LifeGroup Notes

BIG IDEA

We see a great praise from God in the Testimony he gives of Jesus. What a powerful way to support His Son by telling those around Jesus about Him. We see throughout the Bible that God is proud of Jesus, the first born from the dead, and that all who come to Christ will have eternal life with Christ.

Passages we’ll review:
Matthew 17: 1-17

OPEN
As you open up tonight, think the relationship between God the Father and God the Son? In what ways does God speak of Jesus?

What jumped out at you from the message this week? What challenged you this week?

[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 impacted you more than others?

READ

Read Matthew 17: 1-13
In Christian teachings, the transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place of the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus himself as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth.

What is another important moment in the Bible where a great figure went up on a mountain and met in front of God? (Exodus 19) What similarities and differences do you see between the two events?

Jesus takes three of His disciples (Peter, James, John) up with Him on the Mount of Olives. During Jesus’ transfiguration, two other people show up.

Who are the two prophets that show up during Jesus transfiguration? What significance does this have with the Old testament? How does this foreshadow to the Book of Revelation?

When you hear God speak, “This my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to Him!”. This is the second time God comes down to speak of His Son during Jesus time on earth. The first is during Jesus baptism when he states, “This is my beloved Son, with who I am well-pleased” (Matt. 3:17). It’s a great picture of the acceptance and love God has for Jesus, that even before He starts His ministry God is proud of Him. This shows that God’s love is not based on WHAT Jesus does but WHO He is; God loves Him regardless of what is to come. And again, during the transfiguration God states His love for His Son again before commanding the disciples to listen to Him!

As a parent or grandparent, how does the love God shows for Jesus at His baptism show us how to love our own children or grandchildren?

God states with great authority that we should listen to His Son. What do you take away from this statement as a follower of Christ?

Amongst this great event, stand three men who chose to follow Christ, and even throughout their time with Jesus, didn’t always “see the big picture” in what Jesus was telling them. These three disciples are referred to historically as the pillars of the early church, and went about building her up despite opposition on all sides. They were persecuted, tortured, exiled, and it’s known that at least two of the three were martyred. No doubt
experiences like this, along with the resurrection, and the ascension, that lead them to lead a life, testifying to the true nature of Jesus. Even to the point of death.

What does your testimony say about how Jesus impacted your life? How often to do you share Christ with others around you?

LET’S PRAY
We see many testimonies about Christ through this weeks study. God the Father, the prophets, the disciples, and even nature speak to the deity of Jesus Christ. Be in prayer this week that you may give testimony to Christ and thank Him for all He has done and will do for you. Pray that your testimony will be shared with others and that they will be brought into eternal life with God, through Christ, and be able to spread the Good News to others around us.