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Q1. (John 5:1-16) How would you describe the invalid's character? The invalid's faith? How does Jesus' healing here demonstrate the grace of God? Why do we humans find it difficult to accept grace when it is offered to us? Why do we resist the concept that God's gifts are entirely by grace? Looks very much like an ungrateful and bitter character with no faith at all. He was more concerned in finding a way into the pool. I don’t think it ever entered his mind or that he even believed Jesus could miraculously heal him. It could be that he was in a comfort zone. Having survived for 38 years on hand-outs he must have made a living income, and he was not prepared to give this up for an uncertain future. He did not know who Jesus was and after being healed, did not even bother to find out or show any interest in meeting our Lord. When meeting Jesus later he quickly reported Him to the religious leaders – showing his ingratitude. This healing demonstrated the infinite grace, love, and mercy of our Heavenly Father. Our Lord loves all even the unlovable. In our modern world today everything has a price, and anything that is offered for free must of necessity be of no value. This could be the stumbling block to accepting God’s gifts. The more expensive it is, or if it had certain fashionable labels on, it would be more acceptable.

Q4. Have you read of miracles accompanying a great harvest of new believers on the missions fields in our day? What place do miracles have in evangelism today - both in your country and abroad? Why do some denominations in our day deemphasize miracles or claim that they were only for the early church? Why do some denominations emphasize miracles? Which of these types of denominations tend to grow faster? What kind of "discipling" is necessary for those who come to Christ primarily on the basis of miracles? The overall purpose of miracles is to bring glory to God. It provides evidence that God is truly at work in His creation, and is often done to show compassion to those in need. When they do occur we should be ever thankful to God that the Holy Spirit is working these miracles. However, I do feel that there are today false (counterfeit) miracles performed by those who are out to make money for themselves, and in so doing raise false hopes and do more damage than good. Much harm can be done if we exaggerate or distort the true facts of a miracle, or falsely claim it to have occurred. In the same way that our faith is weak, if it is only dependant on signs and wonders; is it with churches who exist only to promote miracles. One has to be careful if there is not an ulterior motive present. In my country these churches seem to thrive and grow much faster. Their teachings are not based on sound doctrines of the Word, and these miracles tend to exalt the ‘pastor’ rather than glorify our Heavenly Father.

Q3. (John 4:53) What are the factors that caused the royal official's household (immediate family, extended family, and servants) to believe? How mature was this faith initially? How do you think the royal official was able to nurture it beyond mere "miracles faith"? The realization that at the same time that Jesus spoke “Your son lives”, his son had been healed, must have had a great impact on the official. He and the whole household now knew that it was not necessary for the Lord Jesus to be present to work a miracle or answer a prayer. Their faith initially might have been a bit suspect but now they knew for certain who Jesus was! There was now not the slightest doubt that Jesus is who He says He is – the Messiah! This royal official proved to himself that the only way to receive the full benefit of the promises of God’s Word is to believe in Jesus unreservedly. Him and his household had witnessed this miracle first-hand and must have become great witnesses for the Lord.

Q2. (John 4:43-50) What do we learn about the royal official's faith from his actions? Why did he travel 20 miles from Capernaum to Cana? What does this say about his faith? When he departs for home and "takes Jesus at his word," what does this tell us about his faith? The royal official must have had some faith in the ability of Jesus to heal, because he came directly to Him asking Him to heal his dying son. However, he wants Jesus to travel the 20 miles to come to see his son. This shows a weakness in the official’s faith as he thinks that only Jesus’ presence can save the child. But he then demonstrates his faith by obeying Jesus in returning home. So here we see again that without any miracle or visible proof, the royal official believed the Word of the Lord Jesus and started for home. Proof of true faith.

Q1. (John 4:43-48) Many of the Galileans believe mainly because they have seen miracles. In what ways do miracles help build faith? Why does only seeing miracles not build a mature faith? Why does Jesus rebuke the Galileans in 4:48? We see a contrast here in the way the people of Sychar and the Galileans believed. The Samaritans, having heard Jesus, believed His Words, and eagerly welcomed Him into their homes. Yet they had not been given any signs. They had faith in Jesus and had come to know that this was indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. The Galileans needed miracles before they believed, which is characteristic of us today. We want proof before we believe. We want to see signs and wonders first. But this faith based on miracles is not as mature a faith, as that which is based on His Word alone. Jesus rebukes the Galileans because He was disappointed in their attitude towards Him. They had only followed Him in order to see signs and wonders. Then only did they partially believe in Him - this was not a reliable faith, it having no depth about it. They were not listening and trusting His Word.

