Theme

Knowing Who Jesus is

Questions

• “Who are you?” is the question Jesus is asked (v.25). How would you answer someone who asks you who Jesus is?
• This passage as whole is about identity.
  • How do the parallels like slave and free, father and children, children of God and children of the devil helps us to think about identity?
  • Would you say that you are clear in your identity as a follower of Jesus?
• How does Jesus describe people who really are his disciples in v.31? How do you think you can hold on to Jesus’ teaching (another translation could be to ‘abide’ or ‘live’ in Jesus teaching)?
• In what ways would you say that knowing the truth of who Jesus is brings freedom?
• The Jewish leaders misunderstood and thought that Jesus was talking about physical or political freedom.
  • What kind of freedom is Jesus actually talking about (v.34)?
  • Look at Romans 6:1-7, and Romans 6:17-23: how do these passages help us understand the freedom Jesus offers to those who follow him?
• Jesus makes a distinction between being Abrahams ‘seed’ (physical descendants of Abraham) and Abraham’s children (spiritual descendants). Compare John 1:10-13 with Galatians 3:26-28:
  • How do people become children of God?
  • What does the word child or children mean to you? How does knowing you are a child of God make you feel?
• Jesus says that the Jewish leaders are determined to kill him because he has “told you the truth” (v.40). How do people react today when faced with the truth of who Jesus is – would they even consider truth as something which can be known?
• The people throw insults at Jesus (v.48) saying that he is ethnically outside of God’s people (a Samaritan) and spiritually opposed to God (demon-possessed). They are actively choosing to dishonour Jesus. How is Jesus dishonoured nowadays? How can you speak up to honour Jesus?
• V.47 describes people who belong to God.
  • How can we “hear God”?
  • Would you say that it’s obvious in your life that you are someone who hears God? Why/why not?
• Compare Exodus 3:13-15 with John 8:48. [The ‘I Am’ in Exodus in where we get the word Yahweh]. When Jesus describes himself as ‘I Am’ he is using the name of God.
  • Look at Colossians 1:15-23. What does this tell us about Jesus? How does it help us understand Jesus using the name of God?
  • Why do you think it is important that we know Jesus is God?
• Look at Jesus’ prayer in John 17:3-5. How is this prayer consistent with what Jesus says about himself in John 8:58?
• Why do you think the Jews reacted so aggressively to what Jesus said about himself (v.59) – compare with John 5:17-19? Can you think of people today who get angry about claims concerning Jesus? Pray for people to come to know the truth about who Jesus is.