Gospel Of John: Part 1

Semester  #3: Apr 24- May 27


Where do you turn when the world around you grows dark? In this study of the Gospel of John, Dr. Tony Evans encourages us to turn to Christ by reminding us of the two purposes for the beloved disciple’s book—that we would believe in Jesus and find life in his name. Despite what our culture may argue, there is only one hope that is truly trustworthy and that is our savior, Jesus Christ. So join Tony for this twelve-session series that will draw you back to the essential truths of our faith and the life found in our king.


To access the teaching videos for this series, click HERE *If you do not have a RightNowMedia account, Send us an email to admin@dayspringmh.org and we will help you set one up for FREE.

John 8:1-59

Week #1

Session Goals:

- To feel patient and compassionate towards those who do not know Jesus.

- To live as a disciple of Jesus, following and obeying his teaching.


Open:

- When was the last time you were lost? How did you find your way back to where you needed to be?


Read:

- John 8:1–59 (If you are pressed for time, you can shorten your reading to John 8:2–20, 28–38, 48–59.)


Watch:

- Session 9: John 8:1–59 (8 minutes).


Why does it seem like the Pharisees don’t care about justice with the woman caught in adultery?

Can a person believe in God while rejecting Jesus? Why not?

In what ways does Jesus express his divinity in this chapter?


Discuss:

While teaching in the temple courts, Jesus was again confronted by the Pharisees. But this time, they were not alone. They brought a woman caught in adultery in front of Jesus and his audience, exposed her sin, and asked Jesus if she should be stoned to death. They didn’t appear to be concerned with the woman’s dignity or, as Dr. Evans pointed out, the justice of God’s law.

- What do you think mattered most to the pharisees?

- what do we learn about the Pharisees' compassion towards people in this situation?


The Pharisees were trying to entrap Jesus by putting him in a no-win situation. In their minds, he was being forced to decide between following his own teaching or the teaching of God’s law. In either situation, he would have publicly proven himself to be a false teacher.

- What would you have done in this situation?


Dr. Evans pointed out that Jesus forgave the woman before telling her how to live, adding, “It’s a lot easier to obey when you have been set free.” God does the same for you.

- In what ways has Jesus set you free to follow him?


Verse 12 introduces us to Jesus’s second “I am” statement. Just like when he called himself the bread of life, Jesus calls himself the “light of the world,” using a natural illustration to reveal supernatural truth.

- Based on verse 12, what do you think it means for Jesus to be the light of the world?


Jesus says the one who follows him will have “the light of life”—the same phrase John used in John 1:4 to describe Jesus—and the one who does not follow him walks in darkness.

- In what ways have you felt the light of life while following Jesus?


Even though the Pharisees, the loudest voices in the temple courts, rejected Jesus, we learn in verse 30 that many believed in Jesus. We often focus on the people who reject Jesus and miss the quieter stories of those who trust Christ.

- Why do you think we tend to focus on the loud opposition to Jesus rather than the quiet acceptance of him?

 

We don’t often think of obedience as freedom. Many today think that obedience to a set of rules keeps us from being free. But, according to Jesus, we have it backward: his way is freedom, and living in sin is true bondage.

- In what ways has obedience to Jesus set you free from sin?


Last Word:

   Without Jesus, we are enslaved to sin and walk in darkness. But he is eager to forgive us, to give us the light of life, and to set us free. Even when he was insulted, rejected, and assaulted, Jesus did not push sinners away. Instead, he drew closer to them, endured their questions and insults, and patiently tried to convince them of the truth.

John 9:1-41

Week #2

Session Goals:

- Jesus is light of the world who heals our spiritual blindness when we put our faith in him.

- To feel comfort in the nearness of Christ, especially when the world rejects us.


Open:

- When have you faced rejection? How did you respond to that rejection?


Read:

- John 9:1–41 (If you are pressed for time, you can shorten your reading to John 9:1–17, 28–39.)


