JOY

in the Gospel of John

Study Guide
Course JG2
(complete all materials included)

Name: ________________________ Student ID: _______ Date: ________

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain

in you, and that your joy may be full. John 15:11
Instructions for this course

The reading material for this course consists of your own Bible;
there is no separate reading text other than the Bible.

Before each lesson: pray for God to give a teachable heart and under-
standing.

Fill in your name, student ID, and date on the front cover.
Answer the questions for each lesson in this study guide.
Write your answers directly in this Study Guide.
Try to be as clear and concise as possible.
Please do not rush! Meditate on what God wants you to learn.
Dont go to the next question until completing the current one.

If, and only if, you are taking the course as correspondence study
(with written feedback from others):
After completing all the lessons 5 to 8, send this completed booklet to
your course coordinator, and request your next course JG3.
All sent answers are handled confidentially.
Label the envelope's lower left with: student, course, and lesson num-
bers.

Continue taking the course until all lessons are completed.
Three months are allotted for course completion. Extensions may be
granted upon request.

Your answers are returned to you after review.
Keep all materials and returned answers together for future reference.
JOY
in the Gospel of John

Study Guide
Course JG2
This course is adapted from JoyA Bible Study on John, published by
World Missionary Press, Inc. Copyright 1980, 2002 by V. R. Benson. Used
by permission.
For Scripture booklets and Bible studies in English and many other lan-
guages, contact:
World Missionary Press, Inc.
P.O. Box 120
New Paris, IN 46553-0120
USA
telephone: (574) 831-2111
email: mailroom@wmpress.org
www.wmpress.org
A number of Scripture booklets are available online.

This study course is designed from the start to be easy to read, especially
for those in countries outside the USA. For this reason, World Missionary
Press has used the NKJV for all Bible texts (unless otherwise indicated as KJV).
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979,
1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Printed by Mount Zion Publications. For classic Christian literature, con-

tact:
Mount Zion Publications
2603 West Wright Street
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telephone: (850) 438-6666
email: chapel@mountzion.org
www.mountzion.org

For additional copies of this Study Guide, or information about other Bible
study materials and correspondence courses, please contact:
Mount Zion Bible Institute
2603 West Wright Street
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telephone: (850) 438-1037
email: school@mountzion.org
Course may be downloaded worldwide without charge from:
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 JOY
in the Gospel of John

Study Guide

Contents

Page
How to Study Gods Word .............................................................. 3

Lesson 5 More than a Carpenter

Jesus Offers Living Water ..................................................................... 5
Jesus Heals the Noblemans Son ......................................................... 10

Lesson 6 Jesus Proclaims His Deity

Jesus Heals the Impotent Man ............................................................. 12
Two Resurrections ............................................................................... 14
Jesus Is the Bread of Life .................................................................... 15

Lesson 7 Jesus Is Lord and Savior

Jesus Walks on the Water .................................................................... 20
Jesus Talks about Freedom .................................................................. 21
Jesus Is the Light of the World ............................................................ 22

Lesson 8 Jesus Teaches the People

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd ................................................................. 27
Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life ................................................. 30

Appendices
1. Other Courses from Mount Zion inside back cover
2. About Mount Zion Bible Institute back cover
2
 JOY
in the Gospel of John

Course JG2

Study Guide

How to Study Gods Word

1. Pray for Gods help. You need Gods help in order to under-
stand what you study in the Bible. Take Psalm 119:18 as a
prayer: Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from
Your law.
2. Read the Scripture passages carefully in a quiet place. Underline
the words that impress you most. Remember that God
speaks to you through His Word.
3. Answer the questions from the Bible passage.
4. Learn the memory verses.
Read each memory verse and reference aloud several times
until you can say it without looking.
You may want to write the verse and reference on a card, so
you can carry it with you.
Every day say it aloud several times, so you will remember
it easily.
Say it to a friend who can check for any mistakes.
Or write the verse out without looking and then compare it
with the printed verse to make sure every word is right.

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 Even when you know the verse well, review it once a week
for about 7 weeks, and then once a month.
As you store up this good treasure in your heart, your speech
and actions will be changed. Choose other verses to memorize
as well.
5. Think about the Word of God you have read, studied, and mem-
orized. God has made special promises to those who
meditate on His Word day and night:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may ob-
serve to do according to all that is written in it. For then you
will make your way prosperous, and then you will have
good success. Joshua 1:8
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he
meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season,
whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall
prosper. Psalm 1:2, 3
6. Put into practice what God says. James 1:22 tells us, But be
doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your-
selves. Jesus likened the man who hears His words but
does not do them to a foolish man who built his house on
the sand. When the winds and rain and floods came, this
house built on the sand fell. But the man or woman, boy or
girl, who hears Jesus words and obeys them is like a wise
man, who built his house on a rock. When the winds and
rain and floods came, his house stood firm because it was
built on a rock. Only as we do what God says can we grow
strong spiritually and get to know God better. Write down
exactly what God is leading you to do, then do it. God will
be with you, and He will help you.
7. Share Gods Word with someone else. You may want to share
what you learn with those in your family. Deuteronomy 6:7
says, You shall teach them diligently to your children, and
shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you
walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise
up.