Q4. (John 4:39-42). Why do you think Jesus stayed two days in Samaria, when elsewhere he instructed his disciples not to preach in Samaritan villages? What does it mean that Jesus is the Saviour of the whole world? What are its implications for our lives? For your church's mission? Jesus needed more time in the village because of the numbers being saved. Some would have believed because of the testimony of the woman. But many more would have believed because of the words of our Lord Jesus Himself. It is all important that there must be faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only the Holy Spirit could have given them this insight. Having heard Him and believed His words, the Samaritans had come to know that this was indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the whole world. Jesus had instructed His disciples not to preach in Samaritan villages, but rather to the Jews, because it was His plan to reach the Jews first (Romans 1:16). However, His message of salvation would soon reach all people irrespective of race, sex, or national origin. We notice that as a result of the simple and direct testimony of the woman, many came to believe on the Lord Jesus. This should be an encouragement to each of us to also be simple, direct, and courageous in our witness for Christ.

Q3. (John 4:36-38) Sowers and reapers usually got "paid" when the crop was harvested. According to this analogy, what will Christian workers receive at the end of the age when the final harvest takes place and Christ comes? Jesus describes the work of harvesting. Those who sow the seed of God’s Word in the minds of God’s people, and those who reap the rewards of all the hard work done. Therefore, for example, we see that some believers are called on to preach the gospel for many years without seeing very much fruit for their labour, while others step in at the end of those years, and see many souls turn to the Lord. Very few souls are ever saved through the ministry of a single person. Most people have heard the gospel many times before they ever accept the Saviour. Therefore, the one who finally leads a person to Christ should be aware that it was a combined effort. The rewards of this hard labour are great. Just like the harvest time in the ancient world was a time of joy; so there is great joy at the time of salvation. We read in Luke 15:7, ‘ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.’ Both sower and reaper rejoice together at harvest time, realising that it is a blessing to have been used by God, resulting in the gift of eternal life to all who receive the message of God’s kingdom through Jesus Christ.

Q2. (John 4:35) What caused the harvest to ripen so rapidly in Sychar? How likely is it that the testimony of one, discredited woman could make such a huge impact? What might God do with your testimony if you were to share it? Why is it necessary to "open our eyes" to see the potential spiritual harvest? The woman had found Jesus! Jesus had told her that He is the Christ (4:26). So, in her excitement she went back to town and invited all the townspeople to come and see for themselves. The testimony of the woman must have been effective because the people of the village left their homes and their work to find Jesus. In the same way, with the help of the Holy Spirit, our witness can also be effective. We just have to obey our Lord and trust Him to bring others to Jesus. We only need to ‘open our eyes’ to see the great need in our world today – the potential spiritual harvest. Trusting Him to lay on our hearts the burden for the lost souls all around us.

Q1. (John 4:31-34) What does Jesus mean by "food" in these verses? What was his passion? What is your passion? What will it take so that your passion, your goal in life, is to do the Father's work? In your life, what do you think that might look like? Jesus was saying that His food was to do the will of God, and to finish the work which God had given Him to do. The passion and the object of His life was not to cater to the body, but rather to do the will of God. He emphasized this by explaining that the will of God is spiritual food, which is much more satisfying and sustaining than physical food. My passion should be to imitate my Lord and Saviour Jesus. This means that I should in obedience to my Heavenly Father, do and complete all that he has given me to do. For example, I need to be bolder in trying to win others to Jesus by sharing the Gospel and by living the Christian life. He has given me many opportunities in my neighbourhood alone.

Q6. (John 4:23-24) What does it mean that "God is spirit"? What does it mean to worship in spirit and in truth? Have you ever "gone through the motions" of worship without worshipping? How can you worship in a way more pleasing to God? ‘God is Spirit’ defines God’s being. He is not a mere man, subject to all the errors and limitations of humanity. Neither is He confined to any one place at any time. He is an invisible Person who is present in all places at one and the same time, who is all-knowing, and who is all-powerful. He is perfect in all His ways. It is because of who He is, that we must worship Him in spirit and truth. There must be no fake, or pretending, or hypocrisy, or going through the motions of worship; but only a genuine love of the Lord. Yes, I’m ashamed to say. I have gone through the motions of worship when I've felt down for some reason or other. Or when my mind has been preoccupied with some or other crisis. Or even when getting up and not feeling like going to church, but rather wanting to ‘chill out’. True worship does not consist of mere outward conformity to religious standards and duties, but flows from the inner spirit. It must also be consistent with the truth God has revealed about Himself in His Word. I think we need to have a mind-set of not what we can get out of worshipping, but rather what can we contribute to worshipping the Lord, that may be more pleasing to Him

