Queen's Road Cell

 Why did John the Baptist doubt? The cleansing 'fire' He brought was yet to come in fullness.  He was in prison. In essence, his expectations were not met. 14. How did Jesus confirm His identity to John (see Luke 7:21-22)?   He healed in front of John's disciples ("In that hour", v 21) and pointed to His ministry of healing and preaching as fuilfillment of OT prophecy about the Messiah (Isa 29:18. 24:5-6, 6:1-2). 15.Compare Isaiah 61:2 to Luke 4:19. What part of Isaiah 61:2 was Jesus fulfilling, and what part was He leaving for His future return? Fulfilling in current ministry : t o bring good news to the poor, to bind the brokenhearted, free the captives and open spiritually and physically blinded eyes. To proclaim the time of God's favour (cf. 2:14) Leaving for future return: the day of God's vengeance/judgment, when all who mourn will be comforted (cf. 6:21b) 16. Why did the people reject John when he "sang a dirge "(7:32, when he lived stric...

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:27-28) The disciples of Jesus had been upset with one another because James and John had asked to be  pre-eminent – the greatest - in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples about greatness. He does not discourage the desire to be great – but he tells them to change their ideas about what greatness means. To them and according to the world’s ways of doing things, greatness means being honoured by others, being able to impose authority on others, and being served by others. But Jesus says us that real greatness has nothing to do with how others regard us, but by how God regards us. The kind of greatness God desires is in a heart that can humble itself to serve people. Greatness in the eyes of God is measured in servanthood. Th...