Seeds of Faith Podcast

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Key Point

• We, like Thomas, doubt what we cannot see. Through His Spirit, God gives us eyes of faith that we might see Jesus in Word and Sacrament and believe in Him.
• Law: I sin when I rely on human reason instead of God’s Word and what it says about my Savior.
• Gospel: The Holy Spirit gives me eyes of faith to believe that Jesus died and rose for my salvation and fills my heart with peace.

Discussion Points

1. Every Sunday is a celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, and that is reflected at various points in the Divine Service. What parts of the liturgy confess Jesus’ resurrection?
2. How is Christianity distinctly different from Eastern religions? What tendencies in some parts of Christendom share the flesh is bad and spirit is good philosophy with Eastern religions?
3. John 20:19 says that the disciples had the doors locked “for fear of the Jews.” According to John 15:18–20, why might the disciples have been afraid?
4. Jesus said to the disciples “Peace be with you” and then showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed! According to Colossians 1:18–20 and Romans 5:1, what kind of peace has Jesus won for us, which is cause for great rejoicing?
5. Read Matthew 16:16–19. What is the rock on which Jesus will build His Church? Whom does Peter serve as the representative of in that scene? In what way does John 20:21–23 show the fulfillment of Matthew 16:16–19?
   How does John 20:24 provide us with a clue as to which group of disciples received the Holy Spirit in John 20:21–23?
6. Recall that the first words of both Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 are “In the beginning.” John wanted his readers to have the creation account in mind when reading about God’s redemption of the creation from sin and death through the Word made flesh. John 20:22 records that Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. Compare John 20:22 to Genesis 2:7.
   What are the similarities and differences between these verses? In light of what the Holy Spirit will empower the disciples to do in John 20:23, what is the significance of John 20:22 for the Church?
7. Read Luke 24:21–24. How might the response of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus help explain Thomas’s great reluctance to believe that Jesus had risen? Does John portray Thomas as any more doubting than the other disciples? How does Jesus use Thomas to provide a teaching moment for the Church?
8. With Jeremiah 17:9 in mind, what is comforting about knowing that we have pastors who are available to pronounce forgiveness to us when we are troubled by our sins?
9. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Though as Christians we have not seen Jesus, we love Him, believe in Him, and greatly rejoice (1 Peter 1:8). “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Isaiah the prophet wrote, “Truly, You are a God who hides Yourself” (45:15).
   Yet our Lord has given us all that we need and more. How are we able to hear Jesus even though we cannot see Him? How can we touch Him without being able to sense His presence?
10. In John 20:30–31, the purpose statement of the entire Gospel is given. John recorded a selection of Jesus’ signs in order that the recipients of his Gospel “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing [they] may have life in His name.” In truth, this could be the purpose statement of the entire Bible.
    According to Acts 2:38, how do we receive life in Jesus’ name? In light of Matthew 28:19, why is the name placed upon us at Baptism capable of giving life? What is the relationship between John’s purpose statement and Christian Baptism?

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Key Point

• Jesus’ death and resurrection grants us eternal life in heaven with Him.
• Law: The cost of my sin is death.
• Gospel: Jesus died for me and rose again in payment for my sin, fulfilling God’s demands and securing my forgiveness and eternal life with Him in heaven.

