Gospel of John Bible Study Guide Test Version 0.7

7/27/2019 Gospel of John Bible Study Guide Test Version 0.7

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A devotional study guide on the

Gospel According toJohn*By Ruan Huysen

(test version)

*Name subject to change


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General remarks:

This version is NOT the final version of my study guide and may thus contain spelling

and grammar mistakes. The final version will cover the whole book of John and will

look much more presentable. Please make as many copies as you want, providingyou copy the whole document, not just a part of it and providing that you do not alter

it in any way. Also, I request that you fill in the attached questionnaire if/when you

have completed all 13 sections. This will help me in many ways, Im sure.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, or would like to contribute to

this work, please email me at [email protected]. Also, please feel free to look me

up on facebook. I live in George, South Africa.

-Ruan Huysen

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ruan.huysen

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New King James

Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Copyright Ruan Huysen.


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Introduction

Purposes of this study guide.

1. To teach biblical meditation.

It is not enough to read the Bible. It is even not enough to memorize Scriptures. We

are commanded to meditate on the Word of God. J oshua 1:8 says that we must

meditate on it day and night (ESV) We must take the time to sit and think about

passages of Scripture, musing over every word and its implication. Some of the

questions in this study guide are actually quite difficult and will require that you read a

Scripture or two a few times and meditate on it to answer.

2. To help people study the Bible.

Most people do not really associate the word study with the word happy. Humansseem to prefer being entertained by a TV than to use their minds to comprehend

subjects that are a little difficult, yet we are commanded to STUDY the Bible (2

Timothy 2:15). In that Scripture, Paul was not referring to obtaining a theology

degree, as good as that may be, since there was no such thing for Timothy to enroll

for at the time. He was commanding Timothy to try to the best of his ability, as aided

by the Holy Spirit, to reason about and come to understand the Scriptures. I hope

that this study guide will help the believer to do that.

3. To help people experience God in their quiet times.

I believe there are two ways this study guide will help the believer experience God in

his quiet times. The first one is by simply experiencing an appreciation for the truths

recorded in the Bible. Paul Washer, in his highly recommended study guide, called

The One True God1 says:

1Washer PD 2009. One True God. Granted ministries Press. (This study guide is available freely on

HeartCry Missionary Societys web site: http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/resources/ebooks/73-one-

true-god-workbook)


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The true Christian cannot bear or even survive a divorce between the

emotions and the intellect, or between devotion to God and the doctrine of

God. According to the Scriptures, neither our emotions nor our

experiences provide an adequate foundation for the Christian life. Only the

truths of Scripture, understood with the mind and communicated throughdoctrine, can provide that sure foundation upon which we establish our

beliefs and behaviour as well as determine the validity of our emotions and

experiences. The mind is not the enemy of the heart and doctrine is not an

obstacle to devotion. The two are indispensible and should be

inseperable. The Scriptures command us to love the Lord our God with all

our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind (Matthew 22:37), and to

worship God in both spirit and in truth (J ohn 4:25).

4. To help people come to the true, biblical saving knowledge of

Jesus Christ.

A.W. Tozer, a well-known Bible teacher and Preacher once preached for over a year

just on the book of J ohn. In his sermon on J ohn 1:1, he started with the following

words, Out of all of the books of the Bible, none presents Christ as supremely as the

book of J ohn1. Many people think themselves saved because they grew up in church

or because they have been Christian all their lives. We must make sure, according

to Scripture, that what we believe regarding salvation is the truth. One of the best

ways to do that is to study the book of J ohn.

How to use this study guide

This study guide, which only covers the first 6 chapters of J ohn, is divided into 13

manageable sections, each of which one should be able to do in a single quiet time. I

1Tozer A.W. And He Dwelt Among Us: Teachings from the Gospel of J ohn p. ii


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shall now discuss the various parts of each section. I shall now discuss the various

parts of each section.

Step 1: Pray

The purpose of this section is to show the importance of preparing your heart to hear

from God. The simple truth is that we live in such a fast-paced world that we need to

consciously, deliberately focus our attention on the importance of Gods word

otherwise we may very well start reading it with the idea of getting it done to move

on to the next thing.

Step 2: Read through the whole passage

Many who do serious Bible interpretation would agree that, before you do in-depth

analysis of a text, you should always read it through at the very least, once, in order

to get a broad overview of what the text contains. That is the purpose of this section.

Step 3: Meditate on the passage

This is by far the biggest section and it simply contains questions about the text of

Scripture with spaces for answers. I have deliberately phrased the questions in such

a way as to facilitate understanding rather than mere knowledge. One of the reasons

people have the Word stolen out of their hearts is because they dont understand it

(Mark 4:12). We need to take the time to meditate on the Word of God and pray for

understanding, so that the truth of Scripture remains in our hearts forever. It is for this

reason that Im sure some will find some questions a bit too hard for them. When that

happens, dont lose heart! Stop, pray, read over the Scripture again and, if need be,

come back to a passage at a later time.

A note on Bible Translat ions

You will need a LITERAL translation of the Bible in order to do this study guide. I

personally love the King J ames Version, even though it is written in old English. For

this study guide, for those who do not want to use the KJ V, I recommend the New

King J ames version. Other literal translations that I think are quite good are ESV and

NASB. Please note that the NIV is half-half literal and half-half a thought-by-thought

translation, even though you will probably be able to do this study guide with an NIV.


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Having said that, I do not recommend that you use a NLT, GNB or The Message

because they are paraphrases of the Bible, not translations and should not be used

for serious Bible study. I also personally do not recommend the Amplified version for

serious study.

Step 4: Listening to God

Every significant person in the Bible experienced God in some way. Most of them,

David, Moses, Paul, the Prophets, Gideon, J oseph, etc., heard His voice. God

desires to speak to His children. In this section I encourage all to sit quietly for a

while and hear what God is saying to them and write it down. This might be a bit

difficult at first, since many have not really done that much, but dont worry. You have

13 sections to practice this and there is no reason why you should stop when you are

done with this study guide. A simple warning is necessary, though. Always comparewhat you hear with Scripture. If what you hear God saying to you is contrary to

Scripture, then it wasnt God saying it. Simple as that. Below is a section describing

how you can do Step 4.

How to do Step 4

I have adapted these 4 keys from Mark Virklers book, Dialogue with God, or

Communion with God a book that comes highly recommended for anyone who

feel like they dont hear Gods voice or who would like to hear God more often andmore clearly. These four keys are based on Habakuk 2:1-2. I will stand upon my

watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me,

and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said,

Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Key 1: Know what Gods voice often sounds like.

Many people miss God because they think that Gods voice to them will sound like a

literal, physical voice in their ears or something that clearly sounds different in their

mind. But, this is not the case. The voice of God is a still, small voice, and is

therefore often missed.


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Here is the major key: The voice of God in your mind and heart sounds like your own

thoughts, but it is actually God speaking to them. When God gives you a vision, it

often feels like something that you just imagined, but it actually is God speaking to

you.

So, stop looking for a literal, loud voice and look for inner, spontaneous words and

pictures that sound like, and look like, they are just coming from you.

Key 2: Be quiet and still, so that you can sense God speaking to

you in your own mind.

Habakuk went to a guard post to hear the voice of God. A guard post was a very

quiet place outside the busy city. He went there intentionally, with the purpose of

hearing God.

Key number 2 is to switch off all external noises, all music, etc. as well as all internal

noises, worries, busy thoughts, etc. and choose to listen only to Gods spontaneous

voice in your heart and mind.

Key 3: Intentionally look with the eyes of your heart at Jesus and

listen with the ears of your heart to what He wants to say.

Habakuk said that he will look out to see what he (God) will say to me We must,

by faith, look out for the voice of God and pictures (called visions in the Bible) that

God wants to show us. As we train ourselves to do this, over time, eventually we can

also experience the emotions of God, love, joy, peace, even sadness, etc.

Key 4: Write everything you hear and draw all the pictures (visions)

you see.

