John Piper - Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ: Study Guide

SEEING AND SAVORING JESUS CHRIST

SEEING AND SAVORING,
JESUS CHRIST

STUDY GUIDE DEVELOPED BY DESIRING GOD

CROSSWAY BOOKS
WHEATON, ILLINOIS

Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ Study Guide

Copyright 2008 by Desiring God Foundation

Published by Crossway Books
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

This study guide is based on and is a companion to Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Crossway Books, 2004).

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Amy Bristow

Cover photo: Josh Dennis

First printing, 2008

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version.

Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-4335-0255-2

BP 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08
14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU to describe the greatest problems in the world today, what would you say? War? Poverty? Global warming? In the second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul describes one of the central problems facing humanity in every age. The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). One of the greatest problems in the universe is a sight problem. Human beings do not see Christ for who he is. Even those who have caught a glimpse of him do not see perfectly. As Paul says elsewhere, We see in a mirror dimly (1 Corinthians 13:12).

So we must see him. But what does this mean? How do you see a person who is not physically present to behold? Where do you look for him? The question becomes more complicated by the fact that in Jesus own day, there were many who saw him who did not truly see him. Concerning them, he said, Seeing they do not see (Matthew 13:13). What does this cryptic statement mean?

Jesus is not the only one to offer puzzling statements about seeing him. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul celebrates the fact that we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image.... But two chapters later he says, We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). So which is it: do we behold the glory of the Lord, or do we walk by faith, not by sight? Finally, the Bible exhorts us to Taste and see that the LORD is good! (Psalm 34:8). But what does it mean to taste and see that the Lord is good? Or, to say it another way, what does it mean to see and savor Jesus Christ?

The aim of this study guide is to unpack the meaning and significance of seeing and savoring Jesus Christ. But our goal goes beyond mere explanation. Our hope is not only that people will understand what we mean when we call everyone to see and savor Jesus Christ, but that they will actually answer the call and behold and delight in him above all things. Indeed, our prayer is that this study guide and DVD would be used by God to open the eyes and awaken the hearts of thousands to the truth and beauty of Jesus Christ in the gospel.

This study guide is designed to be used in an eight-session, from the Seeing andSavoring Jesus Christ DVD Set. You, the learner, are encouraged to prepare for the viewing of each DVD session by reading and reflecting upon Scripture, by considering key quotations, and by asking yourself penetrating questions. Your preparatory work for each lesson is marked with the heading Before You Watch the DVD, Study and Prepare in Lessons 2-7.

The workload is conveniently divided into five daily (and manageable) assignments. There is also a section suggesting further study. This work is to be completed individually before the group convenes to view the DVD and discuss the material.

Throughout this study guide, paragraphs printed in a shaded box (like this one) are excerpts from a book written by John Piper or excerpts taken from the Desiring God web site. They are included to supplement the study questions and to summarize key or provocative points.

The second section in Lessons 2-7, entitled Further Up and Further In, is designed for the learner who wants to explore the concepts and ideas introduced in the lesson in greater detail. This section is not required but will deepen your understanding of the material. This section will provide the opportunity to apply what you are learning through meditation on passages of Scripture in order to see and savor Jesus. To aid you in your meditation, you will also read through Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004). This book is available for free online at www.desiringGod.org in the Online Books section of the Resource Library. You are also welcome to purchase a copy of the book from Desiring God.

The third section in Lessons 2-7, entitled While You Watch the DVD, Take Notes, is to be completed as the DVD is playing. This section includes fill-in-the-blanks and leaves space for notetaking. You are encouraged to engage with the DVD by filling in the appropriate blanks and writing down other notes that will aid you in the group discussion.

The fourth section in each normal lesson is After You Watch the DVD, Discuss What Youve Learned. Three discussion questions are provided to guide and focus the conversation. You may record, in the spaces provided, notes that will help you contribute to the conversation. Or you may use this space to record things from the discussion that you want to remember.

The fifth and final section is an application section: After You Discuss, Make Application. You will be challenged to record a take-away point and to engage in a certain activity that is a fitting response to the content presented in the lesson.

Group leaders will want to find the Leaders Guide, included at the end of this study guide, immediately.

Life transformation will only occur by the grace of God. Therefore, we highly encourage you to seek the Lord in prayer throughout the learning process. Pray that God would open your eyes to see wonderful things in his Word. Pray that he would grant you the insight and concentration you need in order to get the most from this resource. Pray that God would cause you to not merely understand the truth but also to rejoice in it. And pray that the discussion in your group would be mutually encouraging and edifying. Weve included objectives at the beginning of each lesson. These objectives wont be realized without the gracious work of God through prayer.

NOTES

. While this study guide is ideally suited for an eight-session study, it is possible to complete it in six sessions. The Leaders Guide at the end of this study guide contains a note on one way to complete this study in six weeks. The six-session option may be well-suited for groups that are already familiar with each other or that only have six weeks to complete the study.

. Although this resource is designed to be used in a group setting, it can also be used by the independent learner. Such learners would have to decide for themselves how to use this resource in the most beneficial way. We would suggest doing everything but the group discussion, if possible.

. Thirty minutes is only an approximation. Some sessions are longer; others are shorter.

INTRODUCTIDUCTION TO SEEING AND SAVORING JESUS CHRIST

LESSON OBJECTIVES

It is our prayer that after you have finished this lesson...