The Life of Christ

FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

BY FRANK HAMRICK
The Life of Christ
Copyright © 2003, 2010, 2016 by Positive Action for Christ , Inc., P.O. Box 700, 502 W. Pippen St.,
Whitakers, NC 27891. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced in any manner without
permission in writing from the publisher.

Published 2003

Third Edition 2010

2016 Printing

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN:1-59557-122-1
ISBN13: 978-1-59557-122-9

Adapted by Dennis Peterson

Edited by Ben Wright and C.J. Harris
Layout and Design by Shannon Brown
Photography by Shannon Brown, Frank Hamrick, and Todd Bolen (www.bibleplaces.com)
Charts and Maps by Shannon Brown
City of Jerusalem Illustration by Bill Latta

Published by
 Contents

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Unit 5—Christ’s Public Ministry Prompts Mixed

Scripture Memorization Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Reactions (John 8–12)
Chapter 20—The Day After the Feast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Recommended Reading List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Chapter 21—The Man Born Blind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178

Unit 1—Background Information for a Study of the Life Chapter 22—The Good Shepherd Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
of Christ in the Gospel of John Chapter 23—The Feast of Dedication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Chapter 1—An Introduction to the Book of John . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Chapter 24—Christ Ministers in Perea and Bethany . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Chapter 2—The Purpose of John’s Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chapter 25—The Triumphal Entry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Chapter 3—The Geographic and Political Situation at the
Time of Christ’s Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Unit 6—Christ’s Private Ministry to His Disciples
(John 12–17)
Unit 2—Preparations for Christ’s Ministry (John 1) Chapter 26—Christ’s Meeting with the Greeks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Chapter 4—The Preexistence of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Chapter 27—Christ’s Conflicts with the Pharisees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Chapter 5—The Incarnation of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Chapter 28—Christ’s Last Supper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Chapter 6—John, the Forerunner of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Chapter 29—Christ’s Last Words and Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Chapter 7—The Selection of Christ’s Disciples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Chapter 30—Christ’s Lesson on the Vine and the Branches . . . . . . . . . 253
Chapter 31—Christ’s Intercessory Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260
Unit 3—Christ’s Public Ministry Begins with Individuals
(John 2–4)
Unit 7—Christ’s Passion (John 18–21)
Chapter 8—Changing the Water to Wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Chapter 32—Christ’s Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Chapter 9—Christ Cleanses the Temple . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Chapter 33—Christ’s Crucifixion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Chapter 10—Christ Meets with Nicodemus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter 34—The Resurrection and First Post-Resurrection
Chapter 11—Christ Confronts the Woman at the Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Appearance of Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290
Chapter 12—Christ Ministers in Samaria and Cana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Chapter 35—The Post-Resurrection Fishing Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
Chapter 13—Christ Heals at the Pool of Bethesda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
Unit 4—Christ’s Public Ministry Reveals Who He Is Quizzes & Unit Tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
(John 5–7)
Quiz Answer Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 375
Chapter 14—Christ Proves His Deity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Unit Test Answer Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389
Chapter 15—Christ Performs Two Miracles in Galilee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Chapter 16—Christ Teaches that He Is the Bread of Life (Part 1) . . . . . 139
Chapter 17—Christ Teaches that He Is the Bread of Life (Part 2) . . . . . 146
Chapter 18—Christ Attends the Feast of Tabernacles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Chapter 19—Christ Divides the People at the Feast of Tabernacles . . 162

LIFE OF CHRIST | 3
 Preface

The history of the world pivots on the person and work of Jesus Christ. As the eternal God in human flesh, He
secured our destiny in a way that no one else could. No wonder He has been the subject of innumerable writ-
ings, discussions, and speculations. Yet with all the historical and cultural data available to us today, students
can still view this Jesus as distant and impersonal.
This study seeks to acquaint your students personally with Jesus, the Messiah of God. As an academic curricu-
lum and a devotional study, The Life of Christ presents both factual content and personal application material.
Students should complete this course with an introductory understanding of Christ’s identity, ministry, and
doctrine, especially as outlined in the Gospel of John. The Synoptic Gospels include more information about
Christ’s work, but John focuses on His character.
We want students to . . .
• See Christ’s brilliance
• Know His compassion
• Marvel at His courage and power
• Sorrow over His death
• Rejoice at His resurrection
To that end, this study includes a great deal of contextual information. To better appreciate Christ’s ministry in
A.D. 29–32, we can benefit from studying relevant events, customs, and geography. By connecting the truth
of the Gospels to the facts of broader history, we avoid viewing the life of Christ as some abstract fable. He is
a real, literal person who makes a real, literal impact on our lives today.
Though God lies above and beyond our understanding, He has chosen to make Himself known to us in the
person of Christ. We pray that this study will help you and your students worship Him as both King and Savior.

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Features of This Study
Student Exercises
Almost every lesson in the Student Manual includes exercises that students should complete outside of class.
These exercises encourage students to seek God’s truth and love on their own, while also previewing some of the
content from the teacher’s lesson. Items may range from simple fact-finding drills to more personal, speculative,
or devotional exercises.
Early in this course, you may wish to complete some of these exercises with your students, especially if the
students are not familiar with looking up and summarizing Scripture on their own.

Digging Deeper
Each lesson in the Student Manual features additional projects and activities that you can review and
assign at your discretion. Most of these would be more appropriate for higher grade levels.

Fill in the Gap

Several lessons ask students to research the Synoptic Gospels for events that John does not record. You
can assign these sections to encourage students to explore beyond the core material.

Teacher’s Lectures
The lesson content in the Teacher’s Manual can help you prepare and present the truths of this study to your
students.

Lesson Objectives
These serve as target truths for each lesson.

Teacher’s Lesson
The lecture material is presented verbatim—though formatted with headings and bullets in case you
prefer to teach from limited notes.

Notes from the Teacher’s Lesson

Each lesson in the Student Manual contains a fill-in-the-blank outline of the corresponding teacher’s
lesson. Students can use this outline as a foundation for their lecture notes, which will help them study
for tests and quizzes.
You can find digital presentations with these outlines on the Life of Christ product page at
positiveaction.org.

If you are using slide presentations downloaded from our website, this symbol will mark when you
Y should progress to the next slide. Of course, if you edit these presentations, your transition points may
change.
We encourage teachers to approach lessons not so much as a fact-finding process, but as a way to strengthen the
students’ relationship with God. Perfect truth includes love, and perfect love includes truth, so please take care
to present this material in a way that both encourages and challenges your students. Make time for discussion,
and encourage your students to share their questions with the class.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 5
 Testing and Evaluation
For classes that require a score or grade, the Teacher’s Manual includes lesson quizzes and unit tests. These
cover material from the teacher’s lectures and the introductory essays in the Student Manual lessons. Quizzes
and tests do not cover material from the Student Manual exercises, unless the material is discussed elsewhere.
Quizzes, tests, and answer keys are at the back of this Teacher’s Manual. You can find editable versions
of the testing material on the Life of Christ product page at positiveaction.org.
Some teachers also grade weekly Scripture memorization, as well as the completion of student exercises and
extra activities.
Note that these materials can help you evaluate students’ mastery of factual content—not, of course, their
spiritual growth.

Completed Pages from the Student Manual

This Teacher’s Manual contains a complete copy of the Student Manual. In each lesson, you can find facsimiles
of the Student Manual pages with suggested answers filled in.
A digital version of these facsimiles is available on the Life of Christ product page at
positiveaction.org. If presented via projector or screen, these pages can help you review exercises with
your students.

Scripture Memorization
At the end of this introduction, you’ll find a Scripture memory program with an assignment for each lesson.
In the past, teachers have used this optional component in the following ways:
1. Assign verses to be recited or written in a graded quiz, whether weekly, monthly, or once a semester.
2. Assign verses to be written on the back of regular lesson quizzes, perhaps as extra credit.
3. Evaluate the students’ understanding of the verses by offering a fill-in-the-blank verse test, or one that
requires students to match the text of each passage with its reference.
You can find printable verse cards on the Life of Christ product page at positiveaction.org.

Format and Grade Level

Though teachers have successfully adapted and taught this study in grades seven through twelve, we recom-
mend this content for the eighth through eleventh grade. Quizzes and tests are written for the higher grade
levels in this range.
As with any other Bible study, your students’ background, Scriptural literacy, and reading level will greatly
impact their ability to approach this material. Some students may require additional teacher or parent involve-
ment to understand and complete the exercises in the Student Manual.

Suggested Weekly Schedule

This study includes 35 lessons—one for each week in an average academic year. In general, students should
first complete the exercises in the Student Manual, after which teachers can review and expand this material in
the Teacher’s Manual lecture. At the end of the week, students can take the appropriate lesson quiz or unit test.
Any optional activities or Scripture memory can expand the students’ individual or group study.

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Note that this study likely contains more content than you could cover in depth, especially in a three- or four-
day-a-week class. Depending on the needs of your students—and depending on the time you spend in discus-
sion or review—you may need to cover some minor points quickly or not at all.

Five-Day Option

Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four Day Five

Introduce lesson Review the Finish the Review Scripture Administer the
objectives. student teacher’s lesson. memory. quiz or test.
exercises.
Introduce Review Scripture Review lesson Check or quiz
the Scripture Begin the memory. material, Scripture
memory verses. teacher’s lesson. especially points memory.
relevant to the
Introduce the Review Scripture Review or
quiz or test.
student exercises memory. conclude any
and any extra Discuss any extra activities.
activities. student
questions.

Four-Day Option

Day One Day Two Day Three Day Four

Introduce lesson Review the student Finish the teacher’s Administer the quiz
objectives. exercises. lesson. or test.
Introduce the Begin the teacher’s Review lesson Check or quiz
Scripture memory lesson. material, especially Scripture memory.
verses. points relevant to the
Review Scripture Discuss student
quiz or test.
Introduce the student memory. questions.
exercises and any Review Scripture
Review or conclude
extra activities. memory.
any extra activities.

Three-Day Option

Day One Day Two Day Three

Introduce lesson objectives. Present the teacher’s lesson. Administer the quiz or test.
Introduce the Scripture Review lesson material relevant Check or quiz Scripture
memory verses. to the test or quiz. memory.
Work through the student Review Scripture memory. Discuss student questions or
exercises together, and assign any extra activities.
the remainder for individual
work.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 7
 Feedback
As a non-profit publishing ministry, we consider teachers our co-laborers in the faith. Each of our curricula
remains a work in progress, and the people who teach these studies have a great impact on the scope and for-
mat of each new edition. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact
us—we’d love to hear from you.
info@positiveaction.org
Positive Action for Christ
P.O. Box 700
Whitakers, NC 27891-0700
800-688-3008
www.positiveaction.org

A Final Word
It’s our prayer that this study helps you and your students know God’s glory, grow in that knowledge, and share
it with others. To see the most from this study, we’d encourage you to do the following:
• Spend time each day in the Word. Use the material in this study to guide your devotional reading so
that you can present God’s truth and love from the heart. Spend time also marking and adjusting the
lecture content to suit your students’ needs.
• Pray for your students, and ask God to grow you, as well.
• Be vulnerable to your students, expressing questions and confidence in equal measure. Encourage them
to explore Scripture with you.
• Be the love and truth you want to see from your students.
• Depend on God’s strength and grace, even in your weakness.

