Lesson 8: God's Friendship with Us

Unit 2, THE JESUS COVENANT Lesson 8: God’s Friendship with Us

GOSPEL OF Genre: Gospel LUKE Author: Luke PROFILE Where Is It: New Testament: Gospel of Matthew – Mark - LUKE Key Characters: Jesus, the Disciples, Mary (Jesus’ mother), John the Baptist Main Plot: God comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus heals, teaches about the in-breaking kingdom of God, and offers a different way to be human. His death and resurrection is victory over sin, changing the world forever.

THE WORD Luke 2:1-21

ENGAGE THE WORD Lesson Overview: Spiritual Dimension Of all the stories in the Bible, the story of Jesus’ birth is probably the best known. The narrative is told so frequently that we often grow numb to its significance. But what is happening in this passage is something completely creative and amazing! God sends his Son—inviting us into his story of grace and love. Jesus’ birth is the story of God pursuing us and loving us so much that that he actually becomes like us—fully human and fully God. This is life-changing news and so much more than just a manger scene at Christmas. In Jesus, we have the pinnacle example of God doing the unexpected.

In this lesson, as you spend time teaching youth about Jesus—incarnate “God with us”—make sure they encounter the real Jesus. Often, youth (and adults) have a tendency to make Jesus into something other than who he really was. We forget about what Jesus came to accomplish on earth. We tend to leave Jesus in the manger, thinking it’s a nice story but not something to shape our lives around. Or perhaps we see Jesus as a vending machine: we put in our time and energy, and we receive from God what we want. Still others see Jesus as an unapproachable figure who lived a long time ago, but who doesn’t have much to do with our lives today. The story of Emmanuel—God with us—is always, always, always good news for youth and powerful to change their lives.

Biblical Commentary

LUKE 2:1–21 This passage picks up at the amazing circumstances of the birth of Jesus, beginning with Joseph and Mary’s travel to Bethlehem for the census. If you have students who are unfamiliar with this story, it will be important to take a step back and start with the story of Mary and Joseph found in Luke 1:26–38. In Luke 1:31–33, for instance, we read about the foretelling of the birth of Jesus. Terms such as “throne” and “unending kingdom” are used to describe Jesus’ upcoming life. After an introduction like that (and the song of Zechariah in Luke 1:67–79), one might expect something a little more grand than the entrance we find in Luke chapter 2.

THE MAIN IDEA THE BIRTH OF JESUS SHOWS US THAT GOD LOVES US SO MUCH THAT HE COMES TO US. IN CHRIST, GOD DEMONSTRATES WHAT REAL FRIENDSHIP IS.

The story documents a simple birth. Joseph and Mary come into the Good News city not with great fanfare, but in the quiet of night. Jesus’ birth is not The Greek word for good news, in a palace, but in a humble stable or cave. He is wrapped not in kingly or “gospel,” is euaggelion. This robes, but in common strips of cloth. The contrast between what we is where we derive the word expect and what actually transpires seems vast. “evangelism.” The news that a Savior had come is, in fact, good Later in the passage, we read about angelic hosts proclaiming the birth news worth proclaiming and of Jesus. Throughout Scripture, angels are mysterious and divine. And spreading! their announcement is made not to the powerful and well connected, but rather to a group of ordinary shepherds. After the shepherds Consider Your Students settle down and calm their fears at the sight of angels, the angels Forming friendships is a critical impart some important news. In fact, it is called “good news” (Luke part of an adolescent’s transition 2:10) that will be for all people. Indeed, the birth of Jesus is good news into adulthood, but it can be revealing that our God is a faithful Redeemer. He promised a way for challenging for many students. his creation to once again be whole, and through Jesus he delivers a Think about your students who way. The story of Christ’s birth also reveals God’s heart. He longs to be might have difficulty forming with his creation so much that he sends his own Son to dwell with and friendships at school or in other areas of life. be God among us.

REFLECT ON THE TOPIC: In what ways is the story of the birth of Jesus world-changing and life-transforming?

Is there an important relationship between the humble setting and circumstances of Jesus’ birth and his message and mission throughout the rest of the gospel?