Q5. (John 4:19-22) What motives cause the woman to bring up a religious controversy to Jesus? Why do people today try to generate religious controversies with us? What are their motives? The woman became uncomfortable when her private life was exposed by Jesus, and immediately tries to change the subject. She finds it more comfortable to discuss religion than face her sins. She, therefore, brings up the differences between Jewish and Samaritan religions. It’s the same with us today, when confronted with the truth of our lives, we vainly attempt to bring the conversation back to some safer theological point. We want to argue religion, but we don’t want to live it. That is why we have this superficiality in our churches today. It is all just a cover-up for our sin. Like our passage of Scripture, our Lord does not want to avoid or sidestep the issue of personal sin. He wants us to face our sin and confess it. Only when we willingly perceive the truth about ourselves can He fully reveal the truth about Himself. Our Lord will deal with it the same way as He did with this woman in Samaria.

Q4. (John 4:16-19) What was the effect of Jesus' special knowledge of the woman's history with men? What effect did it have on her faith? How can such gifts of the Spirit work today to bring people to faith or deepen their faith? Initially, the woman tried to hide the facts about her sinful living. But when she realized Jesus knew all about her sinful life, her attitude changed, and she understood that Jesus was no ordinary person. However, she did not yet realize He was God, but rather took Him to be a prophet. To be saved she had to acknowledge herself as a sinner, and at the same time, come to Jesus in true repentance, confessing her sin. We see Jesus here being compassionate, not wanting to shame the woman, but rather wanting to free the woman from the bondage of sin. Like all of us, she had to know that she was dead in her sins, and could not save herself, and most of all, needed a Saviour. Experiencing the Holy Spirit at work can have a profound effect on people, often bringing them to faith or even deepening their faith.

Q3. (John 4:9-15) What does the "gift of God" and the "living water" (4:9) refer to? What does receiving this gift result in (4:14)? Does this gift differ from or is another way of saying the "baptism with the Spirit" that John the Baptist spoke about in 1:33? The ‘Gift of God’ refers to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Himself. It is a gift given to those who put their trust in Jesus, so that they will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). The ‘Living Water’ refers to salvation in all its fullness, including forgiveness of sin and the ability and desire to live an obedient life that glorifies God. All who believe on Him will have their own needs supplied and will receive rivers of spiritual blessing that will flow out from them to others (John 7:38). This gift results in eternal life. It is another way of saying that the Holy Spirit will come down from heaven and dwell in the body of every believer, and each believer becomes a member of the Body of Christ.

Q2. (John 4:9-15) Jesus' words to the woman in verses 10-13 seem to imply that all people are spiritually thirsty. What has been your experience? Does the woman seem spiritually thirsty at this point? What caused her deep thirst to surface? What does this teach us about our own witness? My experience has been that some people are totally disinterested in anything to do with God or the Bible. Millions and millions are religious, but their religion excludes the Bible, God or Jesus in any reel deep sense. Their minds are darkened and there is no ability or motivation to understand God. Unaided, the unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him, and no way can they possibly understand them because they can only be spiritually understood (1 Cor 2:14). Only God can open our hearts and our minds to receive Him. It is only then that we are able to comprehend in a new way, and all of a sudden see things in a new light, things we never understood before. So it was with the woman who initially was not spiritually thirsty but our Lord Jesus persevered with her. As we read later, this woman is brought face to face with the realization that Jesus is the Messiah. This teaches us that without the help of the Holy Spirit we cannot under our own strength bring unbelievers to Him.

Q1. (John 4:7-9) Why do you think Jesus went against the social norms to communicate with the woman? Why do we hesitate to go against social norms to share the good news? How do we balance our need to obey God and our need to live peaceably in our culture? Jesus crossed all barriers to share the Good News. Teaching us that it is to be made known to every person, irrespective of race, gender, social standing or sins. Like Jesus, I know we must also always be prepared to share this Good News at any time and in any place. Living in a divided country, like I do, it is not always practically possible. The very high crime rate is also a deterrent. However, the situation is improving and cross cultural interaction is increasing, and with it opportunities to spread the Gospel – for us to reach out to our brothers and sisters.

