Transcript

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1 ERV; Ch. 2 NASB

Associate Producer

Anonymous, Michael Haner

Podcast Introduction

This is the Gospel Saturday, and we’ll read Luke 1-2. The title is this episode is “Taking Another Look.”  

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Comments on Luke 2

I love reading reading the account of Jesus’ birth. But in reading such familiar chapters as these first two of Luke, do we really hear them? Every Christmas season, we hear these verses read. So can we find anything new? Is it important to see something new? I think the answer to that question is probably different for each person, because each of us has a completely unique walk with God. At my age, I've probably heard or read Luke 1 and 2 many hundreds, if not thousands of times. And I love it when God shows me something I haven’t seen before.

Let’s see if this gives you a new insight. When Jesus was twelve years old and stayed behind in the temple, as Mary and Joseph were returning to Nazareth, we are told in Luke 2: 46 and 47, “46Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.”

Verse 46 said Jesus was listening to them and asking them questions. Listening and asking. But verse 47 says those who heard him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. His answers. 

What do you make of that? If He’s listening and asking, why is He giving answers? 

In the past, when I read these or heard these verses, I never thought very deeply about this little vignette. I just thought of the boy Jesus as sort of just a smart, as in intelligent, twelve-year-old. Sure, He is God, but He’s also a child, not yet bar mitzvahed. I thought He was just asking good questions for a kid. But as I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that in listening to the rabbis, and asking them questions, the questions were more like the probing questions that a university professor might ask a classroom of grad students. Jesus wasn’t asking questions to gain understanding, he was asking questions to cause the rabbis to think deeper. Which would precipitate questions from the rabbis to Jesus, asking for clarification and direction, perhaps. Or hints, like a student might ask a professor. And I think the answers Jesus gave might have brought more questions to their minds than answers.

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Transcript

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Steve Webb 0:00Like a student might ask a professor

Steve Webb 0:10Well, hey there How you doing? This is the Lifespring one year Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. And podcasting since 2004. I'm your og Godcaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily podcast where we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. If it's your first time here, welcome. This is gospel Saturday, and we're going to read Luke one and two, the title of the episode is taking another look. But before we read, let's pray. Our gracious heavenly Father, how we thank You for Your Word. And we thank you for the chapters we're going to read today. We thank you for sending your son Jesus to be born into this world. As we read today, touch our hearts touch our mind and touch our spirits. I pray this in Jesus name, amen. Okay, are you ready to get started? Let's go.

Steve Webb 1:01Luke chapter one, most honorable Theopolis. Many others have tried to give a report of the things that happened among us to complete God's plan. What they have written agrees with what we learned from the people who saw those events from the b...