Seeds of Faith Podcast » nativity

December 27, 2009: The Birth of Jesus

Ryan Markel — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:19:55 +0000

The text for this lesson is Luke 2:1–20.

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

Why is Christmas a particularly fitting time to celebrate the Lord’s Supper?
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?
“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?
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?
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?
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?
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.
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”?
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?
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?
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.
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?

December 20, 2009 – The Birth of John

Ryan Markel — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:47:58 +0000

The text for this lesson is Luke 1:57–80.

Key Points

Zechariah spoke God’s Word announcing that John would give people knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of sins. God speaks through His Holy Word to give me knowledge of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus, His Son.
Law: God wants me to listen and obey Him, following His ways.
Gospel: God looks at me through the obedience of Christ and is pleased.

Discussion Questions

Have you ever been told that you have to learn to forgive yourself when you feel guilty about something? As a Christian, what is the problem with that statement? Read Psalm 51:1–5. What might David tell us to say instead of “You have to learn to forgive yourself”?
In the ancient world, names carried much more meaning than they do in our culture. We say in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s name is holy by saying “Hallowed be Thy name.” Last week, we learned that Jesus’ name is significant because it means “the Lord saves,” and Jesus was born to save His people from their sins. Luke 1:13 says that Gabriel instructed Zechariah to name his son John, which means, “The Lord is gracious and moved to pity.” We see in Luke 1:59 that the neighbors and family of Zechariah and Elizabeth expected the boy to be named after his father. How was the name John appropriate for his mission? What is the significance of having the name of God placed upon us in Baptism? See Matthew 28:19.
When would you hear the word covenant used today outside of biblical usage? Read Luke 1:68, 72–73. When these verses are connected, they show Zechariah saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people . . . to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.” God made many covenants with His people and always swore to be faithful to them. The central thought of Zechariah’s prophecy is that God remembers His covenants. The covenant referred to here is the one God made with Abram (Abraham) in Genesis 15; the oath is found in Genesis 22:15–18. All of the covenants God made with Israel were fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus. Read Jeremiah 31:31–34. What did God promise to do here? Read Luke 22:20. How does Jesus show that we live under the new covenant?
The Old Testament prophets had many roles. They encouraged the people to rely on the Lord’s strength and not their own. They called on the people to remember God’s covenants with them. They proclaimed the Lord’s faithfulness based on the saving acts He had performed in the past. And they prophesied what the Lord would do for His people in the future. All of these prophetic functions are included in Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1:68–79. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, who allowed Him to prophesy (Luke 1:67). What would his son, John, do as a prophet (Luke 1:76–77)? Whom would John prophesy about (Luke 1:78–79)? Who else had prophesied concerning John (Luke 3:4)? Who was the last and greatest of the prophets (Luke 4:24)?
Psalm 51 shows us that sin is what separates us from God. “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4). The forgiveness of sins is emphasized in Luke and in the Bible in general. Luke tells us that salvation is found in the forgiveness of sins (Luke 1:77). John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). How would John the Baptist deliver forgiveness to people (Luke 3:3)? What does Jesus identify as the essential message of the Christian Church (Luke 24:47)? What is the basis for that message (Luke 24:46)? Why is this message so important?
A word closely related to the forgiveness of sins is righteousness. Zechariah says in Luke 1:74–75 that the Lord granted His people to “serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” Read Romans 4:1–9 and Luke 18:9–14. What does the word justify mean? What does it mean that God “justifies the ungodly” (Romans 4:5)? In Luke 1:6 and 2:25, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Simeon are described as “righteous.” Why are they called righteous? How are people justified?
People are insultingly called “holier than thou” when they flaunt their piety and good works before others and condemn behaviors they consider unholy. The temperance movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was a holiness movement intended to make the production and use of alcohol illegal. Holiness churches require their members to abstain from things they consider unholy, such as alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and so on. What understanding of the word holy do we get based on the examples above? Read Luke 1:49, 70, 72, 75; 3:16. What do we learn about holiness from these passages? List as many things as you can that go on in Lutheran churches that we call holy. What makes these things holy?
What is mercy? See Luke 1:50, 54, 58, 72, 77–78; 6:36; 10:37. What do we learn about God’s mercy from these verses? What do we learn about the mercy we are to show to others?
What is your idea of perfect peace? Luke 1:79 says that Jesus will “guide our feet into the way of peace.” In 2:14, we are told that Jesus’ birth has brought “on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Read Luke 2:29–30. How was peace brought to Simeon? Read Luke 24:36–39. How does Jesus show His disciples true peace?
In Luke 1:57–66, we see the neighbors and relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth playing an important role in the circumcision and naming of John. Close relationships with extended families and tight connections with the community were the norm at this time. Many people never traveled more than a couple days’ journey from where they grew up. This is hard for us to understand. While we can be thankful for the blessings of increased mobility in our times, we also should recognize the consequences, such as the disconnection of most of our lives from extended family and neighbors. Many people feel isolated and that their lives are fragmented and chaotic with no solid foundations anywhere. Since Christian congregations are made up of sons and daughters of God who are brothers and sisters in Christ, what responsibilities and opportunities are presented to the Church by our cultural climate?