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Verses 32-34  Jesus Again Predicts His Death

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32They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.

33“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,

34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

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Concerning Jesus again predicting his death,

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1)       Where were Jesus and the disciples heading?

o   They were on their way up to Jerusalem. 

o   Jerusalem can be found on the map shown on the following page: http://www.gods-word-first.org/bible-maps/jordan-river.html

 

2)       Why was it said that they were going up to Jerusalem?

o   It meant that Jerusalem is at a higher altitude.

 

3)       Whose power base was Jerusalem?

o   Jerusalem was the power base of the Jewish religious leaders.

 

4)       Who was leading the way?

o   Jesus was.

 

5)       What was the reaction of the disciples and the crowd at Jesus leading the way?

o   The disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.

 

6)       Why were the disciples astonished and those who followed afraid?

o   Jesus had conscientiously avoided direct confrontation with the religious leaders ever since they started plotting to take his life. 

o   Going up to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way signaled a change in Jesus’ approach in handling confrontation with the religious leaders.

 

7)       What did Jesus tell the twelve disciples when he had taken them aside?

o   Jesus told them what was going to happen to him.

 

8)       What did Jesus say would happen to him?

o   The Son of Man would be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law.

o   The chief priests and the teachers of the law would condemn him to death and would hand him over to the Gentiles.

o   The Gentiles would mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.

o   Three days later he would rise.

 

9)       Who were the Gentiles who would mock Jesus and spit on him, flog him and kill him?

o   The Gentiles were the Romans.

 

10)   When did Jesus say his prediction was going to materialize?

o   Jesus’ prediction was going to materialize during the ongoing trip up to Jerusalem since he said to the disciples that they were going up to Jerusalem just before providing the details of his prediction.

 

11)   How many times had Jesus predicted his death and rising from the dead so far?

o   Three times.

 

12)   Who is the Son of Man?

o   Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man, laying emphasis on his divinity.

 

13)   Why did Jesus apply the title to himself in referring to his death and rising from the dead?

o   Jesus reminded the disciples that he sovereignly decided as God what was going to happen to him.

 

14)   What information can we glean from the current prediction that is not present in the previous two (chapter 8 verse 31and chapter 9 verse 31)?

o   Jesus would be condemned to death by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law.

o   The elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law would hand him over to the Gentiles who would be yet another party of adversaries.

o   The Gentiles would mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.

 

15)   What was the disciples’ reaction to Jesus’ third prediction of his death and rising from the dead?

o   There is no description of any reaction from the disciples.

 

16)   Why was there no reaction from the disciples to Jesus’ third prediction of his death and rising from the dead?

o   There was probably just numbness in the disciples when they heard Jesus’ prediction a third time.

 

17)   Let’s categorize facts from Jesus’ three predictions of what was going to happen to him:

o   Who were Jesus’ adversaries?

§  The betrayor/betrayors.

§  The elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law.

§  The Gentiles.

o   What was going to happen to Jesus?

§  Jesus would be delivered over to the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law by the betrayor/betrayors.

§  The elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law would condemn him to death and would hand him over to the Gentiles.

§  The Gentiles would mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.

§  He must rise again after three days.

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·  Ask for a volunteer to summarize.

·  Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the summary.

 

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Verses 32-34  Jesus Again Predicts His Death

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Verses 35-45  The Request of James and John

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35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

36“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

37They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

38“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

39“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,

40but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

41When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.

42Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.

45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

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Concerning the request of James and John,

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18)   Who came to Jesus?

o   James and John, the sons of Zebedee, did.

 

19)   What did James and John say to Jesus?

o   “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

 

20)   What did James and John address Jesus as?

o   They addressed Jesus as teacher.

 

21)   What kind of a request did James and John make of Jesus in verse 35?

o   It was an open-ended request in the sense that Jesus was treated like the genie in a bottle that would fulfill whatever wishes the master might have.

 

22)   Why did James and John make such an open-ended request?

o   They did not want to make known their controversial request until Jesus gave them some assurance that their request would be granted.

 

23)   What was Jesus’ reply to them?

o   “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

 

24)   What exactly did James and John want Jesus to do for them?

o   They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

 

25)   What did James and John mean when they referred to Jesus in his glory?

o   In their thinking Jesus as the Christ was going to enter into his glory by delivering the Jews from the rule of the Romans and restoring the kingdom to Israel through military conquest.

 

26)   What in reality did James and John want?

o   They wanted to be Jesus’ right- and left-hand men when he became king of the Jews.

 

27)   What else might have prompted James and John to make the request for them to sit at Jesus’ right and left in his glory?

o   They saw Jesus in his glory while he was transfigured before them up on the mountain.

o   They saw Jesus leading the way as he headed with the disciples and the crowd for Jerusalem, thinking that the restoration of the kingdom to Israel was imminent.

 

28)   Did Jesus just predict his death and rising from the dead a third time?

o   Yes.

 

29)   How did Jesus’ prediction of his death and rising from the dead a third time just prior to the request of James and John affect their motivation for jockeying for position?

o   It had no damping effect on their motivation for jockeying for position at all.

 

30)   What can we conclude about how James and John had received Jesus’ prediction of his death and rising from the dead a third time?

o   Jesus’ prediction of his death and rising from the dead a third time still did not register with James and John.

 

31)   What did we discuss in the previous chapter was the battle that was raging within the disciples?

o   The battle was raging within the disciples as to whether they wanted to follow the self-serving Christ or the self-giving Christ.

 

32)   Would the self-serving Christ be compatible with being a conquering king or a suffering servant?

o   The self-serving Christ would be compatible with being a conquering king.

 

33)   Would the self-giving Christ be compatible with being a conquering king or a suffering servant?

o   The self-giving Christ would be compatible with being a suffering servant.

 

34)   Judging from his three predictions, what kind of a Christ had Jesus been prodding the disciples to follow?

o   Jesus had been prodding the disciples to follow the self-giving Christ as a suffering servant.

 

35)   Judging from their request, what kind of a Christ had James and John decided to follow?

o   They had decided to follow the self-serving Christ as a conquering king.

 

36)   Who would be the most legitimate person to decide whether the Christ was self-serving or self-giving?

o   The Christ himself would be.

 

37)   What was behind the stubborn insistence of James and John on Jesus being the self-serving Christ as a conquering king?

o   They needed Jesus to be the self-serving Christ as a conquering king to realize their dream of national restoration and personal aspiration.

 

38)   Whom did Jesus lead up a high mountain in the previous chapter and was transfigured before?

o   Peter, James and John.

 

39)   What effect did seeing the kingdom of God come in power up on the mountain appear to have on the disciples when it came to the kind of Christ they wanted to follow?

o   It appeared to cause the disciples to be more inclined to follow the self-serving Christ as a conquering king.

 

40)   Were disciples up on the mountain or down below more prone to jockeying for position?

o   Disciples up on the mountain were.

 

41)   Why were disciples up on the mountain more prone to jockeying for position?

o   People who consider themselves to be elites think that they are entitled to power and authority over others.

 

42)   Were disciples up on the mountain or down below given more opportunity to ask Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead?

o   Disciples up on the mountain were.

 

43)   Would disciples up on the mountain or down below be held more accountable for resisting Jesus’ prodding for them to follow the self-giving Christ as a suffering servant?

o   Disciples up on the mountain would be.

 

44)   What did the disciples do immediately after Jesus gave his second prediction of what was going to happen to him in the previous chapter?

o   The disciples argued about who was the greatest.

 

45)   What did the disciples do immediately after Jesus gave his third prediction of what was going to happen to him in the current chapter?

o   James and John asked Jesus for the privilege of sitting at his right and left in his glory.

 

46)   Why did the disciples have a tendency to jockey for position every time immediately after Jesus made a prediction of what was going to happen to him?

o   They would jockey for position to shout down Jesus’ appeal for them to align their thinking with the reality of the Christ.

o   It shows how jealously they were guarding their dream of national restoration and personal aspiration from Jesus’ correction.

 

47)   What was Jesus’ reply to James and John?

o   “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

 

48)   What was the cup that Jesus drank?

o   The cup that Jesus drank was the cup of God’s wrath against sin that was poured out on him when he bore the sins of the whole world while hanging on the cross.

 

49)   What was the baptism symbolic of that Jesus went through?

o   The submersion under and coming up out of water of Jesus during baptism is symbolic of his death and rising from the dead.

 

50)   What really was the glory Jesus was going to enter into?

o   Jesus was going to enter into his Father’s glory.

 

51)   How was Jesus going to enter into his Father’s glory?

o   Jesus was going to enter into his Father’s glory by

§  Drinking the cup of God’s wrath against sin.

§  Dying for the sins of the whole world.

§  Rising again and being exalted by God the Father as the savior of man.

 

52)   How did Jesus’ way of entering into his glory contrast with the way James and John had in mind for him?

o   Jesus entered into his glory through suffering for man’s sins and the subsequent exaltation by God the Father as the savior of man.

o   James and John had in mind for Jesus to enter into his glory by way of military conquest as a conquering king.

