Lesson 14

REFORMED

EVANGELISM

TASKFORCE

The gospel of John is totally different in style, content, and approach from the other three gospels. John directs himself to the readers of all ages in his book. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (John 20:30,31)

John's gospel has a depth that fills one with awe. Some people thought they could discern Greek and Gentile influences in John's gospel. It was said to be more "spiritual" than the others. Studying the book, however, reveals that it is rooted in the Old Testament and not in Greek paganism. John refers to the Old Testament countless times. Jesus is called "the Lamb of God" (John 1:29, 36), a clear reference to the Passover Lamb which protected the Israelites against destruction in the days of the exodus (Ex. 12). John also mentions that Jesus called Himself "the true bread from heaven" (John 6:22, 59). This is a reference to the Old Testament "bread from heaven", the manna the Israelites were fed in the desert (Ex. 16).

John's purpose was to lead his readers to the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Therefore he mentions many accounts of people who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah and as Son of God such as: Andrew, Nathanael, John the Baptist, the Samaritan woman, Peter, the blind man who was cured, Martha and Thomas. (John 1:20,27,47,50; 4:29,42; 6:69; 9:35-38; 11:27; 20:28)

When Thomas exclaims, "My Lord and my God!", Jesus answers him with a message for everyone of all ages, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. "(John 20:28,29) It is hard for us to believe what we cannot see yet. Most people would regard this as an impossibility: I can only believe what I see. People think it is only possible to hold on to visible and tangible things.

The problem is that you can only be a true follower of Christ if you force yourself to think about these invisible things. Only after this life will you be able to truly see what you already believe in this life. Jesus says that anyone who did not see Him and yet believed His Word is blessed. That is the message of the Bible. A message so comforting that it can make anyone happy.

In his gospel John described many conversations and disputes Jesus had with the Jews. In these cases Jesus is rather blunt with the people of God, in particular, with the leaders (John 5:19-47; 6:22-59; 7:14-24; 8:21-59). In those discussions Jesus says that He is the Son of God. As if to emphasize the point, John also records Jesus' discussions with Nicodemus, with the Samaritan woman, and with His disciples (John 3,4).

In his gospel John demonstrates how the Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah. "He came to his own home, and his people received him not." (John 1:11; 14-16) Also here the fact that Jesus is God's one and only Son is strongly emphasized. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) The Jews accuse Jesus of claiming to be God, but Jesus maintains, in spite of their anger, that the Father and He were and are one (John 10:30, 33).

John emphatically points out that Jesus existed long before His birth as a human being. "Then the Jews said to him, 'You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?' Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am."' (John 8:57,58) This "l am" is a reference to the Old Testament where "I am" is used as the name of God Himself (Ex. 3:14).

As you read through the book you may notice that the word "world" is mentioned often. With "world" he means the unbelieving Jewish church which did not acknowledge Him as Messiah, but he also implies the whole earth created by God which had turned its back on Him. "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world knew Him not." (John 1:10)

Also contemplate that other well know and yet always beautiful text from John, "For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) This word "eternal" is not just an expression of everlasting time, but it means: a life filled with unlimited joy and peace.

John's gospel starts with the words, "in the beginning". It is remarkable how all gospels start in a similar fashion. Matthew begins with "the book of Jesus' beginning", and Mark, "beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ" and finally, Luke, 66 who from the beginning were eyewitnesses". This similarity in how the authors start their gospels is not without significance. They all reach back in time to Genesis. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Gen. 1:1) The deliverance brought about by Christ as described by the four evangelists, means a new creation or a new beginning. The Father created the earth through Jesus. "All things were made through him." (John 1:3) Jesus is also the one through whom the world will be saved. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." (2 Cor. 5:17) Consequently, whoever believes in Him may be called "the new mankind".

It is also interesting to note that in the four gospels there is a clear progression regarding the point of departure. Mark begins with the public appearance of Jesus. Matthew, in his genealogy, goes back to Abraham, Luke even goes farther back, to Adam, whereas John's starting point is eternity.

