Embracing Peace Through the Incarnation of Christ

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 1:1-5 (NIV)
> "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

2. Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
> "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"

3. John 1:14 (NIV)
> "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to John 1:1-5, what roles does the "Word" play in creation and life?
2. How does Genesis 1:26 reflect the concept of the Trinity as discussed in the sermon? [30:20]
3. What does John 1:14 mean when it says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us"?
4. How does the sermon describe the role of John the Baptist in preparing the way for Jesus? [34:04]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What is the significance of Jesus being referred to as "the Word" in John 1:1-5? How does this title connect to the Old Testament understanding of the law and the prophets? [32:39]
2. How does the concept of peace in the New Testament, as brought by Jesus, differ from the Old Testament and Greco-Roman understandings of peace? [26:13]
3. Why is the Incarnation of Jesus Christ considered the culmination of God's attempts to bridge the divide between humanity and Himself? [39:35]
4. How does the sermon explain the necessity of Jesus's sacrifice for bringing peace and reconciliation between God and humanity? [36:45]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the idea that peace in Christ is not achieved through human efforts but is a gift from being grounded in Him. How can you ensure that your life is more grounded in Christ to experience this peace? [26:55]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of confession and forgiveness. Is there someone in your life with whom you need to seek reconciliation? How can you take the first step towards making peace with them? [40:20]
3. The Lord's table is described as a place of grace and reconciliation. How can participating in communion help you renew your relationship with God and others? [40:59]
4. The sermon suggests that feelings of unsettlement may arise when one is not grounded in Christ. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel unsettled. How can you invite Christ into that area to bring peace? [26:55]
5. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance. How can you prepare your heart and life to receive Jesus more fully during this Advent season? [34:04]
6. The concept of the Word becoming flesh shows God's deep desire for intimacy with us. How can you cultivate a more intimate relationship with God in your daily life? [39:35]
7. Reflect on the idea that Jesus's life, death, and resurrection were necessary to bring peace and unite humanity with God. How does this understanding impact your view of your own relationship with God and others? [36:45]

Day 1: Incarnation: Intimacy Beyond the Text
The Incarnation of Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God's desire to connect with humanity on a personal level. It transcends the written law and prophecies, offering a tangible and transformative relationship with the divine. Through Jesus, the Word made flesh, we are invited into an intimate and living communion with God. [39:35]

Hebrews 1:1-3 - "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."
Reflection: How does the reality of God becoming human in Jesus Christ influence your understanding of your relationship with God?

Day 2: The Table of Grace: A Place of Restoration
The Lord's table is a profound symbol of God's grace, where all are invited to renew their relationship with Him. It is here that we lay down our sins and burdens, and in return, we are embraced by God's forgiveness and love. This sacrament is a reminder that no matter our past, we are welcomed into God's presence with open arms. [40:59]

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Reflection: What burdens or sins do you need to bring to the Lord's table today, and how can you actively embrace the grace that is offered to you there?

Day 3: Communion: Covenant and Transformation
Forgiveness is not just a concept but a transformative experience that connects us to the covenants of the Old and New Testaments. Through confession and the assurance of forgiveness, we are reborn into the love of God and the sacrifice of Christ. Communion is a communal act that reminds us of our beloved identity as children of God. [43:19]

Colossians 1:13-14 - "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
Reflection: How can you live out the reality of being a beloved child of God today, especially in your interactions with others?

Day 4: Peace Through Sacrifice: Unity with the Divine
Jesus's life, death, and resurrection were necessary to bring peace and reconciliation between God and humanity. This peace is not simply the absence of conflict but a profound unity with the divine. John the Baptist's role in preparing the way for Jesus underscores the fulfillment of God's promises and the establishment of a new era of peace. [36:04]

Ephesians 2:14-16 - "For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively seek to embody the peace of Christ in your relationships and communities?

Day 5: Peace in Christ: Wholeness and Harmony
The peace that comes through Christ is a gift that transcends human efforts and rule-following. It is a state of wholeness and harmony that reflects God's original intention for creation. This peace is rooted in being grounded in Christ and is a reflection of the divine relationship we are called to live out. [26:13]

Romans 14:17-19 - "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to ground yourself more deeply in Christ and experience His peace in your life?

Fantastic!

Okay, so this morning, as we start week two of Advent, we're looking at this Christmas Vacation series.

Now, I just want to make one point, one thing out, because the children and the adults are doing the same series. So starting this week, as parents, you're looking at the same core scripture that your children are looking at. We're just going more in-depth on it, okay?

