Bible Study Notes 12/17/2024

Word Alive! Bible Study ©2024

Season of Advent: The Meaning and Joy of Advent © 2024

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tue. 17 Dec. 2024 Lesson 2

Anticipation! –  Our faith in Jesus Christ is all about relationship. Daily we should desire to know Him more. One way to learn more about Jesus, is to understand His love for us, and why His mission in the world is so important. Everyone who has ever lived , has inherited an “imperfect” world. There is much good in the world, but good alone does not make our global environment perfect. The Scriptures teach us that this duality of good and not-so-good has come because of sin that pervaded the lives of our original human ancestors. In the Scriptures, the only remedy for the brokenness and imperfection sin has brought, is through the life, ministry, redemptive death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. God the Creator, sent His only Son, to free us from the penalty of sin – and to restore our relationship and faith in Jesus as Lord and Messiah.  Advent a term which comes from the Latin word, Adventus – which means, “Coming” or Arrival.” This period in the Christian faith begins four weeks before Christmas (Nativity) Day. We Christians should use this period, to read Scriptures concerning both the birth of Jesus as Messiah; and the second return of Christ to earth. Reflecting on each of these events and sacred prophecies, which describe the coming of  Jesus,  is filled with hope and anticipation.  In His letter to young Timothy, Paul was likely speaking of Jesus when he said: “That is why we labor and strive because we have our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people , and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10, NIV).  From the earliest times, Christians believed Jesus was concealed and revealed in both the Old and New Testaments, which comprise the Holy Bible. Many early Christians pointed to God’s mentioning to Moses of a prophet who would come in the flesh to proclaim His words. (Read, Deuteronomy 18:17-19, NLT). Although Moses was not the Messiah, parallels existed between his mission and that of Jesus. Each had Hebrew ancestry. Each of them was a law giver: Moses the Ten Commandments; Jesus a New Commandment; Each was placed in a tiny vessel at birth: Moses a basket; Jesus a small animal trough. Each of the infants was threatened with death: Moses by a Pharoah; Jesus by King Herod. Seven weeks after the Israelites journeyed in the wilderness, the Law was given. Seven weeks after His  Resurrection, the Holy Spirit was given to the believing follower of Jesus. The prophecies of Jesus came during bleak moments in the lives of God’s people, but the promise of the Messiah’s coming brought much hope and anticipation. (Read, Isaiah 9:2-5. NLT).   However dire circumstances are, the sovereign authority of Jesus will bring compassionate understanding and rule. (Read, Isaiah 9:6-7, NLT).  In reading the story of the Savior’s birth, we must find the time and space to pull back the curtain of time so we can see the full picture. This is why the reading both the Old and New Testament events are essential tour understanding of God’s plan. The Birth of Jesus is not a quick and casual story, but each passage of Scripture opens and enlarges our understanding of how our redemption has come. We will note as we read scriptures, pray, and reflect on the birth of Jesus, much joy will come to us. The Birth of Christ, and the events surrounding the coming of our Messiah, will always bring light to our paths. Like Joseph, we will rise up and rejoice with God’s messenger who brings us hope and assures us God is with us! (Read, Matthew 1:20-23, NLT).