A number of times John refers to Jesus using the expression "The Word" (John 1:1-4). God reveals who He is through His Word. When God spoke at Creation, this word at once became reality (Gen. 1:3). Jesus is the Word. This means, God expressed Himself completely through Jesus. Jesus told us everything He had heard from His Father. We cannot know or say more about God than what Christ has told us. "No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known." (John 1:18)

Jesus is wholly equal to God. "For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will ... that all may honour the Son even as they honour the Father." (John 5:21,23) John is trying to tell the people that they must give Jesus the same respect they have for God.

We have seen that John strongly emphasizes Jesus' divinity, but why does he do it? He does this because there were people who denied that Jesus is the Son of God. And to make matters worse, these people had important positions in the church. They were actually false teachers. They could not believe that God became human. John writes to them, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." (John 1:14) Whoever denies that Jesus is true God and true man, is called the "antiChrist" by John. The three letters of John also contain this theme, "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ." (1 John 2:22)

Jesus is truly man; He is also truly God. This may sound strange, but you can see it in His death. His death did not just happen, as it happens to us, but it was an act. "I have power to lay it (life) down, and I have power to take it again; this charge I have received from my Father." (John 10:18)

The overwhelming riches depicted in John's gospel cannot be described in words. Our language is insufficient. Take the Bible and see for yourself Look at the Good Shepherd in John 10, the Father's house in John 14, the true vine in John 15, and Jesus' prayer to His Father in John 17. Read about the permanent joy which you also may receive. As in all the other gospels, that is what it is all about. John wrote so that his readers would believe and therefore would receive life: a life filled with peace and joy (John 20:31). Jesus Himself also says that this is what it is all about: "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11)

Jesus wishes to call us "friends": friends for whom He has no secrets. "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

You can be Jesus' friend. Contemplate that. You'll be at a loss for words.

You live only once! It is all over after you are dead! The dead do not return! Many people have this attitude and, therefore, fight fiercely to stay alive. Those who do not know God and depend only on their own experiences win always come up with despondent sayings. But it is not over after death because Jesus rose from the dead on that very special Sunday so many years ago. He conquered death for everyone who believes in Him.

Through His divine power Jesus rose from the grave. This event was proof that He was the Son of God (Rom. 1:4). He freely gave Himself over to death, and through His own power He arose (John 10:18). The Bible calls this the resurrection of Christ.

In some places the Bible pictures Christ's resurrection as the work of the Father. "It will be reckoned to us who believe in him (God) that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 4:24). Still, this is not contradictory because there is always a joint action in the work of the Father and of the Son (John 10:37,38). The fact that the Bible mentions that God raised Jesus from the dead, indicates God's acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice. God makes known, through the resurrection of His Son, that the debt has been paid. The debt, punishable by the death penalty, has been completely paid off. Death no longer has a claim. That is Christ's reward for His work. The man Jesus earned eternal life for all who sinned and had the death penalty hanging over their heads.

The resurrection of Jesus is not a temporary escape from death either. The son of the widow from Zarephath and Lazarus rose from the dead, but they also died again (1 Kings 17:17-24; John 11:17-44). Jesus did not merely escape death, He conquered death. Death does not have power over Him, but He has power over death (Rev. 1:18).

It is not over after death. There is more in store for both believers and unbelievers. First, all the dead will be raised. Next, they all have to appear before Jesus. Everyone will have to listen to His voice, whether they want to or not. And whoever refused to listen to the voice of Jesus during this life will not escape Him in the life to come. Since His ascension Christ has been given the power to judge all people, and now He will exercise His power (John 5:24-29). As judge He will give eternal life to those who are His, but to others He will give the punishment of eternal death (Matt. 25:31-46).

Christ paid the debt of mankind. He gained acquittal for all His people. The horrible death penalty of Genesis 2:17 no longer applies to His followers. But possessing the right to live does not necessarily mean being spiritually alive right away. To find true spiritual life, you first have to hear the voice of the Son of God. People who are dead through their transgressions and sins, come to life only when they hear about, and accept in faith, their acquittal through Jesus Christ (John 5:25).