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8. It is not necessary that you complete an entire lesson in one sit-
ting, but we do recommend that you try to complete the sub-
section you are working on in each sitting.
9. Please read slowly enough so you understand what you read.
10. Response questions are intended to support a basic understand-
ing of the Gospel of John from the New Testament. These
questions are required as the core part of the study.
Making It Personal questions bring the biblical principles into
practical application. The goal here is change in your own
life toward godliness. There are no right or wrong answers;
we are looking only for your honesty with yourself in per-
sonal commitments.

Lesson 5 More than a Carpenter

Jesus Offers Living Water
John 4:5-42
5
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near
the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6Now Jacobs
well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat
thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7A woman of Samaria
came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. 8For His
disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9Then the woman
of Samaria said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a
drink from me, a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings
with Samaritans. 10Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the
gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give Me a drink, you
would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.
11
The woman said to Him, Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and
the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? 12Are
You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank
from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock? 13Jesus an-
swered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst
again, 14but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will

5
never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
15
The woman said to Him, Sir, give me this water, that I may
not thirst, nor come here to draw. 16Jesus said to her, Go, call your
husband, and come here. 17The woman answered and said, I have
no husband. Jesus said to her, You have well said, I have no hus-
band, 18for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now
have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly. 19The woman
said to Him, Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20Our fathers
worshipped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is
the place where one ought to worship. 21Jesus said to her, Woman,
believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this moun-
tain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22You worship what you
do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the
Jews. 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true wor-
shipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is
seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who wor-
ship Him must worship in spirit and truth. 25The woman said to
Him, I know that Messiah is coming (who is called Christ).
When He comes, He will tell us all things. 26Jesus said to her, I
who speak to you am He.
27
And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that
He talked with a woman; yet no one said, What do You seek? or,
Why are You talking with her? 28The woman then left her water-
pot, went her way into the city, and said to the men, 29Come, see a
Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the
Christ? 30Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
31
In the meantime His disciples urged Him, saying, Rabbi, eat.
32
But He said to them, I have food to eat of which you do not
know. 33Therefore the disciples said to one another, Has anyone
brought Him anything to eat? 34Jesus said to them, My food is to
do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. 35Do you
not say, There are still four months and then comes the harvest?
Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they
are already white for harvest! 36And he who reaps receives wages,
and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who
reaps may rejoice together. 37For in this the saying is true: One
sows and another reaps. 38I sent you to reap that for which you have
not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their
labors.

6
 39
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him be-
cause of the word of the woman who testified, He told me all that I
ever did. 40So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged
Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. 41And many
more believed because of His own word. 42Then they said to the
woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we
have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the
Savior of the world.
Something to Do
Answer the questions from the lesson.
1. What feelings did Jesus have which show us He was also truly
human? (verse 6)
Jesus therefore, being _____________________ from His
journey
2. What did Jesus say to the woman of Samaria? (7)
Jesus said to her, __________________ Me a drink.
3. Why was she surprised that Jesus would speak to her? (9)
How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a
_____________________________ woman?
The Samaritans were descendants of Jews and foreigners who had
married Jews. They did not worship just the God of Israel but
false gods as well. When the true Jews rebuilt their temple in Je-
rusalem, they would not allow Samaritans to help them. But Jesus
was always interested in every individual person; He was interest-
ed in every persons needs, even though it was not the custom for
a Jewish man to speak to a woman in public.
4. What would Jesus have given this woman if she had known to
ask? (10)
He would have given you ____________________ water.
5. What would be the difference between drinking the well water
and drinking the water Jesus gave? (13, 14)

6. What did Jesus know about this woman? (18)

Jesus knows the secret sins of each of us.

7
7. When Jesus pointed out her sin to her, what subject did the
woman bring up? (20)
Our fathers _______________________ on this mountain,
and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one
ought to ________________________ .
Samaritans worshipped at their own temple on Mt. Gerizim. They
believed in only the first five books of the Old Testament. Do you
like to discuss religion instead of getting right with God?
8. How do true worshipers worship the Father? (23)
the true worshipers will worship the Father in
___________________ and ____________________ .
In order to worship God truly, we must be born of the Spirit.
9. When the woman realized who Jesus really was, what did she
do? (28, 29)

10. What satisfied Jesus just like food? (34)

My food is to _____________________ the ____________
of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
11. Who did the Samaritans believe Jesus was? (42)
we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed
the _____________________ , the ____________________
of the world.
12. Optional: Memorize John 4:24, writing it on a small card. Have
you memorized it? Please write it out from memory here.

How Faith Grows

Isnt it interesting to see how the woman of Samaria comes to
know and believe more about Jesus the more He talks to her? See
verse 9. She first recognizes Jesus as a Jew who had spoken to her
kindly. See verse 11. Her respect rises, and she calls Him, Sir. See
verse 19. Jesus knew so much about her, she now thinks He must be
a prophet. See verse 29. She now believes Jesus must be the Christ,
the promised Messiah.

8
 The more we allow Jesus to talk to us through the Bible, the
more our faith in Him will grow, too! So then faith comes by hear-
ing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
13. How does faith grow? (Romans 10:17)
So then faith comes by ___________________ , and
__________________ by the _______________ of God

What Is Living Water?

