On My Father's Side - Life of Christ = Week 06 - Sunday

A DOCTOR'S QUESTIONS:

What's your name, son?

      On my mother's side, I'm called Jesus.
      On my Father's side, I'm Emmanuel.

How old are you, son?

      On my mother's side, I'm twelve years old.
      On my Father's side, I've always been.

Where is your home, son?

      On my mother's side, it's Bethlehem.
      On my Father's side, it's Jerusalem.

What is your plan, son?

      On my mother's side, I'll be crucified.
      On my Father's side, I'll rise in three days and then sit on His right hand.

On My Father's Side by The Barn Again Gang
https://youtu.be/N5ddoyfn6g4

#025 Jesus and John Baptize Others (John 3:22-36) - Life of Christ = Week 05 - Friday

John 3:22-24 (Judea) Jesus and John Baptize #Baptism

John 3:25-36 John Testifies About Jesus

Jesus and His Disciples in Judea

John 3:22–24

²²After this Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside^†, where He spent time with them and baptized. ²³John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. And people were coming and being baptized, ²⁴since John had not yet been thrown into prison.

John the Baptizer Points People to Jesus

John 3:25–36

²⁵Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. ²⁶So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”

²⁷John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ ²⁹He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend^†, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease^†.”

³¹The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. ³²He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. ³³The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. ³⁴For He whom God sent speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands. ³⁶The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.^[1]

---

^[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 40–41). Holman Bible Publishers.

Other Resources:

Being Born Again John 3 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/john/3/

https://youtu.be/Dq8tuJkFsrE

#024 Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) - Life of Christ = Week 05 - Thursday

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus                                       #BornAgain
John 3:1-21

Jesus Explains the New Birth to Nicodemus

John 3:1–21

¹There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher^†, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”

³Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴“But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵Jesus answered: “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. ⁸The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

⁹“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰“Are you a teacher of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹“I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. ¹²If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? ¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. ¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up^†, ¹⁵so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.

¹⁶“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸Anyone who believes in Him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe is already judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

¹⁹“This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness^† rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

^[1]

---

^[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 38–39). Holman Bible Publishers.

Nicodemus: An Open-Minded Pharisee

Throughout His ministry Jesus clashed with the Pharisees because of their legalism, hypocrisy, and inflexible approach to religion. But Nicodemus was different. Although he was a Pharisee (John 3:1), probably a member of the Sanhedrin (“a ruler of the Jews,” John 3:1), and most certainly a respected Jewish teacher (John 3:10), he was interested in what Jesus had to say. He was open to Jesus’ teachings about the new birth and life in the Spirit.

Nicodemus never made an open declaration of faith in Jesus, as far as we know. But he did come to Jesus’ defense on one occasion (John 7:50). Along with Joseph of Arimathea, he claimed Jesus’ body after His crucifixion and helped prepare it for burial (John 19:39; see segment 205, “Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb,” p. 240). He may have been an undeclared or “secret” follower of Jesus.

https://youtu.be/qOz18_GwYJI

#Privilege

https://youtu.be/ye8nFB3Mm78

https://youtu.be/-kbjxXSF0wg

Take my Son John 3:1-21

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.

He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art." The young man held out this package. "I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this."

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift."

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one."

But the auctioneer persisted. "Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"

Another voice angrily. "We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandt's. Get on with the real bids!"

But still the auctioneer continued. "The son! The son! Who'll take the son?"

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the painting." Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

"We have $10, who will bid $20?"

"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters."

"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?"

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"

A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the collection!"

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. "I'm sorry, the auction is over."

"What about the paintings?"

"I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!"

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: "The son, the son, who'll take the son?"

Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVES, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
•  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How will I
•  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

Other Resources:
Born Again // Christ Brings Life June 12, 2022 Anthony Walker

https://vimeo.com/719996133

Being Born Again John 3 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/john/3/

Document for DBS

Series: Be Different “Making Transformative Moves” Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Title: Different Mindset

Bookmark: Click Here

Opening Thoughts: Rather than embrace privilege, Jesus leveraged his status and privilege for the sake of others. Being different demands that we redirect privilege and power to those who are underprivileged and vulnerable.

v  Jesus called us to be different.

o   2 Peter “alien sojourners”

v  Privilege

o   Financially, racial, educated, blessed people.

o   It can make us blind

v  Plan flights

o   1^st Class

o   Privilege can be blind at times.

v  John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

o   Neighborhood of John 3

Nicodemus	Samaritan
Man	Woman
Named	Nameless
Teacher	Dropout
Pharisaic Jew	Sinful Samaritan
Night	Noon
Confidence	Questions

===============================================================

Text: John 3-4

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. ² He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit. ⁷ You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d]

⁹ “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. ¹² I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.^[e] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[f] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”^[g]

¹⁶ 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.

………….

Jesus Talks With a Samaritan Woman

4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— ² although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. ³ So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.

⁴ Now he had to go through Samaria. ⁵ So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶ Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

 

===============================================================

Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.

v  Review and retell the story.

Reflections for applications:

v  Privilege gets you nowhere

o   You must be born again. Romans 1 vs. Romans 2

v  Lack of privilege does not disqualify

v  God wants to make a new you.

o   John 3:5 No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.

o   Galatians 3:27-29 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

v  Privilege Brings Responsibility

Digging Questions:

·         How will you respond in generosity?

·         What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?

·         What is God calling us to do?

Take Away Challenges

·         What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?

·         Whom do you know who needs to hear this?

·         What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?

