John chapter 6

THE BREAD MAKER WHO WALKS ON WATER

Discussion questions:

-In these two stories people have big fears. One is the fear of not having enough food and the second is the fear of being caught in a big storm at night. Do you have any big fears in life? Share a fear that you had as a child and then share a fear or two that you have right now? It could be anything, don’t worry if it sounds silly.

-If you could ask God to do any miracle what would you ask him to do?

Text Questions
-This story mentions the Passover again. This is the 2^nd   of 3  times that John mentions that it is close to Passover time. (Can you remember the other previous time and can you guess when he the Passover will be mentioned again?). Tell us what the Passover is and why it’s important.

-Read verses 5-6:  Why do you think Jesus asks the question in verse 5 when he already knows what he is going to do?

-Read verses 7-9: Who do you think showed the most faith Andrew, Philip or the boy? Why? Since this is a test grade them on their faith.

-What does Jesus do to make this miracle happen? Now this one is a bit tougher, but give it some thought. What does this miracle say about who Jesus is and what he cares about?

-Look at this whole story. What is the role of the followers of Jesus in this miracle? What does that say about our role in God’s work today?

-What do you think the 12 baskets left over mean? And why is Jesus so concerned that none of it be lost?

-Look at verse 15: How does Jesus respond when they want to make him king? Why do you think he responds this way?

-Look at verses 16-21: How do you think the disciples view of Jesus changed when they saw him walking on water? Do you think they wanted to run away from him or follow him even more?

-Can you think of any stories in the Old Testament where God does something similar to what Jesus does in these two stories? Share them. What does this say about Jesus?

Closing Reflections:

-Have you ever felt like God was giving you a test? If so share.

-How do you feel when  you are tested or challenged? Do you usually respond well or do you have a difficult time with tests (try to think beyond the test you have in school. Though you can certainly share about them too)? Why do you think you respond the way you do?

-Do you think you have faith in difficult circumstances? Why or why not? Explain.

John chapter 5:17-30- Jesus is Divine – The Father and Son Sermon.

Good Afternoon Everyone- hear is some introduction information and additional thoughts for this week's reading......

John chapter 5:17-30

Jesus is Divine – The Father and Son Sermon.

The Starting Points of the Faith: What we confess and believe:

 - As Christians we confess that the God is One and that God  is also three in one. God is a Trinity (God is one, God is Father, Son, Spirit). This is something that we confess to be true and that we believe is revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. John chapter five and indeed much of John shows us that God the Father is God and that Jesus is also God (and the Spirit is also God, but that will be discussed in later passages).  We confess and trust these beliefs as starting points in the Christian faith.
-If God is God and we are not then it stands to reason that He will have to show Himself to us for us to understand. This God showing Himself to us  is what we call revelation. We believe that Jesus is God revealed to us. Jesus says that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. The New Testament writers declare that in Jesus we have the fullness of God. We also confess that the Scriptures that talk about Jesus are God’s revelation to us. We believe that God is able to reveal himself to us and he has done so in Jesus Christ and in the scriptures.  Our starting point is Faith (trust) and then that faith seeks to understand. We can’t demand understanding before faith. We must trust that some of these core beliefs are true first and then see how life looks with these beliefs. This is a bit like the hypothesis in scientific theory. You have to believe that some base things are true and then test those beliefs out in real life.
-In the Chronicles of Narnia C.S. Lewis puts it this way. Things are “far bigger inside than they are outside.” And “ The farther up and the farther in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside.” Christian faith is like that. You must decide to go into it. It doesn’t look that big from the outside. It might not make sense from the outside (things like the Trinity, God becoming man, the death of Jesus for us, God suffering,  the resurrection, strength by weakness). But you have to trust that these things are true or at least might be true. You have to walk into them and see how every thing fits. When you decide to trust you walk inside this glorious faith and as you get inside you realize it is much bigger than you anticipated.
-Don’t get too overwhelmed with trying to completely understand this. Though we confess it and trust it, it does not have to be something that we fully understand, nor can it be. If you think that you have God completely figured out that means that you have a god of your own making.  Keep going further up and further in.

John 5:17-30

Summary and Major Themes:

Summary:

In John 5:17-30 we see Jesus giving a mini sermon (presumably to his followers and some of his opponents). In this sermon we learn about his relationship with his father, the authority and power that he has and he tells his listeners (opponents, disciples and us) how they are to respond in faith to Him.

The Relationship of the Father and Son

-This short sermon says a lot about the relationship of the Father and Son (and indeed in John’s gospel Jesus will say a lot more about this relationship and we will see how he interacts with the Father over and over again throughout the rest of the gospel). For now lets focus on what we see in these verses:

-Jesus works because the  father works (17)

-He definitely thinks he is God’s son. This gets him death threats (v18-19)

-He can’t do anything on his own. He does what he sees the father do

-The Son can raise the dead and give life, just like the Father (21)

-The Father gives all judgment to the Son so that the Son can receive as much honor as the Father(22)

-The Father sent him (24) – He represents God

-They both have life in and of themselves (Father gives it to the son)

-The son has authority to execute judgment because he is also the son of man(27)

 -Jesus can’t make judgments on  his own but he make judgments as he hears them. (29-30)

 -He listens to the father and does everything fairly -30

Fire and Light

-A helpful analogy of their relationship  is that of Fire and Light. When a fire starts it bring light immediately. When there is no fire there is no light. The fire and light are completely joined. You can not have one without the other, but we are also able to call them two different things.  You  can only see the fire by the light that it gives. If there is no light given by the fire then you could never see the fire in the first place. Jesus is light. We have no way of seeing the Father apart from His light. (I use this analogy for 2 reasons. One, the church Father St. Augustine uses it. Two, in the scriptures God is called a consuming fire and Jesus is called the light of the world.)

