I AM: Who do You think You are?
John 8:31-59
Connect:
Share how you have seen God in the Highs and Lows of your week.
Discuss how resolutions made last week in “growing more like Jesus” worked themselves out— what did God do in and through you (Phil 2:13)? Celebrate those together!
Prayer:
Pray that God would lead your discussion time and bring fresh insight, conviction, and hope through your time together.
Review:
We are launching into a new series on the 7 I AM statements of Jesus1 This week we looked at I AM as the name of God.
The Grand Tour of the message: Thinking back on what you heard this Sunday…
o What did you learn about God?
o What did you learn about people?
o What did you learn about yourself?
o What do you want to commit to putting into practice?
Reflect:
Read John 8:31-59
Discuss a few names of people in the group as it concerns the meaning of their name— was there a reason their parents gave them that name? Is there something they like about the meaning of their name?
Jesus had just made statements like, “I am the bread of life” and “I am the light of the world”, so his listeners started asking, “Huh?! Who do You think You are?!?”
o Scott said, “We need to know who we are if we want to be rightly related to God.” Discuss that
o In verse 30, many people were believing in Jesus. By Verse 59, people in that same group were getting ready to stone Him to death. Why do you think Jesus made such clear statements about his identity at that moment (as I AM, God’s Son, Person of the God-head, three in one… ) Why did He do that just when people were starting to “believe in Him”?
Read John 8:31-32
o There seems to be a connection between “holding to HIs teaching” (action, belief, knowledge) and “being My Disciples” and being “free”. Discuss that connection.
o “Jesus called us to a way of life, not a way of belief” (mental ascent with no action). What are other areas in Scripture that talk about the connection between faith and action?
o If “Truth is a Person” (not just a set of facts), what does Truth set us free from?
Read John 8:37-44
o V 37-39, the issue is a matter of identity. What was the difference between how the Jewish leaders were claiming their identity (“Abraham is our father”) and the way Jesus was talking about it here (“Abraham believed God… you don’t)? What is the core difference between how “identity” can be claimed?
o in V44, Jesus makes a scathing statement! Scott summarized what was happening here in saying, “Truth doesn’t sound right to those listening to the wrong voice”. Discuss that with reference to our culture here and now. Do you see similar situations? Explain.
o How would you respond if a child were to ask you, “What does it mean that we are “separated from God and powerless to do anything about it”?
Read John 8:51-59
o Jesus makes a crystal clear statement here that He Himself is I AM— YHWH, Adonai, the God Who revealed Himself to Moses, Son of God prophesied in the OT… He is the Messiah. How could those who had spent a lifetime studying the OT have missed that so badly as to then try to stone Him? What happened there?
Respond:
o The reality is that only God is God. We desperately want to be in control of things that happen to ourselves and those we love… but we are not. Take some time now as a group surrendering to God the things that only He can do something about. Pray for each other over the things shared.
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