2-LJ 02 Preparation

Lesson #2 LIFE OF JESUS His Preparation – Part 2 2019 Before starting this lesson, read Matthew 2:1 - 3:12; Mark 1:1-8; Luke 2:21 - 3:18 I would like to suggest the book Harmony of the 4 Gospels NIV, by Orville E. Daniel. It combines all 4 Gospels together. Read SECTIONS 22-30. In our last lesson we saw that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, in a stable-cave. He was wrapped in wide strips of cloths and laid in a manger. When He was 8 days old he was circumcised and given His name - Yeshúa - the One who saves. Luke 2:22 tells us that when Jesus is 40 days old, His parents take Him 6 miles north to Jerusalem to obey 2 Jewish laws. Because all first-born sons belong to God, they must be brought to the temple courtyard and presented to God. In addition, because Mary has given birth, she is required by Jewish law to offer 2 sacrifices - a lamb and a bird. If she cannot afford a lamb, she can offer 2 birds. In verse 24, Luke quotes the part of the law that Mary uses - she offers 2 birds. This tells us they were not financial well off. While Mary and Joseph are in the temple courtyard for these ceremonies, two elderly prophets come up to them and confirm that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Luke tells us the first is Simeon and then Anna. In Hebrew, her name is Hannah. Altho Jesus is only 40 days old, the Holy Spirit has told them He is the One they have been waiting for all their life. On seeing Jesus, they rejoice and thank God that at last their Messiah has come. miles GALILEE 0 10 20 30 40 50 SAMARIA N EA N A R ER T I Jerusalem. ED M Bethlehem A SE JUDEA DEAD test SEA In the beginning days and months of Jesus’ birth, only those who are part of the believing remnant are told about Him. They are the ones who have been praying for His coming - Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, the shepherds, and now Anna and Simeon. Notice that none of the Jewish religious leaders have been told. The reason is they are not actively praying for His coming. They are not part of the believing remnant. After telling about the Temple ceremonies, Luke is guided by the Holy Spirit to compress time and skip over the next 2 years. So in Luke 2:39, he says that when Mary and Joseph had done everything required by God’s laws, they return to Nazareth. Our style of writing would have said, They did everything required by God’s laws and after 2 years, they returned to Nazareth. It is Matthew who fills in the details of these 2 years. When Mary and Joseph leave Jerusalem, they go the 6 miles south, back to Bethlehem. They move into a house where they will live for more than a year. God wants to protect them from the gossip and criticism they would get in Nazareth. He is also going to bring even more people to come and see Jesus. THE OLD TESTAMENT WORLD HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Sea Eu ph ra t es Mediterran ean Sea is gr Ti le Babylon r ve Jews EGYPT Ri To understand the next part of the story, we need some historical background. Six hundred miles to the east, in the city of Babylon, there has been a university school that has existed for hundreds and hundreds of years. Its purpose has been to train young men to be advisors to the rulers. Caspian Mt. Ararat Ni In the 3-4 year course, they are trained in literature, astronomy, Persian Gulf linguistics, mathematics, land management, law, meteorology and the Babylonian religion. With this kind of training, the graduates are naturally known as men of tremendous wisdom. In every generation they have been national advisors. Red Sea Because of their training, sometimes other nations asked for their help. In the 1400’s BC, a pagan king sent for a graduate to curse the Jews for him. A man by the name of Balaam came. By profession he was an advisor, trained in Babylon. Five times, when he tried to curse the Jews, God took control of his mind and mouth and words of blessing came out. In one of these blessings, he said a star would announce the coming of the Jewish Messiah. We have this story in Numbers 24. One thousand years go by. A man named Nebuchadnezzar becomes the king of Babylon. One day he turns to his advisors for help, but they could not answer his questions. In anger, he makes plans to have them killed. Then he discovers a recent Jewish graduate can answer his questions and explain his dream. As a result he makes this man the head of the school and over all the advisors. His name is Daniel. Everyone knows