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Recommended Scripture Memorization Program
Lesson Passage
1 Romans 15:4
2 John 20:31
3 John 1:1–3
4 John 1:10–12
5 John 1:14
6 John 1:27
7 John 1:41
8 John 2:4
9 John 2:19
10 John 3:3, 6, 16–20
11 John 4:13–14
12 John 4:35
13 John 5:8–9
14 John 5:24
15 John 6:5–6
16 John 6:27
17 John 6:35, 37
18 John 7:17
19 John 7:38
20 John 8:12, 32
21 John 9:4
22 John 10:9–10
23 John 10:27–29
24 John 11:25–26
25 John 12:7–8
26 John 12:24–25
27 John 12: 46, 48
28 John 13:34–35
29 John 14:1–3
30 John 15:4–5, 7
31 John 17:14–18
32 John 18:36
33 John 19:11
34 John 20:29
35 John 21:22

LIFE OF CHRIST | 9
 Recommended Reading List

Barnes, M. Craig. When God Interrupts. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996.

Bevington, Bob. World Religions Examined in Light of the Bible. Knoxville, Tenn.: The Revival Hour, n.d.

Blaikie, W. Garden. David Livingstone. Westwood, N.J.: Barbour and Company, 1986.

Bounds, E. M. Power Through Prayer. Springdale, Pa.: Whitaker House, 1982.

____________. Guide to Spiritual Warfare. New Kensington, Pa.: Whitaker House, 1984.

Brooks, Keith L. The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.

Buksbazen, Victor. “Passover and the Lord’s Supper,” in The Gospel in the Feasts of Israel. W. Collingswood, N.J.: The
Friends of Israel, 1954 (pp. 1–13).

Byrd, Dennis. Rise and Walk. New York: Harper-Collins Publishers, 1993.

DeHaan, M. R. The Tabernacle. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Lamplighter Books, 1955.

Dravecky, Dave. Comeback. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1990.

____________. When You Can’t Come Back. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1992.

Engstrom, Ted W., and R. Alec MacKenzie. Managing Your Time. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1967.

Erickson, Kenneth A. Christian Time Management. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1985.

Frederick, Kenneth. The Making of a Disciple: A Study of Discipleship from the Life of Simon Peter. Greenville, S.C.: BJU
Press, 2001.

Greene, Oliver B. The Gospel According to John (3 vols.). Greenville, S.C.: The Gospel Hour, Inc., 1966.

Havergal, Frances Ridley. Kept for the Master’s Use. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.

Heinze, Thomas F. The Creation vs. Evolution Handbook. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1970 (pp. 68–70).

Henry, Matthew. Experiencing God’s Presence. New Kensington, Pa.: Whitaker House, 1997.

Josephus. Complete Works. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 1978.

Jukes, Andrew. Four Views of Christ. 1853; reprint, Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 1982.

Ketcham, Robert T. “The Passover Lamb,” chapter 10 in Old Testament Pictures of New Testament Truth. Des Plaines, Ill.:
Regular Baptist Press, 1965 (pp. 187–203).

Livingstone, W. P. Mary Slessor. Westwood, N.J.: Barbour and Company, 1986.

Lockyer, Herbert. All the Men of the Bible. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1958.

MacArthur, John. The Murder of Jesus. Nashville, Tenn.: Word, 2000.

Martin, Walter R. The Kingdom of the Cults. Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany House Publishers, 1977.

Martinson, Paul Varo, ed. Islam: An Introduction for Christians. Minneapolis, Minn.: Augsburg Fortress, 1994.

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Moore, T. M. Disciplines of Grace: From Spiritual Routines to Spiritual Renewal. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press,
2001.

Muck, Terry. Alien Gods on American Turf. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1990.

Murray, Andrew. With Christ in the School of Prayer. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953.

Nee, Watchman. Not I, But Christ. New York: Christian Fellowship Publishers, Inc., 1974.

Paris, James L. Money Management for Those Who Don’t Have Any. Eugene, Ore.: Harvest House, 1997.

Peterson, Dennis L. “Preventing Spiritual Anorexia Nervosa,” Good News Broadcaster (March 1988), pp. 17–19.

Reccord, Robert E. When Life Is the Pits. Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1987.

Roecker, Ann. A Workshop on Time Management. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Lamplighter Books, 1988.

Rosenthal, Stanley. One God or Three? West Collingswood, N.J.: Spearhead Press, 1978.

Ruffin, Bernard. Fanny Crosby. Westwood, N.J.: Barbour and Company, Inc., 1976.

Sherman, Doug, and William Hendricks. How to Balance Competing Time Demands. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress,
1989.

Slemming, Charles W. Made According to Pattern. Fort Washington, Pa.: Christian Literature Crusade, 1938.

Spurgeon, C. H. Lectures to My Students. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1954.

____________. The Treasury of David. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, n.d.

Steer, Roger. J. Hudson Taylor: A Man in Christ. Wheaton, Ill.: Harold Shaw, 1993.

Torrey, R. A. How to Pray. Chicago: Moody Press, n.d.

Tozer, A. W. “The Tragedy of Wasted Religious Activity,” in A Treasury of A. W. Tozer. Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian
Publications, Inc., 1980, pp. 92–94.

