DISCOVERING IN THE OF TRUTH

TEACHER TRAINING SEPTEMBER 2, 2020

1. INTRODUCTION TO . PREPARING TO TEACH . POTENTIAL PREACHING SCHEDULE 4. SUGGESTED STRUCTURAL OUTLINES 5. STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING JOHN Introduction to John

1. John is the Gospel of Truth.

John is the Gospel of Truth. Truth is mentioned 28 times in the book. There are long sections of theology and doctrine, and many of this is not mentioned in other .

• Full of grace and truth. 1.14 • Spirit and Truth. 4.23 • Borne witness to the truth. 5.33 • Truth will set you free. 8.31 • Way the truth and the life. 14.6 • The Spirit of Truth 15.26 • I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. 17.8 • Bear witness to the truth 18.37 • He (John) is telling the truth

Think of the doctrines that come from John.

The Fabric of our faith is woven with theological threads taken from the . The foundation of our faith is built on stones quarried from the Gospel of John.

John is the Gospel of Truth.

2. Truth is a Person

John is the Gospel of Truth. But the way John presents this is not cold or academic.

John is filled with remarkable interactions with people. The woman at the Well, Lazarus, the Story of Nicedemous, these are found only in John.

It is that we find Jesus with the woman at the well. It is in that Jesus refers to Himself as the .

Truth has a name and its Jesus.

John is doctrine in the flesh.

John is truth in person.

In John, interaction with Jesus that is warm and wonderful is met with the bracing reality of his divinity and relationship with the Father.

2

John is Truth in Person. And this is where we get to our title: Discovering Jesus in the Gospel of Truth. To read John is to discover Truth. To read John is to Discover Jesus. To read John is to discover that Jesus is Truth.

Transition: The Truth of Jesus is important to John for Two Reasons:

1.) John Wants us to Believe :30,31

o “These things are written…” o John forces us to move from assent to conviction. o John’s call to belief is evangelistic and faith building. We see Jesus. Really. o Standing on the rubble of our beliefs is the sandal clad feet of Jesus.

2.) John was there. :24,25

o Author § The Author of the book is the Apostle John. § He also wrote the epistles of John, and Revelation. § So, five books in total. o John was there… § Think about this. There is one God, that God had one Son, and in God’s providence His one Son and one closest friend, named John. § So, when the one friend, of the one Son, of the One God writes one Gospel…we listen. o True Testimony § There was a man named Irenaeus who lived about 150 years after Jesus. • “I could tell you the place where the blessed Polycarp sat to preach the Word of God. It is yet present to my mind with what gravity he everywhere came in and went out; what was the sanctity of his deportment, the majesty of his countenance; and what were his holy exhortations to the people. I seem to hear him now relate how he conversed with John and many others who had seen Jesus , the words he had heard from their mouths.”1

Summary

This is the Gospel of Truth and Jesus is Truth in Person. This is important to John because he was there, and he wants us to believe.

So, two big truths to introduce John.

Jesus was Real – He can’t be ignored.

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarp 3

Helps for Teaching John2

John 21:24,25

24 This is the who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

In this simple verse John identifies himself, but then he tells us something remarkable. There is more. This is not all Jesus did. This is not all Jesus said. This makes the words in front of us remarkable for the reason that John is highly selective. He ate with Jesus, was Jesus closest confidant, knew more about Jesus than anyone and with all of that interaction – he chose a very select group of material to write about.

So, here is the question that should haunt every teacher of any Gospel. The question is, why did the writer select this material?

So, this may seem confusing, but it is not. When we interpret an epistle we may be asking, “Why did Paul, or Peter, or James say things this way?” When we are interpreting a Gospel, we are asking “Why did Jesus say or do that?” However, what we know about this episode is selective. It’s not sleight of hand or trickery – after all John tells us in the last verse that he is being selective. I can’t tell you everything, so telling you some things.

You have been provided the Broadman Holman Commentary. Below is a survey of the book by Mac Curnson, and two outlines both by Andreas Kostenberger – one an outline of the book and the other a chronological outline of the life of Christ according to John.

4

DEITY3

If Matthew, Mark, and Luke take us into the Holy Place, John takes us beyond and into the Holy of Holies. In John’s Gospel Jesus is King (1:49), Servant (13:1-17), and Son of Man (4:7;

11:35). But He is preeminently the eternal Son of God who dwelt in the bosom of the Father and He came and He exegeted Him.

Now here is a quick, short outline of John based on 16:28 where Jesus says:

I came out from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father.

