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The birth and childhood of Jesus Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Luke 2

Mary visits Elizabeth, John is born, Mary & Zechariah Praise God. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Luke 1:39-80

Luke gives us the most complete revelation of Jesus, stressing His compassion and humanity. Luke shows us the universality of the good news and it's application to all races; Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile; to all classes; poor and rich, and to all humans; men, women, and children, those respected and those on the outside of society, those in politics and the religious leaders. His purpose in writing is to provide certainty and security in the truth of Christianity. We begin our study in chapter 1 where Luke gives us the purpose of his gospel and Gabriel foretells the birth of John and Jesus. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Luke 1:1-38

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for." (Heb 11:1) At the end of his life, we come to the place where Jacob's faith is commended and recorded in the New Testament. Without reservation he blesses Joseph's younger son ahead of the firstborn and worships God. He makes arrangements for his body to be 'buried with my fathers' in the cave Abraham purchased in the land of Canaan. After Jacob's death Joseph reaassures his brothers of his complete forgiveness and reminds them of God's promises, presence, and protection. These men did not live perfect lives but nothing was beyond God's redemptive power. So many times God overruled and intervened on their behalf, giving grace upon grace!  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 48-50

The long tense back and forth with these brothers finally comes to a good and satisfying end! Twice now Joseph has wept privately, but this time he weeps publically and declares to his brothers; "I am Joseph!" He invites them to move in closely and they embrace one another through tears. And then they talk! When Joseph was a teenager living at home his brothers hated him so much they couldn't even speak to him. (37:4) But now that they have been forgiven and reconciled, a new relationship is forming. There are five years of famine still to come, but this family will spend it together, protected and provided for through God's providential 'working all things for their good.' Joseph shows us what God can do with a life in the midst of hard circumstances and evil schemes.  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 45-47

Through a series of tasks Joseph's brothers reveal who they are now, thirteen years later, and how far he can trust them. In order for true reconciliation in this family there must be sincere forgiveness on one side and repentance demonstrated by humble confession of sin and change in behaviour on the other side. All of which takes time as trust is built and wounds are healed. Judah's charactor seems to have come a long way since his sin with Tamar. He takes personal responsibility for his youngest brother, Jacob's new favored son, Benjamin. Before, Judah encouraged his brothers to sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt and let Jacob believe he was dead. Now, Judah offers himself in Egypt as a slave in place of his brother, so Benjamin can return home to his father who treasures him. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 43-44

After being forgotten in prison for two years, Joseph finds himself standing before Pharoah, an extremely powerful man thought to be descended from the gods. And yet when Joseph stands before him he does not seek to advance his own interests or take any glory for himself. Instead he gives all glory to the true God and gives council for the help of others. God gives Joseph wisdom with a plan to preserve life during a great famine and gives wisdom for bringing about true reconciliation with his brothers. Joseph begins the reconciliation process with a series of tests that will reveal how his brothers have or have not changed. Joseph himself has experienced his relationship with God develop over time thru trying circumstances and will need God's help with this new trial of great power and seeing his brothers again. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 41-42

God's presence with Joseph in Egypt is having an impact on his conduct and charactor. He resists multiple advances from a powerful woman and suffers greatly for it. Somehow away from his family Joseph is able to break some unhealthy patterns of deciet and develop a true relationship with his God. In this pagan land of Egypt we are told repeatedly that God is with him there. At the same time Joseph is a slave and is imprisoned even though he is innocent of wrongdoing. How is it possible that God can be with a person yet allow him to suffer so much? And in the face of injustice how does one remain steadfast and not lose heart or lose faith? Endurance comes from the presence and comfort of Almighty God, the strength He supplies and His Grace all sufficient.  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 39-40

Long ago Jacob deceived his father Isaac with a robe and food from a slaughtered goat. Now his sons deceive him with a coat and blood from a slaughtered goat. Jacob's family knows the true and living God, yet their sin patterns seem at times to be much stronger than their faith. Over the course of this story we will begin to recognize a contrast between two of the brothers. Young and immature Joseph has been spared hard work raised as the favored firstborn son of Rachel, the wife Jacob loves. Joseph starts out with dreams of power and a princely coat and ends up exiled from his family when he is sold into slavery. As a shepherd, Judah knows hard work and is the forth son of Leah, the wife Jacob rejects. He chooses to leave his family and settle among the Canaanites. Through it all the Lord's providential hand, strengthening presence, and unchanging Grace are at work. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 37-38