Daniel gets his information, not from the stars, but from the God who created the stars. Because of Daniel’s knowledge, the lives of the other advisors were spared. It is not surprising therefore, that many of these advisors in Babylon decide to believe in and follow Daniel’s God. As we would say, they convert to Judaism. They also respect the writings of Daniel. In his book, Daniel talks about Jerusalem. Even tho it had been destroyed, Daniel said eventually there would be a command to rebuild the city. There would be 483 years from that command until the death of the promised Jewish Messiah. Dan 9:24-27 Over the centuries and generations, some of these advisers continue to follow the God of the Jews. With the statements of 2 former graduates, Balaam and Daniel, they have known approximately when the Messiah was to be born, as well as the sign that would announce His coming. NEW TESTAMENT STORY BEGINS Daniel said there would be 483 years from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the death of the Jewish Messiah. Obviously His birth would be some years earlier. At this point, in the New Testament, almost 450 of these years have gone by. Some of these advisors still follow Yahweh, God of the Jews. One night, as they are looking at the sky, they see an unusual brilliance. It has never been there before. The more they look at it, the more they are sure it is not a normal star. Their Babylonian training said a bright star could be connected with a great person. Their Jewish training said a star would be connected with the coming of the Jewish Messiah. As a result, the ones who still follow the God of the Jews make plans to go see Him. After months of planning, a group of these wise men leave Babylon and head some 600 miles for Jerusalem. Using the normal trade route along the Euphrates river, it will take them 5 - 6 months to get there. No one traveled directly west because it was pure desert and uninhabited. Route of the Magi c. 7 - 6 BC Matthew 2:1 picks up on the story. After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, during the reign of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem… Magi Babylon Israel Notice that Matthew calls them Magi which is the Greek word for wise men. ¯ They are not astrologers. Astrologers in the Babylonian religion would never make a 6 month trip to worship the king of the Jews. It is true, these Magi have been trained in astrology, which was a part of the Babylonian religion. But they were also trained in astronomy, which is a science. And they are Gentiles who converted to Judaism and follow the God of the Jews. ¯ The Bible never calls them kings because they are advisors to kings. ¯ Matthew does not tell us how many there were. Based on culture, their importance and safety in travel, there would have been at least 25-30 of them, perhaps even more. 2 ¯ Babylon is in present day Iraq. That is the Middle East. It was never thought of as the Orient. So there is a problem with the title of the traditional Christmas carol, We 3 kings of Orient are. There were not just 3 of them; they were not kings and they were not from the Orient. We can enjoy the song, but certainly cannot use the words as facts about the Christmas story. ¯ Also, the Bible does not give them names. This is strictly from church tradition. When the Magi arrive in Jerusalem, the capital, they logically go to the home of Herod, the present King of the Jews. They ask, Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star when it appeared….. The phrase, in the east, is a wrong translation. The Greek means, when it rose or appeared. At Christmas-time there is always speculation about this star. People say it was an unusually bright star, a planet, a grouping of planets, a comet or a meteor. The word “star” is used for any small object in the sky that has brilliance. To keep us from thinking of a literal star, it would be better to use the more general word, brilliance. The Magi called it His, the Messiah’s, star - His brilliance. The Jews had a name for brilliance associated with deity. They called it Shekinah (also spelled Shechinah) The word Shekinah means to dwell/live with. It is the Jewish term for the visible glory or presence of God. In the Bible it is called, the glory of the Lord. This glory had filled the inner part of the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple in the form of a cloud, fire or light. But in the 500’s BC, Ezekiel saw God’s glory or presence leaving the temple and