REFLECT ON YOUR STUDENTS: What observations have you made about your students’ quest for identity and communal belonging?

RESOURCES • Bibles • Pens and markers • Costumes and prop for drama • Materials for a creative response such as journaling, painting, coloring, sketching, sculpting, etc. • Christmas music

47 UNIT 2, THE JESUS COVENANT DISCUSSION GUIDE

LESSON Main Idea: The birth of Jesus shows us that God loves us so much that he comes OUTLINE to us. In Christ, God demonstrates what real friendship is. Connect to My Experience: Welcome and Prayer Christmas Favorites (or) White Elephant Exchange Conversation About God’s Friendship Connect to the Word: Spontaneous Christmas Pageant (or) Modern-Day Manger Scene Connect to My Life and the World: God’s Friendship Is a Treasure (or) A Note to God Closing: Affirmation and Prayer

CONNECT TO MY EXPERIENCE Student Goal: Youth will start to relate Christmas to God’s great invitation of friendship. Note: Because this lesson covers the Christmas story, bring in some fun Christmas treats and Christmas games even if you’re teaching the lesson outside of the traditional Christmas season.

WELCOME YOUR GROUP AND OPEN IN PRAYER Below is the prayer of confession that will be shown throughout this entire unit. Consider making this your class prayer for these few weeks:

PRAY:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

After prayer, lead right into one of the ice breakers and/or opening options below.

OPENING OPTION: CHRISTMAS FAVORITES Go around the group and ask each student to name some of their Prayer of Christmas favorites: Their favorite Christmas movie, Christmas song, and Confession favorite Christmas memory. Encourage each student to reflect on the This is a traditional prayer significance of Christmas in their own life. of confession which often Begin a conversation with something like this: begins a service of worship. Consider discussing with your student how confess- How important are the friends in your life? ing our sins against God and neighbor helps heal our friendship with God.

48 GOD’S FRIENDSHIP WITH US

SAY: Although it’s not Christmas time, we are starting a new series today and talking about the birth of Jesus. So let’s get into the Christmas spirit! For the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about “friendships.” What does the Christmas story have to do with friendship? Well, that’s what we’re going to find out today. The Christmas story is one we all know really well. In fact, we can become desensitized to the story because we hear it so often at Christmas time. Today, I want to show you how the birth of Jesus reveals that God loves us and wants to be in relationship with us—that he came to be our friend.

ASK: Who can tell me some of the key characters in the Christmas story? Where in the Bible do we find the Christmas story?

Take a Bible and turn to the Gospel of Luke. Show students that Luke’s gospel is one of four gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, and John are the others—which tell the story of Jesus. Invite students to open up Bibles and follow along.

CONNECT TO THE WORD Student Goal: Youth will take a look at the surprising and humble way in which the King of the Universe comes into the world. SAY: Today we are going to be looking at the story of Jesus’ birth found in the book of Luke chapter 2. This story picks up after Mary and Joseph have heard the news that Mary will be having a baby and that the baby will be Jesus. Let’s take a minute and read a couple of the Christmas in the things that have been said about this baby who is going to be born. Bible Pay attention to how this baby is described. I’ll ask some questions Each gospel contains after we read these first few passages and write our answers down. varying degrees of detail about God coming into our ASK a student to read Luke 1:26–38. The Scripture is supplied on the world in the person of Jesus handout for Lesson 8, which you will find in the back of this book. The Christ. The Gospel of Luke purpose of this passage, especially verses 31-33, is to highlight the contains the most detailed royal, important, and grand descriptions of Jesus. account. The Gospel of Matthew presents differ- ASK: What does this passage say about who this baby will be? (Write ent details and angles. down answers on a whiteboard or poster board.) Mark’s account omits the birth narrative and picks ASK a student to read Luke 1:67-79. The purpose of this passage, up at the beginning of especially verses 68-71, is to highlight the description of Jesus coming Jesus’ ministry. Lastly, John to save and redeem the people. devotes the beginning of his gospel account to showing ASK: What does Zechariah have to say about who this baby will be? us the cosmic and theolog- ical significance of Jesus’ SAY: According to these two passages, we can expect big things birth. from this baby! Now, let’s take a look at what happens when he is actually born.