Habakuk 2:2 says, And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on

tablets, so he may run who reads it. God commanded him to write down what he

heard from God. This is very practical, for a number of reasons. Firstly, we are

commanded not to just believe every vision or word we hear in our head, but to judge

it according to Scripture, since we can actually be wrong (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).

The problem, sometimes, is that we struggle to hear, because we are scared that we


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might hear something that is unscriptural. The simple solution is to write down

everything and decide that you will judge it later.

Conclusion

Nowhere in the Bible does God say be good at seeking Me. He says Seek Me. He

is the Shepherd (John 10) and He is the Vinedresser (J ohn 15). Let Him lead you

and work on you. There is nothing that He requires of you to do alone. As you

choose to pursue the Presence of God and the truth of God, you will find that He is

altogether ready to meet you in your private times with Him!

Happy seeking!

-Ruan Huysen

Author.


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Section 1: John 1:1-18

STEP 1: PRAY

Joshua 1:8 commands us to do three things:

1. The Word of God must never .

2. We must the Word of God day and night.

3. We must then all that is wri tten in the Word of God.

Many people read the Bible. Many talk about the Bible and many want to obeythe Bible, but we are also commanded to meditate on the Bible. To meditatemeans to think about something over and over.As you are going to study a passage of the Bible now, ask God to revealHimself to you through the Word. As you pray, consciously your heart on howabsolutely important and powerful the Word of God is. It will change your life,

forever!

STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION

Read the section about the Word that became flesh, John 1:1-18

STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS

This section is about Jesus Pre-existence, Deity (God-hood) and incarnation(becoming man). Here, Jesus is pictured as the Word, the Light and the Son of

God.What does verse 1 tell us about Who Jesus is?

How does this idea progress in verses 2 and 3?


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Appl ication: What does verse 4 mean to you,

personally? How does that, or should that, affect

your life?

Appl ication: What does it mean to

receive a person?

How do people

receive Jesus? (hint: see Mark 1:15, J ohn

3:3)

What did Jesus do for us? (2 Corinthians

5:17)

Who is Jesus in relation to man?

(v. 4)

What was John the Baptists

ministry? (v. 6-8)

How did the world react to Jesus? (v. 5, 10-11)

Why? (hint: see Romans 3:10-23)

What happens to those who did (and do!)

receive Him? (v. 12)

How will this affect a persons life,

emotions, etc?

What happens to everyone who becomes

sons of God? (v. 13)

Why does


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this need to happen to them? (hint, hint: J ohn 3:5-6, Psalm 51:5-6, Romans 3:23)

What did John unhesitatingly say about Jesus? (v. 15)

What do those whom have experienced verses 12 and 13 receive from Jesus?

(v. 16)

What does this look like in our lives?

What came through Moses? (v. 17)

What came by Jesus Christ? (v. 17)

Is the Old Covenant Law, which includes the 10 commandments, perfect and

good? (Romans 7:12) Is it a complete and perfect

representation of God? (v. 17) What/Who is a perfect and

complete representation of God (v. 17-18)

Has anyone in history before Jesus ever understood or communicated entirely

Who God is? (v. 18) What d id Jesus declare?

How did He do this? (hint, hint: Hebrews 1:1)

Appl ication: What should be our reaction to the fact that Jesus perfectly and ent irely

communicated Who God Is in a way that we can understand?


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Did you notice how much you missed by just casually reading through apassage? That is why the Bible calls us to meditate on, to ponder on, tocontinually reflect on Scripture.

STEP 5: Listening to God

Now, take some time to quieten your thoughts and emotions to hear Gods still, smallvoice (1 Ki. 19:12). You can do this by just becoming still and worshipping God byyourself. Ask God to focus your attention on one Scripture that you studied today.After one jumps to your heart, write it down and below it, write down what God says,draw a picture of what He shows you, or both! Dont think about the next thoughtwhen you want to hear Gods voice. J ust believe that He will speak to you, and thenwrite down what he says. Afterwards, judge it according to Scripture, since that isbiblical and we are commanded to do that. (1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Thessalonians5:19-21)


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SECTION 2: John 1:19-51

STEP 1: PRAY

Proverbs 2:1-4 shows clearly how we are to value the Word of God. It describes

how we should desire the Word in 8 ways. List them here:

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

7. 8.

What will be the result if we do that? (v. 5) We will:

1.

2.

Take a few moments to align your heart with this Scripture. Pray and ask God

for a tender heart to receive His words .


Read through the section of Johns Testimony about Jesus and the calling of

some of Jesus first disciples. (John 1: 19-51)


What did John clearly confess that he is not? (v. 19)

Who did he say he was? (v. 22-23)

What did John say about himself in comparison to Jesus? (v. 27)

What did John identify Jesus as? (v. 29)

Why did he refer to Jesus as such?


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Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests, Levites and

baptism

The Priests and Levites were the religious rulers o

the day. The priests, especially, served by doing

sacrifices, teaching the Law and other religious

duties. The Levites did more of the practical jobs

like cleaning religious items and moving religious

items. Common people could not do that.

There arose, over time, two other groups, the

Pharisees and Saduccees. Both were very strict in

their keeping the law, but they added more

commandments than what the Law required, which

the common man could not keep and they were very

confident in that they were perfect in their own eyes

but J esus called them hypocrites many times

(Matthew 23:13-23).

Baptism was no new thing to Israel at the time

They used to baptize people who were not born

J ews who wanted to follow Yahweh. Why do you

think that John baptized Jews, then, since they

are, genealogically, Sons of Abraham? (hint: Mark

1:4, Luke 3:3 & 7-8)

Why do you think the Pharisees and religious

rulers refused to be baptized by John or Jesus?

Why did John say that Jesus

was more important than he is? (v.

30, 1:1-4)

Why did John have a ministry of

repentance and baptism? (v. 31)

Accord ing to Johns testimony, wi th

what does Jesus baptize? (v. 33)

What did John,

then, call Jesus? (v. 34)

What happened the next day when

John pointed Jesus out as the Lamb

of God? (v. 35-36)

Why do you think did John not

have a problem with this, considering

what he has said about Jesus?


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Appl ication: Nathaniel had an opinion about Jesus because of the wor ld he grew up in. Can you

think of any wrong ideas religious people have about God, nowadays?

What wrong ideas/perceptions of God did you have in the past?

How can we make sure that we do not have wrong ideas and perceptions about God? (2 Tim 3:16;

What did Jesus say when he saw Simon? (v. 42)

What does that tell us about Jesus authority? (hint:

Names were very important to Hebrew culture. The parents had the authority to

name their children, and often names ended up describing the character of a person)

Who did Jesus call next? (v. 43) What did that

person do right after He called him? (v. 44-45)

What was Nathaniels reply? (v. 46)

That was a

common cultural stigma of the day. Nazareth (the town) and Galilee (the region) was

not considered to be academically, religiously or intellectually advanced.

How did Nathaniel become finally convinced that Jesus is truly the Son of

God? (v. 47-49)


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Now, take some time to quieten your thoughts and emotions to hear Gods still, smallvoice (1 Ki. 19:12). You can do this by just becoming still and worshipping God byyourself. Ask God to focus your attention on one Scripture that you studied today.

After one jumps to your heart, write it down and below it, write down what God says,draw a picture of what He shows you, or both! Dont think about the next thoughtwhen you want to hear Gods voice. J ust believe that He will speak to you, and thenwrite down what he says. Afterwards, judge it according to Scripture, since that isbiblical and we are commanded to do that. (1 Corinthians 14:29)


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SECTION 3: John 2

STEP 1: PRAY

2 Timothy 3:16 is one of the most famous passages on the inspi ration of the

Bible. It lists 4 things the Scriptures are profi table for:

1. 2.

3. 4.

What wil l be the result for one who seeks these 4 things in Scripture? (v. 17)

One of the four things listed is doctrine. This word simply means teaching. Many

people say things like, I dont want all that doctrine stuff, just give me J esus.

