Faith in Tough Times: Small Group Questions 6/25/2014
Scriptures: John 11: 1-3, 17-27, 38-44; 2 Corinthians 4:
16-18
1)
What did you notice when you put the
paper towel in the water?
a.
The paper towel doesn’t dissolve or sink. Our problems
that we wrote down didn’t disappear, but they did run and bleed. They changed.
And this change symbolizes how Jesus takes our tough times and leads us through
them, helping us deal with the emotions they cause. This is what it’s like when
we put our faith in Jesus during the hard times.
2) Reread verses 1-3. What do we know about
Jesus’ feelings toward Lazarus?
a.
Jesus
loved and cared for Lazarus
3) Read verse 6. What do you think about this?
How does this affect our expectations about Jesus?
a.
It can be hard for us to accept that Jesus had a
greater plan here than making Lazarus well. If we had sent this message to
Jesus we would have expected Him to come right away. But this speaks to how
Jesus views our tough times. Making tough times go away isn’t always Jesus’
goal. Helping us through a tough time seems to be more important to Jesus.
4)
If you were in Martha’s place how do you
think that you would react to Jesus’ “late” arrival? Would it be similar to
Martha’s or different? In what ways?
a.
(answers will vary)
5)
Read verse 35. What do we learn about
Jesus’ character and by extension the trinity as well?
a.
That He
grieves with us. God is not detached from our suffering. If we believe, as
those who have been saved by faith in Christ’s person and work on the cross,
that God’s Spirit is truly with us, we have to believe that God is present in
our suffering. Jesus hurt because He loved Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. HE
hurt because they hurt. He hurts for and with us as well.
6)
What does Paul mean when he tells us to
fix our eyes on the “unseen” instead of the “seen”? How do we see Martha
modeling this in her initial response to Jesus in verse 24?
a.
The
“seen” refers to the things of this earth, these are temporary and un-lasting.
The “unseen” is the eternal. It is the “heavenly,” the eternal lifetime of
relationship with God we have waiting for us after this life. Martha could make
sense of her brother’s death, and her frustration with Jesus, because she took
an eternal perspective.
7)
What about you? Do you accept Jesus’
desire to walk beside us during tough times? Or do you blame Him for what He
does or doesn’t do for you?
a.
(answers will vary) Guide the discussion by using your own story of times when you would
rather trust in what Jesus will do, instead of the reality of having faith in
who He is.
