Jesus never promised His followers an easy life. In fact, He promised the opposite: "In this world you will have tribulation." Yet in the very same breath, He tells us to take heart because He has overcome the world.
In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, we finish Jesus' Upper Room Discourse by walking through John 16:16-33 verse by verse, uncovering how Christ fulfills Isaiah's prophecies and why His resurrection transforms sorrow into lasting joy.
We explore:
What Jesus meant by "a little while"
Why His death and resurrection fulfill Isaiah 26-27
The surprising connection between childbirth, resurrection, and the True Vine
What Jesus teaches about unanswered prayer and God's perfect wisdom
Why Christians can confidently pray to the Father
Was the Father separated from Jesus at the cross?
What "I have overcome the world" really means for believers today
Ten powerful truths from the Upper Room Discourse that bring peace during suffering
Whether you're walking through anxiety, grief, or uncertainty, John 16 reminds us that Christ's victory is greater than our tribulation.
📖 Scripture: John 16:16-33 (ESV)
🎙️ Bible Bible Bible is a verse-by-verse podcast hosted by brothers Stephen and Ben Joffer. New episodes every week.
🔔 Subscribe as we continue into John 17 and Jesus' High Priestly Prayer.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Jesus' final words before the cross
1:18 "A little while" explained
3:12 Why Jesus compares the cross to childbirth
4:16 Isaiah's prophecy fulfilled in Christ
7:02 The True Vine and the resurrection
10:10 What Jesus promises about prayer
12:45 Tim Keller on unanswered prayer
17:16 Why we can boldly approach the Father
22:09 Did the Father abandon Jesus?
27:49 "Take heart, I have overcome the world"
29:22 Ten reasons Christians can have peace
#BibleStudy #John16 #JesusChrist #ChristianPodcast #BiblePodcast #GospelOfJohn #Faith #Christianity #VerseByVerse #PeaceInChrist

In this episode, Stephen and Ben Joffer walk verse-by-verse through John 16:1-15. We cover Jesus's warning to His disciples about coming persecution, the significance of the synagogue in Jewish religious and social life, Paul's own transformation from persecutor to persecuted, and why Jesus tells His disciples it's actually to their advantage that He is leaving. We also dig into the Holy Spirit's work of convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and touch on the eternal procession of the Spirit within the Trinity.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Intro
1:04 – Context: the Upper Room Discourse
2:36 – The significance of being put out of the synagogue
5:21 – Persecution and religious opposition to the church
8:56 – Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place, and trusting God with the future
11:15 – Why Jesus's departure benefits His disciples
15:22 – The Spirit's eternal procession and the Trinity
18:14 – The Spirit convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment
26:15 – The Spirit guiding the apostles into all truth
28:15 – "All that the Father has is mine"

A verse-by-verse, Christ-centered, Reformed exposition of one of the more theologically rich passages in John's Gospel.

#JohnGospel #HolySpirit #BibleStudy #ReformedTheology #Trinity #BibleBibleBible

"If they hated me, they will hate you too." Jesus warns His disciples that following Him means facing the same rejection He faced — and He tells them exactly why. In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, we walk through John 15:12-27, covering Christ's command to love one another, our friendship with God, why the world hates the gospel message, and the role of the Holy Spirit in applying Christ's work to our hearts.

We close with a deep dive into the East-West Schism of 1054 and the Filioque controversy — the doctrinal dispute over whether the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone or from the Father and the Son, and why it split the church between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Christianity.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
1:11 "Love one another as I have loved you" (v.12-14)
3:19 Friends of God: Abraham, Moses, and us (v.15-17)
11:31 "If the world hates you..." (v.18-19)
14:56 Why the world hates the message of Christianity
17:22 "The servant is not greater than his master" (v.20-25)
22:24 The Holy Spirit as Advocate (v.26-27)
24:53 The Filioque Clause & the Great Schism of 1054
32:01 Closing

Join Stephen and Ben Joffer for verse-by-verse, Christ-centered, Reformed teaching through Scripture.
#BibleStudy #JohnGospel #ReformedTheology #HolySpirit #ChurchHistory #Persecution #BibleBibleBible

Jesus says "I am the true vine" — but what does that actually mean for your daily life?

In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, Stephen and Ben walk through John 15:1–11 verse by verse, unpacking one of the most beloved and misunderstood passages in the Gospel of John. Why does fruit-bearing have nothing to do with trying harder? What does "abide" actually mean in practical terms? And why does God prune the branches he loves most?

We cover:

- The vine and branches metaphor — and what it reveals about salvation

- Why forcing yourself to be more patient, kind, or loving doesn't work

- The organic, seasonal nature of spiritual growth (and why it's a squiggly line)

- What abiding in God's word and prayer actually looks like day-to-day

- The pruning process — and why it's always for your good

- Why joy is the inevitable fruit of abiding in Christ

If you've ever felt like the Christian life is mechanical or exhausting, this passage will reframe everything.

📖 John 15:1–11 | ESV

🎙️ Bible Bible Bible is a verse-by-verse, Christ-centered podcast hosted by brothers Stephen and Ben Joffer. New episodes every week through the Gospel of John.

Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

#John15 #TrueVine #BibleStudy #GospelOfJohn #ReformedTheology #BibleBibleBible #ChristianPodcast #Abide

When Jesus says, "I am the true vine," He's making a claim far bigger than most people realize.

In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, we walk through John 15:1-2 and uncover how Jesus fulfills one of the Bible's most important Old Testament themes. What does it mean that Israel was called God's vine? Why does Jesus call Himself the true vine? And what does this teach us about who truly belongs to the people of God?

