Life Group Discussion Questions (John 3:1-21)

1. Take some time to catch up. How did this week go? What steps of obedience did you take and what has God been teaching you?

This question, or one like it, will be the first question we ask when we come together most weeks. It is meant to be a bit of an icebreaker, but it is also meant to give accountability. Last week, if you were following the questions, you would have ended by asking the group how they felt called to respond to the message and text of Scripture. This is an opportunity to check in and see how it went. The hope is that by consistently starting and ending with these questions people will think about these things throughout the week.

2. Take time to read John 3:1-21. What stands out to you from the text and/or sermon that Pastor Willy preached? Is there something that you did not know/notice before?

This question serves a couple of purposes. Depending on when your group meets together, a couple of days may have passed since Sunday. Because of this, it’s always a good idea to refresh peoples’ memories and to get them back in a head space to talk about the passage that was preached. This question also gives people an opportunity to share any insights or questions they may have about the sermon and/or text.

3. In this text, Nicodemus is seeking a human solution to a spiritual problem. Have you ever tried to use a human solution for a spiritual problem? How did that work out for you?

This question is meant to connect the world of the text to our own lives. In John 3, Nicodemus misunderstand what Jesus is saying because he is thinking in human terms about a spiritual problem. Often in life we try to do the same thing. We try to use human strategies to do things only the Spirit of God can do. Have you ever done this? Share a story of a time you have tried to do something using human means that only God can do. Maybe you thought you could change someone’s heart if you just said the right things to them. Maybe you thought that your way of dealing with a problem was better than God’s. Talk about the balance between doing what God calls us to do, but making sure we rely on God to do the things that only he can do.

4. Nicodemus was a ruler and teacher of Israel. He would have been morally upright, well- respected, and knowledgeable about the Bible. If Nicodemus needed a new birth, what does that tell us about the human condition?

The point of this question is to get us to think about how radical Jesus’ teaching is here. Nicodemus would have been one of the most respected people of the day, and even he needs to be born again. This is not a renovation; this is a movement from death to life. The implication about the human condition is that if Nicodemus needs to be born again, how much more do the rest of us. It is unpopular to say that people are lost without God, but that is the reality the Scriptures teach. It is not a matter of a little bit of self-improvement; new birth is required.

5. John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible. We have all heard it before, but how does hearing it in its original context help us to appreciate it even more?

This question can have more than one answer, but it’s meant to get us thinking about how John 3:16 fits within the larger context of John 3. This is a verse that is usually quoted in isolation, and so it is helpful to situate it back in its original context. One possible answer to the question would be to connect 3:16 to what comes before it. Jesus has told Nicodemus he must be born again to enter the Kingdom of God, Nicodemus misunderstands at first but Jesus repeats himself. Then Nicodemus responds by asking the question, “How can these thing be?” Jesus responds. His response includes John 3:16. In other words, how can a person be born again? How is it possible that God will grant spiritual life to people who are dead? How can something this amazing happen? Because God sent his only son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Alternatively, you could also talk about what comes after John 3:16. You could talk about how Jesus came to the world to offer salvation and to be the light of the world. By being the Light he give the opportunity for people to find forgiveness for the sins practiced in the dark.

6. How do you feel led to respond to this week’s message and text? Are there steps of obedience you feel the Spirit asking you to take? How can we pray for you as a group?

This is the ‘what are you going to do about it’ question. It is meant to become very practical. It is also a question that can produce silence for the group so it would be good for you as a leader to give some thought to this question and how you would answer it. Responses could vary, but encourage everyone to think of something. For some, they might feel called to seek God’s help in prayer for a problem they had been trying to solve on their own. Others might feel convicted about pride and recognize that left to themselves without the grace of God they would be spiritually dead and separated from God. Others might feel called to confess sin and walk in the light rather than the darkness.

Bonus Question

If you want, take some time to read John 1:1-18 and make note of how many parallels (things that are similar) you find between that passage and John 3:1-21. There are a bunch.

 Both talk about light coming into the world and being rejected (1:10 cf. 3:19ff)  Both talk about light defeating darkness (1:5 cf. 3:19ff))  Both talk about birth (1:12-13 cf. 3:3,5,7)  Both talk about believing (1:12 cf. 3:15-18)  Both talk about Jesus as the ‘one and only’ or ‘unique one’ (1:14,18 cf. 3:16)  Both talk about the grace available through Jesus (1:17 cf. 3:16ff)