Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

John 10. Day 215 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: John 10 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Jesus the Good Shepherd. Abundant Life. Secure in His Hands.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." — John 10:11

John 10 gives us one of the most comforting pictures of Jesus in the entire Gospel. He is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep, calls them by name, leads them, and lays down His life for them. Jesus contrasts Himself with thieves, hired hands, and false shepherds who use or abandon the sheep when danger comes. He came so that His people might have life, and have it abundantly. That abundant life is not a promise of ease or material success. It is the life that comes from knowing, following, and being cared for by Christ.

Jesus also gives His followers remarkable assurance: "No one will snatch them out of my hand." Our security rests in the strength of the Shepherd, not in our ability to hold everything together. The chapter also makes another unmistakable claim about Jesus' identity when He says, "I and the Father are one." John 10 reminds us that Jesus is more than a teacher showing us the way. He is the Shepherd who gives His life for us, knows us personally, and holds His people securely. Listen for His voice, follow where He leads, and rest in the hands of the Shepherd who will not let you go.

John 9. Day 214 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: John 9 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Jesus Opens Blind Eyes. A Simple Testimony. Seeing with Spiritual Sight.

"One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!" — John 9:25

John 9 begins with a man who had been blind from birth. The disciples immediately want to know whose sin caused his suffering, but Jesus redirects their thinking. Instead of turning the man's pain into a theological argument, Jesus reveals what God is about to do through it. He gives the man sight, yet the miracle creates controversy instead of celebration. The religious leaders become so focused on when and how Jesus healed him that they miss the obvious truth standing in front of them. Meanwhile, the healed man's testimony remains beautifully simple: "I was blind, and now I can see."

By the end of the chapter, John shows us that physical blindness is not the greatest problem. The man who began unable to see comes to recognize Jesus more and more clearly, eventually confessing faith and worshiping Him. The religious leaders, who were convinced they could see, remain spiritually blind because they refuse to recognize Jesus. John 9 challenges us to ask whether we are truly willing to see Christ for who He is. Sometimes the greatest blindness is being so certain we already understand that we refuse to let Jesus show us what we have been missing.

John 8. Day 213 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: John 8 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
The Light of the World. The Truth That Sets Us Free. Before Abraham Was, I Am.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." — John 8:32

John 8 is filled with direct claims about who Jesus is. He declares, "I am the light of the world," promising that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. As the religious leaders challenge Him, Jesus exposes a deeper kind of slavery: slavery to sin. Freedom is not simply doing whatever we want. True freedom comes from knowing Christ, remaining in His Word, and allowing His truth to break the power of sin in our lives.

The conflict grows until Jesus makes one of the clearest claims to His divine identity in John's Gospel: "Before Abraham was, I am." Jesus is not merely claiming to be older than Abraham. He is using the language of God's own name and placing Himself at the center of God's eternal story. John 8 leaves us with no room to treat Jesus as simply a good teacher. He is the Light, the Truth, and the eternal Son of God. The question is whether we will remain in His Word, believe who He says He is, and walk in the freedom only He can give.

John 7. Day 212 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: John 7 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Jesus at the Feast. Living Water for the Thirsty. Divided Responses to Christ.

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." — John 7:37

John 7 shows Jesus moving through growing opposition and confusion. Even His own brothers do not yet believe in Him, and the crowds are divided over who He really is. Some think He is good, others accuse Him of deception, and the religious leaders are looking for a way to arrest Him. Yet Jesus continues teaching openly and makes it clear that His message comes from the Father. He also exposes the danger of judging by appearances instead of judging rightly. The chapter reminds us that people can hear the same truth about Jesus and respond in very different ways.

At the climax of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stands and gives one of His clearest invitations: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." John explains that Jesus is speaking about the Holy Spirit who would be given to those who believe in Him. Jesus is not offering another temporary fix for a restless soul. He is offering life from within, a river of living water flowing through those who trust Him. John 7 leaves us with a simple question: What are we looking to for satisfaction that only Christ can provide? The invitation is still open. Come to Jesus, drink deeply, and let His Spirit produce a life that overflows far beyond you.

John 6. Day 211 - Read the Bible: The New Testament in a Year

Episode Notes:

Today's Scripture: John 6 (CSB)
Podcast Homepage: The New Testament in a Year
Bible Reading Plan: Navigators Bible Reading Plan
Contact Sean: seanbailey1985@gmail.com
Follow NTIY on Facebook: facebook.com/newtestamentinayear

In Today's Episode
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. The Bread of Life. Staying When Others Walk Away.

"I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again." — John 6:35

John 6 begins with Jesus feeding more than five thousand people from a small amount of bread and fish, then walking across the sea to His disciples. The crowds are amazed by what He can do, but Jesus quickly exposes a deeper problem: many are following Him because they want another meal, not because they understand who He is. Jesus tells them not to work only for food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life. Then He makes the claim at the center of the chapter: "I am the bread of life." The deepest hunger of the human heart cannot be satisfied by possessions, success, comfort, or even another miracle. Life is found in Christ Himself.

As Jesus continues teaching, His words become difficult for many to accept. Some who had been following Him turn back and no longer walk with Him. Jesus asks the Twelve if they want to leave too, and Peter answers with one of the great confessions of faith: "Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6 forces us to ask why we follow Jesus. Is it mainly for what we hope He will give us, or because we have come to see that He Himself is our greatest treasure? When the teaching is difficult, the circumstances are confusing, and others walk away, there is still nowhere better to go. Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.