 

53)   What did Jesus mean when he said that James and John did not know what they were asking?

o   Jesus meant that they did not know the price they would have to pay in order to sit at his right and his left in his glory.

 

54)   What did James and John say in reply?

o   “We can,” they answered.

 

55)   What was Jesus’ reply to them?

o   Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

 

56)   What did Jesus mean when he said that James and John would drink the cup he drank and be baptized with the baptism he was baptized with?

o   James and John would take up their cross and follow Jesus, die and rise.

 

57)   What did Jesus say about his authority for granting who would sit at his right or left?

o   Jesus said that he was not in a position to grant who would sit at his right or left.

 

58)   Who did Jesus say would have the privilege of sitting at his right or left?

o   These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.

 

59)   Who decided who would sit at Jesus’ right or left?

o   God the Father did.

 

60)   What was the reaction of the other ten disciples when they heard the conversation?

o   They became indignant with James and John.

 

61)   How did Jesus say the Gentiles were governed?

o   Gentiles had

§  Rulers governing them with power.

§  High officials exercising authority over them.

 

62)   Did Jesus approve of a similar governing relationship among the disciples?

o   No.

 

63)   What did Jesus say the governing relationship among the disciples should be?

o   Whoever wants to

§  Become great among you must be your servant.

§  Be first must be slave of all.

 

64)   What does a servant do?

o   A servant serves and waits on others.

 

65)   What priority does a slave have?

o   A slave has the lowest priority.

 

66)   Who is great among the disciples in the kingdom of God?

o   A disciple who serves and waits on other disciples is great among them in the kingdom of God.

 

67)   Who is first among the disciples in the kingdom of God?

o   A disciple who takes on the lowest priority for himself or herself among other disciples is first among them in the kingdom of God.

 

68)   How does the governing relationship among the disciples compare to that among the Gentiles?

o   The governing relationship among the disciples is meant to be the opposite of that among the Gentiles.

 

69)   From what perspective did the disciples view being great and first among them?

o   The disciples viewed being great and first among them from the perspective of the kingdom of man.

 

70)   What perspective did Jesus steer the disciples away from for viewing being great and first among them?

o   Jesus steered the disciples away from the perspective of the kingdom of man for viewing being great and first among them.

 

71)   From what perspective did Jesus direct the disciples to view being great and first among them?

o   Jesus directed the disciples to view being great and first among them from the perspective of the kingdom of God.

 

72)   How did Jesus use himself as the example to illustrate the governing relationship among the disciples?

o   The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

73)   What does it mean for Jesus to give his life as a ransom for many?

o   Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.

 

74)   Who is the Son of Man?

o   Jesus referred to himself as the Son of Man, laying emphasis on his divinity.

 

75)   Why did Jesus apply the title to himself on this occasion?

o   Jesus reminded the disciples that he sovereignly decided as God that he would die on the cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the world.

 

76)   What do we call this governing relationship among the disciples that we discussed in the previous chapter?

o   It is called the principle of servanthood in leadership governance.

 

77)   What progress had the disciples made in denying the flesh since the last check after Jesus made his second prediction of what was going to happen to him?

o   They had made no progress because they were jealously guarding their dream of national restoration and personal aspiration from Jesus’ correction. 

 

78)   What progress had the disciples made in the practice of the principle of servanthood in leadership governance?

o   They continued to show their propensity to jockey for position in their pursuit of leadership. 

o   In other words servanthood was still not on their mind when it came to leadership.

 

79)   What kind of an attitude was it for the disciples to use jockeying for position to shout down Jesus’ appeal for them to align their thinking with the reality of the Christ?

o   It was rebellious for the disciples to use their preferred notion of the Christ to blatantly resist their teacher’s teaching about the reality of the Christ.

o   To make it worse, their teacher happened to be the Christ himself.

o   They literally stuck it to the Christ whom they so zealously followed.

 

80)   What did Jesus do when the disciples used jockeying for position to shout down his appeal for them to follow the self-giving Christ as a suffering servant?

o   Each time Jesus prodded them to practice the principle of servanthood in leadership governance in both the previous and the current chapters.

o   Jesus used the welcoming of a child to illustrate the practice of the principle in the previous chapter.

o   Jesus used himself as the self-giving Christ to illustrate the practice of the principle in the current chapter.

 

81)   What is the contrast between the coming to Jesus between people who brought little children on the one hand and James and John on the other?

o   Both asked Jesus for a favor.

o   People who brought little children asked a favor for the little children while James and John asked a favor for themselves.

o   People who brought little children asked for a small favor while James and John asked for a signed blank check.

o   People who brought little children asked for an easy-to-fulfill favor while James and John asked for a favor so big that Jesus was unable to fulfill.

o   People who brought little children had their request fulfilled while James and John had their request denied.

o   The little children were so elevated that everyone would need to become like them in order to receive the kingdom of God while James and John were told to humble themselves like Jesus.

