Week 2- Day 3 (PEACE - against anxiety)
Inductive Bible Study: Luke 1:26-38
The best way to read the Bible inductively is to have a printout of the scripture or a printed Bible in front of you. Grab one and follow the prompts below. Feel free to journal in a notebook.
READ & OBSERVE
Read through Luke 1:26-38 and keep it nearby for reference.
List some initial observations and questions that arise:
READ IN CONTEXT
Luke 1 and 2 have many verses that are similar, opposite, or parallel to one another in phrasing or meaning. Skim through Luke 1 and 2 and make note of these by circling and connecting with arrows.
DEEPER QUESTIONS
In this section, we start to notice several parallels between Elizabeth and Maryʼs experiences. Gabriel is the angel. Both will give birth to sons. What other parallels do you see between Luke 1:5-25 and 26-38?
There are some contrasting things, too. Zechariah is a descendant of Aaron, meaning he works in religious service as a priest since occupation was closely connected to family ties. Josephʼs heritage is in the line of David, pointing to royal blood.
What are some other things that contrast here?
Look at Maryʼs response to Gabrielʼs message versus Zechariahʼs.
How are these responses different?
Why might that be important?
ARTISTIC PAUSE: Collage
Finding peace is a process. Sometimes peace comes after a storm and sometimes in the middle of one. The peace God brings settles among us- despite our rough edges and amidst our broken pieces. We donʼt
often see the bigger picture. Trapped in anxiety, thoughts endlessly wandering, we become fixed in place. Yet God invites us to hand all of it over to him, and he can hold it all, arranging peace out of all around us.
1. Grab an old magazine or newspaper, a pair of scissors, and some glue.
2. Find words and pictures amidst the pages that you relate to as you consider peace and anxiety.
3. Cut, rip, and arrange your scraps of paper in a way you consider peaceful.
How has this exercise allowed you to find peace or think about peace in a new way.