7 years ago
Why study the book of John? I think A.W. Tozer answers the question most eloquently. The Gospel of John illustrates what it looks like when God the Son comes to dwell among His people. John’s Gospel profoundly shows how God’s Son, Jesus, makes it possible for us to have an eternal relationship with God the Father (John 3:16–17).
Series Notes (PDF)
We begin a new study series today, and in this episode we begin the first of a three part introduction to "The Gospel Of John."
Part two of the introduction to "The Gospel of John" study series.
Part three of the introduction to "The Gospel of John" study series.
John the Baptist was to bear witness to the light of Christ so that humanity would believe that Jesus Christ was/is the light, the Messiah.
Dr. Hamm continues the "Gospel Of John" Series.
Dr. Hamm continues with part two of "The Testimony Of John".
Dr. Hamm highlights certain aspects of Jesus' public ministry.
Dr. Hamm continues Jesus' Public ministry and the first chapter of the Gospel of John.
The first miracle that Jesus performs in the Gospel of John was not a public one – Rather, the miracle took place at a private event – a wedding.
Dr. Hamm discusses the word "wine" and how its used in scripture to describe several different things. This is a very informative lesson you shouldn't miss.
The proper use of the temple which was to be a house of worship and prayer was being subjugated to a house of commerce. No wonder Jesus got angry!
Jesus begins His first and most thorough explanation of Soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) in his dialogue with Nicodemus.
Nicodemus asked, “How can this be?” Jesus answers him, “You are a teacher in Israel and you should understand these things.”
God initiates the action of redemption. The verb “loved” in John 3:16 has the prominent position in the sentence. Jesus wanted all to know that is was God’s love that was bringing eternal life to the world.
Jesus now goes into the rural area surrounding Jerusalem. For a short time, the ministry of John the Baptist overlapped Jesus’ ministry. The Judean countryside must have been alive and filled with activity through the teaching of both these great preacher
In Jesus’ day, the Jews because of their hatred for the Samaritans, normally took the eastern route in order to avoid Samaria. But Jesus chose the route through Samaria in order to reach the despised people of that region.
The woman was shocked and taken aback that a Jewish man would ask for a drink from a Samaritan woman. Jesus’ response to her was both remarkable and astounding. If you knew who I am and what I could do for you, your attitude would be very different.
She could never receive what she failed to see she needed. Unless the Church confronts the moral bankruptcy of our culture as it relates to God’s Word, they will never see their dire need for spiritual repentance.
Jesus let the disciples know that they would not have to wait to see the results of their mission; the sowing and reaping could and would happen simultaneously. Sowers and reapers are blessed by the benefit of their forerunners, and succeeding generations
After two days of ministry in the town of Sychar in Samaria, Jesus continued north and returned to the Galilee region. John points out that Jesus had testified that “a prophet has no honor in his own country.
The first two miracles of Jesus that John records were somewhat private in nature. The servants and the disciples knew He turned the water into wine, and the royal official’s family knew that He had healed their sick son. This miracle in Chapter 5 was not
The Sabbath controversy was enough to cause them to hate Jesus, but the implication of His claim that God is His own Father was impossible for them to accept. Jesus’ unity with His Father is so complete that the honor of God is tied to Jesus. To reject or
Jesus continues His conversation with the Jews by informing them that His deity was not dependent on any for life. Just as the Father derived His life from no one, Jesus states He possesses inherent life, the power to create and the power to give new life
Because His critics were questioning His authority, Jesus is willing to produce witnesses to vouch for Him. The word witness is a key word in John’s Gospel; it is used forty-seven times. Jesus did bear witness to Himself, but He knew they would not accept
Note: due to some technical issues there is no audio until 1:36 into the lesson. The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 was a miracle of such magnitude that it is the only miracle of Jesus that is recorded in all four Gospels (besides Jesus’ resurrect
At times we have storms in our life not to punish us, but to help keep our lives in balance and focused on Jesus Christ. If you allow Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit into the storms of your life, it will bring calmness and confidence in great measure to you. Jesus still walks on the water!
Some of the crowd that had been miraculously fed located Jesus in Caperanum. They were very curious and wanted to know how He got there (v 25). Jesus responded to them but He did not address their immediate question of “How did you get here?” Rather, He revealed their motives for searching for Him. In these verses Jesus informs them that, “He is the Bread from heaven that the Father has sent to the world.”
Jesus turns His attention to the Jews that had been listening to his teaching to the crowd that followed Him because of the miracle of the loaves and fish. He continues expounding that He is “The Bread From Heaven.”
