LifeGroup Notes
BIG IDEA
Jesus revealed to His followers that He was completely God: holy, perfect, powerful. He came to be our Redeemer, to pay the penalty for our sin, but He knew no sin. He came in order that we could be restored in our relationship with God. His holiness sets Him apart from everything else; even the demons know who He is!
While many followers turned away from Him, others finally began to understand the significance and true worth of His title, “The Holy One of God.”
Passages we’ll review:
John 6:60-71; Romans 7:18; Mark 1:21-28; James 2:19; 1 John 4:4
OPEN
What jumped out at you from the message this week? What led you to really think or even better, to change your actions?
What are some of the hard things you have had to deal with in life? What made them hard? Were they worth the effort? Why or why not?
[WATCH THE VIDEO]
Make sure everyone can see the screen and the audio is at a comfortable level.
What jumped out at you from the video in this session? What are some of the key points that affected you more than others?
READ
Read John 6:60-71
As we reflect back on Sunday’s message, why did the disciples claim that Jesus’ teaching was hard?
In verse 63, we read: “The Spirit is the one who gives life, the flesh doesn’t help at all.” How does this relate to what we have studied previously in our current series “Remarkable?”
Read Romans 7:18
How does this tie in with what Jesus was teaching?
As many of Jesus’ followers turned away from Him at this point, Jesus turned to His twelve disciples and asked them, “You don’t want to go, too, do you?”
How did Peter respond? Who did he declare Jesus to be?
While Jesus’ words were indeed hard, they were also life-giving. Peter knew that Jesus was indeed God in human flesh. He had seen the miracles and heard His teachings. He had a choice to either accept Jesus as Lord and surrender to Him or to deny Him. Peter chose wisely to follow Him. However, not all who know of His power will choose to follow Him.
Read John 6:47-51
Last week, we learned that Jesus is the true Bread of Life. In this context, to eat of Him means to believe in Him.
What did Jesus promise to those who eat of the Living Bread?
Read Mark 1:21-28
Why do you think the people in the synagogue were so amazed at Jesus’ preaching?
As we have already seen throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus was not like the teachers they were used to - the scribes and Pharisees. This becomes very evident as Jesus began teaching at the synagogue in Capernaum.
Who spoke out as Jesus was teaching? Why do you think this was significant?
What name did the demon use to identify Jesus?
As Jesus responded to the demon, what two things did he command of the demon?
We see that even the demon couldn’t resist Jesus’ commands. In James 2:19, how do the demons respond to God?
We can take heart in knowing that the demons tremble at the mention of the name of Jesus. In this life, we will face spiritual battles. While the enemy can be strong, even stronger than us, we know that Jesus is stronger still.
Read 1 John 4:4
What hope are we given?
As a result of Jesus’ act, we see that the people were “amazed,” and word of what Jesus had done spread throughout Galilee, yet many only followed Him for what He could do for them.
Peter, however, knew that Jesus Christ was the giver of eternal life. He also knew that, while the cost was great, the dividend was immeasurable, and he chose to follow Christ despite the difficulty and hardships he might face.
What is our weapon against the philosophy and the emptiness that comes from human traditions?
LET’S PRAY
As we have seen in this week’s study, we have two ways in which we can respond to Jesus as “The Holy One of God.” We can choose to acknowledge Him and follow Him, regardless of the cost, because He is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. Or, we can acknowledge who He is, but refuse to follow Him because of our unwillingness to surrender fully to Him and to live according to His teachings. How will you respond to His authority?
As we go through life, we will encounter spiritual warfare. We have seen in our study that Jesus has authority over everything, including Satan and demonic forces. We can be encouraged in knowing that Jesus has overcome the enemy! When we choose to follow Him, we can rest assured that the victory is ours, as well.
Paul reminds us: “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Corinthians 15:57) When we find ourselves in the midst of a battle, may we remember that He is the source of our strength and our victory, and seek His help in our time of need.