Tag Archives: resurrection

Faith Practice, the Exercise

Stop and Think About the Bible

torah_500

You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Mark 14:62 ESV 

  • Jesus was on trial. The high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ?” Jesus answered, “I am.” Why did that statement enrage the priest?
  • After Jesus said, “I am,” he made the statement quoted above. To what was he referring? 
  • Why is it important to know that Jesus is both 100% human and 100% God? What difference does it make to your life?
  • Many religions believe that they show respect for Jesus by saying that he was a wise prophet but no god. There are even secular thinkers who say that they respect what Jesus taught about love and peace, but they reject any notion that he is God. Why is that concept complete blasphemy? Why don’t Christians riot and shout “death to the infidels?” when someone makes this allegation?
  • Imagine that the US government arrested you and put you on trial for reading your Bible on a public bus, charged with attempting to proselytize fellow passengers by displaying this book. Further imagine that the judge announced that charges would be dropped if you were willing to classify the Bible as a book of fantasy. How would you respond? 
  • Imagine that you join other Christians and parade through a local festival carrying signs that say, “Jesus is alive!” Further imagine that you are arrested for being a public nuisance and you are offered a choice: either declare that Jesus is not alive any longer or spend six months in rehabilitative therapy with a diagnosis of schizophrenia because you believe that a dead person is alive and speaking to you. How would you respond? 
  • Why are these imaginary scenarios credible? What are you doing today to push back against the development of political and social action that denies people the right to have faith in God?

 

By Katherine Harms, author of Oceans of Love available for Kindle at Amazon.com.

Image: Torah Scroll
Source: http://library.duke.edu/exhibits/hebrewbible/torah.html
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0

 

 

 

Faith Practice, the Exercise

Stop and Think about a Hymn

hymnalMy Hope is Built on Nothing Less

by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
Refrain:
On Christ the solid rock I stand,
all other ground is sinking sand;
all other ground is sinking sand.

2. When Darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.
(Refrain)

3. His oath, his covenant, his blood
supports me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay.
(Refrain)

4. When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found!
Dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne!
(Refrain)

 

 

 

 

Text: based on 1 Timothy 1:1,
source http://www.hymnsite.com/lyrics/umh368.sht
Author: Edward Mote, c. 1834
Text in the public domain

  • Why is it safe to build your hope on nothing more than Jesus, his blood and his righteousness? Who is Jesus, anyway?
  • Verse 2 explains what hope is. The theme is that we can count on Jesus, who is God in the flesh, because he will always do what he says he will do. How is that different from wishful thinking?
  • A young Christian girl in Nigeria was kidnapped by Boko Haram. She was given the choice to convert to Islam or to be chained to a bed and raped repeatedly. All her earthly props have given way. What is her hope?
  • Each Sunday we testify to our faith in the words of the creed. What does this hymn say in the fourth verse that parallels our creeds?
  • How do you understand Christ’s oath, his covenant, and his blood. How will you become clothed in the righteousness of Christ in the new earth?
Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Hymn for Meditation

Hallelujah! Jesus Lives!

By Carl Garve 1825
Translated from German to English by Jane L. Borthwick 1862
Text courtesy of http://www.cyberhymnal.org/ (license: public domain)

Hallelujah! Jesus lives!
He is now the Living One;
From the gloomy halls of death
Christ, the conqueror, has gone,
Bright forerunner to the skies
Of His people, yet to rise.

Jesus lives! And thus, my soul,
Life eternal waits for you;
Joined to Him, your living head,
Where He is, you shall be, too;
With the Lord, at His right hand,
As a victor you shall stand.

Jesus lives! Let all rejoice.
Praise Him, ransomed of the earth.
Praise Him in a nobler song,
Cherubim of heavenly birth.
Praise the victor King, whose sway
Sin and death and hell obey.

  • The words of this hymn are triumphant. How does the hymnwriter describe the evidence that the enemy is vanquished? What enemy is conquered? Why do you believe this news is true?
  • What gift is given as a consequence of the victory? Can you remember when and where Jesus promised this gift? (for one example see John 14:1)
  • There are numerous references in the Bible to Jesus seated at the right hand of God in the heavenly throne room. Find a couple and imagine yourself in this scene.
  • What is the evidence that sin, death and hell obey the risen Christ? What is your answer when people ask, “If God is in control, then why do people still die of cancer?”
Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Verse for Meditation

You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. 1 Peter 1:23

  • Why does Peter call the word of God “living” and “abiding?” (Hint – See Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1) What other traits (in addition to living and abiding) do you recognize in the word of God?
  • When did Jesus teach Peter about being born again? (Hint – see John 3. Who would have been present besides Jesus and Nicodemus in this story?)
  • How did Paul explain the same idea? See 1 Corinthians 15:33-38
  • Secular thinkers have a real problem with the resurrection. How would you explain resurrection and eternal life to a secular thinker?

 

Faith Practice, the Exercise

A Hymn for Meditation

hymnalThine Is the Glory
By Edmund Louis Budry

1. Thine is the glory,
Risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the vict’ry
Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.

2. Lo! Jesus meets us,
Risen, from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let His church with gladness
Hymns of triumph sing,
For her Lord now liveth;
Death hath lost its sting.

3. No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of Life!
Life is naught without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conqu’rors,
Through Thy deathless love;
Bring us safe through Jordan
With Thy power and love.

Chorus:
Thine is the glory,
Risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the vict’ry
Thou o’er death hast won.

Text from http://www.scriptureandmusic.com/
Hymn text is in the public domain

 

Why is it so important to human beings that Christ has conquered death?

What makes human beings think they should live forever? (Hint – see Genesis 2:16-17 – the command punished disobedience with death. Then view Genesis 2:22-23 where it is clear that the tree of life that gave eternal life was always available to humans while they were in the garden.)

What elements of the story of the resurrection are referenced in this hymn?

What is the “doubt,” mentioned in verse 3, that is blown away by the resurrection?

What is your favorite resurrection hymn? Why? Please share it in the comments.