Bible Study in the entire Gospel of John
Lesson 1
INTRODUCTION TO JOHN'S GOSPEL
We are about to begin a study of the book of John, but we will be
searching other books of the Bible as we study the New Testament book
of John. The Bible is a single library of sixty-six books; His Story,
God's Story. The Old and New Testament mesh together to give us God's
complete Word. The Bible contains sixty-six books written by forty
authors, as the Holy Spirit inspired them and it was all recorded over
a period of 1600 years. The Old Testament was recorded in the Hebrew
language with a few short passages in Aramaic. Then about 100 years
before Christ's appearance on the earth, it was translated into the
Greek language. The New Testament was also recorded in Greek. Our
translations have all been from these original languages.
The books of the Bible were written by divinely chosen men in known
and existing languages and were accepted as God's Word by the people of
that generation. They possessed certain qualities which instinctively
showed the believers of that day that they were from God. During the
period that followed the death of the apostles, many books appeared
that claimed to have been written by them. While these books never
gained universal acceptance, they did bring some confusion to the early
Christians. For that reason a church council, toward the close of the
fourth century, laid down a number of rules by which every book
claiming inspiration would be measured.
A book had to meet many requirements. Among other things it was
necessary (1) that an apostle had either written it or confirmed it;
(2) that it had enjoyed universal acceptance from apostolic days; (3)
that it had been read in all the churches; and (4) that it had been
recognized by the church fathers as inspired. After careful examination
it was determined that the New Testament books met the requirements.
These twenty-seven New Testament books distinctly bore the marks of
inspiration and Divine authority. Most of them were completed before 80
a.d. This is a significant fact because this time of their writing
confirms that the events recorded in the New Testament are the actual
historical events of Christ's life on earth and the early church.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
two- edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). This is a remarkable
and astounding claim which God the Holy Spirit, the Author of our
Bible, makes for the Word of God, the Bible. Truly theBible is a book
of all other books and has been appropriately called "The Book of
Books." It is often referred to as "God's Miracle Book" not only
because it records many miracles within its pages, many supernatural
acts of the Living God, but also because its very existence and nature
are a marvel! No other book in the history of the world has ever been
so vigorously and universally attacked by men. Down through the
centuries they have tried their best to exterminate it, to wipe out its
very existence, and to discredit the written Word of God in every way
possible. Yet in spite of all its enemies and critics, the Bible has
seen their defeat and frustration!
It was none other than the Frenchman, Voltaire, who said in the last
part of the 18th century, that within 100 years the Bible and all
Christianity would be completely forgotten. Voltaire died in 1778, but
since that time the world has been flooded with millions upon millions
of Bibles in scores of languages, dialects, and tongues. It reminds one
of a man who built a wall six feet wide and four feet tall. When he was
asked why he built the wall wider than it was high his reply was, "So
that when the enemy thinks that he is destroying the wall by tipping it
over, he'll only find it stands higher than it was before!" A person
might as well try to keep the sun from rising as to attempt to stop the
onward march of the Bible as men around the world seek to find out
God's message from it.
There has never been any other book which has survived this length
of time with such a unity of purpose! The Bible portrays Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord for any who will believe and receive Him. It is
amazing that forty authors over a period of 1600 years should have this
one theme portrayed in all of their writings. How is this possible?
Only as the Spirit of God moved in their hearts and led them to write
God's written revelation of Himself could this have ever happened. This
book, the Bible, is like a ship that has managed to sail down the river
of time safely preserved by God's own hand. Other books have set sail
at nearly the same time and have joined the Bible in this sail down the
river of time. Some of these books have been shipwrecked in various
ways and lost. Others have completely disappeared without our ever
having known that they existed. But this is not true of God's Word to
us, the Bible. It has sailed safely down this river of time all the way
to us in this present generation. Why has it had such a safe journey?
Why has it not suffered a shipwreck or a quiet harbor death? Because it
is God's personal message to us. He has preserved this message in the
book we call the Holy Bible. He wanted us to know His love for us, and
His planfor each of our lives. He preserved the book that shows us this
love and these plans for each person He created.
Our basic text this year will be the book of John in the New
Testament. You will need an Old Testament also, as the two testaments
are inseparably intertwined in their message to us. We suggest that you
use not only a King James Bible, but also a modern language
translation, particularly if you are new to Bible study. If you are a
Roman Catholic, you will enjoy reading and comparing the Douay with the
New Jerusalem Bible, and the Roman Catholic edition of the Living
Bible. These Bibles are all approved by the Catholic Church. As you
study you may want to use the Revised Standard Version, the New
American Standard Bible, the New International Version, the Amplified
Bible, or the paraphrase, the Living Bible. We would suggest that you
underline favorite verses in your Bible as you find them.
You will be interested that the word "testament" means a covenant,
an agreement and a promise. The Old Testament is the covenant promise
that God made with man about His salvation. (Look up salvation in the
dictionary.) This was before the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth. The
New Testament is the agreement that God made with man after the Lord
Jesus Christ came to earth.
The Old Covenant or promise stated simply was that God required a
sacrifice to be made for sin in anticipation of the Messiah. Therefore
the plan was that the priest by faith in God's promise would kill the
lamb in the temple for sin offering and present the blood for the
forgiveness of the sins of their people.
The New Covenant is that the Lord Jesus Christ in fulfillment of
God's promise came as the Lamb of God to earth and shed His blood for
sin. "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many
for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28--the Lord Jesus Christ's own
words). "Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world"
(John 1:29--John the Baptist's words concerning the Lord Jesus Christ).
The Bible speaks primarily of God and secondarily of man. God is the
subject of the Bible; man the loving object! The Bible tells us of what
God has done and what man has received. It speaks of God's glory,
creation, power, love, grace (God's Riches At Christ's Expense), mercy,
judgment, goodness and patience. The Bible reveals to us that God is
love! "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows
his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night to night shows
knowledge" (Psalm 19:1-2). The words of the Lord in the Bible are "more
to be desired than gold, yea, much more than fine gold; sweeter also
than honey in the honeycomb" (Psalm 19:10). We might compare the Word
of God to a uranium mine that gives up the precious metal only after
careful searching. If you are willing to search the Bible through this
daily study plan and obey them, you'll discover the precious promises
of God which are better than "fine gold; sweeter also than honey in the
honeycomb!"
The amazing story is told of what happened on Pitcairn Island.
Perhaps you remember the true story of Mutiny onthe Bounty. After the
mutineers scuttled the Bounty, some British sailors, some native men
and women, and a few children went ashore on Pitcairn Island. It was
not long before one of the sailors discovered a way of distilling
alcohol, and soon Pitcairn Island became a veritable hell of
drunkenness, vice and murder. One day Alexander Smith, rummaging
through one of the ship's old trunks brought ashore from the Bounty a
Bible. He began to read it and his life was changed by Jesus Christ. He
began to read it to the others and their lives were changed. Years
later, when the United States ship, the Topaz, landed at Pitcairn
Island they found a community of Christian people! It was a community
without drunkenness, without profanity, a place where God was
worshipped and where His commandments were obeyed. It was a model
Christian community, all the result of the finding and reading of the
Word of God, the Bible, which revealed Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
In any society, God speaks to men and women through the Bible. A
chieftain in a Fiji Island, said to a visitor, "Do you see that rock
over there? That's where we crushed the skulls of our captives in past
generations. Do you see that place over there? That's where we built
our fire and roasted our victims. Had it not been for the missionaries
coming to us with the Bible, you wouldn't get off this island alive.
Your head would be crushed. You would be roasted, and my people would
serve you at a banquet!" The Bible has transformed lives of drunkards
and drug addicts in our society. It has turned cannibals into peaceful
men with a respect for human life. It has changed atheists into humble
believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even people of wealth
and position, who have "everything" yet "nothing", have found faith and
purpose in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has entered the lives of
desperately unhappy people to give a meaning, purpose and a blessedness
to their lives that they never dreamed possible. As the Bible reveals
the Lord Jesus Christ to us, we discover our peace and joy in Him.
"Look around and be distressed; look within and be depressed; look to
Jesus and be at rest!" (Corrie tenBoom)
Now for a little background in the book of John before we begin our
study. John portrays Jesus Christ as the Son of God. He refers to
himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved...who has written these things
(John 21:20,24). John also refers to himself in John 13:23; 19:26;
20:2; and 21:7, although he does not identify himself by name in these
scriptures. The early writers who speak of the Gospel of John identify
the author as "the beloved disciple," the apostle John, the son of
Zebedee. Mark 1:19-20 gives us information about John's family. John,
his father, Zebedee, and his brother, James, were fishermen on the lake
of Galilee and were partners of Simon Peter (Luke 5:10). The two
brothers were called "Boanerges" meaning "sons of thunder" by Jesus in
Mark 3:17. It is believed that their mother was Salome (Mark 15:40;
Matthew 27:56). John referring to himself in this Gospel, is with Peter
in every instance except at the cross in John 19:26. After Pentecost,
John was associated with Peter in Jerusalem (Acts 3:1-4) and also on
the Samaritan missions (Acts 8:14- 25). Paul spoke of John as one of
the three "pillar" apostles that he saw onhis visit to Jerusalem after
he became a Christian (Galatians 2:9-10).
John states that the purpose of his book is to show that Jesus was
the Christ, the promised Messiah (for the Jews), and the Son of God
(for the Gentiles), and to lead believers into a life of spiritual
friendship with Him. This is stated firmly in the first 18 verses of
John called the Prologue. The theme of John's Gospel is the deity of
Christ. More here than anywhere else His divine Sonship is set forth.
In this Gospel we are shown that the "babe of Bethlehem" was none other
than the "only begotten of the Father" (John 1:18; John 3:16; 1 John
4:9). John gives evidences that "all things were made by Him," "in Him
was life, yet he was made flesh and dwelt among us." No man could see
God; therefore Christ came to reveal Him. This is the message of the
book of John. John gives significant titles to the Lord Jesus Christ in
this book. Only here He is called "the Word." John also calls the Lord
Jesus Christ the Creator, the only begotten of the Father, the Lamb of
God and the revelation of the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14).
John may have been about twenty-five years of age when Jesus called
him. He had been a follower of John the Baptist. In the reign of
Domitian (a.d. 81-96), John the Disciple was banished to Patmos, but
afterwards he returned to Ephesus and became the pastor of that
wonderful church. He lived in that city to an old age of about 96, the
last of the twelve apostles. During this time he wrote his Gospel
concerning the deity of Christ, co-eternal with the Father.
John wrote nearly a generation after the other evangelists,
somewhere between 80 and 100 a.d. All of the other New Testament books
had been completed except for his own writings. The life and work of
Jesus was well known at this time. The Gospel had been preached; Paul
and Peter had suffered martyrdom, and all the apostles had died;
Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Roman legions under Titus, 70 a.d.
Matthew, Mark and Luke were written. Already false teachers had arisen
denying that Jesus Christ was the Son of God come in the flesh. John,
therefore, wrote emphasizing those truths and gave the names of the
witnesses, and recorded the words and works of Jesus that revealed His
divine power and glory. Matthew portrays the Lord Jesus Christ as "Son
of David" and Luke portrays Him as "Son of Man." In John, He is
portrayed as "Son of God." The Lord Jesus Christ's deity is emphasized
by John. Jesus is shown dwelling with God before creation was formed
(John 1:1-2). He is called "the only begotten of the Father" (John
1:14). He is called the "Son of God" (John 1:34). Thirty-five times
Jesus speaks of God as "my Father" in the book of John. Thirty-five
times He says, "Verily, verily"--speaking with authority.
Dr. F.D. Gordon suggested, "There are three keys that unlock John's
Gospel." The "Back Door Key" is John 20:31, "But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus isthe Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing ye might have life through his name." The "Side Door Key" is
John 16:28. At the last supper with his disciples, Jesus reveals this
truth to them: "I come forth from the Father, and am come into the
world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father." His constant
thought was that He used to be with the Father. He came down to earth
on an errand and stayed for 33 years. He would go back again to His
Father. The "Front Door Key" is John 1:12. This key hangs right at the
very front, outside, low down, within every person's reach! "But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name." This is the Great Key--the
Chief Key to the whole house. Its use permits the front door to be
flung wide open. Anyone who believes may enter!
And so we open the book of John with this question--"What do you
think of Christ?" Is He only the world's greatest teacher or is He
actually God? Was He one of the prophets, or is He the world's Savior
whose coming was foretold by the prophets? You may have some of these
questions in your own mind. We suggest that you bring your doubts one
by one to the Lord Jesus Christ as you study the Bible, and one by one
God will deal with your questions through His Holy Spirit as you study
and obey His Word, the Bible. You will begin to realize that Christ is
a living Person, though invisible. As you trust Him, you will begin to
experience His love for you and His desire to help you in your life
here on earth, as well as His promise to give to you the gift of
eternal life as you trust Him as your Lord and Savior (John 3:16,17).
