Index Preface
Week One: Signs and Symbols.
Week Two: Who is Jesus -- Really?
Week Three: Healing Soul, Healing Body. Week Four: Abundant Life: The Cross and Resurrection.
Week Five: New Life, New Hope, New Future. Week Six: Jesus is a servant.
Notices
Preface The Rev. John Suggit (an Anglican Priest and Theologian), in his book Down to Earth and Up To Heaven: The Gospel of John and Life Abundant (on which I have based much of the work in this study), writes that what the Gospel of John reveals of itself will be coloured, even controlled, by the interest one brings to it. For me, the Gospel according to John is a wonderfully layoured and epic telling of the Jesus story and whenever I need to look for deeper meaning in my journey as a Christ follower it is to John I go. The Synaptic Gospels, a technical theological word for the other three Gospels, portray Jesus’ humanity quite clearly with glimpses of his divinity, but John’s portrayal, from the very first words, balances his humanity and divinity on top of layours of metaphor and symbolism that may never be adequately understood. If this study is to help you on your Christ following journey you must find ways to invest interest in the work. What is it that attracts you to the Gospel according to John? Obviously I can only share the perspectives of those I have read and agree with. You must bring your own perspective. If you do, then the Jesus that John writes of will emerge from ink and paper (he is so much more than just a character in a story) into your imagination and hopefully new understanding will emerge. The truth is that one cannot deal with the whole Gospel according to John in six weeks. Instead, what we will do, is focus on some of the more important passages and themes and look for meaning and value for us, the people at Weltevreden Methodist Church. NB: The Gospel of John was written in Greek. If we are to study this book with integrity we may have to pay attention to some of those words and phrases and their meaning, especially if the meaning differs from the English words and phrases used in translation. The word Gospel is literally the story of God, we must pay even closer attention to the narrative elements of this work. There are many ways
to study the book of John, but by far my favourite way is the narrative approach. The Gospel according to John is a wonderful epic that portrays John’s perspective of the life, thoughts, fear, love, power, divinity and sacrifice of the one named Jesus who is the Christ. Any story also reveals much about the author and the Gospel of John does reveal much about John the author and how he understood Jesus’ life and mission. Through his eyes we catch a wonderful glimpse of Jesus the man and Jesus the Messiah. If, however, we look closely and pay careful attention to what is said between the lines, we can even begin to catch glimpses of God the Trinity as well. At the centre of this Gospel is an understanding that we can have a relationship with Jesus that transforms not only me personally but my community as well. Look out for opportunities in your reading to deepen your relationship with Jesus, but also look out for opportunities to grow your community’s relationship with Jesus.
Some helpful tips for understanding the Gospel according to John 1. Approach this study prayerfully. Ask God to show you the deeper meanings that are often hidden in plain view. Ask God to use John’s story of Jesus to reveal Jesus to you. Ask God to draw you closer to Jesus as you read and study. 2. Read the whole story. If John is, as I have said, an epic then surely the best way to understand it is to read the whole story from beginning to end. 3. Discuss what you are reading with others who are also doing the reading. These are moments of teaching – their insights might surprise you – your insights might surprise them. 4. Be like a child in your reading of the story. To do so one must read with fresh eyes. Try to set aside all previous learning (just for a moment, you can always fetch them later) for the best way to gain new insight is to do so from a clean slate. Ask why, when, where, who, and how constantly, even if it drives the people around you insane. 5. Constantly be on the lookout for symbols that may not be evident at first glance. Reflect on ways in which this story and the deep theological symbols within can teach us how to practice church today. 6. Try read more than one translation of the Gospel – each has merits – each has faults. Remember we are not working with the original Greek telling.
Week One: Signs and Symbols What is the difference between a sign and a symbol?
Signs: How well do you know your road signs? Look at the following picture and see if you can identify what these signs are telling you to do?
 What is the purpose of the above road signs? In the Gospel of John Jesus performs various signs. Read the following passages and discuss what each sign reveals about Jesus: 1.) John 2:1-11 2.) John 4:46-54 3.) John 5:1-18 4.) John 6:1-14 5.) John 6:15-21 6.) John 9:1-12 7.) John 11:1-44
What is the purpose of these signs?
Symbolism: John Suggit writes: “Whenever we begin to speak about God we have to use symbols to express what is really inexpressible. Even in our everyday life and communication with others we cannot do without symbolism.” How do we use symbolism in our daily communication with others? How do we use symbolism in our attempt to understand God? John Suggit continues: “Symbols contain a meaning within themselves which has to be explored and discovered.” Jurgen Moltmann adds: “Through the movement of their ‘meaning more’, symbols do not establish facts, they release experiences. Symbols do not define; ‘they give us something to think about’, and invite us to new discoveries.” Read the following Hymn: I THIRST, thou wounded Lamb of God, To wash me in thy cleansing blood, To dwell within thy wounds; then pain Is sweet, and life or death is gain. Take my poor heart, and let it be For ever closed to all but thee! Seal thou my breast, and let me we; That pledge of love for ever there! How blest are they who still abide Close sheltered in thy bleeding side, Who life and strength from thence derive, And by thee move, and in thee live.
