Learning Jesus | Week 2
Learning Jesus Week 2
Identification, please II
Key Word – Identity >> Central Passages: Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13
Day 1 -- Matthew 2:1-23
1. The root of the word star in Hebrew means “radiance” or “brilliance,” and throughout Scripture God’s glory is revealed visibly in such light. This light moves east to west, north to south, and rests over a house. Literal stars do not do that, so this glorious light is the Shechinah glory, the divine presence of God. When the wise men, experts in astrology and astronomy, saw “his” star, they knew the King of the Jews had been born. But how did they know? The wise men came from Babylon, the same place as Balaam whose Messianic prophecy linked a kingdom and a star (Numbers 24:17), AND the same place where the Jews were once held captives. Daniel, a Jewish man trained in the school of the wise men during the captivity, prophesied the year of the coming of a great Savior-King (See Daniel 9:24-27), and this information, received from the Creator of stars, was passed from generation to generation among a believing remnant of Gentiles. When Jesus is maybe two years old, the wise men brought three gifts, and each gift is connected to the identity of Jesus. They brought gold, what one brings to a King; frankincense what one offers to God, and myrrh, a burial spice, because this King who is God would be the last, once-for-all, Sacrifice for sin.
What do these details further reveal about the identity of Jesus?
2. Matthew’s theme is that Jesus is the King of the Jews. That theme is exactly what Herod fears! King Herod killed four sons to guard his throne. His people said, “It is safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son.”
Though the wise men brought three gifts, we do not know how many wise men came to worship Jesus. We do know that when they came, Herod was “troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” and a greater number with great pomp would be more “troubling” than merely three men.
Contrast how these Gentile wise men responded to the coming of Jesus into the world to how King Herod responded to His coming. What were the implications of their different responses?
3. C.S. Lewis noted that people respond to Jesus with terror, hatred, or adoration, but they never respond with “mild indifference.” Why do you think that is?
Deep Think (Totally Optional)
How the New Testament writers quoted the Old Testament always fits into one of four categories, and all of these ways are seen in Matthew 2:1-23.
#1 Literal Prophecy Plus Literal Fulfillment -- Matthew 2:5-6 quotes from Micah 5:2, which prophesies that the Messiah will be literally born in Bethlehem; then he writes how Jesus was literally born in Bethlehem.
#2 Literal Plus Typical – Matthew 2:15 quotes from Hosea 11:1, which states the literal historical event of God bringing Israel, His son, out of Egypt during the Exodus. When Jesus and His family left Egypt to come back to the Promised Land, God was again bringing His Son out of Egypt. So Matthew sees this event as a Typical: Israel is the type and Jesus is the anti-type.
#3 Literal Plus Application -- Matthew 2:17-18 focuses on one small point of similarity in Jeremiah 31:15, which prophesies how Jewish young men would be taken into captivity to Babylon. On they way they would pass Ramah near Rachel’s burial site. As the young men passed by, the women of Ramah wept, and Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, figuratively wept for her children. This event is applied because it is similar to the weeping of the mothers in Bethlehem who lost sons they would never see again.
#4 Summation -- This time instead of quoting directly, Matthew 2:23 summarizes what the Old Testament “prophets” taught about the Messiah. During first-century Israel, a person from Nazarene was despised, even one not from Nazarene could be called “Nazarene” as a reproach or derision (See, for example, John 1:45-46). Jesus was from Nazareth, but the as various prophets foretold, Jesus was mocked and derided throughout His ministry. He was despised in that He was rejected by His people and bore our reproach on the cross. Therefore, what the prophets foretold about Jesus is summarized by His hometown identification.
How does knowing all this brainy stuff lead you to worship the God of the Word?
You might choose to answer this in the form of a prayer to God.
Day 2 -- Luke 2:39-52
If you have ever lost a child in a crowd, no doubt you sympathize with Mary, and you may wonder at Jesus’ response to her in verse 49. This background information will help you to understand the context of this scene:
In Jewish tradition a boy at age 5 began a serious study of the Word. One to two years prior to his Bar Mitvah, his parents took him to the temple to learn the Word from teachers of authority. At age 12 he was apprenticed to a specific profession, very likely to his father’s. At age 13, he completed his Bar Mitvah. To open a synagogue, a community had to have ten men. Once a boy completed his Bar Mitvah, thereby committing to live by Word, he could be counted among those men.
