Leader’s Guide
Greg Chao
January 7, 2014

Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Table of Contents
Purpose .................................................................................. 5
Guidelines and Tips .................................................................. 6
Format of Studies ..................................................................... 9
John 1:1-18 – The Word becomes Flesh ...................................... 10
John 3:1-18 – Jesus and Nicodemus ........................................... 11
John 4:1-42 – Jesus and the Samaritan Woman ........................... 12
John 8:1-11 – Woman Caught in Adultery ................................... 13
John 9:1-41 – Jesus Heals the Blind Man ..................................... 14
John 10:1-21 – Jesus, the Good Shepherd .................................... 15
John 11:1-43 – Jesus Raises Lazarus ........................................... 16
John 13:1-17 – Jesus Washes His Disciple’s Feet ........................... 17
John 14:1-14 – I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life .................... 18
John 14:15-31 – Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit ............................. 19
John 15:1-17 – I am the Vine .................................................... 20
John 15:18–16:16 – Persecution and the Holy Spirit ...................... 21
John 17:1-25 – Jesus’ Prayer ..................................................... 22
John 18:1-11 – Arrest of Jesus ................................................... 23
John 18:28-19:16 – Roman Trial of Jesus .................................... 24
John 19:17-37 – The Death of Christ .......................................... 25
John 20:1-31 – The Empty Tomb ............................................... 26
John 21 – Jesus Reinstates Peter ............................................... 27
Appendix – Insights & Comments on Passages for Leaders ............. 28
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Purpose: These studies were created to help the skeptic, inquisitive, or seeker who desires to understand who Christ is and what it means to be a Christian in a low commitment, low pressure environment. This guide provides material and tips to help you assist them to go directly to the source, the Bible, to draw their own conclusions. The studies use the method of
“inductive” questioning utilizing questions to bring out observations, meaning, and application from the text itself.
In any growing church, the Bible should be read and studied and held in the highest esteem. Those who have been touched by
God will be excited to share their faith with others characterized by being:

“Organic or spontaneous, outside of church’s organized programs

Relational, in the context of informal personal relationships

Word deployed, bringing the Bible and gospel into connection with people’s lives

Active, not passive where each person assumes personal responsibility for being a producer rather than being a consumer of ministry” 1
Here are some possible scenarios:

John comes to church with his wife, but he isn’t sure what he believes or where he stands on faith. The pastor introduces him to an elder named Tom, who invites him to study the Bible with him for 3 weeks.

Jenny begins coming to a small group in the church. She was raised in the church but has so many doubts and questions that her group leader, Beth, begins meeting with her one-on-one. They study Bible passages and read books that address each of her questions, one after another.
1 Keller, Timothy, Center Church, p. 280
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John

Greg comes to faith in Christ and decides to be baptized. He invites a number of non-Christian friends to the service and then takes them to lunch and discusses the event. One friend is very moved and Greg invites him to study the Bible with him.
2
Guidelines and Tips: Here are some tips as you prepare and conduct the Bible study. The inductive questions for each passage in John are versatile enough to work with in a one-onone or group format. They can also be used for Bible studies for
Christians, seekers, or a mixture of the two.

Place – Find a quiet place where you can talk without being interrupted or distracted.

Bible/Material – Make sure there is a Bible for each of you.
Try to get the same version if possible. Print out the questions for each of you beforehand. (Do not print out the answers in the Appendix for them.)

Number of meetings – For a seeker, the amount of meetings should be few, 2-3 weeks. In that case, work through John 1, 3, and 4. Other studies are provided in John for those who wish to continue. Agree on the amount of time together (1-1 ½ hours should be sufficient).

Set Expectations – The time you spend together will be informal where all questions are welcome. You may not have the answers to them on the spot but you can research and try to provide answers during the next meeting. No homework should be required.

Read the Passage First – Make sure and read the passage entirely. It is better for one person to read the entire passage.

Sharing Question (for small groups only) - A sharing question is provided for each study that is related to the
2 Ibid, p.280
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John passage. Go around in a circle and share (make sure you give the option of “passing” if someone does not want to share).

Work through the Study Questions –The study questions are meant to bring out the meaning of the passage through discussion. Although you will find some answers/insights to the questions in the appendix, don’t just blurt out the answers. Allow the group/individual to get at the answers through observing the passage. There is usually an application question at the end.