Ask yourself this question now: "What shall I sacrifice this week in
time, so that I may spend time with God? Make a daily appointment with
God. Find a quiet spot. Take your Bible, pencil or pen and your lesson
with you. If you have a busy phone, you may have to remove it from the
hook, lower the bell tone or hide the phone under a blanket to muffle
the ringing! Remember your appointment with God is more important than
your annual dental checkup and you wouldn't dream of missing that. Keep
your appointment with God daily. Pray now and ask God the following
things:
1.How many minutes do I want to give to the Lord each day?
2.What do I need to sacrifice to give the Lord this time? (Examples:
sleep, television, casual telephone conversations, window shopping,
etc. Each person will have to decide what her priorities are and what
can be removed from the daily schedule to give time to God.)
3.What is my best time for my appointment with God?
4.Where is the quietest place for me to pray and study?
Study Questions
5.Do I really want to spend time with God? (If your last answer is
"yes," God will bless you as you work out the time. If your last answer
is "no," pray that God will give you a desire, a hunger to have this
time with Him. He will do this for you!)
Before you begin each day:
a.Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
b.Do not use any other source books for your answers.
c.Write down your answers and the verses you used.
d.Challenge questions are for those who have the time and wish to do
them.
e.Personal questions are to be shared with the class only if you
wish to share.
First Day: Read all of the notes and look up all of the Scriptures.
1.What was one new thought for you in the notes?
2.What was the most meaningful Scripture from the notes to you
personally?
3.(Personal) Have you chosen to take up the challenge to give daily
time to this study and to God? What sacrifice has God shown you that
you could make to give time to Him in study and prayer? (Share if
possible with your group, as it may help someone else.)
Second Day: Read all of John 1 concentrating on verses 1-5.
Note: Comparing John 1:14 with John 1:1 you will discover that "the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Thus the "Word" is the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1.a.What does John 1:1 tell you about the Lord Jesus Christ?
b.What part of John 1:1 is repeated in John 1:2 and why do you think
it is repeated?
c.Who created all things? Give verse.
2.Challenge: What does Genesis 1:26 say which confirms what John
1:1- 2 says about the "Word", the Lord Jesus Christ?
3.What do the following verses say concerning the Lord Jesus Christ?
Put the verses into your own words if you wish to.
Colossians 1:16-17
1 John 1:1
4.How does John 1:4 emphasize what the Lord Jesus said about Himself
in John 14:6? What significant word do you find in both verses?
5.a.What does the Lord Jesus say about Himself in John 8:12?
b.(Personal) Do you have the "light of life?" A person receives this
"light of life" by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. See Titus
3:5.
c.What does Acts 4:12 say which emphasizes what the Lord Jesus said
in John 14:6?
6.Challenge: What do you believe John 1:5 means?
Third Day: Read John 1:6-14.
1.a.Who was the man sent from God?
b.Why did God send him? Give verses.
2.How does John 1:10 re-emphasize John 1:3 and John 1:5?
3.Challenge: What do you believe John 1:11 means?
4.To those who are willing to receive Jesus Christ, what power is
given according to John 1:12?
5.(Personal) Have you ever received this power? See 1 John 5:13.
What does it say concerning belief?
6.a.What new or important things do you learn about the Lord Jesus
Christ in John 1:14?
b.Challenge: If you do not know what the word "grace" means in John
1:14, look it up in a dictionary or a Bible dictionary. What do you
believe God's "grace" means?
Fourth Day: Read John 1:15-28.
1.a.What was given by Moses? Give verse.
b.Challenge: What does Hebrews 10:1-4 say concerning the law?
Summarize these verses in your own words if possible.
c.What was offered once and for all time for our sins according to
Hebrews 10:10?
2.What was given by Jesus Christ? (See John 1:15-28.)
3.What special place did the Lord Jesus have with the Father before
He came to earth as the God-man to bring us truth and grace? Give verse
in John 1.
4.How did John compare himself to Jesus Christ when the religious
leaders questioned him? Give verse.
5.Challenge: How do the following verses describe Christ as ruler
and King over all humanity? Try to put them into your own words.
Philippians 2:9-11
1 Peter 3:22
6.a.(Personal) Have you received the Lord Jesus not only as Savior
but as the Lord and King of your life?
b.How do you believe a person can allow Jesus Christ to be the
"Lord" and "King" of his life? See John 12:26 and Romans 12:2 to help
you think about this question.
Fifth Day: Read John 1:29-34.
1.When John saw the Lord Jesus, how did he describe Him?
2.How does John describe how he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus
Christ? Give verse.
3.What did John baptize with and what does the Lord Jesus baptize
with?
4.What do the following verses say concerning the Holy Ghost (Holy
Spirit)? Put them into your own words if possible.
1 Corinthians 12:13
Ephesians 1:13
5.How does Romans 14:17 describe the kingdom of God?
6.What other name does John give to Jesus Christ in John 1:34?
Sixth Day: Read John 1:35-51.
1.a.What did John the Baptist again call the Lord Jesus in John 1:36
which he had already called Him in John 1:29?
b.What was the result of John's words about Jesus Christ? Give verse.
c.What invitation did Jesus extend to these two?
d.What was the name of one of these men?
2.a.What did Andrew do after he had met the Lord Jesus Christ?
b.(Personal) Have you ever followed the Lord Jesus Christ by faith
as Andrew did? Have you gone out to tell someone else about Him as
Andrew did?
c.What are ways a person could introduce someone to Jesus Christ
today?
3.What new name did the Lord Jesus give to Simon, and what other
facts did He give about Simon which shows that He knew all about him
before Andrew brought him? Give verse please.
4.a.Whom did Jesus call to follow Him in John 1:43?
b.Whom did Philip go tell about the Lord Jesus? What did he tell
this person about Him? Give verse.
c.What did the Lord Jesus say to Nathanael which showed the Christ
already knew all about him before He saw him? Give verses.
5.How did Nathanael declare his faith in the Lord Jesus? Give verse.
6.a.Challenge: These men had recognized Jesus as the Messiah whom
Moses and the other prophets had written about. How do the following
verses from the Old Testament foretell the coming of the Lord Jesus?
Jeremiah 23:5
Job 19:25
b.Which thought or Scripture verse in this lesson was the most
helpful or challenging to you? Will you memorize a verse which will
help you to remember this special challenge or thought?
Study in the Book of John
Lesson 2
OVERVIEW OF JOHN 1
Introduction
When you open your Bible to the New Testament and discover Gospels
by Matthew, Mark and Luke, do you wonder why John felt that he should
write another Gospel of the life of Christ? As you study the Gospel of
John you will see that John wrote for a different reason than the other
Gospel writers.
Matthew was written especially to the Jews. In this book Christ is
presented as the son of David (Jeremiah 23:5; Matthew 1:1; Matthew
21:9; Isaiah 11:1-10; Jeremiah 33:15). Mark was written to the Romans.
These people were interested in what a person did. Christ is presented
as the "servant of the Lord." The book includes an account of more
miracles than any of the other Gospels. There is no genealogy in Mark,
for who cares where a servant came from! Luke wrote to the Greeks. They
were interested in the ideal man. The Lord Jesus is presented as "the
perfect man." His genealogy is traced all the way to Adam.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of each of the four
Gospels. Each writer presents Him with a different emphasis, but Christ
is the subject of each one. John wrote to all people to present the
deity of Christ in his Gospel. Christ is God! This is the proclamation
of John's Gospel. No one but Christ could ever be shown as John chose
to present his Lord. Only Christ is God! John wanted us to know this
truth.
The key verse of the book of John is usually considered to be John
20:31. This is why the book of John was written. "That ye might believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." When you believe in Christ
something happens: "Believing ye might have life through his name."
Jesus stated that He was life, and the only way to the Father in John
14:6. "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me." He also spoke of the abundant life that He wanted
to give each one who came to Him by simple faith. "I am come that they
might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John
10:10). Do you have an abundant life because you have received the Lord
Jesus Christ by faith?
Elisabeth Elliot Leitch started her mission work in South America as
a single woman with three other single women. There was no church,
there were no believers, and there were no male missionaries. Later she
became a wife and had to rearrange certain priorities in her life in
accordance with the mission field of her co-worker husband, and later
as a mother. When her husband was killed by the AucaIndians, she found
herself in a difficult position. There wasn't one male missionary left
in Ecuador at that time who spoke the Quichua language. There was no
one to teach the young Quichua Christians and no one to lead the
church. There was no one but a woman to carry on where five missionary
men had left off. The door to the Auca tribe had slammed shut.
Yet that same door was opened to two women to their total
astonishment. One was the sister of one of the missionary men who was
killed, and the other was Elisabeth Leitch. It didn't look like a
woman's job, but God's categories are not always ours! For eight years
she did missionary work among the Quichua Christians. Then she came
back to the United States to become a wife and homemaker once again.
She has now been widowed for a second time. This woman knows the
"abundant life." The following is her statement after all of these
experiences: "But it is the same faithful Lord who called me by name
and never loses track of my goings and reminds us all in a still, small
voice, "Ye are my witnesses that ye might know and believe me and
understand that I am he." There's our primary responsibility; to know
Him. I can't be a witness unless I've seen something, unless I know
what it is I am to testify to.
Mrs. Elliot goes on to say that the Lord of the Universe who calls
you offers you a place in His program. Your education or lack of it,
your taste, prejudices, fears, ambitions, age, sex, color, height,
marital status or income bracket are all things which may be offered to
God, after you've presented your body as a living sacrifice (Romans
12:1). "And God knows exactly what to do with them. They're not
obstacles if you hand them over. Be still and know that He is God." Sit
in silence and wonder in expectancy, and never doubt that the Lord of
your life has His own way of getting through to you to let you know the
specifics of His will. We know that to be in the center of God's will
is to be in the center of God's abundant life for us! Are you willing
to be still and know that He is God?
The Gospel of John was written several years after the first three
Gospels were completed, probably between a.d. 90 and 95. The author was
John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, the beloved disciple. Along with
his brother, James, and with Peter, John belonged to the inner circle
of disciples. This was a group near to Christ at such occasions as the
Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane. This intimate
knowledge of Jesus Christ's life gives a special flavor to all that
John writes. He knew the high priest personally at the time of the
trial of Jesus Christ (John 18:15). He could tell the distance between
Jerusa-lem and Bethany (John 11:18). His friendship with Christ is seen
in the last detailed discourse of the Lord (John 14--16), and the
intercessory prayer of the Lord in John 17. In the last two verses of
the Gospel of John, he tells us he is willing to stand behind his
testimony, and that he could have told much, much more!
The Book is often called "The Gospel of the Son of God." It is
divided into five parts.
1.The Prologue--John 1:1-18
2.Christ's Public Ministry--John 1:19--12:50
3.His Private Ministry--John 13--17
4.His Glorification--John 18--20
5.Postscript--John 21:1-25
The key word of the Gospel is "believe" which John used in some form
101 times. This is twice as often as all of the other three Gospels
together! John filled his book with special names and titles of Christ.
Here are some of the titles which we find in John: The Word (John 1:1),
the Lamb of God (1:29), the only begotten Son of God (3:16), the bread
of life (6:35), the light of the world (8:12), the "I AM" (8:58), the
good shepherd (10:11), the resurrection (11:25), the way, the truth,
and the life (14:6), and the vine (15:1).
John 1:1-18--The Lord Jesus Christ--The Word
In John 1:1 we find a new title for Christ. He is called the Word. A
word is an expression of an idea or a thought. We cannot know what
someone is thinking until he puts his thoughts into words! Jesus Christ
shows us what God is. Jesus Himself said, "If ye had known me, ye
should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know him and
have seen him....He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John
14:7-9). Jesus Christ is the personal revelation of God. He is the
Word. This first verse also tells us that Jesus Christ is God! In
Hebrews 1:3 we read that Jesus Christ is "the express image of his
person."
In John 1:2 we discover that Jesus Christ is eternal! There was
never a place in all of eternity in which the Son of God was not
present. Nobody made Him; He always has been. Christ is also the
creator of all things (John 1:3). This is again re-emphasized in John
1:10.
From all of these verses we conclude that the Lord Jesus Christ was
the Word of God made flesh. He was eternal, pre-existent, and then
became flesh to reveal God to us. Christ existed before the world was
created. Christ was with God (John 1:1) and in communion with Him
throughout all time. The Lord Jesus Christ was God and thus is
identical in power with God the Father. John spoke of Jesus' miracles
as signs. Jesus was simply opening windows to the reality of His power
as a person of the Trinity. The Lord Jesus Christ did these miracles to
show "the glory of God" (John 9:3; 11:4). He had love and compassion in
the miracles. Every miracle revealed the glory of God as He
participated in human affairs.