Seeking J esus means seeking truth about J esus in the Scriptures. Without doctrine,

we will end up with a J esus that looks more like Father Christmas than He does the

J esus in the Bible. Doctrine, teaching from the Bible, is extremely important.

Now, take the time to quieten yourself before God and ask Him to reveal

Himself to you as you study doctrine, that is, what the Bible teaches.


Read through the section on Jesus first miracle of turning water into wine, His

cleansing of the Temple for the 1st time (yes, he did it twice!) and His response

to some in Jerusalem who believed in Him.J ohn 2


Jesus did his f irst miracle in Cana of Galilee (1:2), not in some prominent city

such as Jerusalem. What does that show about His heart and mot ivations?

(hint: J ohn 5:41 & 44, 6:38)


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In those times, it would have been a great

embarrassment for the Father to run out of

provisions during a feast. What great

biblical principle can we learn from

Marys actions? (Galatians 6:2,

Philippians 2:4)

What does this teach us about for what

our faith should be expressed?

Each of the six water pots contained 75 to 113 liters (20 to 30 gallons) How does

this story show Marys confidence and faith? (v. 3-5)

What is the glory that is referred to in

verse 11?

What great festival was taking place

when Jesus went to Jerusalem? (v. 13)

What does this tell

us about the amount of people that were

in the city and the business of the

temple at the time?

The Pharisees, Priests and Levites were the religious rulers of the day and the

caretakers of the temple. What does Jesus actions tell us about His claims

about Himself? (v. 13-17)

The temple in the Old Covenant was a physical building, but that changed in the NewCovenant. What did Jesus refer to as a temple in verses 20-22?

What caused people to believe in Jesus? (v. 23)

What was Jesus reaction? (v. 24)


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Why? (v. 24 & 25)

J esus knew whether the people referred to in J ohn 2: 23-25 had true, enduring faith or whether they

would just believe on him for a short while. This deals with a very important question, How can we besure that we truly have the faith that saves a person? How can we be sure we are truly saved?

Matthew 7 contains one of the greatest tests for us to know whether a person has truly come

to believe in Christ. What is that test? (Matthew 7: 15-20)

Is it possible for a

person to have a profession of faith at one time, and yet not have the faith that endures to the

end? (hint: Matthew 19:16-26, 10:22)

See Hebrews 12:5-11. Does God discipline His own children (those who are truly saved) or

those who are not His children? (v. 6-7)

What is the logical conclusion regarding our salvation made in verse

8?

Some parents might discipline for many reasons, sometimes wrong, sometimes right. Why

does God discipline His chi ldren whom He loves? (v. 6, 10)

What is the

result of the Fathers discipl ine in the hearts of His children? (v.11)

Accord ing to Hebrews 12:5-11, is it possible for a true Chris tian to sin? (hint: note also 1 J ohn

1:8) What wil l be the result i f a true child of God sins?

What is the conclusion if a person can sin without being

strongly convicted in their heart and called to repentance?

Here, we notice very simply that the evidence that a person is truly a child of God and has truly

believed is not that they never sin, but that, when they sin, they are lovingly disciplined by a loving

God and led back to repentance. Thus, one of the greatest evidences of salvation is ongoing fruit of

holiness. Its not that holiness saves, for we can only be saved by faith in Christ, but it is that true faith

in Christ places us under the care of God the Father Who always produces a life of holiness in us

(Hebrews 12:11). If our faith does not, over a period of time, produce a life of holiness, then we can

be 100% confident that we are not true Children of God, but mere pretenders (see again Hebrews

12:8, Matthew 7:15-23). Then, its not that we must try harder, we actually need to be born again.


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Nicodemus came to J esus at night, not openly(J ohn

3:1-2). We also find that he defended J esus a little, but

it is not recorded that he openly confessed him(J ohn

7:50). Yet, after J esus death, we see Nicodemus

sticking his head out a little for J esus by bringing a

very large amount of spices for his burial (J ohn 19:39).

What can this teach us about the reality of the sin

of the fear of man? (hint: Proverbs 29:25)


STEP 1: PRAY

2 Timothy 2:15 commands us to do some things. What are they?

Translations translate this differently. The NIV says, Do your best to present yourself

to God as one approved The NASB says Be diligent to present yourself approved

to God The AMP says Study and be eager and do your utmost to present

yourself to God approved The NLT says Work hard so you can present yourself

to God and receive his approval

In the light of the gravity of the words used here, is it ok for us to casually readthough a Scripture? What should be our attitude toward studying the Bible?

Take some time to seek God for the right posture of heart to study Scripture.


Read the section about the Salvation, that is the New Birth. (J ohn 3:1-8)

STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONSThis section is one of the most enlightening passages of Scripture in the wholeBible about the topic of Salvation.Why do you think Nicodemus, being a Pharisee came to Jesus by night? (v. 2)

Who did Nicodemus acknowledge

Jesus to be? (v. 2)

What did Jesus say needs to

happen for a person to see the

Kingdom of God? (v. 3)


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A note on baptism: Before we can fully understand the meaning and implication of the phrase, born

again, we need to understand what baptism would have meant in the mind of Nicodemus, and should

mean in our minds. Water was often used as a type of purification in the Old Testament. (Exodus 40:12,

Leviticus 11:32, Numbers 8:7, Ezekiel 36:25, Zecharaiah 13:1). And, as mentioned before, the J ews

used to baptize Gentile procelytes, a person who is not born a J ew, but who has wants to follow the

One True God, Yahweh. Thus, they basically told the Gentile (non-J ew) proscelyte, I am born a J ew,

so I just need to wash myself a little. If you want to follow my God, you must become an entirely new

person. You must be submerged under water and come up a whole new person. Thus, our focus

should not only be on the fact that we must be baptized, as J esus commanded, but on what that means.

We must become entirely new creations by the power of God (2 Corinthians 5:17) we must be united

with Christ and receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We must be given the power of God to

become sons of God (J ohn 1:12). We must be born again (J ohn 3:3). All of this speaks of the same

experience of salvation.

What did Nicodemus think he was referring to? (v. 4)

J esus clarified Himself in the next verse. Of what two things do we need to be

born in order to enter the Kingdom of God?

What does born of water refer to? (note also: Romans 6:1-4 and footnote1)

What happens to those who have been baptized into Christ? (Galatians 3:27)

1Though some differ on this point, I believe that the phrase, born of water, simply means water

baptism by immersion, for the following reasons. Firstly, this seems to be what Nicodemus would have

believed Jesus to have meant. Secondly, baptism is an essential part of the experience of being born

again, as testified by many Scriptures (Acts 2:38, 8:12, 19:5 and many more). Are we saved simply

because we have been baptized? Absolutely not, because we can only be saved by being united with

Christ by grace through faith.


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What does born ofthe spirit refer to? (come back to this question again after

you have done the next section)

J ohn 3 and Romans 5-6 parallel perfectly. When we combine the two sections of

Scripture, we can get a very good idea of what the new birth experience is, its effectsin our lives and how we can be sure we have it.

In the next phrase, J esus explains Himself further (v. 6). What does the phrase,

flesh gives birth to flesh (NIV)refer to? (hint: Isaiah 51:5)

Hint: What two things came by one man?

(Romans 5:12)

Who was this one man? (hint: 1 Corinthians 15:22)

What happens to all in Adam? (1 Corinthians 15:22)

What happens to all in Christ? (1 Corinthians

15:22)

What was the result of Adams disobedience? (Romans 5:19)

What will come upon all in

Adam because of their evil natures and sin? (Romans 5:18)

Romans 3:10-23 graphically shows how the sinful nature of Adam has affected all

those who are born in Adam.Is there anyone righteous in Adam? (v. 10)

Do people in Adam understand or seek God?

