EXTRA!
Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
|
Adult
Explore the Bible
ETB Adult EXTRA
December 2, 2007
Affirm God's Good Plan
Gregory T. Pouncey
Genesis 1:1,26-28,31; 2:15-18,21-25
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations
of all the verses in today’s lesson, consult the Explore the Bible
leader guide or commentary.
Make sure each learner has his or her
own Explore the Bible learner guide.
Value the Good Environment (Gen. 1:1,31)
Read or summarize the following article excerpt in
light of Genesis 1:1,31:
Evangelicals, U.S. Government
Promote Green Churches
By Michelle Vu
The National Association of Evangelicals and a U.S.
government energy program teamed up Tuesday in what was thought to be the
first religious-government partnership to tackle energy consumption in
religious facilities.
Some 65 evangelical leaders gathered at Wooddale
Church in Eden Prairie, Minn. – the home church of NAE president the Rev.
Leith Anderson – to learn how to make their church building more energy
efficient.
Attendees of the “Creation Care and the Church”
luncheon were encouraged to reduce their congregation’s energy consumption
and protect the environment while lowering monthly bills.
Jerry Lawson, national manager of Energy Star Small
Business & Congregations Network, and the Rev. Richard Cizik, NAE vice
president for governmental affairs, urged local Minnesota pastors to make
their church building green.
“If America’s more than 300,000
houses of worship cut energy use by ten percent, they would save nearly $200
million each year – money that could be used for missions and other
priorities,” Cizik said.
“It would also prevent the annual release of more than
2 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to the
emissions generated by about 400,000 cars or the planting of over a half
million acres of trees.”
Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano,
Texas, was held up as an example for not only helping the environment by
cutting energy consumption, but also for reportedly saving a million dollars
last year on its energy bill. Yet Cizik readily acknowledged that
most pastors lack the knowledge on how to make their church more energy
efficient.
“Do pastors lack the knowledge? Yes,” he told The
Christian Post Wednesday.
Although pastors lack knowledge, they are an important
“moral voice” in the society-wide change of being more environmentally
conscience, said Cizik. He advised pastors to appoint a facility manager to
take the lead on reducing their churches’ energy consumption if they are not
able to manage the project themselves.
Cizik is among a growing number of evangelical leaders
who argue creation care is not only good public policy but a biblical
mandate.
“People need to understand that creation care and the sanctity of life are
both biblical principles and they overlap,” said the evangelical leader when
broached on the topic of creation care versus abortion – a key issue for
most evangelicals.
Cizik, known for his zealous environmental crusades,
pointed to medical health surveys that show one out of six children born in
America – or 600,000 annually – are afflicted with permanent disabilities
including mental retardation that are directly attributed to mercury poison
from air pollution caused by coal burning utilities plant.
“If you are for the sanctity of life and ignore the
health impact of the environment on the unborn, I think that is a limited
understanding of how everything is connected in life,” Cizik said.
“You can’t separate either these principles like taking
care of the earth and the sanctity of life – they overlap,” the NAE leader
contended. “So to say you are pro-life but to ignore what is occurring to
the unborn from environmental degradation is an abomination.”
Source: Vu, Michelle (2007, November
8). Evangelicals, U.S. Government Promote Green Churches.
Retrieved November 20, 2007 from
http://environment.about.com.
Ask:
- Why has caring for the environment become a
politicized topic in our nation?
- How does the author connect good theology with concern
for the environment?
- Why does the author compare caring for the environment
with the sanctity of human life?
- What is involved in caring for the environment beyond
reducing our energy output as churches?
Appreciate Humanity's Uniqueness (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:15-17)
Summarize the following article excerpt from
Christianity Today. Conclude with the questions at the end.
Beyond the Impasse to What?
By C. Ben Mitchell
The human embryonic stem cell debate
has been at an impasse since the discovery of the unusual properties of
unique precursor cells. In 1998 two teams of privately-funded researchers
were able to isolate and culture stem cells from human embryos. Some
scientists believe these cells may be used to treat and cure a number of
diseases including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and other
afflictions. The problem has been that in the process of harvesting the stem
cells the embryos are necessarily destroyed. For many Christians and others,
that's simply too high a price to pay for scientific progress.
To make matters more troublesome, in
January 1999, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced
that U. S. tax-dollars might be used to finance embryonic stem cell
research, even though there has been a congressional moratorium on federally
funded human embryo research since 1994. DHHS's interpretation of the ban
has been quite controversial, resulting in congressional hearings on the
matter. Both sides have been at loggerheads because the debate ultimately
focuses on the moral status of the human embryo, a topic that has plagued
American culture since at least the 1970s. While opponents of human
embryonic stem cell research have called for maintaining the ban on such
research, they have universally supported other forms of stem-cell research
that do not harm embryos.
A report published in the August 14,
2000, Journal of Neuroscience Research, may portend an end to the impasse.
According to news reports, Dr. Ira Black of the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey has been able to transform blood stem cells into
neurons, which may be used to repair brain cells and spinal cords. In this
case, these stem cells were not derived from embryos, but from adult
animals. If this method of deriving stem cells proves successful in humans,
then embryos would not have to be destroyed. The use of these cells would
also carry the advantage of not being rejected by the immune system of the
patient.
Apparently, stem cells are very
"plastic" and may be directed to make many different kinds of tissue. If
blood stem cells from adults can be directed to make neurons, perhaps they
can be directed to make other cells and tissues. We are truly "fearfully and
wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14). The flexibility of these cells ought to
cause us to worship and serve the Creator more than the creature, because
his creation is elegant and magnificent.
We are in the early stages of what
may well be revolutionary research. The key to the success of such research
will be found in its morality. If research can be conducted ethically, we
can all celebrate the benefits of such research and enjoy those benefits
with thankfulness. If, on the other hand, treatments are derived from
morally illicit sources, like human embryos, then we sacrifice one group of
vulnerable human beings for the benefit of other human beings. This would be
unconscionable and, as this latest news may indicate, unnecessary for the
progress of science.
Source: Mitchell, C. Ben (2000, August
18). Beyond the Impasse of What? Retrieved November 21, 2007 from
www.christianitytoday.com.
Ask:
Respect God's Plan for Marriage (Gen. 2:18,21-25)
Consider the words of Jim Gilliam in a recent
blog:
Changing the definition of marriage
November 17, 2006 3:30 PM
Three years ago, I did a post on 'the definition of
marriage.' It's been on the first page of Google results ever since, so it
has garnered a lot of attention over the years.
I just got an email from someone noting that
Merriam-Webster's definition has now changed.
Back in 2003 it said "a: the state
of being married; b: the mutual relation of husband and wife: WEDLOCK; c:
the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social
and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family."
So specifically man and woman.
Today it says: "a (1) : the state of
being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a
consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) : the state of
being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a
traditional marriage (same-sex marriage) b : the mutual relation of married
persons : WEDLOCK c : the institution whereby individuals are joined in a
marriage"
So there you have it. I wonder who makes these
decisions?
Source: Gilliam, Jim (2006, November
17). Changing the definition of marriage. Retrieved November 21, 2007 from
http://www.jimgilliam.com/2006/11/changing_the_definition_of_marriage.php.
Ask:
Spend time today praying for our environment and for
marriages, and praise God for the uniqueness we have as human beings.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
have changed. Links from the specific page addresses referenced in this material
possibly could link to inappropriate material.
EXTRA!
Weekly Supplemental Teaching Plans
|
Adult
Explore the Bible
ETB Adult EXTRA
December 2, 2007
Recognizing the Savior
Dana Armstrong
Isaiah 53:1-12
Before the Session
For teaching plans and full explanations of all the verses in today’s lesson,
consult any of the Bible Studies for Life leader guides or
commentaries. Make sure each learner has his or her own learner guide.
Place the following items on a table for the last section of today's lesson: a
star, the color red, the color green, a bell, candles, a poinsettia, a holly
leaf, a bow, a candy cane, frankincense (or a box with the words frankincense
written on it), myrrh (again, a box with myrrh written on it), a wreath, and
picture of snow or something to represent snow.
Isaiah 53:1-3
Enlist a volunteer to read Isaiah 53:1-3.
Read or paraphrase the following
article:
The Jesus We Need to Know
It's an amazing thing that God became human. I'm not
referring to the miracle of the act itself — God limiting His power and
control of the universe, God taking on the form and attributes of something
He created — as mind-boggling as all that is. I'm talking about the love.
Imagine a love so large, so unquenchable, and so undeniable, that it could
compel a perfect, all-powerful Being like God to become one of us — for no
other reason than to woo us to Him in a way we could understand. From the
beginning of time until this very moment, there has never been a more
passionate or abandoned act of pure desire than the appearance of Jesus on
earth.