Conversation – Don’t do all the talking. Listen a lot. Be interested in what the other person has to say. Allowing the conversation to drift for a time can be beneficial. Bring it back by using the questions.

Becoming a Christian – After each study, determine if you would like to invite the seeker to become a Christian. If so, here are two examples of a simple prayer of invitation.
Either could be used.
“Father, I’ve always believed in you and Jesus Christ, but my heart’s most fundamental trust was elsewhere---in my own competency and decency. This has only gotten me into trouble.
As far as I know my own heart, today I give it to you, I transfer my trust to you, and ask that you would receive and accept me not for anything I have done but because of everything Christ has done for me.” 3
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In
Your Name. Amen.” 4
3 The Reason for God, Timothy Keller, p. 245
4 http://www.billygrahamlibrary.org/PGView.aspx?pid=13
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Note that each prayer had an element of 1) acknowledgement of one’s personal sins and a desire to change, 2) asking for forgiveness from God, 3) acknowledging the work of Christ as
Savior and 4) transferring trust in God (giving over control of one's life).
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Format of Studies - The Gospel of John is unique among the gospels since it is organized by extended personal encounters of
Jesus and focuses on “knowing” Him. In these 18 studies, questions are provided in a format that you can print out for each participant whether it be a single individual or a group of people. Answers/insights are provided for each study in the appendix for your own personal study and preparation.

