The Coming Of The One: clearly foretold, missed by many

L E A D E R The Coming Of The One: clearly foretold, missed by many Bible Study That Builds C hristian C ommunity Coming_of_the_One-LEADER.indd 1 ...
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L E A D E R

The Coming Of The One: clearly foretold, missed by many

Bible Study That Builds C hristian C ommunity

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The Coming of the One: Clearly Foretold, Missed by Many Leader Book © 2005 Serendipity Published by Serendipity House Publishers Nashville, Tennessee All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, without express written permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Serendipity House, 117 10th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234. ISBN: 1-5749-4199-2 Dewey Decimal Classification: 221.5 Subject Headings: BIBLE--PROPHECIES \ JESUS CHRIST--INCARNATION

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

To purchase additional copies of this resource or other studies: ORDER ONLINE at www.SerendipityHouse.com WRITE Serendipity House, 117 10th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234 FAX (615) 277-8181 PHONE (800) 525-9563

1-800-525-9563 www.SerendipityHouse.com

Printed in the United States of America 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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Contents Genesis 1:26–2:7 SESSION 1 The Coming of the Light

Isaiah 9:1-7

8

Isaiah 11:1-9

20

Micah 5:2-4

34

Matthew 1:18-25

46

Luke 4:14-21

58

Isaiah 42:1-7

70

Matthew 21:1-11

82

Psalm 118:22-29

94

Isaiah 35; Matthew 11:2-6

106

Jeremiah 31:31-34

118

Hebrews 7:11-28

130

Psalm 22:1-18

144

Isaiah 53

156

SESSION 2 The Coming of a New Kingdom

SESSION 3 The Coming of the Shepherd

SESSION 4 The Coming of Immanuel

SESSION 5 The Coming of the Defender

SESSION 6 The Coming of the Champion

SESSION 7 The Coming of Christ the King

SESSION 8 The Coming of the Cornerstone

SESSION 9 The Coming of the Healer

SESSION 10 The Coming of the Mediator

SESSION 11 The Coming of the Eternal Priest

SESSION 12 The Coming of the Forsaken One

SESSION 13 The Coming of the Suffering Servant

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Group Member Book, p. 4

Core Values Community: The purpose of this curriculum is to build community within the body of believers around Jesus Christ. Group Process: To build community, the curriculum must be designed to take a group through a step-bystep process of sharing your story with one another. Interactive Bible Study: To share your “story,” the approach to Scripture in the curriculum needs to be open-ended and right-brained—to “level the playing field” and encourage everyone to share. Developmental Stages: To provide a healthy program in the life cycle of a group, the curriculum needs to offer courses on three levels of commitment:

(1) Beginner Level—low-level entry, high structure, to level the playing field;

(2) Growth Level—deeper Bible study, flexible structure, to encourage group accountability; (3) Discipleship Level—in-depth Bible study, open structure, to move the group into high gear. Target Audiences: To build community throughout the culture of the church, the curriculum needs to be flexible, adaptable, and transferable into the structure of the average church. Mission: To expand the kingdom of God one person at a time by filling the “empty chair.” (We add an extra chair to each group session to remind us of our mission.)

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Group Member Book, p. 5

Group Covenant It is important that your group covenant together, agreeing to live out important group values. Once these values are agreed upon, your group will be on its way to experiencing Christian community. It’s very important that your group discuss these values—preferably as you begin this study. The first session would be most appropriate. (Check the rules to which each member of your group agrees.)

 Priority: While you are in this course of study, you give the group meetings priority.  Participation: Everyone is encouraged to participate and no one dominates.  Respect: Everyone is given the right to his or her own opinion, and all questions are encouraged and respected.  Confidentiality: Anything that is said in the meeting is never repeated outside the meeting.  Life Change: We will regularly assess our own life-change goals and encourage one another in our pursuit of becoming more like Christ.  Empty Chair: The group stays open to reaching new people at every meeting.  Care and Support: Permission is given to call upon each other at any time, especially in times of crisis. The group will provide care for every member.  Accountability: We agree to let the members of the group hold us accountable to the commitments we make in whatever loving ways we decide upon.  Mission: We will do everything in our power to start a new group.  Ministry: Members of the group will encourage one another to volunteer and serve in a ministry and to support missions by giving financially and/or personally serving.

