Tia picked up Rebekah as normal. They then picked up Emily then went to pick up Lawrence. Lydia and Elizabeth was already at the chapel. Oh and do not forget Louise nor Pete.
Rebekah said to Elizabeth, “How can we reconcile
the differences in the nativity stories found in Matthew and Luke?”
Elizabeth replied back
saying, “The nativity story, as we've come to understand and
celebrate it at Christmas time, is really a combination of both Matthew and
Luke's stories. But it's important to recognize their differences. Each
gospel's unique purpose and viewpoint contribute significantly to our
understanding of Jesus' mission.”
Pete told the Matthew's gospel Christmas story,
- Begins with Jesus’ genealogy (1:1-17).
- An angel of the Lord tells Joseph about Mary’s
pregnancy and that the baby is the saviour, and Joseph follows the angel’s
direction (1:18-25).
- After Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the wise men
come to King Herod the Great looking for the “child who is born king of
the Jews” (2:2); present gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the child
(2:11); and are “warned in a dream” not to tell Herod (2:12).
- The angel tells Joseph to go to Egypt because
Herod wants to destroy him (2:13-15).
- Herod orders the killing of children two years
or under in Bethlehem, which was most likely not a massive scale murder,
but still ruthless (2:16-18).
- The angel tells Joseph to go back to Israel,
and Joseph settles in Nazareth (2:19-23).
- Then Matthew takes us directly to John the
Baptist proclaiming the “kingdom of heaven” (cpt 3).
Elizabeth interrupted Pete, by saying this, “All of
this is done to fulfil what the prophets had been told by the Lord.”
Pete told the Luke's gospel Christmas story,
- Begins with a dedication.
- Prepares the stage for the birth of Jesus:
- The angel Gabriel tells Zechariah, John the
Baptist’s dad, about John’s birth (1:5-24).
- Gabriel tells Mary about being the mother of
Jesus, the “Son of God” (1:26-38).
- Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth who is
pregnant with John, who “leaped in her womb” when Mary arrived pregnant
with Jesus; Elizabeth recognizes the fulfillment of God’s words
(1:39-45); and Mary magnifies God (1:46-56).
- John the Baptist is born (1:57-66), and
Zechariah prophesies about John’s role (1:67-80).
- Roman Emperor Augustus calls for a census, and
Joseph and Mary travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (2:1-5).
- During their stay, Mary gives birth to her
“firstborn son” and puts him in a manger (2:6-7).
- The shepherds in the fields are startled by an
angel of the Lord standing before them while the “glory of the Lord
sh[ines] around them” (2:8-9; the “good news of great joy for all people”
that the angels proclaim makes them search for and find Mary, Joseph, and
Jesus (2:10-16); then they spread the great news (2:17-20).
- When Joseph and Mary take Jesus to have him
circumcised, Simeon and Anna recognize that Jesus is the savior and make
prophesies (2:21-38).
- They return to Nazareth (2:39).
- Then Luke includes the following narrative
after the nativity story:
- When Jesus is twelve, his family loses him
while he’s speaking to the teachers in the temple (2:41-52).
- John the Baptist is preaching and baptizing,
including baptizing Jesus (3:2-22), and then we are told about Jesus’
genealogy (3:23-38).
Rebekah then went on saying, “So what can we learn
from all of this?”
Elizabeth said, “Clearly, the authors of Matthew
and Luke have different reasons they wrote their gospels. They highlighted what
they thought was important for their specific audience.
Scholars argue that Matthew was writing primarily
to Jews. There's evidence that the author was writing to a very specific group
of Jews (along with some Gentiles) to encourage them. His message: Jesus
fulfills the Hebrew prophecy recorded in the Scriptures; Jesus is the Messiah.
Luke, on the other hand, was probably written by a
Gentile, a God-fearer (a Gentile who appreciated the Jewish teaching). Though
it is addressed to Theophilus, which means lover of God, Luke's message is
universal: Jesus' mission and the church founded upon Jesus' teachings are for
everyone -- Jew and Gentile, alike.
Matthew points out that Jesus is the "son of
David, the son of Abraham" (Matt 1:2), showing his Jewish roots. Luke
traces Jesus' ancestry through David back to Adam as the "son of God"
(Luke 3:38), emphasizing the universal appeal of Jesus' heritage.
Both Gospels were most likely written by subjects
of the Roman Empire, which does influence their work. As a result, they both
make political and social comments, though that is not their primary goal.”
Pete said this, “In his introduction to Matthew in The
Harper Collins Study Bible (HCSB), Dennis C. Duling points out that Matthew
takes a subtle anti-Roman stance. His lineage of Jesus records kings. He shows
Jesus as a King of the Jews as opposed to Herod being the king appointed by
Rome; he speaks of the "kingdom of heaven" rather than a kingdom
established by Rome.
According to David L. Tiede and Chrstoher R.
Matthews in HCSB, Luke is concerned about showing how Christianity is not a
threat to the Roman Empire. Rather, Christianity is for everyone -- again the
universal appeal. And, as other scholars point out, Luke does more than any
other Gospel to include the outcast.”
Elizabeth then went on to say, “The nativity
stories reflect these differences in purpose. Going along with the kingly
theme, Matthew includes the magi "from the east." Luke has the
shepherds, who, by Jesus' time, were looked down upon. Matthew shows that the
angel of the Lord talked with Joseph. Luke reveals that Gabriel spoke with
Mary. There's so much information about Mary and her family in Luke that some
people affectionately refer to Luke's record as "Mary's baby book."
Rebekah said, “So what do we learn from the account
of Jesus' nativity in these two gospels?”
Pete said, “The kingdom Jesus shared with us all
was not a princely or a political kingdom; it was a spiritual kingdom. And this
kingdom is for everyone!”
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