Bible Study of John

WHY THE GOSPEL OF JOHN WAS WRITTEN

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. –John 20:30,31

John called himself "the disciple whom Jesus loved." We do not think that Jesus loved John more than He loved the other disciples, but perhaps John was more sensitive to feel the love that Jesus had for them all. John appreciated Jesus' love very deeply and was sensitive to Christ's mission and purpose in this world.

Many years after the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written, some false teachings were being spread that Jesus was just a man. So John wrote this very special book to show that Jesus was God made flesh. Out of all the hundreds of miracles that Jesus performed, John carefully chose to record miracles which proved that Jesus was WHO He claimed to be. He called these miracles "signs."

John also proved why the religious leaders of that time hated Jesus and delivered Him to be crucified. It was because Jesus claimed to be equal with God! John shows how Jesus planned to be the "Lamb of God" who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice required by God to atone for the sins of the world.

It was John's purpose that those who read his Gospel ("good news") would believe on Jesus and receive eternal life.

It is my prayer that this study of the Good News According to John will lead you to believe in Jesus and receive Him into your life to be your own Savior and Lord. Jesus is Life and He offers to share His life with you through all eternity. Why not tell Him today that you reject your old life and that you receive Him? Thank Him for the new life He gives you. Enjoy fellowship with Him each day. Live every day to please Him. And tell others about this wonderful Jesus. He loves them, too!
–(Mrs.) Vicky R. Benson
______________________________________________________
Copyright 2001 by Vicky R. Benson

LESSON 1. GRAND INTRODUCTION TO JESUS CHRIST

John 1:1-18

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹That was the true Light which gives light to every man who comes into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹²But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: ¹³who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. ¹⁴And 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.

¹⁵John 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.'"¹⁶And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Something to Do

A. Write or print your answer to each question. If you cannot answer the question, read the Bible lesson again.
1. Who was "the Word"? ________ (verse 1)
2. Where was "the Word"? _________ _______ (1)
3. What was in "the Word"? ____________ (4)
4. Where does the light shine? in the ____________ (5)
5. Who was sent from God to bear witness of the light? A man named __________ (6)
[This was John the Baptist, not John the author of this Gospel.]
6. Who did not receive Jesus? His ________ (11)
[As a nation, Israel—God's chosen people—did not accept Christ.]
7. What right is given to those who receive Jesus? The right to become ______________ _____ _______ (12)
8.Those who are born of God are born, "not of _________, nor of the will of the
________________, nor of the will of __________, but of _________." (13)
[When a person becomes a child of God, it is a miracle that God Himself does. It does not happen by being born to Christian parents; it does not happen merely because you want it to happen; and it does not happen because someone else may want you to be born again. New birth is a work of God.]
9. What did "the Word" become? ________________ (14)
10. Where did "the Word" dwell or live? _________ ____ (14)
11.What two things have we received when we have Christ? "Of His ____________ we have all received, and __________ for __________" [one blessing after another] (16).
12. Because no one has ever seen God, who had to come to show us who God was? the only begotten __________ (18).
[Because Jesus is God, He could be on earth at the same time that He was with the Father, where He had been from eternity. (Compare verse 18 with verse 1.)]

B. Write out this verse and memorize it: John 1:12

Jesus Is God—He Came in Human Form

Before we can receive Jesus and believe on His name, we must know who He is. Verse18 says that Jesus came to show God to us, because no one had ever been able to come close enough to God to see Him fully. God's glory is too bright. He is too holy.

Because man is sinful, man lives in spiritual darkness. Darkness is this world which tries to ignore God and live without Him. But we see in verse 5 that the darkness could not put out the light.

The Bible says, "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5). Jesus, as God, was called the "True Light" (John 1:9). By the True Light man sees himself as he truly is, a sinner. And by the True Light he can see what God is truly like. He can also see what man is truly supposed to be.

How wonderful that the True Light (Jesus) shines in our dark world to show us God! As one little girl put it, "Jesus is the best picture God ever had taken!" Jesus is a picture of God—Someone men could see and hear and touch.

