Jesus Saves!

Discipleship Questions for Sunday

December 30, 2007

 

Scripture Readings:

 

First Reading: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Psalm: 128

Second Reading: Galatians 3:23-25

Gospel: John 1:1-18

Isaiah 61:10-62:3
61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.62:1 For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2 The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the LORD will name. 3 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God. -- NKJV

Psa. 128:0

          A song of ascents.

 

Psa. 128:1

          Blessed are all who fear the LORD,

                   who walk in his ways.

2        You will eat the fruit of your labor;

                   blessings and prosperity will be yours.

3        Your wife will be like a fruitful vine

                   within your house;

          your sons will be like olive shoots

                   around your table.

4        Thus is the man blessed

                   who fears the LORD.

 

Psa. 128:5

          May the LORD bless you from Zion

                   all the days of your life;

          may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem,

6                  and may you live to see your children’s children.

 

          Peace be upon Israel.

 

Galatians 3:23-25
23But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. -- NKJV

- AND -

Galatians 4:4-7
4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. -- NKJV

John 1:1-18 
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'" 16And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. -- NKJV

Discipleship Questions:

1.    In our Gospel lesson the words “In the Beginning was the Word” kept sticking in my mind and then in my heart – “In the beginning was the Word!”   Ah!  Jesus Christ is the beginning of everything that is good!  He must be behind – at the beginning – of who we are and what we’re about or that which is at our beginnings isn’t about Him – it isn’t good!  Please reflect upon this and discuss.

2.    If you and I set out with real determination to recognize the fundamental reality that Jesus Christ is at the beginning of everything that is good!  We will begin to discover Him – even under his most difficult disguises!  You see we will begin to see into the supposedly invisible world – the world only visible to the eyes of faith driven by the belief that Jesus is behind everything!  Everything that is good!  Please reflect upon this and discuss.

3.    Do you establish Jesus Christ at the center of all of your beginnings?  Or do you do what’s easy and establish yourself at the beginning of all of your beginnings?  Ah, in the beginning was “Robert” and “Robert” was with God and Robert was God!  That’s the way most of humanity run their lives!  Please reflect upon and discuss!

4.    Jesus Christ must be at all of our beginnings!  So when you and I are struggling with some issue and we keep coming to our anger or our hurt or our pain or our disdain or our fear or our frustration or our whatever – don’t stop there!  He’s further back and simply requires a bit more perseverance to find Him under His many disguises!  Please reflect upon and discuss.

5.    Find Him everywhere!  He’s there deep down at the beginning of everything!  Please reflect upon and discuss.