SoiKosum

(John 1:29) What does the title "Lamb of God" tell us about Jesus' ministry? According to 1:29, whose sins did he come to take away? In what ways did Jesus fulfill Isaiah 53? The title "Lamb of God" tells us that Jesus' ministry on earth was one of sacrifice - Jesus had to sacrifice His life on the cross to atone for our sins so that we can approach God once again. Jesus came to take away the sins of the world i.e. not just a single person or even the Jews but the entire humanity. The prophesy in Isaiah 53 was fulfilled when Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross so that we may live.

(John 1:19-27) How does John the Baptist show humility? How can a person see himself as the fulfillment of a passage from Isaiah and still be humble about it? How does John see himself in relation to the coming Messiah? How can a person be such a strong revivalist preacher and still remain humble? Can humility and powerful, confident speech co-exist? "He (John the Baptist) did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Christ.' " (John 1:20) "... He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."(John 1:27). This person is of such high rank that John feels unworthy to untie his sandal thongs. I would suppose that John's obedience to God's calling on his live enabled him to be a powerful revivalist and yet remain humble. Often, we mistake humility for weakness and meekness. In John's case, we know that this is not true. He stood up to the Pharisees and Sadducees' questions and he even chided them "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" " (Matt 3:7)

(John 1:26-27) Why did John baptize? What is the meaning of the baptism he was performing? What do you think baptism represents to those John baptized? John heeded God's call for him to prepare the people for Jesus' coming to Earth. That was John the Baptist's mission in life. John's water baptism was an act of purification and forgiveness. It draws a resemblance from the Jewish proselyte baptism, a ritual bath by which a Gentile convert to Judaism was cleansed from moral and religious impurity. John's water baptism was for the repentance and forgiveness of sins. The act of going under the water can be considered an act of death and rebirth. To some of the Jews who were baptized by John the, if they did not fully comprehend John's message, meaning of the baptism could be just the Jewish act of cleansing.

(John 1:19-23) Why do you think John the Baptist was being hassled by the religious leaders from Jerusalem? What were they afraid of? How did John understand his own mission? How much conflict do you think could be expected from John’s mission? During the time of Christ and the New Testament era, the Sadducees were aristocrats. They tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions including that of chief priests and high priest. They held the majority of the 70 seats of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin. In contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen, and therefore were in contact with the common man. The Pharisees were held in much higher esteem by the common man than the Sadducees. Though they were a minority in the Sanhedrin and held a minority number of positions as priests, they seemed to control the decision making of the Sanhedrin far more than the Sadducees did, again because they had the support of the people. Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees earned numerous rebukes from Jesus. Perhaps the best lesson we can learn from the Pharisees and Sadducees is to not be like them. Unlike the Sadducees, we are to believe everything the Bible says, including the miraculous and the afterlife. Unlike the Pharisees, we are not to treat traditions as having equal authority as Scripture, and we are not to allow our relationship with God to be reduced to a legalistic list of rules and rituals. Given this background, it is not difficult to understand that these leaders were afraid of John the Baptist who baptised people and called for the repentance of sins. They were afraid that he would usurp their power and authority. John understood his own mission to be the preparation for the Lord Jesus Christ's coming - 'I am the voice of one calling in the desert, "Make straight the way for the Lord.":(John 1:23) John the Baptist further said that "... the reason I came baptising with water was that He might be revealed to Israel." (John 1:31) Due to the Sadducees and Pharisees apprehension of John the Baptist's mission and his ability to baptise so many people, much conflict could be expected from John's mission.

(John 1:18) What does it mean that Jesus is the "Only God" or the "Only Begotten God"? Does the Apostle John seem to make a distinction between God the Father and God the Son? What does all this mean for our understanding of the Trinity? I believe that John was trying to explain that while Jesus is God, Jesus can also be seen as separate and distinct. John 10:38 says "... the Father is in me and I in the Father." John 5:26 says "For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself." It is sufficient for us to understand that while the Trinity exists and each person of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is separate and distinct, they are also the Only God or Only Begotten God.

