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By Diane Singer|Published Date: December 26, 2011
C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity
I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg--or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
Monday: Matthew 9:1-6; Luke 24:13-48; John 5:30-47
Lewis argues that a “man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.” What does Jesus teach the people about Himself in these passages that, if untrue, would destroy His reputation as a “great moral teacher”?
Tuesday: Luke 19:1-10; John 8:58; John 10:22-42
In these passages, what is Jesus claiming about His mission, His pre-existence, and His relationship with the Father? Logically, would someone who is merely a “great human teacher” make these claims? Why or why not? Why do you think Lewis says Jesus did not intend to give us the “great teacher” option?
Wednesday: Matthew 5-7
Lewis states that it’s possible that Jesus was “a lunatic--on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg.” In other words, Jesus was sincere but deluded regarding His true nature. How might you use the Sermon on the Mount to refute this charge? Are these the words of a madman? What other events in Jesus’ life and ministry would you include in your refutation?
Thursday: John 8
Lewis states that if Jesus is not who He claimed to be, and He’s not crazy, then He is “the Devil of Hell.” Why did the Pharisees level this charge against Christ? How did Christ answer their accusations?
Friday: What do these verses, written hundreds of years apart, tell us about Jesus?
- Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:18-25
- Psalms 2:7 and Matthew 3:17
- Genesis 22:18 and Galatians 3:16
- Genesis 49:10 and Hebrews 7:14
- Jeremiah 23:5 and Luke 3:23-31
Saturday: What do these verses, written hundreds of years apart, tell us about Jesus?
- Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:1
- Psalms 110:1 and Matthew 22:41-45
- Isaiah 33:22 and John 5:30
- Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:15-21
- Psalms 78:2 and Matthew 13:34-35
Sunday: Genesis 3:15
This passage has been called the earliest statement of the Gospel. How would you explain this to someone who is unfamiliar with the gospel story? Can you trace Jesus’ story in every book of the Bible? Why would your ability to do this be useful when witnessing to someone who knows the Old Testament, such as a Jew?
Lesson from This Week: In Mark 8, Jesus asked the disciples to answer an important question: “Who do you say that I am?” Lewis draws upon that question to issue a challenge to his readers: “You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.” In the space below, write down who you believe Jesus is. Are you living in a manner consistent with that belief? If not, what needs to change?
Now that you’ve decided that Jesus is Who He says He is, why not tell someone else? Meet with an unbelieving friend or co-worker and share your conclusions from this week’s studies. How does your friend respond?
You might also consider purchasing for your friend a copy of C. S. Lewis’ classic work, Mere Christianity. It’s available through our online store. You might also read the article, “The Divinity of Christ,” by Peter Kreeft.
From J.S. Bach’s Cantata ‘Awake, A Voice is Calling’
Duet Between Jesus and the Soul
The Soul: When are you coming, my Savior?
Jesus: I am coming, your portion.
The Soul: I am waiting with burning oil. Open the hall for the heavenly banquet.
Jesus: I am opening the hall for the heavenly banquet.
The Soul: Come, Jesus!
Jesus: I am coming; come, sweet soul!
[Then, a little later in the work, Jesus and the soul are united and celebrate with an even more intimate exchange]
The Soul: My friend is mine,
Jesus: And I am his.
Jesus and the Soul: Nothing shall separate this love.
The Soul: I will feed on heaven’s roses with you,
Jesus: You shall feed with me on heaven’s roses
Jesus and the Soul: Where abundant joy and bliss will be found.
Monday: Read Isaiah 7:10-14 and 9:6-7
Here God promised through the prophet Isaiah to send Immanuel to redeem His people from exile. Even when the people of God began to return to the land geographically in the 6th century BC, many still considered themselves to be in a state of continuing exile. Their reason for thinking this was because Immanuel had not yet come to them. Their patient waiting for God’s Messiah reminds us that we too are waiting for Him to come a second time. This theme of waiting is a constant motif throughout J.S. Bach’s Advent Cantata ‘Awake, A Voice is Calling.’
How might these verses from Isaiah have given hope to our spiritual forefathers in the midst of their continuing exile? How do these verses give hope to us?
Tuesday: Read Isaiah 52:7-10
Here the Lord promises to comfort His people when He comes to them. During this season of Advent we are not only waiting for Christ’s second coming, but we go back in time, as it were, to join with the watchmen in this passage awaiting the coming of the gospel (“good news”) at Christmas time.
When the gospel did finally arrived with the birth of the Christ-child, many of God’s people found it hard to accept that this was the fulfilment of God’s prophecies. Why do you think this was?
Wednesday: Read Micah 5:2-5
Not only did God promise to send a Messiah to His people, but He even gave the exact location of where the Messiah was to be born! How much of this prophecy should be considered already fulfilled through Christ, and how much is still yet to happen?
Thursday: Read Matthew 25:1-13
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins forms the backdrop to Bach’s Cantata, a portion of which was cited above. Throughout the season of Advent, we are reminded to keep our lamps trimmed and burning as we await the coming of Jesus. Some commentators think the parable of the wise and foolish virgins is talking about Christ’s final coming, while others believe it is talking about His coming in judgment at AD 70. What do you think? Could the parable have more than one legitimate application?
Friday: Read Psalm 24
Like the Soul in Bach’s wonderful Cantata, the writer of this Psalm eagerly awaits the coming of the Lord, and enjoins the people to prepare for Him by having clean hands and a pure heart. What is meant by the imagery of clean hands and a pure heart and how can this be applied to your own life?
Saturday: Read Romans 13:11:14
This passage is a traditional Advent reading. It reminds us to be ever-ready like the wise virgins in the parable. What can you do this Advent to make yourself ready for the coming of Jesus?
Sunday: Read Luke 2:1-20
Today, as you reflect on the Christmas story, think back over all the previous readings from this week. Has your understanding of Jesus and what He came to do changed or grown in any way? How do you expect this to affect your discipleship in the year to come?
Lesson for the week
The coming of Christ is Good News, indeed. But it is Good News with implications, both for those who receive Christ and those who do not. What is the Gospel? Spend some time reflecting on this Good News and its implications. Prepare a brief outline of the Gospel, based on this week’s readings, that you can use in the months ahead to talk with your friends about the meaning of Christmas.
For more insight to this topic, order the book, The Incarnation, by St. Athanasius – one of the greatest reflections on the importance of Christmas from the early Church – from our online store. You might also like to read the article, “The Jesus We Preach at Christmas,” by T. M. Moore. |
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