John 21

Miraculous catch of fish
V1-3
- The bible says that they caught nothing; it was to show that whatever their reason was for returning to their fishing boats, by their own efforts it is futile.

V4-8
- The disciples did not realize that it was Jesus because he was quite far away from where the disciples were. (About 100 yards)
- Verse 5 talks about Jesus calling them “Children” or “Friends”. It shows the relationship with the disciples being full of affection. Or perhaps He was referring to their newly acquired relationship with God after receiving the Holy Spirit. Either way, we can be sure that Jesus was not yet through with these men, and had no intention of allowing them to return to their fishing business.

- Verse 7: Who shouted, “It is the Lord”?
John, the author of the book did. He also references himself as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”.
- How do you think John knew that it was Jesus?
We can refer it back to Luke 5:4-10, when Jesus first asked them to be his disciples.
4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.”

They were out fishing all night and yet were not able to catch any fish, until Jesus came to them and allowed them to catch an overwhelming amount of fish.

- Verse 7 shows Peter’s quick reaction when he heard it was Jesus. He was the first to jump into the water to swim towards Jesus.

The last time Peter was the focus of Jesus' attention, this is what had happened:

"Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly." (Luke 22:54-62)

Given how he had failed, one would expect Peter to keep to himself and shy away from even raising his eyes toward Jesus. Instead, he couldn't wait to come before his Lord, and that holds a valuable lesson for Christians when we fail and sin. Our pride and the enemy will try to tempt us to hide from God as Adam and Eve did after sinning. Instead, we must heed Peter's example and come before the Lord yet again, confess our sins to Him, believing "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) and seek His help to repent from those sin.

This scene connected the post-resurrected Jesus with the one they associated with for the last three years. He ate fish. He knew them in and out. Jesus not only arose but was meeting with them as before. But more than proof of a physical resurrection, we see Jesus’ commitment to fellowship with this group of faithless disciples and His desire to continue to work with them.

Public Restoration of Peter; Jesus Reinstates Peter

- Why was Peter called, “Simon, Son of Jonah”?
What had made Simon into Peter, the rock, was his relationship with Jesus. Since that relationship had been compromised by Peter's denial of Jesus, Simon was being called Simon until that relationship could be re-established, which is what Jesus is doing in this passage.

Feeding My Sheep

Jesus asked Peter the question 3 times.
Because Peter had denied Jesus 3 times previously. And Jesus wasn't asking because He didn't know the answer. Peter was correct in saying, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." (John 21:17) Jesus was doing it to have Peter confront his sins, which had to be addressed and removed before he could be commissioned to tend to the Lord's sheep.

Although Peter answers Jesus' question "do you love me" in the positive, three consecutive times, Jesus wanted answers that represented his true feelings and motives.

"Do you love me more than these:" The word for love here in Greek is: agape: a volitional, self-sacrificial love. Are you now willing to forsake all theses and go and preach my gospel to the nations of the earth? Jesus was referring to the statement Peter had made before His death, "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended" (Matt 26:33) KJV.

"you know that I love you:" Peter is no longer making claims to a love superior to his brethren. Still he knew to appeal to Jesus, the 'Searcher of the heart and say that He knew that he loved Him.

Although they read the same in English, they are actually different in the original Greek. While English has only one word for “love”, there are quite a few in Greek. There is eros for erotic love (none of the Greek words in the New Testament translated "love" in English is eros), philos for friendship, storge for affection from familiarity among family members or others brought together not my their choice, philostorgos, which combines philos and storge, and philadelphia for brotherly love. And then there’s agape, the self-sacrificing, unconditional love.

Jesus uses the verb form of agape in the first two of His three questions and the verb form of philos in the third, while Peter responds with the verb form of philos all three times. What’s happening is this. Jesus firstly asks Peter if he loves Him self-sacrificially "more than these." (John 21:15) Instead of addressing the comparison, Peter answers by claiming his love for Jesus as a friend.

After having betrayed Jesus, there was no way that he could claim anything more than that. Jesus then drops the comparison and asks Peter if he simply loves Him self-sacrificially. Peter sticks to his claim of friendly love. With His third question, Jesus drops the level of love down to Peter’s and there’s a match. Jesus will start working on us with whatever level of love we have for Him, but He does demand humility, which is what Peter displayed in John 21:15-17 in contrast to his prideful declaration in Matthew 26:31-33.
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:”’ I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”

In verse 17, what grieved Peter was the three-time repetition, because it was a plain reminder of his previous three-time denial.
What we can learn from this is:

- Jesus restores us by causing us to face squarely our point of failure, then challenging us to set our eyes on the work ahead.
- Jesus doesn't ask "are you sorry?" nor "will you promise never to do that again?" "Jesus Christ asks each one of us, not for obedience primarily, not for repentance, not for vows, not for conduct, but for a heart; and that being given, all the rest will follow. "

Verse 18-19: Peter was told that he was going to die for the Lord. It’s truly a wonderful piece of prophecy. Jesus was telling Peter that he was going to have great faith to be the kind of men he thought himself to be.
Matt 26:35 - But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.

