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2009 Zondervan, All 8lghLs 8eserved

Welcome Lo Lhe sLudy and dlscusslon gulde for SlLLlng aL Lhe leeL of 8abbl !esus. !esus
loved Lo Lalk abouL Cod and Cod's Word wlLh oLhers. lf you are readlng Lhe book ln a group or
wlLh a prayer parLner, we are exclLed LhaL you are conLlnulng LhaL LradlLlon of becomlng
haverlm by dlgglng lnLo Lhls book wlLh oLher people. lf you are readlng Lhe book alone, we pray
LhaL your experlence wlll enrlch your personal falLh ln new ways.
Powever you choose Lo use Lhls sLudy gulde, be open Lo how Cod ls dlrecLlng your readlng
and sLudy. leel free Lo spend more Llme on quesLlons LhaL parLlcularly resonaLe wlLh you or
your group. We LrusL LhaL Lhls chapLer-by-chapLer exploraLlon of Lhe book wlll help you Lake Lhe
nexL sLep Loward undersLandlng !esus' !ewlsh world. As we have dlscovered, lL ls a never-
endlng, fasclnaLlng [ourney!


8$#7+215#"+$

undersLandlng more abouL Lhe culLure and language of !esus' Llme helps us know more of
ChrlsL hlmself. When we honor Lhe !ewlsh people by learnlng abouL Lhelr herlLage, Cod blesses
us wlLh a deeper undersLandlng of our !ewlsh Messlah.

1. uescrlbe your experlence wlLh !ewlsh people, culLure, and pracLlces (lf any).

2. 1he archaeologlsL Cabl 8arkal once sald, Lvery day ln !erusalem ls a day of dlscovery"
(p.7). WhaL do you wanL Lo dlscover Lhrough readlng Lhls book?


B(';#)7 C D /+"$"$% E'73 '# #() *))# +, /)010

AlLhough we meeL Cod Lhrough ScrlpLure, someLlmes Lhe dlfference ln culLure, Llme, and
language makes Lhe 8lble seems dlsLanL or confuslng. SLudylng !esus' !ewlsh culLure helps us
flne-Lune our hearlng" (p.13) so we can know Lhe same power, conLroversy, and splrlLual
meanlng LhaL !esus' orlglnal llsLeners experlenced.

1. uescrlbe a Llme when you had dlfflculLy communlcaLlng across a culLural or language
barrler.

2. 8aLher Lhan undermlnlng our falLh, looklng aL Lhe !ewlsh background of Lhe 8lble deepens
our undersLandlng of !esus"(pp.18-19). WhaL fears do you have, lf any, abouL learnlng more
abouL !ewlsh culLure? Pow mlghL a beLLer undersLandlng of !esus' Llmes deepen your falLh?

3. Clve an example of a passage, verse, or concepL ln Lhe Cospels LhaL you flnd especlally
confuslng.

4. WhaL ls your flrsL LhoughL or emoLlon when you come across someLhlng !esus sald LhaL you
don'L undersLand?

3. lf you were llLerally slLLlng aL !esus' feeL wlLh Mary, whaL ls Lhe flrsL Lhlng you would ask
hlm?



B(';#)7 FD G(3 ' /)="0( -'.."H

As we learn more abouL Lhe llfe of a rabbl, we can see why belng a rabbl was a perfecL
vocaLlon for !esus. As Lhe greaLesL of all rabbls, !esus followed Lhe rabblnlc LradlLlon of sLudylng
ScrlpLure, uslng debaLe as a way of learnlng, Leachlng by Lelllng parables, and ralslng up
dlsclples. More Lhan LhaL, he was Lhe promlsed Messlah, Lhe Savlor whom Lhe oppressed !ewlsh
people longed for.

1. When you were growlng up, whaL was your lmage of !esus?

2. ln whaL ways do you personally ldenLlfy wlLh Lhe exclLemenL over blbllcal sLudy LhaL Lols
descrlbes (p.26)? ln whaL ways do you sLruggle Lo engage wlLh Lhe 8lble?

