What is significant about the Christmas season? What is the hope Jesus brings to the world?
<p><strong>Why does Jesus' birth mean?</strong><br>It's ancient hope fulfilled. People were waiting for hundreds of years for a Messiah to come -- but not just to come -- to save them. (Jesus' name means “God Saves”)</p> <p>If Jesus was just born, what help would he have been?<br>Jesus' birth into the world is like God saying, “See, I told you I'd do it!”</p> <p><strong>Imagine you were one of those shepherds. </strong><br>Angels told you personally that God's promised messiah is here.</p> <p>Wouldn't the world seem like a better place already? <br>Jesus is in the world -- he's just a baby, and he'll need to grow up and learn how to walk and talk -- but he's in the world, and God made huge promises about him!</p> <p>Why was Jesus born? Would the shepherds have known why?</p> <p>Why do we know? How do we know?</p> <p>What do you think Mary thought of her baby boy? <br>Did she know everything about his destiny?</p> <p><strong>Christmas is a time for imagination.</strong><br>When you read the Christmas story with your families this year, try to imagine what kind of thoughts the different characters might have had.<br>Shepherds, Magi, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Simeon, Herod…</p> <p><strong>Imagine with them what this news means.</strong><br>Herod: I'm the king. But Jesus is the king. What does this mean?<br>Shepherds: We're losers. Everyone hates us. We're smelly. And angels came to tell us the news.</p> <p><strong>Why do we use a Christmas tree to celebrate Christmas?</strong></p> <ul> <li>Evergreen -- life when the world is dying (winter)</li> <li>Our use of a Christmas tree mirrors our celebration of Jesus coming into the world.</li> <li>We put up a green tree at Christmas, but at Eastertime we're strip it bare and make it into a cross. </li> <li>The little newborn born at Christmas will die to let others be born new.</li> </ul>
January 1, 2013 | Luke Johnson
