Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/13/13)

Scripture
This Week Please Read Chapter 26 from the Story "The Hour of Darkness" and Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 13-14; 16-19
Timeless Truth:  It is finished! 

Knowing that His time had come, Jesus spent His last few hours with His disciples.  The Passover was approaching so they prepared a customary feast.  But this was no ordinary Passover meal; Jesus was about to change history.  At His “last supper,” He taught the disciples a significant lesson by washing their feet.  He even washed Judas’ feet, although He knew Judas would betray Him.  Then Jesus took the unleavened bread and cup of wine from the Passover meal and instituted the New Covenant, the Covenant that Jeremiah and Ezekiel had promised centuries ago.  Aware of His God-ordained destiny, Jesus clarified His relationship to the Father so that His disciples might understand what lay ahead.  He promised them that an advocate, the Spirit, would come and help after His own departure.  After a lengthy prayer to the Father for His glorification, Jesus led this rag-tag group through the night to the Garden of Gethsemane.     

 

What Peter lacked in judgment, he made up for in zeal.  Peter pledged to even die with his Lord rather than abandon Him.  But Jesus knew that He would go through His ordeal alone.  He told Peter that he would disown Him three times before dawn.  Jesus’ anguish for what was to come drove Him to agonizing prayer.  Peter and his companions quickly exchanged fidelity for forty winks while Jesus prayed, searching to see if there was any way to avoid what was awaiting Him.  He answered His own prayer when He acknowledged that He would do God’s will and not His own.   Then Jesus’ betrayer and conspirators arrived to arrest Him.  They escorted Him to Caiaphas’ kangaroo court.  No one could find legitimate charges against Jesus until He affirmed His identity—Messiah, the Son of God.  The Sanhedrin charged Him with blasphemy and sentenced Him to death.  The religious henchmen beat and belittled their legitimate King.  Watching from a safe distance, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.  Stunned and ashamed, he left in bitter humiliation. Judas, in a sudden moment of remorse, returned the blood money and opted for a rope.  

 

Meanwhile, Pilate was stuck between a rock and a hard place.  The Jews wanted Jesus crucified, and he wanted Caesar’s sustained support.  What’s a governor of a no-name, backwater region of Rome to do?  Interrogating Jesus himself, he found no legitimate charge to pin on this man. Yet the pressure was escalating from the crowd as they threatened to turn him in to Caesar as a rebel sympathizer.  Pilate’s thug soldiers clothed, beat and crowned Jesus with contempt before they marched Him to the cross.    

 

Crucifixion was an exceptionally cruel way to die.  The public execution drew hordes of scornful onlookers.  Their jeers challenged Jesus to save Himself.  They failed to grasp that Jesus was there to save them.  One of the two criminals crucified with Jesus, however, got the picture.  His faith secured his place in paradise.  Even the creation itself testified to the enormity of this event.  As sin overcame Jesus, darkness eclipsed the whole land.

 

“It is finished,” He proclaimed.  At that very moment, the temple curtain was torn, an earthquake split rocks and tombs were opened.  It was finished.  What could compel the Son of God to endure such torture?  Finishing.  Finishing the work that the Father sent Him to do.  The debt of all sinners was put on Jesus who alone could pay it in full.  God is holy, loving and just.  His love compels Him to pursue His people, but His holiness requires justice for sin.  The mob of mockers witnessed a Lower Story drama.  A few faithful disciples witnessed a Lower Story injustice.  But God witnessed the Upper Story culmination of a plan prepared before the foundation of the world.  It was no surprise.  It was justice.  And it was finished.

 

