December 15th Family Christmas Questions / Advent Study
Here are the next questions for your family Christmas Study or Advent Study. They are followed by a creative idea on keeping Christ in your family Christmas. The answers to the questions appear at the end of this blog. One great benefit of doing this with your family is that it will become a tradition which transcends the Advent Season whereby you do a short daily Bible study as a family at every meal throughout the year. Answer each question True or False
According to the Bible… 25) _____ From beginning to end Mary’s faith and acceptance of Jesus’ deity as the Messiah was unwavering
26) _____ There was a lot of gossip concerning the legitimacy of Jesus both before and immediately after His birth.
27) _____ Mary was a teenager at the time of her conception by the Holy Spirit.
28) _____ No one believed Mary’s claim that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
29) _____ Joseph’s initial intention was to break off the engagement and marriage, but quietly and in a righteous manner
Keeping Christ In Christmas - Truly Worship this Christmas I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was riding in the car and wanted to worship so I turned on the Christian radio station only to be greeted with “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”. When I switched to the secular “easy listening station” “Hark The Harold Angels Sing” was playing. When the Christian stations do play “Christmas music” they may often as not be lyrics about a Christmas themed story or event. The day is passed when we can expect our children to learn the great doctrines of Christmas through the airwaves. Unfortunately this is often true in many churches. Christian worship is done through whatever is the most popular song at the time – again this is driven by radio and the media industry. Even though the words may be edifying, these popular songs come and go and the chances of your children hearing them the following year are slim to none. The result is a generation of Christian children who know the words to secular winter and folk songs but not the great doctrinal hymns of Christ’s Incarnation. One of the ways you can keep Christ in Christmas is to teach your children these wonderful Christian worship hymns which teach the great Christian doctrines concerning the birth of Jesus. Your children will learn “Frosty the Snowman”, “Here Comes Santa Clause”, “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer” and others by default. They may or may not hear the great hymns at Christmas enough to learn them. This becomes our responsibility as Christian parents. Sit down with your spouse and think through on five or six great Christian hymns which teach the true doctrines of Christmas. (For help visit our website at http://gciweb.org/2011/07/holidays-resources/ Scroll down to “Christmas Carols and The Word.) Begin the family meal with Christmas hymns. End the day by singing hymns with your children as part of their bedtime routine. Turn off the radio and worship as a family in the car. One of the ways to keep Christ in Christmas is to worship Him as a family and to teach the great doctrinal truths of His Incarnation through worship.
The Answers to today’s Advent Questions - 25. F – (From beginning to end Mary’s faith and acceptance of Jesus’ deity as the Messiah was unwavering.) Mary did submit to the revelation of Gabriel (Luke 1:38), she did believe the revelation of the Angel Gabriel (Luke 1:45), she did respond in faith and obedience (Luke 1:38) and her prayer in Luke 1:46-55 does reveal great faith.
This faith and obedience was not however a constant in her life. In Luke 2:41 – 50, the incident at the temple on the occasion of Jesus’ 12th birthday and Jesus’ referral to God as His Father, went right past Mary – “And they did not understand the statement which He had made to them.” Again in Mark 3:20 & 21, 31 – 35 we find Mary, with the family, coming to take Jesus away, whom they perceive to be demented – “And when His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses.... And His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him, and called Him.” This is truly a low point in Mary’s spiritual life. It is at this time that Jesus disavows His earthly family and proclaims His spiritual family, His true family, to be made up of those who follow Him in faith. Luke 8:19-21 “And His mother and brothers came to Him, and they were unable to get to Him because of the crowd. And it was reported to Him, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see You." But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."
26. F - Matthew 1:18-23 (There was a lot of gossip concerning the legitimacy of Jesus both before and immediately after His birth.) The only record of anyone questioning Jesus’ legitimacy before his birth is that of Joseph’s reaction. The Bible is careful to point out that this was carried out in a righteous manner and kept private, Matthew 1:19 “And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put her away secretly.” During His ministry Jesus’ deity was often questioned as a result of His being the son of Joseph and Mary (John 6:42) but never His supposed illegitimacy. No doubt, if the Pharisees had this card to play they would not hesitate to do so as it would also allow them to get at Jesus through attacks on Mary as well. (John 8:3 – 11 clearly indicates the Pharisees zeal in making adultery a public issue.) Evidently Joseph did an outstanding and admirable job of protecting Mary’s reputation both before and after the revelation of the divine nature of her conception. The revelation of the immaculate conception is not the story of an unwed mother but rather that of a virgin mother. These are two completely different things and must not be confused.
27. F – Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27 (Mary was a teenager at the time of her conception by the Holy Spirit.) No ages are given for either Mary or Joseph. Mary is referred to as a “virgin” – Greek – PARTHENOS, which is best translated as “maiden”; “virgin” or “unmarried daughter”. There exist no primary source material to establish Mary as a young teenage girl. There is no primary source material to establish that loving, caring Jewish parents gave their daughters away in marriage as young teens. Given the godly nature of Joseph, I doubt seriously that he was interested in a young teenage girl for his wife. Frankly I find the fixation of many pastors in describing Mary as a girl in her early teens not only without basis for fact but morally questionable.
28. F - Matthew 1:18-25: Luke 1:39-45: Luke 2:22 -38 (No one believed Mary’s claim that the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.) There is no evidence that Mary ever argued for the divine nature of her conception. God however, was not silent on this issue and did bring others to her side. First Gabriel, then other angels, next Joseph, then Elizabeth, this being followed by the shepherds, the Magi and lastly Simeon and Anna at the temple. All these attested to the divine nature of her child. In all these events though Mary remained silent. There is not a single instance in Scripture of anyone questioning the legitimacy of Jesus birth during His earthly ministry nor of Mary as having to defend her virtue.
29. T - Matthew 1:19 (Joseph’s initial intention was to break off the engagement and marriage, but quietly and in a righteous manner.) This is in stark contrast to what could have taken place. The public humiliation of the adulterous woman in John 8:1 -6 could have been called for - including her subsequent stoning, which was entirely consistent with the Law of Moses. (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22)
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