What does this book/story say to us about God? This question may be broken down further as follows:

1. Why did God do it/allow it?
2. Why did He record it for our study?

1. What picture of God would you have if you had only the gospel of John? Why is John's gospel so different from the others? Why did the other gospel writers leave out some of the amazing stories in John? When and why did John write this gospel (John 20:30,31)? Why did he wait so long? What was happening in the Christian church at the time that may have led to his writing (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7)?
2. Matthew and Luke talk about Jesus' human heritage, and Mark doesn't discuss the question, what does John say about where Jesus came from (John 1:1-3)?
3. After working with the descendants of Abraham for almost 2000 years, at long last God has a people who do not worship idols, they are Sabbath keepers, tithe payers, health reformers, Bible students, they were "adventists" waiting for the coming of the Messiah; but when He came to His "home," His "family" did not receive Him (John 1:11). Could this happen again? Could it happen to us? What do you suppose this said to the Universe? If God knew in advance that this would happen, what was He waiting for? Was there anything unique about coming at this time that would make it the "fullness of time" (Galatians 4:4)?
4. What was it about Jesus that so upset the Pharisees and Sadducees? Weren't they obeying the "blueprint?" Has any group ever obeyed God's laws more carefully? Is it possible to spend your whole life striving to obey God, and hate Him when He appears? How could this happen to them? Could it happen to us?
5. What about His words to His mother, at the marriage in Cana (John 2:4; compare Luke 2:49 and John 19:26)? Is this the way a young man should talk to His mother? Why do you suppose Mary asked Jesus about this problem and what do you think she expected Him to do? Do you think Jesus would produce fermented or unfermented wine? Why? (see Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 31:4-6)
6. Probably the best known verse in the Bible is John 3:16. Does this sound like the God of Sinai? Is the God of Sinai the Father while the God of John 3:16 is the Son?
7. What is the basis for God's final judgment (John 3:17,18; 5:24; 12:47,48)? Who or what actually does the judging? Is it that we have a condemning God, and are grateful for the kind, interceding Son? How does Revelation 22:11 fit with our understanding of the Judgment?
8. Why do you suppose the Samaritans believed on Jesus (John 4:39-42) and so many of the Jews who saw much greater things didn't?
9. What does the story of the healing of the paralytic at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath say to us about God (John 5:1-15)? What is implied by verse 4? Is John 5:4 inspired (See note in NIV, RSV, TLB, NEB)? Why were these people here? What kind of healings were taking place? Do you think God would send an angel to heal only the winner of the race to get in?
10. What do you think of God's treatment of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11)? If she was caught "in the very act" (vs. 4) why didn't they bring the man as required in the law (see Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22-24)? Were they really trying to carry out the law or just trying to trap Jesus? Do we have anything to fear from a God who would treat sinners the way Jesus treated the woman and especially the way He treated those who brought her? Shouldn't Jesus have exposed them? What does this imply about how God feels about His sinful children? What does this imply about the judgment? Wouldn't this suggest that if God finally has to declare sinners incurable/unsavable it must really be true?
11. Why would Jesus, right after being so considerate to all the sinners in the adultery case in John 8:1-11, find it necessary to say to the religious leaders, "You are of your father, the Devil" (John 8:44)?
12. What is implied by John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free?"
13. Why did Jesus wait four days to raise Lazarus? What is implied about death by Jesus' statements about Lazarus (John 11:11-14)? Was everyone thrilled to see this miracle?
14. How did Jesus treat Judas even on the last night of his life, when he had already agreed to betray Jesus? Why didn't Jesus expose him as a thief and tell the others what his plans were (John 13:18-30; compare 12:4-6)?
15. When the disciples finally realized who Jesus was (Matthew 16:13-16; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-20), why didn't they ask Him about all their questions from the Old Testament? Did they really believe that Jesus was just like His Father (John 12:45; 14:8,9)? Do we have answers to all our questions about the Old Testament? Did the disciples bring up the questions? Why did You drown all but eight in the flood? How about the "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:23-25; Leviticus 24:19-22; Deuteronomy 19:21; Matthew 5:38-42)?" Why did You say, "Kill the women and babies" after being victorious on the battlefield (Deuteronomy 20:16)? And why did You order the stoning of Achan (Joshua 7)? Why did you say that illegitimate children should be banished from the camp for ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:2)? We love the way You treated the woman taken in adultery, but why did You send she-bears to tear those irreverent youths who mocked Elisha (2 Kings 2:23-25)? And kill Uzzah when he tried to keep the ark from falling (2 Samuel 6:7)? Why did You turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26)? And why did You scare everybody at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19,20)?
16. What is implied in John 15:15 about the relationship that God wants with us? Is it reasonable for us to think that we could be "friends" of God? What is the difference between the "servants" He talks about and the "friends?"
17. What should we do with John 16:25-27? Could this really be true? After all the verses about intercession and all the work of the priests in the Old Testament, what could Jesus be saying about His role as a mediator or intercessor? Could Jesus be truthful in saying, "I need make no promise to plead to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you" (Phillips)? How should we deal with this verse where Jesus speaks "plainly about the Father" in light of all the others that appear to contradict it? Could this final statement in the life of Jesus be part of the "testimony of Jesus" (Revelation 12:17; 14:12)? In light of these verses, what do you think Jesus is actually doing in the judgment?
18. In what sense could just "knowing God" be life eternal (John 17:3)?
19. Why did Jesus say to Mary after the resurrection, "Don't touch Me" (John 20:17)? If Mary had "touched" Him would it have been impossible for Jesus to ascend to heaven thus spoiling the plan of salvation?
20. Why would Jesus create fish for the disciples to eat at His last breakfast with them (John 21:9)? Since He created it Himself why didn't He give them something really healthful?