To this end, Christ has this acquittal proclaimed to the whole world. Also today He makes sure that the gospel of His suffering, death and resurrection is proclaimed. Anyone who accepts this message in faith receives two gifts from God: justification and sanctification. These are two big theological terms but they are easily explained. Justification is the same as acquittal from sins. God, because of the death of Christ, forgives all shortcomings (Rom. 3:23,24). Sanctification is slightly different, and should not be confused with justification (I Cor. 11:30,31). When a person is sanctified it means that he receives a new life, a life devoted to God, not Satan. Neither justification or sanctification are in any way earned by the believer, they are both gifts from God (Eph. 2:8).

However, with justification and sanctification, God's gifts have not been exhausted yet. Everyone who belongs to Him will also receive glory. Whoever shares in the justification and sanctification, will also share in Christ's glory (Col. 3:4; Rom. 8:29,30).

After His resurrection, Jesus continued His work without interruption. He continued to distribute His gifts, and He will continue this until He has led everyone who believes in Him into the glory of life eternal (John 6:40). Christ possesses that glory right now, and there is the guarantee that all those who belong to Him will one day obtain this glory with Him.

It says in the Bible that Jesus rose. It does not, however, say that anyone witnessed the resurrection. No one was there when it happened. But the Bible, the Word of God, is completely dependable. And in order to quell any doubts, God's Word says that many trustworthy witnesses saw Him during the forty days after His resurrection (Acts 1:3). All four gospels relate different appearances of the risen Christ. The letter to the Corinthians also mentions that there were hundreds of witnesses to these appearances. Paul specifically tells the Corinthians that they may question the witnesses if they have any doubts (1 Cor. 15:3-8). Even after His ascension people saw the resurrected Lord. Stephen saw Jesus in heaven, and shortly thereafter, on his way to Damascus, Paul saw Him (Acts 7:55; 1 Cor. 15:8). And last of all, John saw and heard Him many times on Patmos. If the resurrection of Jesus is not true, the Christian faith would be senseless and void of meaning (1 Cor. 15:17).

Jesus' resurrection is incomprehensible to us because God did it and who can comprehend His almighty power? Who can understand the Creator's power, the power through which He gives people life? Who knows anything about the power through which He raised Jesus?

Although we cannot understand His power we do know that He will use it to raise all those who belong to Christ from the dead and bring them into eternal glory.

God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. And just as He promised, this nation did come into existence. The nation of Israel was so large that the Pharaoh of mighty Egypt was concerned with their numbers. God had also promised this nation a land of their own, the land of Canaan. The country, which Abraham and Isaac had lived in as foreigners was to be the sole possession of Abraham's descendants. It was, therefore, called the Promised Land. But it still had to be conquered.

All of history centers on the coming of God's Son to earth. And it was God's intention to bring the Christ to earth in the Promised Land. So now, He proceeds to bring His nation there.

In the books of Exodus and Numbers you will find the history of Israel's journey to the Promised Land. The narrative starts off with the oppression of Israel in Egypt and with the murder of their baby boys. One of the boys that had to be killed was Moses. However, God sees to it that Moses is saved from death, and He guides Moses' life in such a way that he is educated at the court of the Egyptian Pharaoh. Moses is taught "all of Egypt's wisdom". In spite of this sophisticated Egyptian education, Moses remains loyal to his own people, and so to his God (Heb. 11:24 -27).

In Exodus 3 and 4 God's call to Moses is described. Moses had been separated from his people for forty years, because he had to flee to Midian, a nearby country, to escape Pharaoh's wrath. God summoned Moses out of Midian in a most unique manner. He appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and He charged him with the task of leading Israel out of Egypt (Ex. 3:2-10). It is on this special occasion that God revealed Himself for the first time by His personal name Yahweh: I AM WHO I AM.

Moses left the burning bush with the power to do miracles, but Pharaoh was not easily convinced. God demonstrated His power to Pharaoh by sending terrible plagues on Egypt. The crops were destroyed by insects, livestock suffered from disease, and the sun stopped shining for three days. There were ten plagues in all but only the last one convinced Pharaoh. In His last plague, God killed all the firstborn boy of every Egyptian family. As powerful as Pharaoh was, even he could not fight against a God like this (Ex. 5-12).

