When you think of real heroes and heroines, you have to put a teenager named Mary at the top of the list. When this young virgin said she was willing to bear Jesus, she knew what it meant. She was engaged; her husband-to-be would think she was unfaithful. Everyone, even her parents, would think she’d had sex before marriage. It took a tremendous amount of courage to say, “I am the Lord’s servant.” There are still teenage heroes around. They’re the ones who say no even when they’re laughed at and called prudes. They’re the ones who resist all the pressures to do wrong and instead echo Mary’s words: “I am the Lord’s servant” and choose to do God’s will.
Jesus was “conceived by the Holy Spirit”
The angel who appeared to Mary shocked her. He told the teenager that she was going to have a son. Mary said, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:31–34).
Then the angel said something even more shocking. He told Mary that her child would be the “Son of God” (see We Believe: Jesus is “God’s only Son”). God himself was going to take on human nature and be born as a human infant.
Mary might well have asked, “How can that be?” again. But the angel beat her to it. He explained that God the Holy Spirit, rather than a man, would energize the egg in her womb, so the child she produced would be the Son of God.
This had never happened before. And it would never happen again. But don’t think it was impossible. After all, God did create Adam and Eve. He knows everything about how our bodies work. There’s no reason to suppose that God the Holy Spirit couldn’t blend deity and humanity so that the child Jesus was both God and Man, united in a single person. In fact that’s what “conceived by the Holy Spirit” means. The Holy Spirit worked in Mary’s body to blend deity and humanity so that Jesus, the one and only Son of God, was conceived.
To find out more about the Holy Spirit, see We Believe: “in the Holy Spirit”.
Q: How old was Jesus when he was baptized?
BONUS: What sign of God’s approval of Jesus was present?
Maybe you’ve been brought up in a Christian home. Mom and Dad take you to church every week. You pray at every meal, and Mom and Dad even talk about God around the house. That makes you a Christian. Right? Wrong. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going into a barn once a week would make you a cow. You have to be born a calf to be a cow. And you have to be born again to be a Christian. That’s what John told the religious people who came to hear him. Only your own personal faith in Christ counts. Why not trust him now?
You’ve probably heard all the stories about Jesus’ miracles and his kindness to hurting people. That’s good, but that isn’t all, nor is it enough. The first time they met, Peter not only realized Jesus was special but that he was powerful. After not catching any fish all night, at Jesus’ command Peter and his friends filled their boats with a huge catch. The Bible says Peter was so “astonished” (Luke 5:9) that he fell on his knees and called Jesus “Lord!” Now that’s something to experience. You go from knowing that Jesus is someone special, to calling him “Lord,” confessing Jesus to be God—all in one day.
Some people are uncomfortable at the thought that God is everywhere. It means he sees everything they do! Certainly that’s what the Bible says:
• God “observes everyone on earth” (Psalm 11:4).
• “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous” (Psalm 34:15).
• You can never run from God. He is everywhere (Psalm 139:7–8).
Of course, knowing God is everywhere doesn’t make you uncomfortable unless you’re making bad choices. In Luke 7:1–10 a Roman soldier asked Jesus to heal his servant. The soldier didn’t insist Jesus go where the servant was. He just said, “Say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
God can see you! He’s right here with you—and he’ll help you any time you ask.
Can you think of anyone—some “bad” person—you’d be shocked to see with someone from your church youth group? Someone who would make you say, “I never thought I’d see Dylan with her.” Then you understand why the Pharisee was so shocked when a known prostitute slipped into his house and wept at Jesus’ feet. It’s hard. You’re told to keep away from the wrong kind of people. But you’re also told to love everyone and witness for Jesus. How can you do both? Begin by praying every day for at least one of those “bad” teenagers. Then if God opens up the door to be a friend to him or her, give it a try.
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) teaches that being a neighbor is more than being friendly or being nice. Being a neighbor means being sensitive to others’ problems and willing to help. Anyone who passes by a person in need is not being a neighbor. You may not feel safe stopping on a lonely highway to help change a tire. But you can call the police to let them know someone needs help.
It’s even more personal with friends. Do you know anyone who is hurting or has problems? Then right now that person is your neighbor. You can be a Good Samaritan to him or her, as you “love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
Does God hear your prayers? How can you know? Even if you get what you asked for, how can you know if it’s an answer to prayer or if it would have happened anyway? This passage gives Jesus’ answer. He asks you to think about what God is like. Is God a neighbor, who only gives you what you want so you will go away (Luke 11:5–8)? No, God is a good Father, who gives good gifts to his children. He has already given those who pray to him the best gift—his Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9–13). He will also answer all your prayers. Don’t expect a yes to every request. Like every good father, there are times the Lord says no.
I am a worrier. I worry about how I look. I worry about my clothes—you know, labels and style. I’m worried I won’t measure up to the other kids at school. I’m worried people won’t like me. I’m worried I’ll say something stupid. Is there a way to stop worrying?
Lauren
Dear Lauren,
This kind of anxiety is stressful and exhausting. Worry can be like a snowball rolling downhill. It just keeps getting bigger faster. Before long, there’s nothing that doesn’t get worried about.
Make a list of what is truly important in your life. Start with the most important person or thing and write down four more. Chances are your top 5 will include some of these: God, Mom, Dad, your dog and your best friend. Further down the list you’ll come to hobbies, nice clothes, lots of friends. If your list is something like this, it shows you know what’s truly important.
