The Chosen Season 4 Episode 6 Bible Study & Discussion Guide (Exploring The Chosen with Small Groups & Youth)

Updated: 2 days ago

In Episode 6 of The Chosen Season 4, Jesus gives the Good Shepherd sermons (John 10), which contain some of the most quoted verses in Scripture. If you’re studying The Chosen with your small group, youth ministry, or Bible study, there’s a lot for you to explore. The discussion guide and questions below are designed to help you and your community dig into the original biblical source material and the depiction of this biblical text in The Chosen Season 4.

By the way, you can also find my recap, review, and analysis of the episode here and further thoughts on my podcast here.

Jesus and the disciples contend with the religious leaders in The Chosen Season 4 Episode 6

Before Watching The Chosen Season 4 Episode 6: Review Questions

As usual, I’d encourage you to do a quick review before launching into your discussion of Episode 6:

So far, what have we learned about Judas’ personality, gifts, and desires?
Last episode, Judas began stealing money out of the disciple’s purse. What led him to this decision?
Back in Season 3, why did the disciples make Judas treasurer and not Matthew?
Last episode, what did Yussif learn was being plotted in the Sanhedrin?

Before Watching The Chosen Season 4 Episode 6: Bible Study & Discussion Questions

While most members of your group will know key lines from Jesus’ Good Shepherd sermons (e.g. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly”), they may not have studied the passage as a whole. In Episode 6, the events that are happening as Jesus gives the sermon may make it difficult for some viewers to follow what Jesus is saying, and so it will be helpful to preview and study the passage beforehand.

Begin your discussion by reading the following passage:

[1] “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. [2] But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” [6] This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

[7] So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. [11] I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. [12] He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. [13] He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. [14] I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. [17] For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. [18] No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:1-18, ESV)

After reading, point out:

In the Gospel of John, these speeches take place right after Jesus heals the man born blind and that man is cast out of the synagogue for expressing faith in Jesus (as seen in Season 4 Episode 3).
The sermons compare Jesus to both a shepherd and to the door of a sheepfold. It’s important to recognize Jesus uses these images in a variety of ways. Not all of the comparisons need to fit together neatly.

Now discuss the following questions:

Based on the context of the passage, who do you think the thief/robber/stranger is supposed to represent?
Why do you think Jesus doesn’t explicitly identify the thief/robber? Why does he use a comparison/parable that is hard for his listeners to understand?
In the initial sermon (vv. 1-6), Jesus contrasts the good shepherd with a thief/robber/stranger. How do the goals and behaviors of a shepherd contrast with those of a thief/robber/stranger?
On a metaphorical level, what is the meaning of these differences? What is Jesus revealing about himself - in contrast to other religious leaders?
In verses 7-10, Jesus shifts the comparison and describes himself as the door of the sheep. How does the purpose of a door contrast with that of a thief/robber? On a metaphorical level, what is the meaning of these differences?
In verses 11-18, Jesus shifts the comparison once again and contrasts a shepherd with both a hired hand and a wolf. Who do you think the hire hand and wolf are supposed to represent?
How do the dedication, identity, and behavior of a shepherd contrast with that of a hired hand? How do the goals of a shepherd contrast with those of a wolf?
On a metaphorical level, what is the meaning of these differences?
Jesus suggests that he has other sheep that are not of the same fold. In the original context, who do you think he is referring to?
Jesus compares the intimate relationship between him and his sheep to the relationship he has with his Father. What does this tell us about the type of relationship he wants to have with us?
The Father’s love enables Jesus to lay down his life and then take it up again. How does the love of Jesus have a similar effect on us?
This passage gives us many insights into who Jesus is. Which of these insights do you find the most encouraging in your current circumstances?

Judas and Simon Z discuss Jesus' priorities in The Chosen Season 4

After Watching The Chosen Season 4 Episode 6: Bible Study & Discussion Questions

After watching an episode of The Chosen, I typically ask people a couple basic questions:

What stuck out to you about the episode? What did you connect with the most?
Did you have any questions? Was anything unclear?

As always, if the conversation takes on a life of its own, I encourage you to run with it instead of feeling bound by the questions that follow. However, if you need more structure, you can ask the following questions:

How do the religious leaders respond to Jesus' Good Shepherd sermon? Was there anything about their response that surprised you?
When the religious leaders pressure Jesus to clarify whether he is the Christ, he declares, "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30) and the leaders respond by attempting to stone him and the disciples. What does Jesus mean and why do you think he chooses this moment to say this?
Earlier in the episode, when Judas proposes that they appoint donation collectors in the villages that they pass through so that they have the funds they need to focus on ministry, why are the other disciples not interested? Why does Judas find their response so frustrating?
It’s easy to assume that everything Judas does is completely wrong because we know where his character is heading. But what’s good about Judas’ efforts?
Why do you think Jesus ultimately rejects the plan? Why is he not seeking to make the ministry of his disciples more efficient?
Do you think the church should be open to new ideas that will make ministry/community more effective? Is there a way to balance creative thinking and problem-solving with trust in God’s providence?
If you ever propose a creative idea and it initially gets shot down by others, how do you think you should respond?
Jesus encourages Judas to pay close attention to his Good Shepherd sermon. What do you think Judas was supposed to take away from the sermon?
Do you think Judas picked up on this insight? If not, why?
What do you think is going on in Judas’ head at the end of the episode? What is he struggling to understand?
Have you ever had similar struggles? What does it look like to work through issues like these in a manner that is both honest and faithful?

Hope these questions are helpful for you! I'll be producing guides like this for each episode of The Chosen Season 4, just like I have for Seasons 1-3. If you use them with your youth group or small group and have a good discussion, please leave a comment below - it's encouraging to hear when tools like this are useful. Thanks for reading and may God bless your study and conversations!

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If you liked this post, you might want to check out some of my other posts on The Chosen and Bible adaptation. I have Bible studies/discussion guides for each episode of The Chosen Seasons 1-4, blogs exploring how The Chosen adapts key biblical figures, and articles exploring the controversial nature of adaptation. I hope you enjoy them!