Why We're Afraid of Love - Group Guide
Primary Passage
1 John 4:7-9 — Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
Summary
Palm Sunday invites us to witness Jesus entering Jerusalem as the humble King of peace, setting in motion a week that would culminate in his sacrificial death. In 1 John 4:7–9, the Apostle John roots the Gospel in God’s love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us first. This love is not abstract—it is revealed in Jesus Christ, sent so that we might live through him. As Jesus rides into a city that will soon reject him, we see the full extent of a love that moves toward us—even in the face of fear, failure, and rejection.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean that “love is from God” (v.7)? How have you experienced God initiating love in your life?
How does the Palm Sunday story (John 12:12–19) illustrate God’s love in action—even when he knew rejection awaited?
What fears—personal, spiritual, or relational—keep you from receiving or giving love freely?
Supporting Passages
John 12:12–15 – “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt!”
Romans 5:6–8 – “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
Additional Resources
Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund – Explores the tender heart of Jesus toward sinners and sufferers.
The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey – Reimagines the life of Christ through a lens of love and grace.
“Palm Sunday” (BibleProject video) – An animated overview of the significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