Jesus is equal to the Father and Submissive to the Father

     “We are even being introduced to the mysteries of relations in the Godhead . . . [S]ubmission describes not just a 30 year  lowliness assumed by the historical Jesus, but it describes the Son’s eternal relation to the Father.  And because his subordination is so entire and so perfect, so is his equality.” –Bruner 312

   -We think of submission as meaning that you are lower or lesser. People thought that in Jesus’ time as well. On the cross Christ’s mockers declare that  if he really is God’s Son and the Messiah then he will prove his godliness by coming down from  the cross. Surely God can’t be weak and be killed by mortals? Surely God can’t submit to others.  But Jesus believes and  shows us that perfect submission and perfect trust to God the Father is part of what makes him equal with God, This is a radical idea. In God’s relationship with himself there is a relationship of submission. Submission does not mean higher or lower. In fact Jesus proves himself to be equal to the father is his perfect submission and obedience to Him. Consider some of the ramifications of this truth for how we are called to live as followers of Christ:

1-We need to submit to the father and son.  We will be raised up as we submit (God gives grace to the humble, the first shall be last, and the last first, the beatitudes in Matthew 5).

2-In our relationships with one another we don’t need to prove ourselves to be higher than others.  Submitting to others faithfully is part of our growth into being who God created us to be  (reconsider Ephesians five in light of the possibility that submission does not mean lesser). We are free to submit to one another without concern for being lesser or greater (I need to think about this one a lot more!).

The Authority and Power of Jesus (3 major recurring things)

  In these passages (and in passages to come in John) it is clear that Jesus has power and authority over three huge aspects of life and humanity. He has the authority to give life. He has the authority to judge and to choose to withhold judgment. He has authority and power over the resurrection.

How To Respond in Faith

Though much of this passage can be confusing or challenging (and that is ok, God is God and we are not), how we are called to respond to Christ’ is quite simple. In verse 24 Jesus gives us simple instructions. We are to hear His words and believe the one who sent Him. We are to hear and believe. That is what Jesus always asks from us. Listen the Word and genuinely believe and put your trust in Him. Listen and trust, even and especially if,  you don’t fully understand.

John 5:17-30

Hi All!!! I am tring to be proactive and get everything I have posted, we will be focusing on John 5:1-16 for this week (July 29), but since Jared was ahead of the game and sent the next section I decided to post both of them for you......


Jesus is Divine – The Father and Son Sermon.

Discussion questions:
-In what ways are you like your father or mother? Do you share any common characteristics? Would
people be able to guess that you were his or her child? (Parents, what about your children? How are they like you or dislike you?)

-Is there anyone in your family that you would consider a “chip of the old block?” or most like a parent?

-If someone were to ask you how are Jesus and the Father connected? What would your answer be?
How are they alike? How are they different?

Text Questions:
-After reading this text how would you describe the relationship of the Father and the Son? What is the role of the son? What does he receive?

-Look at verses 19-24 again. We are being introduced to the mystery of the Trinity (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit are one God in the 3 persons or 3 essences. They are a Tri-unity). In these verses Jesus appears to be both subordinate and equal to the Father. The Father also gives power to Jesus. Can you be God and God’s son? Can the Son do things the Father can’t? How do you think all of this works?

-Look up Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-20, and Matthew 28:18-20 to get a fuller picture of the
relationship of the father with the son.

-Is this something that we can fully explain? Or is it something that God “reveals” to us and we are
called to trust and believe?

-Read verse 20-What do you think are the “these” and what do you think are the “greater works than
these?”

-Look at verses 24-30. We see almost the same material in John 3. Jesus says believe in me and you will have eternal life and not faith judgment. Then he goes on to speak of a judgment.
-What do you think it means to “believe” in him?

-What do you think it means to execute judgment?

-What is the resurrection of life and the resurrection of judgment?

John 5: 1-16

 Hi all!

 This week we are trying a simple bible study that you can use anytime. We will try it for the first
part of John chapter 5. The High School Team uses this for high school bible studies and it is a great way to study the bible on your own. You read the text and ask 6 basic questions:

-1-What do I learn about God (Jesus, Holy Spirit, God the Father)?
-2-What do I learn about people (what are all these other characters doing? Are they good examples?
Bad examples? A little bit of both? Am I like them?)?
-3-Are there any Promises in this text?
-4-Are there any commands?
-5-What do I find most interesting (what “grabs” me or what do I have questions about)?
-6-How do I apply this to my life (are there ways I can live differently? Am I challenged to take action or
to think differently?)?

-Below are some of my thoughts and answers to these questions for John 5. Do this on your own first. It will be much more helpful that way.

