Good News to Share! – December 18, 2023

Read: Isaiah 61:1-3,10,11

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.
Isaiah 61:1-3,10

Good News to Share!

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

What are you really excited about? Perhaps you are excited that Christmas is only a few days away. Do you get excited when your birthday starts to get close? Or maybe your mom is going to have a baby and you are going to be an older brother or sister?

There are things that we get really excited about, and when they are about to happen, our excitement overflows and makes us want to tell others. We want them to be excited about it too!

God was excited. The time for him to send the person who was going to save people from sin and death was getting closer. He wanted to tell his people, so that they too would be excited for this Savior to arrive. God used a man named Isaiah to tell his people this exciting news—a Savior was coming, and he was going to do some great things! He was going to free people who were stuck in sin. He was going to comfort people who were sad about the bad things they had done. He was going to tell them good news—he was going to take away all their sins! How exciting!

Who is this Savior? It’s Jesus, the Son of God! He came to earth at Christmas in order to free us from the sin we are stuck in, to comfort us about the bad we have done, and to tell us the good news that all our sin is forgiven!

Christmas is such an exciting time! And the same thing that God and Isaiah were excited to tell people about is the same thing you and I can tell people about this week. Christmas is coming! It means God has sent you a Savior with some really good news! Share that good news! Invite people you know to hear that exciting message at your church on Christmas!

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, fill my heart with excitement about the birth of Jesus at Christmas so that I can be excited to tell others about who Jesus is and what he came to do. 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

• Name one thing that is coming up that you are excited about. Why are you excited about it?
• What do you think is the best thing Jesus has done for you?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Why should we be excited at Christmas? (And it isn’t about the gifts we might get!)
• Today’s devotion describes God’s Christmas gifts to you as clothing (“garments of salvation” and “in a robe of righteousness”). At what moment of your life did God personally give you those gifts?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Think of someone who is feeling pretty hopeless in your life. It could even be you. Take a moment and reread the verses of today’s devotion from Isaiah. Which ones make you feel hopeful? These words from Isaiah describe the things Jesus would do here on earth. Can you think of an example of Jesus’ ministry when he preached good news, comforted someone who was mourning, helped someone who was hurting, and proclaimed freedom for those caught in sin?
• Finish this sentence: Christmas is a great time to be a Christian because _____________________.