Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Look and Learn; Read and Remember
I know some men who never sit down to read a book of the Bible until they have time to read the entire book at once. When they come to Leviticus or Numbers, or any of the other books, they read it all the way through at one sitting. They get the whole picture of the book, and then they begin to study it chapter by chapter. Dean Stanley used to read a book through three separate times: first for the story, second for the thought, and third for the literary style. It is a good thing to take one whole book at a time. How could you expect to understand a story or a scientific textbook if you read one chapter here and another there?
Dr. A. T. Pierson says, “Let the introduction cover five P’s: place where written, person by whom written, people to whom written, purpose for which written, and period at which written.”
It can be very beneficial to get the overall picture of a book of the Bible, and then to look at it more carefully. It can be good to grasp the leading points in the chapters. This method is illustrated by the following plan I tried to get the students at our Mount Hermon boys’ school and the Northfield girls’ school interested in. It provides a way of committing Scripture to memory so that one can call up a passage to meet the demand whenever it arises. I said to the students one morning at worship, “Tomorrow morning when I come, I will not read a portion of Scripture, but we will take the first chapter of the gospel of John and I want you to tell me from memory what you find in that chapter. We will each learn the verse in it that is most precious to us.” We went through the whole book that way and committed a verse or two to memory out of each chapter.
Here are the main headings we found in the chapters:
Chapter 1. The call of the first five disciples.
It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when John stood and said, Behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Two of John’s disciples then followed Jesus, and one of them, Andrew, went out and brought his brother, Simon. Then Jesus found Philip as he was starting out for Galilee, and Philip found Nathanael, the skeptical man. When he got sight of Christ, his skeptical ideas were all gone. Commit the following verses to memory:
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:11-12)
Key word: Receiving
Chapter 2. We had a good time in this chapter learning to obey.
Whatever He says to you, do it. (John 2:5)
Key word: Obedience
Chapter 3. This is a chapter on regeneration, or the new birth. It took us more than one day to get through this one. This chapter tells about a respectable, religious sinner and how Jesus dealt with him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Key word: Believing
Chapter 4. A disreputable sinner and how Jesus dealt with her. If we had been dealing with her, we would have told her what Jesus told Nicodemus, but He dealt with her differently, as her own individual person. She came for a pot of water, and thank God, she got a whole well full.
God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24)
Key word: Worshipping
Chapter 5. Divinity of Christ.
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)
Key word: Healing
Chapter 6. We called this the bread chapter. If you want a good loaf of bread, get into this sixth chapter. You feed upon that bread and you will live forever.
I AM the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh. (John 6:51)
Key word: Eating
Chapter 7. The water chapter. You have here living water and Christ’s invitation to every thirsty soul to come and drink.
If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. (John 7:37)
Key word: Drinking
Chapter 8. The light chapter. What is the use of having light if you have no eyes to see with? We need to get the sight found in the next chapter.
I AM the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life. (John 8:12)
Key words: Walking in the light
Chapter 9. The sight chapter. There was a man born blind and Christ made him to see.
We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)
Key word: Testifying
Chapter 10. Here you find the Good Shepherd.
I AM the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. (John 10:11)
Key word: Safety
Chapter 11. The Lazarus chapter.
I AM the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26)
Key word: Resurrection
Chapter 12. Here Christ closes up His ministry to the Jewish nation.
And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself. (John 12:32)
Key words: Salvation for all
Chapter 13. The humility chapter. Christ washes the feet of His disciples.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)
Key word: Teaching
Chapter 14. The mansion chapter.
I AM the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)
Key words: Peace and comfort
Chapter 15. The fruit chapter. The vine can only bear fruit through the branches.
I AM the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Key word: Joy
Chapter 16. The promise of the Holy Spirit. Here you find the secret of power and the Spirit of comfort and truth.
These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)
Key word: Power
Chapter 17. This chapter contains the prayer of our Lord.
I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. (John 17:15)
Key word: Separation
Chapter 18. Christ is arrested. Despite the arrest and trial of Jesus, He remained in full control, willingly and humbly submitting in order to do His Father’s will and bring salvation to the lost world.
So when He said to them, I AM He, they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:6)
Key words: In control
Chapter 19. Christ is crucified. Jesus died to pay for our sins. We ought to live for Him. If this were the last chapter in John, this would be a sad ending indeed; but there is more to come!
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)
Key word: Death
Chapter 20. Christ rises from the dead.
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:30-31)
Key word: Resurrection
Chapter 21. Christ spends some time with His disciples again and invites them to dine with Him.
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written. (John 21:24-25)
Key word: Ascension