• Lesson 1 (John 2:1-11)
• Lesson 2 (John 3:1-15)
• Lesson 3 (John 4:1-38)
• Lesson 4 (Genesis 1:1-25)
• Lesson 5 (Genesis 1:26-2:3)
• Lesson 6 (Genesis 2:4-25)
• Lesson 7 (Genesis 3:1-24)
• Lesson 8 (Mark 2:1-17)
• Lesson 9 (John 8:1-12,31-36)

Lesson 1

THE WEDDING FEAST AT CANA

Key Verse: 2:11

"This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."

* JESUS CHANGES WATER TO WINE

1. Where was the wedding feast, and who was there? What do you know about Jewish wedding?

2. What problem arose, and why did Jesus' mother tell Jesus about it?

3. Why do you think Jesus answered his mother in this way? (4) What does his answer imply? What do we learn about it?

4. How did Mary respond to Jesus? How did she make an environment in which he could work? What can you learn from her?

5. What did Jesus say to the servants? (6,7a,8a) Why was this difficult to obey?

6. What was the servants' contribution to this sign? What can we learn from their attitude and their work?

7. What does the banquet master's comment tell us about this sign? (9,10) Who knew what had happened, and who did not know? What blessings did all who attended receive?

8. What change in our life does turning water into wine represent? (2Cor.5:17) In what respect does this miracle show Jesus' glory? What does this miracle teach us about the nature of Christianity?

9. Think about how your life can be more like tasty wine than tasteless water.

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Lesson 2

UNLESS A MAN IS BORN AGAIN

Key Verse: 3:3

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

* NEW BIRTH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD (1-13)

1. Who is Jesus talking with? (1) In what sense was Nicodemus a successful man? (1,10; 19:39)

2. Why do you think Nicodemus came to Jesus at night? (Ec.1:18; 5:10) What did he believe about Jesus? What was the basis of his belief? Why was Jesus not satisfied with such faith? (cf.2:23-25)

• Ec.1:18 "For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief." Ec.5:10 "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless."

4. What was Nicodemus' response to Jesus' teaching? (4) What does this reflect about his inner life and way of thinking?

5. Look at Jesus' explanation of the new birth. (5-9) What does it mean to be born again? (6, 1Cor.2:14) How can a man be born again? (5) Why is this necessary? (Eph.2:3)

• 1Cor.2:14 "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
• Eph.2:3 "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."

• Gal.5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ..."

7. What does the incident of Moses and the bronze snake teach about faith? (cf.Num.21:4-9)

• Num.21:4-9 "They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people. The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived."

* What does this passage teach us about how one can be truly happy?

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Lesson 3

JESUS TALKS WITH A SAMARITAN WOMAN

Key Verse 4:7

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"

* "WILL YOU GIVE ME A DRINK?" (1-15)

1. Where did this event take place? What was the time? How was it that Jesus had come to this place? Describe Jesus' physical condition.

2. Who came to the well? What was unusual about a lone woman coming to draw water in the heat of the day? What kind of woman was she? (17,18)

3. How did Jesus begin the conversation? Why did he speak first and ask a favor? What does this reveal about Jesus?

4. What was her first reaction to Jesus' request? What does this show about her? About the relationship between Jews and Samaritans? What were other human barriers between Jesus and this woman?

5. How did Jesus respond to her retort? What gift did he offer to give her if she asked? (10; Ro 6:23b) Who is he that he can give this gift?

6. When she saw Jesus humanly, why was she puzzled by his offer? How is the living water Jesus gives different from the water in Jacob's well? (Rev 22:1; Jn 7:38; 1:4) How did she respond? Why? Note the progress in their relationship.

* "GO AND CALL YOUR HUSBAND" (16-26)

7. What did Jesus tell her to do? What big problem in her life did Jesus' command touch? When the woman said, "I have no husband," in what respect was she telling the truth and in what respect was she evading the truth? How did Jesus receive her answer?

8. Why did she talk about the worship problem? In what respect was her problem a worship problem? What did Jesus teach about God? About salvation? What kind of worshipers does God seek?

9. What does Jesus declare about himself? (26) What does this mean to the woman? To us? (Is 9:6)

* "LOOK AT THE FIELDS" (27-38)

10. Why were the disciples surprised? (27) What did the woman do? What does this tell us about her changed life? (28-30) Why was Jesus no longer hungry? (31-34)

11. How could Jesus see the harvest field of the world through this one woman? What did he teach his disciples? 

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Lesson 4

GOD, THE CREATOR

Key Verse 1:1

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."

1. When and how did the heavens and the earth come into existence? (1) When something is created, the creator has a plan and purpose for his creation. (e.g., watch, computer, human brain, ...) What does it mean that God created the heavens and the earth? Why is it important for us to know that God created all things? (Is.44:24) What does this mean to you?

• Is.44:24 "This is what the Lord says -- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the Lord, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself, ..."

• 1Jn.1:5 "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."

• Heb.11:3 "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."
• Ps.33:6-9 "By the word of Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars, he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm." Col.1:16 "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

5. Draw a diagram of the 6 days of creation. Try to make your diagram reflect the relationship between the first three days of creation and the last three days. What can you learn from this about God the Creator? About the world he created?

6. What do these verses reveal about God? What must we believe about him? 

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Lesson 5

IT WAS VERY GOOD

Key Verse: 1:31a

"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."

1. Read verses 26,27. After having created the world, an environment that could sustain life and made all other living creatures, what did God decide to do? What do these two verses teach us about God and his plan for mankind? (See Ps.139:13-16; Ps.8:1-9)

2. Man was created on the same day as the animals. What characteristics does he share with them? Read verse 27 again. What does it mean that God created mankind in his own image? What are some of the God-like attributes we can find in man?

3. How did God bless man and woman? (28) What was the work he had created them to do, and how did he commission them to do it? How does this command establish creation order and give meaning and direction to mankind?

4. What does it mean to "subdue" and "rule over"? (cf.2:15) How does this command open the door for study and exploration of the world and for all kinds of useful work?

5. Think about the fact that God created man for mission. How can you know your Creator and find the work he created you to do? What should be our main mission in a fallen world?

6. Read verses 29-30. (cf.Mt.6:33) How did God provide for the physical needs of mankind doing God's work? How should man respond to God's gracious gift? (Ps 104:14,27, 31,33) What would the world be like if men and animals did not have to struggle to survive? (Is.11:6-9)

7. Read verse 31. How many times is the phrase "God saw that it was good" (or its equivalent) repeated in chapter 1? What does verse 31 teach us about God and the world he created? About myself? What difference does it make for me to know that God created me for a good purpose? (Eph.2:10)

8. Read 2:1-3. What did God do on the seventh day? Why did he bless the seventh day and make it holy? (See Mk.2:27) How do men without God seek rest? How can we find real rest? (Mt.11:28-29)

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Lesson 6

GOD PLANTED A GARDEN

Key verse: 2:8

"Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed."

* MAN AND THE GARDEN (4-14)

1. With which day of creation does chapter 2 seem to be primarily concerned? How does verse 5 lead up to the creation of man?

2. How did God create man? (7) What does the fact that we are created from the dust of the ground suggest? What is the source of man's life and value? What does it mean to be a living being?

3. Describe the garden which God planted for man. (8-14) How did God provide for man's happiness? What does God's provision in verses 8 and 9 suggest about man's nature and needs?

* ADAM'S BIBLE (1517)

4. What work did God give man to do in the garden? How does this relate to man's mission in 1:28? Why is it significant that God commanded man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden..."? Why did God want man to be thankful?

5. How does God's command, "You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," establish spiritual order? How does it make real freedom possible? Why are these things necessary for man's happiness? What were the consequences about which God warned man?

* GOD ESTABLISHES THE FAMILY (1825)

6. How did God provide a co-worker for Adam? Why could no suitable helper be found among the animals, and why is the woman suitable? How did Adam receive her? What does this suggest about spiritual order in the family? About the family and God's mission?

7. How does God confirm and establish the family? What commitment must man make to his wife? What does it mean that they become one flesh? (See Mk 10:6-9) What does verse 25 suggest about their relationship?

* What does this chapter teach us about God? What do people really need to be happy?

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Lesson 7

WHEN GOD'S LOVE IS DOUBTED

Key Verse: 3:15

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

* TEMPTATION AND FALL (1-6)

1. Where does this conversation take place and who are the participants? How is the serpent described? Who does the serpent represent? (Rev 12:7-9) What is characteristic of his nature? (3:1; Jn 8:44)

2. Observe carefully the steps in the serpent's temptation of the woman. How did he twist the meaning of God's word? (compare 2:16,17 with 3:1,4,5) In what respect did he lie? How did he remove the absolute from God's word? How did he plant pride? How did he lead her to doubt God's love?

3. How did the woman answer him? (2,3) What was her attitude toward God and his word? What were her inner desires? Why did she yield to temptation? What can we learn here about how to overcome temptation? (See Mt 4:1-11)

* THE TRAGEDY OF BROKEN FELLOWSHIP (7-13)

4. Why did she give some to her husband? What was the immediate result of their eating the forbidden fruit? (7) What do you think this means?

5. When they heard God coming, what did they do? Why? How and why did God call? What was Adam's answer? What does this conversation show about the tragedy of sin?

6. How did God confront Adam with his sin? What might Adam have done in response? What excuses did they make? What does this reveal about sin's effect on relationships?

* A WORLD UNDER CURSE (1424)

7. How did God curse the serpent? How does God's promise in 3:15 give hope to mankind? Why is this the key verse of this lesson?

8. How did God punish the woman? How is her punishment related to her blessing? (1:28) What does it mean that God cursed the ground? (see Ro 8:20,21) How is man's punishment related to his mission? [How can the curse be removed, woman set free and man's mission restored? (Gal 3:13; Jn 3:18; Ro 16:20; Mk 16:15])

9. In what other way did God show his love for fallen man? How did Adam heal his relationship with his wife?

10. Why did God drive them from the Garden? Why did he not destroy the garden? What hope does this give? What is the significance of the tree of life? (Rev 22:2,14,19)

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Lesson 8

JESUS CAME TO CALL SINNERS

Key Verse: 2:17

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

* JESUS HEALS A PARALYTIC (1-12)

1. What was Jesus' situation and what was he doing when the four men brought a paralytic to him? (1,2)

2. How did these men overcome obstacles to get to Jesus? (3,4) Why might their action have upset some people? How did Jesus interpret their unconventional and somewhat destructive entrance? (5a) Why?

3. What did Jesus say the paralytic? (5b) What does it mean that he called him "son"? What do Jesus' words suggest about the man's real problem? How is paralysis like sin? In what respect might he be called a sinner?

4. What did the teachers of the law think about Jesus' words? (6,7) What does Jesus' answer to their doubts and questions show about Jesus? (8-10)

5. How did Jesus prove himself to be the one who has authority to forgive sins? (10-12a) How did the people respond? (12b)

* JESUS CALLS LEVI THE TAX COLLECTOR (13-17)

6. What did Jesus do once again beside the lake? (13) Who was Levi? (14a) What kind of life did he have as a tax collector? (Lk 3:12,13; 19:2,7) Why was he lonely? What did he have in common with the paralytic?

7. How did Jesus call Levi? (14b) How did Levi respond to Jesus' invitation? Why did he follow Jesus so readily? (14c) What did Jesus' words, "Follow me," mean practically to him?

8. How did Levi celebrate his new life? (15) Why did the Pharisees criticize Jesus? (16) How did Jesus' attitude toward sinners and tax collectors differ from that of the Pharisees? (17)

9. Read verse 17. Who needs a doctor? What is the purpose of Jesus' coming into this world? What does this mean to you?

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Lesson 9

"THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE"

Key Verse: 8:31,32

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

* "NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU" (8:1-11)

1. Where and how did Jesus probably spend the night? (Lk 22:39) When did Jesus return to the temple courts, and who was there? What did Jesus do?

2. Who interrupted his teaching, and how? What did they tell him about the woman? What question did they ask Jesus? How was this a trap? What kind of men would use a woman in this way?

3. What did Jesus do? Why did he wait before answering? What did he say? How did his words expose their hypocrisy? What did they do, and why?

4. How might this woman have come to live a life like that? What did Jesus say to her? Why did he not condemn her? How did he save her and help her begin a new life? What does this show about Jesus? (3:17; Ro.8:1)

* "IF YOU HOLD TO MY TEACHING" (8:31-36)

5. Read 31,32. How can one really be a disciples of Jesus? What does the word "disciple" mean to you?

6. How can we know the truth? Why must a disciple continue to hold on to the word of God? What is so special about God's word? (Jn.6:68; 1Pe.1:24,25; Mt.5:18)

7. Look at verse 32. What does the truth do for us? What are some characteristics of truth? How does the truth set us free? (see also 36)

8. How did the Jews respond to Jesus' words? (33) What words didn't they like? Why? How did their racial pride keep them from being free?

9. Look at verses 34-36. What kind of slavery was Jesus talking about? (34) What is freedom? Who is free? How can you be truly free?