John
In the gospel of John, the believer receives eight gifts: -
“The true bread.” Chap. 6. 51.
“EternaUife.” 17:2.
“Another comforter.” 14: 16.
“Peace.” 14:27.
“The words that Thou gavest me.” Chap. 17: 8.
“A new commandment.’’ 13: 34.
“The glory which Thou gavest me.” 17: 22.
“Thy word.” 17: 14. God’s necessity —” Even so must the Son of man
be lifted up.” 3:14.
Man’s necessity — “Ye must be born again.” 3: 7. Christ’s necessity — “He must increase.” 3:30. The servant’s necessity — “I must decrease.”
3 :30. The saint’s necessity — “They that worship Him
must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” 4 :24.
The Trinity is inferred from three expressions in this chapter: —
(1.) ‘-In the bosom of the Father.” V. 18.
(2.) “The Lamb of God.” V. 29.
(3.) “The Spirit descending from heaven.”
V. 32.
“The word was God.” V.I. “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”
V. 14.
Jesus Christ was the Word, the living embodiment of the “first and great commandment,” — “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God... and thy neighbor as thyself.” Matt. 22: 37, 39.
1. God heard — the Word.
4. God felt — the life.
5. God seen — the light.
29. On the first day John led no one to Christ; on the second day, two. Vs. 35, 37.
The sin of the world took Jesus away, but at the same time He took the power of sin away.
1: 31. Historical manifestation of Christ.
Spiritual “” Chap. 2:11.
Resurrection “” Chap. 21: 14.
37. John died young, but he led Andrew to Christ,
and Andrew led Peter, and so the river flowed on.
38. Christ’s first words to his disciples, ‘-What seek
ye?”
His last words, “Follow me.” John 21: 19, 22.
41. Christ laid the foundation of his Church on brotherly love, as he had also done in the Old Testament, beginning th:it earlier building on Moses and Aaron, who were brothers.
2: I’ll. At the beginning and end of Christ’s ministry, there were feasts in which wine was prominent. Under the new dispensation the blood of the grape symbolizes the blood of the Paschal Lamb. Water is the type of death and sorrow; wine of joy. This miracle showed the character of Christ’s ministry.
4. Mine “hour” — always “of death.”
John 7: 30.
8:20.
12: 23.
12:27.
13:1.
17:1.
2: 3. It is good to run short that we may be driven to Christ with our necessity.
10. Sin gives its best first — pleasures and honors. Its worst follows — sorrow, poverty, disgrace, ruin. First harlots and riotous living, then swine. First Goshen, then Egypt.
Christ gives first the cross, the race, the battle; then the crown, rest, and glory.
2: 11. Beginning of signs. Miracles are signs: — (1.) Of His divinity.
(2.) Of His mission as from God.
(3.) Of His good will toward men.
(4.) Of the truth He taught.
Miracles did not manifest the glory of prophets or disciples.
.
, j
3. Regeneration — not imitation.
Conversion — not evolution.
Born once, die twice.
Born twice, die once,
It is remarkable that Christ declares the need of an entire change of heart and nature to a man of the highest honor, an eminent teacher, and a sincere inquirer; while He speaks the sublime truth, “God is a spirit,” to an ignorant and abandoned woman. John 4: 24.
Had Nicodemus received light in abundance, he would not have stayed three years in the Sanhedrim, listening to all the cutting remarks he must have heard about Jesus.
His birth is truly low who is not born from above! It were better to have no being than not to have the “new being.”
There are no still-born children in the family of grace.
3: 4. An old sinner is nearer to the second death than
the second birth. It is hard to cast off the devil’s yoke when we have worn it long upon our necks.
14. The brazen serpent was like the poisonous serpent, yet without sting. So Christ was like man, but without sin.
Only one way of healing for the dying Israelite - - not criticism, not philosophy, but obedience; “Look!”
16. God’s first covenant had been —
(1.) With a person, in Abraham.
(2.) Then with a family, in Jacob.
