Entering the Gates
Revisiting the Passion – where to begin?
1. Our pastor's Lenten sermon series follows two
disciples on the road to Emmaus, effectively preparing us for the story of the
Passion by beginning after it has happened. What do you think we gain by
viewing a familiar story from an unexpected starting point?
2.
Without looking at the later questions, where
might you choose as a starting point to the story of Easter?
3.
Genesis 3:15 promises enmity between Satan and
the offspring of woman. Why might this be a good starting point?
4.
In Genesis 12:1-3 God promises a descendant of
Abraham will bless all families of the earth. Could you start here?
5.
What other Biblical prophecies might make good
starting points?
6.
What about the suffering servant is Isaiah 53,
or perhaps Psalm 22? What aspect of the Passion would these passages bring out
most clearly?
7.
You could start the story with the birth of
Jesus. What aspect of the story would this emphasize?
8.
Or you could choose a more traditional starting
point—Jesus heading toward his death... But there are still choices to be made.
Again, without looking ahead, what places might you choose to start your story?
9.
Do you know how many times Jesus prophesied his
death, or how his disciples reacted?
10.
Read Mark 8:31-33. What has just happened? Why
is Jesus’ reaction so strong? What message might it convey today?
11.
Read Mark 9:30-32. What is happening here? Why
do the disciples still not understand? Do we understand?
12.
Now read Matthew 20:17-19. Why might there be
three recorded predictions of Jesus’ death? What’s different about this one?
How do you imagine the disciples felt now?
13.
What does the Gospel of John tell us about Jesus
as he heads to Jerusalem this final time? Read John 11:1-16. What is unique
about this story, and how is it uniquely relevant to the Passion?
14.
The traditional Passion story starts with Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem, but what events lead up to this?
15.
Read John 12:1-3. Is there another occasion when
Jesus’ feet are wiped with hair? Do you think both stories are the same? What
might be special about Mary anointing Jesus before Passover? How might the
entry into Jerusalem relate to the anointing? (And how might we guess how many
days remain to Passover?)
16.
Read Matthew 21:1-5 and Zechariah 9:9. Is Jesus
deliberately fulfilling prophesy or could there be some deeper meaning?
17.
How far did Jesus ride the donkey? Do we know
where Bethany, Bethphage and Bethlehem are?
18.
Read Luke 19:40, Habakkuk 2:11. Do you see any
connection?
19.
When I was growing up, we read the story of the
triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, and we, the people, said “Hosanna!” in the
appropriate places. Later the same week we read the Passion story and we, the
people, said “Crucify him!” How might you feel, being asked, effectively, to
identify with the people who crucified Jesus?
20.
Matthew follows the triumphal entry immediately
with the cleansing of the Temple. John starts his story of Christ’s ministry
with the cleansing. What different emphases do the “starting points” give us,
and what does this tell us about how much we can trust the Biblical accounts?
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