John 4:43-54
Life Group Questions:
1. If you were not able to hear this week’s sermon, consider going to the church website and listening to it. What are some main ideas that you gathered from the sermon? What, if any, questions did the sermon cause for you or do you desire to have additional clarification?
2. In verse 44, John quotes Jesus when He says, “A prophet has no honor in his own hometown”. Why did John place this quote in this location of his gospel? How does it compare to other Gospels (Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4-6)? Who was Jesus referring to as His hometown?
3. In spite of John’s quoting what Jesus said about the Galileans, this passage seems to indicate that they welcomed Him. What was the basis of this welcome they made for Jesus in verse 45? What was their intention? How do we sometimes place our belief on signs and wonders?
4. Compare the Galilean response to the Samaritan response in Sychar, to Jesus’ teachings? (John 4:41 and John 4:45)
5. In this narrative, Jesus was surrounded by His own countrymen. Why did He choose to instead, recognize someone who was not a Jew and even one who served such an evil ruler to get His point across? What do you think John is trying to show us in this story?
6. Jesus response to the nobleman’s first request is made in the form of a general statement to all who were watching in verse 48. How could the nobleman take this offensively, who was Jesus really talking to?
7. Jesus makes the statement “Go, your son will live” in verse 50. What does this miracle teach us about Jesus in relation to the laws of nature and what the nobleman believed to be true about healing? How was the nobleman expecting Jesus to heal his son? How do we respond when God doesn’t answer prayers the way we expect Him to?
8. What was the response of the nobleman’s family upon his arrival home to see his son had been healed by Jesus’ miraculous words? How is this similar to the Philippian Jailer in Acts 16:30-34?
9. Two main terms in this passage are “believe” and “live”. How do these two terms relate to each other and how does John develop that idea in his purpose statement in John 20:31?