Lisema Ralitsoele

Q3. (John 19:30) 1. When Jesus says, "It is finished," what does he mean? By saying “It is finished” Jesus means that the debt owed by man to his Creator on account of Adam’s sin is finally and forever paid in full. 2. What mission(s) had the Father given him. In what way did he complete them? The Father had given Him the following missions: · To bring eternal life as the light of men; · To bring grace and truth as the Word becoming flesh and making his dwelling among us; · To reveal the Father and the Father's glory; · Die as a sacrifice for our sins. 3. He completed them by taking away man’s sin, removing it as far as the east is to the west, and declaring victoriously that it is finished, done, signed, and sealed because of His blood.

Q2. (John 19:26-27) 1. What is Jesus' mother Mary feeling at the cross? Mary is brokenhearted. She must be feeling physical pain, sorrow, love and suffering from a mother who is watching her son die, balanced by a sensing of His spiritual glorification. 2. Why does Jesus give John responsibility to care for his mother? Besides it being Jewish custom that as Mary's firstborn, Jesus is legally responsible for her welfare to ensure that she has a place to live and food to eat during her widowhood, John has a special place in Jesus’ heart and his presence at the foot of the cross proves bravery, commitment to the faith, and obedience. 3. What does this say about Jesus' values? Even at this moment of physical weakness and humiliation, Jesus continues to honor His responsibility to supply all our needs.

Q1. (John 19:23-24; Psalm 22:14-18) 1. In what ways did Jesus fulfill Psalm 22:14-18? Jesus fulfills ALL stipulations of Psalm 22:14-18 because in this Psalm, He is speaking prophetically about Himself on the Cross. 2. What does the Psalms passage tell us about how Jesus felt on the cross? The passage tells us about the feeling that people who have lost a lot of blood and water have; the feeling of dislocation from hanging on the nails; loss of physical strength; stress-induced faintness of heart; ‘excruciating’ thirst; feeling of impending death and conversion of the human body to dust; the High Priests, the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees and the Sadducees who misled the people by misjudging the Messiah; and the embarrassment of being “displayed” semi-nude on the cross.

Q2. (John 18:17-18, 25-27) 1. What have been Peter's acts of courage at the arrest and in the high priest's courtyard? I don’t know if Peter is courageous or he is just acting out his impulsive nature. 2. Why do you think he ends up denying Jesus? Jesus knew Peter’s nature just as He knew that it would be only Peter and John (most probably) who would come along. So Peter’s denial is a prophetic testimony that Jesus would use to further mold the “rock” to play a leadership role after the ascension. 3. How would you rebuke Peter according to Galatians 6:1b? I would humbly reach out to Peter while clinging to the Holy Spirit to ensure that I do not fall into the temptation of feeling more righteous than him. 4. Has your courage failed lately? Yes it has. 5. What should you do about it? It’s difficult because it concerns confronting my wife about certain aspects and I prefer to remain silent to maintain peace. I’ll just keep praying.

Q1. (John 18:1-11) 1. What do you think caused the soldiers to fall back in the Garden (18:6)? I believe Jesus’ divine power was so manifest in his bold question and definitive I Am declaration that they were overwhelmed as usually happens in the presence of God. 2. Why does John tell us this detail? Perhaps John wants to show us that Jesus’ divine power was still active in him but he chose to go along with the Father’s plan of salvation. In other words, John wants us to be awed by the Shekinah glory of God upon Jesus. 3. Why does Jesus rebuke Peter for defending him with a sword (18:11)? He rebukes Peter, because he, Jesus will not be denied his glory and the Father's plan of salvation by Peter's heroic act of defense. 4. Jesus is facing forces sent by hell. Why doesn't he resist? OBEDIENCE! This is the ultimate, the divine act of obedience to the Father’s Word to drink out of this cup; to glorify the Father by demonstrating His love for humanity in sacrificing His One and only Son so that whoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life. Furthermore, Jesus is not overpowered by the forces sent by hell. He is in charge of the situation and is allowing of His own volition to be arrested and humiliated.

Q3. (John 17:4-5) 1. What was Jesus' preexistent glory like? Jesus’ preexistent glory was a close relationship and blessedness with the Father. 2. What was his glory like during his earthly ministry? During his earthly ministry, Jesus’ glory was divine; it was perfect, radiating the Father’s glory and character by voluntarily being incarnated and sacrificed for us sinners. 3. How did his glory peek through? It peeked through the eyes of his disciples. 4. What is his glory like now in the presence of his Father? His glory now in the presence of his Father is like as though restored as One of the co-equal Trinity. 5. Why do you think Jesus wants his disciples to see him in this glory (verse 24)? I think Jesus wants them to have an indelible memory of His deity even when they will shortly be seeing his mortal body on the cross. It may also be that he wants them to really believe that he was sent by the Father.

Q2. (John 17:4) 1. What was the "work" the Father gave Jesus to do? The Father gave Jesus the work of being the atonement for the sins of all who believe that Jesus was sent by God. 2. How did it bring glory to the Father? It brought glory to the Father by the obedience of the Son through crucifixion, which was followed by resurrection and ascension. 3. What is the "work" the Father has given you to do? The Father has given me the “work” of undertaking Kingdom projects of giving. 4. In what ways are you bringing glory to the Father in this? When I present my gifts to the people who need them, they thank God.

Q1. (John 17:3) 1. If the average person were to define the words "eternal life," what would they say? They would say that it is life with no end. 2. Does Jesus define eternal life in terms of duration of time? Jesus does not define eternal life in terms of duration of time. 3. What is the key element of his definition? The key element of Jesus’ definition of eternal life is a never-ending personal knowledge and relationship with God and His Son. 4. How are you doing at present in Jesus' definition of eternal life. Thanks largely to this course, I am gaining a greater knowledge of God and His Son and developing a closer and closer relationship with them.

Q4. (John 16:33) 1. In what sense has Jesus "overcome" the world? Jesus has “overcome” the world in the sense that in the wilderness, He, undoubtedly, completely and in a praise-worthy manner withstood all of Satan's temptations. Furthermore, on the cross, Jesus bore all of the sin and degradation of mankind. In spite of it all, He was raised from the dead, and He now reigns at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us. Hallelujah, glory be to God Almighty. 2. In what sense can we "overcome" the world? We can “overcome” the world in the sense that we can hold on steadfastly to our believing in Jesus, having faith in the Word of God that since Jesus has overcome we too can overcome particularly as we have the Helper, the Holy Spirit with us. 3. Can we overcome Satan even though we are martyred in the process? (see Revelation 12:11) Even though we are martyred in the process we can overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb and our testimony, spurred on by the promise of the prize, the glory of being seated with Christ on His throne.

Q3. (John 16:32) 1. Jesus said that he is not alone, that the Father is always with him. What does this mean to us when we are lonely? It means that when we are lonely, we must meditate on the Word: I am not alone, my Father who loves me unconditionally, is with me. Therefore, I have to remember that Jesus Has not, and never will abandon me. 2. What should we do to deepen our fellowship with the ever-present Father so that we aren't as lonely? Before we even become lonely, we should enjoy family and friends but consciously, with the help of the Holy Spirit, determine not to put our dependence on them for the completeness of our joy for that can only come from Christ. We should deepen our relationship with the ever-present Father by prayer, talking to Him regularly and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout the day.

Q2. (John 16:23-28) 1. What does it mean to pray to the Father "in Jesus' name"? Praying to the Father “in Jesus’ name” means that the way is now open for us to approach the Father directly with confidence without demanding the mediation of Christ while being conscious that it is by His grace that we have this honor. 2. Is it okay to pray to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit? Yes, it is okay to pray to Jesus and to the Holy Spirit. However, Jesus’ pattern that we must follow is to pray to the Father 3. Why or why not? It is okay because both Jesus and the Spirit continue to intercede for us before God's throne. 4. Is it scriptural to pray to a saint to intercede for us? No, it is just customary by some sects. 5. Why are we allowed to pray to the Father directly? We were qualified to pray to the Father directly by Jesus’ atonement of our sins, by accepting Jesus Christ and consequently being brought directly to the Father who knows and loves us.

Q1. (John 16:12-15) 1. In what sense does the Holy Spirit guide us into all truth?. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth in the sense that he assists us to acquire information by relaying what he gets from Jesus regarding the Word of God, by reminding and explaining to us, as necessary, with a view to our correctly understanding, speaking, and living the Word. 2. Does this promise apply only to the apostolic age to lay the foundations of the faith? No, it does not only apply to the first apostles. 3. In what sense does it apply to us today? It applies to us in the sense that we are still obliged to understand the Word of God accurately; and we can achieve this by calling on the Holy Spirit to assist us to have a truthful understanding of the Father’s Word in our hearts so that we can transmit the Good News of Christ to others in an effective manner.

