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John 2:13-25

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11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

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13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

16To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

17His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”

21But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.

24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.

25He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

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1)      Are verses 11 and 12 included in VisionCasting-John2.1-12?

o  Yes.

 

2)      Why are verses 11 and 12 included here?

o  They are included here to provide continuity of context.

 

3)      According to verse 13 when did Jesus go up to Jerusalem?

o  Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

o  When

o  It was almost time for the Jewish Passover.

 

4)      According to verse 14 what did Jesus find in the temple courts?

o  Jesus found

§ People selling

Ø Cattle. 

Ø Sheep.

Ø And doves. 

§ And others sitting at tables exchanging money.

 

5)      Why were people selling cattle, sheep and doves in the temple courts, given that people traveled long distances to Jerusalem to offer animal sacrifices?

o  People

§ Did not want to bring animals along.

§ And preferred to purchase them in Jerusalem.

 

6)      Why were there tables of money changers in the temple courts, given that people who traveled to Jerusalem did not have the local currencies?

o  Money changers offered the money exchange service.

 

7)      According to verse 15 what did Jesus do to clear the temple?

o  Jesus

§ Made a whip out of cords.

§ And drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle.

o  He

§ Scattered the coins of the money changers.

§ And overturned their tables.

 

8)      According to what Jesus said in verse 16 what did he tell those who sold doves to do?

o  “Get these out of here!

o  Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

 

9)      Was Jesus in an uncontrollable violent rage or did he take a measured pre-meditated action when he cleared the temple, given verse 15?

o  Jesus took a measured pre-meditated action by

§ Making a whip out of cords.

§ And then using the whip to clear the temple.

 

10)   Did these people who sold livestock and exchanged money provide a legitimate service?

o  Yes.

 

11)   Where could they have provided their service without incurring Jesus’ wrath?

o  They could have provided their service outside the temple.

 

12)   According to verse 17 what did the disciples remember about what is written in the bible that depicts what Jesus was doing?

o  “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

 

13)   How do we interpret what Jesus did in verses 15 to 17 in the context of the fulfillment of what is written in the bible?

o  Jesus brought to fulfillment what is written in the bible.

 

14)   What did the urgency of Jesus’ clearing the temple courts inform the Jews of God’s heart and mind in the context of their corrupted temple practice, given also verse 17?

o  It was God’s will for them to urgently turn away from their corrupted temple practice.

 

15)   According to verse 18 what did the Jews demand from Jesus to prove his authority to clear the temple?

o  They demanded a sign from Jesus.

 

16)   Who were responsible for the mismanagement of the temple?

o  The Jews were.

 

17)   Why did the Jews demand that Jesus prove his authority to clear the temple?

o  It is because Jesus was encroaching on their

§ Territory.

§ And authority.

 

18)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verse 19 what is the sign?

o  “Destroy this temple.

o  And I will raise it again in three days.”

 

19)   According to verse 20 how did the Jews counter Jesus’ proposition that he was going to raise the temple in three days after it had been destroyed?

o  They stated that it had taken forty-six years to build the temple.

 

20)   According to verse 21 what was the misconception of the Jews in countering Jesus’ proposition?

o  Jesus was not referring to the destruction and rebuilding of the temple.

o  Rather he was referring to his body going through

§ Death.

§ And resurrection.

 

21)   According to verse 22 what did the disciples do after Jesus was raised from the dead?

o  They recalled what Jesus had said.

o  Then they believed

§ The bible.

§ And Jesus’ words.

 

22)   What lesson did the disciples learn in handling what they did not understand at first concerning Jesus’ words?

o  They needed to

§ Be patient.

§ And not doubt.

o  Because

o  They would eventually understand.

 

23)   What is the disciples’ belief in the bible and Jesus’ words based on?

o  It is based on the fulfillment of both

§ What is written in the bible.

§ And Jesus’ words.

o  Through his being raised from the dead.

 

24)   What is the significance of the disciples’ belief in Jesus’ words, given John 6:68?

o  Jesus’ words are the words of eternal life.

o  The disciples’ belief in Jesus’ words endows them with eternal life.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud John 6:68 that says,

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68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

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25)   Why did Jesus not perform a sign to prove his authority to clear the temple upon the demand of the Jews?

o  Jesus never performs a sign on demand except at the wedding at Cana in Galilee for a legitimate reason.

 

26)   According to verse 23 what did many people do when they saw the signs Jesus was performing while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival?

o  They believed in his name.