(v. 11) What are their mouths like? (v. 13-

14)

What marks their ways? (v. 16)

Do they fear God at all? (v. 18)

Where is all these peoples acts and deeds being recorded? (Revelation

20:12) What do all in Adam

deserve from a holy God because of their sins? (Revelation 20:11-15)

We have looked at those who are born in Adam, now we will study those who are

born again into Christ. What does the phrase Spirit gives birth to spirit (NIV)


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Assurance of Salvation: How do you know you

are saved, today? The simple answer is: Do you

experience the effects of salvation in Ezekiel

36:25-27?

refer to? (hint: 1 Corinthians 15:22)

What do those who are united with Christ receive? (Romans 5:17)

What happens to a person through the redemption that is in Christ? (Romans3:24) (hint: see footnote1)

In Adam, our hearts did not want to follow Gods laws and commandments. For all in

Christ, where does God write His laws? (Hebrews 8:10)

In Ezekiel 36, this new birth experience

through Christ was prophesied about. What do those in Christ receive from God?

(v. 26) What does

God take out and wi th what does He replace it? (v. 26)

What is the result of this? (v. 27)

So, we were born into Adam through natural birth. This resulted in sin, death and

judgment for all in Adam. Therefore, we need to be born again into Christ. This

results in a life of holiness, desire and love for God and eternal life. There is no

middle road. We must be born again.

J esus further explains himself with one

of the most interesting phrases of the

whole Bible in verse 8. What do you

think it means in the context of being

born again?

(hint: How do you know the wind is blowing? You see its effects. Do people who are

born again change green? But, even though they dont physically change, can you

know that they are born again?)

1Redemption is the price that is paid to set a captive or slave free. J ustified is a law-term. When a

judge says, you are justified, he means, You are perfect. You are free from accusation. You have

done no wrong. How does God justify the wicked?? (J ohn 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:21)


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STEP 1: PRAY

Psalm 119 is the longest psalm a total 176 verses! It is a beautiful Hebrew poem

describing the authors delight in the Word of God. Read verses 98 to 100. In each

of these three verses, the author tells us two things. 1. What effect the

testimonies, commandments and precepts of God were on his life. 2. What he

did to receive those effects in his life. Write this down for each of the 3 verses.

Verse 98. 1.

2.

Verse 99. 1.

2.Verse 100. 1.

2.

Was he exaggerating? Pray about the power of the Word of God in your life.


Read the section about Jesus response to Johns doubt and skepticism. (J ohn3:9- 20


What was Nicodemus reply to Jesus words about the new birth? Do you th ink

he believed them or was he skeptical? (v. 9)

Did Jesus think that his skepticism was ok? (v. 10) Why did

Jesus expect Nicodemus to understand these things?

Jesus said that He could speak and testify of heavenly things that he knows

and have seen. Why was He able to do that? (hint: v. 13)

How did the Jews, in general, respond to Jesus? (v. 11)

What was Jesus heart for Jerusalem and the people in it? (Matthew 23:37)


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What is so exclusive about John 3:13?

What does that say about Jesus authority to communicate the will of God?

What does that say about Jesus

authority to represent God?

What does that say about the authority of Buddah, Mohammed, Hari Krishna or

anyone else who claims to know th ings about God?

What does this tell us about how we

should respond to skeptics?

All this is often referred to as the exclusivity of J esus Christ. There is no-one else like Him and no-one

else in history can save us or communicate God 100% clearly to us. Only J esus can. He is the way, the

truth and the life. (J ohn 14:6) What would this verse have meant if it read a way, a truth and a

life?

Why was His desire for them not

fulfilled?

J esus referred to the fact that He came from God the Father countless times in the

book of J ohn. In fact, He referred to it all the time. (see 4:34, 5:17, 30, 6:33, 17:5 and

many, many others) What is so significant about the fact that Jesus no-one has

ever ascended up to heaven except Jesus?

In the following section, J esus compares Himself to a snake the Moses made and

lifted up. To understand this, you have to read Numbers 21. How did the people sin

in Numbers 21:5-9?

How did God punish the people of Israel for their sin?

What did God tell Moses to do for the people to be cured from the

results of their sin?

What were the people to do in order to receive


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What do we receive when we believe

on Jesus?

Does that refer to us living forever?

(hint: think a little) Why not?

What does it refer to? (J ohn 17:3)

In Genesis 4:1, it says that Adam

knew Eve, describing an intimate

relationship. What does that tell us

about the meaning of eternal li fe and

the purpose of the cross of Jesus?

healing from the poisonous snake bites?

How does this relate to Jesus and our response to what He did? (J ohn 3:14-15)

The next verse is arguably the most well-known verse in the Bible. Yet, I would

recommend that we do not treat it lightly. We should meditate on it and let the truth of

that verse permeate into the depths of our heart.

What is Gods heart towards the wor ld like? (v. 16)

What did He do in response to that?

What will happen to those who do not receive what Jesus is talking about? Is it

referring to physical death? What

was Jesus referring to? (hint: Revelation 20:11-16)

What is the second

death?

(Rev. 20:14)

Why will people experience the

second death? (Rev. 20:11-16, Romans 3:10-23)

What does this teach us

about God?

Does the effects of what Jesus did automatically

come upon all humanity?

Why? What must we do to receive the results of

what He did?

What is the state of all who do not believe in

Jesus? (J ohn 3:18)


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What does verse 19 tell us about the state of s inful mans heart?

How is this state of heart towards

God manifested/revealed?

What does the Jesus (the Light) do to the sins of a person when that person

approaches Him? (v. 20)

What does this tell us about the reluctance of people to believe in Jesus?


Now, take some time to quieten your thoughts and emotions to hear Gods still, smallvoice (1 Ki. 19:12). You can do this by just becoming still and worshipping God byyourself. Ask God to focus your attention on one Scripture that you studied today.After one jumps to your heart, write it down and below it, write down what God says,draw a picture of what He shows you, or both! Dont think about the next thoughtwhen you want to hear Gods voice. J ust believe that He will speak to you, and thenwrite down what he says. Afterwards, judge it according to Scripture, since that isbiblical and we are commanded to do that. (1 Corinthians 14:29)


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A small note on baptism:

Why was John baptizing in Aneon

near Salim, specifically, and not in

some other place?

How much water do you need to

baptize someone, based on this

verse?

The Greek word, baptizo, means to

make fully wet.


STEP 1: PRAY

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is pictured figuratively as a woman giving invitations

to people to come to learn from her. Describe wisdoms preparation to receive

people into her house. (Proverbs 9:1-3)

What does this tell us about Gods willingness

to teach us wisdom? (hint: J ames 1:5)

To what type of person does she call out to? (v. 4)

So, if you want wisdom, what do you have to acknowledge

that you are?What figures of speech are used to describe the effects of wisdom on our

lives? (v. 5)

What are we required to do if we want to respond to Wisdoms invitation? (v. 6)

Pray about and meditate on this for a while. In your heart, position yourself to receive

wisdom, truth, revelation and understanding from God. (Remember vs. 4 and 6!)


Read the section about what John said when he found out that Jesus ministry

was getting bigger than his. (J ohn 3:22-36


What was Jesus doing in Judea? (v. 22)

What was John

doing in Aenon near Salim? (v. 23)

Both J esus and John had disciples who followed

them. What did some of Johns disciples do when

they heard from John about Jesus? (J ohn 1:35-37)


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Application: Why is it il logical

to brag about our own talents,

abilities, successes, etc.?

(hint: see 1 Corinthians 4:7)

Did John that he had a

powerful ministry? If

so, how can a person

acknowledge that he has

success, talents, abilities,

etc., and still stay humble? Or

should we deny that they

exist?

Appl ication: How can a person have fullness of joy?

What does this tell us about where a lot of our sadness and

unhappiness comes from?

What were Johns disciples and the Jews (the religious

leaders) arguing about? (v. 35)

Think about this for a while. J esus just started His ministry.

He was baptizing and preaching. J ohn started his ministryof preaching and baptism about six months before that,

and he had amazing results! The J ews, a word often used

in J ohn to refer to religious leaders, didnt accept either

ministry. What was starting to happen to Johns

ministry in relation to Jesus ministry? (v. 36)

Why do

you think this bothered Johns disciple?

