Easter
Discussion Questions for Easter Week (April 9)
PREPARATION
BEGIN IN PRAYER
OPENING DISCUSSION
As you begin, discuss the following statement made by C. S. Lewis. Do you agree or disagree? How do Lewis’ words speak to your own life?
CONTEXT
Peter’s first letter was written to a group of churches scattered throughout ancient Asia Minor. These churches, situated in the ancient Roman Empire, were trying to navigate how to follow Jesus and be the people of God amidst the temptations, trials, and dangers of a culture that rejected Jesus Christ as their King. Peter begins this letter by referring to these churches as “elect exiles” (1:1), reminding his readers that though they live amidst the fallen kingdoms of this world, their true citizenship is in God’s Kingdom. Throughout the letter, Peter proceeds to show them how to live as elect exiles: set your hope fully on the coming of Christ (1:13), abstain from the passions of the flesh (2:11), submit to the authorities God has put in your life as a testimony to the world (2:12, 18, 3:1), live in unity and love (3:8ff), live fearless lives in the midst of suffering (3:14-15), show hospitality and use your gifts to serve others (4:9-10), rejoice in the midst of suffering (1:7; 4:13; 5:10), and stand firm in the grace of God as you wait for Christ (5:12).
SNAPSHOT
In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter begins his letter by reminding us that the Christian life constantly looks to the past, present, and future. As we look back to the death and resurrection of Jesus, our hearts look forward to his return, when he will give us the inheritance he won for us. This then gives us hope and joy amid our present sufferings.
OPENING DISCUSSION
As you begin, discuss the following statement made by C. S. Lewis. Do you agree or disagree? How do Lewis’ words speak to your own life?
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.
CONTEXT
Peter’s first letter was written to a group of churches scattered throughout ancient Asia Minor. These churches, situated in the ancient Roman Empire, were trying to navigate how to follow Jesus and be the people of God amidst the temptations, trials, and dangers of a culture that rejected Jesus Christ as their King. Peter begins this letter by referring to these churches as “elect exiles” (1:1), reminding his readers that though they live amidst the fallen kingdoms of this world, their true citizenship is in God’s Kingdom. Throughout the letter, Peter proceeds to show them how to live as elect exiles: set your hope fully on the coming of Christ (1:13), abstain from the passions of the flesh (2:11), submit to the authorities God has put in your life as a testimony to the world (2:12, 18, 3:1), live in unity and love (3:8ff), live fearless lives in the midst of suffering (3:14-15), show hospitality and use your gifts to serve others (4:9-10), rejoice in the midst of suffering (1:7; 4:13; 5:10), and stand firm in the grace of God as you wait for Christ (5:12).
SNAPSHOT
In 1 Peter 1:3-9, Peter begins his letter by reminding us that the Christian life constantly looks to the past, present, and future. As we look back to the death and resurrection of Jesus, our hearts look forward to his return, when he will give us the inheritance he won for us. This then gives us hope and joy amid our present sufferings.
READ
1 Peter 1:3-9
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
EXAMINE
- Spend some time examining the text together. What stands out? What do you notice? What is surprising? What questions do you have? 1
- What do we learn about the “new birth” from verse 4?
- Peter mentions the inheritance Christ won for us through his resurrection and describes it in 4 ways: imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept by God. What is this inheritance? And how do these descriptions help us understand its glory?
- Peter mentions “faith” in verses 5, 7, 8 (“believe”), and 9. What do we learn about faith from these verses?
APPLY
- In this passage, Peter describes the inheritance that Christ has won for us through his resurrection. And just as Jesus’ resurrection was physical, so is the inheritance he will give us. Many Christians imagine our inheritance as a disembodied existence in the sky. But this is not biblical. Read this quote by Randy Alcorn and share your reactions to it. Does this challenge your view of “heaven”? How does this change your desire for heaven?
“We do not desire to eat gravel. Why? Because God did not design us to eat gravel. Praying to develop an appetite for a disembodied existence in a non-physical Heaven is like trying to develop an appetite for gravel. No matter how sincere we are, and no matter how hard we try, it’s not going to work. Nor should it. What God made us to desire, and therefore what we do desire if we admit it, is exactly what he promises to those who follow Jesus Christ: a resurrected life in a resurrected body, with the resurrected Christ on a resurrected earth.”
- Peter says Christ gives us this imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance. It will be the opposite of this world, which is perishable, defiled, and fading. What are the most significant ways you have experienced and been affected by the reality that this present world is perishable (i.e., think of the death of friends, family, pets, etc.), defiled (think of the ways sin has corrupted your life, relationships, society, etc.), and fading (think of the fading nature of this life: our health, beauty, strength, hearing, and vision fades, relationships can fade, our ability to enjoy life, etc.).
- In contrast to this perishable, defiled, and fading world that has been so badly broken by sin, Jesus has won for us an imperishable inheritance (death will be no more), undefiled (sin will never corrupt it), and unfading (its glory will ever increase). Which of these qualities of our inheritance do you most anticipate and long for? Why?
PRAY
Peter began by blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation and inheritance he graciously gave us. End your time by doing the same.
1 Example Observations:
- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse three is exactly parallel to Paul’s words in Ephesians 1:3. This could have been a common greeting or liturgical element among the earliest believers.
- The chief blessing articulated in v3 is that we have been “born again.” (Cf Jn 3:3). Peter says that our new birth is rooted in God’s mercy, results in a “living hope”, and was accomplished through the resurrection of Jesus. (v3)
- In v3, Peter says we were born again to a living “hope”, and in v13 Peter exhorts us to set our “hope” fully on the return of Jesus Christ.
- The “living hope” in verse 3 is clarified as an inheritance in v4. And Peter shares 4 characteristics of this inheritance: imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept.
- V5 - just as the inheritance from v4 is being kept for us, Peter says in v5 that we are being kept (“guarded”) for it.
- V5 - the way we are being guarded is through faith. In other words, we are guarded until the day of Christ’s return by actively “trusting” or “hoping” in him and his salvation.
- V6 - “in this you rejoice” likely refers back to all the gospel gifts mentioned in verses 3-5.
- V7 - Peter says that “trials” test the genuineness of our faith and will result in glory to Jesus when he returns.
- Verses 8-9 - Peter is highlighting the dynamic of our present life: we don’t currently see the realties of the gospel fully (Christ reigning as king, sin and death defeated, our inheritance, etc). Rather, we most often see the opposite: suffering, sin, death, pain, disappointment, etc. Therefore, our present life is one of hope as we await the day when our faith will be made sight.
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