Christ in the

Synoptic Gospels
REGULAR BAPTIST PRESS
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Schaumburg, Illinois 60173-4806
Executive Director: David M. Gower
Director of Educational Resources: Valerie A. Wilson
Assistant Editors: Jonita Barram; Melissa Meyer
Art Director: Steve Kerr
Cover Design: Jim Johnson
Production: Deb Wright

ONE SOLITARY LIFE: CHRIST IN THE SYNOPTIC GOSPELS

Adult Bible Study Leader’s Guide
Vol. 53 • No. 1
© 2004 • Regular Baptist Press
1-800-727-4440 • www.regularbaptistpress.org
RBP1626 • ISBN: 1-59402-143-0
 Contents
How to Use Life Design. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Comparative Chart of the Gospels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

LESSON 1 Begotten Alone:Incarnation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

LESSON 2 He Fought Alone: Temptation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

LESSON 3 He Cared Alone: Compassion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

LESSON 4 He Sought Them Alone:Evangelization. . . . . . . 31

LESSON 5 He Taught Alone: Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

LESSON 6 He Was Glorified Alone:Transfiguration. . . . . . 42

LESSON 7 He Was Rejected Alone:Opposition. . . . . . . . . . 48

LESSON 8 He Offered Alone: Presentation. . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

LESSON 9 He Prayed Alone: Intercession. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

LESSON 10 He Stood Alone: Accusation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

LESSON 11 He Died Alone: Crucifixion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

LESSON 12 He Arose Alone: Resurrection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

LESSON 13 One Solitary Life:A Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Answers to Bible Study Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

How to Use Life
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yothe attention-getter. The questions and
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 5 Other Resources
If you want to use transparencies as
rial in the Bible study than you can cover in you teach, a packet of sixteen full-color
one class session. Ask God to help you as transparencies is available. If you prefer
you tailor the lesson for your learners. to use PowerPoint, the resource CD-ROM
The Study Book includes a PowerPoint presentation of the
This leader’s guide is designed to outline points, as well as the transparency
accompany the Bible study book. As the art.
teacher, you will want a copy of the Bible Some teachers stay very close to the
study. Commit to working through the outline as they teach. If this is true of you,
questions before you plan your lesson. We and if you want your learners to capture
encourage you to distribute Bible study that outline, reproducible in-class
books to your learners. Urge them to worksheets are included on the CD-ROM.
complete the study before class. The more The same worksheets may be downloaded
your learners have studied on their own, the from the Web and photocopied for class
better the class discussions will be. When a members. Visit
question in the leader’s guide is picked up www.regularbaptistpress.org/downloads.
from the Bible study book, you will notice Thank you for choosing Life Design
the question number in parentheses. The teaching materials. May God richly bless
answers to the questions are usually in the you and your learners as you study and
lesson commentary. They are also grouped apply His Word?
together in the back of this book, starting on
page 95.