The woman of Samaria thought it would be a wonderful thing if
she did not have to lower her skin bucket down into Jacobs well.
The water level was 90 feet below. But Jesus was not talking about
physical water. Jesus was talking about the satisfaction He could
give her to stop the continual thirst of her empty spirit for sinful
pleasures. The living water He talks about is the gift of eternal life
His own life. The gushing spring is the overflowing joy and peace
we can experience when we are filled with His Holy Spirit!
The woman wants the water, but first Jesus needs to prick her
conscience. She must confess her sin and be willing to turn from it
before she can receive living water from Jesus.
14. Making It Personal: What does your conscience tell you about
your own sinscan you continue in them and still have
hope of the living water?

What This Story Teaches About Working for God

Every person needs to hear the gospel and believe in Christ for
salvation. We should not treat anyone as an outcast or unac-
ceptable. Jesus didnt.
The spiritual fields of the world are ripe and ready to be har-
vested. We need to look up and see how many people
around us are hungry for the truth and ready to receive it.
One person may sow (tell others about Jesus, give out literature,
teach Gods Word). Another person may reap (actually in-
troduce someone to Christ). We need to be willing to do
either. Both the one who sows and the one who reaps can
have joy.

9
 Doing Gods will and finishing our work each day brings a satis-
faction even more than food can give.
Though it is important to tell our friends about Jesus, we also
need to present to them their need to know Him personally
for themselves.

Jesus Heals the Noblemans Son

John 4:46-53
46
So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made
the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was
sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Ju-
dea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down
and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48Then Jesus said
to him, Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no
means believe. 49The nobleman said to Him, Sir, come down be-
fore my child dies! 50Jesus said to him, Go your way; your son
lives. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he
went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met
him and told him, saying, Your son lives! 52Then he inquired of
them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday
at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53So the father knew that it
was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives.
And he himself believed, and his whole household.
The Power of Gods Words
When God says something, it happens! The God who created
the world and the heavens and everything in them just by speaking
the word is now speaking to the nobleman, Go your way; your son
lives (John 4:50). And it was so.
Jesus said that everything promised in the Bible would happen
(Matthew 5:18). Do you believe Gods Word? Do you act like you
believe itlike the man in our story did?
We have responsibility too, if Christ lives in our hearts. In Mark
11:22, 23 Jesus told His disciples, For assuredly, I say to you, who-
ever says to this mountain, Be removed and be cast into the sea,
and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says
will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. And Jesus ex-
plained this further with some important conditions

10
 If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask
what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).
And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that
the Father may be glorified in the Son (John 14:13).
And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask
any thing according to His will, He heareth us (1 John 5:14).
The words we speak according to the will of God, backed by
faith in God, are powerful. What kind of words do you speak? Do
you speak words of encouragement, comfort, trust, and love?
15. Briefly list some of the requirements given in these Scriptures
for effective prayer.

What This Passage Teaches Us about Prayer

Does Jesus answer our requests today? Hebrews 13:8 tells us
that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We
know that we must come to Him with our requests. He says that the
one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out (John 6:37b). He
tells us to Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).
Next, we must come believing that He will answer. But without
faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
We must be satisfied with the answer Jesus gives. The nobleman
asked Jesus to come down to his house, but Jesus did not choose to
do that. Instead, He said, Go your way; your son lives (John 4:50).
He may not answer you in exactly the way you ask, nor in the time
frame you would like, but He will always do what is best for you,
and it will always be according to His Word (see Romans 8:28, 29).
Faith does not always bring deliverance (study Hebrews 11:35-
39), but faith always brings direction and peace. Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanks-
giving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6, 7).

11
 When you believe God, and God works with power, your faith
will be strengthened. The faith of your family often will be strength-
ened too, just as the whole household of the nobleman believed God.
Making It Personal
16. Do you believe Gods Word? Do you act like you believe it
like the man in our story did?

17. What kind of words do you speak? Do you speak words of en-
couragement, comfort, trust, and love?

Lesson 6 Jesus Proclaims His Deity

Jesus Heals the Impotent Man
John 5:1-9, 14-18
1
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Je-
rusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which
is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3In these lay a
great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for
the moving of the water. 4For an angel went down at a certain time
into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first,
after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he
had. 5Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight
years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already
had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, Do you want
to be made well? 7The sick man answered Him, Sir, I have no man
to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am
coming, another steps down before me. 8Jesus said to him, Rise,
take up your bed and walk. 9And immediately the man was made
well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
14
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him,
See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing
come upon you. 15The man departed and told the Jews that it was
Jesus who had made him well. 16For this reason the Jews persecuted

12
Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on
the Sabbath.
17
But Jesus answered them, My Father has been working until
now, and I have been working. 18Therefore the Jews sought all the
more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also
said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
Something to Do
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
1. A certain man waited by the pool of Bethesda. He had been sick
or extremely weak for _________________ years. (verse 5)
2. Jesus asked him a very important question: Do you want to be
made __________________________ ? (6)
3. Jesus told him to do what seemed impossible. He said,
______________________ , take up your bed, and
_______________________ . (8)
4. Later, when Jesus found him in the temple, what command did
Jesus give him?
See, you have been made well. ___________________
___________ __________________ , lest a worse thing
come upon you. (14)
5. The Jews sought to kill Jesus for two main reasons: (18)
a. because He not only broke the _______________________
[by healing a man on the day when Jews were not supposed to do
any work, but healing was not defined as work in Gods Law]
b. but also because He said that God was His Father, making
Himself _________________ __________ ___________ .

