Luke 2

This chapter contains an account of Jesus' birth that I'm sure you'll all find familiar. There's also, I think, a beauty to the telling of the story that triggers something in me when I hear it. Maybe it's just that I so identify this reading with the joy and wonder of Christmas.

But part of what I like is Luke's essentially journalistic approach to writing. Notice back in chapter 1 that he talks about eyewitnesses, "having investigated everything carefully from the beginning" and writing an account in "consecutive order" (v. 2-3). The technique places Jesus' birth in a historical context.

Now I know that at least one of you claims not to like history. But the fact that details about who was emperor and governor and that a census was being done can be confirmed outside of the Bible is important. Wanting or needing that confirmation may not sound like "faith" to you, but a point could come when it'll become more significant in your journey with Jesus -- for example, if doubting friends want you to defend the reality of Christ's story or of his very existence.

This chapter brings us through Jesus' young life fairly quickly. After the birth narrative, it details the baby being brought to the temple at 8 days old and by the end he's back in the temple again, this time as a 12-year-old. 

You may feel like you've heard these stories a million times before. But I would challenge you to read it all carefully and look for insights into who this Jesus is. 

Does this chapter reveal attributes of Christ that you don't think of much or haven't yet heard of? Tell us about those on Sunday (and include your comments here as a response to the blog, if you'd like).

Alternately, maybe you'd like to memorize some verses or a section of the chapter. Parts of the birth narrative, for example, or Simeon's song. The response from Simeon after seeing Jesus is something I know by heart. It was regularly sung as part of the communion liturgy at my Lutheran church while I was growing up.

Memorizing scripture may not sound appealing, but the knowledge of the Bible that you gain can deepen your faith. That's something I hope will occur as we read through Luke.

Luke 1

This is a great time to begin reading Luke's gospel because we're in Advent, which is during the weeks leading up to Christmas. It's a period of preparation for the Christ child's arrival -- an event described in the book's opening chapters. It also details, starting in chapter one, the origins of John the Baptist. John is often highlighted during Advent because he preached a message of preparing the way for Christ -- who in this case was about to start his public ministry. We'll read more about that in chapter 3.

This first chapter has two intersecting stories punctuated by angelic visits announcing the births of John and Jesus. It also has two poetic passages, often identified by Latin terms -- the Magnificat and the Benedictus. As you read the Magnificat, spoken by Mary, you may see similarities to a popular song in our church. "My Soul is Filled with Joy," number 13 in Sing the Journey, is based on the passage. (Click on the link above to read the chapter online.)

If you have trouble coming up with something to share with the group on Sunday, look at which characters are the focus of much of the chapter and tell us something about how they respond to God's involvement or interruptions in their lives. 

Chapter 1 starts with a prologue where the writer lays out his purpose and addresses Theophilus, the person who is receiving the gospel. I really like that he begins in this way. Theophilus was presumably a real person, but his name is Greek for "lover of God." I always imagine that Luke also intends to address his gospel to all lovers of God who follow Christ. Therefore, it's written to people like us even though it's nearly two centuries later.

The big idea

Welcome, Cedar Falls Mennonite Church youth, to Chapter A Week. This blog is a place where I'll give you a brief rundown each week on the next chapter of the Bible that we're reading. If you sign in with an email account, I think you will receive notification of each new post.

For anyone who hasn't heard, we're inviting you to read one chapter in the Gospel of Luke each week. Every Sunday during fellowship time, we will briefly gather to talk about the reading. Laurel and I wanted to encourage you to do some regular Bible reading and provide an opportunity to share what you're discovering. 

As you read, I'm asking you to note any questions, comments or observations on the text. Please write those down on paper or online as a response to the week's post. Either way, be ready to talk about what you thought on Sundays. 

I'm hoping that you'll have at least one question, comment or observation to share with the group from each chapter we read. It doesn't have to be elaborate or profound, we just hope to have a little bit of conversation about the word of God -- and a regular check-in with you guys that's of a spiritual nature. If you're not going to be in church any week, make sure you write a response on the blog so everyone can get your input.

I hope you enjoy this and that it becomes an opportunity for learning more about Jesus and the Bible.

--- Andrew