Step 1: Opening and Introduction to the lesson – Personal Testimonies from last week’s study and Reflection: Have you ever been embarrassed by mistaking a stranger for an acquaintance? What happened?
Step 2: Hear – Read: John the Baptist Denies Being the Christ. John 1:19-34.
Step 3: Explore – Discover the Passage
- What questions do the priests and the Levites ask John? What do these questions reveal about the reason why they were sent? Who are present at Jesus’ baptism?
- Why does John respond so abruptly? What would you have said in his situation?
- What is John’s purpose in life (vv. 22, 23, 26, 27; also Isa 40:3-5)?
- How does john finally answer their question about his baptism (vv. 30-31)? What does he mean by calling Jesus the “Lamb of God” (v. 29; see Ex 12:1-13; Isa. 53:7) and the Son of God (v. 34)? What proof supports these claims (Ps 2:7)?
Step 4: Connect – Apply the Passage:
- Who made straight the way for the Lord in your life? Do you proclaim Christ as a voice (v. 23) or do you proclaim yourself? How can you bear witness to Christ
- How could you incorporate the submissive, sacrificial lifestyle of the Lamb of God into your own life? Of the titles for Jesus given so far (the Word, the Light, the Christ, the Lamb of God, the Son of God), which means the most to you? Why?
- What does Baptism mean to you? What about baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Step 5: Reflect: Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
