December 8, 2024 – Advent 2024 – Preparing

Preparing

Malachi 3:1-4 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

² But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. ³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, ⁴ and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.

What will the messenger do (verse 1)?

Who will “come to his temple” (verse 1)?

Who is desired (verse 1)?

How will the Lord come (verse 2)?

Who will be purified and refined (verse 3)?

What “will be acceptable to the Lord” (verse 4)?

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

In your opinion, what do we learn about how the way is prepared for the Lord in this passage?

Luke 1:67-80 - New International Version (NIV)

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
⁷⁵     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Who “was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied” (verse 67)?

What has the Lord, the God of Israel” done (verse 68)?

What has the Lord raised (verse 69)?

What has the Lord remembered (verse 72)?

How will people be able to serve the Lord (verse 74)?

What will Zechariah’s child do for the Lord (verse 76)?

How will Zechariah’s child “give his people the knowledge of salvation” (verse 77)?

Who will “the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on” (verses 78 and 79)?

Where will the “rising sun” “guide our feet into” (verses 78 and 79)?

What did the child do (verse 80)?

Where did the child live (verse 80)?

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

In your opinion, what do we learn about how the way is prepared for the Lord in this passage?

In your opinion, how does the prophecy of Zechariah in Luke 1:68-79 help us understand the way the Lord would accomplish the refining promised in Malachi 3:1-4?

Luke 2:8-12 - New International Version (NIV)

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Where were the shepherds (verse 8)?

What were they doing (verse 8)?

Who “appeared to them” (verse 9)?

What “shone around them” (verse 9)?

How did they feel (verse 9)?

What did the angel say he brought (verse 10)?

Where had “a Savior” been born (verse 11)?

Who is the “Savior” (verse 11)?

What was their sign (verse 12)?

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

In your opinion, what do we learn about how the way is prepared for the Lord in this passage?

In your opinion, how does what happens in Luke 2:8-12 fulfill the prophecy that Malachi 3:1-4 anticipates?

In your opinion, how are Zechariah’s celebration of the birth of John in Luke 1:68-79 and the proclamation of the angel to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-12 similar?

Luke 3:1-6 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.
⁵ Every valley shall be filled in,
    every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
    the rough ways smooth.
⁶ And all people will see God’s salvation.’”

Who was Caesar (verse 1)?

Who was governor of Judea (verse 1)?

Who was tetrarch of Galilee (verse 1)?

Who were the high priests (verse 2)?

What “came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness” (verse 2)?

Where did John go (verse 3)?

What did John preach (verse 3)?

Who wrote “a voice of one calling in the wilderness” (verse 4)?

What will happen to “rough ways” (verse 5)?

Who will see “God’s salvation” (verse 6)?

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

In your opinion, what do we learn about how the way is prepared for the Lord in this passage?

In your opinion, how does Luke 3:1-6 show the fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1-4?

In your opinion, how does Luke 3:1-6 also show the amazing fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:68-79?

In your opinion, how would you describe the contrast between the baby in the manager in Luke 2:8-12 and the powerful government officials of Luke 3:1-6?  Which would change the world?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Malachi, Luke, Luke and Luke teach us about refining and salvation?

In your opinion, how should we “prepare the way” today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)

September 11, 2016 – Teachings from the Rock – A Light for Today, until the Morning Star Rises Tomorrow

A Light for Today, until the Morning Star Rises Tomorrow

Jeremiah 1:4-10 – New International Version (NIV)

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. ⁸ Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

⁹ Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. ¹⁰ See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”

What came to Jeremiah (verse 4)?

When was he appointed to be a “prophet to the nations” (verse 5)?

Why did Jeremiah think that he could not be a “prophet to the nations” (verse 6)?

In your opinion, why did the Lord respond with an instruction on what not to do and also what to do (verse 7)?

Why was Jeremiah not to be afraid (verse 8)?

How did the Lord put words in Jeremiah’s mouth (verse 9)?

What was Jeremiah appointed to do to kingdoms and nations (verse 10)?

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

Luke 1:67-80 - New International Version (NIV)

⁶⁷ His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

⁶⁸ “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
⁶⁹ He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David
⁷⁰ (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
⁷¹ salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷² to show mercy to our ancestors
    and to remember his holy covenant,
⁷³     the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
⁷⁴ to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
⁷⁵     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

⁷⁶ And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
⁷⁷ to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,
⁷⁸ because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹ to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

⁸⁰ And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

When did Zechariah prophesy (verse 67)?

Why should “praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel” (verse 68)?

In your opinion, what does it mean that the Lord has “raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (verse 69)?

How had the Lord said He would raise up the horn of salvation (verse 70)?

What is the salvation from (verse 71)?

What is the Lord to remember (verse 72)?

How was the Lord to enable “us to serve him” (verse 74)?

Why will Zechariah’s child be “called a prophet of the Most High” (verse 76)?

What will Zechariah’s child “give his people” (verse 77)?

In your opinion, what does it mean that the forgiveness of sins that verse 77 talks about is “because of the tender mercy of our God” (verse 78)?

Where will the “rising sun” that will come to us from heaven “guide our feet” (verses 78 and 79)?

What did Zechariah’s child do (verse 80)?

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

In your opinion, what are the similarities between Zechariah’s child of Luke 1:67-80 and Jeremiah of Jeremiah 1:4-10?

2 Timothy 3:10-17 - New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹ persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

What does Timothy know about Paul (verses 10 and 11)?

Who had rescued Paul from “all of them” (verse 11)?

Who will be persecuted (verse 12)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says that evildoers and impostors “will go from bad to worse” (verse 13)?

What is Timothy to continue in (verse 14)?

How will the Holy Scriptures make Timothy “wise for salvation” (verse 15)?

What is “God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (verse 16)?

Who is to be “thoroughly equipped for every good work” (verse 17)?

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

In your opinion, how is the “knowledge of salvation” that Zechariah’s son is to give the Lord’s people in Luke 1:67-80 related to the what Paul says that Timothy has learned and become convinced of in 2 Timothy 3:10-17?

In your opinion, how is the words that the Lord put in Jeremiah’s mouth in Jeremiah 1:4-10 similar to the Scripture that Paul says is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” in 2 Timothy 3:10-17?

2 Peter 1:19-21 – New International Version (NIV)

¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

What is “completely reliable” (verse 19)?

In your opinion, what does it mean to “pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (verse 19)?

How much prophecy “came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things” (verse 20)?

What did prophecy never have its origin in (verse 21)?

How did prophets, “though human” speak (verse 21)?

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

In your opinion, how does what Peter says about prophecy in 2 Peter 1:19-21 at least partially confirm what Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:10-17 about the source of Scripture?

In your opinion, what does Zechariah say in Luke 1:67-80 that his son would bring to Israel that Peter in 2 Peter 1:19-21 says the prophetic message we have does for us?

In your opinion, what does Jeremiah say about the source of his message in Jeremiah 1:4-10 that 2 Peter 1:19-21 confirms is true for all prophets?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Jeremiah, Luke, 2 Timothy, and 2 Peter tell us about what we should be paying attention to?

In your opinion, what do these passages show us about ourselves today?

Next, back to 2 Peter 2:1 – (sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)