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John 7:14-52

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5:1Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals.

5:2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.

5:3Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.

[5:4]

5:5One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

5:6When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

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5:15The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

5:16So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him.

5:17In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”

5:18For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

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3Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.

4No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”

5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.

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12Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

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14Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

15The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”

16Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.

17Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

18Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.

19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”

20“You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”

21Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed.

22Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.

23Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?

24Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

25At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?

26Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?

27But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”

28Then 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,

29but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”

30At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.

31Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”

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

33Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me.

34You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

35The 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?

36What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”

37On 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.

38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

39By 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.

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

41Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee?

42Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?”

43Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.

44Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

45Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

46“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

47“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted.

48“Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

49No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked,

51“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

52They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

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1)      Are verses 5:1 to 5:6, verses 5:15 to 5:18, verses 3 to 5 and verse 12 included in VisionCasting-John5.1-15, VisionCasting-John5.16-30 and VisionCasting-John7.1-13?

o  Yes.

 

2)      Why are verses 5:1 to 5:6, verses 5:15 to 5:18, verses 3 to 5 and verse 12 included here?

o  They are included here to provide continuity of context.

 

3)      According to verse 14 when did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach?

o  Not until halfway through the festival of Tabernacles.

 

4)      According to verse 15 what were the Jews amazed at?

o  They were amazed at how Jesus acquired such learning without having been taught.

 

5)      In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 15 and 16 what did the Jews think was the origin of his learning?

o  They thought that Jesus acquired his learning on his own.

 

6)      According to what Jesus said in verse 16 where did his teaching come from?

o  It comes from the one who sent him.

 

7)      Who sent Jesus?

o  God did.

 

8)      In accordance with what Jesus said in verse 16 how did he refute the judgment of the Jews that he had not been taught?

o  Jesus made it clear that he had been taught by God.

 

9)      According to what Jesus said in verse 17 what would anyone who chooses to do the will of God do concerning his teaching?

o  They would find out

§ Whether Jesus’ teaching comes from God.

§ Or whether he speaks on his own.

 

10)   Why does anyone who chooses to do the will of God need to find out whether Jesus’ teaching comes from God or whether he speaks on his own?

o  They need to obey Jesus’ teaching.

o  If

o  It comes from God.

 

11)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verse 17 what should the Jews do who considered themselves to be doing the will of God?

o  They should find out whether Jesus’ teaching came from God.

o  They needed to obey his teaching.

o  If

o  It did come from God.

 

12)   According to what Jesus said in verse 18 what is the intent of those who speak on their own?

o  Those who speak on their own do so to gain personal glory.

 

13)   Whose glory does a person seek when the person attributes their teaching to God that others are amazed at?

o  The person seeks the glory of God.

 

14)   In accordance with verses 15 and 16 whose glory did Jesus seek and why?

o  Jesus sought the glory of God.

o  Because

o  He attributed his teaching to God.

o  That

o  The Jews were amazed at.

 

15)   According to what Jesus said in verse 18 what is the person like who seeks the glory of God?

o  The person is a man of truth.

o  There is nothing false about him.

 

16)   According to what Jesus said in verse 19 what was his accusation of the crowd?

o  Moses had given them the law.

o  Yet not one of them kept the law.

o  And they were trying to kill Jesus in violation of the law.

 

17)   According to what Jesus said in verses 18 and 19 how did he bolster the validity of his accusation of the crowd?

o  Jesus implied

§ That he is a man of truth.

§ And that there is nothing false about him.

o  So his accusation of the crowd was legitimate.

 

18)   According to verse 20 what was the quick and dirty route the crowd took to justify their denial of Jesus’ accusation of their trying to kill him?

o  They accused Jesus of being demon-possessed.

 

19)   How was Jesus’ accusation of the crowd of their trying to kill him corroborated, given verse 25?

o  It was corroborated by people in the crowd.

 

20)   According to what Jesus said in verses 21 and 23 what was the miracle he was referring to?

o  Jesus was referring to his healing the invalid at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath.

 

21)   According to what Jesus said in verse 21 what was the reaction of the crowd to his healing the man?

o  The crowd was all amazed.

 

22)   According to the editorial remark of the writer of the gospel account in verse 22 where did circumcision come from?

o  It did not come

§ From Moses.

§ But from the patriarchs.

