The Passion of Jesus Christ

Small Group Questions

Use this outline for personal reflection, as a couples or family devotion, or with a small group.  

HANGOUT

Can you think of any recent instances where popular opinion has changed almost overnight? What triggered this sudden shift in opinion? What are the most significant influences on popular opinion today?

HEAR

Read Luke 19:28-35

• What catches your attention about this passage? How might you have felt if you were one of the disciples that Jesus sent to get the colt?  
• What should we know about a horse that has never been ridden? Why is that significant, and what does it reveal about Jesus’ authority?
• Read Matthew 21:4-5 and Zechariah 9:9. What insights do these Old Testament prophecies offer regarding Jesus’ actions?

Read Luke 19:36-44

• What was the crowd’s reaction to Jesus as He entered Jerusalem? What reason does Luke provide for their response?
• How did the Pharisees respond? Why did they react this way? How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees? What do the stones and an unbroken colt possess that the Pharisees do not?  
• What does Jesus prophesy about the city of Jerusalem? Has this prophecy been fulfilled? What does Jesus suggest might have prevented this from happening?

Read Luke 19:45-48

• What actions did Jesus take upon entering the Temple? What motivated Him to do this? In what ways does selling items in the Temple contradict the essential message of the Gospel?
• What does Jesus do in the temple after cleansing it, and what does this suggest about how the people reacted to His actions?
• How did the religious leaders react to Jesus’ actions in the temple? What must have happened between Palm Sunday and Good Friday for the religious leaders to change the people’s minds?

HUDDLE  

It is easy to criticize the fickle hearts of the Palm Sunday crowd, but how might your heart be just as fickle? When was the last time you praised Jesus on a Sunday and betrayed Him by the next Friday? Discuss this, invite accountability, and pray together.

Daily Reading

As you read Matthew and Mark’s accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, take a moment to reflect on the final hours of His life and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart about God’s immense love for you.

• Day 1: Matthew 26:1-30
• Day 2: Matthew 26:31-46
• Day 3: Matthew 26:47-75
• Day 4: Matthew 27:1-26
• Day 5: Matthew 27:27-44
• Day 6: Matthew 27:45-66
• Day 7: Mark 15