(3.) Then with a nation, in the people of Israel
at Sinai; and (4.) Finally with •’ the world,” embracing all the
other three, in Christ.
In creation, God gave the product of the earth for our bodies. In redemption, He gave His only-begotten Son for our souls.
4: Woman — Well — Worship — Witness — White
fields.
10. This woman was not interested in the gospel, but she was interested in the water business; BO Christ spoke to her about that.
Twice on earth our Lord asked a favor and twice was be refused: —
(1.) Here, when He asked for a drink.
(2.) On the cross, when He asked for water,
they gave Him vinegar. John 1 9:
28, 29.
4: 14. God does not want a dam, but a canal to carry the
gospel. Dam up a spring and you get a frogpond.
Water rises to its level, and the water of life that comes from the throne of God will cariy one into the presence of God.
15. She asked in ignorance, and He met her in mercy.
37. Any farm-laborer is called to reap, but it takes a skilful man to sow.
5: 24. The voice of autumn is” from life unto death.”
The voice of spring is “from death unto life.”
35. John the Baptist was a “burning and a shining light.” To burn is not enough — a firebrand does that. To shine is not enough — a glow worm does that.
40. If youth be sick of the will-nots, old age is in danger of dying of the shall-nots.
6: Seven classes of people in chapter 6: —
1. Curious. V. 2.
2. Admiring. V. 14.
3. Greedy. V. 26.
4. Skeptical. V. 36.
5. Murmurers. V. 41.
6. Scoffers. V. 52.
, 7. Backsliders. V. 66.
6: 27. A double paradox: -
(1.) Jesus tells them to work not for the perishable food, which they could only get by work:
(2.) But for the heavenly food, which they could only get by faith.
30. They wanted to see first, then to believe. This is inverting God’s order.
35. Bread — the commonest article of food on our tables — is a type of Christ. It was through eating that Eve died. It is through eating that we may live.
8: 12. It was “early in the morning” (v. 2), when Jesus
shone into this poor woman’s heart. Then, possibly, looking out on the early sun, He said, “I am the light of the world.”
9: 1. Jesus hid himself from people with sight, but revealed himself to people without sight.
4. It is lamentable that we should live so long a time
in the world and do so little for God: and that we should live so short a time in the world and do so much for Satan.
5. Hume said to a minister, the light of nature was
all he wanted. On going down stairs, Hume declined a light because the moon was high enough, and as he said it, he tumbled down stairs.
9: 6. John Me Neill says the blind man was made out of clay, so clay was a good thing to mend him with.
These means seem eccentric. Such is the gospel in the opinion of the worldly wise. They sneer at “the blood,” and cry for “culture,” “education.”
20. Christ opened the eyes of a blind man and he saw his father. You can open a man’s eyes so that he shall see God.
27. Trying to make converts already.
10: 9. Safety — liberty — nourishment.
14. “I am the Good Shepherd.”
John calls Jesus the Good Shepherd because He laid down His life for the sheep.
Paul calls Jesus the Great Shepherd because He rose from the dead. Heb. 13: 20.
Peter calls Jesus the Chief Shepherd because He is coming again. 1 Peter 5: 4.
27. Christ’s sheep have two marks: —
(1.) In their ears, “They hear my voice;” (2.) In their feet, “They follow me.”
A sick sheep will not follow the shepherd.
37. “If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.” That is, if I live contrary to the life of a Christian, do not take me for a Christian.
11: Lazaru*, a type of the sinner, as to being — , (1.) dead;
(2.) raised up;
(3.) seated;
(4.) feasting;
(5.) testifying.
The miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead is a parable of spiritual life.
25. A man was conversing with a high Brahmin priest who could not see the divinity of Jesus, and he asked: “Could yon say, ‘I am the resurrection and the life ‘? “” Yes,” he answered, “I could say that. “” But could you make any one believe it?”
