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On the way to Christmas. (Pg.#1)

(What is God saying about our prejudices?)

To start, in this pre-Christmas study, we must come to the understanding that God chose to bring forth the Messiah, Jesus, from the line of a former prostitute from Canaan, and also from the lineage of Ruth, a foreign woman from Moab…

— Last quiz I asked, “What do you think God might be trying to communicate to us about our ideas of prejudice and pride?”

— So on the way to Christmas, let’s look deeper into an answer to that question.
English Standard Version of the Bible used here. (Mark the correct answers)

Starting back in Genesis 22:6-18… And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.  (7)  And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”  (8)  Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.  (9)  When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  (10)  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.  (11)  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”  (12)  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”  (13)  And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.  (14)  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”  (15)  And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven  (16)  and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  (17)  I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,  (18)  and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

— Q1. What do we see of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation in the message God sends to Abraham in (Vs.12)?
He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

O – God rejected Isaac.     O – God was foreshadowing His own commitment to save us through the sacrifice of His only son, Jesus.

— Q2. What is the promise God makes to Abraham in (Vs.18)?
“and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”?

God will bless…  O – only Abraham.     O – only the Jewish people.     O – all the nations.

See how the Apostle Paul repeats these words in Galatians 3:8-9… And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”  (9)  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

— Q3. Paul clarifies the promise God makes to Abraham in Vs.9 as he states…

God will bless…  O – only Abraham.    O – everyone and Abraham.    O – people of faith along with Abraham.

So, God’s plan of salvation was intended for all mankind (that includes womankind) who would believe…

Jumping right into the Christmas account from Luke 2:8-14… And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  (9)  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  (10)  And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  (11)  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

— Q4. In Vs.10 the angel tells the shepherds… “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for ___  _____  ________.” (Fill in the blanks.)

O – only you shepherds.     O – all the people.     O – only the Jews.

(Quiz continues on Pg.#2)

On the way to Christmas. (Pg.#2)

Continuing in Luke 2:12-14… And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  (13)  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,  (14)  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

— Q5. In Vs.14 the angel states… “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he ___  ________!” (Fill in the blanks.)

O – gained donations.     O – has preferred.     O – is pleased.

This begs a question: How do you please God?

SEE: 1^st John 3:21-23  Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;  (22)  and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.  (23)  And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

— Q6. We find that two things are listed here for us to do if we wish to please God.- What are they?

O – Believe in His Son Jesus Christ.     O – Pay your tithe.     O – Love one another.

So, who can believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior?

SEE: John 3:16-17…  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  (17)  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

— Q7. Who can believe in Jesus as the Lord and Savior?

O – Everyone.     O – Anyone.     O – All the nations of the world.

Back to the Christmas account from Luke 2:15-20… When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  (16)  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  (17)  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  (18)  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.  (19)  But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  (20)  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

— Q8. Now, trying to remember the biases of Bible times… Why do you think God would choose for His only begotten Son to be born in a stable?

O – To send a message of salvation for all people.     O – To exclude the rich from salvation.

— Q9. Did God also call the rich upper classes to seek the newborn Savior?

O – No, because they couldn’t find room for Mary and Joseph.     O – Yes, God also called the Magi.

SEE: Matthew 2:1-2… Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,  (2)  saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

In closing… God’s will was for the Messiah, Jesus, to come from the line of a former Canaanite prostitute, and also from the line of Ruth, a foreign woman of Moab…

— Q10. To discuss the original question, “What do you think God might be trying to communicate to us about our ideas of prejudice and cultural pride?”

– Can you think of other instances where Jesus broke the rules of common cultural prejudices?

For example: Matthew 8:1-4… John 8:3-11… John 4:4-10… Mark 3:31-35…

(Click here for PDF copy Pg.#1)

(Click here for PDF copy Pg.#2)