Preface
T
his study, One Solitary Life, is designed to help us discover how the Lord
Jesus Christ was truly, fully man and yet set apart, solitary, unique in His
life and work. Never was there another man like Jesus and never will there be.
He accomplished what is essential to mankind’s deliverance from sin. No one
else could do what Jesus did.
His very perfection—His knowledge, understanding, love, compassion, energy,
power, and personality—set Him apart and often compelled Him to live a life marked by
aloneness. He was not lonely in the sense of being forlorn but was alone in that His
companions could not understand or appreciate what set Him apart from other men. His
parents did not understand Him; He went alone to the temple so He could converse with
Jewish leaders about His Father’s business. His brothers and sisters did not understand
Him; they did not listen to Him or believe Him. The more He manifested His uniqueness,
the more they were troubled by Him. So Jesus Christ walked a lonely path even in the
midst of the crowds that often surrounded Him.
This study will challenge you and your learners to go beyond a casual experience of
believing in Christ out of a sense of duty. Instead, it will nurture the desire and growing
conviction that Christ’s “life was manifested, and we have seen it” (1 John 1:2). This
personal conviction causes us to share the living Christ with those who do not know Him.
 6
Introduction
People who have
read and compared the
four gospel accounts
have discovered that three of them—
Matthew, Mark, and Luke—contain
much similar material, while much
that John recorded in his account is
not found in any of the other Gospels.
The Synoptic Gospels
The first three Gospels are often
studied together because they are the
“synoptic Gospels,” a term derived
from Greek words that mean “to see
together.” Scholars believe that these
three Gospels were written between
A.D. 52 and A.D. 68. The synoptic
“problem” is a matter of questions
raised by the similarities and
differences within these Gospels.
Inspiration of the Synoptic Gospels
People have speculated about how
the synoptic Gospels were written.
First, Matthew, Mark, and Luke had
access to oral tradition. In societies
where printing did not exist or writing
was scarce, men took great pains to
accurately learn and remember the
records they desired to preserve.
Second, personal contact
contributed to the content of the
gospel accounts. The apostle Matthew
associated closely with Christ
throughout His earthly ministry. Mark
lived in Jerusalem, engaged in
missionary work with Paul and
Barnabas, and was closely associated
with Peter, from whom he would have
received firsthand accounts of the
life of Christ.
Third, the writers had access to
the apostles, who had moved to
Jerusalem. They would have
shared the information they
possessed about the life of Christ,
and others would have repeated it.
Fourth, the gospel writers
would also have taken care to
examine written records, as Luke
specifically stated that he did
(Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1–4).
Finally, and more significantly,
the disciples had the Holy Spirit, as
Christ had promised: “But the
Comforter, which is the Holy
Ghost, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all
things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you” (John 14:26). The
Holy Spirit enabled the gospel
writers to discover the written
records, to evaluate
7
them, to remember from personal contact
with Christ or from those who had heard
Him, and then to relate those things to us
accurately, without error.
Repetition in the Synoptic Gospels
If there had been no repetition within
the gospel accounts, critics would say
that an editor had corrected the
manuscripts to make sure that each one
contained new material. However, where
 repetition does occur, critics say that two of
the writers must have copied from the third.
This speculation reduces the inspired
Scripture to a human level and attributes to
an unknown editor what the Bible attributes
to the superintendence of the Holy Spirit.
The repetition has the value of
emphasizing certain themes and providing
more than one witness to the event. Scripture
tells us that the testimony of two or three
witnesses will establish a matter (Deut.
19:15; cf. Matt. 18:16). God has given us
three witnesses plus one extra! Each writer
did not need to consult the others but
independently wrote what the Holy Spirit led
him to write. Some of the passages contain
slight differences (not contradictions), which
indicate the separate witnesses to the event
and provide additional information.
Looking at the Lord Jesus Christ through
the threefold synoptic Gospels provides a
picture of Him that is truly three-
dimensional. We see the height of His
human perfection, the breadth of His
miraculous ministry, and the depth of His
divine love.
Distinctive Purposes
Numerous Bible scholars have listed
distinctive purposes for each of the Gospels.
See the “Comparative Chart of the Gospels”
(p. 10) for a simplified version of the
distinctive purposes.
Matthew
Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax
collector, or publican. As a tax collector,
Matthew kept exact records. He did not need
to rely on others for written material for his
8 ONE SOLITARY LIFE
Gospel because he was thoroughly capable
of recording events and conversations. He
was, of course, free to use the records that
others made of Christ’s life.
The Scriptures do not name Matthew
as the writer of the Gospel that bears his
name, but the earliest of the church
fathers referred to Matthew as its writer.
We assume that Matthew wrote with a
Jewish audience in mind, first, because
his account contains more quotes from
the Old Testament than any other Gospel.
Sixteen times Matthew stated that a
certain Old Testament statement or
prophecy was “fulfilled.” (Mark says this
only four times, and Luke, six.) The
quotes also indicate Matthew’s desire to
link Old Testament prophecy to events
happening in the ministry of Christ.
Second, the book of Matthew quotes the
magi as saying that Jesus was “born King
of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2), while the book
of Luke quotes the angels (Luke 2:10,
11).
Third, Matthew made many more
references to the kingdom (meaning the
kingdom of Heaven or of God) than the
other gospel writers did. Matthew
recorded that Herod sought to kill Jesus
because he considered Him a threat to his
throne. Luke did not mention the matter.
Matthew recorded the message of John
the Baptist as “Repent ye: for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2,
emphasis added), while both Mark and
Luke reported it as “repentance for the
remission of sins” (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3).
Matthew wrote of Christ’s speaking with
the authority of a king, “I say unto you,”
fifty-four times (thirty-four times in Luke
and eighteen times in Mark). After the
account of the Transfiguration, Matthew
recorded the disciples’ question as “Who
is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
But both Mark and Luke recorded the
question as “Who is greatest?” These
accounts are similar but not exactly
identical. The differences indicate the focus
of each writer and call us to consider each
writer’s purpose.
Mark
Mark, also called John or John Mark, was
the son of a Jewish woman named Mary.
Probably a well-to-do woman who lived in a
large house, Mary hosted the Jerusalem
church. Peter went to her home after the
Lord delivered him miraculously from
prison (Acts 12:11, 12). Mark was also the
cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10). Perhaps a
convert of Peter, Mark accompanied that
apostle in his ministry (1 Pet. 5:13).
From the earliest times, scholars have
believed that Mark wrote his Gospel on the
basis of his conversations with Peter. This
belief is borne out by Peter’s statement,
“Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this
tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in
remembrance; knowing that shortly I must
put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord
Jesus Christ hath shewed me[;] . . . [we]
were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Pet.
1:13–16). Some believe the other writers
copied from Mark. It is not likely that
Matthew would have copied from him, since
Matthew was himself a companion and
disciple of Christ from the first.
The book of Mark, the shortest of the
Gospels, begins with Christ’s public
ministry without a word about Jesus’
birth and early life. Mark seemed to be
in a hurry as he moved from scene to
scene. His favorite word appears to be
“immediately” or one of its other forms,
“straightway” or “forthwith” (used a
total of forty times). Mark recorded only
four of Christ’s parables, preferring to
present Christ through His works rather
than through His teaching ministry.
This presentation seems to support
the view of many Bible teachers that
Mark addressed his book specifically
to the Romans because of their
respect for action and efficiency.
The Romans were more impressed
by deeds than words, and Mark
presented a Man of power to them.
Mark also presented Christ as the
Servant: “For even the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to
minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many” (Mark 10:45). Thus the
Gospel of Mark presents Jesus as a
Man of action, constantly on the
move in His devotion to serve the
needs of the people.
Luke
The Gospel of Luke is the longest
of the Gospels. Luke was well
educated (a physician; Col. 4:14) and
a Gentile. Some believe that Luke
wrote his Gospel during his
association with Paul to establish the
historical facts of the gospel for
Theophilus, a Greek official and new
convert. Luke was a careful
researcher and historian (Luke 1:1–5;
2:1, 2). His careful research is seen in
the detailed attention given to the
births of John the Baptist and Jesus.
His professional background enabled
him to write these accounts, probably
after at least one personal visit with
Mary as the source of this material. It
is significant that Matthew’s
genealogy of Jesus goes back to
Abraham to emphasize that Jesus was
identified with the Jewish people. But
Luke carried the
INTRODUCTION
genealogy back to Adam to emphasize that Jesus iden- rion, watching His composure in death, “glorified God,
tified with the entire human race. saying, Certainly this was a righteous man” (Luke 23:47).
Luke emphasized Jesus’ perfection as the God-Man: Luke conveyed Christ’s claim to royal heritage and
“the Son of the Highest”; “in favour with God and man”;
His manifestations of miraculous power, but he also
His visit to the temple at the age of twelve, astonishing
conveyed the feeling of Christ’s love enveloping the
the doctors of the law by His understanding. Pilate,world.
af-
ter questioning Him regarding all the charges made against
While among the Gospels distinctions exist in the
Him, announced, “I find no fault in this man” (Lukechoice
23:4, of content and the manner of presenting it, the
14)and further answered Christ’s critics, “I have found
three books stand united in their record concerning
no cause of death in him” (Luke 23:15, 22). The centu-
one Man, His ministry, and His mission.
COMPARATIVE CHART OF THE
GOSPELS Futur Eternit
e y
M 6:12) Beautiful and
Zecharia in 4:2)
that
glorious
( ha Isaiah
day
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Greeks, Churc
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Hist Spiritu
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( 1:1–
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 ConceptMatthewMarkLukeJohn

