The Nelson Impact Bible Study series will introduce in-depth Bible study to Christian laypeople. Each book will help readers experience the true meaning of the messages in the book of Genesis, and in turn, empower the reader to truly make a difference in the world for Christ.

Designed for individual or group study, the study guide will provide a foundation for Bible study and encourage the reader to return to the Bible. All necessary background information will be given so that the reader needs only a Bible and the study guide. The messages will be thorough but easily understood and will be complimented by application questions to guide the readers into a deeper relationship with the Bible that will impact their lives with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Other study guides in the series include:

• 1 Corinthians ISBN: 1418506192
• Exodus ISBN: 1418506168
• Genesis ISBN: 1418506087
• Isaiah ISBN: 1418506095
• John ISBN: 1418506109
• Mark ISBN: 1418506184
• Romans ISBN: 1418506117
• Ruth & Esther ISBN: 1418506176

For God So Loved the World

JohnBy Edward (Les) Middleton

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4185-0610-0

Contents

Introduction...........................................................11 Prologue (1:1–18)..............................................92 Early Ministry (1:19–7:9)......................................193 Later Ministry (7:10–12:50)....................................384 Preparing His Disciples (13:1–15:10)...........................615 Further Preparations (15:11–17:26).............................716 Arrest and Trial (18:1–19:16)..................................847 Crucifixion and Resurrection (19:17–20:10).....................978 Final Appearances (20:11–31)...................................1059 Epilogue (21:1–25).............................................11210 Coming to a Close...................................................119How to Build Your Reference Library....................................122

Chapter One

Prologue

John 1:1–18

Before We Begin ...

What do you believe to be the relationship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to God the Father? Do they coexist? Are they separate entities, or one divine Being?

The book of John begins with a truly unique introduction—or prologue. It is not at all unusual for a Gospel to establish a historical setting, but in his first eighteen verses John creates what might be called a theological setting instead. It's as though he wants to be sure that we understand, before we even begin, both who this "Jesus" is and where He came from. Fill in the blanks for the very first verse, and then answer the questions that follow.

In the beginning was the __________, and the __________ was with God, and the __________ was God. (John 1:1 NKJV)

What is your understanding of "Word" as it is used in this verse?

What "beginning" do you believe John was talking about?

How can a "Word" be "with" anyone?

The Greek word from which we get "Word" is logos, which means "that which is spoken; a speech; a statement." How does this affect your understanding of this usage of the term "Word" in this context?

Now fill in the blanks in the next four verses.

He was in the __________ with God. All __________ were made through Him, and without __________ nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the __________ was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:2–5 NKJV)

What "beginning" do you believe John is talking about here?

What did he mean by "things" that "were made"?

In what sense do you believe he meant that "the life was the light of men"?

What about "the darkness did not comprehend it"? In what sense can darkness comprehend—or fail to comprehend—light?

John The Baptist, Witness to the True Light

The next four verses describe a man named John—but not the same "John" who is writing the book! This John is more commonly known as John the Baptist, who (as we are told in the other Gospels, and in the book of Isaiah as well) came to prepare the way for Christ Himself. Fill in the blanks for the following verses, and then answer the questions below.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was __________. This man came for a __________, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might__________. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the __________ Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1:6–9 NKJV)

What does John mean by the word "witness" in verse 6? Witness to what?

Notice the distinction between the words "Light" (with a capital L) and "light" with a lowercase l. Why does John make this distinction? What is his purpose in doing so?

Based on what John says here, who was greater—John the Baptist or the One John refers to as "the Light"?

The next four verses further describe Jesus Christ Himself, even though the author, John, has not yet called Him by the name by which most people know Him. Again, fill in the blanks in the text below, then answer the questions that follow.

He was in the __________, and the __________ was made through Him, and the __________ did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:10–13 NKJV)

The word "world" is used three times in the first sentence above. In each case it is used in a slightly different sense. In the spaces provided, can you identify the "three senses" in which the word "world" is used?

1. He was in the world.

2. The world was made through Him.

3. The world did not know Him.

What did John mean by "He came to His own"? Who were "His own"?

What concept was John referring to in the last sentence of the passage above? What "right" did Christ give to those willing to do ... what? What two things did John say we must do to receive this "right"?