During the tenth plague, when all the first-born boys of the Egyptian families perished, God instituted the Passover. The Israelites had to slaughter a lamb and put the blood on the door frame at the entrance of their houses. Upon seeing this blood, God would order His angel to pass over their door and spare the firstborn. In all houses where no blood was found on the door-posts, the oldest boys died. Only the blood of the lamb could save the boy from death. It was a vivid symbol of the coming Messiah, the Lamb whose blood would truly save from death and sin. "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Peter 1:18,19; Rev. 5)

From that moment on, Israel celebrated the Passover annually to remember the way in which God delivered His people from Egypt. This annual celebration of Passover also looked ahead toward Jesus' sacrifice of the cross. Like circumcision, Passover, too, was a symbol of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus finally shed His blood on the cross these bloody symbols of circumcision and Passover were no longer needed. The symbols had become reality (Luke 22:14-20). Today, in their place baptism and the Lord's Supper are celebrated as symbols of Jesus having given up His life as a ransom for many. And now we look forward to the second coming of Christ.

After the people had left Egypt, Pharaoh made one last attempt to get them back again. Once more God chose to intervene directly. While the people of Israel were walked on dry land between the walls of water, which God miraculously held up for them, the Egyptian army, in pursuit of Israel, perished in the waves of the Red Sea. After their passage through the Red Sea the people were permanently liberated from Egyptian oppression. Preceded by a cloud, which turned into a pillar of fire at night, the Israelites traveled through the desert. Surprisingly, they did not travel directly to the land of Canaan, but first to Mt. Horeb (Sinai), as God had ordered Moses (Ex. 3:1,12). The account of this journey is found in Exodus 15:22-19:25 and Numbers 10:11-13:33.

The account of the Israelites' journey through the desert is not a tale of a thankful people who are happy with their liberation and are anxiously looking forward to the future that is awaiting them. God's people time and again turned into a dissatisfied and complaining nation. They were never happy, never thankful, and always rebellious. But the account, nevertheless, illustrates God's great faithfulness. When His love was spurned, God would have only been just if He had punished all of them. Yet He was their God forever, remaining faithful to His covenant with Abraham. When the people ran out of food, He gave them manna, "bread from heaven" (Ex. 16). When there was no more water, He gave them water from a rock (Ex.17:1-7). God safely led His people through the desert with His cloud. Under His protective leadership they came to Mt. Horeb.

This episode became one of the most important moments in the history of the people of Israel (Ex. 19-20:21). There, at Mt. Horeb, God gave His people His law, the treasured ten commandments. Moses also received all the statutes and laws which the people had to adhere to (Ex. 25-31). God's set of instructions also included a detailed description of how the tabernacle had to be built and furnished.

Incredible as it may seem, during this very important moment of their existence, the people of God demonstrated just how unbelieving they could be (Num. 11,12).

Moses was told to meet with God on the top of the mountain. Since he stayed away for a long time, the people became impatient (Ex. 32,33). They missed their leader. Even though God had led them through the desert they felt that God was far away and invisible. Therefore, they decided to make a visible image of God, a golden calf like the idols they had seen in Egypt. Despite perhaps understandable intentions, this action meant nothing less than a denial of God. Their false religion brought them close to destruction, for God knows how to punish severely. Moses urgently prayed to God to spare Israel (Ex. 32:31). He even went so far as to offer his own life instead of the people's. However, God did not accept Moses' sacrifice. Moses could not save the people, their salvation lay in God's mercy alone. Despite their sin, God refused to abandon the nation He claimed as His own and out of which His Son was to be born.

In His mercy, God brought Israel to the borders of Canaan. Before Canaan was invaded, however, spies were sent out in order to scout the land. After forty days of exploring the land they returned and gave their report. They all agreed that the land was rich and fertile, but only two of the twelve spies regarded the land as the promised land, as the land of God which He had intended for Israel. The other ten regarded the land as the house of strong enemies against whom they would not stand a chance. They did not dare to enter the land because they doubted God's power and did not recognize His promises. The people of Israel sided with the ten spies, and decided not to put their trust in God.