If the Christian is to have an abundant life he should have a "quiet
hour." There is a "quiet hour" for industry also! If you were to go
into the office of Steelcase, an office furniture factory, between 7:30
and 8:30 a.m., the silence would be deafening. This Toronto company has
decreed a "QuietHour" during that period each morning, an hour that was
formerly full of bustle and activity. The seventy-five office employees
work in total silence. There is no employee chitchat. Outgoing calls
are verboten and interoffice bells are silent. Incoming calls are shut
off. Employees use the time to organize themselves and their work for
the day. The results have been phenomenal--increased productivity,
office efficiency and improved morale. One stops to wonder if a
Christian would not also benefit in similar ways in his life if he were
to decree a "Quiet Hour" to be spent with God each morning in prayer
and Bible reading!
In John 1:4 we read, "In Him was life." Jesus Christ is our life. He
gave us our physical life; He gives us our spiritual life. There's no
life apart from Him. No one but God can create life. No one but God can
give the abundant life. Some scientists worked long and hard and
finally created an egg. It looked like an egg; it tasted like an egg.
It contained the food elements of an egg. But it would not hatch a baby
chick. Life is a gift from God. In John 1:3 we read that Christ is the
Creator of all life.
In John 1:14 we discover that Jesus Christ was made flesh. The Son
of God became a man and dwelt among us. He did not cease to be God, but
He did become a man. Jesus Christ became a little baby in Bethlehem. He
grew as children grow and walked the earth as a man. Verse 14 says that
he "dwelt among us;" that means literally that "He pitched his tent in
human flesh."
What a wonderful message John has to open his book. It seems only
natural to assume that everyone would be interested in such a message:
Jesus Christ is God; He came to earth to dwell with us and to become
our Savior so that we might dwell forever with Him! Yet everyone is not
waiting to hear the message. John 1:5 tells us that Jesus Christ was a
light shining in the darkness, yet the darkness did not comprehend. The
Lord Jesus Christ came from heaven to light up this dark world of sin,
but many were not willing to take the time to comprehend and understand
His message. People still are unwilling to take the time to understand
this message.
Perhaps this all sounds exaggerated, but think for a minute about
yourself. Have you come to Him and asked Him to be your Savior (John
3:16-17)? "I have written this to you who believe in the Son of God so
that ye may know you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13 L.B.). Do you love
and serve the Lord Jesus Christ because you really want to? Would you
like to do these things? God said once to Major Ian Thomas, "Seven
years with utmost sincerity you have been trying to live for me and on
my behalf the life I have been waiting all the time to live through
you." "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). It is only
as we yield ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, who dwells within the
Christian in the person of the Holy Spirit, that God can use our lives
abundantly and give to us an abundant life! (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1
Corinthians 6:19; 1 Corinthians 2:10; Romans 5:5).
In John 1:11 we read that the Lord Jesus Christ came unto His own,
and His own received Him not. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of the
Jewish race and in their land,and yet the leaders officially rejected
Him as their king and Lord. John 1:12 tells us that as many as received
Him, to them gave He power to become sons of God. We are adopted into
God's family through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How can you
believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? If we take His name apart
we will have the answer. Believe that He is Lord; that He is the One
with supreme authority. He is Jesus, our Savior. He is Christ, the One
sent from heaven. To be a Christian, we believe that Jesus is our
Savior, that He is God, and that He is the Lord of our lives. We are
told in this verse that we should ask Him to come into our hearts
(Revelation 3:20), to be our Savior. John 1:13 tells us that we are not
born by any human effort into God's family: "Not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." It is God who
gives us the right and power to become His children. When we believe
and receive Jesus Christ we are a child of God. You are His child
because He says so. You may not feel any different, but God says you
are different when you receive His Son.
A definition of a family was given recently in a P.T.A. magazine.
Children were asked to write brief statements on what the family meant
to them. One child pictured himself on the floor while his parents
reclined on the sofa. Underneath the picture he wrote, "A family is two
people in love with children." We can compare this to the Christian
family and visualize ourselves reclining at the feet of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have a loving Father in heaven who is Almighty. Trust in His
Son, and you will experience His love as a member of His family.
We meet John the Baptist in this portion of Scripture beginning with
John 1:6. The other three Gospels always refer to him by the name of
John the Baptist, but the writer John simply refers to him as "John"
(Matthew 3:1-4; Luke 3:2). John's message was one of repentance and
reform (Luke 3:10-14). He came to be a witness of "the Light," the Lord
Jesus Christ, so that all men might believe in Jesus through John's
witness (John 1:7-8). The Lord Jesus said of Himself, "I am the light
of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life" (John 8:12). (John 1:4; John 3:19; John
12:35-37; John 12:46.) John the Baptist declared that he bore witness
to Jesus Christ. John said Jesus was to be preferred above him (John
1:15). From Jesus Christ we receive grace, and truth (John 14:6). God's
grace means undeserved kindness and love. This does not mean that God
has overlooked sin. When the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, He
bore God's judgment for man's sins. God gives us undeserved forgiveness
through His only Son's sacrifice on the cross.
John told the crowd that the law was given by Moses, but grace and
truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). The law of Moses was given by
God to Moses for the Jewish people to observe. It demanded that the
breaking of its law should be punished. It could never be kept
perfectly by any man (Galatians 3:11,19,23-24). God provided in Christ
undeserved kindness and forgiveness by giving grace and truth through
Him.
This portion ends with John the Baptist describing to the crowd that
the Lord Jesus Christ declared to them God whom no man had ever seen.
In John 1:18 he describes the "only begotten Son, who is in the bosom
of the Father." What a precious resting place this (He) is. Every
person who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith has this peace and
love and rest from God the Father. Each person is adopted into God's
family through faith in His only begotten Son (Romans 8:15-17; Titus
3:7; Ephesians 3:17-21).
John 1:19-34--The Lord Jesus Christ--The Lamb of God
When John knew for sure who Jesus was (John 1:19-23) he was ready to
do the important work that God had given him. "There is one among you,"
John told the priests and Levites; "You do not even recognize Him. But
He is greater than I. I am not worthy to untie his shoe" (John
1:24-27). The day after the priests and Levites had questioned him,
John introduced Jesus Christ. The event took place in the region of the
Jordan River where John was baptizing people for repentance of sin
(Luke 3:3). John saw the Lord Jesus and said to the crowd, "Behold the
Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
The reason John called Jesus the Lamb of God was to show that He was
the final sacrifice for sin. In the Old Testament we read in Exodus
12:3 "Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this
month they shall take every man a lamb according to their father's
house, a lamb for a household." This was the institution of the
Passover sacrifice of the lamb in order that the Israelites' children
would be spared the plague which would pass over Egypt as a form of
God's judgment upon their sin. This plague would kill all of the first
born sons in the households. God protected the Israelites by means of
this passover lamb. A lamb was one of the animals used for a sacrifice
in the Old Testament. "If he offers a lamb for his offering, then he
shall offer it before the Lord, laying his hands upon the head of his
offering and killing it before the tent meeting" (Leviticus 3:7-8).
Since the Lord Jesus Christ came to die for us to make Himself a
sacrifice for our sins, He is called the "Lamb of God." He was
sacrificed for us. He died to remove the guilt of sin from everyone who
comes to Him and asks for forgiveness. As the lamb in the Old Testament
shed its blood in the sacrifices, so the lamb of God shed His blood on
the cross. "Without shedding of blood is no remission (of sin)"
(Hebrews 9:22).
John went on to describe what had happened at the baptism of Jesus.
The last phrase of John 1:33 tells us that Jesus will give the Holy
Spirit to His followers. The Lord forgives our sins when we come to Him
and receive Him as our Savior. He also gives us the Holy Spirit so that
we have new life and new power to live for Him.
The most important discovery that you could ever help someone to
find is the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior! The famous physician Sir James
Simpson was the first to employ ether in obstetrics and to discover the
important qualities and proper use of chloroform. A group of young
scientists who highly respected Dr. Simpson asked him,"What do you
count as the most outstanding discovery you have ever made?" With tears
welling up in his eyes he lifted up his head and said, "Young men, the
greatest discovery I have ever made is that Jesus Christ is my Savior;
that is by far the most important thing a person can ever come to
know!" Yes, this is the greatest discovery you can make. Whenever
anyone discovers Christ, Jesus Christ Himself makes good His promises
by the transforming power of His Holy Spirit who lives in the Christian
(John 14:16-17; John 16:7-14; 1 Corinthians 2:4). Are you claiming this
power of the Holy Spirit?
John 1:35-51--Those Who Followed the Lord Jesus Christ in Faith
Another day passed and John the Baptist was talking with two of his
disciples. One of these disciples was Andrew (John 1:40). The other
disciple is thought to have been the Apostle John. Jesus was again
identified as the Lamb of God. When Andrew met Christ he wanted his
brother to know Him, too. Andrew and Peter were from Bethsaida. Andrew
found Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41).
Next we meet another disciple of Jesus, Philip, in John 1:43-44.
Philip came from the same city as Andrew and Peter. But neither Andrew
nor Peter told him about Christ. Perhaps Philip did not seem important
enough to hunt out. The Lord Himself found Philip and said to him,
"Follow me."Perhaps Philip did not seem important to men, but the Lord
considered him important. He called him to be one of His disciples.
Philip knew someone whom he wanted to meet Jesus. In John 1:45 Philip
found Nathanael. Nathanael was from the town of Cana (John 21:2). He
was skeptical of anyone who came from Nazareth. It was such a little
unimportant place that Nathanael said with derision, "Can any good
thing come out of Nazareth?" (John 1:46). He was not so skeptical that
he would not accept Philip's invitation and he came to see for himself.
The Lord Jesus paid Nathanael a compliment. "Behold an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael was an honest forthright man
according to the Lord Jesus' statement.
In the last verse of the first chapter the Lord calls Himself the
"Son of Man." There is an interesting point about the use of this
title. Only the Lord Himself used it to describe Himself. It was not a
title that told of the glory or power of Jesus Christ. This was a title
which told of His humility. Perhaps this is one reason that His friends
did not use it.
Yes, Andrew, Philip, John and Nathanael all "found Christ." For them
it meant poverty, hardship, suffering, persecution, and in fact, death
by execution for most. Yet they also discovered in Him a Savior, Lord,
Companion and Friend. Those who come to the Lord today find Him equally
precious.
Before you begin each day:
a.Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
b.Do not use any other source books for your answers.
c.Write down your answers and the verses you used.
d.Challenge questions are for those who have the time and wish to do
them.
e.Personal questions are to be shared with the class only if you
wish to share.
First Day: Read all of the notes and look up all of the Scriptures.
1.What was a helpful or new thought from the Overview of John 1?
2.What personal application did you select to apply to your own life?
Second Day: Read all of John 2 concentrating on verses 1-11.
1.Who attended the marriage in Cana of Galilee? Give verses with the
names.
2.What did Mary say to the servants at the wedding concerning the
Lord Jesus? Give verse.
3.What did the servants do in obedience to the Lord Jesus'
instructions?
4.What was the miracle which the Lord Jesus did at the wedding feast?
5.What were some results of this miracle? Give verse.
6.Challenge: John 2:5 contains the interesting words "Whatever he
saith unto you, do it." It is pleasing to God when the Christian is
obedient to Jesus Christ. The following verses speak of this loving
obedience. Put them into your own words, using your name to personalize
the statement, if you wish to.
1 Samuel 12:24
Ephesians 6:6
Third Day: Read John 2:12-13 with Exodus 12.
1.Where did the Lord Jesus go after the wedding and who went with
Him? Try to find this place on the Bible map.
2.After a few days passed by, where did the Lord Jesus go next? Why
did He go there?
3.What was the original Passover lamb's blood to protect God's
people from? Give verse from Exodus, chapter 12.
4.What did Exodus 12:14 and Exodus 12:24-25 instruct the Jewish
people to do?
5.Challenge: How did God deliver the Jewish people from slavery in
Egypt as a result of the plague which He sent to all homes where the
Passover was not observed? See Exodus 12:27-34. Summarize your answer
in a short statement if possible.
6.a.What does 1 Corinthians 5:7 say about Jesus Christ and the
Passover?
b.(Personal) What does 1 Corinthians 5:7 mean to you? Share if
possible with your discussion group.
Fourth and Fifth Day: Read John 2:14-17.
1.When the Lord Jesus arrived in Jerusalem what did He find at the
temple? Give verse from John.
2.What was the Lord Jesus' response to what He found going on in the
temple grounds?
3.What name did the Lord Jesus give to God in this passage?
4.Psalm 69 is a Psalm which is prophetically speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Find the verse that the disciples remember in John 2:17
and state where it is found in this Psalm.
