11. Jesus is presented in the temple (Luke 2:21-24)
Why is it significant that Luke includes an account of the child’s circumcision? (Luke 2:21)
It is Luke 2:21-40 who records two events that show Joseph and Mary to be pious Jews: Jesus’ circumcision and then thirty three days later his presentation at the Temple along with the required purification offering. These two events happen prior to the visit of the wise men by possibly as much as twelve to fifteen months. In accordance with Genesis 17:12, what happens to Jesus when He is eight days old?
In accordance with Leviticus 12:1-5, what do Joseph and Mary do thirty-three days later? (v.24)
In accordance with Numbers 18:15, what do they do at the same time? (vv. 22-23)
What does the fact that Joseph and Mary offered a pair of birds as their purification sacrifice tell us about them? (Leviticus 12:8)
Compare the fact that Jesus received His name before He was conceived with the following Scriptures and draw a personal application from each: a. Jeremiah 1:5;b. Psalm 139:13-16; c. Jeremiah 29:11
To get an idea of Jesus’ thoughts on the subject of His being called from birth, listen to the conversation that goes on between the Son and the Father in this messianic Psalm: Psalm 49:1-13
What is the proper role of rituals in the life of the Christian?
Who greets
them in the temple, and what does he do? (vv. 25-28)
Simeon is
described as righteous and devout. What did this mean at this point in
history?
What parts
of this behavior still applies? What parts no longer do?
The Bible
says that he was led that day to the Temple
by the Spirit. Is this still possible today? If so, how so? If not, why
not?
How do you
think that Simeon recognized that Jesus, at this point a month old baby,
was the Messiah?
What is the
focus of Simeon’s praise? (vv. 29-32)
After Gabriel’s announcement
foretelling Jesus’ birth, the miraculous conception, and the shepherds
coming with their story of angels, why do you think that Joseph and Mary
were amazed by this old man’s prophecy?
On a more
somber note, what does Simeon prophesy to Mary? (vv. 34-35)
Besides Simeon, who else does God have waiting to see Jesus, and what does she do? (v. 38)
What do you think about Anna being a prophetess? What do you think are some implications of her ministry?
To get an idea of a prophetess’ position in the Israeli social strata, consider the following Scripture describing another prophetess: Judges 4:1-9. What other role did this prophetess play?
Consider Exodus 15 and Moses’ sister Miriam. She was also referred to as a prophetess. What other role did she play? (Exodus 15:20-21)
In 2 Kings 22:1-7, Josiah was made king and the Lord declared him to be a righteous king. When he was 26, he ordered a renovation of the temple. During those renovations the workers found the ancient “Book of the Law” that had been lost (v.8). When they read it and found out how far they had strayed from the Lord, they all showed appropriate repentance (v.11). Who did they go to for advice and council (v. 14)?
The same rules of discernment apply to female prophetesses as do to males. Are all prophetesses good? (Nehemiah 6:14)
Are female prophetesses no longer valid in our Christian era? (Acts 21:8-9)
Look at her lifestyle: she remained purposefully and contentedly a widow, she served the temple faithfully for decades, she remained at the temple day and night, and she worshipped with fasting and prayer. Is this lifestyle still available or even right today?
What does Paul have to add to this conversation in 1 Timothy 5:3-16?
How did Jesus spend his early childhood? (Matthew 2:13-23)
What
kind of religious training did Jesus probably receive? (Deuteronomy 6:4-7)
Was it
considered an honor to live in Nazareth
in Galilee? (John 1:45-46; 7:41; 7:52)
In John
7:52, the people claimed that no prophet came from Galilee. Were they correct? (Compare Jonah1:1 with 2 Kings 14:25
and Joshua 19:10, 13)
What
does their idea that God can only raise prophets from certain places tell us
about their view of God?
Can we
be guilty of the same kind of sin? In what way?
How
were the early Christians guilty of the same type of sin?
In
Isaiah 42:7, Jesus was predicted to be “a light to the nations.” (Not just Israel). In
Isaiah 49:6, Isaiahprophesied that Jesus would be a “light of the nations” and
that His salvation would “reach to the end ofthe earth.” How could the Jews,
who prided themselves in their knowledge of messianic prophecy, have missed
these clues? What kept them from seeing it?
