{"id":14151,"date":"2011-01-09T19:39:27","date_gmt":"2011-01-10T00:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=14151"},"modified":"2011-01-09T19:44:01","modified_gmt":"2011-01-10T00:44:01","slug":"nt-sunday-school-lesson-3-luke-2-matthew-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2011\/01\/nt-sunday-school-lesson-3-luke-2-matthew-2\/","title":{"rendered":"NT Sunday School Lesson 3: Luke 2; Matthew 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ms\"Matthew 2<\/em><\/p>\n

Verse 1: Who were the wise men? The phrase \u201cwise men\u201d is a somewhat odd translation of the Greek word magoi<\/em>, \u201castrologers.\u201d It is because of this word that sometimes we refer to the wise men as \u201cmagi.\u201d We get the word \u201cmagician\u201d from magoi<\/em>. \u201cThe east\u201d may refer to Mesopotamia, the center of astronomical studies at the time. Compare Numbers 24:17, Psalms 72:10-11, and Isaiah 60:1-7. What do such verses suggest to us about the wise men? Why does Matthew tell us about the homage paid to Jesus by the wise men, but Luke tells us about the homage paid to him by shepherds? Why does each story emphasize what it does? For an interesting recent piece on the wise men, see: http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/705364024\/Ancient-manuscript-tells-of-journey-of-the-3-wise-men-text-has-ideas-Mormons-will-relate-to-BYU.html?s_cid=Email-4<\/a>. Are these visitors Gentiles or might they have been members of the Jewish diaspora? What is the reaction of Herod\u2019s advisors to the news of this birth? What might that foreshadow? Given that foreshadowing, how might this chapter be an excellent introduction to Matthew as a whole?<\/p>\n

Verse 2: What do the wise men mean when they say that they have seen his star? Notice that, in spite of our traditions, they do not say that they have followed<\/em> his star. Note also that they literally say, \u201cWe have seen his star at its rising\u201d rather than \u201cwe have seen his star in the east.\u201d<\/p>\n

Verses 3-4: Why is Herod troubled (or, more literally, frightened)? What would Herod\u2019s counselors know that the magi wouldn\u2019t know? In other words, why did the magi consult with Herod and his court? (Note that Herod died in 4 B.C.)<\/p>\n

Verse 6: Matthew quotes Micah 5:1-3. Since his quotation doesn\u2019t correspond to either the Greek version of the Old Testament that was commonly used in Jesus\u2019s day (the Septuagint) or the established Hebrew version, he is either quoting somewhat loosely, or he may be quoting a version of Micah that we no longer have.<\/p>\n

Verse 11: Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are now living in a house. How long do you think it has been since Jesus\u2019 birth? Why does Matthew mention the gifts the wise men gave? What is frankincense? What is myrrh? (Look in your Bible Dictionary.) How might Jesus\u2019 family have been able to use these gifts?<\/p>\n

Verses 13-15: Why does Matthew quote scripture so often when he tells what happened to Jesus?<\/p>\n

Verses 13-23: The parallels between the story of Moses and that of Jesus are striking, as are the parallels between the Pharaoh and Herod: the Pharaoh tried to kill all male children (Exodus 1:22); Moses had to flee because his life was in danger (Exodus 2:15); when the Pharaoh died, and Moses returned (Exodus 4:19-20). In addition, as Word Biblical Commentary<\/em> points out (33a:34), the language of Matthew 2:19 is almost identical to that of Exodus 2:23 (of the Septuagint, of course). What are we to make of such parallels? What is Matthew doing by drawing our attention to them?<\/p>\n

Verse 16: How many children would you think were living in Bethlehem at the time?<\/p>\n

Verse 17:\u201dJeremy the prophet\u201d means \u201cJeremiah the prophet.\u201d Matthew is quoting Jeremiah 31:15. As with Micah 5, he is not quoting the same text we have or he is not quoting exactly.<\/p>\n

Verse 23: No scripture in the Old Testament mentions Nazareth, so what prophets can Matthew be thinking of? Some (e.g., Raymond Brown, Joseph Fitzmyer, and Joseph Murphy, The Jerome Biblical Commentary<\/em> 2:68) have suggested that Matthew has Isaiah 11:1 in mind: \u201cAnd there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch (nsr<\/em>) shall grow out of his roots\u201d (but see W. F. Albright and C. S. Mann, Matthew: Translation, Notes, and Commentary<\/em>, Anchor Yale Bible Commentary 26:20-21).<\/p>\n

Luke 2<\/em><\/p>\n

As in chapter 1, Luke goes out of his way to tell the story of Jesus\u2019 birth as a parallel to the story of John the Baptist\u2019s birth: the joy at the birth of the child, the circumcision and naming, prophecies of expectation by someone closely associated with the temple, and a concluding remark about the growth and development of the child. Why do you think he does tells the stories with these parallels?<\/p>\n

Verse 6: The Greek word translated \u201caccomplished\u201d could also have been translated \u201cfulfilled.\u201d Luke uses that Greek word, \u201cfulfilled,\u201d eight times in chapters one and two. Why?<\/p>\n

Verse 7: Swaddling clothes are strips of cloth four or five inches wide and about six yards long. They were used to bind children when they were born. The belief was that if the baby\u2019s arms were bound tightly its sides, they would grow straight and firm (Jerome Biblical Commentary<\/em> 2:124). The word translated \u201cinn\u201d literally means \u201cguest room\u201d or \u201cdining room.\u201d It may have been no more than a lean-to attached to the front of a cave, with a family living in the lean-to and keeping their animals in the cave (Jerome Biblical Commentary<\/em> 2:124).<\/p>\n

Verses 8-20: Though Matthew shows us Jesus\u2019 birth (or at least his infancy\u2014the magi probably came some time after he was born) as it relates to the rich and powerful, Luke shows us that birth in relation to the poor. Why do you think Luke tells the story this way?<\/p>\n

Why is it significant that, from among the many poor people living around Bethlehem, the angel appears to the shepherds? What symbolic significance could that have? What was David the king\u2019s occupation? How is Jesus sometimes described?<\/p>\n

Verse 11: The angels announce the good news, the gospel: the Savior, the Messiah in Hebrew, the Christ in Greek (meaning \u201cthe Anointed One\u201d in both languages), the Lord has been born. How does each of these titles differ in meaning? Luke is the only one of the four gospel writers who uses the title \u201cSavior,\u201d and he uses the verb \u201csave\u201d more than Matthew and Mark put together. Why might that be? Does that fact tell us something about his gospel?<\/p>\n

Verses 21-28: Notice that Luke shows us here that Jesus was raised according to the Mosaic law. He is circumcised and named, and his parents follow the law regarding the sacrifices to be made. Why would that have been important to Luke\u2019s audience? Oddly, however, Luke seems to be confused about the rituals required by the law. According to Leviticus 12:2-8, forty days after the birth of a male child, a woman was to be purified by offering a lamb at the temple, or a pair of doves if she was poor. Exodus 13:2 and 13:12-13 says that the first-born male belongs to God and could be redeemed by an offering by the father. Luke has conflated the two offerings. Does his confusion suggest anything about his background?<\/p>\n

Verses 22-24; verses 25-27: In the first set of verses, Luke refers to the law three times. In the second set, he refers to the Spirit three times. What do you make of that parallel?<\/p>\n

Verse 25: Some have speculated that Simeon is a member of the priestly class who, having seen the corruption of the temple priesthood, is waiting for its restoration. This speculation based on the fact that he calls himself a servant in verse 29 and that word is generally reserved for those with the priesthood. Simeon has been \u201cwaiting for the consolation of Israel.\u201d What does that mean? His name means \u201cGod has heard.\u201d Do you think that Luke knows about that etymology? If so, how might it be relevant to this story? A rabbinic tradition has it that the phrase refers to the last, unrecorded words spoken between Elijah and Elisha, words that will be revealed when Elijah returns (Jerome Bible Commentary<\/em> 2:125). Could that rabbinic tradition have significance for Latter-day Saints?<\/p>\n

The word translated \u201cconsolation\u201d is parakl?sis<\/em>. It is closely related to the word translated \u201ccomforter\u201d in places like John 14:16 and 26, and 15:26. Literally the Greek word means \u201cone who calls out\u201d or \u201cone who calls to.\u201d It comes to mean \u201cone who encourages or emboldens another.\u201d It is often translated to mean \u201can exhorter\u201d or \u201cone who beseeches.\u201d How is it possible that a word that means \u201cexhorter\u201d can also mean \u201ccomforter\u201d? What was the 17th<\/sup>-century meaning of \u201ccomforter,\u201d in other words the meaning at the time of the King James translation? Luke uses the word in Luke 3:18 to describe John the Baptist\u2019s preaching. How does this word describe Jesus?<\/p>\n

Usually we would expect someone to be looking for comfort or consolation for himself. But Simeon is looking for \u201cthe consolation of Israel.\u201d What does that mean?<\/p>\n

Verse 32: As Luke reports Simeon\u2019s testimony, Simeon recognizes that Jesus is the Savior of all<\/em> people, Gentile and Jew. Why is that theme important to Luke\u2019s account of the good news? How did Matthew include that theme in his story?<\/p>\n

Verses 34-35: What do you make of the fact that Simeon blesses \u201cthem,\u201d but he doesn\u2019t seem to bless the baby? When he speaks of the fall and rise of many in Israel, he may have Isaiah 8:14 in mind. Note also that the only other times that Luke uses the Greek word that is here translated \u201crise,\u201d he is referring to resurrection, so he may also mean that here. Some suggest that the falling and rising refers to the stumbling block prophecies that we see in places such as Isaiah 8:14-15 (John Holland, Luke 1-9:20, Word Biblical Commentary<\/em> 35A:121). Does that help makes sense of Simeon\u2019s blessing? With what does Simeon bless Mary? When Simeon says that Jesus will minister so \u201cthat the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed,\u201d what does he mean? When Simeon says \u201cYea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,\u201d the Greek is emphatic: a sword will pierce Mary\u2019s very being. Is Luke putting Mary\u2019s suffering in parallel with the falling and rising of many in Israel?<\/p>\n

Verses 36-38: Anna confirms Simeon\u2019s testimony. Four women in the Old Testament are called \u201cprophetess\u201d: Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), and Isaiah\u2019s wife (Isaiah 8:3). The rabbis also recognized Sarah, Hannah (1 Samuel 2:1), Abigail (1 Samuel 25:32), and Esther as prophetesses, though they didn\u2019t include Isaiah\u2019s wife in their number (Jerome Biblical Commentary<\/em> 2:125). By calling Anna a prophetess, Luke explicitly compares her to these women. In what ways is she comparable to them? If we think of Simeon and Anna as types, who might they represent? Phanuel<\/em> means \u201cface of God\u201d and \u201cAsar\u201d (Asher) means \u201cgood luck.\u201d Is Luke mentioning these names because he believes they add an additional layer of symbolism to his story?<\/p>\n

Verses 41-51: Notice how important the Temple is to Luke\u2019s story. It begins in the Temple, with Gabriel\u2019s appearance to Zacharias. As an infant Jesus\u2019s divinity and calling is confirmed by witnesses in the temple. And the only incident we know from his childhood is one in the Temple. When we get to the end of Luke\u2019s gospel (Luke 24:53), we will see that his story ends with the disciples in the Temple. Why do you think the Temple was so important to Luke\u2019s understanding of the gospel? He is, after all, not himself a Jew. Luke shows us a young boy who knows the scriptures, who is at home in the Temple, who understands that God is his father, and who obeys his parents. The person we see here is anything but a rebel. Why might Luke have thought it important to show his audience that?<\/p>\n

Verse 49: This verse could summarize Jesus\u2019 life. Did Luke write it with that in mind? The phrase translated \u201cabout my Father\u2019s business\u201d is probably better translated \u201cin my Father\u2019s house,\u201d and is, therefore, another place in which Luke is emphasizing the importance of the Temple.<\/p>\n

Responses to this post may be made at Feast upon the Word<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew 2 Verse 1: Who were the wise men? The phrase \u201cwise men\u201d is a somewhat odd translation of the Greek word magoi, \u201castrologers.\u201d It is because of this word that sometimes we refer to the wise men as \u201cmagi.\u201d We get the word \u201cmagician\u201d from magoi. \u201cThe east\u201d may refer to Mesopotamia, the center of astronomical studies at the time. Compare Numbers 24:17, Psalms 72:10-11, and Isaiah 60:1-7. What do such verses suggest to us about the wise men? Why does Matthew tell us about the homage paid to Jesus by the wise men, but Luke tells us about the homage paid to him by shepherds? Why does each story emphasize what it does? For an interesting recent piece on the wise men, see: http:\/\/www.deseretnews.com\/article\/705364024\/Ancient-manuscript-tells-of-journey-of-the-3-wise-men-text-has-ideas-Mormons-will-relate-to-BYU.html?s_cid=Email-4. Are these visitors Gentiles or might they have been members of the Jewish diaspora? What is the reaction of Herod\u2019s advisors to the news of this birth? What might that foreshadow? Given that foreshadowing, how might this chapter be an excellent introduction to Matthew as a whole? Verse 2: What do the wise men mean when they say that they have seen his star? Notice that, in spite of our traditions, they do not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":14153,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1671],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunday-school-lesson-new-testament"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/Ms1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14151","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14151"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14151\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14156,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14151\/revisions\/14156"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14151"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14151"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14151"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}