That Jesus both asked and answered questions with wisdom beyond the training of a twelve-year-old. Many wonder how Jesus gained His knowledge. Isaiah 50:4-9 says that His Father awakened Him each morning and personally taught Jesus all He needed to know to stand firm throughout His ministry.
1. What were the various results of the Father’s teaching Jesus this way?
2. That Jesus “was subject” to his parents, simply means that though Jesus was Himself divine, He subjected Himself to the Father’s divine order in the home.
How would such a subjection prepare Jesus for His Father’s business?
3. Jesus developed mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially (Luke 2:52), just like any other human. Consider that Jesus is going to be YOUR teacher this semester. How are you cooperating with the Spirit of Jesus to teach you so far?
Day 3 -- Matthew 3:1-12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18
Recall that angel Gabriel told Zacharias his son would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Luke states that “the word of God came to John.” The meaning of “word” here is rhema, meaning “spoken word,” so God audibly called John to be the Messiah’s forerunner to fulfill the prophecies in Isaiah 40:3 and Micah 3:1.
1. In the Old Testament, a prophet walked a bit on the wild side to emphasize his wild message.
List the details from the text that showcase how John was born to be wild through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Appearance
Appetite
Announcement
Actions
Attitude
2. John spoke a wild message about repentance and fruit and chaff (John 3:8-11). He rebuked soldiers and tax collectors, who operating under Roman authority had opportunity to extort money from their people. He also called the Pharisees and Sadduccees, who came not to be baptized but to observe his ministry, “brood of vipers” (Matt 3:7). These leaders taught “the merits of the fathers,” which meant that as Abraham’s descendants, Israelites were protected from divine punishment and had a sure position in the Messiah’s Kingdom.
How is John fulfilling Gabriel’s prophecy about him turning “the disobedient to the wisdom of the just”? (Luke 1:17) Consider his message’s effect on the different people groups who came to the river.
3. John’s purpose in calling Israel to repentance is to prepare them for the coming Messiah. Those being baptized were committing to follow whomever John identified as the Messiah. After Jesus’ baptism and temptations in the wilderness, He visits John again, and John does just that (See John 1:29-34).
How does John distinguish himself from the Messiah? What does this tell you about Jesus?
Optional -- Memory Verses for the Week Mark 1:7-8
Day 4 -- Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23c
A Gentile visually communicated conversion to Judaism through a type of baptism that involved being fully immersed in water in a mikvah. In Greek bapto means “to dip” to “to dye” as in dipping a cloth into dye to change its color. A person being baptized, then, is identifying with a person or message and also disassociating from old identification.
You may be wondering -- Why does Jesus insist on being baptized if He has nothing to repent of? Here are three reasons -- According to Jesus, His baptism will “fulfill all righteousness.” At His temptation Jesus does this. Later Jesus says He will fulfill every jot & tittle of the Mosaic Law -- all 613 commandments. Jesus also is baptized to identify Himself with John’s message and this publicly identified Him with Israel. By answering the following questions, you will determine the last three reasons why Jesus insisted on being baptized.
1. Jesus is God, but He took on flesh, the “likeness of sinful flesh” (2 Cor 5:21). How by being baptized did Jesus identify Himself with you, a sinner?
2. How by being baptized does Jesus (the Son of Man) identify Himself with believers...including John... including you?
3. What two Persons are identifying Him as the Son of God? Why are all three Persons of the God-Head present at Jesus’ baptism?
Day 5 -- Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 Week’s Central Passages
To emphasize that Jesus’ tests in the wilderness were part of God’s plan for His Son, Matthew and Luke state that the Spirit “led” Jesus into the wilderness while Mark states that the Spirit “drove” Jesus there.
After God created Adam, He tested him by placing the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil in the garden of Eden. With its fruit, Satan tempted Adam by appealing to the lust of his flesh, the lust of his eyes, and to his pride (See 1 John 2:16-17). The result of Adam’s failure is that sin and death entered the entire world.
1. How do you see Satan using these same appeals to tempt Jesus to sin and keep Him from His goal to be our Substitute and Representative on the cross?
Lust of the Flesh –
This temptation tested whether Jesus would fulfill His physical needs as God willed Him to do.
Lust of the Eyes –
This temptation tested whether Jesus would submit to God’s authority.
Pride of Life –
This temptation tested whether Jesus would depend upon God to fulfill His promises.