John 1

John 3
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John 4
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John 8
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John 9
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John 10
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John 11
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John 13
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John 14
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John 14b
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John 15
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John 16
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John 17
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John 18
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John 18b
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John 19
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John 20
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John 21
The Word becomes Flesh
Jesus and Nicodemus
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
Woman Caught in Adultery
Jesus Heals the Blind Man
Jesus, The Good Shepherd
Jesus Raises Lazarus
Jesus Washes His Disciple’s Feet
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
I am the Vine
Persecution and the Holy Spirit
Jesus’ Prayer
Arrest of Jesus
The Roman Trial of Jesus
The Death of Jesus
The Empty Tomb
Jesus Reinstates Peter
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Who has been the most important influence in your life and why?
1.
What is the purpose of words? Why do you think the word
“Word” was used to represent Jesus? What characteristics are given to the “Word?” What parallelisms do you see with Genesis and why was they made?
2.
How is Jesus like a light in terms of blindness and sight?
What characteristics of darkness are brought out here?
3.
What was John’s purpose in verse 6? Why is witnessing so important?
4.
What does it mean to “believe in his name” in verse 12?
What promise follows as a result of believing? What is so significant about being a “child of God?”
5.
What other characteristics are given to the Word in verse
14? Why was it important that the Word become flesh?
6.
How is the “grace and truth” given by Jesus different than the “Law of Moses” in verse 17? Why is it so important that
Jesus enables us to “see God” and “know God” in verse 18?
7.
Of the different characteristics of Jesus discussed here, which one do you find most meaningful to you?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you were so curious about something that you pursued researching it.
1.
(verses 1-2) What was Nicodemus’ position in society? How would other Jews treat him? What attitude did he have toward Jesus? What do we know about Nicodemus later in the Gospel? (John 7:50, 19:39)
2.
(verses 3-13) What is Jesus’ attitude toward Nicodemus?
How does Jesus’ response challenge Nicodemus’ thinking about Him? What is Jesus talking about when he says we must be “born again?” What is Nicodemus’ confusion?
What is “born of water and the Spirit” mean? Why is being born of the Spirit associated with the wind?
3.
(verses 14-18) What is Jesus referring to when he says he must be lifted up? (Numbers 21) How would you characterize God’s love mentioned in verse 16? In what ways did God give his one and only Son? What is eternal life? How does one get it? What does it mean to “believe in Him?” Why does believing in Him allow us to escape condemnation?
4.
What do we learn about Jesus in this passage? In what ways can we practically respond to God’s tremendous love as discussed in this passage?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you observed someone doing a kind act toward another person.
1.
When was the sixth hour? How were Samaritans thought of back then? Why would the woman draw water at this time?
2.
Why do you think Jesus reached out to this woman? Why do you think he did it in this odd way? What makes the use of the symbol of water so meaningful? What is “living water?”
3.
Why do you think Jesus diverts the discussion to her husbands? What feelings do you think this brings out in the woman?
4.
How did Jesus focus the woman away from the physical reality and see the spiritual ones? What does it mean to worship in spirit and truth? Why do you think that Jesus openly reveals himself to the woman? How do you think He felt about her?
5.
How do you think the woman felt after this declaration?
What did she do in response? What resulted from her actions?
6.
What do we learn about Jesus from this passage?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Who are some people that you have authority over and how do you try to handle that authority well?
1.
What do you think was the motive of the scribes and
Pharisees? What is the trap that they were trying to lay against Jesus?
2.
How did scribes and Pharisees feel about the woman? How did Jesus feel about the woman? What did the law actually say about adultery? (Lev. 20:10)
3.
Why did Jesus write on the ground? After making the statement, “If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw the stone,” how did Jesus reverse the trap?
How do you think the Pharisees and scribes felt about Jesus after this incident?
4.
Knowing that Jesus was the only one who had the right to throw the stone, how did Jesus treat the woman? How does Jesus treat her sin? If you were the woman, how would you respond to Jesus?
5.
How did Jesus use power here? What can we learn from this passage about the way Jesus treats us? What can we learn about how we are to treat others?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you were blind because it was so dark.
1.
(verses 1-12) What was the commonly held belief about tragic things that happened to people in the Jewish culture?
What did Jesus assert instead? Why did Jesus choose to heal the blind man? What was the reaction of the people?
