This week we shall continue the
study of the Gospel of John.
This short portion of Jesus’ prayer is loaded with significance and deserves our careful reflection:
17:20-23—Praying for complete unity
(1) Jesus specifically mentions that He is praying for “those who will believe in (Him) through their message”:
a. What is its implication to these disciples who were in sorrow and fear because of Jesus’ impending death and departure?
b. What is its implication to us for whom Jesus prayed?
(2) Why would such oneness contribute to the world’s belief in Christ? (See Jn. 13:35 as well.)
(3) What glory has He shown to the disciples?(See Jn. 1:14; Lk. 9:28ff; Rev. 1:12ff)
(4) What glory has He given to the disciples? (2 Pet. 1:4; 2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 12:10; 1 Jn. 3:2 and Romans 8:30)
(5) How would this giving of glory make them one as He and the Father are?
(6) Obviously, as it is, the oneness of “all” believers is not quite complete, so that Jesus prays for “complete unity”. What does He mean by “complete unity”?
(7) Such “complete unity” will enable the world to know (i) that the Father has sent Him, and (ii) the Father has loved us just as He has loved Him. How will such unity make this possible?
17:24-26—Praying for seeing the future glory
(8) Where is Jesus since His resurrection?
(9) What will it be like when we are taken to be with Him? (See 1 Jn. 3:2; Col. 3:4; 1 Cor. 13:12 and Job 19:25-27.)
(10) How will Jesus continue to make the Father known to us?
(11) Have you experienced the result of continuous growth in knowing the Father’s love and the presence of Christ in you?
(12) What is the main message to you today, and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why did John purposely point out that Jesus knew “all that was going to happen to Him” (v.4)?
(2) Did Judas know that they would bring soldiers with weapons to arrest Jesus and His disciples?
(3) What did Judas expect to happen when they were being arrested?
(4) Did the disciples suspect that Judas would betray Jesus at all? (Jn. 13:29)
(5) Why did Jesus’ words —"I AM (Ἐγώ εἰμι)" — cause the soldiers to draw back and fall to the ground?
(6) Do you think they maintained the same tone of voice as they answered “Jesus of Nazareth” the second time?
(7) Look up John 6:39 and compare it to John’s remark in v.9 here: Do you think John’s quote was appropriate? Why or why not?
(8) We like to blame Peter for his denial of Jesus, but Peter did own up to his commitment to die with Jesus (Jn. 13:37).
a. Why did Jesus stop him?
b. Why then would Peter suddenly become a coward later and deny Jesus?
(9) Jesus said, “Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” How do these words speak to you?
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) When basically all others had fled, why did Peter choose to enter such a dangerous place as the high priest’s courtyard? Why was he there?
(2) Peter was brave enough to cut off the ear of a man (likely one bearing arms). Why then did he fall at the mere words of a servant girl? What had happened between these two incidents?
(3) Compare Peter’s answer to the girl at the door in v.17 and Jesus’ answer to the soldiers in v.5 earlier. What is the difference?
(4) Why did Peter stick around even after several questionings?
(5) What might have happened if the rooster did not crow?
(6) Why did Jesus choose to respond to Annas’ questions? Should He have remained silent? (Isa. 53:7)?
(7) Jesus’ answer was in essence an appeal to those who had heard Him and that they defend Him. Did anyone respond to His appeal? Did Peter?
(8) Obviously, the other Synoptic Gospels have already covered this trial before Caiaphas and Annas in greater details, therefore John chose to give a brief account only. Why did John still choose to give a brief account of Peter’s denial? (See John 21, the event that restored Peter.)
(9) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Why didn’t they enter the palace of Pilate? What does this tell you about these Jews who cared so much about ceremonial cleanliness and observed Passover with such seriousness?
(2) What was implicit in John's Gospel was explained more plainly by the other gospels:
a. What was the real reason for their desire to put Jesus to death? (Mk. 14:63-64)
b. What was the charge they laid against Jesus before Pilate? (Lk. 23:1-3)
(3) Were these Jews any different from the Islamic Extremists of our days?
(4) In his interrogation, why did Pilate, of all things, ask Jesus if He was “king of the Jews”?
(5) To what did Jesus’ response in v. 34 direct
Pilate’s attention?
(6) I think Jesus’ words are timeless in that such a question needs to be answered by everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike throughout the ages. Do you agree?
(7) Pilate’s response in v. 35 was not unexpected, which really amounted to saying, “Who you are has nothing to do with me".
a. What was Jesus’ reply?
b. How did Jesus correct his erroneous view about Him in v. 36?