 

23)   What is the origin of circumcision, given Genesis 17:9-12?

o  As the sign of the covenant God established with Abraham every male who is eight days old among his descendants for the generations to come shall be circumcised.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Genesis 17:9-12 that says,

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9Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

10This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

12For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.

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24)   According to what Jesus said in verse 22 where did he say circumcision come from?

o  It came from Moses.

 

25)   Why did Jesus say circumcision came from Moses, given Leviticus 12:3?

o  What Jesus said reflected the prevailing thinking of the Jews in his days as a result of the command of circumcision being laid out in the law of Moses.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Leviticus 12:3 that says,

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3On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

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26)   According to what Jesus said in verse 22 what did the Jews do when a boy turned eighth days old on the Sabbath?

o  They circumcised him.

 

27)   According to what Jesus said in verses 22 and 23 why did the Jews circumcise a boy on the Sabbath even though it would break the Sabbath?

o  They did it as a juggling act.

o  So that

o  The circumcision requirement of the law of Moses might be met.

 

28)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 22 and 23 did the Jews have full observance of the Sabbath and did they accept that condition?

o  No, they did not have full observance of the Sabbath.

o  Because

o  They would circumcise a boy on the Sabbath in violation of the Sabbath.

o  And yes, they did accept it.

 

29)   According to what Jesus said in verse 23 in what way was the Jews’ being angry with him for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath creating a double standard?

o  They should not be angry with Jesus.

o  If

o  A boy could be circumcised on the Sabbath.

 

30)   According to what Jesus said in verse 24 how did he advise the Jews to judge his healing a man on the Sabbath?

o  They should

§ Stop judging by mere appearances.

§ But instead judge correctly.

 

31)   How did the Jews judge Jesus’ healing a man on the Sabbath by mere appearances?

o  They

§ Judged Jesus’ healing a man on the Sabbath by the letters of the law of Moses.

§ And so rejected it.

 

32)   How could the Jews judge Jesus’ healing a man on the Sabbath correctly?

o  The healing of a man of his physical ailment is the genuine fulfillment of the Sabbath.

 

33)   To what extreme had the Jews taken their rejection of Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath?

o  They wanted to kill Jesus for it.

 

34)   According to what Jesus said in verse 19 what did the Jews end up breaking in taking their rejection of his healing a man on the Sabbath to the extreme?

o  They ended up breaking the law of Moses.

 

35)   According to verse 25 what did some of the people of Jerusalem begin to ask?

o  They began to ask if that was not Jesus.

o  That

o  The Jews were trying to kill.

 

36)   According to verse 26 what did those people point out as the inaction of the Jews?

o  There Jesus was, speaking publicly.

o  And the Jews were not saying a word to him.

 

37)   According to verse 26 what were those people speculating about?

o  They were speculating if the authorities might have concluded that Jesus is the Messiah or the Christ.

 

38)   What was the reason for those people’s speculation, given that Jesus was faulting the authorities for judging his healing on the Sabbath by mere appearances and judging incorrectly?

o  They were speculating.

o  Because

o  The Jewish leaders were not responding to his faulting them.

 

39)   According to verse 27 what was those people’s assessment of whether Jesus is the Christ?

o  In their opinion no one would know where the Christ is from.

o  When

o  He came.

o  They did not think that Jesus is the Christ.

o  Since

o  They knew where he was from.

 

40)   Is it true that no one would know where the Christ is from when he came, given Matthew 2:4-6?

o  No, because per Matthew 2:4-6 it is known that the Christ is from Bethlehem.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Matthew 2:4-6 that says,

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4When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.

5“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

6“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

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41)   What can be concluded about how much those people knew what the bible says about the Christ?

o  They didn’t know much.

 

42)   According to what Jesus said in verse 28 what did those people know about him?

o  They knew Jesus’

§ Earthly identity.

§ And the town he is from.

 

43)   According to what Jesus said in verses 28 and 29 who sent him and from whom did he come?

o  God sent Jesus.

o  And from God Jesus came.

 

44)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 28 and 29 on what authority did he come?

o  Jesus did not come

§ On his own authority.

§ But on the authority of God who sent him.

 

45)   According to what Jesus said in verse 29 why does he know God?

o  Jesus knows God.

o  Because

o  He is from God.

o  And God sent him.