How did the blind man respond?
2.
(verse 13-17) How did the Pharisees first respond to the healing? What prevented them from being objective? How did the man respond? At this point, what was his view of
Jesus?
3.
(verse 18-34) What motivated the parents as they answered the Jews? What kind of peer pressure did the blind man experience in verse 24? Why do you think he was able to resist it and what was his focus? How did the man answer their constant questioning? How was the man able to turn the table in verse 30?
4.
(verse 35-41) How did the blind man’s view of Jesus change here? What is the cause of the Pharisee’s blindness and the blind man’s sight?
5.
How can we learn from the blind man’s example in this passage? How can we prevent ourselves from being blind as the Pharisees?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you experienced someone sacrificing for you.
1.
(verses 1-6) What is the difference between the false shepherds and the true shepherd? How does the sheep know the shepherd?
2.
(verses 7-10) What point is Jesus trying to make by calling himself the gate for the sheep? What motives do those who do not use the gate have versus those of Jesus?
3.
(verses 11-13) What degree of sacrifice does the hired hand have for the sheep? What are the characteristics of the good shepherd? How often do you find someone who looks out for your own good over himself? How important is it that Jesus is this way? What is this life that Jesus promises?
4.
(verses 14-18) What type of relationship can we sheep have with Jesus the shepherd? How does it make you feel that our relationship with Jesus is compared to Jesus with the
Father? How can we take grasp of this special relationship that we have available with Jesus?
5.
Who are the other sheep and how are they related to the original sheep? Why is Jesus’ voluntary laying down his life important?
6.
(verses 19-21) Why do you think there was such controversy over these sayings? What miracle were they referring to? In light of verse 33, what was the claim that
Jesus was making here?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you were deeply moved over someone else’s tragedy.
1.
(verses 1-14) What was Jesus’ relationship to Lazarus,
Martha, and Mary? After Martha and Mary sent word for
Jesus to come, why does Jesus purposely wait two more days until he goes to see Lazarus? What were the disciples concerned about?
2.
(verses 15-31) What was Martha expressing toward Jesus in verse 21? What could be some other reactions? What do you think she was expecting Jesus to do? How does Jesus comfort her? (Remember that rabbi would not instruct women. Martha calls Him the Teacher). What is your overall assessment of Martha here?
3.
(verses 32-37) What was Mary’s reaction when she met
Jesus? (Note how different it is to Martha’s) Knowing that
He was going to raise Lazarus, why do you think Jesus wept?
What was Jesus feeling? (“Weeping” has the meaning of wailing. “Deeply moved” has the meaning of loud inarticulate noise. “Troubled” has the meaning of such distress that the body trembles.) In verse 37, what do they believe the extent of Jesus’ power was?
4.
(verses 38-46) What were the reactions of the people seeing Lazarus raised from the dead? Contrast how various people viewed death in this account; i.e. disciples, Martha,
Mary and Jesus. What can we learn?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share about someone you know in leadership that is a good example.
1.
How was foot washing thought of in Jesus’ day? What do you think Peter was thinking as he watched Jesus wash the other disciples’ feet? How would you react in Peter’s place?
2.
What kind of washing was Jesus referring to in verse 8?
What kind of washing was Peter thinking of? Why do you think Jesus gently corrects Peter in verse 10?
3.
What is the normal way of treating people of high esteem?
How do they normally see themselves? How do they treat others?
4.
How does Jesus set the opposite example? How does he use his authority? How could you better follow Jesus’ example in your family, at church, at work?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time someone who you loved had to be away from you for a while.
1.
(verses 1-4) What comfort does Jesus give to prevent “our hearts from being troubled?” What promise does Jesus give? What picture of heaven is given here?
2.
(verses 5-7) What was Thomas’ confusion? In what ways is
Jesus the way? What does He mean when He says, “No one comes to the Father except through me?” Knowing that He will be crucified very shortly, what kind of life is Jesus referring to?
3.
(verses 8-14) Jesus claims that knowing Him is to know the
Father. In what ways are they interrelated? How will great works be done in verse 12? What must we do to access the promise in verse 13?
4.
What about this passage is comforting to you personally?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time that was very stressful to you and how you managed to deal with it.
1.
(verses 15-21) How is loving God and obeying him related?
What are the qualities of the Counselor (Holy Spirit)? What will result in following Christ in terms of our relationship to the world? What promises does Jesus give to cope with the conflict?
2.
(verses 23-31) What are the qualities of the true believers?
How is obedience and love related? How will the Counselor help the true believers? What is this peace that is promised in verse 27?
3.
What is your interaction with the Holy Spirit like? How have you experienced conflict with the world as predicted by this passage?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share about your best friend and why that is the case.
1.
(verses 1-4) In what way is Jesus the vine and we are the branches according to the passage? What does it mean to
“remain in me?” What is the fruit that Jesus is talking about?
2.
(verses 5-8) Who do you think Jesus is referring to when he talks about withering? How do you react to the promise
“ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you?”
3.
(verses 9-17) How is love and remaining and obedience related in verses 9-10? How is the Father’s love connected to Jesus’ love? How is Jesus’ love tied to our love?
4.
What right do we have to claim friendship with Jesus?
What is true about friendship that is not about a masterslave relationship? What did Jesus bestow on us since we are his friends? What reaction do you have about being called the friend of Jesus?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you were made fun of.
How did you handle it?
1.
What is meant by the statement that “the world will hate us” if we follow Christ? What type of persecution is Jesus talking about here?
2.
How does Christ bring about “guilt of sin” according to verses 22-25?
3.
How will the Holy Spirit help us according to verses 26-27?
4.
What reason is Christ teaching here according to verses
16:1-4? What kind of persecution do we experience today?
5.
According to verses 5-16, how will the Holy Spirit help the believers? How much of this do you experience in your own life?
6.
How important to you is the fact that Jesus also faced difficult situations? How do these verses help you face similar difficult situations?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share a time when you felt close to God.
1.
What is the relationship between God and Jesus according to verses 1-5? What attitude did Christ have about his coming ordeal on the cross? How will it lead to glory?
2.
What is eternal life according to the verse 3? What is so significant about “knowing” God?
3.
What is the significance of Jesus giving us the Father’s
“words?” (verses 6-8) How does the “name” of God protect us? (verses 11-12)
4.
Why does Christ leave us in the world instead of taking us out of it (verse 15)?
5.
How are we to be sanctified as it states in verse 17?
6.
What is the purpose of the unity that we will have with other believers? Why does Christ desire us to be with Him?
7.
How does this prayer of Jesus influence the way you think about the world? What does this prayer say about our life’s purpose?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Share about someone you admire that handled power well.
1.
Understanding that a detachment of soldiers was 200-600, what do you think the Pharisees and Judas were expecting from
Jesus?
2.
What was Jesus’ attitude and demeanor in these circumstances?
3.
What does it say about Jesus with the picture of all the guards falling backwards to the ground at the words, “I am he?”
4.
Understanding that Jesus is fulfilling his own words in John 6:39, and John 17:12, what more does this indicate about Jesus here?
5.
Why did Jesus command Peter to put away his sword?
6.
What picture of Jesus do we get from this passage? What is motivating Jesus to freely get arrested and put to death? How hard do you think this was for Jesus knowing that he had the power to stop it from happening? Knowing all this now, what is your personal response to him?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – What has your experience been with a court of law?
1.
The passage opens up with the Jews concerned about following the ceremonial law. In verse 29, Pilate asks, “What charge is brought against Jesus?” In your opinion, how adequately did they answer the question? Who is more concerned about following the law here, Pilate or the Jews?
Explain.
2.
What is Pilate’s attitude about this affair? What motivates
Pilate to question Jesus about being a king? What type of kingdom is Jesus referring to versus Pilate? Why do you think Pilate tries to free Jesus?
3.
In what ways does Pilate try to free Jesus? Why does Pilate finally succumb to the Jews? How did the chief priests compromise themselves to get Pilate to give Jesus over to be crucified?
4.
How did you think Jesus felt about Pilate? Who is greater to blame here, the Jews or Pilate? Why do you think the Jews were so blinded with hatred for Jesus?
5.
If you were in Pilate’s shoes, how would you react to this situation? What was his flaw? Have you ever had a situation like his? If so, explain?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Open
1.
What comment could you make on John’s description of
Jesus’ death?
2.
Why do you think Pilate prepared the sign “Jesus of
Nazareth, The King of the Jews?” How does this remind the reader of Jesus’ innocence?
3.
What is the purpose of fulfilled prophesy here? (Ps. 22:18)
How does this emphasize Jesus’ voluntary willingness to die?
4.
What does it reveal about Jesus that he thought of his mother at this point? Why do you think he commends
Mary to John?
5.
What do you think Jesus is referring to when He says, “It is finished?” What mood do you think this was said in: despair, resignation, or triumph? Explain?
6.
Why do you think John emphasized that he was a direct witness to these events in verse 35? Why is the factualness of this account so very important?
7.
How do you feel about death? How does the fact that
Christ died and resurrected, that he conquered death, encourage you?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Open
1.
When the disciples entered the tomb they found the burial clothes neat and orderly; what does this imply? What is it that John in verse 8 saw and believed? What did it take for him to believe in the resurrection?
2.
What does Mary crying in verse 11 say about her? What did
Jesus do to get her to realize it was Him? What do you think she was feeling as she tells the disciples, “I have seen the
Lord?” What did it take for her to believe in the resurrection?
3.
If you were Thomas, would you react similarly? After Jesus allows Thomas to touch his hands and side, how does
Thomas react? What is so significant about the declaration of “my Lord and my God?” What is the meaning of the blessing in verse 29?
4.
What is the purpose of John’s gospel according to verse 31?
