Revolutionary Revelation: Studies in John

By Kenneth D. Becker

Revolutionary Revelation is born out of a passion for Gods Word and the gospel of John. The author sensed that people were getting nothing or sterile facts from their Bible teaching and reading. He desires to infuse a sense of appreciation for and obedience to this time-tested gospel, one of the highlight books in the Bible. Those uninitiated to Bible reading can find pleasurable meaning, and the well-read can discover new insights.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490853215

Kenneth D. Becker

Retired pastor, missionary, English teacher, having spent 20 some years in each and more than 60 years in the preaching ministry. Living in Jeffersonville, IN, with wife. Have 4 children, 9 grandchildren. BA in Bible and MA in Christian Education from Bob Jones University. Edited two books in a new translation for The Common Bible, Inc.,, including the Majority English Bible New Testament and John's Gospel and Epistles.

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Revolutionary

Revelation

Studies in John

KENNETH D. BECKER

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Copyright © 2014 Rev. Kenneth Becker.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The New Testament: Majority English Bible, published by iUniverse, 2013.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-5321-5 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/18/2014

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Lesson 1:   Chapter 1:1-42

Lesson 2:   John 1:43 – Chapter 2:25

Lesson 3:   John 3

Lesson 4:   John 4:1-42

Lesson 5:   John 4:43 – 5:23

Lesson 6:   John 5:24 – 6:14

Lesson 7:   John 6:15-59

Lesson 8:   John 6:60 – 7:24

Lesson 9:   John 7:25 – 8:11

Lesson 10:   John 8:12-59

Lesson 11:   Chapter 9

Lesson 12:   Chapter 10

Lesson 13:   John 11:1-44

Lesson 14:   John 11:45 – 12:19

Lesson 15:   John 12:20-50

Lesson 16:   John 13:1-35

Lesson 17:   John 13:36 - 14:31

Lesson 18:   John 15:1 – 16:15

Lesson 19:   John 16:16 – 17:26

Lesson 20:   Chapter 18

Lesson 21:   John 19:1-37

Lesson 22:   John 19:38 – 20:29

Lesson 23:   John 20:30 – 21:25

Foreword

Caution! You are about to pick up the Bible book called The Gospel of John. Warning: Revolution inside.

Revolution? Yep. It will bring changes. Right now people are content with the status quo and neither see any need for change nor desire one. That is the problem John addresses.

The Holy Spirit knew that not enough teaching about Christ had existed for an entire generation through the earlier gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Thus God presented through His aged servant John a number of new revelations concerning Himself and His will and ways for humanity.

These new revelations have become bywords to the Christian familiar with the Scripture, but to the world at large they are still unknown. For instance, John introduces us to the name of Jesus before He became a human (1:1), the knowledge and scope of grace (1:16,17), the fact that God loves the world, not just special people (3:16), availability of eternal life for all (3:16 and throughout), the New Birth (Ch. 3), and others.

Those new revelations are so dynamic that they change lives. A new order will commence; a new golden age will begin.

So Caution! If you want to protect your status quo, put on your helmet and goggles along with protective clothing and harden your heart and hearing. This gospel is the enemy of the status quo.

Introduction

This Bible study aid is primarily designed for small Bible study groups and personal study. We intend it to be useful for students of any level of Christian or Bible knowledge. In trying to avoid being theological or academic, we tried to steer the comments toward common practical knowledge. The study of John will help any Bible reader to come to know the Savior and to trust in Him.

The Guide is based on the use of The Gospel and Epistles of John the Apostle, published by The Common Bible, Inc, and is designed to be used in tandem with it. The textual basis is the Majority English Bible (formerly called The Common Bible), a traditional, literal translation yet refreshingly updated for modern reading. However, any version could be used. The Gospel … is available at www.themajoritybible.com.

The commentary is copious and detailed because every part of God’s word is rich. We expound almost phrase by phrase. It is not intended that one teach all this material. The Holy Spirit will lead you in teaching what your particular situation requires. If a Bible teacher starts a lesson with a full tank, he need not fear running out of gas.