John 5:1-16
G.O.P.C.I.A

God (what do you learn about God/Jesus in this passage? Where do you see Him? What’s He doing? Why is he choosing to do what he’s doing?
     -While going to a festival Jesus chose to go to a lot of broken people. He chose a mess.
     -He asks what sounds like a bit of a dumb question.
     -His word has the power to physically heal someone.
     -He is comfortable around six people and wants to help.
     -He claimst to be equal with God or in some way to be God’s son.
     -He sees sinning as worse than being physically crippled.
     -He works on the Sabbath because his father does as well.

Others (What are the other people doing in this story? What do you learn about them? What are they like? )
     -This man by the pool is seen as in-valid.
     -He keeps going to the same place over and over again for healing but doesn’t get it.
     -He doesn’t have help.
     -He can’t get there on his own when he tries.
     -He has excuses for why he can’t get healed.
     -The man believes Jesus. He gets up and starts walking.
     -He becomes controversial for having faith. Listening to Jesus makes him a witness and it gets him in trouble.
     -Some people hate that Jesus healed on the Sabbath.
     -Some people weren’t happy that he was walking.
     -People can focus on the little bad things but entirely miss the huge good thing.

Promises (Are there any promises in this passage?)     -Sin leads to bad things.
     -God is always working.

Commands (Are there any commands? What are they? What do they mean?)
     -Take up your bed and walk.
     -Stop sinning less something else happen to you.

Interesting (What “grabs” you in this story. What did you find most interesting? Why?)     -Who/what heals this man? The Word of God? The man’s faith? Both?
     -Water shows up again. Here this physical water is supposed to have healing power but Jesus is the real deal (we need to be born of water and the spirit. Water turned into wine. Jesus is the real well of living water. Jesus is the real healing water. Water is everywhere!)
     -Jesus is the WORD – The Word from John is speaking power into people lives.

Actionplication (Ok so if this is the Word of God, how does it impact you today? Are you being called to act differently or think differently after reading this passage? How?)
     -Who do I see as in-valid or less than valid? Are there people that I don’t like or shy away from. I need to remember that God values them every bit as much as he values me.
     -Am I uncomfortable around sick people? How do I cultivate a better love for all people?
     -Where is God calling me to get up and walk?
     -Where do I need healing/help and do I ask God for that help? Or do I listen and obey the help he has already given me?
     -Where am I supposed to walk to? Where are things a mess and God has gifted me to help? Where can I be like Jesus?

John chapter 4: Jesus and the royal official

Discussion questions:

-Tell us about some “things” that are very real to you  but perhaps you can’t see.

-Are things that you can see more “real” than things you can’t see? Why or why not?

 Text Questions:

-Before we read this next story think back to the very beginning of John. “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.  . . And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”

-What we have here in Jesus is the Word of God (from all eternity) becoming a man. He has taken on flesh. He is one of us. He came to us and John wrote this book so that we might believe in Him, put our trust in Him and have life. He has already given us one sign of his miraculous power by turning the water into wine. He is about to do many more miraculous miracles.  People love the miraculous. There is a temptation for people to believe in the miraculous and not the “Word,” that makes the miraculous happen. Jesus will soon have many people following him around hoping to see more signs and miracles, but Jesus knows that faith, life and truth only come from trusting in Him and his word, not the miracles. Jesus will challenge this man to trust His word without seeing the miracle.  

-Read verses 43-53

-Look at verse 48. Why did Jesus respond this way to this man’s plea? How would you have responded?

-Why did Jesus perform these signs if he didn’t want people to follow him for the wrong reasons? –

-What’s the point of  Jesus signs?

-Verses 47-50. The official begs Jesus to come with him. His son is about to die. In his second response Jesus tells him to go home and that his son is well.  What would you have done if you were the official after hearing these words?

-How is the response of the official in verse 50 and 53 an example of what Jesus was desiring?

-Consider all of the “things” that Christians believe (trust, have faith in) that can not be seen. Name some of them.

-Consider this verse about what faith is:

   “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” –Heb 11:1

 Is this easy or difficult for you to have this faith? Or both? Discuss.

 Closing Reflection

     The distinction between believing because we’ve seen something and believing on the strength of God’s word remains important throughout the gospel. It reaches its final dramatic statement in Jesus’ gentle rebuke to Thomas in chapter 20. “Have you believed because you have seen? Blessed are those who haven’t seen and yet believe!”

      This is the challenge the gospel presents to us today. We are not invited to believe in an abstract idea, or a nebulous feeling or an indefinable spiritual experience. We are invited to believe in the Word become flesh. But genuine faith is always seeking the Word hidden in the flesh, not using the Word simply as a way to get to the flesh. As John’s story unfolds, we are again and again reminded that, if on the one hand, ‘God loved this world so much’ this is not because our life must remain bounded by this present world. When the world is embraced by God in love, this happens so that we may who live in the present world, dark and corrupt as it now is, may learn to love in return the God who has loved us.

      Let the clues lead you to the treasure. Let the signs lead you out of the traffic jam. Let the flesh lead you to the Word. Hear and believe.