He didn’t die with Jesus, but he knew that he was going to have another chance to LIVE for him and eventually die FOR Jesus.

As we all know, He became one of the greatest apostles and servants of Christ that has ever lived. He was given the “keys to the kingdom” (Matt. 16:18-19) and allowed to preach the first gospel sermon to both the Jews (Acts 2) and the Gentiles (Acts 10).

What does this mean for you and me? It means that, even though we may have failed the Lord miserably, it is not too late. We may have failed the Lord in the past, but we have another chance to prove to the Lord, and to ourselves, what kind of Christians we really are.

Done by: Alicia

John 20

Hi all, the lesson this week is kinda lengthy so do give it a read and summarize some points. Hopefully we can try to finish the chapt in 1 lesson! if not do let me know if you all didn't finish it.

Easter: Defeating Doubt (John 20:1-10, 19-20, 24-31)

Every thinking person sometimes wrestles with doubt. That’s true not only for thinking Christians, but also for atheists and agnostics. They sometimes wonder, “What if I’m wrong and there really is a God?” And every thinking Christian sometimes wonders, “What if I’m wrong and Christianity is not true?” For some, the bouts with doubt are short and relatively minor. For others, the doubts are deep and disturbing. But wherever you’re at on the spectrum, if you’ve been a Christian for very long, you have gone through battles with doubt.

While there are different biblical answers to all of these sources of doubt, there is one answer that undergirds them all. I usually come back to it when I’m struggling with doubt. The apostle Paul said that the entire Christian faith rests on one foundation, the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Cor. 15:13-19). If that fact of history is true, then our faith has a solid footing in spite of matters of doubt which we cannot, perhaps ever in this life, fully resolve. On the other hand, if Jesus Christ is not risen from the dead, then the strongest faith in the world is useless, because it rests on a faulty object.

The evidence of Jesus Christ’s resurrection gives us a solid footing in times of doubt. What if we doubt, then? Does it mean we do not have faith, and we cannot be saved? Does it sometimes feel natural to you, to doubt?

There are 2 kinds of doubters. The first use their doubts as a smoke screen to hide behind their sin, which is the real issue. If one area of doubt is cleared up, they will quickly duck behind another, because they don’t want to submit to the Lord. These people do not need more evidence to believe; they need to repent of their sin.

And then there is the doubter like Doubting Thomas, who was an example of a sincere doubter. The sincere doubter is truly a believer in Christ. He doesn’t want to doubt, but he’s plagued by honest questions. He is in submission to God and wants to please Him, but he can’t just close his eyes and take a leap of faith. He needs evidence to clear up the doubts.

All thinking people go through times of sincere doubt.

Some Reasons For Thomas’ Doubts:

A. PERSONAL FAILURE COUPLED WITH THOMAS’ PERSONALITY TRIGGERED HIS DOUBTS.

All of the disciples had failed Jesus on the night of His arrest and trial. Most notorious was Peter, who denied the Lord three times. All of the eleven had promised Jesus their loyalty, but they all deserted Him when He was arrested.

Thomas had been outspoken in his loyalty to Jesus before the crucifixion.

In John 11:16, when Jesus wanted to go to Bethany, near Jerusalem, to raise Lazarus from the dead, the disciples objected that it was too dangerous. But Thomas said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

He may have been a pessimist, but at least he was loyal to the point of challenging the others to be committed to the point of death. But then he had joined the others in running away when Jesus was arrested. That failure led Thomas into depression and doubt.

It wasn’t just Thomas’ failure, but failure coupled with his personality, that led him into deep doubts. Peter had failed in a big way, too. But Peter was a buoyant, optimistic sort who felt badly about his mistakes, but who could shrug it off and bounce back more quickly. But Thomas was a conscientious, loyal, but gloomy type who did not commit himself to something lightly. To commit himself to Jesus and then go back on his word affected Thomas much more deeply than Peter’s failure affected him.

We’re all wired differently and so it’s important to know yourself so that you can be on guard against your areas of weakness. Usually our areas of greatest strength are also our areas of greatest weakness. A man like Thomas, who is loyal and conscientious, who takes commitments seriously, is also more prone to depression and doubt when he fails.

B. A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING LED TO HIS DOUBTS.

Thomas lacked understanding with regard to the Lord’s departure.

On the night before the crucifixion, Jesus told the disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them and that He would come again to take them to be with Him. He told them that they knew the way where He was going. But Thomas didn’t understand, so he blurted out (John 14:5), “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?”

It was a good thing he asked because Jesus’ reply was (14:6), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” But if you put yourself back into that situation, with all of the confused emotions of that night, and with the disciples’ still limited insight into Jesus’ death and resurrection, you can see how Thomas would still be confused about what Jesus had meant. He lacked understanding, which led to doubt.

