Upside Down Christmas: Whats the Big Deal?

Dont miss an opportunity to worship with your family in your home this Sunday morning. We are the Church, whether we are gathered together on Sunday morning or not. Use this simple guide in your homes Sunday morning and honor the Lord Jesus. Prayer Time: Prayer for those who are less fortunate during times of tough weather conditions as well as those who must work in these conditions to keep the rest of us safe and warm in our homes. Prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide your family during its time of worship. Pray for other families worship in their homes today. Time of Worship: There are several worship videos on Youtube or Vimeo or just sing your favorite songs that you know by heart. Devotion and Bible Lesson: Over the next couple of weeks we want to focus in on the coming of God through a baby named Jesus. This week I want to examine why weve made Christmas into such a big deal each year. We use so much to celebrate Christmas, which is not a bad thing, but lets take some time to boil it down to the simple parts of the story and begin by simply asking why we celebrate this time and why we celebrate it so much. Lets get to thinking: Can you be a Christian without celebrating Christmas? What would make you upset about skipping Christmas?

If we didnt know all the traditions how might the bible shape the celebration of Jesus birth? Read the following Scripture:

Luke 1:26-38 The Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month of Elizabeths pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgins name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.
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Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacobs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.
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How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin?
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The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to
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conceive is in her sixth month. will ever fail.

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For no word from God

I am the Lords servant, Mary answered. May your word to me be fulfilled. Then the angel left her.
Questions to Consider: How do you think Mary felt about the Angels message to her after he left? Do you expect God to do big things in your life? What do we learn about Jesus from the Angels message? Two other names are mentioned: David and Jacob. What do these tell us about Jesus identity? Why mention them? Dig in a little deeper: Give each family member who can read a bible and have them search for bible verses that talk about Jesus before he was born. What do these verses tell us about Jesus?

Illustration: Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead he said, "You left your

palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!" God is willing to make most any accommodation to have fellowship with us. Even becoming human.

The Big Question: Whats the Big Deal? Why is the coming of Jesus such a big deal? Does our celebration do Him justice? What can we do to celebrate Jesus better? Closing Challenge: Talk about your Christmas traditions, schedule, and activities together. What points toward Jesus best? What can be done better? What new tradition can you start this year that will point toward Jesus and his coming? Share your new idea on FaceBook, Twitter, or other social media.