2. Union with Christ in the Bible

Union with Christ helps make sense of the entire Bible.

John 17:20-26, Ephesians 1:3-14

1.  Think about one of your favourite movies. Some of you share with the group which movie it is, and what about the story got you hooked in?

2.  Now what about one of your least favourite? What made it terrible?

It’s been said that the Bible can feel like a disorganised wardrobe. It’s made up of different things in different places of different ages and you’re not even really sure if some of it’s useful anymore.

3.  When have you experienced times of the Bible not hooking you in?

Discussion

4.  Get someone to look up these passages, jot down a few notes, and then share what they’ve read: Genesis 46:28-30, 1 Samuel 14:47-52, Ezekiel 45:1-5, Matthew 1:2-6 and Revelation 3:14-22.

How do all these fit together?

5.  What does Jesus pray for his followers in John 17:20-21?

6.  Over in Ephesians 1, what have Jesus’ followers now been given?

7.  Count how many times in the Ephesians passage you ‘in Christ.’

8.  What will happen when the times have reached their fulfilment? What do you think this means?

We can see that the plan of God is to bring all things under Christ.  So, it gives us a set of glasses to read the Bible through. Whenever we go to the Bible the main question to start with is ‘How does this passage show me more about Jesus’?

9.  Go back to that list of passages earlier in the study. How does the idea that we’re all being brought under Christ add some light to those passages?

10.  What is the danger of always trying to make the Bible about you?

11.  How difficult is it to keep seeing the big story of the Bible and where Jesus fits? What stops you from doing this?