John Worksheet - Chapter 13

John Chapter 13 In John Chapter 12, Jesus said "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." (vs.23).  He spoke of how his death would bring about much fruit. He made the statement that if anyone served Him, they must follow Him. The crowds were always divided about what they believed concerning Him as they are still today. Jesus will not walk publicly among the Jews now because they are seeking to KILL Him...Yet...before this PASSOVER Feast, when He will become the Passover Lamb for the sins of the world, ..... He will spend some intimate time with his own disciples, preparing them for the days that lay ahead of them. During this supper with His own disciples, Jesus girded Himself with a towel and took on the role of a servant as He washed the feet of His disciples. It was customary in those days to have your feet washed before eating a meal, but the lowest servants were usually the ones to wash the feet. Here, Jesus is serving His own disciples as a servant to them, ministering to them out of His love for them. How did Simon Peter react to the Lord Jesus washing his feet?(John 13:6-8) Peter wanted to wash His feet, not be washed by Him! Peter wanted to serve Him, not be served by Him! But Jesus came as the God/man to give us an example to live by. We must be servants to show His love to others. Jesus told Peter.... "If you don't allow Me to wash you, you will have no part with Me.". What was Peter's reaction now? (vs.9) Jesus makes a very interesting statement in verse 10. He states that those who have 'bathed' only need a foot washing, but they are completely clean. He told the disciples: "You are clean, but not all of you." Vs.ll - For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, "Not all of you are clean." According to verse 2, who had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus? What did we learn about Judas Iscariot in John 12:4-6? Judas had never been a true believer. He was a thief and his nature had never changed. Because he was an unbeliever, Satan could use him to be the one to betray the Lord Jesus. However, Jesus knew he was of the devil the entire time, not taken by surprise at all. JESUS WASHED THE FEET OF JUDAS ALONG WITH THE REST WHICH SHOWS HOW MUCH HE LOVED HIM AND WAS WILLING TO REACH OUT TO HIM IN LOVE AND SERVICE. Why did he choose Judas to be one of his followers even though He knew that he was not one of His 'own' according to verse 18? Every Scripture in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, would be fulfilled, including this one from the Psalms! When Jesus knew he was about to be betrayed, He announced to the group that it was going to happen. They all looked at each other. Who could it be? How did Jesus show them? (John 13:26) After the morsel, who ENTERED Judas? (vs.27) Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, for as he said in John 12:27 "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I CAME TO THIS HOUR." He tells Judas in John 13:27 - "What you do, do quickly".....all the other disciples did not understand thinking that there were several things Jesus might be asking him to do for Him.  After Judas had left, Jesus said to the rest: "Little children, I am with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now also I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.".......(vs.33) Now, He calls them little children...they are part of Him! Part of the family of God because they have believed in Him. The only unbeliever has left and has gone out to betray Him. Once He is crucified and goes to be with the Father, they cannot go with Him at that time. How does Peter feel about this statement that he cannot go where Jesus is going? (vs.36,37) Peter makes a BOLD STATEMENT: "I WILL LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU" What does Jesus know? What does Jesus tell Peter? (vs.38) Sometimes we think we are stronger than we really are! When our faith is tested to the core, we find out that our human natures can be pretty weak! Jesus knows that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. He tells Peter ahead of time what will happen so that when the cock really crows, Peter can remember the words of His Lord and He can become stronger after his falling away. This is a precious truth! Read Luke 22:31-34.  This is the same account, but tells us what Jesus said to Peter in greater detail. Write it out. It is precious. And the Lord said " Simon, Simon, Indeed satan has askd fdor you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fall, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren. But he said to Him, Lord I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death. Then He said " I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day, before you will deny three times that you knew Me." Who demanded PERMISSION to sift Peter's faith? Could he have done so without the Lord's permission? What does this tell you, dear Christian? What is Jesus going to do for Peter during this sifting of his faith? Do you believe He does the same for you when your faith is being sifted like wheat? What is He going to pray for concerning Peter? What does He already know the OUTCOME of the trial will be?(vs.32) He is going to turn back to the Lord ! Will he still have a ministry to fulfill? What does the Lord tell him he will do after he turns back?(vs.32) PETER certainly believes he will lay 'his' life down for Jesus, but will soon see that until JESUS lays down HIS LIFE FOR HIM, he will be powerless. Once Jesus lays His life down and shows Peter that it is not what "Peter" can do for Him, just like the foot washing, but what HE DOES FOR PETER and can do THROUGH Peter by way of the Holy Spirit ! Peter will be used greatly by the Lord to do mighty works for the kingdom as we see in the book of Acts as well as the letters that Peter wrote in the New Testament (I and 2 Peter)........!!! Application: Is your faith being sifted today? Do you think Jesus knows about it? Do you believe He is praying for your faith to remain strong? Does He want you to give up or is He praying that you will become stronger and then turn to strengthen others with your testimony of overcoming? Now that Jesus has resurrected and is at the right hand of the Father, what is His ministry to you and to me? READ Hebrews 7:25 So, Jesus is praying for you before the Father RIGHT NOW.He lives forever to intercede for you. What should we do in return for such great love and help from our Lord Jesus? (Hebrews 12:1-3) Write out your thoughts of how you can return your affection to Him: As a final reflection of John, Chapter 13...let's think about what Jesus told them in reference to washing their feet. John 13:34,35 - He tells us to love one another, for this is the way that all men will know we are His disciples if we have love one for another "A new commandment I give you, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER, even as I have LOVED you, that you also LOVE one another. BY THIS, all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have LOVE for one another." Yes, the law of Moses, in the 10 commandments said to love your neighbor as yourself, but the new love would be from the Lord Jesus sending the Holy Spirit inside of them to live His life through them so that they could love in the same way that He loved them.  He came to show the Father's LOVE, to reveal what it means for GOD HIMSELF TO PUT A TOWEL ON AND WASH YOUR FEET. What love and how we should put a towel on and love one another in honor of our Lord's example! Will you humble yourself and let Him wash you today? Do you need to be made clean once and for all? Have you been made clean, but need a foot washing for the sin you have been caught up in? What does I John 1:9 tell you to do? What is God's promise to you in that verse? Is there someone you need to love? Is there someone you need to put a towel on and serve? How will you carry out the message of this chapter in your own life? Your Summary and Prayer: Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at www.read-the-bible.webs.com

John Worksheet - Chapter 12

John Chapter 12 John 11:53-57 - After the sign of raising Lazarus from the dead and fearing the whole world will go after Jesus, the chief priests and the Pharisees begin to plan together how they will KILL Jesus....... vs.54...JESUS THEREFORE no longer continued to walk PUBLICLY among the JEWS, but went AWAY from there to the country near the wilderness, into a city called EPHRAIM - and there He stayed with the disciples. John 11:54 - the country near the wilderness, into a city called EPHRAIM and stayed with the disciples. NOW....the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went UP to JERSUALEM out of the country BEFORE the PASSOVER to PURIFY themselves. John 11:57 - the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if ANYONE KNEW where JESUS was, he should REPORT it, that they might SEIZE HIM! As we begin JOHN, CHAPTER 12...... How many days is it before the PASSOVER will be celebrated? (vs.1) WHERE IS JESUS now? (vs.1) They were in the home of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary. We looked at some characteristics of these two sisters in our last lesson of Chapter 11. Do their actions seem typical of what we have learned about them? What is Martha doing? What is MARY doing? Picture this act of worship in your mind.... There is one of the 12 disciples that has a problem with this. What is his name? What was Judas intending to do? (vs.4) - What was his complaint about the act of worship Mary performed?(vs.5) - Deep in his heart, there was a hidden motive. Was he really concerned about the poor according to verse 6? What was the character of Judas? Was he a good steward of his responsibility? (vs.6) - So, Jesus knows that Judas is being hypocritical toward Mary. How does Jesus defend Mary and what she is doing for Him? (vs.7) The great crowd of Jews that had gathered in Jerusalem to purify themselves for the Passover Feast coming.....heared that Jesus was there. They not only came to see Jesus, but who else were they interested in seeing? (vs.9) - What did the Jewish religious leaders want to do to Lazarus as well?(vs.10) - WHY? vs. 12......."on the next day".....this would be 5 days before the Passover.....JESUS was coming to JERUSALEM from Bethany (remember about 2 miles) What did the great multitude who had come there to prepare for the feast DO when they heard Jesus was coming in? Do you celebrate Palm Sunday one week before Easter? If this is 5 days before Passover......in 5 days it will be FRIDAY, the day of Passover, and the day our PASSOVER LAMB, the LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL BE CRUCIFIED! As these OLD TESTAMENT Scriptures are being fulfilled.... "Hosanna! Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." What did Jesus go and 'find'? (vs.14) Purposefully so that another prophecy would be fulfilled....... "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." (See Zechariah 9:9 in the Old Testament) JESUS WAS OPENLY ANNOUNCING TO THE PEOPLE THAT HE ACCEPTED THEIR WORSHIP AND THAT HE INDEED IS THE KING OF ISRAEL (John 1:49),the PROMISED MESSIAH! No doubt, many of the pilgrims that had come to Jerusalem that year for Passover believed that NOW would be the TIME their PROMISED Messiah would defeat the ROMAN RULE and set the nation of Israel FREE...... Something they missed...NO CROWN until THE CROSS.... While the Jews were celebrating their KING's reign on earth (they thought).... Jesus was WEEPING. What does Luke 19:37-44 tell us he was weeping over? The name Jerusalem means "city of Peace" or "foundation of peace"; and the people were hoping Jesus would bring them the physical PEACE that they needed.....However, JESUS WEPT over the city of Jerusalem because He saw what lay ahead of the nation because they didn't RECOGNIZE the day of their VISITATION by their MESSIAH... and WE SEE IT EVERYDAY ON THE NEWS, don't we? ......war, suffering, destruction, and a scattered people. AT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST, the angels cried "peace on earth", but it did not mean "peace" from war..........  