After Adam, God continued to test those He called to a special task, and His test setting of choice was often the wilderness. The book of Exodus tells how God births Israel into a nation in the wilderness and then tests His newborn nation there for 40 years before bringing her into the Promised Land.
In the wilderness, God makes a covenant with Israel, and the book of Deuteronomy details that. It’s interesting that Jesus rebukes Satan’s temptations by quoting this covenant book. (Matt 4:4-10; cf Deut 8:3; 6:16; 6:13). If Israel had followed God purely, then all the world would have been drawn to the light of this nation. But like Adam, Israel does not fulfill her covenant.
2. Review the notes that open today’s lesson. Why was it necessary that Jesus, the second Adam, be tested AND pass His test? You can check out Romans 5 for more on that.
Bonus Q -- Why do you think Jesus had to pass His test in the wilderness specifically?
3. As to His human nature, Jesus was temptable, but as to His divine nature, Jesus was not temptable. Since Jesus’ two natures are joined in one Person, His temptations were real, yet He proved it was impossible for Him to sin (Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5). Keep in mind that in His humanity, Jesus submitted to God’s will to be dependent upon Him and did not use His divine power to spare Himself. At Jesus’ baptism God proclaimed Him as His beloved Son, and now Jesus proved God’s words.
Consider those truths carefully. Why is Jesus the only One who could save you?
You might choose to answer this in the form of a prayer to God.
Are there contradictions in the gospels?
Matthew & Luke list Jesus’ temptations in a different order. Of the gospel writers, only Luke wrote the events of Jesus’ life in chronological order (See Luke 1:3). The other gospel writers hold to a loose chronology but also take poetic license in order to convey their theme. Since one of Matthew’s themes is that Jesus is the King, he saves the kingdom temptation for last.
REFLECTION Questions
These questions, along with the Central Passage each week, will usually be the focus of your group’s discussion.
1. The Jews lived in great anticipation of the Messiah’s coming. When He came, their enemies would be vanquished, and they would reign the world with Him. Isaiah speaks of this victorious Messiah (Isaiah 60) but then also speaks of the Messiah as a suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). We shall see as we continue that reconciling these two Messiahs – Victorious & Suffering -- into One Person is going to shake the Jewish world.
In just two weeks of study, we have met a Messiah who was born of a virgin, born in a cave, wrapped in burial cloths, welcomed by shepherds, worshiped by Gentile astrologers and astromoners, given gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, a child-teacher in the Temple, heralded by a locust-eating prophet (the first prophet to appear after 400 hundred years of prophetic silence), lauded from Heaven, descended upon by the Spirit, and tempted and tested like a mere human in the wilderness but WITHOUT SINNING.
When you put all these events together, what truths are emerging about the identify of the Messiah?
2. According to Genesis 1:27, we were created in the image of God and as the image of God. As such we were the crown of His creation. Adam and Eve sinned by seeking their own glory apart from God. The result was death, and the image of God in us was marred. Jesus came to restore us to our former glory.
What do these temptations of self-glorification look like in our world?
Lust of the Flesh -- The temptation to be self-sufficient instead of depending upon God (Luke 3:3-4 ).
Lust of the Eyes -- The temptation to be powerful instead of submitting to God’s authority (Luke 3:5-8).
Pride of Life -- The temptation to be lauded by others instead of waiting upon God to fulfill His promises (Luke 3:9-12).
3. Review the questions below which are written as though God is asking them. Get together with one person from your group. Go back and forth between the two of you answering one question at a time. If you are not ready to answer a question, that is fine.
· Which self-glorification most tempts you from depending upon Me?
· How has surrendering to this temptation affected our relationship?
· If you trust Me right now with __________, what will you be giving up?
· Are you willing? Why are you willing? OR Why are you not willing?
4. Given what you have learned this week and how God is moving in your life right now, what is a prayer request you can share with your group? Use this space to also record others’ prayer requests when you meet.
• My prayer –
• Group Prayer Requests –
COMMUNITY GROUP TIME
• Discuss the Central Passages questions. (This week that is Day 5 -- Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13.)
• Open Share Time -- Allow time for each to share “starred” insights or questions from Days 1-5. Allow others to respond to the shared insight.
• Discuss Reflection questions.
• Is anyone able to recite all or part of Mark 1:7-8?
• Close in prayer
God’s joy & strength to you,
kpaulson@gracelaredo.org