From now until the end of November, we will be posting lessons from our recent study of the Gospel of John. We like to call our study method "Bible Study Ping-Pong" because what you see here is the result of Susan and Susie discussing the word of God. Susan Slade's words will be in pink and Susie Hale's words will be in blue. The green sentences are questions for you to ponder and/or application of the word to our lives. We hope you enjoy studying the Bible with us and ask that you please comment. THANK YOU!
Introduction
to the Gospel of John
Author: Who was John? The
early church was convinced this gospel was written by the Apostle John. John
had discipled Polycarp who in turn discipled Iranaeus. Iranaeus proclaimed that
Polycarp attributed this gospel to the Apostle John. John did not refer to
himself by name in this gospel but consistently called himself “the disciple
whom Jesus loved.” John was one of the sons of Zebedee who Jesus dubbed the “sons
of thunder.” He and his brother James were fishermen with their father when
Jesus called them right out of the boat. He was one of the three disciples most
intimate with Jesus along with Peter and James, being with Him at the mount of
transfiguration and when He was praying in the garden the night He was arrested.
From the cross, Jesus entrusted the care of His mother Mary to
the Apostle John. His gospel differs in perspective from the other three
“synoptic” gospels. He brings out the concept of Jesus as the Word or Voice and
makes clear that He was present with God and participating in the Creation. John also wrote the three letters, 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd John. It is significant that Jesus
revealed the last words that He was going to say about Himself to John. The
Revelation of Christ was given to John in a vision on the Isle of Patmos when
he was exiled there. According to tradition and some historians who were his
contemporaries, John was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil but miraculously
suffered no harm. It was after this failed attempt at executing him that he was
banished to Patmos.
Date: It is believed John wrote
his gospel circa A.D. 80-90 which would mean the synoptic gospels had already
been written by Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Purpose: Tradition holds that
he was aware of the other gospels but wanted to write bringing out different
aspect of Jesus life on earth. Under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit, John was compelled to share from his own heart. John continued
ministering and writing into his old the events in the other gospels. His
stated purpose for writing is found in John 20:31, “These are written that you
may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you
may have life in His name.”
In the next few lessons, we will be discovering together the insights the
Gospel of John offers into the ministry of our Lord. We will explore the
concept of Jesus as the Word or “Voice”. We will solidify what it means to be
“born again.” We will find out about rivers of living water available to those
who believe. We will see miraculous signs demonstrating the deity of Jesus. We
will delve into the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer in chapter 17. We will see the
Lord and his disciples face opposition culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus.
But that is not the end! Before we finish Jesus will rise from the grave and
appear to many. John is an exciting book! Stay
plugged in as we will post several times per week as we study through this
fascinating book verse by verse!
John
1 – Lesson One
Jesus,
the Word of God made flesh, Creator and Sustainer
John 1 (ESV) 1 In the beginning was the Word3056, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in
the beginning with God.
3056
– lŏgŏs – from 3004: something said (incl. the thought), by impl. A topic
(subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by
extens. A computation: spec. (with the article in John) the Divine Expression
(i.e. Christ): - account, cause, communication, x concerning, doctrine, fame, x
have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon,
remove, say (-ing), shew, speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things
move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work. Strong’s
Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
The term logos was familiar to both Jews and Greeks and therefore would
resonate with both cultures. According to the John MacArthur Study Bible, the
Greeks used the term as “signifying the rational principle of ‘divine reason,’
‘mind,’ or even ‘wisdom.’” For the Jews, creation occurred due to God’s spoken
word. John specifically used it to refer to the person of Jesus Christ. The
Voice Bible translates the word logos as “The Voice.” Jesus was God’s Voice on
the earth.
Hebrews 11:3 (ESV) “By faith we understand that the
universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out
of things that are visible.”
By stating that the Word was with God in the beginning, John was asserting
that the pre-incarnate Jesus existed with God the Father prior to the creation
of the world. God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Holy Spirit have ALL always been. Jesus was not created BY God; He IS God. The Word, Jesus, was
with God and WAS God. The Trinity is such a difficult concept for our minds to
grasp, the idea that three distinct persons can be one God. I’ve seen several
analogies but none of them fully explain it (the egg, the apple,
water-steam-ice for example). Even though the word trinity does not appear in
the Bible, the fact that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is clearly
expressed in many passages such as Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, Eph. 4:4-7, and
Jude 20-21.