Luke 2:13-14 (finish the sentence).... .. During Jesus' MINISTRY on earth, he announced "war".... Luke 12:51 - "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth?  I tell you, no, but rather division.".... Before leaving the earth, He warned His disciples of things that their nation would endure before the end of time (all written out in Matthew 24...."wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, famine....etc.........)  BUT...THE NEXT TIME ISRAEL SEES THE KING, WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE? Revelation 19:11 -16 This time will be followed by 1000 years of Jesus being the King of all the earth, reigning from Jerusalem, and with Satan bound for the 1000 years and the Saints of God ruling with Jesus...there finally will be PEACE ON EARTH! Of course, Revelation, and Biblical Prophecy is a whole other subject. Our focus in John is the FIRST COMING OF THE LORD JESUS, which the nation of Israel, for the most part, did not recognize because they were blind to the many Scriptures that talked about  HIS SUFFERING before HIS GLORY......... And the repeated pattern of New Testament teachings in regard to our indentification with our Lord Jesus is: suffering before glory!  Don't let your religious blindfold keep you from seeing that!  Let's look up just a 'few' of many and write them out!  What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Him? It means that as the world hated Him, it will hate us. It means that before we are glorified, we must undergo the death of our physical bodies so that we can be raised immortal, without sin, no longer under the bondage of sin and death. But praise God, we can walk in the victory each day as we 'die' to our 'self' and continue to follow after the Lord, not looking at the temporal decay of these bodies, but looking forward to the glorification, the eternal life that we have been promised! Read & comment on Galatians 2:20 - Read & share how the 6th chapter of Romans shows we identify with Jesus in our faith and walk -we are no longer to walk in the flesh and after the sins of the world, but walk in the newness of Light that faith in him brings to our daily lives. There are so many verses. We could do a subject study JUST on Suffering and Glory. Look up a few and make some comments: Acts 5:41- Acts 9:16- Romans 8:17- 1 Corinthians 12:26 - 2 Corinthians 1:6 - Philippians 1:29 - "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." 1 Peter 1:6,7 - 1 Peter 4:12-19 - If we must suffer as a Christian, then what did it mean when Jesus told us in this chapter, John Chapter 12 - that "NOW, the RULER of this WORLD would be CAST out?"..(vs.31). What do you think it means? Does Satan have power over us anymore? Is he still the ruler of this world for right now? Has the power of sin and death been broken in your life? Yet, has it been broken in everyone that you know? What is the difference? Because of IDENTIFYING with the DEATH of Jesus and that bringing the same suffering that He endured.......  WE IDENTIFY WITH HIM ALSO IN THE RESURRECTED LIFE HE BRINGS.  Satan is cast out of the believer in Christ. He has no more power over us! The cross was his defeat for all that will believe in the Lord Jesus Chirst. We will be discussing this in greater detail as we look at the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection coming up in the Gospel of John. ___THE BOOK DIVIDES HERE FOR A SPECIFIC REASON.___ We have overviewed 3 years of PUBLIC Ministry. The other three Gospels could be laid beside this book and would give us even more details about the Public life and ministry of our Lord, the Son of Man. ____NOW, we will spend 3 days of PRIVATE, INTIMATE Ministry....____ with JESUS and HIS OWN....as He prepares them for what life will be like without Him on earth any longer...He will send another in the Father's Name - THE HOLY SPIRIT. This is the promise for us! This is the New Covenant in His blood! There is so much to learn from John 13 on.......don't be discouraged .... He has not left you without power over sin, power over living in this sinful and godless world. He will never leave you or forsake you! He broke the penalty of sin, gives us power over sin in the Holy Spirit, and one day, He will take us out of the presence of sin. OH HAPPY DAY! We gotta finish John Chapter 12 Before Getting Too Carried Away! John 12:16- When would the disciples finally understand Jesus riding in on a donkey and fulfilling the humility of His first coming? What were the people who had seen the resurrection of Lazarus doing?(vs.17) When others 'heard' about that SIGN, what were they doing? What was the response of the Pharisees? (vs.19) Some Greeks were going up for the FEAST also. A Gentile could become converted to the Jewish faith through circumcision and observing the laws of Moses, which would include keeping the feasts (As we have seen, these were all shadows - "pictures" - pointing to the coming of the Messiah - JESUS) These Greeks wanted to see Jesus also. What announcement does JESUS make at this time? (vs.23-26) Over and over we have read..."My hour has not yet come"...... NOW: "THE HOUR HAS COME FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE GLORIFIED." His hour has come! When He dies, what will happen? (vs.24) After Passover, they celebrate Unleavened Bread (Jesus without sin), then they celebrate: FIRST FRUITS!  