Along the Way January 3rd Teacher’s Guide Luke 2:21-39 – “Witness to Hope” Main thoughts for today’s lesson: - Waiting is difficult.
- Law & Spirit – Obedience to the Law keeps us doing the right things, focusing on God, as we wait. The Spirit guides us to wait for the right things, to be in the right places, as we wait.
- Waiting is as much about the journey, trusting God, as it is about the fulfillment of our hopes. We have opportunity to bless others, to help them to notice God at work in their lives, …Along the Way.
Here are some suggestions for structuring your lesson: 10:10 am : WELCOME & OPENING PRAYER – OPEN with one of the DEVOTIONS from the past week. Use it to lead in to your prayer time. ENCOURAGE folks to use the devotional each day as a part of their time with God. 10:15 am : PERSONAL EXPERIENCE – ENGAGE the group in a discussion about waiting. Has anyone waited in line overnight for tickets to a ball game or a concert? Lined up in the wee hours of the morning for a Christmas bargain? Waited by the phone for test results, or a call that someone has arrived safely, or a job offer? Is waiting easy or difficult? Is it harder to wait for something that you are looking forward to or something that you dread? What are some emotions or thoughts involved in waiting? [Frustration, anxiety, excitement, doubt as to whether or not it is ‘worth the wait.’] The author of today’s lesson reminds us that how we wait on the important things in life can reveal a lot about who and whose we are. Simeon and Anna in today’s passage teach us much about waiting before God as a witness to hope. 10:20 am : BIBLE STUDY – READ Luke 2:21-39. ASK, “What references are made to fulfilling the law and obedience to the law? Why do you think Luke places such emphasis on being obedient to the law?” [v.21 – circumcision and naming – identified a child as belonging to the people of God. v.22 – purification – a woman was considered ritually unclean for 40 days after childbirth (80 days if she gave birth to a girl). To fulfill the law, Mary needed to perform certain rites, including the giving of an animal for a sacrifice, in order to be restored to ritual cleanliness. v. 23, 27 – presentation of the child – Every firstborn male, human or animal, is to be set apart for God. Animals are sacrificed. Humans are presented to God in the Temple. Some, like Samuel, remain there. Most are bought back, or redeemed, by their parents for five shekels. v. 39 – Joseph and Mary did everything that the law required. © 2010 First Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC Luke presents Mary and Joseph as devout Jews. This will impact the environment in which Jesus is raised and will allow him to speak from within the faith, not as an outsider. It is also in keeping the faith, following the law, that Mary and Joseph encounter Simeon.] ASK, “How would you describe Simeon?” [Righteous, devout, ordinary (not a priest or religious leader), expectant, led by the Holy Spirit, parental, prophetic] ASK, “For what was Simeon waiting?” [The consolation of Israel – the fulfillment of Israel’s hopes in the Messiah; a new age of God’s reign; salvation from oppression] The Holy Spirit is mentioned three times in Luke 2:25-32. ASK, “Why would this be significant?” [1) It is no accident that Simeon is in the Temple that day. 2) It is an indication that what he has to say is of God. Recall the mention of the Holy Spirit in Luke 1 & 2 in the context of prophetic speech about Jesus. 3) It is an affirmation that the focus of Simeon’s waiting is of God.] ASK, “What does Simeon say about Jesus? - God’s salvation – In the OT salvation often refers to God’s deliverance of a people or an individual from a threatening situation from which they are unable to rescue themselves. (In what ways do we need a Savior? From our habits? Jealousy? Choices?)
- God’s promise (to Simeon or to world),
- a light for revelation to Gentiles (Where is light needed in the/your world?)
- glory to Israel – their hopes were not in vain
- will cause the falling and rising of many (How is Jesus a stumbling block? A cornerstone?)
- will cause the thoughts of many to be revealed (How do our thoughts measure up under the light of holiness?)
- a sword will pierce Mary’s soul – salvation comes at great cost
Compare to Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1, that God comes to bring light and forgiveness and peace. ASK, “How might Mary and Joseph hear Simeon’s words?” 10:40 am : CRITICAL REFLECTION Think about the things for which you are waiting in your life. In what ways is your waiting guided by God’s Spirit? In what ways can obedience to the ‘law’ keep you focused on God and faithful in your waiting? [Regular prayer, reading of Scripture, worship, acts of service] How do these things help us in our waiting? © 2010 First Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC 10:50 am : APPLICATION What opportunities do you have to pronounce blessing on others? Who in particular? What impact does it have to recognize God at work in another person’s life and to verbalize such to that person? What keeps us from doing that? TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES to pronounce blessing on others this week as God’s Spirit leads you. ENCOURAGE the group to look at the Putting It Into Practice exercises at the end of the lesson and to pick one and do it this week. BE DILIGENT about creating time at the beginning of next week’s lesson to share how those exercises went. 10:55 am : CLOSING PRAYER INVITE the group Pray, or ask someone else to pray, for the group. © 2010 First Baptist Church of Wilmington, NC |