session 3...session 3 is jesus really the only way? quick start read take some time in advance to...

S e S S i o n 3is jesus really the only way?

Q U i C K S T A R T

R e A dTake some time in advance to read and consider the Bible study questions and come up with personal examples to encourage discussion.

Note: For more detailed information, please see the How to Use This Leader’s Guide document.

W A T C hMake sure everyone can see the screen and the audio is at a comfortable level.

P R i n TBefore class, make enough copies of this session’s handout for your entire group. (The handouts came with your download.)

# C h a n d l e r a p o l o g e t i C s

2 2S e S S i o n 3 : i S j e S U S R e A l l y T h e o n l y W A y ?


o P e n

Leader: This will take a bit of preparation. You’ll need to write things on 12 index cards, which you’ll distribute to students. The first 9 of these cards require a choice on their part. On those cards, write the card number and all three choices, as follows:

CARD 1: 7-11* Stadium* School**In writing the card, you may specify any local hangout, a local stadium, and the school most of the students go to.

CARD 2: Amish Eskimo Hobbit

CARD 3: Red Bull Hot Pockets iPhone apps

CARD 4: Helicopter Cruise ship Time machine

CARD 5: Middle Earth Dairy Queen a Justin Bieber concert

CARD 6: Plutonium Atom Smashers Hot Pockets

CARD 7: Ill-fated romance Attempt at negotiation Intense slam-dance

CARD 8: Popcorn is popping Kids’ braces are melting The cast of Glee is doing a musical extravaganza

CARD 9: Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend Buzz Lightyear Channing Tatum

CARD 10: “Oooh, that sounds too dangerous. Maybe next time.”

CARD 11: “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m texting?”

CARD 12: “Isn’t it rather narrow-minded to say there’s only one way out?”

Leader: Explain that you’re preparing a screenplay for a disaster flick, but you need their help on some specifics. Hand out the 9 choice cards and ask them to choose one answer to say when they’re called on. Hand out cards 10–12, explaining that you’ll need all of those read at the end of the presentation. Now, you serve as narrator as you pitch your motion picture, calling for the Cards as you need them.



Disaster Flick (in Development)

It’s a normal day at the

CARD 1: 7-11 Stadium School

when suddenly a group of

CARD 2: Amish Eskimo Hobbit terrorists break in and take control. Their demands are simple: Ten million dollars worth of

CARD 3: Red Bull Hot Pockets iPhone apps

and a

CARD 4: Helicopter Cruise ship Time machine

to take them safely to

CARD 5: Middle Earth Dairy Queen a Justin Bieber concert

Or else they’ll blow the place up, using carefully rigged

CARD 6: Plutonium Atom Smashers Hot Pockets

After an

CARD 7: Ill-fated romance Attempt at negotiation Intense slam-dance

They blow the place up. People are trapped. Fire is raging. Beams are falling, and

CARD 8: Popcorn is popping Kids’ braces are melting The cast of Glee is doing a musical extravaganza



Suddenly a hero breaks through the haze, looking a lot like

CARD 9: Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend Buzz Lightyear Channing Tatum

“Come with me,” he says. “There’s a way out of here. I’ll lead you to safety.”

Trapped in the burning building, you respond . . .

CARD 10: “Oooh, that sounds too dangerous. Maybe next time.”

CARD 11: “Don’t bother me. Can’t you see I’m texting?”

CARD 12: “Isn’t it rather narrow-minded to say there’s only one way out?”

THE END

Leader: Feel free to reveal what the alternate choices were and even try it again with different options. You could also replace any of the choices with a trending star, a popular place, activity, or product, or a local landmark.

Well, this was all kind of silly, but we’ll be talking today about something more serious. When Jesus breaks into our burning world and says, “Follow me, I’ll save you,” why should we believe that he’s the only way? Let’s watch the video.