Read I Corinthians 15:20-23 When He dies, is buried, and resurrects on the third day which will be FIRST FRUITS (literally on the Jewish calendar).....those who believe in Him will be among the "much fruit" that He will bear! Are you abiding in the vine as the fruit of the Lord Jesus today? It isn't easy for Jesus to face this HOUR.. Yes, the glory will follow, but much SUFFERING lies ahead as He dies for the sins of the whole world. HIS SOUL BECOMES TROUBLED (vs.27) But he says... "I can't ask the Father to save me from this HOUR..... but for THIS PURPOSE I CAME TO THIS HOUR ....... Jesus prays to the Father "Father, glorify Your Name".... What does the voice from heaven speak? (vs.2) The crowd of the people HEARD it. Some thought it was thunder; others thought it was an angel speaking to Him. Why did God allow His voice to be heard? For the sake of Jesus or for the people? JESUS spoke of being lifted up and drawing all men to Himself. What was He referring to when he said this? (John 12:32,33) At crucifixion, the body is nailed to the cross and then lifted up to be placed in the ground! The crowd knew he was speaking of death because they argued that "the Christ" would remain "forever"! Who is this Son of Man? Jesus went on to explain about being the LIGHT OF THE WORLD and then He went away and HID HIMSELF......... (vs.36) Although He has performed so many SIGNS before their very eyes, did they believe in WHO HE WAS? (vs. 37) What prophecy in Scripture did this fulfill? (vs.38-41) We are told that Isaiah SAW HIS GLORY and spoke of HIM (Jesus)! Did some of the rulers believe? (vs.42) But at this time, they were not confessing their belief. Why not? (vs 42,43) Whose approval do you seek? God or man's? Jesus had hid himself, but he also CRIED out either before He hid himself or from somewhere that He was hidden........... Summarize the words of Chapter 12:44-50 - We have seen the last recorded sign that John put in this Gospel - THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD Once again, write out the purpose John wrote this Gospel:John 20:30,31 - Do you BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Will you CONFESS that before men? Have you followed the Lord in water baptism to signify that you have identified with Him in his death, BURIAL, and resurrection? If you are a believer and you have decided to FOLLOW Him, you are promised a few things: persecution, suffering, being hated, insulted..... are you ready to identify with His life? His death? But also, the next chapters of John are the COMFORTING words given to His disciples and to US......We have not been left alone, we will receive and be empowered by THE PROMISE - THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD! GET READY TO GO INTIMATE AND LEARN HOW TO LIVE IN THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST! Your Summary and Prayer: Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at www.read-the-bible.webs.com

John Worksheet - Chapter 11

John Chapter 11 Where was Jesus when we begin chapter 11?  Remember, there are no chapter divisions in the original text, so go back to John 10:39-40 to see where Jesus is at the time. While he was there, a messenger brought news of a dear friend of Jesus who was sick. His name was Lazarus and the message came from his two sisters - Martha and Mary. How is Lazarus' sister, Mary, described to us here? (John 11:2) - How did Jesus feel toward Lazarus?(John 11:3) What statement did Jesus give to the messenger who gave Him the news about Lazarus being sick? (John 11:4) - Again, what is said about the Lord's feeling toward this family - Lazarus, Martha, and Mary? (John 11:5) - Yet, what did He choose to do according to verse 6 after He heard this sad news? (Remember, He has already said "this sickness is not unto death, but the Son of God will be glorified by it...", but the family sure doesn't know that!) When Jesus finally arrives, Lazarus will have been dead for 4 days, so Lazarus must have died the very day that Jesus got the message! Here would be the schedule, allowing one day for travel by foot to the village...... Day 1 - Messenger comes to Jesus (Lazarus dies) Day 2 - The messenger returns to Bethany (one day travel/by foot) Day 3 - Jesus WAITS another day before leaving! Day 4 - Jesus arrives in Bethany So when the messenger arrived with the news that "This sickness is not unto death"....Lazarus had already DIED and had been buried! How hopeless they must have felt. Yet, Jesus sends this word! He was urging them to believe His Word no matter how discouraging the circumstances might appear. He knew what the future held, but they only knew the moment of their despair. Think of all the questions the disciples who have been with Him this whole time could have had: 1) If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, why did He permit him to be this sick? 2) Even more, why did He purposefully DELAY going to the sisters to comfort them? 3) Also, couldn't He have healed him from a distance with just a spoken word as He did with the nobleman's son? (See John 4:43-54) God's ways and timing cannot be put into a formula, can it?  The record shows that Jesus had a strong love relationship with this family (John 11:3, 5, and 36). Does Jesus' behavior seem to "possibly" contradict His LOVE for them in "their" eyes?  Does it seem that way sometimes when our prayers are delayed? He finally decides to go back to Judea again (vs.18 tells us that Bethany was near Jerusalem about 2 miles off, and many Jews will be there to comfort the family during this death of Lazarus).  