Learning Jesus | Week 15
Learning Jesus Week 15
THE BREAD OF LIFE II
Key Word – Eat >> Central Passage – BIBLE CHALLENGE WEEK! See below.
Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.
GK Chesterson
Just as God sent manna from heaven to wandering desert Jews so He sent His Bread of LIfe to a needy world. Still many turned away when Jesus said “My flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” Those who left Jesus said His words were too “hard.”
What was so hard about His Word? Consider Hebrews 4:12 –"The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” This week we want everyone together to “try” (see quote above).
Bible Challenge -- Since we started this semester, we have been focusing on how Jesus trained His twelve apostles at every opportunity. Whatever they did in any given day He turned it into an object lesson and spoke words so that they would see His point. What if we heard Jesus’ words every day and then filtered our day through them? Like last week our key word this lesson is “EAT.” We are challenging every Learning Jesus disciple to read-EAT Jesus’ words every day and then to text their group about how these words filtered into their day’s experiences. Remember you can listen to the passages at http://gracelaredo.org/learningjesus. Listening takes maybe ten minutes, and this would be a great way to start your morning.
Since we are not focusing on a Central Passage, here’s what we want you to do. Put a star next to 3 questions or so that you were able to complete that you found fully satisfying and want to share with your group during the re-jesus space. If you found one day’s lesson, more impactful, then share that in your group text.
Day 1 – John 6:41-71
Background Notes – We can further see that John is alluding to God’s provision for the Israelites in the wilderness because he uses the same word “grumble” that is used in Exodus 16-17. First they complained that they did not have bread as they did in Egypt, but then AFTER God provided manna, the Israelites complained about the manna. Moses’ response to these complainers is that they were not complaining against him but against God Himself; so their response shows not a lack of faith in Moses, but in God.
1. Jesus both compares Himself as the bread of life to manna and then contrasts Himself to manna.
o What is His point about Himself when He compares Himself to manna?
o What is His point about Himself when He contrasts Himself to manna?
2. Keep in mind that Jesus is still purposefully speaking in parables since the nation is under judgment for rejecting Him. You may be wondering how anyone could come to Jesus since He spoke in parables that were difficult to understand. Jesus gives the answer three times –
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. John 6:37, 39
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me – John 6:44-45
But there are some of you who do not believe....And this is why I told you that not one came come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. John 6:64a, 65
If you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, was buried, rose again on the third day, then you are born again. The Holy Spirit has regenerated you. See John 6:63. According to Jesus’ three statements above, how is it that you were ableto believe? Write a short praise to God about that.
3. Some believe that when Jesus talks about eating His body and drinking His blood, that He is referring to the celebration of communion, but partaking of communion does not impart eternal life (John 6:47). Re-read John 6:53-58. How does eating bread compare to your eternal relationship with Jesus? Consider what that looks like right now and what it could like as you grow to trust Him more.
This week’s memory verse -- John 6:68-69.
Day 2
Mark 7:1-8
Background Notes – Mark, writing for a Gentile audience, includes explanations in his account of this incident that Matthew, writing for a Jewish audience, did not need to include. Note the use of the phrasing “tradition of the elders”; this refers to Pharisaic teachings, man-made commands compiled in the Mishnah.
The Pharisees wrote much about ceremonial washing, but a few things they taught about hand washing in particular include these: 1. Three sins lead to poverty. One is not washing your hands before eating. 2. It’s better to walk four miles to water than to take even the smallest seed without washing hands. 3. He who does not wash his hands is no better than a murderer or one who goes to a prostitute. The problem is that Pharisaic teachings were regarded as equal or even above God’s own commands in Scripture.
1. Jesus is quoting from the prophet Isaiah in Mark 7:6b-7, but God is talking. How is Jesus applying what God says: “This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” in relation to the Pharisees’ practices?
Read Mark 7:9-23.
Background Notes – Jesus said, “You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Next He gives an example of a command of God the Pharisees “let go of.” The Pharisees devised a practice called “Corban,” that supposedly meant they were dedicating their goods to God. Upon declaring property “Corban,” a Pharisee could not give it away to anyone else, including his own elderly parents. He could still, however, continue to use the property for his own private use. So instead of obeying God’s command to honor his elderly parents by supporting them financially, a Pharisee conveniently declared his property as “Corban,” which really meant he was dedicated his goods for himself.
2. How did the practice of corban “make void the word of God”? (Mark 7:13).
3. Jesus is schooling both Israel’s current shepherds and His soon-to-be shepherds of the Church.
o Why do you think Jesus chose this particular commandment about honoring parents to make His point about the Pharisees’ hearts or what defiles every human heart? (See Mark 7:14-23.)
o Why must the apostles learn to stand upon the Word and not man’s traditions?
In Matthew’s account, the disciples tell Jesus that He had offended the Pharisees. Jesus replies, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.
