At age 12 Jesus visits the Temple and speaks with the Teachers

Luke 2:39-52

³⁹ When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee. ⁴⁰ There the child grew up healthy and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.

Jesus Speaks with the Teachers

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival. ⁴² When Jesus was twelve years old, they attended the festival as usual. ⁴³ After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t miss him at first, ⁴⁴ because they assumed he was among the other travelers. But when he didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for him among their relatives and friends.

⁴⁵ When they couldn’t find him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there. ⁴⁶ Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. ⁴⁷ All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

⁴⁸ His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

⁴⁹ “But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” ⁵⁰ But they didn’t understand what he meant.

⁵¹ Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

⁵² Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

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8 days after birth of Jesus, the presentation in the Temple

Luke 2:21-35…

Jesus Is Presented in the Temple

²¹ Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived.

²² Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. ²³ The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” ²⁴ So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord—“either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”

The Prophecy of Simeon

²⁵ At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him ²⁶ and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, ²⁸ Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
as you have promised.
³⁰ I have seen your salvation,
³¹     which you have prepared for all people.
³² He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
and he is the glory of your people Israel!”

³³ Jesus’ parents were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother, “This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. ³⁵ As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear and receives no payment for it. Ads & “Related” links come from WordPress.

The Birth of Jesus

Luke 2:1-20 The Birth of Jesus

¹ At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. ⁹ Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, ¹⁰ but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. ¹¹ The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ¹² And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

¹⁵ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. ¹⁷ After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. ¹⁸ All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, ¹⁹ but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. ²⁰ The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. NLT

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

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The approaching Birth of Jesus the Messiah revealed to Joseph

Matthew 1:1-17. The first 17 verses of Matthew 1 gives the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah from Abraham to His stepfather Joseph. Luke 3:23-38 gives the ancestors from Joseph back to Adam to fulfill the prophecy to Eve in Genesis 3:15.

Then in Matthew, we see the revelation that Mary the virgin is to give birth to Jesus. Joseph trusted God and obeyed His command to marry Mary but to keep her a virgin until the baby is born.

Matthew 1:18-25…¹⁸ This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

²⁰ As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

²³ “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not have sexual relations with her until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus. NLT

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

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The Birth of Jesus Foretold to Mary #4

Can you imagine the shock of Mary at this announcement? Yet she answered may it be true. Luke 1:

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. ²⁸ Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

²⁹ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

³⁴ Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”

³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For the word of God will never fail.”

³⁸ Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her. NLT

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear and receives no payment for it. Ads & “Related” links come from WordPress.

Other foretellings of the coming of Jesus #3.

 Job lived about 2100-1900 BC and suffered greatly, but Job was promised a Redeemer and a future resurrection. ^jj  About 2090 BC God made a covenant with Abram, a descendent of Noah’s son Shem.  God said to Abram; “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” ^k                                                                         

Abram, later known as Abraham, obeyed God and went to the land now known as Israel. After 3 generations 75 members of Abraham’s descendant’s followed Joseph to Egypt where over 400 years they became a great nation of over 2.5 million people, but in slavery.^l  God sent Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. God sent 9 plagues on Egypt to encourage them to release the slaves but the Pharaoh refused. Finally the 10^th plague was to be the death of all the firstborn in Egypt who did not sacrifice a lamb, and place the blood of the lamb on the 2 doorposts and lintel of their house. The Israelites complied and their firstborn were passed over, but the deaths of the Egyptians compelled them to send the Israelites out with the wealth of Egypt.^L1 The Israelites have celebrated the Passover annually every since to worship God and commemorate this deliverance. ^m

Later, the Israelites demanded a King to rule them and God anointed Saul, then David and Solomon as king. ^q  God said to King David “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”  ^qq

God sent kings and prophets to warn the people of their sin and encourage His people that a Savior was coming. Just to name a few of over 300 Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by the birth, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension of Jesus… Born of a virgin,^s Born in Bethlehem,^t Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver,^u Presented as king on a donkey,^v Buried in a rich man’s tomb,^w Bones not broken,^y Seed of Abraham,^z Son of Isaac,^a1 Would bruise Satan on the head,^b1 Would be scourged,^c1 Beaten beyond recognition.^d1

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?;

jj- Job 19:23-27; k- Job 1-42; Genesis 12:1-3; l- Genesis 12:4-Exodus 1:22; l1- Exodus 12:35-36; m- Exodus 2-13; n- Exodus 14-Numbers 12; o- Numbers 13-14;then through Deuteronomy 34; p- Joshua 1-24; q- Judges 1-1Samuel 1:37- 1 Kings 11:43; qq- 2 Samuel 7:16; r- 1 Kings 12-2 Chronicles 36; s- Isaiah 7:14; t- Micah 5:2; u- Zechariah 11:12; v- Zechariah 9:9; w- Isaiah 53:9; y- Psalm 34:20; z- Genesis 22:18; a1- Genesis 21:12; b1- Genesis 3:15; c1- Isaiah 53:5; d1- Isaiah 53:4;  For all other notes click here;

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Foretelling of Jesus #2

Prophecy of the coming of Jesus about 700 years before His birth.

Isaiah 9:6-7…⁶ For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Matt 28:18; Luke 2:11
⁷ There shall be no end to the increase of His government and of peace, [He shall rule] on the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From that time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this. 1 Cor 15:25-28; Heb 1:8

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

 ⁵ But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
⁶ All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.  And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
⁸ Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
⁹ He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.

¹⁰ But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
¹¹ When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience,  my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
¹² I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,  because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels. NLT

Cross references Isaiah 53:5-12:

1. Isaiah 53:5 : Is 53:8; Heb 9:28
2. Isaiah 53:5 : Is 53:10; Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:3
3. Isaiah 53:5 : Deut 11:2; Heb 5:8
4. Isaiah 53:5 : 1 Pet 2:24, 25
5. Isaiah 53:7 : Matt 26:63; 27:12-14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9
6. Isaiah 53:7 : Acts 8:32, 33; Rev 5:6
7. Isaiah 53:9 : Matt 27:57-60
8. Isaiah 53:9 : 1 Pet 2:22
9. Isaiah 53:10 : Is 53:6, 12; John 1:29
10. Isaiah 53:11 : John 10:14-18
11. Isaiah 53:11 : Is 45:25; Rom 5:18, 19
12. Isaiah 53:12 : Is 52:13; Phil 2:9-11
13. Isaiah 53:12 : Matt 26:38, 39, 42
14. Isaiah 53:12 : Mark 15:28; Luke 22:37
15. Isaiah 53:12 : Is 53:6, 11; 2 Cor 5:21

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- Disciples or Christians;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear and receives no payment for it. Ads & “Related” links come from WordPress.

Foretellings of Jesus #1

After the sin of Adam and Eve, God promised Eve that the seed of a woman would come and defeat satan. The Israelite wise men were perplexed by the seed of the women in this passage but this is an early foretelling of the virgin birth. Source

Genesis 3:15 And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He [Jesus] will strike your head [satan], and you  [satan] will strike his [Jesus] heel.” 

Some of the most striking descriptions of the crucifixion of Jesus was written by David about 980 BC.

 Psalms 22:1,7-8,16-18…¹ My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why are you so far away when I groan for help?

⁷ Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
⁸ “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!”

¹⁶ My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs;  an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet.
¹⁷ I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat.
¹⁸ They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. NLT  Source

Cross-references of Psalm 22 in the New Testament:

1. Psalm 22:1 : Matt 27:46; Mark 15:34
2. Psalm 22:7 : Matt 27:39; Mark 15:29
3. Psalm 22:15 : John 19:28
4. Psalm 22:16 : Matt 27:35; John 20:25
5. Psalm 22:17 : Luke 23:27, 35
6. Psalm 22:18 : Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24
7. Psalm 22:22 : Ps 40:10; Heb 2:12
8. Psalm 22:24 : Ps 31:22; Heb 5:7
9. Psalm 22:28 : Ps 47:7; Obad 21; Zech 14:9; Matt 6:13

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?;  Z- For the name I normally use for the Lord Jesus Christ, click here;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear and receives no payment for it. Ads & “Related” links come from WordPress.

Jesus was in the beginning

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit always was and always will be, without beginning and without end. So the Son, Jesus was at the creation of everything and the scripture says that Jesus was the Creator of the Universe. Through Christmas day I will share scripture about the coming of Jesus to earth.

Genesis 1:1,26…¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” NLT

John 1:1-3…¹ In the beginning the Word [Jesus] already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He existed in the beginning with God. ³ God created everything through him,  and nothing was created except through him. NLT

Colossians 1:16-17…¹⁶ for through Him [Jesus] God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ He existed before anything else,  and He holds all creation together. NLT

Henry Luke

For how to have peace with God and become a Disciple ^Y click here, for how to have peace of God and grow as a Disciple click here, for how to teach Disciples to be Disciple-makers click here. 

Notes: Y- “Disciples” or “Christians”?;  Z- For the name I normally use for the Lord Jesus Christ, click here;

Disclaimer: My Personal Journey by Henry Luke has no control over any advertising that may appear and receives no payment for it. Ads & “Related” links come from WordPress.

 

 

Merry Christmas from 3 generations of the Luke family

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Henry & Barbara Luke Christmas  2019

We hope you will enjoy and be blessed by this video of music presented on December 15, 2019. Three generations of our family are in this video.