3. WhaL does lL mean on a pracLlcal level Lo sLudy Lhe 8lble wlLh reverence" (pp.26-27)? ln
whaL ways does a sense of reverence moLlvaLe us Lo sLudy Lhe 8lble more?

4. uebaLe was a slgnlflcanL parL of learnlng ln !esus' day (pp.28-29). When have you seen
healLhy debaLe fosLer greaLer undersLandlng of a sub[ecL? Pow do people ln Loday's church
debaLe lssues?

3. 1he auLhors wrlLe LhaL Lhe mlsslon of !esus, as of Lhose who follow hlm, was Lo become a
llvlng example of whaL lL means Lo apply Cod's Word Lo one's llfe" (p.33). Whom do you know
who fulfllls Lhls call Lo be a llvlng example of Cod's Word? WhaL lmpacL does LhaL person have
on your falLh?

6. ln whaL ways does a greaLer appreclaLlon of !esus' role as a rabbl help you undersLand hls
words and acLlons more? lor example, how does knowlng LhaL rabbls used parables lnfluence
your readlng of !esus' parables? Pow mlghL an awareness of Lhe rabblnlc emphasls on debaLe,
dlsclpleshlp, and sLudy change your percepLlon of your relaLlonshlps and dally prlorlLles?

B(';#)7 I D !#7"$%"$% J)'7:0

Llke oLher !ews of hls day (and Loday), !esus sLudled Lhe Law of Moses, Lhe ropheLs, and
Lhe salms. As ChrlsLlans, we recognlze Lhese books as our Cld 1esLamenL (noLe LhaL 8oman
CaLhollc and CrLhodox churches recognlze addlLlonal books as parL of Lhe Cld 1esLamenL canon
ln conLrasL Lo Lhe smaller canon accepLed by roLesLanL churches). !esus used Lhe !ewlsh love
of ScrlpLure Lo Leach oLhers abouL hlmself and Lo show how Lhe ScrlpLures polnL Lo !esus as
Lhelr fulflllmenL. 1oday, some of !esus' words may seem perplexlng, buL ofLen Lhey reflecL a
rabbl's way of communlcaLlng wlLhln Lhe framework of ScrlpLure. 1he more we undersLand Lhe
Cld 1esLamenL, Lhe more meanlngful !esus' words become.

1. lf you had Lo choose a favorlLe book of Lhe 8lble, whlch one would lL be? Why?

2. WhaL ls your experlence wlLh Lhe Cld 1esLamenL? uo you ldenLlfy wlLh Lols's surprlse over
learnlng how lmporLanL Lhe Cld 1esLamenL ls Lo undersLandlng Lhe new 1esLamenL? Why or
why noL?

3. 1he sLudy of ScrlpLure was vlLally lmporLanL ln !esus' day and ls sLlll consldered a hlgh form
of worshlp for !ewlsh people. Would you say Lhe ChrlsLlan church Loday (and your local church
ln parLlcular) has a slmllar reverence for Cod's Word? Why or why noL?

4. Can you ldenLlfy wlLh 8en Azzal's words abouL ScrlpLure passages comlng LogeLher so
perfecLly LhaL Lhe words bursL lnLo flames" (p.43)? uescrlbe a Llme when a blbllcal passage
came Lo llfe for you.

3. WhaL lmages come Lo mlnd when you Lhlnk of a shepherd? Pow mlghL Lhe lmage of !esus
as shepherd be meanlngful ln your llfe rlghL now?

6. Why was lL lmporLanL for !esus Lo Lell hls followers-lncludlng us-LhaL he was Lhe Son of
Man?

B(';#)7 K D *+::+="$% #() -'.."

ln !esus' day, a rabbl's dlsclples learned noL only from whaL a rabbl sald ln Llmes of Leachlng
buL also from whaL he dld ln everyday llfe. !usL as Lllsha learned from Lll[ah, so a dlsclple's Lask
was Lo become as much llke Lhe rabbl as posslble. 1hls was a long yeL fulfllllng process. Cur goal
as dlsclples of !esus ls Lhe same Loday: Lo become Lransformed lnLo Lhe llkeness of ChrlsL.

