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Old testament: Isaiah 53

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Matthew 11 | Is Jesus the Messiah? | Bible Study

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Hi everyone,

The padlet was made to create a more comfortable space for everyone to share your thoughts, any additional readings, links and resources as well as reflections in relation to the respective session.

Feel free to add to the additional reading column by pressing on Edit at the top right of the post. As for the link/resources and session reflections, click on the + button and write away!

We can't wait to see you at bible study 🫶

- Bible Study Team

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Messiah means the Annointed / the Chosen One.

In the context of the bible, the Messiah is the "Saver" / the one who "Saves" / ultimately our "salvation"

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Jesus' salvation is coming to save our souls!

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Jesus' salvation is coming to save our souls!

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Group 2 (Louis, Solange, Lance and Chelsea)

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Group 2 (Louis, Solange, Lance and Chelsea)

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Many Opposites used.

Fulfilment of prophecy.

John knows the scriptures that is why Jesus used this to help him renew his faith.

He knows what is promised by the prophets.

Doubt is natural- John's doubt reflects our own hope in our life. .

An added dimension was that John was in prison for preaching the good news of Jesus. It is hard to evangelise.

The promise fulfilled and prophecy fulfilled.

God is seen working in smaller ways and we can't anticipate his timing.

Discussed also why Jesus is offensive? - focused on more about how the church is offensive.

Song recommendations: Names, Because of who you are, Prince of Peace

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Multiple links between the old and new testament passages, most notably the presence of those with sickness and conditions being healed eg. the deaf can hear + the blind gaining sight. Also Jesus quoted the old testament passage of Isaiah 35 in his answer to John's question

John the Baptist would have had a little doubt over his belief of Jesus being the Messiah due to ending up in prison for it, but Jesus's answer to his question was a powerful one that clearly demonstrated that he was the Messiah through quoting Isaiah 35

The Jews would have expected the Messiah to be strong, powerful and high in stature, wearing fancy robes for example. It would have been quite a shock to them that he turned out to be similar to the average person, with no demonstration of wealth or power whatsoever

The promise + hope of the Messiah has had a profound impact on my life. Many times I have found myself lost and confused, but Jesus has always pointed me in the right direction with his guidance and plans to bring you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11, love that verse btw!)

Overall, an amazing first sesh for 2025 :)

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John doubted because he was imprisoned for preaching the Gospel; but Jesus reminded him of his calling. When we are challenged in our faith we should remember what we are called to do :)

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1. What are the links between the old testament and new testament passages?

not a juxtaposition, go hand in hand

Similarities in the comparison with eyes/ blindness, ears/ deafness etc.

Old Testament is a vengeful God, NT is kinder

Vengeance is not for us, it’s towards evil

2. Do you think John the Baptist had doubt that Jesus was the Messiah?

No, more wanting confirmation as he was in prison

All hearsay for John, passing the message on can dilute the message

If I tell someone else to tell someone else...

Maybe a test of faith for John

Being in a tough place (prison) is God real?

similar to our lives, how we question God in difficult times

What do you think of Jesus’ answer to John’s question?

Reassurance of the power of God

Not everyone can perform miracles

John would have known that Jesus is the Messiah already, so his answer shouldn't have surprised John

3. What do you think the Jews expected the Messiah to be like?

a high priest or King

More high and mighty

Expected this person to deliver from oppression so were expecting big things

Ended up being a humble and sacrificial carpenter from a low status family

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We must cultivate the things/people around us and make use of what flourishes in our lives 🪴

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A possible purpose of parables is to conceal the truth from those who are either too lazy to think or too prejudiced to see - so the responsibility falls on the individual to think and understand, then the gift of being able to discern that teaching is given to them.

also so that those who are too prejudiced against the gospel will not further their own condemnation, they'll just hear a story and won't have a chance to reject the message, so God shows mercy to them in this way.

