Looking for a Hero? {Gospel of John}

Hero. Now there’s a word whose definition has evolved (for better or worse) over the years. It’s the human condition to seek the ‘wow’ factor in ourself or in others. This week’s study will have us looking more closely at heroes, suffering, and worship.

Continuing in our study of John’s Gospel, here are some reflection questions to engage our  thoughts, hearts, and conversation in the upcoming week. Don’t be shy about leaving an answer to the reflection or a question in the comment field. I love learning new things from you!

Celebrities & Saints

         Reading Prep: John 1:19-51, Metzger pp.43-55

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1) As you read John 1:19-51, what do you note as unusual?

2) “Jesus never engages individuals and communities in a rote manner. If you presume that Jesus encounters people—including you—in a predictable and methodical manner, you are in for a rude awakening” (p. 43). In what ways has Jesus surprised you in the way He has encountered you? What challenges does this pose in our discipleship?

3) Pages 43-47 are an overview of John 1:19-4:54. From this overview, what would you say are God’s goals for our discipleship?

4) Celebrities and Saints: What is Metzger’s definition of a hero? Why is there a propensity to settle for and aspire to be celebrities?

5) Ancient church heroes “reflect lives absorbed by redemptive suffering.” What lies are we apt to believe about suffering? How do we guard against being self-absorbed, even in our suffering? How does Metzger say we can be more “relational”?

6) What does Metzger say is the Saint’s defining question? How does that connect to some point of suffering in your own life?

7) Read Genesis 28:10-22. Jesus=the ultimate Bethel. What does this mean to you? How can this truth increase your worship?

These questions are from the current study of “The Gospel of John: When Love Comes to Town” by Paul Louis Metzger. (Here’s a link to the original invitation to join us in learning about Jesus from John’s Gospel.) You’re invited to join the conversation!