Judging The World | John 12:44-50
Aaron Gray | November 11, 2018

Discussion Questions

1. What do people in our culture usually mean when they say “judging”? What are some various ways that the Bible uses this term? How does the judging/not judging tension that we see in John help us think more clearly?

2. How do you respond internally (emotionally) when you feel like someone is “judging” you? How does the gospel free us to respond to criticism, even if it’s unfair or off-base?

3. Read and compared Matthew 7:1–5 and John 7:24. How does the surrounding context of both passages help us to understand what Jesus meant by “do not judge”? How can we make evaluations and be discerning while avoiding hypocritical judgementalism?

4. How can we grow in our ability to share the gospel in a non-judgmental way? And how can we help each other remember that, even if we are as kind and gracious as Jesus, some people will feel judged no matter what?

Prayer Points

1. Pray that we would rest more deeply in the finished work of Jesus, so that the judgements of others would not have an undue amount of weight in our hearts and lives.

2. Pray for opportunities to partner with Jesus in his mission to bring salvation to the world, and pray for courage and strength when that inevitably leads to pushback from the world.