John 8,12-20
21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.
Hello everyone, I am Kiki. The Chinese name of our second phase of the program is „读经大讲堂“. The English name is „Bible Study“.
We will adopt a relaxed and enjoyable learning mode to take you into a new learning world. Each time, I will make a personal summary and analysis from the perspective of a learner, and then Sister Ingrid will help me conduct in-depth learning and discussion of questions with everybody.
I hope that such an interesting and interactive process can bring a new knowledge experience to you all. The following is my interview with my sister on related issues. Today is the fifteenth lecture on the Gospel of John. Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment area for discussion!
2. My summary of the fifteenth study of John:
Well, therefore! Below is my Bible study summary for today.
In these verses from the Bible, Jesus is addressing a group of people, telling them that he is going away, and they will seek him but will die in their sins.
This statement confuses the listeners, including me as well, and they ask if he plans to kill himself since they assume that is why he says they cannot go where he is going.
Then he clarifies his origin, stating that he is from above, representing a higher spiritual realm, while the people are from the earthly world.
He warns them that they will die in their sins if they do not believe in him as the divine figure he claims to be.
When questioned about his identity, Jesus affirms that he has been revealing his true nature from the beginning.
He emphasizes that his teachings come from a trustworthy source, his Father, and he shares these teachings with the world.
Despite his efforts to explain the connection with his Father, some people fail to grasp the concept.
Jesus alludes to his crucifixion by mentioning being lifted up, indicating that through this event, his true identity will be revealed, showing that his actions are guided by the Father.
Stressing the presence of the Father with him, Jesus asserts that he always acts in accordance with God’s will.
His words resonate with some of the listeners, leading them to believe in him as he speaks.
Now let my sister Ingrid explain this Bible passage further.
3. Sister’s comment on my study summary:
There is not much more to say. Only one important point is that the old scriptures of Moses and the prophecies talk about Jesus, his origin, and that he will take away all the sins of the world through his crucifixion in our place.
We deserved to be there on the cross because the reward of sin is death, but God gave us everlasting life through the blood of Jesus.
Even the scribes and the Pharisees studied the old scriptures every day, yet they were totally blind in understanding them because they read them through their own religious glasses, which pointed to the law and not to the grace of God.
Their mindset was totally fleshly, not spiritual, and that was why they hated Jesus Christ and could not accept him as the Messiah.
Q List Part: Based on the fifteenth study of John
Okay. Based on the Bible study content above, now let me ask Sister Ingrid some related questions.
We hope the following questions can be helpful to our brothers and sisters who have just become Christians.
1. Sister, what did Jesus mean when he said, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sins”? How do we understand this statement in the context of his mission?
Jesus will go to his Father again. Those who do not accept him as their Saviour during their lifetime will die in their sins, in other words without forgiveness through the blood of Jesus.
When they have died and go to the place of tears and gnashing of teeth, they will seek Jesus, but when somebody has ended there, it is impossible to find Jesus. We can read about this in the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16.
2. Why did the Jews speculate that Jesus might commit suicide when they heard Jesus say, “Where I am going, you cannot come”? What does this reveal about their understanding of Jesus’ words?
There is no more to say, as they did not understand one word that Jesus taught.
3. Jesus distinguished between “from above” and “from below”. What did he mean by this, and how did it highlight the difference between him and his audience?
Jesus was in heaven before he came to earth. All human beings who did not receive Jesus as their Saviour are from below.
There are two kingdoms: the kingdom of God and the light from above, and the kingdom of the devil and his demons, the darkness from below.
By nature, all human beings are from below because through Adam, sin entered the world and the devil became prince over all the earth. But we have the possibility to change our destination by accepting Jesus.
4. “If you do not believe that I am the Christ, you will die in your sins.” What did Jesus mean when he said, “I am the Christ,” and why was it so important to believe in him?
He is the only one who gave his life so that we may live. He overcame the devil and death, and so we can go free if we accept that.
5. When asked, “Who are you?” Jesus responded, “That which I have told you from the beginning.” Was Jesus constantly revealing his identity during his ministry?
Yes, he revealed his identity to all, and through his miracles he confirmed that he told the truth about himself.
6. Jesus mentioned that he had a lot to say about people, but emphasized that the one who sent him was trustworthy. How does this statement relate to Jesus’ role as God’s messenger?
Jesus did not force anybody to repent and become his follower. People can believe that the word of the Father in heaven is true or not, but they have to take the consequences if they do not.
When we are messengers in Jesus’ place today, we should not say more than necessary, like Jesus did. When people refuse Jesus, it is their decision, and we should not insist with pretty words.
7. What did Jesus mean when he said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know that I am that one”? How does this statement foreshadow his passion and its significance?
He refers to those who understood after his crucifixion, like the Roman soldier, that he was the Son of God.
The Jews during the crucifixion were divided into two groups: one group understood that Jesus was the Messiah and received him, like the 3000 who gathered during Peter’s first preaching on the Day of Pentecost.
The other group still refused Jesus, and they were punished by the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 after Christ, and they became strangers throughout the whole world until the year 1948 when the state of Israel was formed again.
8. Jesus said, “He who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.”
How does this relationship between Jesus and the Father serve as a model for Christian obedience and loyalty?
Jesus had a very close relationship with the Father, and he always did his will while he was on earth, even when it meant going to the cross and dying for all humanity.
On the cross, his Father left him alone for one moment because he took all the sins of the world upon his body, so the Father could not have fellowship with him.
But on the third day, the Father raised Jesus from the dead, and 40 days later he took him to heaven again.
Now Jesus is at the right hand of the Father in heaven and is waiting to take his church home to heaven too.
9. “Many believed in him.” What teachings of Jesus in this passage might have led to this belief, and how can new Christians apply this belief to their own lives?
I read a very interesting passage in the Bible this morning about the disciples who talked to the risen Jesus without recognizing him. They said after the conversation: “Did not our hearts burn within us when we talked with him?”
I think when you want to know Jesus, whether hearing him there in Jerusalem or reading the Bible today, and you have a pure heart to receive him, you will understand the words of Jesus and the Bible, and your heart will burn each time you read it.