 

27)   What did Jesus show himself to be to the Jews with the signs he was performing while he was in Jerusalem, given John 3:1-3?

o  Jesus showed himself to be a teacher who has come from God.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud John 3:1-3 that says,

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1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.

2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

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28)   According to verses 23 and 24 how did Jesus handle those who believed in his name as a result of seeing the signs he was performing?

o  Jesus would not entrust himself to them.

 

29)   What does it mean that Jesus would not entrust himself to those who saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name, given Galatians 2:20?

o  It means that Jesus chose not to live in any one of them.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Galatians 2:20 that says,

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20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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30)   According to verses 24 and 25 why would Jesus not entrust himself to those who believed in his name as a result of seeing the signs he was performing?

o  It is because

§ Jesus knew all people.

§ He did not need any testimony about mankind.

§ For

§ He knew what was in each person.

 

31)   What is required for entering the kingdom of God, given Mark 1:14-15?

o  Belief in the good news accompanied by repentance is required for entering the kingdom of God.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Mark 1:14-15 that says,

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14After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

15“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

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32)   What did Jesus know to be missing in the hearts of those who believed in his name as a result of seeing the signs he was performing, given Mark 1:14-15?

o  They did not turn to God in repentance in their hearts regardless of their belief.

 

33)   What are signs not necessarily effective in accomplishing?

o  Signs are not necessarily effective in turning people around to God in repentance.

 

34)   How does Jesus judge a person’s belief in him, by the person’s verbal expression or by what is in the person’s heart, given Romans 10:9?

o  By both.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Romans 10:9 that says,

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9If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

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35)   How did the disciples’ belief in Jesus differ from the crowd’s belief in him?

o  The disciples’ belief in Jesus was accompanied by turning to God in repentance in their hearts.

o  The crowd’s belief in him was not.

 

36)   Who genuinely believed in Jesus in the current context?

o  The disciples who

§ Verbally expressed their belief in Jesus.

§ And turned to God in repentance in their hearts.

o  Genuinely believed in Jesus.

 

37)   Who did not genuinely believe in Jesus in the current context?

o  Those who

§ Verbally expressed their belief in Jesus.

§ But did not turn to God in repentance in their hearts.

o  Did not genuinely believe in Jesus.

 

38)   Whose assessment was it that people who did not genuinely believe in Jesus were said to believe in Jesus in verse 23?

o  It was those people’s own subjective assessment of themselves.

 

39)   Why can Jesus tell whether a person genuinely believes in him or not, given verses 24 and 25?

o  It is because

§ Jesus does not need any testimony about people.

§ For he knows what is in each person.

 

40)   Can we judge other peoples’ belief in Jesus the way he did and why?

o  No, we cannot.

o  Because

o  Unlike Jesus we don’t know what is in a person.

 

41)   What is our appropriate judgment of a person’s belief in Jesus?

o  We need to

§ Have gone through significant personal interaction with the person.

§ And either confirm or deny that the person lives a life of consistent repentance.

o  Before passing judgment.

 

42)   What authority did Jesus prove that he had in performing the signs in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival?

o  Jesus had the authority to clear the temple.

 

43)   What is the range of experience the disciples had with Jesus that has been depicted so far in the current gospel account?

o  Their initial encounter with Jesus and following him afterwards.

o  Their seeing the sign he performed at the wedding at Cana in Galilee and thus believing in him.

o  And their eventual belief in the bible and his words based on the fulfillment of both through his being raised from the dead.

 

44)   How do we depict the fact that there were multiple perspectives of the disciples’ belief in Jesus from which they got to know him?

o  Believing in Jesus is multi-faceted.

 

45)   How do we depict the fact that the disciples progressively got to know Jesus better in their belief?

o  Believing in Jesus is a continuous process.

 

46)   How do we depict the fact that the continuous process of the disciples’ getting to know Jesus better in their belief lasts throughout their entire experience with him?

o  Believing in Jesus is a continuous process that never ends.

 

47)   In summary what is the nature of believing in Jesus?

o  Believing in Jesus is

§ Multi-faceted.

§ And a continuous process that never ends.

 

48)   Based on the disciples’ belief in Jesus and the crowd’s belief in Jesus, what manner of belief in Jesus is on a firm foundation and what is on a flimsy foundation?

o  Belief in Jesus that is

§ Multi-faceted.

§ And a continuous process that never ends.

o  Is on a firm foundation.

o  Belief in Jesus that is

§ A singular experience.

§ And a one-time event.

o  Is on a flimsy foundation.

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John 2:13-25

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