John Chapter 4- Jesus and the Samaritans

John 4

Overview:

This story  is about our need for  “living water.” The Samaritan woman has always had her full of well water, which is stagnant and leaves her thirsty. Jesus is offering “living,” or running water. What he is really offering is God’s Holy Spirit. This will become more evident in John, but what he is getting at is the need to have God’s Spirit for life (we saw this in John 3 that we need Spirit filled rebirth).  When Jesus changes us he fills us with “living water,” and that  new water needs to push out the stagnant water that we have always filled ourselves with. For this Samaritan woman it becomes clear that she keeps going back to the well of relationships with men to satisfy her, but she is constantly left unsatisfied. Jesus is offering her different water that will so fill her that she won’t need to find herself in a husband anymore.

The Samaritan woman has tried to find love in all the wrong places. Because of her choices, she lives in shame and isolation(drawing water at mid-day to avoid interacting with others). But after her encounter with Jesus, she’s never the same. Jesus offers her living water and he also exposes her secrets. Through gentle questioning Jesus helps this woman recognize her thirst so she can receive the true satisfaction her heart craves. A new woman emerges from this encounter, and the once isolated person becomes the first missionary, shouting her testimony to all who listed.

This story also shows us what Jesus thinks about the social and cultural dividing walls  that we put up in societies. He believes that his gospel-the living water that he has- is the most important thing and this living water will be available to everyone! He is talking to a woman of ill repute, who is also a dreaded Samaritan. She doesn’t understand him at first and then as she begins to understand  she makes excuses and brings up trivial religious discussion. Jesus is not deterred by any of these things. He loves this woman and wants her to come to love and worship God in spirit and in truth.  Jesus wants this woman to know Him and the living water that he brings. He will not be deterred by anything. Her sin does not bother him, nor her gender, nor her ethnicity, nor her excuses.

Key Terms:

-Samaritans: The land of Samaria was at one time part of the nation of Israel. When Israel was conquered by Babylon most Jews were taken into exile to other nations, but some Jews were left to care for the land. Other conquered nations were also displaced from their homeland and moved to the land of Israel. This is an ingenious plan to help avoid revolts and uprisings. If you could mix up the conquered nations and have them intermingle you squelch national pride, defense of land and  ethnic solidarity.  The remaining Jews and people from other nations intermarried. Thus when the Jews returned from exile there were people already living in their land who were half-Jews and half-Gentiles. The “pure” Jews saw the Samaritans as people who didn’t stay pure and caved to their foreign enemies. By Jesus time it was well known that Jews and Samaritans did not get along. The Samaritans had their own  land which was right in the middle of Israel with Israel both below them (Jerusalem area) and above them (Galilee where Jesus grew up) called Samaria. Jews from Galilee would have to either pass through Samaria to get to Jerusalem or the would take a longer route on the other side of the Jordan river to avoid Samaria all together. Usually they went the longer route to avoid the Samaritans. Jesus takes his disciples right through Samaria.

-Living Water:  This is one of the metaphors that Jesus uses to get at his work or renewal and new life.  Water is a major them in John and throughout the scriptures to describe the work of God. Water is a fundamental human need and Jesus shows others (particularly this woman) that he has the true living water. We have already seen Jesus baptized in water and with  Nicodemus the need for rebirth in water and spirit. Here Spirit and water are placed together again as this living water is the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion question:

Are there times in your life when you feel empty? What do you try to do to fill yourself up when you feel this way? Does it work?

Text Questions:

-Read verses 1-15: Pretend you are this woman. What do you think about Jesus after this first encounter? What would you think of him as a person? Is he strange, intriguing?

-Read verses: 16-26:

  - Why does the  Samaritan women responds the way she does?

  -How does Jesus respond to her excuses? Why does he respond this way?

  -How would you feel if Jesus told you all about your past?

-Read verses 27-38:

  -Look at verse 34-38. What do you think Jesus is getting at by all this talk of work and harvest? Try to

   explain these verses to us.

  -Read verses 39-43:

  -Why do you think this woman and then many other Samaritans respond so enthusiastically?

Reflection Questions:

This story is all about people needing “living water.” The Samaritan woman has always had her full of well water, which is stagnant and leaves her thirsty. Jesus is offering “living,” or running water. When Jesus changes us he fills us with “living water,” and that  new water needs to push out the stagnant water with which  we have always filled ourselves. For this Samaritan woman it becomes clear that she keeps going back to the well of relationships with men to satisfy her, but she is constantly left unsatisfied. Jesus is offering her different and “living water” that will so fill her that she won’t need to find herself in a husband anymore.

-Can a relationship with a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife fully satisfy you and give you everything you need in life? What can it give you? What can it not give you?

 -What are other things that we are thirsty for in this life? Can getting these things give us living water? Why or why not?

 -What do you think is this “living water” that Jesus gives you (does Jesus tell us in the story)? What does he give us that is so different and better than what we can get anywhere else?

-This woman when she encounters Jesus is changed in a big way. She was a social outcast, then meets Jesus, believes he is the Messiah and an hour later she goes and tells everyone about Him. She becomes this first great missionary.

  -Have you had an encounter with Jesus like this woman? If so try to describe it.

  -How has encountering Jesus changed your life? What’s different about your life after meeting Jesus?

John 3!!!

Jesus’ Sermon to Nicodemus (and us).

John 2:23-3:21

Overview:

Chapter three is the first time in John that Jesus speaks at length. He shares with a man named Nicodemus about the need of man to experience a New Birth through the Holy Spirit.  This chapter includes the famous verse John 3:16 and has much to say about the work of the Son (Jesus), the Father, the Holy Spirit and about man’s salvation.  Below is an outline and some reflections of this first “sermon” of Jesus. It is taken from Frederick Dale Bruner’s The Gospel of John. This chapter is awesome.