Jerusalem because of all the evil that was there. God’s glory was not seen in the land by anyone over the next 500 years. GLORY OF THE LORD - SHEKINAH The Visible Presence of God Seen as a cloud, light or fire Seen in the tabernacle and Temple! Left the Temple in the 500's BC Not seen in Israel for the next 500 years Then seen by the shepherds as a bright light Seen by the Magi as a brilliance (star) Jesus is the ultimate Shekinah However, now with the birth of Jesus, this glory or presence, the Shekinah returns. John begins his gospel to show Jesus is the ultimate Shekinah. He is the true visible presence of God the Father. John says, The Word, Jesus, was made flesh and lived - He “shechined” for a while among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the uniquely born Son who came from the Father. John 1:14 The Shekinah, as glory or light, was seen in Jesus. This is why there are so many verses that refer to Jesus as light. John had said, That life - Jesus - was the light for everyone Jn 1:4 One of the prophets said, The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light Isa. 9:2 Simeon had said, He will be a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel Luke 2:32 Jesus said of Himself, I am the light of the world - I am the Shekinah. Jn 9:5 Jesus was the greatest form of this glory. But it also appeared in other forms - not to Jewish leaders, but to those who were looking for the coming of the Messiah. It had first appeared to the Jewish shepherds. Luke said, the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. They knew immediately this brilliant light was the Shekinah. They feared because they knew they were in the presence of deity. Now the Shekinah has appeared to the Magi. It is why they have come to Jerusalem. It is why they go to the residence of the present king. They ask Herod, Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His brilliance when it appeared and have come to worship Him. Matthew says, When king Herod heard this, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:3 That is the understatement of the century. Over the last few years, Herod has lived in fear that family members will replace him as king. To protect his position, he has killed 2 of his favorite sons, his Jewish wife, her 3 brothers and her mother. Nothing and no one is going to take away his role as king of the Jews. 3 Now men known for their wisdom have come 600 miles from Babylon to worship a newly born King of the Jews. Herod’s title as king is being threatened once again. No wonder all Jerusalem is disturbed. Since he has already murdered so many of his family, who knows how many more he will kill. Herod knows the Jews are waiting for their Messiah. One of their prophets had named His birthplace. This is why Herod sends for the Jewish teachers in the Sanhedrin. They quote the prophet Micah and tell Herod He has been born is Bethlehem of Judea. What is amazing is that in the following weeks, these teachers and spiritual leaders never go just 6 miles to the south, to Bethlehem, to find Him for themselves in order to worship Him. They are only interested in power and money which comes thru Herod. This is another evidence they are not part of the believing remnant. Herod tells the Magi to go to Bethlehem and then come back and tell him where this child is living, so he can worship Him. He also inquires when the brilliance appeared, to have some idea how old this child is. So that we know it is not a normal star, comet or meteor that is guiding these wise men, Matthew gives extra details about this brilliance. He has said it led them north-east and then south-west on their trip from Babylon. When they are ready to leave Jerusalem, it reappears and now moves directly south, leading them to Bethlehem. When they arrive in town, it stops or hovers extremely low to show the exact house, among the many houses, where Jesus lives. No star, planet, comet or meteor would or could do this. Path of the Brilliance c. 7-6 BC ISRAEL Babylon Jerusalem Bethlehem Matthew 2:11 starts out, On coming to the house…. Notice, the family is not in a stable cave with Jesus in a manger. They are in a house. The next phrase says, they saw the child…Jesus is called a child, not a baby. Contrary to our Christmas pictures and plays, the Magi are not at the manger with the shepherds. The shepherds see Jesus the very night of His birth. The Magi see Him in a house a year and a half later. In our culture, for convenience in presenting a