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
Room for your questions
You can examine the evidence carefully and take time with questions that matter to you.
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.
Explore the Questions
Questions about this week’s reading
Start with a short answer. Open the supporting discussion to explore the context, reasoning, and sources.
01 · Scripture & interpretation
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.
Read the texts
02 · Context & Symbolism
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.
Read the passage and compare the application
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.
03 · Reading Thoughtfully
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.
Evaluate the connection
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 in Context
Follow the movement of the text
These reading anchors help separate the passage’s immediate setting from its later applications.
Matthew 1:1–17
Luke 1:1-4
Luke 1:5–13
Luke 1:26–38; Matthew 1:18–25
Make Room to reflect
For 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?
Bring it to the Conversation
Ideas for teaching
Help learners distinguish observation, interpretation, and personal application.
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.
When a difficult question comes up
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. 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 an answer needs more research, say so and agree on a way to follow up.
Keep studying
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 ↗
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · Scripture assignments, teaching prompts, and Restoration comparisons.
