GodSpeak for the Week of January 20…“Epiphany 2.0”
Christmas is in the rear-view mirror, Epiphany Sunday with the appearance of the Wise Men is past…we’re now into the season of Epiphany, and along with it – new understandings of what our Lord and faith mean in today’s world.
Day 1…Read Isaiah 62:1-5
- Consider this – in vv. 1 and 2 God notes that His people will be called by a “new name”; a name HE will bestow on them.
- Answer this – where else in Scripture does God rename a person (or persons) who follow Him?
- Why does He do this? Why is it important?
Day 2…Read Isaiah 62:1-5
- Consider this – in v. 4 God tells us what the new names are the people will be called.
- No longer will they be referred to as “Deserted” and “Desolate”; now, they’ll be called “Hephzibah” (which means, “my delight is in her”) and “Beulah” (which means, “married”).
- Answer this – what does this declaration by God…and the new names He bestows on His people…tell us about them?
- What do these new names tell us about Him?
Day 3…Read John 2:1-11
- Consider this – this passage offers us one of the few glimpses of Jesus and Mary conversing back-and-forth as mother and Son.
- Answer this – what is the tone with which this conversation takes place?
- How is it similar to the tone of conversations mothers have with their children?
- What insight does this give you into the human nature and mother/Son relationship of Jesus?
Day 4…Read John 2:1-11
- Consider this – the master of the banquet tastes what has come from the kitchen/what Jesus has miraculously provided but has no idea from where it has come!
- Consider this – but, John makes the point of telling us that the SERVANTS knew the source of this miraculous (and, finest quality) wine!
- Answer this – what does the master’s response and unintentional ignorance of the wine’s source tell us about the nature and methods of our Lord?
- What does this tell us about the nature of who is in-the-know (i.e., servants) versus who is kept in the dark?
- What does that tell us about the nature of our Lord?
Day 5…Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
- Consider this – Paul notes there are “different kinds of gifts”; that Greek word for “gift” is “charisma”.
- Answer this – in our day, how do we typically understand/define “charisma”?
- How can we better understand/more biblically understand this word, based on how Paul uses it?
Day 6…Read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
- Consider this – Paul offers a lengthy list of what these “gifts” (Greek meaning = “extraordinary powers given by the Spirit”) and “service” (Greek meaning = refers to those gifts/things which forward the cause of Christ) are.
- And, in v. 7 – he sums all of that up by noting that the Spirit gives these gifts for the “common good”.
- The Greek words for “common good” are “sympheo sympheo” (same word, listed twice).
- Dare we say, we get our English word “symphony” from this Greek word!
- Answer this – how are these gifts and service Paul speaks of a veritable “symphony” in the way we normally understand that word?
- What does Paul’s doubling of the word “sympheo” to convey this idea do to help you better understand the importance of what he’s saying?
- And, in v. 7 – he sums all of that up by noting that the Spirit gives these gifts for the “common good”.