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Q2 (John 2:11-17) Apparently, Jesus was angry. Was his anger justified? Why? Is anger good or bad? What about anger gets us into trouble? Yes, His anger was justified. In a place of sacred worship, people were carrying on as if they were in a common market place! The selling of animals for sacrifice was a needed service for the great crowds who came to worship, but it was the way the priests commercialised it; making great profits that angered Jesus. The same with the moneychangers. Here the priests would not take the Greek and Roman coins that were used by everyone, but made the people exchange their money for official Jewish coins, at inflated prices, of course, thereby insuring great profits to them. We read in 1 Timothy 6:5, that it is a sin to use religion as a money making scheme. I’m afraid this seems to be a very popular and profitable way of making money today! I apologise if I’m being too sceptical, but when I see the lifestyle of some of the so called ministers/ pastors of today, and read about their wealth, who can blame me. What amazes me is that their followers don’t see them for who they are – false teachers! False teachers have a simple motivation: money. Jesus is driven by a burning zeal for the honour of His Father. Anger can sometimes be justified, especially when a great injustice has been done. However, anger can get out of hand and then it is then an attitude of the flesh (Gal 5:20), and can get us into serious trouble. We should be slow to anger. A man who is quick-tempered does not produce the kind of righteousness which God expects of us.

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 realized 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.

Q1. (John 2:14-17) What was going on in the temple? Why was Jesus offended by it? What action did Jesus take? Oxen, sheep, and doves/pigeons were being sold there. These were sold to the worshippers to be used as sacrifices. At the same time money-changers were carrying on business, as Jews from all over the then known world, changed their currency into that of Jerusalem, in order to pay the required temple tax. Jesus was offended because the holy temple had become a market place - definitely not a befitting place to worship His Father. Jesus took appropriate action by driving the merchants out of the temple and overturning the tables of the money-changers. It was not fitting that they should make His Father's house a market place. There was nothing vicious or unjust in Jesus’ actions. He had reason to be angry and these actions were simply an indication of His holiness and His righteousness.

Q4. (John 2:6-10) Why did Jesus perform this miracle behind-the-scenes? Who was he trying to protect? What does the quantity of the wine tell us about Jesus' glory? What does the quality of the wine tell us about Jesus' glory? Jesus had got the servants to fill the jars with water, as He did not want anyone saying that He had got His disciples to fill the jars with wine, hereby deceiving everyone, and giving them an appearance of a miracle. It would take the servants some time to fill all six jars with water and besides all could see them doing it. They were also told to fill the jars to the brim, so that no one could say that wine had been added to the water. This was all done to protect the integrity of all involved. As soon as the jars had been filled, Jesus told the servants to give some to the man in charge of the wedding feast. This showed that the miracle had been performed immediately. He willed it, and it was done. It was also done with perfection! All the jars were full of the best quality of wine! This was a clear demonstration of divine power, and made in such a manner as to leave no doubt of its reality. This reminds me of Colossians 1:16, “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” Nothing is impossible for our Lord and Saviour Jesus!!

Q3. (John 2:6-10) Why do you think alcoholics are quick to point out this miracle? Which is wrong: drinking wine or drunkenness? How can we avoid excesses and still enjoy God's good gifts? Perhaps they are looking for a reason to justify drinking alcohol. I don’t see anything wrong with drinking wine as long as it is done in moderation. It is like everything else in life – it must be done in moderation. However, because of the terrible consequences suffered by the misuse of alcohol in our society, it might be wisest to abstain altogether. There can, of course, be no justification for any form of drunkenness. As Christians, we can all enjoy God’s good gifts, but in doing so we must consider the effect of our actions on others.

Q2. (John 2:3-5) Why do you think Mary pushes Jesus to solve the wedding host's problem? Are her words to Jesus appropriate? Would you categorize Jesus' reply as a rebuke? If so, why does he go ahead with the miracle? Mary may have been involved in the wedding in some way, and running out of wine would be an embarrassment and a serious social blunder. She knew who Jesus was and I find nothing wrong with the way she spoke to Him. It is only right that she turns to Jesus for help. Then we see that her request is followed by total obedience when she told the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do (v.5). I don’t think Jesus’ reply is a rebuke of any kind. Initially it might seem like it, but He answers her with a title of respect and it is used with great fondness and tenderness. He was kindly letting her know that he was not subject to instructions from His mother, but acted only in obedience to the will of His Father in heaven. Mary most probably wanted to see her son glorified, but Jesus had to remind her that the time for this had not yet come.

