 Good morning and welcome to the New Testament Survey BC103. Last class we studied the facts of the Gospel of John and today we will look into the Gospel I went to it. Let me share the presentation. March. Okay. Okay, so what did we understand from the Gospel on last class? Anyone would like to share? What was our understanding? What did we learn about the Gospel of John and last class? Anyone from the class? The Gospel? The Gospel of John is also known as the Book of the Son of God. Book of the Son of God, yes. Thanks. The Gospel of John is the fourth of the New Testament Gospels and John's Gospel is the only Gospel which is not under the synoptic Gospels. So the first three Gospels focuses more on Jesus Christ, what he thought and what he did. And Gospel of John focuses more on the deity of Jesus, who Jesus is. So John's Gospel was written to the world, to the universe. Well, and he emphasizes in the Gospel of John that about God's love, God's love for and on Jesus' ministry to the world. We see two purposes. Last class we studied on the two purpose. If anyone have noted down, can you list out the two purpose? The very purpose of why the Gospel of John was written. Though it was written approximately about 20 years from the synoptic Gospels. John didn't make this Gospel duplicate, but he wrote the things that was not covered in Matthew, Mark and Luke. So what was the very purpose for Apostle John to write this Gospel? Anyone from the class? We discussed on two main purpose. Anyone from the class? What was the two main purpose that we discussed? Okay, the first purpose we discussed was John's Gospel was intended to be evangelistic. So this Gospel is used for almost all the evangelism purpose. That was one of the reason why they print out only John's Gospel and give it as a track in the evangelism. The second purpose was, as the Gnosticism was very common in the days and the time when John was living, to defend the deity of Jesus. So John intends to write the Gospel of John to verify the deity of Jesus Christ, to defend the deity of Jesus Christ. So he writes it against the Greek heresy. So John's Gospel would also be used to return to refutation, that is a denial of the Gnosticism that was spreading in those days. Okay, been discussed on that. We also see that, yeah. So John's Gospel contains no parable like the synoptic Gospels. Only seven miracles are mentioned in this Gospel, out of which two are very common to the other Gospels which we see. That is, yeah, two are very common. And we also see some of the scholars who address this Gospel. Clement of Alexandria called the Gospel of John as a spiritual Gospel. And John Calvin said, John's Gospel, he says it this way, it is the key which opens the door to the understanding of the other Gospels. So this Gospel seemed to be very important because it is talking more of Jesus as the Son of God. When you go through the Gospel, we understand that the chronology of the Lord's earthly ministry is understood very well in this Gospel. Why? Because the annual feast is referred in John's Gospel, gives us the duration of Christ's ministry on the South, approximately about three years. How? Where it is mentioned about the Passover. We see in chapter 2 and about the first Passover and in chapter 6, it talks about the second Passover. And in chapter 12, it talks about the third Passover. So in that, by those reference, we know that his ministry on the South, there were three passovers that he left him. So apart from these, there are other references of the other festivals which they celebrated. We see that in chapter 5, 7 and 10. And as a casual reader, we can also make the John's Gospel as other features which are very different from the Synoptic Gospel. So John's Gospel mostly deals with same-sequent events found in the other Gospels well. It is also different in the style and structure where it is highly theological and it deals particularly with the nature of the person of Christ by believing in him. So let's look into some of the characteristics about which portrays the place of the Old Testament. When we see that the John's Gospel shows that Jesus was part of their history and that the Jews were rejecting Jesus. And we see that when Jesus came to Temple, we see that he claimed a very rightful, he had the authority over the place. And that disturbed the Jewish leader. And we also see the Jewish leader recognized the authority that Jesus carried as a teacher. When Jesus disclosed to himself, when he wrote about possessing the secret salvation, Jesus judged the people. Jesus instructed the people around them hearing this teaching not to testify, not to share it with others. Moreover, he maintained that those who believed Moses would also believe him. So he made very clear, he made some of the Old Testament references and he brought the scriptures out to the people so that they could recognize the Messiah. And the people were waiting for was Jesus. So in this Gospel, we also see there is a teaching of the Holy Spirit. We see that more lots teaching about the Holy Spirit in this Gospel than in any other. We see in the speech of Nicodemus where the work of the Spirit is in regeneration has been brought out clearly. We also see it is difficult to predict the operation of the Spirit even it is as of the minute. So the Lord insists the spiritual nature of God which requires therefore spiritual nature of worship. We also see some of the prevalent themes that took place in this. John tends to present different themes like light, life, love, truth, abiding in this Gospel. John also portrays Jesus as a son of God