 

46)   According to what Jesus said in verse 28 whom did those people not know?

o  They did not know God.

 

47)   According to what Jesus said in verse 28 what is the reality about God whom those people did not know?

o  God is true.

 

48)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 28 and 29 what can be concluded about him since God who sent him and from whom he came is true?

o  Jesus is true also.

 

49)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 28 and 29 how did he bolster the validity of his accusation of the crowd?

o  Jesus implied that he is true also.

o  So his accusation of the crowd was legitimate.

 

50)   What is the incongruence between what the Jews tried to do and what actually happened in verse 30?

o  They tried to seize Jesus.

o  But no one laid a hand on him.

 

51)   According to verse 30 what accounted for that incongruence?

o  God’s providence that Jesus’ hour had not yet come accounted for that incongruence.

 

52)   What does it mean that Jesus’ hour had not yet come?

o  It means that the time for Jesus to die had not yet come.

 

53)   According to verse 31 what is the reason many in the crowd believed in Jesus?

o  They figured that the Christ would not perform more signs than Jesus did.

o  When

o  He came.

 

54)   According to verse 32 what did the Pharisees incite the chief priests to do against Jesus when they heard the crowd whispering such things about him?

o  They incited the chief priests to send temple guards to arrest Jesus.

 

55)   According to what Jesus said in verse 33 how long would he be with the Jews before he was going to the one who sent him?

o  Jesus would be with them for only a short time.

 

56)   According to what Jesus said in verse 34 what would happen when the Jews tried to look for him after he had returned to God?

o  They would not find Jesus.

 

57)   According to what Jesus said in verse 34 how accessible would he be after he has returned to God?

o  They could not come.

o  Where  

o  Jesus would be.

 

58)   What is the reason Jesus would be inaccessible after he has returned to God, given 1 Timothy 6:13-16?

o  It is because God lives in unapproachable light.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 1 Timothy 6:13-16 that says,

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13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you

14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

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59)   What effect did Jesus’ saying that he would be with the Jews for only a short time and then would be inaccessible have on those who were indecisive about whether he is the Christ?

o  They would know to

§ Make haste.

§ And make up their mind about Jesus.

 

60)   Who in the gospel of John that we have read about so far who was indecisive about Jesus?

o  Nicodemus.

 

61)   According to verse 35 what were the Jews wondering among themselves?

o  They were wondering

§ Where Jesus intended to go that they could not find him.

§ And if he would

Ø Go where their people lived scattered among the Greeks. 

Ø And teach the Greeks.

 

62)   What role did the Jews think that Jesus would play wherever he went?

o  Jesus would play the role of a teacher.

 

63)   In accordance with verses 34 to 36 what did the Jews miss concerning the implication of what Jesus said that was obvious from their understanding in verse 25?

o  Regardless of their understanding that their leaders wanted to kill Jesus, they missed the obvious implication of what he said.

o  That

o  He would die.

 

64)   Why did the Jews miss the obvious implication of what Jesus said that he would die if according to verse 25 they knew that their leaders wanted to kill him, given verses 19 and 20?

o  They were in denial.

o  That

o  They wanted to kill Jesus.

o  Since

o  They had already denied it earlier.

 

65)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 37 and 38 what kind of thirst was he referring to?

o  Jesus was referring to spiritual thirst.

 

66)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 37 and 38 how is a person’s spiritual thirst quenched when the person comes to him and believes in him?

o  As Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within the person.

 

67)   According to what Jesus said in verses 38 and 39 what did he mean by rivers of living water?

o  By this Jesus meant the Holy Spirit.

 

68)   According to what Jesus said in verse 39 how does a person receive the Holy Spirit?

o  A person receives the Holy Spirit by believing in Jesus.

 

69)   In accordance with what Jesus said in verses 38 and 39 where is the Holy Spirit in relation to the person who has received the Holy Spirit?

o  The Holy Spirit resides within the person.

 

70)   According to what Jesus said in verse 39 why would those who came to him and believed in him during his time on earth not immediately but only later receive the Holy Spirit?

o  It is because Jesus had not yet been glorified, i.e., per John 12:23-24, crucified.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud John 12:23-24 that says,

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23Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

24Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

71)   When did those who believed in Jesus during his time on earth receive the Holy Spirit, given Acts 1:1-2:4?

o  They received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost

o  After

o  Jesus had

§ Been crucified.

