Come, Follow Me

Study Resources

Matthew 1; Luke 1

“Be It unto Me according to Thy Word”
January 2 to 8

Matthew 1: Christ is born of Mary—She conceives by the power of the Holy Ghost—Our Lord is named Jesus.

Luke 1: Gabriel promises Zacharias that Elisabeth will bear a son, whom they will name John—He also tells Mary that she will be the mother of the Son of God—Mary visits Elisabeth and utters a psalm of praise—John the Baptist is born—Zacharias prophesies of John’s mission.

These first chapters of the Gospels establish that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah.

“Teaching Matthew’s Genealogy (Matthew 1),” Eric D. Huntsman, Good Tidings of Great Joy, excerpted at BYU New Testament Commentary

The long genealogy in Matthew 1 provides a bridge between the Old and New Testaments. The genealogy establishes important facts about who the baby Jesus was and what he would do.

“Matthew’s Portrayal of Jesus: Son of David, a New Moses, and Son of God,” Tyler J. Griffin, Thou Art the Christ, the Son of the Living God, BYU Religious Studies Center

Matthew was well acquainted with scripture, traditions, and messianic expectations of his day. Matthew consistently shows Jesus fulfilling his role as Emmanuel.

“Insights into Zacharias, Elisabeth, and Mary,” S. Kent Brown, BYU New Testament Commentary

These short insights provide focus on key people in Matthew 1 and Luke 1.

The Chronicles of Zacharias and Elisabeth: Part 1 of 3, The Angel Comes to the Priest Zacharias, by S. Kent Brown
The Chronicles of Zacharias and Elisabeth: Part 2 of 3, Elisabeth, by S. Kent Brown
The Chronicles of Zacharias and Elisabeth: Part 3 of 3, The Birth of John, by S. Kent Brown
The Chronicles of Mary and Joseph: Part 1 of 4, An Angel Comes to Galilee, by S. Kent Brown

Matthew 2; Luke 2

“We Have Come to Worship Him”
January 9 to 15

The many witnesses of the birth of Christ began in the Old Testament and continue to prophets today.

“Special Witnesses of the Birth of Christ,” Joseph Fielding McConkie, Sperry Symposium Classics, BYU Religious Studies Center
This article discusses twelve individuals or groups: Gabriel, Zacharias, Elisabeth, John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, shepherds, a heavenly choir, Simeon, Anna, wise men, and, reluctantly, Herod, whom scriptures identify as witnesses of the birth of Christ.

“Dating the Birth of Christ,” Jeffrey R. Chadwick, BYU Studies 49, 4
Looking at historical and archeological records opens the possibility that Jesus was born in December of 5 BC.

“Jesus’ Atonement Foretold through His Birth,” Lynne Hilton Wilson, To Save the Lost: An Easter Celebration, BYU Religious Studies Center
We can see parallels in the Nativity accounts and the Atonement accounts: submission, angels, kings, and specific phrases such as seeking to destroy the Messiah.

“Good Tidings for Christmas,” John W. Welch, Eric D. Huntsman, S. Kent Brown, and others, BYU New Testament Commentary
This list of short essays on the Nativity accounts includes topics of swaddling clothes, wise men, and comparing the accounts in Matthew and Luke.