and not as son of man. So with that we see how he opens the John's Gospel. John in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God. And the nature of the Word was God. So by identifying Christ with this Word of God, the Gospel introduces one of the major theme here. That is far more than any of the other synoptic Gospel. We see that the John's Gospel identifies Christ with God rather than according to him as a secondary status. So about first 18 verses in chapter 1, the first 18 verses which is also known as the prologue summarizes the story of Jesus. And it gives us the central place to Christ's rejection by the Jews. So the Gospel begins in account of the life of Jesus which is the baptism by the John the Baptist and there is recruitment of the disciples. So the next episode is the wedding of Cana where Jesus performs his first miracle when he transforms the water into wine for the feast. We also see Jesus begins to travel with his disciples and taking a large crowd and individuals in conversation with the Pharisees that who are the Jewish religious authorities those days. And also we see a private session which we had with Nicodemus and we also see Jesus pledges something here. He says, whoever believe with Hennem that is in John 3.16. Let me see, whoever believe with Hennem shall not perish but have everlasting life. So he performs the second miracle healing the time, the son of a noble man. And then later we see that he goes into Jerusalem and there Jesus made some of the people and healed the sick and all this leads to some of the conflict with the Jewish leaders and the authorities who late accuse him of violating the law. So why because he healed the person on a Sabbath day. So the huge cry still then this act of Jesus healing a person on a Sabbath day stirred the Jewish anger which actually made them plan to slay Jesus. And later we see Jesus just moved from the crowd and then he goes to a different place and you see a large crowd follows Jesus wherever he went. So Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee and there you see again the crowd followed Jesus. And we also saw how Jesus miraculously feeds the 5000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread. So excited by this miracle the crowd tries to proclaim Jesus as the king. But then every time when the crowd tries to exalt Jesus you see Jesus withdraws himself because he knows that he will get into trouble with the other Jewish authorities. So what he does is because his time is not yet come he will move on one place to the other preaching the kingdom of God and he sails away. And when he is sailing away to a different place and near he shows his disciples when Jesus walks across the water and the disciples who had a watch over that they were amazed and scared. Then you know what happened Peter also tries to walk on water just like Jesus did and yes he was the only person to walk on water just like Jesus. So yeah we know what happened when he took away the sight from Jesus and he saw the storm coming. You know his faith was shaken he was strong and then he sought the help of Jesus and the next time we also see whenever there was a huge crowd following Jesus. You see Jesus encouraged the crowd was encouraged to seek seeking more of the miracles but Jesus emphasized on the teaching. Jesus gave the word to them for them to seek to know him to understand who he was. So we also see the Jewish leaders or the authorities attempted to trap Jesus by setting him on a moral problem. They brought to him a woman who was found guilty of adultery and pointing out that the spiritual law requires she needs to be stopped today. Well Jesus in this case knowing the intention of the people of the reason why they brought her to him he says he that is without sin among you should cast the first stone. And we know the story what happened right one after the other they dropped the stone and they went away. And Jesus looked at the women and he said he when I will cast and he said go and sin. And the next time at the temple in Jerusalem where the Jewish people were seated Jesus declares that I and my father are by this very declaration choose in the audience. Threatened to stone them for this declaration they felt it was a blasphemy. So he and his disciples escapes from that place and they go to a different place Jordan because there was a danger this place by the Jewish authorities. So Jesus soon returns to Judea and there after certain days he heard about Lazarus his friend is ill he is sick. But then by the time Jesus comes to his house Lazarus was no he was dead. And we know the story how Jesus was moved at the news of Lazarus but not alive. Though he knew that he has the power to resurrect him but then he wept he was emotionally moved. So he goes near the tomb and he says Lazarus rise come out. The minute there was a power in this word the word carried the power to raise Lazarus from death. And Lazarus comes out from the tomb and Jesus resurrected him. So after that incident we also see the other places where it talks about the Jewish feast of Passover. Jewish feast of Passover approaches and Jesus returns to Jerusalem so the town people greeted him with the branches of palm tree. So the style of the ruler coming been invited into the kingdom. So Jesus rides into the city on a cold then it narrates that this fulfills a scripture prophecy saying fear not daughter of Zion behold thy came come it sitting on a as to what happened at the feast of Passover. Jesus knows that his disciples that his disciples Judas scarred intense to betray him to the Jewish authorities. But still