The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
Week 10: Part Two, Chapter 9 — "Deliverer: One Who Didn't Meet Expectations"
Read Chapter 9 of The Jesus I Never Knew. Key passages: John 6:1–71; Matthew 16:13–28; Luke 19:28–44.
Previewing Week 10 of The Jesus I Never Knew
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 14-week guide when you’re ready.
Jesus refused to be the Messiah Israel expected — military champion, national liberator, political king — and this refusal cost him nearly everything, including his own disciples' loyalty.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Yancey traces the rising tide of popular enthusiasm for Jesus — the crowds wanting to make him king after the feeding of the five thousand (John 6:15) — and then Jesus's deliberate deflation of that enthusiasm. Why did Jesus consistently resist the role of popular hero? What was wrong with the crowd's vision of what he could be for them?
2.In John 6, after Jesus's "hard teaching" about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, "many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him" (v. 66). Yancey sees this as a pivotal moment: Jesus was willing to lose the crowd rather than compromise the nature of his mission. When has following Jesus cost you relationships, status, or comfort? What held you?
3.Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi — "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God" — is followed almost immediately by Peter rebuking Jesus for predicting his death, and Jesus rebuking Peter in return. What does this whiplash moment reveal about how even the most devoted followers misunderstood what kind of Messiah Jesus was?