Session 9 John 7:14-29
“teachers”
think of a teacher who had a positive impact on your lives
what is one word that describes what made that teacher special
Note how each word describes a great teacher.
read aloud the lesson introduction on page 77.
Repeat the final two sentences of the paragraph:
The people of Jerusalem were evaluating Jesus’s teaching,
especially His authority. In the process,
they were confronted with their own hypocrisy and lack of power.
Today, we study Jesus’s teaching during the Festival of Shelters.
As we do, put yourself in the sandals of Jesus’s listeners.
Try to understand their struggles to accept Jesus
Summarize previous lessons and how they led to this point.
Note that those opposed to Jesus were intensifying their efforts
to arrest and even kill Him.
Share that Jesus began John 7 in Galilee,
but He moved to Jerusalem for one of the annual Jewish festivals.
In doing so, He was
moving to the epicenter of the threats against Him.
Invite the group to review the information about the Festival of Shelters
in Understand the Context (p. 77).
Encourage the group to discuss what this particular festival represented
and how it was celebrated.
Note that the festival crowd would have included religious leaders,
residents of Jerusalem who were probably familiar with the tension between Jesus
and the leaders, and out-of-town visitors
who were not as familiar with the situation.
Jesus did not immediately go to Jerusalem.
But midway through the festival, He entered the city
and began teaching in the most public place possible,
the temple. He was confident that He would be safe
because He understood the Father’s perfect timing.