Christ came so that we might know God — not know of
Him, not know about Him, but truly know Him. Jesus came to show us who God
is, what God is like, and to provide a way for us to come to Him unafraid —
in the hope that we might fall in love with Him, just as He has fallen in
love with us.
In the Flesh
Christians often create a fuss about making Jesus too familiar, too much
like us. Some say that focusing too closely on His humanity will dilute our
sense of His holiness and tempt us to treat God as more of a chummy pal than
as the Lord of our lives. Yet, it was not our idea to humanize God — it was
God's idea to humanize Himself. Jesus is the perfect revelation of who God
is. The amazing truth is that Christ's humanity reveals to us as much about
God's nature as His divinity does. For while His divinity lets us know that
Jesus is God, His humanity lets us know that God is a Person — a Person who
longs to be known.
To know that Jesus is righteous, holy, loving, and wise is merely the first
step toward knowing Him in the way He wants to be known. The prophets and
patriarchs of the Old Testament knew all about these attributes of God and
many others. But they longed for more. After Moses had received God's
Commandments on Mount Sinai, he cried out, "'Please, let me see Your
glory'" (Ex. 33:18). But God showed Moses only His back. It's only in Jesus
that Moses' prayer is fully answered. For only in Jesus do we finally see
God's face.
Through Jesus, we come to know God as a Person. We see the way He moves
through the world. We observe what He responds to and what He ignores. We
watch Him demonstrate what really matters to Him through His actions and
words, as well as through His silence and what He chooses not to do. Through
Jesus, we experience God firsthand, living among us. Without such a personal
experience of God, there can be no true intimacy or friendship.
After all, that's what God wants. Jesus didn't come to earth looking only
for servants; He also came looking for friends.
Get-to-Know You Questions
Jesus asks many of us the same question He asked Philip in the final days of
His life: "Have I been among you all this time without your knowing Me?"
(John 4:9a). Our Sunday Schools have taught us how to go to Jesus to ask for
the things we need or desire for ourselves or those we love. But most of
them never taught us the most important task of all — how to go to Jesus
with no other goal than simply to know Him.
What does it look like to get to know Jesus in this way — as one person
getting to know Another? The answer begins as it does with any relationship,
with simple curiosity. As you read the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, what
intrigues you about the man Jesus Christ? What does He do that surprises
you? What does He say — or not say — that strikes you as odd or even silly?
Wherever that curiosity surfaces, begin there.
For example, have you ever wondered how often Jesus laughed? Was He always
somber — as the popular notion of Him would have us believe — or was He
upbeat, even silly at times? If so, what made Him chuckle? We don't often
think of Jesus as having a sense of humor — which is ridiculous really,
since He invented it.
Have you ever been curious about Jesus' favorite time of day or His favorite
season? Was He close to His parents and His siblings? As He and the
disciples traveled together, what did they talk about around the campfire at
night? When Jesus went off alone to pray, what did He pray about?
Read through the Gospels to create your own list of
"curious questions," and keep your focus on "getting to know Jesus." Look at
the stories through Jesus' perspective, rather than your own.
For example, when you read about Jesus feeding the five
thousand, instead of asking, "What is this story saying about how I should
live?," ask questions that focus on Jesus. "What prompted Jesus to feed the
five thousand? Why did He go about it the way He did? What made Him so angry
after it was over? What does this story tell me about Jesus? What questions
does it leave unanswered?"
Once you have a list of your own curious questions, don't simply ponder them
in silence. Pray them. If you do, you'll be amazed at the joy Jesus takes in
revealing His answers to you.
Heart-to-Heart with Christ
Imagine for a moment that Jesus is a member of your family — your older
brother, let's say. He lives in your home and has been with you since your
earliest memory. Based on what you know of Him and what you know about
yourself, what do you suppose your relationship would be like?
Now suppose your brother, Jesus, loves you more than life itself. He's
constantly putting your needs first, looking out for your best interests,
and cheering you on — all because He loves you. Now, what would that
relationship look like?
If you're a Christian, then that's the nature of the relationship you have
with Jesus, even if you don't realize it or perhaps don't believe it. But
your lack of awareness or faith doesn't keep Jesus from loving you. He's not
ashamed of His love for you, and He proclaims it through His every thought
and act, whether you're willing to see it or not.