I. “I Came forth from the Father” (Prologue) 1:1-18.

II. “And am come into the world” (Ministry) 1:19-12:50

III. “Again, I leave the world” (Upper Room and Garden) 13-17

IV. “And go to the Father” (Arrest, Cross, Burial, Resurrection) 18-21

3 The following material is from Brunson, Mac. “Preparation for Preaching John” Mar. 5, 2013. Expository Preaching Workshop. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. http://swbts.edu/media/item/715/session-6-preparation-for-preaching-john.

5

OMISSIONS & ADDITIONS

No genealogy appears in the Gospel like you find in Matthew and Luke. John is showing that Jesus as God had neither father nor mother, nor beginning or end. He has no birth account, nor is there a lineage because He is the eternal Word. All of this is what John is saying in those magnificent opening words of his gospel.

There is no temptation account in John’s Gospel because God cannot be tempted.

There are no parables there are these great dialogues that Jesus has with various people like and the woman at the well.

There is no account of the transfiguration. You see to John it was not that His glory came busting through in that moment there on the mountaintop with Peter and James and

John. To John the great wonder of it all was that he was able to conceal it behind human flesh for 33 year.

Much of Jesus Galilean ministry is omitted whereas Matthew, Mark, and Luke carry so much of that ministry. John centers on the in and in .

He makes mention of three Passovers (2:13; 6:4; 12:1). John mentions the Feast of

Tabernacles (7:2), and the Feast of Dedication (10:22). Now Matthew, Mark, and Luke only speak of one Passover prior to the Passion.

In John you will note that he pays special attention to things that the others pay no attention to, like geography, or topography, and time references.

There are a number of variations in the gospel of John but remember each of these writers, though writing under inspiration the Holy Spirit does not negate their personalities or 6 life experiences or who they are. They write from such different perspectives. Let me show you just a couple of these variations

The story of Mary of anointing Jesus. In Matthew, Mary poured the oil on His head (26:7). That makes sense in Matthews Gospel because he presents Jesus as King and a

King’s head is where he is anointed.

Now John tells the story differently and has Mary anoint Jesus’ feet (12:3). Well John is writing from the perspective that Jesus is God and where else would we be but at His feet in worship.

John’s Gospel is the only one of the four Gospels where you have Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Now I might expect it in Mark or even Luke, but it comes in John’s Gospel as He shows how far God was willing to condescend to reach us and cleanse us from our sin.

John is always in every way pointing to the deity of Jesus Christ. He does it by pointing out the seamless robe which speaks of the oneness of Jesus and God (19:23).

When they come for Christ in the garden, they all fall to the ground when Jesus opens

His mouth and responds to their question if He is Jesus and He says “I AM.”

From the cross, in the three cries that John records you see His deity.

1. When He cries “I thirst,” He does it in the fulfillment of scripture.

2. He cries out in victory, “It is finished.”

3. He then dismisses His Spirit, which is proof that He controls it all. His life was not taken away from Him, but He laid it down, (10:17-18).

7

THE CONNECTION

I want you to look at how John reveals the connection between God the Father and God the Son. Jesus speaks of God as “My Father” over 30 times. He constantly highlights His

Oneness with the Father:

I. Relation:

1. From the beginning we see the relationship between God the Father and God the Son, 1:1.

2. They had a glorious relationship before the world began, 17:5:

Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. 3. Jesus mentioned the love of the Father that He enjoyed before the foundation of the world,

17:24:

24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

4. He is the only begotten of the Father whom He has that is He has exegeted Him. He is the exegesis of the eternal God, 1:1,14,18.

By the way here is a great place to do a little church History and share about the Church

Councils and what they had to say about the deity of Christ:

-Christ is fully divine Council of Nicaea 325

-Christ is fully human Council of Constantinople 381

-Christ is a unified person Council of Ephesus 431

-Christ is God/Man Council of Chalcedon 451

II. Mission:

Jesus over 30 times speaks of being sent from the Father: 8

-In 7:29 Jesus said, “I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me.”

-In 8:42 Jesus said, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me.”

His mission involved two things:

1. A Message to be proclaimed:

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure. 3:34

2. A sacrifice to be offered:

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 3:17

III. Submission:

Jesus never acted independently. He never uttered a word nor carried out a single act unless He was under the clear direction of the Father. You see this so clearly in the Gospel of

John:

-“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” 6:38

-So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.” 7:16

-“We must work the works of Him who sent Me . . .” 9:4

-“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.” 14:10

Jesus would sum all of this up in :29:

And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

9

REJECTION

Dr. Merrill Tenny stated that there were 26 conversations in the Gospel of John. The word “believe” occurs some 98 times, more than in any other book of the . Remember

John says that these things have been written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

There were private discussions, public discussions. Some were casual, others calculated.