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For the Leader Each group meeting consists of a three-part agenda: Icebreaker – Fun questions designed to warm the group and build understanding about other group members. These questions prepare the group for meaningful discussion throughout the session. Bible Study – The heart of each session is the Bible study time. The Life Connections® series involves six easy-to-understand segments. 1. Scripture Reading – Each Bible study begins with the reading of the focal passage. 2. About Today’s Session – This section of the Bible Study time is designed to peak the interest of attendees and introduce the theme for the session. In most instances there will be a reminder of what was studied the previous week, a captivating illustration or analogy related to everyday life, and a statement describing what life-changing topic will be given attention. 3. Identifying with the Story – During this segment of the Bible Study, subgroups learn more about each other by answering questions that will help them share their story. These questions directly relate to the topic for the day. 4. Today’s Session – This short teaching time will be led by the Master Teacher. These scripted teachings include a depth of biblical understanding, fascinating illustrations, analogies, statistics, and stories that will spark questions and conviction. 5. Learning from the Story – Subgroups will gather to answer a series of questions that anticipate commitment to applying the truths taught. 6. Life Change Lessons – The Master Teacher gives practical suggestions that will aid attendees in carrying out the commitments they make. Caring Time – All study should point us to action. Each session ends with prayer and direction in caring for the needs of group members. Time is also provided to pray for the "empty chair." The empty chair is a visible symbol of the need for each group to lead an unbeliever to a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The cross icon and boxed text represents portions of the Group Member books that have been reprinted in this book. IMPORTANT NOTE: Answers to questions in the Group Member books are highlighted in the teaching sections of your Leader Book. Answers are highlighted through the use of underlining and circled numbers that correspond to the question numbers. Be sure to point these out when you are teaching. 6

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Every Life Connections group must fill three important roles. Each responsibility is vital to the success of the class. Teacher – The teacher is the key leader of any Life Connections group. It is the responsibility of the teacher to: 1. enlist facilitators and apprentices. 2. make facilitators and apprentices aware of their roles and be certain these responsibilities are carried out. 3. meet periodically with facilitators to train, encourage, and inspire them. 4. cast vision for and keep the group focused on the goals of the group. 5. guide group members to understand and commit to the group covenant. 6. be sure the group utilizes, fills, and evangelizes through use of the empty chair concept. 7. act as the Master Teacher for the group. 8. keep the group on task throughout each session. Facilitator – Each subgroup will have a facilitator. It is the responsibility of the facilitators to: 1. lead each individual in their subgroup to participate in Icebreaker activities. 2. involve all members in their subgroup in the Identifying with the Story section of the study. 3. guide those in their subgroup to commit to apply the lessons learned in the Learning from the Story section of the weekly session. 4. with sensitivity and wisdom lead their subgroup to minister to one another during the Caring Time and involve their subgroup in ministry and evangelism. 5. minister to the needs of their subgroup members and lead them to minister to the needs of one another both during and between meetings. Apprentice – Every subgroup must have an apprentice. When the group consistently has eight or more in attendance, the group should divide into two groups. The apprentice will become the facilitator of the new group and choose an apprentice who will someday be the facilitator of a group. It is the role of the apprentice to: 1. learn from the facilitator of their group. 2. make welcome all new subgroup members. 3. be certain Group Member books and pens or pencils are available for all participants. 4. turn in prayer requests. 5. encourage participation by actively participating themselves. 6. lead the group when the facilitator is unavailable. For more information and frequently asked questions about Life Connections, visit our Web site at www.SerendipityHouse.com. 7

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Group Member Book, p. 7

Session

1

The Coming of the

Light

Genesis Isaiah1:26–2:7 9:1-7

Prepare for the Session READINGS

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

Monday

Isaiah 9:1

When you go through times of gloom, do you turn to Christ for help, or do you try to pull out of gloominess on your own?