Discussion Points

1. “Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Perhaps you have already used this traditional exchange today. What does alleluia or hallelujah mean? Why have we refrained from using alleluias during the forty days of Lent only to resurrect its use today?
2. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Even in heaven, He is the “Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 5:12).
   A crucifix helps us see with our eyes the message of the preceding verses. How does a crucifix also communicate the reality of the Christian’s earthly life more clearly than an empty cross does?
3. Compare Luke 23:32–33 with Luke 22:37. How does the crucifixion scene fulfill this prediction of Jesus? Read Isaiah 53:11–12. What additional knowledge does this prophecy of Isaiah give us concerning the significance of Jesus being numbered with the transgressors upon a cross?
4. In Luke 23:40–42, what remarkable confession does the criminal make about himself and Jesus? What words of Jesus might have brought the criminal to faith? How does the criminal provide an ideal pattern for us?
5. In Scripture, darkness and light are often contrasted. For example, we read in 1 John 1:5, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”
   Darkness usually represents evil things, such as sin, death, and hell. In view of what we know about the biblical use of darkness, how are Luke 22:3 and 22:53 related to the darkness described in Luke 23:44? What does the darkness suggest is happening to the world during Jesus’ crucifixion? According to Revelation 21:22–23, what did Jesus’ death and resurrection ensure for our new Jerusalem in heaven?
6. Throughout his Passion Narrative, Luke emphasizes that Jesus was the Righteous One who committed no sins at all and did not deserve punishment.
   According to Leviticus 18:4–5, what would result for one who perfectly obeyed God’s Law? What is the relationship between that promise and Jesus’ resurrection?
7. To justify something is to declare it righteous or innocent. Pilate, the criminal, and the centurion all justified Jesus by declaring Him innocent. Yet God alone can truly declare someone innocent (Romans 8:33), and by raising Jesus from the dead, He declared to the world that His Son is the Righteous One.
   According to Romans 4:24–25, what else happened in Jesus’ death and resurrection?
8. According to Romans 6:3–5, what is the connection between Baptism and Christ’s death and resurrection?
9. We read in Luke 23:56 that the women remained faithful to the Old Testament Law, which said that they could not handle a dead body on the Sabbath. The women were still living under the Law.
   Since Jesus, God’s righteous servant, obeyed the Law perfectly, what did Jesus’ Sabbath rest in the tomb symbolize? According to Romans 10:4, how does Christ change our relationship to the Old Testament Law?

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.

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Discussion Points

1. 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?
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. 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?
7. 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?
8. 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?
9. 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?
10. 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?

The text for this lesson is John 21:1–14

Key Points

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Discussion Points

1. Read Romans 6:3–5. Why is every day a perfect one for reflecting on Jesus’ resurrection?

2. Luke 5 tells how Jesus calls His first disciples, including Simon Peter. He says to him, “From now on you will be catching men” (Luke 5:10). How had Peter’s catching men progressed in the days and months prior to today’s lesson? When does Peter’s job as a fisher of men really begin?

3. What did the sign in John 2:11 accomplish? According to 1 John 4:9, how was the love of God revealed (manifested) to the world?

4. Simon Peter and six other disciples were together in Galilee. John 21:3 records Peter suggesting that the group go fishing. The best time to fish was at night, which explains why they went out when they did. What possible reasons could have motivated the disciples to go fishing so soon after Jesus’ resurrection?

5. After a night of fruitless fishing, the disciples surely were frustrated. They did not know Jesus standing on the shore. He said, “Little children, you do not have any fish, do you?” What do you think it means that Jesus called them little children? How does this event reinforce what the disciples had learned from Jesus in Matthew 6:8?

6. Peter’s response to Jesus was zealous, as we see in his plunge into the water. He was an emotional person, prone to follow his instincts, which were often wrong. The other disciples lagged behind, dragging in the net. On shore, Jesus already had a charcoal fire lit, with fish and bread prepared. Yet strangely, Jesus told them to bring some of the catch, and Peter went out and dragged it in himself. John notes that the net was not torn, and there were 153 large fish. The details in this story seem puzzling, but Jesus never revealed Himself without revealing more fully who He is for His disciples and for the Church. Peter, as the representative of the apostles, had dragged the fish ashore, and there were an abundance of large fish. In light of the saying from Luke 5 that Peter would be catching men, what might these fish have symbolized? 

7. After Jesus invited the disciples to breakfast, none of them dared ask who He was since “They knew it was the Lord.” Then He took the bread and fish and gave it to them. Compare this passage with Luke 24:30–31, 35 and John 6:11. What do we learn about one of the ways Jesus revealed Himself to the disciples? How does this point to one of the ways He reveals Himself to us today?

8. In last week’s lesson, we learned that Jesus gave His Holy Spirit to the apostles so that they could forgive and retain sins. In which places do many people seek to find the Holy Spirit revealed today? Where have Lutherans always confessed—based on the sure Word of God—that the Holy Spirit is revealed among us? See John 6:63 and 3:5.

