Love God Greatly - the Promised MessiahSample

Week 1 / The King Arrives

A Child Is Born

Read: Isaiah 9:1–7

SOAP***: Isaiah 9:6–7

For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Advisor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His dominion will be vast, and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lᴏʀᴅ of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this.

Into the Text

Who is Jesus? Many, if not all, of us have paused to ponder this question. Why is He such an important person? Was He more than a historical figure, a good man, a philanthropist, or a rabbi? Why do so many people still follow Him?

Whether we’ve never asked these questions or whether we’ve placed our faith in Jesus, we need to know and understand who He is. Our answer to these questions shapes not only our lives but our eternities.

When sin entered the world, our relationship with God was broken. But God did not leave us in a broken state. Instead, He made a plan to rescue us from the punishment we deserved, the death we would die because of the way we disobeyed Him. That plan was Jesus. From the beginning, God planned to send His only Son to earth to rescue us. God promised that His Son would come at just the right time and would bring light out of darkness.

God made continual promises to let His people know a deliverer was coming. He would not leave them without hope. In fact, there are over three hundred prophesies about this coming deliverer in the Old Testament. The people knew who to look for. They believed the promises God gave to them throughout history. He would be a Wonderful Advisor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father, and a Prince of Peace.

But this Prince of Peace would enter the world like every other human—small, vulnerable, and completely helpless. This King would come to earth as a baby, yet He would be God. What an incredible, confusing plan. If this rescuer was meant to save, why would He come to earth as a baby, completely unable to save or help Himself?

God sent Jesus to us as our rescuer, and all the promises He made about who Jesus would be and what He would do were fulfilled. Whether we’ve asked, “Who is Jesus?” a hundred times or not until today, we can know confidently that He is the fulfillment of God’s promises.

***SOAP Method

S – SCRIPTURE
Physically write out the Bible verse
You’ll be amazed at what God will reveal to you when you slow down to write or meditate on what you are reading!

O – OBSERVATION
What do you see in the verses you’re reading?
Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you? What is the main lesson or theme?

A – APPLICATION
When God’s Word becomes personal
What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my life? Are there any changes I need to make?

P – PRAYER
Pray God’s Word back to Him
If He has revealed something to you during this time in His Word, pray about it. Confess if He has revealed some sin that is in your life. Take time to thank Him for His goodness in your life.