It seems that the need for popularity was even prevalent in

J esus day. Now, we are going to study how J ohn replied

to the news that his ministry was fading away and J esus ministry was booming. This

is a wonderful passage of Scripture and an amazing example of true, biblical humility.

What did John say about the success of his ministry? (v. 27)

What did John understand about his place or position? (v. 28)

Next, J ohn further explains himself by using an illustration about a bride, a

bridegroom and a friend of a bridegroom, a.k.a., the Best Man (v. 29). In this

illustration, Who is the Bridegroom?

Who is the Bride?

Who is the Best Man?

What was Johns joy in li fe? (v. 29)


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If God loves J esus because

J esus is perfect, What about

me!? (hint: Romans 5:6-8In view of the fact of the incarnation, that He was God and

became man, it is not wrong to say that J esus learned things

from the Holy Spirit, as clearly stated in verse 34. As God, Heobviously knew all things. But, as a man, He learned things

and communicated those truths, having the fullness, not just a

small measure, of the Holy Spirit.

What does the Father do because He loves the Son? (v. 35)

Why did He love the Son? (hint: see Matthew 3:17, 17:5)

This is very important again. The Father loves the Son because the Son really

deserves to be loved by the Father. J esus was perfect and God was well-pleased

with Him. This is a wonderful truth.

What do those who believe in Jesus receive? (v. 36)

What about those who dont believe?

What looms over the head of the person who does not believe

in Jesus?


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Some important historical information:

Samaria was between Judea and Galilee. The

Samaritans were a mixed race, half-J ew and

half-Gentile, and for this they were despised by

the J ews, so much so that the J ews generally

rather walked all the way around Samaria,

instead of going though it to Galilee. The J ews

considered Samaritan women unclean and

would not have wanted to use the same cups

and dishes as they did.

Also, though God commanded in the Old

Covenant that there should only be one temple

in J erusalem, the Samaritans had built their

own temple on Mount Gerizim. Thus, there

were strong racial and religious tensions

between the J ews and Samaritans.


STEP 1: PRAY

What does Psalm 1:3 tell us about the type of life that the Father wants His

children to live?

Psalm 1-2 describes some conditions for l iving that life. What are they?

What will a person who

loves Gods Word do day and night?

Many consider the Bible to be boring, but God says that it is perfectly realistic for His

Word to be the delight of our hearts! Choose right now that the Word of God will bethe delight of your heart.


Read the section about Jesus and the Samaritan woman. (J ohn 4:1-42)


Why do you think Jesus left? (4:1-3)

Verse 2 says that J esus did not baptize

people, but He got his disciples to do it

under His authority. Why? (hint: Paul did a

similar thing. 1 Corinthians 1:10-16)


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Think about this question and the

answer. The truly born again Christian

constantly has a fountain of life inside

himself, because of J esus and the Holy

Spirit (John 7:39-39). Many, many dont

experience this because they are not

truly born again, even though they think

they are. Why do some, who are truly

born again, not experience this?

(some reasons: J eremiah 2:5, Matthew

5:3-9, J ude v.20)

J esus was following a very good

biblical principle of evangelism

here. What kind of person can

receive the grace of eternal

life? (1 Peter 5:5)

So, if a person is

proud, focused on natural

things, self-righteous, and does

not recognize their need for

eternal life, what should we talk

to them about? (Its the topic of

Romans 1-3)

What will happen IN the person who believes

in Jesus? (v. 14)

Again, what did she think Jesus meant? (v. 15)

What was Jesus focus until now, in the

conversation?

Did she understand Him in terms of natural

things, or spiritual things?

To awaken her conscience,

what did Jesus call her attention to in the next

part of the conversation? (v. 16-19)

What did the woman, then, desire to talk about? (v.

19-20, see historical note)

Under the Old Covenant, the focal point of worship was

very much the temple, rituals, externals, etc. How did

Jesus describe this would change? (v. 21-24)

What is true worship, and a true worshipper, in the

New Covenant? (v. 23)

Why is it necessary for us to worship God like that?

(v. 24)


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What does it mean to worship God in spirit? (hint: J ohn 3:5-8, 4:14)

What does it mean to worship God in truth? (hint: Psalm 51:6, Hebrews 10:22)

1

What important truth did Jesus reveal to her, next? (v. 25-26)

What does verse 27 reveal to us about the disciples?

What did the woman then decide to do? (v. 28-29)

What was the result of her

testimony? (v. 30)

What did the disciples want Jesus to do? (v. 31)

What does verses 32 to 34 show us about Jesus heart and

desires?

What point was Jesus trying to make in verse 35?

What was the result of this one womans testimony? (v. 39-42)

1This is commonly interpreted in two ways. 1. That our worship must be in truth, that is, sincere. It is

not about externals, but about a heart that truly, sincerely desires God. 2. That our worship must be

according to the revealed truth of Scripture. I strongly believe the phrase, in spirit and in truth

encompasses both the inward change of the heart and our conformity the truth of Scripture.


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Section 8: John 4:43-5:9

STEP 1: PRAY

In J eremiah 15:16, J eremiah was describing his experience with the Word of God.

What did Jeremiah do when he found Gods Words?

What does that describe?

What was the result of this action in upon his

emotional state?

Read a bit around the verse, especially vs. 15-18. What

was Jeremiahs current earthly circumstances like?

This verse is even more powerful if we understand its context. But, for now, meditateand pray about the effects of the Word of God upon your heart. Prepare your heart to

seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 2:14, Ezra 7:10)


Read the section about the galileans unbelief and Jesus healing the

noblemans son and the man at the pool o f Bethesta. (J ohn 4:43-5:9)

STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONSJohn 4:43 is probably a reference to Jesus going into Galilee (the region), but

not specifically Nazareth (his home town in Galilee). In verse 44, Jesus

communicates a general truth. What is the meaning of what He said?

Read Matthew 13:54-58. Where was Jesus teaching? (v. 54)

What two things surprised the people?(v. 54)

and Why were they surprised by

Jesus wisdom, teaching and power? (v. 55)


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Clearly, there was something lacking in this mans faith and the faith of the Galileans in general.

What did Jesus say was necessary for them to believe?

They needed a continuous supply of miracles to continue believing. What did Thomas say was

necessary for him to believe? (J ohn 20:25)

What type of faith did Jesus say is

blessed? (v. 29)

How do we get true faith? (Romans 10:17)

Why did the Galileans have a weak form of faith?

What does real Bible faith produce? (Mark 9:23, 11:22-24, J ohn 11:40, 14:12)

What did Jesus reflect, perfectly, on

earth? (Hebrews 1:3)

So, if Jesus forgave all who repented

and believed on Him, what does that

show us about the will of God the

Father?

If Jesus healed ALL who came to him

for healing (many didnt) and many

who did not even ask Him, what does

that show about the will of God?

I believe that it is the will of God to heal

everyone. Yet, never base what you

believe on anyones opinion. Study it out

thoroughly in Scripture, for yourself.

Faith comes from the Word of God

(Romans 10:17). Healing: Mark 16:16-17, J ohn 14:12, Faith: Mark 11:22-24.

What was the result of this miracle? (v. 53)

In the original text, there are no chapter and verse

divisions and it is often helpful for us to actually

ignore them and see the book as a whole, as it is.

Therefore, we will now continue on to the next

chapter.

Why was the man of verse 5 just lyingthere?

Why did Jesus have compassion on him?

(v. 6)

Do you think Jesus is still the same,

today? (Hebrews 13:8)


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What are the implications of that?

Why do you think Jesus asked him the question in verse 6?

Think of the mans answer for a moment in verse 7. Was he aware of who

Jesus is?

The Galileans problems with unbelief was that they were so familiar with

J esus that they struggled to believe He is the Son of God. What was this

guys type of unbelief?

