[ I LLUMINATE ] STUDY GUIDE Luke The Life of Christ Unit 1 December 4 The Angelic Visit / 3 December 11 John the Baptist / 9 December 18 Temptation in the Wilderness / 15 December 25 The First Disciples / 21 Unit 2 January 1 Peter s Confession / 27 January 8 Jesus Transfigured / 33 January 15 The Good Samaritan / 39 January 22 Grace Revealed / 45 January 29 Jesus and the Outcast / 51 Unit 3 February 5 Entrance of the King / 57 February 12 The Garden of Gethsemane / 63 February 19 Death on a Cross / 69 February 26 Christ Is Risen! / 75 Illuminate Study Guide (USPS 868-940), Editorial and business office, 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, Oregon 97132, is published quarterly by Barclay Press (publisher of Christian education curriculum for the Evangelical Friends Church North America Region) at 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, Oregon. $8.30 per quarter. Second-class postage paid at Newberg, Oregon. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Illuminate, 211 N. Meridian St., # 101, Newberg, OR 97132. Printed in U.S.A. Scripture text New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [ ILLUMINATE] F RIENDS BIBLE STUDY December 2011; January, February 2012 winter quarter Volume 1, Number 2 Editorial Team: Paula Hampton, Dan McCracken, Sierra S. Neiman, Ron Woodward, and Judy Woolsey
Let it be with me according to your word. This study opens with Mary, the woman who would become the mother of Jesus. Luke does not tell us anything about Mary s story prior to where the plot picks up when Gabriel visits her. So we simply know Mary as the one God chose to bear and raise Jesus. But how did Mary s story unfold up until that point? What was her personality like? What secret dreams did she cling to? We do know that after Mary s mind worked through a practical question ( How can this be, since I am a virgin? ), she said to Gabriel, Let it be with me according to your word. But what was the feeling behind her words? Was Mary the spontaneous type, who would have responded with excitement and eagerness that drowned out fear of what others would think of her situation? Or was she more like Moses, in that she heard God s plans for what God wanted her to do and could have immediately pieced together a case for why she was not the right person for the job? Throughout our study this winter, you and your group members will have an opportunity to think about the feelings of challenge, fear, uncertainty, hope, anticipation, and joy that come with responding to God s call. Not only will you find this theme in our study of Mary, you ll find it in our study of Jesus and the people Jesus interacted with. As I write this I am feeling my own intense mixture of emotions as one season of God s call on my life gives way to another. After nearly seven years of being involved with Barclay Press, I am moving on to pursue the next leg of my journey. I have recently begun working as writing consultant at George Fox University. As writing consultant I am working one-on-one with students, coaching them in becoming better writers. I see this as an exciting opportunity for me to use the writing and editing skills I have cultivated at Barclay Press in a way that is both teaching-oriented and pastoral which is in keeping with how God is calling me. Admittedly, I m not typically the spontaneous type who approaches change with a bring-it-on attitude. But after spending the spring and summer months discerning that this transition is indeed one God wants for me, I am able to say Let it be with me according to your word with peace and joyful anticipation. So I say goodbye, with deep gratitude for the years I have been involved with Barclay Press and specifically with Adult Friend and Illuminate. And with great delight I observe the Barclay Press editorial team staying strong: Dan McCracken, Ron Woodward, and Judy Woolsey will stay involved, and enthusiastic new editor Aj Schwanz has already joined the team in working on the spring 2012 issue. May you and your group join me in celebrating the ways God chooses to carry out God s work through humanity. Sierra S. Neiman
Luke 1:26-38 The Angelic Visit 1 Study Goals: To understand and appreciate the earthshattering significance of the angel s announcement and Mary s response. Encourage reflection on the significance of angelic appearances in Luke s account of Jesus birth. Cultivate a sense of wonder that Gabriel s announcement was the fulfillment of centuries of Old Testament prophecy. Discuss Mary s response and its importance to the plan of God. by Karen Oberst Introduction Ask group members if any of them have been visited by, seen, or felt the presence of angels. It s surprising how many people believe they have. In addition, or alternatively, have group members visualize the passage, trying to imagine what it must have been like for this young woman to suddenly be confronted by an angel sent from God. Discuss how your group would react if this happened to them. ILLUMINATE LUKE STUDY GUIDE The Angelic Visit /1a
