Key Bible Passages:
Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 1:20-23; I John 2:3-6
Tier 1:
The Creed establishes the Bible’s teaching about who Christ is, before focussing on His coming into this world to die.
Because He is THE Lord, He is by faith, OUR Lord. As such our posture of soul is characterised by obdience to Him in HIs example and teaching. The art of discipleship is learning to live in that posture (Matt.28:19-20).
Tier 2:
‘Christ’ is not a surname. It is a title that teaches us about Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit. Everything about Jesus - particularly His human life - is shaped and defined by the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, 3 kinds of people were ‘anointed’ (i.e. christed) by the Spirit: Prophets, Priests and Kings. Jesus fulfills all three offices in His own life and work.
Tier 3:
Jesus is the Son of God, the Son of the Father. We becomes sons and daughters of God only as we are caught up into His relationship with the Father. That is what gives shape and structure to our life and worship as Christians. We don’t get to negotiate what Christianity is about. The relationship of Jesus to His Father is what determines our relationship to the Father.
He is Himself in His own right, beyond all men who ever lived, God and Lord, and King Eternal, and the Incarnate Word, proclaimed by all the prophets, the apostles, and by the Spirit Himself…
Irenaeus of Lyons
Group Exercise:
as a group list from memory all the commands of Jesus that you know. First, the ones you know ‘word for word’; then any you know the sense of what is being said, but can’t quote it exactly.
How important do you think it is that you know what Jesus commands?
How important do you think it is to put those commands into practise?
and later in the session:
What does it mean to confess Jesus Christ as Lord? How should this shape our thinking about evangelism? If someone asked you to help them become a Christian, what would you say / do?
How do you feel about defining being a Christian in terms of obedience to Jesus? Do you think it fairly represents what the Bible teaches? What is the connection between faith and obedience?
What are the main challenges you anticipate / have experienced as you seek to obey the commands of Jesus? How can we help you meet those challenges?
What would you say to someone who argued that Christianity is about relationship, not about ‘keeping the rules’?
Homework:
Continue to memorise the Apostles’ Creed
Over this half-term we’ll be working to memorise Matthew 5:1-10
(we’ll memorise the whole of the Sermon on the Mount over the next 3 years)
To Be a Christian, Q&A 48-52
Over the next few weeks, our homework will include reading through Matthew’s Gospel, and isolating any commands, or examples Jesus leaves for us to follow.
As we list them, reflect on:
Which ones do you obey?
Which ones do you struggle with?
Which ones do you not understand?
Where do you need help, and what help do you need?
