Roaring River

Lesson 12: Why Was Jesus Born as a Real Person?

In Colossians 1:15, we read:  "[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God."

God came down to our world in the person of Jesus.                               

God, our loving Father, wanted to do more than reveal Himself through the words of Scripture. He knew that a person we live with is much more real to us than someone we only hear about or read about in a book. So He decided to enter our world as a real, specific individual.

God came down on our level-He became like us-so He could teach us how to live and be happy, and so we could see what God is really like.

Jesus came to our world as God in human flesh. Jesus is "the Son of God" (Mark 15:39)- God made visible, the thought of God made audible. Jesus Himself said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). So if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God Himself. Whenever you want to know what God is like, then look at Jesus as the Bible reveals Him.

As you read the story of Jesus in the four gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, you will discover a fascinating portrait of our Heavenly Father.

• Rough,self-sufficient fishermen dropped their nets to follow Christ, and small children flocked to receive His blessing.

• He could comfort the most devastated sinners and disarm the most self-righteous hypocrites.

• He healed everything from blindness to leprosy with the quiet assurance of a doctor prescribing a couple of aspirin.

• His two-word command: "Be still!" forced a violent storm to calm down like a naughty child brought suddenly to its senses.

• In all His actions Jesus demonstrated that God is love!

• He met human need in a way no one had ever done before Him-or has since!

Jesus' final glorious revelation of what God is like happened at the cross. That's where He died for us so that we would not have to die forever ourselves.

"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" - John 3:16.

Jesus was born according to the prophecies. He fulfilled his purpose is ways that confounded the Jews and even the Apostles. He died not only to give us a happier life now, but also to give us eternal life. Jesus is God's "one and only Son" He is unique, one of a kind. He is the one and only being who is both wholly God and wholly man.

For long ages people wondered, and hoped, and dreamed about God. They saw His handiwork in the sky and in the beauties of nature. Many thought to themselves, "If only God were like this!" or, "If only God were like that!" But the beautiful, self-sacrificing life of Jesus and His death on the cross both revealed God more clearly than ever. People found themselves looking into the very face of God, seeing Him as He really is-love, eternal and immortal love!

You can discover God right now as Jesus reveals Him. That discovery will lead you to make a very personal affirmation: "Father, I love you!"

Lesson 11: Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained

A Modern Paraphrase of John Milton’s Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained

By J. B. Phillips

A little angel asked an older angel: “Do you mean that our great and glorious Prince … went down in Person to this fifth-rate little ball? Why should He do a thing like that?”

The little angel’s face wrinkled in disgust. “Do you mean to tell me,” he said, “that He stooped so low as to become one of those creeping, crawling creatures of that floating ball?”

“I do, and I don’t think He would like you to call them ‘creeping, crawling creatures’ in that tone of voice. For, strange as it may seem to us, He loves them. He went down to visit them to lift them up to become like Him.”

The little angel looked blank. Such a thought was almost beyond his comprehension.

Lesson 10: The Virgin Birth

How did God visit the world as a person?

“But I’m a virgin!”

“I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Great joy and blessing, and yet, 9 months of awkward explanations that must have been difficult to live through:

• An unwed mother in the past was subject to death by stoning

• What do you think her parents felt as they watched their teenage daughter?

• What did the villagers think?

• How often would Mary, herself, and Joseph review the angel’s words as the child grew inside her?

• Once born, how do you think the villagers treated the boy with questionable paternity?

• Joseph’s noble qualities: His tender consideration for Mary and his willingness to bear ridicule to protect her and Jesus

The Virgin Birth

According to Luke (1:34-35), "Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most High will overshadow you. And therefore also the child which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”   According to Matthew, Joseph when perplexed by the pregnancy of Mary, is told by the angel: "Fear not to take unto Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her, is of Holy Spirit." (1:20).

How did Matthew and Luke derive their information about Jesus’ birth?

The only witnesses to the Announcement were Mary and the angel. Later on the angel informed Joseph of the mystery. We do not know whether Elizabeth, though; filled with Holy Spirit, learned the full truth supernaturally, but we may suppose that Mary confided the secret both to her friend and her spouse, thus completing the partial revelation received by both.

If we compare Matthew’s narrative with that of Luke’s, we find that Matthew may have drawn his information from Joseph, independently from any information furnished by Mary.

Matthew (1:18): "When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child, of the Holy Spirit." Joseph could supply these facts either from personal knowledge or from the words of the angel: "That which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Spirit.”

Luke, who was a close friend and support to Mary, seems to draw his knowledge directly from Mary. Luke points to Mary as the source of his account of the infant Jesus, when he says that Mary kept all these words in her heart (2:19, 51).

Lesson 9: A Short Story about Henry's Dad

-- Source of story unknown

A small boy and his older brother, were standing before a large portrait of their father who had died when the younger boy was a mere babe.

"Tell me," the younger brother said, "just what was Father like?"

The older boy attempted to tell his little brother something about their father. He described his strength. He said he was a good man, kind and handsome. He was friendly, and people liked to be with him. He was always gentle with Mother. He made people happy.

