Come, Follow Me 2027 · New Testament
Be It unto Me According to Thy Word
Matthew 1; Luke 1
December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027 · Week 1 Study & teaching helps
Explore Matthew 1 and Luke 1 with historical context, answers to thoughtful questions, and ideas for personal study and teaching. Consider what Mary, Joseph, Elisabeth, and Zacharias teach us about Jesus Christ, asking questions, and trusting God while blessings remain unfulfilled.
In this lesson
This week at a glance
Matthew 1 and Luke 1 introduce Jesus Christ’s birth and the announcement of John the Baptist’s birth. Through Mary, Joseph, Elisabeth, and Zacharias, we explore trust in God, sincere questions, and faith while hoped-for blessings remain unfulfilled.
As you study: Notice what each person asks, how they respond, and what these chapters teach about Jesus Christ.
Questions about this week’s reading
Explore questions about faith, unanswered prayers, and the historical setting of these chapters. Each response begins with a short answer, followed by supporting discussion and sources.
Why was Zacharias corrected for questioning, while Mary was given an explanation?
Short answer:
Both Mary and Zacharias asked questions. Gabriel explicitly identified Zacharias’s unbelief as the reason for his temporary inability to speak (Luke 1:20). Mary received an explanation, accepted the Lord’s message, and was later praised for believing (Luke 1:34–38, 45). The contrast suggests that asking a question is not, by itself, evidence of unbelief.
Explore the context and sources.
What Luke explicitly tells us
Zacharias asks how he can know the promise will be fulfilled, pointing to his and Elisabeth’s advanced age. Gabriel identifies his unbelief as the reason he will temporarily be unable to speak (Luke 1:18–20).
Mary asks how she will conceive. Gabriel explains, and Mary accepts the message. Elisabeth subsequently praises her for believing (Luke 1:34–38, 45).
What we can reasonably conclude
Luke presents a contrast in belief, not simply a contrast between someone who asks questions and someone who does not. Both ask. Mary’s experience shows that a question can accompany faith.
What this does not tell us
The account does not give us a formula for judging another person’s motives from the wording of a question. Luke also describes Zacharias as righteous and later records his inspired prophecy (Luke 1:6, 67–79). His moment of unbelief is not his whole story.
Read the source
Does unanswered prayer mean someone lacks faith?
Short answer:
No. Luke describes Elisabeth and Zacharias as righteous while also explaining that they had no children and were advanced in age (Luke 1:6–7). Their unfulfilled desire was not evidence of unrighteousness. Their story invites trust in God, but it does not establish a timetable or promise that every faithful person will receive the same outcome.
Explore the context and sources.
What Luke explicitly tells us
Luke describes Elisabeth and Zacharias as righteous before God, then explains that they had no children and were advanced in age (Luke 1:6–7). Their faithfulness and their unfulfilled longing appear together in the account.
Gabriel tells Zacharias that his prayer has been heard and that Elisabeth will bear a son (Luke 1:13). This is a specific promise to them concerning John the Baptist.
What we can reasonably conclude
A blessing’s absence is not, by itself, evidence that someone lacks faith or God’s love. Elisabeth and Zacharias were described as righteous before their circumstances changed.
What this does not promise
Their experience does not establish that every person facing infertility—or any other unfulfilled desire—will receive the same outcome. We should not turn their particular promise into a timetable for someone else’s life.
Responding with care
When someone shares the pain of unanswered prayer, listen before offering an explanation. Avoid assuming that greater faith would resolve their circumstances. Acknowledge both their faith and their disappointment, and ask what support would help.
Luke 1:6–7, 13.
How does Zacharias’s temple service compare with modern Latter-day Saint temple worship?
Short answer:
Luke describes Zacharias serving as a priest in the Jerusalem temple, burning incense while people prayed outside (Luke 1:8–10). The Come, Follow Me lesson invites comparisons with restored priesthood and temple worship. These connections can be meaningful while recognizing differences: Luke describes ancient Jewish worship, and this passage does not establish that its ordinances were identical to those practiced in Latter-day Saint temples today.
Explore the context and sources.
What Luke explicitly describes
Zacharias belonged to a priestly division and was serving in the Jerusalem temple. He was selected by lot to burn incense, while the gathered people prayed outside (Luke 1:5, 8–10). These details place the account within ancient Jewish priesthood and temple worship.
What the lesson invites us to compare
The Come, Follow Me lesson asks readers to notice connections with the restored Church, including priesthood service, temple worship, prayer, angelic messages, and promised miracles.
These comparisons can help Latter-day Saints recognize familiar religious themes while learning about the setting in which Zacharias served.
Where the comparison has limits
A similarity does not establish that two practices are identical. Luke’s description of burning incense does not, by itself, describe modern Latter-day Saint temple ordinances. Likewise, shared terms such as “priest” or “temple” require attention to their historical setting.
A careful comparison identifies both the connection and its limits.
A question for study or teaching
What does Luke explicitly describe, and what connections does the modern lesson invite us to make? Keeping those questions distinct helps us appreciate the application without overlooking the ancient setting.
