-- Isaiah 9:6
In a loud voice she (Elizabeth) exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!"
-- Luke 1:42
"One of the reasons I find the Gospel so convincing is that it's nothing I would have dreamed up. Think about it, God became human, a little baby who had to be fed, burped, and bathed. God allowed Himself to get the flu, to be teased, to stub His toe like any other kid.
What if I had been God? Would I have devised an all-loving strategy to woo my people back to myself, developing a plan that would require weakness, humility, and dependency on the part of my child? I doubt it. My strategy would probably have involved more power than love because power seems less risky.
The apostle Paul speaks of Christ's crucifixion by saying: For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 But surely God's "foolishness" began when He allowed His Son to be born in a stable and laid in a manger.
Jesus puts it to His disciples like this: 'Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven' Matthew 18:3-4.
But what does it mean to become like little children? Most children don't have much money. They don't have a lot of power. They often lack wisdom. And they aren't afraid of asking for help. Hasn't Jesus already made it plain? If you want to be big in God's kingdom, become small in this world. If you want to save your life, be willing to lose it.
Today, God is calling all of us, adult and child, to become like a little child, asking us to follow Him with humility and trust. Decide to embrace His "foolish-seeming" plan for your life, confident that His strength will be perfected through your weakness." Ann Spangler from Praying the Names of Jesus
Discuss: How would you have saved the world? Why do you think God chose this "foolish" way?
Prayer: Lord, you were cradled in human arms and laid in a manger. How can I begin to understand a gift so unexpected? That someone so great would allow Himself to become so small? Help me to follow You, like a little child. Help me to love You, trust You, and lean on You today, and thank you for showing me the way into Your Kingdom. In Your name, Lord Jesus, I pray, Amen.
Songs: Away in a Manger, One Small Child, A Strange Way to Save the World
Ornaments: https://biblestoryprintables.com/themed-bible-printables/christmas-bible-printables/names-of-jesus-advent-ornaments/
Craft: You may wish to create a homemade manger scene, draw a family tree and illustrate it, etc.
Service Project Idea: Possible ideas include volunteering time in a day care setting for older students, sharing what you have learned thus far in “thinking of you” type cards to shut ins and people in assisted living facilities, creating a puppet show to share with younger children about Jesus being the “first born of every creature,” etc.
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