After His discourse with the Jews, Jesus turns His focus to the disciples. He wanted to know if what He had taught the Jews was going to cause them to stumble. This constitutes the third group of people that Jesus had spoken to in chapter six.
Peter, as a spokesman for the group, gave his confession of faith. The path may be difficult, but he was convinced that Jesus’ words led to eternal life.” No one else has the gift of eternal life.” Peter continued, “We have believed and have known that You are the Holy One of God.” Peter clearly answered Jesus’ question to His disciples about their commitment to Him and their comprehension of who He is, and what the Father had sent Him to accomplish.
In chapter seven Jesus moves from Galilee to Jerusalem to attend the Feast of Tabernacles. This movement prepares the way for confrontation between Jesus and His opponents. For the past months, Jesus’ ministry had been in the relative obscure area of Galilee. Being in the Galilee region was safer and provided a delay in the conflict with the Jewish leadership. However, conflict would rapidly escalate in Jerusalem as He resumes His ministry there.
The first three days passed without anyone seeing Jesus. Perhaps, the authorities had relaxed their search, since He had not shown up for the beginning of the feast. The crowds were curious to see if He would be present to teach and perform miracles. As the festival reached the half way point, no Jesus as of yet.
Many in the crowd responded in belief, although it was hesitant. They did not affirm that He was the Messiah but cautiously suggested that the Messiah would perform no more miracles than Jesus did. Therefore, they tended to believe that He might be the promised deliverer they had long waited for.
The crowd continued to be divided as to who Jesus was. Their divided opinion enabled Him to continue His ministry without being immediately arrested. When the arresting officers that were sent by the chief priests and Pharisees to arrest Jesus, arrived without Him, they wanted to know, “Why did you not bring Him?” Why did you fail in your mission? The response by the officers showed that Jesus’ teaching had a powerful influence on all who listened to Him. Although they had been officially sent to arrest Him, His teaching had such an impact upon them that they could not carry out their orders.
“Neither do I condemn you,” reflect Jesus’ words of redemptive love for the spiritual lost.
Jesus continued His public teaching in the city of Jerusalem in the temple area proclaiming that He was/is the “Light of the World.” When one receives Christ for salvation their conversion results in a different kind of life. A believer will never walk in darkness, that is, they will not live in it. They do not remain in the realm of evil and ignorance for they have Christ as their Light and salvation.
The attitude of unbelief is not just unwillingness to accept Jesus’ statement as fact; it is resistance to the relation of God in Christ. Not only did they repudiate His claims, they completely rejected His person.
If the Son (heir) frees the slave, then the slave is free indeed. The Jews hope of freedom from spiritual slavery to sin, is not found in the ancestry of Abraham but in the action of Christ. All redemption comes from and through Christ, and Christ alone. When Christ sets you free from sin, you are free indeed.
The chapter began with the scribes and Pharisees bringing the woman who was caught in the act of adultery and them asking Him, “What should be done to her?” The chapter concludes with the Jews picking up stones to stone Jesus to death. Their attempt was unsuccessful. Other discussion has included Jesus’ warning against unbelief and “Who the Son sets free, they are free indeed.”
Chapter Nine focuses on the reaction to the healing and the subsequent discussion over Jesus’ authority, identity, and origin. The Pharisees were indignant that Jesus healed on the Sabbath and accused Him of violating the Law. Therefore, He cannot be from God. Others responded by saying, “How could such a notable healing take place through someone who was not sent from God?” The testimony of the healed man is central to the spiritual insight of the chapter.
This was an obvious miracle, since the man had been born blind. It had created an enormous amount of controversy filled with questions among the people. The Pharisees were more concerned about when (on the Sabbath) and how (He made clay) the miracle took place, than the miracle itself.
The man was reluctant to become involved in a discussion pertaining to the Law, but his healing was undeniable and was admitted to by the Jews. Therefore, he gladly responded to their question. “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”
Jesus heard that they had put him out of the synagogue so He took the initiative to find him. He asked him, “If he believed in the Son of Man?” This is the first time the man had actually seen Jesus. He was blind when he went to wash and did not see Jesus until this encounter. He wanted to know who the Messiah was so that he could believe. Jesus disclosed Himself to the former blind man and gave him the necessary knowledge for believing faith.
Chapter 10 is the discourse about the good shepherd. The title “Good Shepherd” is a very common phrase that people readily identify as Jesus Christ. The title emphasized His humanity, but the way Jesus used it, it was His claim to divinity. Jesus is displayed as the true shepherd and ruler of His people in contrast to all false shepherds.
Jesus continues His teaching on the good shepherd.
