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JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE

[PRINT HERE] John 1 (11-30-16) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 2:1-11

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                11-30-16                            Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE

John 2:1-11 (KJV) 
 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
  When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10  And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11  This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

Jesus’ First Sign (2:1-11)

Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John was a private one, known only to His disciples, some servants, and probably Jesus’ mother. This turning water into wine was the first of 35 recorded miracles Jesus performed.

2:1. On the third day probably means three days after the calling of Philip and Nathanael. It would take a couple of days to reach Cana in Galilee from Bethany near Jericho of Judea (1:28). Jesus’ mother was there, but John did not give her name (cf. 2:126:4219:25-27).

2:2-3. When the supply of wine was used up, Mary turned to Jesus in hope that He could solve the problem. Did Mary expect a miracle? Mary had not yet seen any miracles done by her Son.

2:4-5. The word woman was a polite, kind expression (cf. 19:26). Why do you involve Me? Was a common expression in Greek that referred to a difference in realms or relations. Mary had to learn a painful lesson namely, that Jesus was committed to God the Father’s will and the time for His manifestation was in the Father’s hand. My time has not yet come, or similar words occur five times in John. Even though she did not fully understand, she trusted Him.

2:6-8. The water in the six… water jars (of 20 to 30 gallons each) was used for Jewish purification rites before and after. The master of the banquet, would not know he was drinking from the purification jars.

2:9-10. As the master of the banquet tasted the… wine, he found it to be the best. The best wine was served first and the lesser quality later, he affirmed that this wine, served last, was the best. The significance of this miracle is that Christianity (Grace) is an advance over Judaism (Law). God has kept the best gift—His Son—until now.

2:11. The significance of the miracle was explained by John as a manifestation of Christ’s glory. In contrast with the ministry of Moses who turned water into blood as a sign of God’s judgment (Ex. 7:14-24.  The first miracle—a transformation—pointed to the kind of transforming ministry Jesus would have (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). The disciples put their faith in Him.  At this point they did not understand His death and resurrection (John 20:8-9) but they did know His power.

JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS DISCIPLES

[PRINT HERE] John 4 (6-7-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:27-38

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                6-7-17                                 Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JESUS’ INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS DISCIPLES 

(While At The Well)

John 4:27-38 (NLT) 
27  Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?”
28  The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone,
29  “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”
30  So the people came streaming from the village to see him.
31  Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”
32  But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”
33  “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.
34  Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
35  You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.
36  The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!
37  You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true.
38  I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

 

4:27-30. The woman, excited by Jesus’ statement about Himself and because of the arrival of the disciples, left and wentto the village. In her joy of discovery she forgot her water jar. It was more important to her now to share her new faith.

  1. Could this be the Christ?

 

4:31-32. As the disciples spoke with Jesus, they sensed something had happened. Before, He was tired and thirsty. But now food and drink were not important to Him. His mood had changed. They offered Him food, but He gave them instruction.

  1. I have food to eat that you know nothing about

 

4:33-34. As usual, the disciples were insisting on thinking materialisticallyJesus said, My food… is to do the will of Him who sent Me. This does not mean Jesus had no need of physical food, but rather that His great passion and desire was to do God’s will (cf. 5:308:29). His priority is spiritual, not material. It is the Father’s work which must be done (cf. John 17:4).

  1. Mistake of thinking physical instead of spiritual

 

4:35. Farmers have a period of waiting between their sowing and their reaping. Four months more and then the harvest was probably a local saying among the farmers. But in the spiritual realm there is no long wait. If the disciples would look around, they would see people with spiritual hunger. The Samaritans in their white garments coming from the village (v. 30) may have looked like a wheat field ripe for harvest.

  1. We are sent to the harvest

 

4:36-38. As reapers, the disciples had the great and rewarding privilege of leading people to faith in Christ. Others had already done the work of sowing. Both kinds of workers—the sower and the reaper—get their reward from Christ.Reapers harvest the crop for eternal life, that is, Jesus’ disciples were involved in ministry to others, in the issue of death and life (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

  1. Sharing the WORD; evangelizing the lost.

Jesus’ Interview with a Samaritan Woman

[PRINT HERE] John 4 (4-12-17) Detail Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:1-26

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                4-12-17                              Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

  1. Jesus’ interview with a Samaritan woman (4:1-26)

4:1-3. In Greek these verses are one long sentence, introducing the reader to a second long interview by Jesus. The words, When the Lord learned of this (v. 3), are actually the first phrase in Greek in verse 1. The sudden prominence of Jesus,evidenced by the growth of His followers, caused the Pharisees to take special notice of Him. Since Jesus was working on God’s schedule, He knew how His ministry would end. Until that appointed time, He must live carefully, so He withdrew from the conflict until His “hour” (7:68308:20; cf. 12:2313:117:1). He left Judea (cf. 3:22and went back… to Galilee.

This second interview is another illustration of the fact that “He knew what was in a man” (2:25). The Samaritan woman’s encounter contrasts sharply with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was seeking; she was uninterested. Nicodemus was a respected ruler; she was an outcast. Nicodemus was serious; she was flippant. Nicodemus was a Jew; she was a despised Samaritan. Nicodemus was moral; she was immoral. Nicodemus was orthodox; she was profane. Nicodemus was learned in religious matters; she was ignorant. Yet in spite of all the differences between this “churchman” and this woman of the world, they both needed to be born again. Both had needs only Christ could meet.

Contrasts Between Nicodemus and the Samaritan Woman (John 3-4)
Nicodemus Samaritan Woman
PLACE (Jerusalem) Judah Samaria
TIME By night About 6 p.m.
OCCASION Planned visit By chance
CONTENT Theological Practical
INITIATOR Nicodemus Jesus
ETHNIC GROUP Jew Samaritan (mixed blood)
SOCIAL STATUS Highly respected ruler, teacher Despised woman (immoral)
SEX Male Female
ATTITUDE Polite, calling Jesus Rabbi First hostility, then respect
FORM Nicodemus faded out, dialogue became monologue Dialogue carried to the end
RESULT Not mentioned Woman converted, witnessed, and people came to believe

 

4:4. He had to go through Samaria. This was the shortest route from Judea to Galilee but not the only way. The other route was through Perea, east of the Jordan River. In Jesus’ day the Jews, because of their hatred for the Samaritans, normally took the eastern route in order to avoid Samaria. But Jesus chose the route through Samaria in order to reach the despised people of that region. As the Savior of the world He seeks out and saves the despised and outcasts (cf. Luke 19:10).

“Samaria” in New Testament times was a region in the middle of Palestine, with Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Samaria was without separate political existence under the Roman governor. The people were racially mixed. Its center of worship was Mount Gerizim. Even today in Israel, a small group of Samaritans maintain their traditions.

 Two Routes between Judea and Galilee

4:5-6. The village of Sychar was near Shechem. A well near Sychar today may be the same as Jacob’s well. The plot of ground which Jacob gave to Joseph is mentioned in Genesis 48:21-22. Jacob had purchased it years earlier (Gen. 33:18-20). Jesus, tired from walking, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour, which according to Roman time reckoning would have been 6 p.m. Jesus being truly human, experienced thirst, weariness, pain, and hunger. Of course He also possesses all the attributes of Deity (omniscience, omnipotence, etc.).

4:7-8. With His disciples in the city buying food, Jesus did a surprising thing: He spoke to a Samaritan woman, whom He had never met. She was of the region of Samaria, not the town of Samaria. The woman was shocked to hear a Jewish man ask for a drink from her. The normal prejudices of the day prohibited public conversation between men and women, between Jews and Samaritans, and especially between strangers. A Jewish Rabbi would rather go thirsty than violate these proprieties.

4:9. Surprised and curious, the woman could not understand how He would dare ask her for a drink, since Jews did not associate with Samaritans. The Jews “do not use dishes Samaritans have used.” A Rabbinic law of a.d. 66 stated that Samaritan women were considered as continually menstruating and thus unclean. Therefore a Jew who drank from a Samaritan woman’s vessel would become ceremonially unclean.

4:10. Having captured her attention and stimulated her curiosity, Jesus then spoke an mysterious saying to cause her to think. It was as if He had said, “Your shock would be infinitely greater if you really knew who I am. You—not I—would be asking!” Three things would have provoked her thinking: (1) Who is He? (2) What is the gift of God? (3) What is living water? “Living water” in one sense is running water, but in another sense it is the Holy Spirit (Jer. 2:13Zech. 14:8John 7:38-39).

4:11-12. She misunderstood the “living water” and thought only of water from the well. Since Jacob’s well was so deephow could Jesus get this living water? Today this well is identified by archeologists as one of the deepest in Palestine. Are You greater than our father Jacob? she asked. In Greek this question expects a negative answer. She could not conceive of Him as greater than Jacob. Her claim “our father Jacob” is interesting in light of the fact that the Jews claim him as the founder of their nation. That well had great tradition behind it but, she wondered, What does this Stranger have?

