Under the Fig Tree
Over the next several weeks, we are striving to understand the hope that we have in Jesus Christ. Last week, we focused on the baptism of Jesus and the role that event played in ushering in the kingdom of God. Jesus has made it clear that the kingdom of God is not going to be like any of the kingdoms or empires of this world. Whereas worldly kingdoms have ushered in their dominion through war and conquering, the kingdom of God operates in a very different way. As such, that means that we as disciples are going to have a very different relationship with our Lord than we would with an earthly ruler. What exactly does that look like? We’ll be making a brief pit stop in the Gospel of John this week and spending time in the story of Nathanael under the fig tree. Although Nathanael makes two brief cameos at the beginning and end of John, his first encounter with Jesus is crucial as an example for all of us today. In order for us to be able to effectively and meaningfully share the hope of Jesus Christ throughout our community, we first have to understand and experience it ourselves. This series is a return to the basics, so to speak. Maybe you’ve been in a dry spell spiritually, or feel like your faith walk has been out of sync. Maybe you feel like you’ve been running on empty, or maybe your intimacy with Christ has never been better. No matter where you are, I encourage you to come and sit with Jesus under the fig tree.
-Caleb McCaughan, Under the Fig Tree: Our Promised Hope, part 2
Discussion Questions:
- What does your current prayer routine look like today?
- What do you think makes our culture so reactionary? How does that impact our spiritual walk?
- How can you best go about disconnecting and being fully present in prayer with Jesus?
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