How do
we reconcile the fact that we are told in Luke 2:39 that Jesus and His family returned toNazareth after fulfilling the requirements of the Law, with the fact that thewise men
from the east visited thechild Jesus in Bethlehem?
Did
they visit during Mary’s thirty days of purification in Bethlehem?
Was
this statement simply an overarching summarization that included Jesus’ entire childhood including the time after He returned from Egypt? (Matthew 2:1-23)
Matthew records another early adoration of the Savior, the wise men from the East. Not much is known about these astrologers (traditionally called wise men). They were a caste of wise men specializing in astronomy, astrology, and natural science. We don’t know where they came from or how many there were. Tradition says they were men of high position from Parthia, near the site of ancient Babylon. Perhaps they were from Persia but they might also have been from southern Arabia, which is also east of the Holy Land.
Their visit is similar to the royal visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon (1 Kings 10:1-12), which was a form of homage and gift-bearing to a son of David, a king of the Jews. Who are they seeking and why?
What do you make of the fact that God directed these Persian astrologers, spoke to a pagan diviner (Numbers 22:5) who used witches’ ways (Numbers 24:1), and allowed a message to come to Saul through a witch who summoned the spirit of Samuel from the dead (1 Samuel 28:7)?
How do they know how to get as far as Jerusalem?
According to Matthew 2:1-12, does the star stay illuminated during their entire journey?
These men were from faraway lands and they recognized Jesus as the Messiah when most of God’s chosen people in Israel did not. What application do you think could be made of that fact?
Where do the wise men find Jesus?
The costly gifts probably represented more wealth than either Joseph or Mary had seen in a lifetime. In this instance, offerings of worship may have paid for a journey to Egypt and a new life in a strange land. What is the most lavish and extravagant gift you have ever given the Lord as an act of worship?
How can you worship the Lord in ways that provide meaningful assistance to needy people – either Christians or non-Christians?
These astrologers traveled thousands of miles to see the king of the Jews. When they finally found him, they responded with joy, worship, and gifts. This is so different from the approach people often take today. We expect God to come looking for us, to explain Himself, prove who He is, and give us gifts. However, those who are wise still seek and worship Jesus today, not for what they can get, but for who He is? What application can we find to our approach to church from the wise men’s example?
Why do you think the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream both here and in section 9 (Matthew 1:18-2:1a; Luke 2:1-7) as well as section 18 (Matthew 2:19-23) when he appeared to others while they were awake? Are there any inferences that can be taken from this?
Notice that Joseph left “that night”. Wouldn’t you struggle with personal doubt if you had a dream telling you to move immediately to Mexico?
What does Joseph’s immediate obedience teach us?
What benefits came from his immediate obedience? What could have happened if he had not been so quick to listen to and follow God’s command?
Do you think he was aware of the full consequences of disobedience at that time?
We do not need to understand everything. We do not have an inherent right to know. We need to trust God’s commands and obey them. What are some commands that God gives us today that we must be quick to obey?
Why do you think God wanted them to run to Egypt? Why not Syria or Persia?
In the light of their own historical exodus from Egypt, what do you think it meant to early Jewish Christians that Jesus had also fled to Egypt and returned from there?
17. Herod massacres the innocent children (Matthew 2:16-18)
In contrast to the wise men’s desire to worship Jesus, what is Herod’s initial response? (v.3)
What does he pretend is in his heart? (v.8)
Both the wise men and Herod received the same information about the identity of Jesus as King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2-6). What character qualities did the wise men have that led them to worship Jesus while Herod lacked them and rejected Him?
Why do you think people in power have difficulty accepting Jesus as the King of their lives?
What connection do you suppose there was between Herod’s inquiry about the time when the wise men first saw the star announcing the birth of the King of the Jews and his decision to kill all male babies two years old and younger? (Matthew 2:7, 16)
What was ironic about pagan wise men worshiping Jesus while King Herod was plotting to kill Him? (Matthew 2:11, 16)
Rachel had been one of Jacob’s wives. She died in childbirth (Gen. 35:16-20). Jeremiah later had imagined Rachel mourning the children who died during the Babylonian invasion of Judah (Jeremiah 31:15). Matthew extended her grief to cover Herod’s murder of the children at Bethlehem. How do you think Jesus’ memory of this incident shaped His attitude toward children?
How can Christians today offer practical help to urban children around the world who are abused or neglected by powerful people?
