First produced by Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church, this 12-session study is perfect for groups just beginning their faith walk or for anyone looking for a deeper foundation. Follow Jesus leads adults to rediscover Jesus, grow in the spirit and learn to live in faith and in service to the church, community and world.Part 1 - Rediscovering JesusJesus the Messiah Unique Characteristics of JesusSavior of the World Our Lord Part 2 - Growing in the SpiritThe Holy SpiritUnderstanding Spiritual Fruit Understanding Spiritual Gifts Sharing the Spirit Part 3 - Living in Faith and ServiceSession Nine: Spiritual Disciplines: Keys to God’s Heart Session Ten: The Church Session Eleven: Understanding God’s CallSession Twelve: God’s Place for You Also available:Following Jesus Leader's Guide9780687649488

Following Jesus

Steps to a Passionate FaithBy Carolyn Slaughter

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2008 The United Methodist Publishing House
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-687-64958-7

Chapter One

SESSION ONE Jesus the Messiah

Who is Jesus? A great teacher. A compelling moral leader. An example of faith. A good man. A visionary prophet. The Son of God. Jesus is known by many names.

People have many opinions about who Jesus is, but many of those opinions are not based on an authoritative source. Unfortunately, many ideas about who Jesus is are opinions without much basis; we often simply adopt the ideas of those around us without our own thorough investigation. To know who Jesus really is we will go to the most authoritative source we know, one that will give us the facts about Jesus. We will base our investigation in the Bible.

Origin of the Bible

The Bible is a Christian's fact base—the basis of faith and life practices. As we learn in 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible is God-breathed, the very words of God whispered into the hearts and ears of its human writers. It is God's tool used to transform and equip us to do God's work.

The word bible comes from the Greek ta biblia, meaning "the scrolls" or "the books." Although today we think of the Bible as a single work, it is actually a group of books written by a variety of authors. They were first written on individual scrolls of paper; but around 450 B.C. the documents were edited and compiled into what we now call the Old Testament.

Following Jesus' death and resurrection, various witnesses (or disciples of eyewitnesses) recorded the life of Jesus and the early church. Included in these writings were also letters of instructions to new churches across the Middle East. Together, these writings are what we call the New Testament. The list of books to be included in the New Testament was finalized in A.D. 376 and is the New Testament we know today.

Prophesy of the Coming Messiah

The pursuit of who Jesus is actually takes a lifetime of discovery! In this session, we will focus on insights on Jesus from the Old Testament.

There are more than 300 references to the person called the Messiah in the Old Testament. Messiah was the Hebrew term for the person God would send to free God's people and bring them into personal relationship with God. The Greek term was Christ (meaning Savior). As we explore the Old Testament together, we will look at key prophecies that give specific insights about the coming Messiah—what this person would be like and what this person would do. Then we will look in the New Testament to see how those prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus.

In Isaiah 48:3-6, God told the world the purpose of the Old Testament prophecies:

I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were; the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you so that you could not say, "My images brought them about; my wooden image and metal god ordained them." You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? (NIV)

God knows how stubborn humans are and that how, left to our own devices, we will come up with our own reasons for whatever happens. But God wanted us to know who was in control of all that was being done. No credit was to go to false gods of wood and bronze, so we were given clues to God's work. God said to the world: this is how you identify my plan. When all of these signs and prophecies come together, that is my person—the Messiah (savior of the world).

The following verses are a representative sampling of prophecies. Each Old Testament prophecy is connected with its New Testament fulfillment. Examine each grouping for information about the Messiah and how this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, and then write down your insights on the lines that follow:

Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Micah 5:2; Luke 2:1-7 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-3 and 11:7-11 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Isaiah 35:3-6; Matthew 9:27-35 and 11:1-6 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Zechariah 9:9; Luke 19:28-36 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Isaiah 53:4-6, 11-12; Luke 23:32-34; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

All of the prophecies came together in Jesus. As a result, persons all through the New Testament pointed to the fulfillment of prophecy to authenticate who Jesus is. Note here what people in the New Testament said about Jesus:

John 1:43-45 (Philip, one of Jesus' disciples) _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Luke 24:44-48 (Jesus himself) _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Acts 17:1-4 (the apostle Paul, who had previously persecuted followers of Christ) _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The question Who is Jesus? is one that everyone must answer at some point in his or her life. Jesus even asked his own disciples that very question while he was still in human form on earth. Read Matthew 16:13-16 to see how his disciples responded to this very important question:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Reflection

Based on what you know so far about Jesus, who do you say Jesus is? Write your response here: _____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

Prayer

Lord, I praise you for sending Jesus, the Messiah, to reconnect us with God forever and to serve as the ultimate example for the way we should live our lives. Thank you, God, for giving us your love story for humanity in written form. Please open my heart to a deeper walk with Jesus and empower me to live more fully for Jesus this week.

Homework

Spend time acquainting yourself with the Bible. Browse through the first four books of the New Testament—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the books that primarily tell the story of Jesus. Read and complete Session Two.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work."

Quick Bible Facts

66 books, written over a 1,600-year period, about 50 different human authors

Old Testament

39 books, from Creation to 50 B.C.

New Testament

27 books, from Jesus' birth to A.D. 100

The Bible, with all its books and contributors, tells one story from Genesis to Revelation: the story of a loving God who created human beings to be in relationship with God.

Study Tip

Bible studies usually focus on portions of Scripture for explanations; however, you should always read the surrounding verses to help determine the meaning and ensure what the Bible really says.

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Excerpted from Following Jesusby Carolyn Slaughter Copyright © 2008 by The United Methodist Publishing House. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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