The Word was the source of life for all creatures

The Word became a man, and lived among us.
We saw his glory, full of grace and truth

Many people did not recognize and did not accept the Word.
But to everyone who did accept him,
he gave power to become children of God

Jesus, please help me understand how you are the Word-made-flesh

When religious leaders asked John "Who are you?", he replied "I am, as the prophet Isaiah prophesied, a voice crying out: make a straight way for the Lord"

When Jesus came to the river Jordan where John was baptizing, John said "Look, there is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is far more important than I am, because he existed (as the Word) before I was born

I saw the Holy Spirit come down on him like a dove. He will baptize people with the Holy Spirit.  He is the Chosen One of God"

Jesus, lamb of God, Chosen One of God, please baptize me with the Holy Spirit

Andrew took his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus changed Simon's name to Peter, and Peter followed Jesus

Jesus met  Philip and said to him "Follow me".  Philip called one more man, Nathanael (Bartholomew) and said to him "we have found the one Moses and the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth"

Jesus, please help me introduce more people to know and love you

The wine ran out, so Jesus' mother said to him "They have no wine".
Jesus replied "Woman, my time for doing special things has not yet come". His mother said to the servants "Do whatever he tells you"

There were 6 big containers there, used for holding water. Each could hold about 35 liters. Jesus said to the servants "Fill the containers with water" and they filled them up

Jesus then said "take some out and give it to the man in charge of the banquet".  When the man tasted the water, it had turned to wine

The man called the bridegroom and said "You have kept the best wine until now"

This was the first public miracle done by Jesus

Jesus,  help me to do whatever you tell me to do

Jesus made a whip out of some cord, then drove the sellers out of the Temple, cattle and sheep as well. He scattered the money changers' coins, knocked their tables over, and said to the pigeon sellers "Take all of this out of here and stop turning my Father's house into a market"

Some religious leaders asked him "What sign can you show us to justify what you have done?"

Jesus answered "Destroy this sanctuary, and in three days I will raise it up".  The leaders replied "It has taken 46 years to build this sanctuary"

But Jesus was speaking of the sanctuary that was his body, and when he rose from the dead, his disciples remembered his words

Jesus, please don't let churches and prayer centers become centers of commerce

Jesus replied "Unless you are born through water and the Spirit,
you cannot enter God's kingdom"

Jesus, please help more people be baptized through water and the Spirit

God loved the world so much, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life

For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world,
but so that through him the world might be saved

Jesus, only Son of God the Father, thank you for coming into this world. Please help more and more people believe in you

John replied "I am not the Christ. I am the one who was sent to prepare his way. The bride is only for the bridegroom. But the bridegroom's friend is happy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is the happiness  I now feel

He must become more and more important.
I must become less and less important

Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. But anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will not have eternal life"

Jesus,  be more and more important in my life

Jesus, please give me a drink of your eternal life water
 - which is your Holy Spirit

Look around, look at the fields. They are ready for harvest"

Jesus, please encourage more people to be Gospel workers, harvesting souls for eternal life

The official believed Jesus and started his journey home. While on the journey,  he was met by his servants who told him the boy was alive and well.  "The fever left him yesterday, they said, "at  1pm"

The father realized that this was the exact time when Jesus had said "Your son will live".  The official and all his household then believed in Jesus

Jesus, (..name..) is sick.  Please heal him/her

Jesus, if my sickness is due to some sin, please forgive me and heal me

The Father judges no one. He has entrusted all judgement to the Son

A time will come  when the dead will leave their graves at the sound of the Son's voice. Those who did good, will rise again to life. Those who did evil, will face condemnation".

Jesus, some day you are going to be my judge. On that day may I hear you say "I was hungry, and you gave me food etc"  (Matthew 25. 31 - 46)

Jesus said to the religious leaders "The healing and teaching my Father has given me to do, testify that the Father sent me

You study the Scriptures, realizing that in them there is the message of life. Now these same Scriptures focus on me, and yet you refuse to come to me for life

If you really believe what Moses wrote, you would believe in me, since it was I that he was writing about"

Jesus, please help me understand how everything in the Bible is related to you. Help me understand that "ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of you"

Jesus climbed a hillside and sat there with his disciples. 
Seeing the huge crowd, Jesus said to one of his disciples 
"How can we feed so many people?"

The disciple Andrew said "There's a young boy here with 5 loaves and 2 fish. But what good is that for such a huge crowd?"