Tuesday

Isaiah 9:2

What new understanding of God and God’s ways has “dawned” on you recently? How was this new “light” revealed to you?

Wednesday

Isaiah 9:3

How has your relationship with Christ “enlarged” or enriched your life? What have you done to rejoice before Him?

Thursday

Isaiah 9:4

What are some ways God helps you with your burdens? With what burdens has He specifically helped you?

Friday

Isaiah 9:5

What are the biggest battles you are fighting right now? What do you need to do to put them behind you?

Saturday

Isaiah 9:6

Are you fully utilizing Christ as “Wonderful Counselor” in your life? What do you need to do to better hear and respond to His counsel?

Sunday

Isaiah 9:7

How much hope do you have that world peace can ever be achieved? How could God use you in bringing about a peaceful world “with justice and righteousness”?

notes

:

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Group Member Book, pp. 8-9

OUR GOALS FOR THIS SESSION ARE:

BIBLE STUDY

darkened land of Galilee

. To see how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of

In groups of 6-8, gather people in a horseshoe configuration.

.

Make sure everyone has a name tag. Take time to share information on class parties that are coming up as well as any relevant church events. INTRODUCE THE ICEBREAKER ACTIVITY: The group members have instructions in their books. After the Icebreaker say something like, “The people from the northern part of Israel during Isaiah’s time would have been hard-pressed to say they had more than a flickering candle’s worth of light in their lives. An invader had devastated their land and carried many Israelites into exile. But God did not leave them without hope. He gave the people a vision of a Messiah. In this session we will look at that promise and how Jesus fulfilled it.” Hand out the Prayer/ Praise Report. A sample copy is in the back of the book. Have people write down prayer requests and praises. Then have the prayer coordinator collect the reports and make copies for use during the Caring Time.

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. To appreciate how Jesus brought light to the

LIFE CHANGE

Isaiah 9 concerning His ministry in Galilee and His status as God and Prince of Peace To begin to understand how Christ can bring light into our personal darkness

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. To take time each day this week to read about the life of Jesus

. To start each day with the prayer, “God, what light would you show me this day?”

. To ask two Christian friends to share with you what light Jesus has brought into their lives

You Light Up My Life. Depending on time, choose one or two questions, or answer all three. Go around the group on question 1 and let everyone share. Then go around again on questions 2 and 3. 1. When you were an adolescent, who most “lit up your life”?    

My best friend  A grandparent My boyfriend or girlfriend  A writer Jesus alone  Other _________________ A pastor or teacher who believed in me

2. What was most likely to bring darkness into your life when you were a teen?    

Tension with parents  Poor school performance The opposite sex  My own stupidity Yielding to peer pressure  My dangerous neighborhood Other _______________________________

3. How much light are you experiencing in your life right now?     

Maybe one flickering candle’s worth Perhaps as much as a weak flashlight Like a flashlight with new batteries Like a well-lit room Like a major-league stadium equipped with high-powered field lights  Like a bright, sunshiny day  Other _________________________________ 9

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Group Member Book, pp. 9-10

LEARNING FROM THE BIBLE

The Scripture for this week: ISAIAH 9:1-7 Select a group member ahead of time to read aloud this Scripture passage from Isaiah.

1Nevertheless,

the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations. 2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of darkness, a light has dawned. 3You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. [The people] have rejoiced before You as they rejoice at harvest time and as they rejoice when dividing spoils. 4For You have shattered their burdensome yoke and the rod on their shoulders, the staff of their oppressor, just as [You did] on the day of Midian. 5For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this.

notes

:

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Group Member Book, p. 10

Summarize these introductory remarks. Be sure to include the underlined information, which gives the answers to the Group Member book questions (provided in the margin).

 What were the two main things the people of Israel did to violate the covenant God had made with them?  What was the political situation in which most of the great Old Testament prophets arose?

 In what two general areas did the prophets foretell the future?

