JESUS THE SAVIOR
Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches
of the Philippines
Lesson 1
BELIEVE AND LIVE
Aim: That the
learners will be able to explain the purpose of John in writing his book.
Scripture: John 20:30-31
Memory Verse: John 20:31 – But these things are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
His name.
In Advance
1.
Pray
2.
Memorize: John 20:31
3.
Study John 20:30-31
Background of
the Scripture passage used:
The writer, John the Beloved, was one of
the Disciples of Christ. He was bestowed
one of the highest honors addressed to a disciple – “the disciple whom Jesus
loved/” For such closeness with Christ, this Gospel is distinct from the three
other Gospels. It gives more explanation
than narration of the events of the life of Christ. John’s personal experience with Christ gives
much credibility to his writings.
The intended original readers seem to be
both Gentiles and Jews. Some interpreters see that John’s aim was to get forth
a version of the Christian message that would appeal to Greek thinkers. John Certainly also had Jewish readers in
mind as evidenced by numerous popular expressions that are unfamiliar to
outsiders of the Jewish culture.
The emphasis is clearly stated as
evangelistic because of the author’s intention to have people “believe’ and
“have life in Jesus’ name.” Yet its
intended readers undoubtedly included believers. “May believe’ could be
understood as “may continue to believe.”
In such case the purpose would be to build up believers as well as to
win new converts.
4.
Prepare:
a.
Quiz (Matching type)
b.
Copies of Bible Reading Guide
for each learner (p. 14).
CLASS SESSION
ENTRANCE
Write
the quiz on the board. Let each learner
answer it silently. After about two
minutes, ask for different volunteers to answer the items.
Match
column A with column B
A B
|
________ Synoptics
|
a. All books of the Bible
|
|
________ Holy Spirit guided
|
b. The beloved disciple
|
|
________ Gospel
|
c. Matthew, Mark, Luke
|
|
________ Cousin of Jesus
|
d. Good News
|
|
________
John
|
e. John the Baptist
|
Transition Sentence: We will study a book which,
like the Synoptics, tells us more about Christ.
SUBSTANCE
After
writing the questions on the board, divide the class into three groups. Let every one study John 20:30-31. The group members can interact and plan how
to answer the question assigned to them.
Group
w should have more members than group 1 or 3.
If the class is too small, the questions should be assigned to
individuals instead of groups.
Questions:
1.
Group 1 – What is the expressed purpose of the book of John?
Answer: That the people
will believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and will have life in
His name.
Based
on verse 31, John’s purpose was clearly evangelistic. John intended to show the truth of Jesus’
messiahship (He is the Christ of the Anointed One). Hs purpose was to bring about faith that
leads to life.
2.
Group 2 – What is the meaning of the following expressions?
a.
will believe-(cf.John 3:16;John1:12-13)
Answer: To trust or to have
faith in Christ for salvation. (Notice the beautiful connection with verse 29
where Jesus pronounced those who have not seen Him yet blessed. We the present readers of the Gospel of John
indeed have not seen the lord. How
blessed we are when we believe!).
b.
the Son of God – (cf. Matt. 27:43;
Matt.26:63-66; John 10:33)
Answer: In effect, the expression “Son of God” means “God”. That was
the effect to the Jews who heard Him say it (Mtt.27:43). It is inconceivable that they took the
expression to mean literal Sonship in the sense of God having a literal
offspring. In Matt. 23:64-64, Jesus
affirmed He was the Christ, the Son of God. In verse 65 of the same the
chapter, this was interpreted as blasphemy in that He was claiming to be God.
c.
may have life in Jesus’ name – (cf. 1John 5:11-13)
Answer: It means to possess eternal life or to enjoy
a life free from the condemnation brought about by sin.
“In Jesus’ Name” – In ancient times,
an individual’s name summed up his whole person. Christ’s name represents all
that He is and stands for.
3.
Group 3 – What are the bases for belief and faith in Jesus?
Answer: In verses 30 and 31 – there are two
bases. First, the signs performed by Jesus in the presence of many witnesses recorded
by other Bible writers. John
acknowledged the possibility that there were other witnesses who have their own
oral or written testimonies about Christ. Second, the words written by John himself concerning Christ.
Romans 10:14-17
– Faith comes from hearing the Word of God.
OPTIONAL: The teacher may ask the learners other
possible ways by which faith in Christ may be established. The teacher should insist on the necessity of
knowing and responding to the objective facts about Christ. Which are recorded in the Bible.
General Truth: The Gospel of John
was written so that people will believe in Christ and have eternal life.
[This statement should be written on the board to help the learners digest the
truth better.]
SIGNIFICANCE
ASK the following questions orally:
1.
When can we say that John has accomplished his purpose in writing
his book?
Answer: People believe in Jesus Christ.
2.
What make people think they are Christians? Expected answers:
-
their being members of a
Christina family
-
their adherence to religious
traditions
-
their experiences
-
their works, achievements
-
their membership or attendance
in a church
3.
What does the gospel of John provide for its readers?
Answer: Authoritative information about the life and teachings of
Christ.
Note: Stress the significance of “authoritative
information” or “reliable” information compared to guesses, opinions or
hearsays of men who gather information from unknown sources.
PERFORMANCE
1.
Ask at least one learner to
explain John’s purpose in writing the Gospel, in his own words.
2.
Distribute the Bible Reading
Guide and remind learners to read and study the appropriate passage for each
week.
3.
Assign the learner to explain
the purpose of John to someone who was not in class, and to invite him or her
to join the Sunday School class next Sunday.
