Study Questions

1. Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, where David calls the Messiah "my Lord." What does it mean to you personally that Jesus is not just a descendant of David but David's Lord — existing before and above him? How does that change how you think about who Jesus is?
2. The crowds in Jesus' day wanted a Messiah who would defeat Rome and restore Israel's political power. In what ways are we tempted today to want Jesus to "take our side" and advance our personal, political, or national agendas rather than submitting to his?
3. Ken traced three figures the people hoped might be the Messiah — David, Judas Maccabeus, and Judas the Galilean. What did their stories have in common, and what does that pattern reveal about human nature when it comes to looking for a savior?
4. Jesus said the real enemy is not flesh and blood but a spiritual enemy who has held humanity captive since the garden. How does this reframe the way you think about conflict — with other people, other nations, or other groups?
5. Mary's Magnificat declares that God brings down rulers and lifts up the humble, fills the hungry and sends the rich away empty. Where do you see this "upside-down kingdom" at work in the world today, and where do you struggle to believe it?
6. The Beatitudes describe the citizens of God's kingdom as the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, and the persecuted. Which of these descriptions is hardest for you to embrace as a mark of kingdom living, and why?
7. Paul writes in Philippians 2 that Jesus, though fully God, made himself nothing and became obedient to death on a cross. What would it look like in your daily life to have "the same mindset as Christ Jesus" — practically and specifically?
8. Ken said the people heard Jesus' words about Psalm 110 and thought he was promising them political victory, but they completely missed his point. Can you think of a time when you "heard" something from Scripture that confirmed what you already wanted to believe, rather than what God was actually saying?
9. In Joshua 5, when Joshua asked the Commander of the Lord's Army "whose side are you on?" the answer was "neither." What does it mean for your faith and your decision-making that God is not on anyone's "side" but calls everyone to submit to him?
10. Ken said that Jesus came "to fulfill his Father's agenda, not yours." What agenda — ambition, comfort, security, vindication — are you most tempted to recruit Jesus into? What would it look like to surrender that to him?
11. The large crowd listened to Jesus "with delight" but still missed the deeper truth he was teaching. What is the difference between enjoying Jesus and actually submitting to him as Lord? How do you know which one you're doing?
12. Ken closed by inviting the congregation to bow before Jesus — not just emotionally but with everything that gesture means. What would genuine surrender to Jesus as Lord look like in one specific area of your life this week?