"I want to see it," you might say, "but I just don't. God's love just
doesn't seem that real to me." Then get curious about it. Ask Jesus to tell
you about His love for you. But when you do, be specific. For example, what
draws Jesus to you in particular? What does He find especially attractive
about you? What is it in you that compels Him to love you so much? What does
He love about your personality? About your humor? About the way you think?
When He intercedes for you in heaven, what specifically does He ask?
Jesus came as the perfect revelation of who God is. But He also came as a
man. And it's through His humanity that we find the connection we need to
make God's love real in our lives. Jesus' arrival was and is an invitation
to an intimate communion between our hearts and God's. By accepting the
invitation to get to know the man Jesus — as a Person who loves you and
longs to be loved and known in return — you'll find over time, just as
Philip did, that you know God.
Consider taking a day-long retreat alone with Jesus,
and prayerfully journal responses to each of the previous questions. What do
your responses reveal about your perceptions of Jesus? About your
perceptions of yourself?
Source: Darden, Michael. The Jesus
We Need to Know. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from
www.lifeway.com. This article appears
courtesy of Christian Single.
Ask:
Say: Because Jesus the Messiah fully took
on human form and experienced the ordinary struggles of human life, we can know
He understands our plight and our greatest needs. He loves us and wants to have
close relationships with us. Let us confidently seek Jesus’ friendship and help
in all our situations.
Isaiah 53:4-6
Enlist a volunteer to
read Isaiah 53:4-6.
Ask:
-
Describe a time when you took the blame for something someone else did.
-
Why do people usually refrain from taking the blame for others?
-
Why would Jesus willingly suffer on the cross on our behalf?
Say: Isaiah foretold of
God's messianic Servant who would suffer immensely in order to take upon Himself
the punishment of sinners.
Ask: How should Jesus'
willingness to suffer for our sins make us more confident of God's willingness
to forgive us?
Isaiah 53:7-9
Enlist a volunteer to read Isaiah 53:7-9.
Explain that Isaiah predicted that God's messianic Servant would give up His
life without pleading a defense despite His complete innocence.
Read or paraphrase the following article:
Slain Baptist in Gaza had gentle but bold witness
RICHMOND, Va. (BP)--Believers in
Gaza are mourning the loss of a Baptist leader killed during the Oct. 6-7
weekend. It is believed he died for taking a stand for his faith.
Rami Ayyad, 29, a prominent member of Gaza Baptist Church
and manager of a Christian bookstore owned by the Palestinian Bible Society,
was kidnapped Oct. 6 shortly after he had closed the store for the day. His
body was found the following day about a mile from the store.
No one has claimed responsibility for his death. He had
been shot twice and struck with a blunt object.
Ayyad leaves behind a wife, Pauline, who is pregnant
with their third child, and two children under the age of 3. Hundreds of
fellow Christians gathered Oct. 7 for his funeral. He was buried next to his
father.
"Rami was the most gentle member on the team, the
ever-smiling one," a colleague said. "He was the face of our Bible shop,
always receiving visitors and serving them as Jesus would." A Baptist worker
said Ayyad typically was at the front desk of the store and regulary
answered questions about his faith.
"Rami was known for his easy manner with people," the
worker said. "He was bold in his faith and not ashamed of the Gospel."
A couple of days prior to his death, Ayyad had told his
wife he had noticed people following him. During the evening of his
disappearance, friends contacted him by mobile phone after he didn't show up
for a children's program at church.
"He said he'd be delayed another couple of hours," the
worker said. "He also spoke with his wife."
His body was discovered the next morning. Local
believers are shocked and shaken by Ayyad's death, the Baptist worker said.
Those closest to him described him as "a hulk of a man," "dynamic" and
"extremely likeable."
"He was the guy that if anything [in the church] needed
to be done, he did it," the worker said. "He was known as a peacemaker." In
recent months, tensions between Muslims and Christians have escalated. The
Bible Society store was attacked last spring when a bomb was detonated at
the door of the building, damaging the first floor. No one was injured.
Other believers have been robbed and threatened in recent months, but this
is the first known kidnapping and murder of a Christian in the Gaza area.
Baptist workers ask for prayer for Ayyad's family, the
local community and for those who murdered him.
It is estimated that only 2,000 evangelical Christians
live among the 1.5 million people who populate the Gaza Strip. The majority
is Muslim. Less than 1 percent claim to be Christian. Of that percentage,
most are Greek Orthodox.
