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Bible Study: Jesus saves and satisfies


NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from The Gospel Project curriculum.

Bible Passage: John 10:1-21

Discussion Questions:
— What are you hearing from the voice of Jesus today?
— How can we identify “thieves and robbers” that threaten the flock of God today?
— How would you describe the abundant life that comes through faith in Jesus?

Food for Thought:

Read John 10:1-10. Do you ever doubt if you really belong to the Good Shepherd — to Jesus? Sin, shame and doubt can call out to you to convince you that maybe you don’t really belong to Jesus. But Jesus assures us that all who are His sheep recognize His voice and follow His voice. They may not graze in a straight path behind the Shepherd, but they always return.

Does the voice of Jesus through Scripture stir you to belief and repentance? If so, take heart because it means you belong to Him. If not, consider whose voice you are following and turn to the Good Shepherd who welcomes into His flock all who believe in Him.

The Pharisees, however, led people away from a true relationship with God by their additional rules and false, human-centered interpretations of the law. But Jesus offered Himself as the way into eternal life and community with the Father and His sheep — He is the gate. If you want to enter into the flock of God and into communion with the Father, you have to go in by way of Jesus, who said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

As the gate, Jesus grants us safety from all the enemies that would destroy us for eternity in hell: sin, shame and death. We are saved when we enter God’s presence by Christ. But we aren’t just saved in the past or for the future. Imagine sheep sitting in the sheepfold celebrating their safety from danger, only to die from starvation while inside the fold. That would be a tragedy!

Christ provides safety from the dangers outside of the fold, but He also provides sustenance for those inside the fold: “A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10). In other words, we aren’t just saved; we are satisfied in Him. The sheep respond to and follow the voice of the shepherd (John 10:4, 14, 27).

The Gospel Project
The Gospel Project is a chronological, Christ-centered study for kids, students and adults. The Bible is not a collection of stories. It is one story of God’s plan to rescue His people from sin and death. It is the story of redemption, the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. More information can be found at LifeWay.com/gospelproject .

Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores.

    About the Author

  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources