*What does word Gospel mean? Good News
*What is so good about it?
*What do we know about John?
- Wrote 5 books of Bible, John, John 1-3, Revelations
- Brother James – sons of thunder
- Was a fisherman, inner circle
- Jesus gave him his mother (Some scholars speculate that John may have been a cousin of Jesus, which may be why he did that)
- There at Jesus’ death and many other miracles
- He supposedly outlived all of the disciples, dying of old age at Ephesus, perhaps about A.D. 98
*Think he was a tough guy? Could not be a fisherman without being a tough guy. On one occasion, when a Samaritan village rejected Jesus, James and John asked if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy the place. This man was not a sissy.
*How is the Book of John different than the other Gospels?
- Gospel of Love
- John does not mention himself by name in his own gospel, he refers to himself four times as “the disciple Jesus loved.”
- John continually emphasizes that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, sent by the Father to take away the sins of the world.
- He uses many symbolic titles for Jesus, such as the Lamb of God, resurrection, and the vine.
- Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the phrase “I am,” unmistakably identifying himself with Jehovah, the Great “I AM” or eternal God.
Read John 1:1
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
*Who is the Word? Jesus
*Let that sink in. Was the plan of salvation written before time began?
*Did God create the world with Jesus’ death in mind? Why?
*He knew we would fail and disappoint Him yet he created us, why?
*If you were to create a world would you do the same?
Read John 1:2
He existed in the beginning with God.
*What was Jesus’ part in creation? All things were created by Him for Him. (Col 1:16)
*Goes back to the Biblical answer to “What is the meaning of Life”? This Word, Jesus, the beginning and the End, the Alpha and Omega, we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. (1Cor 8:6)
*Does that blow your mind? How often do we dwell on Jesus is the reason for everything we see and do and breathe.
*Aren’t you glad Jesus is who He is? What is he? kind, gentle, peaceful, humble
*What if Jesus was more of the World what would He be? Selfish, prideful, evil, liars
*When was Jesus born in Heaven? He is God. He just is, no beginning, no end
Read John 1:3
God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
*What did Jesus create? Everything
Read John 1:4
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
*How does Jesus bring light?
Read John 1:5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
*Shine a flashlight in a dark room and what does it do? Can darkness overcome light? Never
Let’s Read Genesis and see how it is similar.
Read Genesis 1:1-3
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.a 2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
3Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
*From John what is light and what is darkness? Jesus is the light, the World is the darkness. Jesus lights up this dark World.
*Imagine a World without Jesus, what would that look like? A life not worth living
Our hope in studying this book it to fall more in love with Jesus, who He is, what He sacrificed for us.
Small Group Questions –
*Anybody want to share that moment when they first realized they needed a Savior?
*Why didn’t God create an only good World, no evil, no darkness?
*Can you see the light without darkness?
*Can anybody be forced to fall in love?
*Can we truly love without a choice of light and darkness?