John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without
him was not any thing made that was made.
From the cosmos to the seas, from mankind to fleas, Jesus created it all, even the amoebas! This is
expressed elsewhere in the Bible as well:
Colossians 1:16-17 “For by him all things were
created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Hebrews 1:2 “…but in these last days he has spoken to
us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he
created the world.”
As a child, I always thought of God the Father as the creator. You know,
the elderly gentleman with the white beard. Maybe I had Him confused with
Charlton Heston’s portrayal of Moses. But Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus,
the Son, was the one through whom the world came into being. Even as Jesus created the world, He and the Father already knew
that He would become the sacrifice for His created ones. In God’s economy it
was considered “done” at that moment even though it did not happen in “time”
until centuries later.
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth
shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world.
Q – Have you ever thought about the fact
that Jesus and the Father created us even though they knew we would rebel?
John 1:4 In him
was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Just had to check this one out in the Amplified Version:
John 1:4-5 (AMP) In Him was life [and the power to
bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines on in the darkness, and the
darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it
[and is unreceptive to it].
Jesus was life in Himself. Life was not
given to Him but instead emanated from Him. The idea of Jesus being Life and
Light is a recurring theme in the book of John. Watch for it in the weeks to
come. The footnotes in the Amplified Version define “darkness” as “the world immersed
in sin: all that stands in opposition to God and biblical truth.” The darkness
cannot overwhelm the Light. If you light a single candle in a darkened room,
the darkness does not hide the candle. The
darkness cannot overpower or overtake the Light. Some days it seems this world is out
of control and all is doom and gloom. But Susan and I have read the end of the
story, and the Light WILL triumph. Take heart, the Light of the World, Jesus,
cannot and will not be extinguished.
Q – In what or whom do you trust? Are
you trusting in the only true source of light in a darkened world?
Gospel
of John – Chapter 1 – Lesson 2
Introducing
John the Baptist
John 1:6 (NIV) There was a man sent from God, whose
name was John.
Whenever we see the name “John” in this gospel, it is referring to John
the Baptist since the Apostle John always referred to himself as “the disciple
whom Jesus loved.” The other gospels attach the descriptor “the Baptist” or
“the Baptizer” in some translations. Through
John the Baptist, God ceased His 400-year silence. The Jews had not had a prophetic word during that time. Now that
Jesus was ready to begin His earthly ministry, someone needed to “prepare the
way.” That someone was John the Baptist, who served
as the forerunner to the Messiah. Even as an
unborn baby, John the Baptist leapt for joy in his mother’s womb when her
relative Mary, pregnant with Jesus, came to visit (read Luke chapter 1). He was already a prophet in the womb even though he was not even
able to speak. This makes a strong case that your purpose is woven within you
even in your mother’s womb. The prophet Jeremiah was assured of this by the Lord
Himself:
Jeremiah 1:4-5 (KJV) “Then the word of the Lord came
unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou
camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet
unto the nations.”
We believe this makes a strong case
against abortion!
John 1:7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about
the light, that all
might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
John the Baptist was to give testimony that Jesus was the Son of God. In
the Old Testament, courts required the testimony of multiple witnesses. John
the Baptist was the first of many who would stand as witnesses to the truth
that Jesus is Lord. Remember that “the light” refers to Jesus Christ. It is
made clear that John the Baptist himself was not the light. Many people of that day were confused and thought
John the Baptist might be the Messiah; but, as we will see, he made every
effort to correct this misconception.
John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
God reveals Himself to everyone in a general way through creation.
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His
invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly
seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without
excuse.”
This general revelation is not enough to cause a person to trust in Jesus
but is enough to cause a person to seek more information. God’s creation, all
we see in the heavens and nature, is definitely enough that God can hold
someone accountable for rejecting the truth that God exists. The complexity of
a single cell is enough to point to “intelligent design” as scientists call it.
