The Christmas (His)Story: The History of HIS story.
The Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus, is not just another story we hear at Christmas. The Christmas story is history, it really happened, and it is HIS story, the true story of the arrival of Jesus, “God with us”, here to save us. And His story needs to impact our story.
Week 1: The Christmas (His)Story According to Old Testament
The birth of Jesus is recorded in detail in both the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke, but the birth of Jesus was spoken of, predicted and promised throughout the Old Testament. The fact that Jesus met and fulfilled all the Old Testament promises shows us that God makes promises, God keeps His promises, and I can trust God’s promises.
LIVE OAK CONNECTION POINT:
A great opportunity to serve this season is with the Salvation Army as part of their Red Kettle Campaign. Grab your friends, family, your small group and join in this effort to support all the great work that the Salvation Army does in our community and nationally. You can register to ring here
DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
- What is your favorite Christmas movie?
- What are some of your favorite Christmas memories?
READ: Matthew 1:18-25
Spend some time SOAPing this passage. You can either spend time SOAPing individually and documenting for a several minutes and then spend time sharing with each -OR- SOAP in real time with each other. Either way make as many observations as you can.
- OBSERVATIONS: What are the things that stand out to you about this passage?
- In the Gospel of Matthew 1:22-23, an Old Testament book, Isaiah 7:14. is quoted and affirmed that Jesus is “Immanuel” which means “God with us”. What does the promise that God is with us mean to you?
- How can you practice the presence of Jesus in everyday life?
- What is the significance of the many prophecies made about the birth of the Messiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born? Why does it mater?
In Luke’s Gospel, he gives us an account of the birth of Jesus and a valuable truth: Luke 1:37 tells us that “For no word from God will ever fail”. Doug said that one of the things he takes from the fact that Jesus fulfilled so many of the prophecies/promises made in the Old Testament about the birth of Jesus is that God MAKES promises, God KEEPS His promises, and we can TRUST God’s promises…all His promises. What is a promise of God that you count on?
READ: Luke 2:22-35. What stands out to you about Simeon and his response to encountering the baby Jesus?
- Where have you been in a season of waiting?
- What promise of God can you hold on to in this season of waiting?
READ: Isaiah 9:6“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Doug pointed out that it was prophesied 700 years before Jesus was born that Jesus would play many purposes in our lives. Mentioned here are:
Wonderful Counselor: A counselor who helps you navigate life, challenges & make decisions.
Mighty God: A miracle worker who rescues us from seemingly hopeless situations.
Everlasting Father: A good and consistent Heavenly Father who parents us by His love, provision, protection and care
Prince of Peace: The God who brings peace to our lives when our world is full of anxiety, fear and stress.
- Which one of the ones mentioned here do you need most in this season of life? Why?
- What else stood out from this week’s sermon?
- What is your big takeaway from this week’s sermon?
- What are some ways you could be intentional this Christmas season? What plans could you make to meaningfully engage with Jesus and others during this Christmas season?
NEXT STEPS:
Everyone has a next step to apply what we have learned. What is your next step?Be specific.
MEMORY VERSE: *Challenge yourself or your group to commit this verse to memory:
Luke 1:37 “For no word from God will ever fail”
PRAYER:
Spend some time praying for each other.
Scripture References:
Matthew 1:21-23; Isaiah 7:14; Genesis 3:15; Micah 5:2; Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 2:7; Genesis 22:18; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:2; Psalm 72:10; Jeremiah 31:15; Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:37