The first sign (notice for the Chapel Group Study)

Chapter 1 – 2 of John’s Gospel gives a guided tour through Israel. This map took hours to get right. Please click the image and enlarge it. It’s great! Um, oops. My map is worng [sic]. Bethany where Lazarus was born and Bethany beyond the Jordan were two different places. I’ll update over the weekend. For more information check here.

Hi there,

I’d like to invite you to join the Chapel Group Study which meets on Friday evenings from 19:00 – 20:30 (we get together half an hour earlier to share a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze). It’s perfect timing as we’re starting a new book study, John’s Gospel, this coming Friday, 9th October 2009. The series is titled Christ’s glory and John’s seven signs.

Good news for parents is that our AWANA programme (a youth ministry) runs concurrently which means that kids can be taken care of.

This week we’re looking at the first sign, Jesus turning water into wine. This evening I was reading chapter 1 and 2 and pinned these locations against a map I downloaded (which took hours as all I had was Word and Paint and juggled between the two to get all the “special effects” I wanted done).

I was in Israel a few years ago and dipped my toes into the Jordan. Click the image to enlarge it.

First stop is Bethany. Jesus spent 3 days there. John 1:15 – 28 says, “These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan…”, John 1:29 – 34 continues, “The next day…” and John 1:35 – 42 concludes, “Again the next day…”.

The next day Jesus went to Galilee. John 1:43 – 51 records, “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee…”.

Now the important stop for discussion tomorrow night is the 3 days that Christ spent in Cana. The wedding feast, John 2:1 – 11, “…marriage in Cana of Galilee…”.

Jerusalem was a city of conflicting emotions for me. Click the image to enlarge it.

From there he and the disciples headed to Capernaum according to John 2:12, “…he went down to Capernaum …and they continued there not many days.”.

Final stop in the two chapters we’re looking into was Jerusalem for the Passover. John 2:13 reads, “…passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem…”.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Mark Penrith

³⁰ Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; ³¹ 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.

Want to hear the verse in context? John 20 What is this about?

The group will meet at Midrand Chapel, 151 Pitzer Road, Glen Austin, 1685. Wanna find it:

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You part of a small group study? Hebrews 10:25 says, “…²⁵ not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another;} and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” This part a series of posts relating to a Bible Study group at Midrand Chapel. If you’d like to look at the previous post click here.