Past, Old Prese

Testament nt
6) Ser3:8)
Ki
Jeremia Zechari
( hn 23:5, vant
( ah
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Jew Romans,
s Gentiles
Prophetic, Practical,
didactic anecdotal
Mighty Lowly
Messia
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h
Royalt Powe
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 Christ seen as ...
The “Branch”
Isaiah 11:1–5

theme
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is
10

LESSON 1Begotten Alone:

Incarnation
Scripture Focus II.
Matthew 1; 2; Luke 1; 2 T
h
Key Verse
e
“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a F
virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and a
they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being c
interpreted is, God with us” (Matt. 1:22, 23). t
Overview s
Lesson 1 gives attention to the incarnation of Jesus
Christ, the world to which He came, and some responses to c
His coming. It emphasizes Jesus’ uniqueness as the virgin- o
born Son of God. n
c
Theme e
Jesus Christ alone is God incarnate, both God and man. r
n
Aims
i
As a result of this lesson, the learners will
n
1. explain the how, when, where, and why of Jesus’ birth;
g
2. contrast people’s responses regarding Jesus’ birth;
3. identify their own responses to the reality of the H
incarnation ofGod the Son; i
4. identify attitudes and actions that demonstrate to others s
the reality ofChrist’s work in one’s life.
Outline C
I. The World to o
Which Christ Came m
i
 ngIII.The Responses to
His Coming

Getting Started
Use the following activities to help each learner think
about the world into which a person is born.
The Year You Were Born
Before class, ask your learners and others if they have
any memorabilia from the year they were born. A
collection could include original items from that year, or it
could include a birthday card or another memento that
expresses that specific year. Display the materials in the
room for learners to look at as they enter.