Ware, Charles. Racial Prejudice and the People of God. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 2001.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 11
12 |
 Unit 1
Background Information for a Study
of the Life of Christ in the
Gospel of John

LIFE OF CHRIST | 13
 Lesson 1
An Introduction to the
Gospel of John

Lesson Objectives:
1. To show John’s place among the four Gospels
2. To compare/contrast John with the Synoptic Gospels
3. To summarize the primary focus and contents of John
4. To highlight the characteristics unique to John
5. To challenge the students to make practical applications of the lessons in this study by coming to know
and love the real person Jesus Christ

Y The Place of John in the New Testament

One of the four Gospels
Grouped with Matthew, Mark, and Luke, John is the fourth Gospel in the New Testament.

Ask: What is the gospel? (Discuss) The word “gospel” means “good news.” The gospel is God’s good
news concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Y The gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4. Read and discuss this passage. Note the three main elements
of the gospel:
1. Christ died for our sins.
2. Christ was buried for our sins.
3. Christ arose again the third day.
Y All of this was “according to the Scriptures.” Those Scriptures specifically refer to the writings of Matthew,
Mark, and the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. (Luke and John were not yet written when Paul
wrote these words, but they are certainly consistent with Paul’s description of the gospel). Since these four
books detail Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, they are called “The Gospels.”

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 One of the longest books of the New Testament
With twenty-one chapters, John is one of the longest books in the New Testament.

Ask: Which books do you think are longer? (Discuss) Only Matthew, Luke, Acts, and Revelation have
more chapters, but John has more words and verses than Revelation.

The best-loved book of the New Testament

Bible students and seasoned scholars agree that the Gospel of John is the best loved and most widely read book
not only of the New Testament but also possibly the entire Bible. It has been printed and distributed by Bible-
believing groups all over the world. Its passages are among the most-quoted pieces of literature. No other book
can match the language of such verses as the following (have individual students look up these references and
read the verses aloud):

John 1:12 John 5:24 John 8:58 John 11:25

John 3:16 John 6:48 John 10:10–11 John 14:1–6
John 3:36 John 8:32 John 10:27–28 John 21:15

Y The Contents of John

Different from the other Gospels
Compare and contrast the four Gospels using the chart below (and on page 9 of the student book).
The Gospel of John, though one of the four Gospels, is different from all of the others. Compare and contrast
the four Gospels, helping the students fill in the blanks as you point out the following:

Matthew Mark Luke John

Portrait of
King Servant Man God
Christ
Prominent Straightway/
Fulfilled Son of Man Believe
Words Immediately

Audience Jews Romans Greeks All People

Emphasis Words Works Humanity Deity

Details of
Outstanding Claims to
Sermons Miracles Birth and
Sections Deity
Crucifixion

Basic
Historical Historical Historical Spiritual
Characteristics

Portrait of Christ
Each author presented a different aspect of Christ. The Lord is so awesome in His character that no single
portrait can adequately explain what He is like. Therefore, it took four men to show four different views of
Christ. Interestingly, there is a parallel in these four views. Think in terms of a chart—a king is “high”; a servant
is “low.” A man is lowly, but God is exalted. Therefore, we see Christ as the High King, then the lowly servant,
next as a lowly man, and finally as the Exalted God.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 15
 Prominent words
Matthew emphasizes the word “fulfilled” showing that Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies of
Israel’s coming King. Mark’s word is “straightway” which means “now” or “immediately.” He presented Christ
as servant, and when you order a servant to do something, you want it done now. Luke’s key phrase was “Son
of Man” because he was emphasizing His humanity. John’s key word was “believe” because it was difficult for
men to believe that a man they had touched was actually God. John’s whole purpose, as we have seen, was to
cause men to believe that Jesus was not just a king or just a servant or just a man. He intended to prove that
this same man, servant, and king was the very God who had made the world!

Audience
Matthew was written to the Jews, so he presents Christ as king because the Jews were looking for a king. Mark
was written to the Romans, whose culture revolves largely around the master-slave relationship. Therefore, he
presented Christ as servant to the Romans. The Greeks were interested in humanity—the body, life, and death.
So, Luke, writing to the Greeks, presents Christ as the Son of Man. John, however, has a different audience—all
people. He wants the whole world to see Christ as God.

Emphasis and outstanding sections

Think for a moment. What are you most interested in about a king? His words! When the king speaks, every-
one listens. Therefore, Matthew emphasizes the words of Christ, in particular His sermons. The deeds of a
servant are most important, so Mark emphasizes the works of Christ, particularly His miracles, as he presents
Christ as Servant to the business-like Roman citizens. Luke, on the other hand, is a doctor. A doctor is more
concerned with life and death. Writing to the humanistic Greeks, Luke emphasizes the humanity of Christ and
gives the greatest details concerning Christ’s birth and crucifixion. In fact, Mark and John don’t even mention
Christ’s birth! Why? No one is interested in the genealogy and birth of a servant, and as God, He always existed.
Matthew and Luke, however, do detail his birth because one is very interested in the birth of a king and the
birth of a man. Finally, John’s emphasis is on Christ’s deity, and as such the most outstanding sections of John
are those in which Christ claims to be God either in His words or in His miracles. John mentions only a few
of the forty miracles Christ did, but He chose those that best revealed Christ’s deity.

Basic characteristics
John is basically a spiritual book. Its purpose is evangelistic—to cause men to believe. The other three Gospels
are all historical in nature. Their main objective is to document the events of Christ’s life.
Other points you can make related to this chart:
• John records less about the life of Christ than do the other Gospels.
• John records fewer movements of Jesus, and the actual events he discusses are much more limited.
• John is more concerned with who Jesus is than with what He did.
• John seeks to prove that Jesus is God Himself and Israel’s Messiah.

