Bible Discussion — Luke 2:41-3:38

January 9, 2008, 12:00 pm; posted by
Filed under Bible, Chloe, Connie, David, Erin, Josh J, Steve  | 3 Comments

This week, Bweinh.com looks at the next section of Luke, Luke 2:41-3:38.

Genesis: 1-4 | 5-9 | 10-14 | 15-18 | 19-22 | 23-26
27-29 | 30-32 | 33-36 | 37-39 | 40-43 | 44-46 | 47-50
Exodus: 1-4 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-18
19-22 | 23-26 | 27-30 | 31-34 | 35-40
Romans: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 (I)
Ch. 8 (II) | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | Ch. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15-16
Luke: 1:1-38 | 1:39-2:40

 
INTRODUCTION:
David:
This section offers the one small glimpse of Jesus’ childhood afforded us. If it was important to know more, we would. If he had done astounding miracles and dispensed wisdom destined to be Scripture (as fabricated in other works), we would have seen evidence of that in the Gospels.

Connie:
Jesus grows up and gets ready to begin His ministry. His cousin John is featured prominently in this passage.

Steve:
This part of Luke is very interesting, the opening movement to a great symphony. There are foreshadowing notes of Christ’s power to teach, the compelling counter-melody of John the Baptist, the crescendo at baptism when the two lives reconnect, and then the introductory genealogy, like a drum roll as we wait for the ministry of Christ to begin.

 
SOMETHING YOU’D NEVER NOTICED BEFORE:
Chloe:
John addresses the 3 major people groups in his sermon — the crowd (the community), the tax collectors (the sinners or the government), and the soldiers (the outsiders or the law enforcement). Random, but kind of cool.

Josh:
I’d never noticed the wording that people assumed Jesus was Joseph’s son (v. 23). I guess I never stopped to think if it was known among the people at the time that He was not, in fact, Joseph’s blood.

Along those lines, I’ve found it strange that Jesus’ genealogy is traced through Joseph, with whom He shared no bloodline, instead of through Mary, with whom He did. I understand that the custom of the day was paternal lineage, but I’d still be far more interested in knowing Jesus’ actual ancestors.

Steve:
It’s no wonder Jesus is such a popular name among Spanish speakers; one of Jesus’ great-great-great grandfathers was named Jose!

David:
In 3:12, the Publicans called John “Master,” which is the word rabboni. It is a term that shows great respect and admiration. John was not viewed as some jack-leg preacher; he had respect as a learned man of God, and his grasp of OT scripture backs that up.

Connie:
John’s call to repentance is followed by questions from the crowds of “How?” His answer is to love others — by seeing to their needs. Another example of faith without works being useless. And his answer is not to rely on heritage — good fruits were required now.

Erin:
It says that Jesus’ parents didn’t understand what he was saying when he stayed behind in the temple. What must that feel like, to know that your ‘child,’ the Son of God, is speaking beyond your comprehension?

 
BEST BAND NAME FROM THE PASSAGE:
David: Son of Arphaxad
Chloe: Unaware
Steve: Custom Feast; Son of Er
Connie: Cosam
Erin: Hill Made Low
Josh: Children of Rock

 
STORY IT REMINDS YOU OF::
David:
We left our daughter Teresa at church by mistake when she was around 12 and went home without her. She wasn’t astounding anyone that we know of, but she sure had a lot to say to us when she called home. She’s 34 now and still brings it up.

Josh:
When I was 3 years old, I accompanied my parents on an hour-long trip to a summer camp where they were dropping off some older children from our church. During registration, I was allowed to go play on the playground, with the understanding that all I had to do was decide if I wanted to ride back with Mom or Dad. I decided I wanted to ride back with Dad, since I knew he’d be leaving later, allowing more time to play, but I failed to communicate this decision to either parent. When Mom left, since she’d heard nothing from me, she assumed I’d discussed the matter with Dad, and went home. Later, when Dad was ready to go, he’d not seen me, assumed I was with Mom, and also left.

When you’re a kid, you always think it would be great if your parents would just leave you alone and stop ruining your playtime by calling you away to eat, or take a bath, or go to bed. The reality is, as soon as that happened, some alarm went off in my head, and I went to the office. My parents eventually found me waiting there, eating candy, and everyone who saw me was amazed at my consumption of sweets.

Steve:
I tried to explain to an angry Muslim, at Speaker’s Corner in London, the difference between the two genealogies of Jesus, but I don’t think he heard a word I said.

