The Wise Men
Updated: 13 December, 2011
However you might pronounce it, on Sunday we focused on The Magi or Wise Men. The podcast of the talk can be found here, below are the questions for this week’s groups:
1. The Wise Men were not just in the right place, at the right time. They had studied the Old Testament prophecies and were anticipating the Messiah. How has your experience of disciplined time with God affected your persepctive and life decisions?
2. The Wise Men were astrologers. God spoke to them through the constellations. What life experiences have shaped your character? How might God use some of those experiences going forward?
3. Understanding some of the symbolism of the gift of Myrrh, how did that affect you?
4. ‘No one has been saved by Jesus birth, everyone is saved by His death’ What are your responses to that statement?
My response to question 4, is that I don’t really agree.
For me, Jesus birth is the most amazing thing in so many ways.
The idea that Jesus as part of this triune God that created the universe, somehow poured himself into our human existence is completely amazing.
And the idea that in doing so he became dependant on a human mother to birth and care for him. And a young vulnerable mother in danger of honour killing at that. Then a confused but loyal step dad. Living in danger in an occupied and defeated country, living as a refugee, learning a carpenters trade and all that even before he begins what we call his public ministry.
And then his whole public ministry on the one hand his care and compassion, but on the other hand all the things he says and does that end up bringing him to this death by the occupiers of his country in collaboration with his own civic and religious leaders.
I think it is incredible and I think his incarnation and his life give value and worth to our humanity as well as his death and resurrection.
I think to detach his death and resurrection from his life is in danger of missing the point because the whole thing is redemptive and the whole thing fits together and gives meaning,
I think if we think of the whole of Jesus life as just being a preamble to his death and resurrection we are in danger of devaluing things and reducing the message in unhelpful ways.