Light | John 19:1-37

Use this curriculum to help you further engage with the sermon, the scriptures, and each other. Allow the Holy Spirit to bring things up to encourage and guide you so that you are always growing in your faith. If the Spirit leads you away from these questions and into conversation and prayer that encourages and points you to Jesus, go for it.

scripture

Read the following scriptures together: John 19:1-37.

overview

This chapter presents the account of the depth of God's love and the measures he took to show humanity his love for them. Jesus was tortured and humiliated, and walked through every encounter, beating, and mockery with the knowledge that he could stop it at any point as the Son of God, the One who has been present since creation and will forever reign in heaven. God chose Israel as a people to preserve the Scriptures, to reveal himself to the world, and to bring forth the Messiah. And these very people rejected and called for the death of their long-awaited Messiah – too blind and caught up in their own agendas to see the Truth.

question 1

It can be easy to hold tightly to our own plans and agendas, forgetting to ask God what he thinks is best or invite him into the process. Is this a practice you find challenging? Talk about why.

discussion

Read Hebrews 10:11–12. Throughout time, people have asked why Jesus had to die to show his love for us and atone for our sins. Couldn’t there have been a different way? In the Old Testament, the language of sacrifice taught Israel that “the life is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11) – not as a demand for payment, but as a sign of self‑offering, life given back to God – temporarily repairing the relationship that was fractured by sin. Yet those offerings were only shadows and were never enough to heal the heart. So God brought the old sacrificial system to its fulfillment: as our High Priest, Jesus offered himself once for all, freely giving his life to undo our corruption, break the power of sin and death, and restore us to a loving relationship with our Creator. For those who believe this, sins are forgiven, shame and guilt are wiped away, self‑doubt and false self‑sufficiency are removed. This is faith: believing in the depths of our hearts and minds that “it is finished” by the self‑giving work of Christ on the cross. When a person truly understands and lives with this truth, the way they live their lives and think of themselves is forever changed.

question 2

Does anyone have a hard time believing for yourself that all of your sins are forgiven, that you don’t need to walk around with guilt and shame, or that you don’t have to try harder to receive God’s love? Discuss some of the reasons why people hold onto these things.

Read 1 John 3:16-18. The Cross defines our love for one another. For some, depending on what’s been done to us, it can be incredibly hard to love those who hurt us, to trust people again, and open up when we have been betrayed, loving people with our actions and not just with our words. This requires us to dig in and go against our feelings and live in line with God’s Word and request of us. It’s costly, painful, vulnerable, and sacrificial to love like Jesus. It is helpful to remember how Jesus walked through mockery and torture, as we ask him to humble and strengthen us. The Jewish leaders loved God well through their rituals but failed him to death by their words and actions. Let us be people who learn to love through the example of Jesus.

question 3

Pride, past hurts, laziness, or selfishness can hinder us from caring for others. Do these challenges resonate with you? Take a moment to reflect and pray for each other.

weekly application

If you are processing a deep hurt or betrayal, please reach out to us or consider a counselor to help you walk through it. Find people who will pray with you so you can get to the place of receiving God’s love for you and extending his love to others.