The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Week 2: Chapter 1 — The Pleasure of God in His Son
Read Chapter 1 of The Pleasures of God. Key Scripture: Matthew 3:17; John 17:24; Proverbs 8:30–31.
Previewing Week 2 of The Pleasures of God
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Before there was a world, before there were people to love or sins to forgive, God was already overflowing with joy—the joy of the Father in the Son. This week, we ask what that eternal delight means for us.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Piper argues that God's pleasure in his Son is the most fundamental of all his pleasures, the one from which all others flow. Why does the order matter? What would be lost if we started with, say, God's pleasure in his people rather than his pleasure in his Son?
2.The voice at Jesus' baptism—'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased' (Matthew 3:17)—is central to this chapter. What strikes you about the *timing* of that declaration? Jesus had not yet performed a miracle or preached a sermon. What does that tell you about the basis of the Father's delight?
a.How does that same logic apply to God's delight in those who are 'in Christ'?
b.Do you tend to experience God's acceptance as something you earn or something you receive? How might this chapter challenge that tendency?
3.Piper draws on Proverbs 8:30–31, where Wisdom (personified) describes being at God's side at creation, 'rejoicing before him always.' How does that image—of the Son-as-Wisdom delighting before the Father from eternity—affect how you think about the Trinity? Does it make the Trinity feel more alive or more mysterious to you?