Questions

1. In what ways does Jesus’ preparation and celebration of his final Passover meal parallel the original Passover?  What does this teach us about the purpose of Jesus’ death? (Review Exodus. 12:1-13, 21-27, John 1:29 and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 )
2. What was Jesus trying to teach the disciples when he washed their feet?  What are some ways you can wash each others’ feet as a small group?
3. Review Jeremiah 31:34 and Ezekiel 36:26-28, where the prophets describe the new covenant.  What are some of the characteristics of the new covenant listed in these verses? How does Jesus fulfill these promises?
4. Look back at pages 305- 306.  How would you describe Jesus’ special relationship to the Father?  
5. How is the Spirit described on p. 306?  How have you experienced the Holy Spirit in your life?
6. What can we learn about Jesus and about prayer from the Garden of Gethsemane?   (p. 307-308)?
7. Compare Judas with Peter after each betrayed Jesus (p. 310).  How can you tell the difference between remorse and repentance? 
8. The Sanhedrin could find no evidence to charge Jesus (p. 309).  (Jewish Law, Deut. 17:6, required two witnesses.)  Three times Pilate declared, “I find no basis for a charge against him,” (p. 311).  Why is this important? Why was Jesus crucified?  
9. Discuss the irony of the statement, “He saved others but He can’t save himself.”  How do you feel that such a price was paid for you?
10. Compare Jesus as King to Israel’s and Judah’s former kings, and the religious leaders of Jesus’ day to Israel’s religious leaders in the past.  Why did Israel need King Jesus?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (10/6/13)

Scripture
Please Read The Story Chapter 25 Jesus, the Son of God, Matthew 17, 21; Mark 8-12, 14; Luke 9, 22; John 7-8, 11-12

Who do you say I am?  It was the most important question Peter was ever asked.  People did not know what to make of this Jesus.  He was like no other rabbi.  His claims about Himself were outrageous and way out of line if He were merely human. Two thousand years had passed since God promised Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed.  A thousand years had passed since God promised David that his descendant would reign forever.  Now, in Jesus, God’s marathon plan of redemption was sprinting toward its climax.  Peter’s answer to the question would change his life forever.

 

“You are the Messiah,” Peter confessed.  Then Jesus began to teach His disciples that this messianic mission included suffering, death and a resurrection from the dead.  They objected to this idea of a Messiah, but Jesus rebuked them.  His mission was set, and no one could come between Him and the cross.  In fact, He taught His disciples that they too would need to lose their lives to save them.   

 

Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain and gave them a glimpse of His future glorification.  When He was transfigured before their very eyes, they fell face down in fear.  Jesus had often made “I Am” statements connecting Himself to the name YHWH or “I Am.”  Then a voice from heaven stated that Jesus was the Son of God, thereby confirming His assertions.  

 

I AM the light of the world.  I AM the bread of life.  Jesus declared that failure to believe in Him would have eternal consequences—you would die in your sins.  But the Pharisees knew full well the weight of the “I AM” statements – and Jesus’ claims to be God were, to them, nothing short of blasphemy.  From then on, their hatred of Him ripened into an assassination plot.   

 

I AM the resurrection and the life.  Despite getting word that His friend Lazarus was on his deathbed, Jesus delayed His journey.  By the time He arrived, Lazarus had been entombed for four long days.  Sisters Mary and Martha mourned their brother’s death, disappointed that Jesus had not arrived in time to heal him, but Jesus assured the women that His delay was for divine glory.  At His command, Lazarus walked out of his tomb, vindicating Jesus’ assertion that He alone is the Source of life.   

 

The march toward Jerusalem continued.  His time was fast approaching, and He had to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead.  He told them that the kingdom of God is accessible to those with childlike trust and humility, not through performance.  Along the way, Jesus met a rich young man, who had performed well since childhood.  Jesus told him that discipleship, for him, would mean giving away his riches.  Unable to part with earthly wealth, the young man walked away from Jesus’ offer.  So strong is the lure of riches that, as far as the gospels record, this is the only time Jesus’ offer was refused.  

 

For the third time, Jesus told them that His work included suffering, death and a resurrection after three days.  Now, it was time for Jesus’ grand entrance.  He sent His disciples to fetch appropriate transportation, and a colt was just where Jesus said it would be.  He mounted the donkey and triumphantly rode into Jerusalem as people laid down their coats and branches on the road and hailed Him as the long awaited King, son of David!   

 

Jesus was preparing to glorify the Father’s name.  He continued to offer eternal life to all who would believe.  The incensed Pharisees instilled fear in many; some who did believe kept quiet.  But Jesus’ claims were non-negotiable; He was the only Source of eternal life, the climax and culmination of God’s redemptive plan.  Who do you say I am?  It is the single most important question that everyone must answer.    