Those who believe know the “intelligence” behind creation is the Lord God
Almighty in the person of His Son Jesus. As the “true light,” Jesus would make
the reality of God even more clear than creation could. Jesus would illuminate
God for mankind by living as the perfect God-Man among us.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made
through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own
people did not receive him.
You do not have to look far to see that this world is in spiritual
darkness. Crime, immorality, atheism, and agnosticism abound. The belief that
the world somehow just came into being without a Creator is prevalent and
taught even in schools which is preposterous if
you just look at the complexity and intricacies of your own hand! How many bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, etc. does it take for
me to type these words? Yet, when Jesus came into the world, they did not
recognize Him as the Master Designer that He is.
The Jews had been anticipating the
arrival of the Messiah for hundreds of years, but when He arrived they did not
receive Him. They did not expect Him to be a
servant-leader. Their expectations were for a military commander/king to stage
a coup and overthrow Rome. The religious leaders
of the Jews, rather than accepting Jesus, saw Him as the competition because He
challenged their hypocrisy.
John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed
in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not
of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Jews as a whole rejected Jesus, but
a remnant, a choice few, believed. To these, Jesus granted the authority to be
adopted as the children of God, into the
familyship of God. When we accept salvation, we come into agreement with God’s
will. God chose to give me new birth through the Holy Spirit. My
response was to surrender to that fact, and by that power to repent of sin and
follow Him in obedience.
1 John 4:19 (NASB) “We love, because He
first loved us.”
John 6:44 (NASB) “No one can come to Me unless the
Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.”
Q – Do you see the reality of God in His
creation? Has the Light revealed Himself to you in a more specific way? Have
you responded to that revelation by surrendering your life to Jesus for Him to
have His way?
John
chapter 1 – Lesson 3
The
Word Became Flesh - Emmanuel
John 1:14 And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the
only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word (God’s Voice), Jesus, became flesh:
Luke 2:7 (ESV) “And she gave birth to her firstborn
son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there
was no place for them in the inn.”
Jesus not only became flesh but came in
the form of an embryo, being born of the virgin Mary who was pregnant by the
power of the Holy Spirit. He fully identified with mankind by even going
through the birth experience rather than just materializing as King which was
well within His power. The Apostle John writes that
He dwelt among us. The disciples lived with Jesus every day. Jesus was fully
human with all the needs that entails. He ran on
food, water, and sleep like the rest of us; but He was still fully divine.
John was with James and Peter when Jesus
was transfigured before them on the mountain.
Matthew 17:2 (ESV) “And he was transfigured before
them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”
They not only saw Jesus’ humanity clear
and present, but they also saw His undeniable divinity. God then told these three disciples that this was His Son and
commanded them to listen to Him.
According to Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance of the Bible, grace can mean “the divine influence upon the heart,
and it’s the reflection in the life.” The disciples saw the grace that Jesus
offered all who would believe on Him; transformative power to become what God
intended them to be.
Romans 8:28-29 (NIV) “And we know that in all things
God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to
his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and
sisters.”
John observed that Jesus was full of truth. In fact, according to Jesus
Himself, He is THE TRUTH:
John 14:6 (NIV) “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
We will study this in more depth later. Stay
tuned: more layers of understanding are coming!
John 1:15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out,
“This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he
was before me.’”)
Elizabeth gave birth to John before Mary gave birth to Jesus (see Luke
chapter 1 again). So John the Baptist was older than Jesus in His human expression. However, John the Baptist was correct in saying
Jesus was before him because, as we have already seen, Jesus has always been.
Technically, Jesus created John the Baptist if you think about it hard enough.
In fact, He created His own mother Mary. True – but
tilt, tilt, tilt! I love this line
from the Michael Card song “The Mystery”:
“No fiction as fantastic and wild:
A mother made by her own child!”
As stated before, John the Baptist tried
to make it clear that Jesus was above him in rank, more important than him.
John the Baptist shouted that Jesus was who he had been preaching about all
along. One of the things that John the Baptist preached was that he
must decrease because the Lord Jesus must increase (see John 3:30).
Luke 3:16 (NASB) John answered and said to them all,
“As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I,
and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and fire.
John the Baptist was faithful to fulfill his job as the trailblazer of the Messiah.
