Week 1: God is With Us
November 30 - December 6
Which of your family’s Christmas traditions is your favorite? Why do you look forward to this activity every year? Traditions are great because of what we get to do—bake cookies, watch movies, or sing carols. But they’re also special because of who we do these activities with—mom, dad, siblings, grandparents, or friends. Similarly, the Christmas story is special not only because of what we celebrate—Jesus’s birth—but because of who Jesus is: Immanuel, God with us.
This Week’s Reading:
Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:18-24
Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Matthew 1:18-24
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Reflection Questions:
What does the name “Immanuel” mean? Why is it a good name for Jesus? Immanuel in Hebrew means “God with us”. Jesus is literally “God with us”. God present as a human being—both in His birth at Christmas but even still today through the Holy Spirit. It reminds us God is always with us.
Additional Readings:
Family Activity:
Take a sheet of paper and write in the middle of the page, “God is with us,” and circle it (draw a Christmas tree or star around it). As a family, think of times when you knew God was with you or your family. Write these on the page around the shape.
Some ideas: during my math test, when I fell off my bike, when Dad lost his job, or when Grandma was sick. When you are done, take time to pray and thank God for being with your family. Display your list in a public place—the refrigerator, a bulletin board, or a common space—to help you remember that God is always with you.