Expectation , Lesson 2 –The blessed Advent period in the life of the Christian Church also is a time of expectation. Our faith which is shaped by a sacred context – the Holy Scriptures - is grounded in the hope and assurance of God’s divine will being fulfilled in human history. In the Old Testament a core term used for hope also forms the basis for expectation. The Hebrew word, Qavah, means “to wait with hope and expectation.” It is a strong verb, which means literally “to bind” or “hold together.” A companion word, Tikvah, means “a strong expectation; or, a hope that can be relied upon.” The prophetic announcements; Gospel accounts; and, Old and New Testament references to Christ as Messiah, all substantiate the truth of Christ’s Birth and Second Coming. This great expectation was apparent among early Christians, many of whom were of Jewish heritage and faith. After the teachings of the Law of Moses, some of the religious leaders had added strenuous and unnecessary regulations to the Law. Paul compared the regulations to slavery. The Coming of Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, and all who accepted Christ as Lord and Savior were now free of religious bondage. (Read, Galatians 4:3-7, NLT). Long before Paul’s witness of Christ as Messiah, the prophet Isaiah some seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, spoke of an expectation of the Messiah bringing justice, fairness, and righteousness to the land. The prophecy of Isaiah filled the hearts and raised the hope of God’s people almost a millennium before Christ came. (Read, Isaiah 11:1-6, NLT). Writing on the Birth of Jesus, Matthew assured his readers that their expectations were fulfilled in Christ’s birth. Matthew quoted the prophet Isaiah in assuring the faithful that Jesus also would be called by a name, assuring them that God was with them. Matthew quotes Isaiah: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel, which means, God is with us.” (See, Matthew 1:23, NLT; See also, Isaiah 7;14, NLT). The Apostle Paul spoke of Christ being born at “just the right time.” Some translations read, “In the fulness of time.” Each of these translations correctly convey the meaning of the early Greek New Testament text. The koine Greek word, the Greek that was spoken and written during the time of Jesus, uses the term pleroma, which conveys “an event that is complete or fulfilled as intended.” What God does, His sense of divine timing, could not be explained any better than the language that is used to describe the time Mary conceived and birth Jesus. The angel Gabriel assured Mary and Joseph that the divine event expected and the timing of the event, were all a part of God’s plan and the fulfillment of His promises. The Scriptures corroborate both prophecy and the divine intent of God. (Read, Luke 2:6-8; 16-18, NLT). Advent takes us back to the places and events where history unfolded, so that we might experience over and again the wonderful joy of divine expectation and fulfillment. Advent invites us to find a sacred space for God’s grace to refresh our spirits and replenish our souls with renewed expectation of the divine’s ability to accomplish intended purposes. I often wondered why King David encouraged us to “Wait on the Lord..!” especially when circumstances were so bleak for him. A closer look at his advice uncovers the word wait, which is Qavah. David was really saying, “Expect the Lord to Come! Be courageous! He will give you strength.” (See, Psalm 27:14, trans. From the Hebrew). Like the Shepherds and the Wise Men, when we come to the Messiah, He comes to us and ever remains in our hearts!

Key Verses:

Deuteronomy 18:17- 19, NLT

“And the Lord said to me, “They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from  among their brothers. And I will put my words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And whoever will not listen  to my words that He shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of Him.”

Isaiah 9:2-5, NLT

“The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For  those who live  in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice  at the harvest and like  warriors dividing the plunder. For you will break the yoke of slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressors rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian. The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.”

Isaiah 9:6-7, NLT

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government  will rest on His shoulders . And He  will be called: Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of His ancestor David for all eternity.  The passionate commitment of the Lord of heaven’s Armies  will make this happen!”

Matthew 1:20b-23, NLT

“The angel said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through His prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a son, and they will call him Immanuel, [meaning]  God is with us.”

Galatians 4:3-7, NLT

“And that’s the way it was with us before  Christ  came.  We were like children; we were  slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us so that He could  adopt us  as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His  Son  into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

Isaiah 11:1-6, NLT

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot – yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. He will delight in obeying the Lord. He will not judge by appearance nor make a decision based on hearsay. He will give justice to the poor and make fair decisions  for the exploited. The earth will shake at the force of His word, and one breath from His mouth will destroy the wicked. He will wear righteousness like a belt and truth like an under garment.”

no.”

Luke 2:6-8; 16-18 NLT

“And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly  in strips of cloth and laid him in a manager, because there was no lodging available to them.  That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and radiance  of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy  to all people. The Savior -yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize Him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manager… They [Shepherds] hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph.  And there was the baby lying in the manager. After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the Shepherds’ story were astonished!”