Do you know what Jesus taught about worrying? “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes . . . Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (Luke 12:22–26).
Jesus encouraged people to keep focused on God. That keeps your perspective where it should be. The Apostle Paul understood this. He said at times he had much in his life, and at other times he had been hungry. But he had learned to be content in either situation (Philippians 4:11–13).
Jordan
Have you ever helped someone in math who later “didn’t have time” when you needed help in history? Situations like that can upset you; they aren’t fair. Most friendships are based, at least in part, on payback. You help each other out. You pick each other for teams. You email each other to check on school assignments. Adults do the same thing. They invite a couple over for dinner and expect to be invited back. But should all your relationships be based on payback? Jesus says no. You should try to do good things for people who can’t pay you back. When you do, the payback you get will come from God!
Some people think women didn’t count in Bible times. They say the husband paid a “bride price” to the father to “buy” his wife. She was just property! But brides weren’t bought and sold. The bride price compensated the father for the loss of his precious daughter. And then the father gave his daughter a dowry, so she wouldn’t enter the marriage as a pauper, but as a partner. In Jesus’ day the dowry was often made up of coins, with a hole drilled in the center so they could be strung like beads. The woman in this story was probably upset because she had lost a dowry coin. As today, women from Bible times were important.
Some people think that when a person dies, that’s the end. The dead are just gone. Forever. But they’re wrong.
Jesus made it very clear that death is not the end. He told a story about what happened after a rich man and a beggar died (Luke 16:19–31).
• People remain conscious after their bodies die (Luke 16:25).
• People have some kind of body after they die (Luke 16:24).
• People can feel pleasure or pain after they die (Luke 16:25).
There really is no end for any human being. You will either live forever with God or live forever separated from him.
Most of your days are pretty routine. School, homework, food, friends, family. And you expect the next day to be pretty much the same—unless you take Jesus’ promised return seriously. Then you might wake up and wonder if today is the day Jesus will come back. Or you might go to bed and wonder if Jesus will give you your wake-up call instead of Mom. Most people are so busy with their own affairs they ignore the fact that Jesus is coming again. People who expect Jesus are a lot more careful about the choices they make. They know he’s coming back soon and that everything they do matters.
Are you ready to haul out your TV, bike, laptop and various collections for a garage sale? No? Then how do you get around Luke 18:22? To understand a verse you need to see who the verse is directed to, what the context is and how the verse applies. Who: Jesus was speaking to a rich man. What: The rich man thought he could get to heaven by doing good things. How: Deep down the rich man put money first, not God. You don’t have to get rid of all your stuff. This verse is important. Don’t let anything you own or anything you want become more important to you than pleasing the Lord.
Do you ever wonder why everyone doesn’t believe in Jesus? Where else can you get eternal life as a free gift? One answer is found in this parable. When the owner of the vineyard sends his son, the tenants kill him. They just aren’t willing to submit. They want to be their own god. Deep down people know that if they accept Christ as Savior, they no longer belong to themselves. They belong to the Lord. And they don’t like the thought of not being their own boss. They want control. They want final say. But one thing they don’t understand: giving control to Jesus frees people to be much more than they could ever be on their own.
My parents say I have to put part of my allowance in the offering every week. I feel stupid putting it in because it can’t possibly make a difference anyway. Do you agree?
Logan
Dear Logan,
Giving is an interesting subject. Did you ever read about the poor widow in Luke 21 who put two tiny copper coins in the offering while all the rich people were putting in their large gifts? Jesus said, “Truly I tell you . . . this poor widow has put in more than all the others” (verse 3). The reason, he explained, was because she gave everything she had. The others gave a small portion of their great wealth.
Your offering may not be large, but it is a lot compared to what you have. Jesus sees your gift as generous. But remember, “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Jordan
Three Gospels report Jesus’ teachings about the future (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21)—that it holds wars, revolutions, famines, and earthquakes. The Gospel writers also warn that at times Christians will be persecuted for their faith. But in the end Jesus will return with “power and great glory” (Luke 21:27).
How are you to live through the dark times before Jesus comes and brings the dawn?
• Don’t be frightened of terrible events (Luke 21:9).
• Don’t worry about how to defend yourself when persecuted (Luke 21:14).
• Be careful to stay faithful to the Lord (Luke 21:34–36).
God doesn’t promise you an easy life here, but he does promise to watch over you.
Q: How did Judas identify Jesus when he betrayed him?
BONUS: What did one of Jesus’ followers do to a servant who was present?
How do you know that Jesus rose from the dead? The resurrection of Jesus is one of the clearest teachings of the Bible. Many people witnessed it:
• Two disciples (Luke 24:13–31)
• The apostles (Luke 24:36–45; John 20–21)
• Several women (Matthew 28:8–10)
• Mary Magdalene (John 20:11–18)
• Paul (Acts 9:3–6)
• Stephen (Acts 7:55)
• Some 500 in Galilee (1 Corinthians 15:6)
• James (1 Corinthians 15:7)
• John (Revelation 1:10–18)
Jesus was seen alive again by many people. Because he rose from the dead, you can be sure that you will be resurrected too.
Luke
Ignored.
Jesus showed loving interest in all kinds of people—the poor, the oppressed, women, children. Jesus has time for you.