John 1:16 For from his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came
through Jesus Christ.
Through Moses, the Law was given. The
Law is the instruction manual and a reflection of one’s sin back to them. The
need for a Messiah, the need for a Savior, the need for the sacrificial Lamb of
God becomes evident as we realize we can NEVER fully uphold the Law.
There is no one who could uphold the Law except Jesus, the
God-Man.
Romans 3:10 (NASB) …as it is written, “There is none
righteous, not even one…
Romans 3:23 (NASB) …for all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God…
Because Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb
and died in our place, He has the authority to extend grace to us, not only
saving grace, but “grace upon grace.” This indicates a superabundant, fantastic
eternal grace!
Romans 6:23 (NASB) For the wages of sin is death, but
the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 4:2-7 (VOICE) 4 But God, with the
unfathomable richness of His love and mercy focused on us, 5 united us with the
Anointed One and infused our lifeless souls with life—even though we were buried
under mountains of sin—and saved us by His grace. 6 He raised us up with Him
and seated us in the heavenly realms with our beloved Jesus the Anointed, the
Liberating King. 7 He did this for a reason: so that for all eternity we will
stand as a living testimony to the incredible riches of His grace and kindness
that He freely gives to us by uniting us with Jesus the Anointed.
This ability to be united with God is not
accomplished by self-effort, will, good works, self-worth. It is only accomplished through the work of God’s abundant
grace which is made available to us through Jesus’ death, burial, and
resurrection.
John 1:18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who
is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
The Amplified Version of the Bible sheds
some light on verse 18:
John 1:18 (AMP) “No one has seen God [His essence, His
divine nature] at any time; the [One and] only begotten God [that is, the
unique Son] who is in the intimate presence of the Father, He has explained Him
[and interpreted and revealed the awesome wonder of the Father.]”
No human has seen God the father. In
fact, He told Moses that it would kill him to see His face:
Exodus 33:18-20 (NASB) Then Moses said, “I pray You,
show me Your glory!” And He said, “I Myself will make all My goodness pass
before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you; and I will be
gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will
show compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and
live!”
So Jesus was God with skin on, fully God
and fully man in a human body. He was also the Voice of God and explained God’s
nature to all who would listen. Through Jesus, we can understand God’s
righteousness, justice, mercy, love, and grace. Jesus
presence reveals that God desires to be with His people – Emanuel, God with us.
Even before Jesus, we see this desire in the Ark of the Covenant housed first in the traveling tabernacle and then in the temple.
It was the symbol of God’s presence among the Jews. God calls those who trust
Jesus to be His own “possession.”
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own
possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you
out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Jesus is the Light who dispels the
darkness of this world and reveals the marvelous life found in relationship
with God.
Q – Has the Light shown a spotlight on
your need for a Savior? Have you realized the depth of sin that creates
distance between you and a completely perfect God? Trusting Jesus is the only
way to bridge that gap.
***********************************************************************************
Chapter
1 – Lesson 4
John
the Baptist Preparing the Way
John1:19 (ESV) And this is the testimony of John, when
the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20
He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
The Jewish leaders, the Pharisees, sent priests and Levites to question
John the Baptist and find out exactly who he was. He confessed that he definitely was NOT the Messiah, the
Anointed One. Some had thought he might be the long
awaited hope of Israel because he was baptizing for repentance from sin and
announcing that the Kingdom of Heaven was near.
John 1:21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you
Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
Reformation Study Bible:
1:21 Are you Elijah. In Matt. 11:14 Jesus, clearly referring to
Mal. 4:5, tells the crowd that John is “Elijah who is to come.” John comes in
the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17), but the Baptist here affirms that
he is not Elijah himself.
Malachi 4:5 (VOICE) Keep watch. I am sending Elijah
the prophet to you before the arrival of the great and terrible day of the
Eternal One.
These religious leaders thought John the Baptist might be Elijah
resurrected, but he unequivocally denied this. Some thought he was the prophet
Moses described in Deuteronomy 18:14-15 (VOICE):
Moses: 14 The nations you’re going to displace seek
guidance from people who practice divination and predicting. But the Eternal
your God doesn’t want you to do that. 15 He will raise up from among your own
people a prophet who will be like me. Listen to him.
