Emmanuel: Finding God in Beauty and Suffering
Summary
In this Advent season, we are reminded of the profound truth that God desires to be with us, a concept encapsulated in the name Emmanuel, meaning "God with us." This journey towards Christmas invites us to explore the dual pathways through which we can encounter God: the cross and beauty. Drawing inspiration from Frank Lubbock's reflections in "Letters to a Modern Mystic," we delve into these two doorways, finding God in both the beauty of creation and the suffering of the cross.
Reflecting on Mary's life, we see how she experienced both beauty and pain. From the moment Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her soul, Mary lived with the tension of joy and sorrow. Her life with Jesus was marked by moments of profound beauty, such as the blessing of her child in the temple, and deep pain, as she witnessed his crucifixion. Mary's journey teaches us about the unpredictable nature of life and the necessity of holding our loved ones loosely, recognizing that they belong to God.
Jesus' ministry was unexpected and often misunderstood, even by his family. His actions, such as dining with sinners and healing on the Sabbath, defied societal norms and challenged expectations. Yet, through his life and death, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate expression of self-sacrificing love. The cross, once a symbol of shame, became a testament to this love, transforming into a doorway to divine beauty.
In the resurrection, we find hope and healing. Mary's presence in the upper room with the disciples after Jesus' ascension signifies the restoration of earthly relationships within the spiritual family of God. This unity reflects the beauty of sacrifice, where love transcends personal desires and embraces the well-being of others.
As we navigate our own lives, we are called to find God in both beauty and pain. By embracing small acts of sacrifice and kindness, we participate in the divine love that Jesus exemplified. In doing so, we are reminded that we are never alone, for God is with us in every moment.
Key Takeaways:
- Emmanuel: God With Us: The Advent season reminds us that God desires to be with us, offering life in His presence. This truth invites us to explore the dual pathways of the cross and beauty, where we can encounter God in both joy and suffering. [00:48]
- Mary's Journey of Beauty and Pain: Mary's life with Jesus was marked by both profound beauty and deep sorrow. Her experience teaches us to hold our loved ones loosely, recognizing that they belong to God and that we cannot control their paths. [04:25]
- Unexpected Ministry of Jesus: Jesus' ministry defied societal norms and challenged expectations, demonstrating the ultimate expression of self-sacrificing love. His actions remind us that true beauty often lies in unexpected places. [05:07]
- The Cross as a Doorway to Beauty: The cross, once a symbol of shame, became a testament to divine love through Jesus' sacrifice. This transformation invites us to see beauty in sacrifice and to embrace acts of kindness and service. [09:48]
- Unity in the Spiritual Family: The resurrection brings hope and healing, uniting earthly relationships within the spiritual family of God. This unity reflects the beauty of sacrifice, where love transcends personal desires for the well-being of others. [10:20]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Presence of God
- [00:48] - Emmanuel: God With Us
- [01:03] - Learning from Frank Lubbock
- [01:15] - Finding God in Cross and Beauty
- [01:31] - Reflecting on Mary and Jesus
- [02:00] - Simeon's Prophecy
- [02:30] - Poverty and Exile
- [03:34] - Losing Jesus in the Temple
- [04:12] - Jesus' Identity and Calling
- [05:07] - Unexpected Ministry
- [06:12] - Family and Misunderstanding
- [07:29] - Self-Sacrificing Love
- [08:03] - Near the Cross
- [09:19] - Resurrection and Hope
- [10:20] - Unity in Spiritual Family
- [11:19] - Beauty and Sacrifice
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Luke 2:25-35 - Simeon's prophecy to Mary about Jesus and the sword that will pierce her soul.
2. John 19:25-27 - Mary at the foot of the cross during Jesus' crucifixion.
3. Acts 1:12-14 - Mary and Jesus' brothers in the upper room after the resurrection.
#### Observation Questions
1. What did Simeon prophesy to Mary about her future and the future of her child, Jesus? How might this have impacted her understanding of Jesus' life and mission? [01:48]
2. How did Jesus' actions during his ministry challenge societal norms and expectations? Provide specific examples mentioned in the sermon. [05:07]
3. Describe the scene at the cross where Mary is present. What emotions and thoughts might she have experienced at that moment? [08:03]
4. What significance does Mary's presence in the upper room with the disciples hold after Jesus' resurrection? [10:20]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of "Emmanuel: God With Us" shape the understanding of God's presence in both joyful and painful moments of life? [00:48]
2. In what ways does Mary's journey with Jesus illustrate the tension between beauty and pain in the Christian life? [04:25]
3. How does Jesus' unexpected ministry redefine the concept of beauty and sacrifice? What does this teach about finding God in unexpected places? [05:07]
4. What does the transformation of the cross from a symbol of shame to one of beauty and love reveal about the nature of God's love? [09:48]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced both beauty and pain simultaneously. How did you sense God's presence in that situation? [01:31]
2. How can you practice holding your loved ones loosely, recognizing that they belong to God? What steps can you take to trust God with their paths? [04:25]
3. Jesus' ministry often defied expectations. How can you embrace unexpected opportunities to demonstrate love and kindness in your daily life? [05:07]
4. The cross is a symbol of self-sacrificing love. What small acts of sacrifice can you incorporate into your routine to reflect this love? [09:48]
5. In what ways can you contribute to unity within your spiritual community, especially when faced with differences or misunderstandings? [10:20]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you struggle to find beauty. How can you invite God into that space to transform your perspective? [11:19]
7. Consider a relationship in your life that needs healing. What steps can you take to foster reconciliation and unity, inspired by the resurrection's promise of hope and healing? [10:20]
Devotional
Day 1: Emmanuel: God With Us
In the Advent season, we are reminded of the profound truth that God desires to be with us, encapsulated in the name Emmanuel, meaning "God with us." This truth invites us to explore the dual pathways of the cross and beauty, where we can encounter God in both joy and suffering. The presence of God is not limited to moments of happiness but extends into our pain and struggles, offering us life in His presence. As we journey towards Christmas, we are encouraged to seek God in every aspect of our lives, recognizing that He is with us in every moment. [00:48]
Isaiah 41:10 (ESV): "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to be reminded that God is with you, offering His presence and strength?
