These daily Advent studies are provided for your personal devotionals or for your daily family Advent devotionals during the evening meal. They are an excellent way to introduce daily Bible readings and discussions at the evening meal. Once begun during the Advent season the tradition can become a lifelong practice of your family. They seek to challenge both you and your children beyond the simplicity and often erroneous information provided in so called Advent calendars and children’s Christmas books. May you find it a blessing and may they be a starting point for your family in daily readings, discussions and meditations on the holy, eternal, inerrant written Word of God.
(T = True; F = False) According to the Bible...
30_____ The birth of John the Baptist holds a central position in the Christmas Revelation
31_____ Because of their sharing the unique experiences of miraculous pregnancies, their respective son’s close ties in ministry and their own ties of family, Elizabeth and Mary shared a life long friendship resulting in Elizabeth being a great support and encouragement to Mary throughout her life.
32_____The birth of Jesus came at an inopportune time. A better time would have been before or after the census, thus not requiring a trip the Bethlehem.
33_____ Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem.
Answer Key
30. T - Luke 1:57 - 80 (The birth of John the Baptist holds a central position in the Christmas Revelation) The Christmas Revelation begins, not as is commonly presented on stage with the Angel’s appearance to Mary, but rather with Gabriel’s appearance to Zacharias in the temple (Luke 1:5 - 17). The birth of John the Baptist and subsequent Messianic prophecies hold a central position in the Christmas Revelation.
31. F - (Because of their sharing the unique experiences of miraculous pregnancies, their respective son’s close ties in ministry and their own ties of family, Elizabeth and Mary shared and life long friendship resulting in Elizabeth being a great support and encouragement to Mary throughout her life.) It may be surprising to learn that after the birth of John the Baptist, Elizabeth disappears from the Biblical narrative. Like most of the other participants of the historical events surrounding Jesus birth, she is never heard from again – Joseph, Mary and John the Baptist being the exceptions. (Those who are never heard from again include – Zacharias and Elizabeth, the shepherds, the wisemen, Simion, Anna and most notably, Joseph)
32. F – Luke 2:6; Galatians 4:4; Luke 2:4 – 6; Matthew 2:1 – 6 (The birth of Jesus came at an inopportune time. A better time would have been before or after the census, thus not requiring a trip the Bethlehem.) Although much is made of the bad timing of Jesus birth in terms of the census, the trip to Bethlehem, the crowded conditions, etc, etc, nothing could be further from the truth. In this aspect as in all aspects God reigned supreme, Jesus only did the will of the Father and events played out exactly as pre-ordained by God. Jesus came forth into the world when “the days were completed”; God the Holy Spirit reveals in Galatians 4:4 that this was in the “fullness of time”. It was not poor timing to travel to Bethlehem but rather the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus often told His disciples when speaking of His coming crucifixion, “My hour is not yet come” (John 2:4). In His birth, His ministry, His crucifixion, His resurrection and His return, all things are as they should be, as foreordained by God, as fulfilled by prophecy. Things may seem to be out of control in the eyes of mere mortals when in fact God is in complete control and things are as exactly as they should be. This is an important lesson for modern day Christians. Just as we should see the circumstances and timing of the birth of Jesus through the lens of Scripture so we should see His return. Things are not out of control, Jesus is not “late” and He will come as he came at exactly the right time in the right circumstances.
33. F - Luke 2:4 & 5 (Mary rode on a donkey to Bethlehem.) In the historical revelation of Jesus’ birth, no mode of transportation is given in terms of Joseph and Mary’s trip to Bethlehem to register for taxes. It only states that they traveled to the city and that she gave birth there. “And Joseph also went up from Galilee... along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child.” If you have ever seen someone trying to ride a donkey, you would be very skeptical of a woman in the last days of pregnancy choosing this as a mode of transportation. The Bible does not say, but if we were to speculate, given Joseph’s profession as a carpenter, it is more plausible that he built a cart, filled it with hay and then either pulled it himself or used an ox or a donkey. This is far more believable than a woman, just days before giving birth, clip clopping along on the back of a donkey – especially given what we know about Joseph’s righteous character and sensitivity to Mary.
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