Jesus has just left there when the Jews were trying to KILL Him. The disciples can't believe He is going to go back again! (John 11:8) Jesus said Lazarus had fallen asleep and He was going to awaken him. What did the disciples think? (vs.12) In vs.13,14 - What does Jesus tell them PLAINLY? What does Jesus tell them in John 11:15? What did the disciple, Thomas, assume would happen to them as well if they all went back to Judea? (vs.16) When Jesus came to Bethany, how long had Lazarus already been in the tomb? (vs.l7) When we find ourselves confronted by disease, dissapointment, delay, and even death, our only encouragement is the WORD OF GOD. We must live by FAITH and not by sight. Their situation seemed hopeless, yet the sisters knew and we should remember that Jesus is the Master of every situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem. Psalm 50:15 -"Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." Do we wonder about the Lord's delay in this situation? Jesus Was On The Father's Divine Time Table He only did what the Father showed Him to do and He did it when the Father told Him to. The fact that Lazarus had been dead for four days gave greater authenticity to the MIRACLE (sign) and greater opportunity for people to believe, including His OWN Disciples! (John 11:15)  Yes, returning to Judea was risky and this miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead would precipitate into the ARREST AND DEATH of Jesus. Soon, His hour would finally come. Yet, Jesus must perform the greatest SIGN of all before His own death. This miracle could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders themselves. No matter what other SIGNS Jesus has performed that point to Who He Is - "the Christ", "the Son of God", and even "one" with the Father..... it means NOTHING if He can do NOTHING about the enemy of DEATH. What does I Corinthians tell us about our hope in this life? (I Corinthians 15:19) What is man's last enemy to contend with? (I Corinthians 15:26) Death for the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is compared to sleep...we simply close our eyes and awaken into the presence of the Lord! "Absent from the body, at home with the Lord"! (2 Corinthians 5:6-8)  Take time to look at these references to what happens to believers when they die: Acts 7:60 - I Corinthians 15:51- I Thessalonians 4:13-18 - Now let's turn our attention to the two sisters of Lazarus. Jesus loved this family!   What do we learn about these two in Luke 10:38-42?  Describe their very different personalities from the account given in Luke 10: What did you learn about Martha? What did you learn about Mary? Note: Jesus did not 'condemn' Martha's service, but He did rebuke her for being "torn apart" by so many things! She needed to have priorities and center her activities on the things that God would approve. Which sister do you identify with most and why? When Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus had already been buried for four days, which of the sisters came out to meet Him first? vs. 20 -  What did she say to Jesus? (vs.21,22) Jesus told her "Your brother will rise again". Martha reminds Him that she does know about the resurrection on the last day. She, like her Jewish family, knew the Old Testament teachings about the resurrection of the dead on the last day. Jesus took it out of the 'book' and put it into a 'person' - HIMSELF! What does Jesus tell Martha in John 11:25, 26 ? He asked Martha: "Do you believe this?" What was her response? vs.27 - She had not yet "seen" her brother be raised from the dead. She heard these words and she believed.  Once again, why did the apostle John write this Gospel? (rewrite John 20:30,31) Now, Mary and the Jews that were with her comforting her...come out to where Jesus is. What did Mary do when she saw Jesus? (vs.32) What were her words to Him? She was weeping and the Jews were weeping. Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled...He asked "Where have you laid him?"....they said "come and see..." WHAT DID JESUS DO? (vs.35) How did the people respond to his emotion? (vs.36, 37) Think about it. He knew the outcome would be glorious, yet He wept. I think we need to stop and realize somethings about our God here. Yes, He is Sovereign. He is the creator, the ruler of all the earth. He is the beginning and He is the end. Yet, the God of all creation is moved by emotion. He created our emotions. He realized that He had not stopped the suffering when He could have. He realized the pain this family had faced, the pain of the mourners in their broken hearts. Yet, many times we don't realize that when He chooses the best path for us and not understanding, we are brokenhearted. He also sees our tears and he is moved deeply within for us.   The Bible says in Romans 8 that when we don't even know how to pray, the Holy Spirit groans so deeply in prayer to God on our behalf, it cannot even be expressed in words. Our God is a God of emotion. He cries! Jesus also wept over the city of Jerusalem. God speaks in the Old Testament of how His heart was broken over the people's sins and rebellion after He had been a father to them. When we see how we have BROKEN the HEART of GOD, then we will realize how much He desires to mend our broken hearts! It is like with our own children. We want them to realize the "why" when we put boundaries up for them not to cross. We 'see' what would happen if they disobey. We can see from our experiences of life what the consequences will be. God knows the end from the beginning. He does what is the best for us, but when we can't understand the 'why', He just may be 'crying' WITH you until you realize it for yourself. I have been SO MINISTERED to in this chapter. I hope you will respond back on the message board