Frankly,” “To tell the truth,” etc. I sometimes wonder, when such people say other things that are not prefaced by that assurance, whether that means that what they are about to say might not be the truth. How honest are you in your everyday dealings with people? Can others count on what you are saying to be true, or do you have a tendency to shade the truth? Why does Jesus say that anything more than “Yes” or “No” comes from the evil one? Jesus is saying that a truly good person would never need to take an oath because everything he or she says would always be the truth. If a person needs to add an oath to what they are saying, it is a sign that they have already made compromises with untruthfulness that tarnish their honesty. Why do we sometimes want to embellish what we say by adding a promise? What is the purpose of adding a promise? Some reasons might be: to assure, or to impress. What would it look like to live a life where your “Yes” is so solid that no one would ever feel the need to ask you to swear that what you are saying is true? How can we foster a world where the truth is so cherished that people don’t feel the need to make oaths? Take a step back and consider this: Jesus’s words about honesty in speech are not isolated. They appear right after he asked us to squarely confront our thought life to tame lust, and asked us to be true to our marriage commitments no matter what. He is getting at something bigger than just a series of individual character issues or types of sin. He is pointing us toward true integrity. Integrity is the characteristic of a person who is solid through and through – where the inside of the person and the outside of the person match up and demonstrate a consistent morality. When you look at them, what you see on the outside is what they actually are on the inside. What they say is actually true. What they spend their time thinking about is consistent with the ethical principles they profess. What they do is what they say they will do, and what they do is what God has taught them to do. The word “integrity” comes from a Latin word that means whole or complete in the sense of being intact, unbroken, undivided. The person of integrity is undivided. Their whole being is intact. They are one person – the same person inside and out. That is what Jesus is calling us to be. How can you cultivate a character of integrity? How might you consider changing the way you talk and act – the things you say and do – in order to ensure that integrity defines your character? How might you consider changes in your thought life, so that the you on the outside matches the you on the inside and matches what God is calling you to be inside and out? Bibliography See Matthew - Bibliography at https://www.faithexplored.com/matthew/bibliography . Copyright © 2025, Tom Faletti (Faith Explored, www.faithexplored.com ). This material may be reproduced in whole or in part without alteration, for nonprofit use, provided such reproductions are not sold and include this copyright notice or a similar acknowledgement that includes a reference to Faith Explored and www.faithexplored.com. See www.faithexplored.com for more materials like this. Previous Matthew List Next

Bible Study resources for the Gospel of Matthew, to help individuals and small groups explore how the Bible applies to life today: background, commentary, questions. Faith Explored: The Gospel of Matthew Introduction to Matthew Matthew shows the universal relevance of Jesus – to all people of all nations. Jesus cared about all people and offered a gospel for all people, while demonstrating His authority over all nations. Matthew 1:1-17 Who is Jesus? – Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 Mary’s pregnancy, from Joseph’s perspective: What is God doing? Matthew 2:1-12 Wise men come to see the newborn king – and still do today! Matthew 2:13-23 Herod seeks to kill Jesus, which is why Jesus ends up as a refugee in Egypt, and then in Nazareth. Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist: Repentance is not comfortable but is part of our calling. Matthew 3:13-17 The baptism of Jesus, and how it relates to you. Matthew 4:1-11 The temptation of Jesus shows how to respond to our own temptations. Matthew 4:12-17 Jesus chooses a particular place – Galilee – to begin his ministry. Matthew 4:18-25 Jesus gathers disciples and followers. Matthew 5:1-5 Blessed are the poor, the grieving, the meek. Matthew 5:6-12 Blessed are those who are focused on what God cares about. Matthew 5:13-16 You provide the salt and light of Jesus to the world. Matthew 5:17-20 Jesus fulfills the Old Testament: the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 5:21-26 Murder, anger, insulting others – how are they related, and what can we do about them? Matthew 5:27-32 Adultery, lust, and divorce start in the heart. Matthew 5:33-37 Integrity means your words line up with your actions. Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus takes retaliation in a new direction. Matthew 5:43-48 Why does Jesus tell us to love our enemies? Matthew 6:1-18 Who needs to know about your almsgiving, prayer, and fasting? Matthew 6:9-15 How to pray: The Lord’s Prayer shows the way. Matthew 6:19-24 What is a healthy view of wealth? Matthew 6:25-34 Worry – how to deal with it. Matthew 7:1-6 You will be judged in the same way you judge others. Matthew 7:7-11 Pray with confidence that God will respond as your Father. Matthew 7:12-23 The Golden Rule is part of the fundamental choice Jesus is calling us to make. Matthew 7:24-29 Is your faith built on rock? Is the Sermon on the Mount a central part of your faith? Matthew 8:1-17 Jesus cares about our afflictions. Matthew 8:18-34 To follow Jesus, we need to make some choices. Matthew 9:1-17 Who are you willing to befriend? Matthew 9:18-34 Allow Jesus to heal you, open your eyes, loosen your tongue. Matthew 9:35-10:15 Compassion compels Jesus and us to proclaim