John Bible Study - Lesson 36

John Bible Study - Lesson 36

Read the passage below using the 2 different Bible translations:

John 13:31-38 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ When he was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. ³² If God is glorified in him,^[a] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once.

³³ “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

³⁶ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

³⁷ Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”

³⁸ Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

John 13:31-38 New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

³¹ As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man^[a] to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. ³² And since God receives glory because of the Son,^[b] he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. ³³ Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. ³⁴ So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. ³⁵ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

³⁶ Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”

³⁷ “But why can’t I come now, Lord?” he asked. “I’m ready to die for you.”

³⁸ Jesus answered, “Die for me? I tell you the truth, Peter—before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me.

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?

·        Judas leaves to betray Jesus.

·        Jesus tells the other disciples that it is time for Him to enter His glory.

·        Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man.

·        Jesus again tells His disciples He will only be with them a little while longer.

·        He also tells His disciples that they will not be able to go with Him.

·        Jesus commands His disciples to love one another.

·        Jesus explains that by the love the disciples have for one another the world will be able to tell that they are His followers and that they have been transformed.

·        Peter asks Jesus where He will be going.

·        Jesus tells Peter that he can’t come with Him now but will join Him later.

·        Peter wants to know why he can’t go with Jesus.

·        Peter tells Jesus that he is ready to die for Him.

·        Jesus foretells that Peter will deny Him three times.

Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

·        The time has come for Jesus to be betrayed by Judas, then arrested, and then willingly suffer and die on the cross.

·        Jesus’ death on the cross means that: We can receive eternal life. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In this statement, Jesus declares the purpose for which God sent Him. Therefore, His birth, death, and resurrection provide sinners the only way to heaven. It is not possible to earn our way to heaven through our own works.  We are totally dependent on God’s work for salvation.

·        When Jesus says He will enter into His glory He is saying that His work on the cross will receive honor, respect and praise. Jesus will also return to heaven with the Father receiving glory at His rightful place seated at the right hand of God. "God's right hand" refers to the Messiah, Jesus seated at the right hand of God which exemplifies His equal position, honor, power and authority with God.

John 1:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

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.⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 

·        Even while seated at the right hand of God, Jesus continues to help His followers:  

Romans 8:34 New International Version (NIV)

Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

·        Jesus referring to Himself as the “Son of Man” explains the nature of Jesus the man and the nature of Jesus as God. Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament.

The two natures of Jesus are referred to as the Hypostatic Union:

(1) Christ has two distinct natures: humanity and deity

(2) There is no mixture or intermingling of the two natures

(3) Although He has two natures, Christ is one Person

(4) Jesus is fully man and fully God

Because of Jesus’ unique nature He was the only one who could take on the

sins of the world and be the acceptable sacrifice to pay for them:

Mark 10:45 Amplified Bible (AMP)

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Romans 3:25-26 The Message (MSG)

^25-26 God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

Hebrews 10:11-14 Living Bible (TLB)

¹¹ Under the old agreement the priests stood before the altar day after day offering sacrifices that could never take away our sins. ¹² But Christ gave himself to God for our sins as one sacrifice for all time and then sat down in the place of highest honor at God’s right hand, ¹³ waiting for his enemies to be laid under his feet. ¹⁴ For by that one offering he made forever perfect in the sight of God all those whom he is making holy.

·        Jesus conquered the power over death and He alone gives us new life. By following Him we too will enter into His glory.

·        God’s nature demonstrates His glory. So who God is and what He is able to do is the demonstration of His Glory.

Attributes of God that reveal His glory:

Wisdom:  

God’s unlimited perspective and wise counsel leading to ultimate good  and perfect judgment.

Infinitude: 

God knows no boundaries. He is without measure.  

Sovereignty: 

This is “the attribute by which He rules His entire creation.”  

Holiness: 

This is the attribute that sets God apart from all created beings. It refers to His majesty and His perfect moral purity.  

Trinity: 

Though the actual word is not used in the Bible, the truth of God revealing Himself in three persons is included. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called God, given worship as God, exist eternally, and are involved in doing things only God could do. Although, God reveals Himself in three persons, God is One and cannot be divided. All are involved completely whenever One of the Three is active. 

Omniscience: 

“God possesses perfect knowledge and therefore has no need to learn.” Omniscience means all-knowing. God knows everything, and His knowledge is infinite. It is impossible to hide anything from God. 

Faithfulness: 

Everything that God has promised will come to pass. His faithfulness guarantees this fact. He does not lie. What He has said in the Bible about Himself is true. Jesus even said that He is the Truth. This is extremely important for the followers of Jesus because it is on His faithfulness that our hope of eternal life rests. He will honor His promise that our sins will be forgiven and that we will live forever with Him.

Love: 

Love is such an important part of God’s character that the apostle John wrote, “God is love.” This means that God holds the well-being of others as His primary concern. For a full definition of love, read 1 Corinthians 13. To see love in action, study the life of Jesus. His sacrifice on the cross for the sins of others is the ultimate act of love. God’s love is not a love of emotion but of action. His love gives freely to the object of its affection, those who choose to follow His son Jesus.