when you finish working on it! Thanks. What did Jesus tell them to do with the stone that was over the tomb (cave)? vs. 39 - What was Martha's response? What did Jesus remind her of? So they removed the stone. JESUS then raised His eyes and PRAYED. What did He pray to the Father? (vs.41,42) - After this, he cried out with a loud voice "LAZARUS, COME FORTH!" What happened? What did Jesus tell the people to do? What did many of the Jews do at this point (the ones who had been comforting Mary)? (vs.45) Yet, others went away to tell the Pharisees what Jesus had done!So the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council. Rather than be amazed and come to faith in Him themselves, what did this SIGN make them afraid about concerning themselves? (vs.48) This is how unbelief is. This is how strong false doctrine can be. You are literally blinded from the TRUTH.  As Jesus said after He had healed the blind man in John, Chapter 9...He told the Pharisees "because you say we have no sin, you still remain blind......" Caiaphas, the high priest that year, spoke out a prophesy (not even of himself)...without his own will, he just spoke it out! What did he say? (vs. 49-52) - What did God want this said for? A very critical statement is made in John 11:53 - "So from THAT day on - the PLANNED together TO KILL HIM." Verse 54: Jesus therefore no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to a country near the wilderness, into a city called EPHRAIM; and there He stayed with the disciples. (check your maps) What festival was now at hand? (vs.55) Those who went to Jerusalem to purify themselves before this festival were wondering where Jesus was. What ORDER had the chief priests and Pharisees given to anyone that might see Jesus? (vs.57) Jesus will actually die on the day they celebrate the Passover this time. He will be their Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, but their devotion to their religious tradition will blind them from the truth. What about you? Is God a set of rules, a book of regulations, a list of things to do...or have you come to know Him through the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who said "I AM the resurrection and the life." ? He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. Have you believed? Share what you believe and why you believe it with your summary and prayers today. Summary & Prayer: Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at www.read-the-bible.webs.com

John Worksheet - Chapter 10

John Chapter 10 As we follow the footsteps of Jesus, where has He been from Chapter 7 through Chapter 9? Review the last part of Chapter 9. Who has Jesus been talking with in these last verses? (John 9:40,41) So, when John 10 begins in verse 1.... "Truly, truly, I say to you....." and also in vs. 6....."this figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand....." Who is he speaking to? So, the place is: The audience is: Now, let's look at the subject Jesus is going to talk about! Remember that as He begins to tell these "leaders" why they are "still blind" to the "truth of God's Word"....continuing from John Chapter 9....they have just "put out of the synagogue" the man who was born blind and now can see and has worshiped the Lord Jesus. This is the context of the words Jesus speaks!  We are told in verse 6 that this is a "figure of speech" Jesus is speaking to them; therefore it has been called by some: "The Parable of the Good Shepherd"..... The parable He tells is this - "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber." - vs. 1 "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." - vs.2,3 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." - vs. 4 "A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." - vs.5 vs.6 - "This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them." The shepherds would relate to the illustrations because to protect sheep as they were penned up in the night, the shepherd would lay across the opening and sleep so that no one could enter and steal a sheep from the pen. This is one of many things a true shepherd would do to guide and protect his sheep. At the end of the lesson is some facts about sheep that I have learned from the great book: "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by Philip Keller...truly, a sheep must have a good shepherd or the poor thing is truly in trouble! Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of the parable (figure of speech) he gave them. Who did Jesus say the door of the sheepfold is? (vs.7) Any who came before Jesus were theives and robbers (not really caring for God's sheep). Ezekiel, Chapter 34 is a prophesy by God through the prophet Ezekiel against the shepherds of Israel. Look this chapter up and take time to read through it. According to verse 1-3, were the leaders (shepherds) taking care of God's flock (Israel)? What were they doing instead? Ezekiel 34:4 shows how they didn't care for the people, just as these Pharisees did not care for the man born blind - they had just kicked him out of the synagogue!  "Those who are sickly - you have not strengthened; the diseased - you have not healed; the broken - you have not bound up; the scattered - you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost, but with severity you have dominated them."  The promise given Israel at that time from the Lord God was this:  Ezekiel 34:11...For thus says the Lord God, "Behold,I MYSELF will search for MY sheep and seek them out..........vs. 16 -....."I will SEEK THE LOST bring back - the scattered, bind up - the broken and strengthen - the sick; BUT THE FAT AND THE STRONG I WILL DESTROY. I will feed them with judgment......" Ezekiel 34:31....."As for you, My sheep, the sheep of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God", declares the Lord God. In the Gospel of John, we have seen GOD our SHEPHERD....The Lord Jesus Christ, the GOOD SHEPHERD Who will lay down His life for the sheep. According to John 10:16, are the Jews the only ones that Jesus will seek out and call by name? What does this verse tell you? In Biblical terms, everyone who is not a Jew is called a Gentile. In the following verses, what do you learn from these verses about the other sheep God will call to his flock? 