(8) Now that Jesus affirmed that He is a king of another world, He linked His kingship and kingdom with “Truth”:
a. What kind of a kingdom is it that includes everyone on the side of truth?
b. What did Pilate (or for that matter the people of the world) understand by “truth”?
c. Now Jesus makes clear that (i) He is a king, (ii) and His kingdom is of another world that includes everyone on the side of truth, and (iii) He has come to testify to the truth. How different is this “truth” from “objective truth” as understood by the world?
(9) By saying, “What is truth?” Pilate evaded further probing of what truth is and who Jesus really is. Which of the following do you think was the meaning behind Pilate’s counter-question?
a. Nobody really knows what truth is.
b. This is a question capable for many answers.
c. There is no absolute truth.
(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
John appears to give us a slightly different angle about Pilate from the other Gospel accounts. Let’s reflect on this passage, looking at the main characters:
Pilate:
(1) What was his own verdict on Jesus? (19:4, 6)
(2) Given his own verdict,
a. Why did he still have Jesus flogged? (19:1)
b. Why did he ask the chief priests to crucify Jesus themselves? (19:6)
c. Why did he eventually have Jesus crucified? (19:16)
(3) In the course of negotiating with the Jews, what made Pilate afraid? (19:8)
(4) Why did he ask Jesus where He came from? (see 18:36-37)
(5) Why didn’t Jesus’ reply?
(6) Why did He eventually say that Pilate was guilty of a lesser sin?
(7) What do you think Pilate was guilty of ultimately?
The soldiers:
(8) Though the verdict was not yet pronounced, what did the soldiers do to Jesus?
(9) Did they take the claim that Jesus is the king of the Jews seriously?
(10) What sin were they guilty of?
The Chief priests and the Jews:
(11) When the chief priests and their officials saw Jesus brought before them in His crown of thorns and purple robe, why did they shout, “Crucify! Crucify!”? (19:6)
(12) They initially accused Jesus of inciting rebellion, but now Pilate essentially cleared Him of such charges. On what basis did they now seek to pressure Pilate to crucify Him? (19:7)
(13) Was it a crime chargeable under Roman law?
(14) When Pilate sought to free Jesus based on His innocence, what tactic did the Jews use to pressure Pilate into executing Jesus?
(15) Did they succeed?
(16) What sin were they guilty of, especially based on what they said in 19:15?
(17) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) As Pilate capitulated to the pressure of the chief priests and their officials and must bear his part of the sin in the killing of Jesus (see Acts 3:13; 4:27), do you think he was beyond repentance like Judas? Why or why not?
(2) Jesus carrying “His own cross” (in v. 17) is a loaded statement:
a. What kind of condition was He in as He carried His own cross?
b. What deeper meaning might this phrase have?
c. How does this phrase add to the meaning of His words in Luke 14:27?
(3) V. 18 simply says that they crucified Jesus and with Him were two others:
a. Obviously, it is a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9, 12. Apart from such a fulfillment, what might be the significance of being “numbered with the transgressors”?
b. John mentions that Jesus was hanged in the middle, between the two thieves. In other words, the two sinners were of equal distance to the Lord. What might it symbolize?
c. If I say, “No sinner is too far away from Jesus and no repentance is too late”, what do you think?
(4) Pilate’s inscription about who Jesus was might be his way of ridiculing the Jews. As it turns out, it is a true description of Jesus. What significance might the three languages have in this respect?
(5) The dividing of Jesus’ garment was the fulfillment of Psalm 22:18. Apart from such a fulfillment, how does it speak to the crime committed against the Son of God?
(6) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
(1) Who were beside the cross?
(2) Why was each one of them there?
(3) Should anyone else be there? Why weren’t they there?
(4) Jesus uttered two short statements. The first was to His earthly mother.
a. How did Jesus address His earthly mother?
b. What did His words entail or achieve?
c. Why did He deem it necessary to do so at this hour?
(5) The 2nd statement was to His disciple:
a. What did He say to John?
b. Why did He not entrust His mother to His earthly half-brothers?
(6) How did John call himself? Was there any significance to the context of this incident?
(7) Jesus said, “I am thirsty”. Apart from being the fulfillment of Psalm 69:21, how does it speak to the sufferings of Jesus as the Son of Man?
(8) Jesus said, “It is finished”. What has He finished? (The word finished, according to some scholars, was a word that could be used in a commercial dealing to signify that all debts owed are now fully paid off.)
(9) What did it take for Him to “finish”?
(10) Was it a cry of relief, an admission of failure or victory? Why?
(11) What is the significance of Jesus giving up His spirit (see Lk. 23:46)?
(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?