Traditional Christmas pictures of Mary show a meek, quiet woman keeping watch over her infant. But the cultural implications of Jesus’s birth suggest a very different image of Mary than most of us are familiar with. Mary wasn’t simply “sweet.” She was fierce and courageous. But we can’t fully appreciate her courage until we understand how much she was risking by agreeing to be the mother of the Messiah. By the end of this episode, you’ll see why Mary is a model of discipleship who shows us how the be the kind of people where hope can be born.

• What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching? 
• What did you find most surprising about the betrothal process? 
• Who are some of the people in your life who have been courageously faithful to God in spite of the risks that accompanied their faithfulness? 
• What are some of the ways you’re challenged to be faithful to God’s call on your life in spite of the risks?  
• Who are the other four characters in the Biblical story who respond to God’s call with the phrase, “Here I am”? (Hint: 3 are in the OT and 1 in the NT.) 
• How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?  

• ESV Archaeology Study Bible by John D. Currid and David W. Chapman, eds., p. 1409. 
• Encountering Mary, Pt 1 (Context Matters Podcast) by Dr. Cyndi Parker (with Frederica Mathewes Green) — Aug 20, 2020 
• The Scandal of Christmas, Pt 1 (Theology in the Raw Podcast) by Preston Sprinkle (with Dr. Craig Keener) – Dec 13, 2021 
• The Scandal of Christmas, Pt 3 (Theology in the Raw Podcast) by Preston Sprinkle (with Dr. Lynn Cohick) – Jan. 14, 2022
• The Real Mary by Scot McKnight, p. 27. 
• The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2nd Ed, by Craig Keener, p. 48. 

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