Gospel of John Bible Study Guide Test Version 0.7
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Transcript of 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 .
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
Read through the section of Johns Testimony about Jesus and the calling of
some of Jesus first disciples. (John 1: 19-51)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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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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)
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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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
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
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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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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)
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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)
Section 4: John 3:1-8
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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
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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Section 5: John 3:9-20
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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
Read the section about Jesus response to Johns doubt and skepticism. (J ohn3:9- 20
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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?
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)
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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.
Section 6: John 3:22-36
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!)
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
Read the section about what John said when he found out that Jesus ministry
was getting bigger than his. (J ohn 3:22-36
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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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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)
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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.
Section 7: John 4:1-42
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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
Read the section about Jesus and the Samaritan woman. (J ohn 4:1-42)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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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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)
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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)
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
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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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)
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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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
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)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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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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)
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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)
Section 10: J ohn 5:24-47
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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
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).
Section 11: J ohn 6:1-21
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)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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)
STEP 5: Listening to God
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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Section 12: J ohn 6:22-45
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.
STEP 2: READ THROUGH THE SECTION
Continue reading the section about Jesus answers to the Galileans. (J ohn 6:22-
46)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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 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)
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Section 13: John 6:47-71
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)
STEP 3: READ AND ANSWER QUESTIONS
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