Overview
Jesus forms a core group of people He will prepare for fantastic works ahead. Jesus lovingly calls them with the simple request: "Follow Me." But some of His choices cause those who are already following to wonder what He is thinking and doing. Following Jesus comes with a cost to anyone who answers His call - a cost some find easy to pay, while others struggle to make the sacrifices necessary to become His follower.
Introduction
The episode begins with a flashback to Moses and Joshua discussing the "bronze snake" that has been ordered by God as the cure for those bitten by the fiery serpents during the Exodus. As Jesus begins teaching his core group of followers and they are given different assignments, insights into their characters begins to develop further. This is also seen in those who are not yet following Him. The Roman officials now have noticed Jesus and as we know, this will lead to trouble. Jesus agrees to take a private meeting with Nicodemus. Matthew is called to follow Jesus; this does not make sense to those already following Him.
Historical Info
Discussion and Learning
Conversation Starter
Share a time when you received an invitation to something you didn't want to attend. Talk about a time you were excited to receive an invitation to something.
Group Guide
Episode 7:
Invitation
Characters:
Jesus, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene
The Big Question:
What is your one BIG question from this episode? What captured your imagination most, and what would you ask God about the events portrayed?
Bring to Group:
What quote from this episode was the most meaningful/impactful to you? Why?
Matthew 9:9-13
John 3:1-21
Luke 18:18-23
Numbers 21:4-9
Luke 19:1-10
Psalm 2:11-12
Questions
for
Group Discussion
1. Reflect on Nicodemus' journey to Jesus. How did he go from being a devout Pharisee to sitting in front of Jesus?
What character qualities did he exhibit?
2. If you feel confortable sharing - how have you experienced being "born again"?
3. How do you recognize the effect of the Spirit in your life?
4. Did it surprise you how quickly Matthew agreed to follow Jesus?
Especially in comparison to Nicodemus hesitation?
5. Stories like that of the bronze snake can be shocking to us today. What caused the Israelites to suffer?
What daily habits can you cultivate so that you obey as quickly as Matthew did?
6. What did you think of Peter's reaction to Jesus calling Matthew?
How can you have the same reaction today?
1. Reflect on Nicodemus' journey to Jesus. How did he go from being a devout Pharisee to sitting in front of Jesus?
What character qualities did he exhibit?
2. If you feel confortable sharing - how have you experienced being "born again"?
3. How do you recognize the effect of the Spirit in your life?
4. Did it surprise you how quickly Matthew agreed to follow Jesus?
Especially in comparison to Nicodemus hesitation?
5. Stories like that of the bronze snake can be shocking to us today. What caused the Israelites to suffer?
What daily habits can you cultivate so that you obey as quickly as Matthew did?
6. What did you think of Peter's reaction to Jesus calling Matthew?
How can you have the same reaction today?
Quotes
Jesus to Mary: "With their faith, they would have found a way whether you brought them to the roof or not."
Matthew: "My whole world, everything I thought I knew, what if it's wrong?"
Jesus to Andrew: "You are there to guide our guest, not to be my protector."
Jesus to Nicodemus: "If I have told you of earthly things, and you do not believe, how can I tell you heavenly things?"
Nicodemus: "My whole life I have wondered if I would see this day."
Peter (about Matthew): "Do you have any idea what this guy has done? Do you even know him?"
Jesus: "Yes"
Jesus to Mary: "With their faith, they would have found a way whether you brought them to the roof or not."
Matthew: "My whole world, everything I thought I knew, what if it's wrong?"
Jesus to Andrew: "You are there to guide our guest, not to be my protector."
Jesus to Nicodemus: "If I have told you of earthly things, and you do not believe, how can I tell you heavenly things?"
Nicodemus: "My whole life I have wondered if I would see this day."
Peter (about Matthew): "Do you have any idea what this guy has done? Do you even know him?"
Jesus: "Yes"
Going Deeper
Reflection Questions
1. What surprises you when you hear the story of the bronze serpent? If you were there and bitten by a serpent, how would you react to the announcement of the 'only' cure?
2. Have you ever answered a difficult call from Jesus? If yes, how so?
3. When considering obedience and faith that God demands in the story of the bronze serpent, what daily habits can you develop and/or strengthen, to help you to become as quick to obedience as Matthew was?
