Why We'll Always Celebrate Christmas!
The Heart of Christmas
Friday, December 12, 2003
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving me a mission in the world: to share the Good News of Jesus with the world—one person at a time! I pray that You will fill me with the Holy Spirit today that I may be a bold witness of the transforming love of Jesus in my life. Let my words and my actions bring You glory and honor, and bring people across my path today who need to know Jesus that I may share the Good News with them. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Verses
Luke 2:8-20
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Questions for Reflection
Today, we’re focusing on mission as we turn again to Luke 2:8-20. Consider the characters involved in this first Christmas story and how they undertook the mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus with others. In this case, it was the angels and the shepherds who offered the greatest effort! The angel first told the shepherds that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. Then the shepherds saw for themselves and told everyone they could about it! In what ways do we share the Good News of Jesus with others during the Christmas season?
Questions for Exploration
In what ways did the angels share God’s mission with others? (8-20)
How did the shepherds receive the message and share it with others? (8-20)
Do we have any sense of Mary and Joseph’s mission in the world through today’s Scripture? (8-20)
Questions for Understanding
In what way is God’s mission in the world seen through the Christmas Story?
Mark Geppert always says that 2/3 of God is GO! How do we see this being evidenced in the Christmas Story?
Question for Application
What is one way you will share the Good News of Jesus with others today?
Good News!
The angel described the “information” that he shared with the shepherds as “Good News of great joy that will be for all the people.” This Good News, is also known as the “Gospel.” From the moment of Jesus’ coming into the world, we have been “goodnewsed” by Him. His birth was good news for all the people, because his coming in such humble circumstances demonstrated that His coming truly was for all people. That the shepherds were the first to hear the Good News is further evidence that Jesus’ coming could only be consider as being for ALL the people. As Jesus grew to adulthood and started His ministry, it was evident to nearly everyone that His presence was Good News: Jesus preached Good News, and he brought Good News in the form of healing and deliverance from demons. While Jesus’ death didn’t seem like Good News at the time, in reality it was some of the best news of all eternity, since through Jesus’ sacrificial death and the shedding of His blood, our sins were washed away. While the cross of Jesus purchased our salvation, it was his resurrection that is the REALLY Good News, because it shows us that our forgiveness is not just for this life, but truly for all eternity. As Jesus rose from the dead, so shall we. Our mission hear on earth is to see that everyone we know hears the Good News of Jesus life, death and resurrection and has the opportunity to respond to it in a saving way. Share the Good News with someone this Christmas! It’s the best gift of all!
To view other studies from the Why We Celebrate Christmas series, click here.