Jesus lived among men. The word "dwelt" in verse 14 literally means "tabernacled." Jesus tabernacled among us. The tabernacle in the Old Testament was a tent-church designed by God when the people of Israel had to move from place to place in the early days of their history. The tabernacle—and later the temple in Jerusalem—was the place where the LORD God lived among His chosen people. Later, when Israel sinned, the glory of God's presence left the temple. But now, in the Person of Jesus, God had returned to "tabernacle" among His own people! Isn't it too bad that so many did not recognize Him? But all who really believed in God saw God's glory in Jesus (verse 14) when He came.

Jesus Is the Word of God

The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). Another name for Jesus is the "Word of God." (Compare verse 1 with verse 14.) The Bible is God's written Word, and Jesus is God's Living Word, because God tells us about Himself by Jesus.

"GOD, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son" (Hebrews 1:1,2a).

Jesus Is the Life of God

Have you ever wondered why we become children of God when we receive Jesus into our hearts? It is because "in Him was life" (verse 4).

First we see that Jesus made all living things (verses 3 and 10). "All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16b, 17). Jesus, as God, is the source of all life. He also sustains all life. "He gives to all life, breath...for in Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:25b,28a).

Just as man became a living soul when God breathed the breath of life into man's physical being at Creation, so also Jesus has been given power over all flesh, to give eternal (spiritual) life to as many as come to Him (John 17:2). "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12).

Have you received new life—spiritual life—by receiving Jesus and putting your complete trust in His name? If you have, you are a child of God, born of God, and possess His eternal life. As you walk in His light and more fully experience His life in you, you will enjoy one blessing after another (verse 16). If you have not received Him, won't you ask Him right now to come in and give you new life—His very own eternal life?

You have answered a knock on your door before, haven't you? Jesus is standing beside you right now, knocking on the door of you heart. He promises, "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

LESSON 6. JESUS TELLS A RULER HOW TO BE BORN AGAIN

John 3:1-8, 14-21, 36

¹There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." ³Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." ⁴Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" ⁵Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.' ⁸The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

¹⁴"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

¹⁶"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. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.

³⁶"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Something to Do

A. Fill in the blanks with the right word from the lesson.
1. Nicodemus was a ____________ of the Jews (verse 1). He came to Jesus by __________ (2).
[Jesus is interested in every man—poor or rich, educated or ignorant.]
2. Nicodemus thought Jesus was a ____________ come from God (2).
3. Jesus said that to even see the kingdom of God, a man must be b______
a________ (3).
4. A man cannot enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of w________ and of the S__________ (5).
[To Nicodemus, water meant cleansing. In Lesson 2 we saw that John the Baptist baptized with water as people confessed their sins and turned from their sins (repentance). Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Spirit and to give people new life. To enter the kingdom of God, we must be willing to turn from our sins as well as receive the life of God's Spirit into our hearts.]
5. That which is born of the flesh is __________ (6).
["Flesh" refers not only to our physical bodies, but also to the human desires of our selfish nature (Romans 8:8, 9).]
6. That which is born of the Spirit is ____________ (6).
[When our bodies are born of our earthly parents, we, too, have earthly bodies. When our spirits are born of God, we, too, have a spirit that is alive and able to understand spiritual things of God (1 Corinthians 2:12, 14).]
7. The Son of man (Jesus) had to be lifted up (crucified on a cross) just like __________ lifted up the ___________ in the wilderness (14).
8. The reason Jesus came was because God __________ the world. Whoever believes in Jesus will not ____________, but have everlasting ____________ (16).
9. God didn't send His Son into the world to c__________ the world (though He will judge the world one day); He sent His Son to so the world might be ____________ (17).
10. A person who believes in Jesus is not c_____________. A person is condemned only when he has not ____________ in Jesus (18).
11. Light has come into the world, and men loved ____________ rather than __________ because their deeds were __________. Jesus calls this "the c________________" (19).
[Condemnation means eternal judgment and separation from God.]
12. He that does the ____________ comes to the light (21).
[It is not the man who does good who comes to the light. "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Romans 3:12b). The man who does truth is the man who confesses the truth of his sin and receives God's cleansing. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).]

