Gentle and Lowly: Session 7 (Spring 2022)

Session 7 – Small Group Study Guide

Gentle and Lowly Chapters 12-13

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Study Questions

1. “Though the crowds call him the friend of sinners as an indictment, the label is one of unspeakable comfort for those who know themselves to be sinners. That Jesus is friend to sinners is only contemptible to those who feel themselves not to be in that category” (114). For you, what is the hardest part of seeing Jesus as a “friend?”
2. “[Jesus] isn’t waiting for you to trigger his heart; he is already standing at the door, knocking, wanting to come in to you. What’s our job? ‘Our duty,’ says Sibbes, ‘is to accept of Christ’s inviting of us. What will we do for him, if we will not feast with him’” (117)? If our duty is to delight in Christ and enjoy our relationship with Him, how does this encourage us in our spiritual disciplines and means of grace?
3. “Jesus’s friends are those to whom he has opened up his deepest purposes” (117). How does this change our attitude toward Jesus and:
   • Your trials and sufferings
   • Your sin
   • Your loneliness
   • Your work
   • Your friendships with other

4. Knowing Jesus is our friend, how does the fact that He is the following encourage your life?
   • Gracious
   • Forgiving
   • Compassionate
   • Faithful

5. If the Spirit applies the reality of the gentleness and lowliness of Christ to our lives, how can we pray in concert with the work of the Spirit?

6. It feels wrong to say, “It is better that Jesus is no longer physically present with us.” But if we trust that God knows better, He has disclosed why this is a true statement. It’s because in Jesus’ departure, we are gifted the Spirit who dwells within us and ministers God’s Word to our hearts. As Ortlund puts it, “The Spirit is the continuation of the heart of Christ for his people after the departure of Jesus to heaven” (123). In seasons of sorrow, share what verses the Spirit has brought to mind or convicted you of to fill your hearts with joy.

Sharing and Prayer

1. How does Jesus’ friendship with sinners challenge you to grow in how you are a friend to others?
2. What is one thing from this study that has impacted your understanding of Jesus? How might this add a dimension to how you relate to Him?
3. Share other prayer requests: