The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith
Week 8: Chapter 7 — God Is Self-Sacrificing
Read Chapter 7 of The Good and Beautiful God. Key Scripture: John 3:16; Philippians 2:5-11; Mark 10:45.
Previewing Week 8 of The Good and Beautiful God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Most world religions present a god who demands sacrifice — but the Christian gospel presents a God who makes the sacrifice himself. This chapter sits with the radical strangeness of that claim.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Smith argues that what makes the Christian God unique among conceptions of God is not just that he loves, but that he sacrifices — he gives himself away. What other pictures of God (from religion, culture, or personal experience) contrast with this self-giving portrait? What makes the self-sacrificing God surprising?
2.The 'kenosis' passage in Philippians 2 describes Jesus 'emptying himself' — setting aside the privileges of divine status to take the form of a servant. Smith dwells on the enormity of this. What does it mean to you personally that the Creator of the universe chose to be born, to be hungry, to be tired, to be crucified?
3.Jesus says in Mark 10:45 that he came 'not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.' Smith presents this as the deepest self-portrait Jesus offers. How does the servant-identity of Jesus challenge the way power and greatness are typically understood — in culture, in church, and in your own ambitions?