4:13-14. Jesus began to unveil the truth in an mysterious statement. This water from Jacob’s well would satisfy only bodily thirst for a time. But the water Jesus gives provides continual satisfaction of needs and desires. In addition one who drinks His living water will have within him a spring of life-giving water (cf. 7:38-39). This inner spring contrasts with the water from the well, which required hard work to acquire. Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit who brings salvation to a person who believes and through Him offers salvation to others.

4:15. The woman could not grasp this dark saying because of her sin and materialism. All she could understand was that if she had a spring she would not get thirsty and would not have to work so hard.

4:16-18. Since she was not able to receive His truth (1 Cor. 2:14), Jesus dealt with her most basic problem. (Apparently she never served Him a drink. He forgot His own physical need in order to meet her spiritual need.) Jesus suggested she get her husband and bring him back with her. This suggestion was designed to show her that He knew everything about her (cf. John 2:24-25). Her marital history was known to this Stranger, including the fact that she was living in sin. Thus in a few words Jesus had revealed her life of sin and her need for salvation.

4:19-20. Jesus was not just a passing Jewish Rabbi. Since He had supernatural knowledge, He must be a prophet of God. But instead of confessing her sin and repenting, she threw out an intellectual statement.  Could He solve an ancient dispute? Samaritan religion held that the one place of divinely ordered worship was on top of nearby Mount Gerizim, whereas the Jews said it was on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Who was right in this controversy?

4:21. A time is coming (cf. v. 23) referred to the coming death of Jesus which would inaugurate a new phase of worship in God’s economy. In the Church Age, because of the work of the Spirit, worship is no longer centered in temples like those on Mount Gerizim and Mount Zion.

4:22. Jesus was firm in His declaration of the issues involved. The Samaritan religion was confused and in error: You Samaritans worship what you do not know. They were not the vehicle for the salvation of mankind. Israel was the nation chosen by God to have great privileges (Rom. 9:4-5). When Jesus said, Salvation is from the Jews, He did not mean that all Jews were saved or were especially pious. “Salvation is from the Jews” in the sense that it is available through Jesus, who was born of the seed of Abraham.

4:23. With the advent of the Messiah the time came for a new order of worship. True worshipers are those who realize that Jesus is the Truth of God (3:2114:6) and the one and only Way to the Father (Acts 4:12). To worship in truth is to worship God through Jesus. To worship in Spirit is to worship in the new realm which God has revealed to people. The Father is seeking true worshipers because He wants people to live in reality, not in falsehood. Everybody is a worshiper (Rom. 1:25) but because of sin many are blind and constantly put their trust in worthless objects.

4:24. God is Spirit is a better translation than the kjv’s “God is a Spirit.” God is not one Spirit among many. This is a declaration of His invisible nature. He is not confined to one location. Worship of God can be done only through the One (Jesus) who expresses God’s invisible nature (1:18) and by virtue of the Holy Spirit who opens to a believer the new realm of the kingdom (cf. 3:357:38-39).

4:25. The Samaritans expected a coming messianic leader. But they did not expect Him to be an anointed king of the Davidic line, since they rejected all the Old Testament except the Pentateuch. Based on Deuteronomy 18:15-18, they expected a Moses-like figure who would solve all their problems. The Samaritan woman now understood a part of what Jesus said. She longed for the messianic days when the Messiah would explain everything.

4:26. This self-declaration by Jesus Himself—I… am He (the Messiah)—is unusual. Normally in His ministry in Galilee and Judea (cf. 6:15) because of political implications, He veiled (hid) His office and used the title “Son of Man.”

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

Witnesses of Christ

[PRINT HERE] John 5 (10-25-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                10-25-17                            Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

WITNESSES OF CHRIST

[John the Baptist]

John 5:31-35 (NLT) 
31  “If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid.
32  But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.
33  In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true.
34  Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.
35  John was like a burning and shining lamp, and you were excited for a while about his message.

5:31-32. The thought in these verses move from that of Jesus’ unity with the Father to that of the Father’s witness of Jesus. In 5:31, Jesus’ point was that if He bore witness of Himself, this witness would not be accepted by the Jewish authorities. They would see it as an arrogant claim of self-exaltation. Jesus affirmed that He did not seek an independent self-authentication. He was content to submit to the Father’s will and to let the Father authenticate Him.

5:33-34.  John the Baptist’s function was that of a witness. A good witness tells the truth as he knows it. John’s witness of Jesus had an abiding character. Jesus did not need human testimony, but John’s work helped people because in their darkness he pointed them to the light. John’s work was that you may be saved. His great popular movement was one that anticipated Jesus, in which he pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God.

5:35. John was only a lamp, not the true Light (1:9). The Jewish nation for a short time was stirred by and rejoiced in his ministry. For a moment they thought the Messiah was about to come. Even though his preaching had some stinging rebukes, there was a great popular excitement about his message. The people thought that though Israel might be disciplined, their enemies would be destroyed.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

John’s Final Testimony

[PRINT HERE] John 3 (2-22-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 3:22-30

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                              1-25-17                                 Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

JOHN’S FINAL TESTIMONY

John 3:22-30 (KJV) 
22  After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
23  And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
24  For John was not yet cast into prison.
25  Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
26  And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
27  John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
28  Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
29  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
30  He must increase, but I must decrease.

3:22-24. For a short time the ministry of John the Baptist overlapped Jesus’ ministry. Thus the Judean countryside must have been alive with the teaching of both these great preachers of repentance and God’s kingdom. Both John and Jesushad disciples, large crowds followed both of them, and both baptized. The statement that Jesus “baptized” (vv. 2226) probably means He was overseeing the baptizing done by His disciples (4:2).

3:25. The zealous disciples of John the Baptist found themselves at a disadvantage in an argument. A certain Jew asked why he should join John’s group. He (and others; cf. “They” in v. 26) argued about ceremonial washing. Since there were Essene baptisms and Pharisaic washings, why should Jews follow another washing, John’s baptism?

3:26. John’s disciples may have been angry and jealous. (They were interested in John’s movement and were not committed to Jesus.) They complained that Jesus, of whom John had testified, had now captured the nation’s attention. They longed for the former days when everyone went to hear John (Mark 1:5).

3:27. John’s greatness is revealed in his reply. He said, A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.  If Jesus’ movement was expanding, then it must have been in the will of God. This principle of God’s sovereignty is stressed in John (cf. 6:6519:11) as well as elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., 1 Cor. 4:7).

3:28. John also reminded his disciples that they were forgetting part of his teaching. For he had clearly taught that he was not the promised Messiah but was only sent ahead by God to do a work of preparation for the Messiah (1:8152023).

3:29-30. In Jesus’ growing influence, John found his own joy fulfilled. The friend of the bridegroom was only an assistant, not the main participant in the marriage. The assistant acted on behalf of the bridegroom and made the preliminary arrangements for the ceremony. His joy came when he heard the bridegroom coming for his bride. John the Baptist’s work was to prepare for the arrival of Christ, the “Groom.” John baptized only with water, not with the Spirit. Therefore Jesus must become greater and John must become less. John willingly and with joy accepted Jesus’ growing popularity as God’s plan.

Many Samaritans Believed

John 4 (8-3-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:39-42

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                8-3-17                                Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

MANY SAMARITANS BELIEVED 

(While At The Well)

John 4:39-42 (NLT) 
39  Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”
40  When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days,
41  long enough for many more to hear his message and believe.
42  Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

4:39. The little revival among the Samaritans is notable because the theme of natural rejection by Israel had been sounded (1:11). The testimony of the woman was effective. That Jesus knows what is in a person and that He has comprehensive knowledge of one’s life is an indication of His deity (Ps. 139John 1:47-492:24-25).

John 1:11 (NLT) 
11  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

4:40-41. The witness of the woman led to the Samaritans’ personal confrontation with Jesus. He stayed with them two days. The word “stayed” (from menō, “to remain, to abide”) is a favorite Gospel of John theological term (cf. 3:366:5615:4). Because of His words many more became believers. “Words” is singular in Greek (“His word”).

 Jesus’ message was the cause of their faith.

Personal testimony plus the message of Jesus is still God’s means of salvation.

 

4:42. Faith based simply on the testimony of another person is only secondary. True faith moves to its own experience and confrontation with Jesus. We have heard for ourselves is the more adequate basis. Jesus is the Savior of the world, not in the sense that everyone will be saved (universalism) but that His light shines for all (1:9). The light is not limited to the nation Israel, but is for “every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Rev. 7:9).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.

Midnight Encounter with Nicodemus

John 3 (12-21-16) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 3:1-8

 Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                            12-21-16                               Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

MIDNIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH NICODEMUS

John 3:1-8 (NLT) 
 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.
 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

 

3:1. Nicodemus was a teacher (v. 10), a Pharisee, and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. The Sanhedrin had 70 members who were responsible for religious decisions and also, under the Romans, for civil rule.

