Faithful Leader Guide: Christmas Through the Eyes of Joseph

by Adam Hamilton

Overview

In this study, you will understand how Joseph's place in the nativity story is much like our own. In life, we encounter circumstances that we would have never chosen for ourselves. At times it can be tempting just to walk away. Joseph provides us a great example of humbly obeying God even when we don't understand and faithfully moving forward in the strength that God provides.
Exchange your doubt for courage this Advent and Christmas season.

Learn to accept and glorify God's will even when circumstances make it difficult to do so.


The Leader Guide contains everything needed to guide a group through the four-week study, including session plans, activities, and discussion questions, as well as multiple format options.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501814129
Publisher:	Abingdon Press
Publication date:	10/03/2017
Series:	Faithful
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	261 KB

About the Author

Adam Hamilton is senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the fastest growing, most highly visible churches in the country. The Church Report named Hamilton’s congregation the most influential mainline church in America, and he preached at the National Prayer Service as part of the presidential inauguration festivities in 2013.

Hamilton is the best-selling and award-winning author of The Walk, Simon Peter, Creed, Half Truths, The Call, The Journey, The Way, 24 Hours That Changed the World, John, Revival, Not a Silent Night, Enough, When Christians Get It Wrong, and Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White, all published by Abingdon Press. Learn more about Adam Hamilton at AdamHamilton.com.

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

A CARPENTER NAMED JOSEPH

Planning the Session

Session Goals

Through conversation, activities, and reflection, participants will:

• Identify what we know about Jesus' earthly father Joseph from the biblical text

• Consider what the apocryphal writings say about Joseph

• Explore what kind of father Joseph may have been

Biblical Foundation

When [Jesus] came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were surprised and said, "Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary?

Aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? And his sisters, aren't they here with us? Where did this man get all this?"

(Matthew 13:54-56)

Before the Session

• Set up a table in the room with name tags, markers, Bibles, and extra copies of Faithful for participants who do not yet have a copy.

• Write the heading "Characteristics" on a whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper and display it in the room.

• On another whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper draw a vertical line to make two columns. Write the heading "Positive" in the first column and the heading "Negative" in the second column.

• Have markers and/or chalk available for recording participants' responses to various questions during the session.

• If you want to use the "Optional Activity," invite a carpenter to visit your group. The carpenter may be someone who has signed up to take the course or someone in your church or community. Give the carpenter the recommended questions to consider in his or her presentation. These questions are listed with the activity. Let the carpenter know the time and location for the session. Also, ask if the carpenter will need a table or other equipment for the presentation and, if so, have this ready.

Getting Started

Opening Activities

Greet participants as they arrive. Invite them to make a name tag and pick up a Bible and/or copy of Faithful if they did not bring one.

Introductions

Introduce yourself. You may want to share why you are excited about facilitating this Bible study about Joseph.

If you sense that the participants in your group do not know each other well, allow time for them to introduce themselves and share something about their relationship with the church — for example, the name of a Sunday school class or small group to which they belong, a mission project they support, or which worship service they attend. Extend a special welcome to anyone who does not regularly attend your church and invite them to worship at your church if they do not have a church home.

Housekeeping

• Share any necessary information about your meeting space and parking.

• Let participants know you will be faithful to the time and encourage everyone to arrive on time.

• Encourage participants to read the upcoming chapter each week before the session and do any "homework" that may be suggested.

• You may want to invite participants to bring a notebook, journal, or electronic tablet for the study. Explain that these can be used to record questions and insights they have as they read each chapter, and to take notes during each session.

• Ask participants to covenant together to respect a policy of confidentiality within the group.

Leading into the Study

Call attention to the whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper with the heading "Characteristics." Ask:

• What are the characteristics of a good father, stepfather, grandfather, or other father figure?

• Keeping in mind that we have limited information about Jesus' earthly father, Joseph, which of these characteristics do you believe would have described Joseph? (Place a check mark next to all that are named by the group.)

Point out Hamilton's three guiding questions for this study. Encourage participants to keep these questions in mind and perhaps write responses to them in their notebooks, journals, or tablets after they read each chapter.

• What do we learn about God from Joseph's story?

• What can we learn about ourselves from Joseph?

• How does Joseph shed light on the meaning of the Christmas story?

Opening Prayer

Holy God, God of Joseph and Mary, thank you for the gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Thank you for Jesus' earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, who loved and nurtured him as he experienced life as a child and grew to fulfill the ministry to which you called him. Be with us as we study together and learn more about your servant Joseph. As we grow in our understanding of Joseph's righteousness and faithfulness, let us grow to be more faithful and obedient to your will for our lives. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.

