Release for Captives. Focus on Isaiah 61:1 4, n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 December 17, 2017 Third Sunday of Advent Isa. 61:1 4, 8 11 Ps Thess. 5:16 24 John 1:6 8, Release for Captives Goal for the Session Adults will explore salvation as a quality of life here and now that reflects God s desires for human community. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Isaiah 61:1 4, 8 11 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, William P. Brown The originating context of the lection comes from the aftermath of exile ( BCE) and the historically modest beginning of Israel s restoration in the land. God s comfort of Zion is inextricably tied to Zion s restoration. It is the comfort of new creation. And the result is so extraordinary that it must be described in lush botanical terms. Zion shall become the new garden of Eden, populated with oaks of righteousness, cultivated by God s salvific work. The garden is nothing short of miraculous; it is the garden of God s glory as well as the nursery of a nation. And how does God s garden grow? Genuine restoration is cultivation in righteousness. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Scott Bader-Saye Theologically, these verses from Isaiah center around the themes of salvation and mission. Isaiah challenges readers to name salvation as a quality of life here and now that reflects God s desires for human community. Though we must be careful not to read Isaiah through the lens of the New Testament, a Christian reader cannot help but note the significance of Isaiah 61:1 2 as a description of Jesus mission in Luke s Gospel (Luke 4:14 21). Jesus declares himself to be the fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy, the one to bring good news, healing, and release. As we walk through the last days of Advent, we remember not just that Jesus came but why Jesus came to usher in a jubilee celebration that would have no end. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Cynthia A. Jarvis The God who can build up ancient ruins is also the God who can redeem the ruin a prodigal son believes he has made of his life; the God who shall raise up the former devastations is also the God who means to pick up a daughter s brokenness; the God who shall repair the ruined cities and the devastations of many generations is also the God who can repair even the ruined nation that has forgotten its way in the world. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Donald Booz The two questions of Advent always seem to be the same; How is the advent of God trying to come into my life/ our world? and What do I need to do to prepare for God s advent? Another way of asking the same questions is, What do I need to change in order to allow God s transformation to take place in me and ultimately the world? What activities beside the hanging of the greens and singing of Christmas carols follow from the prophet s words? 1

2 Release for Captives FOCUS SCRIPTURE Isaiah 61:1 4, 8 11 Focus on Your Teaching Many adults associate the concept of salvation with going to heaven after we die. Certainly the promise of sharing in Christ s resurrection and the hope of eternal life are central to Christian faith. Yet the Scriptures as a whole present a much broader, richer understanding of salvation. Our focal text from Isaiah offers an opportunity to explore salvation as a quality of life God intends for here and now, encompassing healing, liberation, and wholeness for the human community and all creation. Lord God, may your Spirit be upon me and all who participate in this study, that our eyes may be opened to see the richness of the salvation you desire for all people and all creation. Amen. YOU WILL NEED Bibles Advent wreath with four purple or blue candles matches map of biblical lands in the Old Testament period board or newsprint markers pens copies of Resource Sheets 1, 2 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for December 24, 2017, unless it will be ed to participants For Responding option 1: copies of Resource Sheets 1, paper, pens option 2: board or newsprint, markers option 3: drawing paper; colored pencils or crayons n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, arrange the Advent wreath and candles in the center of your learning space. If possible, use the same color of candles that your church uses in Advent worship. Post two signs, one with each of the statements below, on opposite ends of a wall. P Salvation means God s deliverance here and now. P Salvation means life with God in heaven after we die. Welcome all participants. If there are newcomers, introduce them to others in the group. Draw attention to the two signs you have posted. Ask participants to stand somewhere on a spectrum between the two signs, depending on which statement more closely reflects their understanding of salvation. Invite participants to talk about why they chose to stand where they are, affirming all responses. Say that there is a rich variety of images of salvation in the Bible, and that today we will look at the prophet Isaiah s vision of salvation. Invite all to be seated. Light three Advent candles and pray the following prayer or one of your choosing: Saving God, open our lives to your loving desire and power to deliver us from all that holds us captive. Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. EXPLORING Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Isaiah 61:1 4, 8 11). Ask a volunteer to read the What? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. Ask participants to look at a map of ancient biblical lands and estimate the distance from Babylon to Jerusalem. If a large wall map or Bible atlas is not available, look for a map in a study Bible (most include maps in the appendices). 2

3 Release for Captives Zion refers to a mountain near Jerusalem where Solomon s Temple stood, but is used here and elsewhere in Scripture to refer, generally, to the city of Jerusalem. Remind participants that not all exiles returned to Jerusalem right away. Invite them to imagine being someone who has just returned to a destroyed Jerusalem and has written a postcard about what they find to friends back in Babylon. What would they say? Say: Isaiah 61 addresses these returning exiles. In this passage, different voices are engaged in dialogue. Verses 1 4 are the voice of the prophet, verses 8 9 are the voice of God, and verses are the voice of Zion. (See sidebar to explain what Zion means.) Invite learners to form three groups. Assign one of the voices in Isaiah 61:1 4, 8 11 to each group. Ask them to read the passage aloud, each group reading their section. Write these questions on the board, and invite learners to talk about them in their small groups: P What images of restored Jerusalem do each of the three voices give? P How does Isaiah interpret this as salvation? After a few minutes, ask each group to report on their responses to these two questions. Write summaries or key phrases from responses on the board. Invite learners to continue working together in their small groups. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (The Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee [Leviticus 25:1 28, 35 43]) and pens. Say: In Isaiah 61:2, the prophet proclaims the year of the LORD s favor, a reference to the jubilee year described in Leviticus. To learn what the jubilee year is about, read Leviticus 25 and use the chart on Resource Sheet 2 to record your findings. After about ten to twelve minutes, gather the whole group together again. Ask a spokesperson from each small group to report on their responses to the two questions on the bottom of Resource Sheet 2. Write summaries or key phrases from responses on the board. Say: Although the focus in this passage is on a restored community in Jerusalem, Isaiah s vision of salvation extends beyond this city. Ask a volunteer to read aloud Isaiah 61:9 and another to read aloud Isaiah 49:6. Then ask: P What effect is the restoration of Jerusalem to have on the nations? P What is God s mission for Israel among the nations? Ask a volunteer to read Luke 4: Ask another to read the Where? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. Then invite reflection on the following: P Jesus read from Isaiah 61 and said, Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. What significance does this have for our understanding of salvation? P What significance does it have for our Advent preparation? 3

4 Release for Captives EASY PREP In this and other activities, allow opportunity for those who desire to tell the whole group what they have written, but try to ensure that no one feels pressured to do so. RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. Advent Preparation Ask a volunteer to read the Now What? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. The author asks, How is the advent of God trying to come into my life/our world? and What do I need to do to change in order to allow God s transformation to take place in me and ultimately the world? Ask participants to reflect on these questions and write down responses. After a few minutes, allow volunteers to name one thing they wish to change. 2. God s Mission in Our World Invite participants to form groups of three or four people. Ask each group to name a community of people who share characteristics of the exiles in Isaiah 61 (oppressed, brokenhearted, captive, imprisoned). Then ask them to describe what good news would mean to this community based on Isaiah. List responses to the following on a board or newsprint: 1. Ask participants to name ways in which Jesus followers participate in his mission to bring good news and deliverance to such as these. 2. Then ask participants to discuss ways in which we as Jesus followers have strayed from making his mission our top priority. What gets in the way? What helps bring us back to focus on God s mission as our mission? 3. Picturing Salvation Distribute drawing paper and colored pencils or crayons. Invite participants to draw a picture of what salvation means for them. Emphasize that the activity is not about artistic quality, but about giving expression to faith. When everyone is finished, invite participants to show their drawings and interpret them for the group. CLOSING Gather around the Advent wreath. Light three candles, if necessary. Invite learners to summarize what they learned in this session. Ask how their understandings of salvation have changed or expanded. Offer a prayer in closing, pausing to allow opportunity for participants to name individuals or groups in need of God s healing and deliverance: Gracious God, your word is good news to the oppressed, balm for the brokenhearted, and liberty to the captive. We lift up to you those who are in need of healing or deliverance, especially... Continually expand our vision to see how you are at work here and now in our lives and in our world, and how you call us to be part of your mission to bless and heal the world. Through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for December 24, 2017, or it to learners during the week. Encourage them to read the focus scripture and the resource sheet before the next session. 4

5 December 17, 2017 Release for Captives Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Isaiah 61:1 4, 8 11 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, William P. Brown The originating context of the lection comes from the aftermath of exile ( BCE) and the historically modest beginning of Israel s restoration in the land. God s comfort of Zion is inextricably tied to Zion s restoration. It is the comfort of new creation. And the result is so extraordinary that it must be described in lush botanical terms. Zion shall become the new garden of Eden, populated with oaks of righteousness, cultivated by God s salvific work. The garden is nothing short of miraculous; it is the garden of God s glory as well as the nursery of a nation. And how does God s garden grow? Genuine restoration is cultivation in righteousness. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Scott Bader-Saye Theologically, these verses from Isaiah center around the themes of salvation and mission. Isaiah challenges readers to name salvation as a quality of life here and now that reflects God s desires for human community. Though we must be careful not to read Isaiah through the lens of the New Testament, a Christian reader cannot help but note the significance of Isaiah 61:1 2 as a description of Jesus mission in Luke s Gospel (Luke 4:14 21). Jesus declares himself to be the fulfillment of Isaiah s prophecy, the one to bring good news, healing, and release. As we walk through the last days of Advent, we remember not just that Jesus came but why Jesus came to usher in a jubilee celebration that would have no end. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Cynthia A. Jarvis The God who can build up ancient ruins is also the God who can redeem the ruin a prodigal son believes he has made of his life; the God who shall raise up the former devastations is also the God who means to pick up a daughter s brokenness; the God who shall repair the ruined cities and the devastations of many generations is also the God who can repair even the ruined nation that has forgotten its way in the world. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Donald Booz The two questions of Advent always seem to be the same; How is the advent of God trying to come into my life/our world? and What do I need to do to prepare for God s advent? Another way of asking the same questions is, What do I need to change in order to allow God s transformation to take place in me and ultimately the world? What activities beside the hanging of the greens and singing of Christmas carols follow from the prophet s words? 2017 Westminster John Knox Press

6 December 17, 2017 Release for Captives Adult Resource Sheet 2 The Sabbatical Year and the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:1 28, 35 43) Instructions Given Reasons Given 25:1 7 25: : : : : :39 43 Reflect on the following: P What effect could the practice of the sabbatical and jubilee years have on a society? P What is Isaiah saying to the returning exiles about the kind of society God would have them rebuild? 2017 Westminster John Knox Press