Y Answers the questions posed by the Synoptics

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are considerably different from John. In fact, they are so much alike that they are
called the Synoptic Gospels.

Ask: What does “synoptic” mean? Answer: “Synoptic” comes from the Greek “syn” and “optic.” “Syn”
means “together” or “alike.” “Optic” means “to see.” Therefore, synoptic means “to see alike” or “to see
together.” The Synoptic Gospels (Matt., Mark, Luke) all present Christ largely as a historical figure.
They are trying to provide first-hand accounts of the events that took place and spread this story
far and wide. In fact, they share a large portion of the same material. For example, 92% of Mark is
found almost word-for-word in Matthew.

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 John, however, is different. His goal is distinctly evangelistic—to cause men to trust God for salvation. Many
of John’s readers may have already been familiar with one of the other Gospels.
Y We could therefore say that John answers the questions raised by the Synoptic Gospels:
• Matthew presents Christ as King and John tells us that this king is the Son of God!
• Mark presents Christ as Servant, and John tells us that this servant is God!
• Luke presents Christ as Man, and John tells us that this “man” is the Creator of the universe!

Y The Unique Characteristics of John

The book of John is unique, differing from Matthew, Mark, and Luke in several ways, including the following:

John emphasizes evangelism.

Whereas Matthew, Mark, and Luke are primarily historical in nature, John seems to have a more spiritual focus.
The Synoptic Gospels emphasize historical incidents whereas John, though he recounts some of the events,
emphasizes the importance of believing in the person at the center of those incidents. John challenges the reader
to believe in that person (read John 20:30–31), and he demands a verdict.

John records only seven miracles.

Jesus performed many (at least forty) miracles, as the Synoptic Gospels point out. John chooses from among
those many miracles only those that best suit his purpose: proving that Jesus is Israel’s divine Messiah and caus-
ing men to believe in Him.

John focuses on Judea rather than on Galilee.

This specific geographic focus might be because John also makes clear the fact that God’s gift of salvation
reaches beyond the Jews and extends to everyone who believes. The central crossroads of the Middle Eastern
world was Jerusalem, which was in the heart of Judea, and peoples of every tongue and nation were represented
in that area.

Y John emphasizes Jesus’ own words concerning Himself.

Whereas Matthew, Mark, and Luke emphasize the words and works of Christ from a historical viewpoint,
John shows us who Jesus Himself said He was. John is not trying to prove Christ’s deity so much as he is letting Jesus
Christ prove His own deity!
John 8:25 is a good example of this truth. (Read this verse aloud.) Compare the way John used Christ’s own
words to prove His deity by describing the difference between two salesmen—one who tries to sell his product
and another who lets the product sell itself.
Another interesting point to note in this regard is how John keeps himself out of his account of the life and
work of Christ. Note how seldom we see John in the Gospel and how little John says about himself. Noted
author and Bible teacher Oliver B. Greene wrote in this regard, “We read very little of what John himself said
or did during the Lord’s ministry, but he listened to Jesus and watched Him so closely that invisible glory pos-
sessed by the Saviour but hidden from others was seen by John. He heard words with a deeper meaning than
did the others who followed Jesus.”

John is not trying to prove Christ’s deity so much as he is letting Jesus Christ prove His own deity.
As we progress through our study of this Gospel, we will see that John’s strategy is simple. He lets Jesus speak
for Himself by quoting His words and recording His works.

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 Y The Application of the Gospel of John
The basic question of the book of John is “Who is Jesus Christ?” Perhaps we should make it more personal and
ask ourselves, “Who is Christ to me?”
Our one great aim in the lessons in this study is to make Jesus Christ real to each of us. As He becomes real to
us, we will learn to love and admire Him more than ever before.
The author of this thirty-five lesson study readily admits that the more he studied the personality, feelings, and
emotions of Christ, and the more clearly he saw the heart of Christ, the more real Jesus became as an actual,
flesh-and-blood person, and the more he fell in love with the Christ who walked on this earth more than two
thousand years ago.
As we study the life of Christ in the Gospel of John, we cannot help seeing as well how John himself experi-
enced spiritual growth as he came to know Christ better. His faith in and love for Christ eventually mastered
his life. Such can be your experience, too, if you will apply yourself to these lessons.
Present a final challenge by noting the difference between Christ’s being a real fact and a real person. George
Washington and Benjamin Franklin are only facts of history, but Jesus Christ still lives! He’s a real person, and
He should be as real to us as the friends we know. Let’s get to know Him!
Although the lessons in this study will teach facts, our aim is not to learn about Jesus but to get to know Him,
to feel Him, to know His heart, to feel His gentleness, to experience His compassion, to admire His brilliance,
and to love His person.

Ask: Is He real to you, or is He just a fact?

Y Note: You can further compare John and the Synoptic Gospels using the chart on page 9 of the student book.

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 Lesson 2
The Purpose of John’s Gospel

Lesson Objectives:
1. To establish John’s two-fold purpose for writing his Gospel account of the life of Christ
2. To help the students understand when John wrote his Gospel and when the events of which he wrote
took place
3. To show the importance of the four Passover feasts to John’s chronology of Christ’s ministry
4. To challenge each student to ensure that Christ is the Lord of his or her life
This lesson deals with the purpose and outline of the Gospel of John. In the previous lesson, we learned why
we chose John as our text rather than one of the Synoptic Gospels.

