Systematic Bible Study

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John 2:12-25. Jesus went to Capernaum and then to Jerusalem for the Passover, where some men were selling animals for the sacrifices, whom he drove out with a whip of cords, overturning their tables and saying, "How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:17 connected this with what was written in Psa. 69:9.)

When the Jews asked for a sign of his authority to expel the money changers, Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days", which his disciples remembered and believed-- after his resurrection. The Jews thought he referred to Herod's temple that took 46 years to build (20 B.C. to 26 A.D.), which was destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Romans after a rebellion (cf. Luke 21:20-24). John reports that Jesus did some miracles while in Jerusalem, but not to gain any man's fickle approval (John 2:23-25).
 
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John 3:1-15. Jesus told a Pharisee named Nicodemus that he must be born again to see the kingdom of God, which Nick took to mean being reborn physically, but Jesus guided him to understand spiritually by saying that a person must not only be born of water (amniotic fluid) but also of the Spirit. Procreation yields a physical person, but the Spirit creates a spiritual child of God.

When Nick asked how spiritual rebirth is possible, Jesus replied that he, the Son of Man (Messiah), testifies to what he has seen in heaven, and then he shared that rebirth occurs when a person believes in him as God's Savior whose death atones for humanity's sins (cf. Num. 21:9, Isa. 53:3-12, 61:1-8).
 
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John 3:14-21. Jesus said that the reason God sent His only Son/the Son of Man/Messiah to be crucified/lifted up was because He loved everyone in the world and wanted to to provide salvation/eternal life in heaven to everyone/whoever believes in him. Thus, everyone who believes in him as Messiah/God the Son shall not die permanently but be resurrected to heaven.

However, everyone who rejects God's provision/grace/Son is self-condemned, because they chose to love darkness/evil rather than God's Light/Truth/Word. Evildoers hate divine light, because it exposes their evil deeds that they love, but those who love the Lord desire for His love to be reflected by what they do.

Paul elaborated on Christ's crucifixion for the justification of repentant sinners in Rom. 3:20-5:1, and he identified God's love with His HS in Rom. 5:5-8 (cf. 1Tim. 2:3-6). He emphasized the importance of Christ's resurrection as evidence heaven will be the eternal destiny of saints in 1Cor. 15:13-23, and he indicated ultimate justice for evil-doers in Rom. 2:4-11. Paul listed evil deeds in contrast with the fruit of the HS/godly works in Gal. 5:19-25 (cf. Eph. 2:8-10).
 
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John 3:22-36. Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside, where he baptized, apparently with water at this time (cf. John 1:26&33, 14:16-17&26, Acts 1:4-5&8).

John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, where some of his disciples argued with "a certain Jew" about ceremonial washing, and they told John that Jesus was baptizing more people than they were, to which John replied that Jesus is the bridegroom who must become greater, and John is the bridegroom's attendant who must become less (cf. John 1:29-30).

John continued by saying that Jesus is from above all (John 1:17-18) and testifies to what he has seen even though few accept his testimony (John 3:11-13), but the one who accepts that testimony certifies that the one whom God has sent speaks God's words and has God's Spirit fully (cf. Eph. 3:16-19, 1:22-23).

John concluded by echoing what Jesus had said in John 3:16-18, that God the Father loves the Son, and whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son remains condemned (cf. Eph. 2:1-6).
 
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John 4:1-19. The Pharisees heard that Jesus and his disciples were baptizing more people than John, so Jesus left Judea and headed for Galilee through Samaria. When he arrived at Jacob's well in Sychar, a Samaritan woman was drawing water and Jesus asked her for a drink, which amazed the woman, prompting her to ask why he, being a Jew, would associate with her. [This disassociation began when Solomon's kingdom was divided following his death, cf. 1Kings 12:16-19.]

Jesus answered by saying that if she knew who he was, she would have asked him for God's gift of living water (cf. John 7:38). [God's tree of life in Gen. 3:22 seems similar to His water of life that is mentioned in Isa. 55:1, Psa. 36:9 and Zech. 14:8, cf. Rev. 21:6, 22:1 & 17.] Then the woman asked how he would draw this water and whether he was greater than Jacob, to which Jesus replied that whoever drinks the water he gives would receive eternal life.

