Opening questions: This chapter records a series of very personal interactions between Jesus and His disciples. Why are they so important? What questions do you have from the text? Shortly before His arrest, Jesus made this statement to His apostles: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: How does the resurrection provide the ultimate reason to believe in Jesus? What questions do you have from the text? As Jesus was revealing to His disciples that He would be leaving them and returning to the Father, He told them, “I have told you before it takes place, so that when it... Continue Reading →

Opening questions: How does the account of Jesus’ crucifixion increase your faith in the Son of God? What questions do you have from the text? Shortly after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus asked the Father to “glorify your name.” The Father immediately responded, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John... Continue Reading →

Opening questions: What do we learn about the King and His Kingdom in this text? What questions do you have from the text? “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: What do you learn about prayer from Jesus’ prayer in this chapter? What questions do you have from the text? The gospels attest that Jesus was a man of prayer (see Luke 3.21; 5.16; 6.12; 9.18,28; 11.1; 22.42; 23.34,46). However, we rarely see the contents of His prayers (Matthew 6.9f is an example... Continue Reading →

Opening questions: How did Jesus prepare His disciples for the hatred of the world? Why was the coming of the Helper so important? What questions do you have from the text? As Jesus continued His discourse with the apostles, the tone shifted slightly. Whereas the first part of the discourse focused on how the disciples... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: How did Jesus seek to comfort His disciples in John 14.1-15.17? How does a vine and its branches represent our relationship with Jesus (John 15.1-11)? What questions do you have from the text? As Jesus’ hour approached, John recorded on two occasions that the Lord’s spirit was troubled. The first was after Greeks... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: What was the significance of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet (hint: it was significant for more than one reason)? Why did Jesus reveal that Judas would betray Him and that Peter would deny Him? What questions do you have from the text? All four gospel accounts record Jesus’ celebrating the Passover with His... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: John 12 records Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem when the crowds heralded His arrival. However, the same crowd would demand His crucifixion. How does John 12 prepare us for the peoples’ rejection of Jesus? What questions do you have from the text? The raising of Lazarus from the dead was a truly notable... Continue Reading →

Opening Questions: What do you learn about how believers can struggle with their faith? How did raising Lazarus from the dead glorify both Jesus and the Father? What questions do you have from the text? One of the opening claims about Jesus was "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men"... Continue Reading →