Interact Luke 1:26-28 Think of some significant events that changed your life s direction. Did anything prepare you beforehand for this change? Can you see God s hand in it? Have you ever been in a place where awe overwhelmed you? Perhaps an experience in the natural world, or witnessing great art or music, or the first glimpse of your child. If you were to have a direct message from God, what would you like it to be about? Do you have questions that need answering? Do you need wisdom? A course for your life? Something else? Illuminate Luke 1:26-28 Gabriel is an interesting being. By tradition he is one of the four archangels surrounding the throne of God. He also has the unique position of being mentioned by name in the three great monotheistic religions. He appears in the Hebrew Bible in Daniel 8:15-26 and 9:20-27 to explain what Daniel has seen. He appears in our New Testament in Luke, both announcing the birth of John the Baptist to Zechariah in 1:10-20, and in this week s passage to Mary. By tradition, he is also the angel that led Mohammad to the Qur an. Though his name in Hebrew means Power of God, he is usually depicted as bringing clarity or revelation to those he visits. Christian tradition sometimes supposes he is the angel who blows the trumpet signaling the beginning of the end (Rev. 8:7), and hence is often associated with that instrument. Notice that Luke lists Joseph as a descendant of David. According to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Messiah was to come from David s line, as Gabriel confirms later (verse 32). 1b\ The Life of Christ ILLUMINATE
Illuminate Luke 1:29-33 The word translated perplexed, or greatly troubled (NIV), is a very strong word in Greek. The root means to unsettle, to throw into confusion, or even, to intimidate. With the preposition that is attached to the word here, it means to [be] utterly confound [ed]. Parts of this passage can seem puzzling. Look again at how Gabriel portrays Jesus. It s the description of a Jewish Messiah, a person coming to wield political power. This is not at all a picture of Jesus earthly life. Significantly, the words that Luke gives to Mary in verses 46-55 of this chapter are much closer to describing Jesus life and works. Mary talks of scattering the proud, lifting up the humble, feeding the hungry, and extending mercy. Christians generally believe that Gabriel was picturing the foundation of the New Jerusalem when Jesus comes to rule the earth, as pictured in Revelation 21. In Hebrew Jesus was named after Joshua. This is significant for Luke, who sees Christ s purpose as leading God s people into a new kingdom where justice for all and mercy are the norm. Luke 1:29-33 Have you ever been met by something outside your normal life or by ways of thought that utterly confounded you? This experience could be good or bad. How did you react? If you were to write a hymn or poem or prose piece describing Jesus, what would you say? If you are more of a visual person, how would you draw or sculpt or paint what is significant about him? Discuss the differences between Gabriel s description of Jesus, and Mary s description. Do you think the differences pertain to God s view and human views? Is Gabriel s description closer to how you think of Jesus, or is Mary s? Or do you have yet a third viewpoint? LUKE STUDY GUIDE The Angelic Visit /1c
Luke 1:34-38 Mary actually calls herself God s slave. The Greek literally says, Behold, God s [female] slave. How do you feel about that statement? Could you use those words to describe yourself? Gabriel says nothing is impossible with God. Have you been in a situation that seemed impossible to solve, yet God worked it out? Gabriel came to Zechariah and Mary in the midst of their ordinary lives. Have you learned to look for God in your everyday life? How might things change if you actively pursued Godsightings in your life? Living Out Luke 1:26-38 Are any members of your group feeling that God might be calling them to something new? If not, perhaps some remember feeling that way in the past. Discuss what it is like to follow Jesus into a new experience or season of life. Is it difficult to say, Let it be with me just as you say? Pray for those in your group feeling called to the possibility of something new. Illuminate Luke 1:34-38 There are a couple of significant words in this section. In verse 32, the word kaleo is usually translated to call, but the meaning is deeper than that. When we call something by a word or phrase, we not only name it, but also indicate its essential nature. Secondly, in verse 38, Mary calls herself a servant (NIV) or handmaid (KJV). In Greek, a doula was a slave, so Mary s description of herself is much stronger than the English translation. An interesting exercise is to compare Gabriel s visit to Mary and his visit to Zechariah in verses 11-20 of this chapter. Again Gabriel foretells a birth and describes how the child will be perceived in adulthood. Zechariah has an objection similar to Mary s. He and his wife are past childbearing years. But where Mary s question elicits more details from Gabriel, Zechariah is struck dumb until John is born. There are other contrasts as well. Mary is too young, Elizabeth is too old. God takes away Elizabeth s shame at being barren, but gives Mary a child who will be seen as illegitimate. And Zechariah is struck dumb before he can agree or disagree. 1d\ The Life of Christ ILLUMINATE LUKE STUDY GUIDE