5.
Which of the three characters do you most identify with,
John, Mary, or Thomas, in terms of believing something to be true? How can we stay sensitive to God and not become hardened and doubtful?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Sharing Question – Open
1.
Knowing that he denied Jesus, how do you think Peter felt toward Jesus? How do you think he felt about himself?
What options did Peter have at that point? Why do you think he wanted to go fishing in verse 3?
2.
Why did Jesus perform the miracle of catching the fish?
What would be on Peter’s mind as he is hauling in the fish in verse 6?
3.
What is the significance of Jesus asking Peter three times?
What is the task that Jesus wants Peter to take on? Why is
Jesus questioning Peter’s love for Him?
4.
What was Jesus communicating to Peter as He questions
Him? How does this exchange change the rest of Peter’s life?
5.
From this passage, what can we learn about how Jesus deals with us?
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
The purpose of “words” is to communicate. Therefore, Jesus is
God’s communication to us. Jesus is God. The passage asserts this through parallelism with Genesis 1, “in the beginning,” “the
Word was with God,” the “Word” was God, “all things were made through Him,” nothing was made that has been made,” and “in Him was life.” This is very profound, giving significance to the idea that God himself has come to earth as a man, Jesus.
It is specifically stated in verse 14, the “Word” became flesh.
This is the Christmas story, God incarnate.
You can draw many analogies from light and darkness. Light is a guide to our eyes. It is the source of life on earth. Darkness has no substance but is the absence of light.
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. His message was one of repentance. Jesus’ message was one of salvation.
Repentance is needed in order to gain salvation. Believing in his name has the meaning of trusting in Jesus, giving oneself to
Him.
Becoming a child of God is life-changing. A child has a close relationship with his/her parents. Before Christ, we are distant and there is a long history in the OT of not being able to see God because of His holiness and glory. In verse 14, it says that we can now see the glory of God through Jesus Christ.
The Law of Moses was a set of standards. Jesus brings a relationship with God characterized by grace (undeserved kindness) and truth (the fact that we need God.) The idea that
Jesus allows us to “see” God and “know” God is contrasted with the OT picture of our inability to be in God’s presence due to His holiness.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Nicodemus was a Pharisee of the educated class. He would be comparable to our modern day professors. The Jews would treat him with great respect and deference. Nicodemus was very polite and respectful of Jesus. Nicodemus tried to defend
Jesus later and helped with His burial.
Jesus engaged Nicodemus in an intellectual conversation through his statement about being born again. When Jesus says that “no one can enter the Kingdom unless he is born of water and the Spirit,” he is speaking of physical birth and spiritual birth. This is supported by parallelism of the next sentence,
“Flesh give birth to flesh, but the Spirit give birth to spirit.” It would be a mistake to interpret born of water as “water baptism.” If interpreted this way, water baptism would be a criteria for salvation which is not supported anywhere else.
Nicodemus is utterly confused thinking Jesus is speaking of physical birth.
The reference to being “lifted up” is obscure. It might refer to
Christ’s eventual crucifixion on the cross but it is debatable. It is ironic that one of the most beloved verses of God’s love is found in a passage about a discussion with an intellectual.
However, Jesus was trying to cut across the intellectual debate and speak of God’s love. God loves the world, not just the Jews.
God’s love is sacrificial. “Believing” in Jesus has the meaning of placing trust in Him. “Eternal” life is not just life forever, but speaks of the quality of life with God. Left alone, we are selfabsorbed and selfish destined for purposeless and misery.
Trusting in Jesus will restore us to the relationship with God that we were created to have. It is worth mentioning that God initiated this offer of love even when we did not recognized we needed it.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
The sixth hour is noon. Samaritans were considered half-breeds and traitors to the Jews. The woman probably did not want to associate with others.
Jesus is always reaching out in ways that are meaningful. In this case, he asked for a drink and uses the analogy of water. “Living water” is referring to spiritual refreshment rather than physical.
Since she is sinning, this is the barrier that she must deal with in order to be right before God. She was truthful to her credit.
The spiritual reality is the most pressing concern for the woman.
Jesus openly reveals himself to her because of His love. She is so amazed that she shared her excitement with the entire town.
Others believe in Christ as a result.
The scribes and Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus. If Jesus were to push to free the woman, they could accuse Him of violating the Law. If he supported stoning her, they could go to the Roman government and accuse him of illegally carrying out capital punishment.
If you look at the specifics of the law, it states that both the man and the woman were to be stoned. This indicated that they were not serious about following the law but were using her as a tool to get to Jesus. In contrast, Jesus was concerned about the woman.
By writing on the ground, Jesus was resisting their insistence on an immediate response. The trap was reversed by Jesus’ statement. If they chose to stone her, the responsibility would be on them, not Jesus. If they chose to let her live, they would lose the confrontation. The Pharisees were angry that they were outsmarted.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
It is ironic that Jesus was the only person there that could legitimately throw the first stone. It make His statement, “then neither do I condemn you” meaningful. Notice that Jesus did not just forgive but also encouraged her to sin no more.
It was commonly held that there must have been personal sin involved that caused tragic events. Although this is sometimes true, it is not universal. In this case, the blindness prepared for the miracle and, more importantly, the man’s salvation to happen. Since the man was blind, it is just like Jesus to communicate his healing through touching his eyes. The man obeyed and washed in the Pool.
The Pharisees could not see beyond the fact that Jesus healed on the Sabbath. They took the Law’s mandate to rest on that day to extremes such that even healing was considered work.
They tried to pressure the blind man to side with them. They tried to get his parents to pressure him.
The man stuck to what he knew had happened, nothing more.
This enabled him to resist the pressure of the Pharisees.
The view of the blind man changed through the account. At first, he described Jesus as a man (v.11), then prophet (v.17), and finally Lord (v.38).
There is an irony here over the theme of blindness. Since the
Pharisee believed they could see (understand the ways of God), they were blinded to their arrogance. Since the blind man admitted his blindness (his neediness), he ended up both physically and spiritually seeing.
The false shepherds do not care for the sheep but want to get profit/gain from them. The true shepherd cares for the sheep.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
The sheep know the difference (even by voice) and follow the true shepherd.
Jesus uses a second analogy as the gate. Jesus is establishing that he is the way to get saved. The other come to destroy while Jesus comes to give abundant life.
The shepherd will risk his life for the sheep while the hired hand will save himself.
The idea of Jesus “knowing” his sheep (us) and we “know” Him is very important. This is the central point of Jesus’ purpose, establishing a new relationship with his followers characterized by caring, trust, and intimacy. He compares this relationship with His relationship to the Father. This is quite astounding. He makes reference to his plan of salvation that will be extended beyond the Jewish nation. He makes reference to his eventual sacrificial death on the cross.
Jesus seemed to have a very intimate relationship with the entire family and truly loved them all. Jesus waited to let
Lazarus die. He knew that He would resurrect him. Jesus recently withdrew from Jerusalem knowing that the Jews were trying to seize him. Bethany is very close to Jerusalem so the disciples were afraid for their lives. This is contrasted with Jesus who did not fear death because He knows he has the power over death.
Martha went out to see Jesus which is very consistent of what we know about her, a doer and thoughtful one. She is very respectful and Jesus spends time teaching her about the resurrection. She declares that He is the Christ, an affirmation of faith (although she still does not understand what He will be doing).
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Mary, on the other hand, is all emotion. She is in utter despair and emotionally distraught. She falls at His feet. Jesus weeps with her, so moved by her mourning.
When Jesus ordered them to take away the stone, it is Martha that questions showing that she still does not understand what
Jesus will be doing.
Jesus prays out loud for all to hear and learn about Him. What a fantastic miracle! Some appreciated it and other were blinded to it. This is a story of how to view death…fear (disciples), sadness (Martha and Mary), and hope (Jesus).
Foot washing was something that servants did. Peter was thinking that this activity was beneath Jesus’ stature.
Jesus was using this opportunity to teach spiritual washing as well as servanthood. Jesus saw Peter’s sincerity and therefore was very gentle with him.
This upside down value system of authority and power has many applications.
The disciples were just told that Jesus is leaving to a place where they could not follow. Therefore, Jesus is trying to comfort them by promising them that eventually they will be able to join him again in heaven. It is interesting that the focus of the description is on being with Christ rather than on details of heaven. The only thing we are told is that there are “many rooms.” You should emphasize the great comfort in knowing that Jesus will never abandon us.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Thomas is confused because he is thinking physical location.
Jesus uses this opportunity to focus him on the person (Jesus).
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
The phrase “no one comes to the Father except through me” speaks of an exclusivity. If Jesus is the truth, then it make sense that he is the only way. In terms of application, it should be said that Christians are not Universalists who hold that all religions get you heaven; the details (truth) don’t matter, it is only sincerity that counts. A nuance might be that there will be some over the ages who have actually worshipped Jesus but did not know him by name. For example, Abraham would be one example.
Knowing Jesus is knowing God; a mind blowing concept especially for a Jew. Jews had a heritage of understanding the holy God, who would burn us up in his holiness and majesty if we ever got too close to Him. The idea that we get to “know” the holy God up close was unthinkable yet this is precisely what
Jesus is asserting.