One at night, one at noon. Some accepted, some rejected.

Three times we read of division among the people because of Him (7:43; 9:16; 10:19)

After the resuscitation of Lazarus, many believed, and there were those who plotted His death (11:45, 53).

We are told at the very beginning in 1:11 that He came unto His own and His own received Him not. That very phrase is fascinating. We read that he came to His own (neuter) and His own (masculine) received Him not. We could translate it this way: “He came to His own creation, or created things, but His own people received Him not.”

Now while His created people did not receive Him in John’s gospel the apostle makes it clear He is God of all creation:

-A star led to His place of birth -Waves held Him up on the sea -Wind calmed down at His command -A fig tree withered at His word -Fish obeyed His command to fill empty nets -A dove landed on Him -A rooster crowed twice right on cue -The sun hid its face -The earth quaked at His death and resurrection 10

It was people who rejected Him. The Jews in particular rejected Him which simply echoes

Isaiah’s statement in Isa. 1:3:

“An ox knows its owner, And a donkey its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not understand.”

11

THE SEVENS

The great old commentator A.W. Pink points out that John has a penchant for the number seven which we all know to be the number of completions, or perfection.

*Seven times we read “These things have I spoken to you.”

*Seven times Jesus addresses the woman at the well.

*Seven times Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life.

*Seven times He made mention of “the hour.”

Here are the most significant sevens in the Gospel:

The Seven :

1. Turning water into wine, 2:1-11

2. Healing a nobleman’s son, 4:46-54

3. Healing the cripple at the pool of Bethesda, 5:1-47

4. Feeding the 5,000, 6:1-14

5. Walking on water, 6:15-22

6. Healing a man born blind, 9:1-42

7. Raising Lazarus, 11:1-46

The Seven Witnesses:

The word witness occurs in John more than in all of the other gospels combined, about

46 times in noun or verb form.

1. calls Jesus The Lamb of God, (only in John’s gospel), 1:29, 5:33

2. Nathaniel calls Jesus “Son of God,” and “King of Israel.” 1:49

3. The Samaritan woman said He was the Christ, 4:29. 12

4. Peter’s affirmation that he was the Christ, 6:69.

5. stated that he was the Christ, 11:27.

6. Thomas said “My Lord and My God,” 20:28.

7. The author of the gospel himself in 21:24.

The Seven “I AM’s”:

1. I Am the Bread of Life, 6:35.

2. I Am the , 8:12.

3. I Am the Door, 10:9.

4. I Am the Good Shepherd, 10:11.

5. I Am the Resurrection and the Life, 11:25.

6. I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, 14:6.

7. I Am the , 15:5

13

Outline of John4

“The structure of John’s Gospel based on Jesus’ seven signs may be delineated as follows:”5

I. Prologue: The Word made flesh (1:1–18) II. The : The signs of the (1:19–12:50) A. The forerunner, Jesus’ inaugural signs, and representative conversations (1:19– 4:54) 1. The testimony of John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (1:19– 51) 2. The first sign: Turning water into wine at the wedding at (2:1–12) 3. One of Jesus’ Jerusalem signs: The clearing of the temple (2:13–22) 4. Further ministry in Jerusalem and (2:23–4:42) a. The “teacher of Israel,” Nicodemus (2:23–3:21) b. Interlude: The testimony of John the Baptist (3:22–36) c. The Samaritan woman (4:1–42) 5. The second sign at Cana: The healing of the royal official’s son (4:43–54) B. Additional signs amid mounting unbelief (5:1–10:42) 1. At an unnamed feast in Jerusalem: The healing of the lame man (5:1–47) 2. Galilean Passover: Feeding the multitude and the (6:1–71) 3. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1–8:59) a. First teaching cycle (7:1–52) b. Second teaching cycle (8:12–59) 4. The healing of the blind man and the good shepherd discourse (9:1–10:42) a. Jesus heals a blind man (9:1–41) b. Jesus the good shepherd (10:1–42) C. Final Passover: The climactic sign—the raising of Lazarus—and other events (11:1–12:19) 1. The raising of Lazarus (11:1–57) 2. The anointing at Bethany (12:1–11) 3. The triumphal entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19) D. Conclusion (12:20–50) 1. The dawning age of the Gentiles: Jesus predicts his death (12:20–36) 2. The signs of the Messiah rejected by the old covenant community (12:37–50) III. The Book of Glory: Jesus’ preparation of the new messianic community and his passion (13:1–20:31) A. The cleansing and instruction of the new messianic community, including Jesus’