1. Pow dld you learn your currenL vocaLlon? Pave you ever experlenced a formal
apprenLlceshlp, as Ange Sabln eLer dld? WhaL was Lhe experlence llke?

2. 1he masLer crafLsman Lold Ange, ?ou cannoL separaLe llfe from work" (p.32). ln whaL ways
does Loday's WesLern culLure reflecL Lhe opposlLe bellef?

3. Why do you Lhlnk our culLure places more emphasls on lnformaLlon Lhan on
LransformaLlon?

4. uescrlbe a speclflc sacrlflce you've made Lo follow !esus. Was Lhe fulflllmenL ln such a
cholce worLh Lhe cosL? Why or why noL?

3. WhaL ls one ugly hablL" (p.36) ln your llfe rlghL now LhaL you would llke !esus Lo heal?
WhaL fears or dlscouragemenLs do you have as you walL for Cod's lnner LransformaLlon?

6. uescrlbe a Llme when your splrlLual llfe deepened because you were absorblng LruLh from
someone around you-perhaps aLLendlng Lo someone as Lllsha aLLended Lll[ah or slmply
waLchlng someone's dally llfe. ln whaL ways dld Lhe person you were followlng serve you? ln
whaL ways dld you need Lo be obedlenL and humble ln order Lo learn?

7. Who ls learnlng from you by waLchlng your llfe rlghL now? ln whaL ways can you serve LhaL
person? ln whaL ways mlghL you be LempLed Lo be self-lmporLanL ln your leadershlp? uoes
llvlng LransparenLly come easlly Lo you, or ls lL a sLruggle?

B(';#)7 L D 6)# M+170):, !+N) O'9)7"N

lollowlng hls !ewlsh LradlLlon, !esus consldered lL vlLal Lo learn abouL Cod ln Lhe presence
of oLher people. Pls lnsLrucLlons Lo hls dlsclples and hls own dally llfe afflrmed hls followers'
need for communlLy. As ChrlsLlans, we can honor Lhls LradlLlon of haverlm Lhrough lnLenLlonal
relaLlonshlps wlLh oLhers and an awareness of our connecLedness wlLh Lhe !ewlsh communlLy ln
Lhe 8lble. Cod calls us Lo learn, love, sLudy, forglve, and encourage oLhers ln communlLy, [usL as
!esus dld.

1. When have you learned someLhlng more deeply because you were sLudylng or worklng
wlLh someone else?

2. Conslder Lhe sLory of assover (see p.70). Pow does your undersLandlng or appreclaLlon of
Lhls plvoLal evenL ln !ewlsh hlsLory change when you Lhlnk of Lhe !ewlsh people as your splrlLual
ancesLors?

3. 8rlefly descrlbe your pasL experlence wlLh splrlLual communlLy and splrlLual sollLude. uo
you usually geL emoLlonal energy from belng wlLh people or from belng alone? Pow does Lhls
lnfluence your splrlLual llfe?

4. Pow do you usually handle confllcL or dlsagreemenL ln relaLlonshlps?

3. uo you vlew evangellsm as someLhlng LhaL happens malnly aL Lhe fence" Lo geL people
lnLo Lhe pasLure (p.76)? Why or why noL?

6. 1hough many of us have a clrcle of frlends, few of us have anyone who really pushes us ln
our splrlLual llfe or energlzes us Lo sLudy Lhe 8lble more. uo you have a splrlLual [ogglng
parLner" (p.74), who challenges you Lo grapple wlLh Lhe 8lble and helps Lo reflne you? uescrlbe
how LhaL relaLlonshlp developed. lf you don'L have LhaL klnd of lnfluence ln your llfe, whaL ls
one pracLlcal Lhlng you could do Lo develop a havruLa relaLlonshlp wlLh someone or wlLh a
group of people?