picture or play, we have compressed time and put them together. The Magi worship Jesus and bring Him gifts appropriate for a king - gold, incense and myrrh. These are real, literal gifts. But God also uses them as picture language to show the true nature and character of Jesus. Gold is connected with kings - it shows the royalty of Jesus. One day He will be King of Kings. THE CHARACTER OF JESUS Incense is connected with worship. This show the deity of Jesus. Royalty GOLD King He is be worshipped. INCENSE Worship Deity Myrrh is a spice used for embalming, so it was connected with death. Humanity MYRRH Death This shows the humanity of Jesus. He came to die. The gifts of gold, incense and myrrh tell us that Jesus is - royalty, deity and humanity. When the Magi leave, they are warned by God not to return to Herod or give him any information. That same night Joseph is warned to leave town immediately. He is to take his family to Egypt where Herod does not have any authority. Bethlehem EGYPT Highway Jewish communities Joseph obeys and they leave during the night, heading for the Egyptian border. It is only 75 miles away, but they will go further into Egypt, to one of the Jewish communities. They will cover about 100 miles over the next 4-5 days. With more than a million Jews living in Egypt, it is easy for Mary and Joseph to find acceptance and a home. 4 Ordinarily they could have never afforded to make the trip. But with the gifts from the Magi, God has provided the means. Little by little, they can sell portions of the gold, incense and myrrh to pay, not only for their trip but also to get them settled, until Joseph can start working as a carpenter. When Herod realizes the Magi are not coming back to tell him where the child lives, he decides to take no chances. From his knowledge of when the brilliance appeared, he figures the child has to be a year and a half old. However, wanting to be sure, he commands all baby boys, 2 years or younger, are to be killed in and around the Bethlehem area. From what we know of the population, some 20-25 children are killed. According to history, sometime after this command, Herod becomes ill and moves to Jericho. He will never return to Jerusalem. He is sick in Jericho for about 1 year and then dies in 4 BC. From these dates, we can figure out the approximate year of Jesus’ birth. Herod died in 4 BC. He left Jerusalem 1 year earlier in 5 BC. This means it was in 5 BC when he talked to the Magi. They told him the brilliance appeared at least 1½ years earlier. This puts Jesus’ birth about 6 BC. DATE OF JESUS’ BIRTH Herod in Herod Jerusalem dies 6-7 BC 5 BC 4 BC 0 BC Jericho Jerusalem Bethlehem ROMAN CALENDAR JULIAN CALENDAR (510 BC) 1 Roman Rebublic founded corrected by Julius Caesar 51 1 Year 45 Both the problem and the answer has to do with the calendars. The Roman world used the Roman calendar. They started counting time from the founding of the Roman republic, over 500 years before Jesus 0 Obviously this sounds impossible. BC means before Christ. How could Christ be born 6 years before Christ? Jesus' birth' After 450 of those years had gone by, the calendar was completely distorted. So Julius Caesar corrects it. c. 50 BC. It then becomes known as the Julian calendar. Everyone kept using it. According to the Julian calendar, Jesus was born in the Roman year 511. 15 82 A D 5 Ro 17 m a yr n . Five hundred years after Jesus, a monk named Dionysius thought it would be more logical to date the calendars from the birth of Jesus, rather than from the start of the Roman Republic. From his studies, he decided Jesus had really been born in Roman year 517 - not in 511 as the Julian calendar said. In other Year 1 words, this monk makes DIONYSIUS CALENDAR an error of 6 years. GREGORIAN CALENDAR adjusted Jesus' After great effort, he by Pope birth' finishes making his Gregory calendar, but no one wanted to use it. Nine hundred years go by. Then, fourteen hundred years after Jesus, the Western world decides to use this calendar. Dates are now based on the birth of Jesus. But people kept adding or subtracting days and weeks, making the calendar very inaccurate. Finally, in 1582, Pope Gregory makes adjustments and it becomes known as the Gregorian calendar. This is the calendar we use today. In spite of all the corrections, there is still that original error of 6 years. Jesus was not born in Roman year 517, which the monk had called the year 1 AD. Jesus was born 6 years earlier, in the Roman year of 511. Using our