The quote from the Bible text is in bold type. Lesson divisions arbitrarily depend on length more than subject. The Bible text, not the lessons, indicates paragraph divisions and topics.

Create a Bible Study

1 – We advise a small group, preferably one or two students at a time. I limit the lesson period to one hour to avoid overload.

2 – Each student may alternate reading orally two or three verses at a time followed by teacher discussion. Oral reading has a value far above silent reading and listening. With only two students each will get to personally read most of the book.

Challenge Yourself to Study

We love reading the Bible yet do not often make the effort to study it, thus bypassing the riches from a passage. These notes are just right for teaching one how to sit on a passage and glean information or truth from it. For self-study, keep the Gospel of John open while reading. The goal is to teach ourselves how to learn more than facts or verses. What do those words mean? How do they apply to my life? What do they teach me about Christ, myself, my Christian life? A daily disciplined study following this Guide will result in a half year of joy and growth in the Lord.

You may disregard the lesson divisions. The good thing about self-study is that you can take a lesson, chapter, paragraph, or a few verses for your study portion.

The Guide follows the general scheme of simpler comments at the beginning expanding to more complex studies toward the end.

Lesson 1

Chapter 1:1-42

1:1-2 – We are introduced to a person (He) named the Word. At this point John does not tell us Who the Word is, but He is the central character of his Gospel. How do you explain the Word was with God, and the Word was God? How can one be with somebody and also be that person? This opens to a non-technical introduction to the Trinity. Our central character is both God Himself yet One distinct from the Father. This Gospel calls them the Father and the Son. What does in the beginning mean? Eternality becomes the trademark of the Word; it means He never had a beginning or will ever have an end.

3 – through Him. The Word is the agent of creation. He is the Great Originator. The opposite view of origins is evolution. People believe either that there is a Creator of all things or all things evolved spontaneously. While modern education teaches the latter, the Bible teaches the truth. If we cannot believe in a divine Creator, we cannot believe in a divine Christ sent from God to provide our salvation. Jesus Christ certainly did not evolve!

4-5 – He not only formed bodies but also created life in them. There is a vast difference between a body and life – e.g., a corpse, a stillborn baby, etc. Science may be able to clone already existing life, but it cannot originate life. If it could, no corpse would ever need to be buried. Only this One can and does originate life. the life – not a life among many or even life generally. Some special, specific life becomes the light of men. the light shines in the darkness - Here light and darkness are not cosmic but earthly and moral. If they were cosmic, they would be light and darkness without the articles. So the light penetrates through the darkness despite being unwelcome and alien. Clearly the reference is to moral and spiritual light and darkness. Are we of the light or of the darkness?

Four things so far have been declared about the central character. He is the eternal one, the creator, the life, and the light. Should we not be interested in knowing more about this extraordinary person?

The opening verses describe heaven’s point of view; now we take up the earthly scene, the setting for the Word’s coming into the world. The next paragraph presents John’s application, not narrative, of that coming, which we celebrate on Christmas.

6-9 – There are two Johns: the author and the baptizer. The baptizer was also a man sent from God like the Word (4:34). Luke 1 describes his miraculous birth. However, the writer John immediately states huge differences between the two messengers. (8) Their functions were different: the Baptizer came to bear witness of the light, while the Word was that true light coming into the world. The mission of witness is to tell the truth concerning what he has personally seen or heard. The object of witness is that hearers might believe the truth.

10-11 – Here are the people for whom the light was given. They comprise three groups: the world, His own, and believers. The world, which he had created, did not know Him – and does not to this day. Unbelievable, since he has property rights over every person through creation! A painter creates a great work of art; that work is his property to use as he wishes. The Word was never accorded that right. (10) The world then and now makes every effort to efface Christ from their consciousness. Let us never do so. His own refused Him. (11) That is, His own nation, race, religion, culture, and kindred – the Jewish people. Again it is unbelievable, since every Jew past and present has longed for the Messiah to come. They had all the advantages and opportunities of finding Him, but they did not receive Him. People are like that today.