35. Pagan deities wept and bellowed when wounded, but were never touched with the feeling of human infirmities.
43. It was a good thing Jesus called Lazarus by name, otherwise ever)- dead man in the graveyard would have come forth.
12: 20-24. Jesus talked of death to the Greeks who all the time dwelt on the beautiful, etc. See 1 Cor. 1 .22.
You can never cultivate self into anything but self.
Jesus died alone: but three thousand at Pentecost were the harvest of His death.
13: 5. You may wash the saints’ feet, but not with scalding water.
13: 17. To obey the truth and not know it, is impossible. To know the truth and not obey it, is unprofitable.
Divine knowledge is not as the light of the moon, to sleep by, but as the light of the sun, to work
by.
14: 2. Those who look for a heaven made ready will live as though they were already in heaven.
20. “Ye in me” -The believer’s standing. “I in you” - The believer’s strength.
23. Faith makes all things possible;
Love makes all things easy.
27. To fear is to have more faith in your antagonist than in Christ. What we get from God, we can not keep without God.
15: 2. a. No fruit. V. 2.
b. Fruit. V. 2.
c. More fruit, due to the purging. V. 2.
d. Much fruit, due to the abiding. Vs. 5, 8.
5, 8, etc. The root can only show its strength and glory in the branches. Fruitful branches bend low.
God has made no provision in the Bible for isolation. Scripture expressions all show a contrary
state of things: — We are “branches “in the vine,
•’ members” in the body,
“stones” in the temple,
“brothers and sisters” in the family,
bearing a close relation to each other. We have first to look up and realize our relation to God; and then to learn the various relationships we have to our neighlpors. All are in their different niches, filling the place God has given them; and we must desire, not only to serve God, but by love to serve one another.
15: 15. If we lived nearer heaven we should have earlier notice of God’s purposes.
16.” Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” I do not know one passage in the Bible where choice is connected with salvation.
20. A general was leading his army to battle. His men asked what he would give them. “Hunger, cold, wounds, and death.” They were silent for a time, then threw up their hands and said, “We will go.”
16: 2. Six men were turned out of Oxford for praying. Among them were the two Wesleys and Whitfield.
8-11. The H«ly Spirit in relation to the world. Convicting —
a. Of Christ crucified — sin.
f>. Of Christ glorified
c. Of Christ to come — Judgment.
10. What is the meaning of “and ye see me no more”? Ans. — When the high priest went into the Holiest of Holies, the people knew they were accepted by God when he returned. But Christ went
away. So He sent the Holy Spirit to assure us
of our acceptance.
Conscience convicts of —
Sin committed.
Righteousness impossible.
Judgment to come.
The Holy Spirit convicts of -
Sin committed.
Righteousness imputed.
Judgment past.
The former is legal, the latter gospel.
16: 12. Much of the truth that the Bible contains is written in sympathetic ink, invisible until the time is ripe.
17:15. The true conception of “separation” — “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
18: 10. Peter’s rashness in smiting the man helped to identify him, and led to his denial of Christ. Vs. 2(5, 27.
38. Here is a curious anagram on Pilate’s question,
“What is truth?” In Latin this is “Quid cst veritas?” The letters can be arranged so as to read, “Est vir, qui adest,” meaning, “It is the man who is before you.”
39. Did Nicodemus remember that evening when he
heard Christ say, ’ The Son of man must be lifted up”?
20:17. “Touch me not.” Was Christ thinking of the ritual (see Lev. 7: 19)?
28. Thomas was an honest doubter. He did not accept Christ’s offer to feel the nail-prints. Faith is not to be obtained at 3*0 ur fingers’ ends.
21: 6. Jesus was the secret of their success.
11. “Great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three.” One evidence that John wrote this epistle. Who but a fisherman would have counted the fish, and told how big the3’ were?
15. The greatest example of faith we know is that of Jesus going away and not calling legions of angels to spread the gospel, but leaving it to Peter and the others.
At first the shepherds used to feed the sheep; but when corruption crept in, the sheep had to feed the shepherds.
An old writer said that in the early days the Church had wooden chalices and golden bishops, but now we have wooden bishops and golden chalices.