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Faith Gives Us Spiritual
Sight
God’s Word for Today
The difference
between walking in faith and walking in unbelief is like the difference
between light and darkness. We
were born in spiritual darkness, in our blindness unable to guide
ourselves on the way to heaven. But
Christ has shined his light into our lives, and our faith makes us
sighted spiritually. Now we
can see clearly the path that we are to follow, and we can be the agents
to guide others to the true light that gives life to every man.
First
Lesson (Isaiah 42:14-21)
1.
Who is the servant of the Lord? (v 19)
Answer: The people of Israel
2.
In what ways was this “servant”
blind?
Answer:
Israel’s history shows a distinct
ignorance of the obvious. Consider
how often Israel complained while wandering in the wilderness, many
times just shortly after God’s amazing display of providence and
protection. Most sadly,
many of God’s chosen people disregarded his promise of a spiritual
Savior and would miss seeing Jesus, the fulfillment of that promise.
3.
What promises does God give regarding
these blind servants?
Answer:
He says, “I will lead the
blind…turn the darkness into light…I will not forsake them.”
(v 16) What patience!
What grace!
Second
Lesson (Ephesians 5:8-14)
4.
How has our life changed now that we
are found in the light?
Answer:
No longer is our life filled with
the “fruitless deeds of darkness,” (compare Galatians 5:19-21);
rather we are now concerned with doing that “which pleases the
Lord.” (compare Galatians 5:22-23).
5.
What is our role to be regarding those
still in darkness?
Answer:
We are to be the law-bearers and
expose those fruitless deeds of darkness in those around us, not
dwelling on those evils. We
must also be gospel-bearers, offering full and free forgiveness to
those who hear our message!
Gospel
(John 9:1-7,13-17,34-39)
6.
Restoring this man’s physical sight
is a metaphor for what other change that occurred?
Answer:
This man had more importantly
received spiritual sight, that is, faith in Christ.
7.
How is our reception of spiritual sight
seen in this man’s experience?
Answer:
This man’s understanding of Jesus
progressed from seeing him as a man (v 11) to a prophet (v 17) to
one worthy of being followed (v 27) to one who was “from God” (v
33) to worship (v 38). So
our understanding of Jesus also grows as we learn more of what he
has said and done through study of his Word.
Our faith is strengthened; our spiritual sight is made more
acute.
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Our Hope Is
Certain In The Risen Christ
God’s Word for Today
Today we have
the sure testimony of the resurrection before us.
Our Savior's resurrection is validated through the Holy Scriptures
and by the eyewitness accounts of those who personally saw him.
Our faith holds unto these clear testimonies and places confidence
in the sure hope of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior.
In faith we look beyond the troubles of this world to the glories
of the next. It is in that
blessed hope that we now live each day.
First
Lesson (Acts 2:14a,22-32)
1. What was the purpose of the miracles that Jesus performed?
Answer:
Peter said that those works were God's certification that Jesus
came from God and did God's work.
Those works bore witness that Jesus' message was God's message.
They attested to the fact that he was the promised Messiah.
2. What do the words quoted from Psalm 16 teach us about death?
Answer:
As David, we too can be filled with joy and hope confident that
God will not simply leave our bodies to decay in the grave.
We are one of God's "holy ones" certain of the joys
of eternal life.
Second
Lesson (1 Peter 1:3-9)
3. What does Peter mean when he says we have a "living
hope"? (v. 3)
Answer:
Our attention is once again directed to the empty tomb.
While many religions hold out a hope of either blessings here
on this earth or in the hereafter to their hearers, that hope is
acquired as one earns them. Thus,
one can never be sure and their hope is tainted.
A Christian's hope is a "living hope" because it is
founded on Christ, our Savior, who has conquered sin and death, and
has given us the sure promise of eternal life.
Gospel
(John 20:19-31)
4. What greater meaning did the common greeting, "Peace be with
you!", take on when spoken by Jesus that first Easter evening?
Answer:
With the word peace, Jesus is proclaiming what he was giving to
the world, through his crucifixion and resurrection.
It wasn't the shallow peace that the world frantically seeks,
but rather peace with God, which comes to us through the forgiveness
of sins, life and salvation won for us through Christ, our Savior.
5. What comfort was gained when Jesus showed the nail marks?
Answer:
It absolutely proves that he wasn't a ghost.
The nail marks also were a visible reminder of the forgiveness
that was theirs through Christ.
6. What did Thomas confess?
Answer:
After having struggled with doubt earlier, he now boldly
confessed that Jesus is the one true and eternal God.
Thomas confessed that Jesus was indeed his gracious Savior.
Jesus had overcome the doubt and unbelief of Thomas.
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We Rejoice In The Risen
Christ
God’s Word for Today
Most of our
celebrations are very brief. The
festival of Easter, however, inspires a certain "afterglow" that
by God's grace burns ever brighter as we celebrate anew each Sunday during
the Easter season. Led by the
Spirit to believe in the resurrected Lord, we rejoice in holy awe in this
glorious truth and are filled with a desire to speak of our hope with
others.
First
Lesson (Acts 2:14a,36-47)
1.
For whom is baptism intended?
Answer:
Peter tells us that this means of
grace is for all who hear his words.
It is also for their children.
It is also for those who were not there that day, including us.
It is for all whom God has called or ever
will call by the message which Peter proclaimed that day.
2.
Why could and did the first
congregation: in Jerusalem continue to use the temple courts as a place to
meet and worship?
Answer:
They met at the temple because it
was the house of the Lord and they were the Lord's people.
It was the Father's house and they were his children.
They gathered there daily.
Second
Lesson (1 Peter 1:17-21)
3.
Why does Peter encourage us to live as
"strangers" while here on this earth?
Answer:
It will always be a temptation for
Christians to set their hearts on what they can see¾material things, institutions, approval from others, etc..
It is a lifelong struggle to learn that everything visible is
perishable while what is not seen has lasting value.
As Christians, we need to remember that we live in tents¾temporary settings¾because we are not yet home.
Gospel
(Luke 24:13-35)
4.
Why do you think Jesus didn't reveal
his identity to the Emmaus disciples?
Answer:
It gave the disciples the chance to
openly confess their unbelieving doubts.
Jesus was providing them the opportunity to learn from him
again as he reviewed what the Scriptures had to say about the Messiah.
5.
They had just told Jesus not to go on
because of the approaching night. But
once Jesus revealed himself, why did they quickly go back to Jerusalem?
Answer:
Their hearts were burning within
them. They couldn't keep
the joy of this wonderful message to themselves, so they had to tell
the others in Jerusalem.
6.
What lessons can we learn from the
account of the Emmaus disciples?
Answer:
We need exactly what they received from Jesus.
Through the Word we too need a call to repentance because of
our foolish and slow hearts. We
need a renewed sense of joy that the message of Easter gives us so
that with the wonder of our risen Savior before us, we are compelled
to proclaim the Easter message to others.
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