And so hopefully, as you go on with your kids, you'll have some common things you can talk about. Remember, pre-teen parents, you can watch the kids' lesson they didn't do today on the church app. And if you want to follow along with the order of the sermon, you can do so by opening the Bible app and clicking on that worship tab, and you'll find the sermon notes.

Now, this week is the second week of Advent, which, as I said a moment ago, is the week of peace. And so I want us to think about what this word means: the word peace.

Now, the definition from—now this is a Bible dictionary—might not be what you find if you looked up a traditional dictionary, but for the Bible dictionary, the word peace means a pervasive concept in the Bible. It most commonly relates to a relationship of love and loyalty with God and one another.

So we are at peace when we are in a relationship of love and loyalty. Now, if you notice, there's nothing in this definition that speaks about war, suffering, or hardship. It says love and loyalty with God and one another. Now, if we are at love and loyalty with one another, we should not be at war with them. True? True.

Okay, so there are two different ways we can be at peace with one another, and we can be at peace with God.

Now, in the Old Testament, the understanding of peace is to have wholeness and the absence of hostility. Now, if you think about it, for Israel, they were at conflict with the people around them for most of the Old Testament. That, unfortunately, has not changed a lot for the people of Israel today.

And they had a covenant of peace with God and with the people within the Jewish nation, so they were always seeking to come back to peace. But the Greeks and Romans believed that peace only came through war, that you could not gain peace without going to battle. So they had this phrase: "If you wish for peace, you must first prepare for war."

And there's the phrase, right, "to sue for peace." So in the New Testament, when we think about the Greek and Roman understanding, we're thinking about wholeness and absence of hostility, but the New Testament peace adds Messianic properties, meaning Christ into it.

Because when the angels declared peace at Christ's birth, they're declaring that finally the one who's going to bring peace has come. Finally, people can be connected to one another in unity. Finally, the one who is going to bring it all has been born.

And again, when Christ himself resurrected and he showed up to people, he said, "Peace, I bring to you." And we see in the New Testament, in a lot of the letters of Paul, he often greeted people, "Peace to you, peace to you."

The whole concept in the New Testament is that peace comes through Christ. It's no longer a rule that we have to have peace; it's only because Christ has brought it to us.

So today, we experience peace because we trust in Christ and because we grow in our faith. Not separate. When we feel our life is unsettled, when we feel it's unbalanced, when we don't feel grounded and peaceful, oftentimes, if we look inward, we will find it's because we have not grounded ourselves into Christ.

So that brings us to our focus for today, which is that God sent Jesus for a reason. That reason he sent Jesus is to bring the world peace. It's what the angels declared.

So let's—we're going to look at that a little bit more today. Before we jump into the story, I want to compare how the Gospels declared that Jesus was coming.

So we have Matthew, Mark, and John all give that Jesus was coming, but they're quite different. So we have Matthew and Luke, and we call them synoptic Gospels, meaning that they're very, very similar. And all three Gospels explain how the prophecies, meaning the Old Testament, were brought true through Jesus.

But Matthew and Luke start with his family tree, all his descendants, and show how the lineage of Christ came true because this is all the people he's related to. And then we talked about that prophecy some last week—the House of David and all those things.

Will you mute me? Anybody else's allergies go crazy this week? Thank you. Okay, the pollen counts went out the roof. All right, I was trying not to talk with a cough drop if I could avoid it, but it looks like that's not going to happen.

Okay, so Matthew and Luke start with a family tree, but John starts by looking at creation. Now, often we don't think of this as proving the Old Testament prophecies, but it does. John is showing how creation and Jesus line up.

So today's passage we're looking at is John's version. So we're going to start by unpacking John. We'll start in John chapter 1, verse 1:

"In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it."

So this connects these five little verses back to Genesis when we have this phrase, "In the beginning." Now, I'm sure all of you have Genesis memorized, but we're going to just read it again.

Genesis chapter 1, verse 26: "Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.'"

"Let us in our image be like us." I get the question all the time: Did the Trinity exist in the Old Testament? Well, out of curiosity, if there was not a Trinity in Genesis, then why is God speaking about himself in the plural? There's more than one in Genesis: "Let us in our image."

So here we have the parallel to John of God putting the plural. So then if we jump a couple chapters—alright, we jump a couple chapters to chapter 3, we go to verse 8. This is after he's created man and woman, and they have sinned.

