Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



But Jesus would not trust Himself to them [i.e., to the care of these Jewish leaders] because He knew all men,

Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Then Jesus asked him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you [truly] love me?" Peter was sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, "Do you [even] love me?" So, he said to Jesus, "Lord, you know all things. You [surely] know that I love you." Jesus replied to him, "[Then] feed my sheep.

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the inner thoughts of all men, so show us which one of these two men should be selected


Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Then Jesus asked him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you [truly] love me?" Peter was sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, "Do you [even] love me?" So, he said to Jesus, "Lord, you know all things. You [surely] know that I love you." Jesus replied to him, "[Then] feed my sheep.


The first man [i.e., Adam] came from the dust of the ground [See Gen. 2:7]; the second man [i.e., Christ] came from heaven.

The One who comes from above [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others]; but the one who is out of the earth [i.e., of human origin] is [merely] an earthly [being] and he speaks in earthly [ways]. [But] the One who comes from heaven [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others].


Jesus replied, "If God were [truly] your Father you would love me, because I came from God to be here. For I did not come on my own authority, but God sent me.

Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Jesus replied, "You people are from below [i.e., from the earthly realm]; I am from above [i.e., from the heavenly realm]. You belong to this world; I do not belong to this world.


Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."


The first man [i.e., Adam] came from the dust of the ground [See Gen. 2:7]; the second man [i.e., Christ] came from heaven.

The One who comes from above [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others]; but the one who is out of the earth [i.e., of human origin] is [merely] an earthly [being] and he speaks in earthly [ways]. [But] the One who comes from heaven [i.e., Jesus] ranks over all [others].


Jesus replied, "If God were [truly] your Father you would love me, because I came from God to be here. For I did not come on my own authority, but God sent me.

Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Jesus replied, "You people are from below [i.e., from the earthly realm]; I am from above [i.e., from the heavenly realm]. You belong to this world; I do not belong to this world.


When Jesus said this, one of the guards standing there struck Him [in the face], saying, "Is that any way to talk to the head priest?" Jesus answered him, "If I have said anything wrong, tell me what it was. But if [I spoke] properly, why did you hit me?"

After saying these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the time has come; honor your Son so that your Son may honor you. Just as you gave Him authority over all mankind, He will give never ending life to all those people [Note: The Greek word here is neuter gender, "all those things"] you have given Him. And this is never ending life; that people may know you [as] the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One whom you have sent. read more.
I am honoring you [while] on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, honor me in your presence with the honor I had with you before the world was [created]. I have revealed your name [i.e., your power and character] to the men you gave me out of the world [i.e., the apostles]. They belonged to you, but you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you gave me came from you, because I have given them the message you gave me, and they accepted it. They [also] knew for certain that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I am praying for them [i.e., the apostles]; I am not praying for the world, but for those whom you gave me, who belong to you. And everything I have belongs to you, and what you have belongs to me; and I am honored through these men. And [now] I am coming to you, for I will not be in the world any longer, yet these men are [still] in the world. Holy Father, protect them by [the power of] your name which you have given me. May these men be one, as we are. I protected them while I was with them by [the power of] your name which you gave me. [See verse 11]. I guarded them so that not one of them was lost except the "son of destruction" [i.e., Judas]. [This was] so that the Scripture would be fulfilled [Psa. 41:9 ?]. But now I am coming to you, and I am speaking these things [while still] in the world, so that they [i.e., the apostles] may have my joy within them in all its fullness. I have given them your word, and the world hated them because they do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.


For the One whom God has sent [i.e., Jesus] speaks the words of God, for He [i.e., God] does not give the Holy Spirit in a limited quantity [i.e., to Jesus. See next verse]. The Father loves the Son and has given everything into His hands [See Eph. 1:20-22].

