In January, we explored the calling of the disciples. Do you remember Andrew? When he first encountered Jesus, he couldn’t keep the news to himself. He ran to find his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” And then he brought his brother to Jesus. Philip did the same thing with his friend Nathanael, offering a simple invitation: “Come and see.”
That invitation continues this spring as we walk through the Gospel of John. We’re encountering Jesus through the eyes of those who walked with him, listened to him, and watched him transform what they thought they knew about God. And this March, we’ll discover what it means to truly see Jesus for who he really is.
As we enter the season of Lent, we’ll watch Jesus heal a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. Do you remember this story? Jesus asks, “Do you want to get well?” Then we’ll witness Jesus giving sight to a man born blind. He had spent his entire life in darkness until Jesus opened his eyes. But this story is about more than physical healing. It’s about seeing Jesus for who he truly is. We’ll stand with Mary and Martha at Lazarus’s tomb. Each story reveals something deeper about Jesus. He’s not just a miracle worker or a moral teacher. He’s the Light of the World, the Resurrection and the Life, the one who has power over death itself.
On March 29, we will gather on Palm Sunday. John tells us that crowds waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna!” as Jesus entered Jerusalem. But he also tells us that they misunderstand him. They wanted a warrior on a war horse. Jesus rode on a humble donkey. Even with their eyes wide open, they couldn’t truly see him. This contrast forces us to ask ourselves how we receive Jesus. Do we want Jesus on our terms, or are we willing to receive him as he actually is?
These aren’t just stories about people who lived 2,000 years ago. These are encounters that mirror our own experience with Jesus. Like Nicodemus, we come with questions in the darkness, seeking to understand. Like the woman at the well, we carry shame from our past and wonder if we’re beyond grace’s reach. Like the man born blind, we need our eyes opened to see who Jesus truly is.
John wrote his Gospel for one reason. He says in chapter 20, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” He wants us not just to know about Jesus, but to encounter him personally and receive the life he offers. He wants our eyes opened.
Come and see. Join us each Sunday as we walk with Jesus toward Jerusalem. Read the passages ahead of time. Bring your questions, your doubts, your hopes as explore these stories together.
Worship Schedule
- March 01 - Jesus our Lord: The Miracle Worker (John 4:43-54)
Additional Readings: Psalm 121, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 - March 08 - Stuck No More (John 5:1-18)
Additional Readings: Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11 - March 15 - Seeing Jesus (John 9:1-41)
Additional Readings: Psalm 23, Ephesians 5:8-14 - March 22 - When God Delays (John 11:1-45)
Additional Readings: Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11 - March 29 - The King Nobody Expected (John 12:12-19)
Additional Readings: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, Philippians 2:5-11