 Outline:

-A-The Deep Need of Humans for Salvation: Everyone, even the most religious person, needs the New Birth – 2:23-3:3.
-B- The Spirit Who Baptizes into Salvation: God, through Baptism by His Spirit, brings about New Birth in Believers – 3:4-9.
-C-  The Son Who Saves: Jesus Promises that the Son of Man (remember this term from chapter 2) brings the Spirit’s New Birth to those who simply believe -3:10-15.
-D-  The Father Who Sends Salvation: God the Father loves the world and seeks to rescue from condemnation all those who entrust themselves to his Son. He uses both promise and warning to convey his message. 3:16-21

Our chapter begins with the Human Problem symbolized by what we may think of as the best type of human –Nicodemus who is a religious leader from among God’s own chosen people and a man who already seems to have some trust or belief in Jesus. But something very important seems to be missing (3:1-3). Next Jesus tells Nicodemus, and all of us who listen, how Divine Transformation radically answers the deep human problem by the Spirit’s gift of the New Birth (3:4-9).  Then at the center of the chapter we learn the Divine-Human Work (Jesus- God and Man) that made this transformation historically possible at all – the unique coming and the sacrificial atonement of the Son of Man for the salvation of whoever believes (3:10-15). Finally, we are introduced to the great giver of the son to the whole world (verse 16). This is the deeply loving God the Father, and we learn the eternal consequences attending one’s decision  for or against this good God’s freely offered Son: life or death, light or darkness (3:16-21).

In other words, like a good evangelist (teller of good news), John begins by showing us that even some people who think that they are already God’s people, even some who think they already believe, even the highly respected teachers of religion – all human beings without exception – desperately need a deep divine change in their lives in order to be with God in reality. Jesus then teaches us where this transformation takes place in person and in public: in the personal decision for and in the deep transformation of baptism by the Holy Spirit. This is why we practice baptism today. It speaks to our public confession of faith as believers in Jesus and it also symbolizes the true baptism and transformation by the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Next Nicodemus, and all of us reading about him, are told of the deep divine person  and work of the Son that makes renewal and new life by the Spirit possible and powerful for all. Finally we see God the Father sending, out of his immense love for the whole world, his one and only Son, lifting him up as a visible and saving sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.  The Song saves the world and people receive that salvation by trusting in his Son and his good work for the world.

Discussion questions:

-If you could have a one-on-one conversation with God about any topic what would you choose and why?
-When you hear the term “born again” what do you think about?
-Tell us about someone or something that you really trust. Why do you trust them? What makes them so trustworthy?

Text Questions:

Look at verses 1-10. There is a lot of back and forth between Nicodemus and Jesus about being born from above (or born again, or reborn) and a lot being said about the role of the Spirit in rebirth. Nicodemus appears confused. You may be confused as well.
     -What do you the Spirit is and what does Jesus say that it does?
     -What do you think it means to born from above?   
     -Why do you think people need to be born from above to be in the kingdom of God?

Verse 14 is alluding to a story in the book of Numbers chapter 21. God had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and was bringing them to the Promised Land. In the wilderness the people begin to crumble and complain. They speak out against God in the wilderness and against their leader Moses. They said it would be better for them to be slaves again. God then sent poisonous snakes among the people which bit many of the people and they died. The people began to cry out to Moses saying, “We have sinned against the Lord and you. Please pray to the Lord to take away the snakes.” Moses then made a snake of bronze and put it on a pole; whenever someone was bitten by the snake if they looked up to the pole they would live and not die.

 Jesus is saying that he is like that bronze serpent. The world is bit by sin and evil just as the Israelites were bit by snakes. All that evil is placed on Jesus hanging on that cross and we are to look up to him to find life and to live in spite of the poisonous venom that has bitten us.

-What do you think about this analogy? Is being bit by poisonous snakes a good way to describe sin? Is that a good way to describe people? Why or why not.

-In verses 15 and 16 we see the phrase eternal life. What do you think eternal life is and what does it mean to have it?

-Look at verse 16. What do you think it means to believe in Jesus?

-If you began to trust Jesus all of the time what do you think would be different in life?

-If someone asked you, “How do I become a Christian?” what would you tell them (look at verses 15-21).

John 1B

Hi Everyone,
I am SOOOO sorry it took so long to get this posted. Because we missed last week we will go over the second part of John 1, as well as John 2. As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, please feel free to post!!