11

Materials Needed

• RBP transparencies 1, 2
• Nonpermanent transpar-ency markers
• Whiteboard and markers
• Copies of “Comparative
Chart of the Gospels”
LESSON 1 Begotten Alone: Incarnation
Seneca, the Stoic philosopher
who lived at the same time as
the events of the New
Testament (4 B.C.–A.D. 65),
wrote, “Daily the appetite for
sin increases, the sense of
shame diminishes, crimes are no
longer secret, they stalk before
the eyes of men.”
It Was News Then!
Invite your learners to
describe what was going on
when they were born (e.g.,
world events, key people at
the time, commonly held
values). (Study book
question 1) Try to get
responses from different
generations. If your learners
are about the same age, ask
what was happening in their
part of the world when they
were born.
Effects of Environment
Ask: In what ways are our
lives shaped by the world into
which we are born? (Question 2)
Share with your learners that
this lesson will look at the world
into which Jesus was born, how
He entered the world, and how
people responded to His birth.
Searching the
Scriptures
I. The World to Which Christ
Came
The apostle Paul wrote
that “when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent
forth his Son, made of a
17
woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law,
that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4, 5). God had
promised to send a man, the “seed” of the woman, who would “bruise”
Satan’s “head” (Gen. 3:15).
DISCUSS: What do Galatians 4:4 and 5 tell us about
when, how, and why God chose to send His Son
into the world? (Question 3)
A. An empire of hollow strength
Rome ruled the world at the time of Christ’s birth. That iron empire
was greater in extent and stronger in military power than any that had
preceded it. It prided itself in the administrative orderliness of its law
system and the strength of its armies.
However, this strong empire had flaws. Two-thirds of its population
were slaves and were considered nonpersons. The government did not
hold slave owners accountable for their treatment of slaves, not even for
killing them. Thus slavery allowed owners unlimited opportunities to
satisfy their laziness and lusts, and immorality abounded.
Since life was cheap, amusements included deadly gladiator sports,
and theaters offered licentious stories from Greek mythology. Roman
law and order, prosperity, and ease had not produced an ideal state.
B. A religion of empty hope 1. Religion in Rome
The Romans practiced syncretism; that is, they combined various forms
of belief or practice. With every conquest, the empire incorporated into its
culture the gods and goddesses of the conquered peoples. Even the emperors
became objects of worship.
Greek philosophy permeated Roman thought. The most popular
philosophy was epicureanism, which held that the greatest goal is
happiness.
2. Religion among Jews
Judah was under subjection to Rome when Jesus was born. Although
the Jews possessed all of the Old Testament Scriptures, they had begun
to add to or draw away from that inerrant, infallible authority in their
worship and practice.
IDENTIFY: Across the top of the board, make five
columns: Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Zealots,
Essenes. As you present these religious groups,
write a summary word or phrase under each name.
The Pharisees added to the body of truth in such a way as to
effectively conceal the truth that their additions were expected to
expose. They regarded their additions with greater devotion than they
did the original. The Sadducees treated the body of truth with
18 ONE SOLITARY LIFE

skepticism; they rejected
whatever seemed
unreasonable to them. The
Herodians were more
interested in gaining favor
with the authorities than in
standing for the truth (Matt.
22:16–22). The Zealots, at
the other extreme, were
often violent in their desire
to overthrow Roman rule.
The Essenes wished to
withdraw from all of the
sects and merely live a
remote, monastic existence,
contemplating truth. To
large segments of Jewry the
Jewish religion was one of
empty hope.
It was to this vacuum in a
hollow world that Jesus
came.
into five groups, and assign a passage to each
group: Luke 7:16–20; Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6; 2
Samuel 7:12, 13; Isaiah 9:6, 7. Direct your learners
to look for particular qualities, character, or deeds
of the coming Redeemer-King.
Ask learners to report their findings.
The Jews were looking for a Redeemer-King, but when He came,
they didn’t recognize Him.
II. The Facts concerning His Coming
A. His birthright: Son of David
The Jews kept careful records of family lineage to ensure that they
could trace the royal line through whom Messiah would come. Both
Matthew and Luke included a genealogy of Jesus.
Matthew’s record most likely traces the lineage of Joseph in order to
establish Jesus’ legal rights (as Joseph’s stepson) to the throne of David.
Philosphers Plato and Aristotle had accepted homosexuality as a
legitimate sexual preference. They also approved of abortion. Plato and
Aristotle were no longer on the scene, but their philosophies remained and
influenced Roman thought, as did Seneca’s, whose advice included suicide
if life became unbearable.

