leader guide

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A Lenten Study

LEADER GUIDE

Week 1, March 5: The First Word - Mercy SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin this first week’s small-group time by sharing one thing you hope to get out of this study. Is there anything you’re apprehensive about? If your group has been meeting together for a while, consider also sharing something God is teaching you or “working out” in you these days. Next, read aloud the opening reflection followed by the Scripture passage. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 5. Give ample time for this section each week, encouraging group members to set aside time for working on that page, however illequipped they feel for the task, before coming to the small group. Remind them that the Holy Spirit is our ultimate teacher and to ask Him for the help He is eager to give (John 14:26)! Big Idea: Jesus is merciful; while enduring a costly, brutal death by crucifixion, He asks God to forgive those who are killing Him. 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? • Perhaps the grotesque image of the painful death by crucifixion • Perhaps the question: Why did this have to happen? • The impossibility of forgiving one’s enemies under such painful and extreme circumstances 3. Were you raised in a religious tradition? If so, how much emphasis did it place on the death of Jesus? Some religious traditions like Catholicism focus on the death of Jesus and many of their images are of Jesus on the cross. The point here is to not get “stuck” on His death or the gruesome nature of it, but to realize that the cross is important, and also that something just as important and positive is coming – the Resurrection. 4. Under what circumstances would you be willing to suffer for the sake of another person? When have you done so? • Parents for children • Sometimes children for their (elderly) parents • Good friends for each other • Spouses for each other • Occasionally a stranger for someone • Suffering for a righteous cause like civil rights or hiding a Jew during the Holocaust 5. What acts of mercy, surprising or otherwise, have you seen in your life or the lives of others? • Being pulled over by the police for speeding and only getting a warning ticket even though you deserved a speeding ticket • A child experiencing parental mercy when they deserved punishment for something done, or something that was not done but should have been • People who helped the Jews during the Holocaust (Schindler’s List, etc.) • Stories of the Underground Railroad to help slaves escape to freedom • The forgiveness of some of the members of Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina for the 2015 actions of Dylann Roof • Amish school example in the notes for question #6 below 6. How hard would it be for you to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you”? Have you ever tried to follow this principle? What examples have you seen of this? What was the impact of seeing this principle demonstrated? • This is difficult to implement but worth working on • Has anyone prayed for the leaders of North Korea? Or ISIS? • Someone on a personal level – a family member, former friend, or a colleague at work who has harmed you or your reputation? • Examples: • The forgiveness of some of the members of Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina for the actions of Dylann Roof while other members are struggling with it (understandably) • The forgiveness of the Amish community in Pennsylvania when a gunman killed 5 girls in a one-room schoolhouse (2006 – The West Nickel Mines School Shooting) • Corrie Ten Boom forgiving the guards at her concentration camp; see The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, also a movie 7. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you?

MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 1

Week 2, March 12: The Second Word - Repent SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by reflecting on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. Next, read aloud the opening reflection followed by the Scripture passage. Nudge people to begin sharing their Takeaways more as the weeks go on. Offer lots of grace at the beginning if people are uncomfortable sharing or even forgot about it during the week. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 9. Big Idea: Jesus receives those with repentant hearts and has the power to promise them eternity with Him. (Variations of this are okay!) 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? 3. There are over 100 invitations to repent and turn back to God found in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Read aloud Jeremiah 31:19, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 3:19, and 2 Peter 3:9. How do these verses describe repentance? • Genuine regret and sorrow of our past actions is required for repentance. • Repentance precedes the gift of forgiveness and receiving the Holy Spirit (…thus becoming one of God’s beloved, adopted children with peace and purpose in this life, and a secure, eternal inheritance). Nudge the group to get to this part in the parentheses. • Repentance refreshes your soul. • God desires this for everyone. 4. Christians often refer to a time (or times) in their lives when they made a major decision to follow Christ. This involves submitting to Him as Lord of your life, trusting in His promise of forgiveness, cultivating a relationship through prayer (among other things), and receiving the Holy Spirit as guide and friend. Have you made that decision? Can you share about it with the group? This questions sometimes leads to silence. Leaders should be ready to share briefly the outline of their testimony to get this started. If no one else speaks, that is OK, too. 5. Scholars think that the word “paradise” as used in this passage is of Persian origin. At that time, the Persians described a shady, well-watered, well-maintained garden as a “paradise.” So Jesus’ reference here echoes the Garden of Eden. Read Genesis 2:425. Together, come up with at least 5 ways this garden-paradise is life-giving for Adam and Eve. What do you make of Jesus’ reference to the Garden in this moment? A few examples: 1. They are at peace, even friends, with God. 2. The land is beautiful and bountiful, providing for their nourishment, joy, and satisfaction on many levels. 3. They were going to live forever. 4. God gave them responsibility, authority, and freedom. 5. God has given them meaningful work (purpose). 6. God has given them a family (companionship, help in work, intimacy). 7. God is providing for their needs. 8. Adam and Eve experienced no shame. 6. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you?

MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 2

Week 3, March 19: The Third Word - Tribe SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by reflecting on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. Nudge people to begin sharing their Takeaways more as the weeks go on. Offer lots of grace at the beginning if people are uncomfortable sharing or even forgot about it during the week. Next, read aloud the opening reflection followed by the Scripture passage. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights using “Digging into the Bible” on page 13. Big Idea: Not even the most significant act in human history (His “BIG MOMENT,” if you will) could cause Jesus to forget to care for those closest to Him. 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? 3. Notice the words used to describe how John accepts Mary. What might that have meant practically for John? For Mary? Could you do something like that? • The NRSV says, “And from that hour the disciple [John] took her into his own home” • The Message says, “From that moment the disciple [John] accepted her as his own mother.” • Did John have any hesitation? John immediately, without hesitation, accepted Mary as his own mother – this meant providing shelter, food, clothing, money, and emotional support like a son would for the rest of her life. • Especially in the culture of the time, where women had limited means to provide for themselves, Jesus was making sure His mother would be taken care of financially (food, shelter), emotionally (she would not be alone), and spiritually (by being with John she would be with Jesus’ disciples and followers). • Jesus was also following one of the Ten Commandments: Honor your father and mother. • There is evidence that Jesus had siblings (Note: Traditionally, Catholics believe He did not), but they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah at that time. Jesus is taking care of His mother spiritually by asking His disciple, John, to take responsibility for her; she is able to stay with her spiritual “tribe.” • Are we as quick as John to follow/obey Jesus? 4. How do you react when you find yourself in a time of stress? How well do you respond to your family in those times? • Sometimes in stress, people become calm and think of others. • Many times stress brings out the worst in people and they become more selfish. • How we react can depend on the type of stress. • Sometimes people withdraw and are quiet during stressful times – this can be interpreted as being aloof. • Others are vocal, letting off “steam.” • We don’t often associate a stressed life with a generosity and thoughtfulness towards others like Jesus showed on the cross. 5. Do you ever feel that your issues are too small for God to care about? How do Jesus’ words in today’s Scripture help form your opinion? Also read Matthew 10:29-31. • Women were not highly valued by the culture in Jesus’ time. They could not even provide testimony in a court. • Jesus took care of His mother, who would have been marginalized and impoverished otherwise • Matthew 10:29-31 says that the hairs on our head are numbered and that God cares about the sparrows • Nothing in our lives is too small or insignificant. God cares about all the details and issues and would like to hear from us about them. 6. God calls those who have put their faith in Christ His adopted children. Read Romans 8:14-17. This passage describes those in Christ as “led by God’s Spirit.” What might this mean for us to be part of God’s “tribe”? The passage says that those who receive God’s Spirit are brought by adoption to “sonship.” This promise applies to both men and women, but sonship is used to make sure that the message is clear. In the culture when this passage was written, it was the son(s) who inherited any land that the family owned. All of us, as God’s children, are rightful heirs of God’s promises. Notice that the passage equates slavery as living in fear. Encourage the group to reflect on how living as part of God’s “tribe” changes that reality for us. Many people find it easier to believe in God than to think of God as a father. How might “believing in God” be different than viewing God as a father? Some of us have not had ideal relationships with our fathers. What ideal fatherly qualities does God possess? How does that change our understanding of our relationship with Him? This could be something to explore with the group. 7. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you? MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 3

Week 4, March 26: The Fourth Word - Abandoned SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by reflecting on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. Nudge people to begin sharing their Takeaways more as the weeks go on. Next, read aloud the opening reflection followed by the Scripture passage. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 17. Big Idea: The ultimate form of suffering is being abandoned by our Creator – the Creator of the universe – which is the end result of our sin. This passage shows the anguish Jesus feels as He takes on our sin and experiences the death resulting from it. The key takeaways are: • through faith in Christ, we are forgiven and never have to experience the horror of ultimate separation from God, and • God used this suffering for the redemption of the world. We should not view suffering in our lives as punishment from God or assume that it means He does not love us – we should focus on how He can use those things ultimately for His good, and know that we are accepted by God through our faith in Jesus Christ. This verse helps explain this remarkable truth (2 Corinthians 5:21): “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? 3. Try to pronounce “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani.” What is the significance of Jesus crying this out on the cross? Jesus says, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me” as His last words on the cross in this passage in a mixture of Aramaic and Hebrew which may not have been understood by many of the Roman bystanders. (They were confused and thought Jesus was calling upon Elijah.) This shows how personal the cry was, in that it was not necessarily for the sake of those listening. He is expressing His anguish at feeling the ultimate separation from God despite living life perfectly in accordance with His word (without sin) as He takes on the sin of the world.