(**no audo first 14 minutes**) The events in this section occurred about two and a half months after those described in John 10:1–21. John put them together in chapter 10, because in both messages, Jesus used the imagery of the shepherd and the sheep. John recorded this final confrontation of Jesus with the hostile Jerusalem crowd, followed by His withdrawal beyond Jordan (vv. 40–42) because of their attempt to kill Him.
Jesus wanted to know, “For which good works that the Father has done through Me are you going to stone Me?”
This climactic miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead was Jesus’ public evidence of the truth of His great claim, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” He had raised others from the dead, but Lazarus had been in the grave four days. This miracle at Bethany demonstrated His power over death––the great enemy of humanity. It was a miracle that could not be evaded or denied by the Jewish leaders.
When Jesus arrived in Bethany, He discovered that Lazarus had died and was buried four days ago. Earlier in this chapter the disciples had expressed great concern about returning to the greater Jerusalem area because of the Jews attempted execution of Jesus, by stoning. The family at Bethany must have been well known in Jerusalem, with connections within the Jewish hierarchy, since many “Jews” came to comfort Martha and Mary over the loss of Lazarus.
In chapter 12, John concluded his record of Jesus’ public ministry, beginning with the account of Mary’s anointing of Jesus which prepared for His coming sacrifice and death. This period was critical for Jesus because the forces for Him and against Him solidified and He had to make important decisions as to how He would respond. Thus far, He had followed the program that had been determined by the Father and declared by the Scripture and carried out by His experience. As the time for the fulfillment of His divine purpose approached, the tension increased as the realization of the coming events were very near. John presents a series of events that foreshadow the coming end. The first event was the feast held for Him in Bethany.
The original text indicates that these Greeks “were accustomed to come and worship at the feast.” They were not curious visitors or one-time investigators. No doubt they were “God-fearers,” Gentiles who attended the Jewish synagogue and sought the truth, but who had not yet become proselytes. Gentiles came to see Jesus when He was a young child (Matt. 2), and now Gentiles came to see Him just before His death.
The key word in this section is believe; it is used eight times. First, John explained the unbelief of the people. They would not believe (vs 37–38, with a quotation from Isa. 53:1); they could not believe (v39); and they should not believe (vs 40–41, with a quotation from Isa. 6:9–10).
The next five chapters (13-17) could be described as Jesus’ farewell message to His disciples. John’s writing provides more of the content of Jesus’ instructions to His disciples than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Before Jesus began this last interaction with His disciples before His death, He washed their feet. The Passover Meal and Jesus’ teaching would follow this historic event.
Jesus was troubled in His spirit and knew the events that were hours away. Because Jesus was both human and divine, He was troubled over Judas’ soon betrayal of His love and friendship. Being the divine Son of God, Jesus knew beforehand exactly what would happen.
The disciples were completely bewildered and discouraged. Jesus had said He was going away and that He would die, that one of the Twelve was a traitor, that Peter would disown Him three times, that Satan was at work against all of them, and that all the disciples would fall away. The cumulative weight of these revelations must have greatly depressed them. To comfort the disciples, Jesus gave them several exhortations along with promises. This chapter opens and closes with our Lord’s loving admonition, “Let not your heart be troubled”
Philip expressed a universal desire of humanity: to see God (Ex. 33:18). Philip was probably longing for a theophany (Ex. 24:9–10; Isa. 6:1) or some visible display of God’s glory. Jesus’ statement, Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father (12:45), is one of the most staggering claims He ever made. The Father is in Jesus and Jesus perfectly reveals Him (1:18).Therefore, no theophany was necessary, for by seeing Jesus they were seeing the Father!
This is the first of several passages on the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room Discourse. John, to this point has said little about the Holy Spirit. The words to Nicodemus (3:5–8) were private and 7:39 pointed ahead to Pentecost. Jesus prayed to the Father to send the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “He would ask the Father, and He will give them/us another Helper/Comforter.”
What Jesus said in the days of His earthly ministry was only part of the revelation that they were to receive. Three things were needed for the apostles to understand Jesus’ person and mission: His death had to occur. He had to rise again to vindicate His claim and demonstrate His victory. The Spirit had to come (He would be sent by the Father … in My name, i.e., in Jesus’ place and for Him) and interpret the meanings of Jesus’ words and deeds (Blume).
Jesus knew that this group of disciples would constitute the formation and development of a new community that would be called the Church. The Church would have a definite function to fulfill the mission of God. Jesus wanted them to be prepared for the change that His departure would bring to their lives. Therefore, Jesus addressed three relationships that involved the disciples: (1) their relationship with Him, (2) their relationship with one another, and (3) their relationship with the world.
