DAY FIVE

Series

Prepare Him Room

Date

November 19, 2023

Written By The Chapel

Scripture

That night, there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”
Luke 2:8-10 NLT

Day Five

Our world operates on a hierarchy. People with higher status get special treatment – the best seats, the best food, the best service, and have access to things the rest of us don’t.

But God’s kingdom isn’t like that. God flips the world’s values on its head (see Matthew 5:3-12). The world would say the announcement of Jesus’ birth should first come to the rich and famous and those with power and influence. But it didn’t.

Instead, God sends his angels to a field on the outskirts of Bethlehem to give the message of Jesus’ arrival to a group of shepherds in the middle of the night. The shepherds are the nobodies of Jewish society. And though their job is necessary, no one cares what shepherds wear, think, or do. But God cares for them and gives them one of the most important announcements ever given.

You are precious to God. And God wants you to know his kingdom isn’t just for a privileged few – it is for everyone. Everything Jesus brings into the world is for YOU: his presence, his love, his hope, his forgiveness, his healing, his restoration, his goodness, his peace. It’s not just reserved for some. It is for all. Everything he has is for YOU.

Prayer

Father, I may not have high status in the world’s eyes, but I am so grateful that I matter to you. You see me. You care about me. You sent Jesus for me. Today, I will let this good news bring me great joy.

1- How does it make you feel that God chose the shepherds to be the first to hear about Jesus’s birth?
2- How do you think God feels about you? Does this line up with what this passage tells us?
Jesus is good news of great joy for ALL people! Have everyone write down 2-3 names of people that this message of good news is for. This could be anyone past or present (i.e. people in the Bible, people in history, neighbors, friends, etc.). Try to choose people everyone will know. Then take turns drawing names and playing either pictionary or charades as a family to guess the names.
- Talk about how Jesus often spent time with people who were not popular and often looked down upon. How does this make you feel? How can we follow his example in our own lives?
- Who are people in your life right now who don’t know Jesus, but you want them to know the good news Jesus brings? Pray as a family for these people.