1 Corinthians 12:13- Ephesians 3:1-6 - Galatians 3:7-9 - Galatians 3:l3-l4 - Romans, Chapter 11, is written to show that God has not forsaken the nation of Israel, but that there has been a partial hardening of the Jews until .... the Fulness of the Gentiles has come in ... We are the ones not of the Jewish "sheepfold", and yet children of faith are the children of Abraham, the Father of Faith ...Who Jesus told the religious leaders in John, Chapter 8......"Abraham saw MY day and rejoiced.....before Abraham was, I AM".....God's plan has been working throughout the ages and He will continue to work His plan forevermore! (There are many more Scriptures we could look at, but we must get back to John, Chapter 10)! While we are thinking about the theives and robbers that climbed up another "way" to steal the sheep, not to care for the sheep..... Have you been led astray by leaders who are climbing the wrong ladder and taking you with them? Why do you say 'yes', 'maybe', or 'no' to this thought? Jesus is the DOOR, no other door will get you to the Father and bring you eternal life. Do you hear His voice calling you? Then "follow Him"..... Jesus says to you: "I am the door of the sheep. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The theif comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that you may have LIFE, and have it abundantly.... I am the GOOD SHEPHERD, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father;and I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP." (John 10:7-18) LOOK AT THE NAIL PRINTS IN HIS HANDS -WILL YOU COME, LITTLE LAMB? Let's finish John, Chapter 10...... According to John 10:17-18 - Who will be responsible for taking Jesus' life? What commandment did Jesus receive from the Father concerning His life? How did the Jews respond to these words of Jesus? (vs.19) What did some say? (vs.20) What did the others say? (vs.21) Verse 21 shows you the flow that this does follow the account of John 9 when Jesus has healed the eyes of the man born blind..... According to verse 22, what feast is taking place at Jerusalem now? Verse 23 tells us what time of the year it is! What did you learn? Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.....the Jews gathered around Him. What do they ask Him? (vs.24) What did Jesus tell them? What testifies that He came in His Father's Name? Jesus confidently tells them exactly WHY they don't believe in Him. If they were HIS sheep - they would hear His voice and follow Him! ...Some Jews had.... If you have heard His voice and followed Him with your life, what is the beautiful promise He gives you in verse 28? (list 3 things spoken!) 1. 2. 3. The last point is so important, Jesus repeats it in verse 29: "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and NO ONE is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."  You are referred to by the Lord as His sheep.  He is the shepherd...the facts about sheep - they stray! they follow the others! they get lazy and cast down from too much wool.. without their shepherd, they lose their way.... but He leaves the 99 and goes and searches for the one that strays....He will find you and call you back to the fold...HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU - that is the promise of the New Covenant in His blood. Oh, how He loves you and me! If you could make it on your 'own', He would have never spent His blood for you. If you could earn your salvation, the Old Covenant could have remained. But you couldn't and so He has made the way for you through the sinless blood of the LAMB OF GOD, Jesus. He paid your debt. Come to Him and hear His voice, follow His leading...........don't listen to the stranger! Why are the Jews trying to STONE Him again? (vs.30-33) When He said "I and the Father are one"....what did they believe He was saying? (vs.33) Is He God? What did we learn in John 1:1-18? In John 10:39, they were seeking again to SEIZE Him to kill Him, but He eluded their grasp. Where did Jesus go? (vs.40) Many of John the Baptist's disciples were there. How did many respond to Him? (vs.42) HOW ABOUT YOU? Your Summary and Prayer:  Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at http//www.read-the-bible.webs.com

John Worksheet - Chapter 9

John Chapter 9  In John, Chapter 7, Jesus was at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. He had taught in the temple on the last day of the feast and said "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." For review, what was He referring to? (John 7:39) Who would receive this? When would they receive it? Why couldn't they receive it right then? The crowd was divided over what they believed in regard to the claims that Jesus made about Himself. The chief priests and Pharisees had sent officers to seize Jesus at the feast, but as they listened to Him, they couldn't do it. Everyone left to go to their homes. In chapter 8, Jesus is still in Jerusalem the next day, teaching again in the temple! The scribes and Pharisees brought in a woman caught in the act of adultry, and tested Him to see if He would keep the law of Moses and have her stoned to death. Instead of being stoned, she was given forgiveness and told to not continue to life in sin, but to believe in Him.  