Learning Together

Video Study and Discussion

Before viewing the video, say: "In this video segment Adam Hamilton introduces the topic for his book Faithful. He talks about Joseph's trade as a carpenter and the influence Joseph must have had on Jesus. He encourages us to pay close attention to the opportunities we have to help children grow to know God."

After viewing the video ask:

• What is the difference in meaning between the Greek words tekton and architekton? (More information is included in the section titled "Joseph the Carpenter" in chapter 1.)

• Which kind of carpenter was Joseph? (tekton) What does this tell us about Joseph? (He built furniture and farm tools. He did not have the status of an architekton or master craftsman who had people working for him. He probably worked alone or alongside his sons.)

• What are the characteristics of a carpenter? (talented, skilled, patient, careful, hard-working)

• How do you think Jesus' personality and attitude toward life were influenced by growing up as a carpenter's son?

Bible Study and Discussion

When [Jesus] came to his hometown, he taught the people in their synagogue. They were surprised and said, "Where did he get this wisdom? Where did he get the power to work miracles? Isn't he the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother named Mary? Aren't James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas his brothers? And his sisters, aren't they here with us? Where did this man get all this?"

(Matthew 13:54-56)

Ask a participant to read Matthew 13:54. Explain that the setting for this Scripture passage is the synagogue in Jesus' hometown of Nazareth. Ask:

• What about Jesus surprised the people? (his "wisdom" and his "power to work miracles")

Ask a participant to read Matthew 13:55-56. Ask:

• Who is in Jesus' family? What about Jesus' family caused the people to ask, "Where did this man get all this?" (The family of a carpenter would not have held a high status in the community.)

• How do you think you would have reacted if you had been in Nazareth that day?

Book Study and Discussion

Joseph in the Biblical Text

Note that at the beginning of chapter 1, Hamilton calls attention to the fact that the biblical text includes very little information about Joseph. Most of our information comes from the Christmas narratives in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Joseph had a key role in these stories.

In the Gospel of John, Joseph is mentioned when people are seeking to determine who Jesus is. For example:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph's son, from Nazareth."

(John 1:45)

The Jewish opposition ... asked, "Isn't this Jesus, Joseph's son, whose mother and father we know? How can he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

(John 6:41-42)

In the Gospel of Mark, Joseph is not mentioned at all. Mark reports that "Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee" (Mark 1:9). Mark 6:1-3 records the same story reported in Matthew 13:5456. Note that in Mark's account Jesus is identified as "the carpenter" (Mark 6:3), whereas in Matthew's gospel he is identified as "the carpenter's son" (Matthew 13:55).

Joseph in the Apocryphal Writings

Invite the group to share characteristics of apocryphal literature, using the information in chapter 1 of Faithful as a guide. Main points include:

• The apocryphal books were written after people who had witnessed Jesus' ministry on earth had died. In contrast, the four Gospels were written when people who had witnessed Jesus' earthly ministry were still living.

• The overall authenticity or truth of apocryphal literature is questionable.

• As Hamilton points out, some of the church traditions recorded in the apocryphal writings may have elements of truth, whereas other stories in the apocryphal writings are out of character with what we learn in the biblical text.

Invite participants to refer to information from the section in chapter 1 titled "Joseph in the Early Church" as they consider the following questions. Ask:

• What do the apocryphal stories say about Joseph? When were these stories written?

• What concern were these stories written to address? (The Catholic Church wanted to preserve the idea that Mary was and remained a virgin. They needed to then reconcile this with the fact that Jesus had brothers and sisters.)

• How do these apocryphal stories differ from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke? (In the Gospels we may imagine Joseph to be a young man who had never been married and therefore did not already have children.)

• Where do you see inconsistencies between the Gospels and the apocrypha? (The Gospel writers were not concerned with preserving the idea of a "perpetual virgin." The Gospels of Mark and John do not mention the virgin birth at all. When mention is made of Jesus' siblings the Gospels do not indicate that they were half-brothers or half-sisters.)

• How do you respond to these apocryphal stories?

Positive and Negative Influences

Hamilton notes that people experience a variety of relationships with their fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other father figures. Some of these relationships are happy and healthy, while others are difficult and painful. Also, some individuals grow up without a father or father figure. These relationships, or the lack of these relationships, have the power to shape us in both positive and negative ways.

Before discussion of the following sensitive questions, remind participants that no one is required to share, and the group has agreed to maintain confidentiality. Instruct participants to keep in mind their relationships with their fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, and other father figures as they consider these questions. If you have a large group you may want to invite participants to share in small groups. Ask:

• How have you been shaped in positive ways by these relationships?

• How have these relationships had a negative influence on your life?

• How have you been able to repair or overcome the negative influences?

• In what ways have your experiences helped you to be a positive influence in the lives of others?

