| 
|
| 1. | ‘How beautiful are the feet’ | |
| • | Handel’s Messiah and Romans 10:15 | |
| • | ‘Happy Feet’ | |
| • | How beautiful upon the mountains (Is. 52:7) | |
| 2. | When do we need to announce peace? | |
| • | When there has been war or threat of war | |
| • | Peace is good news, not to be taken for granted | |
| • | How does a messenger get the authority to announce peace? | |
| • | By witnessing or hearing from reliable sources of its arrival | |
| 3. | For Paul, the good news is the Lordship of the Risen Christ. | |
| • | In the death and resurrection of Christ, God has triumphed over evil | |
| • | Sin and death no longer rule over those who are in Christ | |
| • | This message must be announced with urgency to all | |
| • | This is no merely temporary triumph, but the inbreaking reign of God | |
| 4. | Who is this Jesus, who walks on water? | |
| • | Miracle stories show the power of God | |
| • | Jesus is here the messenger of peace in the face of threats | |
| • | Note the context set by the execution of John the Baptist | |
| • | It is Jesus who feeds the five thousand, establishing peace | |
| 5. | Peter at least wants to walk where Jesus walks | |
| • | Jesus offers Peter freedom to walk on water | |
| • | Jesus catches him when he sinks | |
| • | They return to the boat | |
| • | One theme here is the fear of death and the overcoming of this fear | |
| 6. | What message can we receive and pass on? | |
| • | The Risen Christ is with us through death and beyond | |
| • | The powers of this world cannot separate us from Christ | |
| • | Boats are not to be despised for us who are of uncertain strength | |
| • | Beautiful feet carry us over seas as well as mountains | |