3:2. Why did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night? Because of fear? John did not say why. Nicodemus began, Rabbi, we know You are a Teacher who has come from God. Nicodemus wanted to talk to Him as one Rabbi to another.

3:3. But Jesus was not on the same level with Nicodemus. He is “from above” (anōthenv. 31); therefore Nicodemus must be born “from above” (v. 3anōthen). To be born again or born “from above” is to have a spiritual transformation which takes a person out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God (cf. Col. 1:13). 3:4. Nicodemus was certain Jesus did not mean something ridiculous (such as a reincarnation or a second physical birth), but yet he did not grasp the nature of regeneration.

3:5. —SIX REFERENCE VIEWS TO WATER IN “REBIRTH”)—…being born of water and the Spirit:        (1) The “water” refers to the natural birth, and the “Spirit” to the birth from above (from God). (2) The “water” refers to the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). (3) The “water” refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration. (This view contradicts other Bible verses that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone; e.g., John 3:1636Eph. 2:8-9Titus 3:5.) (4) The “water” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). (5) The “water” refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit of Christ to an individual.   (6) The fifth view was “Water” would remind Nicodemus of the Baptist’s emphasis. So Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, you needed to turn to Jesus (repent) in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

3:6-7. There are two distinct realms: one is of fallen man (the flesh) and the other is of God (the Spirit). A fallen person cannot regenerate himself; he needs a divine operation. Only God’s Holy Spirit can regenerate a human spirit.

People should not stumble at or reject the importance of Jesus’ words. They must be born from above.

3:8. This verse contains a wordplay which cannot be adequately expressed in English. The Greek word pneuma means both wind and Spirit. The work of the Spirit (pneuma) is invisible and mysterious like the blowing of the wind (pneuma). Man controls neither one.

Only Through Jesus

[PRINT HERE] John 4 (4-12-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:1-26

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                     4-12-17                                       Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

“THE WOMAN AT THE WELL”

The story of the nameless Samaritan woman at the well, recorded only in the Gospel of John, is a revealing one, full of many truths and powerful lessons for us today. The story of the woman at the well follows on the heels of the account of Jesus’ interaction with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and prominent member of the Jewish Sanhedrin (John 3:1-21). In John 4:4-42) we read about Jesus’ conversation with a lone Samaritan woman who had come to get water from a well (known as Jacob’s well) located about a half mile from the city of Sychar in Samaria.

This was not just an ordinary woman. She was a Samaritan, a race of people that the Jews utterly despised as having no claim on their God, and she was an outcast and looked down upon by her own people. This is evidenced by the fact that she came alone to draw water from the community well when, during biblical times, drawing water and chatting at the well was the social highpoint of a woman’s day. However, this woman was hated and marked as immoral, an unmarried woman living openly with the sixth man in a series of men.

The story of the woman at the well teaches us that God loves us in spite of our total sinful lives. God values us enough to actively seek us, to welcome us to a relationship with Himself, and to rejoice in our worship. As a result of Jesus’ conversation, only a person like the Samaritan woman, an outcast from her own people, could understand what this means. To be wanted, to be cared for when no one, not even herself, could see anything of value in her—this is grace indeed.

But there are many other valuable truths we glean from this story. We learn that:

1) Only through Jesus can we obtain and receive eternal life: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life’” (John 4:13-14); cf. John 14:6).

2) Jesus’ ministering to those outcasts of the Jewish society (the Samaritans) reveals that all people are valuable to God and that Jesus desires that we demonstrate love to everyone . . . including even our enemies (John 4:7-9); Matthew 5:44).

3) Jesus is the Messiah (John 4:25-26; 1-41Matthew 27:22Luke 2:11).

4) Those who worship God, worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24Psalm 145:18).

5) Our testimony about Jesus is a powerful tool in leading others to believe in Him: “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world”’ (John 4:39-42).

Additionally, we learn from Jesus’ dialogue with the woman at the well three absolute truths about salvation:

1) Salvation comes only to those who recognize their desperate need for the spiritual life they do not have. Living water can be obtained only by those who recognize that they are spiritually thirsty.

2) Salvation comes only to those who confess and repent of their sin and desire forgiveness. Before this immoral woman could embrace the Savior, she had to concede the full burden of her sins.

3) Salvation comes only to those who take hold of Jesus as their Messiah. For the absolute truth is that salvation is found in no one else (John 14:6Acts 4:12).