There are many hard teachings in Scripture, some of which we won’t resolve until we’re with the Lord. We have to trust God, even when we don’t understand.

In John 6:60, many of those who had followed Jesus turned away when He taught some hard things. Jesus even asked the twelve if they would turn away also. Peter gave the great answer (John 6:68-69), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

I’ve come back to that answer many times when I’ve struggled with doubt due to a lack of understanding. Jesus is the truth. Where else can I go?

C. DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT AND SHOCK OVER SUFFERING CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DOUBTS.

Even though Jesus repeatedly had told the disciples in advance that He would be crucified, it didn’t sink in. The disciples had expected the Messiah to be a conquering King. A crucified Messiah wasn’t their expectation. When Thomas saw the badly mangled body of Jesus on the cross, it sent him into shock. His emphasis on the wounds of Jesus (John 20:25) shows how deeply it affected him. The bloody holes in Jesus’ hands and feet, the gory spear wound in His side, and Jesus’ disfigurement from the scourging and the crown of thorns, haunted Thomas after the crucifixion and fed his doubts.

In the same way, whenever we face deep disappointment and shock because of some tragedy or something that doesn’t go as we had expected, we’re vulnerable to doubts. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one or faced a personal tragedy, or maybe just have things pan out in an unexpected way. It’s a short step from there to being right where Thomas was, to doubting the Lord: “If God really exists and is a God of love, then why is this happening?”

D. ISOLATION FROM FELLOW BELIEVERS FUELED HIS DOUBTS.

A fourth reason for Thomas’ doubts was his isolation from other believers. A likely reason for his absence from the other disciples that first Sunday when Jesus appeared to them was his morose disposition. The last thing he wanted at a time like that was to be around other people. So he wandered off by himself to brood over the horrible events of the previous few days.

Then to add to his misery, when he finally did see the others, they told him that they had seen the risen Lord! Even though we’re often bugged by other believers, the fact is, we need them. Whenever we separate ourselves from the fellowship, we make ourselves vulnerable to doubt. (which is why it’s good to continue pestering your friends who have been absent from church!)

Whatever the source of your doubts, the solution is the same: to come back to the foundational fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. If that is true, then even though you may not understand everything, you still, with Thomas, must bow and acknowledge Jesus to be your Lord and God.

The evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus is solid. (Present the evidences, ask them to pretend to be a non-believer and refute them)

A. THE EMPTY TOMB VERIFIES JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

(go through if asked)

There are several ways to account for the empty tomb. Jesus’ enemies could have stolen the body. But they had no motive for taking His body. It was to their advantage to leave it right where it was, which is why they had Pilate put the Roman guard and seal on the tomb. If they knew where the body was, they could have produced it and silenced the disciples’ preaching.

Another possibility is that the Roman guards stole the body. But again, they had no motive to do so. They weren’t concerned about this Jewish religious trial. The Jewish leaders, who were scrambling for ways to explain away the resurrection, didn’t accuse the soldiers of taking the body or of allowing it to be stolen.

A third possibility is that the disciples stole the body. This was the theory the Jewish leaders tried to promote by bribing the Roman soldiers (Matt. 28:11-15). But there are many reasons the disciples could not have moved Jesus’ body. The tomb was as secure as the Roman guard could make it. The soldiers wouldn’t have fallen asleep on their watch, because the penalty was death. The stone at the tomb was large and heavy. Even if the soldiers had been sleeping, the noise of a group of men moving the stone would have awakened them. Besides, the disciples were too depressed and confused to try anything like grave robbery in front of a Roman guard. Even if, through bribery, they had managed to remove Jesus’ body, later they would not have risked their lives to preach the resurrection if they knew it to be false.

Nor would they have suffered beatings and threats if it had been confirmed that someone else had taken Jesus’ body, which was the first thought of the women who visited the tomb early that morning (John 20:2, 15). All we know of the character of the witnesses as well as the fact that they did not yet understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise again from the dead (John 20:9) militates against them knowingly promoting a hoax. The empty tomb is solid evidence that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead.

B. THE GRAVE CLOTHES VERIFY JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

The presence of the grave clothes proves that the body was not stolen.

(go through if asked):

Mary Magdalene didn’t look carefully when she first came to the tomb. She saw the stone removed and assumed that Jesus was gone. So she ran to tell Peter and John, who ran to the tomb. John got there first and stood at the entrance looking in. Peter, in his usual blustery manner, went right in and saw (20:6, Greek = “to gaze upon”) the grave clothes. Then John entered, saw (Greek = “to see with understanding”) and believed (20:8).

In their haste, grave robbers would have taken the body, grave clothes and all. If for some reason they had wanted to strip the body, they would have left the clothes strewn all over the tomb. But Peter and John saw them left in an orderly fashion, as if Jesus had passed right through them. Remember, these weren’t men who wished so much for a resurrection that they perhaps saw what they wanted to see. These were men who did not understand or believe at first (20:9). The evidence convinced them, and their testimony of the evidence should convince us.

C. THE POST-RESURRECTION APPEARANCES OF JESUS VERIFY HIS RESURRECTION.

John lists four post-resurrection appearances of Jesus: To Mary Magdalene (20:11-18); to the disciples except Thomas (20:19-23); to the disciples, including Thomas (20:24-31); and, to seven of the disciples, by the Sea of Galilee (21:1-25). Paul mentions several other appearances, including one to over 500 at one time (1 Cor. 15:6-8).

The most drastic way of dismissing the evidence would be to say that these stories were mere fabrications, that they were pure lies. But, so far as I know, not a single critic today would take such an attitude. In fact, it would really be an impossible position. Think of the number of witnesses, over 500. Think of the character of the witnesses, men and women who gave the world the highest ethical teaching it has ever known, and who even on the testimony of their enemies lived it out in their lives. Think of the psychological absurdity of picturing a little band of defeated cowards cowering in an upper room one day and a few days later transformed into a company that no persecution could silence—and then attempting to attribute this dramatic change to nothing more convincing than a miserable fabrication they were trying to foist upon the world. That simply wouldn’t make sense.

The varied circumstances of the appearances and the different personalities of the witnesses militate against hallucinations or visions. Whether Thomas actually put his hand in Jesus’ wounds is not stated, but Jesus made the offer and Thomas was convinced (John 20:27). The post-resurrection appearances of Jesus are a strong evidence of His bodily resurrection.

D. THE CHANGED LIVES OF THE WITNESSES VERIFY JESUS’ RESURRECTION.

As I already said, John calls attention to the fact that none of the witnesses was expecting a resurrection. Mary Magdalene thought that someone had taken Jesus’ body (20:2, 15). The disciples were fearful and confused. Thomas was depressed and doubting. But all were transformed into the bold witnesses of the Book of Acts because they became convinced that Jesus rose bodily from the dead. They were so convinced that the resurrection was true that many of them went on to martyrs’ deaths.

E. THE UNIQUE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST VERIFIES HIS RESURRECTION.

Study the Gospel accounts of who Jesus was, of what He taught, of the miracles He performed, of the prophecies He fulfilled. On more than one occasion He predicted His own death and resurrection (John 2:19-22; Luke 9:22). His encounter with doubting Thomas shows that His purpose was to bring Thomas into a place of full faith in His deity (20:27).

When Thomas answered, “My Lord and my God,” Jesus did not rebuke or correct him for overstating things. Rather, Jesus commended Thomas’ correct perception and faith (20:28-29). A merely good teacher, especially a devout Jewish rabbi, would never accept such worship from a follower. Everything in the Gospel accounts about Jesus’ person and teaching militates against His being a charlatan or lunatic. The only sensible option is that He is who He claimed to be, the Lord God in human flesh, the Christ of Israel, the eternal Son of God.

He offered Himself for our sins and God raised Him bodily from the dead. He wants those of us who have not seen Him to believe in Him (20:29).

Conclusion

Does the evidence about Jesus’ resurrection clear up all our doubts about God and the Bible? No, nothing this side of heaven will do that. But it does provide a solid basis for intelligent faith in those times when we struggle with doubt. To whom else will you go? Jesus alone is the risen Savior. His desire for each of us who have not seen Him is that, like Thomas, we would “not be unbelieving, but believing” (20:27). He wants each of us to recognize that He, our Lord and God, died in our place, taking the penalty we deserved for our sin. He wants us to join Thomas in believing worship, proclaiming, “My Lord and my God!”

If you wait to trust in Christ until all of your doubts are cleared up, you’re not an honest doubter. Rather, you’re using your doubts as an excuse so that you can hold onto your sin. Would you choose repentance or alienation from God and death? Will you trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord?

Application Questions

How can a person know whether his doubts are sincere or whether they are just an excuse? Are sincere doubts sin?
Is biblical faith a “blind leap”? If not, how does it differ?
Is it possible to live without faith in something? Are materialistic humanists purely rational? How can we witness to them?
Why is it crucial to base our faith in the fact of Christ’s resurrection rather than on our personal religious experience?

Done by: Gail

John 19:17-27

Hello all, please start the lesson early and end early because at approx 12pm, the youths have to gather in 1 classroom for a sharing by Ivan Lim (FaithActs) regarding youths serving as tutors for primary school students. This sharing will end ard 1230pm.

Previous lesson – Learnt about the conflict and decisions Pilate made:

· Succumbed to societal pressure

· Based his decision not on conscience, but rather on his own security

· How are we like that? – Will we be like that?

John 19:17-27 – The crucifixion of Jesus.

Main point

Satan can SEEM to win, but ultimately, God holds victory.