the good news. Matthew 10:16-42 Make the choice to follow Christ and do not be afraid of the consequences. Matthew 11:1-19 What is the evidence that Jesus is the Messiah? Matthew 11:20-30 Will we accept the direction of the Lord or resist? Matthew 12:1-37 What matters the most? What do your words reveal? Matthew 12:38-50 Two reactions to Jesus: disingenuous skepticism and genuine commitment. Matthew 13:1-23 What kind of soil can I be, to allow the seed of God’s word to take root and be fruitful in my life? Matthew 13:24-53 God patiently waits for us to bear fruit and asks us to be patient with those around us. Matthew 13:54-14:21 Living parables: Incidents in Jesus’s ministry that tell a bigger story, including the feeding of the 5,000. Matthew 14:22-36 Get out of the boat: Where are you called to take a step of faith and not be afraid? Matthew 15:1-20 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; it’s what comes out from your heart that defiles you Matthew 15:21-28 The healing love of God is for Gentiles, too. Matthew 15:29-39 Jesus’s compassion extends to all people; even foreigners. How can we be like Jesus? Matthew 16:1-12 What is God trying to do in our world today, and are we missing the signs of what is needed and what he is doing? Matthew 16:13-20 Who is Jesus? Who is Peter? Where do you fit in the Church that God is building? Matthew 16:21-28 Suffering is coming for Jesus, and he calls us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. Matthew 17:1-13 Do you struggle with the Christian teaching that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human? Three apostles had a visible experience of this truth. Matthew 17:14-27 A healing, a second warning of suffering to come, an interruption to pay a tax – just a normal day in the life of Jesus . . . and us? Matthew 18:1-9 Welcome a child, be as humble as a child, and don’t lead any “little ones” astray: the starting point for our relationships in the church. Matthew 18:10-20 Jesus doesn’t want to lose anyone – not those who have strayed, and not those who have wronged others. He offers a path that seeks reconciliation and broad agreement before disciplinary action. Matthew 18:21-35 How many times must I forgive someone who does something wrong to me over and over again? How is God a model for the answer? Matthew 19:1-12 Divorce: What does it mean for two to become one? Matthew 19:13-15 When you welcome children as God does, you never know the impact you might have. Matthew 19:16-22 The danger of riches: What kind of grip do they have on you? Matthew 19:23-26 Who can be saved? Your wealth won’t save you, but what will? Matthew 19:27-30 What will those who give up earthly goods for Jesus receive? Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus offers the same salvation to all – high or low, early or late – and asks us to adopt his attitude, which is that many who are last will be first. Can we embrace his approach? Matthew 20:17-28 When Jesus calls us to serve, he doesn’t just mean servant leadership; he means servant “helpership” that puts others’ needs first. Matthew 20:29-34 What does God want us to see? And once we see the real world as he sees it, how would he like us to respond? Matthew 21:1-11 Can you embrace a king who comes in peace? Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus wanted the Temple to be a house of prayer and a place of healing. Can our churches and our lives be that, too? Matthew 21:18-22 The cursing of the fig tree was a prophetic action, where Jesus stands against those who are "all leaf and no fruit." Is our metaphorical fig tree producing fruit or withering? Matthew 21:23-27 Responding to difficult questions and dealing with politics. Matthew 21:28-32 Can we say “Yes” to God, and then actually do the work he asks us to do? Matthew 21:33-46 What are you called to do in the work of God’s vineyard? Matthew 22:1-14 Are you wearing spiritual clothes fit for life in the kingdom of heaven? Matthew 22:15-22 What do we owe to governments and leaders? What do we owe to God? How can we honor God and obey the laws of our leaders? Matthew 22:23-33 If we try to make sense of God based on our human limitations, we will misunderstand the Scriptures and the power of God. How can the Scriptures guide us to a bigger picture? Matthew 22:34-40 What does it look like when we love God with our whole heart, soul, and mind, and extend the same love to others? Matthew 22:41-46 Jesus is greater than King David. He’s not your ordinary messiah, not your ordinary son of David. Who is Jesus in your life? Matthew 23:1-12 Are you serving others and helping to lift their burdens, or seeking attention and honor for yourself? Matthew 23:13-24 How can we recognize when we are focusing on little things that are of less importance and missing the more important matters of justice, mercy, and faithfulness? Matthew 23:25-36 Clean and beautiful on the outside, dirty and ungodly on the inside. How can we avoid falling into the trap of focusing on our exterior image? Matthew 23:37-39 Jesus loves his people like a mother hen who desires to gather her young under her wings. How can we embrace this maternal love of God for us? Matthew 24:1-14 Jesus calls his followers to persevere in the face of persecution and links it to the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. How are you sharing the good news of Jesus? Matthew 24:15-31 Jesus’s followers will face suffering before he returns. What do we need to know, and what do we need to be doing? Matthew 24:32-44 Jesus tells us to be ready for his return. What are you doing to be ready for that day (whether it is the Second Coming or your death)? Matthew 24:45-25:13 Are you acting like you are ready for the Lord? What would it look like in your life to be the faithful servant, the well-prepared attendant? Matthew 25:14-30 What are the “talents” God has given to you, and are you using them fruitfully? Matthew 25:31-46 Each of us will be judged by our treatment of the hungry, the stranger, the sick, those in prison, etc. What are you doing to find Jesus in those places? Matthew 26:1-13 Two responses to Jesus: total opposition and extravagant devotion. How can you show how you feel about Jesus? Matthew 26:14-25 While the normal routines of life go on, Jesus knows that one of his disciples is in the process of betraying him. How do you keep going when bad things are happening? Matthew 26:26-35 How does Holy Communion help you to enter into the new covenant that Jesus offers us? Matthew 26:36-56 Prayer in difficult times: Can you learn from Jesus’s example and keep in mind the bigger picture of your life? Matthew 26:57-68 Jesus was found guilty because he told the truth. When should you speak the truth? And when should you speak out against injustices against others? Matthew 26:69-27:10 Peter and Judas illustrate 2 different ways to respond when you have committed a serious sin. How can you stay connected to a God who loves you even when you deny him? Matthew 27:11-26 Pilate tried to pretend that Jesus’s death was not his decision. How can we be honest about the role we play in what goes on in our lives? Matthew 27:27-44 Jesus endured the torture and the mocking for us. How can we embrace his sacrificial attitude? Matthew 27:45-56 Jesus was not abandoned by God, but it might have felt that way when he started praying Psalm 22. The psalm affirms him, and the centurion declared: “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:57-66 Jesus is buried: Some people take action; others wait and watch. Matthew 28:1-10 The empty tomb means that Jesus is alive – and still alive today! Matthew 28:11-20 Everyone can participate: Sharing and living the good news. Matthew - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of the Gospel of Matthew. Image at top by Tim Wildsmith, provided by Unsplash via Wix.

Bible Study resources for Philemon, to help individuals and small groups explore how the Bible applies to life today: background, commentary, and questions. Philemon Introduction Paul sends Onesimus to Philemon with a letter. Philemon - Bibliography Bibliography of major sources and additional sources used in this study of Paul’s Letter to Philemon. Philemon 1-7 The person Paul is writing to, Philemon, is an example of the kind of encouraging partner everyone might like to have, and Paul is an example of giving thanks and praise. How can we be like them? Philemon 8-25 How can we approach someone with a difficult a request in a way that might keep our relationship with them strong? Philemon: Broader Questions About Slavery The apostle Paul undermined the Roman system of slavery by seeking to transform the relationship between masters and slaves. Could he have done more? Could we be doing more to challenge the injustices of our time? Image at top by Luis Georg Müller, provided by Unsplash via Wix.

Bible study leadership materials: how-tos for small-group leaders to help people grow in faith. Leading a Small-Group Bible Study Almost anyone can lead a small-group Bible Study if they believe in Jesus, are willing to prepare in advance, have an open heart, and have an awareness of social dynamics. Good leaders work to accomplish at least three important goals: Increase people’s understanding of the Bible, Foster spiritual growth through the application of God’s Word, and Provide a place to experience Christian community. Although leaders have different styles, every group benefits if the leaders seek these goals. Here are some handouts I have used in parish Leadership Training programs to help prepare people to lead well. Preparing to Lead a Small-Group Bible Study Meeting How do you prepare a small-group Bible Study meeting? Leadership Techniques for Good Bible Study Discussions How do you manage what goes on in a Bible Study meeting that you are leading? Important Functions of Leaders What are your goals as a small-group Bible Study leader, and what do you need to do to fulfill the role you have taken on? Image at top  provided by Wix.

Bible-based study guide on hope for small groups and individuals, using Pope Francis's Jubilee Year 2025 document Spes Non Confundit as a guide. Hope (for Jubilee Year 2025 and beyond) Embrace God's Hope and Extend It to All A Scripture-Based Study Guide for Exploring Pope Francis’s Jubilee Year 2025 Document Spes Non Confundit Link to S pes Non Confundit Introduction: Respond to the Invitation to Embrace God’s Hope God wants to renew our hope and help us put our faith and hope into action. Overview: How to Use This Study Guide Suggestions for individuals, small group members, and small group leaders. A Note About Our Terminology What do we mean when we refer to a “part of a paragraph”? Session 1: Why we can have hope We find hope because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through Jesus. (Read paragraphs 1-4) Session 2: The Jubilee leads us on a journey of hope The Jubilee Year invites us to encounter Jesus, who is our hope. (Read paragraphs 1, 5, and 6) Session 3: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 1 Peace and war; welcoming children; prisoners. (Read paragraphs 7-10) Session 4: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 2 The sick; the young; migrants and refugees; the elderly. (Read paragraphs 11-14) Session 5: Where signs of hope are needed today, part 3, and broader appeals for hope The poor; the goods of the earth, debt, economic priorities; synodality. (Read paragraphs 15-17) Session 6: A life anchored in hope, part 1 Faith, charity, and hope; life everlasting; death; happiness. (Read paragraphs 18-21) Session 7: A life anchored in hope, part 2 God’s judgment; indulgence and Penance; the Mother of God; hope as an anchor. (Read paragraphs 22-25) Jubilee Year 2025 - Bibliography Sources used in this study of Spes Non Confundit . We would appreciate your feedback on this study: Feedback Form .