May 1, 2016  John 20:1-18

John’s storytelling may have reached its peak in the previous chapter:  the unjust sentence, the callous gambling soldiers, the bickering over the wording on the cross – so many details show how those in power were indifferent to what was happening.  The pathos of a mother watching her Son die is in contrast to the cold-hearted religious leaders eager to hasten death.  Loyal followers abandon secrecy and provide a tomb as one last service to Jesus.  Reading such a story for the first time we would ask, “What could possibly happen to redeem this terrible tragedy?” Continue reading →

May 8, 2016  John 20:18-31

There is a rumor that Jesus has risen from the dead.  The women witnesses reported it.  Peter and John found odd circumstances at an empty tomb.  Mary Magdalene claims to have seen and spoken with a living Jesus.

Too good to be true?  Where do doubt and faith intersect?  How does John report the experiences of the majority of the disciples and the experience of Thomas?  What can we learn about our own seasons of doubt?  Think about times you have struggled with questions or uncertainty (or what you might be struggling with right now) as you read the passage for our discussion group this week.

May 1, 2016  John 20:1-18

“On the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures.”[1]

What would seem like the low point of the entire Bible, the crucifixion of the central Character, is followed immediately by the high point.  Read the text and think about the story John is telling. Why did he include some details and leave out others?  What other parts of the story are you curious about?  How did people react to the risen Lord, and how did He respond to them?

You may notice that there is no handout to download this week.  Hopefully the handouts we have been using in our study and discussion group have been helpful.  Having a convenient way to read and mark up a passage, all using the same translation, is helpful in the process of learning the skills of inductive Bible study.  However, some situations (an impromptu conversation over coffee, for example) may not have a readily-available handout prepared.  Also, looking at different translations together can add another layer to a discussion – sometimes helpful, sometimes confusing, usually profitable.  This week use your own Bible translation (or several) to read and study the passage.  The suggestions in the article on Methodical Bible Study provide good reminders of the kinds of questions that will stir your thinking in the Observation, Interpretation, and Application phases of study.  Read the passage and come to the group ready to ask questions to help all of us learn from this text.

A note about marking:  Handouts are especially helpful in being able to mark up a passage (“circle all the verbs” or “underline all the people mentioned” or to write notes or questions about the text).  Without a handout (or a photocopy of the passage from your Bible) you face the decision: To mark or not to mark?  The main problem is practical.  Marking in the Bible itself is very helpful (just like using a handout).  But only for the first time you read a passage.  Next time you come to the passage (in a week or in five years) you may find it difficult to see the text with “fresh eyes.”  What God the Holy Spirit shows you in the text today may not be the same thing He wants to use in your life at another time in the future.  All those helpful circles and underlines and notes can become a distraction the next time you read the passage.  Ask yourself:  When you come to a marked-up passage, which do you read first, the inspired text or your previous notes?  (The same concern applies to study Bibles and printed footnotes – helpful but possible distractions away from what God actually said in the text.)  As mentioned above, one option is to make a photocopy of the page you are studying and use that for marking your observations and insightful interpretations.  Or even use a blank sheet of paper to make notes and comments as you read the passage.  Or mark in the Book itself – whatever is most helpful in being spiritually formed by God’s word, both today and in the future.

[1] http://www.creeds.net/ancient/nicene.htm

April 24, 2016  John 19:23-42

Download discussion questions: John 19_23-40 buried

This passage describes the central event of history, as summarized in the Apostles’ Creed:  “He was crucified, died, and was buried.”[1]  John provides some details omitted by the other Evangelists, and he omits some that they included. Continue reading →

April 24, 2016  John 19:23-42

Download discussion questions: John 19_23-40 buried

What was it like for John to remember and write down his eyewitness account of Jesus on the cross?  What kind of details did he include, and why?  How did he record the aftermath of the execution of the One who loved him?  Download the handout and consider both the historical narrative and the personal impact on you from this passage.

One of the goals of our discussion group has been to improve our ability to learn from the Bible individually and together.  With that end in mind, the Observation, Interpretation, and Application questions in the handout are generic, not specific to this passage.  Use the inductive method (including more suggested questions on the back of the handout) to explore this passage and sharpen your skill for understanding Scripture.