How the Cross Works - Study 1. 

Romans 3:21-26
Idea: This passage emphasises how Jesus’ blood purifies people before God
 
Read the passage and view a few different versions. The different language reflects numerous interpretive decisions, reading how the original words relate to one another and the best English word to use.
  • Try paraphrasing this dense set of ideas into a few sentences to one another.
  • The ‘righteousness of God’ is an important term. The word for ‘righteous’ can equally be termed ‘justice.’ So, if someone is ‘righteous’ or ‘just,’ then what does that mean in simple language?
  • ‘Through faith in Jesus Christ’ v. 22 can be read as either something I do or that Jesus does. I am persuaded toward the latter, as it conveys something about the ‘faithfulness of Jesus.’ If so, then what Paul say Jesus’ faithfulness has accomplished? 
  • Two definitions: 
  • Justification is legal talk. It means that someone is declared to be ‘in the right’ with God ahead of the final judgement.
  • Redemption is slave market language. To ‘redeem’ a slave was to purchase their freedom from slavery.
  1. What was the ‘slavery’ from which Paul says humans were rescued? 
  2. How might being declared ‘right with God’ impact your walk with God or the way you perceive yourself?
  3. Verse 25 uses the word  ‘atonement.’ It is an idea that reaches back to the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16. To achieve atonement was to repair relations between humans and God. Read Lev 16:1-20. It will sound foreign. Try and visualize (not too closely for the second goat) the two things that are happening to the goats. We call the whole process an elimination rite. I.e. it gets rid of the pollutants of sin that threaten God’s presence to his people. Blood, as an ancient ritual detergent, washes away impurities form the temple. With these ideas in mind read 1 John 1:9. John is writing to Christians. Why should Christians be in the habit of confessing even when they have been already ‘justified’? What does it mean to you to know that our sins are washed clean or purified?

How the Cross Works - Study 2

Read Colossians 2:6-15
  • What does Paul say (v. 9) about Jesus that elevates him as being more than a prophet?
  • According to verse 12, what does human baptism signify ‘spiritually’? 
  • According to verse 13, how did God make you alive, together with him?
  • Read verses 13 and 14 together. What you make of these verses requires a little bit of interpretive work. Did God forgive and then place the erased record (charge sheet) on the cross? Or, did God forgive by placing the charge sheet of our wrongs on the cross? What makes you lean toward one or the other?
  • The word ‘triumphing over’ in verse 15 relates to a Roman victory parade. In what sense does a ‘nailed charge sheet’ that declares forgiveness for human ‘disarm’ rules (seen and unseen)? 
  • According to this cluster of ideas, what confidence can a Christian hold regarding their status with God? In the context of verses 16 and 17, what is Paul trying to emphasise?

Easter Questions 

Pray: Ask God to speak
Read:
Luke 24: 1-8 (The empty tomb)
Luke 24:13-24 (Road to Emmaus)
Luke 24:20-23 (Hope)
(Perhaps ask two different people to read from two different translations)

General Questions:
What stands out to you in these passages?
What do you find interesting or challenging about the passages?
 
Specific Questions: 
  1. What does Jesus' interaction with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus teach us about how we recognise truth? What does the encounter tell us about Jesus? 
  2. What does Jesus’ resurrection mean for you? 
  3. What does it look like to live as someone who has hope through Jesus’ resurrection?
  4. The Angel said to the women at the tomb, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?’ What might it look like to stop ‘looking among the dead’ and instead live with resurrection hope in your day-to-day life?
  5. How can we be people who carry and share hope with others who are struggling or who don’t yet know the good news Jesus brings? 
  6. How can we, like the two disciples, run back and share our experience of Jesus with others?