§ Risen from the dead.

§ And ascended to heaven.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Acts 1:1-2:4 that says,

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1:1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach

1:2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

1:3After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

1:4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

1:5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

...

1:9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

...

2:1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2:2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

2:3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

2:4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

72)   When do those who believe in Jesus receive the Holy Spirit since that day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came, given Acts 10:43-44?

o  They receive the Holy Spirit upon believing in Jesus.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Acts 10:43-44 that says,

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43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

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73)   According to verse 40 what did some of the people say who Jesus is on hearing his words?

o  They said that surely Jesus is the Prophet.

 

74)   According to verse 41 what did others say who Jesus is?

o  They said that Jesus is the Christ.

 

75)   According to verses 41 and 42 how did still others challenge the assessment that Jesus is the Christ?

o  They knew that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee.

o  And they said that according to the bible the Christ as David’s descendant must come from Bethlehem.

o  Where

o  David lived.

 

76)   Where was Jesus born and whom was he descended from, given Luke 2:1-7?

o  Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

o  He was the son of Joseph who belonged to the

§ House.

§ And line of David.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Luke 2:1-7 that says,

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1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.

2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)

3And everyone went to their own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

77)   According to verse 43 what consensus did the people come to concerning who Jesus is?

o  They were divided because of Jesus.

 

78)   What is the contrast the writer of the gospel of John consistently made concerning how people responded to Jesus’ status of being the Christ?

o  Some believed that Jesus is the Christ.

o  While

o  Others did not.

 

79)   What is the incongruence between what the Jews tried to do and what actually happened in verse 44?

o  Some wanted to seize him.

o  But no one laid a hand on him.

 

80)   According to verse 45 what did the temple guards who were sent by the chief priests and the Pharisees to arrest Jesus end up doing?

o  They went back without arresting Jesus.

 

81)   According to verses 45 and 46 what was the response of the temple guards when the chief priests and the Pharisees asked them why they didn’t bring Jesus in?

o  They said that no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.

 

82)   According to verse 47 how did the Pharisees question the temple guards for defying their order to have Jesus arrested?

o  They questioned the temple guards.

o  If

o  Jesus had deceived them also.

 

83)   According to verses 48 and 49 how did the Pharisees try to invalidate belief in Jesus?

o  First they claimed that none of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Jesus.

o  Then they claimed that there was a curse on those who

§ Knew nothing of the law.

§ And therefore believed in Jesus.

 

84)   According to verse 48 who did the Pharisees enlist to bolster their position against Jesus?

o  They enlisted the rulers who did not believe in Jesus to bolster their position against Jesus.

 

85)   What can we tell about the Pharisees’ opinion of themselves in their saying that the crowd knew nothing of the law?

o  They had a high opinion of their own understanding of the law.

 

86)   According to verse 49 how did the Pharisees smear black on those who believed in Jesus?

o  They were a mob.

o  They knew nothing of the law.

o  And there was a curse on them.

 

87)   According to verses 50 and 51 how did Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and who had gone to Jesus earlier challenge the Pharisees, given Deuteronomy 1:16-17?

o  He challenged them by pointing out that the law did not condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he had been doing.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud Deuteronomy 1:16-17 that says,

+++++++++++++++++++++

16And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.

17Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

88)   What did Nicodemus suggest how Jesus should be dealt with?

o  Jesus should be given a fair hearing before being condemned in accordance with the law.

 

89)   How did Nicodemus’ standing up for Jesus’ right before the law also pose a challenge to the Pharisees’ cut-and-dry rejection of Jesus by the rulers, given John 3:1?

o  Nicodemus

§ Was himself a member of the Jewish ruling council.

§ And did not reject Jesus.

 

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

+++++++++++++++++++++

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

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90)   Why did the Pharisees question Nicodemus in verse 52  if he was from Galilee too, given that Jesus’ disciples were from Galilee?

o  They were questioning him.

o  If

o  He had become Jesus’ disciple too.

 

91)   Who might have heard about Nicodemus’ nighttime conversation with Jesus?

o  His fellow Pharisees.

 

92)   According to verse 52 what was the Pharisees’ response to Nicodemus’ challenge?

o  They were stating that no prophet would come out of Galilee.

o  If

o  Nicodemus looked into the bible.

