This Child is God – Family Devotion – December 24, 2021

Read: John 1:1-18

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

This Child is God

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! It’s hard to believe but it’s true: God came to live with us! Can you imagine what it must be like to live with God? It’s hard to think of because, as the Bible says, “No one has ever seen God” (1 John 4:12). The Bible does tell us some things about God. He knows everything. He knows how many hairs are on your head without counting them, and he knows how many years are in your life before you even live them. He can do anything. He created butterflies and the Grand Canyon and grapefruits and friendship. He’s holy. He never gets anything wrong, never says the wrong thing, and never makes a mistake. Most importantly, God is love. He isn’t too busy for anyone, and he’s always making sure other people have what they need.

Does that sound like someone you would like to live with? What would it be like to live with an ultra-powerful super-genius who’s never wrong and is the nicest person who’s ever lived? That is what heaven is like. God could make your favorite dessert the size of a house, but he would only do it if it were good for you. And he would know if it were good for you. And if you were sad about his answer, he could invent something even better than what you wanted in the first place. Living with God would be amazing!

But wait… any person who isn’t perfect cannot live with God, who is perfect. In the Bible, whenever sinful people get close to the perfect God, they always fall on their faces and start crying because God is just too good for them. We can’t go to God because we just aren’t good enough.

So God came up with a brilliant solution. He came to live with us. God, who has existed forever, was born on Christmas. People who met Jesus got to know how great it was to live with God. He created their favorite foods for them. He healed their diseases. He brought dead people back to life. And then the God who created every living thing was crucified and died. He did it because God is love.

But now do you want to hear the best part? God still lives with us! The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit placed their names on the doors of our hearts and promised to always be with us. Someday, God will invite us to go to heaven and live with him forever.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS! God’s promise to come live with us has come true!

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to live with us on earth. Thank you for opening up a way for us to live with you in heaven. Live in our hearts and homes this Christmas. We love and adore you for being true God. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• What makes Jesus the most special baby ever?
• Even though you haven’t seen God, name something you see that tells you God exists.

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Name an attribute or characteristic of God that is your favorite. Explain why you chose the one you did.
• What part of living with God are you most excited about?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• God became a baby to live on earth. Discuss why that doesn’t make sense to human brains.
• If someone asked, “What is God like?” you could start telling them stories about Jesus. Which stories would you tell first?