John Bible Study - Lesson 22

John Bible Study - Lesson 22

Read the passage below using the 2 different Bible translations:

John 7:25-44 New International Version (NIV)

Division Over Who Jesus Is

²⁵ At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

²⁸ Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, ²⁹ but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

³⁰ At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. ³¹ Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

³² The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

³³ Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

³⁵ The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? ³⁶ What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

³⁷ On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. ³⁸ Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” ³⁹ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

⁴⁰ On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”

⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.”

Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” ⁴³ Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

John 7:25-44 New Living Translation (NLT)

Is Jesus the Messiah?

²⁵ Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? ²⁶ But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? ²⁷ But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.”

²⁸ While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. ²⁹ But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” ³⁰ Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.

³¹ Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?”

³² When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.³³ But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. ³⁴ You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.”

³⁵ The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks!³⁶ What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”

Jesus Promises Living Water

³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” ³⁹ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Division and Unbelief

⁴⁰ When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.” ⁴¹ Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? ⁴² For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.” ⁴³ So the crowd was divided about him. ⁴⁴ Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.

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?

·         The people of Jerusalem questioned whether or not Jesus was the Messiah.

·         Jesus affirms He has authority to teach in the Temple and this authority comes from God

·         The Jewish leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come

·          Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him due to His ability to perform miracles

·          The Pharisees sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus

·          Jesus explains he will be going away (Referring to the Cross, Resurrection and eventual Ascension back to Heaven)

·          This statement by Jesus that He would be going away was confusing to the Jewish Leaders

·          Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

·          After the crowds heard Jesus speak, some were convinced He was the Messiah others  were not cause they questioned whether or not the Messiah could come from Galilee

Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

·        The People had doubts Jesus was the Messiah due to the fact that Jesus was born to earthly parents. People believed that the Messiah would not have a father or mother; He would be without a genealogy, and without a beginning of days or end of life. Since Jesus had earthly parents some people could not reconcile Jesus being the Messiah. In the Old Testament the Messiah was equated with the appearance of the King of Salem, Melchizedek. The “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”  In Hebrews 7 Melchizedek represented a type of Christ figure.

Hebrews 7:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

Melchizedek the Priest

This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him,² and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.

Who is Melchizedek:

Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness,” was a king of Salem (Jerusalem) and priest of the Most High God (Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6–11; 6:20—7:28). Melchizedek’s sudden appearance and disappearance in the book of Genesis is somewhat mysterious.

In Psalm 110, a messianic psalm written by David (Matthew 22:43), Melchizedek is presented as a type of Christ. This theme is repeated in the book of Hebrews, where both Melchizedek and Christ are considered kings of righteousness and peace. Hebrews 7:3 says that Melchizedek was “without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.” (Excerpts from Answer in Genesis)

·         So the confusion about the Messiah was based on the belief that the Messiah would not have had parents or have been born. If the people would have read and understood the prophet Isaiah, they would have realized that Jesus had a supernatural birth.

Isaiah 7:14 New International Version (NIV)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

The Gospel of Matthew confirms this:

Matthew 1:18 New International Version (NIV)

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:20-23 New International Version (NIV)

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

·           Jesus explains: the people were blind to the fact that He had been sent by God and was given authority to share the Good News of Salvation

John 1:1-14 Living Bible (TLB)

1 ^1-2 Before anything else existed, there was Christ,* with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. ³ He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. ⁴ Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. ⁵ His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it.

^6-7 God sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light. ⁸ John himself was not the Light; he was only a witness to identify it.

⁹ Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world.

¹⁰ But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. ^11-12 Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. ¹³ All those who believe this are reborn!—not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan—but from the will of God.

¹⁴ And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness* and truth. And some of us have seen his glory*—the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!*

·           Many among the crowds at the temple were convinced Jesus was the Messiah based on the miracles He performed. Others, like the Jewish leader, sought to arrest Him.

·           Unless God gives the gift of faith a person will not be able to embrace Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Ephesians 2:8-9 New International Version (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

·        We cannot save ourselves. Faith given by God plays the major role in salvation:

Romans 1:17 New International Version (NIV)

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

·        Salvation is a work of God:

Ephesians 2:4-5 New International Version (NIV)

⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

·        The Pharisees were puzzled by Jesus’s words about His going away

·        Today many people struggle with the concept of Jesus paying the price for our sin.

·        In the Old Testament God had put in place a sacrificial system that would forgive sin temporarily. Jesus’ one time sacrifice on the Cross would never have to be repeated.

Hebrews 7:27 New Living Translation (NLT)

 Unlike those other high priests, he (Jesus) does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins.

·        Jesus promises to provide (living water) the Holy Spirit:

John 14:15-17 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 4:14 New International Version (NIV)

 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

·        Even though Jesus had lived in Galilee He was born in Bethlehem and did come from the royal line of David:

Micah 5:1-2 Living Bible (TLB)

Mobilize! The enemy lays siege to Jerusalem! With a rod they shall strike the Judge of Israel on the face.

² “O Bethlehem Ephrathah, you are but a small Judean village, yet you will be the birthplace of my King who is alive from everlasting ages past!”

Matthew 2:1 New International Version (NIV)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem

Jeremiah 23:5 (NIV)

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

Matthew 1:1 New Life Version (NLV)

The Families Jesus Came Through

These are the families through which Jesus Christ came. He came through David and Abraham.

·        The crowd was divided on whether Jesus was the Messiah.  We can see that God’s Word affirms Jesus is God’s Son, the Savior/Messiah:

Matthew 3:16-17New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

John 3:16 New International Version (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

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

·        Ask God to help you understand the divine nature of Jesus.

·        Read Isaiah 7:14 & 9:6

·        Look up the prophecies about Jesus: Here is a link to get you started: http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/a/Prophecies-Jesus.htm

·        Make sure you have received Jesus’ offer of living water: eternal life, marked by the indwelling Holy Spirit by receiving Jesus as Lord and Savior

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:

·        What is holding you back from living a life devoted to God?

·        Does the Holy Spirit guide your life or are you relying solely on your own wisdom and strength.

·        Do you desire to make significant changes to your character?

·        Is there any sin in your life you need to turn away from?

·        Will you let the Holy Spirit change you from the inside out?

Have a great week…………….Dave