Illuminated by the Light
Isaiah 9:1-7 - New International
Version (NIV)
1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were
in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the
Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
2 The people walking in darkness
have
seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a
light has dawned.
3 You have enlarged the nation
and
increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as
people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when
dividing the plunder.
4 For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you
have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the
bar across their shoulders,
the
rod of their oppressor.
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and
every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will
be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to
us a son is given,
and
the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and
peace
there
will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and
over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with
justice and righteousness
from
that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will
accomplish this.
For who will there be “no more gloom”
(verse 1)?
Where has “a light dawned” (verse 2)?
In your opinion, what does it mean to rejoice “as
people rejoice at the harvest” (verse 3)?
What has God shattered (verse 4)?
What “will be destined for burning” (verse
5)?
Who will be called “Wonderful Counselor,
Might God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (verse 6)?
When will “the greatness of his government
and peace” end (verse 7)?
How will He uphold His kingdom (verse 7)?
What will “accomplish this” (verse 7)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In
your opinion, what does this passage help us understand about how “everything that is illuminated becomes a light”?
Matthew
4:12-22 - New
International Version (NIV)
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he
withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and
lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and
Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the
prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and
land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven has come near.”
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two
brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a
net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come,
follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for
people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of
Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father
Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and
immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
When did Jesus withdraw “to Galilee” (verse 12)?
Where was Capernaum (verse 13)?
Whose words would Jesus fulfill in Capernaum (verse 14)?
What have “the people living in darkness” seen
(verse 16)?
What did Jesus begin to preach (verse 17)?
Who was “casting a net into the lake” (verse 18)?
What did Jesus tell them He would send them to do
(verse 19)?
When did they leave “their nets” and follow (verse
20)?
Where were “James son of Zebedee and his brother
John” (verse 21)?
What did they do when Jesus called them (verses 21
and 22)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this
passage?
In your opinion, what
does this passage help us understand about how “everything
that is illuminated becomes a light”?
In
your opinion, what does Matthew intend for us to learn from the fact that
Isaiah 9:1-7 followed the passage about people seeing a great light with a
statement about enlarging the nation, shattering the yoke, and a description of
the child that is to be born, but Matthew 4:12-22 follows it with that Child
saying “repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” and calling fishermen
to fish for men?
Acts 22:6-16 – New International Version (NIV)
6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from
heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard
a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’
8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are
persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the
light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking
to me.
10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.
“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus.
There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My
companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the
light had blinded me.
12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer
of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He
stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very
moment I was able to see him.
14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to
know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his
mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of
what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you
waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on
his name.’
Where
was Paul when “a bright light from heaven flashed around” him (verse 6)?
What
did the voice Paul heard say to him (verse 7)?
How
did Paul respond (verse 8)?
How
did the voice identify Himself (verse 8)?
What did Paul’s companions not
understand (verse 9)?
What is Paul going to be told in
Damascus (verse 10)?
Why
did Paul’s companions lead him “by the hand into Damascus” (verse 11)?
How
is Ananias described (verse 12)?
What
did Ananias say (verse 13)?
Who
chose Paul “to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words
from his mouth” (verse 14)?
What
is Paul to witness to “all people” (verse 15)?
What
is Paul instructed to do (verse 16)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what is
the significance of the fact that Saul would have being walking in “darkness”
when he left Jerusalem and traveled north and a little east and go through “the land of Zebulun and the land of
Naphtali” where
Isaiah 9:1-7 says they will see a “great light” and then continued to go
to the north and east to get to Damascus when the “bright
light from heaven” in Acts 22:6-16 flashed around him and blinded him?
In
your opinion, what does it mean to us that Jesus called fishermen in Matthew
4:12-22 and a Pharisee on his way to persecute Christians in Acts 22:6-16?
Ephesians 5:6-14 – New International
Version (NIV)
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such
things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7 Therefore
do not be partners with them.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of
the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and
find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with
the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It
is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But
everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything
that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it
is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
What kind of words were Ephesian Christians not to
let anyone deceive them with (verse 6)?
Who
does “God’s wrath” come on (verse 6)?
Where
did the Ephesian Christians used to be (verse 8)?
How
are they to live (verse 8)?
What
does the “fruit of the light” consist of (verse 9)?
What
are the Ephesian Christians to “find out” (verse 10)?
How
are they to react to “the fruitless deeds of darkness” (verse 11)?
What
is shameful to mention (verse 12)?
What
happens to “everything that is illuminated” (verse 13)?
When
will Christ shine on the sleeper (verse 14)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, how does Paul writing in
Ephesians 5:6-14 reveal that the repentance Jesus called for in Matthew 4:12-22
is just the beginning of the transformation for those who were in darkness but
are now in the light?
In your opinion, how does Paul in
Ephesians 5:6-14 fulfill the calling he received from Ananias in Acts 22:6-16
to “witness to all people what you have seen and heard”?
In
your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Matthew, Acts, and Ephesians teach
us about Jesus’s message to, “Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven has come near”?
In your
opinion, how should we respond as God’s light today?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
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