Lesson

V17-20: Jesus crucified on Golgotha

· Why Golgotha?

o It was a prominent location OUTSIDE the city at a major junction

§ This meant that everyone walking in and out of the city would see the crucifixion – a political method of instilling fear to keep order

§ It humiliated those put to death – another way of keeping order in society.

o It was a place of high elevation

§ It made it all the more obvious

· What’s the significance?

o From the POV of the disciples and those close to Jesus, it seemed that Satan had won – The death and humiliation of Jesus would have no doubt left them believing that God had somehow lost.

§ Matt 27:42 – The choice not to save himself despite the taunts

§ Matt 27:43 – That God didn’t save Him from death

§ That He died.

o On the surface, it was all in God’s disfavour – that Evil had won, and God chose not to intervene.

V20-22: Pilate subtly declares his real opinion of Jesus (God controls the NOW)

· Notice Pilate writes “King of the Jews”, rather than “He claims to be the King of the Jews”.

o We know from last week that Pilate subconsciously knew that Jesus was more than He seemed to be – His attempts to free Jesus show that

o We also know that Pilate was a coward – He eventually gave in to the pressure of the Sanhedrin.

o But he makes a stand here –that Jesus is indeed a King.

§ One can argue that Pilate did so out of respect and a subconscious knowledge of who Jesus really was

§ But one can also argue that it was an insult to the Jews, and a show of political dominance over them.

§ But both are possible at the same time – He could have used this opportunity to both show his respect, as well as serve his own agendas – not unlikely for someone like him.

o Notice God’s hand in the situation – He did not allow the authorities of the world to change the title He bestowed on His Son.

§ To be the King of the Jews => King of God’s chosen people => King of the Earth.

§ Subtle as it may be, the fact that Jesus was crucified as the King of the Jews, made, by extension, the declaration that He was King of the Earth.

§ Notice how the proclamation counters Satan’s plan of humiliation.

· Satan would have wanted to use the public spectacle of the crucifixion, to destroy the faith of those following Him, to declare that he had won.

· But this ended up working against him – Jesus declared to be the King of the world instead.

o Ultimately, God was still in control – and Satan fell right into the trap.

V23-24: Fulfilment of scriptural prophecies (God controls the PAST)

· The significance of the fulfilment of scripture

o The robe Jesus wore wasn’t typical – a normal criminal would have 4 articles of clothing (headgear, shirt, pants and sandals).

o The probability of 4 RANDOM ROMAN soldiers fulfilling a thousand-year old prophecy is ridiculously low.

§ The soldiers were acting completely out of impulse and the norm of the day (I.e. they weren’t knowledgeable about the prophecy and probably hadn’t even heard of it)

o The significance of the robe – It was seamless, a representation of His role as a High priest (Exodus 28)

V25-27: Jesus cares about our future (God controls the FUTURE)

· Even as He was dying, what does Jesus do? – He makes arrangements for His disciple and His mother, to take care of each other!

o Jesus was more concerned about their well-being, rather than the pain and suffering He was going through.

o He knew the needs of those around Him, and He attended to their needs all the way till He “died”

o He knows the future. He cares for each one of us, regardless of how hurt, how devastated and how desperate things are.

The disciples would have thought, by all human reasoning, that God had lost. Sometimes we feel the same way too. That nothing ever goes right. That I’m just a loser – born to fail at everything I attempt (something like the inverse midas touch?) But I hope this lesson helps us all to remember – God still cares and is ultimately still in control. Sometimes He speaks and does things in subtle, soft ways and we don’t see them. I pray that if ever anyone of us goes through such dark times, that we’ll just keep holding on. Pray for eyes to see the things He is doing, but trust nonetheless even if you cannot see.

As the kids enter into poly/jc, even sec 5, change is going to happen. For good or for evil, it is easy to be swept away by the whirlwind of change. I pray that as we teach this lesson, that all of us (yes leaders included), will remember that God is faithful. Has been, is, and always will be. It is my prayer that in all things, we can declare that we have done all things, in (and for) Christ alone.

In Christ alone, I place my trust.

And find my glory in the power of the cross

In every victory, let it be said of me

My source of strength, my source of hope

Is Christ alone.

In Christ alone, my hope is found

He is my light my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

Done by: Joshua Tang

John 19

Sorry for the super late upload. We will be covering John 19:1-16 only because we prolly wont be able to finish the entire chapt in 1 lesson. Also pls end earlier as we have to go for the church thingy at 1pm.

Pilate’s Problem

Passage focus- John 19:1 –16

Read the passage once through first. You may want to point out that we will be focusing on Pilate.

1. What details are left out in John?

a. Handwashing (Matt27:24)

b. Jews taking responsibility for Jesus’ death (Matt 27:25)

c. Release of Barabbas (Matt27:26, Mark 15:15)

Things that Pilate did

1) V5, Pilate tried to “save” Jesus by flogging him so that the Jewish people might take pity and call for his release. But it failed.

