John 20:19-31 | God's peace
1. Introduction: thinking
about the resurrection
a) In your experience of Good
Friday and Easter recently, have you come to any new realisations about people
around us, your own life or death or Jesus’ death and resurrection?
2. Doubting and believing
in Jesus’ resurrection
a) Read v19-25.
The disciples other than
Thomas saw Jesus alive and saw the evidence that he truly was Jesus who had
been crucified (v20) and joyfully believed in him.
What evidence do we
have today? (see e.g. v31).
b) Why is believing in Jesus
important? (see v31 and John 1:29, John 3:16).
c) Think of someone you know
who is not a Christian believer or is a
nominal Christian or is struggling with belief.
What can you do or pray for
them?
3. The resurrection and
Jesus’ peace and presence
a) How does the world around
us seek personal peace?
b) Jesus offers believers his
- - - - through his presence with them (v19,21,26)
c) How does his peace come to
us? (v22)
d) The Holy Spirit is God and
is the Spirit of Christ (see Philippians 1:19 and Galatians 4:6). He is Jesus
being present with us and in us. How does this Bible truth affect our prayers?
e) Jesus offers us peace in
the midst of life’s difficulties. What are the circumstances in v19? What are
the circumstances in v21-23?
How does this help us live
life as followers of Jesus?
4.Jesus’ resurrection and
gospel mission
a) Following on from Jesus’
gift of peace, he commissions his disciples for a task together (v21).
The primary focus of this
mission is described in v23. What is his mission about?
b) Finish the sentence:
“The primary focus of our
mission as Christians together is to communicate ________”
c) “Some will accept the
good news of their sins forgiven through Jesus’ death and others will reject it
and so their sins will be retained by them”.
What do you think of this
summary of v23?
d) Jesus challenges Thomas :
“Stop doubting and believe” (v27)
When is this sort of
challenge appropriate in Gospel mission? Does it apply to you?
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