Mapping John

Explore John’s Gospel through this unique set of bible study 'maps'; perfect for small groups or individual reflection.

In this pack are five maps:

  • Jesus goes to a wedding

  • Jesus meets a woman at a well

  • Jesus reveals his identity

  • Jesus stands before Pilate

  • Jesus meets Mary in a garden

Each 'map' takes you on a reflective journey through a key episode of the Gospel with the help of art, poetry and music and invites an interactive response. No prior knowledge is required, yet even for those who know the gospel well there’s something new to discover.

AT A GLANCE

Map 1: Jesus goes to a wedding

Very early on in his gospel, John takes us to a wedding. There, in the extravagant replenishing of wine, he shows us that in Jesus the marriage between God and humanity comes to its fulfilment and will soon itself be bubbling over with joy: he uses the drama at Cana to show us that this longed-for transformation hinges on nothing less than Jesus’ death.

Map 2: Jesus meets a woman at a well

In this intriguing conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman, John has woven together a rich text, full of the allusion, symbol and resonance we expect from him. In this map we will gently unravel at least some of the threads and see how each plays its part in telling us more about the ‘gift’ Jesus offers.

Map 3: Jesus reveals his identity

Each year, the Gospel for the 4th Sunday of Easter comes from John 10 and gives us the nickname “Good Shepherd Sunday” which seems at first sight charming and straightforward. But if we explore a little further we find that it is laced about with intimations of self-sacrifice and death and that the two little words (I AM) preceding the title constitute a huge and provocative claim.

Map 4: Jesus stands before Pilate

Each Good Friday, John’s sombre and compelling passion narrative takes us back to 1st century Jerusalem and makes us wonder uneasily where we would have been on that terrible April morning. He gives much space to Jesus’ trial before Pilate (presented here in three separate sections) and, in so doing, opens up two huge and related themes, that of kingship and truth.

Map 5: Jesus meets Mary in a garden

This passage takes us into a garden. In the darkness before the dawn a woman is weeping. A man she loves very deeply has just been brutally killed. Worse, it seems that his tomb has been violated, his body taken. Her despair and fear and disorientation are overwhelming. But then comes the sunrise…