In spite of everything the older brother could say, the small boy could not form a satisfying picture of his father. He wanted so much to know what his father was like. At last he interrupted his brother with the question, "Tell me one thing, Henry, was Father anything like you?"

The older boy hesitated a moment, then said: "Well, friends of ours who knew Father best say that I'm the living image of him. And even Mother says the same."

With his heart all aglow, the small boy walked away, saying: "Now I know exactly what my dad was like. He was just like my brother Henry."

Knowing Jesus tells us exactly what the Father is like.

Lesson 8: Overview of Mark

The first chapter of Mark introduces us to the greatest personality of all time. Living 2000 years after Christ, it is hard for us to grasp just what kind of man he was. Mark wants to impress us with Jesus. He wants to give us some flavor of what this man was like and how he affected others. Mark wants to let us sense something of the aura that surrounded Jesus, something of the charisma he exuded, something of the awe he inspired in those who came to him.

The Good News unfolds:

1. His preparation, baptism and temptation in the desert. 1:1-13
2. The time has come … preaching begins, the disciples begin joining, the miracles start. 1:14-28
3. Jesus heals Peter's mother-in-law. 1:29-31
4. The people who let a sick man in through a hole in the roof. 2:1-12
5. Jesus violates the Sabbath law … the Son of Man is Lord even on the Sabbath. 2:23-28
6. Even Jesus' family accuses him of being out of his mind. Others say he works for the Devil. Jesus' comments illustrate Mark's sense of the dramatic conflict between good and evil. 3:19-30
7. The parable of the Sower. 4:1-20
8. Jesus does battle with the elements, calming a storm after sleeping in the boat. 4:35-41
9. Demons, driven out of a wild man by Jesus, enter a herd of pigs. 5:1-20
10. The murder of John the Baptist. 6:14-29
11. Feeding the five thousand. Walking on water. 6:30-52
12. Jesus preaches. The Transfiguration and God’s visit to the disciples. 7:1 - 10:34
13. James and John request the best jobs in Heaven. 10:35-45
14. Jesus final teachings. Chapters 11 - 13
15. The Crucifixion, Mark's version. Chapters 14-15
16. The Resurrection, Mark's version. Chapter 16

Lesson 7: The Proof

The Isaiah prophecy
– I will send my messenger ahead of you … prepare the way for the Lord

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. Of the increase 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. Isaiah 9:6-7

A voice of one calling:

“In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3

When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. My love will never be taken away from him. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)

The prophetic voice in

Israel

had been silent for over 400 years, since the days of Malachi.

–         How Did They Miss Him? Would We Know Him If We Met Him Today?

–         Do You Think He Might Be the Messiah?
If He had never lived, we would never been able to invent Him

–         The Authority -- John 3:16

–         No one could have set down such vulnerable accounts as these unless some real event lay behind them … “one day miracles seemed to flow out of Jesus; the next day his power was blocked by people’s lack of faith … one day he talked in detail of the Second Coming; another he knew neither the day nor hour … He fled from arrest at one point and marched inexorably toward it at another … He spoke eloquently about peacemaking, then told his disciples to get swords … His extravagant claims about himself kept him at the center of controversy, but when he did something truly miraculous he tended to hush it up.” If He had never lived, we would never been able to invent Him.

–         Jesus own brothers considered Him crazy, until the Resurrection when they finally realized their half-brother was in fact who He claimed to be … his brothers James and Jude both eventually wrote books now in our New Testament … James later became the recognized leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem. Only the truth would cause these men to change what they had said about Jesus all his life and to take on the mantle of actually teaching and suffering for this cause.

Lesson 6: Son of GodThe Jesus of Faith

He was and is The Good News.  He lifts the fog and shows the light.

–          He was with God at the Beginning

–         His birth, life and death were predicted centuries before his time on earth

–         He was of the lineage of David, by both Mary and Joseph

–         He was all-knowing (John 1:48), all-powerful (Matt 28:18), ever-present (Matt 18:20)

–         He did miracles and raised the dead (John 5:25)

–         He himself was raised from death

–         He was and is …  the way, the truth and the light

–         He taught us simply to love.

He was either a liar, a crazed person, or He was actually who He said He was … The Very Son of God. Let’s find out as we study His story. The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Lesson 5: Son of ManThe Jesus of History

The test of history we use to judge greatness: what did the person leave to grow?

–         Jesus was a human, with a human body, He grew thirsty, He grew tired, He got angry, He wept, He suffered in agony, He died

–         He was a great teacher

–         He outlasted the

Roman Empire

and more people on Earth follow Him than have followed any other person who ever lived!

–         His birth was so important that it split history into two parts: Before Christ and Anno Domino … After Christ

–         He has become the dividing point of life for one-third of all people on earth

–         Recent

Gallup

Survey – 84% of Americans believe Jesus was God or the Son of God … over half believe he was sinless, brave and emotionally stable.

Such statistics are cited mostly because as we study the Gospels, the story is so incredible that it challenges what we might intellectually be willing to accept.

Lesson 4: The Situation Back Then

§       Jews then believed they lived at the precipice when this age was ending and a new age was coming.