V i e W

Watch Session 3: Is Jesus Really the Only Way? (27 Minutes)

R e - V i e W

There are a few philosophical issues here that we want to talk about, but let’s start with the human factor. We saw a few stories about people who came to faith and shared their faith with people they cared about. This happened in a context of different cultures and religions, and sometimes people were strongly opposed to Christianity. And still these people were talking about Jesus.

Why does that happen? Why are some Christians so compelled to share their faith—even when it’s difficult, even when people disagree?



And what makes some people change their minds about Jesus and accept him, even when that’s difficult to do?

This is a huge question. We could talk about the Holy Spirit empowering Christians and wooing others into the faith. We could talk about the power of God’s Word to speak deeply into people’s lives. (Remember Tue’s brother who picks up the Bible from a bed and says, “This is a very interesting book.”) We could talk about the love shown by these Christians who share their faith.

Sometimes, in lessons like these, we get the idea that it’s all about developing winning arguments. If you just prove Christianity logically, shooting down every opposing argument, people will flock to the faith—or so we think. But that’s not really true. Sharing our faith is not usually about winning arguments. There are other powers at work here—the power of the Spirit, the power of God’s Word, the power of love. This is what draws people to faith.

This is especially important to remember when we’re talking about the exclusivity of Jesus. It seems like we’re telling people, “You have to believe exactly what I believe or else you will burn in Hell forever.”

How do people respond to that kind of message?

But is there any other way to talk about our faith without watering down the message?

Generally, the message of the New Testament focuses on God’s love. Yes, it does talk about Hell and the wages of sin, but we mostly read about God’s love for the world (John 3:16), his sacrificial love extended to sinners (Romans 5:8), and his desire to forgive our sins (1 John 1:9). People are already in a “burning building.” Jesus shows up and says, “I have found the way out. Follow me.”

Matt Chandler told a story about the Christian writer C.S. Lewis being asked what made Christianity different from other world religions. Do you remember what Lewis said? (Grace.)

What is grace? How does it set Christianity apart from other religions?

What Lewis was saying (and Chandler too), was this. Religions are human attempts to get to God. There are ethical rules, patterns of life, and assorted rituals for worship. Some of these may be very respectable. They might even help people feel better. But that’s not what Christianity is (even though we sometimes forget this point). We cannot get to God through our own actions—through good deeds and holy living and pious



prayers, even if they’re Christian deeds and prayers. We’re not saying, “Our rules and rituals are better than anyone else’s.” We’re saying, “All we can do is to receive the grace that God shows us, in the person of Jesus.”

When we’re clear on that point, there is no place for pride. There is no competition, really. We’re not debating who has the best path to God. We’re not saying, “We Christians figured out the right answer and all you losers got it wrong!” We’re just saying, “In his grace, God has shown the way of salvation—Jesus. This is available to anyone.”

B i B l e j o U R n e y

Turn to John 14. Here we find an interesting conversation Jesus had with his disciples. They had been traveling with him for a couple of years, but they still had some basic questions about who he was. Would somebody read verses 1–5?

What was Jesus talking about? Where was he going? (To heaven? To be with the Father?)

What question did Thomas have? (Where are you going? What is the way we can get there?)

This conversation was happening shortly before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. He was preparing them for what was going to happen. Clearly, he was talking about things on a spiritual plane, and eternal level. Maybe Thomas was still thinking on an earthly level.

Somebody read verses 6–7.

How does Jesus answer Thomas’s question?

Do you think Thomas felt that his question got answered?

Why do you think Jesus adds “truth” and “life” to the equation? Thomas was just asking about the way.



These were key words for Jesus. He often talked about the power of Truth, especially the truth about himself. (“The truth will set you free.”) And he talked even more about the Life he offered to those who trusted him. Perhaps he was putting it all together to say, “I am the Way to Truly Live,” or “I am the only True Way to Life with God.”

You might hear someone say, “Jesus never claimed to have the only true religion.” Based on these verses, how would you respond?

