This week’s readings: Luke 2 and Matthew 2
Don’t forget to record your impressions and read the ideas and outline in the new Come, Follow Me manuals on lds.org.
Bible Videos
Scripture Insight
This week’s scriptural insight comes from Verse by Verse: Volume 1 by Andrew C. Skinner and D. Kelly Ogden.
Passover was one of the three great pilgrimage festivals. Jews from all over the land and from the whole Mediterranean world went up to Jerusalem to remember their ancient deliverance from Egypt and to anticipate the long-hoped-for arrival of the greatest Deliverer, the Messiah. Jewish tradition held that he would come at Passover time.
Jesus went with his parents at age twelve. “At the age of 12 a Jewish boy was taken to Jerusalem … and tested by the doctors of the law in the temple as to his knowledge of the duties and privileges to which by circumcision he had been admitted. In passing this test he was regarded as freely and intelligently ‘taking upon himself the yoke of the law,’ or ‘of the kingdom of God,’ and henceforth he was bound to fulfill all the precepts of the ceremonial law. Thus Jesus was at the temple at age 12” (Bible Dictionary, “Education,” 660).
Study Ideas
These ideas and topics are compiled from Come, Follow Me and have been adapted for specific situations. Check out the manuals online for more ideas, or come up with your own as you study!
For couples:
Consider studying the story of the Savior’s birth and the other stories in this chapter with the perspective of a parent. Perhaps you can each focus on either Mary or Joseph and discuss how they received revelation that helped them protect their family. Then you might consider brainstorming together some specific challenges that your family or individual family members are facing and talk about how you can use what you learned from your study to receive inspiration to help you and your family with those challenges.
For singles:
If you are studying on your own this week, you might consider pulling out your patriarchal blessing (if you have received it) and listing out some of the responsibilities you and ways that you personally can do your Father’s will. If you haven’t received your patriarchal blessing, you could brainstorm other commandments, instructions, or inspiration you have experienced and evaluate what you can change to better focus on understanding the individual ways you can do the Lord’s will.
For families with young children:
To keep young children engaged, consider holding a family home evening lesson in which you give each child a piece of a nativity set. As you read or tell the story of Christ’s birth, have the children place the correct piece of the nativity in place. If you want to go one step further, you might even ask the children questions about how the person they placed would have felt to learn about the birth of the Savior.
For families with teens:
Part of this week’s reading discusses the story of Jesus teaching in the temple and doing His Father’s will. As a family, consider reading this story and discussing what the “Father’s business” is. Then you can brainstorm together some ways that your family is already doing this and some ways that you can improve together. You might even want to make a family goal for the week of how you will help do the Father’s business and then report on the results at your next family home evening.