2) V6, push blame to the Jews and the priests and temple guards.

a. The Jews asked him to make a decision, then refused to accept that Jesus is “not guilty”

3) V8, Panic. Why? Earlier on, the priests and Jews had been stressing the political implications of Jesus’ claims. (King). Suddenly, it became about religion. That Jesus is the Son of God.

4) V12, tried to release Jesus again, but halted when questioned about his loyalty to Caesar.

5) V14, present Jesus again, author highlights Passover is approaching due to emphasis on link being that Jesus is the Passover Lamb.

6) V16, gives up Jesus to the roman soldiers. Interesting how they claim “We have no king but Caesar” in a surprising show of “loyalty”

7) (Interesting extension) V21 & V22, insist on what he wrote, but in doing so kinda explicitly declared that Jesus is the King. Possibly to humiliate the Jews, but was ironically true.

Feel free to either continue the lesson or do sharing or anything you want. I would recommend drawing similarities between Pilate and us, in the sense of how we try to do what is right but receive a lot of pressure from external influences.

Notes on Pilate’s character

1) Not evil, but rather he tries to do good. He seems to underestimate the authority and power he has, however, and listens/fears the power of the others more. Technically he did have the power to pronounce Jesus not guilty and call for His release. But he did not.

2) Quick to push responsibility. He washed his hands off the issue as soon as he could, both physically and symbolically. As a person in power, it was still his responsibility and his decision whether he claims to have it or not.

3) I believe, to a small extent, he himself did believe that Jesus was not an ordinary man, and perhaps in a way believed Jesus’ claims. (It could also be due to him being VERY cautious.) Why? Well he did panic after v7 when he heard what Jesus “called Himself”. After that, he kept wanting Jesus to explain himself, and perhaps the wisdom in the answer scared Pilate so much that he tried to free Jesus.

Do we see ourselves in Pilate in the way we try to make the right decisions but are actually questionable in retrospect? Do we lack the courage to stand fast against pressure?

Share and pray!

Kenn

John 18

Hi all, its been a while..time to start living and teaching the Word of God again.

Basic recap/outline of the what we learnt so far. The first 12 chapters of John talk about His public ministry beginning from Judea and Galilee. From 13 - 17, Jesus spends less time with the public and focused more on his disciples as He knew the end was nearing. These chapters talk about Jesus telling His disciples the essence of what is about to take place, the resources God will give them and His last words to them. (It's just like if you had a chance to speak to your loved ones, and knew you would be dying in one day, what would you say to them? It would not be trivial stuff). The book of John also talks about Jesus' offer of peace, His offer of love, His offer of joy, His offer of the Holy Spirit, and His promise to come again to receive them to Himself, so that where He is, so they may be also. Notice these points aren't self-centered but other-centered. He never focused on His needs, but on their needs. He knew that they were distraught and yet He focused on them because He knew that this is the purpose for which He was sent, to complete His Father’s business on this earth.

Now to John 18.

v1-2: Jesus was not trying to avoid arrest. John records that Jesus deliberately went to the place where Judas evidently anticipated that He would go.

v3: A Roman "cohort" (Lat. cohors) normally consisted of 600 soldiers. However, sometimes the
Greek word speira, translated "cohort" or "detachment," referred to a smaller group of only 200 men (in NIV it is detachment). The "officers" of the Jewish temple police (they were court servants at the disposal of the Sanhedrin for policing purposes) accompanied the Roman soldiers. Thus John presented both Gentiles and Jews as playing a part in Jesus' arrest. They brought with them lanterns (possibly thinking Jesus would be hiding) and weapons to restrain any opposition.

v4: John noted that when Jesus approached the leaders of the soldiers, He knew their intentions (cf. 10:14, 17-18). He consistently presented Jesus' death as a voluntary self-sacrifice.It was clear that His hour was here as in the previous chapters during His ministry, Jesus had withdrawn from conflict with officials because His hour had not yet come. This time round, Jesus approached them.

v5-6:
Notice as compared to like Luke John does not mention Judas's kiss, which would have taken place just before or after Jesus' question. Judas here takes his place with those who have come out against Jesus (v. 5). The awkward statement that tells us where Judas is, which the NIV puts in parentheses, is an eyewitness detail branded into John's memory. We sense his shock at seeing Judas with them. John's continual reference to Judas as the betrayer all stems from this event. John makes it clear that Judas is not the revealer but rather that Jesus will identify himself. Enemies had not been able to lay their hands on Jesus before (7:30, 44-45; 8:59; 10:39; 12:36), and it is not Judas's presence that now brings success. Rather, it is now the Father's will

Jesus knew that the soldiers and chief priests had come for Him. Here they momentarily "drew back and fell to the ground," stood up again, and proceeded to arrest Him. Perhaps John was hinting that the soldiers responded better than they knew by falling backwards. However, it seems unlikely that they took Jesus' words to be a claim to deity in this context. They probably "drew back and fell" because, being shocked, they could not believe that the man they had come out for, expecting to have to hunt for, was virtually surrendering to them. Rather than having to hunt down a fleeing peasant, they found a commanding Leader who confronted them boldly.