John 1:35-51

The Birth of the Church

Overview:
-1:35-51: In this section of John we see the first handful of people that begin to come to Jesus and then go and begin telling others about Jesus. These verses mark the beginning of the church community.  When we think of church a lot of things pop into our heads ( a building, a large crowd on Sunday morning, preachers, robes, political beliefs,tradition, weddings, religious vibe). But as Jesus gathers his first followers we  see a few simple actions done by his first followers that are really the main work of the church today.   First, his first followers  point to Jesus Christ and his work.  John the Baptist tells other about Jesus. He says look, “Here is the lamb of God who is taking away the sin of the world!” Andrew tells his brother, “We have found the Messiah!” Philip tells Nathanael , “we have found the one Moses was talking about!” The people that hear the good news about Jesus do what anyone would do when they hear good news, they get excited and tell their  friends and family.  Then they do the next logical thing. They invite their friends and family to come along and see this Jesus for themselves.  
-This is the right understanding of what a church is. We should think about our church community in this way.  In its simplest understanding the church of Jesus Christ has the task of  1)announcing who Jesus Christ is and what he has done.  2) Telling the people that we have relationships with about this Jesus (friends, family). 3) Inviting those people to come and see (not go and see for yourself, but come and see with me).
-Everyone gives Jesus a different name and understands him in slightly different ways. This is early in the story and people are trying to figure out who he is. Is he a great rabbi? Is he the Messiah? Is he the one that the prophets have been talking about? Is he a Son of God, the True King of Israel? Is he all of these things?  They all know he is something special and someone worth following but no one perfectly understands HIm. It is important to know that we will begin following Jesus before we fully understand all that he is (I don’t think we will ever quite fully understand all that he is).  That’s ok. As we follow and learn more things will begin to get clearer.

Key Terms and People:

-Andrew and (Simon)Peter (brothers) –Andrew tells Peter about Jesus.  Andrew is mentioned sparingly in the gospels while Peter is very prominent. Peter means rock or stone and is the name that Jesus gives to him.  Peter is one of Jesus 3 closest followers.  He is pictured as rash, bold and impulsive.  Peter makes bold declarations of faith. He gets out of boat and walks on water with Jesus. He tells Jesus that he will never deny him even if everyone else does. He then denies knowing who Jesus is three times while Jesus is about to be crucified.  At the end of John there is a beautiful story of Jesus restoring Peter to faith.  Peter will go on to be one of the main leaders of the early church and a bold faithful preacher who declares all that Jesus Christ has done.  In church tradition Peter is eventually crucified for his faith in Jesus.

-Name Changes – This happens several times in the Bible.  God changes the names of Abraham and Sarah (from Abram and Sarai).  God also changes the name of Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (one who strives with God). In Isaiah ch62 there is a picture of God restoring his people Israel. He gives her a new name from the mouth of the Lord.  Names are very important in the bible as they are today. The are key ways in which we identify ourselves.  In the book of Revelation (chapter 2) these is a scene where a church community that overcomes trials is given a stone with a new name that is given just to them.  God is the one who holds our true identity. He knows who we truly are even more so than the parents that named us or the names that we give ourselves.

-Philip and Nathanael – two other followers of Jesus. Philip becomes one of the 12 disciples. Nathanael  may or may not be one of the 12 disciples. Some scholars think that he is one of the 12 disciples named Bartholomew or Mathew since these names have similar meanings  to Nathanael.

-“You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” –This is a reference to a story in the 28the chapter of the book of Genesis.  In this story a man named Jacob has a dream where he sees the heavens opened and some type of bridge or ladder (Jacob’s ladder) coming to earth with angels going up or down (I tend to picture a cosmic escalator).  Jesus is saying that He is the bridge between heaven and earth. He comes from God and will go to God.  He is the one who will connect God and man.  When he dies this will become more clear. He will literally be hanging between heaven and earth on a cross. His is telling Nathanael – if you follow me you will see heaven come down to earth and you will see earth go up to heaven.

-Son of Man – A cryptic phrase that Jesus uses to describe himself. There has been literally millions of pages written about what exactly this phrase means.  It comes from a vision in the Prophetic book of Daniel (Daniel ch 7). The vision basically attempts to show symbolically all the great kingdoms of the earth. God sits on a throne (He is called the Ancient of Days). Then one “Like a Son of Man” or “Like a Human Being” comes to God. God gives this Son of Man everlasting dominion and kingship over all the nations of the earth. After the resurrection Jesus will be understood by his followers as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Every knee will eventually bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord (Philippians 2). But for now in the story this phrase is confusing to his followers and they do not quite understand.  They probably are even confused as to who he is talking about. Is he referencing himself or is he talking about someone else? It is understandably confusing.

Introduction Question:

-When you hear the word church what comes to your mind?

-If you asked your friends, “What does the church do?” or “What is the point of church?” what would their answers be?

-Tell us about some really good news  that you have heard recently or an exciting event in your life.

John 1:35-51

-Why do you suppose Jesus asks the first two disciples what they want? Is he being cold? Why or why not?

-Why does Jesus give Simon a new name and what do you think his new name signifies?

-This passage is the beginning of the first Christian community or what we call the church. The first followers do a few simple things. 1)They declare who Jesus is (the lamb of God who takes away sin, the messiah, the king, the son of God). 2) They get excited and tell their friends and family about Jesus and 3) they invite their friends and family to come with them and see Jesus for themselves.  Do you think this is a good picture of what a church should be about? Does our church community do this?

-In verse 51 Jesus is  calling himself, “the Son of Man.” What do you think that means and why do you think he chooses to describe himself that way?

-Verse 51 seems to be a tightly packed and evocative way of saying: “Don’t think that all you’ll see is a one or two remarkable insights, such as I knew you under the tree over there.  What you’ll see from now on is the reality towards which Jacob’s ladder (Genesis 28:10-22) and the temple itself have been pointing to like a signpost. If you follow me you’ll be watching what I looks like when heaven and earth are opened up to each other.”

