The Gospel of John – Lesson 3 – John 1:35-51

in , /by

35 The next day, John was standing there again with two of his disciples. 36 When John saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned around and saw them following him, he asked, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 He told them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying. They stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his own brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (Which is translated “the Christ”). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of Jonah. You will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). 43 The next day, Jesus wanted to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 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.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” “Come and see!” Philip told him. 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Truly, here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus replied, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that!” 51 Then he added, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

What do you want from Jesus? That was the question Jesus put before the two disciples of John the Baptist. John had just pointed them to Jesus and called him the “Lamb of God.” In other words this was the Messiah God had promised ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin in the early days of the world. It’s not surprising that these two men would want to follow Jesus and learn more about the one who came in fulfillment to everything the Holy Scriptures testified about.

But, how would they answer Jesus when he turned and asked them “What are you looking for?” As the Son of God, Jesus already knows all our thoughts, needs and desires. His question was meant to get these two men to take a look into their own hearts to see what were they looking for in a Savior. Were they looking for someone to deliver them from the Roman Empire that ruled over them? Were they looking for help through some personal difficulty? Were they looking for someone to make their lives prosperous?

Their answer was a good one. These two men had much to learn about Jesus and the work he came to do. Instead of making demands of Jesus they simply said, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” They put the focus on Jesus. They simply wanted to go with him and learn from him. This should be our focus as Jesus’ disciples today. Jesus still extends his invitation to “Come and see.” We can come and see Jesus whenever we look to the Holy Scriptures. Jesus said later in John 5:39, “These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” Let us sit at his feet as his Word is proclaimed and learn from him as he testifies the wonderful saving truth that he is our Savior and our way to eternal life.

The two disciples weren’t disappointed. We don’t know what Jesus said to them the rest of the day. But we can see the results the next day. Andrew went and found his brother, Simon Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (Which is translated “the Christ.”) The words Messiah and Christ both literally mean “the anointed one.” Andrew still had much to learn. But what he had seen and heard from Jesus fully convinced him that Jesus is the one sent from God according to the promises of the Holy Scriptures.

Through Andrew’s testimony, Peter also began to follow Jesus. The next day Jesus called Philip to follow him. Philip called to Nathanael to follow as well. Nathanael was skeptical at first that the Messiah could come from a small, out of the way place like Nazareth. But Philip simply put the focus back on Jesus. He could never change Nathanael’s heart by his own arguments. He invited Nathanael to come and see Jesus for himself. He trusted the Son of God could work in the heart of someone who didn’t trust him. Philip’s trust was well placed. Jesus gave Nathanael exactly what he needed to see. Nathanael also testified that Jesus is the Son of God. As we do the work of Jesus’ disciples we remember that it is not our work to change people’s hearts. We simply bring them to see Jesus through his Word. We trust that God himself will work the change in people’s hearts just as he did with Nathanael and with us.

Discussion Questions

1 – Why was Nathanael skeptical about Jesus at first?”
Nathanael was focused only on outward appearances. Jesus was from Nazareth. Nazareth was a small, seemingly unimportant community. Nathanael reasoned that the promised Messiah must come from a much more prominent place.

2 – Philip didn’t try to argue with Nathanael when he said nothing good could come from Nazareth. He simply asked him to come and meet Jesus. What can we learn from Philip for those times when we share Jesus with someone who is skeptical?
We cannot bring someone to faith by our human arguments. Only the Holy Spirit can change hearts. We simply bring people to Jesus through his Word and trust that the Holy Spirit will work through the Word to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ.

3 – Jesus showed Nathanael one miracle. He promised that Nathanael would see even greater things. What greater things would Jesus show him?
Jesus’ words refer back to Genesis 28:12. As Jacob slept in the wilderness after fleeing from his vengeful brother Esau, the Lord showed him a vision of the heavens opened and a great stairway reaching from heaven to earth. Angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Nathanael would see the heavens opened through Jesus. Jesus is the stairway to heaven. He came to open the way to eternal life by his life, death and resurrection. Nathanael would see the fulfillment of this promise. He would also share in the work of proclaiming what Jesus had done so that the way to eternal life would be opened to others through faith in Jesus.

If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 2 – John 1:19-34

in , /by

19 This is the testimony John gave when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny. He confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “Who are you then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered. 22 Then they asked him, “Who are you? Tell us so we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.” 24 They had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 So they asked John, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John answered. “Among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 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 was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’ 31 I myself did not know who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he would be revealed to Israel.” 32 John also testified, “I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven and remain on him. 33 I myself did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this myself and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

John was drawing a lot of attention to himself. John’s powerful teaching in the wilderness of Judea led many people to wonder if he might be the promised Messiah. (See Luke 3:15) John immediately made it clear that he was not the Christ. Some people wondered if he might be the “Prophet” promised by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. But the Prophet Moses spoke of was also the promised Messiah so John again answered “no.” They wondered if he might be Elijah. Malachi 4:5 promised God would send Elijah before the coming of the Lord. John again answered “no.” This point raised some questions since Jesus identified John the Baptist as the fulfillment of the promise that Elijah would come. (See Matthew 11:14) Why would John say that he wasn’t Elijah? Many of the Jews were expecting that Elijah would actually return to the world in the flesh. John’s answer indicates that he was not Elijah in the flesh. Luke 1:17 further testified about John, “He will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John finally testified about himself that he was the fulfillment of God’s promise in Isaiah 40:3. He was God’s messenger to prepare the way for the promised Savior.

John didn’t have to wait long to point the way to Jesus. The day after John identified who he was, he saw Jesus coming. John identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (Verse 29) All the lambs sacrificed on the altar at the temple in Jerusalem pointed ahead to God’s own sacrificial lamb. Jesus came to do what no human sacrifice could accomplish. Only the sinless Son of God was a sufficient sacrifice to make full atonement for your sins and mine and the sins of all people for all time.

John also made an amazing confession in verses 31 and 33. John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus and yet he admitted twice that he did not have the ability to recognize Jesus on his own. This testimony reminds us that we could not come to believe in Jesus as our Savior by our own abilities. Saving faith in Jesus Christ is a gift only God can give us. 1 Corinthians 12:3 said “No one can say “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” We give all praise, honor and glory to our Lord that he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit through Holy Baptism so that we know and believe that Jesus is our Savior and the only way to eternal life.

Discussion Questions

1- What things did John make clear about himself?
He made it clear that he was not the Christ. He was God’s messenger to prepare the hearts of the people for Jesus, who was about to begin his public ministry. John also gave all glory to his Savior. Jesus alone was able to save us from our sins. John testified he was personally unworthy to offer even the humblest acts of service to his Lord. It was only by the grace of God that he was enabled to do the important task he was given.

2 – What did John teach us about how we come to know Jesus?
John made it clear that he would not have known Jesus as the promised Savior, if God had not revealed this truth to him. This testifies to us that we only come to know Jesus through the gift of the Holy Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 12:3)

3 – What did John say about Jesus’ work?
John indicated that Jesus would “baptize with the Holy Spirit.” (Verse 33) This does not diminish the value of the baptism that John performed in any way. John was simply highlighting the greater importance of Jesus and his work. Jesus promised that after he ascended into heaven he would send the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:15-17, 26 and John 16:7-15) The Holy Spirit teaches us through Word and Sacrament the truth that Jesus brings forgiveness of sins, life and salvation to all who trust in him as their Savior.

If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to revgtobison@gmail.com.

The Gospel of John – Lesson 1 – John 1:1-18

in , /by

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 everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about him. He cried out, “This was the one I spoke about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’” 16 For out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father’s side, has made him known.

Who is the “Word” that John speaks of in verse 1? As we continue reading this opening portion of the Gospel of John it becomes clear the Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus isn’t given this title anywhere else in the Bible. Why would John call Jesus “The Word?” Let’s remember the Bible is God’s Word. God speaks directly to us in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. God teaches us many things in the Holy Scriptures, but the central message is God’s promise to send a Savior who would free us from our sins and give the gift of eternal life in heaven to all who trust in him. Jesus is the Savior that God promised. The Word is a perfect title for Jesus because he is the fulfillment of everything God promised in his Word. The opening verses of the Gospel of John reveal some important truths about the Word (Jesus). We’ll discuss those truths as we continue with this lesson.

The first truth we learn about Jesus is that he is God. Notice John 1:1 said “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Some have tried to translate this verse “the Word was a god.” In doing so they are trying to make Jesus out to be something less than God. Let’s look at what the rest of Scripture says about Jesus. Isaiah 7:14 pointed ahead to the coming Savior. This verse gives the Savior the name “Immanuel.” This is a name that means “God with us.” Jesus is also called God many other places in the Bible. Some examples are Matthew 1:23, John 20:28, Romans 9:5, Philippians 2:5-6 and 1 John 5:20.

Verses 2 & 3 further emphasize that Jesus is God. “He was with God in the beginning. Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.” Genesis 1:1 tells us “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” God existed before anything else. At the beginning of time God brought everything into existence. God’s Son was with his Father and shared in the work of creation. There was no part of creation that the Son of God did not participate in. Jesus is true God. He always has been God and he always will be God.

Verse 4 describes Jesus as “the life.” Ephesians 2:1 tells us “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” We came into this world as sinful human beings. Sin has no place in God’s presence. Because of sin our future was death followed by an eternity of torment in hell. We had no ability to rid ourselves of our sins. We were unable to escape the eternal punishment sin earned for us. We truly were dead in sin. Jesus changed all that. Ephesians 2:4-5 said “But God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses.” Jesus paid the debt of our sins for us when he sacrificed his life for us on the cross. Through faith is Jesus we have a new life with God that endures forever.

John 1:14 reveals another amazing truth about Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.” God is a personal God who desires to have a personal relationship with his people. But how could we hope to see God and have a relationship with God? In Exodus 34 Moses desired to see God face to face. But God told him “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” The reason for this is because we human beings are sinful. God is without sin. Nothing sinful can be in God’s presence. But God desired to change that. We couldn’t go up to God so God came down to us. God did not come to us in all his splendor and glory. God allowed himself to become human flesh and blood just like us so that he could live with us and do everything necessary for our salvation.

But this didn’t change who God is. John was one of Jesus’ closest followers. John testified that he and the other disciples Jesus called saw his glory. They saw his glory in the miracles he did and in his powerful teaching. They saw his glory as he completed his work as our Savior by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave. Jesus became human flesh and blood, but he always remained God.

The Word came to us full of grace and truth. Grace is a word that means undeserved love. God loves us not because of anything we did to deserve his love. Because we are sinners God should have wanted nothing to do with us. But God loves us because he chooses to love us. Because God loves us he sent his Son to us to be our Savior.

Jesus is also filled with truth. We could never fully comprehend the wisdom, power and love of God. Jesus came to us to reveal the truth about God to us. As we explore Jesus’ teachings in future lessons we will learn more about God’s grace and truth. For now we summarize by saying that God came down to us as human flesh and blood to make himself known to us. He came also to fulfill everything needed so that one day we will be able to go up to God and see him as he is and live forever with him in heaven.

Discussion Questions

1 – If John is writing about Jesus why didn’t he simply call him Jesus instead of using the name “The Word?”
As we study the Gospel of John we’ll see that the purpose of this portion of God’s Word is to teach us that Jesus was much more than a great human teacher. He is the true Son of God and the Savior God promised us. Calling Jesus the Word indicates that he is the one God promised to send. Jesus fulfills everything God promised about the Savior in his Word.

2 – What does verse 1 mean when it says “the Word was with God and the Word was God?”
The Bible confesses that God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is one God and yet three persons. We call God the “Triune God.” Triune is a word that means three in one. We cannot humanly explain how this is true. We simply trust what God has said to us.

3 – What did John mean in verse 15 when he said “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me?”
John was born a few months before Jesus. In that sense Jesus did come after John. But John understood that Jesus is the true Son of God who has lived from eternity. He surpassed John in every way. He possesses all the characteristics of God. Jesus is eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful and present everywhere.

4 – What was the difference between the work of Moses and the work of Jesus?
Moses was God’s chosen messenger to reveal his law. On Mt. Sinai Moses received what we call the Ten Commandments. He also received many laws that were meant for the people of Israel before the coming of Christ. The law teaches us what God expects of us. But the law also shows that we are unable to keep God’s law according to God’s standards. Therefore we deserve God’s eternal wrath and punishment. Jesus revealed God’s grace and truth to us. He brought us the good news that God loved us so much the he sent his only Son to save us from our sins and to give eternal life in heaven to all who believe in him. We call this wonderful truth the Gospel. Gospel is a word that means good news. The good news that the Gospel brings is that we could not save ourselves so God completed our salvation for us in his Son, Jesus.

If you have any questions about the Word of God we studied in this lesson please contact Pastor Greg Tobison. You can send your questions to
revgtobison@gmail.com.