In the section in chapter 1 titled "How Have Your Father, Stepfather, or Other Men in Your Life Shaped You?" Hamilton includes responses he received from people he interviewed about their relationships with their fathers. You may want to have a participant or participants read some of these and invite the group to comment about any shared experiences.

In the final section of chapter 1, Hamilton asks several questions related to the way we contribute to the shaping of children entrusted to our care. These children may, for example, be members of our families or extended families, children of friends, children we teach in church or school, or children in our neighborhoods. Jesus taught us that children are important to God and have a special place in the kingdom of God. He said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs" (Matthew 19:14 NRSV).

Ask participants to consider the questions that Hamilton poses at the end of the chapter:

• How are you shaping the children entrusted to your care?

• What are you teaching about life to the children who look up to you?

• What image of God are you painting for them?

• When you die, what will your children and grandchildren, or other children, say they learned from you?

• What lessons will they continue to carry with them?

Optional Activity

Hear It from a Carpenter!

Invite a carpenter to visit during your session. This may be a person who does woodworking as a hobby or who makes a living as a carpenter. Let the carpenter know what time to arrive, where the class meets, and how much time is available for the presentation. You may also want to invite the carpenter to bring in one or two tools to show the group. Ask the carpenter to be prepared to share a few words in response to the questions below and to feel free to share other comments and stories as well within the timeframe available.

• Why do you like doing carpentry work and working with wood?

• When you work as a carpenter are you mindful of the fact that Joseph was a carpenter? If yes, how does this influence your work?

• Does carpentry draw you closer to God? If yes, in what ways?

• What skills and personality traits do you think a carpenter needs to have?

• In what ways do you believe a carpenter is especially suited to be the earthly father of God's son?

Allow a few minutes after the presentation for the group to ask questions, if your guest has agreed to this beforehand.

Wrapping Up

Closing Activity

Note that during this session, one of the key discussion topics has been God's call upon adults to care for all children and to help them grow to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Later in this study, in session 3, a discussion topic will be caring for children who are not our own.

Invite the group to work together on a service project that will benefit children. First, decide on a specific group of children the group would like to serve. The minister of your congregation will be able to offer ideas. Suggestions are:

• Homeless children

• Children of prisoners

• Children in foster care

• Children who are grieving the loss of a parent

• Children in a needy family in your congregation or community

After you have selected a specific group to serve, brainstorm possible ways of serving. Ideas include:

• Host a party.

• Write letters or cards.

• Take a meal to the family.

• Collect food, clothing, or other needed items.

• Make a monetary donation.

Based on the decisions that the group makes about who and how to serve, assign volunteers to work on tasks necessary for moving the project forward before the next session.

Offer a few summary remarks highlighting key points from your group's discussion of chapter 1 in Faithful. Encourage participants to read chapter 2 before your next session and to keep in mind Hamilton's guiding questions listed in the opening of chapter 1 and discussed earlier in the session.

Closing Prayer

Invite participants to read together the prayer at the end ofchapter 1 in Faithful:

God, how grateful we are to you for Joseph. Thank you for the model he presents to us, a model of how we're meant to pass on our faith to our children. Help us to be models of your love. Amen.

CHAPTER 2

WHOSE CHILD IS THIS?

Planning the Session

Session Goals

Through conversation, activities, and reflection, participants will:

• Discover what Jesus' family tree teaches about God and Jesus

• Discern what it means to be righteous

• Consider what Joseph's righteousness teaches about forgiveness and relationships

Biblical Foundation

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn't want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly.

(Matthew 1:18-19)

Before the Session

• Set up a table in the room with name tags, markers, Bibles, and extra copies of Faithful if any of these will be necessary.

• Write the Hebrew words mohar, mattan, and ketubah on a whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper and display them in the room.

• On a whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper, write the names of the four women listed in Matthew 1:1-16, along with the Scripture references for their stories:

o Tamar — Genesis 38

o Rahab — Joshua 2:1-24; 6:22-25

o Ruth — She has her own book!

o Uriah's wife Bathsheba — 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 12:15b-25

• For the activity described under the heading "Who Were Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba?" write the following three instructions on each of four pieces of paper, one for each group:

o Skim the story recorded in the biblical text.

o Write down the key points in the woman's life.

o Note where hardship, brokenness, hurt, and pain were present in her life.

• Choose one of the suggestions for sharing the song "Something Beautiful" with your group. These are listed just before the "Optional Activity." Make any necessary arrangements for this.

• Have a whiteboard, chalkboard, or large sheet of paper and markers and/or chalk available for recording participants' responses to various discussion questions during the session.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Faithful Leader Guide"
by .
Copyright © 2017 Abingdon Press.
Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents

To the Leader,
1. A Carpenter Named Joseph,
2. Whose Child Is This?,
3. Raising a Child Not Your Own,
4. The Journey to Bethlehem,
The Rest of the Story,