4. When have you felt like Matthew when he said, "...when you realize no one in the world cared what happens to you, you think only about yourself..."
5. When did you understand that you receive eternal life by believing that Jesus' death on the cross was full payment for all of your sin?
Did you struggle believing it was that simple?
6. In the episode, Nicodemus struggled with leaving a life of status to follow Jesus. Matthew struggled with leaving a wealthy lifestyle. When have you felt thsi type of tug-of-war when you sense Christ's invitation to follow Him?
Personal Next Steps
Renew and Refresh
Read John 3:1-21; Numbers 21:4-9
Self-Check
Jesus taught Nicodemus that people who believe in His sacrifice receive eternal life. In this episode, Jesus kept inviting people to follow Him. While many Christians enjoy knowing they have eternal life, the question remains, are they following Jesus - here and now.
How could you follow Jesus more closely this week?
Do you struggle to believe that Jesus would invite you to help Him build His Kingdom?
What can you do to reassure yourslf of His belief in you?
Continuing the Conversation
Who do you know that needs to hear the incredible news about belief in Jesus' sacrifice and receiving eternal life? Think about having a conversation with this person and ask for God's wisdom and timing.
Pray
Thank your Heavenly Father for the gift of eternal life. Thank Him also for Jesus' example for living life today. Ask Him to help you follow Christ more closely.
Jesus calls Matthew to Follow Him
Matthew 9:9-13
Jesus asks Matthew to come with him
9 Jesus went away from that place. While he walked, he saw a man called Matthew. Matthew's job was to take taxes from people. He was sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, ‘Come with me and be my disciple.’ So Matthew stood up and he went with Jesus.
10 Later, Jesus went to eat a meal in Matthew's house. Many bad people and men who took taxes also came to the house. They came to eat there with Jesus and his disciples.
11 Some Pharisees saw what was happening. They said to Jesus' disciples, ‘Your teacher is eating a meal with these bad people. That is not right. They are people who do not obey God, and some of them take taxes from people.’
12 Jesus heard what the Pharisees were saying. He said to them, ‘People who are well do not need a doctor. It is people who are ill that need a doctor.
13 Go and study what it says in the Bible. God says there, “I want people to be kind to each other. I do not want them only to offer sacrifices to me.” Some people think that they always obey God. I did not come to help people like that. Some people know that they have done wrong things. I am asking those people to come to me for help.’
9:10These people were Jews who did not obey everything in God's Law. The Pharisees did not like them. They thought that they were bad people. The Pharisees thought that they themselves obeyed everything in God's Laws. They thought that they themselves were better than other people.
Jesus calls Matthew to Follow Him and
Luke 18:18-23
Jesus meets a rich ruler
18 A Jewish ruler came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do so that I can live with God for ever?’
19 Jesus asked him, ‘Why do you say that I am good? Only God is good. Nobody else.
20 You know God's rules: “Do not have sex with anyone who is not your wife. Do not kill anyone. Do not rob anyone. Do not say things that are not true about people. Love your father and your mother, and obey them.” ’
21 The man replied, ‘I have obeyed all these laws since I was a young man.’
22 Jesus heard what he said and he replied, ‘There is still just one thing that you must do. You must sell everything that you have. Then give the money to poor people. If you do that, you will have many valuable things in heaven. Then come back and be my disciple.’
23 When the ruler heard this, he became very sad. This was because he was a very rich man.
Two contrasting invitations
Luke 19:1-10
Zacchaeus meets Jesus
1 Jesus went into Jericho and he was walking through the city.
2 There was a man there called Zacchaeus. He was a leader of the men who took taxes from people. He had become very rich.
3 He was trying to see who Jesus was. There was a big crowd there and he was a small man. So he could not see Jesus.
4 He ran on in front of the crowd and he climbed up a tree. He could see Jesus more easily from the tree, because Jesus would walk along that way.
5 When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up at Zacchaeus. He said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, come down quickly. Today I must stay in your home.’
6 So Zacchaeus came down immediately and took Jesus into his home. He was very happy about this.
7 The people saw what had happened. They were not happy, and they were saying, ‘Jesus has gone to stay in the home of a man that does bad things.’