Why do you think Jesus wants His followers to involve themselves with the pains of the world?
Which pains of the world do you sense the Lord wants you to be involved in relieving?
18. Jesus' family returns to Nazareth (Matthew 2:19-23)
Nazareth was a despised place (John 7:42, 52) even to other Galileans (cf. John 1:46). Here Jesus grew up, not as “Jesus the Bethlehemite,” with its Davidic overtones, but as “Jesus the Nazarene,” with all the opprobrium of a sneer. Why do you think such an extraordinary King and Savior chose to grow up in obscurity?
Examining Matthew 1:1-2:23, summarize the ways in which Jesus’ coming does not match the ways you would expect a powerful leader to come into the world.
Write a prayer of adoration addressed to Jesus expressing your thoughts about His willingness to become “God with us” in the way He did.
Joseph received his angelic visitations in dreams. Jacob saw the angels in dreams (Genesis 28:10-22). God spoke to king Nebuchadnezzar in a dream (Daniel 2:1-18; 4:4-5) and gave Daniel the prophetic answer in a dream (Daniel 2:19 cp 7:1). This is in accordance to what God said in Numbers 12:6-8. We also see this approach reflected in Job 33:15-18. However, Daniel also received word from the angel Gabriel in a waking state (Daniel 9:20-22). Interestingly enough, it is also Gabriel who spoke to Zechariah and Mary! What can we learn from these intriguing facts?
Joseph originally intended to return to Bethlehem, and only decided against it when he found out that the Herod’s son was on the throne. Why do you think he wanted to live in Bethlehem rather than Nazareth – his home town?
The angel told him that “those who were trying to kill the child” were dead. Wouldn’t this have indicated that Archelaus was not to be considered a threat? Was Joseph’s fear a break in Joseph’s usual faith?
His decision to return to Nazareth fulfilled an ancient prophecy according to Matthew. However, these exact words are not found anywhere in the Old Testament. What we DO find is a consistent opinion that the Messiah would be despised (Psalm 22:6; Isaiah 53:3). To be from Nazareth was to be despised. Why do you think God found it necessary to introduce this element of disdain to the Messiah?
Do you think that God might call some of us to be despised? (2 Timothy 2:20; Romans 9:21)
If Jesus, the Son of God, was called to be despised, should we balk? (John 13:16; Matthew 10:24; Luke 6:40; John 15:18-20)
If we do, what is it in us that causes us to balk?
19. Jesus teaches the teachers at age twelve (Luke 2:41-50)
Luke is the only Gospel that records an event from Jesus’ childhood. What insights about Jesus’ growth and development can we glean from this brief account?
What do you make of the fact that Jesus already identified the Temple as His Father’s?
Why do you think Jesus did not let His earthly parents know where He was? Why did He cause them worry?
Why do you think it took them three days to find Him at the Temple? (cp. v.49a)
What conclusions do you draw from the statement that Jesus had to grow in wisdom?
Why do you think Luke included this passage? Consider the fact that Luke’s gospel was primarily directed to a Gentile.
Why do you think that Jesus was loved by all who knew Him as a young man but became such a cause of division later?
20. Jesus from youth to manhood (Luke 2:40; 51-52)
Jesus was in His Father’s temple and studying His Father’s Scriptures with the greatest teachers Israel had to offer. What did the simple phrase “he returned to Nazareth with them” tell us about His character?
Was this a one-time sacrifice or was it a habit? (Philippians 2:3-8)
If we are His disciples, how can we imitate Him in this?
This passage clearly indicates that Jesus grew in stature, that He was healthy and that He was strong. Where do we get the image of an emaciated skinny Jesus with the pale skin and blue eyes? Does this image correlate with what we see in Scripture?
What other passages or incidents in His life can you think of that contradict this “weak emaciated” Jesus image?
Why do you think people have maintained the “weak emaciated” Jesus image when the Bible so clearly indicates otherwise? What would be the motive?
It states that Jesus was obedient to them. You know that they were human and therefore sinful. You know that they were not perfect and at times made mistakes. Do you think that it might have been difficult for Him to obey them at times? Where do you think He drew the limits?
What does His obedience to sinful, mistaken humans teach us?
Why do you think Mary “stored all these things in her heart” and yet did not later believe in Him until after His resurrection? What could have been her expectations?