What are our works but sin and death, Till thou thy quickening Spirit breathe! Thou giv'st the power thy grace to move; O wondrous grace! O boundless love! How can it be, thou heavenly King, That thou shouldst us to glory bring? Make slaves the partners of thy throne, Decked with a never-fading crown? Hence our hearts melt, our eyes o'erflow, Our words are lost; nor will we know, Nor will we think of aught beside, "My Lord, my Love is crucified." Ah, Lord! enlarge our scanty thought, To know the wonders thou hast wrought; Unloose our stammering tongues, to tell Thy love immense, unsearchable. First-born of many brethren thou! To thee, lo! all our souls we bow: To thee our hearts and hands we give: Thine may we die, thine may we live!
What symbols does the author use to help you move toward God? “All religious language, like poetry, is essentially symbolic, inviting us to find through our faith the meaning of life.” (John Suggit)
Read the following passages: Look for something to think about. Look for new discoveries. Look through your faith for meaning. 1.) John 6:51 2.) John 8:12 3.) John 10:9 4.) John10:11 5.) John 11:25 6.) John 14:6 7.) John 15:1 8.) John 19:2 Can you see the symbolism? What other examples of symbolism can you find in John’s Gospel? What do the symbols reveal about Jesus? What do you think these symbols meant to the first people who read the gospel of John? What do you think these symbols mean to people living in suburban South Africa in the 21st Century? What do you think they will mean to people living in 21st Century rural South Africa?
Suggit writes that John’s Gospel does not give us detailed ethical rules that will guide us in determining the response we have to make to our contemporary situation. It is most concerned with the expression of JOHN’s conviction that in the human life of the person Jesus we are to find the revelation of God, and thus the meaning of our human life together in a changing world. However, if we follow what the signs are pointing at and try and grasp the deeper meaning of the symbolism that John uses (and what it meant to his original audience) we may find some guidelines to help us travel a little further along the way of life in obedience to our understanding of the Lord’s will for his world.
Close in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to show you the signs and where they are pointing and to help you unveil the deeper meaning of the symbols in John’s Gospel.
Week Two: Who is Jesus -- really? John begins his gospel with an eighteen verse introduction, the theme of which is the question: "Who is Jesus -- really?" Where did he come from? What is represented in the remarkable manifestation that was the life of Jesus of Nazareth? This prologue contains a summary of John's most profound convictions about our Lord. It focuses on the central fact of Christian faith: Christianity is not a philosophy; it is about a Person, and that Person is central to all Christian faith. To take Jesus out of Christianity would be like taking numbers out of mathematics, like taking doctors out of medicine, or like trying to think of daylight without the sun. Jesus is absolutely central to Christian faith. That is what constitutes Christianity as a unique religion. All the other great religions of earth center upon the teaching, the ideas, and the philosophies that are represented in them, but not Christianity. Christianity centers upon a marvellous, beautiful, remarkable, and astonishing Person. Namely Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus was easily the most shattering, the most radical and truly revolutionary character that ever has appeared in human history. More books have been written about Jesus than any other figure of the past. More music has been composed, more pictures have been painted, and more great drama has been written about Jesus than about any other person. Have you ever wondered why? Why is it that human beings have never been able to forget Jesus of Nazareth? Why does he not fade into the dim past as others have? We do not spend that much time with Alexander the Great, or Julius Caesar, or other great leaders. We still know who they are but we do not spend all that focus or interest and attention on them. But Jesus looms as large in our society as if he was contemporary with us. Why is that? Why is he the most powerful personality ever to appear on this planet?  What do you think? Read John 1:1-18
Who does John say Jesus is? Do you agree? What do you think John means when he says Jesus is the WORD? The word "W-O-R-D" here is the Greek word, logos, which means the same as our word, W-O-R-D. What is a word, anyway? A word is an audible or visual expression of a thought. Thoughts are incommunicable until they are put into words. Several times the Scripture asks. "Who has known the mindo f the Lord?" The answer is, "No one." Nobody knows what God thinks until he tells us. In fact, we might just as well ask, "Who has known my mind?" Until I express it in words, no one can know my thoughts? Right now, I am trying to convey to you the thoughts that are in my mind, and the only medium I have is words. You are reading and listening to what I am trying to say, so you are thinking my thoughts because my words shape and form the meaning of them. That is what John means here. When Jesus was among us as a man he expressed what was going on in the mind of God. He told us the thoughts of God. He was God's utterance on earth, unveiling to us what Paul calls "that secret and hidden wisdom of God," (1 Corinthians 2:7). Do you agree with the above sentiment? If not (it is OK to not agree) what do you think John means when he portrays Jesus as the Word? What does John mean by “the Word is from the beginning”? The beginning of what? Then he says that “the Word was God”, what do you think he meant?