Jesus washes his feet and offers them further teaching to prepare them for the life after he has gone. So they have dinner together and he goes and then he takes all the disciples and goes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. And by the spring there the soldiers come there with the Jewish high priest Skype is arrested. And after Jesus been arrested we also discussed the powerful word when Jesus addresses himself to the soldiers about to the soldiers saying that I am. The minute Jesus said I am you saw that how the power made the soldiers fall to the ground. It said that he was arrested Deacon in front of Kyve into the custody of Kyfus and Jesus was handed over to the Roman government Pontius Pilate. And now Pilate refuses to sentence him because of what his wife wants him and instead he offers the assembled crowd of Jews to make a choice on his life. And he will release either Jesus or a thief Parabas. So what did the crowd say? The Jewish crowd chose Parabas a thief to be released instead of Jesus. So Pilate orders exactly what was the request made by the crowd. And you see and Pilate orders Jesus to be whipped and crucified so that the word will be filled. Every prophecy which was prophesied by the prophets in the Old Testament will be fulfilled in Jesus. So now you see Jesus was mocked by his executioners and forced to carry that heavy wooden cross and walk through the Mount Calvary that is Kolkota with the words. You know and then we know what happened he was crucified on the cross. He carried the cross willingly he went on the cross willingly he submitted himself completely without holding himself back. You see there was a sacrifice offered he offered himself willingly on the cross to God to be sacrificed to save each of us. And on the cross as Jesus narrated all the seven words. Lastly he said it is finished and he said into your hands Father into your hands I command my spirit. Jesus walked in his life exactly according to what his father intended. Because in the Gospel of John let me read he says I do not do anything of myself other than what I hear and see what my father does. He just walked his life in the love and in obedience to thing. When we read the Gospel of John you see the whole gospel focuses on two things. Love of the father obedient of the son. God when Jesus loved his father and he loved us so much that he walked in obedience to the father until his death until his death. Jesus died as body is taken to the tomb one of his disciples was with him mounted his body and sealed the tomb was sealed with a heavy stone. Now three days later Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus comes to the tomb and she finds that the stone has been rolled up. And in the tomb she finds two angels turning away. She finds the angel there and the stone was rolled away she encounters an angel saying why are you keeping? It means to the person that the tomb is empty and the angel instructs her saying go tell your disciples that Jesus is risen and we will meet you all at Galilee. And that evening he also appears to his disciples one of them lost to the short. He also appears on the road of Emmaus and at the Galilee appears to all the disciples but that one of the disciples who was not there refused to believe him. Again Jesus appears to the disciple and this time to John who did not believe in Jesus. Now he shows himself he says Thomas come touch and see. And he also ate the fish after his resurrection he ate the fish so he is in Jesus now he is glorified. And when Thomas touched his body he could feel Jesus and he believed. The minute Jesus the minute Thomas touched he believed and what did Thomas say? My Lord and my God. The two things of what he said expresses two things. One he accepted that Jesus you are the Lord and secondly also repented that my Lord and my God is saying Lord please forgive me that I didn't believe you in the first place. Like the man said help me in my unbelief. Today you and I can be at the place of this Thomas. Many times we get to believe in the things that what we would see. But the scripture says blessed are the ones who believe without seeing. And we see the Thomas was convicted he repented and that was that cry that comes direct from his heart saying my Lord and my God. And the gospel concludes by identifying the author. And here we see in the gospel of John we see this assures all the disciples that the spirit will teach them all things. He recalls in their mind what Jesus had said that he will be a witness to Christ which will be his main function. And in the scripture we see that when we read even in John 14 16. Can I request you to read 14 16 because that's the assurance we also read it last class. But I wanted to read it again. Can I request one of you all to read John chapter 14 verse 16. And I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever. Thank you. See Jesus is assuring through this gospel not only to the disciples if to each of us that you're not left alone. You're not left alone. In fact I am with each of you everywhere wherever you are I am with you because when I go to my father I will pray the Father. He shall give you another comforter. Comforter is no one than the Holy Spirit. So that he may abide with you forever. So he may not be a visitor like how in the Old Testament it used to happen but then he will abide with each of us. He also goes further and we read chapter 16. Can I request one of you all chapter 16 verse 13 to 15. However when he the spirit of truth has come he will guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority. But whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you things to come and will glorify me for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has mine for I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you. Amen. Thank you. Thank you. So whatever. So this is the assurance that Jesus is giving to you and saying that he will take whatever is mine will be yours. He will guide you with all truth so you don't have to be afraid that there's no one with you. That Jesus himself is with you. He will guide you with all truth and he will lead you. And he says that he will glorify me for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you because all things the Father has are mine. Therefore I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you. So the very theme of this Gospel you see that is John 3 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only son Jesus Christ to each of us. So Jesus Christ is the son of God and he gave himself completely all men. So that whoever believes in it will have eternal life. As the Gospel of John focuses on two things love and obedience. The love that this Gospel talks about is defined by Jesus a sacrifice completely on the cross. So this love that Jesus sacrificed is that love is in us. When we accept Jesus as a Lord and Savior each of us are intended to carry God's love with this extent. And that's why Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself. It's a sacrificial love. Love that is selfless. Love that puts other person first. Concentrate for others being concentrate for others. Being loved by God is knowing God that he loves me. And because I know that he loves me I need to carry his nature in me so that I can love others selflessly. So we need to be in the place of loving another selflessly. Because that is the love of God that flows in and through us. And when we have this love of God it should also be easy for us to obey God. Obey God. Obedience is nothing but is the nature that flows out of God's love. So when we say that we are the child of God we need to obey God in every way. So that our life may be pleasing to him. So this is God's love. This is what God is expecting in and through us. So this is the outcome. When we reach out to the gospel Christ nature of love and obedience should become our nature. So that's the one of the privilege for us when we study the gospel especially the gospel of John. That should be the outcome of our nature. God's love to become in us. So that we may lead our life just like how Jesus did. So it would be a privilege for us to share God's love. God lavishly poured out upon us where we model our self the love of God that selfless love of God that is within us. So knowing God's love is also being obedient to him. Being obedient to him, to his word, to his call, to the purpose that God has called each of us. When you are obedient you see through the walk of a life we fulfill God's call and the very purpose that God has called each of us. So with that we complete the gospel of John and I open it to the class. If you would like to share out the Gospels, all four Gospels has impacted you personally as changed to the encounter that you had with Jesus through these Gospels. If there is anything I would encourage you all to please unmute and share your experience, your learning from all four Gospels. Gospels, Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Or you can post from the chat which I can read it out to the class. Over to the class. Over to the class, anyone in the class. You can unmute and share. What was your learning? As we've seen as Nina, John has said, these are writings that you may believe that Jesus is Christ. Yes. Anyone else would like to share? Rin, what was your learning? Come on, I know you were attentive in the class. Pastor, what I've learned, the book that actually really impacted me was the book of the Gospel of Mark because it talks about how Jesus is portrayed as a servant. And I mean, I've learned a lot from that book, like how to serve others and that it's better to serve and that Jesus, even though he has got himself, he came to the earth to serve and not to be served even though he deserved it. And yeah, that was really impacting for me. And this is what I've been trying to apply in my life each day. And yeah, thank you so much. Thanks, Rin, for sharing that. It was wonderful. Yes, that book impacts on the serving nature of Christ, which enable us to have that attitude within us. Like if Jesus could sit down to the level of a slave, where according to the Jewish tradition, I'm just trying to recall that even a Jewish slave would not be allowed to wash the feet of the leg. But then Jesus took down to that level and he was ready to serve. So we need to humble ourselves and be available to serve. Yes, Shri, I see your hand raised. Ma'am, yes, I'm with my colleagues. Okay, I understand my answer. Ma'am, I think Luke is what I like, what impact would be because it's much detailed oriented. And it's most of what pleases him is in order. And I like Luke because of that. It gives a good background as I mentioned before. I like how he is when he is on the street always when he's on the street. That's why I like the question of Luke. Okay, yes. Thank you for sharing Gospel of Luke. Yes, Luke being a physician, he was highly eloquent in his writing. He had a deep knowledge of what he was writing. Yes, he described Jesus, the birth of Jesus. He is the genealogy of Jesus in a very detailed manner. Thank you for sharing that, Sean. Anyone else would like to share what was your learning from all the four Gospels as we have completed the study of