Friday, December 23, 2011

Christmas Story – Joseph’s POV

1) What is the purpose of genealogy? For Jews, knowing one’s lineage was very important. You had to be able to prove your heritage in order to inherit property rights; to hold a religious position (priests had to be descendants of Levi) and political position (king had to be a descendant of David and even further back to Judah, son of Jacob – Genesis 49:10); and to marry someone.

2) Why does Matthew begin his story of Jesus with Jesus’ genealogy? Matthew’s audience, the people he is writing this letter to, were Jews. (In contrast to John who wrote to a Gentile audience.) They knew the prophecies regarding the Messiah. Matthew was informing them up front that Jesus was the long promised Messiah. He did so using genealogy.

3) How does verse 1 begin? It does not say Jesus son of Joseph; rather, Jesus the son of David, the son of Abraham. Who was David? Established the royal line of kings. OT prophecy clearly stated that a descendant of David would be the Messiah. The ultimate ruler. Matthew presenting proof that Jesus, being a descendant of David, is the fulfillment of that prophecy. But Matthew doesn’t stop at David. He takes Jesus’ lineage further back to Abraham. Who was Abraham? The physical and spiritual patriarch of Israel. The receiver of the promise – through Abraham and his descendants all nations will be blessed. Matthew presenting proof that Jesus, being a descendant of Abraham, is the fulfillment of that promise. By connecting Jesus further back to Abraham, Matthew was informing his Jewish audience that the role of the Messiah was not confined to fulfilling a political responsibility but also a spiritual one- to be a blessing for all peoples, Jew and Gentile.

4) What are some names in Jesus’ genealogy that stand out to you? Point out – Jesus’ ancestors are mixture of good and evil; heroes and villains; the godly and the degenerates. Judah and Tamar; Salmon and Rahab (Matthew doesn’t refer to her as “the Harlot); Boaz and Ruth; David and the wife of Uriah (Matthew pointing out David’s greatest sin – opposite of Rahab); Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah; Zerubbabel; Jacob the father of Joseph. All shaped/molded Joseph. Take what he learned; the values he received from his ancestors and pass them on to Jesus.

Background on Jewish marriage ritual:

Marriages anciently were arranged by parents and continue to be even today in orthodox families. It was considered an act of honor to permit those with the wisdom and experience to make such important decisions. Children were betrothed, or engaged, generally as teenagers around age 15 or 16. A boy or girl becomes a man or woman at their 'bar' or 'bat' mitzvah at age 13. Taking on the rights and obligations of adulthood include the obligations of preparing for marriage and having a family. Girls work in earnest on their dowries and boys work on getting a room or place to live, generally in his families homes or lands. A betrothal would generally be arranged in the children’s mid to late teens and would last a long period of time like a year or more. A betrothal is more serious than an engagement by our standards. Once committed in this way behavior and expectations change dramatically for these children.

The first major step in a Jewish marriage was betrothal. Betrothal involved the establishment of a marriage covenant. By Jesus' time it was usual for such a covenant to be established as the result of the prospective bridegroom taking the initiative. The prospective bridegroom and his father would travel house to the home of the prospective bride. There they would negotiate with the father of the young woman to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride. Once the bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was thereby established.

Arrangements were also made right then concerning the terms of the marriage. A written contract listed the time, place, and size of the wedding as well as recording the dowry and terms of maintenance of the marriage. This binding document called a "ketubah" was kept in the bride's possession until the consummation of the marriage.

The potential bride then entered the room whereupon the prospective groom proclaimed his love and asked her to be his bride. If the young woman wished to be his wife, she accepted his proposal at this time. The validation of the agreement made by the engaged couple was the presentation of a gift by the groom. He offered it in the presence of at least two witnesses. As he gave the gift, usually a ring, he said to his intended bride, "Behold you are consecrated unto me with this ring according to the laws of Moses and Israel." The young man and woman were regarded to be husband and wife. From that moment on the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified, set apart exclusively for her bridegroom. As a symbol of the covenant relationship that had been established, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.

