An invitation to a four-part study series as we move into Advent and prepare for Christmas
The Bible provides us with two rather different accounts of the birth of Jesus. The traditional Christmas story that we sing about in Christmas carols and see in nativity scenes is a combination of these two different accounts. Elements from each account have been drawn together to form a unified and apparently cohesive story.
But the two accounts in the New Testament are actually quite different from each other. When you read just one of them, you notice some striking things: not just who is not there in the story, but what is particularly distinctive about the people and events in the story you are reading. Then, when you read the other story, you notice who is missing from that account; and also what distinctive things are said about the events and people in that account.
In this study series during Advent, we will read each birth story in its own right and also compare it with the other account. And because we are moving into “the year of Matthew” (when Matthew’s Gospel will usually provide the lectionary Gospel reading), we will start with an introduction to the apocalyptic nature of Matthew’s Gospel. This characteristic explains some important things about the way that the author of this Gospel approached the task of writing his particular story of Jesus.
This short series will start on Thursday 24 November, with the familiar two options available: 10am to 11:30am, or 7:00pm to 8:30pm, each Thursday. The series is just for four weeks, until the final day on 15 December. As in the past, you are welcome to attend whichever session is more convenient for you each week, according to your schedule.
Each session will be offered at 10am and 7pm and will run for 90 minutes. Connect to the study sessions via Zoom using the button below.