How do we cure this type of unbelief? (and any type, for that matter! hint:

Romans 10:17)

How did Jesus heal the man? (v. 8-9)

What does this tell us

about Jesus desire for us to respond in faith? (Mark 9:23)

What was the result? (v. 9)

J esus is standing right in front of many, but, like this man, they are still just aware of their natural

circumstances, rather than the truth of Gods Word. The answer is right in front of them, but they

do not perceive Him.

What three things in this verse causes us to lose our awareness of God and His Word? (v.

19) 1. 2.

3.

What is more enjoyable, the world or God? (think: Psalm 63:5, Acts 13:52, Romans 14:17,

15:17, 1 Thessalonians 1:6) So, if the truly born again person

is not filled with unspeakable joy, what is the problem?


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Section 9: J ohn 5:9-23

STEP 1: PRAY

In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, we read about how, in the last days, society and culture will

totally rebel against God and everything will become worse and worse. People will be

lovers of self, lovers of pleasure, homosexual, high-minded, burtal and many other

things, all the while having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

(ESV) (v. 5) What does that mean?

What should be our anchor in these troubled times? What does verse 14 clearly tell

us about what our response should be to all of this?

It is with that thought in mind that we should read that famous declaration that the

Scriptures are inspired by God and will be able to keep us on the right track in these

difficult and confusing times. (v. 16)

Think of that for a moment and determine in your heart that you will not be

swept away with the current of culture by continuing to live the truth of

Scripture.


Read the section about Jesus response to the Jews who wanted to kill Him

because told a man to carry his bed on the Sabbath day. (J ohn 5:9-23)


On what day did Jesus heal the man? (J ohn 5:9)

Remember, the Jews is a term used in the book of John to denote the

religious leaders of Jesus day. Why did the Jews have a problem with this

man?(v. 10)

What was th is mans defense? (v. 11)

Did this man believe in Jesus at the time? (v. 12-13)

Why not?


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Why, do you think, Jesus did not want the multitude that was there to know He

was there?

Where did Jesus find the man, later? About

what did he warn him?

So, are some sicknesses as a result of sin?

Are all sicknesses a resul t of s in? (hint: J ohn 9:2-3)

What did the man proceed to do after Jesus to ld him this? (v. 15)

What was the Jews

response?

By what authority did Jesus say He told the man to walk? (v. 17)

What did the Jews understand Him to

mean? (v. 18)

In the Old Covenant, in Exodus 20, what was the second commandment? (Exodus 20:8-10)

Think about this for a moment. Was the Jews right in rebuking the man for carrying his bed on

the Sabbath day, according to the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant?

There are two covenants in the Bible the Old Covenant and the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:6-13).

Under the Old Covenant, you had to obey everything PERFECTLY to be saved. Why are everyone

under the Old Covenant under a curse? (note, see Galatians 3:10)

Think about it. What is the 5th commandment in Exodus 20?

Have you EVER broken that commandment? What bout the 9th?

What does that make you, in the eyes of Gods holiness, if you lie just

once in your life? So, can we be justif ied (declared tobe righteous) by the law? (hint: see Galatians 3:11, Romans 3:20 )

How can we be justified before a holy God, since we have broken His Law and are sinners?

(Romans 3:23-24)

What is the purpose of the Old Covenant Law? (Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:19, 24)

The Law shows us our sin and our inability to keep all Gods perfect and holy commandments.

Why?


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In the New Covenant, where are the commandments of God written? (Hebrews 8:10)

So, have you experienced God writing His commandments on your heart your innermost being

your desires?

Under the New Covenant, are believers required to obey the ceremonial laws of the Old

Covenant, like circumcision, the Sabbath, Festivals, food laws, etc.? (see Galatians 3:24-25,

Colossians 2:16, Hebrews 8:13 The answer here should be a very strong NO. The

whole book of Galatians addresses this issue. If you struggle with this, I recommend you study

Galatians, Romans 3, Hebrews 8, 1 Timothy 1:5-11 and 1 Timothy 4:1-5.

What was the major problem with

the Israelites in the book of

Judges? (J udges 17:6, 21:25)

What does Proverbs 14:12 say

about people who follow their

own opinion about what they

should do and how they should

live?

How did Jesus, Who was perfect,

avoid this pitfall? (J ohn 5:19)

J esus then further explained Himself. What does it mean for Jesus to say that he

did nothing of Himself ? (J ohn 5:19)

What is the Fathers disposition/attitude towards

His son? (J ohn 5:20)

How does the Father express this

disposition to His Son according to this verse?

Note: The Father now treats us the exact same way,

because we who are born again are united with Christ

and receive by grace the love of God that He earned by

being perfect! Amazing! (see J ohn 15:15)

What does verse 21 say about Jesus freedom to do

miracles?

In front of Whom will we stand in Judgment, one

day? Why do you think it issignificant that we will be judged by Jesus, Who

became a man?


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REASONS WHY J ESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY:

1. What does Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Corinthians 5:21 say about Jesus qualifications to be the only

Saviour?

2. Why can no human being ever by himself have the knowledge from God that leads to

salvation? (see: J ohn 3:13, 31)

Why could Jesus have that knowledge when He was on earth?

3. What did Jesus do for us to be saved that no other religious teacher has ever done? (Romans

5:8, Colossians 1:21-22) And even if they would attempt

that, why would it not actually save us? (Romans 3:23, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

4. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, declares to us what the gospel proclamation is. What does verse 4 tell

us about why Jesus is THE ONLY way to the Father?

No other religious teacher was sinless, was truly God in the flesh, fully and experientially knew God,

was perfect in that he could take our punishment on the cross and was raised from the dead. If you

depart from the statement that J esus is truly the only way, what you have left in your religion is not

Christianity, and it cannot save you from your sin, death, the grave and hell.

Why will we be judged specifically by Jesus, according to verse 23?

What does this tell us about

Who Jesus is? (hint: J ohn 1:1)

Many, today, some without even knowing it, believe in a type of Universalism thatteaches that whoever is sincere and follows whatever light or truth they do have,

will go to heaven. What does verse 23 say about that? (see also: J ohn 14:6, Acts

4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5)


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Based on this Scripture, is

salvation something we

experience now, or just after we

die?

Motivate your answer a bit. (hint:

J ohn 17:3)


STEP 1: PRAY

Under the Old Covenant, people had strict commands, but no power to obey

them. What was the purpose of this predicament? (Romans 3:19, Galatians 3:24)

Now that we are under the New Covenant, what has happened to our hearts?

(Hebrews 8:10)

J esus Christ, by redemption, re-creates our hearts with a desire for the words and

commands of God. Under the Old Covenant, you read what you had no power to fullyobey. Under the New Covenant, J esus makes us into what He commands us to do!

Before you study Scripture, today, spend some time renewing your mind to this

concept through praying about it and meditating on it.


Read the section about Jesus explanation of where his authority comes from

and His judgment of the Jews sp iritual condition. (J ohn 5:24-47)

STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONSApart from believing in the Father and the Son, what must happen to a person

in order to receive eternal life, according to John 5:24? (see also: 1 Peter 1:24)

What does this person HAVE?

What WILL NOT happen

to a person who has eternal life?

What HAShappened to such a person?

What type of people need to hear the voice of the

Son of God? (v. 25) What will happen to

them who do?


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Many theologians agree that

verse 25 can be applied to two

things:

1. The resurrection of every

person from the dead, after which

they will be judged (Hebrews 6:2).

2. The new birth experience, by

which spiritually dead people

become new creations in Christ.

Though both are biblical, I believe

the phrase, an hour is coming,

and is now here (v. 25, note also

4:23) and the statement that

J esus has life in Himself to give

leans strongly towards the idea

that Jesus is speaking about a

present spiritual resurrection into

life IN HIMSELF. If Im

interpreting this correctly, who

are those who hear? (v. 25)

What does Jesus mean by dead people? (note: verse 24, Ephesians 2:1)

IN what are people dead? (Ephesians 2:1)

Why can new li fe come through Jesus? (v. 26)

How can you

use this Scripture to discount the idea that all

religions lead to the same God?

