Jesus is a Light for Everyone – Family Devotion – January 7, 2022

Read: Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1,2

Jesus is a Light for Everyone

 

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

Think of all the different ways that we use light. We can use it to light up a dark room. We can use a light to point the way ahead, like using a flashlight. We can use a light to show something is important by highlighting it, like a piece of art or a sign. We use light in many different ways.

Today, God used a light to do the same thing. He used the light of a star to lead some astronomers (starwatchers) from hundreds of miles away in a different country so that they could find the Savior they had read and heard about.

God used a light to point the way, and then to show something very important. There, in Bethlehem, was something really important, something God had talked about in his Word for thousands of years! The Savior had been born.

The Savior wasn’t just for God’s chosen people, the Israelites. The Savior came for everyone. No wonder the wise men, who were not Israelites, were overjoyed when they found Mary, Joseph, and Jesus—they had found the one God had promised; the one who had come to save them from their sins.

The day we celebrate God using the light of a star to reveal to those wise men and to the whole world the Savior who had come for the whole world is called Epiphany. Epiphany means “to reveal.” By leading the wise men by starlight, God illuminated and revealed a Savior that had come for all people.

If God once directed one star to shine in one place for wise men to see Jesus, then will not God move heaven and earth to love us and lead us and direct our eyes to Jesus? The star the wise men followed is gone. But we still have a bright, shiny invitation to follow Jesus. We don’t need a star to guide us, because we have a Savior to guide us to see! We have his Word, his promises, and his invitation to follow, worship, serve, and trust in him.

Closing Prayer:

O Lord, you are the light of the world. As we celebrate your Epiphany, we thank you for revealing yourself to us as the Savior of all people. In your name we pray. 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

• The wise men followed a star to Jesus. After today’s devotion, can you draw a star that leads to Jesus?
• What people did Jesus come to save?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Think of another Bible story that has stars in it? (Hint: Genesis 1)
• What does Epiphany mean? Why do we celebrate it?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• The wise men were guided by a star, how does God continue to guide us today?
• The wise men weren’t Jewish, yet they came to worship the King of the Jews? Why is this important?