Hash tags #Give #Generosity

Sunday sermon link          https://youtu.be/qOz18_GwYJI

Kevin’s Blog Link to more resources: Click here for Kevin’s Blog Notes

Comments and resources with some more resources:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A1-11&version=NIV

#023 - Merchants Driven from Temple by Jesus (John 2:13-25) - Life of Christ = Week 05 - Wednesday

Merchants Driven from Temple (Jerusalem) (April A.D. 27) First Passover
John 2:13-25

Jesus’ First Cleansing of the Temple

John 2:13–25

¹³The Jewish Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple complex He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves^†, and He also found the money changers sitting there. ¹⁵After making a whip out of cords, He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. ¹⁶He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s house into a marketplace!^†”

¹⁷And His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

¹⁸So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?”

¹⁹Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary, and I will raise it up in three days^†.”

²⁰Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took forty-six years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”

²¹But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body. ²²So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. And they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.

²³While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many trusted in His name when they saw the signs He was doing. ²⁴Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all ²⁵and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.^[1]

---

^[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 36–37). Holman Bible Publishers.

Two Cleansings of the Temple?

John places Jesus’ cleansing of the temple at the beginning of His public ministry. But the other Gospel writers report that He cleansed the temple as His ministry drew to a close about three and one-half years later (see segment 158, “Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Cleanses the Temple,” p. 185).

Were there two separate cleansings of the temple or only one? Scholars disagree on this issue. Some believe that Jesus cleansed the temple only one time. They theorize that John placed this event early in Jesus’ ministry to show that He clashed with the Jewish religious leaders from the very beginning, while the writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke wanted to show that this event sealed Jesus’ doom.

Other scholars point out that two separate cleansings of the temple are a distinct possibility. For example, A. T. Robertson in his A Harmony of the Gospels declares: “There is no inherent difficulty in the repetition of such an act when one reflects on the national indignation of Jesus at the desecration of the temple on his visits during his ministry and considers that Jesus may have wished to make one last protest at the close of his ministry. Certainty, of course, is not possible in such an argument one way or the other” (p. 25).

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
•  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How will I
•  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

Other Resources: 

Pure Hearts John 2 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/john/2/

https://youtu.be/nsrEQkt3QmY

#022 Miracles - Jesus Turns Water into Wine (John 2:1-12) - Life of Christ = Week 05 - Tuesday

Jesus Turns Water into Wine
John 2:1-12

Jesus’ First Miracle: Water into Wine

John 2:1–11

¹On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and ²Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. ³When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”

⁴“What has this concern of yours to do with Me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

⁵“Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants.

⁶Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification^†. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.

⁷“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. ⁸Then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.” And they did.

⁹When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom ¹⁰and told him, “Everybody sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”

¹¹Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory^†, and His disciples believed in Him.

Jesus Visits the City of Capernaum in Galilee

John 2:12

¹²After this He went down to Capernaum, together with His mother, His brothers^†, and His disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.^[1]

---

^[1] Knight, G. W. (2001). A simplified harmony of the Gospels (pp. 34–36). Holman Bible Publishers.

The Seven Signs of John’s Gospel

According to the Gospel of John, this miracle of the turning of water into wine was the first of seven signs that signified Jesus was the divine Son of God. This sign showed that Jesus was the source of life. The other six signs and their meaning are:

•    healing of a nobleman’s son, emphasizing Jesus as master over distance (4:46–54);

•    healing of a paralyzed man in Jerusalem, showing Jesus as master over time (5:1–9);

•    feeding of the five thousand, demonstrating that Jesus is the bread or sustenance of life (6:5–14);

•    walking on the water, showing Jesus’ mastery of nature (6:15–21);

•    healing of a man born blind, emphasizing Jesus as the light of the world (9:1–7); and

•    the raising of Lazarus, indicating that Jesus has power over death (11:38–44).

Two days later Jesus' mother was a guest at a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee, and Jesus and his disciples were invited too. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, and Jesus' mother came to him with the problem.
"I can't help you now," he said. "It isn't yet my time for miracles."
But his mother told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you to."
Six stone waterpots were standing there; they were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes and held perhaps twenty to thirty gallons each. Then Jesus told the servants to fill them to the brim with water. When this was done he said, "Dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies."
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants did), he called the bridegroom over.
"This is wonderful stuff!" he said. "You're different from most. Usually, a host uses the best wine first, and afterwards, when everyone is full and doesn't care, then he brings out the less expensive brands. But you have kept the best for the last!"
This miracle at Cana in Galilee was Jesus' first public demonstration of his heaven-sent power. And his disciples believed that he really was the Messiah.
After the wedding, he left for Capernaum for a few days with his mother, brothers, and disciples.

• God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
• We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
•  
• I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How will I
•  
• You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.

God's Way
Mary was probably not asking Jesus to do a miracle; she was simply hoping that her son would help solve this major problem and find some wine. Tradition says that Joseph, Mary's husband, was dead, so she probably was used to asking for her eldest son's help in certain situations. Jesus' answer to Mary is difficult to understand, but maybe that is the point. Although Mary did not understand what Jesus was going to do, she trusted him to do what was right. Those who believe in Jesus but encounter situations they cannot understand must continue to trust that he will work in the best way. Mary submitted to Jesus' way of doing things. She recognized that he was more than her human son—he was the Son of God. When we bring our problems to Christ, we may think we know how he should take care of them. But he may have a completely different plan. Like Mary, we should submit and allow Christ to deal with the problem as he sees fit.


Beyond mere superhuman events, miracles demonstrate God's power. Almost every miracle Jesus did was a renewal of fallen creation—restoring sight, making the lame walk, even bringing the dead back to life. When the disciples saw Jesus' miracle, they believed. The miracle showed his power over nature and revealed the way he would go about his ministry—helping others, speaking with authority, and being in personal touch with people.

Other Resources: 

Pure Hearts John 2 https://virtualbiblestudy.com/john/2/