COLLAB
ORATE:
Direct
your
learners
’
attentio
n to
questio
n 6 in
their
study
books.
If they
have
answer
ed the
questio
n, ask
for
answer
s. If not,
divide
the
learners
 LESSON 1 Begotten Alone: Incarnation 19

Luke’s record traces Jesus’ answered question 7, invite them to respond. If not,
lineage through Mary, also a ask volunteers to read these passages, and then repeat
descendant of David. the question: (a) Matthew 15:22; 20:29–31; (b)
Matthew 21:11; (c) Mark 6:3. READ: 2 Samuel 7:12–16.
TRANSPARE DISCUSS: Other descendants of David were alive
NCY: Show during Jesus’ lifetime. What qualified Jesus over all
transparenc others to receive the birthright of God’s promise in 2
y 1 as you Samuel 7:12–16?
mention
the gospel B. His virgin birth: Son of God
accounts. The One Who would fulfill the promise of 2 Samuel 7:12–16 and Old
Fill in the Testament prophecy would be more than an ordinary child.
eph appropriate
all of blanks. ASK: What was God’s first promise regarding the birth
Mark Direct your of the Child (Gen. 3:15)? READ: Have learners follow in
de learners’ their Bibles as someone reads aloud Isaiah 7:14.
attention to DISCUSS: How does the prophecy of Isaiah relate to
the the promise in Genesis 3:15? Invite learners who
“Comparati completed question 6 to respond. DISCUSS: When
ve Chart of Jesus was born, who actually knew that He fulfilled
the Isaiah 7:14? Those who answered question 9 will have
Gospels.” the answer. If no one has answered the question, ask
the learners on one side of the room to silently read
Matthew’s Gospel, testifying Matthew 1:18–25 and on the other side, Luke 1:26–45.
to the Jews that Jesus came from Then repeat the question. Fill in from the following text
the kingly line, begins the as needed.
genealogy with Abraham and
centers on David. Luke’s This unusual child would fulfill a promise made to Adam and Eve after
Gospel, presenting Jesus as the they disobeyed God and were about to be expelled from the Garden for their
Son of Man with a message for sin. God warned Satan, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and
all mankind, traces His ancestry between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise
not only to David but to Adam, his heel” (Gen. 3:15). The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 of God” (Luke
the father of the race. These explains more clearly the promise made to Eve. 1:35). Without a
genealogies should have “The Lord himself shall give you a sign” human father, this
satisfied the Jews that Jesus had promised that something more significant would Child would be
indeed descended from David occur. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a born of a virgin by
and was thus eligible for the son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” God the gentle, glorious
throne of Israel. made this promise to Ahaz; but, like many power of God.
prophecies, it had both an immediate and a future
ASK: What fulfillment. Matthew reveals that Christ’s birth A
did Jesus’ fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (Matt. 1:20–23). S
contempor K
The expression “seed of the woman” indicates :
aries a virgin birth, for no seed of the man is involved.
recognize The angel Gabriel’s promise to Mary confirms the A
about His
virgin birth of Jesus: “The Holy Ghost shall come c
human
identity? If upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall c
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy [one] o
the learners
which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son r
have
20 ONE SOLITARY LIFE

d his cribe the divine qualities of this promised h

i vir Child. e
n gi
g n- READ: Isaiah 9:6 and 7. ASK: c
bo What divine qualities would
t o
rn the Child have? RECORD: Ask
o Ch u
a volunteer to record on the
ild board the divine qualities of l
M be the promised Child as your d
a ab learners enumerate them.
t le h
t to ASK: What would be some a
h do appropriate ways to greet v
e be the One qualified to fulfill
w e
ca the prophecies we have
us considered? (Question 11)
1 e u
: He The New Testament clearly teaches the Virgin s
2 is Birth as a literal fact. It is not merely a e
1 Go d
– picturesque way of describing the wonder of
d
2 childbirth. It is not an explanation made years
inc t
3 ar later by adherents of the Christian message eager
to enhance the miraculous nature of their Master. h
na
a If we accept the authority of Scripture as the e
te,
n Go inspired, infallible Word of God, we must accept
d d its message that Jesus Christ was conceived by the w
be Holy Spirit without a human father and born of o
J co r
o the virgin Mary. The Virgin Birth is an integral
m
part of the complete gospel of Christ. d
h e
n m
III. The Responses to His Coming A. Belief, b
an e
1 ? submission, and obedience
: t
(Q
1 ue SILENT READING: Ask h
4 sti learners to each choose one u
, on passage of Scripture and l
10 note how the people a
w ) responded to Jesus’ birth: h
h
a Luke 1:28–56 (Mary) and .
Isai
t Matthew 1:18–25 (Joseph);
ah N
9:6 Luke In Isaiah 7:14 the
w e
and Hebrew word translated
o v
u 7 “virgin” is almah, which
e
l des means “young woman of
r
d marriageable age.” Some
t
scholars claim that if the
t h
writer had intended “virgin,”
e
LESSON 1 Begotten Alone: Incarnation 21