B. Underline these verses in Lesson 6 (or write them on small cards), and memorize them:

John 3:16 and John 3:36

What It Means to Be Born Again

To be born again is to be born "from above," to start life over, to have a different beginning. Natural birth makes one a member of the human family. Spiritual birth makes one a member of God's family. The Spirit works in us and we see outward changes. For example, a person who has stolen doesn't steal anymore. It is just like when the wind blows. We can't see the wind, but we can see what it does.

A person whose spirit has not been born of God is spiritually "dead" (Ephesians 2:1, 5). Cleansing from sin comes first by the death of Christ and the death of our old way of life. Then the Spirit makes us alive with new life—Christ's resurrection life. Both are necessary to enter into God's kingdom. New birth takes place when the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Jesus Himself) actually enters and lives in our bodies. "Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His" (Romans 8:9b).

We inherit Christ's nature (2 Peter 1:4): new attitudes, a new power of our wills, a new mind to understand Scripture.

Are you like Nicodemus? Perhaps you have always been a religious person. Or a person who obeys all the laws. Perhaps you are even a leader. But have you ever been born again from above by God's Holy Spirit, so that you are a new creation? " Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). If you are not "born again," why not come to Jesus right now, like Nicodemus did? Ask Jesus to come into your life, so that you can have a new life and be part of God's family. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12).

Moses in the Wilderness

Long before, when the children of Israel were living in the wilderness under their leader, Moses, they grumbled and spoke bad things against God and against Moses. They complained about the way God was providing for them. So God sent serpents (snakes) among the people to bite them. Many people died. The people came to Moses and confessed their sin. They begged Moses to pray that God would take away the serpents. God answered their prayer in a different way. He told Moses to make a serpent of bronze and put it on a pole. Whoever looked at this bronze serpent, even though he had been bitten by a deadly snake, when he saw the serpent, he would live. (This story is found in Numbers 21: 4-9.)

Sin is like the bite of a deadly snake. We, too, will die unless we look to Jesus, who became sin for us (though He Himself never sinned). Many perished in the wilderness. Only those who looked were healed. Jesus warned Nicodemus that he, too, would perish if he did not look to Jesus to receive new life.

As men looked at the "dead" serpent and lived, they also must look at the One who takes the sin of the world upon Himself, crucified on a cross, (John 12:32, 33). Look and live! They didn't need to understand "how" it healed them to look at the serpent of bronze. All they had to do was just obey in faith. And it worked!

Look and live, my brother, live!
Look to Jesus now and live;
'Tis recorded in His Word, hallelujah!
It is only that you "look and live."

Coming to the Light

When we come to Christ, our sin is exposed because Jesus is the true light (John 1:9). Darkness hides the truth, but the light shows how things really are. The one who chooses not to come to God's light has chosen to hold on to his sins and not allow God to change him. Sinful man is already headed for hell. He needs Christ to escape. Those without Jesus are under God's wrath now (John 3:36), but the one who receives Christ begins the same life he will have in heaven—God's eternal life. "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:5-7).
When a man wants to be holy, he is willing to have his sins exposed and forgiven. So, coming to Christ is a life and death matter. Your destiny depends on what you do with Christ. Your destination depends on what you do with the light. Do you come to it? Or do you hide from it?

LESSON 7. JESUS OFFERS LIVING WATER

John 4:5-42

⁵So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. ⁷A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink." ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." ¹¹The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? ¹²Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?" ¹³Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

¹⁵The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." ¹⁷The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, ‘I have no husband,' ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly." ¹⁹The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." ²¹Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. ²²You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." ²⁵The woman said to Him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ). "When He comes, He will tell us all things." ²⁶Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am He."

²⁷And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?" ²⁸The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, ²⁹"Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" ³⁰Then they went out of the city and came to Him.

³¹In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." ³²But He said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." ³³Therefore the disciples said to one another, "Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?" ³⁴Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. ³⁵Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! ³⁶And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.' ³⁸I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors."

³⁹And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did." ⁴⁰So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹And many more believed because of His own word. ⁴²Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

Something to Do

A. Answer the questions from the lesson.
1. What feelings did Jesus have which show us He was also truly human? (verse
6)____________________________
2. What did Jesus say to the woman of Samaria? (7)
________________________________________________
3. Why was she surprised that Jesus would speak to her?
(9)______________________________________________

________________________________________________
[The Samaritans were descendants of Jews and foreigners who had married Jews. They did not worship just the God of Israel but false gods as well. When the true Jews rebuilt their temple in Jerusalem, they would not allow Samaritans to help them. But Jesus was always interested in every individual person; he was interested in every person's needs, even though it was not the custom for a Jewish man to speak to a woman in public.]
4. What would Jesus have given this woman if she had known to ask?
(10)___________________________________
5. What would be the difference between drinking the well water and drinking the water Jesus gave? (13, 14) ________________________________________________

________________________________________________

6. What did Jesus know about this woman? (18)________________________________________________

<>________________________________________________

[Jesus knows the secret sins of each of us.]

7. When Jesus pointed out her sin to her, what subject did the woman bring up? (20) She talked about the place where men ought to ____________________.
[Samaritans worshiped at their own temple on Mt. Gerizim. They believed in onlythe first five books of the Old Testament. Do you like to discuss "religion" instead of getting right with God?]
8. How do true worshipers worship the Father? (23)
___________________________________________________
[In order to worship God truly, we must be born of the Spirit.]
9. When the woman realized who Jesus really was, what did she do? (28,
29)_____________________________________________

________________________________________________

10. What satisfied Jesus just like food? (34) ______________

________________________________________________

11. Who did the Samaritans believe Jesus was? (42) ________

________________________________________________

B. Memorize this verse: John 4:24

How Faith Grows

Isn't it interesting to see how the woman of Samaria comes to know and believe more about Jesus the more He talks to her? See verse 9. She first recognizes Jesus as a Jew who had spoken to her kindly. See verse 11. Her respect rises, and she calls Him, "Sir." See verse 19. Jesus knew so much about her, she now thinks He must be a prophet. See verse 29. She now believes Jesus must be the Christ, the promised Messiah.

The more we allow Jesus to talk to us through the Bible, themore our faith in Him will grow, too! "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).

What Is Living Water?

The woman of Samaria thought it would be a wonderful thing if she did not have to lower her skin bucket down into Jacob's well. The water level was 90 feet below. But Jesus was not talking about physical water. Jesus was talking about the satisfaction He could give her to stop the continual thirst of her empty spirit for sinful pleasures. The living water He talks about is the gift of eternal life—His own life. The gushing spring is the overflowing joy and peace we can experience when we are filled with His Holy Spirit!

The woman wants the water, but first Jesus needs to prick her conscience. She must confess her sin and be willing to turn from it before she can receive living water from Jesus.

What This Story Teaches About Working for God

1. Every person needs to hear the gospel and believe in Christ for salvation. We should not treat anyone as an outcast, or unacceptable. Jesus didn't.
2. The spiritual "fields" of the world are ripe and ready to be harvested. We need to look up and see how many people around us are hungry for the truth and ready to receive it.
3. One person may sow (tell others about Jesus, give out literature, teach God's Word). Another person may reap (actually introduce someone to Christ). We need to be willing to do either. Both the one who sows and the one who reaps can have joy.
4. Doing God's will and finishing our work each day brings a satisfaction even more than food can give.
5. Though it is important to tell our friends about Jesus, we also need to bring them to Him to know Him for themselves.

LESSON 10. TWO RESURRECTIONS

John 5:24-29

²⁴"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. ²⁵Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. ²⁶For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, ²⁷and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice ²⁹and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

Something to Think About

Isn't it wonderful that when we hear Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts, and we trust Him by letting Him come in to our lives, then we can have the confidence that we have everlasting life! We can know that we shall never be condemned. We can know that we have already passed from death to life. Do you wonder how this can be? It is because Jesus has life in Himself (verse 26). Those without Christ cannot please God (Romans 8:8), so when they are raised from the grave, they can expect only judgment and eternal separation from God.

Something to Do

Memorize John 5:24 as an assurance to remind you what your salvation really means. As long as you are hearing God's Word and trusting in Him (obedience to Him shows you trust Him), do not let Satan put doubts into your mind. God wants you to know you are His. If something comes between you and God, God will point it out to you clearly so you can confess it and forsake it. God restores; Satan merely accuses.

LESSON 11. JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:5-14, 35, 47-51, 53-56, 63

⁵Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" ⁶But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. ⁷Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."⁸One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, ⁹"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" ¹⁰Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹²So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." ¹³Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. ¹⁴Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

³⁵And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
⁴⁷"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. ⁴⁸I am the bread of life. ⁴⁹Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. ⁵⁰This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. ⁵¹I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

⁵³Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. ⁵⁵For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. ⁵⁶He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."

⁶³"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

Something to Do

Memorize these verses: John 6:35 and John 6:63

What This Lesson Teaches Us

1. Jesus cares about our needs. He already has plans to provide for all of our needs, but He wants to test our faith in Him. He wants us to look to Him and depend on Him for every need that we have.
2. Even Jesus gave thanks for the little that He had. God says to us, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
3. Jesus can solve every problem and meet every need in abundance. "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).
4. God does not like waste. He wants us to use everything that He gives to us, "that nothing be lost."

He wants us to use our time wisely: "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:16, 17).

He wants us to use our abilities and talents wisely: "His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'" (Matthew 25:21).

Jesus also wants us to use our money wisely: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:19-21).

5. As the disciples received the food from Jesus, they distributed it to the hungry crowd. When we receive spiritual food from Jesus each day, we also have something to share with those around us who need the "bread of life."

Two Kinds of Bread

The great crowd of people were glad to have food to eat when they were so hungry. They wanted Jesus to be their king, so they would never have to worry about working for food again! But Jesus reminded them of what had happened to their ancestors long before. The children of Israel were on their way from Egypt to the land God had promised them. This great crowd of people became hungry in the wilderness. So God "rained" bread from heaven to feed them each day. What a wonderful miracle this was (Exodus 16:4-35)! The people did not know exactly what this new kind of food was, so they called it manna, which means, What is this?

Later God taught the people why He had done this. Moses told the people, "And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD"(Deuteronomy 8:2, 3).
Even though God provided manna from heaven in such a marvellous way for many years, the manna was just bread for physical bodies. The people who ate it still grew old and later died. So now, when Jesus fed the multitude that day, the bread they ate was just for their physical bodies. Though they ate it and were filled, they would still grow old and die later.

But Jesus had great news! Now Jesus was offering a new kind of "bread," which if people ate of it, would cause them not to die. Yes, their physical bodies would die, but they themselves would never die, and Christ would raise their bodies at the last day when He comes again. Jesus told the people that He, Himself, was a different kind of bread that could be eaten. He was living bread for their souls! He had come down from heaven just like the manna had come down from heaven. He had come to give His life for the world. Whoever "eats"—or receives into their souls—the life of Jesus will never die.

How can we "eat" this Bread of Life, which is Jesus? How can we "drink" His blood? We can accept Christ's sacrifice of His body on the cross for our own salvation. We can accept Jesus as the Lamb of God whose blood covers our sins. We can receive His life-giving Spirit into our hearts. We can also receive His life-giving words by studying them and obeying them. We need to keep taking in His life every day, just as we need to eat food every day for our physical bodies. In a spiritual sense you can "eat" the flesh of Jesus and "drink" His blood each day:

1. Each day walk in the light of God's Word. If you sin, admit your sin to God, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse you so that you can continue having good fellowship with Him (1 John 1:7, 9).

2. Each day ask Jesus to fill you with His Holy Spirit. In every thing you do, depend on the power of His Spirit within you. Receive instructions from Him each day from the Bible. God's Word is life to us. Spend some time alone with God each day when you can talk to Him aloud. Then, during the day, keep thinking about Him. Talk to Him in your mind about everything. You will find yourself becoming more and more like Jesus.

