NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passages: Luke 1:30-35, 38, 46-49; 2:4-7
Discussion Questions: How can I best celebrate Jesus this Christmas season? If you were in charge of leading the world in celebrating the birth of Christ, what changes would you make? When you read of Jesus’ birth, what feelings or emotions do you have?
Food for Thought:
Christmas is first and foremost about Jesus’ birth, the coming of the Savior into the world He created. It is a world that needs salvation. But it’s easy in today’s world even for Christians to lose sight of the real significance of Christmas. We get so caught up in holiday activities, many of which are good and enriching, that we have little time or energy to celebrate God’s greatest gift and the actual “reason for the season.”
The incarnation is foundational to this week’s session. The doctrine of the incarnation informs us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities, and identifying Himself completely with mankind. Yet, He is without sin.
Celebrating the gift of God’s Son begins in our hearts. But like any kind of really good news, it’s too wonderful to be contained. The news of Jesus’ birth never gets old or stale, because He is the hope of the world.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in eight years. The eight-year plan and more information can be found at LifeWay.com/ExploreTheBible.
Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool.
–30–
