WALT39

Q2. Why did Jesus refer to the violent nature of his death in the Words of Institution? What did this probably mean to the disciples at the time? What did it probably mean to them later? Why did Jesus refer to the violent nature of his death in the Words of Institution? The shedding of blood was a violent act which occurred both in the Old and New Testament. As Pastor Ralph wrote, "Jesus is explaining that his death on the cross -- violent and unrighteous as it might seem -- is also a sacrifice of atonement for sin." It was necessary for Jesus to refer to this in order for all to understand why this was happening. What did this probably mean to the disciples at the time? They probably did not know exactly what He meant. In Matthew 16:21-22, when Jesus predicted His death, Peter said to Him that "it shall never happen." What did it probably mean to them later? They would have realized the significant of the need for the sacrifice in order to atone for all of our sins. Pastor Ralph wrote that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:7, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed". Further, as Pastor Ralph wrote in his commentary that Jesus not only fulfilled the sacrificial laws, he also fulfilled Passover.

Q1. How were Old Testament sacrifices a way of God showing grace and mercy to his people? God wanted us to atone for our sins. He also wanted to make us realize that we had to pay a price for our sins. In the Old Testament a sacrifice of an unblemished lamb, goat or bull which was costly was required to be sacrificed for human sin. The animal had to died and its blood had to be sprinkled some on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest at the base of the altar. God wanted us to know really how serious it was to sin and therefore He loved us so much that He sent His only Son who was sinless to be the ultimate sacrifice. After that no additional sacrifice was needed. The reason for the sacrifice is in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Q4. How does Jesus' voluntarily laying down his life for you encourage you? How does it speak to your value and worth as a person? What does it inspire you to do? When I think about God loving me, just this one insignificant person in this whole wide world, and then He sent His Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for my sins, I have to show Him that I can love others the same way. Because God thinks of me so highly, how can I disappoint Him and He makes me feel worthy. He inspires me to want to know more about Him and obey Him. Of course this is easier said than done, because I want to set the agenda, but fortunately God is winning out.

Q3. Look at the verses above which include both the word "give" and a preposition that means "in behalf of." According to these verses, what was the purpose of Jesus giving himself in sacrifice? "This is my body given for you" (Luke 22:19b). "This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51b) "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men...." (1 Timothy 2:5-6) "... the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." (Galatians 1:3-4) "... Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:13-14) "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28 = Mark 10:45) "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:2) Q3.According to these verses, what was the purpose of Jesus giving himself in sacrifice? This was a great question. I believe that this really helped me to understand the verse from Luke 22:19b. Even though I do remember something about grammar, I was curious about the meaning of a preposition. "A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount." Jesus gave Himself up for us, the whole world. He did it for our sins and in so doing, He redeemed us. Throughout these verses, it can be summarized from Ephesians 5:2, "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Q2. (1 John 4:2-3) Why does Christianity insist on a physical birth, physical suffering, and a resurrection of the physical body? How would our faith be different if Christ hadn't fully entered the human condition? 1 John 4:2-3 - This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. Why does Christianity insist on a physical birth, physical suffering, and a resurrection of the physical body? We must acknowledge that Jesus was both divine/human. In order for Him to be able to be sacrificed for our sins, He had to become a physical human being from being born a baby to dying as a man. He had to experience physical suffering so we would accept Him as a human. Only if He died as a human, could he be resurrected and truly show His divinity. How would our faith be different if Christ hadn't fully entered the human condition? We would not be able to experience eternal life and be with Jesus for ever. We would not be Christians and we would be just plain Gentiles.

Q1. (1 Peter 2:24) Why do you think the Apostle Peter emphasized Jesus' physical body, when he talks about sin-bearing? 1 Peter 2:24 - He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. Jesus was both divine and human. It was the human side that would be vulnerable to sin and therefore Peter would have to emphasize that aspect of Jesus.

Q4. What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? How does that affect you? How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper? What are the implications for you personally, when you realize that in the Lord's Supper you are becoming a sharer in the sacrifice of the cross? When I take communion, I feel close to the Lord but I really never thought that I was a sharer. By feeling as a sharer, it makes me feel more responsible for my actions. How does that affect you? Actually, very joyous and wanting to serve Him. How does it change your understanding of the Lord's Supper? It makes it feel more personable and also it will bring me even closer to the Lord. I know He sacrifice for all of us, and being a sharer, maybe I can feel His pain when I disappoint myself and others.