49 UNIT 2, THE JESUS COVENANT

ASK a student to read Luke 2:1-21. The purpose of this passage is to explore the humble, simple, yet extraordinary context of how God entered into our world.

Say: As familiar as Jesus’ birth story might seem to most of you, there is something incredible going on here. This picture is what it looks like for God to come into our world. Think about how humble, simple, and ordinary the setting was for such an extraordinary and miraculous event. We’re going to spend a few minutes looking at this familiar, yet miraculous, story.

CREATIVE OPTION: SPONTANEOUS CHRISTMAS PAGEANT Explain to the students that they will be putting on an impromptu Christmas pageant today. Assign roles and have students work together to come up with a script of their own. They can act it out as a traditional pageant or they can modernize it. Once they have a script, costumes, and characters, have them act it out. To make it even more fun, you might want to record a video of the skit and send it out to your students and parents later.

CREATIVE OPTION: MODERN-DAY MANGER SCENE After you have read the passage from Luke, break your students into Four Observations groups of three or four. Give each group a poster board, scissors, glue, 1. Jesus is described as being and a collection of magazines. (Be sure to go through the magazines a king whose reign will never prior to class and remove anything questionable.) Tell your students end (1:32-33), and a redeemer and savior of a nation (1:68-70). they have 10 to 15 minutes to recreate the manger scene using images However, Jesus is not born in from the magazines. When they are done, compare manger scenes. a palace to a powerful, royal (Simplified Option: Instruct your students to get in groups and draw an family. He is born into a humble, simple, even messy situation. updated, modern-day version of what the manger scene would look like.) (2:1-21). WRAP UP the Creative Options by asking the following questions: 2. The “good news” of Jesus is for Which character in the birth story do you identify with most? Which all people (2:10). things or people in this passage do you think get overlooked? 3. God uses ordinary people like Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and How is the way God came into our world different than we might have Zechariah to bring his good news expected based on the descriptions we read in Luke 1? into the world. Why do you think Jesus was born in a simple and humble way? What 4. God entering into our world does it tell you about who Jesus is going to be? as a human is evidence of God’s pursuing love for us. In Luke 2:10, who did the angel say the “good news” is for?

50 GOD’S FRIENDSHIP WITH US

CONNECT TO MY LIFE AND THE WORLD Student Goal: Youth will draw closer to God by reflecting on and communicating what his friendship means to them. SAY: Often, when we think about friendship we don’t think of the Christmas story; but maybe we should. The Christmas story is God saying, “I love you so much, I came to be with you.” Isn’t that what good friends do when we need them? They drop everything to come be with us! God’s gift of Jesus should change our lives. For that reason, we are going to take some time to ponder the birth of Jesus and what it means.

RESPONSE OPTION: A NOTE TO GOD Friends talk to each other. The beauty of Jesus showing up in our world is that now God is a person with whom we can have a relationship, a friendship. Take a few minutes to write a note to God. Thank God for what he has done in your life or in the lives of others around you. Express your worries or fears to God in this note. Confess your struggles and shortcomings to God. He can handle all of it! Write, draw, or color. Encourage students to spread out and work quietly so others can take time to focus. When students are finished, ask if anyone wants to share any portion of their note to God.

ASK: What did you think about the time you spent either pondering or writing to God?

How does the story of Jesus’ birth impact your life? How does this story change the way we might think of God in terms of friendship?

If God is a friend who humbles himself and enters into the mess of our lives, how might he be asking us to do the same for others around us?

CLOSING AFFIRMATION AND PRAYER Facilitator Note: SAY: God’s story is ongoing. In the birth of Jesus, we see that God This is a good loves us so much that he gently pursues us. He becomes one of us, time to play some “God with us.” By offering his friendship to us, he comes close to soft Christmas each of us. music while Pray for your students, thanking God for his friendship with each of your students them. Ask that God would fill them with his Spirit—the Spirit of the work. Encourage one who, in humility, enters into the mess and offers hope, healing, students to and life. spread out and work quietly so others can take time to focus. When students are finished, ask if anyone wants to share their artistic “treasure.”