Here at Lancaster First UMC, I am privileged to be part of two weekly bible study groups that study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday.
Here are some of the questions/insights from the two groups:
Acts 5:27-32
• The Jerusalem Jewish leaders wanted to know what this Jesus movement was all about. (Jesus faced that question as well! – Luke 20:1-7: Is this movement from God or was it self-initiated?)
Question – How do you know if something is from God or not?
• Chief Priests believed that Jesus’ movement was not from God! Big challenging verse – v. 30. We don’t like to be told that we caused Jesus’ death!
• Peter – v. 30 connects Jesus with their own Jewish heritage. Forgiveness was through the Temple and disciples were saying it was now through Jesus! This is what got Jesus crucified in the first place!
• Sermon Series – Is God Real? To answer that question, we need to have an open mind about which God we’re talking about. Modern day notions of God are often not the biblical picture of who God is.
John 20:19-31
• Shocking verse – v. 23 – “If you forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven.” Jesus thinks the disciples can do it! God is going to forgive sins THROUGH them.
• The giving of the Holy Spirit – v. 22 – What is the Holy Spirit? Purpose of Holy Spirit is to enable the disciples to do what Jesus had been doing.
• Analogies – composer writing music and musicians play it! Clockmaker makes the clock but we’ll have to wind it up, etc. (We are to implement what was accomplished by Jesus through his death and resurrection.)
• John’s Garden Tomb and Creation Story tell the story of the resurrection –
Genesis 3:8 – Adam & Eve heard God looking for them in the garden at the time of the evening breeze. On the first day of new creation (Easter Sunday) we have the “spirit” or “breath” looking for the disciples.
• Gen. 2:7 – God breathed life into Adam & new life being breathed into disciples which will in turn bring new life to the world.
• With this spirit, the disciples are to announce forgiveness through Jesus. “Retain sins” refers to warn the world about the dangers and consequences of sin. Even post Easter, the world is a broken place!
• Doubting Thomas – First person in the Gospel to address Jesus as God. v. 28.
• Is God real? Jesus seems to be part of two world (heaven & earth) because of his resurrected body. Thomas had doubted earlier as well – 11:16 (let’s go to Jerusalem and die with him!) and 14:5 ("We don't understand what you’re telling us, Jesus!")
• Thomas wasn’t there on Easter Sunday when the other disciples were there. Thomas needs some evidence.
Here are some of the questions/insights from the two groups:
Acts 5:27-32
• The Jerusalem Jewish leaders wanted to know what this Jesus movement was all about. (Jesus faced that question as well! – Luke 20:1-7: Is this movement from God or was it self-initiated?)
Question – How do you know if something is from God or not?
• Chief Priests believed that Jesus’ movement was not from God! Big challenging verse – v. 30. We don’t like to be told that we caused Jesus’ death!
• Peter – v. 30 connects Jesus with their own Jewish heritage. Forgiveness was through the Temple and disciples were saying it was now through Jesus! This is what got Jesus crucified in the first place!
• Sermon Series – Is God Real? To answer that question, we need to have an open mind about which God we’re talking about. Modern day notions of God are often not the biblical picture of who God is.
John 20:19-31
• Shocking verse – v. 23 – “If you forgive the sins of any, they will be forgiven.” Jesus thinks the disciples can do it! God is going to forgive sins THROUGH them.
• The giving of the Holy Spirit – v. 22 – What is the Holy Spirit? Purpose of Holy Spirit is to enable the disciples to do what Jesus had been doing.
• Analogies – composer writing music and musicians play it! Clockmaker makes the clock but we’ll have to wind it up, etc. (We are to implement what was accomplished by Jesus through his death and resurrection.)
• John’s Garden Tomb and Creation Story tell the story of the resurrection –
Genesis 3:8 – Adam & Eve heard God looking for them in the garden at the time of the evening breeze. On the first day of new creation (Easter Sunday) we have the “spirit” or “breath” looking for the disciples.
• Gen. 2:7 – God breathed life into Adam & new life being breathed into disciples which will in turn bring new life to the world.
• With this spirit, the disciples are to announce forgiveness through Jesus. “Retain sins” refers to warn the world about the dangers and consequences of sin. Even post Easter, the world is a broken place!
• Doubting Thomas – First person in the Gospel to address Jesus as God. v. 28.
• Is God real? Jesus seems to be part of two world (heaven & earth) because of his resurrected body. Thomas had doubted earlier as well – 11:16 (let’s go to Jerusalem and die with him!) and 14:5 ("We don't understand what you’re telling us, Jesus!")
• Thomas wasn’t there on Easter Sunday when the other disciples were there. Thomas needs some evidence.
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