LifeGroup Questions Based On: Luke 2:8-15 December 14, 2014

Overview Usually a news announcement that is highly important will get prime attention. Sometimes if the news is important and has a big enough impact the networks will interrupt their regularly scheduled programming to share it. We see this time and time again in our society from the State of the Union address to grand jury announcements. With the backdrop of prime news getting prime attention the announcement of to a group of doesn’t make much since. Even in ancient times prime news would have been shared in the town square not out on a country hillside. This world changing news wasn’t shared with the prominent rulers of the day, but instead to a lowly group of shepherds. During ancient times shepherds were considered unclean sinners and were the outcast of society. Even the announcement of Jesus’ birth laid the foundation for His ministry. Mark 2:17 reads: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” The message was given to those who would receive it and share the good news with others. The two components of the message was glory to God and peace on earth. The sharing of the message of Jesus is not done by today but is the responsibility of all believers. The importance of the message hasn’t changed, just the way it is delivered. A message once trusted only to angels to share now rests on everyone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Bible Study: Luke 2:8-14

1. In what ways do you go about sharing big news in your life?

2. Read Luke 2:8. Why do you think God made such an important announcement to a lowly group of shepherds? What does this say about the priorities of God versus the priorities of men?

3. Discuss as a group how you would have planned the announcement of Jesus’ birth.

4. Read :11-20. What are the similarities between the announcement to Zechariah and the announcement to the shepherds (ex – both respond with fear)? There are five similarities between these passages.

5. Read :4-5. Jesus was born under the law. Because of this there are a lot of similarities between Jesus’ birth and other Jewish boys in ancient Israel. Mary and Joseph followed the law concerning circumcision and redemption of the first born. What does it mean to you for Jesus to have such a humble beginning and yet be the creator of the whole universe?

6. Read Revelation 1:13-18. What are the differences between these two images of Jesus?

7. Read Romans 5:1. Even since the birth of Jesus there has not been peace on earth. How would you explain the peace that Jesus brings to an unbeliever?

8. Jesus went from a throne in heaven to a in a stable. How does this single act demonstrate how much God loves each and every one of us?