Jesus : Seeing Him More Clearly

by Bill Hybels with Kevin and Sherry Harney

• ISBN13: 9780310265979
• ISBN10: 0310265975
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-08-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

Gain insight into six roles Jesus filled -- man, teacher, physician, servant, shepherd, and king -- to steadily arrive at a better understanding of the character and person of Christ.. 6 SESSIONS

Table of Contents

Interactions	p. 7
Introduction: Seeing Him More Clearly	p. 9
Jesus the Man	p. 13
Jesus the Teacher	p. 21
Jesus the Physician	p. 29
Jesus the Servant	p. 37
Jesus the Shepherd	p. 43
Jesus the King	p. 51
Leader's Notes	p. 61
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Jesus
Copyright 1997 by Willow Creek Association
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN-10: 0-310-26597-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26597-9
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International
Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—
except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Interior design by Rick Devon and Michelle Espinoza
Printed in the United States of America
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?DCI/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
JESUS THE MAN
T H E B I G P I C T U R E
I think one of the most painful and uncomfortable feelings a
human being can experience is the feeling of loneliness. If we
could carefully peel back what is really going on when a person
says, “I feel lonely or isolated,” we would often find at the
core of those claims one recurring phrase: “No one understands
how I feel.” We have all felt it, and most of us have said
it on various occasions. In life’s painful moments, we all have
a sense that no one understands where we are coming from,
how we hurt inside, or what we are feeling.
One of the loneliest times of my life was shortly after the
unexpected death of my father, who died suddenly of a heart
attack. My wife was very kind through those painful and
heart-numbing days, as were many others. Several people
from Willow Creek drove 175 miles to stand with me alongside
my dad’s grave. It was a very moving experience.
However, even in the midst of all this care, I remember feeling
over and over that nobody really understood what I was
going through. It didn’t help much when some well-meaning
person would come and say, “Bill, I know what you are feeling.
My Aunt Edna died several years ago and I still miss her. I
know what it’s like.” I would think, “I know you mean well,
but you just don’t understand.” Through that time of grieving
I learned a principle I have tried not to violate since. When
people lose loved ones, I never say to them, “I understand.”
Now I go to people and say, “I’m sure I can’t understand how
much you must have loved your dad or wife or child. I’m sure
I don’t understand all you are feeling. But I do love you, and
I’m here for you.”
We can pray, cry, and listen to those in need, but deep down
in every person is the yearning to have someone, somewhere,
understand us perfectly and totally. We all hunger to have one
person who knows just how we feel and who will never leave
us in the middle of the hard times. The good news is that
Jesus Christ is that person. As the old hymn says, “No one
understands like Jesus.”
A W I D E A N G L E V I E W
1. Describe a time you felt like no one could understand
what you were going through. How did realizing that
Christ understood your pain help you through this
time?
A B I B L I C A L P O R T R A I T
Read Philippians 2:5–11 2. When Jesus left the glory of heaven to be born in a stable
and live as a human being, what did He give up?
3. From this passage and your knowledge of the life of
Jesus, what pain and suffering did Christ experience
when He walked on this earth as a man:
• Emotionally
• Physically
• Relationally
• Spiritually
S H A R P E N I N G T H E F O C U S
Read Snapshot “Jesus Understands Relationships”
4. In 1 Peter 5:7 we hear this invitation, “Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Tell about a
time you cast your anxieties and problems on Jesus
concerning a relationship. How did you sense His care
for you?
JESUS UNDERSTANDS RELATIONSHIPS
I would guess that few of us have spent much time pondering the fact that Jesus was born into a family.
He knew what it was like to have parents, brothers, and sisters. He knew what it was like to be a
baby, a toddler, a young child, an adolescent, and an adult who interacted with others. Jesus also
knew what it was like to have friends. Peter, James, and John are often identified as close friends of
Jesus, and He also had intimate friendships with Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and many others.
You might say, “Why does this matter? How does this impact me?” Well, from time to time, most of us cry out in frustration,
“No one understands what it’s like to face what I am facing.” Young people say, “My parents have long forgotten,
my teachers don’t care, and my friends are having the same problems I’m having. Nobody understands. There’s no
help.” As adults, we can feel like no one understands when our relationships are in turmoil. When this happens you
can say, “No one understands,” but you need to add two more words: “like Jesus.” Jesus has been there. He’s walked
that path. No one understands like Jesus.
5. What is one relationship in your life that is broken or is
not what you feel it should be?
What can your group members do to support you as you seek
healing in this relationship?
Read Snapshot “Jesus Understands Work”
6. In what ways are you feeling bogged down, frustrated,
or at the end of your rope with your work?
JESUS UNDERSTANDS WORK
Did you ever stop to think that Jesus was a carpenter for a greater period of time than He was a teacher
and preacher? He spent more time in the marketplace than He did in the temple. I think He was probably
more at home in a woodshop than He was in a religious workshop or seminar. And I’m sure He
had more contacts socially because of His carpentry trade than He had because of His religious
involvements. In Mark 6:3 we read that people referred to Jesus as “the carpenter.” He was not just
the son of a carpenter, but was recognized as an accomplished carpenter in His own right.
In that day for someone to be a carpenter meant being highly skilled, multitalented, and callous-handed. The fact that
Jesus was a carpenter meant He knew all about exhaustion after a full day’s work. He knew all about frustration because
of rain, snow, broken tools, and pay disputes. And He certainly knew the battle with monotony and boredom when He
had to make thousands of bricks day after day.
Because of this, Jesus knows all about what it means to live with the many frustrations that come with our daily work.
He knows about our marketplace temptations, frustrations, and pressures. He’s been there. He understands.
Take some time as a group to pray for these concerns
expressed. Remember, “No one understands like Jesus.”
Read Snapshot “Jesus Understands Pain and Suffering”
7. Jesus suffered pain, rejection, and humiliation so that
we might be able to receive forgiveness for all our sins.
How do you feel when you realize Jesus endured

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Excerpted from Jesus: Seeing Him More Clearly by Bill Hybels
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.