Greetings! Below you will find questions which reference the sermon preached on Sunday, September 21st, 2014 at The Park. This week we studied Chapter 20. Have someone in your group read this section of scripture.
Each week new questions are posted to track along with the sermons. Work hard to facilitate discussion. Listen to the hearts around the room and close with prayer.
Intro to Gospel of John:
This Gospel is unique with regard to the 4 first-hand accounts of the life of Jesus. It was likely the last of the 4 written and focuses much of it’s view on the deity of Jesus. Like today, the question of Jesus’ nature and source of power is constantly being debated and the heart of John’s gospel is to give us a clear, concise, unashamed view of the Son of God. It is here in John that Jesus makes claims like, “I am the Bread of Life”, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, and “I am the Light of the world”. Reading the Gospel of John will provide you with an exalted view of Jesus as God in the flesh, sent to proclaim the good news.
- What was different about John’s, Peter’s and Mary’s responses to the empty tomb?
- Why do you think Jesus chose to reveal Himself first to Mary Magdelene? What is significant about the method in which Jesus got her attention?
- How did the disciples likely respond to Mary’s proclamation that she had seen The Lord? What did that time between hearing Mary proclaim the resurrection and experiencing it for themselves feel like for the disciples?
- Why do you think Jesus told Mary to not cling to Him?
- What does it tell you about faith if one of Jesus’ own disciples needed to touch His wounds in order to believe the resurrection? What does this say about Jesus and how he approaches the doubt his followers may be experiencing?
- Thomas’ doubt is sometimes viewed as a negative thing, but can we take something positive from his desire to experience the resurrected Christ himself? Could the other disciples have had the same reaction to Mary’s proclamation?
- What was the whole point in John writing this book? What other scriptures come to mind when we talk about the importance of believing?