Archive for May, 2010
May 30, 2010: The Beatitudes
The text for this lesson is Matthew 5:1–12
Key Points
- Jesus explains in His Word that He was poor, hungry, sorrowful, hated, and rejected for our sake so that God would grant us His gifts and blessings.
- Law: I deserve nothing but sorrow and trouble because of my sin. In this world, I will suffer and struggle because of my sin. In my sin, I am declared unrighteous before God.
- Gospel: Jesus, in His love, took my sorrow, trouble, and sin upon Himself that I might have a heavenly reward. God’s Word assures me that in Jesus, eternal life in heaven will be mine. A beatitude is a declaration of blessedness for those who believe in Jesus.
Discussion Points
- In light of what you have just read, in what way can the Beatitudes properly be called “the definition of a saint”?
- If you work hard at your job, you often will get promoted. The world usually blesses diligence. How does Jesus’ description of blessedness in the Beatitudes differ from the world’s views? According to Matthew 16:16–17, what is the only source of blessing?
- The first Beatitude is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus opens His first public sermon with these words, so they must be important. In this case, being poor in spirit refers to how a person stands before God. The poor in spirit do not make any claims on God but stand before Him as beggars who expect no rewards. The kingdom of heaven cannot be a reward for works but is God’s work in Jesus to save the world. According to 2 Corinthians 8:9 and Matthew 20:25–28, how does Jesus live out this Beatitude?
- The second Beatitude is “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). For whom does Jesus mourn in Matthew 23:37 and Isaiah 53:4? According to Isaiah 61:1–2, why did Jesus receive the Spirit? According to Revelation 21:4, what promise does Jesus make?
- The third Beatitude is “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). In Genesis 12:1, the Lord promised Abram a land for possession, which was never retained by Israel. Jesus merited the true Promised Land for His people through His impoverishment on the cross. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, how do Christians inherit the earth? According to Matthew 25:34, when will the full inheritance occur?
- The fourth Beatitude is “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus’ great love for us manifested itself in a hunger and thirst to acquire righteousness for us. When He was baptized, He identified Himself with sinners to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Righteousness is what God has done for us in Christ. He has justified us, that is, declared us righteous. See Romans 4:24–25. When was that hunger and thirst for righteousness fulfilled?
- The fifth Beatitude is “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross, and when He cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46), He was asking for His Father’s mercy. The Father was merciful by raising His Son from the dead. According to Matthew 18:23–27, how does Jesus act mercifully to us?
- The sixth Beatitude is “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Pure in heart means completely committed to God with complete integrity. Jesus is truly the only one who loved the Lord with all His heart and mind and strength. He also is the only one who can see God face-to-face, as John 1:18 says. According to 1 John 1:5–10, how does Jesus make us pure in heart? According to John 14:9, how can we see God’s face?
- The seventh Beatitude is “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Jesus is identified as a peacemaker in the Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6, when He is called “Prince of Peace.” In His Baptism, Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and was called “Son of God.” According to Romans 5:1 and Colossians 1:19–20, how does God make peace with us? When are we made sons of God?
- The eighth Beatitude is “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Jesus exemplifies suffering for righteousness’ sake. His work is what merited the kingdom of heaven for us. Who identifies Jesus as the “Righteous One” in Matthew 27:15–20? Who should have died instead of Jesus? According to 1 Peter 2:21–25, in what manner did Jesus endure this persecution? According to 1 Peter 3:18, what was His purpose for enduring this?
- What kinds of things do you normally think of as blessings? What are typical emotions and experiences brought about by persecution? How does Jesus turn everything upside down (or right side up) in the ninth Beatitude? How did the apostles in Acts 5:40–42 live out this Beatitude? Should the absence of persecution in the life of a Christian be cause for alarm? When we are given the opportunity to suffer for the name of Jesus, how should we receive it, according to 1 Peter 4:13?
May 23, 2010: God Sends the Holy Spirit
The text for this lesson is Acts 2:1–21; John 14:23–31
Key Points
- At Pentecost, God sent the Holy Spirit to His Church. Through Word and Sacrament, God gives us His Holy Spirit to create and sustain saving faith in Jesus.
- Law: I sin when I think that faith begins with me. I sin when I believe that I can understand and trust in God on my own. I sin when I think that I can by myself do good and please God with my words and deeds.