John also denied that he was the prophet
Moses foretold. This left the envoy from the Pharisees puzzled.
John 1:22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need
to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of
the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John the Baptist quoted a portion of
Isaiah 40:3, so we looked up the entire verse in the Voice Bible. It makes
clear that the way is being prepared for God Himself. Since roads during that
time were dirt, there were often large potholes, rocks in the way, or narrow
areas. If a king were coming to town, the road crew would go out and make sure
his journey would be smooth. John the Baptist served to “pave the way” for
Jesus’ ministry to begin. So John the Baptist was
a one-man road crew for Jesus the King.
Isaiah 40:3 (VOICE) “A voice is wailing, “In the
wilderness, get it ready! Prepare the way; make it a straight shot. The Eternal
would have it so. Straighten the way in the wandering desert to make the
crooked road wide and straight for our God.”
Reformation Study Bible:
1:23 In quoting Is. 40:3, John applies to Christ what is said of Yahweh in
that passage. The same truth appears even more clearly in Mark 1:1–3.
The passage in Mark leaves no doubt as to whom
this applies, Jesus, the Son of God. You might take time to look it up and read it and
any notes found in your Bible.
John 1:24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ,
nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
The Pharisees (some of the religious
leaders of Israel) and their emissaries were constantly questioning the
authority of anyone but themselves. Instead of being delighted that John was
encouraging people to turn from their sin and prepare themselves for the
Kingdom of God, they wanted to know who gave him the license to preach! They were majoring on the wrong thing. Seems like they would
have praised John the Baptist instead of calling him on the carpet. They questioned his
authority to baptize if he were not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet promised
by Moses.
John 1:26 John answered them, “I baptize with water,
but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the
strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in
Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John the Baptist does not answer their question about his authority.
Instead, he explains that Someone greater than himself is already among those
who had come out to hear him at the Jordan River. They were unable to recognize
Jesus as the Christ, but God had revealed this truth to John the Baptist as we
will see. One of the lowest jobs for a servant was taking off the masters’
sandals. He states that he is not even worthy to perform
this lowliest of tasks for the Person he is heralding. John is given many opportunities to exalt himself, but instead,
in humility he promotes Christ. From the
beginning of his ministry, John the Baptist humbly sets himself in the
background, revealing the place of prominence as
belonging to the Lord Jesus. He could have claimed fame since the angel
announcing his conception to his father Zacharias had said:
Luke 1: 15-17 (NASB) “For he will be great in the
sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled
with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will turn many
of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 It is he who will go as a
forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of
the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the
righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John the Baptist, the one-man road crew, worked tirelessly to help people
prepare for the coming of Jesus’ ministry on earth. He proclaimed the arrival
of the Kingdom of Heaven boldly, yet humbly subordinated himself to Jesus, the
Anointed One.
Q – Are we making a straight path, a
clear way for people to understand Jesus? Is the example of our lives declaring
His greatness, His supremacy, and His sovereignty to all who observe us?
John
1 – Lesson 5
John
the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God”
John 1:29 (NIV) The next day he saw Jesus coming
toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world!
The very next day after John the Baptist
dealt with the contingent sent from the Pharisees, he saw Jesus headed his
way. There must have been a crowd
gathered because he instructed them to look at Jesus and described Him as “the
Lamb of God. John the Baptist was not only announcing
who Jesus was but was heralding His purpose. Within the sacrificial system God had implemented for His people, the Jews, only a lamb
with no blemish or malady, a completely sound specimen, could be sacrificed at Passover. In the original Passover when
the Jews were captive in Egypt, the blood of a perfect lamb was put on the
doorposts to the angel of death would pass over that house rather than kill the
first born children inside. Jesus would ultimately become the final Passover Lamb whose death
would deliver all types of people from all nations and all times from sin and
death. This does not say that all people will be saved. The Bible
clearly teaches that not all roads lead to Heaven. In John 14:6, Jesus clearly
claims to be the only way. Those who believe Jesus
is God in the person of the Son, that He died in their place and was raised to
life on the third day, and trust Him alone to deliver them from sin and death,
WILL be delivered. Continue watching for
references to Jesus as the Lamb of God. You may
want to mark them in your Bible. We will put the words in red for you.
John 1:30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a
man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know
him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be
revealed to Israel.”
John was baptizing so that Israel, the
Lord’s people, might recognize their need for spiritual cleansing in
preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. Even though
he was Jesus’ cousin, John had not realized that He was the Christ until he
baptized him. Also, John reiterates that Jesus is superior to him.
John 1:32 And
John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it
remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize
with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this
is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne
witness that this is the Son of God.”
God had given John a sign to watch for –
that the Holy Spirit would descend upon the Messiah and stay. He had witnessed
this occurrence when he baptized Jesus.
Mark 1:9-12 (NIV) At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out
of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him
like a dove. And a voice came from
heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
John the Baptist declared that he only
baptized people with water but Jesus would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:4-5 (NIV) On one occasion, while he was eating
with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the
gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized
with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
John’s baptism was in preparation for
the arrival of the Messiah. The baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave His
followers was to sustain them in His physical absence from the earth. The gift of the Holy Spirit enabled them to proclaim the Gospel
with power and boldness.
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
God had revealed the fact that Jesus was
His Son to John the Baptist as the Spirit in the form of a dove rested on the
Lord when He was baptized with water. As far as
John the Baptist was concerned this was irrefutable evidence that Jesus was
indeed the Christ, the Son of God. He did not
keep this good news to himself but declared it loudly
and without apology to the people.
Q – Once John the Baptist recognized
Jesus for who He really was, He pointed others His direction. How can we as
believers point others in the direction of Jesus so they too may have the gift
of forgiveness and God’s grace? If you have not entrusted your life to Jesus,
it is our prayer that He might reveal Himself to you through the study of His
word in the Gospel of John.
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John
Chapter 1 – Lesson 6
Calling
the First Disciples
John 1:35 (ESV) The next day again John was standing
with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples
heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
The day after John the Baptist had
declared that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus chooses to walk by him again. Perhaps Jesus walked by at that moment because He knew John
would take that opportunity to say something, to prophesy about Jesus once
more. Two of John’s disciples were standing there, and John said,
“Behold the Lamb of God!” Or as we would say,
“Look! There He is, the Lamb of God!” These two disciples of John the Baptist,
hearing him say this, chose to follow Jesus. John
did not try to stop them since his stated purpose was to point others to the
Lord, not himself. The fact that they followed
Jesus meant that John was fulfilling his divine purpose of making a way for the Messiah.
John 1:38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said
to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means
Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.”
Jesus asked them what they were looking
for. They did not really answer His question but addressed Him as
Rabbi or Teacher, a term of respect indicating that they thought they could
learn from Him. They knew that Jesus
possessed wisdom they did not have, and they wanted to learn from Him. Their teacher, John the Baptist, sent them in His direction
which was enough commendation for them to seek Him out. They asked where He was
living at the moment. He invited them to follow
Him and find out.
John 1:39b So they came and saw where he was staying,
and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
The detail here indicates that John the
Apostle was the other disciple of John the Baptist who followed Jesus along
with Andrew. John’s first meeting with Jesus was so
life altering that he remembered the precise hour of the day it happened. The tenth hour would be 10:00 a.m., so they spent the entire day
with Jesus.
John 1:40 One of the two who heard John speak and
followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own
brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means
Christ).
This first meeting with Jesus was enough
to convince Andrew that He was indeed the Messiah, and he rushed off to share
this news with his brother Simon. Andrew was
extremely excited about Jesus and wanted to share this great news with his brother before sharing with anyone else. At
first, Andrew kept it all in the family. When we
have exceptionally good news, shouldn’t we want our family to join in the joy
with us? He told Simon that he had found the Messiah, the Christ, which means the Anointed One. Every
Jewish man would know about the promised Messiah who would be the Son of God.
John 1:42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him
and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which
means Peter).
Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. The Bible
does not tell us whether or not Simon came
enthusiastically or was dragged kicking and screaming, only that Andrew brought him. Jesus promptly renamed him Peter
which means rock. His renaming of Peter is actually prophetic. Peter seemed an unlikely leader because he was a simple
fisherman, had a hot-headed temper, and often had tunnel vision. He would leap to follow the Lord walking on water but then would
lose focus quickly and
start sinking as he stared at the obvious problem of
the waves rather than the solution standing in front of him. Jesus gave him a name indicating how Jesus would transform him
as they walked together. He would not truly become “rock-like,” (steady and dependable) until the
Holy Spirit filled him on the day of Pentecost.
John 1:43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.
He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter.
Philip was from the same home town as
Andrew and Peter, possibly one of their
“homies.” We do not know if they knew each other prior to following the Lord,
but they might have since John made a point to say they were from the same
place. Why would Philip just leave and follow Jesus? The Bible does not really tell us, but perhaps seeing Andrew and
Peter following Jesus, Philip knew there must be something special and worthy
of following about this Man.
John 1:45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We
have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
We do not know how much interaction with
Jesus Philip had before declaring to Nathanael that Jesus was the one foretold
by the prophets. Still he refers to Jesus as the son of Joseph from Nazareth.
46 Nathanael
said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him,
“Come and see.”
Nazareth was a small town of no
significant prophetic
consequence. It was also a place looked down upon by
those from Galilee. So Nathanael has a hard time believing the Messiah could
come from such a place. But Philip persists and insists that he “come and see” for himself. Apparently these first
followers believed that just a few moments in the presence of Jesus could
convince their friends to follow Him as well. It
is as if they were thinking, “When you hear Him, you will know without
reservation that He is that One we have been awaiting so long!”
Q – Are we convinced that people will
desire to follow Jesus if they can only see Him for themselves? What are we
doing to “show” them Jesus?
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and
said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48
Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip
called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
Nathanael was curious enough to follow Philip to Jesus. The first thing that Jesus says about Nathanael is that he is
honest and above reproach. This is their first
meeting, but Jesus makes a statement about his inner character. Nathanael
demands to know how Jesus could know him so well. He is shocked because they have not spent any time together. To
know that a person is honest usually means you have spent time with them and
seen them in difficult situations. Jesus tells
Nathanael that he saw him sitting under the fig tree before Philip even
approached him. Jesus is not only saying, “I
saw you with my eyes.” When Jesus sees a person, he does not only view their
physical shell. He sees right through them, into the core of their being.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the
Son of God! You are the King of Israel.
Apparently the fig tree was some
distance away from Jesus so that He could not humanly, physically have seen
Nathanael. So now Nathanael is convinced Philip was telling him the truth. Nathanael addresses Jesus as Rabbi which means Teacher. He is
probably expecting Jesus to set up a Kingdom where He rules and reigns in
Israel as King. At any rate, Nathanael now
believes enough to declare Jesus the Messiah.
John 1:50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you,
‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things
than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see
heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of
Man.”
I almost picture Jesus laughing heartily
as he says, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you
believe?” I picture Him having a good belly laugh
as well. He basically says, “If that amazed you, you haven’t seen anything yet!
You better put your seatbelt on!” Of course,
they didn’t have seatbelts yet, but you get the gist. Jesus knew that Nathanael
and the other disciples would be witnesses to incredible signs and wonders, up to and including
raising people from the dead! As Jacob saw the angels descending and ascending
on a ladder to Heaven (Genesis 28:12), the disciples would see many proofs that
Jesus was indeed the Son of God. Jesus
favorite term for Himself was “Son of Man” which
refers back to Daniel’s prophecy concerning the end times:
Daniel 7:13-14 (NIV) “In my vision at night I looked,
and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of
heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was
given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every
language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not
pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
The term “Son of Man” also indicates
Jesus position as the bridge between God and man. As the perfect God-Man, fully human yet fully
divine, Jesus communicates with mankind on behalf of the Father. In the next
lesson, we will see the first of the amazing signs Jesus performed in front of
His disciples. Nathanael was in for a treat indeed!
Q –
How did Jesus “reveal” Himself to you? Was it through reading the Bible?
Hearing the word preached? A friend sharing the good news as Andrew and Philip
shared? Are you willing to ask the Lord to use you to reveal Him to others?
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