Introduction
Memory Text: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18, NKJV).
The Gospel of
John is divided into four main sections: The Prologue (John 1:1-18), the Book
of Signs (John 1:29-12:50), the Book of Glory (John 13:1-20:31, and the Epilogue
(John 21:1-25). This week’s lesson will begin with the purpose of the farewell discourse
and its introduction with the significant episode of Jesus’ washing His
disciples’ feet. Then it will turn to the “I AM” statements in chapter 14 (“I
am the way, the truth, and the life”) which form the bridge between the Book of
Signs and the Book of Glory.
What was the significance of Jesus’ actions?
The significance of Jesus’ actions is tied to who He is. He
states in John 13:13 that He is the Teacher and the Lord. They call Him so, and
He confirms that He is so, yet, Jesus teaches that power and authority are to
be used for service, not for self-aggrandizement. When Jesus was to wash Peter’s
feet, Peter told Jesus that Jesus would not wash his feet, but after Jesus told
him that if He did not wash his feet he had no part in Him, Peter asked Jesus
for more, expressing his desire to be connected with Jesus all the way. The
Adventist church has embraced this sense of Jesus’ example, taking what is
rightly called the Ordinance of Humility as a preparatory service for the Lord’s
Supper.
What is the basis for confidence in Jesus’ promise of His second coming in
John 14:1-3?
The basis of our hope in the return of our Lord is not
simply the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy. It is also, and more certainly, based
on our confidence in the Man who made the promise. He said He will certainly
return for His people. We can place our confidence in that promise because of
Who made it.
What does it mean that Jesus is the way?
Jesus is the way or path to the Father. Without Him, we are
limited in our understanding. Philip asked to see the Father, but Jesus reproves
the lack of understanding and points out that if you have seen Him, you have
seen the Father.
How does John tie the concept of truth directly to Jesus?
Jesus is not simply the embodiment of the truth; He is the Truth.
Truth is not a concept or a construct. It is a person! It is by Jesus, the
Truth, that we are able to interpret the world around us rightly. The idea of
truth as contained in John contains a moral aspect of faithfulness to God and
to His will.
What does Jesus say about the scripture?
Christ said, “ ‘If you believed Moses, you would believe Me,
for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you
believe My words?’” (John 5:46, 47, NKJV).
Why was it important that Jesus pointed to the scripture to reveal the
significance of His ministry?
The Scriptures themselves wrote about Jesus. The Bible
provides the context within which our universe has meaning. Without it, we
would be in the dark about the existence of God, His role in the universe, our
own origin, the meaning of life and the future. The Bible is not some textbook
about Science.