Bible Study - Looking Forward (3) - To Joy - Luke 2:4-14 - December 15, 2024 (Not Proofed Yet)

 Bible Study – Looking Forward (3) – To Joy – Luke 2:4-14 – December 15, 2024 

Our focus scripture is Luke 2:4-14. 

JESUS has come, giving us much cause for joy. 

Let’s explore! 

Our focus scripture is Luke 2:4-7 but let’s first consider why Bethlehem: 

Samuel Anoints David as King 

16 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.” 

2 But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” 

“Take a heifer with you,” the Lord replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the Lord. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.” 

GOD was laying the foundation for Grace to trump the law. 

David is anointed to be the next King. This was done in Bethlehem. 

What is special about Bethlehem?  

Bethlehem is called the “House of Bread.” JESUS is referred to as “The Bread of life.”  

GOD, through the Prophet Micah, foretold the birth place of JESUS as recorded in Micah 5:2 Bethlehem Ephrathah, 
you are small among the clans of Judah; 
one will come from you 
to be ruler over Israel for me. 
His origin[a] is from antiquity, 
from ancient times. 

How far was it from Nazareth to Bethlehem for Mary and Joseph? It was between 70-90 miles.  

Why did Joseph and Mary have to go to Bethlehem?  

The primary reason for Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem was due to a decree issued by Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor at the time. The decree stated that a census should be conducted throughout the Roman Empire, and everyone was required to return to their ancestral homes for this purpose. 

Mary was a descendant of the Tribe of Juda. Mary’s ancestry is listed in Luke 3: 23 As he began his ministry, Jesus was about thirty years old and was thought to be the 

son of Joseph, son of Heli, 

24 son of Matthat, son of Levi, etc…. 

Heli was Mary’s ancestral tie to the Tribe of Juda. 

GOD places HIS chosen where HE desires for them to be to achieve HIS objectives.  

Ponder this: DO you accept the virgin birth of JESUS? The Holy Spirit came upon Mary, and she conceived. In 1 John 3:9:  
No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him [His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within him]; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God. 

Consider your own conversion experience. When you asked JESUS to forgive you for your sins and for JESUS to come into your heart a divine conception took place faster than the twinkle of your eye. You were Spirit-born into the eternal Family of GOD, never to be Spiritually unborn! 

The power of the Holy Spirit resulted in the conception of JESUS and the power of the Holy Spirit results in the Spiritual conception of all who ask JESUS to forgive them for their sins, believing that JESUS was and is the perfect acceptable sacrifice to GOD for all sin.  

Mary was willing to be the Mother of JESUS and every person must be willing to accept JESUS as his or her Savior. Once a person is Spirit-born, they will never be Spirit unborn.  

Merry CHRISTMAS!!! JESUS came to earth just for you to have eternal life through faith in HIM. 

Dear JESUS, I don’t understand the miracle of being “born-again.” 

But I do ask JESUS to come into my heart, believing that HE gave HIS sinless life for me to have eternal life by being “born-again” in my spirit. 

If you prayed this prayer or something similar, then thank JESUS for coming into your heart and the miracle of being born by the Holy Spirit into GOD’S eternal Family.  

You are a newborn baby through faith in JESUS and need Spiritual nourishment – Bible Study, I suggest reading the Gospel of John. If you are not already in a Bible believing and teaching church or fellowship, ask GOD to lead you to the place where you can be fed Spiritual food.  

JESUS told the woman at the well in Samaria as recorded in John 4: 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. 

“Give me a drink,” Jesus said to her, 8 because his disciples had gone into town to buy food. 

9 “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” she asked him. For Jews do not associate with[d] Samaritans.[e] 

10 Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.” 

11 “Sir,” said the woman, “you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. So where do you get this ‘living water’? 12 You aren’t greater than our father Jacob, are you? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and livestock.” 

13 Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. 14 But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well[f] of water springing up in him for eternal life.” 

15 “Sir,” the woman said to him, “give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and come here to draw water.” 

As a new believer the Holy Spirit is the living water that quinches your Spiritual thirst. As a child of GOD talk to JESUS as you would your very best friend, because HE is. HE gave HIS sinless life just for you. 

Prayers for a wonderful Spiritual journey and welcome into the eternal Family of GOD. MERRY CHRISTMAS! JESUS has come and HE is coming again! Be ready for the rapture or your physical death. Either way, as a born-again believer, you will meet JESUS.  

Blessings!!!