Summary: In Luke 5, we learn about the amazing meaning of the word "Gospel," which means the good news about Jesus. In this story, Jesus meets three fishermen named Simon Peter, James, and John. He asks them to follow Him, and they become His very first disciples. A breathtaking moment occurs when Jesus helps Simon Peter catch an incredible number of fish. This miraculous event reveals Jesus' extraordinary powers. Because of this miracle, Simon Peter decides to follow Jesus after repenting his sins. Jesus tells Simon Peter and his friends, James and John, that instead of catching fish, they will now be "fishers of men," which means they will help share God’s love with others. This story shows us how Jesus started His important work of teaching and helping people! (Ava): What did Simon Peter do with all the fish? When the Bible says, "they left everything and followed Jesus" (v. 11), does it refer to all the fish they caught or their occupation as fis...
Question (Nora): If Jesus and God are the same, why is it incorrect to say "God" died on the cross?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Great question Nora! There are two parts to the question you are asking. First, you asked if "Jesus and God are the same". The Bible reveals that God exists in 3 persons: God the Father, God the Son (which is Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. The 3 persons can be distinguished but they cannot be separated as if there were "3 gods". Yes, Jesus is God, even before he came into the world and he remained as God when he walked on the earth.
The second part of your question is also an awesome question and that is, "why is it incorrect to say "God" died on the cross?" God is immortal and eternal. God cannot die, so when Jesus died on the cross, it was the human Jesus that died.
Question (Emerson): Is Jesus called the Lamb of God because the Israelites sacrificed lambs to be forgiven of their sins? What about the other animals that were also used to sacrifice, like doves?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Thank you Emerson for your question. Jesus is called the Lamb of God in John 1:29, because in the Old Testament the lamb became the most important symbol for the sacrificial system. It was the animals that was commanded by God to be used in the Passover, when a spotless lamb was killed and its blood painted on the doorpost of each home. And the angel of death "pass-over" the house that had the blood of the lamb painted on it.
Also, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah of God was "...like a lamb to the slaughter", symbolizing Jesus' humility, innocence and willingness to submit, suffer, and die for humanity. Thus, Jesus is called the Lamb of God in the New Testament, in that his sacrifice, the shedding of his blood takes away the sin of the world
Other animals were used in the sacrificial rituals in the Old Testament such as bulls (Lev 16:11), goats (Lev 4:27f), and doves (Lev 5:7) but the Lamb became the main animal because of its connection to the Passover and the exodus from Egypt.
However, the dove would become the symbol of the Holy Spirit as in Matthew 3:16 when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism affirming his divine nature and mission.
Question (Wesley): Why did Jesus sacrifice himself instead of providing us with an unlimited supply of sacrificial animals that we could use for atonement?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Here's what you need to know about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in comparison to the sacrifices of animals. God gave the sacrificial systems to teach sinners that without a sacrifice for sin there is no forgiveness of sin. Yes, God could have given us an "unlimited supply of sacrificial animals", but instead he gave us a "perfect, once for all sacrifice" in Jesus Christ. The animals blood, only "covered" our sins, it didn't take away our sins, which is why it to be sacrificed year after year after year. Hebrews 10:4 says, "It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." They pointed us to something greater -- the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus.
But in giving Jesus as a sacrifice for sin, he completely removed our sins "once and for all times". In other words, Jesus' sacrifice was a perfect and complete sacrifice in that it never needed to be offered more than once. Isn't that wonderful! So the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were temporary and symbolic and they pointed to our need for a permanent and perfect sacrifice which Jesus accomplished.
Question (Audrey): Are angels just people who came back from the dead, or have they always been around?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Great question Audrey! What are angels? Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve His purposes. They appear throughout the Bible in various roles. No, they are "not people", although they can appear in human form when interacting with people (see Gen 18:2). And they are "not people who came back from the dead". The only person who came back from the dead by his own power is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Angels were created by God just like us. Some of them rebelled against God's authority and became demons, which are fallen angels. Angels are powerful creatures, way more powerful than any human beings, and if you were to meet one, you might be tempted to bow down and worship it (see Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9). Angels have not always been around, they are not eternal, but were created by God.
Question(Audrey): When you die, does just your spirit go to Heaven, or does your whole body go?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: When you die, you body undergoes decay and returns to the earth. As God says in Genesis 3:9, "for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." However, your spirit goes to heaven and to the presence of God. This idea is expressed in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8: "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. for we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."
One day after Jesus Christ returns to this earth, there will be a final resurrection, our physical bodies will be united without spirit, except our bodies will be a glorified body which won't be subject to decay and death!
Question (Alexis): Why did God create Hell?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: Thank you Alexis, what a great question! But before we can answer that question, let's ask ourselves an even more basic question, namely, what is hell? At the very least, hell is a place, just like heaven, except everyone who goes there doesn't love God, but in fact hates God. Hell is a place where you are separated from God forever, where the presence and the grace of God is absent. The Bible describes it as a place of suffering and anguish and sorrow and great sadness that will never stop.
So why did God create such a place? It is a place that God created to send everyone who does not want to be with God forever. It is a place of punishment and judgment. What does a person who rebels against God, sins against God, and breaks God's law deserve? Hell! That's the answer that is given to us in the Bible.
Question (Ava): Once you're in Heaven, can you fall out of it and go to Hell?
ReplyDeleteAnswer: What a great question! Once we get into heaven, we cannot go to hell. Once we become a son or daughter of God through faith in Jesus Christ,we cannot be abandoned by God -- Nothing will separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Ava, did you know that Jesus once answered a similar question like the one you asked? Jesus once said to a rich man in hell, "... and besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here (heaven) to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there (hell) to us (heaven)." (Luke 16:26) So the earth is the testing ground for all of humanity to choose whom they will love and serve: whether they want to be with God forever and serve him or whether they want to be separated from God forever because they love themselves more than God.
As someone once said, everyone who is in heaven is there because they love Jesus and everyone who is in hell is there because they hate God and love themselves.