Relevant Verses: John 1:4, 12, 13; 6:61-68; 10:10; 14:6 Theme: Life in Abundance Leading Question: What metaphor do you like to use to describe life? The Gospel of John begins with God as the life-giver: times. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of all people.(John 1:4 NRSV) The theme of life appears with the Greek word zoe 36 times in John’s narrative and uses word pictures or metaphoric language to describe “life” and “eternal life” like, light, a well of fresh water, bread, Jesus’ flesh, Jesus’ blood, and Jesus’ words. In John 6:1-15, Jesus takes five loaves of bread and multiplies ...

Relevant Verses: John 5:17, 20, 36–40, 46, 47; 8:12–30 Theme: The Father’s Testimony Leading Question: Have you ever waited for something important to happen and it felt like a life time? Healing on Sabbath (John 5)There were many who were sick—the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed—all aying at the pool gate of Bethesda. The man who was ill for 38 years was singled out. The length of time that the man has been ill, in the context of a human life span in the first century, suggests that he has been sick virtually his entire life. This includes his life-long dependance ...

Relevant Verses: John 8:54–58; 12:1–8; 19:4–22; 20:19– 31 Theme: Signs Faith versus Blessed Faith Leading Question: What do you need to believe? The tension between signs faith and belief without having seen is a curious one in John’s Gospel. On one hand, Jesus’ sings are featured with prominence in order that people might believe that Jesus is the Messiah. On the other hand, Jesus rebukes the seeking of signs, and those who believe without having seen are considered blessed. The Anointing of JesusThe anointing of Jesus, like previous sign acts in the Gospel of John, is described in a single verse, indicating that ...

Relevant Verses: John 1:32–36; 3:25–36; 5:36–38; 6:51–71; 7:37–53 Theme: The Scandal of Jesus Leading Question: Have you ever felt offended by something Jesus asked you to do? The miracle of the loaves and fish is recounted in all four Gospels. According to John’s account in chapter 6, this miracle becomes a “sign” pointing beyond itself on a much deeper level. Jesus left after feeding the people and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee but was pursued by the crowd who asked for further miracles. They eventually found him in the synagogue in Capernaum. Here, John’s Gospel tells us, ...

Relevant Verses: John 4 Theme: The Witness of the Samaritan Woman Leading Question: Does a personal relationship with Jesus always feel good and comfortable? There could be no character more opposite to Nicodemus than the Samaritan woman at the well. Question: What are some of the contrasts you can draw between Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman? Question: What do you make of the detail that “it was necessary” for Jesus to go through Samaria on his journey from Judea to Galilee (John 4:3-4)? Is it just a geographical detail? Is it a theological necessity? (Remember: “God so loves the world …”) Question: What is the ...

Relevant Verses: John 1; 3 Theme: Witnesses of the Messiah Leading Question: How comfortable are you with being a permanent bystander or witness for someone else? There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.John 1:6-8 A key term in the Gospel of John is the word “witness,” which appears 14 times in the Gospel. The purpose is to show that Jesus is God in the flesh and messiah. To do this, the ...

Relevant Verses: John 1:1-18 Theme: The Power of the Word Leading Question: What image does “the Word was God” convey for you? The prologue is the most profound statement about Jesus’ identity in the New Testament, identifying Jesus as the “Word” (logos). The Greek term logos had a conceptual background in Judaism and in Greek philosophy. In the Old Testament, God’s word is the dynamic force of his will. The psalmist declares, “By the word (logos) of the Lord were the heavens made” (Psalm 33:6). God speaks and it is done (Isa 55:11). In Greek philosophy, logos was used of the divine ...

Relevant Verses: John 6:1–15, 26–36; 11 Theme: Signs of Divinity Leading Question: What persuades you about Jesus as a divine being? Nowhere in the New Testament is Jesus presented as more thoroughly human and more thoroughly divine than in the Gospel of John. Consider these polarities pointed out by Prof. Paul N. Anderson, The Riddles of the Fourth Gospel (p. 26-27): On one hand, Jesus’ divinity is pronounced in John: The glory of Jesus is testified to from the beginning of the Gospel (1:4; 2:11; 11:4; 14:13; 17:1) and his “glorification” is emphasized extensively (1:51; 3:14; 6:62; 8:28; 12:23, 34; 13:1) Jesus is ...

Relevant Verses: John 2:1–11; 4:46–54; 5:1– 5:1–47 Theme: Follow the Signs Leading Question: When was the last time you felt a subtle nudge to do something? There are signs everywhere, from the traffic signs that tell you how to act on the road, signs directing you in an airport, and signs telling you the name of streets and stores. If you’re hungry, you look for the sign of your favorite place to eat. If you’re lost, you try finding a sign telling you where you are and how you can get to where you want to go. But signs don’t work in ...

Opening Question If Jesus rose from the dead as the Gospel of Mark says, what impact does that have on us today? Introduction The good news of the resurrection is recounted briefly in Mark, but still climatically. Main characters shift from the disciples to the women and Joseph of Arimathea, Pilate, and a “young man in white.” These characters mark a shift in the story to uncertainty, yet promises new things. Mark 15:42-47 Mark locates the timing of Jesus’ death to Friday, the preparation day before the Sabbath. He also notes that Joseph of Arimathea provides a tomb for Jesus. One of the most ...

Opening Question Is the cross an appropriate symbol for Christianity? Introduction Passion literature requires suffering, but not necessarily death. Jesus both suffers, and then dies in the Gospel account of Mark. The scenes are difficult to take in; perhaps for some, it can even be painful enough to read that they do not like to dwell on it. But face it we should, internalizing it draws us to the one suffering. Mark 15:1-15 Pontius Pilate is known from Roman inscriptions, and some writings. He was not known as a reliable ruler, but when faced with the conundrum of Jewish riot vs. crucifying an innocent ...