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Day 1

Understand their story

Understand Their Story: The Setting and Conflict 

  • Read John 8:31-59 to get an overview of the passage in its entirety. 
    • Look back to John 8:20. Where is this conversation taking place? 
    • Who is Jesus speaking to? Look back to verse 30 to see more about this group of people.
    • What do people think of themselves? What does Jesus say is true about them? 
    • How do the Jews who had believed respond to being told these truths about themselves?
    • What do they accuse Jesus of being? (hint: verses 48 & 52)
    • How does this interaction end? What does Jesus say that causes this final reaction?

 

Pray today in supplication for those you know who have strong negative reactions to the truth.  Pray that they would come to understand who Jesus is and that true freedom is only found in him.

 

Day 2

Understand their story

Understand Their Story: The Conflict

 

  • Read John 8:31-59. Today we will focus on the dialogue in verses 31-53.
    • What is the evidence that a person is truly a disciple of Jesus? 
    • Why do the Jews who had believed claim to never have been slaves? How does Jesus respond to this false assumption?    
    • What is the evidence of who their spiritual father really is? 
    • What evidence would be seen if their claim to be children of Abraham– and thus children of God– was true? 

 

Pray today in supplication:  that you and people you know would be able to hear the truth about what your actions reveal about who your spiritual father really is and where you are placing your trust for salvation. 

Day 3

Connect to His story

      • Connect to His story:Slaves to Sin

 

      • The Jews that are Jesus interlocutors within this story claim that they have never been slaves. This shows their false assumptions about themselves and their sin. 
        • Read Proverbs 5:22. 
          • What does sin do to a person? 
        • Read Romans 6:16-20. 
          • What is the evidence of who one’s father is? 
          • What is a “slave to sin” freed from? What are they then free to do? 
        • Read Titus 3:3-8
          • How does this passage speak about what we once were? 
          • What freed us from this slavery? 
          • What, then do we become rather than slaves? 
          • What are we free to do? (v8) 
        • According to Jesus in John 8:31-36, how is a person set free?  


        Pray today in confession thanksgiving and supplication: Confess any wrong thinking you have regarding freedom and obedience. Thank God that through Jesus you have been freed from slavery to sin. Ask Him to continue to empower you to live in obedience to him because you are free. 

         

Day 4

Connect to His story

Connect to His Story

 

At the close of this chapter, Jesus says something that results in the people picking up stones to kill him. 

  • Read Exodus 3:13-15. In Exodus 3, God calls Moses to be part of his plan to free the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. What does God reveal about Himself in this passage? 
  • Read Isaiah 43:8-11. How do vv10 and 11 talk about the Lord?
  • Read Psalm 90:1-2. How do these verses talk about the Lord?
  • What claim is Jesus making in John 8:56? What would the Jewish people understand Jesus to be saying about Himself? 

 

Pray today in thanksgiving and supplication. Thank God that he would love us and come to us. Pray for people you know who don’t believe Jesus is God, pray that their eyes may be opened to his claims. 

Day 5

Apply to our story

Apply to your Story

 

Read John 8:31-59 for the last time today. In this passage Jesus confronts the Jews who had believed, with the stark reality of what their actions reveal about their spiritual state. He continues to press them about his identity. 

  • In John 8:31 Jesus says if you abide in my word, you are truly his disciple. What does it mean to abide in his word? How do you think this brings about true discipleship? Would you say this is true of your life? 
  • What do you think our culture believes sets a person free? How does Jesus contradict these false beliefs? How do you think you have been influenced by our cultures beliefs about freedom? 
  • Have you experienced the freedom that comes from knowing and obeying Jesus? Do you associate freedom with obedience to God or does it seem contradictory to you? (It is essential that we understand that our obedience to God does not earn our freedom, but that it is a result of the freedom we have been given through God’s grace). 

 

Pray today in confession and supplication. Confess ways you have misused and misunderstood your freedom. Pray that you would abide in Jesus, that you would live in freedom and obedience to him. Pray for those you know who think that freedom is found in sin, pray that the Son will set them free.