SERIES: FACES AROUND THE MANGER
Lesson 5 of 8
The First Sunday of Advent: HOPE

1. What was your experience of observing “Advent” and/or celebrating “Christmas” in your church tradition? In your family?

2. Christian hope is rooted in the promises of God to his people. Thus, the first Sunday of Advent tends to focus on Old Testament prophets and the promises they gave of the Messiah. On which of those prophets does this video focus? Did you know the book named for him is sometimes called “The Fifth Gospel”? Can you figure out why?

3. In what sense is the promise of the Messiah “as old as Eden”? Cf. Gen 3:15.

4. Read Isaiah 2:1-5. In a time of national despair, Isaiah pointed to what had happened to the Northern Kingdom (devastated by Assyria in 721 B.C.) and of the difficult days that were ahead for the Southern Kingdom. What is the promise of these verses? How was that promise fulfilled to the Jewish people? How does it anticipate an even greater event that would involve Jesus? [NOTE: Do you understand the concept of “near” and “far” fulfillments for various Old Testament predictions?]

5. How does today’s “COVID fatigue” give us a bit of insight into “prophecy fatigue” that people experienced between Isaiah’s predictions and their NT fulfillment? How does it relate to how some of us deal with the promise of Jesus’ promised return? Cf. 2 Pet 3:3-9.

6. How does hope relate to Isaiah 64:1-9? Do you sense the tenderness of verses 8-9? How should you and I hear those words in our times of personal discouragement or stress?

7. Read Isaiah 65:17-25. Try to imagine life in this “return to Eden” – God’s redemption of creation so that his covenant people can live as he always intended for us to live. Do you treasure the hope of this “New Heaven and New Earth” for yourself? Cf. Rev 21:1ff. To hold this promise dear in your heart is to live in hope.