But I want you to think about the human version of God here. Verse 8: "When the cool evening breeze was blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees."

So God was in physical form in the garden, walking to the point that his feet are making a sound. He's rustling the leaves. They can see him; they probably can touch him because he is walking among them.

Now, there's no theological proof of what this is, but I will tell you, in my mind, when I think that the Trinity has been there from the beginning, and the physical form of God is Jesus, and John tells us that Jesus was there in the beginning, that this was the pre-born version of Christ. Because who else would be walking with Adam and Eve in the beginning? He was there.

So we have this idea, these first five verses, the phrase "the Word," and John is calling Jesus the Word. And the reason for that—because that seems a little analogy for us—but the Word in the Old Testament meant the law, the prophets, or essence of scripture.

And Jesus, we know, came to fulfill the law and the prophets. So by the Word becoming flesh, the law became flesh, the prophecies became flesh. Everything that had been spoken by God became flesh.

Later in scripture, Jesus says, "I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill the law." Friends, he fulfilled it when he was born. And ironically, for the Jews and the Greeks, they believed it was impossible for the invisible to become visible, for God to become human, just like they believed it was impossible for human to become God.

But they missed the fact that nothing is impossible for God. So all these things they had to talk about what Jesus was going to do, and they weren't expecting this.

Well, there's a couple other things in this passage I want to point to, and that's John. Now, not to be confusing, but the book is called John, and it talks about a John, and they're not the same John. Just got to keep that straight.

This is John the disciple, who was a fisherman that Jesus called. That's who wrote the book. The John we're about to talk about is his cousin, John the Baptist.

So let's pick back up in the scripture, and we're going to pick up in John chapter 1, verse 6: "God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light."

Now we've switched analogies from the Word to the light. Why? I don't know. He just decided to do it mid-chapter. So now we're talking about Jesus as the light, to tell everyone about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony.

John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

By the way, preaching, that's your memory verse this month: John 1:9. "He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him."

Now we're going to jump down to verse 15: "John testified about him when he shouted to the crowd, 'This is the one I was talking about when I said someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me. From his abundance, we have all received one gracious blessing after another. The law was given through Moses, but God's unfailing faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the unique one who is himself God is near to the Father's heart. He has revealed God to us.'"

So John is explaining to everyone around, "Hey, someone's coming." Now remember last week I told you it had been a long time since any great prophets had come forth. John was the first real great prophet to rise up in 400 years.

It was even prophesied that there would be a voice in the desert shouting, and this is John. And he's saying, "Someone's coming. They're going to come and do all the things we've been wanting to do."

And John started preparing people's hearts to receive Jesus, and he says, "Get ready! The light is shining in the darkness. The Word is going to come." He says, "Are you ready to get it?"

But we know, if you know much of the other story, if you know much about John the Baptist, the world wasn't ready for John the Baptist because they killed him. And they weren't ready for Jesus because they killed him too.

But we also know at the end that that had to happen, and Jesus had to come and be born and have his short ministry and have his life taken from him. It's the only way he could actually bring peace and the understanding of our relationship with God being unified.

So let's finish the story. We're going to jump back to the passages we skipped, which is back in verse 11: "He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn, not with physical birth resulting in human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

The first half of that: "The Word became human and made his home among us." I love the way John puts this when he talks about the incarnate God because it's that whole summary of the Old Testament—everything they had been hoping for and anticipating and everything God had spoken in love and correction and prophecy and creation—everything that that Word stands for became human. All of it.

And made a home among us, knowing he wouldn't be accepted, knowing that he would be ridiculed, knowing that he would be tortured.

Now, the question is, when did the little baby figure it out? We know God in heaven and Jesus in heaven had an understanding of all these things. When Jesus became a little baby, he didn't know. At what point did the little baby get the realization of what his job was? I don't have an answer to that.

But if we go back to the purpose of this week, that God sent Jesus for a reason, the reason is because he wanted to know us in ways that he couldn't do before because there was still division. No matter how much he tried, he wanted to have a relationship with us. For no matter how much he tried, he couldn't because the law and the prophets and all of the history was just them trying to have a relationship.

So he took all of that and he put it to the incarnate Son to show us that the Word is more than what's written on paper. He wanted to show us that it is alive, and today it's still alive.

But back with the Father, would you pray with me?

Almighty God, I'm thankful that no matter what, you are with us and for us and never away from us. Teach us, Lord, what it is you want us to know, and remind us in all things that we are with you.

