Florida Bible Institute
Level Three
Lesson Four
Page 1 of 2 Pages
Jesus Christ - The Early Years - Part 2
Memory Verse: Col 2:9
Scripture Reading: Luke Chapters 1 and 2,
Matthew 2, and as required to complete the lesson.
Introduction: The Holy Spirit draws a cloud of
secrecy around most of the first thirty years of the life of the Lord Jesus
Christ. We have been allowed
into the privacy of His place of birth - a stable - probably a cave in
Bethlehem. We have had a
glimpse of His early life when He was taken to the Temple to be presented to
the Lord, and in order to comply with the requirements of the law and when
the family went to Egypt to escape Herod, and then their return to Nazareth
of Galilee, where He grew into manhood.
(Luke 2:1 - 7) (Luke 2:21 - 39) (Matthew 2:1 - 23)
We have been allowed to see Him at twelve years of age
in His meeting with the
doctors,
i.e. the teachers, those who instructed the people in religious matters at
which time He was both asking and answering questions about the Law.
This glimpse into His life at age twelve reveals that those with whom
He was conversing were
astonished at His understanding and answers.
(Luke 2:41 - 52)
We then find Him at about thirty years of age at His
baptism and His One-on-one encounter with
Satan in the Temptation in the Wilderness.
(Luke 4:1-13)
Other than those glimpses into His early life, a shroud
of secrecy surrounds His life until His showing at the River Jordan for His
baptism and entrance into His public ministry.
I.
The First Recorded Miracle.
Weddings are major social events in some cultures and
societies. They were major
social events in the days that Jesus walked this earth.
Close relatives and friends were invited and they made plans for
weeks in advance to attend. The
wedding festivities would often last for days.
This was a time of great rejoicing, and of visiting with many
relatives and friends.
1.
Read John 2:1 - 11. Of
what significance is verse one in setting the stage for that which is to
follow?
along with His
disciples were invited to this wedding mean?
3.
In your thinking, given what we know of weddings in the time of Jesus, of
what significance is it that
the mother of Jesus
told Him
...they
have no wine
(John 2:3)?
4.
In your opinion, how does John 2:3 speak to us in our day if at all?
5.
Compare John 2:4 with John 19:25 - 27, paying special attention to John
19:26. Why do you think Jesus
called Mary
Woman?
Do you
find any lack of love or respect for this identification of His
mother? What do you see in this
expression?
6.
What does the response of Mary to the servants in John 2:5 reveal to you?
7.
In what way does the response of Mary to the servants in John 2:5 speak
to you?
8.
Read John 2:6 - 9. At what
point do you think the water turned into wine?
(1)
State your reasoning for your conclusion:
(2)
What lesson do you learn from your response to question 6 above.
(See also Luke 17:11 -14 and 2 Kings 5:1 - 14)
9.
Servants could not speak unless addressed first!
What lesson do you learn from John 2:9?
How does John 2:9 compare with John 20:1 -
17?
10.
What does the statement of the Ruler of the Feast in John 2:10 say to you?
11.
What similarity do you find in this first miracle of Jesus, and His teaching in
Luke 5:37 - 39?
12.
There were two groups of people at the wedding who knew the truth about the
water and the wine. Who were they,
and what lesson do
you learn from that?
Next week:
The Early Years - The Sermon on the Mount - Part of 1.