Introduction:
This week marks the launch of our Jesus for Everyone blog. We hope this will be helpful for you in your personal Bible reading and study times. As we continue through the Gospel of Luke, we will be including in the bulletin, and here on this blog, some resources for further study in Luke for those who want to look a little more closely at the Bible for themselves. We hope to include the following elements:
- A listing of some related Bible passages to read.
- Other relevant resources to consult.
- Points to ponder as we read.
- Some questions to ask ourselves…
- Link to SOAP journals written from this passage (http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com/)
This week we covered Luke 2:22-52. The sermon on Sunday will not necessarily touch on all these verses, but will come out of this section. Therefore, we suggest that you start by reading this whole passage to get the large context. Then you might want to look up the Old and New Testament passages (listed below) that have bearing on the storyline.
Other passages to read:
- Leviticus 12:1-8 purification after childbirth;
- Exodus13:1-16 redemption of the firstborn;
- Simeon in v. 25 was waiting for the“consolation of Israel” which may reflect the message of Isaiah 25:9, 40:1-2,57:15-19.
- Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteronomy 16 for the yearly journeys to Jerusalem for Passover and other feasts;
- 1 Samuel 2:26 the description of Jesus’ development is similar to Samuel.
- Matthew 2:1-23 see Points to Ponder section below.
- A classic work covering the life of Jesus is, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim. This book may be wordy, as it was written about 125 years ago, but it contains many wonderful nuggets of cultural and biblical insight. The text of our first video segment about Zachariah was to a large extent drawn from his writing.
- We will try to add to this list each week.
Points to ponder:
- The Synoptic question: The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the Synoptic Gospels.Synoptic means “to see the same”. The material they present is very similar and should be considered like the testimony of three infallible witnesses of the events of Jesus’ life and the teachings he spoke. Some critics like to play the gospel writers off against one another, but it is much better to see their testimony as giving us a three dimensional view of Jesus’ life and teachings as we harmonize their accounts. Therefore, it is a great idea to read any parallel passages from Matthew & Mark that relate to what we are currently studying in Luke. This week there is Matthew2:1-23 which should probably be chronologically inserted between Luke 2:38 and 2:39.
- Self-Awareness: A second point to ponder has to do with Jesus’“self-awareness”. Many skeptics claim that Jesus had no awareness of who he was or what God had sent him to do. We see from this passage that Jesus had a very keen idea at a very young age that He was to be in his Father’s house and about His Father’s business. As you continue to read through Luke keep an eye open for these clues about Jesus self-awareness as the Messiah.
- As you read this passage, notice the place the Law plays in Jesus’ family life.What evidence do we have that Jesus grew up in a “Faith at Home” environment?
- What do you think is the most surprising thing about this passage? This question is not a right or wrong question, but asking it keeps us looking carefully at the text. (Maybe next week I will include my answer to this question!)
- What does it mean “the favor of God was upon him” or that he “increased in favor with God”?
- How are we doing following Jesus example of healthy development in v. 40 and 52?
- What are two areas we need to work on this week?
- Write them down and tape it where you will be reminded of it this week.
Jesus: Look for Him and Learn from Him (Luke 2:41-52)
1. What we learn about Jesus
- It may be possible to be away from the presence of Jesus and not know it. (Luke 2:43-44a; Revelation 2:4)
- When you miss His presence, seek after Him. (Luke 2:44b-46a)
- When you find Him, He may confuse you. (Luke 2:46-50)
- You can trust Him even if you don’t fully ‘get’ Him. (Luke 2:49-50)
• It was a place between heaven and earth.
• It was the place of God's presence.
• It was where God's people would come to meet with him.
• It was the place where sin was atoned for.
• It was the center of life and faith and worship.
2. What we learn about parents
- Your children may be hard to understand at times (Luke 2:50)
- You need to give your children both roots and wings
-- Vision
- You can learn from your children (Luke 2:47)
3. What we learn about children
- They learn by listening and asking questions (Luke 2:46)
- Children will need God to show them who they really are. Lead them to God and in the ways of God! (Luke 2:49)
- Obedience to parents is essential for growth (Luke 2:51-52)
Devotional Journal:
See http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com/ for SOAP style journaling from the Gospel of Luke.
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