Q5. (John 3:36) Is it possible to believe in God's love and God's wrath at the same time? How does God's justice allow salvation, when what we deserve is punishment for our sin and unbelief? (Hint: the "substitutionary atonement.") I know from Rom 3:23, that we have all sinned and from Rom 6:23, that therefore, we all deserve only death. Yet out of His love, grace, and mercy, He has saved us by sending His Son to die for all the sins of those who believe in Jesus – for sins, past, present and future. We can be grateful that our God hates sin. If not, He would not be worthy of our worship. In the same way, He would not be worthy of our worship if He did not carry out punishment so that ultimately justice will prevail. As a result of God’s righteousness, it is necessary that He treat people according to what they deserve. Although our sin only deserves immediate punishment, He is patient in not punishing us at once, but rather He gives us a chance to repent and turn to Jesus. We note that both patience and wrath are mentioned in Psalm 103:8-9 - ‘The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger for ever’. Therefore as a Christian we should feel no fear of God’s wrath, but rather rejoice in the fact that we are sinners saved by grace. To think, My Lord and Saviour Jesus died in my place, for my sins. He paid the penalty of death for my sins!!! Thank You Lord Jesus!!

Q4. (John 3:30) In what sense, in order to be successful in your Christian life, must you decrease and Christ increase? How can you facilitate the shift necessary for this change to occur? What steps might help you do this? This question makes me think of my favourite passage in Scripture. Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” It provides us with the guidance needed for a successful Christian life, and helps us understand that dependence on God is central to an abundant life. We are to commitment ourselves fully to the Lord, and this includes our whole being - all of our spirit, soul, and body. There must be an acknowledgment of the Lordship of Christ. Every area of our lives must be turned over to His control. In other words, He must increase and we must decrease. We must trust Him not only for the salvation of our souls but also for the direction of our lives. It must be a total commitment. Trusting Him with all our heart means giving Him control over our families, finances, jobs, and everything else. To facilitate this change there must be a healthy distrust of self, an acknowledgment that we do not know what is best for us, that we are not capable of guiding ourselves, and need His help in all we do. We do not rely on our own understanding. Since human minds are finite, comprehension is limited. Only God is omniscient. He sees everything, including thoughts and motives. If these conditions are met, the promise is that God shall direct our paths.

Q3. (John 3:29) How does John the Baptist find joy in Jesus' success? Do you find joy in the success of others who could be seen as competing with your ministry - in your church or in your community or in your denomination? Why do you think some pastors seem to compete with each other? John finds joy in Jesus’ growing success, and illustrates this by comparing himself to the best-man at a wedding. This is a good illustration as the most significant emphasis of Jewish weddings was joy. We also note that even before his birth, John the Baptist rejoiced in the Lord. “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy (Luke 1:44).” He points out that Christ is the bridegroom and His people are the bride. The bride is the church, the elect, the people of God; and they belong to the bridegroom. The bride, then, must be brought to the bridegroom, and this is exactly what John has been doing – constantly pointing to our Saviour, hoping that many will take note and follow Jesus. John states that his role was to make the preliminary arrangements for the ceremony, and that the best-man is not jealous and envious of the bridegroom, but rather as a true friend loves the bridegroom and rejoices in His happiness. So, John was content to be the voice announcing Jesus to be the Word (John 1:23). Jesus was the Light, and John the Baptist was the witness pointing to the Light (John 1:6-8). We are all one in Christ. Therefore, I rejoice in anything that glorifies His name. There are pastors who measure their success by the size of their congregation and the income their church generates. I don’t think there are any bad intentions in it. What does disturb me are the false teachers who make millions out of religion. I feel for their followers who have no power of discernment and are being milked and led astray.

Q2. (John 3:26) Have you ever resented "larger churches" that attracted people from "your" church? What is wrong with this kind of possessiveness? Is it self-pity or something else? No, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Rather my biggest concern is whether they are being fed the true Word or is it all just plain entertainment. One has to look at each church and measure its success by how many people have they brought to our Saviour, and not by how many people attend the church. To be successful the church has got to be Christ-centred. It is all about Jesus and not about any charismatic minister/pastor/leader. I feel for all those souls who are not receiving solid doctrine and receive only a superficial religion, and that they may be under the misconception that they have been saved. Perhaps they do not truly know Jesus. I think of what Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

