evangelism
Investigative Bible Study
The Gospel of John
Student Notes

Lesson One: God's Love and Plan

How can we be sure that God loves us? (3:16)

What has Jesus Christ done to help us understand what God is like? (1:18)

In Chapter 1, verse 1, the title . "Word" is used to refer to Jesus Christ. Why do you think this particular title is used?

Why did Christ say that He had come? (10:10)

Name the objects that Jesus uses in the following verses to describe the abundant life He came to give us. Explain the basic meaning that each object illustrated about the abundant life.

• 7:37,38
• 6:35
• 8:12

In the following verses, what are some of the characteristics of the abundant life that Jesus offers?

• 13:34,35
• 15:11
• 14:27

Why did the author, the apostle John, write this book and include in it the particular content that He did? (20:30,31)

Lesson Two: Our Sin and Separation from God

Review

1. How can we be sure that God loves us? (3:16)
2. Why did Jesus come? (10:10)
3. According to these two verses, what can we conclude about how God views us?

Transition

If we were to state the first lesson in one sentence, we could say that God loves us and offers a wonderful plan for our lives. But if that is what God wants us to experience, why is it that most people are not experiencing God's love and plan?

In this lesson, we will look into the Bible's answer to that question. We're going to discuss the sinfulness of man, or in other words, man's imperfection vs. God's basis perfection.

Lesson

1. First of all, how would you define the word "sin"?
2. How does the Bible describe the condition of men who are separated from God by sin? (12:46, 8:12)? What is it like to be in a dark room?
3. What is the effect of sin on the person who sins? (8:34)
4. Why is it that many people choose to remain in darkness rather than come to God's light? (3:19,20)
5. Why did the crowd hate such a good man as Jesus Christ? (7:7)
6. How does Jesus relate to God's judgment against sin? (5:22-27) Why is this so?
7. On what can Jesus justly judge men? (2:24,25)
8. Man spiritually dead and needs the Holy Spirit to impart spiritual life to him. How does Christ explain this need to Nicodemus, a religious leader of his day? (3:1-8)
9. What is the condition of the person who has not believed in the Son of God? (3:36)
10. What did Jesus say was the reason certain people did not have the life He came to bring? (5:39,40)

Conclusion

Lesson Three: God's Provision Through Jesus Christ

Review

1. What was the principle that we learned from our first lesson?
2. Draw the diagram that we used to illustrate our conclusions from the second lesson?

Transition

In our first study we heard some "good" news· that God loves us. In the second lesson, we heard some "not-so-good" news· that we are sinful. This lesson gives us some good news again because we are going to talk about God's provision for our sin.

Lesson

What did Jesus claim about himself? (14:6)

What other things did Jesus say that would back up the verse we just read?

• 10:30-33 Who did He say He was?
• 16:28 Where did He say He came from?
• 8:29 What did He say He always did?

What was the reaction of some of the religious leaders to some of His claims? (8:58,59)

What five things verified that Jesus' claims were true?

• 5:32,33
• 5:36
• 5:37,38
• 5:39
• 8:12-14,18

What did John the Baptist announce was to be one of the great accomplishments of Christ? (1:29)

Did Jesus have any sins of His own to die for? (8:29)

What did the man who condemned Jesus to death state about His guilt? (18:38)

What did Jesus say about His death? (10:11-18) Who are His sheep?

What kind of death was Jesus to die? (12:32-34)

What is the significance of Jesus' dying words? (19:30)

How does Christ's death relate to man's personal faith? (3:14-17)

What are the consequences for anyone who does not look in faith to Christ to take away sins? (8:12)

An assignment for the next lesson

Ask five people the question, "In your opinion, how does a person become a Christian?" Remember their answers for discussion next time.

Lesson Four: Our Need to Receive Christ by Faith

Review

1. What can we conclude from the first three lessons?
2. Why do you think that Jesus had to die for us on the cross?

Transition

What did people say when you asked them how they thought someone becomes a Christian?

Lesson

1. What was the miracle that convinced the disciples that Jesus' claims about Himself and His death were true? (20:19,20,24,29)
2. It's not enough just to know the facts about Jesus and His claims. What must be true before a person will be convinced about the truth of Jesus' claims? (7:16,17)
3. What is eternal life? (17:3) What does "know" mean?
4. What must happen before we can be properly related to God? (3:6,7)
5. What two parallel ideas in 1:12,13 explain what must happen to be born of God?
6. When one puts their faith in Christ what happens to them? (5:24)
7. What is true of us if we put our faith in Jesus? (11:25)
8. When we become one of the sheep of the Good Shepherd, what things are true of us? (10:27-30)
9. According to what we have studied, how do you think someone becomes a Christian?
10. Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Explain.