Q1. (John 2:1-2) Why are we sometimes "too busy" to spend time with friends and relatives? What does Jesus' attendance at this wedding tell us about him? How can we apply that learning in our own personal lives? We say we are too busy to spend time with friends and relatives. But perhaps the true reason is that we are too self-centred; too selfish to take time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in this modern world. There does not seem to be much time for others today. By attending this wedding our Lord and Saviour shows His humility by accepting the invitation. Being God-man He still found time to be courteous and show love, warmth, and friendliness towards others. We can definitely learn from Jesus, and apply this in our own personal lives. His love is not self-centred; it reaches out and includes others. To show our love for others we need to follow Jesus’ example and be willing to give freely of our time. The couple that invites Jesus to their wedding and makes the Lord first in their home, is most wise. Their marriage will be truly blessed! The wedding must be such that it glorifies Christ.

Q5. (John 1:50-51) Which aspects of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14 does Jesus apply to his title as Son of Man? When will the Son of Man complete his ministry? Jesus was giving Nathanael a glimpse of the future when He would come back as the Son of Man and Israel’s King, and reign over all the earth. In that day, heaven will open, and the favour of God will rest upon the Him as He reigns, with Jerusalem as His capital. Jesus was saying to Nathanael that he had seen only very minor demonstrations of His Messiahship. In the future Reign of Christ, he would see the Lord Jesus fully revealed as God's anointed Son.

Q4. (John 1:45-50) How does Jesus deal with Nathanael's scepticism? What was the nature of the miracle? Upon coming to faith, what title does Nathanael bestow upon Jesus? Jesus must have surprised Nathanael by speaking to him as if He had known hin previously. The Lord had given Nathanael two proofs that He was the Messiah. Firstly, he describes Nathanael’s character (in whom there is no deceit), and secondly, He states that He had seen Nathanael, under the fig tree, when no other eyes could have seen him. These two proofs were sufficient for Nathanael, and he believed. But now the Lord Jesus promised that he would see even greater proofs than these. Nathanael’s eyes were opened to behold the divine glory and power of Christ Jesus and calls Jesus ‘the Son of God’ and ‘the King of Israel’.

Q3. (John 1:40-42) What role does Andrew play in Simon Peter's conversion? Today, why do so many Christians substitute bringing a person to Jesus with bringing them to church? What might be the similarities? What might be the differences? Andrew must have been convinced, from conversations with Jesus, that Jesus was the Messiah, as he quickly ran to share the good news with his brother Peter. He was a simple and clear witness of the Saviour he had found, resulting in Peter’s conversion. Like Andrew we are to look around and try to bring others to the Saviour. We must not wait for our relatives, friends or neighbours to find Jesus by themselves. Rather we are to take the imitative and witness to them trusting that the Holy Spirit will help in bringing them to the Lord. We can start by bringing them to church or another way is to lead them directly to Jesus. This we can do by explaining about the Lord’s comforting presence, power, and wisdom; that sin separates us from God; how God sent Jesus to die on the cross to cleanse us from our sins; how we can accept Jesus by faith; and finally get them to tell God themselves, that they are willing to trust Him for their salvation, by saying a simple prayer with them.

Q2. (John 1:38-39) Why doesn't Jesus tell his inquirers where he is staying? Why was it important for disciples to "be with" Jesus? What does "being with" Jesus mean today? Being the time of Passover, Jesus would have been staying in temporary dwellings; a home of a friend, an inn, or even a booth (tabernacle) made of palm leaves. So it was not important where He was staying, it was more important that they be with Him. Then and now it is important being with Jesus for the right reasons. We read later in John 6:66, that many turned their backs on Him and stopped following Him. They had found what Jesus was telling them distasteful, and no longer wanted to associate with Him. These were obviously never true believers, and had only followed the Lord for selfish reasons and not out of true love for Him. Jesus is the author and Perfecter of our faith. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).” By His grace and Spirit we were led to believe, and it is upon Him that our faith depends. We need to be with Jesus as we can only live life effectively by keeping our eyes focused on Him. By concentrating more on ourselves and the circumstances surrounding us, we can easily stumble and fall. This happens when we look away from Him. And of course, Christ is the way, and the means by which we receive salvation.

