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It's the most wonderful time of year -- and the best time to pull out your Bible and read the Christmas story! Casting Crowns inspires us to do just that through their song "It's Finally Christmas." We are reminded that Jesus truly is the reason for the season.

This week will lay the foundation for a few weeks of exploring the Christmas story.

On this week's episode I discuss:

• Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
  • Make observations (and write them down)
  • Follow cross references
  • Discuss with a friend
  • Read and keep on reading
  • Compare and contrast
  • Repetition
• Using the Advent season to use Christmas music to inspire us to read Scripture
• Piecing together the traditional "story" by reading all the sources - Luke 1-2, Matthew 1-2, Isaiah 9:1-7 and more!
• Observing how important it was to Matthew to be sure the reader knew Jesus was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesy
  • Matthew 1:22 leads us to Isaiah
  • Matthew 2:4 leads us to Micah
  • Matthew 2:14 leads us to Hosea
  • Matthew 2:16 leads us to Jeremiah
• Comparing and contrasting the details included in Luke vs. Matthew
• Examining the names in Matthew 1:1
  • Jesus
  • Christ
  • Abraham
  • David
• Exploring the Abrahamic covenant - Genesis 12:1-3
• Exploring a summary of the Davidic covenant - 1 Chronicles 17:11-14
• Noticing the ladies mentioned in this genealogy
• Catching Matthew in a math "mistake" when he uses a little literary expertise to put an exclamation point on exactly WHO Christ is

Additional Resources

• Lyrics and chords - Essential Worship
• Birth and Childhood of Christ - video and guide at TVC Resources
• Jesus & Genealogies - article and video at The Bible Project

This Week's Challenge

Follow the Bible Interaction Tool Exercise (BITE) of repetition. Read and re-read the story of the birth of Christ in Matthew and Luke. Write down new observations each time you read. Follow some of the cross references. Go read some of the stories of the ancestors of Christ. Familiarize yourself with the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants to see if you can spot Jesus as their ultimate fulfillment.

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