§       They were waiting for the Messiah to defeat evil and rule the world with peace, justice, health and prosperity to all.

§       This state was known then as The Kingdom of God. When John the Baptist announced that this Kingdom was near, everyone who heard him was waiting for a warrior-king to come riding in on mighty steed to lead the people as a great army to overthrow the Romans.

§       Jesus entered and did all the various things that were foretold (healing, demon casting, raising the dead), many hoped he was that warrior-king. Instead, he was murdered on the Cross and they were confused … until God raised him from the tomb.

§       Then the world changed and the

Kingdom

of

God

had new meaning!

Lesson 3: Historical Perspective is Charted by People Who Gain our Respect

People of Greatness

§       Every once in a while, a personality will bubble to the surface of history and break upon the world - a powerful, charismatic, dynamic personality that captivates other people and changes the course of history.

–         John Kennedy was such a man … when he walked into a room, he held a magnetism that radiated from him so that every head in the room would turn and take note of his presence even though he had not said a word.

–         From the speeches of Martin Luther King … he also was such a man.

–         History is punctuated with personalities like this.

o        Julius Caesar

o        Alexander the Great

o        Confucius

o        Shakespeare

o        Churchill.

§       There was something compelling about these men, some force of will or power of mind that washed over other people and caused them to know that they we standing in the presence of greatness.

§       Even Biblical history is not so much the story of places and events as of powerful personalities who influenced the people of God.

o       Abraham

o       Moses

o       David

o       Nehemiah

o       Peter

o       Paul

o       James

o       John

§       God seems to be always in search of that special person who will yield his talents and gifts to the cause of the kingdom.

§       When God selects us, he can use us to accomplish great things.

                                    

Lesson 2: The Eye Witness Account of Jesus

What is an Eye Witness?

§      

Pearl Harbor

/ The Ben Affleck Movie

o        Historical resources vs. dramatic impact

§       September 11 / Let’s Roll

o        Cell phones from the doomed aircraft

§       Hurricane Katrina

o        TV viewers become the witnesses

Who Were the Biographers?

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were four men well qualified to write about the life and times of Jesus Christ. Matthew and John were eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus. They were with him from the beginning of his ministry.  These four biographers were either apostles or close associates of the apostles. The result is a four-fold record of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Matthew, Mark and Luke are similar in the content they relate, but are written to different audiences. They are based on material that the disciples memorized and taught to others who also memorized so the accounts could be captured and verified.  John’s gospel is unique and is based on longer discussions about Jesus’ identity and mission.  They heard his words, marveled at his miracles and witnessed his death, burial and resurrection. These men put their lives on the line to tell the truth about Jesus Christ. Some people today say it's all a lie, but you have to wonder. Would they have died for something that they knew was a lie?

Matthew

§       Matthew was a tax collector and these tax collectors were despised by all Jews

§       He responded to Christ’s simple call to follow Him … he was one of the 12 disciples

§       His biography was the first written. He wrote it for the Jews to whom he preached after the Resurrection

Mark

§       Mark, though not an eyewitness, was a close friend and student of the apostle Peter.

§       Much of what Mark wrote is based upon the preaching of Peter, who was an eyewitness and one of Jesus’ closest friends.

Luke

§       Luke was a well educated Greek physician.

§       He investigated the things he had heard about Jesus.

§       He spoke with eyewitnesses and dug deep to learn the truth. Luke wrote, “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4 NIV)

John

In John's own words, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: ...” (1 John 1:1-5 NIV)

Lesson 1: We’re All Beginners "I Just Can't Understand The Bible"

Don't Worry

§       The Bible can seem to be a complex book.

§       One would naturally expect to encounter some complex things in a book which concerns itself with such profound subjects as

–         the Creation,

–         the meaning of life,

–         the resurrection of Christ, and

–         the fulfillment of God's eternal purpose.

§       Remember that the Bible states that it is God's word,

–          designed as a guide or standard of authority for us.

§       But it does require reading and reflection something many Christians fail to do enough of

Study It

§       Any non-fiction book on virtually any subject requires some effort to understand.

§       Do not set such a large goal that you set yourself up to failure.

§       Stick to your goal with as little variation as possible. Make it a habit

§       15 minutes a night, one chapter a week.

§       Start with the Gospels – the story of Christ. Much of it is familiar.

§       Keep a notebook to record those passages that puzzle you.

Seek Help

§       As you study the Bible, don’t hesitate to ask for help on some difficult passage.

§       Bring your questions first to God, in prayer seeking His insights.

§       Bring your questions to our Bible study. Amazingly, we can help each other.

§       Participate if you are comfortable with this; or just listen and absorb in quiet.

§       There are also available good reference works that can help in understanding.

Meditate Upon It

§       The Bible is designed to improve us.

§       The Hebrew word for "meditate," means "to murmur with oneself."

§       In other words, talk to ourselves about the significance of what we read.

§       Try to visualize the application of a particular passage in your life.

§       Make every effort to apply what we read to our real life situations.

§       Meditation upon the word not only increases our understanding, but it helps us to remember what it teaches.