Fall Bible Study

• Lesson 5

Jesus and Judas – John 13:21-30

1 – The author describes Judas not as a caricature of evil, but as a flawed human being.

Think about Judas, the person. Why do you think he was chosen to be an apostle?

What characteristics do you think he possessed that led him to be chosen as the apostles’ treasurer?

What does the author say was the real tragedy of Judas?

2 – Describe a time in your life when you gave up, failed to see a situation through, or didn’t work through your troubles. What was the result?

Were you seeking God’s guidance at this time in your life? In what ways was God guiding you?

3 – Read Hebrews 2:17-18 and Hebrews 4:15-16.

How is Jesus able to offer us a special help and understanding – a new perspective – when we are tempted and face trouble? Now read Isaiah 40:31.

What does this passage tell us about the healing power of God?

4 – Read Luke 22:32, Romans 15:2, and 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

What are the central messages of these verses?

Think of a time when you were able to help others as the result of suffering or difficulties that you had faced.

How did you offer your counsel or assistance?

How did God use you to do God’s good works?

5 – In your own words, rewrite or explain this statement: “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.”

How is our faith changed and our relationship with God made new through our suffering and our struggles?

6 – Through his crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus turned the defeat of death into the victory of eternal life.

From your own life or the lives of others, give some examples where God’s grace was at work to turn defeat into victory.

Focus for the Week

To persevere means to have enduring patience, to “persist or remain constant to a purpose, an idea, or a task in the face of obstacles or discouragement”.

And for Christians, our purpose is to follow the example of Jesus Christ in loving God and loving others.

This week in your prayers, share with God your burdens, your struggles, your fears, your sorrows – everything that is weighing heavily in your mind and on your heart.

Ask God to open your eyes to a new understanding, to deepen your faith, to give you the strength to help others, and to impart to you the ability to turn your defeats into victories.

And most of all, ask God to give you the perseverance you need to get to “the strength and new life that comes from going through trouble and getting to the other side.”