l n w used the Greek word

e the parthenos, which means
s Ol only “virgin.”
s d
, Te
sta
e me
a nt
c cle
h arl
y
o ref
f ers
to
t a
h vir
e gin
,
s an
e ab
v sol
e ute
n ly
ch
o ast
c e
c wo
u ma
r n.
r W
e he
n n
c ref
e err
s ing
to
o M
f ary
as
a a
l vir
m gin
a ,
h M
att
i he
 22 ONE SOLITARY LIFE

1 uk 1–16 (Herod) and Matthew temple in Jerusalem.

: e 2:4–23 (chief priests and There angels
3 2: scribes). (Question 12) Ask delivered the
9 8– learners to relate what they message of the
– 20 found. You may want to
Incarnation to some
4 (s supplement their answers
5 he with information from the shepherds (Luke
ph commentary. 2:8–14), who then
( er TRANSPARENCY: Display rushed to worship
E ds transparency 2. List the the Child (vv. 15–
l ); individuals or groups who 20).
i Lu rejoiced and those who
s 2. Simeon
ke rejected the Son at His birth.
a 2: and Anna
b 21 Although young, Mary had a thorough In addition to
e – knowledge of the Scriptures, which is evident in Zacharias, two other
t 35 her ready response to the angel’s message and her humble believers
h (Si Scripturefilled hymn of praise (Luke 1:46–55). were at the temple in
) m Her knowledge and devout attitude enabled her to Jerusalem: Simeon
on eo accept the angel’s message and to praise God for and Anna. Simeon
to the a n)
n the privilege of bearing the Promised One. had waited his whole
lve an
d d Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, was a godly man who life in expectation of
Lu felt greatly disturbed by Mary’s news. If he Messiah’s birth, and
L ke denounced Mary publicly, she would be God answered his
u 2: disgraced. One night an angel appeared to prayer in his old age
k 36 reassure him that Mary was guiltless and had (Luke 2:25–29). He
e – been, in fact, chosen of the Holy Spirit to bear thanked God for
fu- 38 Emmanuel. The astounding news that Mary’s allowing him to see
1 (A
: child was the promised Redeemer settled the “thy salvation” (vv.
nn
u shalt 5 matter for Joseph. He submitted in every detail 30–32). Anna had
a);
rd to 9 an (Matt. 1:24, 25; 2:13–23). spent her whole time
6). – d When Mary told her cousin Elisabeth the in the temple in
7 M angel’s startling message, Elisabeth recognized worship and prayer.
9 att immediately the connection between the birth of She, too, saw Jesus
he her promised son and Mary’s son. She responded and gave thanks (vv.
( w to Mary’s announcement by exulting, “[Why has] 36–38).
Z 2:
a this [happened] to me, that the mother of my Lord 3. The wise
1–
c should come to me?” (Luke 1:43). Her husband, men
12
h (w Zacharias, a priest, was well acquainted with the The wise men,
a ise prophecies concerning the Messiah and His called “magi” in the
r m forerunner. He referred to the coming Messiah as
i Greek language,
en the “horn of salvation for us” (Luke 1:69). were likely from
a );
s B. Praise and rejoicing 1. Shepherds Chaldea. Their
M
) att Bethlehem lay about five miles south of interest in the stars
; he Jerusalem in hilly country. It was a good place to prompted them to
w raise sheep to supply lambs for sacrifices at the pay special attention
L 2: to
LESSON 1 Begotten Alone: Incarnation 23

