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DISCUSSION GUIDE

Welcome to the second week of our sermon series, THE FINAL WEEK. Our conversation this week is about three questions asked of and answered by Jesus.

If you could ask any single question of Jesus, what would it be?

Have a couple of people take turns reading Mark 12:13-34. What are some things that surprise you or stand out about this story?

 

FULLY HUMAN

Mark seems to set up the tone of this story between Jesus and those around him. Who were the two different groups of people asking this first question, and why might it be significant?

In what ways was this question a trap?

Have someone pull out a coin of some sort. What items are stamped into that coin, and what do they represent?

If we are “stamped” with God’s image, we represent God. What kinds of things would we choose to do if we were regularly mindful that we represent God?

 

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIE?

Note who asks question two. What does Mark write that tells us this might be an unusual question for them to ask?

Though this might seem like a confusing conversation to us, Jesus masterfully turns it back to them to focus instead on who the scriptures say God is. How is asking what the Bible tells us about God an excellent way to read Scripture?

Pastor Jeff Manion reminded us that what Jesus says should inspire loyalty in our lives because we are his now, and we will be his “then.” How can this part of the conversation bring you hope in your everyday life?

 

WHAT MATTERS MOST

The last question comes from someone who has been listening in and wonders what Jesus might say about the greatest of all commandments. We are familiar with Jesus’s response, but what might’ve been so significant about it for those who heard Jesus respond?

All the other commandments fall under the two big ones. Look up a list of the ten commandments. Which of “the greatest commands” do each of the ten belong to?

If God has authority over our lives, it means that we not only belong to God, but we also belong to each other. How should that impact the way we live and love those around us?

We can love God and love others because God first showed us his love. Yet, it is often a struggle to love others when they are so different from us. What are some ways we can still love someone we disagree with or who has a different background from us?

 

WRAP UP

Today we discussed three dangerous questions and how Jesus responded to them. Which of these do you see yourself continuing to think about through the rest of your week, and how will you live differently because of it?