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·  Ask for a volunteer to summarize.

·  Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the summary.

 

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Verses 35-45  The Request of James and John

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Verses 46-52  Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

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46Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.

47When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

50Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

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Concerning blind Bartimaeus receiving his sight,

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82)   Where did Jesus and his disciples go?

o   They came to Jericho en route to Jerusalem. 

o   Here is a map of Jericho shown on the following page: http://www.gods-word-first.org/bible-maps/jordan-river.html

 

83)   Who was sitting by the roadside begging when Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving Jericho?

o   A blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.

 

84)   Did Bartimaeus realize that a large crowd was passing by and why?

o   Yes, because the large crowd caused a commotion.

 

85)   Why is Jesus called Jesus of Nazareth?

o   It is because Jesus’ hometown is Nazareth.

 

86)   What did Bartimaeus do when he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by?

o   He began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

 

87)   Who was David?

o   David was the most important king of Israel who lived about 1,000 years before Jesus.

 

88)   What is the significance of the title ‘Son of David’?

o   The title ‘Son of David’ is a reference to the Christ.

 

89)   Why did Bartimaeus call Jesus Son of David?

o   Bartimaeus acknowledged that Jesus is the Christ.

 

90)   Had Bartimaeus witnessed any of the miracles that Jesus did and why?

o    No, because he was blind.

 

91)   How did Bartimaeus form the opinion that Jesus is the Christ?

o   Bartimaeus often heard the things that Jesus did and taught and came to the conclusion that he is the Christ.

 

92)   What conclusion can we draw about the crowd’s opinion of Jesus from Bartimaeus’ opinion of him?

o   The crowd had formed the opinion that Jesus is the Christ.

 

93)   What was the crowd’s reaction to Bartimaeus’ shouting to Jesus?

o   Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet.

 

94)   What was the reason for these people’s reaction to Bartimaeus’ shouting to Jesus?

o   They looked down on him as a blind beggar, someone with a very low social status.

 

95)   What was the crowd doing to Bartimaeus in regard to Jesus?

o   They were hindering Bartimaeus from coming to Jesus.

 

96)   What did Bartimaeus do in response?

o   He shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

 

97)   Did Bartimaeus give up when other people tried to stop him from coming to Jesus and why?

o   No, because he tried even harder to come to Jesus by shouting all the more.

 

98)   Did Bartimaeus use his own strength to overcome the obstacles hindering him from coming to Jesus and why?

o   No, because he shouted, hoping that Jesus would hear him and help him.

 

99)   What did Jesus do?

o   Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

 

100)     What happened when Bartimaeus tried to come to Jesus by faith regardless of the obstacles he faced?

o   Jesus stopped what he was doing, made the crowd favorably disposed toward the blind man and called for him to come.

 

101)     What did the people do?

o   They called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”

 

102)     What did Bartimaeus do in response?

o   Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

 

103)     In what manner did Bartimaeus come to Jesus?

o   He threw off everything that hindered, made haste and came to Jesus.

 

104)     How did Bartimaeus locate Jesus?

o   He groped for his way toward Jesus, guided by his estimation of where Jesus was by Jesus’ voice.

 

105)     What did Jesus say to Bartimaeus?

o   “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

 

106)     What did Bartimaeus say in reply?

o   The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

 

107)     What did Bartimaeus address Jesus as?

o   He addressed Jesus as Rabbi, i.e., teacher.

 

108)     What was Jesus’ reply to Bartimaeus’ request for healing?

o   “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”

 

109)     What happened to Bartimaeus?

o   Immediately he received his sight.

 

110)     How was Bartimaeus healed?

o   He was healed by faith in Jesus.

 

111)     What did Bartimaeus do after he received his sight?

o   He followed Jesus along the road.

 

112)     Why was it not said that the crowd was amazed when blind Bartimaeus was healed?

o   Jesus might have already performed some miracles while he was in Jericho and that was why a large crowd followed him as he left the city.

o   Jesus’ miracles might have become commonplace such that the crowd might not be readily amazed anymore.

 

113)     What was the common expectation of Jesus as the Christ shared by the disciples and the large crowd?

o   The common expectation of Jesus as the Christ was that he was going to deliver the Jews from the rule of the Romans and restore the kingdom to Israel.

 

114)     Who was said earlier to be leading the way?

o   Jesus was said to be leading the way.