 

Questions

1. Jesus said we must “deny ourselves” and “take up our cross;” and if we seek to save our lives we will lose them. (p. 291-292).    What are the implications of these commands for your life, such as marriage, parenting, and career ambition? 
2. Jesus was transfigured on the mountain (p. 292).  The Greek word translated transfigured is the root of the English word metamorphosis which refers to a radical change.  This same word is used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18.  What do these verses teach us about the transformation of every believer?  
3. Look up 1 John 1:5-7 and 2:8-11.  What did Jesus mean when He said that “whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (p. 294)?    What does this look like for the Christian living a typical daily life?
4. Look up Exodus 3:14, Isaiah 43:11-13, and John 5:18.  Why did Jesus’ opponents try to stone Him (p. 295)?  How might you answer the skeptic who says that Jesus never claimed to be God?
5. Up to this point, Jesus had claimed to be the bread of life, the water of life and the light of life.  And here with Mary, Martha, the disciples and a crowd of mourners, He claimed to be the resurrection and the life with another I AM statement (p. 296).  What is the relationship between belief and life?  Between belief and resurrection?
6. Why do you suppose Jesus was “deeply moved in spirit,” “troubled,” and wept?  Consider Genesis 2:17, Romans. 6:23, 1 Corinthians. 15:26, Hebrews. 2:14-15 and I Thessalonians 4:13-17.  How has your faith helped you deal with death?    
7. Three times Jesus predicted His death and resurrection (p. 291, 292, and 299; Mark 8:31, 9:30-31, 10:32-34) and followed each with a lesson on discipleship (p. 291 [Mark 8:34-38], Mark 9:33-37, Mark 10:35-45).  What principles of discipleship did Jesus teach and why would He relate them to His Passion? 
8. After Jesus entered Jerusalem as the rightful King of Israel, He cleansed the temple because some had turned it from a house of prayer into a place of corruption (p. 300).  Suppose Jesus walked into our own church.  With what would He be most pleased?  What corrections might He make?
9. At what points was Jesus’ humanity most evident to you?  His deity?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/29/13)

Scripture
Please Read Chapter 24 Ordinary Man, and Matthew 5-7, 9, 14, Mark 4-6, Luke 10, 15, and John 6
Timeless Truth:  Neutrality is not an option – Jesus demands a response.

One thing about this Jesus:  He never invited neutrality.  His followers called Him the Christ.  His contenders called Him a blasphemer.  Some were drawn to Him, while others could muster nothing in His presence but contempt.  His teachings were revolutionary and His miracles undeniable.  He claimed nothing less than equality with God and proclaimed Himself as the long expected Messiah.  Jesus never left sitting on the proverbial fence as an option.

He attracted criticism in spades, but He also drew crowds.  He often taught the people in parables, pithy stories that drew spiritual lessons from everyday life to reveal the “secrets” of God’s kingdom. With simple illustrations, Jesus taught that in Him, God’s kingdom had come, while exposing the religious leaders’ misguided view of religion.  Jesus’ trilogy on lostness told of a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son and demonstrated the value God places on a repentant heart.  In the story of the lost son, Jesus exposed the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees as the older brother’s indignity, angered by his father’s compassion.  Like this father, Jesus’ concern for sinners created an ever-widening rift with the Pharisees.  His popularity increased and so did His opposition.  Yet Jesus’ teaching ministry to the masses continued, and in the Sermon on the Mount, He taught them how to live by faith in close relationship with God. 

 

Jesus was a great teacher, but even His closest disciples struggled to grasp His true identity and purpose.  He authenticated His words with miracles that made His authority irrefutable.  The disciples were awestruck when Jesus calmed a raging storm at sea.  The people were confounded when he expelled demons from a possessed man into a herd of pigs, who promptly drowned themselves.  Who was this man?  He certainly wasn’t looking or sounding like a Messiah should.  The desperate came to Him for healing, and weren’t found wanting.  Jesus healed a woman with a bleeding disorder, while pausing to restore her dignity and commend her faith.  Meanwhile, the daughter of a synagogue leader named Jairus died.  Jesus established His authority over death by raising her back to life.  He healed two blind men, and the Pharisees exposed their own desperate lack of vision by crediting such miracles to the prince of demons.   