What does this book/story say to us about God? This question may be broken down further as follows:

1. Why did God do it/allow it?
2. Why did He record it for our study?

1. What picture of God would you have if you had only the gospel of John? Why is John's gospel so different from the others? Why did the other gospel writers leave out some of the amazing stories in John? When and why did John write this gospel? (John 20:30,31) Why did he wait so long? What was happening in the Christian church at the time that may have led to his writing? (1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7)

The name John (Ioannes in Greek) comes from Yehochanan or Yochanan meaning "Jehovah (Yahweh) is gracious." Nowhere in the gospel does John mention his own name. He refers to himself as "that disciple" (John 21:23), "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20), and even "the disciple that testifieth of these things, and wrote these things" (John 21:24). Conservative scholars agree that he also wrote the three letters bearing his name and the book of Revelation.

A small papyrus document known as Rylands Papyrus 457 and commonly designated as P52, found in a small rural town in Egypt and written about 125 AD contains John 18:31-33 on one side and John 18:37,38 on the other. It is perhaps the earliest existing copy of any Biblical document. Together with other archaeological evidence it supports the fact that this book was written about A. D. 90 by John himself.

John, often referred to as the "the disciple whom Jesus loved" or "the beloved disciple" because Jesus "kept on loving him" (the meaning of the Greek expression) was closer to Jesus than any of the other disciples and also younger in age. John's childhood home was in Bethsaida on the northwestern shore of Lake Galilee.

John wrote his gospel about thirty years after the others wrote theirs. At the time he was the only disciple still living. Three grave dangers seemed to be threatening the Christian Church: 1) a decreasing commitment to Christianity even among church members described in Revelation 2:4 as "a loss of the first love;" 2) heresies, especially Gnosticism, and 3) persecution. "Christian Gnostic thought revolved around the concept that, in essence, good and evil are to be identified with spirit and matter, respectively. Those men in whose souls resides a spark of the heavenly light are said to be prisoners in this world of matter. Salvation consists in the knowledge of how to escape from the realm of matter into the realm of spirit. Gnosticism denied the true incarnation of Christ, holding that the human form men thought they saw, was an apparition. The divine Christ was supposed to have entered into the human Jesus at His baptism, and departed prior to His death on the cross." (5BC 893)

Most of the gospel of John deals with incidents that took place in Judea and involved the Jewish leaders. The other gospels deal primarily with His ministry in Galilee. Thus John is quite different than the others. He includes several long discussions with the Pharisees which occurred in the temple at Jerusalem. John's primary goal is to tell us about God. He states in no uncertain terms that Jesus was One with the Father. Twenty-six times he quotes Jesus as saying that the Father had sent Him.