Obeying God is a natural result of loving him. This principle works in our daily lives among our family and friends. Our obedience is not predicated on our own self-discipline but on the work of the Holy Spirit. He is called the “Counselor” who will help us. Jesus emphasizes his message of comfort because
He will send the Holy Spirit while we are on earth. The Holy
Spirit will help us face the world.
Again, Jesus emphasizes the interplay between love and obedience. The Holy Spirit will also teach us and remind us. He will also give us peace. Peace has the idea of “calmness” in the midst of trouble (not the absence of trouble).
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
There are many analogies that you can derive. Jesus is the source of strength just as a vine feeds the branches. The branches cannot bear fruit without the vine just as we cannot be successful without God, etc. “Remaining” is the idea of dwelling or relying. This is really a key to Christian living and happiness. Our relationship with God is key. If we don’t
“remain,” we will wither and find life difficult. But if we
“remain,” we will find that our request will be answered because we will be asking God for the things that he wants for us anyway.
Again, love leads to obedience. The idea of God calling us friend is astounding because friendship implies intimacy, knowledge, and a certain amount of “peerness.” Jesus tells us that he reveals his inner motivations and reasons for his actions, something that he is not obligated to do if we were slaves.
Calling God our friend is something that we would never dare to do unless God initiated it first.
Hate by the world could take many forms. It could mean ridicule, slander, or physical persecution. Jesus is preparing us for this because there are real forces that will oppose God’s gracious message including our sinful nature and demonic forces.
Jesus, by his arrival, becomes the focal point of God’s offer to us. The excuse of ignorance is diminished.
Again, we will not be alone because the Holy Spirit will help us.
This is not a gospel of prosperity. There will be opposition.
The Holy Spirit is really the one who convicts. This is important to note that our job is not to convict but present the gospel to
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John others. We see how closely in lock step the Holy Spirit is with
Jesus.
The Father glorifies the Son and the Son glorifies the Father.
Note that eternal life is defined as “knowing” God. This is a very profound statement. We know God because Jesus faithfully gave us the Father’s words.
The idea of the name of God signifies God’s authority and power. The followers of Jesus are left in the world to be a witness for God, to spread the gospel. “Sanctify” has the meaning of purify or making holy.
The unity of the church will strengthen its witness to others.
Jesus closes the prayer with the idea of “knowing” God again.
We get a clear picture of Jesus in control of the situation here.
Jesus could have easily resisted the guards with his words. He allowed himself to get arrested even rebuking Peter for trying to protect him. He protects his disciple as he predicted he would.
Jesus’ sacrifice is even more meaningful when we realize that he had the power to prevent from being arrested.
Jesus was willing to go to his death because of his love for us, knowing that he must fulfill the work of salvation for love’s sake. We should have an attitude of thanksgiving and appreciate his sacrifice.
There is a good bit of irony here about the Jews claiming to follow the ceremonial law yet breaking the greater law of giving a person a fair trial and plotting to kill Jesus for no good reason.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
Pilate recognizes the innocence of Jesus but is not strong enough in character to resist Jews. He tries to free Jesus three times, once releasing a prisoner (they shouted for Barabbas), once in the flogging, and finally, when he tried to rally the crowd.
Jesus blames the Jews more than Pilate. The chief priests compromise themselves when they yell, “We have no king but
Caesar.”
No matter how you look at it, crucifixion is quite gruesome. The description is quite detailed.
The sign, “King of the Jews” was objected by the Jews yet ironically this was a proper title.
There are a few prophesies and it would be good to go over one. I picked Ps. 22. It is amazing when you understand that this was written hundreds of years earlier.
It is quite amazing that Jesus is concerned about the welfare of his mother under these circumstances. When Jesus says, “it is finished,” we feel the force of the tragedy of Jesus’ death.
John believed immediately without seeing Jesus in person.
Mary was crying thinking that they had taken Jesus’ body away.
Somehow, Jesus had changed such that Mary did not immediately recognize Him. Mary believed by seeing the risen
Lord.
We often don’t give Thomas credit for the fact that it is hard to believe that someone can resurrect from the dead. Thomas required proof.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
A special blessing is given to us who believe in Christ based on the record rather than in person.
This is a very touching story of restoration. Peter, in despair, knowing that he had denied Jesus three times, was thinking of returning to his life of fishing.
Jesus, just as he had in the beginning, used another fishing miracle to bring Peter back. Jesus had every right to sideline
Peter but instead restored him and recommissioned him. This was a sign of love and trust on Jesus’ part. It is significant that the restoration was an act of a three questions corresponding to the three denials earlier.
This story should provide hope for those who feel like they have sinned so badly that they cannot be forgiven.
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
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Inductive Bible Studies on the Gospel of John
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