Lessons for Christmas 2

Transcription

1 Well Fed Family Lessons for Christmas 2 Jesus is Born I. Memory verse: John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NIV) II. Lesson: The word Gospel means good news. The first four books of the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are called Gospels because they tell us all about Jesus life, how he loves us, how he died to forgive our sins, and how he rose again. All of that is certainly good news! However, the Gospel of Luke is the only one of these four books that gives us a detailed account of Jesus birth. Luke was a historian who wrote two books in the Bible, the Gospel of Luke, and also the book of Acts. As a good historian would, Luke wrote a careful account of Jesus life. Luke tells us himself in the first verses of chapter 1 of the book of Luke that he had carefully investigated everything so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Sir William Ramsey ( ) was a Scottish archaeologist and professor at the University of Edinburgh. He believed that Bible writers like Luke just made up facts and stories. He wanted to discredit Luke and therefore discredit the Bible. He traveled to Asia Minor determined to show that Luke was a fake. Instead, Ramsey returned home after his investigations a Bible believer! He said Luke is a historian of the first rank he is possessed of the true historic sense. We will begin our study of Jesus miraculous birth in Luke chapter 2. Luke 2:1-3 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. The location of Jesus birthplace in Bethlehem is the fulfillment of just one more of hundreds of prophecies about the Messiah found in the Old Testament scriptures. (You can learn more about the prophecies about Jesus in Lesson 1 The Prophets Foretell Jesus Birth from Well Fed Family.) The prophet Micah gave these words from God in Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. The little town of Bethlehem was also the town where the powerful Old Testament King David was born approximately 1,000 years before Jesus birth. This small town was pretty special!

2 Let s keep reading now in Luke chapter 2. Luke 2:4-7 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. I like how the New International Version says there was no guest room available. Other English translations use the word inn. The original Greek word that Luke used was kataluma. In the Greek alphabet it looks like this: κατάλυμα This same word is used in Mark 14:14 and Luke 22:11 which both talk about Jesus disciples finding a room to use while they celebrate the Passover together. They ask the owner of a house and he offers his guest room which is described as a large upper room furnished and ready. So even though we traditionally think of Mary and Joseph getting rejected by a cold-hearted innkeeper, it s probably not exactly what happened. The typical homes of that time included rooms as part of the house where they kept their animals inside at night. Since tiny Bethlehem was probably crowded with extra people visiting for the census, all the guest rooms were already occupied. Joseph and Mary had to stay in one of the other rooms along with the livestock. Meanwhile, as Mary was giving birth in a space shared with someone s sheep and donkeys, there was something big going on just outside of town! Luke 2:8-14 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. What does it mean for the glory of the Lord to shine all around them? The word in Greek is δόξα or doxa. It comes from a root word that means of the awesome light that radiates from God s presence and it is associated with God s acts of power. It also means the giving of honor and praise, of speaking words of excellence about God, and giving the highest status or respect to God. Can you imagine the amazing brilliance that lit up the sky when the angels appeared to the shepherds?! The angels were proclaiming the good news that the Messiah had been born! And they were proclaiming this good news first to poor shepherds out in the fields. Some pretty famous people in the Bible started out as simple shepherds. Moses had the job of shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro. Young David, before he killed Goliath and before he became king, was a shepherd for his father s flocks. Later in the New Testament Jesus calls himself the good shepherd. So when Luke writes about angels of the Lord appearing to shepherds to announce the birth of Christ instead of announcing this to the priests of the temple or to the king, this was one more way to show that the Messiah was for everyone! Yes, Jesus came to earth as a tiny baby, grew up and was crucified as the Savior for you and for me! That s really good news!

3 III. Terms: Census: In ancient Rome the government wanted to make a list of every citizen and their property so they could know how to tax everyone. In modern times we still count our citizens in a census that happens every ten years. This census asks things like how old you are, if you are a man or woman, and what kind of job you have. Some people like to look at census records from long ago to find out information about their own ancestors. Messiah: this is a Hebrew word. The matching word in Greek is Christos ( Χριστός ) from which we get our English word Christ. The Hebrews knew the Messiah was the promised deliverer for their nation. Messiah is also a kingly word that can mean the anointed one because of the ancient custom of a prophet pouring special oi of anointing on the head of a future king before he is crowned. Later, as Jesus ministry grows and expands through the New Testament this word comes to be more like another name for Jesus. For example Romans 8:35 says Who can separate us from the love of Christ? and Ephesians 5:2 says Live in love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God IV. History connections: Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, mentioned in Luke 2:2, was a Roman aristocrat who was appointed legate governor of Syria, to which the province of Judaea had been added for the purpose of the census. Quirinius lived sometime between approximately 518BC to 21AD. Quirinius was no small time Roman politician. His name is mentioned in Res Gestae The Deeds of Augustus by Roman Emperor Augustus. If the Emperor talks about you, then you must be an important guy! Homes in Bible times, just like today, were different depending on who lived in them and how wealthy or poor they were. Small homes of the very poor might have been just one large room that was used for everything from cooking to sleeping, and they may have had a small room in the back for the animals to have shelter when needed. Other houses in hilly places were partially made from caves carved into the limestone and may have had a few rooms built onto the front. Some larger homes in villages were made of several rooms built surrounding a courtyard. The courtyard might have had some fruit trees or grape vines and there may have been a place to cook outdoors to keep it cooler indoors. Animals also had a place in the house for shelter. For more details on what it was like to live in Jesus time you can visit this link:

4 V. Kitchen connection: The name Bethlehem means house of bread in Hebrew. This was probably because there were many fields of grain in the area. The shepherds worked together with the farmers to keep the fields fertile and prosperous. Once the grain had been harvested the shepherds would bring their sheep and goats into the fields to graze on the stubble and any stray heads of grain left there. While the animals were grazing they were also fertilizing the field with their droppings, and tilling the soil with their hooves. This helped to make the fields ready for the next season of planting. Recipe: Alert! Be sure to read the recipe all the way through before you begin. You will need to have enough time to soak the beans and grains before you make the soup. Shepherds Red Lentil and Bulgur Soup adapted from The Mediterranean Diet Cookbook by Nancy Harmon Jenkins Villagers in Bethlehem may have eaten a soup very similar to this one. Having both beans (lentils) and grains (bulgur) combined gives this soup some protein, while the broth and olive oil help make the soup even more nourishing without making it expensive. It is a traditional preparation method to soak or ferment grains and beans before cooking them. Bulgur is a type of sprouted cracked wheat used all over the Middle East and Europe. I have included a gluten-free option at the end of the recipe. You can make this a special occasion recipe by adding some chopped cooked beef or lamb. Mary and Joseph would have enjoyed that! This soup would have been a welcome supper for them as they waited in Bethlehem for the census to be over. Ingredients: 1 ½ cups red lentils 1 cup coarse bulgur (cracked wheat)* Warm water 4 Tablespoons whey or lemon juice, divided 3 cups, plus more as needed homemade bone broth (chicken, beef, lamb) or a good store bought brand without added MSG such as Kettle & Fire, Epic or Pacific 1 teaspoon sea salt or more as needed 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon crumbled dried red chili, hot red pepper flakes, or hot paprika (use less if you don t like spicy soup, but this makes a warming dish) 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 medium onions, halved and finely sliced Optional garnish: a drizzle of more olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese

5 Directions: Place the bulgur in a glass bowl and cover with warm water. Add 2 Tablespoons of the whey or lemon juice. Cover the bowl and leave overnight or at least 7 hours. Pick over the lentils, discarding any small stones or other debris. Place the lentils in a glass bowl and cover with warm water. Stir in the remaining 2 Tablespoons of whey or lemon juice. Cover the bowl and leave about 7 hours. Drain and rinse the lentils and place in a soup pot. Add the broth and bring to a rolling boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. The lentils will disintegrate and become creamy. Drain and rinse the bulgur. When the lentils are very soft, add the bulgur and the salt. Stir to mix well. Cover the soup and keep on a low simmer while you prepare the onions. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onions in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the cumin halfway through the cooking time. At the end, when the onions are golden, remove them from the heat and stir in the chili flakes. Now stir the spiced onion mixture into the simmering soup. If the soup is too thick and porridge-like for your taste you can add in additional hot broth. Taste and adjust for salt as needed. Serve immediately. *for a gluten-free alternative to bulgur try buckwheat kasha, wild rice, or quinoa. Skip the overnight soak and simply rinse thoroughly and drain well before proceeding with the recipe. You may have to cook the soup a little longer before adding the onions to get the gluten-free grains tender.

6 VI Art connection: Angels are everywhere in art! Study some of these famous paintings and compare the different ways angels are portrayed. What do you think angels look like? Can you come up with a drawing or painting of the angels announcing Jesus birth to the shepherds? What does the glory of the Lord look like when you draw it? The Annunciation to the Shepherds by Govaert Flinck 1639 this painting is in the Louvre in Paris The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds by Thomas Cole 1833 this painting is in the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia The Annunciation to the Shepherds by Benjamin Gerritsz 1655 this painting is in the Szepmuveszeti Muzeum in Budapest, Hungary VII Music Connection: O Little Town of Bethlehem was written by Phillips Brooks from Philadelphia. Young Mr. Brooks was visiting the Holy Land on Christmas Eve 1865 when he climbed a hill near Bethlehem. It was nearing dark as he made his climb, and he watched shepherds gathering their flocks together for the night. He spent some time at the top of the hill just gazing down onto the little town below, up into the starry skies above, and feeling thankful for all of God s blessings. Then finally he descended the hill and went to the midnight Christmas Eve service at the Church of the Nativity there in Bethlehem. It was this experience that inspired his poem, O Little Town of Bethlehem, three years later. He wrote it especially for the children of his Sunday school at Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia where he preached. The music for the song was written by the organist of Holy Trinity, Lewis Redner. Mr. Redner had promised the children he would write a melody for Mr. Brooks poem if the children promised to sing it at the next church service. The trouble was he couldn t come up with a melody he liked. He went to bed Saturday night before the song was to be sung without having written anything! Suddenly during the night he woke up and heard in his mind what he described as an angel strain. Quickly he wrote down the notes of the melody, and the next morning presented the song to his Sunday school children. The Christmas carol become one of the most popular American carols.

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8 Angels We Have Heard on High has been sung in one form or another since the 2 nd century! The chorus, Gloria in excelsis Deo, is the Latin version of the song telling what the angels sang the night Jesus was born. It was sung at the public church services in Rome. The melody of the chorus is thought to be from a medieval Latin chorale, and the melody of the verse section is a common French tune. All in all this is one of the oldest existing Christian hymns still sung today.