Jesus Christ Loves All God's Children

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As God's child, the Creator of everything is your Heavenly Father.
His Son, Jesus Christ, is your loving Big Brother and Very Best Friend.
His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, is your All Powerful Helper and Faithful Guide.

L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.

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DAY 1

GOD DOES BIG THINGS THROUGH HIS CHILDREN

LUKE 2:10,11

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Easy Print .PDF Version of Day 1. International Bible Study Commentary on Luke 2:8-20. International Bible Study Commentaries on Luke.

Do you ever wonder why God chose to send His angels to some humble shepherds on a hillside to announce the greatest news the world had ever heard?  Do you think those shepherds, more than any others near Bethlehem, might have needed this joyful good news the most?  Were they poor and suffering more than others?  Were their hearts more prepared than others to receive the good news of the promised Messiah’s birth?

Do you ever wonder why God’s Son was born to a poor carpenter and his devout young wife? Why didn’t God send His newborn Son into the home of one of this world’s rich and famous? But with their exquisite lifestyle, would they have made room in their hearts for the Son of God? Would they have travelled to Bethlehem and stayed in a stable to give birth to their child and fulfill God’s promises? Would they have taken the time to raise God’s Son to live a holy, truthful, obedient, and compassionate life whether He was rich or poor? Or would they have raised Him so He could find comfort among the rich and famous?

From this world’s point of view, God sent His Son to some of the most unlikely and insignificant people on earth, but what God does makes no sense to the worldly. But in the birth of God’s only begotten Son, our Heavenly Father has shown the world and you and me that His Son came to reach out to all people, to the rich and poor, to the well and sick, to the honored and despised, to the well-educated and uneducated, to the righteous and sinners — to you and to me.

The Bible shows how Jesus fulfilled His Father’s purpose by loving and bringing into God’s family all types of people and making all types of people His children. After Jesus died on the cross, both rich and poor followers helped with His burial, and later they rejoiced together at the good news of His resurrection. In the early Church, both the highly esteemed and the lowly followers of Jesus served God together. They proclaimed the saving power of their resurrected Lord to every type of person, and they led them into the family of God. God did big things through His children then, and He still does big things through His family now.

This day and every day, Jesus wants to fill our hearts and minds with His truth and love. He wants His presence and power to be with us through His indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus wants to fill our hearts to overflowing with His peace and joy, and He does so in all His Father’s children. The Bible tells us how to become God’s child and a part of God’s family. In John 1:12, we read about what Jesus will do for everyone who receives Him and believes Him: “To all who received Him [Jesus], who believed in His [Jesus] name, He [Jesus] gave power to become children of God.” Throughout the history of the world, God has done and will continue to do big things through the most unlikely people, through those who believe in and trust in Jesus, because they are His children in His family.

Read Luke 2:8-15

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. (Luke 2:8)

Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (Luke 2:9)

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: (Luke 2:10)

to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11)

This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, (Luke 2:13)

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:14)

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15).

Ideal for Personal Study, Home and Mid-week Bible Groups, and Sunday Schools!
Proceed at YOUR Own Pace Week-by-Week!