Day One Luke 2:1-5
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. – Luke 2:1-5 (NLT)
Discover
1. Describe the setting surrounding the birth of Jesus in verses 1-4 (read more background notes by clicking on the “Global Study Bible” feature on the right hand side of this page).
2. What do you learn about Joseph in verses 4-5?
3. What do you learn about Mary?
Respond
The power of the Christmas story can be found within its many peculiarities. One of those peculiarities is that God chose a poor, unwed, teenage girl as the mother of the Savior of the world. To be pregnant and not married in first century culture would have resulted in Mary being shamed, shunned, and possibly even stoned by her community. In what had to be a moment of extreme shock and confusion, Mary chose not to focus on herself, but rather, on the character of God. She responds to the news of her pregnancy with a song of praise, revealing a humble servant – a girl familiar with the God of Israel and His Word. Spend some time reflecting on her response now, turning over anything to God that may be causing you to keep your eyes on your own circumstances instead of Him.
For Families with Kids at Home:
Throughout the Bible, we see God work through some of the most unexpected people. When it was time for Jesus to enter the world, He didn’t pick a rich powerful family for Jesus to belong to. Instead, He picked a poor teenage servant to bring Jesus into the world. Encourage your kids with the fact that, just like Mary, God can work through anyone who is willing to be used by Him - including them!