The result of this distrust was severe punishment. God sent the Israelites back into the desert to wander until the current generation died. Only the next generation was allowed to enter the land, together with Joshua and Caleb, the two spies who put their trust in the Lord (Num. 13,14).

In the end, even Moses and Aaron were not allowed to enter the promised land. They did not do exactly what God had told them to do. When the people, during their wanderings through the desert, became rebellious because of a water shortage, God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out of it. Speaking would be enough, but a furious Moses hit the rock instead. This action took the attention away from God and focussed it on Moses. It would now appear as if Moses himself with his magic staff had brought forth water from the rock. Therefore, God did not make an exception for Moses or Aaron (Num. 20:2-13). It was because of their own disobedience that Canaan remained closed to them.

After forty years of wandering in the desert, Joshua, the successor of Moses led the people into the land (Num. 27:12 -23). This entry is described in the book of Joshua. Actually the people had forfeited possession of the land, yet God gave them this land because of His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The country's conquest, like so many events in Israel's history, happened in an extraordinary way. Just like at the Red Sea, the Jordan River blocked the way of the people to the promised land. God's power again made a path for them through the liver (Jos. 3). As soon as they reached the shore on the other side, an immense new obstacle stands before them: the strongly fortified town of Jericho. The town can only be entered through a few heavily guarded gates. God chose not to use Israel's army to conquer this city. Instead, He had the people march in silence around the town, for seven days. On the seventh day they walked around it seven times. It must have been an hilarious sight for the residents of Jericho. Every day the Israelites would all follow the ark of the covenant, the symbol of God's presence, around their city in an attempt to destroy it. On the seventh day they marched around it seven times, but after the seventh trip trumpets were blown and the people cheered. Miraculously, the strong walls collapsed, and the entrance to the town lay open before the Israelites (Jos. 6).

Obviously, neither Jericho's nor Canaan's conquest was the accomplishment of Israel (Heb. 11:30). It was God working through the faith of His followers. At God's command, Jericho had to remain a devastated city. By means of this "monument", Israel would be reminded forever that it did not conquer the land by its own strength. They had possession of the country only because of God's mercy.

Those Israelites who could not believe and accept His promises were not allowed to enter the promised land. They all died in the desert. However, God did bring His nation into the land. "Nothing on earth is his equal!" (Job 41:33).

1. During John's days there were people who denied Jesus was truly man. In his gospel John contradicts this view. Show that from the following passages: (John 1:14, 19:32-37, 20:26-29).

2. What is the meaning of Jesus' expression: "I am the Good Shepherd"? (John 10)

3. In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus talks about "living water". (John 4) Determine what He means by it when you compare this expression with: Is. 55:1, Jer. 2:13, John 6.35, 7.37-44, Rev. 22:17 ?

1. Who prophesied about the resurrection of Jesus in the Old Testament? In which manner? (Acts 2:25-31; Ps. 16:8-10; Ps. 110:1; Acts 13:27-37, Isa. 5:3-10)

2. Which event from the Old Testament did Jesus give as a sign to the scribes and Pharisees? Did they remember this sign later and believe it? (Matt. 12:38-41, 27:63-64, 28:11-13)

3. During Jesus' life on earth, the Sadducees denied the resurrection. Read Matt. 22:23-33. How does Jesus demonstrate that the dead live? (Acts 23:6-8)

1. The Lord's Supper replaced the Passover. Try to list some of the similarities and differences between the two. (Ex. 12:1-11; Luke 22:7-23)

2. While the Israelites traveled from the Red Sea to Canaan the Lord provided them with food. It was like a wafer and it appeared on the ground every morning like the dew. Why was God so angry when the Israelites took extra, or failed to take enough? (Ex. 16:17-30)

3. When the Israelites divided the land of Canaan among themselves, they set apart six cities as cities of refuge. What were these cities for? (Josh. 20)