What do you think? Was Jesus human or divine? How does this understanding of Jesus affect your life? What words can you use to express your feelings about Jesus the WORD of God? Spend some time sharing.
Now spend some time in prayer sharing those words with Jesus.
Week Three: Healing Soul, Healing Body
"I love mankind… it’s people I can’t stand!" Those well-known words from Linus of the "Peanuts" gang still make us chuckle. But our smiles hide the fact that we sometimes feel exactly like that. John says very little about Jesus’ contact with the multitudes. But long sections of the Gospel are devoted to conversations Jesus had with individuals. In John 4 we see Jesus reach out first to a woman, then to his disciples, and finally to a grieving father. Watching Jesus give himself to people with love and compassion will help us care for those God puts in our paths. When have you recently felt that you were being mobbed by the multitudes? Ask God to help you to take care of yourself even as you try to help others. Read John 4 What is surprising about Jesus’ question to the Samaritan woman? Why does the woman suddenly change the subject and begin talking about the controversy over the proper place of worship? Look deeper. From verses 27-42, do you think the Samaritan woman genuinely believed? What do you see in the passage that supports your position?
After his encounter with the Samaritan woman, what specific lessons does Jesus apply to his disciples and to us? What does the "second miraculous sign" Jesus performs reveal about him? Read John 5:1-17 Why do you think Jesus asks the cripple if he wants to be healed? What can we learn from this question? Look through the Gospel according to John for other moments of healing. Name them. What do you learn from them? What has Jesus taught you in tonight’s study about meeting the specific needs of those around you? What present-day situations might arouse the same racial, religious and sexual prejudices as the Samaritan woman did? How could you reach someone who has been rejected by the world, as Jesus did? What healing do you need in your life? Discuss and then pray for each other. Close the prayer time by asking God to help you be aware of the "Samaritans" around you. Ask him to help you reach out to them.
Week Four: The Cross and Resurrection. “The passion narrative,” says John Suggit, “describing the sufferings and death of Jesus on the cross, and leading to his resurrection, has always been the central image in all four gospels. The historical fact is that the man Jesus was put to death under the orders of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. The evidence for this is found not only in the four gospels, but also in the Roman writer Tacitus. The gospels however were written because of the conviction of believers that Jesus who was truly put to death on the cross is still present among them as Lord: without faith in the risen life of Christ there would have been no gospel, and indeed there would have been no letters either of Paul or of other apostles. But although the death of Jesus is a fact of history, the way in which it is reported depends largely on the symbolism of the narrative. Marks account was written about 30 years after the event, John’s about sixty years later. All the authors had time to reflect and meditate on the events of Jesus’ ministry and death, but they wrote their account with an understanding that the man who died tragically on a cross on Golgotha was still living among them through and in the Holy Spirit. Believers knew that they truly shared in his continuing life, and because of this recognised him as their Lord and God.
Read John 18:15 – 19:30
John was SO assured of the abiding presence of Jesus that he viewed the crucifixion not as a gloomy tragedy, but as an expression of the glory of God displayed on the cross. This is why the opening verse of John starts not with the history of the man Jesus, but with the proclamation of the Word of God, one with God himself. Because he was the eternal Word of God he could not be overcome by death, and though his was a very real human death brought about by other human beings, his resurrection was the assurance that his passion and death signified his voluntary acceptance of his ministry as evidence of the compassion and love of God for the world. Do you view the cross as a tragedy or victory? Explain? Look for symbols of victory and life in the passion story of John? Share what you find. How does Jesus’ death, as seen from John’s positive perspective, help you to live well? How is God glorified, from John’s perspective, in Jesus’ death?
When I administer the communion bread, I like to use these words: The body of Christ broken for you, may it bring you to abundant life. How is it, that Jesus’ death leads us to life? What do you think Abundant Life looks like? What do you think John thinks Abundant Life looks like? Remember, scholars believe that he wrote both the Gospel of John and the Revelation of John in exile. How do you think he was still able to experience life as abundant?
Have you ever felt like you are living in exile? What do you need in order to experience Abundant Life? What do you need to do in order to experience Abundant Life? Think back to the moment Jesus transforms water into wine at the wedding. Wine is made from an abundant harvest of grapes and is a wonderful image of the earth’s bounty. An image of abundance. Water can also be seen as a gift of abundance; think of all those that go thirsty because of a lack of infrastructure or because of dirty water. But water is also mundane and tasteless. It is often just about survival. Wine on the other hand is about more than survival – it is about celebration and blessing and life that comes from the earth as a gift from God. Now… do you believe that Jesus can transform your life from one of mere survival to one of great abundance? What do you think Christians should do with the abundance that God gives us? Is abundant life merely about physical abundance? If not what is it about?