God has a wonderful promise for you if you do these things: "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts, ‘on the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him'"(Malachi 3:16, 17).

God's Word Is Food for Your Soul

Long ago, Job said, "I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12).

Jeremiah declared, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts" (Jeremiah 15:16).

The psalmist said, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103).

Peter urged, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:2, 3).

Let us "eat" God's Word every day.

LESSON 14. JESUS IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

John 8:12

¹²Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

John 9:1-9, 13-25, 33-38
¹Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ²And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." ⁶When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" ⁹Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he."

¹³They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." ¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. ¹⁷They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." ¹⁸But the Jewsdid not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" ²⁰His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." ²²His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." ²⁴So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner." ²⁵He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.... ³³If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." ³⁴They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out. ³⁵Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" ³⁶He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" ³⁷And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." ³⁸Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.

Who Said It?

1. Who said, "The night is coming, when no one can work"? _______________ (verse 4).
2. Who said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" ___________________ (8).
3. Who said, "This man is not of God"?___________(16). [The Pharisees were a Jewish religious sect. They were strict in obeying the laws of Moses and traditions.]
4. Who said, "He is of age; ask him," because they feared the Jews? _______________ (21-23).
[It was a serious matter to be put out of the synagogue. The outcast would be treated like a leper. No one was allowed to eat with that person or do business with him.]
5. Who said, "If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing"? ______________________(33).
6. Who said, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" ________ (35).
7. Who said, "Lord, I believe"? _______________ (38).

Jesus Brings Light

When Jesus opened the blind man's eyes, He brought light into his life. But Jesus wanted to show that He had really come to open the spiritual eyes of all people who sit in darkness. Many years before, God had promised through His prophets, that One would come who would bring light. God described Jesus: "I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house" (Isaiah 42:6, 7). Isaiah saw Jesus' day: "The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined" (Isaiah 9:2).

When Jesus claimed to be the light of the world, the Jews knew Jesus was claiming to be God, because God is light. "The LORD is my light and my salvation" says Psalm 27:1a. "When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me" (Micah 7:8b). David, thanking God, said, "For You are my lamp, O LORD; The LORD shall enlighten my darkness" (2 Samuel 22:29).

When we know Jesus, we know God. Jesus said, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also" (John 14:7a). "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6). Have you received this light?

Walking in the Light

Those who follow Jesus do not walk in darkness any more, but in light. "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" (Ephesians 5:8).

"The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble" (Proverbs 4:19). "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day" (Proverbs 4:18).

God's Word is light. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). "The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple" (Psalm 119:130). As we come to God's Word each day, we must listen and obey what it says. That is what it means to "walk in the light." Doing what God says is walking in the light. Do you remember Jesus' commandment that we should love one another? That is why God's Word says, "But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:11).

The quickest way to become blind is to walk in darkness all the time. When mules are used underground to help mine coal, they must be brought up to the light at least one day each week. If they were to be kept underground all the time, they would quickly go completely blind. So it is with us; we must keep walking in the light, or else our spiritual eyes can be deceived by Satan, and he can blind our minds and hearts.

We Are Lights in the World

"Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14, 15). God has chosen us to "proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9b). Is your life a light to those around you? If not, the apostle Paul urges us to "cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light" (Romans 13:12b).

We need to be ready for our Lord's return. Only if we are awake, and walking in the light, will we be ready. "You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:5, 6).

Jesus said, when telling about the new heaven and the new earth, that the new Jerusalem will have "no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light" (Revelation 21:23b). Isn't it wonderful that Jesus will be our light for all eternity!

Working While It Is Light

Until Jesus comes back, we need to work while it is light in this dark world. One day, this earth will pass away (Matthew 5:18). Those who have not come to the light will pass on into outer darkness for ever and ever (Matthew 22:13). Let us work "to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins" (Acts 26:18a).

The Jews once asked Jesus, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God" (John 6:28)? Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). Jesus taught very plainly that "If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins" (John 8:24b).