9. One of the Bible passages we are studying today is 1 Peter 2:24, which says that Christ “Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed.” This reminds us we are saved only by the wounds of Jesus. John paints a beautiful picture of this in John 19:34 and 1 John 5:6–8. What does this picture depict?

The text for this lesson is John 20:19–31

Key Points

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Discussion Points

1. “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Easter is not over. The season of Easter runs for seven Sundays, so we have plenty of time to bask in the warm glow of the resurrection of the Son. But even better, every Sunday is a little Easter! As we saw last week, Jesus’ resurrection occurred on a Sunday (Luke 24:1). The Early Church made a sharp break from Judaism by abandoning the Sabbath (Saturday) and devoting Sunday to worship. The primary reason for the use of Sunday is that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. Luke reports in Acts 20:7, “On the first day of the week, when we gathered together to break bread,” which is a reference to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on a Sunday. In Revelation 1:10, reference is made to “the Lord’s day,” which is clearly Sunday. Indeed, every Sunday is a celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, and that is reflected at various points in the Divine Service. What parts of the liturgy confess Jesus’ resurrection?

2. How is Christianity distinctly different from these Eastern religions? What tendencies in some parts of Christendom share the flesh is bad and spirit is good philosophy with Eastern religions 

3. John 20:19 says that the disciples had the doors locked “for fear of the Jews.” According to John 15:18–20, why might the disciples have been afraid?

4. Jesus said to the disciples “Peace be with you” and then showed them His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed! According to Colossians 1:18–20 and Romans 5:1, what kind of peace has Jesus won for us, which is cause for great rejoicing?

5. Read Matthew 16:16–19. What is the rock on which Jesus will build His Church? Whom does Peter serve as the representative of in that scene? In what way does John 20:21–23 show the fulfillment of Matthew 16:16–19? How does John 20:24 provide us with a clue as to which group of disciples received the Holy Spirit in John 20:21–23?

6. Recall that the first words of both Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1 are “In the beginning.” John wanted his readers to have the creation account in mind when reading about God’s redemption of the creation from sin and death through the Word made flesh. John 20:22 records that Jesus breathed on His disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit. Compare John 20:22 to Genesis 2:7. What are the similarities and differences between these verses? In light of what the Holy Spirit will empower the disciples to do in John 20:23, what is the significance of John 20:22 for the Church?

 7. Read Luke 24:21–24. How might the response of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus help explain Thomas’s great reluctance to believe that Jesus had risen? Does John portray Thomas as any more doubting than the other disciples? How does Jesus use Thomas to provide a teaching moment for the Church?

8. With Jeremiah 17:9 in mind, what is comforting about knowing that we have pastors who are available to pronounce forgiveness to us when we are troubled by our sins?

9. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Though as Christians we have not seen Jesus, we love Him, believe in Him, and greatly rejoice (1 Peter 1:8). “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Isaiah the prophet wrote, “Truly, You are a God who hides Yourself” (45:15). Yet our Lord has given us all that we need and more. How are we able to hear Jesus even though we cannot see Him? How can we touch Him without being able to sense His presence?

 10. In John 20:30–31, the purpose statement of the entire Gospel is given. John recorded a selection of Jesus’ signs in order that the recipients of his Gospel “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing [they] may have life in His name.” In truth, this could be the purpose statement of the entire Bible. According to Acts 2:38, how do we receive life in Jesus’ name? In light of Matthew 28:19, why is the name placed upon us at Baptism capable of giving life? What is the relationship between John’s purpose statement and Christian Baptism?

The text for this lesson is Luke 23:26–24:12

Key Points

Download the podcast mp3!

Discussion Points

1. “Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” Perhaps you have already used this traditional exchange today. What does alleluia or hallelujah mean? Why have we refrained from using alleluias during the forty days of Lent only to resurrect its use today?

2. When we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Even in heaven, He is the “Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 5:12). A crucifix helps us see with our eyes the message of the preceding verses. How does a crucifix also communicate the reality of the Christian’s earthly life more clearly than an empty cross does?