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Jesus the Teacher/Prophet takeaways Jono's group (Enash, Julian, Ngan, Mia, Solange, Jono)

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Jesus the Teacher/Prophet takeaways Jono's group (Enash, Julian, Ngan, Mia, Solange, Jono)

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The major verse that stood out to us in the parable of the sower was Verse 12

Mention of links to Matthew 25:14-30 (the parable of the talents). Both these parables mention that those who invest in and make use of knowledge and talents respectively will be rewarded, while those who either don't listen or misuse knowledge/talents will lose them

For Q2, we mentioned Jesus used parables as a kind of filter: by making the messages less clear only those who actively put in the work to understand the teachings can understand them and thus be rewarded, while those who don't make the effort are left confused

Q3 was well addressed in Q1, those who actively seek to understand the teachings of Jesus receive his blessing and reward, while those who don't miss out

Q4 had us mention many situations where we turn to Jesus to receive his moral teachings in our everyday lives: particularly popular teachings in our group were loving your enemies and God having a plan for us

For those in my group, please feel free to add any other thoughts if you would like to share them

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Ngan, Jono, Julian, Enash, Mia and Solange

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Ngan, Jono, Julian, Enash, Mia and Solange

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The parable can be compared to the parable of the talents.

Book recc: Dark night of the Soul (John of the Cross)- comparison to the seeds that fell among thorns which represent the worldly desires we face.

Why did Jesus use parables?

As a test of faith- are people wanting to seek the knowledge of God?

3 REASONS:

Uneducated audience (universal access)

Complexity of heaven.

This method leads to better understanding.

Bible analogy (our development and increase in maturity)

Old testament: us as little kids- God tells us directly (i.e.: the 10 commandments etc).

New testament: we are older and more mature. - Jesus tells us indirectly.

V12: In terms of spiritual fulfilment: the more you seek the more you will find. You reap what you sow.

Who is the sower?

One message could be that we are in charge of changing the world around to receive God's word.

On the other hand God is always there no matter what environment we are in and doesn't care about our background. He sees possibility in everything.

How can we better evangelise?

Connect to the listener

Put an idea in their perspective.

Connect it to a bible verse.

Show God's message through your love for others.

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Something that stood out to me was how the servant 'never said a word', and this was repeated twice (GNT). I also noticed how it mentioned 'no one cared about his fate'. I feel like, in the context of 'suffering and sacrifice in the world today', it highlights how we've lost our intended relationship with the concept of sacrifice. We may often complain when we suffer for others or for the Lord or when we serve, sometimes we may even do so for the admiration of others. The servant served and suffered without a complaint, trusting God's will, without the caring or admiration of others, and I think maybe that's how we're intended to serve and sacrifice.

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Sacrifices served as a ritual which allowed people to give thanks to God and strengthening their relationship. From Hebrews 10, sacrifices were also made in order for people to atone for their sins. There were many other examples of sacrifices in the Old Testament, including in the story of Adam and Eve as well as Abraham attempting to sacrifice his son Isaac (both in Genesis)

The “lamb of god” primarily refers to Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Jesus stepped in and completed altered the concept of sacrifice. He offered himself up as a single sacrifice for all of humankind that would atone for everyone’s sins. Pretty much as part of the transition between Old Testament (Hebrews) and New Testament his sacrifice allowed the numerous sacrifices of animals to stop taking place “But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:3-4)

The sacrifice of Jesus takes pressure off in regards to atoning for sin. Many of us who sin like to make up for what has occurred by trying to fix any damage caused, however Jesus has already given himself up to atone for all of our sins. From this, Jesus is always there to support us when we feel guilty or upset about what has been done. His ultimate sacrifice doesn’t diminish our own everyday sacrifices, rather it helps give us the strength to do so

Mark 10:35-45 show us that the greatest people are the servant and the slave, therefore those who make the everyday sacrifice of menial labor which contributes to helping other people, especially the less fortunate, receive rewards and benefits as part of the favour of Jesus. The highest are the lowest while the lowest are the highest. We can embody this message in our own lives by participating in this menial labour and helping those in the community who need it

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The fact the servant was able to go through all of this pain and suffering without uttering a single word of complaint was what amazed me the most about this passage.

All this despite the fact he was "despised and rejected by mankind", "pierced for our transgressions" and "cut off from the land of the living". Sounds very painful and hard.

However, all of this suffering can lead to great reward as depicted by verse 12.

Overall, Isaiah 53 is a powerful story which shows both the brutality of sacrifice as well as how it is extremely worthwhile. It provides a great inspiration to those who are undergoing the numerous difficulties associated with life, which involves many sacrifices.

