Week 31: Luke 2-Jesus the Greatest Gift Ever

Jesus the Greatest Gift Ever

As a family, read Luke 2:1-20. Afterwards, share the following discussion.

What happened?

God’s people had been waiting and waiting for the Messiah, the person who would rescue them and be their king. Here in Luke chapter 2, we see the long-awaited birth of Jesus. God arranged circumstances in the lives of Mary and Joseph in order for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, fulfilling prophecy regarding the birth of Israel’s Messiah. The Lord didn’t send hosts of angels to the highest ranks of Jerusalem to announce the Messiah’s birth; instead, angels appeared to a group of shepherds nearby. They filled the sky and proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”  The shepherds were so amazed by the sight that they left their sheep and ran to find the baby in the manger. They couldn’t have fully understood what was taking place, but the astonishing events of the evening caused them to praise and glorify God, telling everyone about what they had experienced.

Why is this important to us today?

The name Jesus actually means “the Lord saves!” It’s no wonder that God chose this name to give to His Son because He came to save people from their sins. When the angels proclaimed “peace on earth,” they were announcing that peace between God and mankind would now be possible through Jesus.

All of us are born with a problem called sin. God hates sin because it separates us from Him. People have tried many things all throughout history to get rid of sin. They have created false gods, tried to work hard, and attempted to do more good than bad. But God sent Jesus because there’s nothing we can do that is good enough or great enough to pay the price for our sin. Jesus is the only One who can remove our sin and create peace between God and us. Jesus, who never sinned or did anything wrong, came to pay the price for our sin. If we believe that Jesus is the solution for our sin problem, and the only solution, then we can have a relationship with God and even go to Heaven one day!

Spend a few minutes talking about what you just read by answering these questions together:

1. Why do you think it was important that Jesus came?

2. What are some of the wrong or sinful things people do?

3. How did the shepherds react to the birth of Jesus? How have you had a similar response to Jesus?

How can we better follow God this week?

In a few short months, we will celebrate Christmas.We all love getting gifts; few of us would refuse to accept something picked out just for us.  Well, over two thousand years ago, God gave us the greatest gift ever in Jesus! Have you accepted God’s gift of Jesus? Deciding to follow Jesus is the best decision you will ever make. Ask the members of your family who have accepted Jesus as their Savior to name one or two ways He has made a difference in their lives.

Who in your life needs the gift of Jesus? This week, look for an opportunity to give that person a gift. It can be a teacher, a friend, or even someone who makes fun of you. This can be a great way to tell them about Jesus or to invite them to come to church this week.