1. Living Portraits of Jesus
Session 4
Anger of Jesus
Scripture Focus:
Matthew 23:23-28, 37-39; Mark 11:15-19

2. Living Portraits of Jesus
Session 4
Anger of Jesus
Session Truth:
Because anger may be righteous or unrighteous, we must learn to distinguish between appropriate anger and sinful anger.

3. Anger of Jesus Word to Live By
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Word to Live By
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun to down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold
Ephesians 4:26-27

4. Christlike or Un-Christlike
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Christlike or Un-Christlike
For each of the words below, discuss if it is Christlike or un-Christlike.
Loving
Hypocritical
Merciful
Just
Undisciplined
Faithful
Cruel
Hateful
Angry

5. The Soundtrack to Christmas
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
The Soundtrack to Christmas
• What is the message of Christmas songs like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and “Happy Holidays”?
• What difference is there between believers and nonbelievers in their reaction to the holidays when Christmas is over?

6. Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Matthew 23:23-28, 37-39
■ Jesus was on a collision course with the religious leaders. What did Jesus do?
■ Do these pronouncements seem out of character for him?

7. Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Matthew 23:23-28, 37-39
■ What is consistent about the three woes in the Scripture study?
■ What evidence did Jesus give that the religious leaders were hypocrites?

8. Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Matthew 23:23-28, 37-39
■ Why would Pharisees faithfully give a tenth of their spices, yet neglect justice, mercy, and faithfulness?
■ What did Jesus mean when he said they cleaned the outside of the cup, but did not clean the inside?

9. Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Accepting the Reality of Our Anger
Matthew 23:23-28, 37-39
■ What about the Pharisees was like whitewashed tombs?
■ Explain why Jesus quoted the words he did in Matthew 23:39.
■ What emotions do we see in Jesus in this passage?
■ Did Jesus speak in anger?

10. Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Mark 11:15-19
■ What did Jesus do when he arrived at the temple?
■ Do you think his actions were premeditated?
■ Why were there moneychangers in the temple?
■ What was happening in verse 16?

11. Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Mark 11:15-19
■ What reasons did Jesus give for driving out the moneychangers and the sellers of sacrificial animals?
■ What is the significance of the phrase, “for all nations” in Jesus’ response?
■ Why did Jesus say they made the temple a “den of robbers”?

12. Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Choosing the Focus of Our Anger
Mark 11:15-19
■ What was the reaction of the temple officials?
■ Why did they fear Jesus?
■ Was Jesus angry?

13. Deciding the Duration of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Deciding the Duration of Our Anger
Ephesians 4:26-27
■ What advice did Paul give about anger?
■ Does Paul condemn anger as a sin? Why, or why not?
■ What would anger without sin look like?

14. Deciding the Duration of Our Anger
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Deciding the Duration of Our Anger
Ephesians 4:26-27
■ Why do you think Paul advised the Ephesians not to let the sun go down while they were still angry?
■ Why do you think Paul warned the Ephesians not to “give the devil a foothold” (v. 27)? What does that mean?

15. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
The Trap of the Trivial
Jesus condemned the Pharisees for neglecting important issues and focusing on peripheral concerns.
Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law pay so much attention to appearances while neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness?

16. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
The Trap of the Trivial
■ Why are so many focused on the observable and measurable?
■ How do we avoid the trap of the trivial and focus on issues that are difficult to observe?

17. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Christlike Anger
■ When was the last time you got angry? Did your anger have a positive or a negative result?
■ Why do we seldom reflect on Jesus’ anger?
■ Why was Jesus angry?

18. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Christlike Anger
■ What is the difference between anger that is Christlike and anger that leads to sin?
■ What do you think Paul meant when he quoted Psalm 4:4a, “In your anger do not sin”?

19. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Christlike Anger
■ What cautions should we observe when we begin to feel angry?
■ What are some things over which we should get angry?

20. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Trivial Pursuits
• Where do Christians tend to direct their focus?
• How can believers avoid the trap of pursing the trivial?

21. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Anger Alarms
Ephesians 4:26-27
• What are some reasons that Christians may not want to admit that they are angry?
• How might not admitting to being angry give the devil a foothold?

22. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Anger Alarms
Ephesians 4:26-27
• Why might it be important for people to recognize the earliest warning signs that they are becoming angry?
• What are some early warning signs of anger?

23. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Anger Alarms
Ephesians 4:26-27
What are some things we can do to take control of our anger and direct it constructively?

24. Questions for Reflection
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Questions for Reflection
■ Are you angry about the things that make Christ angry?
■ Are there any “matters of the heart” that you need to confess to God so that your relationship with him on the inside can be as good as it appears to be on the outside?

25. Questions for Reflection
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Questions for Reflection
■ Are there things you need to change in your actions or attitudes about worship?
■ Are there things you need to change in order to show greater respect for God’s house?

26. Questions for Reflection
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Questions for Reflection
Is there anything in your life you need to change in order to walk with God in obedience?

27. Thirty-Three Days to Minister to Jesus
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Thirty-Three Days to Minister to Jesus
Minister daily to our Lord, remembering Jesus’ words, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40, TNIV).

28. Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Serenity Prayer
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
And where there is sadness, joy.

29. Serenity Prayer continued
Living Portraits of Jesus
Anger of Jesus
Serenity Prayer continued
O Divine Master,
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.