4. We have all experienced rejection or isolation to some degree in our lives. Describe a time when you have felt abandoned that you feel comfortable sharing with the group. Did you or anyone around you ultimately learn or gain anything positive from this experience, despite how it felt at the time? (Hint: read James 1:2-4 for insights into ways God uses all things, including hardship, for our good). The second question is an attempt for people to gain new insight regarding difficult situations they have experienced in their lives, in hopes that God’s hand and healing redemption might be revealed. It is also an opportunity for group members to be open about more personal aspects of their lives, in hopes that others are encouraged to share about more meaningful things to form more open, trusting, and bonding relationships within the group.

5. Read Psalm 69:21, John 19:29-30 and Psalm 22:1. How do these passages relate to this week’s scripture, and what is the significance? Jesus’ death on the cross is the fulfillment of the law. The verses referenced are examples from scriptures showing how Christ is fulfilling scriptural prophecy.

6. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you?

MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 4

Week 5, April 2: The Fifth Word - Thirsty SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by taking turns sharing a high or low from the past week, or reflect on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. This far into the study, don’t be afraid to ask someone directly about their Takeaway. Begin with permission by asking, “[Insert name], would you mind if I asked you about your takeaway from last week?” Next, read aloud the opening story followed by the Scripture passage. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 21. Big Idea: Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully human. He came as human so that He could be an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2). 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? It helps to “link” group members to one another after they share. For instance, if one member shares that this message was relieving and another one does as well, to encourage conversation, you can say, “Rachel, that seems to be similar to what Amy shared earlier. You both got a lot of freedom from reading this.” 3. Three stories were mentioned in the reflection concerning people’s thirst in the Bible. Where else have you seen thirst mentioned in the Bible? How have you experienced thirst in your own life? If you are willing, share a personal experience with the group. • Jairus’ asks God to heal his daughter (Mark 5:21-24). • Sarah laughs out of disbelief when she hears God say she will have a child (Genesis 18:12). • Saul thirsted for power (1 Samuel 19). 4. Jesus doesn’t acknowledge His thirst or take a drink of the sour wine (called posca—a non-alcoholic drink meant to quench) until His work is done. Why is this significant? Jesus, despite His humanity, was focused on the goal of saving us instead of comforting Himself. 5. This Scripture highlights the humanity of Jesus, necessary for our saving. Why do you think Jesus needed to be both human and divine? Preserving the mystery of Jesus’ “two natures” (both fully human and fully divine) was of utmost importance to the early church. Favoring or elevating one over the other risks error of violating core doctrines of the faith, as revealed in Scripture, thus leading one astray. This controversy came to a head during the 5th century and was settled in the Chalcedonian Definition, a creed adopted at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 A.D. This creed still serves the church today. Jesus needed to be human to be offered as a sacrifice for our sins. There is a phrase coined by Gregory Nazianzen, one of the Church Fathers, that says, “The unassumed is the unredeemed.” If Jesus were not fully human as we are, assuming every inch of our nature, then we can have little confidence that His death atones for every inch of our sin. Also, it gives us full confidence that He can relate to us and is not only “other.”

6. In verse 29, the word hyssop is used. Hyssop was a plant in Biblical times. This same plant was mentioned several others times in Scripture. The first was in Exodus 12:22 when hyssop was used to sprinkle blood on the doorposts during the Passover. Several other mentions associate hyssop with purification and sacrifice in the tabernacle (Leviticus 14:1-7 and Numbers 19:16-22). There is great power in the parallel between the hyssop used to deliver Christ His last drink and the hyssop used to spread the blood on the doorposts and make someone clean. This was Christ’s final mission. To come to earth and become the very blood that would save us all and make us new. What does this truth do for you personally? Communally? • Be sure you thank people for sharing, as it can be hard to share at times. • Since God died for us all, that means that, as a community, no one is greater or less and all can be offered this free gift and love. 7. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you?

MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 5

SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by reflecting on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. Continue to encourage all the people in your group to share their Takeaways. Next, read aloud the Scripture passage. This time on the cross is a poignant account for all humankind. Take your time as you read it. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 25. Big Idea: When we think of Christ’s death for our sin, we often think only that He has forgiven our sin. That is big enough, but it’s much more than that. Because of Christ’s completed work on the Cross, God actually credited to us Jesus’ righteousness! 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? 3. Read Romans 3:21-24. The Lord has given us a remarkable gift that we did not earn. We receive this tremendous generosity by faith. Why do you think this free gift of grace was so hard for the Jews to accept? What aspects of grace are hard for you yourself to grasp? • There were many religious rituals that the Jews had to follow • This made it seem like a Jew could “work” his or her way to righteousness with God – although this was a misunderstanding. • We live in a hard-working, task-oriented, performance-oriented society – free seems too easy. • Also, we are suspicious of “free” things – we think there may be “strings attached.” 4. Righteousness can be defined as “the state of moral perfection required by God.” Through faith in Jesus, believers miraculously receive this kind of righteousness from Christ Himself. This doctrine is called “imputation.” Being righteous in this way also allows believers the privilege of becoming children of God. Have members of your group each name a benefit of being a child of God. • Peace with God • Adoption by God • Comfort in knowing you are never alone • Comfort in knowing where you go when you die • The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and guides us. • Receipt and use of spiritual gifts (Visit spiritualgifts.mdpc.org for a test to identify your spiritual gifts.) • Participate/fellowship with the world – wide community of believers • And many, many more!

5. John 1:14 tells us, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” When Jesus entered the world, everything changed. From then on, salvation would now be possible by faith through the wonderful grace of Christ. Our good works would no longer be a necessary requirement for salvation. How would you attempt to put grace into your own words? • Unmerited favor, kindness, or goodwill • God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense 6. We have read that our righteousness is by faith, yet it is so easy for us to drift back to a performance-based version of Christianity…which actually isn’t Christianity at all! This negative drift back to our own self efforts is a subtle trap. When we try to do things in our own strength, we don’t get very far. Ask members of your group to share times when they have noticed themselves trying to “earn” God’s approval. Why do you think we have this tendency? • This goes back to question #3: We live in a hard-working, task-oriented, performance-oriented society, starting with school and on to our jobs,where we are compared and get job performance evaluations. • Free seems too easy. • We are suspicious of “free” things – we think there may be “strings attached.” 7. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you? MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 6

Week 7, April 16: The Seventh Word - Zest SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS Begin by reflecting on your experience of putting into action your “Takeaway” from the previous lesson. This is the last week of the Lenten study. Hopefully people are more comfortable about sharing. Nudge people to begin sharing their Takeaways and think about how they relate to Takeaways from previous weeks in the study. Offer lots of grace and encouragement if people are uncomfortable sharing or even forgot about it during the week. Next, read aloud the opening reflection followed by the Scripture passage. 1. To ensure you have a solid understanding of this week’s Scripture passage, work together to uncover highlights and insights from the “Digging into the Bible” worksheet on page 29. Big Idea: Jesus’ resurrection is great news for us. We are now offered full life as a free gift, and we do not have to be “burdened” by sin. 2. What did this passage stir up for you this week? Any questions, insights, convictions? 3. Jesus foretold His death numerous times (Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:32–34.) Why do you think the empty tomb was so shocking to the women in the passage? Possible responses: • They were not expecting Jesus to be alive . • Death seems so “final.” • Maybe they thought that since Jesus had done so many miracles, He would be too powerful to kill. 4. Read Matthew 26:55-56. What do the disciples do after Jesus’ arrest? Have you ever faced a hardship that has made you want to abandon your faith in God? Please share, if you feel comfortable. Possible responses: • Death of a loved one • Death of a friend • Unexpected, unfortunate turn of events in one’s life (job loss, relationship ending, etc.) • Deep questioning based on academic studies and life circumstances 5. Now look back to this week’s passage and focus on verse 7. Jesus instructed the messenger to send the women to tell His disciples to meet Jesus in Galilee. When the situation became bleak, the disciples had abandoned Jesus, and Jesus had every right to disown them for it. But He makes sure to emphasize that they are still His disciples. Describe a time in your life where you have been extended grace when you didn’t deserve it. God offers us forgiveness in the midst of our unfaithfulness. This is the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection – through Him, our sins our forgiven! First, allow time for responses. Examples to help stimulate discussion: • This could be a teacher (grades, turning in papers late), spouse, parent, friend, even from a stranger (in traffic, at Starbucks, etc.) • To start with a simple example: We’ve all heard about people who borrow a book from a library and keeps it for years. When the book is returned, the library forgives the thousands of dollars in fines. Final thought: • God offers us forgiveness in the midst of our unfaithfulness. This is the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection – through Him, our sins our forgiven! 6. What is your greatest takeaway this week? What has the Holy Spirit stirred up in you as a response to this lesson? How might you now look at life differently? Does this knowledge spark a deeper gratitude for Christ? How might this change your Christian walk? In what particular ways could the other members of the group encourage you, challenge you, and pray for you? If there is time, please gather feedback on the series. Helpful? Too much work? Learned a lot? Enjoyable? Recommendations for next year?

MDPC Lenten Study 2017: The 7 Last Words from the Cross • LEADER GUIDE 7