- Gospel: God, in His love, grants faith in Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit through His Word. Through the power and work of the Holy Spirit, I am able to understand God’s Word and trust in Him. The Holy Spirit grants me faith in Jesus and empowers me to will and do that which is good and God pleasing.
Discussion Points
- With the previous discussion in mind, compare John 19:34; 20:20–23 with 1 John 5:6–8. What connections between Jesus’ death and the Holy Spirit can we draw from these passages? How would Jesus later hand over the Holy Spirit to His followers?
- Jesus told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem and start their evangelization of the whole world until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). They were to wait for the promise of His Father (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4), the Holy Spirit with which they would be baptized (Acts 1:5). Even before Jesus began to teach the disciples, they had been among those who received this teaching of John the Baptist: “I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16). Even before Jesus’ ministry began, the disciples were being taught to anticipate Pentecost. How does Acts 2:1–4 describe the fulfillment of this prophecy? What does the wind symbolize? What does the fire symbolize? Why is the traditional liturgical color of Pentecost red?
- We are familiar with Peter’s previous failures to confess Jesus. Immediately after confessing that Jesus was the Christ, he denied Jesus His right to be the suffering Messiah (Matthew 16:13–23). Right before Jesus’ death, Peter lied instead of risking the chance of suffering for the sake of our Lord, denying that he even knew Him (Matthew 26:69–75). Yet on Pentecost, we see a different side of Peter. How does Acts 2:14 portray him? What could account for this change? See 2 Timothy 1:6–7.
- In John 14:26, Jesus tells His disciples that “the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” Keeping in mind that John’s Gospel was written several years after Jesus had risen and ascended, how do John 2:18–22 and 12:12–16 illustrate the working out of this promise?
- As we saw in the previous question, the Holy Spirit allowed the disciples to, in retrospect, understand the true meaning of the words or works of Jesus and of the Old Testament. How does the Spirit work to accomplish in our lives what Jesus did for His disciples in Luke 24:44–47? According to 2 Corinthians 3:12–18, why can’t the Jews truly understand the Old Testament? How are Christians enabled to interpret the true meaning of the Old Testament?
- Even though we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, what we emphasize in our teaching on this day should be governed by the contents of Peter’s sermon in Acts 2. Peter had received the Spirit, and what did the Spirit lead him to proclaim in Acts 2:22–24, 32–33, 36? According to 2 Corinthians 2:1–5, what does Paul say should be the emphasis in our preaching if we want it to make a “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4)?
- “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Since we live “by every word that comes from the mouth of God,” we had better have a dependable source for obtaining that Word. According to 2 Timothy 3:16–17 and 2 Peter 1:21, what role did the Holy Spirit have in leaving the Word of God to the Church? How does the Spirit ensure that the Word continues today?
- Some churches emphasize speaking in tongues as being a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:1, 10). Often the Pentecost account in Acts is pointed to as an example of why speaking in tongues should be done in the Church. But the speaking in tongues of Acts 2 was a unique, one-time gift of the Holy Spirit so that the Galilean apostles could be miraculously understood by people who spoke different languages. The goal in this case was intelligibility, not incomprehensibility, as is so often the case in churches that speak in tongues. Paul also discusses speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14, and much ink has been spilt over precisely what he is discussing in that chapter. We should keep in mind that the church at Corinth was in chaos, so the charismatic outbreaks most likely were aberrations from the norm in the Church. On the whole, Paul’s assessment of speaking in tongues is rather negative, and he makes the point that, “In church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue” (1 Corinthians 14:19). That statement alone should give pause to anyone who advocates speaking in tongues in the Church. Rather than focusing on speaking in tongues as a spiritual gift, perhaps we should contemplate the fruit of the Spirit that Paul describes in Galatians 5:22–26. What does he encourage in this passage?
- It seems to be an oxymoron, but we are truly born dead, as Ephesians 2:1 tells us, “You were dead in . . . trespasses and sins.” What does the Holy Spirit do to give us new life according to John 3:5–6 and Titus 3:4–6?
May 16, 2010: Jesus Ascends into Heaven
The text for this lesson is Acts 1:1–11; Luke 24:44–53
Key Points
- Jesus, our risen Savior, ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us there with Him.
- Law: I sin when I think that Jesus has left me alone when He ascended. It is a sin to want to keep Jesus physically present with me here on earth. Like the disciples, I am tempted to want Jesus to be an earthly ruler and restore His kingdom on earth.