Day 2: Mary's Journey of Beauty and Pain
Mary's life with Jesus was marked by both profound beauty and deep sorrow. From the moment Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her soul, Mary lived with the tension of joy and sorrow. Her experience teaches us to hold our loved ones loosely, recognizing that they belong to God and that we cannot control their paths. Mary's journey is a testament to the unpredictable nature of life and the necessity of trusting God with the lives of those we love. [04:25]
Luke 2:34-35 (ESV): "And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, 'Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.'"
Reflection: How can you practice holding your loved ones loosely, trusting God with their lives and paths today?
Day 3: Unexpected Ministry of Jesus
Jesus' ministry defied societal norms and challenged expectations, demonstrating the ultimate expression of self-sacrificing love. His actions, such as dining with sinners and healing on the Sabbath, often misunderstood even by his family, remind us that true beauty often lies in unexpected places. Jesus' life and death reveal a love that transcends human understanding, inviting us to embrace the unexpected and see beauty in the unconventional. [05:07]
Mark 2:15-17 (ESV): "And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
Reflection: What unexpected places or people in your life might God be calling you to see His beauty and love today?
Day 4: The Cross as a Doorway to Beauty
The cross, once a symbol of shame, became a testament to divine love through Jesus' sacrifice. This transformation invites us to see beauty in sacrifice and to embrace acts of kindness and service. The cross is a powerful reminder that true beauty often emerges from places of pain and sacrifice, calling us to participate in the divine love that Jesus exemplified. By embracing small acts of sacrifice and kindness, we reflect the beauty of the cross in our own lives. [09:48]
1 Corinthians 1:18 (ESV): "For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
Reflection: What small act of sacrifice or kindness can you embrace today to reflect the beauty of the cross in your life?
Day 5: Unity in the Spiritual Family
The resurrection brings hope and healing, uniting earthly relationships within the spiritual family of God. Mary's presence in the upper room with the disciples after Jesus' ascension signifies the restoration of earthly relationships within this spiritual family. This unity reflects the beauty of sacrifice, where love transcends personal desires for the well-being of others. As members of God's family, we are called to embrace this unity, recognizing that we are never alone, for God is with us in every moment. [10:20]
Ephesians 2:19-22 (ESV): "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and well-being of your spiritual family today, reflecting the love and sacrifice of Jesus?
Quotes
and this is the reason for existence God offers us life together with him and that's Emmanuel God With Us and that's at the heart of this Advent series as we walk together towards Christmas to get ready for that God wants to be with you [00:42:53]
sometimes one feels that there is a Discord between the cross and beauty but there really cannot be for God has found best through those two doorways so for a few moments I want to talk to you about those two doorways and finding God in the cross and in Beauty [01:13:75]
and he takes the baby into his arms and He blesses that baby and it's a wonderful thing when you're a parent and somebody takes your child and blesses that baby and he says wonderful things about the baby's future but then the final words of his Blessing are just chilling they're addressed not to God not to the baby not to Joseph just to marry and a sword will pierce your own heart [01:18:56]
and she will not always understand maybe that's the sword anybody in your life that you're not able to control part of what we're learning in this season and being with God is to love the people in our lives especially our families but to learn to hold them loosely for they are not ours [04:18:78]
and uh he ends up eating with Sinners and hanging out with tax collectors and letting a prostitute bathe his feet with her tears and rub them dry with her hair and touches lepers violates Sabbath loss none of the great leaders of Israel want to follow him most likely her dreams died [05:13:02]
and we are to love with great love but it is a self-sacrificing love and uh family is a very good thing but a family is not God and a family is not to be idolized and um there's pain for Jesus and his family maybe that's the sword [07:23:44]
and that body that she brought into the world and that she laid in a Manger and that she nursed and fed and bathed and clothed and worried over intended when it was sick she now has to watch nailed to a cross and when he died we're told that they pierced his body with his sword with a sphere and blood flowed from his side [08:19:01]
and slowly over time Jesus followers beginning with Mary as much as anybody began to understand the death couldn't stop him and that what took place on the cross although it was a horrible hateful humiliating thing in some deeper strange way along with the resurrection became the ultimate expression of the self-sacrificing love that is at the heart of God [09:26:56]
and we see Mary one last time in the New Testament in the first chapter of the book of Acts when we're told after the resurrection and Jesus is going to be with his father the disciples meet together in the upper room for prayer and there also was Mary and Jesus's brothers and his Earthly family is healed in the community of his spiritual family [10:16:38]
there is in the universe a higher kind of beauty than a pretty face or even a soul that sings for Joy it is the beauty of sacrifice of giving up for others of suffering for others a woman has not reached her highest Beauty until she lays down her ease and chooses pain for others [10:49:38]
Beauty and pain the two doorways come together on the cross so another day find God in Beauty and pain be with him there and then just one small Act of sacrifice a kind word to somebody a gift to somebody take a few moments to serve somebody allow yourself to be interrupted by somebody do a favor to somebody [11:17:79]
You Are Not Alone [11:46:92]
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