The woman asked for this water, but Jesus told her to fetch her husband first. When the woman said she had no husband, Jesus agreed but noted that she had divorced five husbands and was now living with a man with whom she was not married. When Jesus said this, the woman said that she could see Jesus was a prophet. [However, apparently she did not yet realize that Jesus was more than a prophet, cf. Matt. 11:9-19.]
 
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John 4:20-26. The woman continued by observing that Samaritans worship on a mountain (presumably referring to Mt. Gerizim where they had built a temple, cf. Deut. 11:29 & 27:12, Josh. 8:30-34), whereas Jews claim worship of God must be done in Jerusalem. The altar on a ridge called Mt. Moriah (2Chron. 3:1, 2Sam. 24:18) and Zion (Psa. 132:13-14, 125:1-2) came to mean Jerusalem.

Jesus replied that the time has come when people everywhere will worship God as Father in spirit and in truth, because God is Spirit. The woman said that she knew Messiah (Christ) is coming and will explain everything, and Jesus declared that he is Messiah. John stated in 1John 5:6 that God's Spirit is truth (cf. 1John 4:2&6), and in 1John 4:8&16 that God is love. Psalm 33:12-148 says that God dwells in heaven and looks down on His chosen people--on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.
 
John 4:27-42. The disciples of Jesus arrived and were surprised to see him speaking with a/the woman, who went to the town and invited people to come see Jesus in order to determine whether he was the Christ/Messiah.

Meanwhile the disciples urged Jesus to eat the food they had brought, but he said that he had food they knew nothing about, which was to do God's will/work (cf. John 2:19, 3:14, 34). Then he told them to behold how the fields were ready to be harvested, and the reaper is harvesting the crop for eternal life/joy (cf. Matt. 9:37-38, 13:24-30). The woman telling what she had seen and heard and the mention of the sower and reaper being glad together seems akin to 1John 1:1-4.

Jesus concluded by citing a saying, "One sows and another reaps", explaining that he sent the disciples to reap what someone else had worked for, which presumably referred to the OT prophets. Many of the Samaritans believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony that he had known her life, so Jesus stayed with them for two days, teaching and reaping many more who believed he was the Savior of the world (cf. Deut. 32:15, 2Sam. 22:47, Psa. 18:46, Isa. 43:3, 62:11, Mic. 7:7, Hab. 3:18, Luke 2:11, John 3:17).
 
John 4:43-54. Jesus went to Galilee, where he was welcomed because of his cleansing the temple during the Passover (John 2:13-16), and he revisited Cana, where he had performed his first miracle (John 2:1-11). A royal official visited Jesus to ask him to heal his son, who was dying from an illness in Capernaum. After reproving people who will not believe unless they see a miracle (cf. Matt. 12:39, 16:4, cf. 2Cor. 5:7), Jesus told the official that his child would live. The man believed Jesus and while on the way to see his son was met by his servants, who reported that his son had been healed at the very time Jesus had said he would live, so he and his household believed. John notes that this was the second miraculous sign that Jesus had performed.

The teaching that can be gleaned from this passage is paradoxical: On the one hand it is wrong to demand seeing a miracle before believing in Jesus as Messiah; on the other hand Jesus was acknowledged as Messiah because of the miracles he performed. This is because of prophesies such as Isa. 35:5-6 (cf. Matt. 11:4-5). The miracles of the deaf hearing and the blind seeing may also refer to the sinner repenting of unbelief in Jesus as Messiah per Isa. 6:9-10.
 
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GWH said:
John 4:43-54. Jesus went to Galilee, where he was welcomed because of his cleansing the temple during the Passover (John 2:13-16), and he revisited Cana, where he had performed his first miracle (John 2:1-11). A royal official visited Jesus to ask him to heal his son, who was dying from an illness in Capernaum. After reproving people who will not believe unless they see a miracle (cf. Matt. 12:39, 16:4, cf. 2Cor. 5:7), Jesus told the official that his child would live. The man believed Jesus and while on the way to see his son was met by his servants, who reported that his son had been healed at the very time Jesus had said he would live, so he and his household believed. John notes that this was the second miraculous sign that Jesus had performed.

