Adult Bible Study Online

A unique birth

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"Jesus Matters"
Lesson text: Matthew 1:18-25
By: Ken Seitz
Email: kenseitz@hotmail.com

We are now just days away from Christmas, and by next weekend the holiday itself will be past. Two studies, this one and the next, are devoted to the Jesus birth narratives as brought to us in Matthew's Gospel, chapters 1 and 2. Let's begin right here with Matthew 1:25b: "And he [Joseph] gave him the name Jesus."

That declaration takes us to the point. I have been biding my time to introduce a relevant book, a very recent one that will greatly enrich our studies this quarter. I hope you can find Jesus Matters: Good News for the 21st Century (James Krabill and David Shenk, eds., Herald Press, 2009). I promise to refer to it from time to time; regardless, it is worth getting a copy, as during this quarter we will look regularly at the relevance of Jesus to our modern situation (Introduction, p. 11).

Indeed, the events surrounding the birth of Jesus are unique, to pick up on the title of today's study. Last week it was Mary; this week, Joseph as the instrument of divine intervention to bring us this Immanuel. "Maybe it's time to take another look at Jesus" as suggested in the Introduction. "The time has come to take another look at Jesus, to return to the biblical text, . . . to listen once again to the captivating narrative that unfolds within its pages, and to remind ourselves anew of the remarkable relevance of Jesus to our twenty-first-century circumstances" (pp.16-17).

This collection of essays by intergenerational author teams aims to present a portrait of Jesus, this Jesus who has become the most famous, transformative person in all of human history (p. 17). I promise that a reading of the introduction will infuse you with copious enthusiasm for coming together this week and next around study and discussion of this Immanuel, this God-with-us babe, this child King.

You will find the book's style engaging, practical, and non-technical.

This message relates to the Adult Bible Study. For additional information on Adult Bible Study or Adult Bible Study Teacher, send email to info@mpn.net. To order either publication call Mennonite Publishing Network at 1 800 245-7894.

Jesus Matters
Good News for the 21st Century
Does Jesus really matter today? Sure, he’s popular with many North Americans, but do they really know who he is and what he said? And do we, the people who claim to be his followers, know as much about him as we should? Read more and save 20%!