Do You Need to Be Made Well?

Perhaps you have a need to be made well and strong in your
body, mind, or emotions. Perhaps you have a bad habit that hinders
you from serving God as you would like. Perhaps resentment and
bitterness are eating you up inside.
Jesus sees your need, and He says to you, Do you want to be
made well? (or whole). You may have excuses why you are not
whole. Perhaps you are the only Christian in your home, your
school, or your work.

13
 Or you may think other circumstances in life are all against you.
You may be selfishly only looking at and wanting what you think is
good for yourself! And you feel everything is against you.
These are no problems to Jesus. He can make you whole imme-
diately! But He may ask you to do something that seems impossible,
just like He asked the man who could not walk to get up and walk,
and even carry his bed! For sure, He commands you to trust Him
(which may seem impossible to you). Whatever it is, as you start to
obey Gods Word, Jesus will make you whole. Then He can lead
you to a life of victory.
Making It Personal
6. To what degree do you have resentment and bitterness inside?

7. To what degree are you making excuses for continuing in a life

of sin?

Two Resurrections
John 5:24-29
24
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and be-
lieves in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come
into judgment, but has passed from death into life. 25Most assuredly,
I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear
the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26For as
the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life
in Himself, 27and has given Him authority to execute judgment also,
because He is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this; for the hour
is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
29
and come forththose who have done good, to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemna-
tion.
Something to Think About
Isnt it wonderful that when we hear Jesus calling us, and we
truly trust Him by looking to Him alone for our salvation and turn-
ing to Him in faith, then we can have everlasting life! We can know

14
that we shall never be condemned. We can know that we have
passed from death to life. Do you wonder how this can be? It is be-
cause Jesus has life in Himself (verse 26). Those without Christ
cannot please God (Romans 8:8), so when they are raised from the
grave, they can expect only judgment and eternal separation from
God. But those in Christ are everlastingly secure.
Something to Do
8. Optional: Memorize John 5:24 as an assurance to remind you
what salvation really means. Have you memorized it? Please
write it from memory.

As long as you are hearing Gods Word and truly trusting in Him
(obedience to Him shows you trust Him), do not doubt what God has
done. God wants you to know you are His if you are. If something
comes between you and God, God will point it out to you clearly so
you can confess it and forsake it. God restores; Satan merely accuses.

Jesus Is the Bread of Life

John 6:5-14, 35, 47-51, 53-56, 63
5
Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude
coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where shall we buy bread,
that these may eat? 6But this He said to test him, for He Himself
knew what He would do. 7Philip answered Him, Two hundred de-
narii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them
may have a little. 8One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peters
brother, said to Him, 9There is a lad here who has five barley loaves
and two small fish, but what are they among so many? 10Then Jesus
said, Make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the
place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11And
Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed
them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and
likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12So when they were
filled, He said to His disciples, Gather up the fragments that re-
main, so that nothing is lost. 13Therefore they gathered them up,
and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves
which were left over by those who had eaten. 14Then those men,

15
when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, This is truly the
Prophet who is to come into the world.
35
And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes
to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never
thirst.
47
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has ever-
lasting life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your fathers ate the manna in
the wilderness, and are dead. 50This is the bread which comes down
from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living
bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread,
he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh,
which I shall give for the life of the world.
53
Then Jesus said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless
you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have
no life in you. 54Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55For My flesh is
food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56He who eats My flesh
and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
63
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The
words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Something to Do
9. In what way are Jesus words life? (63)
It is the Spirit who _____________________ life; the flesh
profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are
____________________ , and they are _______________ .
10. Optional: Please memorize these verses. Have you memorized
them? Please write them out from memory.
a. John 6:35

b. John 6:63

16
What This Lesson Teaches Us
Jesus cares about our needs. He already has plans to provide for
all of our needs, but He wants to test our faith in Him. He
wants us to look to Him and depend on Him for every need
that we have.
Even Jesus gave thanks for the little that He had. God says to us,
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Jesus can solve every problem and meet every need in abun-
dance. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the
power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20).
God does not like waste. He wants us to use everything that He
gives to us, that nothing be lost.
He wants us to use our time wisely: Redeeming the time, be-
cause the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but
understand what the will of the Lord is (Ephesians 5:16,
17).
He wants us to use our abilities and talents wisely: His lord
said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were
faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many
things. Enter into the joy of your lord (Matthew 25:21).
Jesus also wants us to use our money wisely: Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for your-
selves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mat-
thew 6:19-21).
As the disciples received the food from Jesus, they distributed it
to the hungry crowd. When we receive spiritual food from
Jesus each day, we also have something to share with those
around us who need the bread of life.