calendar, the only way we can express it, is to say Jesus was born in 6 BC. 5 Joseph and his family left for Egypt while Herod was still in Jerusalem. Herod leaves Jerusalem after awhile, is sick for 1 year and then dies. From this we know that Joseph and family are in Egypt for over one year. miles After Herod’s death, an angel tells Joseph to return to the land of the Jews. Joseph logically thinks of Bethlehem, where they had been. But then he learns Herod’s son Archelaus is ruling over Judea and is even more dangerous than Herod. With this news and further instruction from God, they go north to live once again in Nazareth. It is this return to Nazareth that Luke had referred to in Luke 2:39. Jesus is now almost 3 years old. Altho we are not given details about Jesus’ early life, we know He was raised like other Jewish boys. At the age of 5 or 6, He begins studies of the Old Testament, memorizing the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. At 10, He begins study of Jewish oral laws. At 12 He would be apprenticed to His father’s work. At 13 He would be declared an adult, responsible for keeping God’s laws. 0 10 20 30 40 50 test GALILEE Nazareth SAMARIA N EA N RA ER IT ED M A SE . JUDEA Jerusalem Bethlehem DEAD SEA EGYPT (Bar mitzvah ceremonies did not begin until the 1500’s). In addition to His normal Jewish teaching and training, Jesus receives special training. We are told about it in the book of Isaiah. The context shows the verse is referring to Jesus as He speaks to God the Father. The Sovereign Lord has given Me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He (God the Father) wakens Me morning by morning, wakens My ear to listen like One being taught. Isaiah 50:4 In His humanity, Jesus went thru the learning experience and was taught by God the Father. It is Luke who now give us the next information about Jesus. In Jewish tradition of that time, when a boy is 12 years old, he goes with his parents to Jerusalem to learn how to celebrate the Passover. miles GALILEE 0 10 20 30 40 50 In Luke 2:42, we are told that Jesus, who is now a 12 year old, makes the 4Nazareth day trip to Jerusalem with His parents. Altho there are festivities for the entire week, the actual celebration of the Passover is only 2 days. Many SAMARIA from the north, stay only for Passover and then leave for home. This is what test N Mary and Joseph do. EA After the 2 days of celebration, they head north again, traveling in large groups or caravans. The women are in one group at the front; the men in a group in back. The boys can mingle with either group. After a day of travel, the people get back together as families and camp for the night. When Joseph and Mary get together, they discover Jesus has not been with either of them, nor with other family members and friends. AN RR E IT ED M A SE Jerusalem . JUDEA DEAD SEA The next day they return to Jerusalem where some one million Jews are still celebrating. With so many people, it takes 3 days before they find Him in the temple courtyard. During this week long celebration, the Jewish school of Theology has seminars in one of the Temple courtyards. Rabbis are there to teach, as well as to answer questions the people might have. Jesus has taken advantage of this time to both listen and to ask questions. In typical Jewish fashion, many of His questions are answered with questions. Both the people and teachers are amazed at the depth of His understanding. They are surprised with the answers He gives in reply to their questions. Their amazement is not only because of his age, but also because He has not been trained in the theological schools in Jerusalem. He is from Nazareth in the north. People from Nazareth were considered inferior and looked down on by anyone in Jerusalem. The ability and understanding of Jesus is the result of being taught each morning by God the Father. On finding Jesus in the temple courtyard , Mary says, Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you. Jesus replies, Why were you searching for Me? Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father’s house? The last sentence is not well translated. Let me give you the literal Greek. Jesus said, Did you not know I must be occupied in the things of My Father? 