 

News about Jesus spread through villages and cities, homes and institutions.  Even King Herod grew interested.  He was haunted by the fear that John the Baptist might have returned from the dead, for he had ordered John’s execution. Wherever He went, people gathered around Jesus.  After one especially long day, Jesus fed more than 5,000 with five loaves of bread and a couple of fish.  The miracle was meant for more than filling empty stomachs.  He had come to fill empty lives; the real point was that He is the “bread” of eternal life.  As a result of his teachings, the people were divided.  Many turned away, but those who truly believed remained.  In one of His finest moments, Peter announced, “You have the words of eternal life…you are the Holy One of God.”  

 

Many came to Jesus with Lower Story needs, but Jesus’ mission was greater than any had imagined. He’d come to offer an Upper Story life, to fulfill the promises that began centuries ago with Abraham and David.  He’d come to offer a life of faith – faith in unseen realities, faith in who He is, and what He could do for them eternally.  The offer still stands.

 

Questions

1. You might think that Jesus spoke in parables so everyone could understand, but the disciples as well as the crowds had a hard time understanding his meaning. Why did Jesus say he spoke in parables? (p. 277) Why was this so?
2. Who was Jesus referring to when he said “those who have will be given more; as for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” What will be given or taken?
3. How are genuine believers differentiated from unbelievers in the parable of the soils? What does each of the soil types represent?  Can a “soil type” be changed? 
4. Note the setting and the target audience of the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son (p. 279-280). From the parable of the prodigal son, what do we learn about what the Father values? Do you share his values?
5. Review pages 277, 278. Based on the parables, what is the Kingdom of God?  Look up Mark 1:15.  What should be our response to the Kingdom of God? 
6. The Sermon on the Mount opens with nine statements called “the Beatitudes,” from the Latin word for “blessings.” How does someone gain these blessed qualities? (Hint:  See Rom. 3:21-23)
7. Christians believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man.  How do you see this in the episode of calming the storm (p.283-284)? What encouragement can believers today draw from this story?
8. John the Baptist languished in prison until he was finally executed.  Faithful believers are persecuted around the world in greater numbers today than ever before.  Discuss practical ways that your group could support the persecuted church around the world.  (Check out www.persecution.org .  This website provides accurate details about the persecution of Christians throughout the world.)
9. What lessons of faith and courage can be gleaned from the account of Peter walking on water (p. 288)?  
10. Identify two or three ways the crowds misunderstood Jesus’ description of their need for eternal life (p. 288-290).  How is Jesus’ message (Jn. 6:29, 35, 47) different from most people’s idea of salvation? 

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/22/13)

Scripture
Please Read Chapter 23 Jesus’ Ministry Begins, and Matthew 3-4:11, Mark 1-3, Luke 8, John 1-4
Timeless Truth:  Jesus:  The Messiah you’d never expect.

If God’s prophets were meant to be peculiar, John the Baptist did not disappoint. Eccentric is too mild a description for this wilderness dwelling preacher who wore odd clothes and lacked both a sense of tact and a balanced diet.  His message, though, was right in step with a long line of prophetic predecessors. He called for Israel’s repentance and baptized the penitent in the Jordan River.  

 

John was awestruck when Jesus came to be baptized by him. Then he watched in amazement as heaven opened wide and the Spirit of God came to rest on Jesus. John and those with him were astonished to hear the voice of the Father Himself broadcasting His divine approval. The community of God had gathered to bear witness to their incarnation. The Spirit then led Jesus to a lonely wilderness, where he spent the next 40 days in one-on-one combat with Satan, the enemy of God. He confronted Satan’s evil allurements and proved Himself obedient to the Father and triumphant over sin. 

 

John the Baptist denied claims that he was Messiah, pointing to Jesus and announcing, “Look, the Lamb of God.”  Andrew heard John’s message and rushed to tell his brother, Simon Peter, and others that Messiah had come.  Jesus gathered His band of followers and began training them with marvelous words and miraculous ways.  His first miracle took place when He went to a wedding in Cana with his mother, Mary, and his disciples. The wine ran out, so Mary turned to Jesus to remedy the embarrassing state of affairs. Jesus simply instructed the servants to fill six jars with water and serve the guests.  When they did, the guests marveled that finest wine had been kept such a secret until now, and Jesus’ disciples caught their earliest glimpse of the One who shared creative power with His Father.