Q1. (John 1:35-37) Upon whose recommendation did Andrew and another person start following Jesus? What did this recommendation cost the recommender in this case? It was upon John the Baptist’s recommendation. John unselfishly pointed out Jesus to his disciples. Losing disciples shows us his was not a sect. He knew his divine purpose was to lead people to our Saviour.

Q5. (John 1:33) How does John the Baptist's baptism differ from the baptism that Jesus brings? Baptism is a word that means "immerse, plunge under water." What does a "baptism of the Holy Spirit" imply about this event? John’s baptism was with water and it was for repentance and at the same time symbolic of the washing away of sins. Jesus’ baptism was with the Holy Spirit and this took place on the day of Pentecost. At that time, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven to dwell in the body of every believer.

Q4. (John 1:29) What does the title "Lamb of God" tell us about Jesus' ministry? According to 1:29, whose sins did he come to take away? In what ways did Jesus fulfill Isaiah 53? In OT times God had taught His chosen people to slay a lamb and to sprinkle its blood as a sacrifice. The lamb was killed as a substitute and its blood shed so that sins might be forgiven. God takes sin very seriously, so seriously that blood had to be spilt and a life had to be taken, to pay the penalty for sin. However, the blood of the lambs slain during the OT period did not put away sin, it only pointed to the ‘Lamb of God’ that God would one day provide to actually take away sin – once and forever. When John said ‘… takes away the sin of the world,’ he did not mean that every single person’s sins will be forgiven, but only those sinners who have repented and received the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. However, the death of Jesus was great enough in value to pay for all the sins of the whole world, whether past, present or future, but for this to happen, each person must come to Jesus in faith. Isaiah 53 foretells the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus; mentioning His death, His burial, and His resurrection. All as described in the Gospels, especially in the Gospel of Mark.

Q3. (John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfilment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist? John shows humility by not focusing on himself but rather on our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. I think John had every reason to boast and brag about having been singled out by the Lord. To think that his life and ministry were prophesied in Isaiah 40; that his birth was due to the direct and miraculous power of God (Luke 1:13); that he was filled with the Holy Spirit even in his mother's womb (Luke 1:15); that he was sent from God (John 1:6), and that Jesus Himself spoke of him as ‘there is none greater among men than John the Baptist’ (Matthew 11:11). He must have realised the importance of his mission, and he knew that he had to follow God’s will. All of this contributed to him being both humble and confident in announcing the coming Messiah.

Q2. (John 1:26-27) Why did John baptize? What is the meaning of the baptism he was performing? What do you think baptism represents to those John baptized? John was urging people to repent of their sins and then baptizing them as a sign of such repentance. The Pharisees maintained lavish washing rituals, including the baptism of Gentiles when they converted to Judaism. But John’s baptism was different and new to Jewish religious thought. In their theology, only God could forgive sins. However, John was merely performing a symbolic act of repentance, and announced that soon one would come who would truly forgive sins, something only the Son of God - the Messiah - could do. The Jews submitted to John’s baptism as a public expression of their repentance; for they knew from OT teachings of the necessity of spiritual cleansing in connection with the Messiah’s coming.

Q1. (John 1:19-23) Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem? What were they afraid of? How did John understand his own mission? How much conflict do you think could be expected from John's mission? John was popular and was causing quite a stir (Matthew 3:5). So I see the religious leaders being concerned, and wanting to know what he is all about. They had to investigate because of the rumours that he might be the Messiah. A false Messiah might excite the crowds and do a great deal of damage by upsetting the fragile relationship between the Jews and the Roman governor. They were supposed to expose false prophets and would-be Messiahs and to guard the religious interests of Israel, but in actual fact, I think, they were more worried about opposition to the lucrative hold they had on religion, and if need be John was to be neutralized. But John knew they were not sincere and denounced them as a brood of vipers. This we read in Matthew 3:7, ‘But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?’ He had recognized their true nature and knew that they were inwardly corrupt, hypocritical, and self-righteous. Yes, John did understand his own mission. He had said, I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness.’ He was the voice, and Israel was the wilderness, and Christ was the Word. He did not pretend to be a great man to be praised and admired, but was only a voice - not to be seen, but only to be heard. Quoting Isaiah 40:3 he was telling all that he was the forerunner who was predicted – he was here to announce the coming of Christ. His message was, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” In other words, “The Messiah is coming. Remove everything in your life that would hinder you from receiving Him. Repent of your sins, so that He can come and reign over you as the King of Israel.”

Q5. (John 1:18) What does it mean that Jesus is the "Only God" or the "Only Begotten God"? Does the Apostle John seem to make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son? What does all this mean for our understanding of the Trinity? It means that Jesus is God’s unique Son, the only one of its kind, and that there is no other son like Him. Jesus Christ is eternal God; He has always existed. We can see God revealed in nature, and also note His mighty works in history; but we cannot see God Himself. But Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and it is through Jesus that God is revealed. Jesus Christ explains God to us and interprets Him for us. We simply cannot understand God apart from knowing His Son, Jesus Christ. Yes, John does make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son. When John tells us that the Word is with God, he shows distinction from God the Father (John 1:1-2). Another example is in John 14:26 where all 3 persons of the Trinity are named. John mentions that on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit would reveal more, having been sent by the Father in the name of Christ. As far as my understanding of the Trinity is concerned we are taught in Scripture that God is 3 persons; each person is fully God; and there is one God.

Q4. (John 1:14) Why is the idea of God "becoming flesh" so important to the basis of the Christian faith? What would Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection mean if he were only pretending to "become flesh"? In what ways have you personally experienced his grace? In what ways has his truth changed your life from what it was? The Word became flesh when Jesus came into the world in a human body. He had always existed as the Son of God with the Father in heaven but now Jesus chose to live a perfect life here on earth. Because of His sinless life as a man, He was qualified to pay the price for my disobedience and my evil ways. Jesus did this by sacrificing His life on the cross to pay for all my sins - past, present, and future. So, when I receive Him as my Saviour, God counts Jesus’ death as payment for all I have done wrong. What’s more, upon my salvation, Christ’s perfect life is counted as my own. His life here on earth is therefore basic to my Christian faith. His righteousness becomes mine through faith: ‘However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness’ (Romans 4:5). In the Son, I see the fullness of God’s kindness revealed. Christ’s life, crucifixion, and bodily resurrection is the centre of my Christian faith. It is because Christ rose from the dead, as He promised, that I can be sure that what He said is true and that I have the assurance that my sins are forgiven - He has defeated death. I have personally experienced His abundant grace, mercy, and love in my life. For which I am forever grateful. But more than this, I also experienced His saving grace. We read in 1 Corinthians 2:14, ‘The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.’ This was how I was before He opened my heart, eyes, and ears to His Word. By nature we are full of selfishness, pride and wickedness of all sorts. These things dominate our lives. Even living decent moral lives we are still spiritually blind. Then a sudden change! Jesus came into my life and all of a sudden I was able to perceive and understand in a new way, and saw things I had never known before. I was a sinner saved by grace! Now I experience an inner tranquillity and His peace - the peace of God and the peace with God. Thank You Lord Jesus! ‘And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus’ (Philippians 4:7). ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Romans 5:1).

Q3 (John 1:12-13) What does it mean to "receive" Jesus? What does it imply to "believe in" Jesus? What is the spiritual relationship to God of those who receive and believe in Jesus? Of those who do not? To receive Jesus means to believe in Him. This is not just belief in facts about Jesus, but a personal trust in Him as my Lord and Saviour. It means I am to trust Him completely for the forgiveness of my sins and for the gift of eternal life. I must repent and humbly come before God admitting that I am a sinner in need of salvation and that Christ alone has paid the penalty for my sin and offers salvation to me. It means having a personal relationship and dependence on Christ. There is then the wonderful promise that anyone who receives and believes in Jesus will be born again and enter the family of God. By contrast, those who do not believe in Christ are not children of God or adopted into His family, but are ‘children of wrath’: ‘‘among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.’ (Ephesians 2:3).

Q2. (John 1:7-8) What did it mean that John was sent to "testify" to the light? In what sense are you put here with the purpose of "testifying" to the light? How are you doing in this regard? What happened to John the Baptist? What might happen to you if you testify clearly? What might happen to the people to whom you testify? John’s mission was to announce the coming of Christ and to tell them that Jesus was truly the Light of the world - the Son of God. By witnessing we are to reflect the Light of Jesus and in so doing point them to Jesus, and have them ultimately respond in faith and repentance – placing their faith in our Lord Jesus. In all honesty, I’m ashamed to say that I feel l I could have served the Lord better. Like John, we are to make sure that as stated in John 3:30, ‘He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less.’ So, if we testify clearly, our lives will become a testimony for our Lord. And, hopefully those to whom we testify will come to accept our Lord Jesus as their Saviour.

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the "Word"? What does this say about Him and His ministry? Yes!! Jesus is fully God. John states that Jesus did not have a beginning but existed from all eternity – before creation. He was never created. The Bible teaches us that there is one God and that there are 3 Persons in the Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God the Son. He is God, the exact representation of God, the full revelation of God, the complete expression of God in a human form. When God spoke, that was a creative, awesome moment. In Genesis 1:3 we read, “And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” Also in Genesis 1:26, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness … ‘.” In Isaiah we read, “ … My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it”. So we read in Scripture the power of God's creative Word which is Jesus. As Pastor Ralph states, the Word means that Jesus is an ‘independent personified expression of God.’ The way by which God announces and declares His will and issues His commandments. This is confirmed in Hebrews 1:3 where we read that Jesus by the Word of His power upholds all things. He speaks and His powerful Word sustains life, holds matter together, and maintains the universe in proper order. Also in Colossians 1:15-17 we read that Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. And that all things were created by Him and for Him. Also that He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. All this supports what John has written ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ There is such intense power in these few words! We need to meditate on them and let them sink in so that we can somehow try and comprehend their full meaning. We can know for sure that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is fully God!

Q4. (1 Corinthians 16:22) Whom does Paul curse in this verse? Whom does he invite to come quickly? Why, do you think, Paul looks forward so much to Christ's coming? Paul curses those who do not love the Lord Jesus – that is those who fail to obey His commandments or those who preach another gospel. I love what John Stott has written, “We are not to be dazzled, as many people are, by the person, gifts or office of teachers in the church. They may come to us with great dignity, authority and scholarship. They may be bishops or archbishops, university professors or even the pope himself. But if they bring a gospel other than the gospel preached by the apostles and recorded in the New Testament, they are to be rejected. We judge them by the gospel; we do not judge the gospel by them”. Paul, like all believers, invite Jesus Christ to come quickly. Paul looked forward for the Lord to take away the accursed, nominal, and false Christians who harm the true church. However, there is an invitation for all the lost to receive Christ before the chance of salvation is gone forever. We all look forward to this great day when, “the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). In that glorious day, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:51-54).”

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? Why does opposition nearly always accompany success? In what way does this require spiritual warfare? If our work for the Lord is successful in any way, there will be opposition. Satan will see to it. However, opposition always presents new opportunities and can spur us on to accomplish even more. There is also the fact that if it is His will, our Lord can and will open doors and no one can stop it.

Q2. (1 Corinthians 16:4-7) What does Paul's wording, "if the Lord permits" teach us about making plans? Why is planning without this mind-set actually arrogant? As believers we know that we must trust the Lord and we are not to trust or rely only on our own understanding. Since we are children of God, we also know that He will only have what is best for us in mind, and He will only permit certain things to happen to us. Unless of course we decide to go it alone. We cannot have it both ways. Our Heavenly Father knows all, unlike us who only see part of the picture, so it makes sense to fully trust Him and let go of our pride, and our plans. For even our best-laid plan cannot begin to approach the magnificent wisdom of God's plan. "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom" (1 Corinthians 1:25). Very often we will not understand or approve of God’s ways, then it is helpful to remember Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. We know from Romans 8:28 that God is causing all things to work for the good of those who love Him. Therefore, for our own good, it will be best if we make decisions according to the unchanging Word of God.