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WEEK ONE

Day One

DAILY SCRIPTURE

John 20:31

LEADER GUIDE QUESTIONS

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The Gospel of John is one of my favorite of the four Gospels. It is the only one that is not synoptic (meaning its stories of Jesus’ miracles are unique and mostly not in the other books. It has a different purpose than the other three, which harmonize in their telling of healings and miracles.) It is a book written to convince the world of Jesus and His deity. It is written so that the world (the unbeliever) would believe. “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 20:31

For the believer, it is written so that you might know and be convinced of the love of God.

Before studying the Gospel of John, I want to lay some foundation. Before I begin a study, I always like to ground myself in the finished work of Christ. While there are many ways to read scripture, my goal when I am finished is not to gain more knowledge for the sake of “knowing.” Instead, I desire a more profound revelation of the Gospel, of Grace, and the New Covenant we have been invited to partake of in Christ. Like Paul, I too have decided this: “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." ( 1 Corinthians 2:2). My prayer is that I can help you do the same.

The Gospel:

Galatians 4:4 sums up the purpose of Jesus’ coming for me: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

In Luke 19:10, Jesus said, “I have come to seek and save that which was lost.” The that which was lost was sonship. It was lost after sin entered the world by one man’s disobedience (Adam). Jesus came to redeem us back to the right relationship with the Father. The finished work of the cross is that Jesus accomplished that very thing. There is no distance or separation for those who are in Christ because of His sacrifice. The Gospel, simply put, is this: Jesus came as you, to die as you, and to be resurrected as you. His death, burial, and resurrection were vicarious. He died to bring you into sonship. You are co-heirs with Him.

In this study, the Gospel will be our plumb line.

In the first few lessons, I will begin with an overview and give historical context and direction for the rest of the study. I highly encourage that these initial readings not be skipped.

Every day, I will write my notes for you to study through, but I will also prompt you to apply the Word to your life in various ways. So, pull out a journal for writing down notes if you are a note taker, grab a Bible you don’t mind writing in (this is where I take notes), and some pencils or micro-pens (I like having a variety. Here is a link for various tip sizes in black and ones in multiple colors. I typically use these because they don’t bleed through the page and are a very fine tip for note-taking if you write in your Bible. The various colors are suitable for marking keywords- but not necessary if it distracts from the heart of the study.)

*Note: I LOVE having many versions of the Bible. I do not get hung up on the version; sometimes, reading a familiar verse in a different version brings a deeper meaning. However, I use KJV, NKJV, NASV, or ESV for accuracy in studying the original meaning of words.

A word for those who are beginning with every intent to study but have not had success with finishing, let me encourage you with this: I learned, early on, when my kids were little, that if I did not prioritize my time with Jesus, time would prioritize me. We all think we don’t have enough time, but what we give our time to dominates our life. So throughout the years, I decided to finish what I started, and I’ve never regretted it. Sometimes my time with Jesus was with a nursing baby on my lap or little ones on my hip; usually, it meant getting up before anyone else did. I never let the pressure from other moms’ ideas of good parenting keep me from studying, so if it meant turning on the TV to distract kids, I did it. The point is you have a story to share with the world about how the Good News of the Gospel transformed your life, but it begins with a revelation of the Word in your own life. I want to help get the Word working for you so you can tell that story. When my children were young, I often felt overwhelmed and tired. I began to notice a pattern, though. The days I spent time reading my Bible and talking to Jesus were peaceful and enjoyable. When I didn't, the days seemed chaotic and challenging. I couldn’t have made it without Him.

So, if you join me on this journey, I pray that you press in and don’t give up!

Table of Contents

Every day (five days a week, if you are following along live), I will provide a daily reading which will take you through the entire book when you are done. I will write to expound on certain truths, but will not be able to cover everything in detail, so take time to meditate on your reading and write down any thoughts the Lord gives you. Then, I will suggest some assignments I recommend in light of how we are designed to learn. Having been a homeschool teacher for eighteen years and a Bible study teacher for almost as long, I have learned that taking further steps in our learning takes the readings from short-term memory into long-term. So even if you tell someone what you learned that day, that will move what you have learned into your long-term memory.

Each day will begin with the reading assignment. But first, take time to talk to the Father. Ask the Holy Spirit to unveil your eyes to see Jesus in a way you had not before. Ask for heart revelation.

After your reading, if there is any suggested cross-reference or keyword study, write that down in a notebook. Then, I will guide you through that process.

Lastly, read my notes. Most of my writing will come from my own study or my heart revelation regarding our New Covenant standing because of Christ’s finished work. (My daughter, Laura, will also be a guest contributor.)

Week 1: Introduction and Foundation

Week 2: Chapter 1

Week 3: Chapters 2-6

Week 4: Chapters 7-11

Week 5: Chapters 12-14

Week 6: Chapters 15-18

Week 7: Chapters 19-21

John’s literary design is broken up thus:

• Prologue -ch 1,

• Book of Signs - ch 1-12,

• The Book of Glory-ch 13-21

We will follow this structure (as listed in the study on the Temple):

From Chapters 1-12, Jesus came out from the bosom of the Father to gather His lost sheep.

• The Holy of Holies- (Ch 1:1-13-) He is in the beginning.

• The Veil - (Ch 1:14-17)- He is the Word became flesh.

• The Altar of Incense- (Ch 1:18)- Jesus came out of the bosom of the Father.

• The Shewbread- (Ch 6) - I am the bread of life.

• The Candlestick- (Ch 8)- I am the light of the world.

• The Laver- (Ch 9)- Jesus heals a blind man who bathes in a pool of Siloam.

• The Brazen Altar- (Ch 12) If I be lifted up, I will draw all (men) unto me. ( signifies His death)

From Chapters 13-21, Jesus takes His gathered sheep back to the Father.

• The Laver- (Ch 13:10) - Jesus washes disciples’ feet.

• The Shewbread (Ch 13:18)-Lord’s Supper/ Disciple leans on the bosom of Jesus.

• The Candlestick (Ch 14)-Holy Spirit (represents the Candlestick- Isaiah 11).

• The Altar of Incense- (Ch 17)- High priestly prayer.

• The Veil- ( Ch 19 )- His flesh is torn.

• The Holy of Holies -(Ch 20)- He is the Risen Lord; now we have security and confidence to come boldly to the throne room of Grace.

*If you are joining me live, these studies will be released daily, five days a week, for about seven weeks.

Know: Truth

Know: Truth is an in-depth Bible study approach. It fosters knowledge of the Word and a slowed-down process of carefully observing what the passage means in context before applying it to our lives.

As a helpful tool to remember what to look for as you study is to use KNOW as an acrostic. 

K- Knowledge 

N- Notation

O- Observe 

W- What

Knowledge comes with reading the scripture. 

Note - Slow down and mark keywords. Ask questions that require some digging. Six helpful questions that students of the word should ask are who, what, where, when, why, and how?

Some ways of asking these questions can be:

Who is the author and to whom is he writing?

What was happening in that time period? 

Where do you see Jesus?

When was this book written? 

Why is the author writing this letter?

How does this apply to me today?

Observe what the passage says in context and as a whole. Context is King.

What does this mean for me today?- Apply God’s word to you.