(John ) Why is the idea of God "becoming flesh" so important to the basis of the Christian faith? What would Christ's life, crucifixion, and resurrection mean if he were only pretending to "become flesh"? In what ways have you personally experienced his grace? In what ways has his truth changed your life from what it was? God is Spirit but we are flesh. If Jesus did not take come to earth, take on human form and suffered and died for us, it would be very difficult for us to accept God's word and promises. In our fleshly mind, there would always remain the question - "How would God know what I am going through, he has never experience what I am suffering/experiencing now?". But then God knows because Jesus became flesh and made his dwelling among us. It was because of this that Jesus was able to draw men to Himself when He was lifted up on the cross. Jesus' life, crucifixion and resurrection would have been meaningless if He only pretended to become flesh. Yes, I personally experience God's grace everyday. The most recent example was passing my real estate licence exam when all the odds were stacked against me. God is good and His mercies are new every morning! Amen.

(John 1:12-13) What does it mean to "receive" Jesus? What does it imply to "believe in" Jesus? What is the spiritual relationship to God of those who receive and believe in Jesus? Of those who do not? To receive Jesus is to acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and receive His authority over our lives. To believe Jesus is to put our trust, our hope and our faith in Him and follow His ways. When we receive and believe in Jesus, we are given the privilege to be called sons of God. As Jesus said, if you are not for me, you are against me.

Q2. (John 1:7-8) What did it mean that John was sent to "testify" to the light? In what sense are you put here with the purpose of "testifying" to the light? How are you doing in this regard? What happened to John the Baptist? What might happen to you if you testify clearly? What might happen to the people to whom you testify? John was sent to prepare and tell the world about Jesus, who is the Light. Beginning with the twelve disciples, we are to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus name to all the nations starting from Jerusalem. John the Baptist rebuked Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea, for adultery and incest, and was imprisoned and later beheaded because of the tetrarch's wife Herodias's anger at John's rebuke. If you testify clearly, Man may receive your testimony and accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. At the same time, Man may also reject your testimony and persecute you.

Q1. (John 1:1-3) According to the Apostle John, is Jesus fully God? What does it mean that Jesus is the “Word”? What does this say about him and his ministry? Yes, Jesus is fully God. John 1:1, ... the Word was God. John 1:14, ...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. This relates to the Godhead trinity consisting of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. With reference to Genesis and the creation of the world, God spoke and the world came into existence. God's word is all powerful. God only needs to speak and things came into being. Being part of the Trinity, Jesus is also identified as the Word. Jesus' ministry was to bring God's grace and truth to a fallen world and reconcile man back to God.

Matt 8:5-13 = the faith of a Centurion who is a gentile Matt 21:33-44 = wicked vinedressers, the Kingdom of God will taken from you (Jews) and given to another (Gentiles) bearing the fruits of it Matt 22:2-13 = wedding feast, the invited guests (Jews) were not worthy, so invite others from the highways and byways (Gentiles) Matt 24:14 = The gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to all the world as a witness to all the nations Matt 28:19 = Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... The common theme is that the gospel of the kingdom of God must be made known to the Gentiles. The visit of the wise men (Gentiles) is related to bringing the gospel to the Gentiles as it shows that while Jesus came to the Jews, the greater mission was beyond Israel to the Gentiles.

"Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." (2:11b) These may seem inappropriate gifts for a baby, but as munificent gifts from distinguished personages appearing before a king, they would be considered quite appropriate, perhaps as specimens of the products of their country. Later Christian writers, including John H. Hopkins, Jr. who wrote "We Three Kings," have seen significance in gold for Christ's royalty, frankincense for his deity, and myrrh for his humanity, ultimately his burial. Whenever foreign dignitaries would appear before a great king they would bring gifts as a sign of obeisance and honor. The gifts reflected the Magi's heart attitude that they were worshipping a King. Following this example, our gifts to God and Jesus must be our very best, whether it is worship, praise or works.

"When the Magi see the child, now a toddler, they bow down and worshipped him. Imagine these old men, finely dressed, prostrating themselves on a dirt floor before a small child. They had seen the star and it had reappeared to guide them. These men were convinced -- rightly -- that they were standing before the Messiah, the King of the Jews. Their obeisance was fitting." Notwithstanding that Jesus was then only a child, the Magi recognised that He was the King of the Jews and they bowed down and worshipped Him. The Magi did not consider His earthly human form but rather who Jesus is. As the saying goes, we should not judge a book by its cover and rightly so.

