Themes in John

1. Read John, chapters 2-9. Pay particular attention to:

a. the wedding story at Cana. What's the point of this story? What does Jesus mean by "the first of his signs"?

b. the conversation with Nicodemus. What's the point of this discourse? What does John mean by "darkness" and "light"?

c. the Samaritan woman story. What's the function of this story? How does it differ from Luke's Good Samaritan story?

d. Note the sayings which begin, "Truly, truly" (or in some translations, "amen, amen"). What are these sayings about? Are they similar or different to synoptic Jesus-sayings?

e. Note the sayings that begin "I am" (beginning chapter 6). What do these sayings reveal?