Bring us to this table seeking to make peace with one another. If there's anyone in this room we don't have peace, love, and harmony with, that you would show us that so we may repent and honor you. We pray this in your holy and powerful name. Amen.

I just realized I was coughing, and I don't want to stand over the table. Julie, can you step to the table for me?

Okay, sorry. I like, mid-step. Sorry, friends.

Alright, very—Julio, be my hands as we, friends, prepare to come to the table of our Lord's grace. This is the place that we do get to rectify our relationship with us of peace, that no matter what else happens in our lives, we know that he will always return us to a loving relationship with him.

So know that we're all welcome, and we're all invited, and the only thing we have to do is just confess our sins to him, and then he receives us exactly as we are.

So if you would join me in this confession as we share with him anything we need to lay on our hearts, you'll find it on the screen:

"God of majesty and glory, we are thirsty for your grace. You made a way for us in the wilderness, and still, in our foolishness, we go astray. We hide our eyes from your presence. We do not listen to your word. We are lifeless when we ought to dance and speechless when we ought to sing. Forgive us, O Lord. Speak peace, holy way. Amen."

You take a moment to lift anything to God in your heart you need to lift.

Almighty God, we ask that you hear these confessions we lift to you in our hearts now. We know that you receive them as your beloved children, and you hold no confession back. You hold no forgiveness back.

So Lord, as your people, we now share this word of forgiveness with each other. Friends, hear this word and share with me: "In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven."

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Amen.

On the night that Christ sat with his friends around the table, John, his disciple, being one of them, he took the bread and he broke it and he said, "This is my body, which has been given for you. Eat this in remembrance of me."

He also took a cup and he gave thanks for it. They would have passed it around the table because that would have been one of their signs of peace is to share a common cup together. He said, "This is the blood of the New Covenant poured out for the sins of all people."

And Christ was the sign of the Old Testament, and by sharing his sacrifice, we are joined in all of those covenants and being reborn in all that he's done. So he said, "Drink as often as you eat in remembrance of me."

Would you take a moment and pray with me?

Almighty God, send your spirit upon this gift of bread and juice and all these people here, and fill us with your spirit so we may be your body in this world. We pray this in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I invite my friends to come forward. They're going to help me serve communion. As they come, just a word of instruction: you'll receive a small piece of bread, and it'll be dipped into the cup. If you don't want bread that's been touched by anybody, there's prepackaged communion. They'll be right here in the center. There'll also be gluten-free bread right here in the center.

We'll serve all the helpers, and then in just a moment, after we serve everybody, we'll invite the room to come forward. When you do, you'll come down the center from the back, out the sides, and then back out. The kneeling rails are open for prayer, along with the prayer room.

As Julie makes her way back up, can we just say thank you to all of our church? This responds in spontaneity. The Lord's table is prepared, and you're all invited to come. There's no requirement as long as you're here. The Lord invites you.

We'll start in the back.

"He took all of that and he put it to the Incarnate son to show us that the word is more than what's written on paper; he wanted to show us that it is alive and today it's still alive but back with the father." [39:35] (Download)

"This is the place that we do get to rectify his relationship with us of peace, that no matter what else happens in our lives, we know that he will always return us to a loving relationship with him." [40:59] (Download)

"In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." [43:19] (Download)

"The Lord's table is prepared and you're all invited to come; there's no requirement as long as you're here, the Lord invites you." [46:24] (Download)

"We are at peace when we are in a relationship of love and loyalty. Now if you notice there's nothing in this definition that speaks about war, suffering, or hardship; it says love and loyalty with God and one another." [24:03] (Download)

"Jesus had to come and be born and have his short Ministry and have his life taken from him; it's the only way he could actually bring peace and the understanding of our relationship with God being unified." [36:45] (Download)

"The law became flesh, the prophecies became flesh, everything that had been spoken by God became flesh. Jesus fulfilled the law not by abolishing it, but by embodying it, making the impossible possible for God." [33:24] (Download)

"John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light, the one who is the true light who gives light to everyone was coming into the world." [34:41] (Download)

"No one has ever seen God, but the unique one who is himself God is near to The Father's Heart; he has revealed God to us, bridging the gap between the divine and the human." [35:20] (Download)

"The whole concept in the New Testament is that peace comes through Christ; it's no longer a rule that we have to have peace, it's only because Christ has brought it to us." [26:55] (Download)