After the marriage covenant had been established, the groom would leave the home of the bride and return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for a period of twelve months. This period of separation afforded the bride time to gather her tousseau and to prepare for married life. The groom occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's house to which he could bring his bride.

The Bible refers to the status of the prospective bride and groom as "espousal" or "betrothal." It meant that the two people were committed to each other as much as a married couple would be. The only parts of the marriage not yet completed were the formal "huppah" ceremony followed by their physical union. This betrothal was considered so binding that the only way to break it was by an actual bill of divorcement.

Read Matthew chapter 1:18-19

5) If you were Joseph, what would have been your reaction to hearing the news that Mary was pregnant? Betrayed, angry, sad. What have you been doing the past year?

6) What did Joseph choose to do? Divorce Mary without making a big stink about it. Why? a) Joseph was a “just man.” – keeper of God’s commandments. Did not want to be married to someone who could follow God’s commandments. b) Unwilling to put her to shame. What other option could he have chosen? Joseph could have had Mary publicly stoned to death but did not. Despite what she did, Joseph loved Mary enough not to add to her embarrassment/shame. Let her have her life/future.

7) What does this tell you about Joseph’s character? Follower of the law mixed with compassion. Mercy over judgment. Acknowledged the sin but love the sinner. Perhaps big reason why God selected Joseph to raise His Son. Joseph’s occupation may have something to do with it also. Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus grew up in a carpenter’s shop. What would He see everyday? Wood and nails. A constant reminder to Jesus of his primary mission on earth. Die by wood and nails to redeem humanity.

Read Matthew 1:20-25

8) What did it take to convince Joseph not to divorce Mary? A visit from an angel who explained to Joseph the significance of the child Mary was carrying.

9) What do you think were some of the thoughts Joseph was thinking during Mary’s pregnancy and in the moments after Jesus’ birth?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Old Testament Christmas

Background – Read Isaiah 8:18-22. The people of Judah are in distress. The Assyrian empire is at their doorstep. There is an atmosphere of terror in the land. The people turned to mediums and spirits for answers … for words of hope which amazed Isaiah. Read vs. 19-20. In time, the people will be consumed by their fear and uncertainty. Fear and uncertainty will turn into anger and the people will curse their king and God. They blame God … point finger at God for their distress. In reality, the blame is theirs. They committed spiritual adultery. The people look down at the earth and all they see is distress and gloom. Read vs. 22.

Read Isaiah 9:1-7

The lands of Zebulun and Naphtali are located in northeastern Israel. See map. We’ll come back to the significance of this region in a little bit.

1) Characterize the emotional state/spiritual state of a person walking in darkness and living in the land of the shadow of death. Fear, doubt, anger, distress, lost, directionless, gloom. Not a happy, joyful place to be.

2) What will the people walking in darkness and living in the land of the shadow of death see? Light. What will it do to the darkness and the shadow of death? The light will make them disappear. Darkness and death will no longer have power over the people.

3) Would you characterize verses 1 through 7 as words of optimism or pessimism? Optimism. No more distress. No more gloom. There will be great rejoicing. The yoke that burdened the people, the bar across their shoulders weighing them down, the rod of their oppressors that brings them pain and suffering will all be shattered. There will be peace.

4) How will this happen? Through a child. Not a through great army or through special effect filled miracle. It’ll be in the same mode as God defeated Midian - unexpected/unusual. Read Judges chapters 6-8. The 12 tribes of Israel were constantly attacked by their neighbor the Midianites. The Israelites came under Midianite rule. Midianites treated Israelites harshly. Darkness of gloom and death fell upon the land. The people were looking for a messiah (God’s anointed) to rescue them. Another Moses to deliver them. Instead they got Gideon. He was the least of his family and his family was the least of the tribe of Manasseh. Gideon was a wimp not a great leader. He was the opposite of a Moses. God anointed this obscure nobody from a nobody family to be the messiah/deliverer of Israel. – God had Gideon to reduce his army from 32,000 men to 300 men to defeat Midian and free his people from the oppression of Midian. Salvation came in an unusual manner. 1) God reduced Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300. 2) Defeated Midian using trumpets and lanterns not swords and chariots.