5.Challenge: Read the entire Psalm 69 through and choose your
favorite verses which emphasize:
a.Christ's suffering for you:
b.Christ's love for you:
c.Prayer to Christ for His help:
d.Giving praise to God:
6.(Personal) Which of the verses in Psalm 69 meant the most to you?
Write down the verse and give the reason why you chose it. Share if
possible with your discussion group.
Sixth Day: Read John 2:18-25.
1.What did the religious leaders ask of the Lord Jesus Christ which
would supposedly show His authority and right to cleanse the temple?
2.a.What was the Lord Jesus Christ's reply to these Jewish religious
leaders, and what was their reaction to His reply?
6.b.What temple was the Lord Jesus really referring to?
3.How does 1 Corinthians 6:19 describe the body of a Christian?
4.a.Challenge: How would 1 Corinthians 6:20 help you to understand
the Lord Jesus' words "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up" in John 2:19?
b.(Personal) What challenge for your own life do you find in 1
Corinthians 6:19-20?
5.a.How does 1 Peter 1:18-19 explain why Christ's "temple" was
destroyed, and how is Jesus Christ referred to in these verses?
b.(Personal) Do you know who has redeemed you from sin (Romans 3:23)
after reading 1 Peter 1:18-19? If you know and have received the Lord
Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, how are you sharing this "Good News"
with others?
6.a.When did the disciples of Jesus remember what He had said in
Jerusalem after He had cleansed the temple? What did they believe after
they remembered His words? See John 2:18-22. Give verse please.
b.Which verse meant the most to you this week? Did you choose to
memorize it?
Study in the Book of John
Lesson 3
OVERVIEW OF JOHN 2
John 2:1-12--The Wedding Feast at Cana
The Lord Jesus began to work miracles in Cana, an obscure corner of
the country. This was a quiet village near Nazareth. In the original
Greek, the word "miracle" actually could be translated "sign." This is
because John selected certain miracles out of many, to teach us what
God wishes us to receive for our own lives. John accurately records the
occasion of Jesus's first miracle on the third day after he came into
Galilee (John 2:1).
We note that not only was the mother of Jesus at the wedding, but
also Jesus and his disciples were called to the marriage (John 2:2).
This was a happy occasion which Jesus gladly shared. A wedding in
Palestine took place late in the evening after a feast. After the
ceremony the married couple was conducted to their home by the wedding
guests. It must have been very picturesque as the guests carried
flaming torches and escorted the couple under a canopy to their home.
This was a long procession for they wanted as many people as possible
to have an opportunity to give their good wishes to the couple as they
walked to their new home. The married couple did not go away for a
honeymoon, but stayed in their home and had open house for one week for
all of their friends. They wore crowns and dressed in their bridal
clothes each day. In fact they were dressed as king and queen and their
word was law for this week. There was much poverty and hard work among
people in general, so this special week was set aside to be completely
joyous for the bridal couple and all of their friends. There was much
feasting and fellowship during this time.
It was traditional at a wedding feast to serve wine. Drunkenness was
a great disgrace. It is true that wine was used in Old and New
Testament days, although dedicated persons such as priests were
commanded to abstain from using it. Today, alcoholism presents a
problem to society because alcoholic drinks can be obtained cheaply and
people too often have a low value of human life and dignity.
Our nation has taken great interest in most of the ills that
threaten human life, yet there is indifference toward the proven
killer, alcohol. If a product is shown to contain an ingredient which
appears to produce cancer in mice, it is immediately forced off the
market by governmental action. Yet approximately nine million Americans
are excessive drinkers and there seems to be little concern over this.
At least half of the automobile deaths per year are directly traced to
drinking. An alcoholic's life span is shortened byat least ten years.
Over three-fourths of all prison inmates have been sentenced for crimes
they committed after drinking alcohol. Today, teenagers have turned
from drugs to alcohol for their "high" because it is so much more
easily obtainable and acceptable in our society. Recently a group of
doctors at the University of Washington discovered a consistent pattern
of serious birth defects and infant mortality among children born to
alcoholic mothers. Yet when all of these sad statistics are cited, most
people simply do not seem concerned.
We must be concerned when the National Council on Alcoholism reports
that one out of every fourteen employed persons in America is an
alcoholic, and that these people cost American business $4.3 billion a
year in absenteeism, sloppy work, and eventual training of
replacements. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
estimates that the total dollar cost of alcoholism may be as high as
$15 billion a year. In most cases, by the time it is recognized that
drinking is leading to trouble, the drinker is hooked.
Scripture teaches that any practice that abuses the human body of a
Christian, described as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:19-20), is wrong. Paul made this statement, "All things are lawful
unto me, but all things are not expedient" (1 Corinthians 6:12). Paul
says in 1 Corinthians 6:11-12 L.B., "There was a time when some of you
were just like that but now your sins are washed away, and you are set
apart for God, and he has accepted you because of what the Lord Jesus
Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you. I can do anything I
want to if Christ has not said no, but some of these things are not
good for me. Even if I am allowed to do them, I'll refuse to if I think
that they might get such a grip on me that I can't easily stop when I
want to." The Christian needs to remember to stop short of anything
that brings offense (Matthew 18:6), or that may cause another person to
stumble. "The right thing to do is to quit eating meat or drinking wine
or doing anything else that offends your brother or makes him sin"
(Romans 14:21 L.B.). Any Christian who takes leadership in the church
needs to remember God's words in 1 Timothy 3:3 L.B., "He must not be a
drinker or quarrelsome, but must be gentle and kind." The mother of
John Wesley wrote: "Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the
tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off
the relish of spiritual things, in short, whatever increases the
strength and authority of your body over your mind, that thing is sin
to you, however innocent it may be in itself."
Each one of us needs to examine our own life as wethink of the
environmental abuse of alcohol in our society today. The drinking of
wine is not specifically condemned in the Scriptures today except when
drunkenness is involved. Therefore the Christian must not condemn other
Christians who drink wine without drunkenness. However, each Christian
needs to pray concerning his own life and ask God for what His perfect
will is for him concerning this issue. Always remember that the Lord
Jesus wants your body--from the head to the foot! "And so, dear
brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a
living sacrifice, holy--the kind he can accept. When you think of what
he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior
and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a
fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your
own experience how his ways will really satisfy you" (Romans 12:1-2
L.B.).
Alcoholism is a major evil which demands some action on the part of
society today. A Christian should surely be concerned with the well-
being of his society and therefore has an obligation to take part in
the battle against this evil which is destroying society. This problem
of alcoholism demands drastic measures which may even call for
sacrifice of personal freedom in Christ to help people around us with
this major problem. Will you ask God to show you His will concerning
this matter today? God always supplies the power to do all that He
requires (Zechariah 4:6)!
Mary saw that there was a crisis at the wedding (John 2:3). The
Coptic Gospels of Egypt suggest that Mary was a sister of the
bridegroom's mother. Other writings suggest that John himself was the
bridegroom since his mother was Salome, Mary's sister. Whether these
extra details are true or not, we are not certain, but perhaps this is
the reason that Mary took such an active part in this wedding feast.
She was most concerned about the lack of refreshments and the guests
still waiting to be served. She went immediately to Jesus and told Him
what had happened. Hospitality in this area was a sacred duty, and it
would be a terrible shame for the bride and bridegroom to lack
refreshments for their guests.
The Lord Jesus said, "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (John
2:4). "Woman" is really a term of tenderness and is the same word that
Jesus used when on the cross He provided for Mary to be cared for by
John (John 19:26). In Homer, the word "Woman" is a title by which
Odysseus addressed Penelope, his beloved wife. In English, we might
better translate the word today "Lady."
Mary was confident in the Lord Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly she had
often gone to Him with her own problems and seeing Him work out the
very best solution for them. This is the blessed example set by Mary,
the mother of our Savior. Although she couldn't understand some things
Jesus said and did, she trusted Him fully, knowing He never made a
mistake. She therefore instructed the servants at the wedding, who were
in need of wine, to obey His every command (John 2:5). Her faith was
rewarded, for Jesus performed the miracle necessary to supply that
which was lacking. Mary's faith can be the example for us. Allow Jesus
Christ to control your life and aid you in handling theaffairs of your
life. Whatever your needs are in your home, personal relationships,
business relationships, or any other area of need in your life--the
Lord Jesus will meet them if you will respond with the heart attitude
that Mary expressed in John 2:5, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
Always remember that God does not demand of you success, or
profit--just loving obedience!
"Whatever God asks you to do, do it,
Fill the vessels to the brim;
But always remember it's His battle
So leave the miracle to Him"
"For the battle is not yours, but God's"
(2 Chronicles 20:15).
Mary turned to Jesus when things went wrong. There is an old legend
that tells us that those who lived in Nazareth who felt weary and upset
would go and look at Jesus, and somehow all their troubles rolled away.
It is still true that anyone who knows Jesus Christ well will
instinctively turn to Him when things go wrong. He is always there to
help. Even when it seemed that Jesus refused Mary's request, she still
believed that He would solve the problem at the wedding feast. She had
the kind of faith which could trust even when it did not understand.
She could say to the servants, "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
In all of our lives there comes times of deep distress when we do not
understand why things are as they are. We cannot understand the meaning
of everything that happens. Yet believers in Christ can have the same
hope that Mary had! We can trust the Lord to work out our problem even
though we don't understand how He will do it, or know when the right
time will come. Are you willing to trust the Lord Jesus Christ with
your problem today?
In John 2:4 Jesus was saying, "I know what you want. You want me to
reveal who I am to the world. My work is not to perform signs. My work
is to die. It is not time for that now. My hour is not yet come." All
throughout Jesus' life He talked about His hour. In John 7:6,8 it is
the hour that He reveals Himself as the Messiah. In John 12:23 and John
17:1 (Matthew 26:18,45; Mark 14:41) it is the hour of His crucifixion
and His death. We realize that Jesus knew that He had come into this
world for the definite purpose of giving Himself on the cross for our
sins. He came to do the will of God (Luke 12:47, 22:42; John 6:38). The
Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to fulfill the purpose of God in
redeeming man from sin (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). We, too, as
Christians, should not think of our own wishes and desires, but ask God
what His purpose is for us in His world.
The Lord Jesus came not to do the will of His mother, but to please
His Father in heaven. As He said, "I seek not mine own will, but the
will of the Father which hath sent me" (John 5:30). We cannot order God
around; we are to listen for His orders to us! Someone has written most
beautifully:
"In Galilee, in days of yore, when some were conscious of a need,
The mother of our Lord arose and gave them counsel--wise indeed!
She did not try to order things. Ah no! She knew the better way;
So she directed them to Him who could supply the need that day.
Her message through the years rolls on, still bringing counsel wise
and true:
That whatsoever Christ may say, we quickly should obey--and do!
For He's the One to order things, He is the answer to our need;
He saves and keeps and satisfies, and if we let Him, He will lead.
And so we still may sweetly guide lost sinners to our loving Lord;
Then wondrous service, joy divine--to teach them to obey His Word!"
(See John 2:5.)
The Lord Jesus turned from His mother and spoke to the servants who
were at work nearby (John 2:6-10). The command the Lord Jesus gave was
simple and direct, and the response of the servants was immediate.
Jesus said, "Fill the waterpots with water" and the servants filled
them to the brim. Next Jesus commanded, "Draw out the water and take it
to the governor of the feast." It is not surprising that we learn that
the result was the best wine. Imagine how the servants felt! Imagine
what Mary thought! Each of them must have looked in real astonishment
at the miracle so quickly and quietly performed. The obedience of the
servants gave them a share in the first miracle that Christ did.
John records that this was the beginning of the miracles that Jesus
did (John 2:11). John said that he chose certain signs to show Jesus is
the Christ, the Son of God. This is the first of those signs (John
20:30-31). John said of this first sign, "This miracle at Cana in
Galilee was Jesus' first public demonstration of his heaven-sent power"
(John 2:11 L.B.). The result was that the disciples believed in Him. Do
you suppose that the servants did, too? The Bible does not give the
answer. As you have read what the Lord Jesus has done, will you follow
Him and believe in Him wherever He leads you? The disciples followed
Jesus from Cana to Capernaum along with His mother and His brothers
(John 2:12).
John 2:13-25--The First Temple Purification by the Lord Jesus
When the time of the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went to
Jerusalem. The first Passover was the feast eaten just before the
Israelites left Egypt. Every year the Jews obeyed the command of God
and recalled their escape from slavery by observing this special feast.
The Passover was one of the three important feasts of the Jews. It was
the time of celebrating their deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 23:14ff)
that Jesus went to Jerusalem to keep the Passover.
The Lord went to the Temple on Mt. Moriah in Jerusalem. This was the
place where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and here David
purchased the threshingfloor of Ornan and offered sacrifices to the
Lord when the plague was stopped (1 Chronicles 21:21-28; 2 Chronicles
3:1). The Temple area had three courts. The outer court was called the
"court of Gentiles." Next was the "court of Women." The innermost court
was for the Israelite men only. The Temple building was in this court.
