When God’s people read the Bible, we do so with the expectation that the Holy Spirit will shape and teach us. John 14:26 says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” 2 Timothy 3:16–17 says, “ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
How do we engage in this process of learning from God’s word? Whether you are reading the Bible personally or with others, these 4 questions offer a helpful guide as we seek to see, understand, and remember the gospel in the scriptures. Simply read a passage of scripture, then slowly and prayerfully work through the questions on your own or in a group setting.
Isaiah 9:1-7 // Long Live The King
In this passage, we read one of the most memorable messianic prophesies. For the promise is that a King is coming who will break into the darkness and bring his life-giving light. Here, we are not just pointing back to the first Advent of Christ, but to his future and forever reign. Jesus the King establishes his kingdom, not for a time but for eternity. “Justice” and “righteousness” mark his kingdom, for which there will “be no end.
Various Texts // Behold Your King
It may seem strange to focus on the cross of Christ during a season in which we focus on the birth of Christ, but the scriptures are clear: Jesus was born that he may die. He who was laid in a lowly manger was lifted up on a Roman cross that we may behold him by faith and have our sins forgiven. In order to rightly understand the beauty of Advent, we must look at the birth of Jesus in the shadow of his death.
Matthew 2:1-12 // Worship The King
When the wise men from a foreign land come to find the newborn King Jesus they say, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." (Matt. 2:2). In this passage, we see the promised blessing of salvation to those who believe from all nations is starting to be fulfilled. As the church reaches out with the gospel to various social and ethnic groups, we call all who would listen to come that they may worship him.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
THINKING: Questions aimed at our minds to help us understand God’s word.
The foreign wise men (or magi, i.e., magicians or astrologers) were likely familiar with Old Testament prophecies. How does Numbers 24:17 help us understand why they would follow a star to find a king?
Read Psalm 72:8–11, 15, in the context of the whole psalm. How does this shed light on the wise men’s actions in Matthew 2:11?
FEELING: Questions aimed at our affections to help us love God.
Isaiah 60:1–5 tells us that when a “light” comes to Israel it will be the time of salvation for his people and renewal for the world. This should cause the people’s hearts to thrill and rejoice (Isa. 60:5). When this “light” finally comes, who ends up responding properly and who does not (note Matt. 2:3, 10)?
What do the Wise Men do when they finally see Jesus? What does this tell us about who Jesus is?
DOING: Questions aimed at our hands to help us live for God (Personally, Communally, and Missionally).
This passage points to the fulfillment of the promise that through Israel all nations will be blessed. How does this spur you on in the mission to bring the gospel to those around you?
Compare and contrast the three responses to Jesus in this Passage: Herod, the Scribes and Chief Priests, and the Wise Men. Where do we see these responses to Jesus today? How does this challenge the way you see and respond to Christ?
Luke 1:26-38 // The Coming King
The fulfilled promise of this passage has been in-the-making for generations. After years of waiting, the Advent of the Coming King who will rescue God’s people is about to begin. In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy (carrying John the Baptist), God sends the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin named Mary, who is engaged to Joseph. The angel tells Mary that God is showing her favor; she will conceive and bear a son, which she is to name Jesus (meaning “Yahweh saves”). Gabriel explains that the child “will be called the Son of the Most High” and rule forever as a Davidic king.
Exodus 13:16-14:31 // See The Salvation of The LORD
As Israel journeys away from Egypt, Pharaoh and his army begin to pursue them. As the people see the approaching army with their backs against the sea, they grow fearful. Instead, they are to “fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD.” The salvation of Israel is completely dependent upon God’s working on their behalf.
Exodus 13:1-16 // Remembering Our Redemption
The Lord had claimed Israel as his firstborn (4:22–23). He had delivered Israel by means of the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn as well as the particular substitute of lambs for Israel’s firstborn (12:1–28). Now, he claims all of Israel’s firstborn—both “of man and of beast”—as his own (13:1–2). These firstborn must be redeemed with a lamb (v. 13). Once again, the lesson was clear: redemption came through the death of the firstborn (v. 15). It would prepare people for a greater truth: ultimate redemption for God’s people would come through the sacrificial, particular death of God’s “firstborn” Son. (ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible)
Exodus 11-12 // "When I See The Blood"
In God’s last plague against Egypt, he slays every firstborn, both of people and of animals. By displaying the blood of an unblemished lamb on their doorposts, as God had instructed Moses and Aaron, the Israelites save their firstborn children. Because of this final blow, Pharaoh sends Israel away from his people and land. The Passover and the Exodus mark God’s first great salvation of his people, and he requires them to remember it across generations, as Jesus and his disciples did in the first century. Jesus’ institution of the Lord’s Supper while celebrating the Passover reveals his fulfillment of the original salvation in Egypt. As Paul says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). - ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible
Exodus 7:14-10:29 // The Plagues
In this section, God begins to deliver Israel by showcasing his sovereignty over Egypt through the plagues. By repeatedly hardening Pharaoh’s heart, God creates an environment in which his gracious salvation of Israel may be fully acknowledged. Ultimately, these chapters depict a power contest between the Lord (represented by Moses and Aaron) and the gods of Egypt (represented by Pharaoh). Although Pharaoh resists and disobeys the divine word, God will eventually overpower him until he submits and releases the people.
Exodus 6:10-7:13// The Battle Belongs to The Lord
After sensing defeat after Pharaoh's refusal to acknowledge God and let His people go, God re-establishes his promise to deliver and to defeat the King of Egypt. The battle between God and the false gods of Pharaoh begins here as Aaron's staff devours the serpents in Pharaoh's court. Soon, the battle will come to full fruition when God brings plagues against Egypt. The repeated message is this: God will defeat his enemies and rescue his people. That message comes to full fruition in Jesus Christ - who devoured Satan, sin, and death by his death and resurrection. The battle belongs to the Lord.