-What do you think it means that Jesus has made heaven and earth open to each other?

Challenge:

-Would you say that you “follow Jesus” and what do you think it means to follow Jesus today?

- Are there friends and family that you would love to invite to come and see this guy Jesus? How do you think you could invite them to come and see with you?

John Chapter 2

How did the first week go for all of you? Is your family enjoying the study? Is there anything we should change? Or anything else that you think would be helpful??

Reading: John 2:1-25 (the whole chapter)

Overview

-1-12 – In John the first miracle that Jesus performs is helping to a party keep going. Jesus brings abundant joy to an already joyous occasion. It is significant that John chooses a wedding as the first miracle to share.  In the scripture God is often seen as the bridegroom and his people are seen as the bride.  This story is a picture of what is to come for God’s people.

Jesus also helps the host save face from the embarrassment of running out of wine, which would be a big deal back then (think about how you might feel if you didn’t make enough food for Thanksgiving. People would probably say it’s no big deal but you might still feel mortified).  This is not just an inconvenience, but a social disaster and disgrace. The family would live with this for a long time. The bride and groom might see this as bad luck.  What’s so great about this story is that Jesus doesn’t just make wine, but he makes the best wine. He doesn’t just restore what is missing but he makes something new and better.

 -13-25 – The temple was the beating heart of Judaism. It was the center of worship and music, of politics and society, of national celebration and mourning. It was the place where God had promised his people to live in their midst. Jesus is angry with what the temple had become. It was used as a marketplace, as a place of oppression and abuse of power. We don’t often think of Jesus as angry. It is important to understand that Jesus gets angry often in the gospels. Consider what he gets angry about. It’s important for Christians to have a similar anger.

Key Terms and People

-Galilee/Cana –Galilee is the name for Northern Israel.  Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth in Galilee. Jerusalem is in southern Israel and between Northern and Southern Israel is Samaria which we will learn about in chapter 4.  Galileans as a whole were seen as more “hickish” for lack of a better word. They might be viewed the way the Northeast traditionally stereo types “southerners.” Cana is a town in Galilee.

-Chief Steward – The head of the wedding ceremony.

-Temple – See explanation above in overview.

Introduction Question:

-Imagine Jesus at a party (perhaps your birthday party or a wedding or New Year’s Eve party). Picture it. Where do you see him? What do you think he is doing? Is he making the party awesome or is he making everyone nervous?

Verses 1-12 –The Wedding

V4-What do you think Jesus means when he says “my hour has not yet come?” What do you think Jesus’ hour is?

V8-9 – Imagine you were one of the servants.  You are filling this jar with water. Would you take some of that water to the chief steward just because Jesus told you to? Why or why not?

-How is Jesus’ wine different from the wine normally served? What do you think this means?

-What does this story tell you about the kind of person that Jesus is? When we think of Jesus and miracles our first thoughts aren’t usually of a guy who keeps a party rocking.

Jesus at the Temple:

Introduction question:
-When was the last time you saw someone lose his or her temper? Do you think their behavior was appropriate or inappropriate?

-What is one thing that makes you really really mad?

-Have you ever seen someone abuse power or money in the name of religion? Share.

 Text Questions

-Why was Jesus so angry? Do you think it was right for him to act on his anger in this way?

-What would you have done if you were Jesus?

-How does this passage affect your impression of Jesus? Are you surprised by his behavior? Why or why not?

-What do you think makes Jesus angry today? In our world?

 
Challenge
MSG challenge – As a group, think of something specific you can do this week to express your anger in a positive way (ex: Anger about world hunger=buy some food and donate it to lunch break, angry about homelessness=volunteer in a shelter). Think about this at home during the week and brainstorm on Sunday.

Final Thoughts

-Are there any questions you have? Bring them to Sunday.

John Chapter 1

“These are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” –John 20:31

This week’s reading: John 1:1-28

Overview:

-This book is written so that people might know  Jesus, believe in him and have real life. This is what happened for John. Jesus met him and told him to follow him.  He followed Jesus. Over time he became convinced that this Jesus was the Messiah of Israel,  the world’s true King and that He was also the Son of God. This book shares how all of this unfolds. He is a witness who shares the good news about this man Jesus.

-John begins with a prologue (verses 1-18) that contains important topics that will be covered throughout the gospel. This is John’s attempt to tell the story of Jesus Christ in a few short compact sentences.  He gets it all out on that table right away. Here is Jesus! Look at all that he is!  Jesus is with God, but he also is God. Jesus is at the dawn of Creation. All things are made by Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. Jesus becomes flesh. Many people reject Him, but some become his children. It is all beautiful and leads us to praise this magnificent God, but it can also be overwhelming. Don’t get too overwhelmed. If Jesus is God then he should be a bit overwhelming.  As we read through John these ideas will be further developed and should be much less overwhelming.

-Verses 19-28 begin telling the story of Jesus by way of sharing about another John (we know him as John the Baptist). John is first mentioned in verse 6. John is a messenger that goes ahead of Jesus to witness to him and point to Jesus as the true light of the world.

Key Terms and People:

-John: John is the author of the book of John. He is one of Jesus’ 12 disciples which include his brother James as well as a man named Peter who will show up quite often in the gospel.