Q5. (John 16:8) 1. Through what means does the Holy Spirit convict unbelievers? The Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers by demonstrating God’s immense miracle power. The Holy Spirit also convicts by taking our preaching/sermons and convincing people of the truthfulness of the words. Another way is by prophesying and laying bare a person’s deep secrets. We also have to live righteously so that we truly become the light in a dark world. Through patient instruction and prayer God might intervene by granting unbelievers repentance so they come to the path of truth. 2. Is it our job as preachers or lay Christians to convict unbelievers or backslidden people? No, it is not our job. 3. If not, why not? This is a spiritual battle best handled by the Holy Spirit. Ours is to pray and present God’s Word. 4. What damage do we inflict on people when we try to do the Holy Spirit's job? We might end up displaying self-righteouness and lose the unbelievers forever.

Q4. (John 16:5-7; 14:12) · What benefit is there to the disciples that Jesus goes away? The Holy Spirit will be poured on them with His empowerment. Furthermore it assures them of their redemption. What promise do we have in John 14:12 concerning the Spirit's power in believers? We are promised that if we continue to believe in Jesus, working in the power of the Spirit, we will do the same works Jesus did and even more.

Q3. (John 15:26-27) a) What does it mean to "testify"? To testify is "to confirm or attest something on the basis of personal knowledge or belief”. b) In what way does the Spirit testify about Jesus? The Spirit testifies about Jesus by presenting Christ’s case before us believers who are ready to listen to His voice, and by teaching us what to say to the world. c) Can you testify from personal knowledge about Jesus, or only the apostles who were eyewitnesses? I can and must testify from personal knowledge about what Jesus has done in my life.

Q2. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13a) a) Why do we believe that the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or power, but a Person? We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person because He performs functions that we attribute to a person. Also, the personal nature of the Spirit is confirmed in the foundational creeds of the Church such as the Nicene Creed. b) What kinds of functions that we attribute to persons does the Holy Spirit do? The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ, he sanctifies and guides us and can also be grieved and tempted. c) Why is it so easy to refer to the Spirit as "it" rather than "Him"? This is because some words taken from the Greek language for example, do not have a matching direct English translation and so it becomes easy to refer to “Spirit” as it.

Q1. (John 15:18-21a) a) Why are Christians persecuted even if they haven't hurt others? Christians are persecuted because of the name of Christ. b) What about a faithful Christian's life threatens non-Christians? When faithful Christians refuse to go along with the sins of non-Christians, we make them look bad. c) Why does Jesus warn his disciples that persecution will come? Jesus is trying to prepare them and us so we wouldn’t be surprised when persecution happens; but that we would remember what he told us that we would be persecuted like He was, so that we can resist the temptation to fall away. d) What happens to our testimony if we give in under mild persecution? If we give in under mild persecution, our testimony’s veracity falls away. e) What does it say to persecutors when we don't react to their persecution? When we stay strong in our faith and unshaken by their acts of persecution, it says to them they should leave us alone to save their pride. f) Do they see us as weak or as strong? They see us as stubborn/strong.

Q3. (John 15:4-5) 1. What does it mean "to abide"? “To abide” is not just continuing in our faith. It is our being intimately connected to, embracing, clinging to and continuing to receive sustenance from Jesus without whom I am nothing and can do nothing. It is more or less like the baby in the mother’s womb. 2. What is the doctrine of the Perseverance of the Saints? The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints means that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God's power and will persevere as Christians until the end of their lives. 3. How do these verses support it? Galatians 2:20 supports it by the declaration of my simultaneous crucifixion with Christ which implies the eternal death of my carnal self to make way for Him to live in me so that I am controlled by the Holy Spirit who seals me for Christ eternally. 4. What does abiding have to do with "mutual indwelling," of a "personal relationship"? Abiding in Jesus testifies to a loving relationship whereby I am continually obedient to and, receiving spiritual sustenance from Him. And this spiritual feeding scheme cannot be done by remote control. It can only be accomplished by such a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” that He also abides in me. 5. How well are you abiding? I am abiding joyfully, lovingly, obediently, peacefully and to my heart’s content. It’s just by amazing grace.

Q2. (John 15:2b) 1. How are we pruned or cleansed by exposure to and obedience to Jesus' words? We hold on to Jesus as His true disciples who remain faithful to His teachings.. 2. According to John 8:31-32, how does obeying Jesus' teaching bring cleansing and freedom from sin? We will know the truth and the truth will set us free from slavery to sin, as well as fortifying us against the devil’s myriad temptations from his satanic brain -if he has any..

Q5. (John 14:30-31a) 1. How does Satan take advantage of our previous sins to control us or make us fearful? Satan is the master blackmailer the prince of darkness. He roams the world looking for whomever he can devour. Satan is a huge evil spider with an elaborate sin web that he entices us into by deceiving us into believing that sin is the ultimate pleasure. Once enticed into sin, he blackmails us by magnifying the shamefulness of the disclosure of our past experiences and so forces us into fear. 2. In verse 31, how does Jesus stay free from bondage to Satan? Jesus stays free from bondage to Satan by loving the Father and being completely obedient to Him; He does EXACTLY what the Father commands Him to do. This means that there’s not any amount of space between the Son and the Father’s commandments for Satan to squeeze through. 3. How can we free ourselves from bondage to Satan and fear of exposure? We can free ourselves from bondage to Satan by living the example that Jesus has demonstrated to us by loving the Father to the extent of obeying Him even to death on the cross. And we can easily do so with the support of the Holy Spirit indwelling in us.

Q4. (John 14:27) If it doesn't mean cessation of conflict in our everyday lives, what then is the peace that Jesus offers us now? The peace that Jesus offers us now is unchanging peace and goodwill anchored on God Himself through Jesus Christ. It is a peace that is with us always and forever as Jesus is always with us.

Q1. (John 15:2) 1. How does judicious pruning benefit a grapevine? Judicious pruning benefits a grapevine in the following manner: · It stimulates growth; · It allows the vinedresser to shape the vine; · It enables production of maximum yield without breaking the branches with too many clusters for them to bear; · It protects against mildew; and, · It leads to the production of better quality wine, with more highly concentrated and flavorful grapes. 2. What happens to productivity and health when a vine is left unpruned? When a vine is left unpruned, the fruit for the new season will be less, and the vine will be unhealthy from insufficient light and then, grow wild. 3. What does God use to prune our lives? We may be driven to forsake something that is dear to us only to find that God is redirecting us to a godly task. 4. What does God use to prune our congregations? Our congregations need to have deadwood Church leaders removed from their positions and others appointed. Sometimes there are such challenges in the Church that many members leave the Church and the rest are devastated. If the remaining congregation humbles itself before God and asks for forgiveness, God might turn this loss into a new growth. 5. Why do we resist pruning? Pruning is an unpleasant and shocking experience. 6. What can we do so that the eventual pruning isn't as severe? We should put it deep in our hearts to trust, love and obey God.

Q3. (John 14:25-26). 1. What do we learn about the Paraclete in verses 25 and 26? We learn that the Paraclete will be sent by the Father to the apostles, in Jesus’ name, to teach the apostles and also to remind them of everything Jesus had said to them 2. Who is he? The Paraclete is the Holy Spirit. 3. Why is his teaching/reminding role important to the apostles? The teaching/reminding role’s importance is to ensure that they represent Christ truthfully, by correctly preaching His teachings, and correctly interpreting the Good News of Christ.

Q2. (John 14:15, 21-25) 1. How is obedience to Jesus linked to loving him? Obedience to and loving Jesus are linked in that we can only be his followers, true Christians, by walking in his steps; and we can only do so by keeping his Good News in our hearts. And when this happens we automatically act out his commandments without any stress, proving that he is in us and we are in him. Therefore we love him, we love ourselves and we love each other and there is overall peace and contentment. 2. When Jesus emphasizes obedience, what keeps this from being the heavy burden of a new legalism? Jesus’ emphasis on obedience is not an autocratic declaration characteristic of communist countries. It is a recommendation uttered from deep love and given because he wants us to experience the true peace and joy that is in his heart. It cannot be the heavy burden of a new legalism because it emanates from our free will and we become obedient joyfully and voluntarily. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” Psalm 119:165. 3. Can we love Jesus and not obey him? Absolutely Not!

Q1. (John 14:15-17) 1. What do you think is the best way to describe the Paraklētos that Jesus sends? Another way to describe the Paraklētos that Jesus sends is to consider that we are diplomats in God’s Kingdom. Because of human frailty, we are prone to deviate from acting according to the fruit of the Spirit. However, this Parakletos being part of the Holy Trinity, is above human weaknesses and therefore is aptly placed as a friendly Ambassador within us, to guide us, remind us, counsel us and support us in whatever way is necessary. 2. In what sense is the Holy Spirit "another" Paraclete? The Holy Spirit is "another" Paraclete in the sense that Jesus came first and firmly established THE EMBASSY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH through signs, teachings- discipleship-atonement of our sins on the cross, defeating death and ascension. So the Holy Spirit is in a sense the successor of the first Paraclete. 3. Who was the initial Paraclete? Jesus Christ was the initial Paraclete. 4. In what way can the Holy Spirit replace him? The Holy Spirit can replace him by being the seal on us that demonstrates that we do belong to Jesus.