Here are the next questions for your family Christmas Study or Advent Study. They are followed by a creative idea on keeping Christ in your family Christmas. One great benefit of doing this with your family is that it will become a tradition which transcends the Advent Season whereby you do a short daily Bible study as a family at every meal throughout the year. Answer each question True or False. According to the Bible…
7) _____ In the temple, Zacharias was confronted by the Angel Gabriel, who foretold the birth of a son to his wife Elizabeth and commanded that he be named “John”.
8) ______ Because of this and other duties the Angel Gabriel is known as the “Messenger Angel”.
9) ______ His role (Gabriel) continues in that he also announced the coming birth of Jesus to both Mary and Joseph.
Keeping Christ In Christmas - We have a basket by the front door with New Testaments in both Spanish and English. (The items listed can be found at any Christian book store.) We also have evangelistic tracts centered on Christmas (again in Spanish and English) as well as bi-lingual Four Spiritual Laws (also in Spanish and English). With these we have bottled water and Candy Canes with the "Legend of the Candy Cane" attached. (htt p://g ciweb .org/ wp-co ntent /uplo ads/T he-Ca ndy-C ane.p df) Whenever someone comes to the door they receive a selection of these items. When you do your Advent Readings from today's list and then sing your Christmas hymn (htt p://g ciweb .org/ docum ents/ Misc% 20Stu dies/ Seaso nal/C hrist mas/C hrist mas%2 0Caro ls%20 &%20T he%20 Word. pdf) add a prayer that God would bring people to your door whom you may bless and share the true meaning of Christmas. Remember, it is not Wal-Mart or the responsibility of other secular merchants to keep Christ in Christmas. This is the responsibility of the church and of you, the individual Christian.
7. T – Luke 1:13, 18 & 19 (In the temple, Zacharias was confronted by the Angel Gabriel, who foretold the birth of a son to his wife Elizabeth and commanded that he be named “John”.) The Angel who appeared to Zacharias was Gabriel.
8. F – Deuteronomy 29:29; I Corinthians 4:6; I Timothy 4:7 (Because of this and other duties the Angel Gabriel is known as the “Messenger Angel”.) Gabriel is referred to in no other way in the Word of God than Gabriel. In Luke 1:19 Gabriel is indeed sent as a “messenger” by God to Zacharias. Again, in Luke 1:26 the Angel Gabriel is sent to Mary. It was Gabriel who visited the prophet Daniel (Daniel 8:16 & 9:21). Gabriel is one of the few angels in the Word of God who is mentioned by name. Gabriel identifies himself not as the “Messenger Angel” but rather "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God” (Luke 1:19) Although having the role of a messenger in Scriptures, readers should refrain from making Gabriel “The Messenger Angel” from these historical texts. No such designation is given him by the Holy Scriptures. We should refrain from attributing to angles roles, names and status which is not specifically revealed to us by God the Holy Spirit in His Word. It is well that we remember the admonition of God the Holy Spirit in Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.” If God the Holy Spirit has held something back as a “secret thing” belonging only to the Lord we should respect His decision and not as warned in I Corinthians 4:6, “... exceed what is written, in order that no one of you might become arrogant...” Likewise as instructed by God the Holy Spirit in I Timothy 4:7 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women...” we should refrain from all mythological speculations.
9. F – Luke 1:26; Mathew 1:20 (His (Gabriel’s) role continues in that he also announced the coming birth of Jesus to both Mary and Joseph.) In Luke 1:26 the Angel Gabriel is sent to Mary but in Matthew 1:20 the Angel who appears to Joseph is not designated but simply called “an Angel of the Lord”.
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