John 9

Who is blind? And who can see?

Overview:

The short chapter expresses perhaps more vividly and completely than any other John’s conception of the work of Christ.

John’s story of the healing of the man born blind strikes many interpreters as the most well-crafted of all the gospel stories. In classical dramatic form, in each of the 6 separate scenes there are only two major protagonists. In each scene, one question leads perfectly to the question in the next scene until we come to a dramatic climax in the final scene where both the Serious and we who read are asked to do a fearless moral inventory and confess their (and our) spiritual blindness and neediness so that all of us might receive the very gift of sight that the Blind Man has just received;

“The man blind from birth is every man. For it is part of that sin of world which the Lamb of God beareth away that by nature we are blind, until our eyes are opened by Christ the Light of the world.”

The healed man is impressive (and a great picture of a faithful witness). He never lies. Not even to Jesus at the end. He is the prototypical “person who always tells the truth,” touched by and so coming increasingly towards Jesus in every encounter until finally he is at his Lord’s feet in worship.  Nicodemus (John3) had been told earlier that everyone doing and telling the truth comes to the light (John 3:21). The Blind Man is that man coming closer and closer to the light. As the story progresses the healed man gradually “comes toward the light.” His knowledge of Jesus keeps growing from “the man named Jesus,” to “a prophet,” to “a man of God,” to “The Son of Man,” and then finally to “I believe, Lord and he worshipped Jesus” (v38).

While the man born blind comes gradually to greater and greater sight both physically and spiritually, the leadership of the people of God plunge into deeper and deeper darkness, until finally falling into a blindness that Jesus condemns (v41).  At the end all of us (and this book is written so that we might believe. This chapter is written so that we might consider if we too are blind and need to see a lot more.) who “know”  intellectually, doctrinally, and even biblically – are asked to confess our factual blindness so that we may experience the miracle of seeing the truth, who is the Lord Jesus, the Son of Man.

        The section above is an except from    F.D.  Bruner’s  The Gospel  of John  (pgs  561-562)

Open Discussion:

-If you had to be deaf, mute of blind which would you choose? Which would be most difficult?

Text Questions:

-Look at verses 5-6. Why do you think Jesus choose to heal this way this time? Do you see any connections to Old Testament stories you might have heard?

-How many times do the Pharisees ask this man about his healing (15,17,26)? Who else do they ask(v18)?  What response do they keep getting? How do they react (v28,34)?

-Why do you think the Pharisees react this way? Why is it so difficult to believe this man?

-This whole trial  is based on who Jesus really is. What is Jesus called in this chapter?

-Look at verses 30-33. What arguments does the blind man use to defend that Jesus is from God?

-This chapter is saying a lot about sight and blindness as well as darkness and light.  Look at verses 35-41 again. Imagine someone asked you what this paragraph meant. How would you explain it in your own words?

Reflection Questions:

-Put yourself in the shoes of the blind man, his parents and  the Pharisees. How would you have acted throughout this story? What would each group stand to gain or lose by this unfolding  drama?

-The synagogue was the focus of the whole community. If you were put out of the synagogue, you’d probably be better off leaving the area altogether. The parents are afraid because they know the threat against anyone saying that Jesus is the Messiah. They are anxious for their livelihood, their social standing and possibly their lives .  We do not have the synagogue at the center of our society. But take a moment and think about what the consequences are for us today of simply telling people about what this Jesus has done for us and our belief that he is Lord.  What are negative and positive consequences? How does open belief in Jesus impact our standing in society, work and life in general?

(Parents. Take some time to share your difficulties and the consequences of living out your faith in work, family and other social settings).

 

 

The man blind from birth is every man. For it is part of that sin of the world which the Lamb of God beareth away that by nature we are blind, until our eyes are opened by Christ, the light of the World.

– William Temple

John 8:12-59

Fighting over Truth, Freedom, and the Way to Life

Open Discussion:

-Share a time when you have argued or fought with others. What was the argument about?
-Are there things or issues  worth getting in heated arguments over?  What are they and why are they worth it?

Text Questions:
-Read the WHOLE passage.  There are a few different issues being argued over. What are they?
 Why  are these so important for Jesus and the Jewish leaders?

-Do you think these issues are worth the fight? Why can’t Jesus and the Jewish leaders be nicer to each other. Why don’t they just love each other enough to agree to disagree?

-Verses 12-20 – Why does Jesus consider his testimony valid? How would you respond if you were a Jewish leader?

-Verses 21-30 – Why do you think many people believed in him as he was saying these things?

-Verses 31 is confusing.   He is getting in an argument with the ones who believe in him?

-Verse 33 – Are they Jews right in saying this? Why do you think they said this?

-The people assumed that being the children of Abraham made them the children of God. Jesus seems to be saying that this isn’t true. Does the church have similar assumptions about what it means to be God’s children today?

-Jesus brings up sin a few times v24-25, 34-36. What does he mean by “dead in your sins?”

-Are there “religious” lies that many of us in the church believe today to which Jesus was vehemently disagree with us?

-In 32-57 Jesus has many accusations against the Jewish leaders. What are they?

