John Bible Study - Lesson 15

John Bible Study - Lesson 15  

Read the passage below using the 2 different Bible translations:

John 5:31-47 New International Version (NIV)

Testimonies About Jesus

³¹ “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

³³ “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴ Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.³⁵ John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

³⁶ “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, ³⁸ nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. ³⁹ You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

⁴¹ “I do not accept glory from human beings, ⁴² but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

⁴⁵ “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. ⁴⁶ If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

John 5:31-47 New Living Translation (NLT)

Witnesses to Jesus

³¹ “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. ³² But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. ³³ In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. ³⁴ Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved. ³⁵ John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message. ³⁶ But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, ³⁸ and you do not have his message in your hearts, because you do not believe me—the one he sent to you.

³⁹ “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! ⁴⁰ Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.

⁴¹ “Your approval means nothing to me, ⁴² because I know you don’t have God’s love within you. ⁴³ For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. ⁴⁴ No wonder you can’t believe! For you gladly honor each other, but you don’t care about the honor that comes from the one who alone is God.

⁴⁵ “Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. ⁴⁶ If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

Note:

Here are the 3 questions for you to answer. I have given some basic answers below the questions to help you understand the passage. Answer the questions first yourself before you look at my answers. Take a moment before you begin and ask God to help you understand what you are reading.

3 questions to answer:

1.    Content: What is this passage about?

2.    Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

3.    Application: How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

Answers to the questions above and some background:

Content: What is this passage about?

·        Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, Jewish leaders and Teachers of the law

Earlier in John chapter 5 the Jewish leaders began to persecute Jesus for healing on the Sabbath

John 5:16 New International Version (NIV)

The Authority of the Son

¹⁶ So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

Then Jesus defended His authority: (The Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus based on Jesus’ declaration of relationship & equality with God)

John 5:17-18 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” ¹⁸ For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

·        Jesus lays down proof that He is the Messiah the Jews were looking for

·        Jesus talks about the witnesses that point to Him as the Messiah

·        Jesus explains that the works He had been given to do were from God

·        Jesus explains that His works and miracles prove that God sent Him

·        Jesus explains that the scriptures point to Him as the Messiah and that the Jewish leader’s refusal to come to Him for eternal life show that they are basing their salvation on works and following religious law, not God’s grace and way to salvation.

·        Jesus rebukes the Teachers of the law for not having love for God

·        Jesus explains that if they believed Moses they would believe in Him cause Moses wrote about Him

·        According to Jesus the Teachers of the law prove that they really don’t understand the scripture

Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

·        John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus is true.

Several passages expressly state that John the Baptist was a witness for Christ. John was sent expressly to prepare the way for the Christ, to help people recognize and accept Christ.

·        John 5:31-33 - Jesus listed John as one of His witnesses

John 5:31-33 New International Version (NIV)

Testimonies About Jesus

³¹ “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

³³ “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.

·        John The Baptist testifies that Jesus was sent from God

·        John The Baptist came for the purpose of being a witness to the Light (Christ).

·        John The Baptist fulfilled prophecy by preparing the way for Jesus so that all might believe.

John 1:6-9 New International Version (NIV)

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.

John 1:15 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁵ John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

John 1:19-20 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹ This was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Temple assistants from Jerusalem to ask John, “Who are you?” ²⁰ He came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah.”

John 1:23 New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah:

“I am a voice shouting in the wilderness,
    ‘Clear the way for the Lord’s coming!’”

·        Jesus works and miracles certainly caught everyone’s attention but the Pharisees, Jewish leaders and Teachers of the law felt threatened that someone, Jesus, was influencing the people they were controlling.

·        God Himself testified about Jesus

The Father’s Testimony to the Son

The Father testified to the son, calling him “My beloved Son” on at least two occasions (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5; Mark 1:11; Mark 9:7; Luke 3:22; Luke 9:35; and 2 Peter 1:17), namely at his baptism and at his transfiguration.

The Testimony at Jesus’ Baptism:

Matthew 3:17 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The Testimony at the Transfiguration: (God’s Affirmation)

Matthew 17:1-5 New International Version (NIV)

The Transfiguration

17 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.² There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. ³ Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

⁴ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

⁵ While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

The Transfiguration was the glorification of the human body of Jesus. On this occasion His body underwent a change in form, a metamorphosis, so that it shone as brightly as the sun. At the time of the Transfiguration, Jesus' earthly ministry was coming to a close. He had acknowledged that He was the Messiah and predicted His death and resurrection. Now He was to reveal, to a select few, His divine glory.

The Transfiguration is significant because it was the glorification of the body of Jesus. Those with Him saw Jesus in His glory. The appearance of Moses and Elijah testified that Jesus was the one of whom the law and prophets spoke. The approving testimony of God the Father further confirmed the identity of Jesus.

It is enough for us that the Father called Jesus his Son. That tells us who Jesus is. That’s why Mark’s gospel begins: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God” (Mark 1:1).

The prophet Isaiah foretold about the attributes of the Messiah:

Isaiah 9:6 New International Version (NIV)

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 Moses writes about the Messiah:

Deuteronomy 18:15-19 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. ¹⁶ For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”

¹⁷ The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. ¹⁸ I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. ¹⁹ I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name.

Jesus confirms Moses writing about who the Messiah is:

Luke 24:27 New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁷ Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

The disciple Phillip confirms Moses’ writing about Jesus being the Messiah:

John 1:45 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴⁵ Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

Peter preached about Jesus and the good news He offered. He then quoted Moses regarding Moses’ prophecy of the Messiah:

Acts 3:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

²² Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’ ²³ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’

From these passages of scripture we may deduct the following:

·        Moses prophesied concerning the coming of the Messiah

·        The people of Jesus' day understood that to be the meaning of Moses' words

·        Jesus was the fulfillment of that Mosaic prophecy.

·        Even today people decide not to believe God’s Word

·        People would rather make up their own laws and traditions rather than follow God’s law

·        Twisting God’s Word has been the enemies plan for misdirecting people stemming from the Garden of Eden

·        People also twist scripture to lord over others

Application: How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

·         Take the time to study what the Prophets said about the coming Messiah

And see if you recognize Jesus. Here is one passage from Isaiah that will help you:

Isaiah 35:4-6 New International Version (NIV)

⁴ say to those with fearful hearts,
    “Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
    he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
    he will come to save you.”

⁵ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
⁶ Then will the lame leap like a deer,
    and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
    and streams in the desert.

·        Ask God to help you have a strong and courageous faith

·        Seek to know God’s Word in order to avoid taking to heart false teaching

·        Trust God to meet your spiritual and physical needs

·        Remember in Jesus there is real life

Don’t forget:

John’s main purpose in writing this Gospel:

·        To tell the world that Jesus is the Messiah for the Jews and Gentiles

·        The events were recorded so that we might believe and have eternal life

John 20:30-31 New International Version (NIV)

The Purpose of John’s Gospel

³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Questions to ponder:

·        Are there issues keeping you from believing in Jesus?

·        Do your fear your identity in Christ?

·        Are you afraid you will be persecuted for your faith?

·        Are you testing everything you hear regarding what God’s Word says?

·        Is the truth you are embracing God’s inspired Word or someone else’s misguided interpretation.

Have a great week…………….Dave