B(';#)7 P D -'.."Q A)'5( R0 #+ J7'3

1he !ewlsh cusLoms of Lhe day, lncludlng Lhe rlch cusLoms of !ewlsh prayer, were a
slgnlflcanL parL of !esus' everyday experlence. ln Lhe Lord's rayer, !esus relled on classlc !ewlsh
Lhemes Lo lllusLraLe whaL Lhe essence of prayer, Lhen and now, should be. !esus ls Lhe ulLlmaLe
model for us of kavanah, a sense of Lhe presence of Cod.

1. Conslder Lhe !ewlsh pracLlces, such as wearlng phylacLerles and prayer shawls, LhaL Ann
encounLered on her fllghL Lo 1el Avlv. WhaL rlLuals do ChrlsLlans use Lo sLudy Lhe 8lble, pray,
and worshlp Cod? WhaL splrlLual pracLlce or LradlLlon ls especlally meanlngful Lo you?

2. WhaL ls your currenL experlence wlLh prayer? Would you say LhaL, for you, prayer ls usually
a Llme of [oy? Confuslon? CullL? LncouragemenL? Answers?

3. WhaL does lL look llke Lo approach Cod wlLh reverence buL also as a LrusLlng chlld?

4. Why do you Lhlnk prayers such as Lhe Shema and Lhe Amldah (pp.80-81) lnvolve so much
repeLlLlon? WhaL does !esus' use of such prayers suggesL abouL our need Lo remember our
commlLmenL Lo Cod?

3. 1he dally bread" of Lhe Lord's rayer ls a reference Lo Cod's susLenance as a whole. WhaL
ls one Lhlng you would llke Lo ask Cod Lo provlde for you Lhls week as a way of susLalnlng you
splrlLually, physlcally, or emoLlonally?

6. 1he !ewlsh Lheologlan Abraham Peschel descrlbes kavanah as belng able Lo sense Lhe
preclousness of belng able Lo pray, Lo be percepLlve of Lhe supreme slgnlflcance of worshlplng
Cod" (p.88). Pow would a deeper sense of Lhe preclousness of prayer, and Cod's presence wlLh
you when you pray, affecL Lhe way you relaLe Lo Cod?

7. 1hlnk of a Lask you do every day. WhaL ls one way ln whlch your lncreased undersLandlng of
Lhe !ewlsh vlew of prayer mlghL change Lhe way you do LhaL Lask?

B(';#)7 S D *+7 <9)73#("$% ' T:)00"$%

!esus modeled Lhe !ewlsh LradlLlon of blesslng Cod for evenLs, small and large, LhroughouL
Lhe day. 1hls hablL of blesslng Cod can Lransform our splrlLual llves as we conLlnually
acknowledge hls presence wlLh us.

1. WhaL ls Lhe flrsL Lhlng you LhoughL abouL when you woke up Lhls mornlng?

2. When has lnLenLlonally developlng a hablL changed your acLlons or LhoughLs permanenLly,
even Lhough you slmply wenL Lhrough Lhe moLlons of Lhe hablL aL flrsL?

3. uescrlbe a Llme when your aLLlLude Loward a slLuaLlon changed as you expressed Lhanks.
uescrlbe a Llme when you reallzed you'd forgoLLen Cod's lnvolvemenL ln your llfe because you
had forgoLLen Lo Lhank hlm for belng wlLh you.

4. WhaL does lL mean Lo glve Lhanks ln all clrcumsLances" (1 1hessalonlans 3:17-18)?

3. Lovlng Cod wlLh all our hearLs means lovlng hlm noL [usL wlLh Lhe parL of our hearL LhaL ls
happy, buL wlLh Lhe angry, sad, mournlng parL of our hearL as well" (p.93). WhaL would lL look
llke Lo love Cod wlLh all your hearL-lncludlng all your anger, grlef, and quesLlons-rlghL now?
When ls lL mosL dlfflculL for you Lo express your emoLlons Lo Cod?

6. uescrlbe a recenL Llme when you were fllled wlLh a deslre Lo bless Cod.

B(';#)7 UD ? J'00+9)7 4"05+9)73

assover-Lhe mosL lmporLanL !ewlsh feasL-ls a Llme Lo remember how Cod broughL hls
people ouL of LgypL and how he wlll redeem hls people agaln. Learnlng abouL assover and Lwo
colncldlng sprlng feasLs, unleavened 8read and llrsLfrulLs, ylelds lnslghLs lnLo !esus' flnal week
on earLh.

1. WhaL famlly sLorles do you Lalk abouL wlLh your chlldren or aL a famlly gaLherlng? Why do
you Lhlnk such sLorles geL passed around ln your famlly?

2. 1he !ewlsh people celebraLed assover as a way of rememberlng Cod's provlslon durlng a
Llme of change. Why ls lL lmporLanL Lo commemoraLe pasL evenLs? ln whaL ways can such
celebraLlons brlng us closer Lo Cod?

3. uo you Lhlnk we should memorlallze Llmes of pasL sufferlng as well as [oy? Why or why noL?
Pow can we allow paln Lo have a poslLlve lnfluence ln our splrlLual llves?

4. assover ls a Llme of expecLaLlon as well as a Llme of remembrance for Lhe !ewlsh people.
When has llvlng wlLh hopeful expecLaLlon changed Lhe way you acL or Lhlnk?

3. WhaL dlfference does lL make Lo you splrlLually Lo conslder LhaL Cod knew abouL !esus'
redempLlon when he broughL Lhe lsraellLes ouL of LgypL?

6. 1hlnk abouL a Llme of dlfflculLy ln your llfe, a Llme of dramaLlc change, or a Llme when you
saw Cod's dellverance. WhaL could you do Lo commemoraLe LhaL Llme? WhaL would lL look llke
Lo conslder LhaL commemoraLlon a remlnder of Cod's lnvlnclble hope" (p.109)?

B(';#)7 VD 4"05+9)7"$% /)010 "$ #() /)="0( *)'0#0

1he seven blbllcal feasLs of LevlLlcus 23 were observed ln !esus' Llme and are sLlll
celebraLed Loday. 8lch ln slgnlflcance, Lhey polnL Lo Lhe redempLlon of ChrlsL, !esus used Lhelr
lmagery Lo hlghllghL hls role as Lhe Messlah. 1he feasLs were Langlble symbols of Cod's
falLhfulness and remlnders of how Cod led Lhe lsraellLes lnLo Lhe romlsed Land. 1oday, feasLs
are a way Lo celebraLe Lhe pasL, Lo acknowledge Cod's provlslon ln Lhe presenL, and Lo hope for
Lhe fuLure. 1hrough feasLs and LradlLlons, we can geL a gllmpse of Cod's plan for eLernlLy.

1. WhaL ls Lhe mosL [oyful celebraLlon you remember, elLher as an adulL or as a chlld? WhaL
made lL such a [oyful experlence?

2. We all have dlfferenL bellefs abouL whaL lL means Lo be SplrlL-fllled." WhaL does LhaL
phrase mean Lo you? Pow have you seen Lhe Poly SplrlL aL work ln your llfe recenLly?

3. Pow does our knowledge of !esus' llfe and deaLh affecL how we confess our slns Lo Cod?
uescrlbe a Llme when asklng for Cod's forglveness freed your mlnd and hearL. (noLe: lf you are
ln a group, be respecLful of Lhose who would prefer Lo Lhlnk abouL Lhls quesLlon ln sllence.) ls lL
ever hard for you Lo accepL Cod's forglveness? Why or why noL?

