1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Questions
What 3 things do we know about the Word? Who do you suppose the Word is? See John 1:14.
Who is the us referring to in Genesis 1:26 and Genesis 3:22?
In John 10:30, who does Jesus claim to be?
How does the fact the Jesus claims to be God affect your life today
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Questions
Where is eternal life found?
Who is the light referring to? Who is the darkness referring to?
Is there any darkness found in Jesus? See 1 John 1:5-6 and Ephesians 5:8
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Questions
What was John the Baptist’s purpose? To believe in whom?
How does John the Baptist describe Jesus in verse 8?
Who this light given to? For what purpose?
Without a light can you recognize what is in a space?
Who is John referring to as the light in verse 9?
Do you think that Jesus as the light is referring to a physical light or a spiritual light?
Jesus was born a Jew, yet his own Jewish people did not recognize him or receive him. Why do you think that is?
Have you made the decision to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior? As a result, what have you become?
According to 2 Peter 1:4, what are you now participating in?
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Questions
Who sent Jesus to earth?
Why do you think Jesus came to earth to live as a man and among people?
In verse 14 and 17, what does John say Jesus was full of?
How does that compare to what Moses gave in verse 17?
When did God’s punishment of the Old Testament law that was given to Israel end, according to Romans 10:4?
Was the law ever given to Gentiles? See Romans 2:14
The Purpose of the Law Today
What is the purpose of the law according to Galatians 3:19-25 NLV. What does “until” mean in verse 19? What was the law used for in Galatians 3:24? Do we still need the law to lead us according to Galatians 3:25?
Who is the law for according to 1 Timothy 1:8-9?
What does the Apostle Paul say about our new relationship with the law in Romans 6:14?
If you are in Christ and have been born again, has the law done it’s work in your life?
If you are still under the law, what might that indicate about your relationship with God?
The Cross
The cross was the dividing line of human history. Even our calendars are based when Jesus died on the cross.
3 Things That Happened When Jesus Died
- Took away our sins
- Ended the punishment of the law for sin and breaking commandments.
- Ushered in the NC
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
Questions
Why do you think the Jewish leaders wanted to know who John the Baptist was?
Did they think they were intimidated and worried that people were being baptized by John the Baptist and not by the Jewish leadership?
About Elijah
Elijah was a powerful prophet in a period of crisis for Israel when the nation abandoned the Lord to worship Baal. Elijah’s mission was to reveal the wickedness of Israel’s actions and urge them to turn back to the Lord.
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Questions
Once John the Baptist baptized Jesus and the dove landing on Jesus’s shoulder, do you think he recognize who Jesus was? See verses 23 and 27.
Did John want the Jewish leaders to know that his purpose was limited to only identifying Jesus as Lord when he said “I baptize with water”?
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Again, why was John baptizing with water according to verse 1:31?
What did God tell John the Baptist how he would know who the Savior was in verse 1:33-34.
Once the dove landing on Jesus’s shoulder what did John the Baptist say about him in verse 34?
More on Baptism
John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[ the Holy Spirit.” Acts 1:4-5. Does Luke the writer of Acts say there is a difference between water baptism and spiritual baptism?
After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20 to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. 1 Peter 3:19-22
What is water baptism a symbol of?
What saves you according to 1 Peter 3 21? Who is the “it” referring to?
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples (John’s disciples at that time was Andrew and Simon who became Peter). 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter). 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Questions
Who did Moses write about according to 1:45? Why would Moses write about Jesus?
Read again 1:17. Is there a difference between what Moses introduced and what Jesus introduced?
Many Christians are taught that they are still under the law once they are saved. Do you believe this is true? Christians who are still under the law are “under a curse”. They will be “doubleminded in all they do”. In fact, they might not even be saved.
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” 50 Jesus said, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Questions
According to Nathanael, was there any deceit in Jesus?
What did Nathanael conclude about Jesus?
