Why do you think that Herod wanted to kill Jesus?

How does the reality that Jesus had to flee to Egypt from Herod as a baby position him to better empathize with us in our suffering?

Hosea 11:1 seems to be speaking about Israel (and not necessarily about a future Messiah).  Why do you think that Matthew cites it here as referring to Jesus?

In what ways does Jesus fulfill God’s calling and mission for the nation of Israel?

In Jeremiah 31:15, the prophet connects Israel’s experience in the exile to the mourning and sadness of Rachel (who experienced infertility, and then later died in childbirth).  And in Matthew 2:18, the apostle connects both of those experiences to the birth and childhood of Jesus.  How does the person and work of Jesus represent hope for mournful exiles?

Read Jeremiah 31:31-34.  What are the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant?  How does Jesus inaugurate the New Covenant?  How can we enter into the New Covenant community?  What does it look like to be a faithful member of the New Covenant community?

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