NOTES: 1] A king on a cross is the central, most powerful sign of God's topsy-turvy Rule; a kingdom not of lands but of hearts. 2] Some manuscripts omit the first part of v.34. 3] Psalms 22: 7 &18, & 69:21 are useful background. 4] Today, many argue that it was not the Jews as a whole who killed Jesus, but rather the leaders of Judea (the old southern kingdom).
WARMING UP: If you were king, would you vote for a republic?
TREASURES OLD & NEW: Identify God at work in anything that's happened since last week's group?
EXPLORING GOSPEL:
33-38 When Jesus reaches the place called 'The Skull', isn't it time to join the others who've given him up as a lost cause? If there was ever any hope of Jesus becoming king, hasn't it evaporated by now? Why not cut our losses & run? Like he should have done, too? Is God's cause ever anything else than a lost one? Is anything ever really going to happen to change that? Do we read any particular meaning / symbolism into Jesus' being crucified between two criminals? Assuming Jesus did ask God to forgive those who were doing this to him (see N.2 above) how does our forgiveness quotient compare with his?
What symbolism / meanings can we see in Jesus' being: a) flogged (beforehand); b) stripped; c) scoffed at; d) mocked; &, e) the inscription nailed above him? Is there any better example than Jesus' crucifixion of the way God works at ground zero? In mysterious ways? As we understand it from the teaching & example of Jesus, what is the essence of true ruling / kingship? What are the characteristics of the Good King? Can we trust any human being to rule that way / God's way? Can we even trust ourselves to rule ourselves that way? If we want to live under God's Rule, where do we go from here? To whom do we turn? How much is saving someone else rather than yourself part of 'the Christian ethic'? What does that mean for us?
39-43 Do we ever find ourself 'deriding' Jesus / God when we find ourself in some situation even though what's happening to us is our own doing? What's at the heart of 'Messiahship'? What relevance does 'Messiahship' have today for those of us not from a Jewish background? How desperate do we need to be / have we been before we call on God to, "Save us!" Does the fact that an about-to-die bandit can discern who Jesus is better than most of those who've been his disciples for three years say anything to us about: a) the way God goes about things? b) who can come under his Rule; c) the openness of human beings to change? What encouragement can we take from Jesus' response to the second bandit?
Do we think of / act as those who believe Jesus the Christ is our King', now, & his Rule already an actuality, or more as if it were a possibility in our future? How do we want God to 'remember' us? Are we doing anything about that? What kinds of feelings does the thought of being in Paradise ('God's Garden') conjure up? Or is that too remote an idea? If we live every day as God means us to live, wouldn't that be good practice for the next stage of life under God's Rule? How much have ideas like democracy, presidency, etc., affected our abilty, & that of others, too, to give Jesus Christ total loyaly as our King beyond any earthly allegiances? What difference(s) would doing that make to life today?