 

The disciples became increasingly aware that Jesus was indeed their long-expected Messiah, but others were not so sure.  A religious leader called Nicodemus had a clandestine encounter with Jesus to find some answers.  Jesus’ simple reply was, “You must be ‘born again’….of the Spirit.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  Jesus had a similar conversation with a Samaritan woman who had come to draw water from a well.  With her, he spoke of ‘living water,’ but the message was the same:  accept His gift and be saved.  When she mentioned the Messiah, Jesus confirmed His identity.  She believed and shared the news with her entire village, as the second missionary of the new Messiah. 

 

Jesus traveled the area, taught in the synagogues and healed the people.  He ousted demons and cleansed socially exiled lepers.  The crowds grew and so did His critics.  On one occasion, four men dug through the roof of a house so they could bring their paralytic friend to Him.  Before he healed him, Jesus forgave the man, while the religious teachers grew indignant over such claims.  But Jesus validated His authority by commanding the paralytic to get up and walk. The Pharisees missed the miracle and were incensed that Jesus had violated tradition by healing on the Sabbath. 

 

This Sabbath infringement, coupled with his absurd claim to be the Messiah Himself, on top of his questionable social circles, quickly turned the establishment against Him. And so the conspiracy to kill Jesus began. While many debated, questioned and wondered about Jesus’ identity, one thing was certain: Jesus was controversial.  Some saw hope, but others hated Him and wanted only to be rid of Him   John the Baptist had loved Him from the beginning but now, languishing in prison, he began to doubt as well, demonstrating that even the best of us have our faith tested under difficult circumstances. But throughout this chapter, His baptism, His triumph over temptation, His miracles and His message confirm Him as the long expected One who confounds expectations, is drawn to the least and the lost, and whose message is indeed for all, from the graduate professor to the immoral woman to the leper – the Anointed One indeed.

 

Questions

1. Identify the ways in which the God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit appear at Jesus’ baptism (p. 266).  Look up Isa. 11:1-2, 42:1 and Ps. 2:1-7.   
2. What does Jesus’ example teach us about how to resist temptation?(p. 266)? (See Eph. 6:10-17 for further insight.)
3. Upon what did the original disciples base their belief in Jesus (p. 268)?  
4. Nicodemus and the woman at the well both had conversations with Jesus (p. 269-272).  Why do they represent such a contrast? 
5. How do the biblical Satan and other evil spirits compare to popular depictions of demons in films, television, literature or art?
6. Jesus was constantly interacting with different types of people: curious Jews, antagonistic Pharisees, tax collectors, and society’s castoffs.  What can you learn about how to respond to different types of people from observing Jesus?
7. The faithful friends of the paralytic carried him to Jesus (p. 273).  If you are comfortable, share with your group a time in your own life that you had to totally depend of the faith of a Christian friend to get you through.  
8. Jesus clashed with the Pharisees who hoped to catch Him violating the Sabbath (p. 274). Doing work was punishable by death according to the Law (Ex. 31:14, Isa. 56:1-2).  Who is actually guilty of violating the Sabbath in this encounter?  
9. John the Baptist who had earlier proclaimed, “Look, the Lamb of God,” was now languishing in prison where he began to wonder about this Jesus (p. 275-276).  Look up Isaiah 35:5-6 and 61:1.  Why did Jesus answer John the way He did?  
10. John has his moment of doubt. Can doubts and faith co-exist? Do our circumstances today affect our view of Jesus’ credibility, as it did with John?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/15/13)

Scripture
Timeless Truth: The Word became flesh.

Heaven had been very quiet for 400 years. No burning bushes. No splitting seas. No visions. No dreams. No prophets.  No message from God…just silence.  

 

Then, in a magnificent yet inauspicious way, a word – but not just a word, The Word came.  At the time, the event seemed inconsequential to all but a blue collar carpenter and his teenage bride.  But in fact, the Word of God had taken on flesh and blood and was first heard in a baby’s cry.  His birth was unspectacular, yet His presence dispelled darkness and cast an inescapable ray of light across history, past, present and still unwritten. God’s promises to Abraham and David had found fulfillment at long last.  Jesus would bless all nations and would take His rightful place on David’s throne.  It is this event to which everything thus far in The Story has pointed.   

