Advent Addresses Our Anxiety [Part 2]

Pastor Al Kirkbride shares Part 2 of our 2022 Advent series “Advent Addresses Our Anxiety” entitled "The Magi & the Messiah".

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Sermon Notes

Reflection & Discussion

Warm-up. What is your favourite Christmas tradition?

Read Matthew 2:1-12 Ask God to bless your study.

1. Why do you think the translators of the English Bibles translate “Magi” as the transliteration version of “μάγοι” (Magoi)? (A type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters in predictable ways, such as in the example of Greek ⟨α⟩ → ⟨a⟩, ⟨χ⟩ → to the digraph ⟨ch⟩, and Latin ⟨æ⟩ → ⟨ae⟩.

2. How significant is it for us the readers to have the Magi included in the Nativity narrative? Matthew is the only Gospel that records this event.

3. What is the significance of the types of gifts that they brought? Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh. How does this example effect our Christmas experience?

4. The Magi gave gifts of significance, what examples of gifts you have given that had specific significance to the receiver? How intentional are we at Christmas with giving gifts of real significance verses just trivial items that are forgotten too quickly?

5. The Magi followed the scriptures before they followed the star. What Christmas traditions should we realign ourselves to the scriptures?