In his encounter with the woman at the well, Jesus broke three Jewish customs: first, he spoke to a womansecond, she was a Samaritan woman, a group the Jews traditionally despised; and third, he asked her to get him a drink of water, which would have made him ceremonially unclean from using her cup or jar.

Teaching Heavenly Things to Earthly Creatures

[PRINT HERE] John 3 (1-11-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 3:9-15

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                           1-11-17                                     Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

TEACHING HEAVENLY THINGS TO EARTHLY CREATURES

(Parabolic Teaching)

John 3:9-15 (NLT) 
 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10  Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?
11  I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.
12  But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13  No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.
14  And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15  so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

3:9-10. Nicodemus asked… how this spiritual transformation takes place. Jesus answered that Nicodemus, as the teacher of Israel, ought to know. The Old Testament prophets spoke of the new Age with its working of the Spirit (Isa. 32:15Ezek. 36:25-27Joel 2:28-29). The nation’s outstanding teacher ought to understand how God by His sovereign grace can give someone a new heart (1 Sam. 10:6Jer. 31:33).

3:11. But Nicodemus was ignorant of the realm of which Jesus spoke. He represented the nation’s unbelief and lack of knowledge. Jesus, like the prophets, spoke to the nation about divine themes but the Jews rejected His witness. “Witness” (or testimonymartyrian) is a common word in John’s Gospel.

3:12. Since Nicodemus could not grasp the basic teaching of regeneration which Jesus presented in earthly analogies, how could he understand and believe the more abstract heavenly matters such as the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Jesus’ coming glorification?

3:13. No one has ever gone into heaven and then come back to earth, able to give clear teaching about divine matters. The one exception is Jesus who is the Son of Man (cf. 1:50-51Dan. 7:13Matt. 26:64). He is the “Ladder” between heaven and earth with access to both realms. He “descended” in the Incarnation (coming to live in a fleshly body) and “ascended” in the Ascension (returning to live in a glorified body). He also was in heaven before the Incarnation, and therefore knows the divine mysteries.

3:14-15. The thought of elevation to heaven (v. 13) leads to the thought of Jesus being lifted up (cf. 8:2812:32). Mosesraised a bronze snake on a pole as a cure for a punishment due to disobedience (cf. Num. 21:4-9). So Jesus would be lifted up on a cross for people’s sin, so that a look of faith gives eternal life to those doomed to die.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Facult

Test to Grow Our Faith

[PRINT HERE] John 6 (12-6-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

 

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                          12-6-17                                     Dr. H.T.Rhim, Pastor

JESUS FEEDS 5000

(Test to Grow Our Faith)

John 6:1-6 (NKJV) 
 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
 Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.
 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.
 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near.
 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?”
 But this He said to test himfor He Himself knew what He would do.

The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is the only sign recorded in all four Gospels (besides Jesus’ resurrection). This fact alone points to its importance. The significance of the sign was pointed out by Jesus in a long discourse (vv. 22-71). The miracle was spectacular, but afterwards many of His followers no longer followed Him (v. 66).

6:1-2. Though some time after this Herod Antipas had killed John the Baptist (Mark 6:14-29; cf. John 3:24), the disciples had preached throughout Galilee (Mark 6:7-1330-31), multitudes of people were curious about Jesus, and Herod Antipas was seeking Jesus (Luke 9:7-9). So the time between the events in John 5 and 6 was probably six months. Jesus had gone to the Sea of Galilee with His disciples for rest. This lake was also called the Sea of Tiberias (cf. 21:1), named for a town on the lake’s west shore built by Herod Antipas. But a crowd gathered even in this “solitary” (cf. Matt. 14:13Mark 6:32) and “remote place” (Matt. 14:15).

6:3-4. The mention of the hillside or “the mountain” may indicate an intended parallel to Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai (cf. vv. 31-32). The mentioning of the Jewish Passover feast was near had the people thinking in terms of blood, flesh, lambs, and unleavened bread. They longed for a new Moses who would deliver them from Roman bondage.

6:5-6. Jesus’ question to Philip—Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?—was not for information but was part of His program of educating the disciples. Philip was from Bethsaida (1:44) which was the closest town, and he would know the local resources. The answer to Jesus’ question was that it was impossible, humanly speaking, for thousands of people to get bread late in the day from the little neighboring villages. John wrote, as he thought back on the incident, that Jesus was asking this to test Philip. God tests people to refine their faith, never to tempt them to do evil (cf. Gen. 22:1-18James 1:213-151 Peter 1:7).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.