So, they said to Him, "Who are you?" Jesus answered, "Why am I even speaking to you at all? [Note: The Greek words of this difficult passage are not real clear] I have many things to say about you and [many] judgments to pass on you. However, God, who sent me, is truthful and I am telling the world [only] the things I have heard from Him." The people [who heard this] did not understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father. read more.
So, Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of man [i.e., to crucify Him], then you will know that I am [the Messiah] and that I do not do anything on my own authority, but I speak [only] those things that the Father has taught me. And God, who sent me, is with me; He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to Him."

Then Jesus spoke out in a loud voice, "The person who believes in me, does not [only] believe in me, but [also] in Him who sent me [i.e., God]. And the person who sees me, sees Him who sent me [also]. I have come into the world to be a light [to it], so that whoever believes in me would not have to remain in [spiritual] darkness. read more.
And if any person hears my message and does not obey it, I will not judge him [now], for I did not come into the world to judge it, but to save it. The person who rejects me and does not accept my message has One who [will] judge him. The message that I have spoken will judge him on the last day [i.e., the judgment day]. For I did not speak from myself [i.e., on my own authority], but the Father Himself, who sent me, has ordered me what to say and speak. And I know that [obeying] His commandments [leads to] never ending life. So, the things which I say are what the Father has told me [to say]."

[Jesus continued], "I am the real vine, and my Father is the owner of the vineyard. He will cut off [See verse 6] every branch [i.e., follower of Christ] who is in [fellowship with] me that does not bear fruit. And He will prune every branch that does bear fruit, so it will bear more fruit. You people are already 'clean' [i.e., have been pruned of undesirable traits] because of [obedience to] the teaching I have given you. read more.
Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains united to the vine, so neither can you people [bear fruit] unless you remain united to me. "I am the vine; you people are the branches. The person who remains united to me, and I to him, will bear much fruit. For you cannot do anything if [you are] separated from me. If a person does not remain united to me, he will be thrown out as a [fruitless] branch and dried up. People gather up such branches and throw them into the fire to be burned [as fuel ?]. If you remain in [fellowship with] me and my teaching remains in your hearts, [you can] ask for whatever you want, and it will be done for you. My Father is honored by your bearing much fruit and [thus] showing that you are my disciples. "Just as the Father has loved me, [so] I have also loved you. You should continue to receive [or, respond to] my love. [Note: The next verse tells how this can be done]. If you obey my commandments, [then] you will continue receiving my love; just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and [so] continue receiving His love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in your hearts, and that your joy may be complete. My commandment [to you] is this: You should love one another just as I have loved you. No one has [any] greater love than to give up his life for his friends. You people are my friends if you do what I command you to. I do not call you slaves anymore, for a slave does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have told you everything that I heard from my Father.

[Then] Jesus' disciples said [to Him], "Look, you are speaking plainly now, and not in figurative language. Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God." Jesus replied to them, "Do you believe [in me] now? read more.
Look, the time is coming --- yes, it is already here --- when each of you will be scattered to his own home, and will leave me [all] alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have said these things to you so that you can have peace in [fellowship with] me. You will have trouble in the world, but cheer up, for I have conquered the world."

[Dear] Theophilus, in my former letter [i.e., the Gospel of Luke] I wrote to you concerning what all Jesus did and taught since the beginning [of His ministry], up until the day He returned to heaven. [Just before that time] He had given [certain] instructions to His [specially] selected apostles through [the direction of] the Holy Spirit. Now, following His death on the cross [and resurrection], Jesus appeared alive [to His apostles] for forty days, and demonstrated by many convincing proofs [that He had been raised bodily from the dead]. [During that time] He also spoke to them about the [coming] kingdom of God.


But Jesus would not trust Himself to them [i.e., to the care of these Jewish leaders] because He knew all men,

Now we realize that you know everything and do not need anyone to ask you [questions]. This makes us believe that you came from God."

Then Jesus asked him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you [truly] love me?" Peter was sad because Jesus had asked him a third time, "Do you [even] love me?" So, he said to Jesus, "Lord, you know all things. You [surely] know that I love you." Jesus replied to him, "[Then] feed my sheep.

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the inner thoughts of all men, so show us which one of these two men should be selected