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According to this passage Jesus is the Word, the word was made flesh as described in verse 14. Jesus is also the creator: all things were made through Him

My standout verses were verse 4 and 5 which refer to light amidst the darkness

Darkness can be thought of as a region without light: they are still the same entity

Personally, if I find myself in a dark place, difficult situation or disappointment, I go back to what I have and think about everything I’m grateful for (health, a roof over my head, family, friends and more)

We spoke a lot on the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Many points raised about whether they are one or separate, it is a difficult concept we don't know much about

However there is a beauty to this: it allows us to continue to pursue this understanding through the teachings of Jesus and keeps us motivated. If we only had to meet a specific criteria we would be less motivated, either due to meeting the requirements or giving up on achieving them knowing that you couldn't do so

Also discussed about the concept of heaven: what was it like and can people who don't believe in Jesus/God still make it to heaven?

I believe they can, referencing James 2:17 "faith without works is dead". It isn’t “works without faith is dead”, thus if you don’t believe in God but still do his good works, there is no reason why a person doing these good deeds wouldn’t go to heaven, whether they know and believe God or not

Finally, knowing Jesus is God is very heartening. It helps motivate me to learn his teachings and spread this knowledge to others willing to receive it, more effectively through actions like assisting people rather than words. It also helps to know that Jesus is God as He is with me at all times to back me up and keep me on the right path. Everyday I consult Jesus whenever I'm unsure of what to do etc and I strive to do things through Him rather than through my own will

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Jesus wept, which shows how much he loved and cared for Lazarus. This is an example of how Jesus treated those around him, which is reassuring since you know that He cares for you. This story is an example of trusting God’s plan and timing through Jesus. When Jesus is alerted to Lazarus’s illness he chooses not to rush to his aid, basically saying he’ll be fine. He comes to find Lazarus dead days later and then raises him from the dead. I also relate to the perspective of Mary (verse 32), where she says that Jesus could have saved Lazarus if he had come faster, we would all feel like Mary if we were in the same situation. Jesus’s miracle of reviving Lazarus from the dead then shows us that if we have faith and trust in Him and His plan, things will go OK

The entire story on the vine and the branches stood out to me but especially verses 4-8. These bring to my mind the analogy of florist flowers: when you buy them, they don’t survive for more than 4-5 days because they aren’t connected to anything. They have no connection to a tree or the soil filled with nutrients to keep them alive. This shows the importance of maintaining your faith and connection with Jesus by trusting Him and regularly showing interest in Him, He is the vine and we are the branches

I have had to prune away hobbies that haven’t served me well or groups of people who were having a bad influence on me. This certainly caused a lot of pain but overall the result of me becoming a better person through producing more fruit was definitely worth it

Abiding in Christ means to have faith in Him, trusting Him and remaining connected with Him. In our daily lives, this means spending time with Him through prayer, reading the Bible to harvest His Word, and trusting that He will get you through difficult situations. I’ve definitely struggled with this a lot. At the moment I’m a bit unsure on what my future career will be but God has told me to be patient and He will guide me, which I need to keep my faith in

Overall this has been a wonderful module! Thanks everyone for the opportunity to hear your thoughts and ideas, and special shout-out to the Bible Study leaders for delivering this module, you guys are amazing :)

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I definitely agree that maturing in faith means recognizing that God doesn’t answer all of our prayers like how we want Him to or when we want Him to. In the book of John (I think) there are 3 instances of people bringing the sick or their own concerns before Jesus. Each time Jesus responds the same way, with a delay. He could fix it immediately, but he chooses not to - indicating that He (and in turn, we) should follow God's timing and will, not the world's. Jesus also went to Judea even though He was a wanted man there, because He knew that by raising Lazarus from the dead there( and after three/four days and the beginning of the body's decomposition process) it would be one of the final straws to provoke the Jewish leaders enough to arrest and then crucify Him - the reason for our salvation. The events had to happen like this so as to bring about God's plan, despite Lazarus' sister hoping that he would be immediately healed. I think sometimes when God doesn't answer our prayers immediately or fix what we want Him to, I think He definitely hears us, but won't answer them yet or at all, to do what is good for us and to fulfill His will.