Q1. (John 3:22) What is the importance of Jesus spending time with his disciples? What is his strategy? How does Jesus make disciples today? Where is our time with the Discipler? How important is your time as a discipler, "hanging out" with people God puts on your heart to disciple? What a wonderful opportunity the disciples had of getting to know our Saviour intimately. There was so much to learn and observe, so Jesus needed time to teach and show His disciples about His ministry, and to give them certain responsibilities. Some commentators say this period in Judea, could have been several months long. We are fortunate in having His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us. Once we have been born again we cannot continue to sin as a habit or a pattern of life. The power of the new spiritual life within us keeps us from yielding to a life of sin. We start to view all things with the Lord Jesus in mind. This love of Jesus only comes about through applied Bible truth. It is the time we spend with Him that we also learn the Word of God, God’s thoughts, and hear God’s Words. Just like those early disciples, the closer our relationship with Jesus, the more we mature spiritually. We read in Colossians 3:15-17, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Q4. (John 3:16) Why is this verse so famous? What does it teach us about God? What does it teach us about salvation? Since "entering eternal life" is a synonym for "entering the Kingdom of God," what does this verse teach us about our destiny? It sums up the gospel in this one verse. It teaches us about God’s unfathomable love. An infinite love that He would be willing to give up His one and only Son for sinners. It teaches us that His saving grace is available to all who acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. Our destiny is life not death. An everlasting, eternal life with God.

Q3. (John 3:5-7) What does it mean to be "born of water and the Spirit"? What do you think "water" refers to? Why have you come to this conclusion? How, then, would you paraphrase "born of water and the Spirit" to best bring out the full meaning? I believe Jesus is simply contrasting both the natural birth (born of water) with the spiritual birth (born of the Spirit). So water refers to the natural birth, and spirit refers to being born anew/again/from above. In answering the question about entering the Kingdom of God, Jesus is not talking about the physical birth, but about the birth in which a person’s spirit comes alive and is regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit of God. This spiritual birth takes place when a person puts their trust in the Lord Jesus. A person is born again through the Spirit, he receives a new nature, and is made fit for the kingdom of God. Jesus further explains that we are all born of flesh, that is corrupted by sin – the natural birth (born of water). But the Holy Spirit performs His work of washing and cleansing and renewing the hearts of those that belong to Him. “Born of water and the Spirit” – To enter the Kingdom of God we must be the recipient of new birth by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Q2. (John 3:3-5) What does "entering the Kingdom" have to do with being "born anew"? Which do you think is the best translation here: "born again," "born anew," or "born from above"? Defend your reasoning. Without being ‘born anew’ one cannot enter the Kingdom. This ‘anew’, as does ‘again’ and ‘from above’, means becoming a new creature in Christ. We read in 2 Cor 5:17, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!’ So it is a complete spiritual rebirth and cannot mean, for instance, the education or purification of the natural man. The ‘again’ does not signify a repeat of the old birth. To me to be born ‘again/anew/from above’ all mean the same. So, ‘born again’, ‘born anew’, and ‘born from above’ all speak about undergoing a radical change that is a new birth. A new birth which can only come from the grace and power of God.

Q1. (John 3:3, 5) What does Jesus teach here about the nature of the Kingdom of God? Do you think Nicodemus understands Him? Why or why not? The Kingdom of God that Jesus is talking about here is the spiritual kingdom. A kingdom occupied by all who have been born again and now live under God’s rule. I doubt Nicodemus understood Jesus. Being a devout Jew, he most probably assumed that his place in the coming kingdom was assured, by virtue of his nationality and circumcision. However, I do think that he came to Jesus in an honest attempt to find out who Jesus really was. But Jesus turns Nicodemus’s thinking upside down. Jesus tells him that in order to enter this kingdom he must be born again. This totally confuses Nicodemus who misunderstands what Jesus is saying as he takes everything literally. Here we see that natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, as they are foolishness to him (1 Cor 2:14).

Q3. (John 2:23-25) What is the problem with faith that rests solely on miracles? Is it true faith? What is necessary for it to develop into true faith? Did Jesus see these problems as a reason not to perform miracles? Faith that rests solely on miracles and signs has no substance to it. Many may believe in His name and outwardly show that they follow Jesus, but this does not necessarily mean that they have actually committed their lives to Him in simple trust. No, it is not true faith, but merely an outward display of following Jesus. To develop true faith there has to be complete trust and obedience to His Word. There has to be self-denial and over all surrender to Him. In other words there has to be regeneration as we read in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Yes, Jesus realised that many were coming to Him merely out of curiosity and only looking for the sensational and spectacular; and saw this as a reason not to perform miracles.