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Questions about Christmas dinner
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With whom will Jesus have Christmas dinner? Once again (around AD 30) Jesus went out beside the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd came to him. He began to teach them. As he walked along he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus. Levi was sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him. Levi got up and followed him. Later Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house. Many tax farmers and outsiders were eating with him and his disciples. They were part of the large crowd following Jesus. Some teachers of the law, who were Pharisees, were there. They saw Jesus eating with outsiders and tax farmers. So they asked his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax farmers and outsiders?” Jesus heard that. So he said to them, “Those who are strong don’t need a doctor. Miserable outsiders do. I have not come to call the virtuous ones. I have come to call outsiders.” Mark 2: 13-17 With whom, then, will Jesus have Christmas dinner?
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| What’s it like when he comes to Christmas dinner? John’s disciples and the Pharisees were going without eating. Some people came to Jesus. They said to him, “John’s disciples are fasting. The disciples of the Pharisees are also fasting. But your disciples are not. Why aren’t they?” Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the groom go without eating while he is with them? They will not fast as long as he is with them.” Mark 2: 18-19 What’s it like, then, when he comes to Christmas dinner?
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| What would it be like if he was taken away and unable ever to come to dinner? “But the time will come when the groom will be taken away from them. On that day they will go without eating.” Mark 2: 20 What would it be like, then, if he was taken away and unable to come to dinner?
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‘The LORD himself will give you a miraculous sign. The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a son. And he will be called Immanuel – God with us.’ (Isaiah - writing around 700 BC)
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| Will he bring religious stuff to the Christmas dinner? “People don’t sew a patch of new cloth on old clothes. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old. That will make the tear worse. People don’t pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins. Then the wine and the wineskins will both be destroyed. No, everyone pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2: 21-22 Will he then bring old religious stuff to the Christmas dinner?
Will he care about and look after all of those at dinner? One Sabbath day Jesus was walking with his disciples through the grain fields. The disciples began to break off some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look! It is against the Law to do this on the Sabbath. Why are your disciples doing it?” He answered, “Haven’t you ever read about what David did? He and his men were hungry. They needed food. It was when Abiathar was high priest. David entered the house of God and ate the holy bread. Only priests were allowed to eat it. David also gave some to his men.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath day was made for man. Man was not made for the Sabbath day. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day.” Mark 2: 23-28 Will he then care about and look after all of those at the dinner?
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| Will he at the dinner do what others can’t do? Another time Jesus went into the synagogue. A man with a weak and twisted hand was there. Some Pharisees were trying to find fault with Jesus. They watched him closely. They wanted to see if he would heal the man on the Sabbath day. Jesus spoke to the man with the weak and twisted hand. “Stand up in front of everyone,” he said. Then Jesus asked them, “What does the Law say we should do on the Sabbath day? Should we do good? Or should we do evil? Should we save life? Or should we kill?” But no one answered. Jesus looked around at them in anger. He was very upset because their hearts were stubborn. Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was as good as new. Mark 3: 1-5 Will he then at the dinner do what others can’t do?
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‘A child will be born to us. A son will be given to us. He will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Adviser and Mighty God. He will also be called Father Who Lives Forever and Prince Who Brings Peace.’ (Isaiah – writing around 700 BC)
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What if I don’t want him at my Christmas dinner….? Then the Pharisees went out and began to make plans with the Herodians. They wanted to kill Jesus. Mark 3: 6 What then if I don’t want him at my Christmas dinner….?
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Sinner Syvret |
