Blessing and
Sacrifice
Luke 1:39-45 –
New International Version (NIV)
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to
a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the
baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But
why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my
ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed
is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Who “got ready and hurried to a town in the hill
country of Judea” (verse 39)?
Who did she greet (verse 40)?
Who leaped (verse 41)?
Who was filled with the Holy Spirit (verse
41)?
What did Elizabeth say was blessed (verse
42)?
In your opinion, why did Elizabeth say
that “why am I so favored, that the
mother of my Lord should come to me” (verse 43)?
Why did the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leap (verse
44)?
Who does Elizabeth say is blessed (verse 45)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
Micah 5:2-5a –
New International Version (NIV)
2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,
and the rest of his brothers return
to join the Israelites.
4 He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
5 And he will be our peace”
What is Bethlehem
Ephrathah (verse 2)?
Who will come “out of you” (verse 2)?
How long will “Israel be abandoned” (verse 3)?
In your opinion,
who are the “rest of his brothers”
who are to return to “join the
Israelites” (verse 3)?
How will He “stand and shepherd his flock” (verse 4)?
Why will they
“live securely” (verse 4)?
What will He be
(verse 5)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In
your opinion, how are the promises that Elizabeth says that Mary believed in
Luke 1:39-45 related to the prophecy in Micah 5:2-5a about Bethlehem Ephrathah?
Luke 1:46b-55 - New
International Version (NIV)
“My
soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
What “glorifies the Lord” (verse 46b)?
Who does Mary’s spirit rejoice in (verse 47)?
In your opinion, why does Mary say “he has been mindful of the humble state of
his servant” (verse 48)?
Who has “done great things” for Mary (verse 49)?
What extends to “those who fear him” (verse 50)?
How has God dealt with those “who are proud in their inmost thoughts”
(verse 51)?
In your opinion, why does Mary point out
that “He has brought down rulers from
their thrones” immediately before saying that “(He) has lifted up the humble” (verse 52)?
What has happened to the hungry (verse 53)?
Who has God remembered “to be merciful” to (verses 54 and 55)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how does the various
changes of circumstances that Mary sang about in Luke 1:46b-55 echo the change
of circumstances predicted in Micah 5:2-5a?
In
your opinion, how is the song of Mary in Luke 1:46b-55 a wonderful response to
the blessing of Mary by Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-45?
Hebrews 10:5-10 –
New International Version (NIV)
5 “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice
and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”
but a body you prepared for me;
6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, my God.’”
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings
and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they
were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here
I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the
second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the
sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
In your opinion,
what did Christ mean when He said “Sacrifice
and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me” (verse 5)?
What was God not pleased with (verse 6)?
Where was Christ written about (verse 7)?
Whose will did Christ come to do (verse 7)?
In your opinion, why was God not pleased
with “sacrifices and offerings, burnt
offerings and sin offerings” even though they “were offered in accordance with the law” (verse 8)?
What is set aside and what is established (verse 9)?
How has we “been made holy” (verse 10)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how
is the “sacrifice of the body of Jesus
Christ” that Paul talks about in Hebrews 10:5-10 related to the mercy that
Mary sings about in Luke 1:46b-55?
In your opinion, how do we reconcile the prophecy
of Micah 5:2-5a that “He will
stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord” with Paul’s statement in Hebrews 10:5-10 that “we have been made holy through the
sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all”?
In your opinion, how
is it amazing that Elizabeth’s statement in Luke 1:39-45 “blessed is the child you will bear” when you combine it with
Paul’s statement in Hebrews 10:5-10 that “a
body you prepared for me” knowing that this body was meant to be sacrificed
to grant mercy to all who believe?
In your opinion, what do these passages,
from Luke, Micah and Hebrews show us about our Lord and our salvation?
Next, back to Luke 2:41 –
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