Session 3 John 2:11-23

SIGN REMEMBERED (JOHN 2:18-23)

pay attention to how different people responded to Jesus and His actions.

18 So the Jews replied to him,
“What sign will you show us for doing these things?”
19 Jesus answered,
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days.”

20 Therefore the Jews said,
“This temple took forty-six years to build, and will you raise it up in three days?”

21 B
ut he was speaking about the temple of his body.
22 So when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this,
and they believed the Scripture and the statement Jesus had made.

23 While he was in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival,
many believed in his name when they saw the signs he was doing.

COMPARE:

discuss the different people or groups mentioned in these verses.

• those who wanted a sign were demanding to know where Jesus got His authority.
• individuals who believed when they saw Jesus’s signs,

PROBE:

• What was the significance of Jesus’s pointing to the temple as a metaphor for His resurrected body? (p. 31)

Emphasize that He was highlighting the insufficiency of the sacrificial system
and the completeness of His own work.
But, as usual, most in the crowd missed His point.

HIGHLIGHT:

locate the memory verse for this session.
Encourage them to memorize John 2:19 this week.

ASK:

• How does the resurrection serve as a sign of Jesus’s glory and authority? (p. 31)

Discuss responses.
while the crowd demanded some kind of external authority,
Jesus merely pointed to Himself and His relationship with the Father.

TRANSITION:

That was all the people needed to know.
It’s really the most important thing we can know about Jesus as well.

CHALLENGE

REVIEW:

Call attention to the summary statement for this lesson (p. 28):
Jesus brought honor to the Father in word and deed.
Invite volunteers to share key takeaways from the Bible study.

APPLY:

Call for responses to the question under Apply the Text on page 31:
What barriers need to be removed within the group so others can believe in Jesus as well?
Challenge the group to spend time this week
thinking about the barriers that hinder people from experiencing God and what role they can play in removing those obstacles.
Encourage them to complete the Daily Explorations this week.

ASSERT:

Signs are much more helpful than roadblocks.
God calls us to point others toward Him rather than distract them from who He really is.

PRAY:

Close in prayer,
asking the Holy Spirit
to lead your group in worshiping God
in Spirit and truth throughout the week.

AFTER THE SESSION

Reinforce the session by evaluating the extent to which your group is worshiping God in Spirit and truth. Contact leaders within the group for suggestions about what indicators would suggest a group is worshiping God well. Identify actions the group can take to improve based on those indicators.