The Word Becomes Flesh

In typical Hebraic fashion, John does not write his book in a straight-ahead, linear fashion, with each thought following the preceding thought and with similar thoughts grouped together into what we know as "paragraphs." Next, he returns to the concept of "the Word" and begins to amplify his very first thoughts:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NKJV)

Then John returns to his introduction of John the Baptist, adding more details to what he told us earlier:

John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, `He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' " (John 1:15 NKJV)

Finally, John brought the prologue to a close with these words:

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. (John 1:16–18 NKJV)

What did John (the author) mean when he said that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (v. 14)?

What did he say that "the only begotten of the Father" was filled with (v. 14)?

Why did John the Baptist claim that Jesus Christ was "preferred before me" (v. 15)?

What was given through Moses (v. 17)?

What came through Jesus Christ (v. 17)?

How do you believe these two elements complement each other?

At this point, take a few minutes to reread the Prologue (vv. 1–18) and look for the words in the first column of the following table. In column two, indicate in which verses each word occurs. Add up all the occurrences of each one in column three. Finally, in column four, under "meaning," indicate what you believe each of these words represents in the portion of John you've read so far.

Congratulations! You have just created a matrix, featuring some of the most important theological concepts and constructs of the book of John, and indicating where they were first introduced by him within the first eighteen verses of his book. Keep this chart handy, for these words (and, more important, the concepts they represent) will occur many more times in the remaining chapters and verses of John.

It could be especially interesting to consider how your understanding of each of these words might change as you study the book of John in its entirety.

Pulling It All Together ...

• John's prologue made it clear that Word, Son, and Jesus Christ are all names for the God-man who came to earth as a man yet retained his full identity as God. However, these three names must not be mistaken for the concept of the Trinity, which is one God, coexisting in three equal parts that are distinct from each other yet all the same God, commonly expressed as Father/Son/Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not an easy concept to grasp—indeed, it is one of the divine mysteries that simply cannot be fully explained in human terms.

• John the Baptist was sent ahead of Christ, to "bear witness to the Light." He is not to be confused with Christ Himself. Through the other Gospels we know that John the Baptist was actually Christ's cousin, but John himself did not tell us so.

• Theologically, the "salvation" we are offered through belief in Christ was and is identical to the salvation God offered through "belief in Himself" prior to Christ's coming. However, through His death on the cross (about which John will have much to say in later chapters, as do the other Gospels), Christ made it unnecessary for us to offer blood sacrifices to atone for our sins, as God's justice had required prior to Christ's sacrificial death. This is the "grace" God extended to us through the death of His Son—not the "grace" to sin as we wish, but the "grace" to be considered righteous in God's eyes via the atoning blood of Christ.

Chapter Two

Early Ministry

John 1:19–7:9

Before We Begin ...

What is your understanding of the relationship between Jesus Christ and John the Baptist? What did John the Baptist himself say about this relationship?

John Chapter 1, Continued ...

Jesus and John the Baptist

The first portion of this section brings us back to John the Baptist and repeats certain conversations between him and "the Jews." The term "Jews," as used here, refers to the religious leaders of the city of Jerusalem, who are eventually identified as Pharisees (v. 24). Please read John 1:19–28 and answer the following questions.

What two groups of people did the Jews send to talk to John the Baptist?

What would be the differences between these two groups?

What do you think is meant by the word "confessed" in this context?

Why would they have asked John if he was Elijah?

The next several verses (John 1:29–34) cover what some commentators call John's "second witness," in which he testified about who Jesus was.

In verse 29, why do you believe John called Jesus the "Lamb of God"? How would John be able to "make this connection" in his own mind?

What did he mean when he said that Jesus "was before me"? In what way?

Please fill in the blanks in the following verses.

And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the __________ descending from heaven like a __________, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to __________ with water said to me, `Upon whom you see the Spirit __________, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and __________ that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32–34 NKJV)

Of what two things did John the Baptist testify, concerning himself and Jesus?

1.

2.

Jesus Calls His Disciples

In the remainder of chapter 1, Jesus began to gather His disciples. Some of these verses can be tricky in terms of who was speaking and who was being spoken about. Sometimes it helps to follow the capitalization of the pronouns. For example, in verse 37, the "two disciples" were disciples of John the Baptist, whom they heard speak of Christ; they then followed Him (i.e., Christ). In a sense they switched from one teacher to another, which is undoubtedly what John the Baptist intended, for John (the writer) took great pains to clarify John the Baptist's divinely decreed role as one who "prepared the way" for Christ Himself.

