What Child Is This :: Part 01 :: The Path to Peace | Ryan Howell :: November 27, 2022

This Christmas season, Crossroads Church will reflect on the opening line of the famous Christmas Carol in the teaching series What Child is This? Explore how the birth of a Jewish peasant over 2000 years ago lights our darkness and guides our feet on the path to peace. __ What’s the Issue Anyway?For some, Jesus is a path to wealth and health NOW and/or LATER.For some, Jesus is an icon of FREEDOM.For some, Jesus is an icon of OPPRESSION.Jesus’ birth has brought HEALING and PEACE to some but PAIN and VIOLENCE to others.What Wisdom does Zachariah’s Song in Luke 1:67-74 and 78-79 offer us?The earliest followers believed that Jesus was the VISITATION of God. The earliest followers believed that Jesus was the MERCY of God.The earliest followers believed that Jesus was the RESCUE of God.Don’t Miss This!The earliest followers of Jesus believed that he was the PATH to PEACE.Three big questions to unpack this Advent SeasonHow does Jesus light the path to peace with GOD? How does Jesus light the path to peace with OTHERS? How does Jesus light the path to peace with MYSELF?How does this make me a better person and the world a better place?The more we walk the path of peace, the more we participate in our own HEALING.The more we participate in our own healing, the more we participate in the healing of OTHERS.What is God inviting you into today?Participate in the Honest Advent JourneyInvite family and friends to a Christmas Eve ServiceRead Luke 1-2 this weekParticipate in the Peace Is Worth It 2023 Vision Acceleration     Thought-provoking questions:Think of different people in your life (family, friends, coworkers). What are some of the different ways these people view Jesus?Zachariah’s song speaks to the pain of the people, particularly their fear in worshipping their God amidst the hatred they experience from Rome. What are some fears that we experience today? How would you rewrite this poem for the 21st century?Zachariah’s song culminates with a light that shines on those sitting in the shadow of death and darkness. This light illuminates a path out of death and into peace. If you are following Jesus, how have you experienced this in your own life?Of the three paths to peace that we will be talking about this advent season, which one strikes you as the most relevant for your life right now? Why is that?Why do you think participation is so important as it relates to peace on Earth? Why not just sit back and let God take care of everything?