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL One of the most beneficial things people can do when they are experiencing hard times is to see light at the end of the tunnel. In Old Testament times, prophecy was God’s way of helping people see that light. The people of Israel had to go through some difficult times, and most of them were the people’s own fault. God had told them, “Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that you may prosper and so that you may enter and possess the good land the Lord your God swore to [give] your fathers, by driving out all your enemies before you, as the Lord has said” (Deut. 6:18-19). However, the people did not follow God’s command. Instead, they went after other gods and committed injustices against their own people. As a result, the nation went through hard times. Principle among these hard times is when two foreign invaders defeated them and took their people into exile. The Assyrians did this to the northern 10 tribes in 722 B.C., and the Babylonians did it to the southern tribes of Benjamin and Judah in 586 B.C. It was during these tough political situations that the greatest prophets of Israel arose.

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The prophets did not just predict the future. An important part of their task was to confront the people with their sin in the here and now. They called them to follow the one true God and to treat people with love and justice. (See, for example, Isaiah 1:10-20 and Amos 2:4-16.) But they did foretell two things about the future: (1) that God would judge the nation for its faithlessness, and (2) that God would send them hope in the person of a Messiah. The Messiah would bring salvation, and more than that, He would bring an eternal kingdom in which all the peoples of the earth would live in unity, worshiping the one true God. The vision of the great prophets has already been realized in part, and that is what we will consider in this study. Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah whom God sent to save us and bring us together in His kingdom. The number of times the Old Testament prophets specifically predicted things that came true in Him is amazing and far greater than what could have happened by chance or circumstance. As we go through this study, we will see just how fulfilled prophecy provides such a strong witness. Fulfilled prophecy shows that Jesus was more than just another religious teacher. However, another part of the prophets’ vision is still yet to be realized—the peace among all people in one eternal kingdom. The fact that God has been faithful to His promise in bringing the Messiah reassures us that He will be faithful to this promise as well, and that one day God’s peace will reign. Until then we rely on His promises. 11

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Group Member Book, pp. 10-11

Remain in groups of 6–8 people, in a horseshoe configuration. In this small-group session, group members will be responding to the Identifying with the Story questions. This will help them share their stories in terms of the prophecy of the Messiah in Isaiah 9:1-7.

1. What person(s) or event brought honor to your hometown while you were growing up there?    

A famous person was from my hometown. One of our sports teams won a championship. An innovative social program was developed there. We received a special recognition from the president or governor.  Some local young men and women distinguished themselves in a war.  Nothing—mostly we were just known for high crime.  Other _________________________________

2. Who do you most look at as an “oppressor” in your life right now?     

My boss  A rival at work The government  My creditors Myself—due to my own perfectionist tendencies An irritating family member Other ______________________

3. Who (besides Christ) has most performed the role of “liberator” in your life?  My mom or dad  A teacher or mentor  A writer

 My spouse or significant other  A close friend  Other ___________________

notes

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Group Member Book, p. 11

Share with your group the following information. You may modify it according to your own perspectives and teaching needs. The answers to the Group Member book questions (provided in the margin) are underlined.

One of the most popular movie trilogies of the new millennium is The Matrix. This trilogy focuses on a man named Neo, also called “the One.” Neo is destined to save people from “the Matrix,” which is a kind of existential prison. Neo, which means “new” and is the word “one” rearranged, had been predicted to come for some time. He eventually does save people from “the Matrix” through his own death and almost immediate resurrection. The story is science fiction, but the plot closely parallels one that has been proclaimed as the greatest truth of history: that Jesus Christ came to save people from slavery to sin and death. Is this story about Jesus also just an interesting fiction? Some make that claim. Popular author Dan Brown, in his books The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, has key characters claim that the church made up the idea of Christ as Son of God and suppressed those with a different perception.

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Indeed, some degree of doubt has been present throughout history. Most of us have heard of “Doubting Thomas,” but the reality is that all of the disciples seemed to have doubted at first (Luke 24:38). The two disciples on the road to Emmaus said with despair, “But we were hoping that He was the One who was about to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). This doubt and despair was turned around, however, as the risen Christ showed Himself, and showed how all that happened was according to the prophecies of Scripture (Luke 24:44-48). In this study, we will consider how the doubt surrounding who Jesus is can be alleviated by showing how He fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture. This week we look specifically at Isaiah 9:1-7. This passage included some important prophecies about who the Christ would be, all of which Jesus fulfilled.

