Holy Week
Discussion Questions for April 2 - 9
PREPARATION
BEGIN IN PRAYER
OPENING DISCUSSION
Describe the best gift you have ever received. What made the gift so special?
CONTEXT
Holy Week is the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus and, three days later, to his resurrection from the dead. On Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, while large crowds laid down palm branches and hailed him as the Messiah (Mark 11:1-11). On Monday, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree (a symbol of fruitless Israel), and then he entered the Jerusalem temple and drove out the money changers, who perverted the worship of God (11:12-19). On Tuesday, Jesus entered the temple again and began to expose that Israel, like the fig tree he cursed the day before, had become barren and dead. Ultimately, Jesus’ day in the temple ended with a prediction of the temple’s destruction (11:27-13-37). On Thursday, Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover, and Jesus transformed the meaning of the meal as pointing ultimately to his upcoming sacrificial death (14:12-25). On Friday, Jesus is crucified and killed (Mark 15:1-47).
SNAPSHOT
Today, to enter more fully into Holy Week, we will reflect on the death of Jesus as the gift of God’s love. And to do this, we will be meditating on Romans 5:6-11.
OPENING DISCUSSION
Describe the best gift you have ever received. What made the gift so special?
CONTEXT
Holy Week is the week leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus and, three days later, to his resurrection from the dead. On Sunday, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, while large crowds laid down palm branches and hailed him as the Messiah (Mark 11:1-11). On Monday, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree (a symbol of fruitless Israel), and then he entered the Jerusalem temple and drove out the money changers, who perverted the worship of God (11:12-19). On Tuesday, Jesus entered the temple again and began to expose that Israel, like the fig tree he cursed the day before, had become barren and dead. Ultimately, Jesus’ day in the temple ended with a prediction of the temple’s destruction (11:27-13-37). On Thursday, Jesus and his disciples celebrated the Passover, and Jesus transformed the meaning of the meal as pointing ultimately to his upcoming sacrificial death (14:12-25). On Friday, Jesus is crucified and killed (Mark 15:1-47).
SNAPSHOT
Today, to enter more fully into Holy Week, we will reflect on the death of Jesus as the gift of God’s love. And to do this, we will be meditating on Romans 5:6-11.
READ
ROMANS 5:6-11
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
EXAMINE
- Examine the text together. What do you notice? What stands out? What is surprising?1
- In verses 7-8, what makes God’s love so much different than human love?
- Verses 9 and 10 are parallel to one another. How are they similar, and how are they different?
- Paul doesn’t see any contradiction between a God who expresses judgment and wrath and a God whose love is infinitely higher and better than human love. How do you reconcile God’s wrath and God’s love?
APPLY
- In this text, Paul shows us the depth of Christ’s love for us in four ways. First, his love for us was costly; it cost him his very life. Second, his love for us was undeserved; we were ungodly and sinners against him. Third, his love gave us the most significant benefits: justification, reconciliation with God, and the hope of eternal life. And finally, his love for us was completely free and uncoerced. He didn’t have to save us; rather, he freely laid down his life for the undeserving. As Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “He loved me and gave himself for me.” Which of these four aspects of Christ’s love stands out to you most and why?
- In closing, pull up the song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.” Listen to this song as a group and let your hearts be affected and moved by the love of God as we prepare our hearts for Good Friday.
PRAY
Close in prayer by “rejoicing in God through Christ, through whom we have received reconciliation.”
1Example Observations:
- Verse 6 - “weak” stands in parallel with “ungodly”
- Verse 6 - the word “weak” portrays us not merely as rebellious sinners, but also as helpless
- Verse 6 - “Christ died for the ungodly”. This is language substitutionary atonement. Christ did not merely die as an example, but he actually died “for” or “in the place of” the ungodly.
- Verse 7 - Paul is making the argument that most people probably would even be willing to die for a really good person
- Verse 8 - Paul contrasts God’s love with the way most people operate. God shows his love precisely to his enemies
- Verse 8 - “For us”. The “us” here refers to Christians who have put their faith in Christ. God showed his love “for us” and Christ died “for us.” This is a beautiful picture of the personal nature of God’s love.
- V9 - “Justified by his blood” - The word “justified” means to be declared righteous. We who were sinful and ungodly, have now been declared righteous “by his blood”. That is, Jesus the righteous one, died a sinner’s death so that sinners might receive his righteousness as a gift.
- V9 - Because we have been justified by Jesus’ blood, we will be saved from the “wrath of God”. In other words, because Jesus willingly endured the judgment we deserved, we will be saved from that judgment.
- V10 - Paul says that Jesus’ death for us reconciled us to God.
- V11 - Understanding God’s love for us in Christ leads to “rejoicing” in God through Christ.
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