He was clearly claiming to be the only way to God. “No one comes to the Father except through me.” But the word “religion” throws a wrench into this question. If religion is an attempt by humans to reach out to God through rules or rituals—well, that wasn’t what Jesus was doing here. Note that he didn’t just say, “I will show you the way to God.” He said, “I am the Way.”

Is there a difference between showing the way and being the Way?

Various religious leaders throughout history have shown ways to approach God. But Jesus wasn’t just teaching a system or establishing a way of life. He became the Way to God by dying for our sins. We enter a transforming relationship with God not by trying to live the way Jesus taught us, but by trusting in his sacrifice.

Leader: Break into groups of 4–6. Distribute the One and Only handout (example handout on page 32). Ask the groups to start with different texts, proceed to the next one, and cycle back to the top if there’s time. This will ensure that all the Scriptures get covered. After about ten minutes, bring everyone back together to compare notes.

text a: isaiah 44:6–9Background: In the Old Testament, we find numerous passages about the unique power of God, as opposed to the idols of neighboring religions.

What does this tell us about the exclusivity of God?

He’s the Rock. There is no other. (What does that mean?) As our Rock, God is a sure thing, solid, strong, something to build on. Other “gods” are shifting sand.

God also indicates that he alone knows the future. He challenges others to predict what will happen. And yet he regularly does this through prophets like Isaiah.



How does the Lord describe himself and his power?

First and last. The Rock.

What “idols” do we create in the present day?

Our phones? Seriously . . . try going without yours for a day. We don’t have to look at other modern religions to find idolatry. It’s in our daily lives. We worship money, good looks, sports, technology, health, sex, etc. Whatever you try to build your life on, that’s your idol.

Leader: You might want to point out Isaiah 44:15–19 as a kind of comedy sketch about idolatry. It describes someone finding a piece of wood, using half of it to build a fire, and then using the other half to carve an idol, then bowing down to it. When we let any object take the place of God in our lives, we end up looking pretty ridiculous.

text B: isaiah 45:5–7Background: The ancient Israelites lived in a world much like our own, with various religions competing for the allegiance of the people.


There is no other God—whether you acknowledge that or not.)

According to this passage, what does the Lord accomplish?

This is a fascinating collection of cosmic and personal activities. God strengthens his people—in order to show the world how great he is. He is in charge of light and darkness, prosperity and disaster.

How can we acknowledge God in today’s world?

This passage seems to call for a combination of fear and love. We are in awe of his great power, and we appreciate how he uses that power to bless us. Today, we can acknowledge him by worshiping him, communicating with him and trying to live the way he wants.

text c: heBrews 1:1–3Background: We’re in the New Testament now, and we learn that this unique God has come to us in the person of his unique Son, Jesus.

What does this passage tell us about the exclusivity of Jesus?

God spoke through the prophets in Old Testament times, but Jesus is not just another prophet.



How is Jesus described?

The Son, heir of all things, Creator, radiance of God’s glory, representation of God, sustainer, purifier, one who sits at God’s right side.

How does Jesus “sustain” us “by his powerful word”?

These words may hark back to creation, where God spoke things into being. “Let there be light,” and so on. Jesus, a participant with God in creation, had also spoken powerfully, and we have his words in the gospels, where he talks about re-creation, regeneration, and God’s eternal kingdom.

Leader: There is rich theology here, and it’s worth digging into—if your students can handle it. The following paragraphs are optional.

The author of Hebrews had a big challenge, writing to Jews about the exclusivity of Jesus. The Jewish faith is based on the fact that there is one God. Now we’re saying Jesus is God, too. Does that make two gods? Maybe you have puzzled over that yourself.

