1. Bible Study Date PassageTopic January 19, 2011John 1:1-18Background & Prologue February 16, 2011John 2:1-25Signs of the Christ March 16, 2011John 3:1-21The New Birth and Belief April 20, 2011John 4:4-42An Encounter in Samaria May 18, 2011John 5:1-47Stubborn Unbelief June 15, 2011John 6:1-71The Bread of Life July 20, 2011John 7:1-8:59Seven Dialogues August 17, 2011John 9:1-41The True Light September 21, 2011John 10:1-11:44The Good Shepherd and Lazarus October 19, 2011John 11:45-12:50Palm Sunday N0vember 16, 2011John 13:1-16:33A Final Discourse December 21, 2011John 17:1-26Our Lord’s Prayer (or a Christmas theme instead since John 17 was studied by the group in March 2009) January 18, 2012John 18:1-19:42Passion Narrative February 15, 2012John 20:1-31Beginning of the Resurrection Narrative March 14, 2012John 21:1-25Culmination of the Gospel Study Plan for the Gospel of John

2. John’s Gospel -- Background Author: The Apostle John When & Where: –2 nd Century Tradition: Ephesus –Probably 65-85 A.D. Why: To evangelize Comments: –John probably had secretaries who wrote it –Earlier Aramaic versions of parts may have been used

3. Who Was John? Possibly a cousin of Jesus Probably a late teenager or in his 20s during Jesus public ministry One of the inner circle of the Twelve One especially close to Jesus (the one Jesus loved) A primary leader of the early church

4. Jesus’ Family Connections Mary Elizabeth John the Baptist Jesus Salome James & John Peter & Andrew James & Jude (Judah) cousin sister? son sons son Half-brothers cousin Some kind of cousin business partners Wrote the epistles of James & Jude

5. John the Baptist 6 months older than Jesus (Luke 1:36, 57-80) John began baptizing about 26-27 A.D. (Luke 3:1—23; Jesus was about 30 when He was baptized by John) John baptized near Jerusalem and in the Jordan valley; Jesus probably was baptized within a day’s (at most 2 day’s) walk of Nazareth/Cana (ala John 1 & 2) – location of Bethany (Bethabara ala Origen not known now) How long John ministered is unknown (probably not much longer than a year or so)

6. Map Size ~100 miles wide and ~150 miles tall !st Century Population of Palestine ½ to 2 million, mainly Jews 90% “peasants”, 10% elites tax level (30-40%?)

7. When Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth (Luke 1:26ff), she probably was a teenager. Then she makes a trek to a city of Judah in the hill country (possible a suburb of Jerusalem). Did she make the trip (a week or so walking) by herself? Or did others go with her to see Elizabeth? She returned to Nazareth in three months, but six months after that she and Joseph made essentially the same trip to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Were others from Nazareth and Galilee required to go to Bethlehem for the census also? Did Joseph and Mary have traveling companions? His clan going for census registration?

8. Elevations indicated at bottom of the graphic

9. A Curious Thought Unless exposed to high energy radiation, atoms then to remain what they are, even when migrating through different materials chemically An immense number of atoms left Jesus body every day (in his breaths and waste products) – most of those atoms are still within our planet and its atmosphere. Are those atoms special in some way for their association with the Son of God?