Jesus knew the success of building the kingdom of God depended upon the disciples attitude toward each other. Consequently, He gave each one of them an essential command that they must love one another just as He had loved them.
Jesus alerted His disciples to the fact of the world’s hatred toward them. He warned His followers that because the world hated Him, they would also hate them. The world in John’s Gospel is the system of organized society hostile to God, which is under Satan’s power (14:30). Believers should not be surprised by this hostility (1 Peter 4:12–13). Jesus was hated from His birth (when Herod the Great sought to kill Him) to His death on the cross.Conversely, being friends with the world is to be God’s enemy (James 4:4).
He linked this discourse with the preceding section of His final admonishment by intensifying the warning of persecution. He included teaching on the promised Holy Spirit, His death and resurrection.
Jesus’ instruction of His disciples shifted from the Spirit’s future work to what the immediate future would hold for them. Jesus will one day return, but in the interim there will be sorrow, pain, and spiritual warfare that the apostles’ would encounter. When the battle is over victory, joy, and peace would be their/our portion.
The central theme of these verses is prayer: “Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (v 24). Jesus had mentioned prayer many times in His ministry, and He had set the example for prayer in His own life for His followers. In His Upper Room message, Jesus emphasized prayer (John 14:12–14; 15:7, 16; 16:23–26). He made it clear that believing prayer is essential for living an effective Christian life
Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is intimately linked with His teaching in the Gospel of John. His prayer serves as a summary of the major themes and message of the Gospel. Jesus concluded chapter 16 with the words, “I have overcome the world.” Throughout His ministry Jesus’ work was done in obedience to the Father’s will. As He prayed to His Father, He prayed first for Himself (John 17:1–5). He was preparing Himself for the sufferings that lay ahead. As He contemplated the glory that the Father promised Him, He would receive new strength for His sacrifice. Second, He prayed for His apostles (vv. 6–19). He prayed about their security, joy, unity, and their future glory! Finally, He prayed for future believers (vv. 20–26), so that we would know all that He has done for us, provided for us, and all that He will do for us and ultimately make heaven our eternal home.
The private ministry of Jesus with His disciples that took place in the upper room where they ate the Last Supper has now ended. The public drama of Jesus’ betrayal, arrest, religious and civil trials takes place in chapter 18. The redemption of lost humanity is set in motion and will culminate in the pursuing chapters. Going forward, we will encounter the worst of humanity and God will respond by giving His very best. The Apostle Paul said it well, “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
Although Jesus sought out His captors in the garden and willingly surrendered to them, they bound Him as they arrested Him.
Long before the Jewish leaders had Jesus arrested in the Garden, they had determined to kill Him (John 11:47–54). However, the Jewish council did not have the authority to execute prisoners; so it was necessary to get the cooperation and approval of Rome. This meant a visit to the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.
Pilate ordered Jesus scourged, the soldiers placed a crown of thorns on His head, He was crucified and buried by Joseph of Arimathea. The scourging, the mocking, the crown of thorns and purple robe, the ridiculing in hailing Him King of the Jews, and the physical blows on His face—these were all part of Jesus’ deep humiliation as He was identified with human sin as the Servant of the Lord (Isa. 50:6; 52:14–53:6). Pilate’s attempt to release Jesus by comparing Him to Barabbas, the murderer failed. He attempted another form of compromise by having Jesus scourged. He had hoped that the crowd would be satisfied with the cruel and degrading scourging and call for His release. It did not work!
Pilate released Jesus to the execution squad to crucify the Son of God. The culmination of the crucifixion caused it to be midnight in the middle of the day. God’s plan and purpose for the redemption of humanity is being fulfilled!
The Son of God is dead! Hope, faith, dreams, and expectations are not just derailed, but shattered and destroyed. Burial must take place quickly for the Passover was soon to begin.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the essential part of the Gospel message (1 Cor. 15:1–8) and a key doctrine in the Christian faith. It proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Acts 2:32–36; Rom. 1:4) and that His atoning work on the cross has been completed and is effective (Rom. 4:24–25). The cross of crucifixion and the empty tomb is God’s proof of telling us that the debt of sin has been paid and our relationship with Him is complete and secure.
John’s purposes in this final chapter reveals how Jesus reinstated Peter after his denial, and to correct a serious error about the Lord’s return. The chapter also provides additional clues as to the identity of the author
Peter, just days earlier had denied he knew Jesus three times while by a fire in the courtyard of the high priest. Now, beside another fire on the shore, he had the opportunity to be redeemed. After they had finished breakfast, Jesus asked Peter three times, “If he loved Him more than these?” Three times Peter, assured the Lord that he did.