Dining with Death - John 8:48-59

John 8:48-59 – Dining with Death

Introduction

 

            Cloning

 

            Meet Joe Black

 

 

What is being promised?

 

            Separation

 

                        Alarm Call - the physical and the spiritual

 

 

            Uncertainty and Significance

 

 

Who is the promise for?

 

            “Whoever obeys my word…”

 

            Free and Available

 

 

Who is the promise not for?

            Discrediting and Degrading and Dishonouring

 

 

            Door – Lock – Key

 

 

How can I trust such a promise?

 

            The Character

 

            The Qualifications

 

            The Experience

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

Questions 

1a) What approaches and responses to death have you observed in life? 1b) What do you think about those approaches and responses?

2a) In what sense is death an alarm call to humanity? 2b) Why do people sleep through the alarm?

3a) What is Jesus promising in verse 51? 3b) What has/is that promise done/doing for you?

4) Who is the promise for and how do you receive it as your own?

5) In what ways do people discredit and degrade and dishonour Jesus today?

6a) What was the point of the ‘Door-Lock-Key’ illustration? 6b) How might it help you in speaking to people about Jesus?

7) What criteria should we focus upon so that we can have confidence in the promise Jesus made? Encourage each other with these.

8) How does the gospel change the significance of physical death?