OUR SAVIOR LOWERED HIMSELF TO SAVE US, WHICH SHOULD MOVE US TO WORSHIP.

SCRIPTURE | Luke 2:1-20

CENTRAL TRUTH

Jesus’s birth reminds us that He was like us. Though Jesus is the King of kings, He was born humbly. All things were created through Jesus (John 1:3), but God the Son entered into creation and wrapped Himself in flesh to dwell with us. Why? To save us from our sin.

KEY QUESTION

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 8:9. HOW DO YOU SEE THIS REFLECTED IN JESUS’S BIRTH? WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS MADE HIMSELF POOR FOR US TO BE RICH?

KEEP IN MIND

Students may wonder why God couldn’t just send Jesus here to wipe out sin and death without Him having to be like us—except for remaining sinless, of course. They may ask why and if Jesus had to be human to save us. Sin is like a credit card, constantly racking up debt and requiring payment. And for Jesus to act as our faithful high priest and to pay for our sins, He had to be like us in every way (Heb. 2:17). Because Jesus suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help us when we are tempted (Heb. 2:18). The best part? Jesus chose to do this for us. He chose submission to the Father’s will to come here—to leave a throne in heaven, to feel hunger and thirst, to feel grief, to experience temptation, to die a painful death. Why? So that He could pay our debt. So that we can be freed from sin. We can help students understand that God’s plan was always to save them by sending Jesus here to be like them and to pay their debt for sin.

APPLICATION

WHY DO WE EASILY LOSE THE AWE AND WONDER OF JESUS’S BIRTH? HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE IT MORE THAN JUST AT CHRISTMAS?

THE WIN

FOR THE STUDENT: At Christmas, students often focus on presents and parties more than the real reason: God came down to us to save us. Students can continuously express joy and gratitude for Jesus’s birth by worshiping Him daily.

FOR THE LEADER: We often lose the awe and wonder that Jesus was Immanuel, God with us. Consider how you can help students remember this truth often as you dwell on it too.