- Gospel: Jesus ascended for me to prepare an eternal home, yet He promises to be with me always. Jesus, my ascended Lord, gave me His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper and His Word to sustain me until I join Him in heaven. Jesus’ death and resurrection restores me to Himself; His ascension promises that He will come again to bring me to His heavenly kingdom.
Discussion Points
- Since about the fifth century, the Church has kept a paschal candle lit during worship from Easter through Ascension Day. On Ascension Day, which occurs forty days after Easter (Acts 1:3), the paschal candle is extinguished after the reading of the Gospel. This symbolizes Jesus’ removal from the sight of His disciples. We now live by faith, not by sight. However, the other candles in the church have been lit from the paschal candle, and they continue to burn. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus tells His disciples, “You are the light of the world,” and in Psalm 119:105, we hear that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. In light of these verses, what might the candles that remain lit after receiving light from the paschal candle symbolize?
- Luke begins Acts by saying, “In the first book . . . I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up, after He had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He had chosen” (Acts 1:1–2). By saying that Jesus “began to do and teach” things in Luke, it suggests that Jesus will personally continue to do and teach. What do this passage and Acts 1:8 tell us about how Jesus’ “doing and teaching” will continue even after His ascension? How is this reminiscent of Luke 10:16?
- This week we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Where is heaven? What insights do Philippians 2:9–11 and Ephesians 4:8–10 give us concerning Christ’s ascension and exaltation?
- In Acts 1:4–5, Jesus tells the apostles to wait for the promised Holy Spirit to come, “for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” We recall that John’s was “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). Most likely all of Jesus’ apostles had been baptized by John. Yet Jesus promised to baptize them with the Holy Spirit, which was fulfilled when the Spirit descended on the apostles on Pentecost. Some people argue that water Baptism does not give the Holy Spirit, but that there is a separate Baptism of the Holy Spirit. How do John 3:5; Ephesians 4:5; and Acts 2:38 refute the idea that the Lord ordained more than one kind of Baptism for the Church?
- On the road to Emmaus, two of Jesus’ disciples were lamenting His death and expressing their disappointment, saying, “we had hoped that [Jesus] was the one to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). In other words, they were hoping that Jesus would be a powerful earthly Messiah who would restore Israel to greatness. How does the question from the apostles in Acts 1:6 demonstrate that they had not yet gotten it? What do John 18:33–38 and 19:1–3, 18–19 teach about Jesus’ kingdom? When would the apostles finally get it? How does Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:29–36 demonstrate this?
- Acts 1:9 says that Jesus “was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.” Poof! Jesus was gone. Well, not really. In fact, the presence of the cloud was a sign that Jesus was not really leaving but just changing His mode of presence with the apostles. According to Exodus 13:21–22 and 14:24–25, what was the significance of the cloud over Israel during the Exodus? According to Exodus 40:34–38, where did the cloud reside with Israel? What might the cloud at the ascension have to do with that Old Testament cloud?
- Acts 1:11 states, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.” What exciting thing for believers does Luke 21:25–28 tell us about Jesus’ return? What event does 2 Corinthians 5:10 say will occur when Jesus returns? According to Mark 13:32, when should we expect Jesus’ return to happen? What should be the Christian’s constant expectation and prayer, according to Revelation 22:20?
- The disciples’ separation from Jesus was not a sad one. “They worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God” (Luke 24:52–53). Based on Matthew 28:20, why were they so joyful? How does the celebration continue in Acts 2:42? What pattern did their worship set for the Church of all ages?
- Sometimes people call God the man upstairs. Since the ascension, perhaps that’s not such a bad title for Jesus. However, that expression comes from the days when the office of the boss was located above the factory floor. His office had windows, and he could observe what everyone was doing without their knowledge. That’s actually intimidating and scary, but according to Hebrews 4:13, what is the nature of God’s knowledge of our lives? Is that passage Law or Gospel? What do 1 Timothy 2:5–6 and Romans 8:33–34 tell us about the man upstairs? Are those passages Law or Gospel?
- What words in John 14:1–3 show us that to be in heaven is to be where Jesus is? Why is the passage so frequently used as the text for funeral sermons?
May 9, 2010: Jesus Teaches Us to Pray
The text for this lesson is Luke 11:1–13; John 16:23–33
Key Points
- Our heavenly Father invites us to pray and promises to hear our prayer for the sake of His Son, Jesus.
