Wednesday Bible Study Recap - John 17-21

 Bible Study Recap – John 17–21: From Prayer to Resurrection

This past Wednesday, we finished our study of the Gospel of John by exploring chapters 17–21 and discovering what it means to live as Easter people.

We began with Jesus' beautiful prayer in John 17, where He prayed not only for His disciples but also for all who would believe in Him—including us. We talked about how Jesus' desire for unity challenges us to build a loving, supportive community where faith grows together.

In John 18, we reflected on Jesus' arrest and Peter's denial. Even though Peter failed, Jesus never gave up on him. We were reminded that God's grace is greater than our mistakes and continues to work in our lives.

John 19 brought us to the cross, where Jesus declared, "It is finished." We discussed how the cross was not a defeat but the completion of God's saving work. As United Methodists, we remember that we are saved by God's grace, and our good works are a grateful response to that gift.

In John 20, we celebrated the resurrection! We saw how Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene and later met Thomas in his doubts. We reflected on how God welcomes our honest questions and often works through unexpected people to share the Good News.

Finally, in John 21, we witnessed Jesus lovingly restoring Peter. Rather than defining Peter by his failures, Jesus called him to a new purpose: "Feed my sheep." We were reminded that God's grace not only forgives us but also sends us out to love and serve others.

Throughout these chapters, we saw five powerful themes: prayer, unity, grace, resurrection, and mission. We also connected them with John Wesley's Three General Rules:

• Do No Harm – Jesus chose love instead of violence.

• Do Good – Jesus called Peter to care for His sheep.

• Stay in Love with God – Jesus remained rooted in prayer and His relationship with the Father.

We closed with Jesus' simple but life-changing invitation: "Follow me." May we continue responding to that invitation every day through our worship, our service, and the love we share with others.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! Wednesday Bible Study is now taking a break for the summer and will resume in September. Have a blessed summer, keep reading God's Word, and continue following Christ wherever He leads.

Below you'll find a link to The Gospel of John movie, which presents the entire Gospel of John word-for-word from Scripture. It's a wonderful way to revisit what we've studied and experience John's Gospel in a fresh and meaningful way.

Blessings,

Rev. Marvel Souza