FAMILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
December 11 – 17, 2011
The Prophecies of Christmas
Sunday, December 11
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Isaiah 9:6-7 and Luke 1:32-33
Ask: Isaiah was written 700 years before Jesus was born. How could he have known that a child would be born who would be such a person? (The prophet could only have known by the power of the Holy Spirit – see II Peter 1:21.)
What are the descriptions given of Jesus? (Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace; Luke says he will be great, the Son of the Highest and rule over a Kingdom without end)
What does it mean to have the government on your shoulders? (To govern means to rule over people; to bear this on your shoulders means to be responsible for it; He will be the ultimate ruler of people.)
Why do both scriptures speak of the kingdom of David? (David was anointed by God as king and ruled around 1,000 B.C. David was promised that a descendant of his would rule forever. Jesus fulfills that promise.)
Lesson: The prophet said that a Child would be born who would rule forever. He would be considered the Mighty God and Everlasting Father. God would take His place among men in order to rule over men. The Christmas season celebrates that point in history when heaven invaded earth in that God became a man.
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank God for the coming of Jesus. Pray that you would renew your commitment to serve the King forever.
Monday, December 12
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Psalms 45:6-7; 102:25-27 and Hebrews 1:8-12
Ask: How many times is someone referred to as “God” in Psalms 45? (Twice: It states, “Your throne, O God, is forever…” and later, “…therefore God, Your God, has anointed you…”)
How do we understand this from the Hebrews passage? (God the Father is speaking to God the Son. Jesus is being told by His Father that His throne will last forever. We understand this not as two Gods, but as One God who reveals Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the Son became a man to live among men and to die for men.)
What does it mean to be anointed with oil? (A priest, prophet or king would be anointed as a symbol that they were set apart for God’s special use. Jesus has been set apart for eternity for the Father as King over all.)
What does the rest of the passage say about Jesus? (That He is the Creator who laid down the earth and stretched out the heavens. He will never change.)
Lesson: The relationship between God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is clear in scripture but difficult to understand as people. Their relationship, known as the Trinity which means three, has been compared to water which can be liquid, solid (ice) and vapor (air). It has also been compared to an egg which has a yoke, white and shell. God refers to Himself in the plural pronoun in Genesis 1:26 and the Spirit is present in Genesis 1:2. John says that Jesus created all in John 1:3 and Paul affirms this in Colossians 1:15-16. We must accept by faith what we can’t fully understand as people.
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank God that Jesus is anointed with the oil of gladness. Those of us who serve Him can also know joy in its fullness.
Tuesday, December 13
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:4-6
Ask: Where did the prophet say Jesus would be born? (Bethlehem in the region of Judah.)
How would he know this? (He would only know this through the power of God’s Spirit revealing it to Him – II Peter 1:21.)
Why does he mention this village as “little among thousands”? (Because Bethlehem was a small village in a region with many small villages. Christ’s birth in Bethlehem was part of the humble way he came into the world – not born in Jerusalem or a major city; not born in a palace or with any majesty, but born in a small village.)
How could the One born have been active from everlasting? (The One born could have been active from eternity past only if the One born was God. Jesus is God. He was with the Father at creation. He is equal to the Father in power and glory. He submits to the Father and obeys the Father gladly. He has been active, though, from eternity and will continue for eternity. Those who trust Him will be with Him.)
How did the religious leaders know where the Christ would be born? (They read the prophet, Micah, and knew that God had revealed the location about 500 years before Jesus was born.)
Lesson: God’s Word is truth. It speaks truth and guides us into truth. Bethlehem is broken down into two words: Beth = house; lehem = bread. The Son of God was born in a village known as the “house of bread.” This is appropriate since Jesus referred to Himself as the “bread of life.” The living manna from heaven came into the world at the “house of bread” – see John 6:48.
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank God for the bread of life, Jesus Christ. If you have not taken Him into your life, ask Him to come in today and give you eternal life.
Wednesday, December 14
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:26-31
Ask: What is a virgin? (A virgin is a woman who has never been intimately involved with a man. The miracle of Christ’s birth is that God placed Jesus in Mary’s womb without Christ having an earthly father.)
What does “Immanuel” mean? (Immanuel means, “God with us” - see Matthew 1:23.)
What is the sign that the Child is special? (The sign that the child is special is that there was no earthly father responsible for His conception.)
Who gave this message to Mary? (The angel, Gabriel.)
Why did God choose Mary? (Although we do not know, we assume she was a godly, young woman with high reputation in the community. She evidently was committed to serving God and “found favor with God.”
Lesson: Jesus’ birth was a miracle. His birth would be impossible without it being the work of God. God works miracles when He chooses. This miracle was a sign to the world that the baby Jesus was special. We serve a God with which nothing is impossible! See Luke 1:37.
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank God for using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes. Make yourself available to be used by God in whatever way He desires.
Thursday, December 15
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Jeremiah 31:15 and Matthew 2:16-18
Ask: Where is Ramah? (It is the name of six towns in Israel. The one referred to by Jeremiah is not far from Jerusalem in the region of Benjamin. People wept there during the Babylonian captivity because those Jews too old to make the trip were killed in Ramah – see Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, p.1067.)
Who is Rachel? (Rachel is Jacob’s second wife, the younger daughter of Leah. She was also his favorite wife and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. It was her descendants who were killed when Babylon invaded the southern kingdom of Israel known as Judah.)
How does Matthew interpret Jeremiah’s prophecy? (Matthew, inspired by the Holy Spirit, understands this event with a dual meaning. He sees a final fulfillment of weeping when the children of Bethlehem are killed by Herod’s soldiers in an effort to kill the Messiah, Jesus.)
Why would Herod want Him dead? (Herod was Jewish and believed the prophets. He was also very jealous of his throne and did not want a new king to succeed him and end his ruling legacy. He acted out of selfishness and defiance against God.)
Lesson: God protected Jesus. Greed and selfishness hurt many people around us. Innocent children became the victims of Herod’s rage. How sad that Christmas is accompanied by such pain among children whose lives are hurting due to circumstances beyond their control. Find hurting children to which you can minister, love and bless this Christmas to honor the Child who came to save us all.
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Pray for hurting children around you. Pray to be sensitive to how you can best minister to them and their families.
Friday, December 16
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Hosea 11:1 and Matthew 2:14-15
Ask: Was Israel ever in Egypt? (Yes. The family of Jacob – Israel – went to Egypt when Joseph was in authority over all the land of Egypt during a great famine. It was in Egypt over the course of 400 years that they went from about 80 people to around 2 million people. Sometimes Egypt is called the womb in which God grew a nation.)
Did God bring them out? (Yes. Through the hand of Moses God led Israel out of Egypt where they had become slaves. He brought them through the wilderness and to the land of promise where Joshua led them across the Jordan River and led them to occupy the land God gave to Abraham, their father.)
Was Jesus ever in Egypt? (Yes. As a child, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt to escape the cruel hand of Herod who wanted to kill the Messiah. They stayed in Egypt till after Herod’s death where Joseph moved them back to Israel and to the town of Nazareth.)
Lesson: Matthew again sees a dual fulfillment of the prophecy made some 700 years before. He understands Hosea’s words as fulfilled in Christ who came out of Egypt after a short protective stay. It is amazing to see how many prophecies concerning the life of Jesus are fulfilled in the Bible. He is the Son who was called from Egypt. The One delivered would become our Deliverer!
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank God for Jesus. Pray that you would live a life that would honor Him.
Saturday, December 17
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Isaiah 40:3-5 and Luke 3:3-6
Ask: Who is this prophecy about? (John the Baptist. He is the cousin of Jesus and was born about 6 months before Jesus.)
What was the purpose of his life? (He came to prepare people’s hearts for the coming of the Christ Jesus, the Messiah.)
Why does it say he cried in the wilderness? (He was a preacher who lived in the wilderness and proclaimed that people should turn from their sins and prepare for the Messiah.)
What are the references to valleys, mountains and crooked places? (There were instances when a king traveled that servants would go before him to smooth out rough places in the road, fill in low spots and knock down high spots. This is referring to people preparing their hearts for the King to come. The King was coming, but the people did not expect Him to be a baby in a stable at Bethlehem.)
Lesson: Luke’s passage ends by saying, “All flesh shall see the salvation of our God.” In Jesus Christ, we see the salvation that God has provided for each of us. HE is the way to have peace with God, forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Praise be to God for His matchless gift!
Memory Verse: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Pray: Thank the Lord for Jesus and the salvation provided through His death and resurrection. Thank Him for the example set through His life. Pray that you, like John, might prepare others to receive Christ.