11. Making It Personal: Where is your treasure?

17
Two Kinds of Bread
The great crowd of people were glad to have food to eat when
they were so hungry. Selfishly, they wanted Jesus to be their king,
so they would never have to worry about working for food again!
But Jesus reminded them of what had happened to their ancestors
long before. The children of Israel were on their way from Egypt to
the land God had promised them. This great crowd of people be-
came hungry in the wilderness. So God rained bread from heaven
to feed them each day. What a wonderful miracle this was (Exodus
16:4-35)! The people did not know exactly what this new kind of
food was, so they called it manna, which means, What is this!?
Later God taught the people why He had done this. Moses told
the people, And you shall remember that the LORD your God led
you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you
and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would
keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you
to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did
your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not
live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from
the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:2, 3).
Even though God provided manna from heaven in such a mar-
velous way for many years, the manna was just bread for physical
bodies. The people who ate it still grew old and later died. So now,
when Jesus fed the multitude that day, the bread they ate was just for
their physical bodies. Though they ate it and were filled, they would
still grow old and die later.
But Jesus had great news! Now Jesus was offering a new kind of
bread, which if people ate of it, would cause them not to die. Yes,
their physical bodies would die, but they themselves would never
die, and Christ would raise their bodies at the last day when He
comes again. Jesus told the people that He, Himself, was a different
kind of bread that could be eaten. He was living bread for their
souls! He had come down from heaven just like the manna had come
down from heaven. He had come to give His life for the world.
Whoever eatsor receives into their soulsthe life of Jesus, will
never die.
How can we eat this Bread of Life, which is Jesus? How can
we drink His blood? We can trust in Christs sacrifice of His body
on the cross for our own salvation. We can trust in Jesus as the
Lamb of God whose blood covers our sins. We can receive His life-

18
giving Spirit into our hearts. We can also receive His life-giving
words by studying them and obeying them. We need to keep taking
in His life every day, just as we need to eat food every day for our
physical bodies.
Walking in Fellowship with Jesus Each Day
In a spiritual sense you can eat and drink of Jesus each day:
Each day walk in the light of Gods Word. If you sin, admit your
sin to God, and the blood of Jesus will cleanse you so that
you can continue having good fellowship with Him (1 John
1:7, 9).
Each day, humble yourself before God, so that He might fill you
with His Holy Spirit. In every thing you do, depend on the
power of His Spirit within you. Receive instructions from
Him each day from the Bible. Gods Word is life to us.
Spend some time alone with God each day when you can
talk to Him aloud. Then, during the day, keep thinking about
Him. Talk to Him in your mind about everything. You will
find yourself becoming more and more like Jesus.
God has a wonderful promise for you if you do these things:
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the
LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was
written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate
on His name. They shall be Mine, says the LORD of hosts, on the
day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man
spares his own son who serves him(Malachi 3:16, 17).
12. What are the two things we are responsible to do to eat and
drink of Jesus each day?

Gods Word Is Food for Your Soul

Long ago, Job said, I have not departed from the command-
ment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than
my necessary food (Job 23:12).
Jeremiah declared, Your words were found, and I ate them, and
Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am
called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16).

19
 The psalmist said, How sweet are Your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103).
Peter urged, As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the
word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the
Lord is gracious (1 Peter 2:2, 3).
Let us eat Gods Word every day.
Making It Personal
13. How often have you read Gods Word in the past two weeks?

Lesson 7 Jesus Is Lord and Savior

Jesus Walks on the Water
John 6:16-21
16
And when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,
17
got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it
was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose
because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about
three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing
near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, It is I; do
not be afraid. 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and
immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.
Something to Think About
Are you living in a storm? Does life seem dark right now? Does
Jesus seem far away? Are you and those around struggling by your-
selves in the storm, trying in your own weak strength to get to the
other side? If this describes you, know that Jesus cares. He knows,
and He sees. He walks toward you in your desperate situation. Do
not be afraid. Receive Jesus gladly into the problem or situation.
Give it to His control. He will smooth the ruffled waters and lead
you safely through to the other side. Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with
me (Psalm 23:4a).
1. Making It Personal: To what degree are you trusting Jesus
Christ in the midst of your storm?
20
Jesus Talks about Freedom
John 8:31-37, 42, 47
31
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you abide
in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32And you shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free.
33
They answered Him, We are Abrahams descendants, and
have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say, You will
be made free? 34Jesus answered them, Most assuredly, I say to
you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35And a slave does not
abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36Therefore if
the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. 37I know that you
are Abrahams descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My
word has no place in you.
42
Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love
Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of
Myself, but He sent Me.
47
He who is of God hears Gods words; therefore you do not
hear, because you are not of God.
John 7:17
17
If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the
doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own au-
thority.
Something to Do
Fill in the blanks:
2. If you ______________________ in My word, says Jesus,
you are My _____________________________ . (31)
A disciple is one who learns from a Master.
3. What shall make you free? (32)
The _____________________ shall make you free.
Jesus said later, Thy Word is Truth (John 17:17).
4. What is the result of your committing sin? (34)
Whoever commits sin is a ________________ of sin.

