The Gospel of John Sabbath School Study week 13

The Gospel of John

Sabbath School Study Week 13

Chapter 19

This whole chapter has been hard for me to study.  Honestly this part of the story I have always “closed my eyes”.  It is icky, scary, gory, Not what I want to watch, imagine, or read about.  So for the past couple weeks, and especially this week, I have been asking myself a couple questions, “What do I do with this?”  “Why is this important for me to study?”  

Chapter 19:1-16

1.      While Jesus was being questioned by Pilot and Herod he just remained quiet for most of the questions.  Not a defiant quiet but just a calm, even peaceful quiet.  He wouldn’t engage with them.  A:  Are there times when we should be just silent?  B: Is silence seen as a cop out?  C: Cowardly?  D. Missing an opportunity?    

2.      Pilot in this passage is struggling with what he should do.  He knows Jesus is innocent.  He knows he should free him.  Yet in his desire to find favor in the eyes of the crowds he turned Jesus over to them.  Have you ever chosen the popular stand, the crowd opinion when you knew the Holy Spirit was telling you something else?   ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 19:17-27

In this section John is laying out just the parts that fulfill the prophecy.  He is telling the points that we need to know to understand how the crucifixion was quite literally word for word what had been prophesied.  No question.  Then in the midst of this “proof” he tells the story of the gift Jesus left him; the gift of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  It almost doesn’t fit the tone of this section.  Frankly it is almost matter of fact, void of emotion as he tells of Jesus being hung on the cross.  No gory detail etc.  Then he ads this beautiful story of love and compassion for not only Mary, his mother, but for John his beloved.   

1.      This act of love was insuring that his mother would not be on her own.  He made sure she would be cared for, in a time when woman had to have a man to survive.  Have you experienced Jesus caring for not only your need for salvation but your physical needs?  Your need for food, housing and love?

2.      In Desire of Ages, Ellen White also states that Jesus was also showing his great love for John.  That caring for the mother of Jesus would be a constant reminder of his Savior friend.   Mary was connected with Jesus and that connection would daily remind John of his Lord.  Are we connected, so connected to Jesus that we are a daily, constant reminder of Jesus to those we live with and love?  We not only have a responsibility to share Christ in an evangelistic way to those who don’t know him but to be a living reminder of His great love to those we live with.  Am I?

3.      If not how can I be, or what do I need to change or work on to be that reminder? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 19:28-37

        In this section once again John goes back to just giving us the details that support the scriptures.  He is again making it clear that Jesus was the son of God.  He was the fulfillment of the scriptures.

Chapter 19:38-42

1.        Who buried Jesus?

2. Who didn’t bury Jesus?

3.    Would you have buried Jesus?