4. ln whaL ways does our culLure Leach us Lo forgeL LhaL llfe ls flnlLe and LhaL everyone musL
be prepared Lo sLand before Lhe Lord aL Lhe Llme of deaLh" (p.120)? Pow can Lhe !ewlsh
undersLandlng of morLallLy and Cod's [udgmenL enrlch our splrlLual llves?

3. WhaL ls your experlence wlLh fasLlng? Pave you ever consldered maklng lL a parL of your
splrlLual dlsclpllnes? Why or why noL?

6. Would you raLher recelve Lwo hours of free Llme or LwenLy dollars? Why? Pow does
keeplng space ln our llves for SabbaLh Lurn our focus away from Llme and money and Loward
Cod?

7. 1asLe, hunger, slghL, cloLhlng, and oLher sensory experlences are lmporLanL parLs of !ewlsh
commemoraLlons. WhaL are some Lhlngs ChrlsLlans do Lo make prayers, worshlp, and church
experlence encompass all of Lhe senses? WhaL could you do Lo brlng more sensory experlences
lnLo your splrlLual llfe?
B(';#)7 CW D ?# A'.:) ="#( #() -'.."

Slnce anclenL Llmes, Lhe !ewlsh people have consldered Lhe Lable a place of communlLy,
worshlp, [oy, and reconclllaLlon. A deeper undersLandlng of Lhls blbllcal LradlLlon of Lable
fellowshlp and hosplLallLy can sLrengLhen our own relaLlonshlp wlLh Cod and oLhers. (noLe: lf
you are readlng Lhls book as a group, conslder dlscusslng Lhls chapLer around a meal.)

1. WhaL were meals llke aL your home when you grew up? WhaL are mosL meals llke aL your
home Loday?

2. PosplLallLy was ofLen a maLLer of llfe and deaLh ln lsrael. Pow mlghL our WesLern self-
sufflclency, geography, and Lyplcal work llfe affecL our aLLlLude Loward welcomlng oLhers? WhaL
rewards are Lhere for a culLure, church, or famlly LhaL places an emphasls on hosplLallLy? Would
you say hosplLallLy ls a sLrengLh or a challenge for you?

3. Why ls sharlng a meal LogeLher a slgn of muLual vulnerablllLy?

4. ln whaL ways has Laklng Communlon enrlched your llfe splrlLually? Pave you ever
lnLenLlonally reconclled wlLh someone before Laklng Communlon? lf you have never Laken
Communlon, whaL are your LhoughLs on Lhls ldea of slLLlng down Lo dlnner" wlLh Cod (p.140)?

3. When have you seen a meal brlng people closer LogeLher? Cn a more personal level, have
you ever found yourself more wllllng Lo accepL or forglve someone afLer sharlng food wlLh LhaL
person?

6. Why was lL slgnlflcanL for !esus' !ewlsh dlsclples Lo share a meal wlLh hlm? WhaL would
your flrsL response be lf !esus asked you Lo have dlnner wlLh hlm LonlghL?

7. Conslderlng !esus' emphasls on sharlng food wlLh us, how does a deeper undersLandlng of
whaL Lable" means ln !ewlsh culLure draw you closer Lo Cod?

B(';#)7 CC D A+15("$% #() -'.."X0 *7"$%)

Cod provlded Lhe law, or 1orah, Lo Lhe lsraellLes Lo gulde Lhem ln Lhe besL way Lo llve. We
see ChrlsL's love ln Lhese !ewlsh laws-laws LhaL honor human llfe, offer paLlence Lo wayward
followers, and call Cod's people Lo sLand ouL as hls chlldren. When we vlew Cod's
commandmenLs ln llghL of hls love, even when we don'L compleLely undersLand Lhem, we know
Lhe [oy of obeylng hlm.

1. When have you seen a seemlngly small cholce Lo do good make a blg dlfference ln a
relaLlonshlp, a buslness declslon, or your splrlLual llfe?

