Lesson #4
New Testament
Jesus’ Birth Credentials
Matthew 1:1 – The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Birth Pangs
Developing circumstances forced the young couple to leave the comfort of their home. The journey was long and dangerous. She was nine months pregnant, due to deliver their first child at any moment. The man was a new husband. He would do almost anything to ensure the safety and security of his little family when the time to give birth arrived.
It had just been a couple of days since they had loaded up everything they could carry and hit the road. News of their arrival at the intended destination did not reach the ears of concerned family and friends. Many questioned. Where are they? Why haven’t they contacted us? What has happened to them? Are they alive?
Does this story sound familiar? You likely have heard the story of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Jesus. The people of Israel were looking for a light at the end of a long dark tunnel. Foreign domination and occupation was the atmosphere into which Jesus was to be born.
Andrii, Ellissa, and Baby P
Today is March 4, 2022. A similar story is playing out in our family right now. One of our disciples, Andrii, married Ellissa a little over a year ago. Ellissa followed Andrii to Kyiv, Ukraine, where they have both been bearers of the Good News of the Gospel. They are now expecting the birth of their first child at any time. We all know what is happening today in Ukraine. Nations now sit helplessly on the precipice of global conflict.
The background of both birth narratives is startling in their similarities. Rome, the oppressor, ruled through the projected might of its military. Caesar Augustus viewed himself as God. Like rulers before and since, Augustus was merely a puppet of the true ruler of this fallen world since the Garden of Eden, Satan. The LORD sent His only begotten Son into a war zone, into the raging conflict.
The Good News
Andrii & Ellissa have made their way out of Ukraine. They have found rest and a place to give birth to Baby P in a European city. While they are now off the frontline of the raging fires of Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine, they have not left the war itself. They still stand in the image-bearing position God created them to hold. In God’s mind, the birthdate of Baby P has always been known. Nothing in the circumstances of Andrii, Ellissa, and perhaps hundreds of other Ukrainian couples in similar situations have surprised the Savior.
But when the fulness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. – Galatians 4:4-5
What’s Your Strategy?
Like Andrii and Ellissa, Joseph and Mary, all of us who belong by faith to Messiah Jesus are image-bearers of God. We are to make disciples of Jesus who make more disciples. God wants to use us to give new birth to the captives of this world. Knowing what we are supposed to do and how to do it are two very different things.
If you have a discipleship strategy and see God producing fruit through your obedience, praise God! But if you don’t, we are here to help. Disciple Daily’s approach is to equip Jesus’ admirers as His disciples using the storyline of the Bible. The first step with everyone we train is to teach them the big story of the Bible using a series of hand signs and keywords. It is so easy; anyone can learn to do it.
As you can see from this post, you can position the story of Jesus’ birth within the story of current world events. What is happening around us is connected to previous events and real-world similarities. Our discipleship method puts you in a position of power to introduce the people around you to the God of HIStory. History is HIS STORY.
If we can help you in any way, just let us know.
New Testament Lessons
Handsign Overview
Talking Points
Read:
Luke 1:1-3:20,
Matthew 1:1-25
- One cannot separate Jesus from the carefully orchestrated events of history that preceded His birth.
- Prophecies about Jesus’ birth are found throughout the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. Some prophecies were very specific.
- Virgin Birth – Isaiah 7:14
- Place of Birth – Micah 5:2
- Some Jewish people knew that the time of the Messiah’s appearance was near because of Daniel 9:24-26. They were actively looking for His arrival.
- Joseph and Mary, Jesus’ earthly parents, were required by a decree of Caesar Augustus to leave their home in Nazareth and go to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. Jesus’ family remained in Bethlehem for about two years until they were forced to hide in Egypt.
- When it was safe to return to Israel, they went to Nazareth, an obscure village in Galilee. There, Jesus grew in “wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man until He was about thirty years old.
Points To Ponder
- The events of Jesus’ first appearance to mankind were foretold throughout the Old Testament. For those looking for Him, the prophecies of the Hebrew Bible clearly identified Him. There are many prophecies concerning Jesus’ second appearance found within the narrative of the entire Bible. What do you know about the prophetic timeline of HIStory?
- The world is a chaotic mess. You might say it is in the state of “de-creation.” The sinful nature of mankind is both the reason for the chaos and also the reason that Jesus was born 2,000 years ago. Following 33 years of life, Jesus returned to heaven, vowing to return again and bring order to His world. What could you do to be better equipped to help others look for Jesus’ next appearance?
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