Jesus continued to talk to the Jewish people about not walking in darkness, but to follow Him, the Light of the World and they would have the Light of Life. The Jewish leaders confronted Him (again) on His claims of Himself, but He said He had the witness of the Scriptures and His Father as to Who He was! A debate arose between who thier father was. They were claiming Abraham as the father of the Jewish race. Jesus had some powerful things to say in regard to that. For review, what did Jesus tell them in regard to His own relationship to Abraham? (John 8:56) How did the Jews react to this? (vs.57) Write out the claim that Jesus made in John 8:58 What did the Jews try to do to Him at that time? (vs.59) Jesus HID HIMSELF and went out of the temple. Also in review, Jesus told them exactly who their father truly was and why: Read John 8:44. You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.. He was a murderer, from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it. What do you learn about their father? Who is he? What are his characteristics? Still today, he is the father of those in the world that belong to the world's system of belief in self and power. The only way to become a child of God is to be adopted into His family. This comes through being born again by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ - His death, burial, and resurrection. Are you a child of God or a child of the devil? How do you know? Why did you answer the way you did? ALL THAT REVIEW, so that we can move into JOHN, CHAPTER 9, within the full context!  CHAPTER 9....vs.1....As He passed by (leaving the temple in Jerusalem)........He saw a man BLIND FROM BIRTH What did His disciples ask Him? (Chap. 9:2) How did Jesus answer them? (vs.3) From the claims Jesus makes of Himself when He performs this SIGN on this man born blind, what does He seem to want to show through this miracle in regard to Who He is? (vs.3-7) When we are blind, we are in darkness. When we are made to see, we are in the LIGHT. It truly got the attention of people! It was hard to believe that someone born blind could now see! The people asked the man "How were your eyes open?" He told them by Jesus...they wanted to know "Where is He?", but he didn't know. They then took the man to the PHARISEES on THIS SABBATH DAY. The Pharisees asked him the same questions! How? By Who? What did some of the Pharisees say? (vs.16) Yet what were others saying? Division over Him! So they asked the blind man....."What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?" What did he say? (vs.17) The Jews couldn't believe he was born blind, so they called in his parents to ask them. They verified, "Yes, he was born blind"...they told them he could answer about how he came to see for himself (being of age). Why were the parents afraid to speak about it? (vs.22) FAITH IN JESUS WAS BEING PERSECUTED! So, a second time, they asked the man who was born blind...claiming they knew Jesus was a sinner.... The blind man didn't know anything except what?vs. 25 "Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound That saved a wretch like me,I was once lost, but now I am found, Was blind, but now I see." They just wouldn't listen to him or believe him. They reviled him and boasted of being disciples of Moses. What did the man say about Jesus in vs. 33? What was the result of him speaking out in favor of Jesus? What happened to him in vs. 34? When Jesus heard the Jews had put the man 'out' of the temple, he FOUND him. What did He ask the man? (vs.35) How did the man answer? (vs.36) What did Jesus say to him? (vs.37) HOW DID THE MAN RESPOND TO THIS? (VS.38) He believed and He WORSHIPED! Jesus made an interesting statement: "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who DO NOT SEE may see.......and those WHO SEE may become BLIND....." What do you think this means? What kind of people today do NOT see? Jesus came that they might "see". What kind of people today think they know the answers, they see....? Jesus came that they would become "blind". It may remind you of the verse in the New Testament writings "He opposes (is against) the proud, but He gives GRACE (help) to the humble."...... Do you see that? There were some Pharisees with Jesus when He said this. What did they say? (vs.40) How did Jesus answer them? (vs.41)... If you WERE BLIND,you would have NO SIN......but since you "say": 'WE SEE', your SIN REMAINS.  Based on this final statement of Jesus in this chapter, HOW does a person become spiritually blind? Has your religion or set of laws made you spiritually blind to your need of a Savior? Do you believe your own righteousness can make you be good enough to go to heaven? Do you think you can get to heaven your own way? Then, according to Jesus, you say that you 'see' and so you are really 'blind' to the truth. John 14:6 - Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but through Me." How does a person become spritually enlightened, have their eyes opened to see? It would be the opposite, realizing that within ourselves, we are nothing. That apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, we are sinners, separated from God the Father. Not through Moses, not through the law, not through religion, not through our works - ONLY THROUGH FAITH IN THE CROSS, THE DEATH OF GOD'S ONLY SON DYING FOR OUR SINS, humbling ourselves and asking that we be forgiven of our sins through His love by believing in His Son, only by this.....can we be SAVED, and have our eyes open to the glorious light of the Gospel, the Good News! How is your eye sight today? Can you see or are you still blind? If you want to see, ask Him to give you spiritual sight and become born again with new eyes to see.  Your Summary and Prayer: Created For RTB msn group by B. LeMoine, used by permission only. Please join us at http//www.read-the-bible.webs.com