The teaching that can be gleaned from this passage is paradoxical: On the one hand it is wrong to demand seeing a miracle before believing in Jesus as Messiah; on the other hand Jesus was acknowledged as Messiah because of the miracles he performed. This is because of prophesies such as Isa. 35:5-6 (cf. Matt. 11:4-5). The miracles of the deaf hearing and the blind seeing may also refer to the sinner repenting of unbelief in Jesus as Messiah per Isa. 6:9-10.
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True... Jesus performed miracles and many believed. We're asked to dos so through faith rather than seeing Him come down and provide miracles... I can see why Jesus had an issue with those who asked for more miracles though... Would they believe if He did? Was it a challange? Had they decided that they weren't going to believe Him anyway? He know their hearts and motives, so He had better insight to give each person their answer.
 
Standard said:
True... Jesus performed miracles and many believed. We're asked to dos so through faith rather than seeing Him come down and provide miracles... I can see why Jesus had an issue with those who asked for more miracles though... Would they believe if He did? Was it a challange? Had they decided that they weren't going to believe Him anyway? He know their hearts and motives, so He had better insight to give each person their answer.
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Yes, Jesus knew that believing because of fear that a miracle-worker could curse the unbeliever/evil-doer
was the wrong motivation for genuine faith. The miracles of creation and resurrection should be sufficient
for eliciting love from those whose hearts are not hardened.
 
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John 5:1-15. Jesus went to Jerusalem for a religious feast (probably either Purim or the Passover) and on a Sabbath day saw a man at the pool of Bethesda (meaning "house of mercy" in Aramaic), which was located near the Sheep Gate (through which sheep were taken to the nearby Temple for sacrifice). The man had been unable to walk for 38 years. The common belief was that when the waters (fed by an aqueduct) were stirred the first person into the pool would be healed of his infirmity.

Jesus asked the man whether he wanted to be healed, and the invalid (indicating "yes") replied that when the water stirred someone else always beat him into the pool. Then Jesus told him to get up, pick up his mat and walk, which the man did. When some Jews (apparently religious leaders) told him that Sabbath law forbade him from carrying his mat (oral tradition defining "work" rather than the Torah, cf. Matt. 15:3-9), he said that the one who healed him had commanded him to do so. They asked who had healed him, but he did not know it was Jesus, who had slipped away into the crowd.

However, later Jesus found (intentionally sought?) the man at the temple and told him to stop sinning or something worse (than physical suffering) may happen to him (presumably condemnation to hell). The man left and told the Jewish authorities that it was Jesus who had made him well (perhaps indicating failure to heed the warning of Jesus).
 
John 5:16-30. The Jews persecuted Jesus because he disobeyed Sabbath Law by healing the crippled man. Jesus said His heavenly Father works every day and so he is also working, which made the Jews want to kill him for making himself deity by calling God his Father. These two offenses are combined when Jesus said the Son of Man (himself) is Lord of the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5).

Saying the Father works every day contradicted the Sabbath Law (Exo. 20:8-11), which was based on the statement (in Gen. 2:2-3) that God rested on the seventh day after completing His creation. Jesus equated the title "Son of Man" (used in Dan. 7:13-14 to refer to one coming from God with authority to reign over Earthians eternally and used numerous times in Ezekiel beginning with Ezek. 2:1 as how the Lord addressed him) with the title Son of God, and Peter connected both titles with Messiah/Christ in his blessed confession (Matt. 16:13-17).

Jesus went on to say that the Son (of Man and of God) does what he sees his Father doing, because the Father loves him and will show him even greater things, granting the Son power to raise the dead and to judge the living, so that all will honor the Son as they honor the Father who sent him. Saying that the Son sees the Father reiterated what Jesus told Nicodemus (in John 3:11-13), that the Son of Man is from heaven, and saying that the Son will raise the dead to judgment echoes John 3:16-18. God is honored by those who worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24) and by those who reflect His love (John 3:16, 8:42, Matt. 22:37-38).

