Seeds of Faith Podcast

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Key Point

• Jesus, our risen Savior, ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us there with Him.
• Law: I sin when I believe and act as if the ascended Christ is no longer active in my life and the world.
• Gospel: Jesus ascended into heaven to prepare an eternal home for me, and I can trust His promise to be with me now and always.

Discussion Points

1. 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.” 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.” 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 Revelation 21–22.

Key Point

• Those who believe that salvation has been accomplished by the all-availing sacrifice of Jesus’ blood on the cross will bear the name of Christ written on their forehead in Holy Baptism and will have the right to the tree of life.
• Law: If I do not believe in Christ as my Savior, I will not enter the gates of heaven.
• Gospel: I am baptized and believe in Jesus, the Lamb of God; He has written my name in His Book of Life, and I shall be saved.

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Discussion Points

1. Sometimes we consider our eternal home to be a celestial, otherworldly place. Read Revelation 21:2–3 again. From where does our eternal home come? Where is our eternal home going to be?
2. Imagine a world without money. Our eternal home will be one in which God will “give from the spring of the water of life without payment” (v. 6). How would your world change if there were no need for money?
3. When John is lifted up and given a vision of our eternal home, he sees the city walls and gates. The walls are built upon twelve foundations, “and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (v. 14). In the Creed, we confess a belief in “one holy Christian and apostolic Church” (LSB, p. 158). How do the twelve apostles even now form the foundation for the Church? In what sense is our church apostolic?
4. We are accustomed to thinking about the church as God’s house. On our altars in our sanctuaries, God’s glory dwells in, with, and under the bread and wine. Revisit verses 22–27. How is our eternal home going to differ from our current state?
5. It is often said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. Read Revelation 22:4. Someday, we will get to see God face-to-face. If faith is the “conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1), then what will become of faith in heaven?
6. John records an extensive list of those who will not be in the kingdom. These include “sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). Does this imply that those who do such deeds are not capable of entering heaven? Does this reject the idea that we are saved by faith alone?
7. The Scriptures are God’s own story in His own words. How would you feel if someone came along and changed your story? How would you feel if someone spoke your story in different words? Look at verses 18–19. How does God feel about someone changing His story or His words?
8. Read verses 20–21. These are the last words of the Bible. You have just read some of the most amazing promises that God makes anywhere in the Bible. There will be no more tears and no more pain. There will no longer be anything accursed. Jesus, our Lamb, will be our light. Would you give up this creation for the joys of the new creation? Can you say, “Come, Lord Jesus”?

The text for this lesson is Acts 27:13-44

Key Points

• God was with Paul and the others in the ship through the terrible storm and brought them safely to land. God is with us through all the storms of life, and in His boat, the Church, He brings us safely to eternity in heaven.
• Law: In a world ruined by sin, I will have storms in my life.
• Gospel: God is with me and preserves me through the storms of life, and in His boat, the Church, He brings me safely to heaven.

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Discussion Points

1. How do we know God was with Paul and was preserving him on this voyage?
2. What are storms in your life?
3. How was Paul able to face all his troubles with confidence and keep telling others about Jesus?
4. Our hope, too, is in God. Why can we say this?
5. Name the ways God protected Paul’s life during his voyage.
6. What did Paul tell the sailors when they had given up hope of survival?
7. For what reason did Paul go to Rome?
8. What did Paul do in Rome and aboard ship?

The text for this lesson is 2 Kings 2:1-14

Key Points

• God worked through the horses, the chariots of fire, and the whirlwind that carried Elijah to heaven to reassure and bless Elisha so he could boldly serve as God’s prophet. God works through the Means of Grace—Word and Sacrament—to strengthen our faith and bless us in our service to Him as we serve our neighbor.
• Law: Like Elisha, I am sinful and doubt my abilities to serve where God calls me.
• Gospel: God works through the Means of Grace—Word and Sacrament—to forgive my doubt and reveal that He is with me and to grant me the ability to serve wherever He calls me.

