Key Points

• As a boy, Jesus was found in His Father’s house. In God’s house, I hear His Word, see that Jesus is my Savior, and receive His gifts of forgiveness and salvation.
• Law: Because of sin, I, like Jesus’ parents, do not understand what God says to me.
• Gospel: God makes His Word clear to me through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think that Luke 2:41–52 is the only account we have of Jesus’ words and deeds between His infancy and adulthood? See John 20:30–31; 21:25.
2. Studying our Lord’s childhood at Christmas reminds us of the truly ordinary and human aspects of His life. Of course, the visits from Gabriel and the shepherds were quite exceptional, but otherwise the experience of Mary and Joseph was not so different from that of any first-time parents. We are told that Mary treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19, 51). Like any mother, she cherished the memories of her child’s early days. But what else could Mary’s careful remembrance of all of these events suggest? See Luke 1:1–4.
3. Jerusalem plays a major role in Luke’s Gospel. In fact, Luke can be read as a description of Jesus’ journey to, from, and around the city as He works toward accomplishing His mission. We see in Luke 2:22 that Jesus was presented at the temple in Jerusalem at the age of forty days. Luke 2:41 tells us that Jesus’ family went annually to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Why was Jerusalem such an important place? For what would Jesus eventually journey up to Jerusalem? See Luke 18:31–34. How would Jerusalem factor into the mission of the early Christian community? See Luke 24:46–49. As Christians, where is our true Jerusalem? See Hebrews 12:22–24.
4. The institution of the Passover is recorded in Exodus 12. God was going to inflict His final plague on Egypt, the death of every firstborn male. But for the children of Israel, the angel of death would pass over every house that had a sacrificed lamb’s blood on its lintel and doorframes. This final plague opened the door for Israel’s exodus from Egyptian slavery. Every year, the children of Israel would celebrate the Passover, recalling God’s salvation of Israel. Part of the celebration involved the sacrificing of a lamb and then a family meal consisting of that lamb and unleavened bread. The fact that Jesus was present in Jerusalem as a child for this feast is significant. The only other time in Luke’s Gospel when the Passover is mentioned is in chapter 22, the account of the Last Supper. Read Luke 22:7–20 and John 1:29. How are the Passover Feast and the Lord’s Supper related?
5. How does Luke show in this lesson that Jesus is the Son of God? Where else does he teach this doctrine? See Luke 1:35; 10:22; 22:29; and 24:49. As the Son of God, is Jesus less God than the Father? Why or why not?
6. We have seen above how Luke shows that Jesus is true God. His true humanity is also seen in this lesson. Where do we see that Jesus grew and developed just as any other child? How is His development possible, since as God He is omniscient and omnipotent? See Philippians 2:5–8 and Hebrews 5:8.
7. Mary and Joseph had both been visited by Gabriel concerning Jesus’ miraculous birth and had heard amazing things about Him from the shepherds and Simeon. Yet they expressed astonishment at the knowledge He displayed in the temple (Luke 2:48) and did not understand His answer to their questions (Luke 2:50). Why might they have been so confused about His knowledge of God and His reference to being in His Father’s house? See Mark 3:20–21. Who else often misunderstood Jesus’ words? See Luke 9:44–45; 18:31–34.
8. Luke 2:49 says that Jesus asked His parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” The word must indicates necessity. There was simply no other way for Jesus to act than to seek out His Father’s house. What other part of His mission had the same sense of necessity? See Luke 4:43; 9:22; 17:25.
9. In today’s lesson, Jesus goes to the temple at age twelve. We learn that He was asking and answering questions about the Old Testament. Jews considered twelve to be the age of religious maturity. Though there is no direct correlation, it is interesting that many Lutheran churches enroll students in confirmation classes around this age. Why is confirmation important? Is the rite absolutely necessary? How can we help children and adults who are going through confirmation classes?
10. Did Jesus sin by remaining in Jerusalem and not going back to Nazareth with His parents? No! Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was like us in every way except for sin, so it would be impossible to interpret this as disobedience. In any case, Jesus was patient with His parents who did not understand His words (Luke 2:50). This text shows us two realities: Jesus is foremost our Savior from sin, and He is also our example for living the Christian life. This does not mean we need to continually ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” Actually, we can never know exactly what Jesus would do in a specific situation. The better question is, “What has Jesus already done and what is He still doing to save me?” Read Matthew 20:25–28. How does Jesus show that He is both the Savior of all people and their example?
11. The temple in Jerusalem was not simply a religious building. The most common name for the temple in the Bible is the house of the Lord. This shows that it was understood as the residence of God, where sacrifices could be made to Him. It was not simply a place of public worship and prayer. Read Mark 14:58; 15:29–30; John 2:18–22. What does Jesus teach us about the temple in these passages? Where does the presence of God dwell under the New Testament?

