Jesus of Nazareth: Human or Divine

NOTES

The Bible Knowledge Commentary John’s Distinctive Portrait

Jesus’ Seven “Signs” in the Gospel of John

1. Changing water into wine in Cana (2:1–11)

2. Healing an official’s son in Capernaum (4:46–54)

3. Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (5:1–18)

4. Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6:5–14)

5. Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6:16–21)

6. Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9:1–7)

7. Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11:1–45)

INTRODUCTION

Who is Jesus?

Was He a historical figure?

Was He merely a spiritual teacher?

Did He meet with the prophetic requirements of being the Jewish Messiah?

What did He say about Himself?

Does Jesus of Narazeth have any impact on my life?

People who lived in and around Israel in the dawn of the First Century asked similar questions. People, still today, ask them as well.

Was Jesus of Nazareth Human or Divine?

When we get to the New Testament, we get four pictures of Jesus from the writers of the gospels. Each gospel presents Jesus in a unique perspective from the other gospels.

Matthew presents Jesus to the reader as Jesus the rightful King of Israel.

Mark presents Jesus to the reader as a suffering servant.

Luke presents Jesus to the reader as the Son of Man.

It’s John’s gospel that presents Jesus to the reader as the Son of God.

Each perspective is critically important if you seek to understand the true nature of Jesus of Nazareth.

When we ask the question, was Jesus of Nazareth Human or Divine, while the answer is a dynamic one, a complicated one, to really understand this, we must look to the gospel record of His life that seeks to answer that very question - the Gospel of John.

Let’s start at the end.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 20

30 aTherefore many other 1bsigns Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these have been written aso that you may believe that Jesus is 1the Christ, bthe Son of God; and that cbelieving you may have life in His name.

What is John saying in his gospel’s conclusion? He is saying, that the reason he included seven, very specific miracles of Jesus, was to prove to the reader that Jesus truly is divine.

So - let’s look at this “evidence” that John presents and see if it rings true.

Divide the study’s attendees into seven groups.

Have them read one of the Seven Sign Miracles in John and discuss and present their thoughts.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary John’s Distinctive Portrait

1. Changing water into wine in Cana (2:1–11)

2. Healing an official’s son in Capernaum (4:46–54)

3. Healing an invalid at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem (5:1–18)

4. Feeding the 5,000 near the Sea of Galilee (6:5–14)

5. Walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee (6:16–21)

6. Healing a blind man in Jerusalem (9:1–7)

7. Raising dead Lazarus in Bethany (11:1–45)

31 but these have been written aso that you may believe that Jesus is 1the Christ, bthe Son of God; and that cbelieving you may have life in His name.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

Describe the miracle and it’s setting.

What does John say about the significance/purpose of this specific miracle?

New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.