I’ll have to go back, this is so dense and BIY goes fast.
Chapter 1
Key themes:
- Jesus is God and has incarnated and now is man also.
- First disciples of Jesus.
Rough notes: 3. Who Jesus is: the “Word” incarnate. The Divine Logos. The Lamb of God. The Messiah (the Christ). Son of God. King of Israel. 4. Who John the Baptist really is. 5. The baptism of John is of water, but Jesus’ baptism is with the Holy Spirit. 6. Andrew becomes disciple. His brother Simon becomes a disciple too, and gets renamed to Cephas (Peter). 7. Unnamed disciple (vv. 35-40), possibly John. 8. Philip and Nathanael (Bartholomew).
Chapter 2
Key themes:
- Marriage at Cana. Jesus’ first miracle, transforms water into wine.
- “Woman”: Mary as the New Eve.
- Purification of the temple of merchants.
- Prophecy about resurrection (raise the temple after 3 days).
To do:
- Explain the difference between the merchants at the temple and modern church stores.
Chapter 3
Key themes:
- It is necessary to be born anew through baptism of water and the Spirit.
- Through faith in Jesus as the Christ, we have eternal life. Who does not believe is condemned.
To do:
- Meaning of ”born anew”, “the wind blows where it wills”
- ”No one has ascended into heaven”, what about Enoch?
- Nicodemus goes to Jesus.
- “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit”: matter is important in the sacrament.
- John the Baptist recognizes his place as an important prophet, but less than Jesus.
Chapter 4
Key themes:
- Talk at the well with the Samaritan woman.
- Jesus heals the officer’s son. (second sign)
Chapter 5
Key themes:
- Jesus heals a man who had been sick for 38 years, on the sabbath.
- The scriptures point and talk about the Son, Jesus.
- Jesus as the Lord: He is Lord over the sabbath, He judges perfectly, His will is one with the Father.
To do:
- (v18) “but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God” Trinitarian philosophy here.
Chapter 6
Key themes:
- Jesus multiples the bread to feed the multitude of five thousand.
- Jesus walks on the water to reach the disciples boat. The sea rose because of a strong wind. Jesus as Lord over the natural forces.
- Eucharistic discourse: Jesus’ flesh is the bread come down from heaven, prefigured by the Manna of the wilderness.
- Revelation that one of the twelve will betray Jesus (Judas Iscariot)
Question:
- What does “It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail” mean? And does it contradict eucharistic real presence?
Chapter 7
Key themes:
- The Jews want to arrest and kill Jesus.
- The people themselves are mixed, some want to arrest him, others think He is a good man, and others question themselves if He is the Christ.
- Jesus’ teachings in the feast of the tabernacles:
- Jesus’ teaching is from God
- Hypocrisy of those who condemn Jesus for healing on the sabbath, but they circumcise on the sabbath.
- Jesus foretells His ascension.
- Those who believe will receive the Spirit, and the Spirit is rivers of running water. Out of his heart shall flow rivers of running water: prefigures the water from the side of Christ in the cross.
Questions:
- If Jesus had to learn how to do human things, did He has to learn the divine truths also (for His teaching) also?
Chapter 8
Key themes:
- Parable of the adulteress.
- Wow
- “Before Abraham, I was”.
- Jesus proceeds and is sent by the Father.
- Who commits sin is a slave to sin.
Chapter 9
Key themes:
- Jesus gives sight to a blind man, using clay. Connection to the creation of man.
- Jesus seems to be rebutting the thesis of hereditary divine punishment for sin.
- Big theme “open the eyes”. When the man opened his eyes, he is able to say “He is a prophet!” (John 9:17)
- John 9:38 the cured man believed and “worshipped” Jesus.
- John 9:40-41 There’s guilt for those who see but deny Christ.
Chapter 10
Key themes:
- Jesus is the good shepherd.
- v17, prefiguration of the resurrection.
- The Jews wanted to stone Jesus for blasphemy, for making himself God.
Chapter 11
Key themes:
- Martha confesses that Jesus is the son of God.
- Resurrection of Lazarus.
- The high priests and the Pharisees worry that if people believe in Jesus, the Romans would destroy the temple and the nation. But Caiaphas prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, and to unite the children of God.
Chapter 12
Key themes:
- Entrance of Jesus in Jerusalem a week before Passover. (Palm Tree Sunday)
Chapter 13
Key themes:
- Jesus washes the feet of the disciples.
- Jesus reveals one of the disciples is going to betray him.
Chapter 14
Key themes:
- Jesus as the only way to the Father.
- The Holy Spirit will be sent to be another counselor.
- The Holy Spirit (v.26) teaches and brings into remembrance all the things the Son taught them.
Chapter 15
Key themes:
- Jesus as the true vine: we can only have true life abiding in him. The Father purifies those branches abided in the Son so they bear more fruit.
- Jesus elevates the commandment to love one another. Now not “as you love yourself”, but as “I have loved you”.
- The biggest sign of love is sacrifice.
- The disciples will be persecuted, because the world hates them, because they hate Christ.
Chapter 16
Key themes:
- Jesus talks in figures about his death and resurrection.
Chapter 17
Key themes:
- Jesus’ prayer for Church’s unity.
Chapter 18
Key themes:
- Jesus arrest and first trial by Pilate.
- Peter denies Jesus 3 times.
- The crowd chooses to free Barabbas instead of Jesus.
Chapter 19
Key themes:
- Jesus’ crucifixion.
- Several references “to fulfill the scripture”.
- Pilate thinks Jesus is innocent, and recognizes him as ”King of the Jews”.
- Jesus is brought to the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, who was not used before.
- The beloved disciple (John) takes Mary as his mother.
Connection between Jesus’ clothes and priestly garments (Ephod).
Chapter 20
Key themes:
- Mary Madgalene as the “apostle of the apostles”: First to encounter the empty tomb and to see the risen Christ, and spread the good news to the apostles.
- Jesus appears to the disciples, which were in a locked house, but Thomas wasn’t there. Thomas doubts, but Christ appears a second time to him.
- Jesus gives the disciples the Holy Spirit, and the power to forgive and retain sins.
- Jesus made many other signs, which weren’t listed in this book.
Chapter 21
Key themes:
- Miraculous fishing, remembering the start of Peter’s discipleship. 153 fish in the fishnet.
- Threefold question / proclamation of wether Peter loved Jesus, and the commandment of Jesus for Peter to “tend to/feed my sheep/lambs”.
- Proclamation to not apply the death sentence to Judas?