v7: This repetition of the question "Who is it you want?" emphasizes its importance, for it focuses on Jesus. It is also a question that searches the soul. The very first thing Jesus said in this Gospel was, literally, "What are you seeking?" (1:38), his question for the two disciples of John the Baptist, and their reply indicated they wanted to be with him. Now we see people seeking Jesus, but they do so not for their soul's sake. They have their own agenda, as many people do today. There are ways of seeking Jesus that do not bring life.

v10-11: Peter cuts of the right ear of Malchus. It shows that he still failed to realize that Jesus' death was necessary. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous. Therefore Jesus rebuked Peter, even though this disciple showed remarkable loyalty to his Teacher. The "cup" to which Jesus referred was the symbol of His lot in life, which in this case involved bearing God's wrath.

V12-27: Jesus' religious trial and Peter's trials
John weaves together the confrontation between Jesus and Annas and the confrontation going on at the same time between Peter and the people in the courtyard. This is a scene, which shifts between what is going on inside with Jesus and what is going on outside with Peter, is paralleled in the scene that follows by Pilate's encounter with Jesus inside the governor's palace and his dealings with the Jewish opponents outside. Such juxtaposition enables John to make comparisons between Jesus and the other characters in the story. The inner and outer scenes in the story also reflect John's purpose to show us here, as throughout his Gospel, the inner and outer dimensions of the events themselves--the eternal reality being manifested in the midst of the world as the Word comes to his own and the eternal significance of the events that unfold.

Jesus Is Taken to Annas, the High Priest (18:12-14)

John describes Jesus' arrest and binding as the activity of the whole party that has come out against him, both Gentile and Jew (v. 12). John will make it clear that the Jewish authorities have special responsibility for Jesus' death (19:11), but the Gentiles have a share as well. Here we have the shocking sight of the one who brings freedom to mankind (8:31-36) being bound by representatives of the whole human race.

They took Jesus first to Annas, probably the most respected and powerful of the Jewish authorities at that time. He had held the office of high priest earlier (A.D. 6-15), and his influence continued through his son-in-law Caiaphas, the current high priest (v. 13) and through his five sons, who had also been high priest for various lengths of time (Josephus Antiquities of the Jews 18.2.1-2; 20.9.1; cf. Chilton 1992:257). Annas was the head of a dynasty, which probably accounts for John's reference to him as high priest (vv. 15-16, 19, 22, cf. Acts 4:6), even though John is clear that Caiaphas is the one holding that office at the time (foot note).

V17-18: Peter had his first trial. Realise that John was also there to witness Peter deny Christ. However it was because Peter had mixed with the indifferent crowd which made him succumb to the pressure. The way the question was asked here expected a negative reply. Peter's fall also shows us what will happen to all who, without seeking the counsel of God or disregarding cousel, enter undertakings beyond their strength.

After Peter's first denial, John's narrative switches back to what is going on inside between Annas and Jesus.

Back inside, Annas is beginning his interrogation. This is not an actual trial; John has not confused this encounter with the meeting with the Sanhedrin. Here there are no witnesses, no jury and no sentence. This is more like "a police interrogation of a newly arrested criminal before any formal trial procedures are begun" (Brown 1970:834; cf. 1994:1:412, 423-25; Robinson 1985:248-50). Annas asks Jesus about his disciples (v. 19), reflecting the Sanhedrin's earlier concern over Jesus' popularity (11:48), a popularity that can have only increased after Jesus entered Jerusalem attended by a great crowd. Annas also asks Jesus about his teaching (v. 19). He seems to want Jesus to incriminate himself as a false prophet (Beasley-Murray 1987:324-25) or at least as a false teacher. So Jesus tells Annas to check with those who have heard him, since he has taught quite openly (v. 20-21). In this way he heightens Annas' anxiety. The very fact that Jesus has spoken openly and that there are plenty of people who are familiar with his teaching is what concerns Annas

v23 note the way that Jesus responded after he was struck

V25-27: The second trial was also expecting a negative reply. However, the third trial was expecting a positive reply. This question posed the greatest threat to Peter's security. Peter responded by uttering his most vehement denial of the three. Immediately a rooster crowed fulfilling the prediction that Jesus had spoken just hours earlier.

pet: I feel that it speaks so much of who John was as a person
Note that John does not narrate Peter's grief at this point (cf. Mt 26:75 par. Mk 14:72 par. Lk 22:62), waiting instead to recount the grief Peter experiences at his restoration later (21:17).

