Archive for the ‘salvation’ tag
December 12, 2010: The Birth of John
The text for this lesson is Luke 1:57–80.
Key Points
- In John, God graciously provided for Zechariah and Elizabeth, and all creation received the forerunner of the Messiah. As John pointed people to Jesus, we also are led to see Jesus through God’s Word preached and His Sacraments administered.
- Law: As a child of the first parents, Adam and Eve, I am sinful and in need of salvation.
- Gospel: The son of Elizabeth and Zechariah pointed to the world’s Savior from sin.
- Law: In sin, I doubt what God says and trust my own thinking.
- Gospel: Christ came to save me from all my sins, even when I doubt God’s Word.
Discussion Points
- How important is it for you to keep a promise that you make? How important is it when someone else makes a promise to you? How do you respond if they break that promise? How do you respond when they keep that promise?
- First, Luke gives us the birth of John the Baptist foretold (Luke 1:5–25), then he gives us the birth of Jesus foretold (Luke 1:26–56). Now we read the story of John’s nativity as preparation for the nativity of our Lord Jesus (Luke 2:1–20). Look again at Luke 1:57–66. After Elizabeth gives birth to John, in what do the family and friends rejoice? What is significant about John being circumcised on the “eighth day”? See Genesis 17:12; 21:4; Luke 24:1; and 1 Peter 3:20.
- What is the significance of John’s circumcision? Also see Genesis 17:10–11; Luke 2:21; and Colossians 2:11–12.
- Zechariah’s song, the Benedictus, closely resembles the hymns of praise in Psalm 144 and 1 Chronicles 29:10–19 as it recounts God’s past deeds of salvation and then looks forward to what God promises to do for His people. Look again at Luke 1:67–75. How does Zechariah recount God’s past covenant and works of salvation? For key events of God’s past covenant, see Genesis 12:1–3; 15:17–21; Exodus 12:43–51; 24:6–11; and Jeremiah 31:31–34. How does this covenant come to complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ? See Luke 22:20; Matthew 26:28; and Mark 14:24.
- Now look again at Luke 1:76–79. How does Zechariah sing of God’s future deeds of salvation? What is the content of that salvation? What is “the sunrise” that will “visit us from on high”? See Matthew 2:2, 9; Revelation 22:16; and 2 Peter 1:19. What is “the way of peace”? See how the Gospel of Luke brings out this “way of peace” in Luke 2:14; 2:29; 10:5–6; 19:38; 19:42; and 24:36.
- In Luke 1:80, what does it mean that “he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel”? See Luke 3:2 and 1 Kings 19:4–8.
- We have seen how John the Baptist serves as a kind of “bridge” between the Old and New Testaments. Not only does he lead us to look back to the Old Testament Law and covenant of God, but he also leads us to look forward to see how these things are fulfilled and completed in the coming Christ. How does your pastor’s sermon in the Divine Service do the same thing? That is, how does the sermon serve as a “bridge” that leads you to look back in the service to the Scripture readings given and then to look forward to the Christ who comes in His Holy Supper?
- Both Mary (Luke 1:54) and Zechariah (Luke 1:72) sing of “remembering” God’s mercy and covenant. What does this “remembering” mean, and how does it strengthen our faith in God’s goodness and mercy? Think especially of when we hear our Lord say, “This do in remembrance of Me.”
July 18, 2010: God Heals in the Jordan’s Waters
The text for this lesson is 2 Kings 5:1-14
Key Points
- God poured His grace on Naaman, telling him to wash in the Jordan so that he would be cleansed of his disease. He pours His grace on us through water and His Word in Holy Baptism and cleanses us from our greatest sickness—sin. God cares for us and has power to heal our diseases according to His will.
- Law: As Naaman was sick with leprosy, so I am sick with sin.
- Gospel: Because of Jesus, God cares for me and has power to heal my sicknesses according to His will. He pours His grace on me through water and His Word in Holy Baptism and heals my sin-sickness.
Discussion Points
- Why was an Israelite girl living in Naaman’s house in Syria?
- Did the dirty Jordan River water wash away Naaman’s sickness? Who healed Naaman? Who heals us?
- What sickness do all people suffer from?
- How are we cleansed from sin and given saving faith?
- How did God use the natural element water to bring about His plan of salvation for Naaman?
- Did the river water cleanse or heal Naaman of his sickness? Was it the power of Elisha?
- How does baptismal water work forgiveness of sins, rescue from death and the devil, and give eternal salvation?
- How did Jesus’ blood cleanse us?
March 7, 2010: Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
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.
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?
May 31, 2009: John’s Vision of Heaven
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.
May 17, 2009: Paul and Silas in Prison
The text for this lesson is Acts 16:16–40.