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Discussion Points

1. What do we call a man today with a special calling to preach God’s Word and administer Sacraments?
2. Why was God about to take Elijah up to heaven?
3. Why did Elisha not want to leave Elijah?
4. Of what does the parting of the water in 2 Kings 2:8 remind you?
5. What did Elisha want from Elijah?
6. Why did Elisha tear his clothes?
7. Was Elisha’s prayer answered?
8. How did God use the whirlwind (the natural element) to help Elisha know God’s plan of salvation?
9. Of whom does Elijah’s ascent into heaven remind you?
10. What does that mean for us?
11. Why is this story of Elijah’s miraculous departure from earth in the Bible for us to read today?

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 6:1–14 .

Key Points

• In His love, God promises to care for all our physical and spiritual needs and gives us the greatest treasure: His Son and the gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.
• Law: Like the disciples, I am of little faith, lacking trust in God to give me all good things. In sin, I seek earthly treasure and security. Earthly goods are part of this world of sin; they will pass away.
• Gospel: God promises to provide for all my needs according to His will and riches. God has promised me much more, granting me eternal life in His Son, Jesus. God gives me the greater thing: faith in Jesus and eternal life in heaven with Him.

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Discussion Points

1. What does John 6 teach us about the difference between seeing miraculous signs and believing Jesus’ words? What can the Church learn from this?

2. In John 6:3, we are told that Jesus “went up on the mountain.” In Matthew 5–7, Jesus also goes up on a mountain to teach. What Old Testament figure was frequently found on a mountain? (See Exodus 19:3–4.) What might this bit of information tell us about how John and Matthew portray Jesus?

3. Read John 6:48–58. How does the preceding discussion concerning the Passover and the manna in the wilderness provide insight into the meaning of this passage?

4. Philip, Andrew, and Moses had much in common when it came to dealing with large-scale hunger problems. What had all three of them failed to see? What do we have in common with Philip, Andrew, and Moses when it comes to dealing with our problems?

5. We read in John 6:4 that the Passover was near, which means that the feeding of the five thousand occurred in the springtime. This is supported by John 6:10, “There was much grass in the place.” Mark 6:39 says that the grass was green. Jesus had the crowd sit down in green fields before He fed them “as much as they wanted” (John 6:11). To what might this scene be an allusion?

6. Compare John 6:11 and Luke 22:19. What might the similarity of these verses teach the Church about the feeding of the five thousand?

7. After seeing Jesus perform the miraculous sign, the people said that Christ was the prophet who had come into the world. Read Deuteronomy 18:15–19. Who would this prophet be like? According to John 1:17, what would be the greatest difference between Jesus the Prophet and the one who came before Him?

The text for this lesson is 2 Kings 2:1–15.

Key Points

• Enoch and Elijah were taken into heaven alive. Jesus, who is our Enoch and our great Elijah, ascended alive into heaven for us and our salvation.
• Law: Death overtakes me because I am permeated by sin and am subject to its penalty.
• Gospel: In the death of Jesus is the death of death itself, and I will be raised up with Christ and seated with Him in heaven.

Context

It’s time for the baton—or rather the mantle—of Elijah to pass to his vicar, Elisha. Cleaving to his master’s side, Elisha follows him on a somewhat circuitous route that ends east of the Jordan. In this same region centuries before, the baton had been passed from Moses to Joshua. Now it would go from Elijah to Elisha—same song, second verse. It is here, too, that the latter-day Elijah, that is, John the Baptist, would bow out so that the Elisha-like Jesus could move forward with His ministry— same song, final verse.

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The text for this lesson is Revelation 21:1–22:21.

Key Points

• Those who believe that salvation has been accomplished by the all-availing sacrifice of Jesus’ blood on the cross will bear the name of Christ written on their forehead in Holy Baptism, and will have the right to the tree of life.
• Law: If I do not believe in Christ as my Savior, I will not enter the gates of heaven.
• Gospel: I am baptized and believe in Jesus, the Lamb of God; He has written my name in His Book of Life, and I shall be saved.

Context

This is the acme of John’s Revelation, indeed, the crescendo of all the Scriptures. In many ways, it is also a digest or summary of the Bible, for in these two chapters is contained the teachings of sin and salvation, heaven and hell, Jesus and the Church, the Holy Trinity, and so forth. John plucks images, as if flowers, from various other books of the Old Testament and New Testament to weave this textual bouquet that pictures the inheritance of the saints.

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