The Undercover Adventist

  Themes in the Gospel of John Sabbath School Lesson 4 Witnesses of Christ as the Messiah You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson. ------------------------------ >   Download the notes for Lesson 4 video here. ----------------------  >  Download  Themes in the Gospel of John (4th  qtr) Sabbath School Lessons Here ------------------------------

  In John 17:1–5, Jesus is praying to God the Father just before His arrest and crucifixion. The phrase, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you," carries deep theological significance. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus refers to "the hour" as the time of His suffering, death, and eventual glorification. Here, He is acknowledging that the time for His crucifixion and the fulfillment of His mission has arrived. Jesus is asking the Father to glorify Him through His impending death and resurrection. The term "glorify" means to reveal or make manifest God's divine nature and power. Through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus would reveal God’s love, justice, and power over sin and death. Jesus’ death and resurrection would also bring glory to the Father by demonstrating God's redemptive plan for humanity. Through His obedience to the Father's will, even to the point of death, Jesus would show the Fathe...

  The Gospel of John, particularly in its prologue (John 1:1–18), introduces the themes of belief and unbelief , contrasting those who receive Jesus and become children of God with those who reject Him. This theme is revisited throughout the Gospel, including in the passages you’ve mentioned. Let's explore how each one repeats and develops the theme of belief/unbelief. John 3:16–21 This passage is one of the most well-known in the New Testament, especially John 3:16, where belief in Jesus is presented as the key to eternal life. Belief: Verse 16 states, "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." This echoes the prologue's emphasis on the life-giving power of believing in Jesus (John 1:12–13). Those who believe are granted eternal life. Unbelief: Verses 18–19 focus on the consequences of unbelief. Those who do not believe in Jesus are "condemned already" because they ...

  In John 1:9-13, the apostle John highlights the tension between Jesus, the true light, and the world's response to Him. These verses depict a profound and somewhat harsh reality about how people react to Jesus and His message. Here's the passage (NIV): John 1:9-13  9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.  10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—  13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.  Harsh Realities John Depicts  Rejection of the Creator (v.10)  Despite being the Creator of the world, Jesus was not recognized by the world He made. This rejection highlights humanity's spiritual blindness and alienation ...

  John 1:1–3 and 14 are foundational verses in the Bible that speak to the identity and role of Jesus Christ in creation and His incarnation. John 1:1–3 (ESV):  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made." These verses declare that Jesus, referred to here as "the Word" (Greek: Logos), was with God from the beginning and that He is, in fact, God. Jesus is portrayed as eternal, existing before creation, and the agent through whom everything was made. Nothing in creation exists apart from Him.  John 1:14 (ESV):  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Verse 14 reveals the most profound act: the eternal Word, Jesus, took on human flesh and lived among humanity. This is the doctrine of the Incarnation—G...

  John 1:1–5 is a profound passage that introduces the nature of Jesus Christ as the "Word" (Logos in Greek) and His relationship with God, creation, and humanity.   The Eternal Nature of Jesus (The Word)  Verse 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."  This emphasizes that Jesus (the Word) existed before time began, coexisting with God. He is not a created being but eternal, just as God is eternal.   The Word is identified with God, revealing Jesus' divine nature.  Jesus' Role in Creation  Verse 3: "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."  Jesus, as the Word, is the agent through whom all creation came into being. This highlights His omnipotence and role as Creator alongside God the Father.  Everything in existence owes its origin to Him, underscoring His sovereignty over all things.  Jesus as the Source of Life and Light  Verse 4: "In...