Thursday May 16, 2024

Youth: "How John Helps Me Be a Better Bible Student" by Justin Rogers

April 20, 2024 - Saturday 11:00AM Tent Speaker

General Principles - Read the Bible

Pay attention
- Frequency and usage of words
  - Believe
    - verb 85x
    - Noun (belief) - never used in John
  - World
    - John 7:7, etc.
Ask Why questions
- Thomas not mentioned much in Matthew, Mark, and Luke
- Big role in John
- Doubting Thomas
- Even an apostle was a skeptic of Jesus

Jesus as the Word
- Logos vs rhema (John 1:1-3, 14)
- Jesus is the wisdom/mental process whereby the world is brought into existence
Jesus as a wonder-worker
- Miracles were not the end, but way to end
- Water to wine (power over sustenance)
- Healing of nobleman’s son (power of distance)
- Healing of the lame man (power over the body)
- Feeding 5,000
- Walking on water (power over water)
- Healing the blind man (power over the soul)
- Raising Lazarus
Jesus as the Passover lamb
- Announced by John (John 1:29)
- Explained at the crucifixion (John 19:39 ~ Ex. 12:46, 1 Corinthians 5:9)
- Explains the “Last Supper” in John

One-on-one conversations
- Extended discussions with individuals more than lecture crowds
Opposition from Outsiders
- The world?
- The Jews? (John 16:2)
  - Primary persecutors of early Church, not Romans or Greeks
- Christian groups? (John 20:25)
  - Doubting Thomas
  - “Did God really take on flesh and suffer?”
Oneness of all believers
- John 17:20-21 probably means John’s readers are under persecution and are willing to compromise (Revelation 2-3)

Jesus is God
- John 20:30-31
Jesus is Man
- John 6:53-56 flesh and blood
  - Makes clear he is human
  - Not a discussion on Lord’s supper?
The Spirit Is Present
- Half of the farewell discourse consists of discussions about the paracletos or pneuma tes aletheias (14:15-17)
- Obedience is expression of love not oppression