 

Mary was the first to hear the news.  In the midst of wedding plans and setting up house, the angel Gabriel pronounced that she had been chosen to give birth to the Son of God.  Nothing could have been further from her mind…or her to do list.  Mary was engaged and a virgin. The power of the Most High would take care of everything, he said. So Mary rejoiced.  She accepted her position as God’s servant and praised Him with purest trust in His plan.  Joseph was the next to know. He considered pursuing a legal dissolution of their relationship to save them both from the humiliation of an illegitimate pregnancy.  But he received his own angelic visitor, who confirmed Mary’s innocence and gave his blessing on their marriage.  Joseph married Mary and soon after made the journey to Bethlehem to pay his taxes as required by law. The town was bustling, and the inn was full – so the Son of God was born in a stable. 

 

Angels delivered the birth announcement, and shepherds became the welcoming committee for the King of Kings. They hurried to see for themselves, and found a surprisingly unassuming setting for a king:  a baby in a feeding trough, accompanied by his mother, earthly father, and the local livestock. God also sent signs in the stars, and faraway wise men charted their course with gifts in hand.  King Herod felt threatened by the birth of another monarch, so he ordered the massacre of all the baby boys in the surrounding areas.  God sent angels again so His redemptive plan would stay its course.            They warned Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt until it was safe to return.

 

Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to Israel only after Herod’s death, and they made their home in Nazareth. Jesus grew up there as the precocious son of pious Jews. He and His family traveled to Jerusalem every year to celebrate Passover.  When Jesus was 12, He stayed behind in the temple unbeknownst to his frantic parents. They found Him sitting with the teachers who were amazed at His words. Jesus grew up as all boys do, and Scripture tells us that He increased in wisdom and favor with God and with people. 

 

God’s Upper Story intersects with His Lower Story at the birth of Jesus Christ, the God-man. God’s redemptive story approaches its climax as the Son of God from eternity past becomes the Son of Man for eternity future.  Messiah has finally come. 

 

Questions

1. These verses in the Gospel of John reveal one of the most important beliefs.  How does page 255, or John 1:1-14, 18, help clarify the relationship between God and Jesus?  Why is this so important?  
2. “In Him was life, and the life was the light of all people,” (p. 255, Jn. 1:4).  Look up Jn. 5:21-29, 6:47-58, 10:10, 11:25, 14:6, 17:3, and 20:31.  What does it mean, that in Him was life?
3. List some of the names of Jesus and their meaning or significance (see also Isa. 9:6-7.)  
4. What things did Mary know about her child even before she conceived (p. 256)?  Why was this important?
5. In response to her situation, Mary offers a song of praise. (p.256) Compare Hannah’s praise song in 1 Sam. 2:1-10.  How these songs are similar?  Did Mary see herself as part of God’s Lower Story or part of His Upper Story?
6. What do you suppose Joseph thought and felt about Mary’s pregnancy before and after the angelic visitation (p. 257)?  What is the difference between having faith in people and having faith in God?
7. Joseph was as a “righteous man,” (p. 257, Lu. 1:19) who was not necessarily considered to be so by others (Jn. 8:41).  What examples can you find of his righteousness?
8. Herod was not the first evil ruler to commit, or attempt, infanticide against Hebrew babies.  What other examples can you recall?  What does this teach you about God’s Upper Story plan of redemption?
9. The text tells us “all who heard [Jesus] were amazed” (pg. 258).  What do you suppose it was that surprised them?

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/8/13)

Scripture
This week please read The Story chapter 21 Rebuilding the Walls and Ezra 7, Nehemiah 1-2, 4, 6-8, Malachi 1-4
Timeless Truth:  God always preserves a faithful remnant.

It’s no surprise that the Hebrew people were homesick after 70 years of foreign captivity. At this point, it had been 80 years since King Cyrus first gave the green light for the exiles to return to their beloved Jerusalem.  Zerubbabel was among the first to go.  Fifty thousand former slaves packed their bags and joined him on the trek back to the holy city in 537 B.C.  But many remained beyond the borders of God’s promise.