 

93)   Where was the prophet Jonah from, given 2 Kings 14:25?

o  He was from Gath Hepher.

 

·  The facilitator asks a specific participant to read out loud 2 Kings 14:25 that says,

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25He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.

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94)   Is Gath Hepher located in Galilee and why, given the Bible Atlas web page https://www.bibleatlas.org/gath-hepher.htm that states that Gath Hepher is about 2 miles from Nazareth?

o  Yes, because Nazareth that is about 2 miles from Gath Hepher is located in Galilee.

 

95)   Was the prophet Jonah from Galilee and why?

o  Yes, because Gath Hepher where Jonah was from is located in Galilee.

 

96)   Was the Pharisees’ claim that a prophet did not come out of Galilee valid and why?

o  No, because the prophet Jonah was from Galilee.

 

97)   Whom were the Pharisees trying to discredit when they claimed that a prophet did not come out of Galilee?

o  They were trying to discredit Jesus.

 

98)   In accordance with verse 52 how did the Pharisees sidestep Nicodemus’ challenge for them to give Jesus a fair hearing?

o  They refused to address the requirement of the law in regard to Jesus.

o  They also smeared black on Nicodemus for what they considered to be his lack of understanding of the bible in regard to prophets.

 

99)   What was ironic about the way the Pharisees dealt with Jesus, given that they prided themselves on their understanding and strict observance of the law?

o  They were lawless in the way they dealt with Jesus.

 

100)  How did Nicodemus as a Pharisees differ from other Pharisees in the way they handled the law?

o  Nicodemus suggested that they should obey the law regardless of whom they dealt with.

o  But other Pharisees insisted on selectively obeying it, depending on whom they dealt with.

 

101)  Let’s do a quick review of the spectrum of status of belief in Jesus among the crowd in Jerusalem at the Festival of Tabernacles.  What is the status of belief in Jesus of Jesus’ brothers, given verse 5?

o  Jesus’ own brothers did not believe in him.

 

102)   What is the status of belief in Jesus of the crowd, given verse 12?

o  Some said that he is a good man.

o  Others replied in the negative, saying that he deceived the people.

 

103)  What is the status of belief in Jesus of the crowd, given verses 25 to 27?

o  They were speculating if the authorities might have concluded that Jesus is the Christ.

o  In their opinion no one would know where the Christ is from.

o  When

o  He came.

o  They did not think that Jesus is the Christ.

o  Since

o  They knew where he was from.

 

104)  What is the status of belief in Jesus of the crowd, given verse 31?

o  Many in the crowd believed in Jesus.

o  Because

o  They figured that the Christ would not perform more signs than Jesus did.

o  When

o  He came.

 

105)  What is the status of belief in Jesus of the crowd, given verses 40 to 43?

o  Some said that surely Jesus is the Prophet.

o  Others said that Jesus is the Christ.

o  Still others challenged the assessment that Jesus is the Christ.

o  They said that according to the bible the Christ as David’s descendant must come from Bethlehem.

o  Where

o  David lived.

o  And they knew that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee.

 

106)  What is the status of belief in Jesus of the crowd, given verses 45 and 46?

o  The temple guards said that no one ever spoke the way Jesus did.

 

107)  What is the status of belief in Jesus of the Jewish leaders?

o  The majority of them

§ Did not believe in Jesus.

§ And wanted to kill him.

o  But there were exceptions like Nicodemus who acknowledged that Jesus had come from God.

 

108)  What can we learn from the wide spectrum of status of belief in Jesus?

o  There are shades and grey of belief in Jesus.

o  It is not

§ Cut-and-dry.

§ Black and white.

 

109)  What are the two groups that people can eventually be divided into regardless of the wide spectrum of status of belief in Jesus?

o  Eventually people

§ Either savingly believe in Jesus.

§ Or do no savingly t believe in Jesus.

o  There is nothing in between.

o  Because

o  People are

§ Either saved.

§ Or not saved.

 

110)  How can we be certain that we savingly believe in Jesus?

o  We can be certain that we savingly believe in Jesus.

o  When

o  We enter into obedience-based discipleship.

o  As

o  We shall find out in the next chapter.

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John 7:14-52

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