[1] This series of meditations follows (in most cases) the structure of The Harmony of the Gospels (NIV), Robert L. Thomas and Stanley N. Gundry, NY: Harper and Row, 1988.

[2] Jn 3.15,16,36; 4.14,46; 5.21,24,26,39,40; 6.27,33,35,40,47,48,53,54,63,68; 8.12; 10.10,11,15, 17,28; 11.25, 12.25,50; 14.6; 14.13; 17.2,3; 20.31.

[3] Jn 1.7-9; 3.19-21; 8.12; 9.5; 12.35,36,46.

[4] Jn 3.19; 11.9,10 (indirectly); 8.12; 12.35,46.

[5] God did not just take on human form; he became a true man—“the Word became flesh.” Jesus added a human nature to his divine nature (Phil 2.5-8).

[6] Matthew: the man himself went; Luke: his messengers went. Compare Mt 27.26 lit: “he flogged him.”

[7] Compare: Jn 8.12; 10.7, 9, 11, 14; 11.25; 14.6; 15.1, 5 .

[8] Matthew and Mark say “after six days”, Luke uses another way for describing a week (“about eight days”) that included a portion of the starting and ending days (for example from 3:00pm on a Saturday to 2:59pm on the following Saturday is a week but includes part of eight days).

[9] The word kyrios is also used in verse 36; there it should probably be understood as ‘sir’.

[10] Greek manuscripts read either 70 or 72 (in verses 1 and 17). Both readings have support from other sources (e.g., the Vulgate, Coptic, early Church fathers, etc.).

[11] She probably came from the southern Arabian Peninsula or the territory of Ethiopia across the straight from Arabia, at the mouth of the Red Sea.

[12] E.g., Arianism: the Son is a created god, both a distinct person and a different substance; and Modalism or Sabellianism: the Son is a mode of God, not a distinct person.

[13] The other is recorded in John 11.54, and occurs just prior to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion.

[14] Lev 19.17; Ps 141.5; Pr 27.5; Eph 4.2, 15; 1 Thes 2.7; 1 Tim 5.20; Jam 5.19-20.