Fourth Sunday of Easter, Lectionary Year B
Beyond Fear to Security
John 10:11-18

The agenda has three parts. You will begin with an ice-breaker for your total group. The study segment has two parts: a story and a Bible study. If you are short of time, skip the story and move to the Scripture. Begin by reading the story or the Scripture out loud to the whole group. Then divide into groups of four. Finally, regather the total group for the Caring time.

Keep to this agenda: (1) Ice-breaker-10 minutes, (2) Study-30 minutes, (3) Caring-20-40 minutes.

BEYOND FEAR TO SECURITY
WEEK 4: EASTER 4

ICE-BREAKER (10-15 minutes)

I Can't Wait! In which of the following situations would you have the hardest time waiting if the event in question were two weeks away?

you have tickets to the Super Bowl

your favorite out-of-town relative is coming for a visit

a company is preparing to announce who gets a great job you are a candidate for

your child is the lead in his or her first high school play or musical

you've ordered a new car from the factory

you're going to Hawaii for your vacation

you're 8 1/2 months pregnant (or your daughter is!)

For another easy Ice Breaker exercise that you can print and hand out Click Here.

INTRODUCTION STORY

Ann Judson in a Hostile Burma.

Ann Judson, along with her husband Adoniram, were early missionaries to the country of Burma. Ann was the first woman to go out on such a venture. The Judsons faced many dangers, and in the midst of those dangers, had to find their security in God. E. R. Pitman, in the book Ann H. Judson of Burma, tells of one such time when Adoniram had disappeared:

… It seems that almost immediately after the arrival of the news from Chittagong that Mr. Judson had not been heard of at that port, a peremptory and menacing order arrived at the mission house, requiring Mr. Hough, the missionary printer, to appear before the court, and to give an account of himself. He was informed that 'if he did not tell all the truth relative to his situation in the country, they would write with his heart's blood.' Mr. Hough and Mrs. Judson resolved to appeal to the Viceroy, and Mrs. Judson's teacher drew up a petition which she tremblingly presented, somewhat like Esther of old, when she pleaded for the lives of her people. This petition was successful beyond expectation, for the Viceroy - in spite of the fact that no women were allowed to appear at his court, except by special favor of his wife - commanded that Mr. Hough should receive no further molestation.

This trouble was over; but the darker one yet remained. No tidings of her husband had yet arrived, and Mr. Hough, believing that the little attack they had experienced was only the first monition of a dark time of persecution, was anxiously eager that Mrs. Judson should accompany him and his family to Bengal. She partly complied with his wish, and even went on board, but returned again to the post of duty, determined to trust herself and her affairs to God's love and keeping. …

The result proved that Mrs. Judson was right. In a few days Mr. Judson arrived home unexpectedly, to the rejoicing of his brave wife, and soon after two new missionaries arrived from America to reinforce the mission. Then she realized again, with a new thankfulness, the truth of the lines which she had so often sung in her fatherland:

1. From this excerpt, what would you say was the most important personal quality of Ann Judson? 

2. When in your life has God "cleared the darkest skies"?

E. R. Pitman, Ann H. Judson of Burma (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1936), pp. 56-58.

BIBLE STUDY (30 minutes) 

Shepherds and an Urban Culture. 

The image of God as shepherd over his children is one of the most frequently used in the Bible. Best known, of course, is the 23rd Psalm, which proclaims, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." Only slightly less known is John's passage which speaks of Jesus as "the good shepherd." 

But what do these passages really say to an urban culture? When the images were originally used they were speaking to a pastoral culture, where sheep and shepherds were as common as automobiles are today. Now many people go a lifetime without seeing any sheep other than Sharie Lewis' "Lambchop." 

In biblical times, people knew shepherds to be professionals who were totally committed to caring for their charges. The good ones cared for each sheep and would risk their own life to bring each sheep out of danger. 

Today we might say to the grade school child, that Jesus is the "good teacher." To the teen who has gotten in trouble with the law, we might call him the "good parole officer." To the athlete who has enjoyed a good team experience we might say he is the "good coach." 