–Why do they accuse Jesus of having a demon? And why do they want to stone him?

Reflection Question:

Consider what things in life are worth fighting for. Can we expect conflict when fighting over things like the way, the truth and the life?
-Are there times where we should be this combative and times when we should accuse others the way Jesus does? When do you think those times are and with who

John 8:1-11

Hi all!

This week's reading is short, so we felt a basic study that the students can use outside of the group is a good way to go. Hopefully this will give the students a framework to read on their own...

I am reposting this from an earlier study, so if it looks familiar, it should!


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?)?



-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 7

Overview:
In chapters 7 and 8 Jesus speaks confrontationally to several groups of mainly hostile people in a rapid series of controversies. A good name for these chapters could be “Jesus’ Confrontation Debates and Sermons.”  In each encounter we learn afresh the world’s religion – i.e., what the world considers most important and credible.  We learn the way the world thinks about divinity and what the how the world thinks a Messiah should look. We also see what the world thinks about a man who claims to be divine.   In these two chapters, we learn a great deal about Christ,  our world’s understanding of religion and  ourselves who live in the world while we are seeking to  live in Christ.

Definitions:

The Feast of Tabernacles’ or Booths:  There were three great obligatory festivals for all Jewish males: the spring Passover Festival (of Unleavened Bread), the summer Pentecost Festival (also called Weeks), the autumn Festival of Booths (or Tabernacles). These are all listed in Deuteronomy chapter 16.
     Passover  celebrated the Exodus at the Red Sea. Pentecost celebrated the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai. Booths celebrated the giving of provision in the wilderness. In view of the pervasive murmuring against Jesus within chapter seven it is interesting to note that for the Jews this time in the wilderness was a time of great murmuring against God and discontent. Yet, surprisingly over time the Festival of Booths turned into Israel’s favorite and most joyous ceremony. We have something similar to this in America today. We celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. For Christians Easter should be by far our greatest celebration. It is the time to celebration the Resurrection of Jesus. It is time to celebrate the power of life over death. But in our practice we make a much bigger deal of Christmas than Easter.
    The Festival of Booths was called  “booths” because Israel was asked to pitch tents on her roofs, yards, or nearest free space, and then for seven days to eat and sleep there in grateful remembrance of God’s provision during the wilderness years of living in booths. The great miraculous  provisions over the forty years in the wilderness, we recall, were the manna from heaven, the water from the rock, , and the fiery cloud of guidance.  Jesus himself now fulfills all the highlights of the festival and all the needs of his people in her wandering through the wilderness of the world, and not just in the wilderness for forty years but forever. This is the claim of the whole gospel of John.  –F.D. Bruner, John 467-68.

Introduction Questions:

-Suppose the whole world got together and decided to make one person king of everything. After this person was decided upon he would call all of the shots. Tell us about how you would choose this person? What qualities would he have? What are the things that you would want him to do? What laws should he make? Come up with the perfect king!
-Do you feel like your parents and siblings trust you? How would it feel to have a sibling or close friend not trust you?

Text Questions:

Read verses 1-13

-Look at verses 3-5. Why do you think the brothers want Jesus to go public with his miracles?
-Look at verses 6-11. What does Jesus response mean? And then why does he decide to go anyway?
-Reflect on verse 7. Some say that Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  Do you think that is a good description of what happens when people meet Jesus?
-Why does Jesus choose to go in secret in verse 10?

 Read verses 14-24

-In verses 19-24 Jesus is arguing with the leaders over how to understand the law. Share with us what you know about the law of Moses. Then explain Jesus argument. What is Jesus trying to say about the ultimate purpose of the law.

Read verses 25-52
-Why do you think Jesus waited until the last day of the festival to address the crowd (v37)? Why not earlier?
-What bold invitation and promise does Jesus offer to people in verses 37-38? Notice how everyone respond to this offer (v40-55). How do you respond if you are in the crowd that day?

John is careful to tell us that Jesus is making this invitation on the last day of the festival of the Tabernacles, which had among its celebratory rituals a moment when the priests would pour out water and wine on the altar. Among the prayers that were regularly prayed at the festival were prayers for rain and for the resurrection of the dead; so the theme not only of water but also of new life were spot on for the subjects that would be in people’s minds.  (N.T. Wright).

Closing Reflection:

    Some first-century Jews believed the Messiah would appear mysteriously, with nobody knowing where he came from (v27). Jesus reply is not what we expect. Instead of saying, “Ah, but you don’t know where I really came from” (meaning from God), he agrees that they know where his hometown is. He then turns the question around. While insisting  they are indeed ignorant of something, their real ignorance is not so much about him, Jesus, but about God. So naturally they cannot associate the Jesus they are seeing with the true God.

    The same challenge comes to today’s world. Often people look at Jesus and draw conclusions about him based on faulty ideas of God and the world. But the Christian message insists that people must learn afresh who God is, what the world is, and who we are by looking at Jesus.

       -N.T. Wright

     In what ways has the Jesus you’ve encountered thus far in the gospel of John challenged the way you think about God, yourself and others?