Introduction
Memory Text: “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’ ” (John 11:25, 26, NKJV).
Jesus showed His divinity at specific times in both Word and deed. This week’s lesson covers three greatest signs performed by Jesus that reveals His divinity but for these signs people turned away from Jesus, deepened in blindness, plotted against Jesus or believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
What timing was the event of the feeding of the 5,000?
The timing of the feeding of the 5,000 was near the Passover.
What parallels between Jesus and Moses can be found in the feeding of the 5,000 that should have proved to the Jewish people that Jesus indeed was divine?
The time of the Passover points to the great deliverance from Egypt. Jesus’ going up to the mountain parallels with Moses’ going up on Sinai. Jesus’s test to Philip parallels with the testing of the Israelites in the wilderness. The multiplication of the loaves parallels with the manna. The gathering of the leftover food harks back to the Israelite’s gathering of the manna. The twelves baskets picked up parallels with the twelve tribes of Israel. And the people comment that Jesus is the prophet coming into the world, in accordance with the “prophet like Moses” predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15. They all pointed to Jesus as the new Moses – come to deliver His people.
What did John try to show through these parallels between Jesus and Moses in the feeding of the 5,000?
John was trying to show that Jesus was not only doing signs and wonders but doing signs and wonders that, in their context, should have had special meaning for the Jewish people. Jesus was pointing them in essence to His divinity.
What was the expectation of the Jews?
The Jews were expecting an earthly messiah who would deliver them from the oppression of the Roman Empire.
What does the account of the feeding of the 5,000 illustrate?
The account of the feeding of the 5,000 provided the opportunity to illustrate that Jesus is the Bread of Life, that God Himself came down from heaven.
What are the predicate statements connected with “I am” in the book of John?
“bread of life,” John 6:35; “light of the world,” John 8:12; “door,” John 10:7, 9; “Good Shepherd,” John 10:11, 14; “resurrection and the life,” John 11:25; “the way, the truth, and the life,” John 14:6; “true vine,” John 15:1, 5.
What are some of the key points from the healing of the blind man in John 9:1-16?
There is a connection between sin and suffering but this is not always the reason as can be seen in Job. Jesus did not deny the connection between sin and suffering but, in this case, points to a higher purpose that God would be glorified by the healing. Jesus was counted by the religious leaders as One breaking the Sabbath by healing the blind man. The healing on the Sabbath, according to tradition and not Scripture, violated the Sabbath. They concluded that Jesus was not from God because “He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others found it troubling that a sinner could do such signs. While the blind man is becoming more clear about who Jesus is, the religious leaders are becoming more confused or blinded to Jesus’ real identity.
What are the intersections between the themes in John 9 and several other themes in the gospel?
John reaffirms that Jesus is the Light of the world (John 9:5; compare with John 8:12), the story deals with Jesus’ mysterious origin, Who He is, where He is from, and His Mission (John 9:12, 29; compare with John 1:14), Moses is also referenced (John 9:28, 29; compare with John 5:45, 46 and John 6:32) and there is the theme of the response of the crowd – while some love darkness rather than light, others respond in faith (John 9:16-18, 35-41; compare with John 1:9-16, John 3:16-21, and John 6:60-71).
What is so scary in the healing of the blind man in John 9?
A once-blind beggar can declare, “ ‘Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing’ ” (John 9:32, 33, NKJV), however the religious leaders, the ones who should have been the first to recognize Jesus and guide people were so blinded to the physical powerful evidence that Jesus is the Son of God, or they don’t really want to see it. This is a powerful warning of how our hearts can deceive us!
What does the resurrection of Lazarus demonstrate?
Just as Jesus showed He is the light of the world by giving the blind man sight, so He raises Lazarus from the dead, demonstrating that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
In Conclusion,
The feeding of the 5,000, the healing of the blind man, and the resurrection of Lazarus were all signs of Christ’s divinity. May we never be blinded to these signs, but respond in faith to these signs in Jesus’ name.
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