12-13 - But many do receive Him. When they do, God imparts not only forgiveness but also sonship – adoption into His immediate family – by receiving salvation as a gift (He gave). Some faiths believe that we can and will become gods. Not so! If we were to become gods, we would operate in our own sphere in competition with other gods and especially the Supreme God, as in ancient mythology. But we can become His children. What is better than that? And how do we become children? by believing in His name. Name in generality means person, as it identifies and characterizes the whole of an individual. Believe is the English verb (action word) for faith, which implies a firm trust and commitment. We all need to ask ourselves if we have received Him. This is an important verse. It is God’s first personal message to us in this book. How can one become a child unless he is born? We are introduced to the need for a new birth. It is a birth completely unknown in natural human experience: not of flesh (a physical function) and not of one’s will or choice (an emotional response), but of God (a spiritual, divine source). In this life God does the birthing. There will be more explanation in chapter 3.

14 – The first clause presents the only Christmas story we have in this book. Go to Matthew 1-2 and Luke 2 for the full narrative. This divine Word makes His entrance to the earth to dwell among us, even as He longs to do now. We know He is the divine One because of His glory, which only God has, and His life overflowing with grace and truth. grace - Only God can be genuinely gracious, or freely giving from His own love and abundant nature. Grace and truth came (to the earth) through Jesus Christ. (17)

15-16 - John the writer was not the only one who saw Christ as from the Father. John the baptizer also declares it: This was He! Later we will read John’s full testimony. comes after me – that is, was born. John was six months older than Jesus and began his public ministry before Him. ranked before me – Paraphrased: I am just a sergeant; this One is the generalissimo. was (existed) before me - thus His superior rank. we have all received – not the same idea as the received in v. 12, which involved a personal taking up. This sense makes us automatically the recipient of what God bestows, and could be equated with God’s free gift to mankind that must be received by faith in the earthly appearance of Christ, God’s Son, and His life and death on the cross. The grace comes to all universally, not to certain individuals. grace upon grace - through one giving after another. God’s gift to us through Christ is a full package of heavenly benefits, grace upon (on top of) grace.

17-18 – Two contrasting systems of religion are described, one the system at Christ’s coming and the other because of His coming. The former way was the law that came through Moses, a great prophet and the George Washington of Israel. The law is typical of all religions in that its basis is "do this, do that, do, do, do. We have heard it said, I am a practicing (whatever)." That’s what all world religions do, practice this and that. People hope by their devoted practice they will receive their god’s favor. The other religion is one of grace and truth. Grace says, "You don’t have to do. I (God) have already done everything. All you have to do is receive my gift to you." And this is the ultimate truth; later John declared that Jesus said, I am … the truth. (John 14:6)

Now finally the Word is given a human name, Jesus Christ. This is the One Whom the book is about. When John spoke of all the divine prerogatives that the Word possessed, the divine name was used; but hereafter John will be talking about His human mission, thus the human name. Christ introduces in His ministry another name, the Son. The further mission of Jesus Christ is to reveal God, necessary since we have not seen Him. Most religions have images and tokens that they can see; consequently their faith is based upon sight. But how can we know the true God, Whom we have not seen? It is by faith in a Person, Jesus Christ, not in an item. The oneness of Christ with God is expressed in human terms for our understanding: only begotten Son – the Only One Who was with God and was God. While a heavy theological discussion often devolves from the phrase, it suffices to say that Jesus is the One and Only from God the Father to sinful mankind. Being eternal, He is the Son, Who later became flesh. The title Son was given Him in eternity past (Psalm 2:7) to indicate His separate entity and mission to the earth as King.

The first eighteen verses are often called The Prologue, because they introduce the person and purpose of the divine hero, Jesus Christ. Now let the narrative begin.

