Third Sunday of Advent 2010 Reflections

What is Christmas? What do we expect? What are we supposed to look for?
“Celebrating Christmas in the Hospital” (Adapted from Hail the Heaven Born by GKBaker)
Advent is the season of preparation, anticipation and expectation of the coming Messiah, how do we, as people in the hospital, make ready?
Scripture: Matthew 11:2-11
Key Verse: “Go tell John, what you hear and see” (v.4)
Focus of the Lesson:
We have preconceived notions about what Jesus is and what Jesus does. And we prefer a Jesus that conforms to our specifications. We expect and WANT that kind of Jesus this Christmas. Yet, we get something unexpected.
Goals in study:
1. To learn from the experience (expectation) of John the Baptist
2. To consider what it means to “Tell John what you hear and see”
3. To see “Christ” – mas differently
Introduction:
Where is God? Can you see God? Can you hear God? People continue to search for God. The Christmas season is a time for the religious and even the non-religious to find what is “missing in their lives.” People keeps seeking for that something that make sense out of everything else in their lives, on what gives them joy. But after all the gifts have been opened, it seems that they never saw what they are looking for. First, we may not really know what we are looking for. Next, maybe we are looking at the wrong places. Matthew speaks of what people see and hear with the coming of Jesus.
The key phrase in the scripture lesson is “what (do) you hear and see.”
Interpreting the Scripture:
1. John the Baptist was sure that Jesus was the Messiah, why did he send for investigators?
2. What the Bible say about Jesus vs what we want Jesus to be
3. What to tell people about what we heard and saw this Advent
Sharing the Scriptures:
1. Who is Jesus and what is he doing in the world?
2. In what ways does Jesus’ response to John help you broaden your perceptions?
3. How can the patients see Christ-mas in me?