The author of Hebrews found a couple of places in the Old Testament that might explain who Jesus is. The first is in creation, where God speaks and things happen. His Word goes out from him with power. It is part of him, but also (in a way) separate from him. Jesus is the Word of God, emanating from the Father but one with the Father. Also, we find a prophecy in Daniel 7:13–14 about a human being (a “Son of Man”) with whom God shares his power and glory. This matches up with some of the Psalms, where God says to someone (Jesus?), “Sit at my right side.” This was a place of honor, where a prince might sit and rule alongside the king. We see both of these images in Hebrews 1, which also calls Jesus the “exact representation” (mirror image?) of the Father.

The key thing for us is that Jesus is not just an important teacher or leader, along the lines of Moses, Buddha, or Muhammad. He is the one-and-only Son of God.

text D: colossians 1:13–20Background: We’re starting this text in the midst of Paul’s opening prayer.


It picks up where Hebrews left off. Jesus is the linchpin of the universe, holding everything together.

What has Jesus accomplished?

Rescued us, brought us into the kingdom, redeemed us, forgave us, created all that is, holds everything together, reconciles all to God through his death.



How could the truth of these verses affect the way we live today?

There are many details we could cling to. Jesus, our Savior and Friend, is an amazing cosmic figure. When it seems our world is falling apart, we can trust him to hold it together.

text e: acts 4:7–12Background: Peter and John had just, very publicly, healed a lame man.


His name is the only one with power to save us.

In this case, what did the power of Jesus accomplish?

It healed the lame man. (It also gave Peter and John the courage to preach openly about Jesus.)

Do similar things happen today?

Jesus has power, and he uses it today, often through us. We need to be careful here. The name of Jesus isn’t some magical incantation. The power of Jesus works through the lives of those who are committed to him. He empowers us to show love to those around us, sometimes in radical, courageous ways.



l A S T W o R d

Sometimes it seems like Christianity is rude. “We’re right, and everyone else is wrong!” Even if we don’t come right out and say that, isn’t that essentially what we think? And wouldn’t it be a lot more polite to accept all beliefs as equally true? Maybe so. But that doesn’t always make sense.

What if you had a friend who firmly believed that he didn’t have to study for exams if he just put his textbook under his pillow at night? He’s convinced that the content of the book will seep into his brain and help him ace the test. It might seem rude, but if you really care about this friend, at some point you have to say, “That doesn’t work.”

I’m guessing that you know people who firmly believe that the key to happiness is to drink as much alcohol as possible. Is it rude to suggest that you have a better way?

Throughout the Old Testament, God keeps saying, “I am the true God, and all those idols are imposters. Come to me. Check me out.” We’ve seen the same sort of thing about Jesus in the New Testament. “I am the Way. Come to the Father through me.” There is true power in a trusting relationship with God through Jesus. It changes people’s lives. You don’t have to insult people, but you can challenge them to check it out.

Our world is a burning building, and Jesus has broken in to tell us, “I can save you. Follow me to salvation.” That’s the Way we offer to our friends, not because we’re smarter or more spiritual, but simply because it’s true.


T h e o n e A n d o n l yhanDout


text a: isaiah 44:6–9Background: In the Old Testament, we find numerous passages about the unique power of God, as opposed to the idols of neighboring religions.


How does the Lord describe himself and his power?

What “idols” do we create in the present day?

text B: isaiah 45:5–7Background: The ancient Israelites lived in a world much like our own, with various religions competing for the allegiance of the people.


According to this passage, what does the Lord accomplish?

How can we acknowledge God in today’s world?

text c: heBrews 1:1–3Background: We’re in the New Testament now, and we learn that this unique God has come to us in the person of his unique Son, Jesus.


How is Jesus described?

How does Jesus “sustain” us “by his powerful word”?

text D: colossians 1:13–20Background: We’re starting this text in the midst of Paul’s opening prayer.


What has Jesus accomplished?

How could the truth of these verses affect the way we live today?

text e: acts 4:7–12Background: Peter and John had just, very publicly, healed a lame man.


In this case, what did the power of Jesus accomplish?

Do similar things happen today?

session 3...session 3 is jesus really the only way? quick start read take some time in advance to...

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