Q3. In what way did the priests participate in the altar by eating of the Old Testament sacrifices? How does Paul connect this observation with our participation with Christ's sacrifice? In what way did the priests participate in the altar by eating of the Old Testament sacrifices? God had commanded through Moses that the priests were to participate in the atonement by eating as a community a portion of the offering. By this practice, they would be burn part of the offering and then join in by eating a portion in order to be sharers of the sacrifice. How does Paul connect this observation with our participation with Christ's sacrifice? We are to be sharers in the sacrifice of Jesus. This is demonstrated as part of participating in the Lord's supper. In other words as Pastor Ralph wrote, we will "become sharers in the offering of Christ on the cross for our sins."

Q2. What does koinōnia mean? What does it mean to "participate" or "share" in the blood of Christ? What does koinōnia mean? I read on-line in the Blue Letter Bible (http://www.bluelette...ngs=G2842&t=KJV) that the definition is fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation. Furthermore the share which one has in anything, participation; fellowship, intimacy; or the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office) and a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship What does it mean to "participate" or "share" in the blood of Christ? It is to be part of a community of Christian believers in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. It allows all who participate to share in the remembrance of Him and His sacrifice for our sins.

Q1. Why was Paul exhorting the Corinthians about the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons? What was going on in the church? What was the danger to the believers? Why was Paul exhorting the Corinthians about the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons? He wanted them to know that they had to be careful that they could not serve two masters. In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said, " No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." What was going on in the church? Corinth was a city with many temples and many gods whom were being worshipped. There was immorality and abuse of the Lord's Supper as described in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. I read some study notes which describes the church at Corinth similar to the issues of today. Christians are still influenced by the today's cultural environment. What was the danger to the believers? They would be separated from God and no longer feel God's love.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 11:26) In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? To whom is the proclamation made? Why is this important? What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? 1 Corinthians 11:26 - "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." In what way is the Lord's Supper a proclamation? It is announcing to all of us to come to the table to celebrate our Lord and Saviour's death until He comes. To whom is the proclamation made? First to all believers, but I believe all are called who want to share in the Lord's Supper. Why is this important? To remember Him and all that He did for us. What happens to the church when its proclamation shifts to a different central theme? They are no longer focusing on Jesus, but the world values.

Q3. Why is our remembrance of Christ's death so important? What happens to Christianity if we neglect remembering in this way? What happens to us personally when we forget Christ's death? Why is our remembrance of Christ's death so important? We must remember why God sent His only Son to us and the sacrifice that He made for us. He came into this world in order that He can show love to us and died for our sins. By believing in Him, we will experience eternal life with Him. In John 14:2, Jesus tells us "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you." What happens to Christianity if we neglect remembering in this way? We would forget why He really came and when He returned, we would be left behind. What happens to us personally when we forget Christ's death? We would be wandering without purpose. It would be lonely because we would be separated from God. For me, it would be impossible to forgot our Lord and Saviour and everything He did for me.

Q2. What was the purpose of the Passover meal for future generations? Why was it to be repeated? What was to be remembered? What would have happened if the Jews had stopped remembering the Exodus? What was the purpose of the Passover meal for future generations? In Exodus 14:17, "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come." Why was it to be repeated? They would not forget what God did for them. What was to be remembered? Exodus 14:27-"...It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.' " What would have happened if the Jews had stopped remembering the Exodus? If they did not remember and did not follow God's instructions, they would be cut off from the community as stated in Exodus 14:19 "...And whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel, whether he is an alien or native-born."

Q1. When repeated often, doesn't the Lord's Supper run the risk of becoming mundane and lose its meaning? Why did Jesus command its repetition? No. Jesus wanted us to remember the sacrifice that He did for us. He said in both Luke 22:19b, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, it is written "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." God has always instructed us never to forget and always remember. This is taught throughout the Bible.

Q4. Which part of the meaning of the Lord's Supper is most valuable for you at this point in your spiritual journey when you partake of and meditate on the Lord's Supper? I am reminded of the sacifice that Jesus did for me and the love that God has for me.

Q3. Which action words used to describe the elements of the Lord's Supper, teach us that we are to be thinking of Jesus' sacrifice of atonement, when we partake of the Lord's Supper? The two Scripture references below show the action words (highlighted in red) that describe the elements of the Lord's Supper. As we partake, He tells us to do this in remembrance of me". Matthew 2:26-28 - While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 - and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, "in remembrance of Me."

Q2. How can an extreme symbolic interpretation cause a person to have too little respect for the Lord's Supper and its elements? Where is the balance, do you think? If people just think that the bread and wine are just elements to eat, then they are missing the point. When the elements are consecrated, they are changed to spiritual elements and then we can celebrate Jesus and everything that He has done for us. I am not sure how to find the balance, but people must believe in the Lord's Supper as a remembrance of Him, not just some meal. Whether people believe in transfiguration or figuratively, we must respect each other if they truly believe in Jesus Christ.

Q1. How does your particular understanding of the bread and the wine (literal or figurative) help you grow closer to Christ when partaking of the Lord's Supper? My traditional understanding is figurative bread and wine (grape juice). When I partake Communion, I remember the Last Supper and the sacifices of Jesus for each of us.

Q7. (Luke 23:46) What does Jesus mean when he says,

Q6. (John 19:30) What had Jesus "finished"? What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: "It is finished"? John 19:30 - When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. What had Jesus "finished"? Jesus had finished His Father's mission on earth through His obedience to Him. It was not easy as He had to suffer for us and ultimately die for us in order that we can be saved. What can we learn for our own lives from this Sixth Word: "It is finished"? We must follow Jesus' example and be obedient to Him. Pastor Ralph summarized on how we should live our lives. We are to live lives of purpose, focus and obedience and ultimately be willing to suffer in order to achieve God's purpose for our lives. When my life is over, I hope I can said as stated in 2 Timothy 4:7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Q5. (John 19:28) What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? What does this tell us about Jesus? What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? John 19:28- Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." What do you learn from Jesus' Fifth Word: "I thirst"? Jesus was fulfilling Scripture when He said "I thirst". What does this tell us about Jesus? Jesus had complete obedience to His Father. What does this tell us about his experience on the cross? Jesus suffered physical humanity and reminds each one of us that He died for us. Secondly, Jesus was very aware of Scripture and He knew that He had to fulfill them even though He might not have been to express it unless He was able to drink something. This final request by Jesus was steer determination to complete His earthly task that His Father had sent Him to be among us.

Q4. (Mark 15:34) What does Jesus

Q3. (John 19:26-27) Why does Jesus make St. John responsible for his mother Mary? What does this tell us about Jesus? How should we apply this in our own lives? John 19:26-27 -When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Why does Jesus make St. John responsible for his mother Mary? Jesus, as the eldest son, had the responsibility of caring for his mother. Since his brothers still did not believe in Him as stated in John 7:5, "For even his own brothers did not believe in him", Jesus needed to decide whom could care for His mother. Since John was one of the three closest disciples to Him and the only one to have the courage to be there, He choose John to care for His mother. What does this tell us about Jesus? Even though He was the Son of God, He knew that His earthly duties was to honor His mother and protect her. How should we apply this in our own lives? Pastor Ralph expressed it very clearly in his commentary. He wrote as follows: "How do we reconcile our primary commitment to Jesus with responsibility for our families? Sometimes with great difficulty. But to put Christ first doesn't mean that we are free to neglect our other priorities -- it means only that we get our priorities in proper relation to each other. God will give us wisdom to work this out." As Christians, we can not neglect our families. God does not want us to forgo our moral responsibilities.

Q2. (Luke 23:39-43) Why is the thief's faith so astounding in this situation? What did the thief receive that day? What do you think this meant to Jesus? Why is the thief's faith so astounding in this situation? He was facing death like the other criminal, but realized that Jesus was the true Messiah and was not a criminal. He knew that it was unfair and spoke the truth. What did the thief receive that day? He received salvation. What do you think this meant to Jesus? When all the people around Him that day who wanted to see Him crucified, there was still one person to tell the truth. Jesus answered him in Luke 23:54, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" He recognized that this man had real faith, just like centurion.

Q4. (Genesis 48:15) How did God act as a Shepherd to Jacob? How does God act as a Shepherd to you? Do you trust him or rebel against his shepherding? Genesis 48:15 - Then he blessed Joseph and said, "May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, How did God act as a Shepherd to Jacob? God was always with Jacob. In the above Scripture reference, Jacob said "the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day" How does God act as a Shepherd to you? As I get older in age, I can see very clearly that God has always been there. I see it in my marriage of 48 years, my grown children and activities after I retired. I can also see it in the work that I did for a living. I know that at times I was in the fold and other times I was on the side of a mountain bleating to be found. He always found me and I was really to follow Him again. Do you trust him or rebel against his shepherding? Both. When I was younger, especially in high school and college, I tested Him, but I knew He was there. As I matured, I rarely rebel and it is more of a constant trusting Him. Every day, I learn more about God and the study of Jacob has provided more insight into our wonderful Father who is getting the place ready for where I will reside for all eternity.