Life Saving Light
Isaiah 49:1-7 - New International
Version (NIV)
1 Listen to
me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s
hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the Lord says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a
light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the Lord says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the Lord, who is
faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
When did the Lord call the servant (verse 1)?
What did the Lord make the servant’s mouth like
(verse 2)?
Who is the servant (verse 3)?
Where is the servant’s reward (verse 4)?
What did the Lord form the servant to do for
Jacob and Israel (verse 5)?
Why is the servant being made “a light for
the Gentiles” (verse 6)?
Who will “kings see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down” for (verse 7)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage reveal about God’s
light and salvation?
Luke 2:25-36 – New International Version (NIV)
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous
and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by
the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s
Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple
courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the
custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms
and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you
have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight
of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the
Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about
him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his
mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of
many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so
that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your
own soul too.”
How
was Simeon described (verse 25)?
Who
was on Simeon (verse 25)?
What
had been revealed to Simeon (verse 26)?
Why
did Simeon go “into the temple courts” (verse 27)?
Who did Simeon take “into his arms”
(verse 28)?
How did Simeon say that God could “dismiss
your servant” (verse 29)?
What
had Simeon seen (verse 30)?
Who
is the “light for revelation” to (verse 32)?
How
did Mary and Joseph react (verse 33)?
Who
did Simeon tell “this child is destined to cause the falling and rising of
many in Israel” (verse 34)?
What
will the sword do to Mary (verse 35)?
In
your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?
In
your opinion, what does this passage reveal about God’s light and salvation?
In
your opinion, how does Simeon transform the prophecy about the light that was
given in Isaiah 49:1-7 as he holds Jesus in Luke 2:25-36?
Acts
13:42-52 - New
International Version (NIV)
42 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people
invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43 When
the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in
the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the
word of the Lord. 45 When the Jews saw the crowds, they
were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was
saying and heaped abuse on him.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the
word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider
yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For
this is what the Lord has commanded us:
“‘I have made you a
light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the
earth.’”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word
of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But
the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the
leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas,
and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the
dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And
the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Where were
Paul and Barnabas leaving when “the people invited them to speak further
about these things on the next Sabbath” (verse 42)?
What did Paul and Barnabas urge the Jews and devout
converts to Judaism to continue in (verse 43)?
Who gathered “on the next Sabbath” (verse 44)?
How did the Jews react when they “saw the crowds” (verse
45)?
Why did Paul and Barnabas “now turn to the
Gentiles” (verse 46)?
Who did Paul and Barnabas say that the Lord commanded
them to be (verse 47)?
What did “all who were appointed for eternal life”
do (verse 48)?
Where did the “word of the Lord” spread to
(verse 49)?
Who did the Jewish leaders incite (verse 50)?
Why did they shake “the dust off their feet”
(verse 51)?
Who filled the disciples (verse 52)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message of this
passage?
In your opinion, what does
this passage reveal about God’s light and salvation?
In your opinion, what happened in Acts
13:42-52 that cause Paul and Barnabas to move from what Isaiah 49:1-7 said was “too
small a thing” to bringing the message of salvation to the Gentiles?
In
your opinion, how does Simeon’s praise to God in Luke 2:25-36 become a reality
in Acts 13:42-52?
1 John 1:5-2:2 – New International Version (NIV)
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to
you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If
we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie
and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is
faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not
sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
2 1My dear children, I write this to you so
that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with
the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the
atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the
sins of the whole world.
What
message does John declare (verse 5)?
When
do “we lie and do not live out the truth” (verse 6)?
What does “the blood of Jesus” do
for those “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (verse 7)?
When is “the truth” not in us (verse
8)?
What happens when “we confess our sins”
(verse 9)?
What happens “if we claim we have not
sinned” (verse 10)?
Who is our “advocate with the Father”
(verse 1)?
Who is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (verse 2)”
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
In your opinion, what does this passage
reveal about God’s light and salvation?
In your opinion, how
does 1 John 1:5-2:2 show the personal aspect of the “salvation” that
Isaiah 49:1-7 says may “reach to the ends of the earth”?
In your opinion, what does 1 John
1:5-2:2 reveal about how the salvation that Simeon said that he had seen in
Luke 2:25-36 is accomplished?
In your opinion, what does 1 John 1:5-2:2
help us understand about the Jews who opposed Paul and Barnabas in Acts
13:42-52?
In
your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Luke, Acts, and 1 John help
us understand about how God’s light spread?
In your opinion, how does God’s light lead to
individual salvation?
(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)
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