John 6

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John 6:1-71

Observations

• While there is a chapter break in our Bible for 5 and 6 they flow into one another. 
• The miracles that Jesus had thus performed were drawing the attention of the people.
• Jesus' disciples were His closest companions, He desired specific time set aside with them, just as we do with our closest of friends
• Immediately upon seeing the crowd of people Jesus is concerned with them and their well being. 
• Jesus feeds thousands of people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
• Jesus has performed another miracle. The food more than feed the people, not only feed them but satisfied them. 
• Knowing what was to come, Jesus desired time set aside to spend in the presence of God the Father
• Jesus meets them in the midst of rough waters, walking on water. 
• The people pondered in Jesus' arrival as they knew that only the disciples left in the boat and only one boat arrived to shore.
• Jesus questions the desires of the hearts. The people sought Him out but why? It would seem based on Jesus' comments that it was to obtain physical food, not spiritual food. While they understood there was something different about Him, they didn't understand fully.
• Again Jesus meets the people were they are and delivers the gospel in a way they understand. Not changing the gospel or changing the truths of the gospel but meeting the needs of the people where they are. 
• The people still do not understand. It is all about God. Not Moses or others, but all the work they did in the OT is to reflect towards God or is the working of God through that person. 
• Verse 44 would seem to elude to predestination "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him"
• Jesus is the Bread of Life.
• Jesus knows your heart, he knew the unbelief of those closest to Him that would lead to betrayal. 
• The disciples turned back, discontinuing to walk with Jesus
• Judas will betray Jesus, one of His own disciples, one of His chosen ones. 

Questions
I. Did He feed 5,000 people or 5,000 men plus the women and children?

II. When I know a trial is coming or a tough is ahead do I first seek specific time with God?

III. Scripture says the disciples started across and that Jesus had not yet come to them. How did they expect Him to come? Did they anticipate Him walking on water? Why did they leave without Him? Did they not know where He had went?

IV. How would I have responded to seeing only one boat and Jesus? Knowing that the disciples are the only ones who left in the boat.

V. Is my faith the faith that sees because I believe or do I need to see to believe?

VI. What implications does it have in Jesus saying He is the bread of life?

VII. Why did Jesus choose Judas if He knew he would not believe? What purpose should be sought out of the involvement of Judas?

Applicational Thoughts
God uses the unbelief of some to bring belief in others. We have seen very clearly that Jesus knows the hearts of all men. We know He chose His own disciples. We also know that Judas will betray Jesus. Obviously the ultimate unbelief of Judas lead to the belief of others as well as the ministry of Jesus. My last question listed (VII) has me pondering more to this and really pondering the use of Judas in Jesus' ministry while on earth.

Resources
The Message of John; John Stott
John: St Helen's

John 5

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John 5:1-47

Observations

• After this is referring back to chapter four; when Jesus healed the sick boy. 
• Blind, lame, and paralyzed are called invalids
• Jesus spoke to an invalid man that was unable to walk. Jesus knew the desires of this man's heart yet He asked anyway, "do you want to be healed?"
• The Jewish people are very set in their ways of tradition. They do not rejoice in this man's healing but are critical because it is on the Sabbath.
• Jesus specifically seeks this man out later at the temple. 
• The Jews thought Jesus to be blasmpheming; as He claimed to be the Son of God. 
• Jesus is equal to God, yet it is through God that Jesus is able to minister on earth.
• It is Jesus who is the Judge. God gave that over to Him. 
• To honor the Son is to honor the Father.
• Upon the second coming of Christ those that know Him will join Him, those that do not know Him will be separated forever
• John has been sent to bear witness of Christ
• Although it is worth rejoicing over John's ministry it is more so to rejoice over Christ and His ministry
• They read the Word that bears witness of Jesus, yet they do not know Jesus to be the long awaited for Messiah
• Jesus came by way of the Son in flesh not God the Father.
• It would seem that if one comes in their own name they would receive them. ie. if God had come as God the Father not as God the Son in flesh they may have believed....
• Moses wrote of the Messiah, Jesus

Questions
I. What are specific ways that God is further glorified by Jesus asking of people opposed to responding based off of what He already know. Example Jesus could have told this man to rise and walk, instead He first asked if would like to be healed, already knowing the desires of this mans heart. How was God further glorified because Jesus asked?

II. What is the specific purpose in seeking this man out later?

III. What would my response have been to Jesus' statement He is the Son of God?

IV. If God has chosen to come to earth Himself to bear witness about Himself would people have been more likely or not to believe than they are with Jesus?


Applicational Thoughts
Jesus not only submitted to God's will but He sought God's will.

It is all God. "If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true"

One day the Son of God will return!

Resources
The Message of John

John 3

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John 3:1-36

At the end of chapter two we are left with Jesus knows all people. Not only does He know all people He knows what is in all people. A man named Nicodemus confronts Jesus. Nicodeumus realizes that Jesus a teacher, a teacher from God, because of the works that He is doing. However Nicodemus does not fully understand Jesus. When Jesus explains the rebirth of a believer Nicodemus relates it to the rebirth of a man from the womb, questioning what Jesus is saying. What would my response have been if I was Nicodemus?

Nicodemus must have been a teacher as well, as Jesus refers to him as such. Jesus questions the basis of the knowledge of truth with which he teaches. Seeing as he does not understand rebirth, being born again.

Jesus explains that the only way to eternity with God is through the one that descended only to ascended to heaven. He is speaking of himself Jesus.

Jesus was sent as our savior.

Our belief or lack there of, of Jesus will determine our eternal destination.

We can receive anything that has not been gifted to us from heaven, God.

It is Christ that will be emphasised, not myself or my doings.

Jesus came from above, He is above all. Have you believed on the testimony of Jesus Christ? It was through love that God sent His only Son to earth, to take on flesh.

Through belief is eternal life with Christ, unbelief is eternal separation from God. - Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Yet it is the calling of the Holy Spirit that brings us to belief. So amazing God's design. We can't do it without Him in any regard. First the Holy Spirit will work in us, we shall belief which indicates eternal life with Christ and we continue to rely on Him for everything going forward.

One Application:
I am completely in awe over God. God's love for His people is so abundantly seen in scripture. Specifically in John 3 I am in awe that we have eternal life with Christ through belief but that belief is the outworking of the Holy Spirit in our lives.