The Gospel of Luke offers one of the most detailed explorations of the story of Christmas. Luke has researched deeply the background of the nativity story and opened it for all who would read it after his day.
By all accounts, the story of Jesus’ birth seems ordinary if you only read the first seven verses of Luke 2. A couple travels far from home and has their baby during that journey. But there is more here than the superficial reading of the story would tell us.
The next section of the story makes that clear as a myriad of angels rip open the skies to announce this baby’s birth in a magnificent way to a group of sleepy shepherds gathered in fields outside the city. Their description of this baby astounds: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11). A Savior…the Messiah…the Lord.
When Peter wrote the letter we know as 2 Peter to a group of early followers of Jesus, he named Jesus in similar ways: “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours” (2 Peter 2:1b). As the letter continues, Jesus is described with various words, but most recurring phrase is “Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:18). Peter echoes Luke’s words about Jesus. He is the Lord over all things and a reflection of God’s being and character. He is Savior, the One who will save us from sin, evil, and death, those things from which we cannot save ourselves. He is Christ, Messiah, the One promised through all the Law and Prophets to usher in God’s eternal kingdom.
Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus, so let’s celebrate Him as our Savior, our Messiah, and Lord.
For reflection:
- Reflect on each word applied to Jesus—Savior, Messiah, Lord—what do they mean to you?
Nativity Building:
- Place the Baby Jesus figure in the stable. In the middle of the night, in this little barn, Jesus was born! “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son . . .” (John 3:16).
by Matt Erickson
Christmas Eve Family Talk
If you have a baby brother or sister, you know how it is: even though babies are so tiny and helpless, they can really turn a house upside down! They wake up crying all night long, they need all kinds of special equipment, and when they begin to crawl, they get into all kinds of trouble! No matter how much work babies can be, there is one thing that’s sure—their families LOVE them! Babies don’t try to “be good” and earn their parents’ love, and they don’t have to. Their parents already love them with a fierce “no-matter-what” kind of love.
Did you ever wonder: What does God thinks when He sees us? We get ourselves into all kinds of trouble, we need lots of help, and sometimes, we think we don’t need God. Does He get mad and give up on us? No, He looks at us like a parent looks at their baby—He loves us with a “no-matter-what” kind of love.
And, how do we know this? Because, at Christmas, God sent Jesus into the world. For hundreds of years God had sent special messengers—prophets—to warn His people about their sins and call them back to Himself. Finally, when the time was right, He sent Jesus to us. Jesus would be born as a baby, but He would grow up to save the world. He would do this by paying for our sins on the cross. The Bible says:
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).
Baby Jesus is the best Christmas gift ever! He is the proof that God loves us enough to do everything needed so that we could live forever with Him.
Let’s Talk:
- Parents, share a memory of each of your children from when they were babies.
- Do you sometimes feel like God’s love for you depends on your behavior? Why or why not?
- How does the story of Baby Jesus’ birth show God’s love for us?
Nativity Building:
- Place the shepherds near the stable. The angel told them that the Savior had been born! They believed, and there were the first to see Jesus and to tell others about Him!
by Laure Herlinger
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