Omnipotence: 

Literally this word means all-powerful. Since God is infinite and since He possesses power, He possesses infinite power. He does allow His creatures to have some power, but this in no way diminishes His own. “He expends no energy that must be replenished.”  

Self-existence: 

When Moses asked who he was talking to in the burning bush, God said, “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS.” God has no beginning or end. He just exists. Nothing else in all the universe is self-caused. Only God. In fact, if anything else had created Him, that thing would be God. This is a difficult concept for our minds since everything else we will ever encounter comes from something other than itself. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God.” He was already there.

Self-sufficiency: 

The Bible says that God has life in Himself (see John 5:26). All other life in the universe is a gift from God. He has no needs and there is no way He can improve. To God, nothing else is necessary. He does not need our help with anything, but because of His grace and love, He allows us to be a part of advancing His plan on earth and being a blessing to others. We are the ones who change, but never God. He is self-sufficient.

Justice: 

The perfect Judge where every decision He makes is just. The Bible says that God is just, but it is His character that defines what being just really is. He does not conform to some outside criteria. Being just brings moral equity to everyone. When there are evil acts, justice demands there be a penalty. Since God is perfect and has never done evil, no penalty would ever be necessary; however, because of His love, God paid the penalty for our evil deeds by going to the cross Himself. His justice needed to be satisfied, but He took care of it for all who will believe in Jesus.

Immutability: 

This simply means that God never changes. It is why the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Mercy: 

“Mercy is the attribute of God which disposes Him to be actively compassionate.” Since God’s justice is satisfied in Jesus, He is free to show mercy to all those who have chosen to follow Him. It will never end since it is a part of God’s nature. Mercy is the way He desires to relate to mankind, and He does so unless the person chooses to despise or ignore God at which time His justice becomes the prominent attribute.

Eternal: 

In some ways, this fact about God is similar to His self-existence. God always has been and will forever be, because God dwells in eternity. Time is His creation. It is why God can see the end from the beginning, and why He is never surprised by anything. If He were not eternal, God’s promise of eternal life for those who follow Jesus would have little value.

Goodness: 

“The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men.” This attribute of God is why He bestows all the blessing He does on His followers. God’s actions define what goodness is, and we can easily see it in the way Jesus related to the people around Him.

Gracious: 

Undeserved merit/favor. God enjoys giving great gifts to those who love Him, even when they do not deserve it. Grace is the way we describe that inclination. Jesus Christ is the channel through which His grace moves. The Bible says, “The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”

Omnipresence:

This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus.

The above definitions from:

 (http://www.allaboutgod.com/attributes-of-god-2.htm)

·        Jesus commands His disciples to love one another

Jesus reveals the 2 greatest commandments: (Both have to do with Love)

Matthew 22:36-40 Living Bible (TLB)

³⁶ “Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?”

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ ^38-39 This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.”

·        For Believers: The depth of love followers of Jesus have for one another proves that they are Jesus’ disciples. Love shows that transformation and heart change have really having taken hold in their life. It is hard to like everyone, but we can still love those who we disagree with because God is teaching us to see everyone through the eyes of His supernatural love. God loves sinners and God sent Jesus to die for sinners.  If God didn’t love sinners we would all be in trouble. Yes, it is sometimes hard to love people who are different than we are, but if we do, we can shed the proper light on who God is and how much He wants to save His people. You see, love can have a domino effect; when people feel loved they themselves will tend to love others.

·        Peter’s love for Jesus inspires him to say that he will lay down his life for Him. We know Jesus willingly laid down His life for us:

The example for love:

1 John 3:16-18 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

·        Love requires action and commitment not just words

·        As followers of Jesus we are called to lay down our lives and live God-centered as opposed to self-centered. Our love for God is demonstrated by the way we obey His commands and includes the level of commitment to what God has called us to do.

Obedience to God is a way we can love Him:

1 John 5:3 New International Version (NIV)

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome,

2 John 6 New International Version (NIV)

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

There is a benefit for being obedient:

Luke 11:28 New International Version (NIV)

He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

Again, the benefit of a Christ-centered life:

Matthew 16:25 New International Version (NIV)

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

·        Even though Jesus will leave His disciples He promises to return and bring them to the place He is going:

John 14:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

·        Jesus tells Peter He will deny Him Three times. We will study later that Peter did exactly what Jesus told Him.

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

·        Obey the 2 greatest commandments.

·        Live a Christ-centered life.

·        Die to self-interest.

·        Love, do not hate.

·        Bless other with your Christ-centered heart.

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:

·        How am I loving God and my neighbor?

·        Do I truly love and obey God’s Word?

·        Where in my life am I rebelling against God?

·        Will I trust the Holy Spirit to transform my heart and mind?

·        Will I love those with whom I disagree with?

·        Will I die to self-interest for the sake of God of what God has called me to do?

Have a great week…………….Dave