-John the Baptist: John is the cousin of Jesus. He is sent by God to be a witness that points to Jesus. He is a herald of King Jesus who declares to Israel that the King is coming and it is time to prepare for him. John is pictured as an Old Testament prophet who calls Israel to repentance. He will  be killed by King Herod for speaking against the Herod’s sinful activity.

-The Word:  The Word is Jesus.

-Messiah :  Literally, the anointed one. The Jews believed that God would anoint a new king  like their great King David to come and set the people of Israel free from foreign oppressors. In the time of Jesus and John the Jews were under Roman rule and were eagerly hoping for a Messiah to come and set them free from Rome.

-Elijah: A powerful prophet from the Old Testament who is rumored to one day return to announce the coming of the Messiah.

-Priest, Levites, Sadducees, and Pharisees: These are various priests and teachers in Israel. They are the keepers  of the law and they teach the people how to follow God. Jesus and John are also teaching the people so priests, Levites, and Pharisees often show up in this gospel to see what Jesus is doing. As we will see  later Jesus gets in many debates, discussion and sometimes huge arguments with these groups. We will talk about each specific group more in depth as we see them in later chapters.

Discussion Questions

Introduction:
-Pray.

-What’s difference between a bride and her bridesmaids or a groom and groomsmen? (Parents if you have been in the role of bridesmaids and/or bride perhaps you could explain what it was like and how different the roles are).

 In the story  we will learn about two men. Jesus and John. Jesus is the main event. He is the bride and groom on a huge scale. John is like a groomsman or a bridesmaid. He looks a lot like the people getting married, but his job is to help and point to the real main event.

 John 1:1-28 

Read verses 1-18:

-Why do you think John describes Jesus as The Word?

-In the first 18 verses there is a lot said about Jesus (The Word) . How is he described?  And what are the things that he does?

-How does this world and the people in this world respond to Jesus (verses 10-13)?

-Some people respond with Joy when they hear about Jesus. Other people do not believe at all. Why do you think that is? It is easy or difficult for you to believe in Jesus? Or is it both?

Read verses 19-28:

-John is asked who he is. How does he describe himself (verse 23)?

-Look at verses 15 and verses 24-28. What is John’s relationship to Jesus?

Challenge

-John has one main goal – to point people to Jesus. He does little things to point others to the big things that Jesus will do. We can do this too. Christians have the same goal. We seek to help other people see Jesus. Are the ways that you can help others see Jesus?  Think of a few ways and then try to point others to Jesus this week.

Final Thoughts

-Are there any questions you have after talking about this story? Write them down and bring them to our meeting on Sunday, or post them up on the blog so others can consider them during the week.

-Select a favorite verse from this story. Read that verse and then close in prayer.

Welcome!!

Hello and Welcome to the Outreach Red Bank Middle School Group's Bible Study!!!!

Christians are meant to read the Bible. We as Christians are meant to read the Word of the Lord and to learn about the life of our savior, Jesus Christ.


When we first started working through what a Bible study for middle school students should look like, the first thing that became crystal clear was parental involvement. As a parent, you really are the MOST important person in your Middle Schooler's life (no matter how much he/she may say they disagree with that statement). Middle School is a time where students begin to really develop their own identities and start to become more independent. Those are GREAT things!! However, within those expanding roles, students still need a grounding of love and center for what Christ-like living looks like.... That's YOU!!


Middle School is not a time when you should withdrawal from your student because he/she "doesn't want to hang out" with you, or he/she doesn't think you are a "cool" parent. This is the best time to develop the meaningful relationships based in love and respect with your children that will help them to see what Christ-like love is all about.


Our goal in this Bible study is to help bring students and their parents closer to the Lord, and closer to each other by reading and discussing the Bible together and then discussing it with a group of other students and parents. This group is all about learning and growing together!


No one knows everything there is to know about the Bible. Everyone has troubles understanding some of the information in the Bible from time to time. (Seriously... when was the last time you baked a cake with a "tenth of an ephah of fine flour" and mixed it with "a quarter of a hin of beaten oil"??) This blog is going to be your place for help. Every week we will post the reading along with additional information that we think would be helpful. We will also post reflection questions that should help you and your student relate the readings to your everyday lives. This blog is also a place for you to ask questions. No question is too small, because if you’re wondering it, other parents are most likely wondering it also. Throughout the week, if you have questions or reflections that came out during your discussion with your student, PLEASE post them here. We WANT your input and feedback.


I have used the term "WE" a lot in this introduction...Nancy Medrow, Jamie Mazza, and Jared Murray have been meeting to start planning and forming this group. Nancy is the mother of a middle school student herself and is looking forward to facilitating the group. Jamie is a Middle School Group Leader and is excited to help Nancy in facilitating this group. Jared is the Director of Youth Ministries at ORB and will be working with Nancy and Jamie to provide the research and reflection for the group. As you may have noticed, none of us are "leaders" for this group. We are here to help you and your student learn together. We are open to ideas and helpful hints. We want to make this group work for as many people as possible and would love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

As we go forward, please pray. Prayer helps to focus us on God's love and direction for our lives. We as a group pray that we will be able to help you and your students grow closer to the Lord through reading the Bible.

Please let us know if you have any questions/comments/concerns. You can either post them right here, or email Nancy (nmedrow@yahoo.com) or Jamie (jerseygirl8483@gmail.com)