The Way the Truth and the Light - May 7, 2023

Bible Study – The Way the Truth and the Light

Share:  Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.

 

“I have seen the Lord!” exclaimed Mary Magdalene. At first she does not recognize who is standing beside her. When she realizes it is the risen Jesus she wants to grasp him. He holds her off and tells her to go and share what has happened: He has walked through death and has created a path for us to follow, now and on through our own death.

In these 50 days of Easter, celebrating what Jesus has done for us, we are invited to recognize Jesus standing beside us, as he did with Mary. What is he calling us to do? Perhaps we can train our eyes to look in the direction that this Jesus, standing beside us is looking. What might he be looking at? Do we dare follow where he is leading? Can we notice and honor the various ways Jesus “appears” to people?

The passage we have today is kind of a pep talk Jesus is giving his disciples. The disciples are scared, with good reason, about the crucifixion and the resurrection that Jesus keeps telling them is coming, and they are not really ready to believe it is actually going to happen.  Can you picture how hard it is to know something wonderful and be able to explain it to people who have not yet experienced it.  Try and think of something cool or exciting and try to explain it to someone who has not had the experience.  For example, try to describe what it felt like to hit a home run, try to explain to a baby who is just learning to crawl; try to explain what fun it is to ride a bicycle, or try to explain chocolate ice cream to someone who has never tasted any ice cream.  

Opening Prayer:  Thank you, God, for Jesus who came to tell us about your love for each of us.  Amen    

Please open your Bibles to John 14:1-14 and read or read the scriptures below.

John 14:1-14

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

 

Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)

  • Why do you think Jesus had to tell the disciples not to be afraid?
  • What do you think Jesus means in verses 2-3?
  • What is Thomas trying to figure out in verse 5?
  • Do you think Jesus’ answer in verse 8 helped Thomas?
  • What is Philip asking Jesus to do in verse 8?
  • Do you think Jesus’ answer in verses 10-11 helped Philip? (If not, can you help Philip by explaining in your own words what you think Jesus is saying?)
  • What are some of the greater works the disciples actually did after the resurrection?
  • What other greater works are happening now as people do what they hear Jesus calling them to do?
  • What do you think Jesus means in verses 13-14? (Do we think he means that if we pray for a sports car, one will show up in our driveway? Why? Why not?)
  • What about times we pray for something that seems very good, like for someone we love to get well, and it does not happen? Does that mean that we were not praying in the right way?

 

 

Click here for the young learner’s lesson

 

Videos (Click on url)

LUMO – Gospel of John Chapter 14:1-14 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Oedf79Rbds

I Am The Way the Truth and the Life – John 14 Bible Story for Kids - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmZ8qqNjfwY

Gospel of John Summary: Part 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUfh_wOsauk

Song:

I am the Way, the Truth and Life Music - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D406Meo3Op4

 

Activities:

Journal: The task is to come up with something we believe Jesus would applaud that would improve our community. (Example: collect outgrown coats to make available to children who do not have a good coat.  Arrange with the school to stay after school one afternoon a week to help younger children who are struggling to learn to read, etc.)  Write your idea in your journal and share it with others.  What would you need to do to make this happen?

 

Maze Bible Verse:  Draw a squiggly line around a piece of paper and write today’s verse (John 14:6) on the squiggly line.  Color in the little shapes where the lines come together for an “added effect” for your maze poster.  You can also add other Bible verses from today reading if you would like.

 

Finding the Way - Maze

Finding the Way – Multiple Choice:  https://sermons4kids.com/finding_the_way_choice.htm

Finding the Way - Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/finding_the_way_crossword.htm

Finding the Way – Word Search – https://sermons4kids.com/finding_the_way_wordsearch.htm

 

 

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for the good ideas we get when we follow Jesus. Amen.  

 

 

 

 

Answers to the Questions:

  • Why do you think Jesus had to tell the disciples not to be afraid? (He knows they are getting worried about all the things he is telling them will happen in the crucifixion and then the resurrection.)
  • What do you think Jesus means in verses 2-3? (What could this be telling us about heaven? What could it be telling us about different places we find ourselves in here and now?)
  • What is Thomas trying to figure out in verse 5? (He wants to go to this place Jesus is describing, but he does not know how to get there.)
  • Do you think Jesus’ answer in verse 8 helped Thomas? (If not, can you help Thomas by explaining what you think Jesus was saying?)
  • What is Philip asking Jesus to do in verse 8? (Just SHOW us, God, please!)
  • Do you think Jesus’ answer in verses 10-11 helped Philip? (If not, can you help Philip by explaining in your own words what you think Jesus is saying?)
  • What are some of the greater works the disciples actually did after the resurrection? (They told people who told people, who told people — right up to us here now — the things Jesus taught them.)
  • What other greater works are happening now as people do what they hear Jesus calling them to do? (Notice the outreach activities of your own church including both the services that take place in your church and the outreach to the community such as food pantries, clinics, after-school programs, whatever you are aware of.)
  • What do you think Jesus means in verses 13-14? (Do we think he means that if we pray for a sports car, one will show up in our driveway? Why? Why not?)
  • What about times we pray for something that seems very good, like for someone we love to get well, and it does not happen? Does that mean that we were not praying in the right way? (Does it help to remember how hard it was to explain the bicycle to the crawling child?)