Jesus' Greatest Moments: The Week That Changed Everything

By Mark Ashton

The Reality Check series makes just one assumption: that you’re serious enough about your spiritual journey to investigate Christianity with an open mind. This isn’t about joining anyone’s religious club—it’s about being real with yourself and with the others in your group. Since no one has all the answers, there’s plenty of room for discussion. After all, if there is any truth to the Bible’s stories about Jesus, then one thing he’d welcome are questions and opinions that come from honest, earnest hearts.Never has one week made such a far-reaching difference. It began with the applause of the masses for their controversial hero. It darkened into betrayal, a kangaroo court, and a brutal execution. And it concluded with an event so stunning that it has shaped history ever since: the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. As you relive the dramatic highs and lows of this unparalleled week, you’ll discover why Jesus was far more than a great moral teacher—and why, among all other religious leaders, Jesus stands without equal.Jesus’ Greatest Moments includes these sessions: The Grand Entrance Betrayed by a Friend Framed!? A Dramatic Crisis The Comeback! A Startling ImpactFor the Group LeaderReality Check is for spiritual seekers of every persuasion. Uncompromisingly Christian in its perspective, it steers wide of pat answers and aims at honesty. This innovative and thought-provoking series will challenge you and those in your group to connect heart to heart as together you explore the interface between Jesus, the Bible, and the realities of this world in which we live.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Feb 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9780310867814

Mark Ashton

Mark Ashton is the director of seeker small groups at Willow Creek Community Church. In addition, he supervises the staff for more than 40 new believer groups, 80 seeker groups, and Willow's Internationals ministry. He is also the director of TruthQuest - Willow's ministry that answers tough questions about Jesus and Christianity. Mark is a frequent speaker at conferences and is the author of Absolute Truth?

Book preview

Halftitle Page

Reality Check Series

Clear Evidence: Eyewitness Reports of Jesus

Future Shock: Jesus and the End of the World

Hot Issues: Jesus Confronts Today’s Controversies

Jesus’ Greatest Moments: The Week That Changed Everything

Leadership Jesus Style: The Master and His Mission

Sudden Impact: Powerful Encounters with the Real Jesus

When Tragedy Strikes: Jesus’ Response to a World Gone Wrong

Winning at Life: Jesus’ Secrets Revealed

Title Page with Zondervan logo

ZONDERVAN

Jesus’ Greatest Moments

Copyright © 2002 by Willow Creek Association

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ePub Edition September 2009 ISBN: 978-0-310-86781-4

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ISBN: 978-0-310-31169-0

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EBOOK INSTRUCTIONS

In this ebook edition, please use your device’s note-taking function to record your thoughts wherever you see the bracketed instructions [Your Notes] or [Your Response Here]. Use your device’s highlighting function to record your response whenever you are asked to checkmark, circle, underline, or otherwise indicate your answer(s).

To Kelle

My true love, my best friend,

my partner in life

CONTENTS

Ebook Instructions

The Final Week

What Exactly Is Lent, Anyway?

Discussion 1   The Grand Entrance

Discussion 2   Betrayed by a Friend

Discussion 3   Framed!?

Discussion 4   A Dramatic Crisis

Discussion 5   The Comeback!

Discussion 6   A Startling Impact

Weighing Xs and Os

Leader’s Guide

Introduction

How to Lead a Great Discussion

Notes for Each Discussion

Acknowledgments

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION

THE FINAL WEEK

What would you do if you knew you had only one week to live? How would you relate to others? Set your affairs in order? What would you want to pass on as your legacy to the generations to come—something worth living for and dying for? How would you spend that precious last week?

There is a final week of one man’s life that stands out in all world history. A single week that has caused people to change life direction, leave jobs, give up habits, reconcile relationships, and fall on their faces in worship. A week that has caused the rising and falling of empires. A week that has breathed new life into weary souls. A week about which more songs have been sung, more celebrations have been thrown, more poems have been read, and more books have been written than any other single week.

What week is this? The last week of Jesus’ earthly life. Even the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life knew the pivotal nature of this week. In fact, the writers Matthew, Mark, and Luke devote one-third of their reports to Jesus’ final week, while John commits half of his account to this series of events.

If there is any week that’s worthy of study, it’s this one. This discussion guide is devoted to making the events and the meaning behind these events clear and understandable. You’ll see Jesus’ grand entrance into Jerusalem, feel the horror and disappointment of his betrayal by a friend, and discover how he was framed by the religious leaders. You’ll watch the unfolding reasons for his death—and his compelling comeback! And you’ll be astounded by his startling impact not only on the people directly around him, but on the world.

Many groups have found that Lent (the forty days preceding Easter) is the perfect time to study Jesus’ last week—especially since the discussion can walk hand-in-hand with church celebrations. (For a quick overview of Lent, read What Exactly Is Lent, Anyway? following this introduction.)

However, you don’t have to wait until Lent to use this guide. It works