Breaking Ground
Share about an experience where you felt truly bonded with another person or group of people. What was going on? How did it feel? How did that impact your relationship moving forward?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ by exploring Jesus’ prayer for his disciples (present & future) from the Gospel of John. In it, Jesus prays for unity amongst those who’d follow him.
Begin by reflecting on the nature of unity.
What comes to mind when you hear unity or union? What is required for people to be united? What most often gets in the way of unity or union forming?
Next, read John 17:6-26. In John, this prayer immediately precedes Jesus’ arrest. As such, it serves as his final words to his disciples.
What stands out to you the most about this prayer? Why does Jesus focus on unity in his final words to his disciples?
What does Jesus uphold as the basis for unity? How does God’s character & nature shape his vision of unity?
What does Jesus perceive as being potential challenges for his disciples (both past & present)? How will developing a sense of unity or union help them better navigate these hardships together?
Close by reflecting on our world in this present season.
Where do you see the most division between people? How is this impacting people both individually & corporately?
How might a failure to seek union with one another be at the root of the division you’ve identified? How would seeking unity transform the divisive postures & actions that you identified in the previous question?
How can you become an agent of unity & union that Jesus calls his disciples to be? What internal postures & external actions would you personally need to change in order to become one?
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the story from the story & how you can find yourself within it during this season of your life.
- Read John 17:6-26. First, break this story or teaching down into pieces. What is Jesus doing or saying? How are people responding to him? What changes by the end of the story?
- Next, close your eyes & reflect upon the story. Imagine yourself in it. Put yourself into the space of the various characters & imagine what it would be like to encounter Jesus in the story.
- What images, teachings, or ideas speak to you the most in this story? What intrigues or confuses you? What feelings arose as you thought about being in the story? How can this story impact your life & your relationship with Jesus in this next season?
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Simply Jesus by NT Wright
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, April 13th: Join us next Sunday as we continue our series Jesus the Christ! * Please see mye3.org for details.