Ezra had earned the favor of Persia’s King Artaxerxes during his time in Babylon.  The king authorized Ezra to take a second contingent of Israelites back home.  Ezra was a faithful scribe and teacher, and he was given permission not only to teach God’s law but also a mandate to appoint judges and a bottomless expense account to finance his journey. 

Nehemiah remained in the palace of Susa as the favored cupbearer of the Persian king. He was dismayed to hear that the walls of Jerusalem remained in disrepair, for without walls, no city would be secure. The king gave Nehemiah a leave-of-absence so he could lead 42,000 exiles back to Jerusalem.  His first order of business was to assess the condition of the walls and the people.  He quickly rallied the city leaders to rebuild.  

Sanballat and Tobiah were none too pleased. As leaders of nearby nations, they were threatened by the prospect of Jerusalem’s comeback. They retaliated with intimidation and made repeated attempts to out-maneuver Nehemiah and his rebuilding project, but Nehemiah was undeterred.  He encouraged his leaders and armed his people.  Some worked while others stood guard.  Some carried supplies with one hand and a weapon in the other, but the threats continued.  Even when Israel’s enemies enlisted an Israelite as a false prophet to undermine the progress, Nehemiah was not shaken. He refused to entertain empty lies, and the wall was rebuilt in record time—only 52 days! 

 

As Nehemiah rebuilt the walls, Ezra set out to rebuild God’s people.  He began by teaching them the Scriptures for the next 13 years. The people gathered to hear Ezra read, and other priests joined in to teach as well.  At last, they got it! They grasped the reality of God’s great story and celebrated the Feasts of Booths as Moses had written of so long before.  The people and the priests hungered to worship God, and God’s people were restored in the Land of Promise. 

 

Yet old habits die hard, and the people’s fervor soon dwindled. The priests and the people became apathetic, so God commissioned the prophet, Malachi, to speak His words of divine warning.  The priests had begun to dishonor God with sacrifices that were less than the best.  They treated their wives poorly and wondered why God was not pleased with their worship. They withheld their offerings, and the whole community began to again turn away from God. 

 

Malachi prophesied the return of the prophet Elijah as sign of things to come.  God had restored His people and protected His faithful remnant.  He had protected Judah’s royal line in keeping with his promise to David.  He spoke His final words of warning and promise through Malachi, and then God was silent. God’s people would not hear from Him again until the promised Elijah would step forth as God’s new messenger. God’s redemptive story, for now, was quietly marching toward history’s climactic event. 

 

Questions

 

1. List the three things that Ezra devoted himself to (p. 239).  What is significant about this order that also applies to the successful Christian life of every believer
2. Why is it important for teachers like to be like Ezra – “well versed” and “learned” (p. 239) in God’s word?  Share with your group who has been your most influential Bible teacher and why.  
3. Compare the “first exodus,” Exodus 11:1-3 and 12:35-36, with this second exodus.  How can you tell that this was clearly God’s response to Ezra’s prayer (p. 242)?
4. Why do you suppose Nehemiah did not reveal to anyone the plan that God had put in his heart (p. 243)?  
5. Nehemiah prayed for protection, but he also posted guards.  Does this show a lack of faith on Nehemiah’s part?  How should we “follow-up” after we pray for something?
6. Nehemiah’s enemies tried to use the false prophet Shemaiah to distract him from the rebuilding project.  How do you determine if a message from God or another source?
7. What can you learn from Nehemiah about leadership?  
8. What does Nehemiah teach us about prayer?  Do you notice any patterns in his prayer life?
9. Years after the walls had been rebuilt, the prophet Malachi was sent to correct the priests and the people (p. 248).  What were they doing that dishonored God?
10. According to the prophet Malachi, what is the correlation between one’s relationship with God and one’s treatment of their spouse?  

Scripture & Questions for Sunday (9/1/13)

Scripture
Please Read Chapter 20, The Queen of Beauty & Courage and Esther 1-9
Timeless Truth: God’s providence includes both justice and love.

King Xerxes of Persia had reason to party.  His vast empire was powerful and prosperous. His queen was lovely.  His palace was ideal for a celebration befitting such a monarch.  His merrymaking continued for six months when Xerxes summoned Queen Vashti so he could put her on display for the inebriated revelers.  She refused.  Kings do not like to be refused.  With his advisers’ support, he stripped Vashti of her crown and banished her from his presence.