3. Compare Luke 23:32–33 with Luke 22:37. How does the crucifixion scene fulfill this prediction of Jesus? Read Isaiah 53:11–12. What additional knowledge does this prophecy of Isaiah give us concerning the significance of Jesus being numbered with the transgressors upon a cross?

4. In Luke 23:40–42, what remarkable confession does the criminal make about himself and Jesus? What words of Jesus might have brought the criminal to faith? How does the criminal provide an ideal pattern for us?

5. In Scripture, darkness and light are often contrasted. For example, we read in 1 John 1:5, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Darkness usually represents evil things, such as sin, death, and hell. Sin is darkness, for Solomon states that “the way of the wicked is like deep darkness” (Proverbs 4:19). Death is darkness, as David describes those who “sit in darkness like those long dead” (Psalm 143:3). So also, hell is darkness, for Jesus says that those who reject His Gospel will be “thrown into the outer darkness” (Matthew 8:12). In Genesis 1:2, the earth was chaotic and in darkness before God said, “Let there be light.” In view of what we know about the biblical use of darkness, how are Luke 22:3 and 22:53 related to the darkness described in Luke 23:44? What does the darkness suggest is happening to the world during Jesus’ crucifixion? According to Revelation 21:22–23, what did Jesus’ death and resurrection ensure for our new Jerusalem in heaven?

6. Luke emphasizes the innocence (righteousness) of Jesus throughout his Passion Narrative. When Jesus is first brought to trial in Luke 23:4, Pilate says, “I find no guilt in this man.” According to 23:15, neither did Herod. Pilate wanted to release Jesus (v. 16). He pleaded with the Jews to let him free Jesus, and he continued to maintain His innocence (vv. 18–22), but finally he gave into their vociferous demands (vv. 23–25). The criminal confessed Jesus’ righteousness (v. 41), and when He died, the centurion said, “Certainly this man was innocent” (v. 47). We also see Jesus’ perfect trust in His Father when He cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” (v. 46). Luke emphasizes through these things that Jesus was the righteous one who committed no sins at all and did not deserve punishment. According to Leviticus 18:4–5, what would result for one who perfectly obeyed God’s Law? What is the relationship between that promise and Jesus’ resurrection?

7. To justify something is to declare it righteous or innocent. Pilate, the criminal, and the centurion all justified Jesus by declaring Him innocent. Yet God alone can truly declare someone innocent (Romans 8:33), and by raising Jesus from the dead, He declared to the world that His Son is the Righteous One. According to Romans 4:24–25, what else happened in Jesus’ death and resurrection?

8. According to Romans 6:3–5, what is the connection between Baptism and Christ’s death and resurrection?

9. We read in Luke 23:56 that the women remained faithful to the Old Testament Law, which said that they could not handle a dead body on the Sabbath. The women were still living under the Law. Since Jesus, God’s righteous servant, obeyed the Law perfectly, what did Jesus’ Sabbath rest in the tomb symbolize? According to Romans 10:4, how does Christ change our relationship to the Old Testament Law?

The text for this lesson is Mark 15:1—16:8.

Key Points

• Good Friday is both the worst of days, revealing the gravity of our sin and God’s wrath, and the best of days, forever portraying God’s love for us in the crucifixion and resurrection of His Son.
• Law: Though I was not there, I am among those who spat in Jesus’ face and crucified Him by my sinfulness.
• Gospel: Willingly, Jesus came to earth, suffered, died, and rose again so that God might enliven me and forgive my sins.

Context

Our Holy Week was for the Jews the week of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In Jerusalem, it was standing room only. Because the Jews were under Roman rule, the death penalty could only be pronounced by a Roman official—thus, Pilate’s involvement. Jesus is executed on Friday but rapidly removed from the cross because of the approaching Sabbath. He rests in the tomb the few remaining hours of Friday, then Saturday (the Sabbath), and then rises sometime on the third day, Sunday. Sunday, therefore, becomes the day for Christians, replacing the Sabbath of the old covenant.

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