Day 3
Read Matthew 15:21-28.
Background Notes – In Mark’s account Jesus came to a house in this Gentile region to get away from the crowds and spend time with His disciples, but even here He could not keep His presence a secret, and a Gentile woman approaches Him.
The woman called Jesus the Son of David because she was asking for a miracle based on her belief that He was the Jewish Messiah. Since at this point in His ministry, Jesus’ kingdom mission is to proclaim the kingdom to Israel only, He does not initially speak to her.
The word Jesus used for “dog” is the diminutive kynaria, meaning “puppies” and refers to a household pet that might be fed from the table but not from the children’s portions. The woman’s answer reveals that she understood that the Gentiles could receive benefits from the Jewish covenants with Yahweh.
1. Jesus said this Gentile woman had “great faith.” Consider the notes above and the details in the passage. How did the woman display commendable faith that you want to emulate?
Read Matthew 15:29-38.
Background Notes – Jesus withdrew again into Gentile territory to Decapolis, meaning ten cities. One of those cities is Gadara, where Jesus casted out a legion of demons and gave them permission to enter the pigs. Remember how one of the healed men asked to become Jesus’ disciple. Jesus commanded this healed man to go and tell everyone how God had compassion on him. Now in this mainly Gentile audience of 4,000 we see the result of the healed man’s testimony!
Many scholars compare and contrast the stories of Jesus feeding the 5,000 Jews to Jesus feeding the 4,000 Gentiles. They believe that the twelve baskets of bread leftover represent the twelve tribes of Israel while the seven baskets leftover represent either the seven Canaanite nations or the seven commands comprising the covenant God made with Noah. This is not a Jewish covenant since Noah precedes Abraham.
2. Why do you think Jesus performed the same miracle in almost the same way once for the Jews and once for the Gentiles? Consider again that Jesus is training the Twelve.
3. How do today’s two stories foreshadow that Gentiles shall one day also eat spiritual bread?
Why did God first make Israel His chosen nation and then choose to include Gentiles into the family of God? In Acts 10 we read how the Gentiles also received the gift of salvation. In this age, God is calling out from the Gentiles a people for His name (Acts 15:14) until the fullness of the Gentiles is complete. Then Jesus will rapture the church, and God will continue His end time plan for the nation of Israel. Paul writes about the wisdom and purpose of God’s plan for both the Gentiles and the Jews in several epistles. Here is an article you might find helpful -- https://www.gotquestions.org/fullness-of-the-Gentiles.html.
Day 4
Background Notes – Jesus has now fed bread to 5,000 Jewish men with their women and children and to 4,000 Gentile men with their women and children. To the Jews only He claimed that He Himself is the bread from heaven and stated, “I am the bread of life.”
Read Matthew 15:39-16:4.
Now in this story, the Pharisees and Sadducees team up to “test” Him by requesting another “sign from heaven.” Remember that the Jews believed only the Messiah could cast out a demon from a deaf-mute. But when Jesus performed this sign of Messiahship, Jewish leadership claimed this sign came not from heaven, but hell (See Matthew 12). Jesus again promised only “the sign of Jonah” just as He had done following His official rejection. Remember Jonah was an Old Testament prophet who was resurrected after being swallowed by a large fish (Jonah 1-2). So resurrection like Jonah’s is the only sign Israel will receive that points to Jesus being their true Messiah.
1. Review Jesus’ response. Why does Jesus use every opportunity to chastise the Jewish leaders for focusing on the physical instead of the spiritual?
Read Matthew 16:5-12.
Background Notes – Re-read this passage again. Notice that Jesus followed the Twelve’s reasoning with FIVE questions. We cannot determine His tone definitively, but our guess is Jesus dripped sarcasm. Again, leaven used as a metaphor symbolizes sin. Each of Jesus’ opponents deny Jesus as Messiah and slander His character in some way:
1. The Pharisees state He performs miracles through Satan’s power.
2. The Sadducees do not believe in demons, so they state that He is against Temple ministry. They control the money changers and those who sell sacrifices at the Temple. Remember Jesus accused them of turning His Father’s House into a business for personal gain.
3. In Mark’s account, the Herodians slander Jesus by saying He opposed Roman rule. (Herod was basically Roman’s puppet king.)
2. In our first story, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and Sadducees for not paying attention to the spiritual signs that He is the Messiah. In the second story Jesus rebukes His apostles for fixating on physical food without giving any attention to what they are potentially feeding their hearts. The Pharisees and Sadducees are current shepherds; the apostles are future shepherds.
o Why must shepherds be on constant alert? You may need to re-read the passage to answer.
o What are the Twelve learning about their former shepherd-leaders?
3. We are all called to make disciples and this involves protecting those we shepherd from the Pharisees, Saducees, and Herodians of our day.
Make a list of things false teachers today say about Jesus and His followers. Check off the ones that you are able today to combat using the Bible and wisdom. Bring the ones you cannot combat readily to your group for discussion.
