Before the Session
Facilitator: In advance of the session
- Have the Bible Background Video ready to view.
- Review today’s scripture text and the session activities to help better facilitate the discussion.
- Encourage your group to listen to the Faithelement podcast ahead of the next session (Share the link via email or social media)
Context (From the Current Session Page)
Share this story, and this one, about judges who gave out unusual sentences and ask:
- How do you feel about these stories and why?
- To what degree do you think Justice was done by the judge who pronounced the sentence?
- What would have been the most just way to punish each of the individuals in these stories, and why?
- What do you think is the relationship between laws, as they are written, and true “justice?”
Content (From the Mind Session Page)
Read Isaiah 42:1-19, then watch the Bible Background Video.
Then ask questions like these:
- What would “justice” mean to the original audience for this scripture?
- In what ways might they have imagined God’s justice coming?
- Look at the description of the servant in verses 1-4. How will he bring about God’s justice and how do you think this compared to the kind of “hero” the people were looking for in that time?
- How do we see Jesus’ ministry reflected in this description of the servant?
- What kind of hope does God’s servant offer for those who feel nearly broken or burnt-out (v.3)?
- What “credentials” does God offer in verse 5 and why might God begin this promise by recalling what God has already done?
- For these refugees who felt God had abandoned them, what comfort does God offer in this passage?
- What will the relationship of the first listeners be to the other people of the world?
- Taken as a whole, what vision of justice is offered by this passage?
Closure (from the Media Session page)
Tell the group: In an area of Canada, the police decided to take drastic measures to bring justice to all regarding drunk driving. I would like to point out that the police have apologized to the rock band since instituting this brand of justice.
Play the Nickelback video and ask:
- How much punishment do you think drunk drivers should receive, in general?
- What do you think of their brand of justice and why?
- What do you think God’s view of their brand of justice would be?
- How would our idea of justice and mercy change if we viewed life seeing all people as in God’s image even if they break laws and/or enjoy Nickelback?
Close in prayer.