5) What titles will the newborn child be called? What characteristics do you associate with each title?

Wonderful Counselour – advocate/defender against all accusers. Offers words of wisdom.

Mighty God – power, strength

Everlasting Father – eternal, provider, comforter, protector

Prince of Peace – ruler, peace

6) How long will his reign last? Forever. What two attributes will characterize his reign? Justice and righteousness.

7) Who will make this happen? God

8) How does Isaiah 9:1-7 relate to Jesus?

Jesus began his ministry in the region of Galilee that was once the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. Read Matthew 4:12-17.

Jesus is the Light. Read John 1:1-9; John 8:12: John 12:46

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus broke the yoke/bar/rod of sin and death that brought fear and oppression to mankind.

Comparison to the defeat of Midian – Jesus was born in obscurity. Bethlehem – cow stall; He was raised in Nazareth – John 1:46 “Does anything good come out of Nazareth?”; Galilee – Pharisees dismissed Jesus’ ministry by saying no prophet has ever come from Galilee; Jesus was not the Messiah that the Jews anticipated. He was not a mighty warrior.

Jesus is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.

His kingdom is an eternal one founded on justice and righteousness.

9) What were the people who heard Isaiah’s message suppose to get from it? Hope. The bad times will not last forever. There will come a time of peace and joy that will last for eternity.

In the Garden of Eden, man disobeyed God. Consequently, the darkness of sin and death fell upon the world. The shadow of death haunted man like a ghoul. Humanity lived in fear of this darkness. There was no rejoicing in the world for there was no hope. The yoke of sin and death weighed heavily upon the back of humanity. The rod of Satan beat down upon humanity. The soul of man knew no peace. As the centuries passed, sin became more rampant. The world became even darker. Humanity walked blindly in the darkness with no direction. Satan continued to beat into man fear, hatred, despair, and lies.

Two thousand years ago, God looked down upon the earth wrapped in a blanket of darkness. In my mind’s eye, God seemed to speak four familiar words “Let there be Light!” That Light descended from Heaven to this dark, gloomy world in the form of a child. This child was not any ordinary child. This child was the Mighty God Himself – a Wonderful Counselor, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. This child dispelled the darkness that for so long had blanketed the earth. This child forced the shadow of death to flee to the depths of hell from whence it came. This child shattered the yoke of sin, the bar of iniquity, and the rod of our oppressor, Satan. Humanity would no longer wander aimlessly in the darkness nor would they have to fear death. With the Light, came life, hope, love, peace, courage, and truth. Consequently, the world felt something that it had not felt in a long time – indescribable, unspeakable joy.

Since the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, has the darkness of sin and death reclaimed the world from His Light? After two thousand years, has the Light of Bethlehem been extinguished by the darkness? The Great Deceiver, Satan, would like us to believe it has. He would like us to believe that sin still rules over us who believe in the Light and that death is something that followers of God should still fear. Do not allow Satan to deceive you. The true Light that is Jesus is not like the like the light of a candle that can be easily blown out. The Light still shines as bright as ever. That Light that came to earth two thousand years ago is in you. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16

Matthew 4:12-17
When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

John 1:1-9
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 12:46
I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

Friday, December 2, 2011

A Thanksgiving lesson

Background –

Samaritans – The Assyrian empire conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel also called Samaria. The Assyrians scattered thousands of people from the North Kingdom throughout their empire. Forcibly removed them from their homes and exiled them to strange lands hundreds of miles away. The Assyrians then forced other people groups in their empire to settle in the Northern Kingdom. People of different races and religions. Overtime, the remaining Israelites intermarried with these other people groups. Their descendants would become known in Jesus’ day as Samaritans. The Samaritans were greatly looked down upon by their relatives to the south the Jews. The Jews held a strong racial and religious prejudice against the Samaritans. The Jews perceived Samaritans as “half-breeds”. They were genetically and religiously impure/unclean. A Jew did not step foot on Samaritan soil for fear they would become “unclean”. They would walk miles around Samaritan territory to get to where they were going. A Jew did not associate or socialize with a Samaritan. The Jews and Samaritans had a similar relationship as whites and blacks in the United Stated during the days of segregation.

