Life Group 11: The Cross
John 18,19
Objectives: We want to engage with how sorrowful and beautiful Jesus’ death is. We also want to see our need to embrace that Jesus died for us, and how our response is to embrace our need for the cross.
Launch
Do you have a favorite movie that has a scene you dread watching because you always wish it had gone different way? What is it and why?
In this passage we’re going to follow Jesus and Peter as Jesus surrenders his life to the cross. It is a difficult part of the amazing good news of Christ. We want to see how it can be both really sorrowful and beautiful to read and engage with. Many of these questions are meant to help you enter into the story and engage with how you might have felt, thought, and how you might have reacted if you where there.
Explore
Read John 18:1-14
· Describe the scene
· What are the intentions of Judas and the soldiers? (At this point the priests and Pharisees have decided that they want Jesus dead, and Judas has led them to Jesus in order for his capture)
· How does Jesus react to the soldiers? (Jesus knows why they have come and is ready to surrender, he is concerned with keeping the disciples safe)
· How does Peter’s reaction differ from Jesus’? (Peter and Jesus are contrasted throughout ch18. Here on contrasted could be Jesus is acting on faith and Peter is acting on emotional impulse.)
· Re-read v.11. Why does Jesus tell Peter this? Why would Peter want to prevent Jesus from being taken away? (Peter does not understand Jesus’ desire to surrender. He wants to fight back to protect Jesus and his ministry.)
Read 18:12-18
· How and to whom does Peter deny Jesus? (Peter denies knowing Jesus to a servant girl. She had even already talked to another disciple (John) before talking to Peter.)
· Why is it so hard for Peter to admit to being with Jesus? (Peter is confused and even though he was ready to fight earlier, he may be scared for his life.)
Read 18:19-24
· Who is questioning Jesus? How does he differ from who questioned Peter? (Annas, the high priest, someone with much authority.)
· How does Jesus answer these questions? How does his answer differ from Peter’s? (Jesus holds onto his witness, not going against anything he has said or claims to be)
· As Jesus bears his witness, what consequence is he surrendering to? (He knows this will lead to his death on the cross.)
Read 18:25-27, and then Mark 14:72
· As Jesus is bound up and led away, we turn back to Peter warming himself. As Peter denies Jesus a third time, what feelings overcome him? Why? (Embarrassed? Scared? Helpless? Confused? Like you let Jesus down? Remember Peter really does love Jesus but still denied Him.)
· Re-read v.11. Why is it so hard for Peter to be more supportive of Jesus?
· What are the instances in your life that you are scared to talk about knowing Jesus? Why?
Read John 18:28-19:16 and then 10:14-18
· How would you describe Jesus in this section?
Read 19:17-37
· What is finished? (Jesus stuck through it till the end, and has now been sacrificed as penalty for our sin. This was to fulfill His mission and purpose)
· So now Jesus is dead. If you were a follower of Jesus at this time, what would you have been thinking and feeling? What would the next three days have been like for you? (You can also think about the different people we’ve read about this semester)
Apply
· Are there parts that are hard to read? Are there parts that you wish would have gone a different way?
Read Romans 5:6-8.
· How is this beautiful to read about?
· Why is it important to recognize and remember both he hard and beautiful parts of Jesus’ death?
· What does it mean to you that Jesus died on the cross for you?
· What can we pray for that will help us properly respond to and remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross?