John

Date Written: 85-90 CE

Author: John the apostle, son of Zebedee, brother of James, called a Son of Thunder

Setting: Written after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 & before John’s exile to the island of Patmos.

Key People: Jesus, John the Baptist, the disciples, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus’ mother, Pilate, Mary Magdalene

Purpose: To show Jesus as the Son of God, the Word made flesh, who provides eternal life for all who believe in Him.

Key Verses: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 3:16

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, & that by believing you may have life in His name. 20:30-31

Chapter Outline:

1-2:11 Birth & Preparation of Jesus, The Son of God

2:12-12 Message & Ministry of Jesus, The Son of God

13-21 Death & Resurrection of Jesus, The Son of God

Importance of reading John:

What we read: John makes it clear that Jesus is not just a man; He is the eternal Son of God. He is the light of the world because He offers this gift of eternal life to everyone. How foolish it was of those who only say Him as a good man or a moral teacher. What we can learn: We may not say that Jesus was just a good man or that He was just a good teacher, but when we are casual about His Word, casual about His presence, about His holiness, about our holiness, we are really saying the same thing.

What we read: Jesus meets with people, preaches to great crowds, trains His disciples and debates with the religious leaders. The message that He is the Son of God receives a mixed reaction. Some worship Him, some are puzzled, some shrink back and some try to silence Him. What we can learn: We see the same varied reactions today. Times have changed, but people’s hearts remain hard. Let us see ourselves in these encounters Jesus had with people & let our response be to worship & follow Him.

What we read: John records 8 specific miracles, or signs, that show the nature of Jesus’ power & love. We see His power over everything created and we see His love for people. John tells us why he wrote these things in 20:31 – But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, & that by believing you may have life in His name. What we can learn: When we repent & believe in His life, His Words, His death & His resurrection, we are cleansed from sin and can trust Him to give us eternal life.

What we read: John chapter 9, Jesus heals a blind man. After he was healed, he was questioned by religious leaders. They demanded the man tell them who Jesus was and if He was a prophet or a sinner. His answer was – 9:25 He answered, “Whether He is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” What we can learn: Our testimony can be that simple, yet that powerful. You may not be able to explain it. Theological arguments are usually useless anyway. But the testimony of your experience is irrefutable. No one can argue against what you have experience with God.

What we read: John 11:5-6 Now Jesus loved Martha & her sister & Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. What can we learn: If Jesus loved them so much, why didn’t He leave immediately and go to them? Delay seems like something you would do if you didn’t really care. Yet we know Jesus loved them and He still delayed. This shows us that God’s delays don’t mean that He doesn’t love us, that He doesn’t hear us or that He doesn’t care. What it does mean is that there is something that we can’t see, something we don’t know but God does. We can trust His timing because He knows all things.

What we read: John 15:4-5, 7, 9-10 Jesus is talking with His disciples on the night He was betrayed. He tells them to “abide in Me” “abide in My love” – the word abide is written 9 times in these verses. What we can learn: These are 3 things that we can do to abide in Jesus. 1) Read the Bible. Continually feeding on the Word of God helps us to understand what we are to do. There is power in the Word. There is truth in the Word. 2) Obey the Word. By obedience we show our love for God. 3) Pray. Prayer is essential to abiding. Share your heart, your hurts, fears, joys & gratitude with Him.

What we read: Jesus taught His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after He ascended from earth. The Holy Spirit would then indwell, guide, counsel, and comfort those who are followers of Jesus. What we can learn: Through God’s Holy Spirit we are drawn to Him in faith. The Holy Spirit will help us to understand all Jesus taught & He will help us live for God.

What we read: On the 3^rd day after He died, Jesus rose from the dead. This was verified by His disciples & many eyewitnesses. What we can learn: Jesus birth, death and resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. We can have confidence that our bodies will one day be raised to live with Jesus forever.

Things to think about as you read John:

• Do you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Does your life show that you believe that? What does John 8:24 say for those who don’t?
• Do you know how to take others through Scriptures to show them that Jesus is God? If not, write them out and practice so that you can lead others.
• If you never told anyone that you were a Christian, would they know it anyway because of the way you live?
• Are you relying on the Holy Spirit to comfort you, help you, bear witness through you, do the work of God through you and guide you into all truth?

Video Link: https://youtu.be/O3F_Vl2yaak?si=e1-FX-go5ULwZj1t

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry