FAMILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
December 25-31, 2011
Christmas Focus
Sunday, December 25
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
Ask: When was Mary found to be with a child? (Verse 18 says this happened before her and Joseph came together. The Child that Marry carried was the Son of God and came through a miracle of God. His conception was not ordinary miraculous.)
What did the angel say to Joseph? (When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he did not want to marry her. The angel told him that her pregnancy was miraculous and that she would bear the Son of God.)
What two names is the Christ child referred to in this text? (He is called Jesus in verse 21 which means “Savior” and Immanuel in verse 23 which means “God is with us.” Immanuel was the name the prophet Isaiah used to describe the Messiah in Isaiah 7:14, 700 years before Jesus was born.)
What did Joseph do? (Joseph took Mary as his wife and when the Child was born he named Him Jesus.)
Lesson: God works through people. Sometimes the will of God for our lives seems uncomfortable and even risky. We might prefer God choose to use someone else. Joseph, though, obeyed God despite reservations and fears. He was also blessed to be the earthly father that would shape the life of God’s Messiah.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Pray that you would submit to God’s will in all things.
Monday, December 26
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 2:1-6
Ask: Who were the wise men in these verses? (They were probably astrologers or magi who were considered to have special insight or wisdom and obviously charted the stars.)
What made them come to Jerusalem? ( A new star in the sky symbolized to them that a great king had been born. They came looking for the new king.)
Why would this upset Herod? (Herod was suspicious of anyone who might take his throne. He killed members of his own family he thought were plotting against him. The news of a new king would incite his anger.)
Why would Jerusalem be troubled, too? (They knew of Herod’s anger and ruthless acts of violence. They feared what their king would do at the news of another king.)
How did the religious leaders in Jerusalem know that the Lord would be born in Bethlehem? (Micah the prophet had written 700 years before that Bethlehem would be the village blessed to be the birthplace of the king. God had foretold it.)
Lesson: It is interesting how God reveals His will, His plans and His path for our lives if we are willing to follow. The wise men came because of a star; Bethlehem had been chosen as the place of birth. God had revealed Himself and His plans in His Word. The Word of God will also guide our lives if we will let it.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Thank God for His guidance of your life through His Word. Commit to be more diligent as a student of the Bible and pray for understanding through God’s Holy Spirit.
Tuesday, December 27
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 2:7-12
Ask: What did Herod tell them? (He told them that when they found the child to come back and let him know so that he could worship him, too.)
What was his plan secretly? (He wanted to know who the child was so he could kill him.)
What were the gifts of the wise men? (Gold – a gift for a king; frankincense – incense used by priests in worship; myrrh – expensive oil used to anoint the dead. The gifts reflect the positions of Jesus as King, Priest and sacrifice.)
Why did they not return to Herod? (They were warned by God in a dream to return home a different way.)
Lesson: Verse 11 says that they came to a house. IT is probable that the wise men arrived to see Jesus maybe when he was nearly 2 years old and living in a house and not the stable. They probably did not come at the same time as the shepherds who arrived the night he was born. Nevertheless, they knew who he was and worshipped. Their gifts, too, reflected divine knowledge that HE was more than just a man. We, too, must acknowledge He is God and worship Him.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Thank God for Jesus. Thank Him for the gift of eternal life possible through His life, death and resurrection.
Wednesday, December 28
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 2:13-15
Ask: How did Joseph know to flee from Bethlehem? (An angel of God warned him in a dream that the Child, Jesus, was in danger.)
Where was he instructed to take Jesus? (He was told to take Him to Egypt until the threat had passed.)
How long did he stay? (He remained in Egypt until Herod had died.)
Was this event prophesied in scripture? (Yes. Verse 15 reminds us that Hosea the prophet knew that the Messiah would come out of Egypt. Matthew sees this event as a fulfillment of that prophesy.)
Lesson: Jesus’ life was repeatedly in danger. The long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for Mary while pregnant would have threatened the child’s life in the womb. The fact that the birth took place in a stable would be a risk to the child. Now, fleeing to Egypt by night to escape the wrath of a king threatens the child. Jesus knew danger early in his life but was also protected by God. Remember that there is nothing you will ever face in life that surprises God. He knows. He cares. He will be with you.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Thank God for His protection through life’s trials. Pray for courage to stay strong in adversity.
Thursday, December 29
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 2:16-18
Ask: What did Herod do when he found out the wise men were not coming back? (He was very angry and planned to kill all the male children in Bethlehem who were 2 years old and under.)
Why would he do this? (Since he did not know which one was the new King he simply ordered the death of all the male children who were in and around Bethlehem. What sorrow must have filled the homes of these families because of Herod’s anger.)
How does Matthew view this event? (Matthew again sees this event as a fulfillment of prophecy made hundreds of years before by Jeremiah the prophet.)
What does the prophecy say? (There will be weeping in Ramah – a region of the land; there will be weeping by Rachel – the wife of Jacob who bore both Joseph and Benjamin and who was buried in Ramah near Bethlehem. The area of Bethlehem would include the descendants of Rachel.)
Lesson: Christmas is a time of joy because of the birth of Jesus, but also a time of great pain. The Christmas season often compounds the loneliness and depression in some people’s lives. There was great mourning in Bethlehem. Be sensitive this Christmas to those around you who may experience even deeper pain during the holidays.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Pray for someone you know who is struggling through this Christmas season. Pray for the comfort of God and encouragement of God’s Spirit on their lives.
Friday, December 30
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 2:19-23
Ask: When did Joseph return from Egypt with Mary and Jesus? (He returned when an angel of the Lord told him it was safe through a dream.)
Where did Joseph settle in Israel? (Instead of returning to Bethlehem where descendants of Herod still reigned as king, he chose to go to Nazareth in the region of Galilee.)
Did God have a part in this decision? (Yes, verse 22 says he was warned by God in a dream and so turned aside to the region of Galilee.)
How does Matthew interpret this event? (Matthew sees this as a fulfillment of prophecy made of Samson but dually fulfilled in the life of Jesus from the book of Judges.)
Lesson: Joseph needed to stay attentive to God. Day by day, moment by moment, he sought to walk with God and be led by God’s Spirit. He was making decisions that affected the Child Jesus and his mother, Mary, and was careful to follow all that God commanded. Like Joseph, we need to stay attentive to God. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and follow closely where God leads.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Thank God for His concern for your life. Pray that you would walk with Him daily and know and do His will.
Saturday, December 31
Call the family together.
Pray.
Read: Matthew 3:1-6
Ask: Who was John the Baptist and why is he important to the story? (We read about John last week from Luke 1. He was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth who was appointed to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Even before he was born, God set him apart to be the preacher who would live in the wilderness and prepare men’s hearts to receive Jesus as the Messiah.)
How much time has passed since Christ’s birth? (Although we cannot be certain, we assume about 28 or 29 years has passed since Christ was born. John was His cousin and began to boldly challenge people to turn away from their sin (repent) and prepare their heart to follow the Messiah (anointed One). )
Was John’s ministry foretold in prophecy? (Yes. In Isaiah 40:3 the prophet told of one who would come and prepare the way for the Savior.)
How was John different than what people might expect in a preacher/prophet? (John wore camel’s hair for clothes, ate wild honey for food and lived in the Judean wilderness. He was similar to Elijah the prophet in his crude dress and lifestyle.)
Why did he baptize people? (Baptism was a symbol of showing that you were sorry for your sins and wanted to change the direction of your life. People who heard John preach wanted to prepare their lives to follow the Savior who was coming. Soon, Jesus would began His ministry and John would point the crowds to follow Jesus.)
Lesson: John prepared people for Jesus and pointed people to Jesus. His ministry attracted large crowds though he was crudely dressed and had no social standing. God uses peculiar people for His work. It is His desire that we point people to Jesus and prepare hearts for Jesus. Though we do not need to dress funny or eat strange food, we should be peculiar to the world in the way we live our lives. We should be holy, godly and pure.
Memory Verse: “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NKJ).
Pray: Pray that you might be faithful in pointing people to Jesus through this season and all year long.