 

115)     What was the state of mind of the disciples and the large crowd as they headed for Jerusalem from Jericho?

o   They were full of anticipation for Jesus’ current trip to Jerusalem.

 

116)     Who came to Jesus with a request in the current chapter?

o   The Pharisees came to Jesus to test him using as bait a question on divorce.

o   People brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.

o   The rich man came to Jesus to seek commendation and affirmation using as bait a question on what he must do to inherit eternal life.

o   James and John came to Jesus asking for the privilege of sitting at his right and left in his glory.

o   Blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus asking to be healed.

 

117)     Of those that came to Jesus, who were hindered from coming to Jesus?

o   Little children.

o   Blind Bartimaeus.

 

118)     Of those that came to Jesus, who got their requests fulfilled?

o   Little children.

o   Blind Bartimaeus.

 

119)     Who had their request fulfilled in such a way as to vastly exceed their expectation?

o   Little children did when they got the promise of the kingdom of God thrown in as extra.

 

120)     Why did both the little children and blind Bartimaeus get their requests fulfilled?

o   Because the little children came to Jesus with innocence and trust.

o   Because blind Bartimaeus came to Jesus by faith.

 

121)     Why had people who had their requests fulfilled by Jesus been hindered from coming to Jesus?

o   That their requests were fulfilled by Jesus resulted from their hearts being right with Jesus.

o   It is not so much that people who had their requests fulfilled by Jesus had been hindered from coming to him as that people whose hearts were right with Jesus could expect that others would try to hinder them from coming to him.

 

122)     What is the contrast between blind Bartimaeus and the disciples in terms of their willingness to ask Jesus for help?

o   Blind Bartimaeus was fully aware of his disability, overcame human obstacles and groped for his way to come to Jesus for healing.

o   The disciples knew deep down within that they were not willing to follow the self-giving Christ and so chose not to ask Jesus for help, even though he had repeatedly prodded them to.

 

123)     What is the contrast between blind Bartimaeus and the disciples in terms of cherishing the opportunity of asking Jesus for help?

o   Blind Bartimaeus had perhaps the opportunity of only once in a lifetime to ask Jesus for help, seized the opportunity and would not let go until he got the help he needed.

o   The disciples had plenty of opportunity of asking Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead but squandered it.

 

124)     What was the hypocrisy on the part of the disciples when they faced the choice between following the self-serving Christ and the self-giving Christ?

o   They knew that Jesus was the self-giving Christ but pretended that they were following the self-serving Christ.

 

125)     What was the healing of blind Bartimaeus metaphorical enablement for?

o   The healing of blind Bartimaeus was metaphorical enablement for the disciples to see their need to ask Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead.

 

126)     What was the healing of the boy possessed by a deaf and mute spirit in the previous chapter metaphorical enablement for?

o   The healing of the boy possessed by a deaf and mute spirit was metaphorical enablement for the disciples to ask Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead.

 

127)     Would the disciples be able to ask Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead with the two incidents of metaphorical enablement?

o   Yes.

 

128)     Why did the disciples not ask Jesus what he meant by rising from the dead even with the enablement?

o   Enablement only made it possible for them to ask if they were willing.

o   They did not ask because they were not willing to follow the self-giving Christ.

o   Jesus would not force them to ask if they were not willing.

 

129)     When would the disciples wake up to the reality of the self-giving Christ?

o   It was only when Jesus had died for the sins of the world and their hope and aspiration had been dashed that they would wake up to the reality of the self-giving Christ.

o   Jesus by his rising from the dead three days later would realign their dream with the objective of the kingdom of God.

 

130)     What did it mean for the disciples’ dream to be realigned with the objective of the kingdom of God?

o   It meant that they would turn from being self-serving disciples following the self-serving Christ to being self-giving disciples following the self-giving Christ.

 

131)     Are we just trying to sound spiritual rather than practical in talking about being self-giving disciples following the self-giving Christ and why?

o   Here is the spiritual reality:

§  Self-serving disciples following the self-serving Christ could not advance the kingdom of God because the self-serving Christ does not exist.

§  Only self-giving disciples following the self-giving Christ could advance the kingdom of God because the self-giving Christ holds the key to the kingdom.

 

132)     What did the disciples’ tenacious difficulty in turning from being self-serving disciples following the self-serving Christ to being self-giving disciples following the self-giving Christ tell us about the difficulty of denying the flesh?

o   Denying the flesh is truly a hard issue of discipleship.

o   It had tripped up the disciples who had Jesus by their side helping them along the way.

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·  Ask for a volunteer to summarize.

·  Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the summary.

 

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Verses 46-52  Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

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