Key Points
- Just as God freed Paul and Silas from prison, granting them life out of death, so Christ by His crucifixion and resurrection frees me from the prison of my sins and grants me life eternal.
- Law: The world hates Christ and His followers and painfully rejects me because of Him.
- Gospel: The Spirit pours the peace of Christ into me, forgiving, strengthening, and sustaining me in Christ.
Context
The calm of their first encounter with the Philippians (which we studied last week; Acts 16:11–15) now gives way to a storm of persecution. Paul is no stranger to facing the wrath of Gospel-haters. Already on Paul’s first missionary trip, the crowds in Lystra stoned him to within an inch of his life (Acts 14:19; see 2 Corinthians 11:23–29 for a digest of the crosses he bore). The officials in Philippi broke the law in beating Paul and Silas, for they were Romans citizens—thus Paul’s complaint and the official’s apologies in Acts 16:37–39. The jailer was about to fall on his own sword when he supposed the incarcerated had flown the coop, since the penalty for him would have been execution anyway.
May 10, 2009: Lydia
The text for this lesson is Acts 16:11–15.
Key Points
- Just as God worked His miracle beside the river, clothing Lydia with Christ in Baptism, so God works His miracles in pulpits and fonts around the world today, destroying the work of Satan, ripping believers from the jaws of death, washing away sins in water tinged with Jesus’ blood, and clothing believers with His righteousness.
- Law: Full of pride and guided by my emotions and experiences, I look for God and His works where I think He is, instead of humbly following His Word.
- Gospel: Christ locates Himself and His saving gifts for me in specific places: His baptismal font, His pulpit, His altar—wherever His Word is spoken, sung, poured, eaten, or drunk.
Context
On his second missionary journey, while in Troas, Paul saw a vision of a man urging him to come over to Macedonia and help him (16:9). Heeding the call, Paul and his companions crossed the Aegean Sea, bringing the Gospel to modern-day Europe. He made his way to Philippi, an important city of the day. As we’ll learn next week, his initial welcome there by Lydia and others was short-lived, for soon he and Silas were arrested, beaten, and jailed (Acts 16:16–40).
May 3, 2009: Paul and Timothy
The text for this lesson is Acts 15:1–16:5.
Key Points
- Just as many in Paul’s day thought, we think we must do something to be saved. Yet the answer is always Jesus, Jesus, only Jesus, whose resurrection from the dead sealed our salvation and absolved the world.
- Law: I sin when I believe that Jesus is not enough for my salvation, when I think that I must do something, however small, to contribute to my salvation.
- Gospel: Jesus has done it all perfectly for me. My salvation is complete.
Context
In the earliest days of the Church, most believers were Jews. Central to their religious life were the stipulations of the old covenant, such as circumcision. Though Jesus fulfilled these laws, many Jewish Christians continued to practice them. When Gentiles began to convert, some believers, including the Christian Pharisees (Acts 15:5), insisted the Gentiles must keep the Old Testament laws to be saved. This was the chief question of this first council: must the Gentiles keep these laws to be saved? The conclusion was, no, they must not. However, so as not to offend their fellow Jewish believers, the leaders advised the Gentiles to “abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Acts 15:29).
November 2, 2008: Ruth
The text for this lesson is Ruth 1:1—4:22.
Key Points
- Through the lineage of a common woman, Ruth, God ultimately brought forth His Son, who is the Savior of all: Jews and Gentiles, men and women.
- My sins, the sins of others, and the fallen creation tempt me to think that life is ugly and hopeless; I come to think that even God is against me. Though I bear crosses, Jesus has already borne the greater cross for me, forgiving me in my self-pity and enabling me to see through the ugliness around me to the beauty of His untarnished love.
- Law: Life is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” said the unbeliever Thomas Hobbes. Our sins, the sins of others, and the fallen creation in which we live all tempt us to think so. Self-pity and despair blacken our world. We sometimes think God Himself must have become our enemy. Such are the thoughts of Naomi—thoughts we often share.
- Gospel: God is on our side. He causes everything to work together for the good—for the salvation—of His children. Though we bear our crosses, there is One who has already borne the greater cross for us.
October 5, 2008: The Fall of Jericho
The text for this lesson is Joshua 6:1–27.
Key Points
- God saved the Israelites by causing the fortress walls of Jericho to tumble and fall and by guiding them through His servant Joshua. God saves us by causing the fortress of sin and death to tumble and fall through the redeeming work of Jesus so that we might become and remain His people.
- Law: Prideful, I place my trust in the false walls of self-security; my works and my accomplishments weakly crumble around me.
- Gospel: God delivers me from the ruin of my sin and provides me a mighty fortress in Christ.
- Bible Words: Psalm 46:10.
- Faith Words: exalt, Jesus, salvation, sin.
- Catechism: The First Commandment.
