The angel Gabriel visits ____________________ to announce the ___________ of his son John the Baptist.
The angel Gabriel visits _________ to announce the ___________ of her son and Savior Jesus.
Mary visits ___________________ her relative who is _________________ with John the Baptist.
Mary sings a _________ we call the _____________________.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” (Lk 1:28)
41b ... Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 In fact, just now, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, because the promises spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled!” (Lk 1:41b–45)
John the Baptist is _________.
Zechariah sings a _________ that praises God for ________________ the new “Elijah,” his son John the Baptist.
Because the ___________ step of mankind’s ___________________ began.
1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 And everyone went to register, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child. (Lk 2:1–5)
Caesar Augustus is ___________ ________________ who reigned from 27 BC to AD 14.
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. (Mic 5:2)
EHV Study Bible, “There is much debate about the grammatical construction of this sentence and about the identification and date of this census. The point of Luke’s remark seems to be to distinguish this census from a more well-known census undertaken during the governorship of Quirinius in about 6 AD (Acts 5:37). There is insufficient information available to pinpoint the year of the census in Luke 2 or Quirinius’s role in it.”
NET Bible “was a minister of Syria.” This term could simply refer to an administrative role Quirinius held as opposed to being governor (Josephus, Ant. 18.4.2 [18.88]).
Caesar & Rome ... Quirinius & Syria ... Joseph & Bethlehem
Howard Marshall, “Persons, however, with property in another district than the one where they resided had to go there to be registered ... A decree of C. Vibius Maximus, dated in AD 104, required absentees to return to their hometowns for a census in Egypt ... There is good reason to suppose that a similar procedure was followed in Palestine ... Although Luke does not make it clear, it must be presumed that Joseph had some property in Bethlehem.”
Howard Marshall, “The presence of Mary with Joseph is strange, since only the head of the family needed to appear. ... In Syria women of 12 years and upwards were liable to a poll tax ... and hence they may well have been required to appear personally at an enrolment which determined who was to pay taxes.”
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, (Ga 4:4)
6 And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Lk 2:6–7)
34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them. He put him on his own animal, took him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day, when he left, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him. Whatever extra you spend, I will repay you when I return.’ (Lk 10:34–35)
Because Jesus is my _____________ and _________.
8 There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified! 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: 11 Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2:8–12)
WELS Commentary, “Shepherds were among the poor and despised people in Palestine. Why God should choose shepherds to be the first to hear the good news is not for us to question. We should rather rejoice that the gospel is for all people, and especially for the poor and lowly.”
Then I will raise up over them one shepherd, and he will tend them. My servant David will tend them, and he will be their shepherd. (Eze 34:23)
The Greek word σωτήρ (sōtēr) is translated into English as “Savior.” It literally means _______________, one who _________________.
The Greek word κύριος (kyrios) is translated into English as “Lord.” This word means one who has power and authority, one who has the ___________ _______.
Points to Ponder
What is one thing that stood out to you from this week's message?
What is something you learned (reviewed) today that you can share with an unbeliever?
