Light of the World
Study Guide Download
Week 3
Last week we examined John 6 in which Jesus proclaimed that He was the bread of life.
John 6:35
“I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.”
John 6:51
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
These shocking statements escalate the conflict already brewing between Jesus and the Jewish leaders of the day. They could not accept that He was the Messiah and sought ways to discredit Him in front of the people.
In chapters 8 and 9, Jesus continues to confound the religious authority in His treatment of the adulterous woman and His healing of the blind man. He constantly uses contrasts to make His point. Right after seeing the contrasts between the righteous pride of the Pharisees and the simple repentance of the woman caught in adultery, we read Jesus’ words,
John 10:11
“I am light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
This week we’ll be looking at the ways that Jesus is the Light and what that means for the darkness found in our own hearts and those throughout history.
Observation
What does the text say?
This stage of learning involves reading repetitively to gain familiarity with the text and looking for detail. We look for any words or phrases that are repeated. We may need to use a dictionary to look up definitions of words we may not fully understand. We look for key transition words (if/then, therefore, but) and see how they connect the text. We write out any questions that arise because it is okay to have questions as you study.
Interpretation
What does the text mean?
This stage of learning involves inferring things from the text beyond what it says. While it is easy to read a blog or listen to a sermon and get the answer, we want to use our own minds in this process. We do our best to answer, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture. We look up cross-references to better answer the question, “what does this mean?”
Application
How should this change me?
While we are now looking at how to apply the text to ourselves, this stage of learning is drawn from a God-centered perspective. We ask questions like- What does this teach me about God? Is there an example to follow? Is there a sin to avoid? Is there a promise to claim? While it is more natural for us to look at others and how the text would apply to them, we must apply the text to ourselves first and foremost. It is only after our own personal application that we are equipped to share how it works in the lives of others.
I AM HE
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How this study will work
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