Sunday, March 3, 2024

March 17, 2024 – Isaiah in the New Testament – Silence Speaks

Silence Speaks

Isaiah 53:4-8 - New International Version (NIV)

Surely he took up our pain
    and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
    stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
    and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
    yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
    and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
    Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
    for the transgression of my people he was punished.

Who did we consider the servant punished by (verse 4)?

What brought us peace (verse 5)?

Where have “we all” gone (verse 6)?

What did He “not open” (verse 7)?

How was He led (verse 7)?

What happened “by oppression and judgment” (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about knowing when to respond with silence or with words?

Mark 14:53-65 – New International Version (NIV)

53 They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. 54 Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.

55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. 56 Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.

57 Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet even then their testimony did not agree.

60 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?” 61 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.

Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?”

62 “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

63 The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. 64 “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?”

They all condemned him as worthy of death. 65 Then some began to spit at him; they blindfolded him, struck him with their fists, and said, “Prophesy!” And the guards took him and beat him.

Who “came together” (verse 53)?

How did Peter follow (verse 54)?

What were the “chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin” looking for (verse 55)?

Whose statements “did not agree” (verse 56)?

Who ask Jesus “are you not going to answer” (verse 60)?

How did Jesus respond to the question (verse 61)?

Who ask Jesus “are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One” (verse 61)?

How did Jesus answer this question (verse 62)?

What did the high priest do (verse 63)?

What did they view Jesus “as worthy of” (verse 64)?

What did they begin to do to Jesus (verse 65)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about knowing when to respond with silence or with words?

In your opinion, when He was being questioned, how is Jesus’s silence in Mark 14:53-65 a fulfillment of the prophecy that He would be silent “as a sheep before its shearers” in Isaiah 53:4-8? 

In your opinion, why was Jesus silent before the high priest’s first question, but then answered the second?

Acts 8:30-39 – New International Version (NIV)

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”  38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

Who ask the man in the chariot “Do you understand what you are reading” (verse 30)?

What did the man say he needed in order to understand (verse 31)?

What did He “not open” (verse 32)?

What was “taken from the earth” (verse 33)?

What question did the eunuch ask (verse 34)?

How did Philip respond to the question (verse 35)?

When did the eunuch ask “what can stand in the way of my being baptized” (verse 36)?

What did the eunuch order (verse 37)?

How did the eunuch go “on his way” (verse 38)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about knowing when to respond with silence or with words?

In your opinion, what would need to happen for you to move from being like the eunuch in Acts 8:30-39 and need to have someone explain the Isaiah 53:4-8 passage to being like Philip who is willing to link the passage to Jesus for someone who is struggling?

In your opinion, how would the testimony of Jesus in Mark 14:53-65 that He is the “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One” be a part of Philip’s testimony about the “good news about Jesus”? 

1 Peter 1:13-21 – New International Version (NIV)

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

What are minds that “set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” supposed to be like (verse 13)?

How should we not respond to “the evil desires” (verse 14)?

What should we be in all we do (verse 15)?

What is written (verse 16)?

How should we “live out” our time (verse 17)?

What were we redeemed from (verse 18)?

What redeemed us (verse 19)?

When was He revealed (verse 20)?

Where is our “faith and hope” (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about knowing when to respond with silence or with words?

In your opinion, what does 1 Peter 1:13-21 reveal about why Isaiah 53:4-8 indicated that Jesus would be “led like a lamb to slaughter”?

In your opinion, how is Jesus in Mark 14:53-65 an example to us of how to “live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear” as instructed in 1 Peter 1:13-21?

In your opinion, how is Philip in Acts 8:30-39 an example of how be holy, as instructed by 1 Peter 1:13-21, as we learn how to share the “good news about Jesus” even though we are foreigners? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Isaiah, Mark, Acts and 1 Peter teach us about the silence of the Messiah transformed our lives?

In your opinion, how can alert minds help us be holy when being silent or when speaking the good news today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

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