DAY ONE (1 DEC 2020) - COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

by King's Cross Training December 1, 2020

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us”
Luke 1: 1

Extra readings: Matthew 1, 2; Luke 1, 2

Do you like to keep all the different foods on your plate nice and neatly separated? Or are you the kind of diner who immediately stirs the different food groupings together into one big unidentifiable heap and gobbles it up that way? The world truly is divided between those who mush.. and those who don’t.

When it comes to the Christmas story, we all mush. We Christians carry around in our heads what Bernard Brandon Scott calls a ‘mush gospel’ and nowhere is this more evident than at Christmas time. The birth of Jesus is recorded only in the gospels of Matthew and Luke but the universal Christmas story we know so well tends to be a combination of Matthew and Luke’s narratives with a bit of Santa Claus and Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol thrown in.

We who appreciate how inspired the Bible is, are going to do our Christmas devotions a bit differently this year. We’re going to separate out the gravy and the peas and the roast potatoes and have a good look at the what and why of the two different birth narratives found in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 1 and 2. God is in the details for sure and a new look at this old story, in its two intentionally different Bible tellings, will refresh the miracle of Christmas for us.

Right now, lay aside all that you’ve heard about the Advent before and prepare for fresh revelation.

Prayer

Dear Holy Spirit, reveal afresh to us this year, the truth about the coming of Jesus into our world.

Would you like to do this devotion with the family?

1. Prepare by either buying or making an Advent Calendar for each child.

2. Begin today’s devotion by reminding everyone that its nearly Christmas. Yah! Of course, the best way to do that would be sit down with juice, tea/coffee and some yummy Christmas treats like fruit mince pies or shortbread (perhaps best done mid-afternoon or after dinner).

3. Ask each child in turn to tell you what they know about the Christmas story. Jot down all the different points on a big piece of paper.

4. Explain that what people know about Christmas isn’t all real. Only what comes from the Bible is, so this year you’re all going to have a fresh look at what the Bible tells us about the birth of Jesus.

5. Finish by praying and blessing each child, then allow them to open their Day 1 Advent Calendar.

If you put Christmas decorations up on December 1, then go ahead and do this as a family.

Follow THIS LINK to try out some Christ-centered Christmas decorations.