A Light from Galilee  Isaiah

 Where did the Messiah first proclaim the light of His teaching?

9, first of all, proclaims that the Messiah would manifest the light of His teaching in the area known as Galilee. Verse 1 tells us, “Nevertheless, the gloom of the distressed land will not be like that of the former times when He humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali. But in the future He will bring honor to the Way of the Sea, to the land east of the Jordan, and to Galilee of the nations.” The land that first felt the brunt of war when Assyria invaded would also first receive the light of the Prince of Peace.

 What five elements connected Jesus’ ministry to the region of Galilee?

Five elements connected Jesus’ ministry to Galilee. First, He was raised in Nazareth in Galilee. Second, He did the bulk of His teaching and healing in Galilee. Third, His first followers were from this area. Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee

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Group Member Book, p. 11

when they were called (Matt. 4:18-22). Mary Magdalene, who later was the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, was from the fishing village of Magdala on the western bulge of that sea. Fourth, Jesus set up Capernaum, on the northern edge of the sea, as His home base from which He went out to teach, preach, and heal (Matt. 4:13); and, fifth, His first miracle was recorded by John as being in Cana, also in that region (John 2:1-11). As a region that Assyria had invaded and resettled, and because of its close proximity to other countries, Galilee was home to many non-Jews. For that reason, as well as because the people of the region were thought of as ignorant by the Jews of Judea, Galileans were often looked down upon. However, these factors also made it a logical home for a Savior who brought Gentiles and the lowly into the fold of faith. The logic of the pious might have expected the Messiah to focus on Jerusalem, the center of the country in terms of population, politics, and religion. However, the ways of people are not always the ways of God, and Jesus spent a relatively short period of His ministry in that capitol city (the last week of His life, plus perhaps a couple of yearly visits). Isaiah’s prophecy was that Jesus’ light would emanate from Galilee, and His ministry held true to that prophecy.

One with God

 What two biblical incidents show how serious it was to blaspheme by equating a mere human with God?

Our passage from Isaiah also has a lot to say about what kind of Messiah this person would be. We are told, “He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father . . . ” (v. 6). This would not just be an ordinary human being! This would not just be another teacher or prophet! For a Jew, to say that an ordinary person was God would be blasphemy, the worst of all possible sins. When Paul and Barnabas were proclaimed as gods in Lystra, they tore their clothes as a sign of repentance because they did not want to be part of such a sin (Acts 14:11-18). In contrast, when Herod Agrippa was proclaimed as a god by the people and he simply reveled in their adulation, he was immediately struck down and died (Acts 12:21-23). So this prediction by Isaiah that people would equate the Messiah with the “Mighty God” and the “Eternal Father” cannot be dismissed as over-exuberance or poetic exaggeration. The only explanation can be that the Messiah would indeed be God taking on human flesh. Jesus fulfilled this prophecy of One who would come as God in the flesh. This was not just the perception of a few or an idea that came to the fore with Constantine, as Dan Brown’s fictional characters proclaim. Rather, this is something we find many places in the 14

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Group Member Book, pp. 12  Name five New Testament writers who included allusions to Jesus Christ as “God” or “the Son of God.”

New Testament. Matthew says Jesus’ birth fulfilled the prophecy that “God is with us” (Matt. 1:23); he records Peter as declaring that Jesus is “the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16), and the centurion at the cross as saying, “This man really was God’s Son” (Matt. 27:54). Luke says the angel who announced the birth of Jesus to Mary proclaimed He would be called the “Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32) and “the Son of God” (Luke1:35). He also points out that the demons recognized Jesus as the Son of God (Luke 4:41). John begins his Gospel by telling his readers that Jesus was the Word who was in the beginning and “was God” (1:1).  The author of Hebrews tells us that in relation to God, Jesus was “the radiance of His glory, the exact expression of His nature” (1:3).  Paul quotes a hymn in Philippians 2:1-11, which many scholars believe is the most primitive of all Christian writings, preceding even Paul’s other writings. In it, we read that Jesus Christ was one who existed “in the form of God” (v. 6). This is certainly not an exhaustive list. The entire earliest Christian community experienced Jesus as God having come to them in the flesh.

