Read, Reflect, & Respond

Highlight: Begin your Bible reading time with prayer then highlight verses that stand out to you as you read the passage. Note any words or ideas you want to dive deeper into and pay attention to repeated or emphasized words and phrases. This is the “observation” process – looking at the who, what, when, where of the passage.

Explain: What is the context of the passage and the author’s intended meaning within that context? This is where you can consult a study Bible or commentary. What did the passage mean to the original listeners? Was there something in their context that was being addressed? This step is to understand what the meaning of the passage was then before you seek to understand what the applied principle is today.

Apply: What is the principle to live by today? This is when you turn the focus to your own life, setting, and culture. What is the principle that applies to your own context?

Respond: How will you respond to the application in your relationships and/or situations this week? This recognizes that the Bible is not just a set of truths to know, but is actually a guide to live by.

Discuss With Others

Use your community group time to have some conversation around the message. Start your discussion by inviting someone to read the passage aloud in its entirety.

Why does Jesus weep over Jerusalem? Can you think of other places in the Gospels where he weeps? What does this reveal about his character, and how is it an encouragement to you?

It’s important to remember that God is not unaware of our broken world and indifferent to our sorrows. He did not save us from a distance, but in the person of the Son entered our world, assumed our humanity, and experienced our grief (e.g., rejection, death, misunderstanding). How does this help and comfort you as you go to him in prayer and relate to others?

What does the phrase, “in the time of visitation” mean? How should we live in light of this time?

How can we pray for and relate to people in our lives who do not know God’s peace and  reconciliation through faith in Christ?

How does the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 foreshadow a great destruction and judgment to come? How should this motivate us to live and share the gospel with others, knowing that today is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2)?

As the people were hanging on Jesus’ words (v. 48), how can we grow in hanging on his words written down for us through the pages of Scripture? What keeps you from hanging on his Word, and what helps you? Is there a sin that needs to be confessed, or a promise to remember?