Session #1:
Download Savior Study Notes Session 1
PRE-SESSION Comments, Highlights, and Discussion Fuel from Chapter 1 Reading:
• Pages 7-9 have a nice story about Willie Platt’s reading of Isaiah 53 for his ship’s captain
• Page 10) Is an Old Testament sin offering a…
1. penalty paid for wrongs done?
2. a liturgical cleansing of sin’s stain?
• Page 12) Do the 3 Scriptures cited correspond to view #1 above OR view #2 OR is the answer unclear?
• Pages 14-15) I’ve recruited Laura (resident C.S. Lewis expert) to give her thoughts on the Aslan illustration.
• Page 16’s Big Grey Box is a nice succinct statement about Jesus’ Substitutionary Atonement
• Page 17-18) I had never heard the term “Vampire Christians” before. Have you?
• Page 19) What happened to the author in his Iowa gas station illustration?
1. Was he absolved of the penalty he deserved? Whose justice was satisfied?
2. Do you see something else illustrated?
• Page 20) Anyone else love the Charles Wesley hymn at the bottom of the page?
• Ken’s expanded version of author’s Page 21 summary:
A) What part of God’s character is emphasized in chapter 1?
B) What is God’s atoning purpose emphasized in chapter 1?
C) What understanding of “sin” is focal in chapter 1?
D) What remedy for (C) above brings about (B) above in chapter 1?
1. Is the remedy emphasized in the Good Friday to Easter narrative?
2. Is the remedy emphasized in the pre-Easter earthly ministry of Jesus?
3. Is the remedy emphasized in both?
E) What chapter 1 insights help your Christian understanding and practice?
F) What chapter 1 issues trouble you?
G) What chapter 1 insights help equip you to have a discussion about Christian basics with a neighbor?
Goals:
1. to better understand the “Substitutionary Theory” of Atonement
2. to discuss this theory’s insights, issues, and applications to Christian practice
Prayer of Invocation – volunteer?
Video: view together https://my.amplifymedia.com/amplify/series/unitedmethodistpublishinghouse/43025-savior/43028-sessions/119507-savior-session-1-substitution-jesus-takes-your-place
Video discussion:
➢ What is “Atonement” as described by deVega?
➢ To whom are we reconciled?
◦ (author)
◦ What about being reconciled to others? Who can do that?
◦ What about being reconciled to the natural Creation?
➢ Does God alone bring atonement? Do we have a role? Can we prevent God’s reconciling purposes?
➢ The author mentions that there are multiple theories of the Atonement and that they all have potential to
enrich our Christian understanding and practice. Are you OK with that kind of complementarity? …or
would you prefer a single theory?
➢ The author asserts that doubts serve to strengthen our faith? Do you buy that?
➢ DeVega ends by talking about the importance of God’s character. Wonderful Point! […as I see it]
Discussion Prompts for chapter 1:
0. Let’s save a detailed discussion of sacrifice and blood imagery to chapter 5; I think it’ll fit better there.
1. Page 16’s Big Grey Box is a nice succinct statement about Jesus’ Substitutionary Atonement
2. Ken’s ax to grind: God’s Salvation through Jesus happens by Jesus’ Life and Death and Resurrection. I really
recoil at apparent consideration of Jesus’ earthly life as mere prelude to Easter. [I do NOT think the author
falls victim to this problem.]
3. Rembrandt’s 3 Crosses – view online together
4. I thought that the author’s Scriptures were about Salvation and Atonement but not explicitly about the
Substitution Theory. The closest passage, I thought, was
II Corinthians 5:21, NKJ) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
5. Pages 7-9 have a story about Willie Platt’s reading of Isaiah 53 for his ship’s captain – bypass in class?
6. Page 13) hymns… O Sacred Head and To God Be the Glory – class time?
7. Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe reference: account of Aslan and the Stone Table => Laura is the expert!
8. Page 17-18) I had never heard the term “Vampire Christians” before. Have you?
9. Page 19) What happened to the author in his Iowa gas station illustration?
1. Was he absolved of the penalty he deserved? Whose justice was satisfied?
2. Do you see something else illustrated?
10. Page 20) Anyone else love the Charles Wesley hymn at the bottom of the page?
11. Schmiechen’s summary of “Penal Substitution” (my go-to reference)
➢ Sin is viewed as a violation of covenant law and deserves death
➢ God’s Justice MUST be satisfied by penalty
➢ God the Father sends God the Son to take our rap [God the Father punishes God the Son?!]
➢ DANGER [Ken] Bible appeals to Justice but our enlightenment notions of “justice” might be rather
different than Biblical notions.
12. Is the Law a MEANS -or- and END? If it’s a “means”, a means to what?
13. Ken’s expanded version of author’s Page 21 SUMMARY:
➢ What part of God’s character is emphasized in chapter 1?
➢ What is God’s atoning purpose emphasized in chapter 1?
➢ What understanding of “sin” is focal in chapter 1?
➢ What remedy for (C) above brings about (B) above in chapter 1?
1. Is the remedy emphasized in the Good Friday to Easter narrative?
2. Is the remedy emphasized in the pre-Easter earthly ministry of Jesus?
3. Is the remedy emphasized in both?
➢ What chapter 1 insights help your Christian understanding and practice?
➢ What chapter 1 issues trouble you?
• Ken) too heavily legal
• Ken) fractures God
➢ What chapter 1 insights help equip you to have a discussion about Christian basics with a neighbor?
