MESSAGE NOTES AND INDIVIDUAL/GROUP REFLECTION QUESTIONS, 10/20/24
So, what do you believe about Jesus? We all believe something about Him. A.W. Tozer, a famous American pastor in the mid 1900s declared, “What comes into our minds when we think about Jesus is the most important thing about us.”
In week 10, we focus on John 10 and consider this question of belief: Do you believe Jesus is the Good Shepherd and one with the Father?
CONNECT
Who has been one of your best guides in your life? Someone who has shepherded you through some of the difficulties and blessings of your life. How would you describe what they did for you?
REFLECT
Read John 10:1-6. Describe in detail how you see this parable playing out in the imagination of your mind (I see… .) Which aspect of it is most striking to you? By speaking in a parable in the days after healing the blind man, what is Jesus really saying to the Pharisees about their roles and actions toward others?
Read John 10:7-10. Note how again Jesus explains things since the Pharisees didn’t understand. Are you surprised that He calls Himself the gate? Explain what that means to you? Notice the positive and negative cadence of the writing. Who is the thief and how does he cause destruction in our lives (think back to the darknesses of chapter 8)? Yet, how has God provided you with a full (abundant) life? List the top three ways this is so. Why do we lose sight of His abundance so easily?
Read John 10:11-21 Twice Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd. How do you see this relating to Psalm 23 and how would this infuriate the Pharisees? Do you really feel known by God? Why or why not? What is Jesus meaning when He speaks of “one flock” and His own free will and authority?
Read John 10:22-33 How is this a summary statement to the Pharisees about who He is and who they aren’t? How does this give you hope? When He declares that “I and the Father are one” this is His most clear statement about His divinity. Why do you believe or doubt this statement? And why did they want to stone Him for it?
If Jesus is the Good Shepherd, how do you reconcile the fact that so many bad things happen in this world (including to you) and why is His voice so hard to hear at times?
APPLICATION
Exercise – If you had to write a one to two line summary of this chapter what would you write?Ponder – Throughout your day, how can you go about listening to the voice of Jesus more?
Pray – Jesus, help me to believe and follow you as my Good Shepherd.
RESOURCES
Gospel of John Simple Journal/Reading Plan (in lobby)
Gospel of John Overview Video [https://shorturl.at/hVyfX]