First, we must be sure we ourselves have come to the Light to receive eternal life. Then we must work with Jesus to bring others to the light. "Do not labor for the food which perishes," He said, "but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you" (John 6:27a).

Remember the blind man in our story? He boldly told others what Jesus had done for him. Though he was cast out by those who were spiritually blind, Jesus cared and came to him to reveal even more of Himself to him. He will do this for you, too!

LESSON 15. JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD

John 10:1-16, 27-33

¹"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ²But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ³To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ⁵Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."\ ⁶Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. ⁷Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. ⁹I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ¹¹I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ¹²But he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. ¹³The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ¹⁵As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ¹⁶And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

²⁷"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. ³⁰I and My Father are one." ³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. ³²Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" ³³The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."

Some Lessons from This Lesson

1. Jesus is the only door to salvation. Only by hearing His voice and following Him can we be His very own sheep. He calls you by your name, He leads you, He gives you pasture, He gives His life for you. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Have you turned back from your own way to go His way?
2. Jesus is the only true Shepherd. "For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture" (Psalm 95:7a). "Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalm 100:3).
3. If we are His sheep, He knows us, and we know Him. "But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, and You have tested my heart toward You" (Jeremiah 12:3a). Do you know Jesus as your Shepherd? If you do, you will follow Him and no one else. Does the Shepherd know you? When "the Chief Shepherd shall appear," many will say to him, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" (Matthew 7:22). Jesus says, "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:23). We cannot belong to the Shepherd and go our own way at the same time. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
4. When we belong to Jesus, we are safe for eternity. No one can pluck us out of His hand. This promise is given only to those who are following that "great Shepherd of the sheep," the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. The one who follows Jesus will flee from strangers. Satan is like a thief, who wants to steal, kill, and destroy.
6. Jesus claimed to be God. When Jesus claimed to be the good Shepherd, and when He said that He and His Father were one, the Jews knew that He was making Himself equal with God. If they had been following God, they would have recognized Jesus as their Shepherd. Isaiah prophesied, "Behold, the Lord God shall come....He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young"
(Isaiah 40:10, 11).

The Shepherd's Psalm

Psalm 23
¹The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. ²He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. ⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. ⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

LESSON 16. JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE

John 11:1-7, 17-46

¹Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. ²It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. ³Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." ⁴When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. ⁷Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."

¹⁷So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away. ¹⁹And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. ²⁰Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ²¹Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." ²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. ²⁶And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" ²⁷She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

²⁸And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you." ²⁹As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. ³¹Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there." ³²Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

³³Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. ³⁴And He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

³⁵Jesus wept. ³⁶Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" ³⁷And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?" ³⁸Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. ³⁹Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days." ⁴⁰Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.
And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. ⁴²And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me." ⁴³ Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" ⁴⁴And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go." ⁴⁵Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. ⁴⁶But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

Something to Think About

Isn't it nice to know that Jesus loved His friends so much? You are His friend, too, if you do whatever He says (John 15:14). In this story, Jesus' friends were facing a very sad situation. Brother Lazarus had died. It seemed at first that Jesus didn't care. Do you ever feel that God does not care about a hard situation you are facing? But God is never asleep. He always has a plan. We must always keep trusting Him to work things out that will bring the most glory to God.

God has a plan for you, too. He wants to make you like His Son, Jesus. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren" (Romans 8:28, 29). So this is why we have to go through hard times. "That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:7).

Jesus wanted to teach Mary and Martha, and us, too, that believing in Him means we will never die. When those who believe in Jesus die, they are "absent from the body" and "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Jesus proved also that He can bring dead bodies back to life by just calling their name. Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus calling him, and he lived. When Jesus comes back to this earth again, "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live" (John 5:25b).

Even now, Jesus knocks on the doors of hearts. "If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him..." (Revelation 3:20b). Those who hear His voice and open the door will become a new creation. "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1). "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:11-13).

This Miracle Required Obedience

Do you face a hopeless situation that needs a miracle? Jesus may allow many hard things to come in your life "for the glory of God." But never forget that He loves you as He did Martha and Mary. He may be planning a miracle you don't expect. But notice the obedience that was necessary for this miracle of new life. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Even though they thought it was foolish, they obeyed. Then after Lazarus came forth, Jesus said, "Loose him, and let him go."
To see the glory of God's power, we, too, must be obedient in even small things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do. If we need to ask someone's forgiveness when we are only 2% wrong, we must do it. It may be the stone that needs to be rolled away so Jesus can work a miracle in the other person's heart. And when Jesus does work a miracle, let us lovingly help to loose others from the things that would hinder them from full freedom. Wasn't it wonderful that Jesus allowed His friends to help in the miracle?

LESSON 21. JESUS TEACHES BY EXAMPLE AND COMMANDMENT

John 13:3-17, 34, 35

³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, ⁴rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. ⁵After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. ⁶Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, "Lord, are You washing my feet?" ⁷Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." ⁸Peter said to Him, "You shall never wash my feet!" Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me." ⁹Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!" ¹⁰Jesus said to him, "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." ¹¹For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean." ¹²So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? ¹³You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. ¹⁷If you know these things, happy are you if you do them."

³⁴"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Something to Do

What two things did Jesus teach by His own example?
1. He said, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have _________ your ________, you also ought to __________ one another's ________" (verse 14).
2. He also said, "As I have ____________ you, that you also ___________ one another" (34).

The Secret of Happiness

Jesus said we would be happy if we would follow His example and serve others. What a picture! To see the Creator bending over and doing the job of a servant: washing off the dust of the day from the feet of His disciples! "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him..." (Philippians 2:5-9a).

Let us watch for ways to serve others, to meet their needs. If we do this, we will be happy. Serving and loving others shows that we are truly the followers of Christ, because that is what He did for us.

LESSON 22. FIVE WONDERFUL PROMISES

1. John 14:1-3, 6

¹"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." ⁶Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

2. John 14:12
¹²"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

3. John 14:13, 14
¹³"And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

4. John 14:15-17
¹⁵"If you love Me, keep My commandments. ¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, ¹⁷even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

5. John 14:27
²⁷"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
1. Jesus promised to prepare a place for those who follow Him (John 14:1-3, 6).
2. Jesus promised greater power because He would be going to the Father. His Spirit living in believers would be able to do greater things than Jesus could ever do as one man living on earth (John 14:12).
3. Jesus promised a greater privilege of prayer to those who belong to Him (John 14:13, 14).
4. Jesus promised a greater presence with each disciple. When the Holy Spirit came, Jesus would be able to live in each believer, not just be with them (John 14:15-17).
5. Jesus promised a greater peace than the world could give (John 14:27). We need not ever be afraid, because "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4b).

Something to Do

A. Read these verses again carefully as if Jesus is talking just to you. On a piece of paper, write down all the things that Jesus says He, or the Holy Spirit, will do for you.
B. Choose three verses from John 14 which are special to you, and memorize them. Write the references here:
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LESSON 27. JESUS HAD POWER OVER HIS OWN LIFE AND DEATH

John 10:17, 18

¹⁷Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. ¹⁸No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

John 19:4-11

⁴Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. ⁵Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! ⁶When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. ⁷The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. ⁸When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; ⁹And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have the power to release thee? ¹¹Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.

Could Jesus Die?

Since Jesus was truly the Son of God, was it possible for men to kill Him? No man had power over Him. Only He could choose to die and come back to life again. Jesus said to Pilate, "...My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews..." (John 18:36). Jesus allowed Himself to be arrested by the Jews. When He was arrested, He said, "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more that twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (Matthew 26:53, 54). The angels who ministered to Jesus as He prayed in the garden could have destroyed the soldiers who arrested Him. But Jesus knew God's purpose which was revealed in the Scriptures.

Jesus Himself had said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day" (Luke 9:22). You see, Jesus died because it was God's plan from before the beginning of the world (Revelation 13:8).

It was God's wonderful plan that Jesus would conquer death! "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14,15). Do you fear death? Jesus died to deliver you! Yes, Jesus chose to lay down His life for you!