Essential 100

What does this passage teach about who Jesus is?

If someone asked, “What do you believe about Jesus?” what would you say?

52.    Gabriel’s Messages (Luke 1:1-80)

Try to imagine how you would have felt if you were one of the people in this passage— Elizabeth or Mary, Zechariah or Joseph.   

Has God ever done something surprising in your life? If so, what happened?

53.    The Birth of Jesus (Luke 2:1-40)

In our pluralistic society, do you think Christmas should be more Christ-centered? Why?

Why do you suppose God allowed his Son to be born where and how he did?

54.    John the Baptist (Luke 3:1-20)

Would you consider John the Baptist to be a “religious extremist”?   

Is it bad to be passionate and public about what we believe? Why?

Who would you consider to be a modern example of John the Baptist? Why?

55.    Baptism and Temptation (Matthew 3:13—4:17)

What situations do you think pose the greatest temptation for you today?

What helped Jesus resist temptation? What steps could you take to resist temptation?

Pastor's Meditation for the Week:

My Hero!

When I was a kid I watched the “Little Rascals.” I remember at the end of many of the programs, Darla would dramatically throw her hands upon her heart, bat her eyelashes at Alfalfa and sigh, “My hero!”

Do you have a hero? If you do, how does he or she measure up to these definitions?

  1. remarkably brave person: somebody who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character
- a war hero

 2. somebody admired: somebody who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements
- heroes of the war against poverty

 3. arts main character in fictional plot: the principal male character in a movie, novel, or play, especially one who plays a vital role in plot development or around whom the plot is structured
- See also  antihero

 4. mythology man with superhuman powers: in classical mythology, a man, especially the son of a god and a mortal, who is famous for possessing some extraordinary gift such as superhuman strength
- the Greek heroes

 In Luke’s birth narrative of our Lord Jesus, found in our E100 Scriptures this week, we find a person in the story that is very heroic and would fit most of these definitions of a hero, the angel Gabriel.

 Although the angel is very admirable, and is definitely superhuman and appears center stage in the life of Mary the mother of Jesus, he is really not the hero of the story. The Lord is. In fact the translation of the name Gabriel is, “God is my Hero.”  

 In this age of political, entertainment and sports heroes we are often distracted from the real hero of the human, or more so, the universal drama. Gabriel got it right. God is our hero. 

The birth of our Hero, the Lord Jesus is celebrated in our readings this week. May He be your strength, your role model and your remarkable one this week.

Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim