Interact
After the video, prompts are supplied for thinking and sharing with others personal perception and experience. This opening activity prompts participants to think about and relate to the topic, and to share with others
The idea is simple. Some things can be seen from a distance, but they can only be understood when you get close.
- A campfire. You can see a fire from far away, but only when you move closer do you feel its warmth.
- A concert. You can hear the music from outside the venue, but standing among the listening crowd is a completely different experience.
- Learning to drive. You can watch videos and listen to advice, but you do not really understand until you sit behind the wheel.
- A friendship. You cannot build a friendship by watching people from across the room. Relationships grow when people spend time together.
- A sports team. Fans watch the game. Players know the practices, sacrifices, victories, and disappointments behind it.
- A newborn baby. Pictures tell part of the story, but holding a child reveals something photographs never can.
- Serving others. Reading about poverty, loneliness, or injustice is different from meeting real people and hearing their stories. Many young people return from mission trips saying they finally understood because they got close enough to see life through someone else’s eyes.
What are other examples of how getting closer changes your experience? In the passage for our discussion today, explore how two are moving toward Jesus while others are keeping their distance.
Insight
The Bible discussion begins with a careful reading of the whole passage, either from your own Bibles, or from the provided images below.
Then participants are to ask:
- What is going on in this passage of Scripture?
- What are the key words and phrases? Highlight them.
- Why do you think this passage is included in the Bible?
- What does it contribute to our “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ”?
John records a movement toward Jesus after His death. Earlier, Joseph of Arimathea followed Jesus secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders, and Nicodemus first came to Jesus at night (John 3:1–2). Yet at the cross, both men step forward publicly.
Joseph moves from secrecy to identification. Nicodemus moves from the cover of darkness to the light of day. Both men draw nearer to Jesus when most others are creating distance. Instead of protecting themselves from possible criticism, suspicion, or consequences from the religious leaders, they move toward the crucified Christ.
Joseph asks Pilate for Jesus’s body, and Nicodemus brings an extraordinary gift of myrrh and aloes. It reminds me of the Magi at the birth of Jesus; they sought to be close to Jesus. What once kept them at a cautious distance no longer holds them back.
After Jesus dies, when hope appears buried, and the kingdom seems lost, these two men take their closest steps toward Him. Like the women who remained near the cross (John 19:25), they refuse to abandon Jesus when association with Him carries a cost. Their actions reflect the promise that “perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18) and illustrate what Jesus taught: “When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). Many people chose a safe distance, but Joseph and Nicodemus drew near.
Insight Out
A parting video clip with a personal invitation to apply the message to “knowing Christ” and “living in Christ” in the coming week.