an unusual star and yo hich Messiah would destroy the Devil’s

perhaps connect it u come? power. In the years
with the prophecy thi that followed, He
that “there shall nk Despite Satan’s many attempts to repeated that
of prevent the birth, Jesus was born. Satan
come a Star out of promise and
an then attempted to manipulate Herod’s
Jacob” (Num. y revealed in greater
24:17). paranoia and baby Jesus’ detail Who the
ti
Delayed by their defenselessness to kill the promised One would
m
visit to Herod, the es Redeemer before He could fulfill His be and what He
Magi traveled to w mission. would do. God
Joseph and Mary’s he 2. Herod counted righteous
home, where they n those who believed
Sa SILENT READING: Have
presented their gifts His promise. Apart
ta learners silently read
to the “young n from that promise,
child.” Jesus may Micah 5:2 and Matthew no person could find
un 2:16–18. ASK: Why did
have been more de his or her way to
Herod fear Jewish baby
than a year old by rm boys? What did he do God. When the
that time. in about them? fullness of the time
ed was come, God sent
C. Fear of a or Herod was prompted to His Son, Emmanuel,
rival 1. Satan op
investigate Micah’s prophecy when the wise “God with us.”
Satan knew of po
men came searching for the newborn Daniel’s training
the prophecy that se
d King of the Jews. He took the visit of the in Babylon had
the seed of the
Isr Magi seriously, especially the Old brought him under
woman would
ae Testament reference to the the supervision of
bruise the head of
l birthplace of this King in the Magi. It is likely
the serpent.
in Bethlehem. He took immediate measures they would have had
Throughout Old an to ensure the death of this rival by ordering some knowledge of
Testament events att the slaughter of all the male children the Old Testament.
he undermined and e
up to two years of age in the vicinity People have
opposed Israel in m
of Bethlehem. attempted to identify
the hope of pt
to Before Satan could carry out his plot an ancient record of
destroying the
de through Herod, an angel warned Joseph in star movements with
people through
str a dream to leave Bethlehem and go into the Biblical event,
whom the
oy Egypt, which Joseph did (Matt. 2:13–15). but since the star
Redeemer would
th Herod died soon afterward, and the angel brought the wise
come. e directed Joseph to return to his men to the exact
ro place in Bethlehem
A homeland. But because Archelaus, Herod’s
yal
S son, was nearly as cruel as his father, where Jesus was, it
lin
K e Joseph bypassed Jerusalem and settled was “his star” (Matt.
: th with his family in Nazareth, in the province 2:2) that God
ro of Galilee (v. 22). undoubtedly made
C especially for the
ug After the Fall, mankind needed a
a
n
h Redeemer, and God revealed that He would occasion.
w send One from the seed of the woman to
24 ONE SOLITARY LIFE

Making It Personal
Use the concluding questions to help each learner (1) identify his or
ownherresponse to the reality of the incarnation of God the Son and (2)
about how his or her attitudes and actions demonstrate to others the
think
of Christ’s work in his or her life.
reality
Transparency
Show transparency 2 and the question “What about you?” Direct
attention to question 13 in their study books, and have them check the
learners’
ments that most accurately reflect their
state-
responses.
Testimony
1. Ask your learners to reflect silently on this question: What aspects of
attitudes
your and actions show to others that Jesus is your Savior? (Question
Invite learners to write their responses in their
14)
2. Ask your learners to reflect silently on what they need to change in
books.
order to demonstrate to others the reality of Christ’s work in their lives.
tion 15) Invite them to write their responses in their
(Ques-
books.

NEXT LESSON
Encourage your learners to complete the lesson 2 Bible study before
class.