When the Lord Jesus entered into the court of Gentiles He found it
filled with animals and birds to be used for sacrifices. It was easier
for the Jews to buy the animals at the Temple than to transport them
from their homes. Instead of the Temple being a quiet and worshipful
place, it smelled and sounded like a circus. Orientals are great
traders, and every transaction ends with tremendous confusion and
noise. In addition to the animals, money changers had set up their
tables. These men were bankers who, for a sixth discount, changed
foreign coins into shekels in order that people might pay their Temple
tax. Picture such a scene in the outer court of the place where men
came to worship God.
The action of the Lord was dramatic. He took some of the cords that
had been used to tie the animals and made a whip or scourge of them.
"He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and
poured out the changer's money, and overthrew the tables" (John 2:15).
If Jesus' actions were astonishing, His words must have caused even
greater amazement. "Take those things out of here. Don't you dare turn
my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:16 L.B.). This is the first
time in John's Gospel that Jesus called God "My Father." The words must
have surprised the Jewish men! They were not used to such familiarity
with God.
The people wanted proof of Jesus' authority (John 2:18). This answer
that Jesus gave was another surprise. "Destroy this temple and in three
days I will raise it up" (John 2:19). The only sign that Jesus spoke
about was that of His death and resurrection. This is the first time He
spoke of His sacrifice and resurrection. When Jesus Christ was asked to
prove His authority, He gave the sign of His resurrection (Matthew
12:38-40). The resurrection of Christ is the supreme sign of His deity.
The Jews did not understand the words of the Lord. They looked at the
temple building and reminded Jesus that the Temple had already taken
forty-six years to build and that it was not finished yet (John 2:20)!
In fact, work on the Temple was continued until a.d. 64 just six years
before it was destroyed by a Roman attack led by Titus.
John tells us that after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the
disciples remembered these words which the Lord had spoken, and
believed him (John 2:22). Some of the people in Jerusalem believed on
Him also as a result of the miracles which He performed (John 2:22-
23). Some people believed, others did not.
There is a classic cartoon of the little English school boy standing
outside a candy store. The window is filled with jars and boxes of
candy. But there on the window is a poster which says, "Do not lick the
window." We smile, but we may be smiling at ourselves. Are there not
many who are standing outside the storehouse of God's provisionthrough
Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, looking in wistfully, and
wondering how on earth they can make all of this good gift of
forgiveness theirs. We do not have to stand outside the window! God
invites us to Himself! "Look! I have been standing at the door and I am
constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door,
I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me" (Revelation 3:20
L.B.). The Lord Jesus Christ is waiting for us to invite Him into our
lives to be our Savior and Lord. If you are a Christian are you
standing outside the storehouse of God's provision for your daily life?
God invites you to help yourself to all the things necessary for a life
of joy. Don't stand outside any longer. Come on in for this, too! "I am
come that you might have life, and that you might have it more
abundantly" (John 10:10). Faith is a Fantastic Adventure In Trusting
Him.
It is not try, but trust.
It is not do, but done.
Our God has planned for us
Great victory through His Son!
"Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that
isn't hard at all; for every child of God can obey Him, defeating sin
and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help him" (1 John 5:3-4 L.B.).
Will you pray for wisdom, for help, in matters that will be used for
God's glory? (1 John 5:14-15). The Lord Jesus loves to be asked. On
several occa-sions He rebuked men for having too little faith, but He
never rebuked for asking too much!
The Bible teaches that when we are Christians, our bodies are the
temple of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.) Since this is
true, we should consider whether we need to be cleansed. Are we a fit
place for God to dwell? Do we worship God in all that we do? If you
want the Lord to cleanse your life and make it a fit "temple," you will
have to let the Lord have complete control. He cannot really cleanse
your life if you will not let Him into every room. Will you give Him
the key to all of your life? May He have the library where you
read--may He know and approve of the books you read? May He come into
the recreation room where you relax--may He be a part of your social
times? May He come into the living room where you sit with your
family--are you ashamed when you realize that Christ watches and hears
the way you talk and treat your family? May He enter your private room
where you go when you want to be alone--is there any reason that you do
not want Him to have control of your innermost secrets--all of this He
must have if He is to make your life really a "temple in which He can
dwell." The Lord who made you, redeemed you with His blood, has the
right and the power to do a work in your life, if you will only ask Him
to do this. Jesus Christ is still the miracle worker. Are you willing
now to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to work out all of this in your life?
Why not stop right now and talk to the Lord Jesus and ask Him for His
help in your life today?
Before you begin each day:
a.Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
b.Do not use any other source books for your answers.
c.Write down your answers and the verses you used.
d.Challenge questions are for those who have the time and wish to do
them.
e.Personal questions are to be shared with the class only if you
wish to share.
First Day: Read all of the notes and look up all of the Scriptures.
1.What was a helpful or new thought from the Overview of John 2?
2.What personal application did you select to apply to your own life
this week?
Second Day: Read all of John 3 concentrating on verses 1-6.
1.Who was Nicodemus?
2.What time did he choose to go and question the Lord Jesus?
3.How did Nicodemus compliment Jesus Christ in John 3:2?
4.How did the Lord Jesus tell Nicodemus that he needed to have a
second birthday to enter the kingdom of God?
5.Did Nicodemus misunderstand the meaning of Jesus Christ's words in
John 3:3? Give the reason for your answer.
6.a.Challenge: How can a person be "born again" as Jesus stated you
must be to enter God's kingdom? See John 1:12-13.
b.In which verse in this passage does Jesus describe two ways a
person is born?
c.(Personal) Have you had two birthdays, both the physical and
spiritual?
d.(Personal) How would you describe being "born again" to a friend?
Third Day: Read John 3:7-11.
1.How does Jesus re-emphasize the importance of a second birthday in
John 3:7? What word does He use which makes it essential for every
person to have a spiritual birth?
2.How does John 14:6 emphasize the fact that there is only one way
to be "born again" into God's family?
3.According to John 3:9-10 do you believe Nicodemus understood Jesus
and was "born of the Spirit" at this time?
4.Is it possible to be a "master" of knowledge today and yet not
comprehend spiritual truths? Do you believe there are many modern day
"Nicodemus people"?
5.Which verse in this passage indicates that Nicodemus was unwilling
to receive the truth the Lord Jesus was telling him?
6.a.Challenge: The idea of being "born again" is found throughout
all of the New Testament writings. What do the following verses say
which speak of a "new birth"? You may put them into your own words and
personalize them by putting your name into each verse if you wish to.
1 Peter 1:23
James 1:18
b.(Personal) Has 2 Corinthians 5:17 become a personal experience in
your life? What old things have passed away? What has become new to
you? Share with your discussion group if possible.
Fourth Day: Read John 3:12-21.
1.Challenge: Read Numbers 21:9 and remember that the serpent
symbolizes Satan in the Bible (see Genesis 3:1-5 and Revelation 20:1-
3). This serpent lifted up on a pole was a type of judgment on sin, so
that when the Israelites looked up at this "judgment for their sin"
they were saved and did not die. What do you believe the Son of man
(Jesus Christ--Perfect God--Perfect Man) had to be "lifted up" on as
judgment for mans' sins?
2.What are the joyous results of looking up to the Lord Jesus Christ
with faith in our hearts that He will forgive us our sins? See John
3:14-18.
3.Is there any person so good that he does not need to "look up to"
Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins? What do Romans 3:23 and Romans
6:23 say about this?
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
4.Romans 6:23 speaks of a "gift" from God. What does Ephesians 2:8-9
say about this gift of God?
5.a.What does Ephesians 2:8-9 mean to you?
5.b.(Personal) Have you ever been in the position of trying to work
your way into God's favor by doing "good things" called works? Do you
now realize that it is only your faith in Jesus Christ that makes you
acceptable to God?
6.Read John 3:21 remembering that "the light" is the Lord Jesus
Christ. What does John 8:12 say about "the light"?
Fifth Day: Read John 3:21 with Ephesians 4:19-32.
John 3:21 speaks of responding to Christ's light. Read Ephesians
4:19-32 and put down in the space given what the Christian is to "put
away" or cast aside. Then write down the things listed in this passage
that the Christian is to "be" when he is walking in Christ's "light" by
faith.
1.The Christian is to cast aside:
2.The Christian is to "be":
3.As you have listed these things "to be" and "not to be" as a
Christian, it would seem humanly impossible to fully please God in
these ways. Yet, He has given us a mighty Person of power to empower
our lives and make them what they "should be" as Christians. Who is
this Person of power God gives to the Christian? Read Romans 5:5 and 2
Timothy 1:7,14.
4.(Personal) After reading Ephesians 4:19-32 which part of this
passage touched your heart the most? Would you like to yield yourself
right now to the Holy Spirit's power to give you a victory in your
life? Why not pray about it now? Write down the victory you are
claiming in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Put the date and
time down in your Bible and begin to trust God from this moment on for
His victory in your life!
5.How does Titus 3:5-6 speak of God's gift of the Holy Ghost to the
Christian?
Sixth Day: Read John 3:22-36.
1.How does John the Baptist describe himself in this passage? Give
verses.
2.a.What does John the Baptist say in John 3:27 which every
Christian needs to remember?
b.Challenge: If Christians remember this truth do you think there
would be pride, controversy and envy among God's children?
3.a.Envy, greed, bitterness and pride would fall away if each
Christian were willing to say what John the Baptist did in John 3:30.
What did he say?
b.(Personal) Will you choose to repeat this statement as a prayer
right now and trust the Lord to work it out each day, moment by moment
this week?
4.How does Galatians 2:20 add to the thoughts in John 3:30? If
possible, put this verse into your own words and put your own name in
the verse where "I" is used to make it personal.
5.How are the thoughts of the first part of John 3 summarized in
John 3:35-36?
6.a.(Personal) Christ's coming makes man responsible to either
choose to be "born again" by faith in His forgiveness and love, or to
choose God's condemnation of eternal separation from Him. "For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Have
you chosen to receive His Son by faith?
b.Are you willing to share Jesus Christ with others? How are you
doing this sharing this week?
Study in the Book of John
Lesson 4
OVERVIEW OF JOHN 3
John 3:1-21--Jesus Talks With Nicodemus
When something unusual takes place it does not take long for the
news to spread. In the spring of a.d. 27, the city of Jerusalem was
buzzing with the report of several unusual events. There was a story of
a man who had entered the city and disturbed the whole way of life of
the people. The Temple area had been cleared of the sacrificial animals
and the money changers. Other works which this same man had done were
being talked about. He was unusual. He was definitely news! Finally,
the rulers of the Jews became curious about who He was. One of these
Jewish teachers wanted to see for himself, and so Nicodemus came to
visit Jesus Christ.
There are three facts or truths which John 3:1 teaches us about
Nicodemus. First, we learn that he was a Pharisee, a member of a strict
religious sect among the Jews. They laid special emphasis upon the
exact and literal observance of the law. Not only did they follow the
law literally, but they began to extract from the great principles of
the law, a great number of rules and regulations to govern many
situations in life. They changed the law of the great principles into
the legalism of bylaws and regulations.
The best example of what they did is seen in the Sabbath law. God
directed in the Bible to keep the Sabbath holy and that on that day no
work was to be done either by man, servants or animals. The latter Jews
spent hour after hour and generation upon generation defining what work
was, and listing the things that could or could not be done on the
Sabbath. It was the scribes who spent their lives working out these
rules. The rules finally extended to 24 chapters in the Mishnah.
The Talmud is the explanatory commentary on the Mishnah, and in the
Jerusalem Talmud the section explaining the Sabbath law is 64 and one-
half columns long. What all of these rules did was to say such things
as, "To tie a knot on the Sabbath is to work." But a knot had to be
defined! There were knots which made a man guilty of work such as the
knot of camel drivers, sailors, etc. On the other hand there were knots
which could be tied quite legally, such as a woman could tie the
strings of her cap and those of her girdle, the straps of shoes or
sandals, and a knot to secure the skins that served as containers for
wine and oil! The situation could become quite humorous, as a man could
not tie a rope on a barrel to draw water on the Sabbath unless he was
clever enough to think of tying the barrel to a woman's girdle and let
it down into the well! For aknot in a girdle was quite legal! The
Jewish people themselves thought highly of the Pharisees. The Jews
believed the Pharisees to be the most deeply religious men of the day.
The scribes worked out all of the regulations and the Pharisees
dedicated their lives to keeping them. Actually the name Pharisee means
"the Separated Ones." The Pharisees were those who separated themselves
from all ordinary life in order to keep every detail of the law of the
scribes.