In verses 28 and 29, J esus is talking about something he

says we should not be surprised at or wonder about.

What is this reality?

What will be the eternal state of those who have

done good? (Romans 2:5-10, Revelation 21:1-7)

What will be the eternal state of those who have

done evil? (Romans 2:5-10, Revelation 20:11-15)

In J esus, God became man (Philippians 2:5-8, J ohn

1:14). Though He was fully God (J ohn 1:1, Hebrews 1:8), he lived His life on earth as

a man filled with the Spirit of God, being tempted as a man (note Philippians 2:5-11,

Hebrews 4:15). What did Jesus declare about Himself in the first statement in

John 5:30?

From where did Jesus say His opinions, decisions and judgments come from?

Why was He perfectly right in everything He said on earth?


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This is a major theme in the book of J ohn. Everything J esus did, He did in willful submission to

and in loving relationship with the Father. What wonderful truth does Galatians 3:26

communicate about what we are through faith in Christ?

Based on Jesus example, where should your decisions, opinions and judgments come

from? How can you apply this concept

in your life, right now?

Think about it. Where should your identity come from? Whose will should you seek?

Ill give you this answer: J esus

was so secure in His relationship

with His father, that He didnt

need J ohns ok about Himself,

even though he acknowledged

that J ohns report about him was

true. How does this relate to

where your identity comes

from? Have you allowed God to

be your primary source of

acceptance, or do you seek

acceptance f rom people?

Consider praying about that now.

Who is the One that witnessed about the author ity of Jesus to validate what He

did and said? (v. 31, 32, 36, 37)

How could Jesus immediate audience be sure that Jesus was truly from the

Father? (v. 36)

What other person did Jesus also point to as a witness of Himself?

It is very interesting that J esus used J ohns

witness to tell of Who He was to others, but He said, I do

not receive testimony from man. (v. 34, NKJ V) What

does this say about where Jesus personal self-

esteem came from?

After J esus builds a clear foundation about His authority

and righteousness, he proceeds to rip his accusers self-righteousness right from under their feet.

What did Jesus clearly imply that He had

experienced, but which the religious leaders has

not? (v. 37)

What was His judgment about their spiritual state?

(v. 38)

How did He know this to be

true, in this verse?

What false foundation of eternal life did they trust in? (v. 39)

Yet, what did Jesus say was

their mistake? (v. 39-40)


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According to verses 39-30, can a

person who reads his Bible often

be lost and go to hell?

(the answer is a clear yes)

How?

J esus made some very clear statements here about what was lacking in the Jews hearts towards

God. I will summarize it, here:

They did not have the Word of God abiding IN them.

They thought that they had salvation because they were religious they had Bibles.

They did not truly love God, because they loved recognition and honour from people.

We can also see these truths as J esus teaching what the genuine fruit of salvation is.

How does a person get born again, accord ing to 1 Peter 1:23?

What does a true believer trust in as the only way to become truly righteous?

(Romans 3:22, 10:4)

Al l who are truly born again have one major common character is tic. What is that? (1

J ohn 2:5, 15, 4:8, 12, 16)

If you lack these fruit of salvation, chances are you are not saved. In that case, you need to repent

of your sins and believe in J esus Christ to be saved. Seek God with your whole heart until you find

Him (J eremiah 29:11-14, Hebrews 11:6). If you have these fruit of salvation, but only in a small

measure, remember that God is your Father. He will produce this fruit in you (J ohn 15:1, Hebrews

12:5-13). Trust Him. Dont seek to produce it by yourself through self-effort and self-righteousness.

Instead, commit yourself to seeking God in His Word, in prayer and fleshing the truth out through

practical obedience.

What was the next judgment about their spiritual

state He made? (v. 42)

He then made a judgment about their spiritual condition

that clearly revealed why they didnt believe in J esus.What was that? (v. 44)

On what was their self-esteem built? (hint: this was a major problem J esus had

with the Pharisees. See Matthew 5:2, 5, 16)

On what should our self-esteem be built?

Who, did Jesus say, was accusing the Jews? (v. 45) Why?


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Note: this is quite important

for understanding the

events and dialogues that

follow. The Galileans, as a

group of people, were quite

open to J esus (4:45), as

opposed to the prominent

religious leaders in

J erusalem (5:9-47), who

tried to control the opinions

of the people (9:22).


STEP 1: PRAY

In Deuteronomy 17:14-20, God establishes some laws in anticipation for when the

nation will one day ask for a king. How was the king supposed to get a copy of

the Word of God? (v. 18)

How was he supposed to make sure that it is

accurate? (v. 18)

What was he then supposed to do with it? (v. 19)

What would be the practical outworking of the kings copying, reading and

obeying the Word of God all his life? (v. 20)

Think about this for a moment. These commandments are VERY specific. The king

was supposed to write his own copy, get it approved by the Levites after he

painstakingly copied the whole book, always keep it with him, read from it all the days

of his life and thus obey it all the days of his life. God could have just told him to obey

it. How does this compare to your attitude, AND how you live out that attitude,

towards the Word of God? Pray about this for a moment.

STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTIONRead the section about Jesus feeding the multitude of people with only five

loaves and two fish and walking on water. (J ohn 6:1-21)


Where did Jesus go after His discussions wi th the religious

leaders in Jerusalem? (J ohn 6:1)

Who followed Him?(v. 2)

Why?

Where was Jesus and with whom at the time? (v. 3)

What prompted Jesus to ask Philip a question? (v. 5)


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Were Philip and Andrews answers true? Yes.

But, what, do you think, would Jesus have

preferred them to say, having been with

Him for quite some time, now? (hint:

Matthew 7:7-11)

Quickly read the well-known story of the 12

men who Moses sent to spy out the land of

Israel (Numbers 13:17-33). Was it true that

there were giants in the land, that the

cities had high walls, and that, judging by

numbers and abilities alone, Israel stood

no chance? (v. 28-29)

Why, then, were the spies report called

evil (KJ V) or bad? (v. 32)

It will benefit you greatly to spend some time

meditating on these verses, but the simple

idea is that, if we only live by what we see,

trying to be realistic, we cannot operate in

faith. Faith is rooted in the fact that there are

very real things that we cannot see. (Hebrews

11:1, 27)

What did He ask Philip? (interesting note: Philip was

from Bethsaida, a nearby town. 1:44)

Why did he ask him

that? (v. 6)

Accord ing to what limi tat ions did Phil ip respond? (v. 7)

To what resources did Andrew point to

solve the problem? (v. 8-9)

What was Jesus remedy to the situation?

Why do you think Jesus made them

gather up everything, apart from not

wanting food to be wasted? (v. 12-13, hint:

Mark 8:17-21)

Who did they recognize Jesus as? (v. 14)

Moses prophesied about the Messiah in

Deuteronomy 18:15, naming Him a

Prophet. What was their response to this

truth? (v. 15)

How did Jesus react to that?

Its important to realize that the Jews


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Again, think about this for a moment.

What name did Jesus give to

Peters action of looking at the

wind and waves? What

does this tell us about how people

fear?

Again, think of Phillip and Andrews

comments to J esus about the food

and the spies evil report. What is

the lesson about faith we can learn

from these instances?

expected a Messiah that would immediately liberate them from Roman rule and

become their everlasting king. (Note: Genesis 49:10. Also, Psalm 2 talks about the

Messiah as king, which we now know will be fulfilled during the second coming.

Why did Jesus not want to become king at that time? (hint: 12:23-28)

Matthew 14, Mark 6 and J ohn 6 record the exact same events, but neither author

included all the details. Here, therefore, we will refer to both Matthews and Marks

account, as well.

Why, do you think, did Jesus not go with the disciples on the boat, but instead

sent them off by themselves? (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:45-46, J ohn 6:15-17)

In what problem did the disciples soon find themselves? (Matthew 14:24, Mark

6:48, J ohn 618-19)

How did Jesus handle their problem? (Matthew 14:25-26, Mark 6:48-50, J ohn

6:19-20)

Why were they afraid when they saw Jesus? (Matthew 14:26, Mark 6:49)

Af ter Jesus reassured them that it was He, what did Peter ask and do? (Matthew

14:28-29)

What caused Peter to s ink? (Matthew 14:30)

What was

Jesus comment on Peter looking at the wind and

the waves?