All of these images say the same thing - Jesus is one who gives us his all to teach us and lead us away from danger. That is a source of great security, especially for those of us who have noticed that going our own way tends to get us into trouble. Perhaps it is our need for this message that has kept even the image of Jesus as "good shepherd" popular in a culture that knows few shepherds. 

Have someone in your group read the following passage out loud. Then go around on each question and let each person share their answer. Take advantage of the Study notes following the questionnaire. Be sure to save the last 20-40 minutes for the Caring time. 

¹¹ "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away - and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father." 

John 10:11-18 

(New Revised Standard Version. Copyright© 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. All rights reserved. Used by permission.) 

1. From your own life history, which of the following images which could be seen as modern equivalents to "good shepherd" has the most meaning for you?

      good teacher
      good parole officer
      good coach
      good foreman
      good drill sergeant
      good shepherd
      other:____________

2. If you could choose a modern secular song to be a theme song to express the meaning of this Scripture, which of the following would you be most likely to choose?

      "Someone to Watch Over Me" (Gershwin)
      "The Wind Beneath My Wings" (Bette Midler)
      "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" (Simon & Garfunkle)
      "Friend Like Me" (from Aladdin)
      "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King)
      "Jesus Is Just Alright" (Doobie Brothers)
     other:____________________________________________

3. How well do you feel you know the "good shepherd" Jesus Christ at this point in your life?

1	2	3		4	5
Complete strangers			Like my best friend

4. What is Jesus saying about the kind of help he offers to those who would follow him?

      He'll protect us from all danger.
      Whatever we face, he'll stand with us.
      Following his voice will help keep us out of trouble.
      He'll protect us from the sting of death by his own death and resurrection.
      other:___________________________________________

5. What is the nature of the "wolf" that threatens you the most at this point in your life?

      financial stress
      family stress
      job stress
      health difficulties
      isolation and loneliness
      other:____________

6. In light of this "wolf" that threatens you, what "hired hands" do you see in the world that promise protection or caring, but fail to give it?

7. What would you ask of Jesus right now as the one who seeks to be your "good shepherd"?

      just an awareness of his presence with me
      to send a Christian friend to stand with me also
      to keep that "wolf" away from my door
      to show me more clearly what I need to do
      other:___________________________________________

REFERENCE NOTES:

10:11 the good shepherd. In contrast to the hired hands who run away at danger, the true shepherd cares for the flock at his own risk (1 Sam. 17:34-35). The Old Testament is rich in pastoral symbolism (see Psa. 23; Isa. 40:11 and Ezek. 34:1-16). The Ezekiel passage particularly speaks of how much better a shepherd God is than the false prophets of Israel, who were looking out for themselves rather than looking out for their sheep. Jesus makes this same point in regard to himself in the present passage.

10:14 I know my own. While verse 11 highlighted the quality of sacrifice in the good shepherd, this verse highlights his personal awareness of the sheep; "to know" is equivalent with "to love" (also in v. 15).

10:16 I have other sheep … Since this Gospel has consistently stressed that Jesus' mission was not just for Jews but for all the world, it is likely that this is the meaning here also. one flock, one shepherd. The Christian community is not to be marred by divisions, but is to model unity across racial and ethnic lines as all respond to the voice of the one shepherd.

10:18 I have power to lay it down … Our security comes from the fact that we serve a powerful God. Jesus did not lose his life because it was taken from him by force. Jesus' death was not that of a martyr dying when things got out of control. It was "the hour" toward which he had lived. To die and rise again was his Father's will for him. We can be reassured by the fact that God is still in control.

CARING TIME (20-40 minutes)

For a Group Evaluation form that you can print and hand out Click Here.

This time is for developing and expressing your caring for each other as group members. We do this by sharing our needs and praying for each other's needs.

Each group member should answer the question, 

How can this group help you in prayer this week? 

Then join together in group prayer. 

Taken from Search the Scripture Pastor's Guidebook Year B and Search the Scripture Handout Tablet Year B. Copyright© 1999 by Serendipity House. Used by permission. 

For more information about Serendipity or to order these resources (or Year C resources which begin with Advent at the end of 2000), Please click here: www.serendipityhouse.com.