“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT)

Ultimate victory is assured to everyone who believes in Christ. On the path to that ultimate victory, however, there are countless battles we must fight and hardships we must endure. That’s Jesus’ message to His disciples in John 16.

Jesus was about to face unimaginable suffering as part of God’s plan of salvation. His disciples were about to face some harsh realities of their own after He left them. He warned them about what was to come not to discourage them, but to encourage them. He didn’t want them to be caught by surprise by the trials and tribulations that lay ahead. He assured them that their faith was strong enough to withstand what was coming. There was no need to abandon it and return to Judaism, which many of His followers would do.

Because of their association with Jesus, the disciples would be banished from the synagogues, the places of Jewish worship. They would have targets on their backs. Jesus refers to “those who kill you” (verse 2 NLT). The disciples had to get used to the reality that eventually they would pay the ultimate price for their discipleship.

And the people doing the banishing and killing? They would claim they were doing it in God’s name. But their opposition to Jesus was proof that they had never known God.

Once again, Jesus comforts His disciples with a reminder of the Holy Spirit’s coming. The Holy Spirit would be the disciples’ most valuable ally. He would make people aware of their sin and their need to repent. He would direct their attention to God’s righteousness. He would give them a sense of God’s coming judgment. He would prepare people’s hearts for the gospel message. And for the disciples, He would be a source of truth, power, direction, and encouragement.

Jesus hinted at His resurrection: “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again” (verse 16 NLT). The disciples were confused in the moment. Later, however, they would look back on those words as evidence of God’s amazing plan.

Jesus also warned them that they would soon lose their courage and scatter, leaving Him alone. But their courage would return. After all, there was a world to be changed.

Jesus’ words in John 16 apply to everyone who follows Him. If you identify yourself with Jesus, you can expect an adventure. You’ll have many trials and tribulations. Jesus gives fair warning. Battles await us. So do temptation and persecution. They’ll test us. They’ll sharpen us. They’ll humble us. They may cause us occasional doubt or anxiety.

But they can’t defeat us. The war is over. Jesus destroyed the power of sin with His sinless life. He destroyed the power of death with His resurrection. God has given us His Holy Spirit to go into battle with us. What do we have to fear?

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“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” (John 15:18 NLT)

Jesus has already instructed His followers to love one another, to stay connected to Him (the true vine), and to produce fruit in the world. Now He wants us to understand that doing those things will cost us dearly. In fact, people will hate us and persecute us for them.

We shouldn’t be surprised by it. We shouldn’t try to avoid it. We couldn’t if we tried anyway. There’s no safe path for followers of Christ. It’s not a matter of if the world will hate us; it’s only a matter of when. Our best strategy is to anticipate and prepare for it.

But that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? Hate isn’t such a big deal when it’s used to describe a reaction to cauliflower or mosquitoes. But when someone talks about hating a person, it is a big deal. And when that person is you, it’s a really big deal.

But our relationship with Christ is an infinitely bigger deal. And if hatred is the result, it’s a small price to pay. Especially when we consider what Jesus sacrificed for us.

The world’s hatred shows itself in different ways. Maybe you’ve been mocked by friends because you no longer join them in certain activities. Maybe you’ve been the target of online attacks accusing you of intolerance. Maybe you’ve had your job threatened because you refused to compromise your beliefs.

The aim is to silence us—or at least quiet us. To marginalize us. To make us look like radical extremists. To get us to compromise—to meet our enemies halfway. But we can’t do that. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless” (Matthew 5:13 NLT).

Ultimately, the enemies of our faith don’t hate us for our political affiliation or our stand on social issues. They hate us because we follow Christ. And they hate Him. So there’s something to celebrate in being hated. It means people identify us with Christ. They see Him in us. It tells us we’re doing something right.

Jesus does more than warn us about being hated. He promises that the Holy Spirit, our Advocate, will face down the hatred with us, giving us strength and reminding us how loved we really are. Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” (verse 26 NLT). The Spirit helps us recognize the lies of the world. He reminds us that if we follow Christ, we’re right, and our enemies are wrong.

He reminds us that the alternative to the world’s hate is much worse than the hate itself. The alternative is compromising or abandoning our relationship with Christ. Persevering through the hate is a much better option. The hatred of the world is a good barometer of our spiritual well-being.

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“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NLT)

Jesus wanted His disciples to know that even though He was leaving them, their connection would never be cut. The image He used is a vine and its branches. Jesus is the true vine. His followers are the branches.

You don’t have to be a master gardener to know that the branches of a vine can’t survive and thrive unless they’re connected to the vine. And we can’t survive and thrive spiritually unless we stay connected to Jesus. He gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to produce good fruit in our lives.

Not all fruit is good. Jesus made that clear in His confrontations with the Jewish religious leaders. These respected men appeared to live very fruitful lives. They worked hard to seem pious. They built their reputations on fulfilling the smallest details of the law. They guarded religious traditions and attacked anyone who challenged their authority.

What appeared to be fruit in their lives, however, was rotten. It wasn’t nourished by the true vine. Jesus said, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me’” (Matthew 15:7–8 NLT).

The religious leaders wanted people to think that they were close to God, but their hearts were disconnected from Him. Somewhere along the way, they became more concerned about looking like they were producing spiritual fruit than actually producing it.

What they didn’t realize is that we can’t grow spiritual fruit on our own. All we can do is stay connected to the true vine. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (verse 4 NLT). Spiritual disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, quiet times, and sharing our faith keep us connected to Jesus. If we make them part of our daily routine, we will see spiritual fruit grow.

An amazing thing happens when we start to bear spiritual fruit. Jesus said, “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more” (verses 1–2 NLT). God created us. He knows what we’re capable of producing. He can see the areas where we’re blossoming. And He can see the areas where growth and yield aren’t happening.

If we stay connected to Jesus, the true vine, God will help us cut away the unproductive areas of our lives, the things that keep us from producing even more fruit. God, the Master Gardener, will help us increase our spiritual yield. That, in turn, will draw us closer to Jesus. And the cycle continues.

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“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NLT)

If you had to define Christianity using only one Bible verse, John 14:6 would be a pretty good choice. In two sentences, Jesus gives us the core belief of Christianity, the distinctive feature that sets it apart from all other religions and belief systems.

Our culture encourages us to be spiritually open-minded. To accept all religious teachings as equally valid. To embrace the idea that all paths lead to God. And that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as your faith is sincere.

But Jesus’ words in John 14:6 don’t give us those options. He is the way. There is no other path to God or Heaven except through Him. He is the truth. Any philosophy or scripture that doesn’t agree with His words and teachings cannot be true. He is the life. There is no way to live forever except through Him.

If that seems narrow-minded, consider this: God sacrificed what was most precious to Him—His Son—because it was the only way to pay the price for our sins. Jesus left His exalted place in Heaven to dwell among us and do what we couldn’t do: live a sinless life. God the Son allowed Himself to be mocked, beaten, and crucified. Even though He was innocent, He took God’s punishment for the sins of the world. He died in our place. He conquered death through His resurrection. He carried out God’s plan of salvation so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

If there’s another path to God or Heaven (or if there’s another belief system that gives eternal life), that means God’s plan, the sacrifice of His Son, and Jesus’ suffering and death were unnecessary. If you believe Jesus didn’t have to die for you to be saved, you haven’t put your trust in Him.

Jesus reminds His followers that if we love Him, we will show it by obeying His commands. Relationship experts tell us there are many ways to express love to someone. But when that someone is Jesus, there’s just one: Do what He says. That includes turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, loving your neighbor, loving your enemy, caring for the needy, and prioritizing what’s important to Him. Keep making changes to your life so that it aligns with His.

The news of Jesus’ impending departure surely had a chilling effect on His disciples. No doubt they experienced some anxiety as they tried to imagine life without Him. But he wanted them to know He wasn’t leaving them empty-handed. The Holy Spirit was coming, and He would change their lives in ways they couldn’t imagine.

The Holy Spirit lives inside all believers. He guides us in our daily decision-making. He helps us discern God’s truth. He convicts us to confess and repent when we do wrong. He reminds us of Jesus’ words. He helps us understand Scripture. He helps shape our prayers. He nurtures spiritual fruit in our lives. He shows us how to be Jesus’ disciples.

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“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” (John 13:14–15 NLT)

It was one thing for Mary to wash Jesus’ feet in John 12. But when Jesus washes His disciples’ feet in John 13, He blurs the lines between servant and master. He makes us rethink what it means to be great.

Washing feet was the job of the lowliest servants. It was unpleasant, for one thing. People walked great distances in Jesus’ day. In sandals. On dirty roads. That were used by animals too. And when they reached their destinations, their feet were not a pretty sight. Or smell.

It was humiliating as well. To wash someone’s feet, you had to kneel before that person. You had to assume a posture of a servant. You had to get your hands dirty.