The fact that Nicodemus was a Pharisee, who regarded his own
goodness and kind of life as pleasing to God, makes it astonishing that
he would wish to talk to Jesus at all! The second and third facts we
learn about Nicodemus are that he was a ruler of the Jews and this
meant that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court
of justice. This court was the final authority on the interpretation of
the Mosaic Law. Thus we know that Nicodemus was an important man in
Jerusalem. John is the only Gospel in which the name Nicodemus appears.
John tells us of this meeting in John 3. He tells of an occasion when
Nicodemus was one of the rich men who assisted in the burial of Jesus
(John 19:39-42).
This important Pharisee was interested in spiritual matters enough
to come to Jesus Christ one night. There could possibly have been two
reasons for his coming to the Lord Jesus at night. It may have been a
sign of caution as Nicodemus may not have wished his fellow members of
the Sanhedrin to know of his visit. We must not condemn or call
Nicodemus a coward, for it was better to come at night than not to come
at all to Jesus. With all of his prejudices in his upbringing, and his
whole view of life from the Pharisaic training he had had, it was a
miracle that he had the courage to come at all to Jesus. There may have
been another reason why Nicodemus chose the night for his visit. The
rabbis always considered that this was the best time to study the law,
when a man could be undisturbed. We know that Jesus was surrounded by
crowds during the day, and it may have been that Nicodemus wanted to
have a private, undisturbed meeting with the Lord Jesus.
He began the conversation with a compliment, "Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you
do, unless God is with him" (John 3:2). Nicodemus did well as far as he
went. The mistake was that he did not go far enough. Jesus Christ is
not just "from God" nor is it just that "God is with him." He is God!
Jesus was not a "teacher come from God" such as Moses, Isaiah, and
later Paul, the disciples, Luther, Calvin and Augustine. There are many
men today who are teach-ers come from God. However, only once did God
come to teach. God came in the flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ as
perfect God-perfect Man to teach us.
The Lord Jesus went directly to the heart of the problem that
Nicodemus had, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he
cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Nicodemus considered himself
a good man. He was one of the religious leaders of his day. But Jesus
told him that he was not good enough. Nicodemus had to be born again.
In case Nicodemus did not understand that he was included in the
general statement of verse three, Jesus said directly, "Ye must be born
again" (John 3:7). No one is good enough to get to heaven without
Christ's help. It is not enough to do the best you can. It is not
enough to do better than your friends. No one can enter heaven and be
with God forever unless he has come to Christ and been born again. We
read in the book of Job, "How then can man be justified with God? Or
how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold, even to the moon,
and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much
less man, which is a worm?" (Job 25:4-6).
The story is told of a missionary who visited the hut of a native
and became completely nauseated by the filthy floor on which they had
to walk and sit. He suggested that they get some soap and water and
scrub the dirty surface. But the native replied, "It would only make it
worse. You see, the floor is just clay--packed down and dried. Add
water and it turns to mud. The more you try to wash it, the worse the
mess becomes." Yes, the hut needed something besides an earthen floor.
So it is with the human heart: it is hard and dry and nothing will help
it. Man needs a new heart! We must be born from above! While the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, to make it yours
you must personally receive this wonderful Savior and the redemption He
offers. Have you done this? If not, do it now. (Romans 5:1,6,8-11)
I do receive, I will believe,
That Jesus died for me!
That on the cross He shed His blood
From sin to set me free.
God's gift of love to the world was His only begotten Son (John
3:16). Yet the giving of this gift does not make it yours. An example
of this was illustrated by a doctor who asked a young lad, "Does the
giving of a gift make it yours?" The boy replied, "Well, I suppose you
must take it to make it really yours." "Exactly," said the doctor, "and
so Christ must be taken as God's gift. I'm a physician," he went on,
"while I'm not your doctor, am I?" "No," said the boy. "Why not?" he
asked. "Because we never chose you as our doctor," was the reply.
"That's right! So, too, Christ is the Savior, but he is not your Savior
unless you take him." While the gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to make it yours you must personally receive
this wonderful Savior and the redemption He offers. Have you done this?
Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant bybeing "born again."
He revealed his lack of comprehension by the words in John 3:4, "How
can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his
mother's womb, and be born?" Jesus' reply was, "I say to you, unless
one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of
God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born
of spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6). Jesus Christ is pointing out to
Nicodemus that he is speaking of a supernatural life rather than
delivery of a new born baby from its mother's womb.
When He mentions water to Nicodemus, it would seem that He means the
Word of God. There is cleansing power in the Word of God. "How can a
young man stay pure? By reading your word and following its rules"
(Psalm 119:9 L.B. and Psalm 119:10-11; John 15:3). No one is born again
without the Word of God either spoken or written to him. "Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and abideth forever" (I Peter 1:23 and Romans 10:17).
This passage in I Peter points out that man is not born again of
corruptible seed which produced life at the first birth and from which
each person inherits the decay of sin. Now, God says the new birth is a
new life which comes from incorruptible seed which is the Word of God.
The life that comes forth from this incorruptible seed is eternal life
as we are adopted into God's family as His children through our faith
in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When you change energy forms you change your burner. You change a
furnace from burning coal to burning oil by putting in a conversion
kit. You have to put in a conversion kit any time you change your
energy. This is what happens when we leave human power and start
running on divine power. The manufacturer, who happens to be God, is
ready to give us a conversion experience kit so we can have His power
and His energy. This is what Jesus was talking about when he said,
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7).
The Lord Jesus went on to say in John 3:8 that the work of the Holy
Spirit in saving men is like the wind. It cannot be seen, nor can its
power and work be fully understood. Yet, we hear it, and it is very
powerful. Jesus is saying that we see the effect of the wind, but
cannot tell its source, and so it is of everyone who is born of the
Holy Spirit. There is a definite change in the person's life through
the Holy Spirit's ministry, but we may not understand the method of the
new birth.
Nicodemus did not understand this sort of talk and he kept asking
questions (John 3:9). How was it possible for a person to be able to
start life all over again? It was beyond his understanding. The whole
idea seemed impossible. It is interesting to note that in John 3:11 as
the Lord Jesus replies to Nicodemus' question, He used the plural when
speaking, "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and
ye receive not our witness." In John 7:16-17 R.S.V. the Lord Jesus
again emphasizes His oneness with God, "My teaching is not mine, but
his who sent me; if any man's will is to do his will; he shall know
whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own
authority." In many places in the Bible the Lord Jesus Christemphasized
the oneness of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. "Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). (See
John 14:26; 15:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2.)
Next the Lord Jesus gave this ruler of the Jews an object lesson
(John 3:14-16). Nicodemus was learned in the Old Testament Scriptures,
and these Scriptures were the source of what Jesus taught. Nicodemus
knew exactly what Jesus Christ made reference to when He spoke of Moses
lifting up a serpent in the wilderness. The story is recorded for us in
Numbers 21:6-9. The Israelites were complaining about what God was
doing with them. The Lord sent serpents among the people. Those who
were bitten by the snakes died. The Israelites realized that they had
sinned, and they came to Moses. "We have sinned," they confessed; "Pray
unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us." Moses prayed
and the Lord heard. "Make ye a serpent of brass," God told Moses. "Put
it on a pole for all the people to see. Everyone who, in faith, looks
upon the serpent of brass will be healed. He will live." Moses did as
God said, and the people were healed of the plague. Jesus Christ told
Nicodemus that the serpent of brass was a picture or type of Himself.
Just as Moses put the serpent on a pole and lifted it up for the people
to see, so Jesus Christ would be placed on a cross and lifted up for
people to see. When the Israelites looked in faith on the brazen
serpent, God healed them. When anyone looks in faith on Jesus Christ
dying for him, God forgives that person's sins.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, "Ye must be born again." It was not, "I
hope you will." It was not, "It will be a good thing." It was not, "I
would suggest that you seek it." It was, "Ye must be born again."
Nothing less than a complete change of heart and nature, a change so
complete and radical that it can only be described as a new birth, can
make a person acceptable to God.
Plutarch once described a man who busied himself trying to make a
corpse stand upright, but it continually fell down. Finally in disgust,
he walked away saying to himself, "There's something lacking inside."
There was something lacking inside! It was life that was lacking! It is
the same thing that is lacking inside the people which makes them fall
down morally and spiritually. The thing that is lacking is life,
spiritual life, the life that God gives when a person is born again
through faith in Jesus Christ. John Green left the college campus and
went down to the east side of London where people committed every kind
of sin. He was an idealist and began to set up libraries, teach classes
and tried to change people. He encouraged them to paint and clean up
their homes and streets. For ten years he tried, and finally gave it
up. He said, "It's no use. They will go on drinking, and gambling, and
stealing, and fighting until the end of time." He went back to Oxford
and wrote a history of England. Down into the same wretched east side
of London went General Booth of the Salvation Army. He took his Bible
and preached the cross, lifting up Jesus Christ andcalling men to turn
from their sins to Jesus. What happened? New life! As people came in
faith to Jesus Christ, lives were changed. Drunkards were made sober;
thieves were made honest. Gamblers were made respectable citizens.
People stopped their fighting. Homes were transformed and neighborhoods
were changed.
Why did the one succeed, while the other failed? One went trying to
change people who still had sinful hearts. The other went with the Good
News of Jesus Christ, who changed their sinful hearts and lives.
Individuals cannot be changed apart from a new birth, and society
itself cannot be changed until there are enough people who have
experienced this heart transformation. Society has many, many needs,
but society's greatest need is for each individual to have a new heart
from Jesus Christ. Jesus said it to Nicodemus and He says it to all of
us, "Ye must be born again."
Unfortunately there are many people in the world today who attempt
to gain God's favor by good works, church membership and a fine
reputation. As good as they may be in themselves, these things have
nothing to do with obtaining God's forgiveness and salvation. It is all
by faith in Christ. Unfortunately there are many who are mixed up and
do not understand as Nicodemus did not understand Jesus' words. The
story is told of the mixed up bird who found a doorknob--the antique
white porcelain kind--and had mistaken it for an egg. She was missed
from the flock for several days and finally located in a tuft of grass
squatting firmly on her porcelain prize! She probably would be sitting
there today if she hadn't been robbed of her unhatchable "egg." You
smile and say, "How dumb can a chicken be!" Yet, many people believe
that religion can save, good works can save, while the Bible is clear
on the subject that it is only faith that can save us. There are
thousands of people who imagine that they can earn their salvation by
good works or religious exercises. No matter how "good" these efforts
are they are only "white doorknobs." "For by grace (unearned love) are
ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
Salvation is not "try" but "trust"; it is not "do" but "done!"--Corrie
ten Boom.
John 3:22-36--The Last Words of John the Baptist
The story of Nicodemus and Jesus ends abruptly. The Bible does not
tell us what happened after these words of Jesus. We do not know what
Nicodemus said or did. The conversation was over and the narrative
moves on. Once more John the Baptist comes into the picture. This is
the last testimony of John concerning Christ that this book gives to
us. John the Baptist was continuing to baptize the people who came to
him. He had moved from Bethabara where Jesus had been baptized to Aenon
(John 1:28, John 3:23). Some of John's disciples were disturbed because
they saw the popularity of their leader was dwindling. The popularity
of a new leader, Jesus Christ, was gaining. These disciples came to
John with their problem (John 3:26-30). Certainly there must have been
a temptation for John the Baptist to be jealous. Yet, as we read John
3:30, we realize that he was not jealous as he said, "He mustincrease,
but I must decrease." In answer to their complaints, it would have been
very easy for John to feel neglected and forgotten. John told his
disciples three things: He told them he never expected anything else
(John 3:27,28). John also told them that no man could receive more than
what God gave him (John 3:27). Last of all John used a very vivid
picture which portrayed Jesus as the bridegroom and himself as the
friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29). Every Jewish person would
recognize what he meant by this illustration. One of the great pictures
of the Old Testament is the picture of Israel as the bride of God, and
God as the bridegroom of Israel. God identified so closely with the
Israelites, that it could only be likened to a wedding. When Israel
worshipped strange gods, it was as if she had been guilty of adultery
(Exodus 34:15; Deuteronomy 31:16; Psalm 73:27; Isaiah 54:5). After
Christ had come to earth, the Christians took this picture over and
spoke of the Church as the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2;
Ephesians 5:22-32). It was this picture that was in John's mind. Jesus
had come from God. Jesus was the Son of God. Israel was His rightful
bride, and He was Israel's bridegroom. John claimed for himself the
privilege of being a friend of the bridegroom. In a Jewish wedding the
friend of the bridegroom had a unique position. He arranged the
wedding, gave out the invitations and presided as a "master of
ceremonies" at the wedding feast. John the Baptist's job had been to
bring Israel and Jesus together, and to arrange the marriage between
Christ (the bridegroom) and Israel (the bride). It had been his job to
call Israel to repentance for sin, and prepare them to comein faith to
Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:2-17). John's task was
completed, and now he was happy to say that Jesus must increase and he
must decrease.