Ask: What was the reason? (Review the previous lesson, including the answer to this question.) The
Synoptic Gospels deal with what Jesus did, whereas John tells us who He is.
In this lesson, we will note three major emphases of John’s Gospel:
1. To prove the deity of Jesus Christ
2. To cause men to believe in Him and live
3. To supplement the Synoptic Gospels, supplying the details that they do not mention
We will also learn the purpose of John and look at the time line of the book.

Y John’s Two-fold Purpose (John 20:30–31)

John was selective in what he recorded. Read John 20:30 and 21:25 aloud.

Ask: Why did John choose certain facts and omit others? (Discuss) He chose only those facts that
aided his purpose.

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 To cause us to believe that Jesus is the Christ (20:31)
Ask: What does the word Christ mean? (Discuss) It means “the Anointed One.” It is the Greek word
for Messiah.

Ask: Why is it important to prove that Jesus was the Messiah? (Discuss) The Jews had rejected the
idea that He was the Messiah. Imagine it. For two thousand years they had waited for the Messiah,
but when He came, they rejected Him!

Ask: Why? (Discuss) It was because of their spiritual blindness, their following religious ritual rather than
the truth of God’s Word.

To show us how to obtain life through His name (20:31)

As we stated in the previous lesson, John’s Gospel was written to draw a response from men. Whereas the
Synoptic Gospels present historical facts, John demands a spiritual response to Christ.
Ask some students individually: Do you know the president of our country? (Some will say yes, thinking that
you mean, “Have you ever heard of him or know his name?” Others will say no, thinking that you mean, “Do
you know him personally?”) This question and the various responses illustrate the world’s stance on Christ:
many people know about Him, but few people know Him personally.
It is not what you know about Christ, but your response to Him that counts. Many people know about Christ.
They know all of the facts and historical data about Him, but they are not saved. Only when one trusts in Him as
Lord and Savior and his heart is moved to cling to Him alone for salvation is a soul saved. This belief produces
everlasting life. Therefore, a soul saved has real life.

Ask: Have you trusted Him alone for salvation, or have you just believed about Him?

Y The Four Passovers

As we noted, John’s Gospel revolves around the four Passovers occurring during the time of Christ’s public
ministry. Jesus’ ministry began just before a Passover feast and ended with a Passover.
Interestingly, Christ attended only three of these Passovers. (Some Bible scholars believe that the feast men-
tioned in John 5:1 was also a Passover, in which case Jesus’ ministry covered four Passovers, although He did not
observe the third one. This position, however, is neither supported nor rebutted by the Scripture text itself. We
simply don’t know which of the many feasts it was.) Jesus missed the Passover of A.D. 31. Staying in Galilee,
He fed the five thousand during that Passover season.

Passover one—A.D. 29: Jesus is Lord of the temple (John 2:13–14)

During this Passover, Jesus proved Himself to be Lord of the temple. Arriving in Jerusalem, He found the sheep
and oxen that were to be used in the sacrifices being sold in the temple. He overturned the tables of the mer-
chants and money changers and drove them out.

Ask: What does this event tell us about the Lord? (Discuss the students’ responses before offering
the following points.)

1. Christ’s courage
Think of the odds against Him. Imagine a man walking into our classroom and overturning all of the tables!

24 | C hapter T wo
 Ask: Would you have this much courage to do what was right?

2. Christ’s power and strength

Men evidently cowered before Christ. There must have been something powerful and awesome about His per-
son. Remind the students of how Christ’s enemies fell over each other when His enemies came to arrest Him
in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Ask: Could they not have surrounded Him at the temple and arrested Him? (Discuss)

3. Christ’s manliness
There was nothing sissy about Christ! He constructed a whip and literally drove them as cattle from the temple
area! Contrast this demonstration of masculinity with the world’s view of Jesus Christ as a quiet, emaciated
weakling.

4. Other traits (Let the students add their thoughts.)

Ask the students to suggest other traits of Christ.

Y Passover two—A.D. 30: Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (John 5:1)

During this Passover, Jesus proved Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath. He healed a man who had been lame for
thirty-eight years. A fact that further complicated His having healed the man was that He did so on Saturday,
the Jewish Sabbath!

Ask: What does this prove? (Discuss before offering the following points.)

1. He made the days and can do as He pleases on them!

After all, He is God!

2. Man’s needs are more important than the Law.

For example, fire trucks and ambulances break laws to save lives.

Ask: How do they sometimes break the law to save lives? (Discuss such things as running stop
signs or red lights, exceeding the speed limit, traveling in the wrong lane to get around traffic, etc.)
We learn an important lesson here: we should obey all laws unless the law makes us break God’s Word. God’s
Word supersedes all man-made laws. (Read Acts 4:18–21; 5:25–29.)

Ask: What would you do if owning Bibles was illegal, church attendance was banned, and witness-
ing was declared a crime? (Discuss) Note for the students the difference between a conviction and
a mere preference or opinion.

Passover three—A.D. 31: Jesus did not attend (John 6:4)

Jesus did not attend this Passover feast. He fed the five thousand during this time.

Passover four—A.D. 32: Jesus is Lord of life (John 18–19)

During this Passover, Christ proved Himself to be Lord of Life through His death and resurrection.

Ask: Is He Lord of your life? Does He rule supreme in your heart?

He died for you, and He arose from the grave. The same power that raised Him from the dead He offers to you.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 25
 Ask: Is He Lord of your life?

Y The Timeline of John’s Gospel

Have the students refer to the timeline on pages 276 and 277 appendix of their textbooks as you use a slide or
the information below to discuss the timeline of events in the book of John. Beginning with lesson four in the
student textbook, the students should refer to this information to date properly the events they are studying.
Warn the students that they must be familiar with this timeline for the test.

The dates of Christ’s ministry

Jesus’ ministry stretched into five years, although His ministry was only three and a half years long.
John recorded certain events beginning in the fall of A.D. 28. We can divide Jesus’ years of ministry as follows:
• The first three months (fall of A.D. 28)
Y • The first year (beginning with our January, A.D. 29)
Y • The second year (A.D. 30)
Y • The third year (A.D. 31)
Y • The last months (January to March/April, A.D. 32)

Y The dates of the events that John records

Y Gaps of time between chapters and verses
• Between 2:12 and 2:13—a gap of five months
• Between chapters 4 and 5—a gap of nearly one year
• Between chapters 5 and 6—a gap of one year
• Between chapters 6 and 7—a silence of six months
• Between 10:21 and 10:22—a gap of three months
• Between 10:39 and 10:40—a silence of two months
• Between chapters 11 and 12—a silence of two or three months
The events that occurred during these gaps are supplied in the Synoptic Gospels. John chooses the events he
records and omits others to serve his specific purpose for the book.

The bulk of John’s Gospel

Ask: With which month does the bulk of John’s Gospel deal? (Discuss) March/April, especially
March/April, A.D. 32. The Jews call this month Nisan (Nis’an).
Y The vast majority of the book (chapters 13–20) deals with the last day of Christ’s life before His death on the cross.
Note that he mentions events happening in March/April in A.D. 29, A.D. 30, and A.D. 32 .

Ask: Why was John preoccupied with every Nisan in Christ’s ministry? (Discuss) The reason is that
John builds his book around the Passover feast. This feast occurred on Nisan 14 (during our March/
April period, and it was the day on which Jesus would be crucified in A.D. 32).

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Y Lessons for Our Lives
• Christ is the central person in history.
• The cross and resurrection is the central truth in history.
• Salvation by faith alone in Christ alone is the central message in history.
• Proclamation of the gospel is the central responsibility of believers.

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 Lesson 3
The Geographical and
Political Situation at the
Time of Christ’s Ministry

Lesson Objectives:
1. To provide the students with knowledge and understanding of the geographical features and the political
situation at the time of Christ sufficient to understand their role in the events recorded in the Gospel of John
2. To apply the lessons of the Dead Sea to the life of a believer who is not living a life in service to God
3. To encourage the students to give out to others the truths they have learned and are learning in service
and witness to others around them
This lesson deals with the geography of Israel and the political realities of the time of Christ’s ministry.
Although it is more factual than inspirational, the lesson provides a proper assessment and visual picture of
Jesus’ movements throughout Israel that we will cover in subsequent lessons. As you teach each point, use the
maps in the back of the student and teacher books for a good visual presentation and, if possible, show slides
or videos of some of the terrain and other physical features described in this lesson.

Y Size and Location of Israel

Israel is a small country, only about 390 miles long and ranging from 30 to 80 miles wide. It is roughly the size
of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined.
Y Israel has long been called the center of the world and, as far as land mass is concerned, this claim is amazingly
true.

Y Here God prepared an incredible country.

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Y Physical Features: The Perfect Country
Y Varied climate
God blessed this tiny country with every imaginable type of climate, from snowy Mount Hermon to the tropi-
cal Dead Sea region. City dwellers can leave Jerusalem with snow on the ground, drive east less than thirty
miles, and get a suntan on the beach of the Dead Sea. Or they can drive less than five hours north and go skiing
on the slopes of Mount Hermon.

Y Varied geography
The Mediterranean Sea and three thousand foot high mountains are only miles apart. Beautiful, lush, green
valleys are about two hours’ drive from hot, arid, and barren desert. Within two hundred miles of each other are
Mount Hermon (9,232 feet high) and the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea, at an amazing 1,292 feet below
sea level. (In contrast, Death Valley, the lowest point in the United States, is only 280 feet below sea level.)

Y Varied crops
The plains of Sharon (the coastal plains just south of Mount Carmel) yield the world-famous Jaffa oranges and
bananas. Galilee offers grapes, cucumbers, and almost any other type of vegetable imaginable. Nowhere else on
earth can such a variety of food be grown in such a small area.

Y Political Division of the Land

Three major areas
The three major political areas of Israel are Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. These three divisions also existed dur-
ing the time of Christ.

Y Roman provinces
Rome ruled Israel at the time of Christ’s ministry. Rome divided the land into the following three political
areas, or provinces.

1. Judea and Samaria

During Christ’s time, seven different men ruled this area. It is an area of broken hills and valleys. It is good for
grazing herds and flocks. The city of Jerusalem was a natural focal point of the area.

2. Galilee and Perea

Herod Antipas ruled this area. During biblical times, the area was heavily wooded. It is well supplied with water
from 25 inches of annual precipitation and runoff from Mount Hermon, so the soil is very rich and fertile.

3. Iturea and Trachonitis (Northern Galilee)

Philip ruled this area. Trachonitis was located northeast of the Sea of Galilee. Because the Itureans were
nomads, it is difficult to specify precisely where Iturea was.

4. Decapolis
A fourth region, although not officially a Roman province, was under Rome’s partial control or influence
(hegemony). Comprising ten Greek cities, it was called Decapolis (deca, “ten”; polis, “city”). Coins of these cities
were often stamped with words that indicate that they were, at least to some extent, autonomous, independent,
sovereign, or dedicated cities.

LIFE OF CHRIST | 33
 Y Geographical Divisions
Y Israel comprises six distinct geographical areas.

Y The Coastal Plain

Stretching along the Mediterranean coast to Mount Carmel (the only major variation in the otherwise straight
coast line) and ranging from six to twenty miles wide, lies the fertile farmland of the Coastal Plains. This area
contains some of the richest soil in the world. In fact, a large part of the most desirable land in Palestine is in
this narrow area.

Y The Shephelah
Between the Coastal Plain and the central hills is a series of foothills called the Shephelah. This area corresponds
to almost any “rolling hills” section of North America, with low hills ranging from 500 to 1,000 feet in eleva-
tion. This area is particularly suited for growing olives, grapes, and grain and for pastoral farming activities. It
once served as a buffer zone between the Philistines, who lived on the coast, and the Israelites, who lived in the
mountains. It was a much-disputed area.

Y The Cis-Jordan Hills

These hills are commonly associated with Israel’s history. Most of Israel’s cities and people are located in this
area. The hills range from 1,500 to 3,000 feet high. The elevation increases to the north, and the hills become
the Lebanon Mountains in northern Galilee. The mountains rise to an elevation of 10,000 feet.

Y The Jordan Valley

The Jordan Valley stretches from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. However, it is only a small section of one
of the most remarkable geographic depressions on the earth. In its full extent it is known as the Afro-Arabian
Rift Valley. This system is the most important continental rift system known to modern geologists.
Two continental plates meet along this rift, with the land to the east of the rift moving northward about one
centimeter per year, and the land to the west of the rift drifting south about 1/2 to 1 centimeter a year.
The rift begins in the Amanus Mountains of southeastern Turkey and extends southward through western Syria
where it is known as the Ghab. Thence, it continues southward through Lebanon (where it is known as the
Beqa Valley) into Israel (where it is known as the Jordan Rift Valley). It continues down through the Gulf of
Aqaba or Gulf of Eilat on the Red Sea. There it parallels the Red Sea all the way to Ethiopia, where it splits. An
eastern rift extends to the Indian Ocean. A western rift penetrates Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi,
and Mozambique—a total of 4,000 air miles, or 1/6th of the earth’s circumference.
This single rift is responsible for creating the Sea of Galilee & Dead Sea in Israel, and lakes Rudolph, Albert,
Edward, and Victoria in West Africa. It is responsible for separating the island of Madagascar from the conti-
nent of Africa. Due to the constant moving of the two continental plates along this valley, between 200–300
earthquakes occur here daily.
Although the distance from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south is only sixty-five miles
in a straight line, the Jordan River winds like a serpent through the rift for more than two hundred miles
between those two points.
The Jordan River ends where its waters flow into the Dead Sea, which is about 1,292 feet below sea level and
is 1,300 feet deep. About 6 million tons of water flow into the Dead Sea every day, but the water has nowhere
to go; the Dead Sea has no outlet! Because of the intense heat of the area, the water evaporates very rapidly,
leaving behind about 25 percent solids (by contrast, normal ocean water contains only 4 to 6 percent solids),
making it one of the wealthiest mineral deposits in the world.

34 | C hapter T hree
Y The Trans-Jordan Hills
As the name implies, these hills and mountains lie on the other side (east) of (trans-, “across”) the Jordan River.
(Technically, the term means the side opposite from the viewer’s perspective, but it is generally used to refer to
the east bank area.) This area is a high plateau that rises gradually from north (about 1,320 feet high) to south
(higher than 3,940 feet).

Y Cities
The various accounts of Jesus’ ministry mention twenty-one cities in Israel. Most of these cities were located
in the Cis-Jordan Hills. The maps in the appendix locate those cities that are significant in John’s Gospel. It is
important for the students to know where these cities are located so that they can better relate to the accounts
of Jesus’ ministry when they read about them.

Y The Amazing Jordan Valley

This valley is actually a part of a much larger valley or fissure in the earth’s surface.
Y • Known as the Afro-Arabian Rift, this huge valley runs for nearly 4,000 air miles.
Y • It begins in the Amanus Mountains of southeastern Turkey, extends southward through the Ghab of
western Syria, through Lebanon (where it is known as the Beqa), and Israel. It continues as the Gulf of
Aqaba or Gulf of Eilat on the Red Sea. There it parallels the Red Sea all the way to Ethiopia, where it
splits. An eastern rift extends to the Indian Ocean. A western rift penetrates Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Malawi, and Mozambique—a total of 4,000 air miles, or 1/6th of the earth’s circumference.
This amazing geological rift created . . .
• The Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea in Israel
• Lake Rudolph, Albert, Edward, and Victoria in West Africa
• The separation between the island of Madagascar and the continent of Africa
Between 200–300 earthquakes daily are recorded along this rift. The geological plates on either side of the
Jordan are shifting 1/2 to 1 centimeter per year.

Y Dead Sea: A Picture of Many Christians

The Dead Sea aptly describes many Christians. The Jordan River empties a steady stream of fresh water into the
Dead Sea at an astounding rate, yet the sea is almost solid salt. Nothing can live in it, and no vegetation grows
within miles of its shores. In fact, the salt content is so high that it’s difficult to swim in. Tasting the water of
the Dead Sea burns the tongue for several minutes. Drinking it can be deadly.

Ask: How does the fresh water that flows into the lake become so deadly? (Discuss) The answer, of
course, is that the Dead Sea has no outlet.
Y Christians sometimes become spiritually poisoned, dry, and dead because although they take in the Word, they
never give it out. If we have no outlet for evangelism and service, we become as dead as the Dead Sea.

Ask: Is your life fresh and vibrant, yielding a harvest of fish (as does the Sea of Galilee)? Or is it lifeless
and meaningless (like the Dead Sea) because of lack of service for the Lord?

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