Friendship (1 Samuel 20:1-42; John 15:13-15)

Friendship

1 Samuel 20:1-42

John 15:13-15

Jesus is a true friend, willing to endure three days of death in order to give us eternal life.

I. The First Day (vv. 1-26)

A. A Dark Cloud Descends (vv. 1-11; cf. 1 Samuel 19)

B. A Bond Closer than Family (vv. 12-23)

C. Someone’s Missing (vv. 24-26)

II. The Second Day (vv. 27-34)

A. The Moment of Truth (vv. 27-29)

B. Suffering the Father’s Wrath (vv. 30-34; John 15:13-15)

III. The Third Day (vv. 35-42)

A. Friends Reunited (vv. 35-31)

B. Life Delivered (v. 42)

C. Where Friends Gather

Discussion Starters

1. Monday—Why do you think friendship is so important to us? Why can deep friendships be scary?

2. Tuesday—What do you think Jesus meant when he said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”? (Luke 14:26)

3. Wednesday—What are some of the sacrifices that Jonathan made for David? How does this remind you of Jesus’s sacrifice for us?

4. Thursday—How does this episode in 1 Samuel 20 help us understand when the disciples should have expected the resurrection to take place? How does it help us understand what Jesus accomplished in his death and resurrection?

5. Friday—Are there areas where you can grow as a friend? What are some of those areas?