V28-40: Jesus civil trial

Pilate asks for the charges against Jesus (v. 29), and from the Jewish leaders' response it seems they were upset by this request: If he were not a criminal . . . we would not have handed him over to you (v. 30). They wanted Pilate simply to take their word for it and not begin his own investigation. Pilate is not inclined to do them such a favor and tells them to judge Jesus by their own law. In other words, if none of the charges mentioned are relevant to Roman rule, then this case is a matter for their own legal proceedings. A reluctance to get involved in matters of Jewish law was common among Roman governors (Sherwin-White 1965:112-13).

V35 - 36

Pilate asks what Jesus has done (v. 35). Jesus follows his common practice in this Gospel, for he does not directly address the question put to him, but in fact he gives a profound answer.

Instead of speaking of what he has done he speaks of his kingdom (v. 36). In Jewish thinking "kingdom" does not refer to a territory; it is an active concept referring to rule. "Kingdom of God," then, means God is king (cf. Kuhn 1964b:571-72). In the Gospels it includes also the realm of God's rule, in the sense not of a territory but of the community under his rule. While Jesus has not used this word much in this Gospel, all that he has done and said have been manifestations of God's rule and Jesus' own kingship. In this sense, "the whole Gospel is concerned with the kingship of God in Jesus" (Beasley-Murray 1987:330). Jesus has said a spiritual rebirth is necessary to even see the kingdom--the resources of this world are not sufficient (3:3, 5). Now Jesus continues this emphasis by saying his kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is otherworldly because he himself is not of this world and neither are his followers (17:14, 16). He and his disciples have their source in God and reflect God's own life and character.

Both the divine source and the quality of his kingdom are evident, he says, in the fact that his disciples did not fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews (v. 36). Peter, of course, did try to do so and was out of step with Jesus' and the Father's will, as Jesus told him (18:11). Jesus' response to the opposition from the Jewish leaders had a divine source for it was determined by God's rule. Also, his response manifested God's characteristic gracious love. "Jesus' kingdom is based on something other than . . . power or protection. It is based on his self-surrender, on his offering of himself for the sin of the world" (Ridderbos 1997:595).

Jesus could have called 12 legions of angels to his side in a moment (Matthew 26:53). Jesus showed Pilate that his kingly rule was no threat to the political authority of Rome. In reality, Jesus had come into the world for no political purpose whatever, but solely to witness to the truth about God and demonstrate his love to us.

V37 - 38
The dialogue between Jesus and Pilate became evident that it was not Jesus who was on trial, but rather Pilate.

Pilate has rejected Jesus, his otherworldly kingdom and the truth, so he is left responding to the demands of the pressures of this world. He does not like the alternatives offered him by either Jesus or the opponents, but he is being forced to decide.

Here is a picture of John's dualism, indeed, the dualism found throughout the Scriptures. God and Satan are both putting pressure on. Both desire us, though for very different purposes. "There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan" (Lewis 1967:33).

Each of us faces the same challenge Pilate here faces. Even though we are able to avoid the crunch for now, we will not be able to do so forever. The Mercy would not allow that.The Soldiers Mistreat Jesus (19:1-3) The theme of kingship continues as we now see the Roman soldiers dress Jesus up like a king, revere him and greet him as king of the Jews. They are doing so in cruel mockery, but they speak the truth. This may be another example of John's use of irony in having people speak truth that they themselves do not realize, providing "a sign that the Gentiles will ultimately confess the kingship of Jesus" (Brown 1970:889).

Rayner and Petrina

Reflections and Resolutions 2013

Hi all,

Its the last Sunday of the year. I am guessing its a good time to MAKE(FORCE) the youths think and reflect about the past year and new resolutions they want to make for the new year ahead.

Reflections

1. Relationship with God

Thanksgiving (Faithful God, Schoolwork, Family etc.)
QT?
Prayer plays an important role in communicating with God
Grown in maturity?
Any sin hindering the blessings from flowing?

2. Relationships/Friendships

Confessions
Grudges
Hatred
Disrespect / Dishonoring parents
Bullied/ Mistreated
etc...

Thank God for being a merciful and gracious God. Pray that God will continue to empower you and fill you up with the Holy Spirit.

Pray for God's strength to forgive and let go. If bullied or mistreated, remember that God will judge them when the time comes. We are not in the position to judge them (Romans 2:1-3 , James 4:11-12).

Pray and ask for forgiveness from God and from your parents/ friends if you have wronged them in any way. Repent from your wicked ways.

3. School (not that impt i think)

Anything to share? Up to you all

Resolutions (Yesss..this is the serious and most sian part but try to not make it so sian)

Pen it down. Pin it up somewhere..

Can use the same 3 headers as reflections.
(Point 1 is the most impt) -- Make the youths make a pact with God on the various things they wanna improve in this area. We as leaders can be their accountable to them and encourage them along the way.

Pray for God's strength to remain disciplined in changing for the better. Definitely there will be times where we may stumble but just know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. He will always be there in times of trials and tribulations.

Pray for the new phase in life too..moving on to JC, Poly or maybe sec 5..

Jesus Blog (Year 5 Leaders)