The secret of John's joy in the Lord Jesus Christ's ministry was his
recognition that " a man can receive nothing, except it be given him
from heaven" (John 3:27). Later in John 3:31-35 he again speaks of the
Father who loves His Son, and has given all into His hands. He also
tells these men that "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him."
In other words, God had given everything freely to the Lord Jesus
Christ--there is no limit. John showed only joy in these truths that he
expressed; there was no sign of envy. If every Christian could remember
that each man receives from heaven what God wants to give, there would
be no conflict due to pride and envy among God's children. If God is
the giver of every gift, God will give exactly the right gift to each
Christian.
There is another important must in John 3:30 "He must grow greater
and greater and I less and less" (J.B. Phillips). Is this happening in
your life? Are you allowing the Lord Jesus to speak to you daily in a
time of prayer and the reading of His precious Word, the Bible? Do you
consider His will when you make decisions? As Jesus becomes more and
more important, the decision to do what you know He wants you to,
becomes easier and easier. Ask Him to help you to say, "I want your way
more and my way less." Be willing to be like John the Baptist who was
happy to be forgotten if Christ was remembered. The Lord Jesus Christ,
by the power of the Holy Spirit, is waiting to help you today.
Before you begin each day:
a.Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
b.Do not use any other source books for your answers.
c.Write down your answers and the verses you used.
d.Challenge questions are for those who have the time and wish to do
them.
e.Personal questions are to be shared with the class only if you
wish to share.
First Day: Read all of the notes and look up all of the Scriptures.
1.What was a helpful or new thought from the Overview of John 3?
2.What personal application did you select to apply to your own life?
Second Day: Read all of John 4 concentrating on verses 1-6.
1.Who was it who baptized those who came in faith to the Lord Jesus?
2.What had the Pharisees (Jewish religious leaders) heard about the
Lord Jesus?
3.a.Where did the Lord Jesus go after He left Judea? Find these
places on your Bible map if possible.
b.What area did the Lord Jesus travel through on this journey and
what city did He stop in?
c.What important event had taken place near this city many years
before?
4.a.At about noon (the sixth hour) where did Jesus and His disciples
arrive?
b.How does John 4:6 express how the Lord Jesus felt at this time?
5.Challenge: Read Philippians 2:5-11 and record the facts you find
about Christ Jesus.
6.a.Which verse in Philippians 2:5-11 expressed to you the Lord
Jesus Christ's special love to you?
b.(Personal) Have you ever shown your love for the Lord Jesus by
doing what Philippians 2:10-11 describes? If not, perhaps today is the
day you will choose to respond in love to His love.
c.Have you underlined in your Bible your favorite verses in
Philippians 2:5-11? This is a good way to help you remember them and
find them again.
Third Day: Read John 4:7-15.
1.Who did Jesus ask to draw Him a drink of water from the well and
what was this person's response?
2.What does Jesus Christ say about the "living water" which God is
willing to give to those who ask for it? Give verse.
3.Challenge: How do the following verses help you to understand
"living water" which the Lord Jesus offers? Use your own words if you
wish to.
3.John 7:37-39
Revelation 21:6
4.How does Isaiah 12:2-3 seem to relate to "living water?"
5.How can you personally do what the last half of Isaiah 12:3
suggests? Give as many thoughts on how a Christian could do this as you
can.
Fourth Day: Read John 4:16-26.
1.a.What did the woman admit to Jesus Christ about her husband? Give
verse.
b.What did He tell her about her life?
2.Since the Lord Jesus knew all about her life, whom did she think
He was?
3.How did she try to change the subject from her personal sin to
another subject in John 4:20?
4.a.How did the woman try to show Jesus that she was knowledgeable
about spiritual things in John 4:25?
b.What claim to His deity did the Lord Jesus make at this time?
5.How does Philippians 3:3 help you to understand John 4:24 more
fully? Put into your own words if you can.
6.a.Challenge: Read all of 2 Peter 3:17-18. As we rejoice in the
Lord Jesus what is the Christian to "beware of" in these verses and
what is the Christian to "grow in"?
b.(Personal) How do you believe you can "grow" as a Christian? Try
to list some things you want the Lord to help you "grow" in this week.
Fifth Day: Read John 4:27-42.
1.a.What was the reaction of the disciples when they found the Lord
Jesus talking to a woman?
b.Challenge: Do you believe that a woman is "liberated" by Christ or
by legislation? If possible give some reasons and Scriptures with your
answer.
2.a.Where did this woman go and what did she say?
b.What was the people's reaction to this woman's words according to
John 4:30?
c.Describe the result of the woman telling people about the Lord
Jesus and their going to the city well to see Him. See John 4:39.
d.Challenge: Have you ever told anyone about the Lord Jesus Christ
and seen the same results? How would you tell someone about Him? What
Scripture verses would you choose to use?
3.a.How long did the Lord Jesus stay and teach these people?
b.Did any more people believe after He stayed and taught them?
c.What did these people say they knew about the Lord Jesus after
hearing His words? Give verse.
4.Challenge: What do the following verses say about the Word of God?
Put them into your own words if you are able to.
Mark 13:31
4.Romans 10:17
5.Which of the above verses was your favorite? Why did you choose it?
6.(Personal) Has John 4:42 ever become an experience of reality in
your life? Have you ever responded as these people did? See John
4:25-26.
Sixth Day: Read John 4:27-54.
1.How did the Lord Jesus respond when the disciples urged Him to eat
the food they had brought to the well from Sychar? Give verse.
2.How do the following verses help you to understand this food that
the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of?
Matthew 4:4
Jeremiah 3:15
3.What did the Lord Jesus say was His "meat" in John 4? Give verse.
4.a.Challenge: How does Hebrews 1:1-3 help explain who Jesus Christ
is and also tell what His work on earth was? Find as many details as
you can in these three verses.
b.(Personal) Which of these thoughts about the Lord Jesus and His
work was the most interesting or thought provoking to you? Share these
thoughts with someone if possible.
5.What was the second sign that Jesus Christ did which John recorded
to show that He was indeed the Messiah?
6.Which verse did you choose to hide in your heart as "secret food"
for your life? Try repeating a verse at least five times daily if you
want to memorize it.
Study in the Book of John
Lesson 5
OVERVIEW OF JOHN 4
John 4:1-26: The Lord Jesus Declares His Deity and Builds a Bridge
of Love for Everyone
Sometimes a grudge can get so out of hand that rather foolish things
result. The Jewish people in the days of Christ held a grudge against
the Samaritans.
The Samaritans had come into being after the kingdom of Israel fell
to the Assyrians in 722 b.c. They were the children of the Israelites
who remained in the land and Assyrian exiles who had been placed in
Samaria (2 Kings 17:24-27). The Samaritans were hated by the Jews
because they had intermarried, and also because they had opposed the
rebuilding of the Temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 4). The Samaritan woman
mentioned in the controversy in John 4:20 and John 4:9 indicates that
the Jews still had no dealings with the Samaritans. The woman was
surprised when a Jewish man asked her for a drink of water.
In fact, the grudge between the two groups had become so bad that
the Jews would not even cross through the land of Samaria. Instead they
would cross the River Jordan and travel along the east side of the
river until they got opposite the province they wanted to visit. The
land of Palestine is only 120 miles long from north to south, but
within this territory at the time of Jesus were three divisions.
Galilee was in the north, Judea at the extreme south, and Samaria lay
in between. Obviously the quickest route from Galilee to Judea would be
directly through Samaria, a journey of three days. The alternate route
across the Jordan took twice as long.
In John 4:4 we read, "And he had to pass through Samaria" (NASB).
Why did Jesus Christ have to go through Samaria? Certainly, not just
because He wanted to go from Judea to Galilee! He could have taken the
usual route along the east side of the river. He had to go through
Samaria because He had to talk to a woman who needed Him. This is the
only record we have that Jesus Christ visited Samaria during His
ministry. He stopped at the well outside of Sychar because He was
"wearied with his journey" (John 4:6). It had been a long walk from
Judea to Sychar and Jesus stopped just outside the town where the road
to Samaria forks off to three other small towns. Just at the fork of
the road there still stands a well which is known as Jacob's well. This
area has many historical Jewish incidents attached to it. Jacob bought
a piece of ground here (Genesis 33:18-19). On his death bed he gave
this land to Joseph (Genesis 48:22). When Joseph died in Egypt, his
body was taken back to Palestine and buried on this land(Joshua 24:32).
Thus there are many Jewish memories around this area. The well itself,
at that time, was more than 100 feet deep and is not supplied by a
spring, but water seeps into it and settles in the well. The well is so
deep that no one can get water from it without something with which to
draw it out.
It was about the sixth hour (noon) and Jesus sat down to rest for He
was tired from the journey (John 4:6). Imagine, the Son of God was
tired! That was a new experience for the One who had made the world.
The Lord Jesus Christ could have been tempted to ignore the Samaritan
woman's need, because He was tired. It's certainly a common emotion
which each one of us has experienced when he feels very weary; but the
Lord Jesus Christ promises to give us His love, compassion and strength
to share with someone in need even though we feel very weary at the
time. "For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able
to help those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:18). Jesus Christ set an
example for us by unselfishly humbling Himself, leaving His heavenly
home and coming to the earth, taking the form of a servant, being born
like a man, He was perfect God, perfect Man. He humbled Himself and was
obedient even unto death on the cross for our sakes (Phil. 2:5-11).
Surely our response to His love should be to humble ourselves before
Him first and then humble ourselves in the use of our time and energy
to God's purpose in our life.
Although America's famous "Giant Springs" can be seen only at Great
Falls, Montana, in the spiritual realm "Giant Springs" should be found
flowing wherever you find true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ (John
7:38). In the dry, thirsty, barren land of this world is your life a
refreshment and blessing to others? Has the Holy Spirit taken complete
control of you? (Romans 8:1, Romans 12:1-2). Today, allow the Holy
Spirit to fill you until you become a "Giant Spring" of living water.
CLOWN FACES
Dear Lord,
my little one cuddles in my arms
and says
Let me paint a clown face
on you, Mommy.
It was her own idea;
no one taught her this little game
but we play it often together.
She paints my face in imaginary colors
and I paint hers in turn.
We play this pointless little game
over and over again.
Lord, grown up people play this
in their game of life too.
They paint on a smiling face
so that the world can't see the
fear,
sadness,
defeat,
misery,
bitterness,
and emptiness
in their hearts.
Please, dear Lord, help me
to see behind these grown-up clown faces.
Show me the need of each heart
that you send across my path
by your Holy Spirit.
And Lord, I ask you to show me
how to help them
drop their clown faces
and reach out for YOU.
Doris Greig
"But God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these
facts to everyone, both great and small. I teach nothing except what
the prophets and Moses said that the Messiah would suffer, and be the
First to rise from the dead, to bring light to Jews and Gentiles
alike." (Acts 26:22-23 L.B.)
As the Lord Jesus Christ sat by the well alone, his disciples went
into the city to buy food (John 4:8). While sitting there, a woman of
Samaria came to draw water. She probably was carrying the water pot
upon her shoulder or head. She may have walked forty-five minutes down
a rocky path to this age-old well, that still is used today, to get her
daily supply of water. The village itself was up on a hill, where early
inhabitants found protection from their enemies. The people daily
visited Jacob's well for their water. Traditionally, the women went to
the well early in the morning while the sun was low in the sky, but
this woman apparently was not accepted by the other women so she came
alone in the heat of the day to get her water.
The barriers between the Jews and the Samaritans had already been
shaken because the Jewish disciples had gone into Sychar to buy food--
an unusual occurrence for the village. Now the barrier will completely
fall as Jesus' words build the bridge of God's love to this woman.
He begins by asking her to give Him a drink of water. She must have
been amazed and surprised that a Jewish man would even speak to her, as
no man had probablyspoken like a gentleman to her for a long, long
time. She was the village prostitute, and probably was hated by the
women and no gentleman of Samaria would want to be seen speaking to
her. In Jesus' words she seems to immediately sense someone who does
not condemn her, but someone who understands her need. Shouldn't this
be our attitude to those who are separated from God? We need to reach
out with loving words and hands and draw them into the arms of the
Savior. We are to be "channels of blessings" for Him. Do you always act
as willingly and promptly as your Lord did at this time? Is there
someone walking or working near you who needs to know the Savior?
