Preschool
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah 9:6
Jesus Is Born
Memory Verses
Primary
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11
Junior
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Background Scripture: Luke 2
Lesson Scripture: Luke 2:6-20
Introduction
God gave Jesus to all the people of the world. Jesus entered the world in the same manner as we all did. As we remember his coming and appreciate all that He has done for mankind, we can truly celebrate Christmas. By being a blessing to others, we honor God and his Son. When we give of ourselves to others, we are expressing the true spirit of Christmas. As we love others, we feel the blessings of God and will enjoy the Christmas season all year long.
Key Verse
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons (Gal. 4:4-5).
Lesson Scripture
Luke 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning the child.
18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Studying the Lesson
Though Luke was not an eyewitness to many of the things he recorded, he documented and wrote very carefully so there would be no mistakes and so that others would clearly understand.
Micah 5:2 prophesied that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Due to Joseph’s ancestry and the Roman decree, Joseph and Mary were required to go to Bethlehem. It was a hard trip of about ninety miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and Mary was close to giving birth.
When they arrived, there was no room for them in the inn, so they had to stay in the stable. It is good that earlier they both had been assured by an angel to not fear; otherwise, this disappointment may have been difficult for them to understand.
Angels appeared to the lowly shepherds during the night as they tended their sheep. After they heard the wonderful news of a Savior being born, they hurried to Bethlehem to see this miracle birth. They were so thrilled by what they saw that they told everyone they met about the great event. It was exciting news indeed.
Surely all the unusual events surrounding Jesus’s birth gave Mary affirmation that this was all from God and in his plan. The angel Gabriel had told her that nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37). Though Mary was a young woman, she had a close walk with God. She and Joseph trusted God to carry them and their Son through whatever happened.
Practical Truths for Today
The Christmas story has thrilled and inspired us since we were children. Luke tells us that as Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem, Mary was ready to give birth to her firstborn son, who was the Son of God. We love the story, but how did Mary and Joseph feel as they were experiencing it? Were they stressed because of all that they were encountering? Perhaps when things are not going smoothly for us, we wonder if we are doing God’s will, or why doing God’s will is so challenging.
According to Jewish tradition, Mary was less than sixteen years old when the angel appeared to her and told her she was going to have a baby. An angel also appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to take Mary, the girl he was engaged to, to be his wife, even though she was with child. Cultural norms would have been that if he did not marry her, she would have to stay hidden because it was unacceptable to have a baby born out of wedlock. Joseph and Mary believed what the angels told them. They believed that God would deal with any obstacles. As we ponder the story, it was obviously very unusual; however, the faith and trust of Mary and Joseph did not fail them.
Jesus was born in a very humble and obscure place. Though He would be a king, He was not born in a palace. Though his coming would mean salvation for the whole world, his birth was announced to the shepherds. When the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them about the birth of Christ, the shepherds did not wait—they immediately made haste to go see this baby in a manger. They found Jesus likely quite an ordinary-looking baby. No special requirements were needed for them to go find the newborn king. So, may we with humble enthusiasm go to Jesus when we are in need.
As followers of Jesus, we will share his love with everyone, rich or poor. With a heart overflowing with love for what Jesus has done for us, we can tell anyone who is in trouble that Jesus will help them; He understands them and their problems. He was born even as we all were, and as He grew into an adult, He had all the struggles and temptations that we humans experience. That is why He can intercede for us with God.
When we go through valleys of disappointment and face adversities we do not understand, we may feel overwhelmed. However, we have been promised that no temptation will overtake us and that there is grace and power to endure: “God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Cor. 10:13). When we get into a battle with Satan, we must come to Jesus—He is much stronger than Satan. Jesus will intercede with God and fight the battle for us if we humbly ask Him. Jesus gave his life for us; thereby our sins are forgiven and we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). We can freely pray to God in Jesus’s name because He is the “mediator between God and men” (1 Tim. 2:5).
Jesus spent his whole life giving to others. As followers of Christ, we will follow his example and daily give of ourselves to the welfare of other people. When we focus on our own problems, we take our eyes away from Jesus, and soon we feel overloaded. We will not feel so overwhelmed by the cares of life when we live our life serving others.
Christmas time is a good time to renew our Christian purpose. We must not miss the opportunities we have to bring the message of God’s love for mankind, whether in the ministry of song or by giving gifts of love. Some people object to observing Christmas at the traditional time the world does, saying that we cannot prove Christ was born on Christmas Day. That may be true; nevertheless, Christians like to use to an advantage the time when the birth of Christ is celebrated in the world. Even though in North American society the real essence of Christ’s birth is mostly absent, we will consider how to best honor Jesus during this time as well as throughout the year.
Questions
- Will a Christian go through Christmas without giving gifts?
- What is the definition of the Christmas spirit? How does it come from celebrating Jesus’s birth?
- How can a person rejoice and feel the love of Jesus if he has lost a loved one recently?
- Do you think we are celebrating Christmas the way God intends?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).