Key Points

• A Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.
• Law: Because of my sin, I fear God as the shepherds did.
• Gospel: God’s Son, Jesus, takes away my fear and offers me true peace.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is Christmas a particularly fitting time to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
2. Around this time of year, you often see the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season” on church signs and billboards. Read Luke 2:10–11. Who does the angel say is the reason for the season? Read John 1:1–4. How do we know that Jesus does not need a season for His own sake?
3. “Christmas is for children,” people often say. Usually they mean that the excitement of music and presents and Santa Claus is particularly for little children. Read John 1:12–14. How is it that, in a very real and positive sense, Christmas is for children? In what negative way are all of us too often children at Christmas?
4. When you hear that something is a story, do you think first of fiction or nonfiction? When discussing the Christmas story and Bible stories with others, how can we best communicate that they are not just made-up?
5. We should thank God for the remarkable literary and historical skills that St. Luke received from Him. In his Gospel, Luke eloquently and accurately portrays Jesus as a real man born within an actual historical context. How do we know that Luke was careful to keep his facts straight? Read Luke 1:1–4. What statements in Luke 2:1–2 provide the historical setting for this factual account? Why do you think Luke sets Jesus’ birth on the stage of well-known world history?
6. King David was from Bethlehem and was a shepherd (1 Samuel 16:1, 11). We saw in Lesson 2 that the promised Messiah (also known as the Christ or Anointed One) would come from David’s household (2 Samuel 7:12–16). Why was it necessary that Jesus be born in Bethlehem? See Micah 5:2–5a. What group mentioned in Luke 2:8–20 are such fitting candidates to receive the Good News about the Messiah?
7. Luke 2:11 says that the child who is born in Bethlehem is “Christ the Lord.” We know from previous questions and lessons that the Messiah (the Christ) would be a successor to King David and would be very great. What did people commonly expect the Messiah to be like? See Luke 23:35, 39; Matthew 16:15–23; Acts 1:6. Where could they have looked for a correct understanding of what the Messiah would be like? See Isaiah 52:13–53:12.
8. Isaiah 52–53 describes the Lord’s Suffering Servant in remarkable detail. Why would we talk about this passage on Christmas when it seems more appropriate for Good Friday? It helps us remember that Jesus was born to die. His death was foreseen in Scripture, as Jesus Himself teaches the disciples in Luke 24:25–27, 44–47. Isaiah 52–53 is just one instance of prophecy that the Christ would suffer, die, and rise again. As Luke says, “[Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27). One of the passages we are studying in this lesson is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” In light of the things we have learned about the Messiah, what do you think is the best interpretation of the phrases “God so loved the world” and “He gave His only Son”?
9. Read Luke 2:6–7. Perhaps the best word to describe the circumstances surrounding Jesus’ birth is humble. There is nothing impressive about the birth itself. Only a few people knew about it. The glory of it is only shown through the angels, the messengers of God. The same can be said of the Church. She is not very impressive in the eyes of the world. The glory of the Church is only seen through the message of the Gospel given through the Word. Only the eyes of faith can see her glory. Christ’s birth, life, and death reveal God’s way of working in the world. We can also see that way of working in Christ’s Bride, the Church. Read Luke 1:48, 52; 14:7–11. How important is humility for the Christian? How does that virtue work itself out in practice?
10. At Christmas, we celebrate the wonderful truth that God took on human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Creator of the universe made Himself into a tiny unborn baby. Though this is a time of year for joy and peace, the harsh reality of this sinful world is that many unborn babies are not safe in their mothers’ wombs but will be murdered through abortion. As we remember our Lord’s incarnation, let us reflect on the great tragedy and injustice of abortion and seek ways to protect the little ones. The incarnation is the ultimate testament to the great value of unborn babies and little children. We also should remember that Jesus came to save sinners, including those who have had and who perform abortions. What was Jesus’ attitude toward infants? Read Luke 18:15–17. Why must we adults constantly learn to be children?
11. The angel in Luke 2:11 announced that a Savior had been born. Many Jews thought that the Messiah would be a secular savior who would defeat their enemies. What kind of savior are people looking for today? What kind of Savior is Jesus? See Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:77.
12. Don’t the nativity scenes make you wish you were there? Don’t the Christmas carols paint such a lovely picture of that night when Christ the Lord was born? Can you imagine how beautiful the angels’ song was? It certainly would have been a glorious experience. But we have things even better than the shepherds. How?