21
5. Who is the only one who can set you free from sin? (36)
If the ____________________ makes you free (from sin),
you will be free indeed.
6. What will our attitude be if we are truly a child of God? (42)
Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would
_____________ Me.
7. What is another result of being a child of God? (47)
He who is of God hears Gods _________________ .
8. If anyone wants to do Gods ______________________ ,
he shall __________________________ whether Jesus
doctrine (teaching) is of God or not. (7:17)

Jesus Is the Light of the World

John 8:12
12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the
world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the
light of life.
John 9:1-9, 13-25, 33-38
1
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from
birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned,
this man or his parents, that he was born blind? 3Jesus answered,
Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God
should be revealed in him. 4I must work the works of Him who sent
Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5As
long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6When He
had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the
saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
7
And He said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is
translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
8
Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that
he was blind said, Is not this he who sat and begged? 9Some said,
This is he. Others said, He is like him. He said, I am he.
13
They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.
14
Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his
eyes. 15Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received
his sight. He said to them, He put clay on my eyes, and I washed,

22
and I see. 16Therefore some of the Pharisees said, This Man is not
from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath. Others said,
How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And there was a
division among them. 17They said to the blind man again, What do
you say about Him because He opened your eyes? He said, He is a
prophet. 18But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had
been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him
who had received his sight. 19And they asked them, saying, Is this
your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?
20
His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our
son, and that he was born blind; 21but by what means he now sees
we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of
age; ask him. He will speak for himself. 22His parents said these
things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already
that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of
the synagogue. 23Therefore his parents said, He is of age; ask him.
24
So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him,
Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner. 25He an-
swered and said, Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One
thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.
33
If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing. 34They
answered and said to him, You were completely born in sins, and
are you teaching us? And they cast him out. 35Jesus heard that they
had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, Do
you believe in the Son of God? 36He answered and said, Who is
He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? 37And Jesus said to him, You
have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you. 38Then he
said, Lord, I believe! And he worshipped Him.
Who Said It?
9. Who said, The night is coming, when no one can work? (9:4)
______________________
10. Who said, Is not this he who sat and begged? (8)
______________________
11. Who said, This man is not of God? (16)
______________________
The Pharisees were a Jewish religious sect. They were strict in
obeying the laws of Moses and especially their own traditions.

23
12. Who said He is of age; ask him, because they feared the Jews?
______________________ (20-23)
It was a serious matter to be put out of the synagogue. The outcast
would be treated like a leper. No one was allowed to eat with that
person or do business with him.
13. Who said, If this Man were not from God, He could do noth-
ing? (33)
______________________
14. Who said, Do you believe in the Son of God? (35)
______________________
15. Who said, Lord, I believe? (38)
______________________

Jesus Brings Light

When Jesus opened the blind mans eyes, He brought light into
his life. But Jesus wanted to show that He had really come to open
the spiritual eyes of all people who sit in darkness.
Many years before, God promised through His prophets that
One would come who would bring light. God described Jesus: I,
the LORD, have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your
hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a
light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from
the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house (Isaiah
42:6, 7). Isaiah saw Jesus day: The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of
death, upon them a light has shined (Isaiah 9:2).
When Jesus claimed to be the light of the world, the Jews knew
Jesus was claiming to be God, because God is light.
God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
The LORD is my light and my salvation (Psalm 27:1a).
When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me (Micah
7:8b).
David, thanking God, said, For You are my lamp, O LORD;
The LORD shall enlighten my darkness (2 Samuel 22:29).
This is why many of the religious leaders hated Jesus so much;
they knew that He was claiming to be God, and they had to either
bow to Him and worship Him, or completely reject Himthere was
no middle ground! He could not be just a harmless good teacher

24
and claim to be God. Either He was who He claimed to be, God
Himself come in the flesh, or a liar!
When we know Jesus, therefore, we know God. Jesus said, I
and My Father are one (John 10:30), and, If you had known Me,
you would have known My Father also (John 14:7a). For it is the
God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Have you received
this light?
16. God is ____________________ , and in Him is no
__________________________ at all. (1 John 1:5)
17. Why did so many religious leaders hate Jesus?
they knew that He was claiming to be _______________ .

Walking in the Light

Those who follow Jesus do not walk in darkness any more, but
in light. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).
The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what
makes them stumble (Proverbs 4:19). But the path of the just is
like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day
(Proverbs 4:18).
Gods Word is light. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light
to my path (Psalm 119:105). The entrance of Your words gives
light; it gives understanding to the simple (Psalm 119:130). As we
come to Gods Word each day, we must listen and obey what it says.
That is what it means to walk in the light. Doing what God says is
walking in the light. Do you remember Jesus commandment that
we should love one another? That is why Gods Word says, But he
who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does
not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his
eyes (1 John 2:11).
The quickest way to become blind is to walk in darkness all the
time. When mules are used underground to help mine coal, they
must be brought up to the light at least one day each week. If they
were to be kept underground all the time, they would quickly go
completely blind. So it is with us; we must keep walking in the light,
or else our spiritual eyes can be deceived by Satan, and he can blind
our minds and hearts. We begin to think that we need things or

25
pleasures in the world in order to be happy. Or we begin to think
that all our problems would be solved if only some other person
would change. We get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the world and
others. We begin to doubt Gods character and to think that He is not
a good God.
18. What do those who follow Jesus walk in?
They do not walk in ______________________________
any more, but in ________________________ .
19. What is the quickest way to become spiritually blind?
The quickest way to become blind is to walk in
_________________________ all the time.
20. Briefly, what are some ways given that Satan deceives our spir-
itual eyes?