Jesus said "Make the people sit down". The crowd of about 5,000 sat down on the grass

Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to all the people. He did the same with the fish. Everyone ate as much as they wanted to

The people, seeing this miracle, said "He really is God's great prophet".  Jesus, aware that they wanted to make him king, slipped away and went up the hill by himself

Jesus, please bless my prayers and actions to help others,
just as you blessed the loaves and fish

He got into the boat, and it quickly arrived at Capernaum

Jesus, help me remember that you are in my boat

 Do not give so much concern to physical food.
Be more concerned about the spiritual food that lasts forever.
This is the  food the Son of Man is offering you"

Jesus, please give us the food that lasts forever

I am the bread of life. Anyone who comes to me will never be hungry. Anyone who believes in me will never be thirsty

It is my Father's will that whoever believes in me will have eternal life"

Jesus, living bread from heaven, please help more and more people believe in you and love you

Jesus replied "I am the bread of life. If you eat this bread which has come down from heaven, you will live forever

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever

And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world"

Jesus, living bread come down from heaven, please help me understand how you give your flesh for the life of the world

Jesus replied "If you refuse to eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you will not have life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life

For my flesh is real food, and my blood is real drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I live in them

As I, who am sent by the living Father, myself draw life from the Father, so whoever eats me will draw life from me

This is the bread come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread will live for ever"

Jesus, thank you for the gift of your Body and Blood
in Holy Communion

Jesus said to the 12 apostles "What about you? Are you also going to leave me?"

Peter replied "Lord, who shall we go to? You have the message of eternal life. We believe you are the Holy One of God"

Jesus, please don't ever let me stop following you

Not even his brothers believed in him

In Jerusalem, no one spoke about him openly, for fear of the religious leaders

Jesus, people were scared to talk about you, your brothers didn't believe in you, and the leaders wanted to kill you. How small my  problems are compared with yours

As Scripture says "From his heart will flow fountains of living water"

Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit, which people who believed in him were to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified

Holy Spirit, flowing from the heart of Jesus, please increase your influence in my life

When the police returned to the leaders without Jesus,
the leaders asked "Why didn't you arrest him?"

The police replied
"There has never been anyone who has spoken like him"

Jesus, in the history of the world, there has never been anyone who has spoken about goodness and truth like you

The leaders said to Jesus "According to the Law of Moses, this woman should be stoned to death. What do you say?"  They said this  to test him, looking for something to use against him

Jesus bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger. Since they kept up their questioning, he looked up and said to them "If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to cast a stone". Then he kept writing on the ground

The leaders went away, beginning with the eldest, until Jesus was left alone with the woman. Jesus said to her "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?

"No one, sir", she replied. "Neither do I condemn you", said Jesus. "Go and don't sin any more"

Jesus, what did you write on the ground? The leaders' sins?
 "If you, O Lord, should write a record of our sins, who could claim innocence?" (Psalm 130)

If you take my words to heart, you will be my disciples.
You will learn the truth, and the truth will set you free"

Jesus,  give light to my life. Increase my love for your teaching. 
Help me learn more about truth

Jesus said to the people "If God were your father, you would love me, since I have come from God and I speak the truth. You avoid the truth, because your father is the father of lies, the Devil

Abraham rejoiced at the thought of my coming. He saw it in the future and was glad"

The people said "You are not yet 50 years old. How could you have seen Abraham?" Jesus replied "I tell you, before Abraham ever was, I Am"

The people then picked up stones to throw at Jesus for claiming to be God. But Jesus safely left the Temple

Jesus, you who existed as God the Son from all eternity, please increase my love for the truth, and help me avoid lies

Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle. He put the mud on the man's eyes, and said "Go and wash in the Siloam Pool"

The blind man went and washed, and came away able to see

When the blind man heard people criticize Jesus, he said "Ever since the world began, it has never been recorded that someone opened the eyes of a man born blind. This man must be from God"

Jesus, please heal my blind friend ....(name)

The person who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the flock. The sheep hear his voice as he calls each one by name and leads them out of the sheepfold

When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that people may have life, not just now but for ever"

Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help more and more people hear your voice and follow you

Jesus said to the religious leaders "I am the Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep

A hired man, since he has no real concern for the sheep,
abandons them and runs away if he sees a wolf coming

I am the Good Shepherd.
I know my own sheep, and my own sheep know me"

Jesus, Good Shepherd, please help me to be a good sheep, and a good shepherd

Jesus replied "I have told you, but you do not believe me. The miracles I do in my Father's name also witness to who I am. The Father and I are one"

The leaders picked up stones to stone Jesus and said "We will  stone you for blasphemy. You are only a man and you claim to be God"

Jesus replied "If I am not doing my Father's work, then do not believe me. But if am doing my Father's work,  you must know that the Father and I are one. He is in me and I am in him"

Jesus, please help more people believe that you are the Son of God

By the time  Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethany,
Lazarus was dead and buried for 4 days

Martha said to Jesus "If you had been here, my brother would not have died"

Jesus replied "I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, he will have life after death"

Jesus said to Mary and Martha "Where have you put him?"  Jesus cried as he went to the tomb. The tomb was a cave with a stone at the entrance

Jesus said "Take the stone away". Then he called out in a loud voice "Lazarus, come out!"