8 Later, Zacchaeus stood up in front of everyone. He said to the Lord Jesus, ‘Listen, Master! I will give half of all the things that I have to poor people. I may have taken too much money from some people. I will give back to them four times as much as I took from them wrongly.’
9 Jesus said to him, ‘Today God has saved people in this home. Now Zacchaeus also belongs to the family of Abraham. 10 I, the Son of Man, came to look for people who are far away from God. They are in danger and I have come to save them.’
Jesus teaches Nicodemus
John 3:1-21
Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a Pharisee called Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish leaders.
2 He came to speak with Jesus at night. He said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we know that God has sent you to us. We have seen the miracles that you are doing. Nobody could do these things unless God was with him.’
3 Jesus replied, ‘I tell you this: Unless a person is born from above, they cannot understand the kingdom of God.’
4 Nicodemus asked, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot return into his mother's body. He cannot be born a second time.’
5 Jesus explained, ‘I tell you this: Unless a person is born by water and by God's Spirit, he cannot come into the kingdom of God.
6 People give birth to what is human. But God's Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 I said to you, “You must be born from above.” What I said should not surprise you.
8 When someone is born by God's Spirit, it is like the wind that blows. The wind blows wherever it chooses to blow. You can hear it. But you do not know where it came from or where it is going.’
9 Nicodemus asked, ‘How can this happen?’
10 Jesus replied, ‘You are an important teacher of people in Israel. You ought to understand these things!
11 I tell you this: We speak about things that we know. We tell you about what we have seen. But even then, you people do not believe our message.
12 I have told you about things that happen in this world. And you do not believe me. But now I am telling you about things that happen in heaven. So I do not think that you will ever believe me about those things.
13 The Son of Man came down from heaven. Nobody else has gone up to heaven except him.
14 Long ago Moses lifted up the metal snake in the wilderness to save his people. In the same way, people must lift up the Son of Man on a cross.
15 As a result, everyone who believes him will be able to live for ever with God.
16 God loved the people in the world so much that he gave his one and only Son to save them. As a result, everyone who believes in the Son will not die. Instead, they will live for ever with God.’
17 God did not send his Son into the world because he wanted to punish people. He sent his Son to save the people in the world from punishment.
18 God will not punish anyone who believes in his Son. But if people refuse to believe in the Son, God has already decided that he must punish them. They have not believed in God's one and only Son.
19 God's Son has brought light into the world. But some people did not love the light. They loved the dark instead. That was because they were doing evil things. That is why God has decided to punish those people.
20 Everyone who does evil things hates the light. A person like that will not come to the light because he is afraid. He does not want the bad things that he has done to show clearly.
21 But anyone who does what is true will come to the light. The light will show clearly that he has been doing what is right. Everyone can see that he has been obeying God.
3:14See Numbers 21:4-9
Moses and the bronze snake
Numbers 21:4-9
The bronze snake
4 The Israelites left Hor mountain. They travelled round the edge of Edom to the Red Sea. As they travelled, the people were upset.
5 They complained to God and to Moses, ‘You should not have brought us from Egypt to die here in the desert. There is nothing to eat. There is no water to drink. We do not like this bad food, manna.’
6 Then the Lord sent snakes among the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died.
7 So the people came to Moses and they said, ‘We did a bad thing when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Please pray to the Lord on our behalf. Ask him to remove the snakes from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a model of a snake and put it up high on a pole. When a snake bites anyone, they must look at the bronze snake. Then they will not die.’
9 Moses made a bronze snake and he put it on a pole. When a snake bit anyone and they looked at the bronze snake, they did not die.
Caduceus
The Biblical Caduceus—Symbol of Medicine. The definition of a caduceus is a staff from ancient times which shows one or two serpents coiled around a staff. Its symbol is a medical one. The word itself means “herald.”. The original caduceus is of Biblical origin—a rod with a brass snake on it.
Coronation of kings
Psalm 2:11-12
11 Respect the Lord and serve him.
Enjoy his rule with fear!
***
12 Bend down low in front of his son!
If not, the Lord will be angry.
He will quickly become very angry.
You will suddenly die!
But as for those who serve the Lord as their king,
he blesses them and he takes care of them all.
Next Week
season 1, Episode 8
"I Am He"
Chosen Hits