Watch:

- Session 10: John 9:1–41 (10 minutes).


Discuss:

It was commonly believed in ancient Judea that a child born with any infirmities or malformations was the direct result of a parent’s sin. So, when the disciples saw the beggar in John 9, they immediately blamed him and his parents for his poverty and difficulties. We don’t hold that belief in modern times, but we sometimes blame the poor and homeless for their situations.

- When you see someone asking for money on the street, what do you think about them?

- What do you assume about their position?


Dr. Evans taught us that God may allow difficult circumstances in our lives so that he might display his glory to the world. But when we are struggling—physically, financially, spiritually, etc.—it may be difficult for us to see God’s purposes. It may even feel like God is anything but near to us.

- What are you tempted to believe about God when things are not going well in your life?


Difficult situations are not punishments from God. While we may feel the negative results of sin in our lives, God does not punish Christians with sickness or trials when we sin. Our difficulties are allowed for his greater glory.

- How might your present circumstance provide an opportunity for God to be glorified through you?

 

When people ask us about the changes Jesus has made in our life, we need to be ready to give them an answer.

- Do you feel able to answer people's questions about Jesus?


The Pharisees’ primary objection to this miracle is that it’s performed on the Sabbath. They reject Jesus’s work because it does not line up with their expectations.

- What is your reaction when God doesn't work according to your expectations?


The man born blind is the first person John records who’s persecuted for following Jesus. By being put out of the synagogue, he lost his ability to worship, to hear the Word of God read, and to participate in communal festivals. It might have been tempting to think of his sight as a curse.

- Do you think the blessings were worth the struggle?


The man born blind knows that following Jesus was worth the cost of persecution and is eager to find the Son of Man, or Messiah. He may have lost the ability to worship within the synagogue, but he met and believed in God himself. All told, the cost of persecution was much smaller than the reward of knowing Jesus.

- What things have you lost for the sake of Christ?


Last Word:

   John 9 is like a mirror: it shows us who we are, what we are called to do, and the hope we have in Jesus. Before Christ, we are all blind beggars. Jesus, in his unfailing compassion, came to us and gave us light and life. He washed us of our sins and sent us out to tell the world of the hope we have found in him.

   But not all people will accept us. Some will reject us unfairly—even our loved ones. But Christ will never abandon us. Even during trial, persecution, and difficulty, we know that knowing him is a far greater reward than anything we have lost.

John 10:1-42

Week #3

Session Goals:

- Jesus is our good shepherd who protects, guides, and cares for us, his sheep.

- To look at Jesus’s works and trust in him as the Son of God.


Open:

- What person in your life makes you feel safe? What is it about them that gives you security>


Read:

- John 10:1–42 (If you are pressed for time, you can shorten your reading to John 10:7–18, 24–33, 37–39.)


Watch:

Session 11: John 10:1–42 (11 minutes).


Discuss:

In the parable, Jesus refers to himself as the door to the sheepfold, meaning he is both the way to eternal security and a barrier of safety to those who trust him.

- What is the importance of Jesus being the only way to the sheepfold?

 

Jesus goes on to describe himself as the good shepherd, the one who lays down his life for his sheep.

- According to this parable and Dr. Evan's teaching, what does a good shepherd provide for his flock?


Jesus had been performing miracles for months at this point. He had, time and time again, told the people who he was and what he came to do. However, they were still “in suspense,” as we see in verse 24. It can be easy to think the people in the Bible were thick and, if we were in their shoes, we would surely have known what Jesus was up to. But, even now, it can take us a long time to fully trust and obey Jesus.

- Why do you think it can be hard for us to take Jesus at his word?


Jesus points his questioners to his works. He asks them to consider what he had done, to see his actions as a testimony to his identity.

- What amazing works has God done in your life?

- In what ways does your life testify to Jesus being Christ?


Dr. Evans asked two questions at the end of the video. Take with your group to answer his questions:

- Are you a sheep, a person following Jesus?

- If you are one of his sheep, are you staying near to the good shepherd? What could you do to be nearer to him so that you might experience his protection, care and guidance?


Last Word:

   Jesus is more than a good person who did some good things. He is the only way to salvation, our protector, our comforter, and our eternal hope. In him we not only find eternal life after we die, but full life here and now.

John 11:1-57

Week #4

Session Goals:

- To know God does not always work in expected ways.

- To trust and obey Jesus, even when his commands seem unusual.


Open:

- What is the most outlandish promise you ever made? Were you able to keep that promise?


Read:

- John 11:1–57 (If you are pressed for time, you can shorten your reading to John 11:1–5, 17–22, 38–57.)


Watch:

- Session 12: John 11:1–57 (10 minutes).


Discuss:

At the beginning of this chapter, we meet some of Jesus’s friends: three siblings from a family he loved. But Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, is gravely ill, and the sisters reach out to Jesus for help. We often do the same thing. When we are in desperate need, we cry out to Jesus.

- What situations cause you to turn to Jesus for help?

- What situations are you tempted to think are too small or aren't worth praying about?


Jesus responds to Martha and Mary’s message saying that Lazarus’s sickness would not end in death. Dr. Evans pointed out that Martha and Mary must have had their anxiety put at ease: their brother would be okay. But Jesus does not immediately leave to heal Lazarus. Instead, he stays put for two whole days. Put yourself in Martha and Mary’s shoes.

- What would you have expected Jesus to do?

- when in your life has it seemed like God was staying put when you needed him most?

 

Mary and Martha prayed in faith, but their prayers were not immediately answered in the way they expected. The disciples were called to walk with Jesus, but they were afraid to act. Both groups were experiencing a crisis of faith, and Jesus offers both groups the same remedy. Look at verses 4 and 15.

- What does Jesus want to show his disciples and the people he loves?

- what response does Jesus want to elicit from them?


It may seem confusing that Jesus says in verse 15 that he’s “glad” he was not with Lazarus before he died. It seems contrary to his character. But his mission, as we have seen throughout this book, is to reveal his glory to the world so that people might believe in him. When he looked at Mary, Martha, and his disciples, he saw that they needed to believe and trust more deeply in him, and he was glad to give them that opportunity.

- Where in your life have you felt forgotten or abandoned by God?

- How might these situations be an opportunity to trust Jesus more deeply?


It might be tempting to think of Jesus as detached in this passage, more focused on teaching a lesson than caring for the people he loves. But in verse 35, the shortest verse in your Bible, we see very clearly that Jesus was overwhelmed with grief. Even though he knew what was about to happen, he wept for his friend.

- What does this display of emotion teach you about Jesus?

 

There are times when God commands us to act in faith or, as Dr. Evans put it, “move a stone.” We can sometimes rush to find reasons why it would be better to keep the “stone” in place, like Martha, instead of trusting God in faith. We imagine the side effects, the negative results, and the faults in God’s command. But we don’t always know what God is up to and, as Dr. Evans said, no situation is beyond redemption in the hands of the savior.

- What could you do to counteract the doubts that rush into your mind when God tells you to "move a stone"?


In the video, Dr. Evans taught that faith is believing God enough to do what he says. If you don’t see God moving in your life, it may be that you do not trust God enough to act on his commands.

- What might be holding you back from trusting God's commands, especially the ones that seem illogical?


Last Word:

   The stage is set. You can feel the tension at the end of this chapter. Jesus has declared and shown himself to be living water, the bread of life, the light of the world, our resurrection, and our life. He has built a following in Israel, and the Jewish leaders are prepared to do whatever it takes to get rid of him.

   But where does that leave us? Over the past weeks, you have studied his words and seen his miracles. Do you believe he is who he claims to be? Jesus is not looking to trick or deceive us. While he may not work in the ways we expect, he will always keep his promises so that we might believe in him. Do you believe enough to follow him?