2. WhaL ls one splrlLual rule or commandmenL LhaL you have a parLlcularly hard Llme
followlng? Pow mlghL lL change your perspecLlve Lo conslder LhaL commandmenL as a reflecLlon
of Cod's love raLher Lhan as a gullL-lnduclng Lrap or llmlLaLlon?

3. Why do you Lhlnk !ewlsh people conslder performlng a mlLzvah-a good deed-Lo be a [oy
raLher Lhan a burden?

4. When have you asked someone Lo do someLhlng even Lhough Lhe person dld noL
undersLand your lnLenL?

3. Pave you ever obeyed Cod whlle noL knowlng why he was asklng you Lo do someLhlng? lf
so, dld you flnd ouL laLer why he wanLed you Lo obey-LhaL hldden wlsdom LhaL wlll only laLer
be revealed" (p.149)? lf noL, are you sLlll glad you obeyed? Why or why noL?

6. 8y lnsLrucLlng hls people Lo wear Lassels, Cod was encouraglng Lhem Lo be obvlous abouL
Lhelr splrlLual commlLmenL. WhaL makes you sLand ouL as a ChrlsLlan-wheLher aL home, ln Lhe
workplace, or aL a grocery sLore?

7. !esus Lold hls followers Lo sLand ouL buL also crlLlclzed Lhose who exaggeraLed Lhelr pleLy.
Cn a pracLlcal level, whaL makes Lhe dlfference beLween sLandlng ouL because you follow Cod
and sLandlng ouL because you [udge people who don'L follow Cod?

8. Cod provlded dleLary laws Lo keep hls people separaLe from Lhe culLures around Lhem. Pow
can you be separaLe ln your acLlons and words Lhls week buL sLlll reach ouL Lo people who need
Lo know Cod?
B(';#)7 CFD /)010 '$2 #() A+7'(

!esus had no lnLenLlon of weakenlng Lhe 1orah LhaL had shaped generaLlons of !ewlsh
people. ln facL, he came Lo perfecLly obey and perfecLly fulflll Lhe 1orah. 8uL 8abbl !esus LaughL
LhaL we are noL Lo follow rules for Lhe sake of followlng rules buL raLher Lo obey Lhem ouL of a
deslre Lo model our llves on Lhe characLer of Cod. All hls acLlons and words were dlrecLed
Loward geLLlng aL Lhe hearL of Cod's laws-Lhe one mosL lmporLanL commandmenL LhaL Lhe
!ewlsh people were seeklng. As !esus modeled, Cod's love frees us from legallsm and lnvlLes us
Lo love hlm wlLh all our hearL, soul, mlnd, and sLrengLh and Lo love our nelghbors as ourselves.

1. We usually Lhlnk of laws as llmlLlng. When have you seen laws or boundarles as freelng?

2. uescrlbe (a) a Llme when a declslon Lo reslsL a small LempLaLlon kepL you from falllng lnLo
sln, or (b) a Llme when glvlng ln Lo a small LempLaLlon led Lo a greaLer sln.

3. AfLer readlng Lhls chapLer, are you surprlsed aL how much !esus' words reflecLed Lhe
Leachlngs of Lhe harlsees? Why was lL lmporLanL for !esus Lo use Lhe speaklng sLyles of Lhe
!ewlsh people and rabblnlc LradlLlons? WhaL does Lhls suggesL abouL how we Lalk Lo oLhers
abouL Cod?

4. !esus spoke wlLh auLhorlLy abouL Lhe mlnd of Cod because he was Cod. When have you
seen an auLhor, palnLer, muslclan, or oLher arLlsL speak more passlonaLely abouL Lhe work he or
she creaLed Lhan oLhers could?

3. WhaL does lL mean Lo go beyond Lhe mlnlmum" (p.174) ln lovlng Cod? WlLh Lhls ln mlnd,
whaL would lovlng Cod wlLh all your hearL, soul, mlnd, and sLrengLh look llke ln your llfe Loday?

6. WhaL does lL mean Lo go beyond Lhe mlnlmum" ln lovlng your nelghbor? WlLh Lhls ln
mlnd, whaL would lovlng your nelghbor as yourself look llke ln your llfe Loday?