19-21 – We have already met John the Baptist. Jerusalem is the holy capital where God’s temple is. The earthly panorama of the Christ unfolds outside of an established religion that was practiced for 1400 years by their fathers. Who are you? - That is, We did not certify or send you. You are unaccredited and outside of established Jewry. John answered that he was not the Christ, the mighty prophet foretold by Moses. (Deuteronomy 18:15)

22-23 – What do you say about yourself? John answers, "I am only a voice, an utterance; but what I have to say is important." Make straight the way of (prepare for) the Lord from heaven. John declares that this One is the fulfillment of the Old Testament (O.T.) prophecy uttered over 700 years earlier by Isaiah. At this point John the Baptist had no idea who this person might be; he just knew directly from God that He was nigh.

24-26 – from the Pharisees – hypocrites who were proud of their perfectionism in religion. We are introduced to the three major antagonists of Jesus Christ: priests, Levites, Pharisees. The first two are the rulers and ministers of religion in Judaism. The Pharisees are prominent people proud of their perfection. We will follow the three through the book to its infamous end. baptize – This was John’s signature work. While practiced by others, we can say that John is the Father of God-ordained baptism. I baptize with water, but … - No matter how authentic John’s baptism was, it fell short of the but. The object of true faith is in the One Whom you do not know, not in the baptism.

27-28 – I am not worthy – John, who was highly esteemed by the people as a great prophet of God, confesses that he is not worthy to serve even as this One’s lackey. These things took place - The geographical reference is incidental to the narrative, but it establishes the fact that John was a historical person ministering in a geographical place.

29-30 – This paragraph presents John the Baptist’s testimony concerning Christ. Behold – See here! Attention! John shifts the attention away from himself to Jesus, as every servant of Christ must do. the Lamb of God – The Jews were well acquainted with lambs, their sacrificial animals. Jesus is immediately presented to the nation as the sacrifice for sin, which sacrifice is sent from and certified by God. God’s Lamb is so much superior to sacrificial lambs. For one, this Lamb takes away…sin. In the O.T. sacrifice, the sin was atoned or covered. But like any covering, whether cloth or paint, it wears off or becomes dirty; so the sacrifice had to be repeated throughout the year. The Lamb’s sacrifice was once for all (Hebrews 9:26). Also in the O.T., the sacrifice was good only for the person offering it; but Christ’s sacrifice is good for the world. Verse 30 is the repeat of 1:15; repetitions are often employed to emphasize the truth.

31-32 – I did not know Him – i.e., I have not been personally acquainted. John and Jesus had never met, although they were distant relatives. John lived his life in Judea, while Jesus was in Galilee, some distance north. (See a map in your Bible) that He might be made known – John baptized in order to introduce Jesus to Israel. I saw the Spirit descending - John’s witness from his own eyesight authenticated his report. It remained upon Him – so very different from the Holy Spirit’s work in the O.T, where the Spirit came upon people for a specific purpose then went from them. As It remained upon Jesus, It does the same for us believers. Do not be upset by the It. The pronoun grammatically refers to the literal word meaning spirit or wind; but the Bible teaches that the Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity.

33-34 – He Who sent me … said to me – How could John know for sure who the Lamb is? God had told John that the Spirit descending would be the sign of His coming. baptizes with the Holy Spirit – speaking of the new birth, in which the Spirit comes into a person and creates a new life (regenerates). The phrase refers more closely to John 3:5 than to I Corinthians 12:13, although the latter, baptizing into the body of Christ, is also a Bible baptism. I have seen – Now John surely knows: See, this is what God told me would come to pass. His undoubted witness is this is the Son of God - the third reference to the Son (also found in v.14 – from the Father, and v.18 – only begotten One), a threefold witness to the deity of Jesus Christ.

35-36 – This new paragraph narrates the call of Jesus’ early disciples. two of his disciples – disciples of John the Baptist, who also had followers and helpers. The two disciples were from Galilee, not the Jordan locale or Judea. Behold … God! – John again diverts the attention away from himself to Jesus. What he had declared to the crowd he now repeats to individuals, his own disciples, as if to say: You should be following Him instead of me.

37-39 – They did follow Jesus. This was a temporary following, since Jesus had not yet embarked on His public ministry. They followed on the strength of godly John’s word, the desire of all pastors and Christian witnesses. What do you seek? Note, not Who! What do you want? Maybe the two curiously desired to learn more about Jesus.