2. Matthew and Luke talk about Jesus' human heritage, and Mark doesn't discuss the question, what does John say about where Jesus came from? (John 1:1-3)

John begins at the very beginning stating in clear terms that Jesus was "the Word," a word he uses to mean that Jesus was the living expression of the mind, will, and character of God. John makes it clear that Jesus existed from eternity with the Father. (John 1:1-3) Thus John goes back before the human story of Jesus to discuss His true identity as the eternal, immortal God who created all things. (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16)



3. After working with the descendants of Abraham for almost 2000 years, at long last God has a people who do not worship idols, they are Sabbath keepers, tithe payers, health reformers, Bible students, they were "adventists" waiting for the coming of the Messiah; but when He came to His "home," His "family" did not receive Him. (John 1:11) Could this happen again? Could it happen to us? What do you suppose this said to the Universe? If God knew in advance that this would happen, what was He waiting for? Was there anything unique about coming at this time that would make it the "fullness of time"? (Galatians 4:4)

John 1:11 is perhaps the saddest verse in the Bible. Jesus came "home" and His "family" rejected Him! The onlooking universe must have been stunned! Of course, by the time John was writing down his gospel Jerusalem had been destroyed and the Jews taken captive and scattered throughout the Roman empire. But something of supreme importance needed to be demonstrated by these people who were so dedicated to following the "blueprint." Because they had a wrong picture of God, and thus rejected the picture that Jesus brought, (John 1:18; 17:3,4) these Bible-reading, health-reforming, Sabbath-keeping, tithe-paying, blueprint-following adventists (they believed in the coming Messiah/Christ) were determined to get rid of Jesus as fast as they could. This shows that if we obey God for the wrong reason, we are just as unsavable (maybe more so) than the heathen!



4. What was it about Jesus that so upset the Pharisees and Sadducees? Weren't they obeying the "blueprint?" Has any group ever obeyed God's laws more carefully? Is it possible to spend your whole life striving to obey God, and hate Him when He appears? How could this happen to them? Could it happen to us?

See previous question. They thought that because they were being so careful in doing what they thought was right and because they were descendants of Abraham they had a guaranteed ticket to the kingdom. When Jesus came along and began asking questions, He was in effect challenging their whole theological system. This is why Caiaphas felt it was better for this One Man to die rather than for the whole nation to be destroyed. (John 11:49-51) In our day we see the same kind of response from some when their "security of salvation" is questioned.



5. What about Jesus' words to His mother, at the marriage in Cana? (John 2:4; compare Luke 2:49 and John 19:26) Is this the way a young man should talk to His mother? Why do you suppose Mary asked Jesus about this problem and what do you think she expected Him to do? Do you think Jesus would produce fermented or unfermented wine? Why? (see Proverbs 20:1; 23:29-35; 31:4-6)

Mary had become so accustomed to having Jesus around and finding Him always so helpful, that she probably just spoke to him almost impulsively. It is likely that this wedding was a wedding of someone in the family, otherwise she would not have concerned herself with this issue. But running out of wine would reflect badly on the entire family. So Mary suggested the solution that she had become accustomed to: ask Jesus!

The Greek word used here for "wine" is a word that can mean either fermented or unfermented wine. Given all that Jesus had inspired the prophets to say in the Old Testament about the problems of drinking alcohol (Proverbs 23:29-35) it is highly unlikely that He would have produced 120 gallons of some alcoholic beverage for them to consume.

Jesus addressed His mother with the usual title of respect used for adult women in those days. The expression is a Hebrew idiom. Some modern versions capture this fact by translating the expression as follows:

John 2:4:
"What is it to Me and to thee, woman!" (Concordant Literal)
"What to me and to thee, woman? (Young's Literal)
"What is it to you and to me?" (Lamsa)
"What is to me and thee woman? (Rheims-RC)
"Woman, what have I to do with thee?" (Tyndale; Great, Geneva, Bishop's, KJV; Noyes; Darby, RV, ASV)
"Woman, what do I have to do with you?" (NASB)
"What part can I take with thee, O woman?" (Rheims-RC)
"O woman, what have I with thee?" (N. Scarlett)
"O woman, what hast thou to do with me?" (Dickinson)
"What have I to do with you, woman?" (New World)
"What wouldst thou have me do, woman?" (Douay-Confraternity-RC)
"Why dost thou trouble me with that" (Knox-RC)
"O woman, what have you to do with me? (RSV; Williams)
"Woman, Jesus said, what have you to do with me?" (Moffatt; Montgomery)
"What do you want with me?" (Twentieth Century)
"I can't help you now," (TLB)
"Leave it to me," (Weymouth)
"Leave that to me, mother!" (Kleist and Lilly-RC)
"Will you leave that to Me, woman?" (Beck)
"Is that your concern, or mine, Mother?" (Phillips)
"Woman, how does your concern affect me?" (NAB-RC)
"Woman, why need you concern yourself with my affairs?" (Greber)
"Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?" (NKJ)
"Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?" (NRSV)
"How does that concern you and me?" (The Living Translation)
"Why did you come to me?" (God's Word)
"Mother, why should that concern me? or you?" (Jewish New Testament)
"Woman, what do you want from me?" (New Jerusalem-RC)
"Woman, what has this concern of yours to do with me?" (Anchor) [footnote: It was Jesus' normal, polite way of addressing women (Matthew 15:28; Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 20:13)
"Do not try to direct me," (Goodspeed)
"You must not tell me what to do, woman" (GNB, the second edition leaves out the word "woman")
"Mother...you must not tell me what to do." (CEV)
"Why do you involve me?" (NIV)
[footnote: Greek involve me, woman (a polite form of address)
"Woman, why turn to me?" (Jerusalem)
"Your concern, mother, is not mine." (NEB)
"Mother, why are you interfering with me?" (Translator's NT)
"Mother, I love you, but why are you wanting me to help them?" (Clear Word)
"Is that any of our business, Mother yours or mine?" (Message)
"(Dear) woman, what is that to you and to Me?" [What have we in common? Leave it to Me.]" (Amplified)
"Dear woman, why come to me? (NCV)



6. Probably the best known verse in the Bible is John 3:16. Does this sound like the God of Sinai? Is the God of Sinai the Father while the God of John 3:16 is the Son?

1 Corinthians 10:4 says that the One who led Israel through the wilderness was Christ Himself. (Compare John 5:39,40,46; Luke 24:44) In the light of this verse we must either question the inspiration and authority of Scripture or begin to ask why Jesus would do what He did at Sinai. All through the Bible God has demonstrated repeatedly that He is willing to stoop down to meet us where we are even if that is at a pretty low level! God met Moses at a very high level of understanding and required a lot of him, but He met the people, who had just come out of slavery with a very distorted view of what it means to worship a real God at a level they could understand. As recent slaves they were not ready for a carefully thought out dissertation on theology.

In the New Testament, however, Jesus was speaking in John 3 to Nicodemus, who was a religious leader and should have understood a great deal about truth. To him, Jesus could speak in broad principles such as are included in John 3:16.

7. What is the basis for God's final judgment? (John 3:17,18; 5:22; 12:47,48) Who or what actually does the judging? Is it that we have a condemning God, and are grateful for the kind, interceding Son? How does Revelation 22:11 fit with your understanding of the judgment?

The answer to this question is a very basic one and depends on your understanding of the entire plan of salvation. In Greek, "salvation" is the same word as "healing." God is doing His best to "heal" us of the damage done by sin. In order to be saved we must be willing to let God "heal" us. So what does this have to do with judging?

1 John 2:1 suggests that the Son is pleading with the Father on our behalf. But John 5:22 suggests that all judgment has in fact been handed over to the Son. John goes even further to state in John 3:17-21 and John 12:47,48 that it is actually truth that is the final judge. In other words, God simply makes a "diagnosis" of our condition in the end. That is why John says in Revelation 22:11 that we will all actually remain in the same condition of character as we were in here on earth.

God simply opens the "books" and it is clear to anyone who cares to check things out that some are "savable" and others are not. God never excludes anyone unless there is nothing further that even He can do to save them.

8. Why do you suppose the Samaritans believed on Jesus (John 4:39-42)and so many of the Jews who saw much greater things didn't?

The Jews had to overcome all their preconceived notions before they could give serious thought to accepting Jesus as the Messiah. So many of their national aspirations were tied to the idea that the "Messiah" was going to come and rescue them and help them conquer the Romans and rule the world, that it was literally impossible for them to accept a "Messiah" who didn't do what they expected. The Samaritans on the other hand had a lot less "baggage" that they had to get rid of before they could accept Jesus.