Source: Hendricks, Shawn (2007,
October 9). Slain Baptist in Gaza had gentle but bold
witness. Retrieved November 19, 2007 from
www.bpnews.net.
Say: We should be thankful for Jesus'
willingness to suffer God's punishment for sin on our behalf. As a result, we
should feel compelled to stand up for Him just as Ayyad did.Living our faith
boldly may require us to make sacrifices, but ultimately it is worth it.
Ask: How will you respond in the face of
being misunderstood or mistreated for your faith?
Isaiah 53:10-12
Read Isaiah 53:10-12.
Ask learners to list examples of symbols we associate
with Christmas that help us to focus on the real reason for the season. Call
learners' attention to the items on display.
Read or paraphrase the following article excerpt:
Christmas Symbols
Can one glean important
Christian truths out of this season’s complex icons, festivities and
symbols? If one wants to. Many symbols used at Christmas even point to why
Jesus came to earth – appealing to the great theme of redemption. Let’s see
what we can discover spiritually from a few of the icons of Christmas.
The Star
The star of Bethlehem was a sign
that the promised Messiah had come. It symbolized fulfillment of
God’s promise.
The early Babylonians, Egyptians, Chinese and Jews all
had stars important to their religious experience. The Christmas tree star
reminds us of the heavenly body that guided those pagan biblical scholars
from the “east” to find Jesus. It was their ultimate light and guide.
Jesus called Himself the “Bright and Morning Star”
(Revelation 22:16). He even promises to give the Morning Star to those who
overcome (Revelation 2:26-28). That means eternal fellowship with Him.
Balaam prophesied: “I shall see him,
but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out
of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17). The
Christmas star draws our attention to Jesus, the “light of the world” (John
8:12, 9:5). It assures us that another promise will soon be filled –
His second advent. The message of the star helps us to prepare to meet Him.
The Color Red
This is the predominant Christmas color, which
symbolizes the blood Jesus shed for us. When His blood poured from that
body, He gave His life to make it possible for us to have eternal life.
The richness of the color of red, its vivid deep and
intense hue represents the greatest sacrifice ever made in the universe.
God’s eternal gift to mankind – Jesus – forever linked Him to humanity. Red
reminds us of that amazing bond.
The Green Color
This is the second color of Christmas as seen in the
tree. It is a background for the red. The evergreen tree remains that color
all year, inviting us to think of eternal life He offers to all because of
His spilt blood.
During the Roman festival of Santurnalia trees were
decorated with candles. Later, the Germans had a wooden-shaped pyramid
structure decorated with evergreen boughs. That “tree” was the focal point
of their celebration. It was decorated behind closed doors and presented on
Christmas eve to the family. That symbolized the moment when everything came
alive at the birth of Jesus.
In America the enduring tree represents His eternal gift
of life to mankind. The gifts under the tree are tokens of His gift to us.
The needles point heavenward, representing to many the prayers of each
individual.
The Bell
Picture the Shepherd leaving the ninety and nine in
search of that one lost sheep. The bell symbolizes the cry of all lost
sinners. The Shepherd finds the missing “one” by its sound. The plaintiff
peal calls the Rescuer to its side.
Over time churches added bells in a tower structure
(~400 A.D.) to call people together to the place of worship. It now
seasonally represents a time of peace and unity when all are called
together.
This season reminds us of another
bell scene. In ancient Israel Aaron the High Priest was to wear golden bells
alternating with various hued pomegranates on the hem of his garment. As he
moved into the Most Holy Place the sound of the bells was an element of
security “that he may not die” (Exodus 28:31-35, 39:26). They announced
to the waiting congregation that their cleansing and purification was safely
moving forward.
The saints will hear similar bells on the garment of
Jesus, our High Priest, at the time of their final deliverance. When we hear
the bells, we know our Deliverer is about to come.
Candles
Used in the past on trees and now replaced by strings of
lights, they draw upon the light from that ancient Bethlehem star; they
represents the Savior – the “light of the world,” which brings us cheer and
hope.
The Poinsettia
This plant is native to Mexico. It was named after
America’s first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Pointsett. The Mexicans thought
the red top leaves looked like the star of Bethlehem. Thus, it became the
traditional Christmas flower.
The Holly Leaf
The Romans gave gifts of holly to their friends during
Saturnalia as “good luck” charms and protection against evil.
