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Bible Essentials

John 3:1-21

Jesus With Nicodemus

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Opening

  • Share life updates
  • Review highs and lows of the week
  • Share prayer requests and praises

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Icebreaker

  • What question about or concept in the Bible is most confusing to you?

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John 3:1-21

  • Read the passage
  • What is the context for this passage?
    • Beginning of Jesus’s ministry
    • Jesus has called his disciples and performed his first miracle
    • Jesus has already made enemies with the religious leaders by driving out people who were using the temple as a market

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John 3:1-21

  • Read the passage again, in a different version if available.
  • Summarize the passage in your own words.

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What does the passage say about God?

  • Jesus speaks truth.
  • God is OK with people asking questions if they don’t understand.
  • The Son of Man (Jesus) has descended from heaven and ascended into heaven.
  • The Son of Man must be lifted up.

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What does the passage say about God?

  • God loves the world.
  • God gave his only Son to save the world.
  • God’s light exposes wickedness.

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What does the passage say about people?

  • Religious leaders who wanted to talk with Jesus had to hide what they were doing.
  • Even the religious leaders were forced to recognize that Jesus’s power came from God.
  • Some people have a hard time believing heavenly things.
  • People tend to love darkness, wickedness, and evil and hate the light.
  • People who love the truth will choose to walk in God’s light.

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What does the passage say about God’s plan?

  • God’s plan is that those who are “born again” will see the kingdom of God.
  • God’s plan is that people must be born of the water and of the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God.
  • God’s plan is that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life and will not perish or be condemned.
  • God’s plan is that whoever does not believe in Jesus will be condemned.

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Discussion

  • How does the passage fit into the overarching story of the Bible?
    • This passage tells us what we must do to be saved—we must be “born again,” or born of the water and of the Spirit.
    • To be saved, we must believe in Jesus, God’s only Son.
    • There is a struggle between light and dark.

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Discussion

  • What else strikes you about this passage?
  • How does the passage affect how you view God? How you view yourself?
  • How does this passage affect how you will live your life?