6 In His deity, Jesus knew everything. But in His humanity we do not know exactly when Jesus became aware of His unique relationship to God the Father. From these words, we know that at 12 He is fully aware. So that we in the Western world can fully understand what Jesus has said, let me paraphrase and expand His question. He tells His parents, I am 12 years old - the age I am to be apprenticed or trained to my father’s occupation. Since God is My Father, why are you surprised I must be apprenticed to His work? It is logical for Me to be here to learn during this time of seminars. I personally think this is the time when Jesus makes the statement to God the Father as quoted in Hebrews 10:5. I know the bodies of animal sacrifices are not sufficient to remove sin, but You have prepared a body for Me, so I can take away sin. I will do what You, O God, have sent Me to accomplish. In His humanity, Jesus understands both His purpose and His relationships. Yet in the very next verses we read Jesus returned to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them. Since He is only 12, not yet a Jewish adult, He is obedient even tho He is aware of His uniqueness. In keeping with Jewish custom, He is apprenticed to Joseph and learns the trade of carpentry and stone cutting. Luke, who is not only an historian, but also a doctor, points out, that in His humanity, Jesus grew up and matured like any normal boy. He kept on growing physically and mentally. He kept on developing in His spiritual life as well as developing socially in His relationships with people around Him. The only things we know about His next 21 years is that He stays in Nazareth. In Jewish culture of that time, there is only one person known as the carpenter of a small town. Joseph is known for this, based on Matthew 13:55. But later during these years, Joseph dies and Jesus takes over the family business. He becomes the town’s carpenter. We know this from the statement in Mark 6:3, where the people in Nazareth say they have only known Jesus as the carpenter. miles 0 10 20 30 40 50 test N EA N A R ER IT D E M A SE John grows up in a godly Jewish home. He studies Old Testament Scripture, Jewish oral law and is apprenticed to his father to learn the laws of priesthood. In his late teens or early 20’s, God sends him a few miles east to live in seclusion in the wilderness. He is not affiliated with any group or desert community. He is not part of the Qumran communities connected with the Dead Sea scrolls. God sends John away from Jerusalem and from other people so that… …he is separated from Jewish teaching of the Sanhedrin that only emphasizes the man-made rules - the Mishna. …he is separated from the Jewish Levites who are only interested in power and glory for themselves. …he will be taught by God. This means his message will be pure and directly from God. SAMARIA JUDEA .Jerusalem Wilder ness To understand what happens next, we have to go back to Mary’s relative, Elizabeth and her husband Zachariah. They are both from the tribe of Levi, the line of priests. In their old age, God has given them a son, whom they name John. They know he will have a special ministry. At the time of his birth, Zechariah, guided by the Holy Spirit says that John will be the last of the Old Testament prophets. He has been sent to prepare everyone for the coming of the Messiah. GALILEE Nazareth Area of John''s home DEAD SEA When John is 33 or 34, God sends him with a message. The promised Messiah is ready to appear. After that, His kingdom will be coming. But only those who are living a life of obedience will be able to enter His kingdom. Repent therefore - change your mind about the things that are wrong in your life. Desire to change. When people hear John’s message and agree with it, they are baptized by him. For us, the meaning of baptism depends on our church background. It has different meanings to different people. But in the 1st century, baptism has the same meaning for everyone. BAPTISM IN 1st CENTURY All religions used it with a message Identification with a belief Every group practiced baptism: the pagan Roman and Greek religions, secular philosophies, as well as the Jews. Baptism in the 1st century was the way to show identification with a belief or message that you agreed with. 7 For example, if a Gentile converted to Judaism, he was baptized as proof he identified with the Jewish belief. Later, if he decides to follow the Greek religion, he would be baptized to say, I agree with the belief of the Greek religion. If he changed to yet another belief, he would be baptized again to show the message he was now agreeing with. It was always done at a river so everyone in town could see the choice he had made. BAPTISM in the 1st