Key Points

• The heavenly Father used dutiful Joseph to deliver His Son from death at the hands of Herod to preserve Him for death in due time on the cross.
• Law: Countless children today are in danger because men and women—including government officials—see them as a problem rather than a blessing.
• Gospel: Jesus’ death—not as an infant but far more painfully on the cross—has redeemed each of those children and the adults who threaten them.
• Law: Raising a family demands sacrifices of money, time, and freedom—sacrifices many men make in word only.
• Gospel: Since the heavenly Father sacrificed His Son, we are able to make great personal sacrifices willingly, knowing we still have everything we truly need.
• Law: Being a father is often a thankless job that is not highly honored in today’s world.
• Gospel: God honors men highly by allowing them to raise His dear children in faith.

Context

Joseph was Mary’s husband and a carpenter by trade, who was thought by many to be the biological father of Jesus (Luke 4:22; John 1:45, 6:42). The Gospels testify that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit; therefore, God was His Father (Matthew 1:18–25). Nonetheless, Joseph faithfully cared for Jesus as his own son. Though Jesus knew that His Father was God, He loved and respected Joseph and fulfilled the Fourth Commandment (Luke 2:41–52).
Mary appears alone at the wedding at Cana (John 2:1–12) and throughout the Gospels, so we do not know what happened to Joseph.

Jesus is the Son of God by birth (His human nature) and God the Son in essence (His divine nature). The Baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3:13–17) shows His unique relationship with the Father. Through our Baptism into Christ and faith in Him, we become children of the heavenly Father (Galatians 3:26–27; John 3:5).

Discussion Points and Questions

1. Why did Joseph take his family to Egypt?
2. God sent angels in at least three dreams to enable Joseph to protect the child Jesus. God also warned the Wise Men in a dream in Matthew 2:12 to return to their homes by a different route to keep Herod from finding Jesus. Why was it important to protect the child Jesus from death at this time?
3. How is God’s control evident in the events of this lesson?
4. How did God, our heavenly Father, also provide for us when He provided Joseph ways to keep his family safe?
5. Read Luke 11:11–13; Matthew 10:29–31; 2 Corinthians 6:18; and 1 John 3:1. Discuss how God as our heavenly Father loves us and provides for us by claiming us as His children.
6. How did God work through the humans in this story to fulfill His plan of salvation for all people?

For next week, read the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25–37.

Key Points

• Jesus is always about His Father’s business—and that business is always earning our salvation! No thing and no one can stand in His way.
• Law: God doesn’t act the way we want Him to act. He acts in harmony with His will, not ours. But we try to cage Him, tame Him, force Him to be a circus deity. In our hearts, if not even in our prayers, we list conditions for Him to meet. We are in a vain—oh, so vain—power struggle with heaven.
• Gospel: The Lion of the tribe of Judah is no tame lion. He won’t roar on our cue or jump through our hoops. Even at the age of twelve, the boy Jesus shows that He is no ordinary boy. The Son of Mary, yes, and the “Son” of his foster father, Joseph, yes, but also their Lord. He is about His Father’s business. And that business is always earning our salvation.

Context

This is the only event recorded in the Scriptures of Jesus’ life between the days of His infancy and His baptism by John at the age of thirty (Luke 3:21–22). Luke places it here between the account of Jesus’ presentation in the temple (Luke 2:22–38) and the genesis of John’s ministry (Luke 3:1–22). The story is illustrative of what Luke summarily writes in Luke 2:40, “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.”

Adult Jewish males were legally required to attend the three major feasts of the Israelite calendar: Passover and Pentecost in the spring and Tabernacles in the fall (Exodus 23:14–17). Typically, their families would journey with them, as in this story (Luke 2:41). Estimates of the swelling population in Jerusalem at these three feasts number in the hundreds of thousands. Also, families or communities traveled in bands. This, it is not too surprising that Mary and Joseph would lose track of Jesus, supposing Him to be with their relatives and friends (Luke 2:44).

Discussion Points and Questions

1. The narrative says that they went up every year at the Passover. How old is Jesus when this particular event occurs? What does this number twelve remind you of?
2. How many days did Joseph and Mary search for Jesus? What do three days remind you of?
3. What “method” does Jesus use to teach the teachers of the temple? Why do you think He does this? Read Matthew 21:12–16, and, if you have time, Matthew 23:1–39 (which also occurs in the temple). How has Jesus’ method of teaching changed between His childhood and His adult ministry? Why is this?
4. What does Mary ask Jesus in Luke 2:48? Is she really wrong to be wondering or asking this? What does this mean for our own daily lives?
5. Whom does Mary call Jesus’ father? How does Jesus respond to this, and what is the twofold implication of His response? Who really is Jesus’ Father, and what is the business of His Father?
6. What does Jesus do after Joseph and Mary find Him, in spite of the fact that He has been about His Father’s business? What does this tell us about the nature of Jesus?
7. What does this lesson tell us about true, godly work? Where is this work done?
8. Jesus followed the customs of His day and worshiped at the appointed place. How are our own places of worship designed to serve the work of God?

For next week, read Mark 1:1–13, the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist in the Jordan. Start thinking about wy Jesus, who is without sin, underwent Baptism, which forgives our sins.

Key Points

• In the Divine Service, we join with Simeon and Anna, the angels and archangels, and the great cloud of witnesses in heaven and on earth hailing Christ as the fulfiller of the Law who rescued us from the Low, its accusations, and our sins.
• Law: The Law always accuses. It unceasingly dogs us, never letting us off the hook. Like it or not, all are condemned by it, all “help captive under the law, imprisoned” by sin (Galatians 3:23). In the Old Testament, sacrifices even had to be offered after childbirth, both for mothers and children, as a cleansing for sin. No one can outcrawl or outrun the long arm of the Law.
• Gospel: Jesus out-laws the Law. He does more than enough. He who had no sin for which a sacrifice had to be offered, offered a sacrifice anyway. He gave 110 percent. He let the Law have its way with Him, that He might have His way with us. And, ultimately, what the Law demanded of us—perfection or punishment for imperfection—He took onto Himself.

Context

Two Old Testament laws are in the background in the presentation of Jesus. First is the law of the firstborn. Since the time of the exodus, when God executed the firstborn of the Egyptians, the firstborn of Israel belonged especially to Him (Exodus 13:1–2, 11–15). They had to be “redeemed” by offering a sacrifice in their stead. Second is the law of childbirth. If a woman bore a son, she was ritually unclean for forty days, after which she was to offer either a lamb, two doves, or two pigeons as a sacrifice for cleansing (Leviticus 12).

Discussion Points and Questions

1. Read Leviticus 12. What is your reaction to this language of uncleanness and the need to atone for the mother after childbirth?
2. For background on the law of redemption of the firstborn, see Exodus 13:12–15 and Numbers 18:15–16. Is the sacrifice mentioned by Luke offered for Jesus or Mary or both?
3. Read Luke 2:22–40. Who encounters Jesus and His parents as they are entering the temple to obey the Law? What had God promised to him?
4. In previous weeks, we have noticed the faithful response of those who had hears God’s promises, but had not yet seen them fulfilled or had no way of proving them to be true. How is Simeon’s experience here different?
5. What does Simeon call Jesus? What are some things that he says about Him? What will the work of Jesus actually accomplish, according to Simeon?
6. Does Anna’s lifestyle as a widow seem unusual to you? Look at Ephesians 2:19–22 and 1 Timothy 5:5–6, 14 (or 1 Timothy 5:3–16 if you have the time). Do these give you any insight into Anna’s way of life? Does it say anything about the church as a new household of faith?
7. Look again at Luke 2:38–40. Who is being redeemed? What words are used to describe Jesus?
8. Look once more at the first words of Simeon (Luke 2:29–32). Do you recognize this from any part of the liturgy? Why does Simeon say these words? Why do we say these words as a part of the service? Do you know any other services in which these words are used? How are these words a comfort to those who are dying or bereaved?
9. Anna’s life was uniquely devoted to God. Remember what Paul writes in Ephesians 2:19–22. Is Anna’s the only way to have a devout life? If Jesus has found favor with God (Luke 2:40) and is the “cornerstone” upon which we are built, what is the true foundation and vitality of our lives?

For next week, read Luke 2:41–52. Think about what it might mean that Jesus grows in wisdom and stature.

Key Points

• The Son of God became what we are—human—to make us what He is: a child of the heavenly Father. Furthermore, He revealed where He is to be found: in His Word and Sacraments.
• Law: In the beginning, God created man in His own image, and ever since, we have been trying to return the favor. But the “God” we fashion in our own minds is a caricature—a warped, deformed, blasphemous image of the reality we look for in all the wrong places.
• Gospel: In the beginning, God created man in His own image. And in the fullness of time, God assumed that image Himself. The Son of God became also a Son of Adam, Son of David, and Son of Mary. In so doing, He reimaged us re-created us to be as He is. He became what we are to make us what He is: children of the heavenly Father. And He revealed where He is to be found: swaddled in His Gospel and Sacraments.

Context

Luke has set the stage. The two nativities, John’s and Jesus’, have been foretold. The two mothers, one aged (like the old covenant), the other young (like the new covenant), come together. Salvation history is coming to a head. The old covenant (represented by Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John, the last Old Testament prophet) is waning, making way for the new (represented in Mary and Jesus). A new beginning, new creation, and new covenant have arrived in Jesus.

The Lord uses the often self-serving ends of worldly government to serve His saving ends. Caesar is God’s toll in arranging to have His Christ born in the village of Bethlehem, as Micah had long foretold (Micah 5:2).

Discussion Points and Questions

1. How does God take our simple and imperfect work and make it His own perfect work of mercy?
2. Read Micah 5:2. The Savior is to come out of Bethlehem of Judah, but Mary lived in the Galilean town of Nazareth (Luke 1:26–27), as did Joseph. What happened that they ended up in Bethlehem, right at the ninth month of Mary’s pregnancy? What kind of a journey would this have been at that time for a woman nine months pregnant?
3. Luke mentions two historical figured external to the immediate action of Jesus’ birth. Who are they? Why does Luke mention them? What contrast is being made between these rulers and Jesus?
4. Luke mentions, seemingly as an aside, that there was no room in the inn (Luke 2:7). But what is the significance of the fact that no room could be found for Jesus and His family? Read Luke 10:25–37. Contrast this story that includes an inn with the account of Jesus’ birth.
5. What is the significance of shepherds being the first to hear the news of Jesus’ birth? For whom is this “Good news of great joy”?
6. Notice the contrast in the statement of Luke 2:11–12. The Savior, Christ the Lord, is born in the city of David, and yet the sign by which He will be recognized is that He will be lying in a manger! How does this contrasting statement reveal God to us?
7. What is the response of the shepherds to the message of the angels (Luke 2:15–16)? How is this like the responses of others who were visited by the angels whom we have studied in previous episodes?
8. Read Luke 2:14 again. Where is this sung in the liturgy? What does the angel mean when he says, “Peace among those with whom He is pleased”? When is this part omitted from the liturgy?
9. Read Luke 2:17–20 again. What are the different reactions by the various parties to the events of that night? What does this teach us about our own response of faith to the Word of God?
10. What are some ways that we acknowledge the presence of Jesus in our own lives, even though we are separated by more than two thousand years from His birth? How is Jesus “born” in our hearts? How are we reborn into Jesus Christ?