7. Why ls love Lhe besL lnLerpreLaLlon of Lhe law" (p.178)?

8. ln llghL of Lhls chapLer, why would you say Lhe 1orah maLLers Lo ChrlsLlans?
B(';#)7 CID A() E30#)7"+10 Y"$%2+N +, 6+2

1he klngdom of Cod was aL Lhe hearL of !esus' mlsslon on earLh. 1hls klngdom-or relgn-
of Cod ls based on forglveness and aLonemenL. Many !ews of !esus' day were uncomforLable
wlLh Lhls merclful vlew of Cod, buL !esus' llfe and mlnlsLry remlnd us LhaL Cod's mercy ls greaLer
Lhan hls wraLh. 1hrough Lhe sacrlflce of !esus, we can enLhrone Cod rlghL now ln Lhe klngdom
of Cod wlLhln us.

1. !esus fulfllled Cod's mlsslon ln a dlfferenL way from whaL people expecLed. When has Cod
surprlsed you wlLh how he dellvered you from a slLuaLlon or answered a prayer?

2. 1he !ewlsh people had a passlonaLe deslre for Lhe enLlre world Lo worshlp Cod. Pow does a
deslre for oLhers Lo follow Cod lnfluence your llfe? WhaL Lrlggers LhaL deslre more Lhan
anyLhlng else?

3. Why would bulldlng a klngdom on forglveness and aLonemenL resulL ln pure-hearLed
followers" (p.191)?

4. !esus revealed a compasslonaLe Cod raLher Lhan a wraLhful Cod. When have you seen
compasslon change someone's aLLlLude or acLlons? Why ls compasslon powerful?

3. Why ls lL hard Lo forglve someone who has wronged you? Why ls lL hard Lo accepL
someone's forglveness?

6. Pow do you respond Lo Lhe ldea LhaL !esus' klngdom ls a llvlng dynamlc reallLy . Cur
obedlence ls vlLal because lL ls a caLalysL for Lhe SplrlL's work" (p.193)? ln oLher words, whaL
does lL mean Lo you rlghL now LhaL Lhe klngdom of Cod ls wlLhln you" (p.193)?

B(';#)7 CK D T)5+N"$% A71) 4"05";:)0 +, Z17 /)="0( @+72

When we approach ScrlpLure and repuLable hlsLorlcal lnformaLlon wlLh humlllLy, we can
dlscover remarkable connecLlons beLween !esus, Lhe Cld 1esLamenL, and Lhe rlch !ewlsh
culLure. As 8abbl !esus LaughL, we are called Lo be ln dally, llvlng relaLlonshlp wlLh hlm and Lhen
llve our llves ln such a way LhaL oLhers wanL Lo be hls dlsclples as well.

1. WhaL has surprlsed you Lhe mosL abouL 8abbl !esus as you read SlLLlng aL Lhe leeL of 8abbl
!esus?

2. ln whaL ways, lf any, do you Lhlnk you have been [udgmenLal, ellLlsL, or apaLheLlc ln your
vlew of Lhe !ewlsh people? Pow do you feel abouL Lhe ldea LhaL as ChrlsLlans we are buL
branches grafLed lnLo a !ewlsh Lree" (p. 201)?

3. Why does humlllLy lnfluence Lhe way we learn?

4. ln whaL ways has SlLLlng aL Lhe leeL of 8abbl !esus made you more curlous abouL Lhe !ewlsh
rooLs of !esus' words?

3. Pow has Lhe book changed Lhe way you read Lhe 8lble?

6. ln whaL ways has Lhe book sLrengLhened your falLh as you dlscovered more abouL Lhe
connecLlons among !esus, Lhe Cld 1esLamenL, and Cod's Llmeless plan for hls chlldren? Pow has
Lhe book enlarged your undersLandlng of who Cod ls and whaL he Lhlnks of you?