century had only one meaning - identification with a message or belief. Because John’s message is about repentance, his baptism is called a baptism of repentance. A person baptized by John is publicly saying, I agree with John. I am not right with God, because of my disobedience. I am repenting and making a choice to obey God. This is the meaning of John’s baptism. The gospel writers tell us that many of the Jews from Jerusalem and the surrounding area go to East Bethany, on the east side of the Jordan River. They not only listen to John the Baptist, but also accept his baptism to say they agree with his message. miles 0 10 20 30 40 50 GALILEE SAMARIA N A E N RA R E E. Bethany IT Jerusalem . ED M A SE JUDEA DEAD test SEA As we look at the early life of Jesus, what impresses me is the number of years spent in preparation as compared to the years spent in ministry. He had 33-34 years of preparation and only 3½ years in public ministry. Many times God gives us a glimpse of ministry for us and we want to start immediately. When opportunities do not open up, we get impatient and start to question why God is taking so long. Other times we have a ministry but things change and our ministry comes to an end. It is easy for us to be discouraged. We feel like we no longer have value or purpose. We seem to think we always have to be doing something for God in order to please God. The life of Jesus shows us that preparation is far more important than ministry. When we are becoming the person God created us to be, we are doing what God intends us do. That is our ministry for the present time. We need that preparation time because until we are changed by God, we can never be effective for God. The question is, how much are we letting Him change and develop our lives? Endnote The travels of Jesus during His Preparation Years You can track His steps for the entire period by using the Map under Bible Lessons – Life of Jesus. The outline is on page 2 of the Map. There is also a completed Map on page 9 of this lesson EXTRA INFORMATION FOR THE STUDIOUS AND INQUISITIVE After Herod kills all baby boys 2 years old and under, Matthew says, Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted because they are no more’. 2:17-18 During the Babylonian exile, young men were taken past the town of Ramah, the burial place of Rachael (Jacob’s wife). Rachael was a symbol of Jewish motherhood. She represented the Old Testament mothers who would weep for the men going into exile. Now she is a symbol of New Testament mothers weeping for the death of their children. 8 The le&ers A-G are from the Outline on the next page. Each le&er gives you the geographical loca=ons and what happened at those places. TRACKING JESUS in His PREPARATION YEARS Lessons 1B - 2 Sea of Galilee GALILEE e dit Me nS a e n rra ea F SAMARIA JUDEA G Jerusalem P E R E Bethlehem Dead Sea 10 x 50 miles B-C DECAPOLIS Jordan River 156 miles long Nazareth A D E EGYPT 9 A PREPARATION YEARS DEVELOPED OUTLINE 68 miles Luke 2:1-20 The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary Luke 1:26-38 An angel’s announcement to Joseph Matt. 1:18-25 Caesar’s announcement of census c. 7 BC Joseph and Mary’s trip to Bethlehem Jesus’ birth and circumcision - named Yeshúa in Aramaic - One who saves A. Nazareth to Bethlehem 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. B. Bethlehem to Jerusalem 6 miles Luke 2:22-38 1. Joseph and Mary go to temple 40 days after Jesus’ birth 2. Simeon and Anna give praise to God for Jesus’ birth C. Jerusalem to Bethlehem 6 miles Matt. 2:1-12 1. 2. 3. 4. Joseph and Mary return with Jesus and move into a house The Magi arrive in Jerusalem (Num. 24:17; Dan. 9:25-26) The Magi come to Bethlehem The Magi return home by another route D. Bethlehem to Egypt 100 miles 1. 2. 3. 4. Matt. 2:13-18 An angel warns Joseph and Mary of danger They flee to Egypt Herod kills the babies in Bethlehem (approx. 20) Joseph, Mary and Jesus live in Egypt about one year E. Egypt to Nazareth 200 miles Matt. 2:19-23; Luke 2:39 1. An angel tells Joseph that Herod is dead 2. Joseph plans to stay in Bethlehem 3. Joseph decides on Nazareth after a warning in a dream F. Nazareth to Jerusalem 62 miles Luke 2:40-50 1. Jesus grows in wisdom and strength Isa. 50:4 2. Jesus goes to the Temple in Jerusalem when 12 years old G. Jerusalem to Nazareth 62 miles Luke 2:51-52 1. Jesus returns with His parents 2. Jesus grows mentally, physically and spiritually 3. Jesus works as a carpenter for 21 years Mark 6:3 10