Kingdom Knights: Fight the Scandal

1 Peter 3:15-16: "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (NIV)

Friday, December 23, 2005

Christmas Questions

Christmas Questions

Thought provokers for your Christmas devotions

-Jonathan L. McCarthy

Matthew 1&2; Luke 1-2:40

In the genealogy, why does the writer say, "Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham?" (NASB)

Jesus means Joshua. Of what significance is this?

How is it that Herod could recognize the authority of the OT prophets and yet believe that he could successfully frustrate their prophecies?

Luke 1:16-17 reflects Jesus’ mission, but what can we discover about His nature?
What can be learned from Zacharias’ response to the answer to his prayers?
How did Mary respond to the angel differently than Zacharias had?

Mercy and exaltation of the humble are the themes of Mary’s song. How do these tie in with Christ’s life and mission?

Is it possible that Zacharias’ prophecy in 1:68-69 outlines the story of all Scripture?
How did the shepherds respond to the news? How would you have responded?
What significant implication of Christ’s mission does Simeon uniquely predict in 2:32?

Summarize the mission of Christ as revealed by Zacharias, Mary and Simeon.

posted by Jonathan M @ 6:26 PM  

3 Comments:

  • At 8:00 PM, December 23, 2005, Blogger David Ketter said…

    Ohhhh...looks fun!

    In the genealogy, why does the writer say, "Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham?"

    Matthew wrote primarily for the Jews. The significance here is that Jesus is the foreseen "Son of David" - eligible to take the throne of David and rule Israel forever. As the "son of Abraham" he is the foreseen "Promised Seed" and fulfillment of all the Patriarchs had looked for.

    Jesus means Joshua. Of what significance is this?

    Yeshua is Hebrew for "salvation." This is a direct reference to Jesus' work.

    How is it that Herod could recognize the authority of the OT prophets and yet believe that he could successfully frustrate their prophecies?

    Herod did not believe that the Scriptures were truly real but that the newborn King (and his family) were trying to fulfill the prophecies intentionally, thereby supplanting him.

    Luke 1:16-17 reflects Jesus’ mission, but what can we discover about His nature?

    If I'm not mistaken, this prophecy refers to John the Baptist, not the Christ. What this indicates about John's nature is that he is, in essence, a prefiguration of the coming of Elijah before the appearance of the King. Prophecy fulfilled...and the power of Elijah is a very strong indication of how powerfully God ministered through John.

    What can be learned from Zacharias’ response to the answer to his prayers?

    Hehe..."Do not put the Lord thy God to the test."

    How did Mary respond to the angel differently than Zacharias had?

    With simplicity of faith and obedient humility.

    Mercy and exaltation of the humble are the themes of Mary’s song. How do these tie in with Christ’s life and mission?

    They define Jesus' ministry. He was a minister of mercy, giving the blind sight, the lame their strength, and the dead their life. He exalted the humble and rebuked the rich.

    Is it possible that Zacharias’ prophecy in 1:68-69 outlines the story of all Scripture?

    I think that it demonstrates the fulfillment, rather than the actual stort of all Scripture.

    How did the shepherds respond to the news?

    With joy...with hope...with a simple faith that said "All we have dreamed of for centuries has happened."

    How would you have responded?

    Assuming the angel's didn't give me a heart attack...I'd have gone with them...wondering, questioning, but hoping still that they were right.

    What significant implication of Christ’s mission does Simeon uniquely predict in 2:32?

    Simeon notes Jesus' universal mission - that He would come for all people, not just the Jews. However, their's was to be the glory for He was of their people. The prophecy is to be expected since Luke was, himself, a Gentile and wrote for Gentiles.

    Summarize the mission of Christ as revealed by Zacharias, Mary and Simeon.

    Salvation to the world, mercy to the weak, exaltation for the humble, and "glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace to men on whom His favor rests."

     

  • At 6:07 AM, December 29, 2005, Anonymous SimonTemplar said…

    Good questions all, I won't address all of them but I'll take a crack at a few.

    Son of David, Son of Abraham. Both of these must be understood in the light of the fact that God made covenants with both David, and Abraham. Covenants with both men that were at the very heart of the Jewish hopes of "messiah" the annointed King.
    Thus the terms applied to Jesus "son of David" "son of Abraham" should not be taken as mere geneological descent, but rather prophetic appellations that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of both the Abrahamic Covenant and the Davidic Covenant.. in simple terms, he was the Messiah that the Jews had long hoped for.. the child of promise, the heir of God's covenants with Abraham and David.. incidentally he is also the heir of God's covenant with Adam.. which is why he is called also "the 2nd Adam".

    Jesus and Joshua come from the same hebrew name but are not exactly the same. The root name is Yahoshua, which in english is Joshua, meaning God's salvation. Jesus is a shortened version in hebrew y'shua perhaps equivalent to our "Josh" and meaning simply "salvation".

    Herod was a man of superstition, not a man of faith. He believed in powers beyond, and prophecies and feared them, as I'm sure he feared their influence on the people. He had no faith, however, just as the devils believe in God, but they have no faith in Him.

    I was interested to see that you got the right translation of "peace on earth good will to mean"
    I would add only to your description of Jesus' mission, that salvation which he came to bring is more than legal justification, more than simply paying a debt.. it is that.. but it is also restoring life.. Restoring us through our communion with him in his death and resurection, to the life of God.. from which we were seperated in the death of Adam's sin.

     

  • At 12:23 PM, December 31, 2005, Blogger Jonathan M said…

    Excellent answers guys!

     

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home