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A Prince of Peace Finally, Isaiah prophecies that God’s Messiah will be seen as a “Prince of Peace” (v. 6). Other translations of verse 7 add, “Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end” (NIV— the old KJV is similar) or “there shall be endless peace” (NRSV). There is also something of this thought in verse 5: “For the trampling boot of battle and the bloodied garments of war will be burned as fuel for the fire.” This verse illustrates how the ravages of war will be disposed of as humanity puts all violence behind them. 

What were three things Jesus did that made Him worthy of the title “Prince of Peace”?

Now, it is true that when Jesus came the first time people did not put war behind them. Nevertheless, Jesus accomplished three things that made Him worthy of the title “Prince of Peace”: (1) He brought traditional enemies together. Jews and Gentiles, who had been hostile for centuries, came together in one fellowship when the “dividing wall of hostility” was broken down (Eph. 2:14). Ever since, people with a traditionally hostile attitude toward each other—Germans and English people, Koreans and Japanese, black Americans and white Americans—have found in Jesus Christ a reconciliation with each other; (2) Jesus taught a more peaceful way, while Rome taught that strength came through armed might. Some Jewish zealots sought their freedom that way as well, but Jesus taught that the one who lives by the sword dies by the sword (Matt. 26:52). His kingdom drew strong standing against a militarized Rome that 15

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Group Member Book, pp. 12-13

eventually met its own violent end; and (3) Jesus came to set up a kingdom that will one day fully realize His vision of a peaceful world. Isaiah saw it long before, not only in chapter 9, but in Isaiah 2:4: “They will turn their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nations will not take up the sword against [other] nations, and they will never again train for war.” Even though war continues today, God still holds this vision before us, and the way to get there is the way of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

notes

:

Remain in groups of 6–8 people, in a horseshoe configuration. In this small-group session, group members will be applying the lessons of the text to their own lives through the Learning from the Story questions. Ask your group members to choose an answer for each question and explain why they responded as they did.

1. How does the joy of one who has been in darkness, but now sees “a great light,” compare to the joy of one who has never really been in darkness? What does this say to you about your own times of darkness?

2. Of the titles given to the Messiah in verse 6, which one is most important to you personally?  Wonderful Counselor – I need someone to help keep my head together.  Mighty God – I need to know God has the power to make things right.  Everlasting Father – I need to know God really cares for me, like a good parent.  Prince of Peace – It’s important for me to believe that peace will one day really have a chance. 16

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Group Member Book, pp. 12-13

3. When have you felt like you were “walking in darkness”? How did “light” come to you at that time?

1 Share with the class the following thoughts on how the lessons of this text might be applied today. The answers to the Group Member book questions (provided in the margin) are underlined unless the question requires a personal answer.

When the Allies liberated the Nazi prison camp at Dachau, it is said that some of the prisoners walked out of their darkened prison rooms, blinked a few times in the sun, and returned to their prisons. Sometimes we get so used to our darkness that we don’t even know how to handle light. Scripture talks about that very thing in John 3:19: “This, then, is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” The central life change that we need to make, then, is to open our darkened lives to what the light can bring us. Light



What are three ways letting light into our darkness can push our comfort zone?

does bring some things that can push our comfort zone. (1) It can help us see more clearly our own failure, ugliness, and sin. If we tend to see ourselves as good, even perfect people, this can be a very uncomfortable experience. (2) It can make us rethink what we thought we already knew. It’s disruptive to have to change our view of what the world is like. A stable worldview helps the world seem more secure. In such cases, a light that helps us see the world differently can be threatening. (3) Shedding light on things that are not right most often demands action of us, action that we may not want to take. For instance, watching the news makes us aware of the starving, oppressed people of the Third World, and that calls us to respond with our giving. Therefore, the light Jesus brings to a darkened world is not always welcome. If



If indeed the light of Christ can make us uncomfortable, why should we let His light into our lives?

indeed the light of Christ can make us uncomfortable, why should we open our lives to this light? Because people down through time have learned that truth is ultimately freeing. Mere discomfort is no reason to avoid the truth. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). How can we open our lives more to living according to the light? Here are some suggested actions: 1. TAKE TIME EACH DAY THIS WEEK TO READ ABOUT THE LIFE OF JESUS. God uses all Bible reading to bring the light of Christ into your life, but reading about the life of Christ can especially do that. Each day when you read, ask yourself the question, “What is God saying to me in this passage?” You don’t need to read for a long time. Ten minutes a day is a good starting point. 17

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Group Member Book, p. 13

2. START EACH DAY WITH THE PRAYER, “GOD, WHAT LIGHT WOULD YOU SHOW ME THIS DAY?” To see the light, you have to be open to the light. Writing in a journal at the end of the day what light God has shown you can also add to this experience. 3. ASK TWO CHRISTIAN FRIENDS TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT LIGHT JESUS HAS BROUGHT INTO THEIR LIVES. You may need to give your friends time to think about it. Those who have recently become followers of Christ can often share this better than people who have been Christians a long time. However, sometimes those who have been Christians a long time can share a greater variety of things, as Christ has helped them over a whole lifetime.

CARING TIME Remain in groups of 6–8 people, in a horseshoe configuration. Direct attention to the Prayer/ Praise Report. Ask each subgroup to pray for the empty chair. Pray specifically for God to guide you to someone to bring next week to fill that chair. After a sufficient time of prayer in subgroups, close in a corporate prayer. Say, “Next week we will talk about ‘The Coming of a New Kingdom.’ ”

This is the time to develop and express your caring for each other. Begin by sharing your responses to this question: “What has brought darkness or distress to your life in recent weeks? How can this group support you in prayer?” Pray for these concerns, as well as the concerns on the Prayer/ Praise Report. Include prayer for the empty chair. If you would like to pray silently, say “Amen” when you have finished your prayer, so that the next person will know when to start.

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Remind participants of the daily Scripture readings and reflections found at the beginning of Session 2.

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Group Member Book, p. 14

BIBLE STUDY NOTES Use these notes to gain further understanding of the text as you study on your own: ISAIAH 9:1

Zebulun ... Naphtali ... Galilee. Zebulun and Naphtali were tribes of Israel whose land allotment was along the northern part of the country. It was the part of the country first invaded by Tiglath-pileser of Assyria in 733-32 B.C. That is why the area is here described as being “distressed” and “humbled.” The land was also known as Galilee, the place where Jesus first taught and enlightened the people. the Way of the Sea. An ancient caravan route to the sea from Damascus, a route the Assyrians took in conquest.

ISAIAH 9:2

have seen a great light. A reference to God’s truth, blessing, and presence. Later Isaiah would refer to the Messiah as a “light for the nations” (42:6; 49:6). Still later, the Apostle John would write, “Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it (John 1:4-5).

ISAIAH 9:4

on the day of Midian. This was a well-known victory of Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 6–8).

ISAIAH 9:6

He will be named Wonderful Counselor. The first of four “throne names.” Each name combines two key aspects of the Messiah and His rule, and speaks of His combined humanity and divinity. This phrase describes Him as a ruler (Mic. 4:7-8) who prudently plans and performs His responsibilities (Isa. 14:27). Because of His reign, the whole world will stand in awe of His wisdom and power. Mighty God. As a warrior, He will be supreme. Eternal Father. He will lovingly provide for and protect His children forever (40:9-11). Prince of Peace. Under His reign, the people will experience “shalom,” peace, well-being, and wholeness.

ISAIAH 9:7

the throne of David ... forever. Unlike the human kings of Israel, even the good ones like Ahaz, the Messiah will rule with perfect wisdom, justice, and righteousness eternally (11:3-5; 2 Sam. 7:12-13,16; Jer. 33:15,20-22).

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