the four Gospels? Anyone from the class? Karen, seem to be silent. Jacken, would you like to share? Yeah, I was just typing and sure. So for me, it was like all through it was like Jesus, even though he was a king, he had the authority, he had the right to do everything, whatever he pleased. He was a sovereign God, but he chose to come down as a servant for our sake. So that shows he just was focused on what the Father wanted him to do. And that made him to give up all his things like his authority. He could have done anything when he could have used those rights when he lived those days, but he never chose to use any of his rights as God. So he lived as a man and went through everything. And even today, that's something that impacted me was like when we saw the Gospel of John that Jesus knew about Judas and then he chose to wash his feet. So that shows his unconditional love and the love and obedience that he had. So if I focused on that love, nothing can shake me because that love is always with me. So he's so close, he's so near. So with that love, I can love others and also be the light that he wants me to be. It's not in my own strength. It's not in my own power. I can never do it, but I can. The good news is it has impacted me so much that I can because Jesus did it and Jesus is with me. The Holy Spirit is given to me. He's always reciting. Amen. Thank you. Thank you again for opening up and sharing that shows how much impact the word can do in each of us. Yes. When we study all the four Gospel, the Gospel should, you know, through the, when we study the Gospel, we should encounter Jesus. It should become more real to us. When we encounter and when he becomes more real to us, just like how chicken said, it becomes much closer than the breath that we breathe. It becomes so real to us. His presence becomes so tangible, just like how the disciples those days encountered Jesus, they're where they are witness. We also can witness him by his tangible presence because word of God says where two and three are gathered in my name. I am there. The word of God also says when you call upon my name, I am there. So God being present with us. He is Emmanuel. He is a God who is with us. He is so true to his word. When we speak his word, when we read his word, his word becomes life and real. The word that was in the beginning during the creation, it's the same word which became flesh and came down onto this earth. The same word has become a spirit now is indwelling within us. So this manifestation power, we can witness it. It becomes more tangible when we read his word. When we read his word because this word is life. This word has breath. This word is living. When we read it becomes real to us. It gives life into our body. And it reveals it. It gives a clear understanding to our mind to understand the revelation of God. The word of God says when you read God, the word of God gives us the understanding to understand the word. Not everyone who can read, read and understands the word. No, it is the spirit who enables us to understand because the love that we carry within ourselves. Knowing our spirit which yearns and seeks to know more. And that's when God realizes, okay, this is my son, this is my daughter, reading the word to know me more. And to them, he reveals himself. Not to everyone. Not to everyone. That's why Jesus spoke in parables. When he spoke in parables, not everyone around him understood what he was saying. But then he revealed it to the simple people who were there. He could reveal. God just opened up their understanding that they may understand of what he's been saying. And it has been hidden from the people who are actually trying to find fault of others. Here we also see Shiv Kumar post, the obedient, the love, the obedience and his focus on doing the will of God is what are required from us. Leadership skills in training is disciples is the need. This is very true, very true. Thank you so much for sharing that, Shiv Kumar. Very true. So class, as we walk through the gospel, I would recommend you all to read. I believe that you would have read each and every gospel. I request you all to let this be in our mind and in our heart. Even the season as we go through, let's read and learn more because this word should become real into us. We need to encounter Jesus in our life through this word so that we may also be like Jesus. We may live like Jesus with that complete love and obedience to the Father. So with that we will end the second with the word of prayer. Dear God, we thank you. We praise you. We love you. We honor you. Lord, with all our heart, Lord, we thank you for the life of Jesus, for your son, Jesus Christ, who came into this world, who died on the cross for each of his. He gave himself to us willingly, Father. He was the perfect sacrifice of God. With his, through his blood, Lord, we are redeemed. We are forgiven. We have been restored back to the love of the Father. Through which we can call God our Father, our Father. Lord, we thank you for the work that you did with the cross of Father. Thank you for the restoration, Lord. Thank you that the love for God is restored in each of our heart of Father. Lord, I pray that as we study the gospel, Lord, we pray that we will walk in love and obedience the way that Jesus was. Father, let this be in our nature, Lord. Father, I pray that you will change and transform each of our heart, Lord. Each of our heart be transformed to the love of God, to the obedience of God. That daily life, so that we may seek you day in and day out and fulfill the call that you have called each of us. Father.