It's been a lot of fun going through the book of Luke so far! Let's jump on Zoom together this Wednesday evening and talk about what we've been reading the past two weeks. It'll be light, fun, and rewarding digging through Gods word together, we'll discuss to help each other understand. Let me know if you're planning on making it! https://us05web.zoom.us/j/84426634877?pwd=AbawbhmgjpgUk47IqZt8Db7It4uvmc.1

Alrighty, ya'll! I've been diving into our reading for this week and I just finished wrapping up chapters 2,3, and 4. Here are a couple of realizations I had while I was studying. 1. Jesus was laid in a manger which was used to feed animals like donkeys. Which later he’d end up giving up his life as the ultimate sacrifice and become for food for those who follow him. Also, he rode in on a donkey when he entered Jerusalem. 2. When Mary & Joseph need to offer a sacrifice according to the law, it shows how poor they were, only being able to offer a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. But I found it so unique that they have the ultimate sacrifice, the true lamb of god right there in that moment. 3. The shepherds were responsible for keeping lambs free of any blemish until they were one year old. They wrapped up the baby lambs in swaddling clothes. So when they saw Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes they knew that he was the messiah. Luke 2:8-19 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And [c]behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made [f]widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

I hope you are as excited as I am to go through chapters 1-6 this week in the gospel of Luke! The hope is that we'll be able to have a call together this Wednesday and discuss the reading together. As I went through my study of Chapter 1 yesterday, there are some interesting things I wanted to point out. Luke (the writer of this Gospel) was an incredibly smart man. He was a doctor and you can tell by his writing that he is a well-scholared man. He was writing to a man named Theophilus. Did you know "Theophilus" means "Loved By God"? Theophilus was most likely a Roman officer or high-ranking official in the Roman government. And he was quite possibly very wealthy and very influential. Luke was a coworker of Paul the Apostle and traveled with him to many places. Luke was able to get details of Jesus from many eyewitness accounts. You can see how thorough he is throughout the whole book. Did you know that Luke is the only book in the bible written by a gentile? and his book is specifically meant for people who are not Jewish! I also want to draw a parrel between Zechariah & Elizabeth (both old in age but told by an angel that they were going to have a baby named John). Abraham & Sarah were both very old in the Book of Genesis and they bore a child who would play a key role in the fulfillment of the covenant. Issac in the old testament and John in the new testament. The other thing I wanted to point out was how Zachariah questioned god when he was told he was going to have a child but Mary accepted what was being told to her by the angel and just had a question for god. Having questions for god is different than questioning god, and you can see how god responded to both Zachariah & Mary in two different ways. I'm curious what did you explore in chapter 1?