We Are Lights in the World

Do all things without murmuring and disputing, that you may
become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the
midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine
as lights in the world (Philippians 2:14, 15). God has chosen us to
proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9b). Is your life a light to those
around you? If not, the apostle Paul urges us to cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12b).
We need to be ready for our Lords return. Only if we are
awake, and walking in the light, will we be ready. You are all sons
of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be so-
ber (1 Thessalonians 5:5, 6).
Jesus said, when telling about the new heaven and the new earth,
that the new Jerusalem will have no need of the sun or of the moon
to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its
light (Revelation 21:23b). Isnt it wonderful that Jesus will be our
light for all eternity!
Working While It Is Light
Until Jesus comes back, we need to work while it is light in this
dark world. One day, this earth will pass away (Matthew 5:18).

26
Those who have not come to the light will pass on into outer dark-
ness forever and ever (Matthew 22:13). Let us serve to open their
eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins (Acts
26:18a).
The Jews once asked Jesus, What shall we do, that we may
work the works of God (John 6:28)? Jesus answered them, This is
the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent (John
6:29). Jesus taught very plainly that If you do not believe that I am
He, you will die in your sins (John 8:24b).
First, we must be sure we ourselves have come to the light to re-
ceive eternal life. Then we must serve with Jesus to bring others to
the light (not to earn His favor, but out of a motive of love for Him
and them). Do not labor for the food which perishes, He said, but
for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man
will give you (John 6:27a).
Remember the blind man in our story? He boldly told others
what Jesus had done for him. Though he was cast out by those who
were spiritually blind (even the religious leaders), Jesus cared and
came to him to reveal more of Himself to him. He will do this for
you, too, if you call upon Him!
21. What are two responses to the light of Jesus?
First, we must be sure we ourselves __________________
____________________to the light to receive eternal life.
Then we must _______________________ with Jesus to
bring others to the light.

Lesson 8 Jesus Teaches the People

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd
John 10:1-16, 27-33
1
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheep-
fold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief
and a robber. 2But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice;

27
and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4And when
he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep fol-
low him, for they know his voice. 5Yet they will by no means follow
a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of
strangers. 6Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand
the things which He spoke to them. 7Then Jesus said to them again,
Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who
ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not
hear them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief does not come
except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may
have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11I am the
good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12But
he who is a hireling and not the shepherd, one who does not own the
sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the
wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13The hireling flees be-
cause he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14I am the
good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.
15
As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay
down My life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have which are not
of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice;
and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
27
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
28
Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; nei-
ther shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29My Father, who has
given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch
them out of My Fathers hand. 30I and My Father are one. 31Then
the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them,
Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of
those works do you stone Me? 33The Jews answered Him, saying,
For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and be-
cause You, being a Man, make Yourself God.
Some Lessons from This Passage
Jesus is the only door to salvation. Only by hearing His voice
and following Him can we be His very own sheep. He calls
you by your name, He leads you, He gives you pasture, He
gives His life for you. All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD
has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). Have
you turned back from your own way to go His way?

28
 Jesus is the only true Shepherd. For He is our God, and we are
the people of His pasture (Psalm 95:7a). Know that the
LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we
ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture
(Psalm 100:3).
If we are His sheep, He knows us, and we know Him. But You,
O LORD, know me; You have seen me, and You have test-
ed my heart toward You (Jeremiah 12:3a). Do you know
Jesus as your Shepherd? If you do, you will follow Him and
no one else. Does the Shepherd know you? When the Chief
Shepherd shall appear, many will say to him, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in
Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? (Mat-
thew 7:22). Jesus says, And then I will declare to them, I
never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawless-
ness! (Matthew 7:23). What matters is not whether we
claim to know the Lord, but whether He truly knows us! We
cannot belong to the Shepherd and go our own way at the
same time. Without holiness no one will see the Lord (He-
brews 12:14).
When we belong to Jesus, we are safe for eternity. No one can
pluck us out of His hand. This promise is given only to
those who are following that great Shepherd of the sheep,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who follows Jesus will flee from strangers. Satan is like
a thief, who wants to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
Jesus claimed to be God. When Jesus claimed to be the Good
Shepherd, and when He said that He and His Father were
one, the Jews knew that He was making Himself equal with
God. If they had been following God, they would have rec-
ognized Jesus as their Shepherd. Isaiah prophesied, Behold,
the Lord God shall come... He will feed His flock like a
shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry
them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with
young (Isaiah 40:10, 11).

The Shepherds Psalm Psalm 23

1
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me to lie
down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3He re-
stores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His

29
names sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the pres-
ence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs
over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my
life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Making It Personal
1. In what ways is it a comfort to you that Jesus Christ is the Good
Shepherd?

2. Based on His own words, do you see how Jesus could not be
just a good teacher, but must be either completely rejected
as a liar, or else worshipped as the true God?

Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life

John 11:1-7, 17-46
1
Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of
Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was that Mary who anointed the Lord
with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother
Lazarus was sick. 3Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, Lord,
behold, he whom You love is sick. 4When Jesus heard that, He
said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that
the Son of God may be glorified through it.
5
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6So, when
He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place
where He was. 7Then after this He said to the disciples, Let us go to
Judea again.
17
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the
tomb four days. 18Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two
miles away. 19And many of the Jews had joined the women around
Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20Then
Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met
Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21Then Martha said to Jesus,
Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But
even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give

30
You. 23Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. 24Martha
said to Him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the
last day. 25Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoev-
er lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?
27
She said to Him, Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the
Son of God, who is to come into the world.
28
And when she had said these things, she went her way and se-
cretly called Mary her sister, saying, The Teacher has come and is
calling for you. 29As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and
came to Him. 30Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was
in the place where Martha met Him. 31Then the Jews who were with
her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose
up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She is going to the
tomb to weep there. 32Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and
saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if You
had been here, my brother would not have died.
33
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who
came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
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And He said, Where have you laid him? They said to Him,
Lord, come and see.
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Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, See how He loved him!
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And some of them said, Could not this Man, who opened the eyes
of the blind, also have kept this man from dying? 38Then Jesus,
again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a
stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the
sister of him who was dead, said to Him, Lord, by this time there is
a stench, for he has been dead four days. 40Jesus said to her, Did I
not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of
God? 41Then they took away the stone from the place where the
dead man was lying.
And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, Father, I thank You that
You have heard Me. 42And I know that You always hear Me, but
because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may
believe that You sent Me. 43Now when He had said these things,
He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth! 44And he who
had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his
face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, Loose him, and
let him go. 45Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and
had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him. 46But some of them
went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

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Something to Think About
It is so good to know that Jesus loved His friends so much! You
are His friend, too, if you truly know Him and do whatever He says
(John 15:14). In this story, Jesus friends were facing a very sad sit-
uation. Brother Lazarus had died. It seemed at first that Jesus didnt
care. Do you ever feel that God does not care about a hard situation
you are facing? But God is never asleep. He always has a plan. We
must always keep trusting Him to work things out that will bring the
most glory to God.
God has a plan for you, too. He wants to make you like His Son,
Jesus Christ. And we know that all things work together for good to
those who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be con-
formed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren (Romans 8:28, 29). So this is why we have
to go through hard times: to become more like Jesus Christ.
When things are easy, we are often tempted to take God for
granted, and to allow ourselves to begin to depend upon our own
talents and strengths rather than upon God. So God tenderly allows
some hardships into the lives of His children, so we may grow in
faith to trust Him more. That the genuineness of your faith, being
much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by
fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of
Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7).
Jesus wanted to teach Mary and Martha, and us, too, that believ-
ing in Him means we will never die. When those who believe in
Jesus die, they are absent from the body and present with the
Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Jesus proved also that He can bring dead bodies back to life by
just calling their name. Lazarus heard the voice of Jesus calling him,
and he lived. When Jesus comes back to this earth again, the dead
will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live
(John 5:25b).
Even now, those who hear His voice and call upon Him with
saving faith become a new creation. And you He made alive, who
were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Likewise you
also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in
Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal
body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your
members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present your-

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selves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as
instruments of righteousness to God (Romans 6:11-13).
This Miracle Required Obedience
Do you face a hopeless situation that needs a miracle? Jesus may
allow many hard things to come in your life for the glory of God.
He may use a circumstance in your life to showcase His character
and power to others. As people see Him work in your life, they will
praise Him.
But never forget that He loves you as He did Martha and Mary.
He may be planning a miracle you dont expect. But notice the obe-
dience that was necessary for this miracle of new life. Jesus said,
Take away the stone. Even though they thought it was foolish,
they obeyed. Then after Lazarus came forth, Jesus said, Loose him,
and let him go.
To see the glory of Gods power, we, too, must be obedient in
even small things that God tells us to do. If we need to ask some-
ones forgiveness when we are only 2% wrong, we must do it. It
may be the stone that needs to be rolled away so Jesus can work a
miracle in the other persons heart. And when Jesus does work a
miracle, let us lovingly help to loose others from the things that
would hinder them from full freedom. Wasnt it wonderful that Je-
sus allowed His friends to participate in the miracle?
3. What were the two reactions to the miracle? (45, 46)
Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had
seen the things Jesus did, _________________________ in
Him. But some of them ______________ ______________
to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.
4. Making It Personal: What is your reaction to this miracle?

5. What are three reasons that God allows suffering in the lives of
Christians?
a. God has a plan for you, too. He wants to
_________________ _____________ ________________
His Son
b. When things are easy, we are often tempted to take
_______________ for ____________________________ ,

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 and to allow ourselves to begin to depend upon our own tal-
ents and strengths rather than upon God. So God tenderly
allows some hardships into the lives of His children, so we
may grow in _____________________________
to _____________________________ Him more.
c. Jesus may allow many hard things to come in your life for
the ______________________ of __________________ .

6. What has been most meaningful to you personally in all these

lessons of Joy in the Gospel of John?

Thank you for taking this course. May you be

encouraged to continue your studies of Gods Word.
Please write now for the next course, JG3.

The remaining part of this study of Joy

continues through the Gospel of John:
Course JG3 (part 3)
Lesson 9 Moving Toward Calvary
Lesson 10 To Live, One Must Die!

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Lesson 11 The Intimate Love of Jesus
Lesson 12 Jesus Death and Resurrection
Lesson 13 The Risen Savior

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