Jacob’s detour in Shechem costs his family dearly with the rape of his daughter and the retribution his sons enact. After Jacob’s remarkable encounter with God, we are told of one of the lowest points in his family and that his household has acquired many foreign gods. How can that be? We might prefer the narrator to leave out horrific and faithless moments in the lives of God’s people, but that would paint an incomplete picture of their need for God’s grace. When Jacob returns, God again changes his name and throughout the rest of his life we will see both natures at play - sometimes he is Jacob the deceiver, other times he is Israel, surrendered to God. So too with our own faith journey. Romans 7-8, Ephesians 4:20-32 and Galatians 5:16-26 speak of this battle between our old self and our new identity in Christ. Jacob’s wrestle with God marks the beginning of His new nature, not the full completion of it. As you read look honestly at the mixture of cowardice, failure, depravity, idolatry, return, repentance, and restoration. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 34-36

Jacob has prayed and sought God’s help. He has planned and sought to appease Esau with gifts. He has protected his family and separated himself from them. He’s done all he knows to do to deal with the problem at hand. And God’s response to Jacob? He wrestles with him all night long as tho they are equally matched, and then with a mere touch, God clobbers him!1 What in the world!?! God prepares Jacob to meet Esau by maiming him? Jacob will walk with a limp for the rest of his life from this encounter with the Living God, but that is not all that happens here. God asks Jacob some poignant questions that get to the core of his identity. Jacob may be meeting Esau with a limp yes, but he is also meeting Esau with a new understanding. God has begun the process of healing Jacob’s inner wounds and he begins to relate more honestly with his brother. He still falls short of full honesty with Esau and full obedience to God’s command to return to Bethel and his family will pay dearly for it. (Gen 34) But He is changing. As you read be watching for these indicators of transformation and what brings them about. Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 32:22-Genesis 33

When Jacob left home, he fled from Esau to Laban afraid, alone, and owning nothing. Now he flees from Laban to Esau, still afraid but no longer alone and with great wealth. During his time with Laban, he has been cheated, deceived, and taken advantage of. Jacob has also continued using his learned pattern of deception to get what he wants. But God has kept His promise to be with Jacob, to give him children, to bring him back to the land, and to continue working out His plan of salvation for the world through Jacob’s family. Jacob is still learning who God is and how to trust Him over and above his own intellect and schemes. He lives with an inner restlessness and seeks to fill the void of his heart with things other than God. In the midst of all of this, God calls Jacob back and Jacob answers that call and heads home. He leans on his own understanding in the practical aspects of his return, but he returns nonetheless. After Jacob deals with Laban he turns his focus ahead to the problem of Esau. Does Esau still want to kill him or could his anger have cooled over the years? As you read, pay attention to the ways Jacob is growing along with the ways God meets him in his fear.  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 31-32:21

Just because things go our way or we give God credit and praise, does not mean that we are interpreting things correctly. God’s design for marriage is one man and one woman. God’s design for his people is honesty, integrity, and seeking Him above all else. Jacob grew up in a competitive and divided family and creates for himself a competitive and divided family. And yet – God is at work within the mess they create and their choices do not negate God’s grace! What a comfort that is! It is good and wise to break unhealthy patterns in our own families for the benefit of our lives and future generations. And we can take comfort in God’s continued pursuit of each of our hearts in the midst of the messes we create. As you read, watch for the ways idolatry, superstition, and faith are mixed up and how this mixture contributes to the unhealthy ways Jacob’s family functions and relates to God.  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 30

After a disastrous outcome of his deceit, Jacob runs away from home. Will the promised blessing be lost? Jacob has no family or land–he has nothing! All throughout Genesis we have seen many examples of God coming down to those who are not seeking Him, calling out to Him, or reaching up to Him and this plot point of Jacob’s life is no different. God comes to Jacob in a dream showing access to His presence opened and His work throughout the earth taking place. It is true that Jacob’s story did not have to go the way it is going. The choices he and his family made could have been different and created a different family dynamic. And also it is true that God is bigger and able to overcome it all. As you read, pay special attention to the promise God makes to Jacob, God’s care of Leah and who begins to show signs of trust in God as the source of their satisfaction.

When we want something really badly it can be a struggle to release our desire in trust to God. It is not uncommon to resort to manipulation, deceit, striving, and grasping at what we can to control outcomes and to accomplish our will. Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Esau all have their own desires for who gets the blessing and their own plans for bringing it about. Not only does this family demonstrate an absence of trust among each other, they are not trusting God and things get pretty ugly. While we might think our own attempts at controlling outcomes are ‘not so bad’ it is wise for us to acknowledge our root issue is the same. When we sew patterns of striving in our lives we really do bring harm to our relationships. As you read pay attention to what each family member looses as a result of everyone’s behavior and how the Lord’s will prevails in the midst of it all.  Prepare for this week's teaching by reading Genesis 27. For maps, an introduction to Jacob and weekly questions download the study guide below!