The first words John recorded from the mouth of Jesus occur in verse 38 when He asked the same two disciples (whose names we do not yet know),"What do you seek?" This particular question was certainly simple on the surface, but could have had far larger implications. Likewise with their answer: "Rabbi, where are You staying?"

Read the remainder of this chapter (John 1:39–51) and answer the questions below.

According to this passage, who was the very first disciple whose name we are actually given?

Who was this man's brother, who became the second disciple?

Who was their father? And, to what did Jesus change the second disciple's name?

(Please note that, in verse 44, Simon Peter [Cephas] is now simply called Peter, which is how he was known throughout most of the New Testament.)

What did Philip say to Nathanael about Jesus?

What was Nathanael's response?

Why do you suppose Nathanael said that?

What was the first thing Jesus said, in turn, about Nathanael?

John Chapter 2

Miracle #1— Jesus Turns Water into Wine

Since not one of the four Gospels is an exhaustive, definitive, day-by-day history of Jesus' life on Earth, we cannot know precisely how many miracles He performed while He lived here. However, if you catalog all those that were recorded in the four Gospels, you will get a grand total of thirty-five separate ones. Many of these, of course, are repeated more than once—some in two different Gospels, some in three, and one (the feeding of the five thousand) in all four. Matthew and Luke both record twenty miracles, Mark records eighteen, and John records eight.

Of the eight miracles John included, he was the only chronicler of six. Obviously, he was extremely selective. Since his Gospel was also written last, his choices also suggest that—to at least some limited extent—he might have been filling in the record of the other three Gospels. Seven of the eight miracles he mentioned occurred during Jesus' life on Earth; the last one (the second miraculous catch of fish) occurred after His death and before He ascended into heaven—and this is also one of the six that John alone recorded.

The miracle mentioned in the beginning of chapter 2 is the first one that John recorded. Read John 2:1–12 and answer the following questions.

What was happening in Cana on this day?

Why do you suppose Jesus did not seem to want to perform this miracle?

What was unique about the wine Jesus created, with respect to the usual serving practice of that era?

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

John's Gospel is the only one that records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus' ministry; the others record the one that occurred just prior to His crucifixion. Most commentators believe there probably were two separate incidents, for some of the details are different. Read John 2:13–25 and answer the following questions.

For what reason did Jesus go to Jerusalem, in this story?

Why would people be selling oxen, sheep, and doves—and changing money—in the temple?

What did He mean when He said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up"? What did His listeners think He meant?

John Chapter 3

You Must Be Born Again

The story of Nicodemus is told in the first twenty-one verses of chapter 3. Perhaps the most familiar verses are contained in the following passage, especially the verse in italics. Fill in the blanks as you read.

"Are you the teacher of __________, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and __________ what We have seen, and you do not receive Our __________. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you __________ if I tell you __________ things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

"He who believes in Him is not __________; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not __________ in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the __________, that the light has come into the world, and men loved __________ rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the __________ comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John 3:10–21 NKJV, emphasis added)

John The Baptist Exalts Christ

The final verses of chapter 3 contain another familiar quotation from John the Baptist, who was baptizing converts not far from where Jesus and His disciples came in the land of Judea. John's comment in verse 24, to the effect that John the Baptist "had not yet been thrown into prison," seems to suggest that John's own book was partly intended to supplement the other three Gospels, all of which mention John the Baptist's imprisonment by Herod, which eventually ended in his beheading.

Most revealing of John the Baptist's character is this quote in response to a question from one of his own disciples, who seemed to be lamenting Jesus' "intrusion" and John the Baptist's waning influence that came as a result:

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. (John 3:27–31 NKJV, emphasis added)

John Chapter 4

A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah

This chapter begins with the story of the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at a well on the edge of a city called Sychar, in Samaria. John undoubtedly included this (along with the story of Nicodemus) to demonstrate that Christ could read the hearts of those He met. Read John 4:7–26 and answer the following questions.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from For God So Loved the Worldby Edward (Les) Middleton Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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