Close by thanking God for the epic story that is the Gospel according to John. Ask God to keep making the Jesus of ink and paper come alive in you.
Week Five: New Life, New Hope, New Future Read John 3:1-21 Just preceding the above passage is the first sign, where Jesus changes water into wine. A sign of the transformation Jesus came to effect. This transformation is what Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand. Having read Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus, what do you think transformation looks like? What is your impression of Nicodemus? Why do you suppose Nicodemus responds to Jesus' explanation of new birth with such amazement? How does the story of Moses lifting up the snake in the desert (see Numbers 21:4-9) illustrate our need and Christ's offer? How and why does our response to God's Son determine our destiny?
Now read John 3:22-36 John the Baptist (not our John) says whoever believes in the son will have eternal life. What do you think he means? Now fast forward to the first day of the week after Jesus’ death. Read John 20:1-10 The Tomb is empty. Jesus’ body?
The disciples panic. What have they done to
What do you think is the significance of the phrase, “on the first day of the week”? What do you think John meant by, “…when it was still dark”? Could this be a New Life, New Hope, New Future moment? What do you think that means? Read John 20:11-18 Mary is weeping. She is so distraught that she doesn’t even wonder why angels are chatting with her. She is so distraught that she doesn’t even recognise Jesus when he talks to her. Only when he calls her by name does she notice it is Jesus speaking to her. Do you think it significant that she recognises Jesus only when he calls her by name? What do you think is the significance? What happens to Mary after this encounter with the risen Jesus? Now read John 20:19-23 Jesus shows himself to the other disciples with these words “Peace be with you”. What is the significance of these words? Could this be a New Life, New Hope, New Future moment? Why? Do you think Jesus is still calling people by name? Has he called your name? What happened when he did? What will happen when he does? Did you recognise him? Do you think you will?
If Jesus had to step into the midst of your group now and use the words “Peace be with you,” would you recognise him? What if I told you that he has been with you through your whole meeting? What if I told you that he wants to bring peace? Would anything change? Is this a moment of New Life, New Hope, New Future? If not ask Jesus to help you make it one. At the end of the communion liturgy, after everyone has received the body and blood of Christ, the minister will often pray these words: We thank You Father that you have fed us with this sacrament (fed us with your life), united us with Christ and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet (an idea of what the future will look like)? After reading these passages from John, what do you think the future will look like? Our New Life, New Hope, New Future must be rooted in a relationship with Christ. That is what John’s Jesus teaches Nicodemus. John the Baptist agreed with this sentiment. Can we see in these moments that the disciples share with the risen Christ an opportunity for relationship? What does that relationship look like for 21st Century Christ followers?
Close in prayer asking Jesus help you find New Life and Hope in your group. Then ask him to plant a vision of the future in the mind of your group. Ask him to help you make that vision a NEW reality.
Week Six: Jesus wants to serve us. Most of Jesus’ ministry is spent serving the community. Read John 6:1-15 Who does he serve in this passage? Now go back to week one and look at all the signs Jesus performs in John. Who is he serving in each case? Now read John 13:1-11 Why does Jesus wash the disciple’s feet? How do the disciples respond to having their feet washed? How do you think you would feel if Jesus offered to wash your feet? What is Jesus asking of you when he kneels at the feet of his followers and cleans their filthy feet? How can you as an individual follow his example? How can you as a group follow his example? Can you find any symbolism in this passage? Could there be more than the obvious meaning?
If you’re brave enough, why don’t you re-enact this scene. Wash each other’s feet (don’t go for the easier option of washing hands – the feeling of discomfort at having your feet washed will help you connect with the feelings the disciples experienced and the lesson Jesus is teaching). Be challenged. Try and do this with as much decorum and in as prayerful an attitude as you can.
Close by asking Jesus to show you where you can be of service to your community.
Notices 4 March o Shrove Tuesday Pancake Celebration -
From 17:30
5 March o Ash Wednesday Service
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19:00
16 March o Ministry Faire
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10:15 After 09:00 service
14 – 17 April o Holy Week Services Monday to Thursday
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19:00
18 April o Good Friday 3 hour Service of the Cross
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09:00 – 12:00
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10:00 – 14:00
13 April o Palm Sunday
19 April o Saturday Remembrance Prayers Church will be open for any to come and pray and remember those that have passed on
 20 April o Easter Sunday Sunrise Service o Easter Sunday Service o Please Note, there will be NO Evening Service on Easter Sunday
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06:00 09:00