‘I have said these things to you while I am still with you.’ John 14:25

Professor Sean Freyne, the New Testament lecturer at Trinity College, Dublin used to divide the Gospel of John into two books: the book of Works (Chapters 1-11) and the book of Words (Chapter 12-21).

The miracles that John recounts in Chapter 1-11, are seen from John’s perspective not just as incidents in a story, but as deliberate signs pointing to the glory of Jesus. After the turning of the water into wine in John Chapter …

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Four verbs used by Jesus in the Gospel reading can help thinking about the sheep and the shepherd.

“Belong” from Saint John Chapter 10 Verse 26; “hear” and “follow” from Verse 27; and “never perish” from Verse 28. Belong, hear, follow, never perish: four steps in faith.

Jesus is in the Temple in Jerusalem and he is surrounded his opponents. They are in a confrontational mood, Verse 24 …

” . . . these are written so that you may come to believe* that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31

In the verses of the Gospel reading, Saint John uses the first, second and third person in his description of the appearances of Jesus: the first person, words like “I” and “my”; the second person, words like “you” and “your; the third person, words like “Jesus”, “the disciples”, “he”, “his”, “they” and “them.” Each …