I Am – Part 3

Everyone Follows Someone John 10:1-21 January 17th, 2016

 

I. RECONNECT with the CONTEXT. (John 8-9)
A. Last weeks BACK and FORTH. (8:12-59)
B. WORKING to DISCREDIT Jesus. (9:1-34)
C. Spiritually BLIND and yet UNAWARE. (9:35-41)

Jesus was stirring up trouble in our text last week. If you remember He kept saying things and making points that had the religious leaders so angry that they wanted to stone Him. He keeps it up in John 9, healing a man who had been born blindon the Sabbath, no less. They keep getting angrier and angrier. He cant be who He claims to beor can He?

1. As you look at the flow of the text from John 8-10, what incidents or exchanges stand out to you? Why?
2. Why do you think the religious leaders had such a hard time seeing what the blind man saw with very little effort?
3. How can we know if we miss Jesus in the business of our lives or in the blindness of our preconceived expectations?

II. The CONVERSATION CONTINUES (10:1-21)
A. They dont CATCH what He is SAYING. (10:1-6)
B. The GATE and the GOOD SHEPHERD. (10:7-18)
C. Peoples OPINIONS are DIVIDED. (10:19-21)
D. We are LOOKING for a LEADER. (9:36)

John 10 continues the conversation that has been going on with the Pharisees all throughout this feast celebration. And, as usual, they did not understand what Jesus was telling them. (v.6) He speaks in metaphor, but they cant seem to grasp what the sheep figure out right away.

4. What do you see as important in the idea of Jesus as the gate? What clues does the text give about that?
5. What do you see as important in the idea of Jesus as the good Shepherd? What clues does the text give about that?
6. In what ways are peoples opinions divided about Jesus today? What are the reasons for this divergence of opinion?

III. The WAY of the ONE who is the WAY.
A. He gives SIGHT to those who ADMIT blindness. (9:39-41)
B. He KNOWS us and is KNOWABLE to us. (10:3-4; Jn 1:14; Phil 3:7-8)
C. He LEADS us to full LIFE. (10:10; 2 Pet. 1:3-4)
D. He loves THROUGH DEATH to life. (10:18; I Cor. 15:50-54)

Is He the gate or is He the good Shepherd? How can He be both in one metaphorical story? What is Jesus trying to say here? Sometimes its hard to realize what it is that He is telling themjust as they struggled to understand. The key thread is that He is the way inand His way is the good and life-giving way.

7. In what areas are you able to easily admit weakness? In what areas is it more difficult? What makes the difference?
8. The sheep know His voice. When have you known that God was calling you to something? When has His voice been harder to know?
9. What as a practical example from your own life that illustrates what Jesus is saying in John 10:10?
10. What does the fact that God would die for you stir within your heart and mind?