The text says that "we just dont know enough to say authoritatively exactly what the Star of Bethelem was.". Some possibilities include the following: 1. A Supernova or New star 2. A comet 3. A planetary conjunction Whatever it was, the Star of Bethelem led the Magi to baby Jesus. When the Magi saw the star, they followed the star to find the King of the Jews so that the Magi may worship him. Balaam prophesied that "A star will come out of Jacob" (Num 24:17)

The three titles given to Jesus were as follows: 1. Savior/Messiah - rescuer, deliverer, preserver 2. Christ - annointed 3. Lord - owner, lord or master This reveals Jesus' true identity as the Annointed Master who has come to save His people.

The message of Jesus' birth came to the sheperds because sheperds were despised, misunderstood and their job was inglorious. However, sheperds were also guardians of the flock of sheep, watching over them and keeping them safe. I suppose God was trying to draw a parallel of Jesus being treated like the sheperds. Jesus was born in a stable and had a manger for a bed - the manger being a symbolism of serving.

The reason is because Jesus has an historical context. He is neither a myth nor a legend. He is both historical and verifiable. Jesus is mentioned not only in the New Testament, but by contemporaries and in early documents.

Joseph in accepting Mary as his wife shows his rightteousness but more importantly also shows his obedience to God's commands. Joseph was personally commanded to give the name Jesus to the baby so that in effect Joseph is acknowledging that the baby is his "own" through legal adoption. This bestowed on Jesus the lineage of Joseph who is from the House of David and fulfils the promise that God will give Jesus the throne of David and HE shall reign forever.

The prophetic concept of the virgin conception and the name "Immanuel" found their fullness in the birth of Jesus to Mary when the Holy Spirit came upon Mary a virgin and she gave birth to Jesus. Subsequently, Jesus grew and died on the cross to save His people from their sins. "Immanuel" - God with us, was fulfilled as Jesus, was with us on earth in bodily form.

The significance of the name Jesus is that of a savior coming to save His people "... You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Luke 1:21). Jesus came to destroy the power of sin. Both Mary and Joseph were told by the angle to give this name to the baby so neither would ever forget who he was - Yahweh's salvation embodied in human form.

1. Husband. Her betrothed husband would reject her. Her pregnancy would embarrass him and reflect on his character. She couldn't expect him to understand or accept her condition. 2. Penalty. At worst she could be stoned. The law provided in cases like this for possible stoning (Deuteronomy 22:13-30), especially if the man and married woman are caught in the act of adultery. Stoning for adultery still took place in first century Palestine. 3. Shunning. At best, her family would allow her to live at home, though her supposed adultery would hurt their standing in the community. She and her ******* child would be shunned. 4. Remarriage. No upstanding man would ever marry her, since the stigma of her supposed adultery would remain with her and taint the reputation of any husband. 5. No where to go. She couldn't go to the city and be lost in its anonymity. Single women just didn't live alone. This was a family-centered culture where a woman's work centered around home and family. There was no work for single women, except perhaps as a housekeeper in a wealthy home -- or prostitution. And so Joseph decided to divorce Mary, but to do it in such a way as to protect her as much as he could, given the situation. We see in Joseph a gentleness and maturity. A righteous man, but not a man full of himself. Joseph was a man seeking to do the right thing.

Jesus would have learned the carpentry trade and probably tending to the garden and animals. In addition, HE would also have learned about negotiating and dealing with people. This would have exposed HIM to the various personalities and characters of different people - essentially the good, the bad and the ugly.

The titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" are appropriate for Mary as these are literally what she was. However we are sometimes reluctant to exalt her as "blessed among women" as there is a fear that this could distract us from worshipping God and Jesus to worshipping Mary. To remove this fear, we must seek to understand that while Mary was also flesh and bones like the rest of us, she was the chosen vessel to bring Jesus to earth. For this we must accept that Mary was blessed among women. However, this does not mean that Mary is God.

The essence of Mary's response is that she is the servant and God is the master. This teaches us that we have the choice to either be servant to the Most High God or servant to our fleshly lusts and desires. Mary's response was informed consent as the angel Gabriel had already told her what will happen to her son Jesus. When we respond to God, we are consenting to believing in Him, putting our lives in His hands and following His commandments.

It was a divine miracle, the mystery of incarnation - the divine becoming joined with the human, It teaches us that while Mary was human, her child Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit is Holy in the same sense that God himself is holy. This is central to the christian message of God sending His only begotten Son Jesus to earth as a man to save humankind.

Mary's "How" question stemmed from faith whereas Zechariah's question arose from unbelief. Reading the bible literally, Mary's question "How can this be..." sounds like a question asking for clarification. Instead, Zechariah's question "How shall I know this?" sounds more aggressive and challenging.