Another barrier which the Lord Jesus broke down was that of greeting
a woman in public, particularly a Samaritan woman. A rabbi was not even
allowed to speak to his own wife, daughter or sister in public! One
group of Pharisees was called "the bruised and bleeding Pharisees"
because they shut their eyes when they saw a woman on the street and
thus bumped into walls and houses! If a rabbi was seen speaking to a
woman in public, he lost his reputation. Yet Jesus in public spoke to
this woman of notorious character. This was the Son of God who was
tired, weary and thirsty. Jesus was the holiest of men who listened
with understanding to a sad story. It was Jesus Christ Himself who gave
women a place of honor in society as they came to Him for forgiveness
of their sins, and became joint heirs with Jesus Christ (through their
faith). "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor
free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
Perhaps you find yourself identifying with the Samaritan woman in
this story. She had no reputation and no friends; she was lonely and
had many needs. Perhaps you have lost everything you cherished that
seemed valuable to you. The Lord Jesus wants to share with you the same
thing He offered to this woman--"If you only knew what a wonderful gift
God has for you, and who I am, you would ask me for some living
water!--People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water
(from the well), but the water I give them, he said, becomes a
perpetual spring within them, watering them forever with eternal life"
(John 4:10,13-14 L.B.). The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to come to Him
in faith as this woman did, and He will fill us with the "perpetual
spring" of "living water" which He has promised to those who believe in
Him. The Holy Spirit will constantly flood your life with joy and power
as the living water of the Lord Jesus Christ is manifested in your life
through Him (John 7:38-39). "But when the time came for the kindness
and love of God our Savior to appear, then He saved us--not because we
were good enough to be saved, but because of His kindness and pity--by
washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy
Spirit whom He poured out upon us with wonderful fullness--and all
because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did so that He could declare us
good in God's eyes--all because of His great kindness" (Titus 3:4-7
L.B.).
The following letter was found many years ago in a tin tied to an
old pump on a remote desert trail: "This pump isall right as of June
1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five
years. But the washer dries out and pump has got to be primed. Under
the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end
up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink
some first. Pour about one fourth and let her soak to wet the leather.
Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy. You'll get
water. The well has never run dry. Have faith. When you get watered up,
fill the bottle, and put it back as you found it for the next feller.
Desert Pete."
Now imagine the year is 1936 and you are an exhausted, thirsty and
desperate desert traveler. You come to Desert Pete's well. Would you
drink the minimal supply of water and forget the unlimited supply
supposedly in the well? Or would you risk your life and empty the water
into the pump in order to gain an adequate supply? The unthinking
person would probably consume the water. Thinking man sees the issue:
faith, risk and a promise of life, or doubt, temporary relief and a
certainty of death. But can he believe? He has to consider the object
of faith. He must believe that Desert Pete is a real person and not a
figment of the imagination. There is not strict proof of this, but the
evidence of the tin, the letter, and the bottle under the white rock
points in this direction. But was Desert Pete's character reliable? His
reliability can be tested if the bottle is under the rock. If it is,
you can presume that Desert Pete is a good reliable man. Now comes the
step of faith--a commitment to Desert Pete and his word. You are
gloriously rewarded! The pump works, and the cool, saving flow of water
is the proof.
In another desert is another well and another Word--the Bible. In
this Word of God is this promise, "Everyone who drinks of this water
will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give
him will never thirst: the water that I shall give him will become in
him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14
R.S.V.). Now, traveler, you stand at the well. What are you going to
do? "And this is the record that God has given to us eternal life, and
this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11). "He that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and
believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).
"Drink the water I give you, and you will never thirst again," Jesus
said. Such words seemed more than the woman could imagine. She had so
many needs. Here was a man who claimed that He could supply them all.
Of course she wanted that water! But she also wanted to get away from
the necessity of coming every day to draw water (John 4:15). Jesus came
right to the point. "Go call your husband," He said. This was a touchy
subject to this Samaritan woman, for she had had many husbands, and the
man whom she was living with was not her own. She tried to dodge the
question (John 4:17). However, Jesus knew the truth (John 4:18). The
woman wanted to change the subject by getting into an age-old argument
about the place to worship. The Samaritans had built their own temple
on Mt. Gerizim. Here they went to worship, not to the Temple of
Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus told the woman that the place of worship was
not as important as the act of wor-ship (John 4:23-24). The woman tried
to get involved in an argument about a place of worship because she did
not want to talk about her own need for a Savior. The Lord Jesus
answered her question simply. Then she tried again by getting into a
discussion about the coming Messiah. Again the Lord had an answer for
her. This answer was even more amazing to her than the last one! The
woman said, "Well, at least I now that the Messiah will come--the one
they call Christ--and when he does, he will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus told her, "I am the Messiah!" (John 4:25-26 LNT).
John 4:31-38--The Disciples Return from Sychar
The Lord Jesus and the woman had been alone when this discussion
took place. At the end of the conversation the disciples returned from
the city where they had gone to buy food (John 4:8). They were amazed
when they saw that Jesus was speaking with a woman, and more amazed to
find Him no longer hungry. He explained that doing the will of God--
meeting the needs of poor sinners like this woman--was more to Him than
food. He challenged them to look around. The people of Samaria were
hungry for the Gospel. They were like grain waiting to be harvested
(John 4:31-35). Speaking to the woman and bringing her into a
realization of who Jesus is was His mission. It should be ours as well.
Are you willing to ask the Lord to send someone your way with whom you
can share the Good News of Jesus Christ? How important is witnessing
for Christ in your life? Have you ever given up something you wanted to
do in order to speak to somebody about the Lord Jesus?
Have you wondered why the Lord Jesus referred to the hills as being
"white unto harvest?" He and His disciples arrived at the well at the
sixth hour, which is noon. Perhaps as He stood with the disciples
facing Him, He could see the hillside with the village at the top, and
see men and women winding their way down the path to Jacob's well after
the woman had run to the village to proclaim her good news (John
4:28-29). As He watched this mass of people moving down the hillside,
He thought aloud about the harvest of souls and compared it to the
harvest of the crop that was still four months away. Thus, He said to
His disciples, "Lift up your eyes and look at the fields," and the
disciples looked and saw the people coming down the hill to see the One
this prostitute had spoken so glowingly of (John 4:35).
The fact that the woman left her water pot (John 4:28) and went to
the city showed that her heart was anxious to share the good news which
she had just received. She proclaimed her faith as she said, "Come see
a man who told me all I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" She knew
that the people of her city had observed her in her sinful ways and
knew all that she had ever done, but this man she had never known
before. Now she proclaimed that He indeed must be the Messiah for whom
they had been looking. Her life illustrates what the Christian life
should be. It should be like twin pillars called "Discovery" and
"Communication." No true discovery is complete without the desire to
share the excitement and joy of it with others. Yet we cannot
communicate our faith in Christ to others until we have discov-ered Him!
John 4:39-42--The Conversion of the Samaritans
When the Samaritans of Sychar heard the woman's testimony, they
hurried to the well to hear Jesus speak and asked Him to stay for two
days with them (John 4:39-40). They heard, they believed and they
wanted to learn more. The belief of the people went beyond the
testimony of the woman (John 4:41-42). They came to Christ and heard
Him themselves and trusted Him as a result of what they heard Him say.
In fact, in John 4:42 they gave Jesus a new title--"Savior of the
World." This is the first time that Jesus had gone to any group other
than Jews. So this is the first time that He is called the "Savior of
the World." No wonder the Bible records that Jesus "had to go through
Samaria" (John 4:4)!
John 4:43-54
After two days, the Lord Jesus departed for Galilee with His
disciples. All three of the other Gospels tell of Jesus saying that a
prophet has no honor in his own country (Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke
4:24). The saying actually was an ancient proverb which the people used
in the same way that we say, "Familiarity breeds contempt."
When He arrived in Galilee, the people welcomed Him for they had
seen how He had cleansed the Temple in Jerusalem at the feast (John
2:13- 25). Every Jewish person over nineteen years of age who went to
the Passover feast found it necessary to pay the Temple tax, so that
the Temple sacrifices and the Temple ritual could be carried out daily.
This tax was one half shekel, the equivalent of about two days' wages,
a great deal for these people to give forthe Lord's service. Ordinarily
any kind of currency was usable in trade in Palestine, but the Temple
tax had to be paid in either Galilean or sanctuary shekels. These were
Jewish coins which were the only ones acceptable for a special gift to
the sanctuary. Since Jewish believers arrived from all over the world
with all kinds of coins, the Temple courts were filled with money
changers who took advantage of these pilgrims by overcharging them for
the exchange of coins. There were also within the Temple grounds
inspectors who examined and determined if the animals sold for
sacrifice were perfect.
It was this social injustice and dishonesty which Jesus took action
against when He cleansed the Temple in John 2. Undoubtedly this is why
we read in John 4:45 that the Galileans welcomed Him, for they had seen
that He cared about their personal welfare when He cleansed the Temple
at the time of the Passover feast. The Lord Jesus Christ also cares
about inequities in our society and is offended by those who take
advantage of the poor and helpless.
In the last verses of this chapter John records another miracle or
sign (John 4:46-54). The nobleman was an official, either civil or
military, in the service of Herod, the king. However, when his son was
sick, his position did not help him. Notice as soon as Jesus said that
the boy would live, the man believed. When the nobleman arrived home
and saw that the Lord's word was true, he and his whole house believed
in Jesus Christ. The Bible records, "The man believed the word that
Jesus had spoken unto him" (John 4:50). He had only the word of the
Lord. He was not with his son, so he could not see that anything had
been done. Yet he took Christ at His word. We need to trust the Lord
Jesus Christ to supply our needs in this same way. He can!
Before you begin each day:
a.Pray and ask God to speak to you through His Holy Spirit.
b.Do not use any other source books for your answers.
c.Write down your answers and the verses you used.
d.Challenge questions are for those who have the time and wish to do
them.
e.Personal questions are to be shared with the class only if you
wish to share.
First Day: Read all of the notes and look up all of the Scriptures.
1.What was a helpful or new thought from the Overview of John 4?
2.What personal application did you select to apply to your own life?
Second Day: Read all of John 5 concentrating on 5:1-16.
1.a.Where did the Lord Jesus go after He left Cana of Galilee (John
4:46)?
4.b.Describe the place in Jerusalem where the Lord Jesus went.
c.What kind of people did the Lord Jesus find at this place?
2.List all of the things you can discover about the condition and
life of the man that Jesus singled out to heal.
3.a.What did the Lord Jesus ask the man to do? Was the man obedient?
b.(Personal) Has the Lord Jesus asked you to do anything as you have
read His Word in the study of John this year? Have you been obedient to
His Word?
c.What does Ephesians 6:6-7 say the attitude of the Christian should
be concerning obedience to God?
d.(Personal) Is this your heart attitude of obedience to God? Should
you pray and ask God to help you change your attitude? Psalm 57:2 and
Romans 12:12 are helpful.
4.Challenge: The lame man was made whole physically by Jesus Christ.
Compare this wholeness to the forgiveness, cleansing from sin, and
wholeness a person receives when he comes in faith to Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior.
5.Compare Galatians 5:16-24 with Jesus Christ's statement in John
5:11,14. Does this help you with Question 4?
6.Look up Galatians 2:19-20, preferably in a modern language
translation such as The Living Bible. Put your name in the place of "I"
as you write out this verse. Choose to ask the Lord to make this verse
"come alive" in your life this week.
Third Day: Read John 5:16-23.
1.Why did the Jewish people seek to persecute Jesus and kill him?
Give verses.
2.What does this passage tell you about God the Father? Give verses.
3.What does this passage tell you about Jesus Christ the Son?
4.What does this passage say that our attitude is to be both to God
the Father and God the Son?
5.Challenge: Explain in your own words how you feel a person can
"honor" God the Father and God the Son.
6.a.Challenge: How do the following verses suggest ways of honoring
God the Father and God the Son?
Psalm 29:2
Isaiah 25:1
Philippians 3:7-9
b.Which of these verses meant the most to you? Share the reason if
possible.
Fourth Day: Read John 5:24-27.
1.a.If we hear the words of Jesus and believe on Him what does He
promise us in John 5:24?
b.(Personal) Do you have what John 5:24 promises because of your
faith in Jesus Christ? See Acts 4:12 and Romans 1:16-17.
2.How does John 14:6 relate to John 5:26?
3.What does John 5:27 say God has given Jesus Christ authority to do?
4.Challenge: What do the following verses say about Jesus Christ as
judge?
4.Acts 10:38-42
Romans 2:16
Romans 14:10
2 Timothy 4:1
5.Second Timothy 4:1 speaks of Jesus Christ judging people when He
returns to earth. His second coming is foretold in many places in the
Scriptures. Choose some of the following verses concerning His second
coming to look up. Write down your favorites. Acts 1:11, Hebrews 9:28,
Matthew 16:27, Matthew 25:31-32, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 24:44, 1
Thessalonians 5:23.
6.Which of the above verses gave you the most joy, hope or challenge
in your life? Why?
Fifth Day: Read John 5:28-39.
1.Whose will did the Lord Jesus always seek as He walked this earth
as perfect God-perfect Man?
2.Compare John 5:32 with John 5:37. Who is it that bears witness of
Jesus Christ to us?
3.These are three other "witnesses&