Christmas Devotion - Names of Jesus - Beginning on December 1

Tuesday, December 1, marks the first day in Advent...a time when we prepare our hearts and minds for the upcoming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Many families read a weekly devotion and sing Christmas carols. Others may use an advent wreath or an advent calendar to anticipate Christmas.

This year for our Christmas devotion my family will be learning about the different names of Jesus and what they tell us about God. Our youngest daughter will also color ornaments with the different names of Jesus to hang on the Christmas tree. The ornaments can be downloaded for free from this website: Names of Jesus ornaments

I will be using two different resources for this Advent Devotion: The Names of Jesus Unit Study by Karen Caroe and the book Praying the Names of Jesus by Ann Spangler. Each daily devotion will contain Scripture references, devotion material, two Christmas songs and Christmas craft ideas. These devotions can be used with children of all ages. Below is a brief introduction of the study:

"In every age and every culture names are important. Parents often struggle to select just the right name to give their child. It is more than just a label of identification.

In Biblical times, a name had a significant meaning--often denoting a characteristic or something related to the history of the person or his time. Sometimes a new name was given to indicate a change of character or a major event in one's history.

To begin this Christmas Devotion you may want to look up some of the Biblical people who had their names changed. Why did they change? Did they change names on their own or were they given a new name by someone else? Was their new name a good one? Did they live up to their name?

When it comes to Jesus, it is possible to find more than 100 names and titles for Him. No other person in history has had as many names or titles.

We can experience God more deeply by focusing on the names and titles of the man who was known by His contemporaries as Yeshua. His many titles, including such rich descriptions as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Alpha and Omega and Lamb of God reveal who Jesus is and why He came into this world. They also show us something about God's intentions and plans for our own lives."

My prayer is that this devotion will help you and your family experience more of Christ this Christmas!