- Law: God commands me to pray to Him for all things. God wants me to trust Him to answer my prayers for my good. I sin when I think that somehow I control my life and don’t need to pray.
- Gospel: God promises to hear and answer my prayers because of Jesus, His Son. God loves me for Jesus’ sake and promises to answer all my prayers with what is best and good for me. Because of Jesus, God in His love, provides for and guides me throughout my life.
Discussion Points
- Several years ago, a book called The Prayer of Jabez was quite popular. The central thesis of The Prayer of Jabez is that if you pray the prayer of Jabez daily and believe hard enough that the Lord will grant your desires, then He will bless you in incredible ways. According to 1 Chronicles 4:9–10, why did God grant Jabez that for which he asked? What part of this passage indicates that the prayer of Jabez is to provide a model for the prayers of believers? What does Matthew 6:9 tell us about Christian prayer?
- According to Luke 3:21–22, what event resulted in Jesus being identified as the beloved Son of the Father? What similar connection does Paul make in Galatians 3:26–27? According to Romans 8:14–17 and Galatians 4:4–7, what gives us the right to pray the Lord’s Prayer?
- In John 16:23, Jesus tells us to pray in His name—in the name of Jesus. Because of the need for Christians to pray in the name of Jesus, what implications are there for the occasion when we might be called on to pray in public, especially in a context where different religions are represented? How do Matthew 6:6 and James 5:16b inform our view of prayer in the public square?
- In Luke 11:1–4, one of Jesus’ disciples asks Him to teach them to pray. He responds with a condensed version of the Lord’s Prayer, containing only five petitions. In Matthew 6:9–13, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives the Lord’s Prayer as we know it with seven petitions. The Fourth and Fifth Petitions (Third and Fourth in Luke) could grammatically be combined to read, “Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our debts (Luke: sins).” In what part of the Divine Service is the Lord’s Prayer prayed? How would this relate to the two combined petitions above? What kind of bread is received by faith and discussed in John 6:33, 35, 51, and 54?
- In the illustrations that Jesus gives in Luke 11:5–8 and 11–13, He uses a rhetorical technique called arguing from the lesser to the greater. In the first instance, Jesus basically says, “If your neighbor is willing to help you out because you are annoying him (the lesser), how much more will the Father, who loves to be bothered, help those who ask (the greater).” In the second instance (11:11–13), how does Jesus argue from the lesser to the greater? What is so surprising about what Jesus calls the disciples in 11:13? What is a bit surprising about the prayer itself? What does this teach us?
- Read Luke 11:9–10. On face value, what seems to be the immediate result of prayer? Do our own experiences with prayer seem to contradict Luke 11:9–10? Luke 11:9 could be better translated, “Keep on asking, and it will be given to you; keep on seeking, and you will find; keep on knocking, and it will be opened to you.” Does this translation make Jesus’ words fit more closely to our actual experiences?
- In John 16:23–24, Jesus tells His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. . . . Ask [literally “keep on asking”], and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” This also seems like an absolute, if-then statement about prayer—that if we ask for a specific thing in Jesus’ name, then the Father will give it. Yet we are reminded of the discussion above concerning Jesus’ emphasis on prayer for spiritual things (e.g., prayer for the Holy Spirit in Luke 11:13) and also the future orientation of the fulfillment of our prayers. Where does 2 Corinthians 1:18–22 teach us to look for the final answer to all of our prayers?
- Sometimes people are critical of rote prayers, prayers that are recited by memory as opposed to prayers spoken extemporaneously. They say that rote prayers are not from the heart but are merely spoken without meaning them. It may be true that we often say prayers without paying much attention to what we are saying—which is not a good thing—but what has Jesus taught us in Luke 11:2 and Matthew 6:9? What is the advantage to rote prayers? Which book in the Bible is helpful to study if we desire to learn how to pray more faithfully?
- Prayer in the ancient world—and still today in many places—was almost always spoken; the idea of praying in thoughts would have been unusual. In fact, reading was almost always done out loud as well. What advantage have we lost by becoming less oral in our praying and reading? What does Romans 10:17 remind us? In what context are our prayers still always spoken or sung?
- Paul admonishes us, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). Yet sometimes our prayers falter. We do not or cannot pray as we should. What wonderful comfort does Romans 8:26–27 give us when we feel that we have failed to pray or do not know how to pray correctly?