4 Kostenberger, Andreas. The Gospel of John. Baker Exegetical Commentary of the . Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. 5 Kostenberger, Andreas. The Gospel of John. Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. 14

final prayer (13:1–17:26) 1. The cleansing of the community: The foot washing and Judas’s departure (13:1–30) a. The foot washing (13:1–17) b. The betrayal (13:18–30) 2. Jesus’ final instructions: The (13:31–16:33) a. Jesus’ departure and sending of the Spirit (13:31–14:31) b. Jesus the true vine (15:1–17) c. The Spirit and the disciples’ witness to the world (15:18–16:33) 3. Jesus’ parting prayer (17:1–26) B. The passion narrative (18:1–19:42) 1. The betrayal and (18:1–11) 2. Jesus questioned by the high priest, denied by Peter (18:12–27) 3. Jesus before Pilate (18:28–19:16a) 4. Jesus’ crucifixion and burial (19:16b–42) C. Jesus’ resurrection and appearances and the commissioning of his disciples (20:1–29) 1. The (20:1–10) 2. Jesus appears to (20:11–18) 3. Jesus appears to his disciples (20:19–23) 4. Jesus appears to Thomas (20:24–29) D. Conclusion: The signs of the Messiah witnessed by the new messianic community (20:30–31) IV. Epilogue: The complementary roles of Peter and the disciple Jesus loved (21:1–25) A. Jesus appears to seven disciples (21:1–14) B. Jesus and Peter (21:15–19) C. Jesus and the disciple Jesus loved (21:20–25)

15

Chronology of Jesus’ Ministry in John’s Gospel6

Time Location/Event John

Origin 1:1–18

eternity past the Word was with God 1:1–18

Initial ministry, A.D. 29–30 1:19–2:12

summer/fall 29 John the Baptist near the 1:19–34 Jordan

subsequently Jesus’ calling of his first 1:35–51 disciples

winter 29/spring 30 the wedding at Cana of 2:1–12

First Passover and first full year 2:13–4:54 of ministry, A.D. 30–31

April 7, 30 Jesus’ first Passover 2:13–3:21 (Jerusalem), temple clearing

spring/summer 30 John the Baptist near the 3:22–36 Jordan

Dec./Jan./Feb. 30/31? Jesus’ ministry in Samaria 4:1–45

subsequently the healing at Cana of Galilee 4:46–54

6 Kostenberger, Andreas. The Gospel of John. Baker Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. 16

Second year of ministry, A.D. 5:1–47 31–32

March 27, 31 Passover not recorded in John Matt. 12:1 pars.?

Oct. 21–28, 31? the Sabbath controversy 5:1–47 (Jerusalem)

Second Passover recorded in 6:1–11:54 John and third year of ministry, A.D. 32–33

April 13 or 14, 32 Jesus’ second Passover 6:1–21 recorded in John (Galilee)

subsequently Jesus’ teaching in the 6:22–71 synagogue of

Sept. 10–17, 32 Jesus at the Feast of 7:1–52; 8:12–59 Tabernacles (Jerusalem)

Oct./Nov. 32? healing of blind man, good 9:1–10:21 shepherd discourse

Dec. 18–25, 32 Jesus at the Feast of Dedication 10:22–39 (Jerusalem)

Jan./Feb. 33? Jesus’ withdrawal to the area 10:40–42 near the Jordan

March 33? the raising of Lazarus (Bethany 11:1–53 near Jerusalem)

March 33? Jesus’ withdrawal to Ephraim 11:54

17

Third Passover in John, passion 11:55–21:25 week, resurrection appearances, A.D. 33

Friday, March 27, 33 Jesus arrives at Bethany 11:55–12:1

Saturday, March 28, 33 dinner with Lazarus and his 12:2–11 sisters

Sunday, March 29, 33 “triumphal entry” into 12:12–50 Jerusalem

Monday–Wednesday, March cursing of fig tree, temple Synoptics 30–April 1, 33 clearing, temple controversy,

Thursday, April 2, 33 Jesus’ third Passover recorded 13:1–18:11 in John (Jerusalem), betrayal, arrest

Friday, April 3, 33 Jewish and Roman trials, 18:12–19:42 crucifixion, burial

Sunday, April 5, 33 the empty tomb, first 20:1–25 resurrection appearance

Sunday, April 12, 33 second resurrection 20:26–31 appearance recorded in John before May 14, 33 third resurrection appearance 21:1–25 recorded in John

18

Strategies for Teaching through John7

1. Remember The Purpose a. The purpose of the book is to demonstrate that Jesus of is in fact God. b. Watch to see how John develops that theme.