This evergreen leaf later represented immortality to
Christians. The thorns of each leaf symbolize the crown of thorns worn by
our Savior, and the red berries, the blood shed by Jesus to bring life to
us.
The Bow
Often put on top of a tree, but usually part of gift
wrappings, the bow ties us all together in bonds of good will towards each
other. That is the message of love and unity that Jesus brings to everyone.
The advent is especially represented by a red bow when a holy union occurs
through the blood of the Lamb.
The Cane
This typifies the Shepherd’s crook on his staff, which
helps to bring back the strayed sheep into the fold. The first people to
hear of Christ’s birth were shepherds watching their flocks at night (Luke
2:8-20).
Those men became symbols of Jesus’ care and protection.
He later called Himself the Good Shepherd who gave His life for His sheep
(John 10:11) and who knew His sheep (John 10:14). The staff of truth helps
prevent His followers from wandering away.
The red stripes were not added to candy canes in America
(a tradition started by a German choirmaster in the 1670’s) until 1900. Then
three small strips symbolized the stripes of Jesus, which heals us (Isaiah
53:5, I Peter 2:24). A fourth wide stripe represented the blood Jesus shed
on Calvary’s tree (Isaiah 53:5, Matthew 27:32-50).
Peppermint was later added to the candy to represent
purging and purification, which Christ’s blood does when cleansing us from
sin.
Frankincense
This was one of the Magi’s gifts (Matthew 2:11) to baby
Jesus. Isaiah prophesied that gold and frankincense would be brought by the
Gentiles to honor the heavenly king (Isaiah 60:6).
Frankincense was the purest of
incense. It burns with a white smoke, representing Christ’s righteousness.
It was a major commodity in Christ’s day. In the Roman Empire it was
considered as valuable as gems or precious metals. The story of frankincense
today symbolizes the respect and honor we give to Jesus who humbled
Himself as a baby 2000 years ago.
Myrrh
This was another gift from the wise men (Matthew 2:11).
This aromatic resin was a widely used “perfume” in Bible times. Of the many
uses described in the Bible, three relate to Jesus in a special way.
1. It was a costly gift that bestowed deep respect
on the recipient. This was the honor given to baby Jesus.
2. It was used to embalm the dead. Nicodemus gave
a mixture of myrrh and aloes of about 100 pounds to prepare Jesus’ body
(John 19:39). This was 100 times the amount normally used – another
gesture of respect.
3. It was used to anoint (Exodus 30:23-32). Mary
anointed Jesus’ feet with Oil of Myrrh, preparing Him for His death
(Luke 7:38-50) and setting Him aside as the Redeemer.
In this season the story of myrrh reminds us of Jesus’
life and death – and the hope this brings to the world.
Interestingly, the church is referred to as a mountain
of myrrh and frankincense (Song of Solomon 4:6-8).
The Wreath
This illustrates the eternal circle of love that came
to us through Jesus. Its greenery exudes life in the middle of winter.
Snow
This is often associated with Christmas because in
December much of the nation is blanketed with these beautiful crystals. The
raiment of the transfigured Christ was noted to be as white as snow (Matthew
28:3) – as was God the Father’s garment (Daniel 7:9). Snow has many meanings
in Scripture. Its greatest message is “purity,” “without sin” (Psalm 51-7,
Isaiah 1:18); totally clean (Ezekiel 36:26).
So many reminders of all that Jesus stands for from a
baby to a king, Christmas has something for every penetrating thinker
pertaining to our precious Savior!
Source: Full article available at
http://www.endtimeissues.com/.
Ask:
-
As the commercial Christmas season begins, how can you use such
Christmas icons to focus on Jesus sacrifice?
-
How do these symbols remind us of Jesus' willingness to fulfill God's
plan?
Close with prayer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXTRA! is a supplement designed
to enhance and expand the effectiveness of printed curriculum provided by
LifeWay Church Resources.
EXTRA! is produced by Publishing
Services and Multimedia, LifeWay Church Resources, Copyright 2007, LifeWay
Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some Internet
addresses given in EXTRA! are outside the LifeWay Internet domain. Because of
the changing nature of the Web, EXTRA! editors cannot be held responsible for
content on pages outside their control. At the time of this posting, the
specific pages mentioned have been viewed and approved by the EXTRA! editorial
staff. However, at the time of your viewing, the information on these pages may
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