So it was the perfect way for Jesus to show His disciples what it means to follow Him. One of the disciples’ favorite pastimes was arguing about which of them would be the greatest in God’s kingdom (see Matthew 18:1; Mark 10:35–45; Luke 22:24–27). By performing such a lowly task, Jesus communicated to them (and to everyone who follows Him), “This is what greatness really looks like. If you want to be My disciple, no act of service is beneath you. You can’t feed My sheep and feed your ego at the same time. The greatest in My kingdom are the quickest to humble themselves.” He wants His followers to be recognizable by our sacrificial love. This is especially important for people who want to be leaders. The most effective leaders are also the humblest servants.

Jesus’ humble act of service is even more amazing when you consider that one of the men whose feet He washed was about to betray Him and another was about to deny even knowing Him.

Jesus wasn’t blindsided by Judas Iscariot’s betrayal. He knew what was in His disciple’s heart. Judas’ treachery was part of God’s plan. And when Jesus announced that one of them would betray Him, Simon Peter was quick to show his “bold” discipleship. He motioned for John to ask Jesus who the traitor was. Maybe he figured it was up to him to stop the betrayal.

When Jesus told the group that He would be with them only a little while longer, they misunderstood. They thought He was going on a journey without them. Again, Peter had the boldest reaction. “‘But why can’t I come now, Lord?’ he asked. ‘I’m ready to die for you’” (verse 37 NLT).

He must have been stunned by Jesus’ reply: “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me” (verse 38 NLT).

Discipleship involves more than bold words. It involves standing up when you really, really want to lay low. Refusing to abandon your convictions, even when people are ridiculing them. Coming alongside people others reject. Knowing what’s right and risking humiliation to defend it. Being willing to sacrifice whatever is important to you for Jesus’ sake.

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“A large crowd of Passover visitors took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, ‘Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hail to the King of Israel!’” (John 12:12–13 NLT)

Jesus returned to Bethany to attend a supper celebrating the miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection. But even as Jesus and His friends celebrated life, the specter of death hung in the air, although Jesus was the only one who realized it. John tells us the supper took place six days before the Passover. In other words, about a week before Jesus’ crucifixion.

Jesus knew full well what awaited Him in Jerusalem. He was always aware of God’s timetable for Him. For years, He had said, “My time has not yet come.” But now His time had come. Unimaginable agony awaited Him. Still, He took the time to celebrate with His friends, just as He had mourned with them when Lazarus died.

During the supper, Lazarus’ sister Mary presented Jesus with an extraordinary gift and act of humble service. In the culture of that time, it was customary for hosts to wash the feet of their guests with water and anoint them with a drop of scented oil.

Mary took that custom to the next level. She used a 12-ounce jar of very expensive perfume to wash Jesus’ feet. (By one estimate, the cost of that 12-ounce jar of perfume was equal to a year’s salary.) After she washed his feet, she let down her hair, something Jewish women of that era rarely did in public. She then used her hair to dry Jesus’ feet. She sacrificed her possessions and her pride to honor Jesus.

Her act of service and humility left everyone in the room stunned. And left the room smelling amazing, no doubt. But the stunned silence didn’t last long. Judas Iscariot—the disciple who was about to betray Jesus—complained that Mary should have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. But don’t get the wrong idea about him. He didn’t care about the poor. He served as treasurer for Jesus and the disciples. He managed the money donated by Jesus’ supporters. He also was a thief who skimmed coins from the treasury. He was probably upset that he didn’t have a chance to “broker” the exchange of funds between Mary and the poor.

Jesus was quick to defend Mary. “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (verses 7–8 NLT). He accepted her humble sacrifice in the spirit in which she intended it.

Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, the chief priests were plotting to kill not just Jesus but Lazarus too. Many of them were Sadducees, who taught that there was no resurrection. Lazarus’ return to life was an embarrassment to them, and they wanted to eliminate the evidence of it.

When Jesus set out for Jerusalem, news of His coming spread fast. Just as His enemies had feared, people wanted to see the One who had power over death. Crowds lined the streets and waved palm branches because they believed they were welcoming their king. Finally, they had a Messiah who would lead a revolt against Rome. Or so they thought.

In that sense, they were like people today who embrace Jesus when they think He can advance their agenda. These people use the parts of His message that coincide with their own aims and conveniently ignore the rest.

But when those crowds who welcomed Him into Jerusalem learned once and for all what His agenda really involved—and what He really expected from His followers—they didn’t just abandon Him. They angrily demanded His execution.

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“If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.” (John 11:48 NLT)

Many people who saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead believed in Him. That’s not surprising. Miracles will have that effect on people. What is surprising is that other people who were present went straight to the religious leaders in Jerusalem and told them what Jesus had done.

These people saw the grief and suffering of Lazarus’ family and friends. They saw the compassion of Jesus, who mourned with them. They saw His courage in traveling to a region where He was a wanted man. They saw His power over death itself. They were witnesses to one of the most profound miracles in human history.

And their only thought was how they could use the miracle as evidence to prosecute the miracle worker. They reported Him to the authorities. For what? Improper disposal of a corpse? Grave robbing? Tampering with death?

The news of Lazarus’ resurrection raised the stakes for Jesus’ enemies. They didn’t even try to deny His power anymore. Or His appeal to the people of Israel. They knew that as word spread about His power over death, His popularity would soar. And that’s what they were afraid of.

The Jewish religious leaders had a good thing going. They had power, respect, authority, influence, and wealth. And it was all tied to the temple in Jerusalem, the center of worship in Israel. The temple was their domain, and they were prepared to eliminate anyone who threatened their control of it.

They were afraid that if Jesus became too popular, Rome would start to view the entire Jewish religious system as a threat. They were afraid the Roman authorities would outlaw their religious practices and destroy the temple.

Caiaphas, the high priest, made it clear what they had to do. He said, “You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed” (verse 50 NLT). He had no way of knowing just how prophetic his words were. In a little more than a week, that one man would die not just for His people but for the whole world, so that we would not be destroyed.

You probably know, or know of, people who are as hard-hearted as the spies who witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection. They’ve seen evidence of God’s work—changed lives, answered prayers, small miracles even. Yet they still refuse to believe in or follow Jesus. Instead, they double down on their disbelief and oppose the Christian faith.

Our job isn’t to convince them that what we believe is the truth. We can’t argue them into becoming Christians. Those things are the work of the Holy Spirit.

Our job is to stay humble. To minister with a servant’s heart. To pray for them. To talk about our faith as casually and naturally as we do any other subject. To be ready with an answer when they challenge us. To show genuine concern and compassion. And to model Christ’s love.

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“Then he said, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.’” (John 11:11 NLT)

Jesus left Judea because the Jewish religious leaders there were plotting to kill Him. He wasn’t afraid of death; He just knew that the time for it had not yet come. Then He got a message that prompted Him to return.

Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were siblings who lived in the Judean village of Bethany. All three were followers and friends of Jesus. When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent word to the Lord. That set the stage for one of Jesus’ most remarkable miracles: raising Lazarus from the dead.

There are three takeaways from the story that are as important today as they were 2,000 ago. First, the Lord’s timing is perfect. Jesus could have rushed to Bethany and saved Lazarus on his deathbed. But the impact wouldn’t have been nearly as great. So Jesus waited. And neither His disciples nor Mary and Martha could understand why.

The right thing to do—and the right time to do it—seemed obvious to them. But they couldn’t see the big picture. That’s why it’s important for us to pray for God to work in His way and in His time.

Second, Jesus empathizes with us. Hebrews 4:15 says Jesus “faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NLT). He also experienced all the same emotions we do. He laughed. He celebrated. He got angry. And He cried. He knew better than anyone else how Lazarus’ story was going to end. But when He saw the people mourning, He joined them. He hurt because others hurt. That’s why He’s able to comfort us so effectively. He knows not only how we feel but also how our story will end. He knows when our tears will dry and what good will ultimately come from the situation. And He gives us the opportunity to show the same kind of empathy and love to other hurting people.

Third, nothing is beyond the Lord’s power. Martha and Mary each showed a strong faith in Jesus. Both said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (verses 21, 32 NLT). But in their words, they also limited the scope of what they believed Jesus could accomplish. Yes, He had the power to heal Lazarus’ sickness. And yes, He had the power to raise Lazarus in the next life. But it didn’t occur to them that He could still raise Lazarus in this life.

Lazarus’ walk out of the tomb opened a world of possibilities for everyone who trusts Jesus. If He can give life to a corpse after four days, He can change the most stubborn mind. He can soften the hardest heart. He can cure spiritual darkness. He can reconcile the most unlikely people. He can ease the most intense fears. He can heal the most distraught mourners. He can bring something good from the worst circumstances.

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