Read the sources
Luke 1:5–10 — Zacharias’s priestly service and the offering of incense.
Come, Follow Me 2027, December 28–January 3 — the comparison with practices in the restored Church.
How does Matthew connect Isaiah’s prophecy with Jesus’s birth?
Short answer:
Matthew explicitly presents Jesus’s birth as a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and explains Emmanuel as “God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23). Isaiah 7 also places the prophecy within a message to King Ahaz during a crisis in Judah. A careful study considers both Isaiah’s historical setting and Matthew’s testimony that the prophecy finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Explore the context and sources.
What Matthew explicitly teaches
Matthew identifies Jesus’s birth as a fulfillment of the prophecy about a virgin bearing a son. He explains the name Emmanuel as “God with us” (Matthew 1:22–23). For Matthew, this connection helps readers understand who Jesus is.
Why Isaiah’s original setting matters
Isaiah 7 places the prophecy within a message to King Ahaz during a military threat against Judah. Read verses 1–17 together to see how the promised sign relates to that crisis.
Recognizing this setting helps us take seriously the passage that Matthew quotes.
How to study the connection
Begin with two questions: What message did Isaiah give in its original setting? How does Matthew present Jesus as fulfilling the prophecy?
Christians who accept Matthew’s testimony can affirm its fulfillment in Jesus while examining its significance for Isaiah’s audience. Explaining the relationship requires more than quoting the shared wording.
A question worth exploring further
How can a prophecy address an ancient audience and also find fulfillment in Jesus Christ? This leads to further questions about prophetic fulfillment, translation, and how New Testament writers interpret earlier scripture.
Read the sources
Matthew 1:18–25 — Jesus’s birth and Matthew’s statement of fulfillment.
Isaiah 7:1–17 — the prophecy in its historical setting.
Historical context
Matthew begins with Israel’s story
Matthew introduces Jesus as the son of David and the son of Abraham. His genealogy connects Jesus with Israel’s ancestors, kings, exile, and subsequent generations. This opening places the account of Jesus’s birth within the larger story of God’s dealings with Israel (Matthew 1:1–17).
Luke explains his purpose
Luke opens by referring to earlier accounts and testimony passed down by eyewitnesses. He tells Theophilus that he is writing an orderly account to strengthen his understanding of what he has been taught (Luke 1:1–4).
Zacharias serves in the Jerusalem temple
Luke introduces Zacharias as a priest belonging to the division of Abia, also called Abijah. His service includes offering incense while people pray outside. These details establish the Jewish setting of the announcement of John’s birth (Luke 1:5–13).
Mary and Joseph encounter unexpected news
Luke describes Gabriel’s visit to Mary in Nazareth. Matthew focuses on Joseph’s response to Mary’s pregnancy and the reassurance he receives in a dream. Reading the accounts together brings both perspectives into view (Luke 1:26–38; Matthew 1:18–25).
Personal study
Notice what these chapters teach about Jesus Christ
Read Matthew 1:21–23 and Luke 1:31–33. What do Jesus’s names, titles, and promised mission help you understand about Him?
Bring a sincere question to your study
Read Luke 1:18–20 and 34–38. Write down a question you are carrying. What does the passage answer, and what would you like to investigate further?
Make room for hope and disappointment
Read Luke 1:6–7, 13. What helps you maintain a relationship with God when a righteous desire remains unfulfilled? You do not need to minimize your disappointment to recognize sources of hope.
Choose one response
Consider Mary’s response in Luke 1:38 or Joseph’s actions in Matthew 1:24. What is one thoughtful step you could take this week—studying a source, praying honestly, supporting someone, or acting on something you understand?
Ideas for teaching
Begin with Jesus Christ
Invite learners to read Matthew 1:21–23 and Luke 1:31–33. List the names, titles, and descriptions they find. Ask what these teach about the Savior’s mission.
Compare the two conversations
Read Gabriel’s conversations with Zacharias and Mary in Luke 1:18–20 and 34–38. Ask: What does each person say? What does Gabriel explain? Distinguish what the text states from conclusions we draw about their motives.
Discuss waiting with care
Read Luke 1:6–7 together. Point out that Elisabeth and Zacharias are described as righteous while their desire for a child remains unfulfilled. Invite discussion of how to support someone who is waiting for a hoped-for blessing, without requiring anyone to share personal experiences.
Welcome a difficult question
Try saying: “Thank you for raising that. Let’s look at what the passage says, what we know from other sources, and what still needs investigation.”
If you cannot answer a question during class, acknowledge that and arrange a follow-up. Avoid treating someone’s question as a measure of their faith.
Sources & further study
Read Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, the account of Joseph’s response, and the connection with Isaiah’s prophecy.
Read the announcements to Zacharias and Mary, Mary’s visit to Elisabeth, and the birth of John the Baptist.
Explore the original setting of the prophecy quoted in Matthew 1:22–23.
The official Come, Follow Me lesson
Find the Church’s study prompts and teaching suggestions for December 28, 2026–January 3, 2027.