Jesus continued by saying that whoever hears and believes the Son's message and God crosses from death and condemnation to eternal life (again echoing John 3:16), because the Father is the source/giver of life (Gen. 2:7, Acts 17:25) and grants the Son life-giving power and authority to judge because he is the Son of Man (John 5:22, 8:15-16, Acts 10:42, cf. Heb. 9:27-28). Jesus, Paul and John indicate that Christians will share Messiah's power of judgment (Matt. 16:19, 18:18-19, 1Cor. 6:3, Rev. 19:11, 20:4).

Jesus concluded this passage by saying that the time is coming when those in their graves will hear the Son and come out and be judged--the good-doers to live and the evil-doers to condemnation--and the judgment will be just, because done to please the Father. This statement is similar to what Jesus had just said in v. 24, but the first way of saying it indicated a spiritual transition from being dead in sins to being alive in Christ, as Paul stated in Eph. 2:1-6 (cf. Rom. 6:1-11), whereas the second phrasing speaks of a bodily resurrection and eternal destiny, although not in detail. Elsewhere in the NT heaven is described merely as eternal bliss/blessing (Matt. 25:34, 5:2-12) and hell as eternal punishment and destruction (Matt. 25:46, John 17:12, Rom. 9:22, Gal. 6:8).
 
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John 5:31-47. Jesus referred to the OT dictum that when a person is accused of a crime the truth must be established by the agreement of two or three witnesses (Deut. 19:15), and he referred to John the Baptist as a witness in his favor, who testified to the truth (John 1:29-34). Then Jesus referred to his works as testifying that God the Father sent him (cf. John 8:46, 10:32).

Finally, Jesus said that the Father himself testifies for Jesus, but the accusers do not hear His voice or have His word indwelling them, because they choose not to believe the Scriptures and live, even though they also testify about him (cf. Luke 24:27). The reason they do not praise him as Messiah who comes in the Father's name is because they do not love the Father (cf. Matt. 22:37). However, they will believe someone who comes in his own name and will accept praise from him rather than seek praise from God.

Then Jesus turned the tables on his accusers by saying that they have an accuser before the Father, namely Moses, because if they had believed Moses they would believe Jesus because he wrote about him (Deut. 18:15). But because they do not believe what Moses wrote, they do not believe Jesus, and the reason they will not believe Jesus is because their father is the devil (John 8:42-44).
 
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John 6:1-27. Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee/Tiberias, where a crowd of people followed him because of his miraculous healing of the sick. He went up the hillside with his disciples. (The Passover was approaching.) He asked Philip where they could buy bread for the people to see what he would answer. Philip said that they did not have money to buy enough bread, and Andrew (the brother of Simon Peter) said that a boy had five small barley loaves and two small fish, which would only be enough for a few.

Then Jesus told them to have the people sit down in the grassy area, which they did--about 5,000 men. After giving thanks, Jesus broke bread and his disciples distributed the pieces of bread and fish to the people until they all had enough to eat. He told them to gather the leftovers, so nothing would be wasted, which filled twelve baskets of bread.

The details of this event differ slightly from the account of apparently the same occasion in Matt. 14:13-21, which is followed in Matt. 15:29-39 by an account of Jesus feeding 4,000 men plus women and children. One might wonder whether there were three miraculous feedings or three versions of the same miracle circulating when Matthew and John wrote their gospels.

Considering only John's version, when the people saw the miraculous sign, they said Jesus must be the Prophet foretold by Moses (Deut. 18:15) and intended to proclaim him as king, so he withdrew into the hills by himself as evening fell. His disciples got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. A strong wind began blowing, and after they had rowed about three and a half miles, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, but Jesus said, "It is I; don't be afraid", so they took him into the boat as it neared the shore.

The next day the crowd that had been fed got into boats from Tiberias and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus, although they realized he had not been in the boat that left with his disciples. When they found him, they asked how he had got there, but Jesus reproved them by saying the only reason they looked for him was not because they saw miraculous signs (cf. Matt. 16:4) but because they had eaten their fill. And he told them not to work only for food that spoils but also for food that gives eternal life (cf. John 4:13-14), which the Son of Man will give them, because he has God the Father's seal of approval (cf. Eph. 1:13).
 
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