Gospel of John Week 2
Week 2: John 1:19-34
To explore the Scriptures and learn to interact with them in both a personal and small group setting. We will systematically be working our way through the Gospel of John. Our sermon series will be working through John in such a way that we will always have studied the passage before it is preached which should enable you to go even deeper into the text. As a group, if you have a great discussion on the sermon, don't feel like you have to more on. You are welcome to do the rest at home as a personal study. Time allotments are suggestions only.
General guidelines
❖ Manuscript studies are done best at a table
❖ As a group you can decide if you want to do the self study on your own at home and just come together to discuss your observations (should you do this you will get more out of your time together and you will have extra time for prayer and fellowship but it’s a commitment everyone should make)
❖ For those that gather bi-weekly it’s a good idea to do a self study the week you are not meeting so that you can move at the same pace as everyone else.
❖ New studies will be available each Friday at www.newtonpres.org/small-groups/ and also through your small group leaders.
❖ We will provide the manuscript for you each week, it’s on the final page.
Sermon review (5 min)
❖ Begin with a discussion question or ice breaker
❖ Going deeper from Sunday:
➢ Recall the gist of the sermon.
➢ Was there anything that got you thinking?
➢ What was your primary take home?
If you have not heard the sermon for this week yet we encourage you to go to http://www.newtonpres.org/sermonsresources
Ideas and questions for your personal study time (15 min)
(please note the use of colored pencils is completely optional)
❖ Read passage multiple times - what do you observe?
➢ Look for repeated words and ideas (green)
➢ Look for contrasts (red); comparisons (blue)
➢ Are there pivotal words, new ideas?
➢ Do you notice any cause and effect?
➢ What is everything you learn about the characters?
➢ Where do you see God mentioned or at work? (yellow)
➢ How does the story or teaching progress, develop, flow?
➢ What is the main idea? Is there a key verse? (orange)
➢ What do you observe about the tone and themes/big ideas? (purple)
❖ Make notations in the margins regarding the following:
➢ what impresses or intrigues you?
➢ what perplexes or concerns you?
➢ what would you like to bring to the group for discussion?
➢ what do you need to integrate or apply to your thinking, life or activity?
➢ what insights, implications and applications have surfaced for you personally?
Small group discussion (30 min)
When you begin your group discussion, it’s important that you spend time looking at what the text says before you discuss what it means. Everyone in the group will notice different aspects of the text, so encourage everyone to participate by asking open ended questions (like those listed in the personal study time section). The more closely we observe the text, the clearer its meaning can become.
optional discussion questions more specific to this week’s text:
● John 1:6 describes John as being sent by God to bear witness to the light. What different ways can you find that John is bearing witness from this text?
● Why did Jesus need a witness? Why do you suppose God sent John as a witness? What did it accomplish?
● What do you think John means by the term "lamb of God"? Can you think of any Old testament images he might be bringing in?
When it is time for the discussion to end, help each other to consider the last question, “What insights, implications and applications have surfaced for you personally?
(please make sure you close with this question)
Prayer time (10 min)
(use space below to jot down prayer requests, pray for one another during the week, reach out by way of a phone call/email)
John 1:19-34 (NIV)
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders[a] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.”“Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 6 “I baptize with[c] water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”[d]