The dead man came out, wrapped in burial clothes. Jesus said "Unwrap him and let him go free"

Jesus, you are the Resurrection and the Life. Please give eternal life to my friend (....name...) who died recently

The main  leader said "It is better for one man to die for the people, than for the whole nation to be destroyed"

These words had more meaning than the leader realized, since Jesus was to die not just for the nation, but for the whole world

Since the leaders wanted to kill him, Jesus went to a remote area near the desert, and stayed there with his disciples

Jesus, please help me better understand how your death saved the world

Mary put expensive ointment on Jesus' feet.
Then she wiped his feet with her hair

Judas Iscariot, the disciple who was going to betray Jesus, said "Why wasn't this ointment sold and the money given to the poor?"

He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. He was in charge of the moneybag and would steal from it

Jesus replied "Leave her alone. She is anticipating and honoring my burial. Besides, the poor will always be with you. But I will soon be gone"

Jesus, please help people in charge of money not to steal

They used palm branches as they  went out to meet him, shouting "Hosanna! Blessings on the King of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord"

Jesus rode a young donkey down the hill, just as the Scriptures had predicted: "Daughter of Sion, behod! Your king is coming, mounted on the colt of a donkey"

Some religious leaders said to each other "Look, there is nothing you can do. The whole world is running after him"

Jesus, humbly entering Jerusalem on a donkey, may you be known and welcomed and praised by the whole world

Now sentence is being passed on this world. Now Satan is to be defeated. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all people to myself"

By these words, Jesus indicated the kind of death he would die

Jesus, lifted up on the Cross, you are the Savior of the world

Jesus said openly "I, the light, have come into the world, so that whoever believes in me, need not stay in the dark any more"

Jesus, true Light of the world, please help me put honor from you before honor from people

He then poured water into a basin, and like a slave, began to wash the disciples' feet,  wiping them with the towel he was wearing

After washing their feet he said to them "You are right in calling  me Master and Lord. If I, then, the Lord and Master, have humbly served you, you should humbly serve one another

I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done for you"

Jesus, please help us to serve other people humbly,
just as you humbly served the disciples

He dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas Iscariot. Immediately, Satan entered Judas

Jesus said to Judas "What you are going to do, do quickly".
Judas left the meal. Night had fallen

Jesus, please don't let me ever be disloyal to you

By this love you have for one another, everyone will know that you are my disciples"

Jesus, please help all Christians  to love one another as you have loved us

To all of you I say, there are many rooms in my Father's house.
I am going now to prepare a place for you

I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.
No one comes to the Father except through me"

Jesus, you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Please help more and more people follow you to find truth and life

Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you love me, you will keep my commandments

I will ask the Father and he will give you another Friend to be always with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth who will be living in your heart

If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home in his heart"

Father, Jesus, Spirit of Truth - three Persons, one God
 - thank you for living in my heart

The New Friend, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you

Peace I leave with you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give"

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, please help me understand how you live in my heart. Thank you for your peace

As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, but must remain part of the vine, so you can't  bear fruit unless you remain in me. Cut off from me, you can do nothing

If you remain in me, and my words are alive in your heart, you can ask for any good thing and you will get it

It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit"

Jesus, please help me stay close to you. Help me bear much  fruit

A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends"

Jesus, thank you for loving us. Help us to love one another as you have loved us

Just as I am hated and persecuted, so you also will be hated and  persecuted. As the Scripture says 'They hated me for no reason'

I am telling you these things now, so that when they happen, your faith will not be shaken

Jesus, if people are unfriendly because I am a Christian, 
please give me strength and courage

Chapter 16 ( 7 - 33) 

Jesus said to his disciples at the meal "I will leave you soon. After I go, I will send the New Friend to you. The New Friend will teach you all about right and wrong. The New Friend will help you know the truth about everything

You are sad now because I am leaving you. But I will see you again, and your hearts will be full of joy. No one will be able to take that joy from you

I have told you all these things so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world

Jesus, thank you for your peace, your joy, and your Holy Spirit

Judas knew they would be there, since they had often gathered there.
Judas led the police and soldiers there to arrest Jesus

Jesus said to Judas' group "Who are you looking for?" They replied "Jesus the Nazarene".  Jesus said "I am the one you are looking for. Let these other men go free"

The group then arrested Jesus and bound him. They took him to the religious leaders

Jesus, please bless everyone who is arrested today, in every country

At these words, one of the guards slapped Jesus in the face, saying "Don't speak to the leader like that". Jesus replied "If I said  something wrong, point it out. But if there was nothing wrong with my words, why did you hit me?"

Meanwhile Peter was outside in the courtyard, keeping warm by a fire. Three times he was asked by different people if he was a disciple of Jesus. Three times he replied "I am not". After his third denial, a rooster crowed

Jesus, on trial before the leaders, please bless everyone on trial today, in every country

Jesus replied "My kingdom is not a kingdom of this world. But I am a king. I came into this world to bear witness to the truth"

After further questioning, Pilate said to the leaders "I find no case against him, so how about I release him according to the custom of releasing one prisoner at Passover?

At this the leaders shouted "Not this man, but Barabbas".
 Barabbas was a bandit

Jesus, help me be a better witness to good values

The soldiers used thorns to make a crown and pushed this into Jesus' head

They dressed him in a purple cloak and mocked him saying
"Hail, king of the Jews".

They slapped him in the face

Jesus, scourged and made fun of, please help me not  to hurt anyone by my words or actions

The leaders replied "According to our Law he must die, since he claims to be the Son of God. If you free him, you are no friend of the Roman Emperor"

Eventually Pilate gave in to them and handed Jesus over to be crucified

Jesus, please help all judges to stand up for the truth and not make false judgments

Pilate had the charge against Jesus written out and attached to the top of the cross. It read "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"

When the soldiers had finished crucifying Jesus, they divided his clothes among them

Jesus nailed to the Cross, thank you for suffering for the salvation of the world

Seeing his mother and John the apostle standing near her, Jesus said to his mother "He is your son". Then to John he said "She is your mother".  From that moment, John regarded Mary as his own mother

Jesus said "My work is finished".
Then he bowed his head and died

We adore you  Lord Jesus  and we praise you,
because you have redeemed the world

But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead. Instead of breaking  his legs, they pierced his side with a spear.  Immediately there came out blood and water

And so the Scriptures were fulfilled "Not one of his bones will be broken" and "They will look on the one they have pierced"

Jesus, please help me understand how blood and water are symbols of Baptism and Eucharist.

Another man, Nicodemus, brought burial spices. He and Joseph wrapped Jesus' body in  linen cloths with the spices

Since the Passover was due to begin at sunset, they put the body in an  unused tomb close to  the place of Crucifixion

Jesus, dead in the tomb, please give eternal life to everyone who dies today

She ran to Peter and John and said "Someone has taken the Lord out of the tomb"

They ran back to the tomb. Peter went in first. He saw that the linen cloths were on the ground. But the cloth that had been around Jesus' head was not on the ground. It was neatly folded and in a place by itself

Then John went into the tomb. He saw, and he believed

Jesus, I believe you rose from the dead. Please increase my faith

Jesus said "Woman, why are you crying?". Mary thought he was the gardener so she said to him "If you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him"

Jesus said "Mary" and she recognized him. Jesus then said "I will ascend to my Father"

Mary went and told the disciples all she had seen and heard

Jesus, please bless people who are crying at funerals  today. May awareness of your presence bring them peace and strength for the days ahead

But Jesus appeared and stood before them, saying "Peace be with you". He showed them his hands and his side and said "As the Father sent me, so I am sending you"

Then he breathed on them, saying "Receive the Holy Spirit"

Thomas, one of the 12 apostles, was not there that night. When the other disciples said they had seen the Lord, he replied "Unless I see and touch his wounded body, I refuse to believe"

Eight days later, the group was again in the same house, with the doors locked. This time Thomas was with them

Jesus again appeared and stood before them saying "Peace be with you". Then he said to Thomas "Put your hand into my side. Doubt no longer, but believe".  Thomas replied "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said "You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe"

Jesus, my Lord and my God, I believe in you. Help me live and grow and die in your friendship

In the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, though the disciples did not recognize him. He called out "Lower your net on the right side of the boat"

Immediately the net filled with fish. John realized that the man on the shore was Jesus. John said to Peter "It is the Lord", and they returned to the shore, which was only about 100 meters away. The net had 153 big fish, but did not break

Jesus had prepared some bread. He also had some fish cooking on a charcoal fire. He said "Come and have breakfast"

Jesus, Risen Lord, without you, no fish. With you, 153 fish. Please help me be more aware of your presence in my life

A second time Jesus asked him "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He replied "Yes Lord, you know I love you".
Jesus said to him "Look after my sheep"

Then he asked a third time "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" An unhappy Peter replied "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you".  Jesus said "Feed my sheep"

Jesus, you know I love you. Increase my love 

c.f. comment on this story

This book has been written to help you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.  Through your faith in Jesus, may you have eternal life

Jesus, Son of God, thank you for John's Gospel. 
May more and more people know you and love you