Chloe:
The major at the church I attended in London preached one Sunday about the differences between Luke’s and Matthew’s genealogies. Matthew, was of course, for the Jews, and meant to prove his Christhood to those concerned with the prophecies. Luke, on the other hand, was aimed at the Gentiles, and so goes all the way back to Adam, the original “son of God.”

Specifically tailoring our message to each individual person we talk to is a lesson I think most of us are familiar with. Something I think Christians forget is that in order to tailor the message this way, we have to know the person thoroughly, know what they need to hear, and also know what will turn them off.

 
DEEP THEOLOGICAL MEANING:
Chloe:
Jesus’ parents lost Him, but then they found Him again when they went looking for Him, distraught and sick with fear over his fate. The most likely time for God to show up is when you’re so desperate to find Him that you’ll do and give up anything to regain His presence in your life.

Erin:
What I love about these details of John the Baptizer’s life is how incredibly practical his advice is. Share what you have. Don’t steal. Don’t extort. Be content. Basically: live every tiny part of your life as if you were being held accountable for it — and you are!

David:
John is the central character of chapter 3. Jesus later calls him the last of the OT Prophets, and the greatest man born to a woman, adding, however, that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than him. John ended one era and could only glimpse the new one coming, much like Moses viewed the promised land that he could not enter.

Connie:
The crowds were asking if John was the Messiah. They had hidden the Word in their hearts and they were “in suspense and waiting expectantly” (3:15 [Amplified]); it says “everyone was reasoning in their hearts whether John was the Messiah.” They were so close…yet so far.

 
RANDOM THOUGHT:
Steve:
I thought Trachonitis was a disease caused by intestinal parasites, not a region of the ancient world, ruled by Herod’s brother!

Connie:
It doesn’t specifically detail Jesus’ baptism, but it does reference what happened immediately afterwards. Odd.

David:
The DC Talk song, Jesus Freak, calls John “nappy-headed.”

 
WHERE IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE:
Josh:
Wait, I thought he was with you!

 
VERSE TO REMEMBER:
Steve:
3:22 — “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’ ”

Erin:
3:8 — “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.”

Josh:
3:16 — “John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ ”

Chloe:
3:30 — “the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim.”

David:
2:49 — “And He said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ ”

 
PORTION YOU WOULD MOST LIKE EXPLAINED IN HEAVEN:
Josh:
Clearly John the Baptist spoke to a people in a time in great need of repentance. But why did John speak of a coming wrath when he was serving as forerunner to salvation over condemnation?

Steve:
How many of “the people” who were being baptized with Jesus saw the Holy Spirit descend on Him “like a dove”? Did they hear the voice of God? Did they explain it away, did they ignore it, did they forget about it — or was it part of “the news” about Jesus that spread around the country in chapter 4?

Erin:
Why does it seem like Jesus is being cheeky to his parents, when “in every way He was without sin?”

Chloe:
The age-old question — did Jesus wear Nike or Reebok?

David:
Whether John really had nappy hair.

 
LESSON TO TAKE AWAY:
David:
God’s ways may be hard to grasp at times, but His will is inevitable and will prevail despite our confusion about — or even aversion to — His plans. No one could stop Jesus, no one could stop John, and no one can stop the Gospel.

Josh:
None of us likes to be told we are wrong, but sometimes it is quite necessary. Are we gracious? Are we repentant? Or do we lock someone up in prison (or the closest equivalent our influence allows)? We are all responsible for how we react in the face of truth.

Chloe:
The key is to keep looking for Him.

 
GENERAL RESPONSE TO THE PASSAGE:
David:
Paul told Timothy to avoid questions about genealogies, which only engender strife. Matthew and Luke’s lineages don’t agree because one is Joseph’s family and one is Mary’s, and both are abridged to mention only noteworthy ancestors, or the one outstanding figure from a generation. That is why Matthew can make each one of his groups have exactly 14 names in it.

 
CONCLUSION:
Steve:
The opening movement is coming to an end, the drum roll is reaching its close — now comes the meat of the symphony. Jesus, the Christ, is beginning his full-time ministry on the earth.


Comments

3 Comments to “Bible Discussion — Luke 2:41-3:38”

  1. David on January 9th, 2008 9:51 pm

    WHERE IS JESUS IN THIS PASSAGE:
    Josh:
    Wait, I thought he was with you!

    How do we nominate comments for awards here?

  2. Steve on January 9th, 2008 11:55 pm

    I’ve almost forgotten enough about the terrible pain the Turkish hacker caused to start going back to the Forums regularly…

  3. David on January 10th, 2008 9:03 am

    I try once in a while but there’s never anything new there. Perhaps the Free and Genial Society of Walrus Keepers should attack again.

Leave a comment!