Leprosy – a generic name given to a skin disorder that was common in Biblical days. Leprosy produced sores and eruptions on the skin. The skin turned a snow white color. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. A person with leprosy can feel no pain in the area affected because the nerves are dead. A person who contracted leprosy was immediately ostracized from the community for fear of spreading diseases, not just leprosy. According to Jewish law, the leprous person had to wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose. He had to cover his upper lip and cry out, “Unclean! unclean!” Consequently, there was a strong social stigma associated with being a leper. The only people lepers could socialize with were other lepers. These “leper colonies” as they were known would go around the countryside begging for food and money.

Read Luke 17:11-19

1) Where was Jesus travelling? Along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

2) Who did Jesus come across during this journey? Ten lepers

3) What did they want Jesus to do? Show mercy towards them by healing them of their leprosy.

4) What did Jesus tell them to do? Go show themselves to the priest. According to scripture (Leviticus 14), a person with leprosy had to be examined by a priest to determine if he is cleansed or not.

5) As the ten were going to see the priest, what happened? They were healed. The leprosy was gone. Their skin was a normal color. They could actual feel again.

6) What did one of the ten do after he realized he was healed? He went back to see Jesus praising God the whole way. For what purpose? To give thanks to Jesus for healing him.

7) In the last sentence of verse 16, what does Luke point out about this former leper? He is a Samaritan. Why does Luke say this? To explain what Jesus says about this former leper in verse 18.

8) How would you describe Jesus’ response to the actions of the former leper? Amazement perhaps. Why does Jesus exhibit this response? By pointing out that this man who came back to thank Jesus for healing him was a foreigner/a Samaritan, what was Jesus implying about the nationality of the other nine? They were probably Jews. People of Jesus’ race. Yet His own people failed to return to thank Him for healing them.

9) Why was the Samaritan so grateful to Jesus for healing him? Put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Feel the physical and emotional suffering this man endured. You are a leper. Your skin is basically rotting off your bones. You have open sores. You can’t feel anything. There is an awful stench coming from your body. You are ostracized from your family, friends, and normal community. You can’t touch your wife and children. Even if you could, you could not feel them. When you do come into contact with healthy people, you have to shout “Unclean! Unclean!” so that they know not to come near you. When they do recognize you as a leper they run away in fear from you. The only people you can socialize with are other lepers. But, you are not just a leper. You are a Samaritan leper. If the other nine lepers you associated with were Jews, how did they treat you? Not well. They probably stole whatever alms you received or shared with you the last morsel of moldy bread. In effect, you are an outcast among outcasts. But that all changed on the day Jesus healed you. You are healthy once more. You will no longer be treated as a pariah. You can go home to your family. Moreover, it was a Jew who showed compassion for you … a Jew who healed you. That has to make some impression on you. Out of the Samaritan’s joy, poured praises of thanksgiving for the one who changed his life. In return, Jesus, a Jew, commended him, a Samaritan, for his faith. Wow!

10) Why did the other nine not return to Jesus? We don’t really know. In my opinion, the nine were so ecstatic over what happened to them that they simply forgot to thank the One who made it possible. Before we throw rocks at them for being so ungrateful, how many people today … how many of us are guilty of doing the same?

11) In today’s culture with whom does our nation identify most when it comes to celebrating Thanksgiving - expressing thanks to God – the one Samaritan or the nine ex-lepers? You can deduce my conclusion from the title of this lesson and what I shared at the beginning of this lesson. This Thanksgiving be like the Samaritan and not the nine. Do not take God’s blessing for granted.