Victory Fellowship Bible Study
273 23rd St. S.W., Barberton, OH 44203
Wednesdays at 7pm
Rev. Roderick D. Grabski (330) 858-0223
WEBPAGE: victoryfellowshipministries.com
arod4God@neo.rr.com FACEBOOK: Roderick Grabski
CLASS SIX: The 3rd Sign: Healing the Sick
I. ANNOUNCEMENTS and PRAYER CONCERNS
II. Read / Listen to John 5:1-47
a. What are your initial impressions or questions?
Notable translation differences?
III. The 3rd Sign - Healing the Sick (vv. 1-15)
a. The Hebrew word Bethesda has various spellings (Bethsaida, Bethzatha) and may mean “house of mercy” or “house of grace.”
b. (vv. 3-4) Compare various translations of these verses.
c. (vv. 5-9a) Similar healings are recorded in Matthew 9; Mark 2, and Luke 5. Here in John 5 does the man express faith in Jesus?
d. (9b-13) The man did not violate a biblical Sabbath regulation, but rather a rabbinical code that prohibited carrying an object from one dwelling to another.
e. (vv. 14-15) What is your perspective on this encounter? What do you think is the “something worse” Jesus is referring to?
IV. Honoring the Father and the Son (vv. 16-23)
a. (vv. 16-18) Note the two main things that Jesus was doing that were most disturbing to the Jews.
i. Jesus did instantly what the Father is always doing slowly.
b. (vs. 19) Compare with Numbers 16:28.
c. (vv. 20-23) Jesus is equating himself with God and establishing His right to be worshiped as God. (Dt. 32:39; 1Sam 2:6; 2Kg 5:7)
V. Life and Judgment (vv. 24-30)
a. Compare with Daniel 12:1-4; Matthew 25:31-46; 1st Cor. 15:51-58; 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:11-15.
b. “The Son of Man” is used 12 times in John and over 80 times in the four Gospels. See Daniel 7:13-14.
VI. Four Witnesses to Jesus (vv. 31-47)
a. (vs. 31) Jesus is not denying His reliability. He is alluding to the importance of multiple witnesses (Dt. 17:6; 19:15; Numbers 35:30)
b. (vv. 32, 37) Who is Another who testifies about Jesus?
c. (vv. 33-35) Who is the witness mentioned here?
i. Compare translations of verse 35. John was a lamp – not the light.
d. (vs. 36) How is Jesus’ testimony greater than John’s?
e. (vv. 38-44) What are the accusations being made here?
f. (vv. 45-47) See Deuteronomy 31:24-30 for a reference.
i. Jesus’ appeal to Moses prepares the way for chapter 6 where Jesus is presented as the new Moses, providing new bread from heaven.
VII. Application
a. Spoken or unspoked church rules, or denominational requirements, that are not founded on the Word of God can hinder the work of God and Christian growth. (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:7)
b. Every soul will be resurrected to an eternal fate – either life with God or an eternal judgment. (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:46)
Final Comments, Questions. Close in Prayer
Next Week:
The 4th Sign: Feeding 5000 / 5th Sign: Walk on Water
- Read John 6:1-29 to prepare.
