WALK BY FAITH John 5: NORTHERN IL ANNUAL CONFERENCE Margaret Ann Crain & Jack Seymour June 7, 2016

Transcription

1 WALK BY FAITH John 5: 1-18 NORTHERN IL ANNUAL CONFERENCE Margaret Ann Crain & Jack Seymour June 7, 2016

2 Mission Approach See-Judge-Act Participatory Gather with a friend or two (groups of 2-3) GOAL: As a follower of Jesus, what am I called to do? The steps See, Judge, Act

3 Missional/ Vocation Approach SEE JUDGE ACT

4 See-Judge-Act Approach Listen to the text See Note what you see Explore the text exegesis Judge What does the text help you see about your world? Act As a follower of Jesus, name what you will do?

5 Two Assumptions 1. Knowing the background of a text and what it may have meant in its own time is crucial. 2. All good Bible studies end with asking: what does the text mean for our life together our identity and vocation

6 BIBLE STUDY IS NOT EASY HISTORY MATTERS THE AUTHOR AND THE CONTEXT TRANSLATIONS MATTER COMMUNITY MATTERS THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH YOU LIVE FAITH MATTERS HOW GOD IS CALLING YOU

7 Listen to the text: John 5:1-18 As you listen, think about what you hear and see in the text

8 John 5: 1-18 After this there was a Jewish festival, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate in the north city wall is a pool with the Aramaic name Bethsaida. It had five covered porches, and a crowd of people who were sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed sat there.

9 JOHN 5:1-18 A certain man was there who had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, Do you want to get well?

10 John 5:1-18 The sick man answered him, Sir, I don t have anyone who can put me in the water when it is stirred up. When I m trying to get to it, someone else has gotten in ahead of me. Jesus said to him, Get up! Pick up your mat and walk. Immediately the man was well, and he picked up his mat and walked.

11 John 5:1-18 Now that day was the Sabbath. The Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, It s the Sabbath; you aren t allowed to carry your mat. He answered, The man who made me well said to me, Pick up your mat and walk. They inquired, Who is this man who said to you, Pick it up and walk?

12 John 5:1-18 The man who had been cured didn t know who it was, because Jesus had slipped away from the crowd gathered there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said, See! You have been made well. Don t sin anymore in case something worse happens to you.

13 John 5: 1-18 The man went and proclaimed to the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the man who had made him well. As a result, the Jewish leaders were harassing Jesus, since he had done these things on the Sabbath.

14 John 5: 1-18 Jesus replied, My Father is still working, and I am working too. For this reason the Jewish leaders wanted even more to kill him not only because he was doing away with the Sabbath but also because he called God his own Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

15 SEE Share with your partner, what you see in the text

16 EXPLORE THE TEXT What did the text mean in its own time?

17 EXPLORE: Context A difficult passage Sounds anti-semitic REMEMBER, JOHN was written in a time when both rabbinic Jews and those Jews and others who followed the Way of Jesus were figuring out their beliefs In some places, they worked together, learning from each other In others, they were in conflict John highlights the conflicts

18 EXPLORE: Context Written late 1 st or early 2 nd century The Temple in Jerusalem had fallen in 72 CE creating a crisis for belief. Both followers of the Way of Jesus and followers of the various Jewish groups suffered under Roman occupation and were persecuted by the Romans

19 EXPLORE: The story Several ill persons wait at a healing pool One asks Jesus for help and is healed A conflict breaks out The passage ends with a proclamation: My Father is still working, and I am working too (5:17).

20 EXPLORE: Purpose of John Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples presence, signs that aren t recorded in this scroll. But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God s Son, and that believing, you will have life in his name. (John 20:30-31)

21 Judge Share with a partner what the text makes you see about your own life Perhaps ask: What does this have to do with Walk by Faith?

22 Judge: Walk by Faith? The gospel was written in a world of conflict, loss, oppression, injustice, and hate Yet John proclaims The SIGNS OF JESUS AND GOD are still PRESENT!

23 Signs in John Wedding at Cana spreading joy, life & community Healing of official s son giving life over illness Healing of lame man restoring one to serve God Feeding the multitudes Giving strength Healing the blind Man helping us see anew Raising Lazarus Giving life where there is death

24 Signs of God s realm Joy Community Healing Strength Insight New life

25 Judge Where do you see those signs of Joy, Community, Healing, Strength, Insight, New life? How do they call you into mission?

26 Act

27 Act Remember the Gospel of John calls us to Life, abundant life CEB I came so that they could have life indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest (John 10:10). NRSV I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).

28 Act How am I being called to spread abundant life? Name one commitment to action you will take

29 Benediction May the God who calls us to abundant life May the God whose signs are all around Lead us to work for the flourishing of life

30 See-Judge-Act Approach Listen to the text See Note what you see Explore the text exegesis Judge What does the text help you see about your world? Act As a follower of Jesus, name what you will do?