Day 5
Background Notes – Notice how in this story, Jesus heals a blind man in two stages. This is the only time Jesus heals in this way, so His purpose for not healing instantaneously must be to teach the Twelve something. In the text before this the apostles thought He was upset about the lack of physical bread when really He was warning them about the leaven (sin of denying Him as Messiah) of Jewish leadership. Keep this in mind.
Read Mark 8:22-26.
1. Describe the two-stage process to Jesus’ healing AND the healed man’s two-stage process to sight AND faith.
Read Matthew 16:13-20.
2. At Mount Hermon in Gentile territory away from crowds and Jewish leadership, Jesus tests the apostles with a question (Matthew 16:15). In the Greek, you can emphasize your point by moving your key word to the front of your sentence. So Jesus asks, “But YOU, who do you say I am?”
o What is Peter’s reply?
o What’s so awesome about it?
o According to Jesus how does Peter know this?
With this account we can see that the healing of the blind man in two stages represents how the Twelve began with partial sight, but with Peter’s declaration of Jesus as the Messiah, they see who Jesus is. They passed their test. Still they do not yet see God’s plan for Jesus’ death and resurrection.
3. Jesus is who Jesus is regardless of what we know or how we feel about Him. God has revealed all we need to know about Jesus in the Bible.
o What is one thing that you initially wrestled with regarding the Person or the Words or the Work of Jesus that you now know to be true...and even have come to fully embrace and appreciate?
o What was the result of your yielding to what God’s Word said about His Son?
Deep Think (Totally Optional)
This is often a misunderstood passage, so let’s take a moment to understand what Jesus is really saying --
Jesus takes the Twelve to Caesarea Philippi, which is at the base of Mount Hermon. At the base of a massive cliff of rock is a cave. In Jesus’ day a river flowed from the cave leaving small stones. In the Greek, Jesus calls Peter petros, “small stone,” using a masculine noun, but then says that on this rock petra, “cliff” using a feminine noun, I will build my church. This is the first time the word “church” is used in the New Testament. Jesus is saying that HE is the foundation (big rock) of the Church. The Church will be built upon the words Peter just stated “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. (See Ephesians 2:20-22.)
Jesus is not referring to a church building or to any branch of Christianity (Catholic, Greek Orthodox, or Protestant). But rather the Church consists of ALL true believers who trust Jesus alone for their salvation; some refer to this as the Invisible Church of believers.
The Greek grammar makes it clear that the church is NOT built upon Peter; he is neither the first pope nor establishing any sort of papal succession. But Jesus is saying that Peter will be given the keys to the kingdom. Keys symbolize authority; and the book of Acts records how Peter opens the gospel door to first the Jews (Acts 2), then the Samaritans (Acts 8), and finally to the Gentiles (Acts 10). The first time the Holy Spirit fell upon each of these people groups Peter is present exercising apostolic authority either through preaching or the laying of hands. The purpose in giving Peter the keys was to authenticate that God indeed was including all peoples into the family of God when the Holy Spirit filled not only Jews but Samaritans and Gentiles.
In addition, Jesus gave all the Twelve the authority to bind and loose. In rabbinic thinking of the day “to bind” was to forbid or to punish, and “to loose” was to permit or to set free from punishment. In other words, Jesus gave the apostles the authority to legislate and to judge, and we see them exercising this authority in Acts and the Epistles.
For further study, read Acts 2, 8, and 10, and Ephesians 2-3.
How does knowing all this brainy stuff lead you to worship the God of the Word? You might choose to answer this in the form of a prayer to God.
re-jesus space
This re-jesus space is where we will take time as a Christ community to ensure we are applying the truth we know to our lives in real time. Not just talking about what we will do, but doing it now and together.
1. Choose one key thing that stood out to you this week and share it with your group. It might be something that you feel kept being repeated throughout the lesson.
o Share it as one who wants to encourage a fellow disciplemaker to love God more deeply.
o How should this love now transfer into how you live? Share with vulnerability about something specific you want God to transform in you as you apply the truth you know.
2. We are not one of the twelve apostles, but we are all called to make disciples.
o Given what you learned this week about what Jesus was teaching the Twelve, how should we be praying for ourselves as disciplemakers. Make a list below.
o Pray over your list.
3. Each spring Grace chooses to serve our community during a week we call Hands of Grace. This year’s focus is going to give you an opportunity to shepherd-lead our city using the gifts God has given you. Consider that many in our city are “like sheep without a Shepherd.” Your leader will have directions for Hands of Grace 2024. Use this space to plan and pray regarding your group’s ideas and choices.
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Optional – Choose your own Central Passage if a particular lesson most impacted your group.
• But overall, we ecourage you to devote most of the time to the re-jesus space which focuses heavily on applying what you learned in your Bible Challenge.
God’s joy & strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org