We explore:

The Old Testament background behind the vine imagery

Why Israel's failure points directly to Jesus

What Jesus means by calling Himself the "true vine"

How salvation comes through union with Christ

The relationship between Israel, the Church, and the people of God

Why Ephesians 2 and Romans 11 matter for understanding John 15

What it means to be grafted into God's family by faith

This conversation tackles one of the most discussed theological questions today while keeping the focus where Jesus places it: on Himself.

📖 Scripture: John 15:1-2 (ESV)

🎙️ Bible Bible Bible is a verse-by-verse podcast hosted by brothers Stephen and Ben Joffe. New episodes every week.

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss the rest of John 15 and Jesus' teaching on abiding in Him.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Jesus' final "I Am" statement

1:56 Why Jesus calls Himself the True Vine

3:33 Israel as God's vineyard in Isaiah 5

7:08 Why Israel's failure points to Christ

8:16 Jesus fulfills what Israel could not

12:46 What this means for modern Israel

16:18 One people of God through Christ

20:46 Grafted into God's family

24:18 Are there two peoples of God?

28:42 The Apple of God's Eye

34:39 Why Christ is the center of everything

#BibleStudy #John15 #TrueVine #JesusChrist #ChristianPodcast #BiblePodcast #GospelOfJohn #Theology #Christianity #VerseByVerse

Jesus tells His disciples that He will send "another Helper" — but what does that actually mean? And why does that statement reveal something profound about both Jesus and the Holy Spirit?

In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, we walk through John 14:15-31 verse by verse, unpacking:

Why Jesus calls the Holy Spirit "another Helper"

How Jesus serves as our first Advocate before the Father

What the Holy Spirit actually does in the life of a believer

What it means for God to make His home within us

Why spiritual experiences must be tested by truth

How God works through seasons when He feels distant

The difference between worldly peace and the peace Christ gives

Why Jesus says the ruler of this world is coming—and why he has no claim on Him

This passage contains some of the clearest teaching in Scripture on the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, God's presence, and the peace that comes through Christ alone.

📖 Scripture: John 14:15-31 (ESV)

🎙️ Bible Bible Bible is a verse-by-verse podcast hosted by brothers Stephen and Ben Joffer. New episodes every week.

🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss John 15 and beyond.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Who is the "Helper" Jesus promised?

2:58 Jesus: Our first Advocate

5:11 The Holy Spirit and the Trinity

6:23 Why the Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth

8:15 Can spiritual experiences be wrong?

10:41 "I Will Not Leave You as Orphans"

13:29 God Makes His Home in Believers

17:35 Why God Sometimes Feels Distant

22:27 How the Holy Spirit Inspired Scripture

26:59 The Peace Jesus Gives

30:51 The Ruler of This World Is Coming

32:24 Why Satan Has No Claim on Jesus

#BibleStudy #GospelOfJohn #HolySpirit #John14 #ChristianPodcast #BiblePodcast #JesusChrist #Christianity #BibleTeaching #VerseByVerse

Jesus makes one of the most radical claims in all of human history: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." But is that really as offensive as it sounds — or is it actually the most inclusive offer ever made?
In this episode of Bible Bible Bible, we walk through John 14:1-14 verse by verse, unpacking:
- Why the disciples' hearts were troubled — and why Jesus's answer still matters today
- What "in my Father's house are many rooms" actually means (hint: it's not about literal bedrooms)
- The difference between Jesus *showing* the way vs. Jesus *being* the way
- Why every worldview makes exclusive truth claims — including the one that says none do
- What "greater works than these" means and why it doesn't mean you need to walk on water
- How prayer connects directly to the expansion of God's kingdom
Featuring C.S. Lewis on the stable in Narnia, Tim Keller on exclusive truth claims, D.A. Carson on the Gospel of John, and the story of John Knox — the man Mary Queen of Scots feared more than the armies of Europe.
📖 Scripture: John 14:1-14 (ESV)
🎙️ Bible Bible Bible is a verse-by-verse podcast hosted by brothers Stephen and Ben Joffer. New episodes every week.
🔔 Subscribe so you don't miss John 14:15 and beyond.
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CHAPTERS
0:00 Why the disciples' hearts were troubled
1:29 "In my Father's house are many rooms"
3:33 What is Jesus actually preparing?
5:00 Thomas asks the way — Jesus says "I AM the way"
9:06 Is this claim too exclusive?
12:16 The C.S. Lewis stable illustration
13:14 What about truly terrible people?
16:28 Philip asks to see the Father
19:03 Greater works than Jesus?
24:01 Prayer and the expansion of the kingdom
25:44 John Knox: "Give me Scotland or I die"

Jesus knows Judas is about to betray him — and he tells him to get on with it. In this episode, Stephen and Ben walk through John 13:21–38: the identification of the betrayer, Satan entering Judas at the table, and Jesus declaring "Now is the Son of Man glorified" in the same breath as his own betrayal. We unpack: - Why Jesus commanding Judas reveals he's in total control of his own death - The Daniel 7 "Son of Man" background that reframes the entire upper room - How the disciples accidentally said something truer than they knew - The "already and not yet" of the kingdom — and what believers are supposed to do in the meantime - The New Commandment: love one another as I have loved you - Peter's bold promise to die for Jesus — and why Jesus turns it completely upside down Plus: the historical story of early Christians who stayed in plague-ravaged cities while everyone else fled — and how that kind of love converted the Roman Empire. 📖 John 13:21–38 📖 Daniel 7:13–14

Subscribe for new episodes every week. 🎙️ Bible Bible Bible Podcast with Stephen & Ben Joffer

#Bible #John13 #Judas #LastSupper #BibleStudy #Gospel #Jesus #Christianity #BibleBibleBible