Psalm 34:11-22 & John 20:19-21

Theme

Living in the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace

Questions
  • To call Jesus the Prince of Peace is to say something about his kingdom. Look at Isaiah 9:2-7. How does this help understand the Messiah as the Prince of Peace, what sort of words would you associate with the kingdom of the Prince of Peace?
  • Psalm 34 mentions the “fear of the Lord” four times:
    • What do you think it means to fear the Lord?
    • Fear of God is concerned with honouring him and living in submission to him. Are there things you need to do to live your life more in fear of the Lord?
  • The psalm emphasises the fear of the Lord, but it also presents God as offering security for his people. Is there a connection between fearing the Lord, and trusting him for security?
  • In Psalm 34:17 & 18 there is a contrast between outward crying to God and inward pain. How do these verses encourage you that God cares about all of our circumstances, inward and outward?
  • In Psalm 34:19 it says that the “righteous person may have many troubles”:
    • Do you think there is an assumption that Christians should never have any problems or that to be at peace with God is to have troubles taken away?
    • In what ways have you experienced the second part of v.19 – that God delivers his people from troubles?
  • Look at Psalm 34:14, there are four verbs in this verse, turn, do, seek and pursue.
    • Turn (or depart) from evil. Evil is the things which stand in opposition to God’s ways; are there areas of your life where you need to turn from evil?
    • Do good. How do you decide on the ‘good’ thing to do – what is the ‘good’way?
    • Seek peace (compare with Romans 12:18). Think about the responsibility we have to seek peace in our different relationships. How can we encourage one another and build one another up?
    • Pursue it. To pursue something is to go after it with your whole heart. Why do you think it’s so important for God’s people to pursue peace?
  • How does Psalm 34 (and the verses from John 20) encourage you that the Messiah is the Prince of Peace? Choose some verses or words which encourage you.