For next week, read Luke 2:22–40, the presentation of Jesus at the temple in Jerusalem. You may also want to read Leviticus 12, which describes the sacrifice required for this presentation. Think about the meaning of this sacrifice and presentation of the firstborn, especially as a foreshadowing of Jesus’ birth and presentation.

Key Points

• Just as the angel proclaimed to Joseph that Mary would bear an infant who is the Son of God, the Savior, so God proclaimed to us in His Word that this same Jesus is our Savior from sin and death.
• Law: “Seeing is believing,” or so we tell, or, rather, deceive ourselves. We live by sight, not faith in the divine Word. Worse yet, most often we see only what we want to see. We school our eyes to perceive reality as we desire it to be, not as it really is. In our own eyes, our own senses, we trust, not Christ.
• Gospel: God tells us what is real, what is true, what is trustworthy. He acts in a way perceptible not necessarily through the eyes, but through the ears—ears attuned to what God says. Believing is not seeing, but hearing, for “faith comes from hearing” (Romans 10:17) and is “the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is in Immanuel, God with us, cradled in a virgin womb.

Context

In the Jewish culture, to be betrothed or engaged was to be 90 per cent married. The other 10 per cent would be cosummated on the wedding night. Thus, when Joseph discovers Mary is pregnant, he plans not simply to break off the engagement, but to “divorce her,” albeit quietly (Matthew 1:19).

Matthew positions this story immediately after the opening genealogy, where David is in the forefront, mentioned five times. For this reason, the angel addresses Joseph as a “son of David” (Matthew 1:20), a way of subtly reminding him, and us, that in Jesus the promises to David (2 Samuel 7) are being fulfilled.

The prophecy cited by Matthew (Matthew 1:23) is from Isaiah 7:14, where the prophet Isaiah calls upon King Ahaz to live by faith, by first saying, “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all” (Isaiah 7:9).

Discussion Points and Questions

1. Joseph is described as a “just” man (Matthew 1:19). What is the response of this just man to finding his betrothed already to be with child before their marriage? Read Deuteronomy 22:23–24. What could Joseph have done to Mary, according to the Law? How does his justice coincide with mercy?
2. Does the reason for Mary’s pregnancy given by the angel make sense apart from faith? What could have been the different reactions of Joseph to this news from the angel? Does hearing this reason by itself make Joseph any more comfortable with or pleased by this situation? What does give Joseph comfort in the midst of this situation?
3. Compare the announcement made by the angel to the prophecy quoted by Matthew. What is most noticeably different about them? How does the name Jesus further explain the name Immanuel? Read Isaiah 59:15–21. How does this relate to the discussion about “God with us” and “Savior”?
4. When Joseph woke from his sleep, what did he do? Did he obey all the words of the angel, or just part of them, or just the intent of the words? Or did he just agree in his heart, but then do something different?
5. Before the visit from the angel, Joseph was considering Mary’s pregnancy and his options for divorce. The angel’s message nullified all of his presuppositions and previous considerations so that God’s plan of salvation would be carried out. What does this teach us about God’s plan for us in the face of difficult decisions and situations? Where do we go to hear the Word of God and the assurance that He is working out His salvation for us?
6. What are the O Antiphons? What do they have to do with the announcement of Jesus’ birth?
7. We have talked much about the name Jesus, and especially its connection to the name Immanuel. What is another aspect of Jesus’ name? See Revelation 14:1 and Revelation 22:4 for help.

For next week, we will be working through Luke 2:1–20: the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Think about the setting and environment that Mary and Joseph had to face traveling to Bethlehem and staying in a cave or stable to give birth to Jesus. Contrast what Jesus underwent to what He truly deserves in His glory.