Apart from the w ind stopping to blow, what other

miracle happened as soon as Jesus got into the


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This is one of those left hooks of the Bible. You would think that the disciples reaction of

amazement would be a good thing, but the Bible says it was because of their hardened hearts.

What did they NOT do, which caused them to have hardened hearts? (Mark 6:52)

Accord ing to this, how do you know you have a hardened heart?

What is the cure for a hardened heart? (hints: Romans 10:17, 12:1-2, Mark 8:21)

Worship is an appropriate reaction to a miracle. But Wow! I cant believe God would ever do that!

is not an appropriate reaction. We should be expecting impossible things to be normal in our

lives. (Mark 9:23, 11:22-24, J ohn 11:40)

boat? (J ohn 6:21)

How does the Bible describe the disciples reaction to these miracles? (Mark

6:51)

Why did they have this reaction? (Mark 6:52)


Now, take some time to quieten your thoughts and emotions to hear Gods still, small

voice (1 Ki. 19:12). You can do this by just becoming still and worshipping God byyourself. Ask God to focus your attention on one Scripture that you studied today.After one jumps to your heart, write it down and below it, write down what God says,draw a picture of what He shows you, or both! Dont think about the next thoughtwhen you want to hear Gods voice. J ust believe that He will speak to you, and thenwrite down what he says. Afterwards, judge it according to Scripture, since that isbiblical and we are commanded to do that. (1 Corinthians 14:29)


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STEP 1: PRAY

2 Timothy 4:2 follow the famous words about the inspiration and sufficiency of

Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What was Timothy supposed to preach?

Timothy was supposed to reprove those with wrong

ideas, teaching them the truth, rebuke those who were sinning and encourage those

who were obedient and following the truth. What should be the tool o f the minister

to do all these things?

The minister MAY NOT give his own opinion when teaching. He is obligated to teach

ONLY Scripture. What many Christians have not realized is this: neither may they.

Many live by their own opinion with no Scriptural backing for their beliefs and actions.Pray and intend in your heart right now that you will only live by what the Bible says,

not by what you think you should do or believe.


Continue reading the section about Jesus answers to the Galileans. (J ohn 6:22-

46)


This section very closely follows the previous one. Remember, they wanted to make

J esus king, because they knew Him to be the Messiah (J ohn 6:14-15). They believed

in Him because he fed 5000 people with just five loaves and two fish.

When the crowd saw only the boat that the disciples took, not knowing that

Jesus later joined them in the boat, where did they go after that? (v. 22-24)

Why? (v. 24)

What did they want to know from Him?

(v. 25)

J esus didnt even answer their question. What did He do, instead? (v. 26)

Why didnt Jesus have any respect for them coming all the way to seek Him?

(v. 26)


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Historical note: A king used to havea seal ring with a specific image

engraved on it. When the king

would send letters, he would drop

hot wax on them and imprint that

image on his ring onto the letter,

sealing the letter. Then, the

recipients would know that the letter

was truly from the king. In what

way is Jesus sealed by God

the Father? (v. 27)Some theology: Many people reduce obedience down to

actions. Lets suppose a person does a good deed, but

refuses to believe in J esus Christ, does God consider that

action to be good? (think before you answer)

There is no moral law apart from God. Therefore, an action is

determined as good or evil in relation to God, not in relation

to any other standard. If you dont believe in God and His

Son J esus Christ, no action that you make can be good in

Gods eyes. Think again of the crowds faith. Why was it

not true faith?

What did Jesus say they must not labor for? (v. 27)

What should they labor for in its place?

Where does this food come from?

Why can it only come from the Son of Man, JesusChrist?

Af ter Jesus rebuked them, what did they want to

know from Him? (v. 28)

What did Jesus say is the primary, most important

thing that a person must do if he wants to do what

God requires? (v. 29)

How did the people reply

to Jesus comment about

Himself being the source

of salvation? (v. 30-31)

Note: The reference they quoted in verse 31 was from God feeding the multitude with

manna in the desert, which they thought came from Moses. (Exodus 16)

How did Jesus correct their understanding? (v. 32)


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So, can a person, without supernatural help from God, have the true faith in Jesus Christ to

be saved? J esus answer, here, is a very clear NO. In theological terms, we call this

the doctrine of inability, and it is actually taught all over the Bible. What does Romans 3:11 about

peoples ability to understand or seek God?

What is the natural man NOT ABLE to do? (2 Corinthians 2:14)

In Ezekiel 36:25-27, we see a beautiful picture of what God does in the heart of those who come to

J esus, have faith in Him and are saved. How does verse 26 describe the heart of the sinner

towards God? What is the characteristic of a

heart of stone?

(Answer: It cannot respond in love to God) What does God to the person who He saves? (v. 26)

Why is the saved person able to respond

in love to God?

Very similar passages are found in Ezekiel 11:19-20, J eremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:10-12.

Exactly how wicked/evil is a sinners heart? (J eremiah 17:9)

Remember, evil is a negative reaction to God, not a negative

reaction to some moral law. God IS the moral law. So, a sinner, an unsaved person, has such an

evil heart that he cannot respond positively to God. Its not because he is not able to. Its that his

heart, the very core of his being, is sinful against God hates God. God literally has to give him a

new heart to respond in love to God. THEN, he can believe in God and love God.

It would do you well to meditate on Romans 1-3, especially 3:10-23. Paul labors for three chapters to

do one thing: to show you that you really are sinful, whether you have been bought up religious (like

the J ews) or not (like the Gentiles). The more we appreciate our own sinfulness and inability before

Christ saved us, the more we can understand the glory of what J esus actually did on the cross, and

what God is still doing in the hearts of those who are getting saved. Take a few moments to read

Romans 3:10-23, but see yourself being described by those verses. Then, think about what J esus

went through on the cross and how God gave you a new heart to love him, if indeed you are born

again. Understanding this will revolutionize your whole life and fill your heart with love for God Who

gave His son for you a desperately wicked sinner.

happen to people BEFORE they CAN come to Christ to be saved? (v. 45)


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STEP 1: PRAY

If one were to analyze the tenses in 2 Timothy 4:2, one would find that it contains

imperatives (commandments) written in some of the strongest, clearest language that

Paul could use. What does the 1st line command Timothy to do?

What was supposed to be the content of Timothys

messages? When was Timothy supposed to

preach the Word, according to the 2nd phrase?

Then, Paul tells him to do 3 things,

reprove, rebuke and exhort. What was an essential character trait that Timothy

had to have in all of this? What was to be his tool for doing all of this?

Timothy was to preach only the Word when he felt like it and when he didnt feel like

it when he felt ready to do it and when he didnt feel ready to do it. He was to

reprove (teach) the ignorant, rebuke the rebellious and exhort those who were doing

well, all with the attitude of patient endurance all using doctrine teaching from the

word. Simple application: We are to study the word with the same dedication and

passion. Meditate on the gravity of these statements.

STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTIONContinue reading the section about Jesus answers to the Galileans and Jesus

quick discourse with His disciples. (John 6:22-46)


Now, we are going to finish looking at the conversation Jesus had with the Galileans.

What major t ruth d id Jesus state again in John 6:47?

What does Jesus call Himself again in verse 48?

What literal truths was He trying to convey through these words?

The Jews took great pride in their lineage and thought they were accepted of God

because of it, for which they were strongly rebuked by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:9,


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Think about this for a moment. In

their subconscious mind, many

see Christianity as conformity to

certain standard or a set of

religious rules. How does Jesus

contradict that idea in these

verses?

Do you think Jesus was

speaking about a type/quality of

life or duration of existence

Documents

Gospel of John Bible Study Guide Test Version 0.7