|
STARTER
(In pairs for 5 minutes)
How do you answer the question “Who are you?”
WORSHIP
READ PASSAGE ALOUD
(How do you feel as you watch this dialogue?)
RE-READ PASSAGE AND COMMENTARY
(Personal reflection)
PERSONAL FOCUS
(Personal reflection on the passage / commentary & questions in silence 10 minutes)
COMMENTARY
At the time John was writing his Gospel, followers of John the Baptist were claiming that he, not Jesus. was the Messiah. So here the Gospel writer emphasises that John the Baptist saw himself as one to prepare the way for the Messiah. He is not the Messiah nor Elijah or any other prophet [v21]. He is just “ a voice in the desert ”[v23] preparing the way for the Lord. His baptism is a simple water rite, unlike Jesus' baptism in the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist proclaims the Good News of Jesus' coming and prepares people's hearts for that event [Baranowski]
"Two men look out through the same bars:
One sees the mud, and the other the stars."
[F Langbridge]
" The problem in the church today is not inadequate techniques or insufficient organisation. It is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His grace is too ordinary, his judgement is too benign, his truth is too distant, his gospel is too easy and his Christ is too common."
[David Wells]
PERSONAL FOCUS QUESTIONS
(Initially just reflect on the question that chooses you. It may help to clarify your thinking to make notes in the spaces provided. This will also give you material to reflect on in the future)
1. Which verse in this reading speaks to you? What is God saying to you?
2. Jesus stands in the crowd unrecognised [v.26]. What helps you to recognise who Christ is?
3. John was sent by God as a witness to the true light [vv 6-7] In what ways do you witness to that light? Does God rest 'too inconsequentially on you'?
PERSONAL FOCUS QUESTIONS
(Discuss in triplets / pray for each other -25 minutes)
LIFE FOCUS
(Discuss in whole group-15 minutes)
4.
. John the Baptist points out who Jesus is and helps people to recognise his significance. How do we point out Jesus as the one we celebrate at this Christmas? How do we help people to see the ‘ stars rather than the mud' ?
5. What practical outcome is there from our reflection? Do we need to make any plans to make things happen?
GROUP MEMORY TIME
(Review the actions you agreed to carry out at previous meetings)
REVIEW TIME
Is our group sufficiently outward looking?
What would you like to do differently next time?
PRAYER TIME
You could pray for the community in which you are set that the story of Christmas may help them to recognise the true significance of Jesus |
