Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
The events surrounding the birth of Christ are inspiring and still touch our hearts. In this video, together, we will study the birth, childhood, and teenage years of Jesus Christ. Our focus will end up on the pattern of a balanced life that Jesus led as he grew up and how we can get more of that balance into our own lives.
Bethlehem = "house of bread." The place where the “Bread of Life” would be born. A village about six miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem.
“In reality, at this time in the Middle East, homes were simple two room structures containing a family room and an attached guest room. Some dwellings were simply caves that had been walled in and expanded into two-room homes. At night, some of the family’s animals were taken into the family room part of the house. The place where the animals stayed was in a step-down area close to the main entrance. A manger was made of stone (not wood) and was either carved into the floor of the house or brought into the house where the animals were kept and was used for their feed and water. A manger in the Middle East is a feed and water trough made of stone.” (https://acts242study.com/no-room-in-the-inn/)
Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth tied together so as to enwrap an individual much as we would wrap a wound with a gauze bandage. Indeed, the Hebrew word of which "swaddling" is the English translation denotes cloths used in the binding of broken limbs (see Ezekiel 30:21).83 The significance of this symbol, as it relates to Christ's ministry of healing the spiritually broken, seems obvious (see Ezekiel 34:15-16; D&C 138:42).
Luke 2:25-32
“They returned into Galilee, to . . . Nazareth” – “Luke's report omits the flight into Egypt (see Matt. 2:13-15). We do not know whether he chooses not to include this event or whether he does not know about it. In either instance, the family in time moves to Nazareth, where Joseph probably finds work during the reconstruction of the city of Sepphoris, the main center of Galilee, rather than staying in the area of Jerusalem where he can earn a much higher wage for his skills ... We surmise that Joseph takes Jesus with him to work in the town, thus allowing the youth to learn Greek from Greek-speaking foremen. This circumstance explains why, in the trial before Pilate, Jesus and Pilate do not need an interpreter.” (Brown, Testimony of Luke, p. 159)
How much do you know about the Wise Men?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: “In ancient times when people wanted to worship the Lord and seek His blessings, they often brought a gift. …
“Is there something in you or in your life that is impure or unworthy? When you get rid of it, that is a gift to the Savior. Is there a good habit or quality that is lacking in your life? When you adopt it and make it part of your character, you are giving a gift to the Lord. Sometimes this is hard to do, but would your gifts of repentance and obedience be worthy gifts if they cost you nothing?” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/when-thou-art-converted?lang=eng)
Four Dreams of Joseph
The distance of a day's journey likely takes them to Jericho. Luke later indicates that Christ reaches Jerusalem in one day from Jericho even though it is uphill (Luke 19:28) The Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–93) explained that the first-century road was approximately one hundred and fifty Roman stadioi, or about eighteen miles long. A traveler descended from Jerusalem’s height, approximately twenty-five hundred feet above sea level, to Jericho’s depth, some eight hundred twenty-five feet below sea level.
President James E. Faust (1920-2007) of the First Presidency explained that the account of Joseph and Mary discovering Jesus at the temple is part of a larger pattern that reveals the significance of the temple throughout the Savior’s mortal life:“It was in the temple that Jesus received much of his early education. It was there he revealed the spiritual insight he had received to be about his Father’s business. In the temple the Savior announced his Messianic mission. Simeon came by the Spirit to the temple and there had fulfilled for him the promise by the Holy Ghost that he would not die until he had seen ‘the Lord’s Christ’ (see Luke 2:18-29). The last verse of Luke’s gospel states that after the ascension the apostles ‘returned to Jerusalem … and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God’ (Luke 24:52-53). Why were the apostles continually in the temple if it was not an important part of what Christ taught?” (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust 1999, 444-45).” (https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-student-manual/introduction-to-the-gospel-according-to-st-luke/chapter-15-luke-1-3?lang=eng)
Luke 2:52 is a Pattern for a Balanced Life. This verse speaks of four aspects of our life - mental, physical, spiritual, and social. Jesus was a model child and grew and developed in all four of these areas of his life. Christ as a teenager grew in each area of his life. His twenty something years were not taken off and spent coasting toward his ministery. He “received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace … , until he received a fulness” (D&C 93:13). That is a great example for each of us whatever our age.
Teaching Thoughts:
Elder Brad Wilcox: “The goals we set in the Children and Youth program are about learning how to receive personal revelation and how to exercise faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Youth once looked at a book or manual and said, “What do they want me to do?” Now we want them to look toward God and say, “What do you want me to do?” If they listen, God will tell them. He will encourage them to set goals for themselves that stretch them beyond their comfort zones and lead them to him and to Christ for loving help and guidance. At the end of the day, the most important goal is to strengthen faith and commitment to Christ and accomplish his work of salvation and exaltation. The Children and Youth program is a tool to help us do that.” (https://rsc.byu.edu/winter-2022/four-things-everyone-should-know-about-children-youth-program)
Bethlehem = "house of bread." The place where the “Bread of Life” would be born. A village about six miles (10 km) south of Jerusalem.
“In reality, at this time in the Middle East, homes were simple two room structures containing a family room and an attached guest room. Some dwellings were simply caves that had been walled in and expanded into two-room homes. At night, some of the family’s animals were taken into the family room part of the house. The place where the animals stayed was in a step-down area close to the main entrance. A manger was made of stone (not wood) and was either carved into the floor of the house or brought into the house where the animals were kept and was used for their feed and water. A manger in the Middle East is a feed and water trough made of stone.” (https://acts242study.com/no-room-in-the-inn/)
Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth tied together so as to enwrap an individual much as we would wrap a wound with a gauze bandage. Indeed, the Hebrew word of which "swaddling" is the English translation denotes cloths used in the binding of broken limbs (see Ezekiel 30:21).83 The significance of this symbol, as it relates to Christ's ministry of healing the spiritually broken, seems obvious (see Ezekiel 34:15-16; D&C 138:42).
- When the sheep are in lambing season you have adults with the flocks. This is springtime, or early April.
- Both angels come and it is doubly heavenly as the glory of the Lord comes as well.
- The sacrifices of the temple require a lot of sheep. The lambs being raised here will be used in the temple sacrifices. It is not a coincidence that the Lamb of God is born in the same place that the lambs for the temple are born.
- Later rabbinic judgement in the Mishnah, the second-century composition of Jewish law, that shepherds are "sinners. (see Kiddushin 4.14, Baba Kamma 10.9)
Luke 2:25-32
- The noun (greek) paraklesis is related to the term that is translated "comforter" elsewhere (see John 14:16,26)
- Lord's Christ = Lord's Anointed One.
- Depart = "to send [someone] away" or "to release [a prisoner]." This points to the act of freeing a slave. Simeon is indicating that Christ will have the power to release him from the prison of sin and death.
- See Isaiah 42:6 and 49:6, "A light of the Gentiles." These two verses are tied to the four prophetic "Servant Songs" that anticipate the coming of the Servant-King (see Isaiah 42:1-4, 49:1-6, 50:4-9, 52:13-53:12). Simeon's words can be rendered "a light for revelation to the Gentiles." (Brown, The Testimony of Luke, p. 154)
“They returned into Galilee, to . . . Nazareth” – “Luke's report omits the flight into Egypt (see Matt. 2:13-15). We do not know whether he chooses not to include this event or whether he does not know about it. In either instance, the family in time moves to Nazareth, where Joseph probably finds work during the reconstruction of the city of Sepphoris, the main center of Galilee, rather than staying in the area of Jerusalem where he can earn a much higher wage for his skills ... We surmise that Joseph takes Jesus with him to work in the town, thus allowing the youth to learn Greek from Greek-speaking foremen. This circumstance explains why, in the trial before Pilate, Jesus and Pilate do not need an interpreter.” (Brown, Testimony of Luke, p. 159)
How much do you know about the Wise Men?
- How did the Wise Men know the Messiah had been born?
- Why did the Wise Men want to find the Messiah?
- How did the chief priests and scribes know where the Messiah would be born?
- What did Herod want the Wise Men to do after they found Jesus?
- What did the Wise Men do instead?
Elder D. Todd Christofferson: “In ancient times when people wanted to worship the Lord and seek His blessings, they often brought a gift. …
“Is there something in you or in your life that is impure or unworthy? When you get rid of it, that is a gift to the Savior. Is there a good habit or quality that is lacking in your life? When you adopt it and make it part of your character, you are giving a gift to the Lord. Sometimes this is hard to do, but would your gifts of repentance and obedience be worthy gifts if they cost you nothing?” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2004/04/when-thou-art-converted?lang=eng)
Four Dreams of Joseph
- Dream 1: Marry Mary (Matt 1:20)
- Dream 2: Flee to Egypt (Matt 2:13)
- Dream 3: Return from Egypt (Matt 2:19)
- Dream 4: Don’t fear Archelaus (Matt 2:22)
The distance of a day's journey likely takes them to Jericho. Luke later indicates that Christ reaches Jerusalem in one day from Jericho even though it is uphill (Luke 19:28) The Jewish historian Josephus (A.D. 37–93) explained that the first-century road was approximately one hundred and fifty Roman stadioi, or about eighteen miles long. A traveler descended from Jerusalem’s height, approximately twenty-five hundred feet above sea level, to Jericho’s depth, some eight hundred twenty-five feet below sea level.
President James E. Faust (1920-2007) of the First Presidency explained that the account of Joseph and Mary discovering Jesus at the temple is part of a larger pattern that reveals the significance of the temple throughout the Savior’s mortal life:“It was in the temple that Jesus received much of his early education. It was there he revealed the spiritual insight he had received to be about his Father’s business. In the temple the Savior announced his Messianic mission. Simeon came by the Spirit to the temple and there had fulfilled for him the promise by the Holy Ghost that he would not die until he had seen ‘the Lord’s Christ’ (see Luke 2:18-29). The last verse of Luke’s gospel states that after the ascension the apostles ‘returned to Jerusalem … and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God’ (Luke 24:52-53). Why were the apostles continually in the temple if it was not an important part of what Christ taught?” (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord: The Life and Teachings of James E. Faust 1999, 444-45).” (https://www.lds.org/manual/new-testament-student-manual/introduction-to-the-gospel-according-to-st-luke/chapter-15-luke-1-3?lang=eng)
Luke 2:52 is a Pattern for a Balanced Life. This verse speaks of four aspects of our life - mental, physical, spiritual, and social. Jesus was a model child and grew and developed in all four of these areas of his life. Christ as a teenager grew in each area of his life. His twenty something years were not taken off and spent coasting toward his ministery. He “received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace … , until he received a fulness” (D&C 93:13). That is a great example for each of us whatever our age.
Teaching Thoughts:
- Goal Setting – Physical, intellectual, spiritual and social.
- Understand the spiritual blessings for goals.
- Begin with the end in mind.
- Seek revelation.
- Balance
- S.M.A.R.T. goals or breaking it down into smaller goals.
- Share your goals.
Elder Brad Wilcox: “The goals we set in the Children and Youth program are about learning how to receive personal revelation and how to exercise faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Youth once looked at a book or manual and said, “What do they want me to do?” Now we want them to look toward God and say, “What do you want me to do?” If they listen, God will tell them. He will encourage them to set goals for themselves that stretch them beyond their comfort zones and lead them to him and to Christ for loving help and guidance. At the end of the day, the most important goal is to strengthen faith and commitment to Christ and accomplish his work of salvation and exaltation. The Children and Youth program is a tool to help us do that.” (https://rsc.byu.edu/winter-2022/four-things-everyone-should-know-about-children-youth-program)