2. Remember to teach the text of the event a. Because John is writing with a specific purpose and theme, he will include some things we think are not that important and he will exclude things we think are important. b. He will also emphasize things in order to accomplish his purpose. c. Therefore, our responsibility is not to reconcile this with other Gospels, but to use this as an illustration of John pitching to His purposes.

3. Remember that the Gospel is highly selective. Not everything about the life of Christ was written down. Therefore, what was recorded is highly selective.

7 Smith, Steven. Recapturing the Voice of God: Preaching God’s Word God’s Way. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2015.

19

Potential Preaching Schedule This is the direction that, while subject to interruptions, we are heading.

Date Text Title Sept. 20 Introduction Sept. 27 1:1-5,9 What we must believe about Jesus Oct. 4 1:10-18 The Word became flesh Oct. 11 1.19-37;6-8,15 Witness Oct. 18 1.35-51 Called to Follow Oct. 25 2:1-11 Manifested Glory Nov. 1 2:12-25 The Cleansing of the Temple Nov. 8 3:1-14 Born Again Nov. 15 3:9-21 Born Again II Nov. 22 3:22-36 He > I Nov. 29 Christmas Dec 6 Christmas Dec 13 Christmas Dec 20 Christmas Dec 27 Stand Alone Sermon

20

Textual Divisions This illustrates an attempt to identify the structure of each passage.

John 1.1-5,9 What we must believe about Jesus.

1. Jesus is eternal with the Father. v.1,2 2. Jesus created all things v. 3 3. Jesus is the light v.4,5,9

John 1.10-18 The Word Became Flesh

1. The people did not see the light. v.9-11 a. Thus, John’s insistence on light and truth. 2. Those who received him and believed became children of God. v.12,13 3. The word became flesh. v.14 4. We received grace upon grace. v.16-18

John 1.19-37 (6-8,15) Witness

1. John introducing John Introducing John the Baptist. v.6-8, 15 2. John introducing Himself. v.19-28 3. John introducing Jesus. v.28-37

John 1.35-51 Called to Follow Setting: v.1,2 Scene One, v.35-43 The first wave of disciples is gathered. Scene Two, v.43-50 Jesus calls Phillip and Nathaniel

John 2.1-11 Manifested Glory Setting v.1,2 Wedding Scene One, v.3-5 There was a wedding with no Wine Jesus says his hour is not come. It’s not like he is thinking, speaking of Whine Scene Two v.6-8 Jesus commands them to fill the jars. Scene Three v.9-11 Jesus turned water into wine and manifested His glory.

John 2:13-25 Jesus Cleanses the Temple Setting v.13-15 Money changers are in the temple. Scene One v.15-17 Jesus drives them out Scene Three v.18-22 Jesus prophesies his resurrection. Scene Four v.23-25 This time produced believers who did not believe.

21

John 3.1-8 Born Again8 Setting v.1, 2 An honest seeker has a question for Jesus. Q and A 1, v.2-3 You must be born again. The necessity of it. Q and A 2, v. 4-8 Being Born is again is by water and the Spirit.

John 3.9-21 Born Again II Setting v.9-15 How can this be? He is still answering the question of v.9. He is still directing his answer to unbelief. This is an unpacking of unbelief. 1. God sent His Son. v. 16 2. God sent his Son and those who believe are not condemned. v.17-18 3. God sent His son and those who do not believe are condemned. v.19-21

John 3.22-36 He > I Setting. v.22-24, Jesus and John are baptizing 1. He must increase but I must decrease. V.25-30 2. Jesus comes from the Father. v.31-36

8 This text is one long dialogue. Instead of scenes it will be clearer to talk in question and answer. 22

Sources

Brunson, Mac. “Preparation for Preaching John” Mar. 5, 2013. Expository Preaching Workshop. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. http://swbts.edu/media/item/715/session-6-preparation-for-preaching-john.

Kostenberger, Andreas. Gospel of John. Baker Exegetical Commentary. Grand Rapids, Baker, 2004.

Smith, Steven. Recapturing the Voice of God: Preaching God’s Word God’s Way. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2015.