50.1 The Lord's Help Makes Us Joyful

Ezra 6:19-22

The people who had returned from exile celebrated Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month of the following year. All the priests and the Levites had purified themselves and were ritually clean.  The Levites killed the animals for the Passover sacrifices for all the people who had returned, for the priests, and for themselves.  The sacrifices were eaten by all the Israelites who had returned from exile and by all those who had given up the pagan ways of the other people who were living in the land and who had come to worship the Lord God of Israel.  For seven days they joyfully celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread.  They were full of joy because  the Lord had made the emperor of Asssyria favorable to them, so that he supported them in their work of rebuilding the Temple of the God of Israel.

49.5 The Lord Saves Israel

Psalm 105:1-10

Give thanks to the Lord,
proclaim his greatness;
tell the nations what he has done.
Sing praise to the Lord;
tell the wonderful things he has done.
Be glad that we belong to him;
let all who worship him rejoice.
Go to the Lord for help;
and worship him continually.
You descendants of Abraham, his servant;
you descendants of Jacob, the man he chose:
remember the miracles that God performed
and the judgments that he gave.

The Lord is our God;
his commands are for all the world.
He will keep his covenant forever,
his promises for a thousand generations.
He will keep the agreement he made with Abraham
and his promise to Isaac.
The Lord made a covenant with Jacob,
one that will last forever.

49.4 John's Humility

John 3:28-30

You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Messiah, but I have sent ahead of him." The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice.  This is how my own happiness is made complete.  He must become more important while I become less important.

49.3 John Sends Disciples To Christ

Matthew 11:2-6

When John the Baptist heard in prison about the things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him. "Tell us," they asked Jesus, "are you the one John said was going to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus answered, "Go back and tell John what you are hearing and seeing: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are brought back to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor.  How happy are those who have no doubts about me!"

49.2 Jesus Is The Lamb To Be Followed

John 1:29-31

The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I was talking about when I said , 'A man is coming after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.' I did not know who he would be, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel."