Hey Moms & Dads.
Here’s what we learned today in bible study:
We are in the Book of Luke!
Bible Passage: Luke 1
Story Point: John was born to prepare the way for Jesus
Key Passage: John 1:1-2
Big Picture Question: Is Jesus God or a human? As the son of God, Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
John was Born to Prepare the way for Jesus!
Think of the barren women we encounter in Scripture.
Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel in Genesis, Hannah in 1 Samuel, and here, in Luke 1, Elizabeth to name a few. Have you ever wondered why God chose to use so many barren women in the story of Scripture? He did so because He wanted to make a point.
If you were God and were forming a brand new people, would you choose Sarah, an older barren woman? Not likely. And then would you follow that up with two other barren women—Rebekah and Rachel—within the first generations? Again, not likely.
Life from Death
And that is exactly why God chose these women—He wanted to make it obvious that something special was going on. He wanted people to pay attention because they were beholding something unique. God brought forth life from dead wombs to form a people. He brought forth life from Hannah’s dead womb to bring forth the final prophet before the advent of the monarchy in Israel. And here, in Luke, He used a dead womb to bring forth John the forerunner of Jesus. John’s birth narrative should draw our attention back to what God had done to form a people—a people through whom He promised to provide the deliverer—the snake crusher. But at the same time, John’s birth should draw our attention forward to what will follow—another unexpected birth, that of Jesus.
The Greatest Birth Miracle Ever
Each of these barren women giving birth was miraculous, but make no mistake that they all fall short of the miracle of the birth of Jesus by the virgin Mary. Barren women, even older barren women, giving birth is amazing, but someone could consider these pregnancies unlikely but possible. But the pregnancy of a woman who had never been with a man is not unlikely, but rather impossible—apart from the work of God.
After 400 years of silence, God was speaking to His people again in a powerful way. The birth of John was designed to open the eyes and ears of Israel, but the birth of Jesus was designed to open their mouths agape and their hearts anew to the gospel message He would proclaim.
Kids Activity Sheet
Want to know what your kids learned in bible study today…click below…
Family Connection
While Zechariah was at the temple altar, the angel Gabriel appeared to bring Zechariah incredible news: Elizabeth will have
a child and he will be a great servant of the Lord! Gabriel commanded the frightened priest to name his forthcoming son
John. We see through this passage that God sent John for a very specific and special purpose. He was ordained to prepare
God’s people for some really big news: the Messiah had come! Not only was John called to prepare the way for the Lord, he
was also called to proclaim the good news of why the Messiah had truly come.
Luke 1:59-73a,76-79
1. How has our faith in God been shaken?
2. When has our family seen God answer a prayer? How did that strengthen our faith?
3. What are some of the things we are praying for right now?
4. Who do we know that needs us to point them to Jesus? How can we do that?
Set some time aside this week after dinner to spend as a family sharing your testimonies of when each of you were saved.
Don’t pressure anyone who doesn’t want to share (especially if they’re still learning what it means to be saved), but discuss
why it is important to share our testimony with others.
NEXT Sunday
We will be in the Gospel of Luke “Jesus Was Born”