Opening the Text

1. Read John 1:1-3 aloud together. What phrases stand out to you, and why?

2. John begins his Gospel with "In the beginning" — the same words that open Genesis. Why do you think John chose to              echo Genesis 1:1? What is he trying to communicate about Jesus?

3. Verse 1 says the Word was "with God" and also "was God." How can both of these statements be true at the same time?          What does this tell us about the nature of God?

Understanding the Word

4. What does it mean that Jesus is called "the Word"? Why do you think John chose this particular title rather than simply            saying "the Son"?

5. In Genesis, God creates everything by speaking. How does John 1:3 connect Jesus to the creation account in Genesis?            What does this tell us about who Jesus is?

6. Verse 3 emphasizes that "without him nothing was made that has been made." Why do you think John is so emphatic            about this point? What misunderstanding is he trying to prevent?

7. If Jesus is the agent through whom all things were created, what does that tell us about his relationship to creation when      he becomes part of it at Christmas?

The Trinity and the Nature of God

8. The sermon explained that before Jesus, we could see God's actions but not truly see into God's nature. How does Jesus        give us a "window" into who God is within himself?

9. The Nicene Creed describes Jesus as "God from God, Light from Light." What do you think this phrase means? Why is the        image of light helpful for understanding the relationship between Father and Son?

10. The sermon described three historical views of the divine: no god, many gods, or one solitary divine being. How does the       Trinity differ from all three of these options? Why does this matter?

11. If God has always existed as Father, Son, and Spirit in perfect loving relationship, what does that tell us about the nature        of love itself? How is this different from a God who existed alone before creating?

The Gospel at Stake

12. The bishops at Nicea were not philosophers enjoying abstract debate — many bore scars from persecution. Why were           they willing to suffer and travel great distances to discuss who Jesus is? What was at stake for them?

13. The sermon argued that if Jesus is not God, then the gospel itself is undone. Why is Jesus being truly God essential to the       good news of salvation? What would be lost if he were merely a great human teacher?

14. If Jesus were only the greatest human who ever lived — an example for us to follow — how would that affect your                     confidence before God? How does Jesus being God change the way you approach him?

Personal Reflection and Application

15. The sermon mentioned assumptions we often carry about God: that he doesn't care, that we need to earn his approval,       that he is disappointed in us. Which of these assumptions do you most struggle with? How does John 1:1-3 speak to that         assumption?

16. If Jesus is God — if looking at Jesus means looking into the very heart of God — what does the cross reveal about God's         character and his heart toward you?

17. How does knowing that God is love within himself (not dependent on creation to experience love) change the way you         understand why he created you? Why he pursues you?

18. As we prepare for Christmas, how might meditating on John 1:1-3 change the way you experience the Advent season?           What difference does it make to say that on Christmas, God himself was born into our world?