While each of the Gospels presents Christ with a distinct emphasis, the Gospel of John focuses on his greatness―as the timeless Creator-God of the universe, as the Word made flesh, as the gracious lover of our souls, and as the only way to the Father. Instead of detailing the facts and events of Jesus’ earthly life, as the other Gospel writers did, John concentrates on the meaning of his words and the message of his works, clearly presenting him as the long-awaited Messiah with one mission in mind: to do the work of the Father who sent him. Follow along with pastor Kent Hughes in this engaging commentary as he leads you through this magnificent book of the Bible. His careful exposition and wise application will guide you to a richer understanding of not only God’s greatness, but of his great goodness to us all. How did Christianity become one of the most important religions in world history? Any investigation into this important question must begin with Acts―the biblical book that chronicles the tumultuous days of the early church and the spread of Christianity in the years following Jesus’s death and resurrection. In this redesigned volume in the popular Preaching the Word commentary series, Kent Hughes leads pastors and laypeople alike to rediscover the history of the New Testament church, examining key events in the book of Acts such as the bold preaching of Christ’s early followers, the dramatic persecution of Christians, and the perilous missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. Part of the Preaching the Word series. R. Kent Hughes (DMin, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior pastor emeritus of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and former professor of practical theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hughes is also a founder of the Charles Simeon Trust, which conducts expository preaching conferences throughout North America and worldwide. He serves as the series editor for the Preaching the Word commentary series and is the author or coauthor of many books. He and his wife, Barbara, live in Spokane, Washington, and have four children and an ever-increasing number of grandchildren. ,  Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton, Illinois John That You May Believe By R. Kent Hughes Good News Publishers Copyright © 1999 R. Kent Hughes All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4335-3919-0 Contents Acknowledgments, A Word to Those Who Preach the Word, 1 The Greatness of Christ (1:1–18), 2 The Extended Christ (1:4, 5, 9–14), 3 The Greatness of the Good News (1:12, 13), 4 The Greatness of Grace (1:14, 16, 17), 5 The Essentials of Witness (1:19–37), 6 Angels Ascending and Descending (1:43–51), 7 The Transforming Power (2:1–11), 8 The Cleansing of the Temple (2:12–22), 9 On Being Born Again (3:1–8), 10 "How Can These Things Be?" (3:9–21), 11 "He Must Increase, but I Must Decrease" (3:22–30), 12 The Heart That Ministers (4:1–9), 13 The Ministering Heart's Message, Part I (4:1–15), 14 The Ministering Heart's Message, Part II (4:16–26), 15 Thinking Rightly about God's Love (4:23, 24), 16 The Ministering Heart's Approach to Life (4:27–42), 17 Growing Faith (4:46–54), 18 On Healing Spiritual Paralysis (5:1–18), 19 Conflict over the Sabbath (5:1–18), 20 The Claims of Christ (5:19–30), 21 Receiving the Witness of the Word (5:37–47), 22 What Kind of Savior? (6:1–26), 23 Appropriating Christ's Power and Sufficiency (6:1–14), 24 God's Children in the Storms of Life (6:16–21), 25 Dining on the Bread of Life (6:26–35, 47–58), 26 Rivers of Living Water (7:1–39), 27 Christ the Divider (7:40–52), 28 On Having the Light of Life (8:12–20), 29 Ultimate Separation —Ultimate Union (8:21–30), 30 Up from Slavery (8:31–36), 31 Ultimate Ancestry (8:37–47), 32 The Way of Seeing (9:1–41), 33 The Good Shepherd, Part I (10:1–18), 34 The Good Shepherd, Part II (10:19–30; Psalm 23), 35 "Lazarus, Come Out!" (11:1–46), 36 Eternal Profiles (11:47–57; 12:1–11), 37 A New Kind of Royalty (12:12–26), 38 The Effects of the Cross (12:27–36), 39 On Being People of the Towel (13:1–17), 40 Radical Love (13:18–35), 41 The Fall and Rise of the Apostle Peter (13:36–38), 42 "Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled," Part I (14:1–6), 43 "Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled," Part II (14:12–27), 44 On Bearing Fruit (15:1–11), 45 Loving the Branches (15:12–17), 46 "If the World Hates You ..." (15:18–16:14), 47 Disclosures of the Spirit (16:7–16), 48 From Sorrow to Joy (16:16–33), 49 Christ's Prayer for Glory (17:1–5), 50 Christ Prays for His Disciples (17:11–19), 51 Christ Prays for His Own (17:20–26), 52 Who Arrested Whom? (18:1–11), 53 Pilate before Jesus, Part I (18:24–40), 54 Pilate before Jesus, Part II (19:1–16), 55 Christ's Crucifixion, Part I (19:17–22), 56 Christ's Crucifixion, Part II (19:23–30), 57 The Fact of the Resurrection (20:1–31), 58 A Fish Breakfast in Tiberias (21:1–14), 59 The Highest Priority (21:12–17), 60 On Loving and Following Chr