 

Kings also do not like to be queenless. The king commissioned a kingdom-wide beauty pageant, and young women from every province were whisked into the king’s harem for a year-long visit at the royal spa.  One such woman was a Jewish girl named Esther who had been raised by her cousin, Mordecai.  Esther won everyone’s heart, including the king’s.  He made her queen but did not know she was a Jew.  Soon after, Mordecai learned of a plot kill the king.  He passed the news to Esther; the king was rescued and the conspirators hanged. Xerxes’ scribe recorded Mordecai’s service in the annals of the king.  

 

Haman was King Xerxes’ right-hand man.  Haman reveled in his high standing and enjoyed having all the royal officials kneel at his feet.  Mordecai refused to pay such homage.  Haman was enraged.  To exact his revenge, Haman deceived the king into issuing a decree to exterminate Mordecai and his people, the entire Jewish population of Persia.  He cast a lot, or pur, and chose a single day of unfettered violence against the Jews. 

 

Mordecai sent word to Esther asking her to beg the king for mercy. Queen Esther feared for her life because no one could legally go before the king without prior permission.  Mordecai’s immortal words persuaded her: “Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”  Her courageous response was, “If I perish, I perish.” 

 

She and the Jews in Susa fasted, and Esther approached the king.  Xerxes welcomed her and offered to grant her heart’s desire.  She invited the king and Haman to a private banquet.  Haman was delighted.  Esther invited them both to another fancy but ultimately fatal feast.  Haman was elated to be the exclusive royal guest but still enraged over Mordecai’s insolence.  With all the satisfaction of a Cheshire cat, he erected a pole on which Mordecai could be impaled. 

 

Kings with full stomachs must not sleep well, so Xerxes spent the midnight hours reading the royal records.  He discovered the account of Mordecai’s report that saved his own life and wondered how he might honor such a man.  The king asked Haman for advice on how he might honor one of his favorites.  Assuming that he was the king’s favored, Haman dreamed up an elaborate ceremony. Within moments, a mortified Haman was giving his nemesis the king’s robes, leading him through the streets and singing his praises. Haman later enjoyed the queen’s second banquet until Esther exposed his plot to destroy her people. The king left the room in a fury only to return and discover Haman appearing to assault his queen. He ordered that Haman be impaled on the very pole intended for Mordecai.

 

The king could not repeal his original edict declaring the destruction of the Jews. But he enabled Mordecai to issue a counter-edict providing for the Jews to take up their own defense. The day planned for destruction became a day of deliverance.  Though the lot was cast, God remains the author of the story.  Even in exile, God protected His people, and in Esther, we see God’s heart for saving us all. 

 

Questions

1. Analyze the positives and negatives of King Xerxes as a leader.
2. The book of Esther has been called the “godless book” because God’s name is never mentioned.  Prayer, the Law, sacrifices and temple worship are also conspicuously absent.  Where can you find God’s supernatural blessings in the story anyway?
3. Look up Isa. 48:20, Jer. 29:10, 50:8, 51:6.  What do these verses say about the Jews like Mordecai and Esther who stayed behind?  What do you learn about God through His providential care of the Jews outside of the Promised Land?
4. The book of Esther is full of irony, such as Queen Vashti who would not come before the king when requested and Queen Esther who came before the king when not requested. What other examples of irony can you find in this chapter?  
5. What life lessons does Haman teach us about pride, self-centeredness and hatred?
6. Review the correspondence between Mordecai and Esther concerning an appeal to the king (p. 232-233).  What is the relationship between God’s providence and our responsibility?  
7. What risk was Queen Esther taking by approaching the king and how did she prepare for it (p. 232-233)?  What factors do you suppose could account for Esther finding favor in the eyes of the king?
8. Queen Esther was willing to risk her life to save her people. Can you share a time when you took a risk to do what was right? 
9. Esther is not the first Hebrew that God positioned in a place of influence to be a source of deliverance for His people.  Who are the other deliverers we have studied in The Story and what common threads connect Queen Esther’s story to theirs?  
10. How does the Lower Story of Esther fit into the covenant that God made with Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3)?  How does it fit with God’s Upper Story of redemption?