JESUS IS BORN

BY THE END OF THE LESSON, WE WILL:

REVIEW the story of the shepherds and Jesus' birth; REFLECT on the meaning of Jesus' birth in contemporary times; and IDENTIFY the saving work of Jesus in the world today.

FOCAL VERSES Luke 2:1-17

KEEP IN MIND

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7).

AT-A-GLANCE

1. Going Back (Luke 2:1-6)
2. Coming Forth (vv. 7-12)
3. Spreading Out (vv. 13-17)

IN FOCUS STORY

Janelle knew Christmas was about more than buying gifts for her three children, but it didn't feel good not having the money to do so. She couldn't believe it was Christmas Eve and her checking account was negative. Desperately, she had applied for and been turned down for and advance loan. She cried when she learned that the Christmas toy giveaway had ended. There was nothing left for her to do but tell the kids the truth. "Tomorrow, there'll be no need to go downstairs and look under the tree," she told them sadly.
Without asking why, her 6-year-old son said, "That's okay, Mommy. My Sunday School teacher says that Jesus is only the gift we need. "That made Janelle cry even harder.
On Christmas morning, Janelle's children were all snuggled in bed with her when they her a knock on the door. There, they found Evangelist Carrington with a car full of gifts and food. "God lad you and the kids on my heart," she whispered to Janelle as they watched the kids eagerly open gifts.
Luke 2 teaches that Jesus is the most unique and honored gift humankind had ever or will ever receive. Worship Him!

THE PEOPLE, PLACES, and TIMES

Joseph. A just man from the lineage of David. He lived in Nazareth in Galilee. Before marrying Mary, he thought to leave the relationship when she told him she was pregnant. But then he received angelic communication that his fiancée was indeed pregnant with a child by the Holy Spirit. He chose to remain with her and raise the child.

Shepherds. Palestine shepherds had lives characterized by danger, hardship, and exposure to extreme heat and cold. Their equipment consisted of a cloak made of sheepskin and fleece which could be turned inside out for protection form the cold, and scrib or wallet for food and money, a staff with a crook to manage the flock and to be used as a weapon against foes, and a sling. The shepherd's occupation required great watchfulness, especially at night.

BACKGROUND

It is true that what the enemy means for evil, God allows for good. At the exact time Joseph and Mary were settling, waiting for the arrival of their firstborn child, Rome mad a decree for a regional census. With Mary so close to her due date, the couple must have wondered how they would make the 90-mile trek from Nazareth to Bethlehem. But God was working behind the scenes. To fulfill His promise, Jesus had to be born in Bethlehem, the City of David. What a better way to get His parents there than by a decree that required the couple to go back to their hometowns to pay taxes?
Homecomings are celebrated with much fanfare, but not this one. The census caused Bethlehem to be so overpopulated that every inn was decorated with No Vacancy signs. Breathtaking contractions caused Mary to stop at the only place she could find to deliver her son - a stable. Imagine Mary pushing between gulps of air in a smelly stable and grunting alongside noisy cows, horses, and pigs. She must've laughed to keep from crying, considering she brought forth the promised Child and had nowhere to lay Him but a feeding trough for makeshift crib.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

1.What caused Joseph and Mary to go back to Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-5)?
2. Whom did the angel tell to go see Jesus (vv. 8-12)?
3. After the announcement, who joined the angel and what did they say (vv. 12-13)?

DISCUSS THE MEANING

1. How did God use the census to fulfill His promise?
2. What made the shepherds tell everyone about the birth of Jesus?
3. In the In Focus story, Janelle's children declared Jesus to be the greatest gift of all. In what was were they like the shepherd?

LESSON IN OUR SOCIETY

The issue of Jesus' birth has become politically charged. Communities are taken to court for displaying a manager. The words "Merry Christmas" are now deemed insensitive to non-Christians. Even Christians argue against observing the birth of the Messiah based on whether the calendar is correct or a previous observance led to this one. As the Apostolic church, how should we be involved in restoring the spiritual focus of the season?

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Jesus is the reason for the season. If you have been baptized in Jesus' Name and filled with the Holy Ghost, how are you sharing your gift with the world? If you have not yet been saved, why are you rejecting the gift of salvation? What is hindering you?


(Except for the Apostolic Light P.A.W.)