Introduction: Have you been rejected by someone you loved?
Have you ever said, or even thought, “If you reject me then
I will reject you?” It is typical human behavior to measure
your love by the degree to which you have been shown love.
Thank God that Jesus was not like that! In our study of the
Gospel of John this week we will see first hand that Jesus
has a love unlike anything we can fathom. A love that
overlooks the insult or injury that He experienced from us.
Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and learn more!

I. Deserted by the Disciples

A. Read John 18:15. This text refers to a time when
Jesus is being subjected to trials leading to His
death. What is the unwritten message about the
loyalty of Jesus’ disciples? (Only two of Jesus’
disciples followed Him in his trials.)

1. Why do you think that is?

B. Read John 18:25-27. What is Peter saying about his
relationship to Jesus? (He denies that he is a
disciple of Jesus.)

1. Jesus’ disciples believe that He is the
Messiah. Yet all but one desert Him in His
greatest time of need. How would you react if
you were Jesus?

II. Rejected by the People

A. Read John 18:38-40. We read that Pilate decides
that Jesus is innocent, but instead of doing his
duty as a judge, he hopes that the crowd will show
common sense and release Jesus rather than “a
robber.” What does the crowd decide?

1. Put yourself in Jesus’ place. You are God and
have come down from heaven to save the people
because you love them. How would you react to
the people choosing a robber over you? Jesus
is not robbing them, but giving up His life
for them!

B. Read John 19:3-5. How do you like to be
disrespected? How do you like to be hit on the
head, or hit at all?

1. What disrespect was shown to Jesus in addition
to hurting Him? (They were mocking Him by
saying that He was no king. In fact, He was
their God and their Creator.)

2. Think about a time in your life when you were
disrespected by someone who you considered to
be substantially inferior to you. How did you
react?

3. Recently, a fellow in an old, dirty-brown
pickup truck followed me into a parking lot at
the university where I teach and started
mocking me because I was driving an older
Corvette and not a new mid-engine Corvette. How
would you react to that kind of mocking? (Is a
guy in an old brown truck entitled to mock
others over their cars? I recall years ago
when I drove an old mini-van, I would look
around at a stoplight and conclude that
everyone was driving a more valuable vehicle.
It did not cross my mind to mock them! To be
mocked is bad, but Jesus was being mocked by
those He had created! Those absolutely
inferior to Him.)

C. Read John 19:6-7. How would you react if a crowd
demanded your death because they refused to believe
the truth of who you are? (Mocking is one thing,
killing you because of disrespect is even worse.)

D. Read John 19:14-15. The King of the Jews is Caesar?
What additional disrespect does this show to Jesus?
(These are the leaders of the Jewish nation, the
nation whose purpose was to be a light to the
nations! They now claim a pagan for their king as
opposed to Jesus?)

E. Read Matthew 26:39-40. This is another example of
Jesus being let down by His disciples. Could Jesus
have decided that He had enough of “this cup” from
these ungrateful people who are repeatedly
rejecting Him and disappointing Him?

III. Crucified

A. Read John 19:16-18. Jesus suffered excruciating
pain which the Gospel of John does not discuss. Why
do you think John omits the painful details? (John
claims a very close relationship with Jesus. I
think it was too difficult for him to detail Jesus’
torture.)

B. Read John 19:23-24. What mocking do you see in this
account? (Jesus is crucified naked. He is displayed
for all to see, including those who are insulting
Him. What humiliation!)

C. Read John 19:26-27. Who has not abandoned Jesus?
(His mother and the disciple John. We know that
John is referring to himself in this text by what
he writes in John 21:20-24 at the end of his
gospel.)

1. If you were Jesus, what would the presence of
John and your mother do for your spirit? (They
have not abandoned Him. I would be encouraged.
However, I would not want my mother to see
this.)

2. What do Jesus’ words about the care of His
mother teach us? (In the midst of this torture
and humiliation, Jesus is still looking out
for His mother.)

D. Read John 19:30. What is finished? (Jesus has
defeated sin. He came to earth as a human, He lived
a perfect life, and now He has died a terrible
death on our behalf so that we can go to heaven.
What a victory! The Life Application Commentary
reports that this Greek word can mean, “it is paid
in full.” Jesus paid our penalty in full, even
though we were hurting Him, mocking Him, and
rejecting Him. Such love!)

IV. The Resurrection

A. Read John 20:1-2. Why does Mary say, “We do not
know where they had laid Him?” (This plural
suggests that Mary was with other women. This is
confirmed by Mark 16:1.)

1. What would be going through your mind if you
were Mary? (On top of all of the abuse Jesus
suffered, His dead body has now been moved.)

2. Why would they believe that Jesus’s body was
stolen as opposed to Jesus coming to life?

B. Read John 20:3-7. Does this report of the scene
support the idea that someone had stolen Jesus’
body? (Thieves do not neatly fold things when they
leave.)

C. Read John 20:8. What does the “other disciple”
believe? (John is the “other disciple” who sees the
folded linen. He concludes that Jesus arose from
the dead.)

D. Read John 20:9-10. Does this correct my suggested
conclusion that John believed Jesus rose from the
dead? (I don’t think John is including himself with
the other disciples. Instead, I think he is telling
us that he believed, but the others have not yet
reached this conclusion.)

E. Read John 20:11-13. Why do the two angels speak to
Mary and not Peter and John? (The disciples left.
If John believed that Jesus was raised from the
dead, what is he doing going back home? He should
be sharing that news with others.)

F. Read John 20:14-16. Why does Jesus appear first to
Mary and not to the disciple “that Jesus loved?”
(Mary still thought that Jesus’ body had been
stolen. That might be the reason. Or, John and
Peter had gone home, but Mary was not leaving. Mary
was absolutely devoted to Jesus.)

G. Read John 20:17. What does Jesus’ statement tell us
about what Mary is doing? (She is clinging to Him.
She is holding Him. This reinforces the picture of
her extraordinary devotion to Him.)

1. How has Mary’s attitude changed? (She has gone
from complete sadness and frustration, to
absolute joy.)

a. Is this the best answer as to why Jesus
first appeared to Mary?

H. Read John 20:18. Is Jesus concerned about His
disciples? The disciples who deserted Him?

I. Friend, words cannot adequately describe the love
that Jesus has for you. His love is not measured
by your love for Him. Even if trouble comes your
way, think about what Jesus did to save you. Will
you promise to put all of your personal concerns
and troubles into the context of what Jesus did for
you?

V. Next week: Epilogue: Knowing Jesus and His Word.

Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are
from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version ), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing
ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within
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