A brief description of what this lesson covers and what you will learn
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Romans 8:28-30
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Understanding that God doesn't just provide directions—He personally comes to guide us.
Thankfully, God does not just provide pathways. God is our Guide.
In Mark 12, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard owner. This guy does all the work to get the vineyard ready to bear fruit (a vineyard was a common image for the nation of Israel). It comes time for harvest, and so he sends someone to get his share of the fruit. But the tenants beat his servant and send him back, empty-handed. This happened with "many others" - beaten or killed. Finally, the owner ups the ante and sends his beloved son. What happens? The tenants kill the son to get all the inheritance for themselves.
God has repeatedly sent guides to humanity. Our sin has meant that we didn't want them around. We'd rather live on our terms. If that means we have to beat them up or kill them, so be it. We want what we want.
To change this situation, God needed to provide a guide who could not only represent God to humanity but also someone who could enable humanity to love God. A guide who would have the power and the capacity to change our opposition to God into a love for God.
Think about it. If you had seen your employees beaten and killed, many times, by the tenants of your farm, who are stealing your harvests, would you want to go yourself, to experience the same fate, to demonstrate your love for those people?
What we see here is a radical love on God's part, to do whatever it takes to lead us to know him and to love him.
In John chapter 1, we learn, "No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."
Or as 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."
God saw our lost condition. He knew that we needed a guide to bring us back to him. But God saw that an ordinary human guide was insufficient. Sending one more prophet would not be enough. Our hearts were too hard.
The guide that God sent is God himself in the person of Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Why do you think it was necessary for God to send His own Son, Jesus, as the ultimate guide, rather than just sending another prophet or messenger?
On a daily basis, how does Jesus function as your Guide?
Reflect on how Jesus has guided you in specific situations in your life.
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