In the Introduction Section You Want to Have Them Read John 8:24 and Then 8:58

In the introduction section you want to have them read John 8:24 and then 8:58. Then ask how could Jesus be around before Abraham if chronologically Abraham was on this earth 3000 years before Jesus?

Then turn to Exodus 3:14 and explain that when Moses had asked God what He wanted to be called God said call me “I AM.” The point is Jesus is God.

Then introduce the study saying: Today we are going to ask the question who is Jesus. As Christians we claim to follow after Jesus. In order to follow someone we must know about them. In the gospel of John there are several times when Jesus tells us who he is, using the phrase I AM. We are going to look at the times when these are used and hopefully get a better understanding of Jesus.

Box 1:

Read: John 6:35,41,48, and 51. Ask: What did Jesus claim to be in these verses? (Bread of Life) Say: In this section Jesus is comparing himself with bread. Bread is a fundamental part of life. In ancient cultures having bread was the difference between life and death. In fact Jesus had just finished feeding thousands of people with bread and fish. The point Jesus wants us to get from this is that in order for us to have spiritual sustenance we must have Jesus.

Box 2:

Read: John 8:12 and 9:5 Ask: Who did Jesus claim he was in these verses? (The light of the world) Ask: What does light do to darkness? (Illuminates it). Say: Jesus here shows that the world we live in is in the dark spiritual. The only way we can see how to live in this world is to allow Jesus to be our light.

Box 3: Read John 10:7,9. Ask: Jesus describes himself as what in these verses? (The door or gate). Ask: What is he the door to? (Salvation). John is showing us that if we want to be in a saved position we must go through Jesus. Without Jesus we would be unable to enter into the pasture of salvation.

Box 4: Read: John 10:11, 14. Ask: What did Jesus claim to be in these verses? (Good Shepherd). What will the good shepherd do? (Lay his life down for his sheep). How do we know if we are His sheep? (If He knows us and we know Him). The point is if we want to the benefits of Jesus death we must know Jesus and make sure He knows us. If we do not know Jesus then His death means nothing to us, but if we have a relationship with Jesus we have the full benefits of the death of Jesus.

Box 5: Read: John 13:13. Ask: Who does Jesus claim to be? (Teacher and Lord). Here is the importance of this double title. First, as the teacher Jesus instructs us on how to live like God wants us to. Second, as the Lord Jesus has the authority to tell us what to do.

Box 6: Read: John 15:1, 5. Ask: What is Jesus statement here? (True Vine). If you think about a tree trunk you understand the trunk sends the necessary nutrients to everything connected to it. Branches connected to the trunk will grow and be fruitful, branches that are not will wither in die (Use an illustration from around Corcoran). Being connected to Jesus as the true vine is the difference from bearing fruit for God or dying spiritually.

Box 7: Read John 14;6. Jesus here states He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Read 14:1-5 What is Jesus the way to? (heaven). If we want to get to heaven who must we follow? (Jesus). Without Jesus we would not know the truth that will set us free from sin, we would not have the light needed to walk like God wants us to and we would not have a way to get to God. Without Jesus we would have no hope of heaven.

Box 8: Read 11:25. In this section of Scripture Jesus is going to raise up Lazarus in order to prove He truly has the power to raise people up from the dead. In a physical sense this is proven by Lazarus but Jesus really is trying to teach us the spiritual truth that He can raise us from our sinful state into New Life. Jesus is the only person who can give us new spiritual life.

Conclusion:

If we want spiritual food who can give it to us? (Jesus) If we want light in the world of darkness who will shine for us? (Jesus) If we want the door to salvation and the way to heaven who provides that? (Jesus). If we want to bear spiritual fruit who must we be connected to? (Jesus) If we want the benefits of the death of Christ who must we know? (Jesus)

Jesus teaches us two things about himself in the gospel of John. First that He is God and second that we need Him. That is what we will end this study with today. Jesus is God and We Need Him.