Week 3: Tested and Called

Opening

Begin by reciting this week’s memory verse together:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” – John 3:16-17 (ESV)

Review: The Big Picture

This week we followed Jesus from the harsh silence of the Judean wilderness to the crowded celebration of a Galilean wedding, from a secretive nighttime conversation with a religious leader to a bold noontime encounter with a social outcast. The arc of the week reveals a Jesus who is tested and proven, who calls followers through personal testimony, who transforms the old into the new, who offers new birth to the powerful and living water to the marginalized. No one is outside his reach, and nothing about the old order remains unchanged in his presence.

Discussion Questions

The Temptation (Luke 4:1-13)

1. The Pattern of Temptation. Each of Satan’s three temptations targeted a legitimate desire through an illegitimate means. Bread when starving, kingship that was rightfully his, the Father’s protection – none of these are wrong in themselves. How does recognizing this pattern help you identify temptation in your own life? Can you think of a time when you were tempted to pursue something good through a wrong method or shortcut?

2. Scripture as a Weapon. Jesus responded to every temptation with a specific passage from Deuteronomy. Satan even quoted Scripture back (Psalm 91). What does this exchange teach us about the difference between knowing Scripture and rightly handling it? How can we grow in the kind of biblical fluency Jesus demonstrated?

3. “Until an Opportune Time.” Luke notes that Satan departed only temporarily. What does this tell us about the nature of spiritual warfare – that it is ongoing rather than a single decisive battle? How should this shape our daily spiritual posture?

The First Disciples (John 1:19-51)

1. Chains of Witness. The first disciples came to Jesus through personal testimony: John pointed Andrew, Andrew brought Peter, Jesus called Philip, Philip invited Nathanael. No one came through a program or institution – each came through a relationship. How did you first hear about Jesus? Who could you invite to “come and see”?

2. Identity Before Achievement. Jesus renamed Simon “Cephas” (Rock) at their very first meeting, before Peter had done anything. God names us according to what he is making us, not what we currently are. How does this challenge the way you see yourself – or others?

The Wedding at Cana and Temple Cleansing (John 2)

1. Abundance and Transformation. The water-to-wine sign involved 120-180 gallons of the best wine, far more than any party could drink. Why is extravagant abundance a consistent feature of God’s provision (cf. Ephesians 3:20)? How does this counter a scarcity mentality in your faith?

2. Righteous Anger. Jesus’ Temple cleansing shows that love and anger are not opposites – his anger at exploitation flowed from his love for God’s house and God’s people. Is there a place for righteous anger in the Christian life? How do we distinguish it from selfish anger?

Nicodemus and the New Birth (John 3)

1. The Limits of Religious Knowledge. Nicodemus was the most qualified religious expert in Israel, yet Jesus told him he needed to start over entirely – to be “born from above.” What does this say about the relationship between theological knowledge and spiritual life? Can someone know a great deal about God and still be missing the essential thing?

2. God’s Posture Toward the World. John 3:17 says God sent his Son “not to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” How does this shape the way Christians should engage with the culture around them? Are we known more for condemnation or for the offer of salvation?

3. Decrease and Increase. John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” This was not reluctant surrender but joyful fulfillment – the friend of the bridegroom rejoicing at the bridegroom’s arrival. Where in your life is God calling you to step back so that Christ can be more visible?

The Samaritan Woman (John 4)

1. Crossing Barriers. Jesus broke at least four social conventions in speaking with the Samaritan woman: he was a Jew speaking to a Samaritan, a man speaking privately with a woman, a rabbi engaging with someone of questionable morality, and a religious leader accepting water from an “unclean” vessel. Which social or cultural barriers feel most challenging for you to cross for the sake of the gospel?

2. Worship in Spirit and Truth. Jesus declared that true worship is not tied to a mountain or a temple but happens “in spirit and truth.” What does this mean practically? Does this make corporate worship and sacred spaces irrelevant, or does it transform them?

3. From Hiding to Witness. The Samaritan woman came to the well at noon – likely to avoid others. After meeting Jesus, she left her water jar and ran into the city to tell everyone. What accounts for this transformation? Have you experienced a similar shift from hiding to bold witness?

Synthesis

1. Contrasting Encounters. Compare Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. One was a male Jewish religious authority who came at night; the other was a female Samaritan outcast encountered at noon. One struggled to understand; the other grasped Jesus’ identity and became a missionary. What does John intend us to learn from placing these stories side by side?

2. Week in Review. Looking at the full arc of the week – temptation, calling of disciples, first sign, Temple cleansing, Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the official’s son – what single theme or insight has been most significant for you? How will it shape the way you live this coming week?

Going Deeper: Connections Across the Week

• Old to New. Water to wine. Purification jars to celebration. Old birth to new birth. Temple of stone to temple of the body. Mountain worship to spirit-and-truth worship. Trace the theme of transformation from the old order to the new across this week’s readings. What is being fulfilled, and what is being replaced?

• The Role of Questions. This week is full of questions: Satan’s “If you are the Son of God…,” the delegation asking John “Who are you?,” Nicodemus asking “How can these things be?,” the Samaritan woman asking “Where should we worship?” How does Jesus use questions – both his own and others’ – as instruments of revelation?

• Levels of Faith. John shows a spectrum of faith responses this week: the disciples who follow immediately, the crowd that believes because of signs, Nicodemus who is intrigued but confused, the Samaritan woman who moves from curiosity to confession, and the official who trusts Jesus’ bare word. Where do you see yourself on this spectrum?

Closing Prayer

Close your time together by praying through John 3:16-17. Thank God for the depth of his love, for the gift of his Son, and for a mission of salvation rather than condemnation. Ask the Holy Spirit to give each person in the group the new birth that comes from above, the living water that never runs dry, and the courage to cross every barrier for the sake of the gospel.