Introduce kids to the Savior of sinners. This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids (RHB). Listen to previous episodes here.

What do you do when someone tells you to do what God has commanded you not to do? Perhaps someone tells you to steal something, or tell a lie, or hurt someone. You know it’s wrong but what will you do? Will you obey God or obey the person?

Sometimes it’s a hard decision because the person might be someone you want to be friends with, or maybe you’re scared of them, or you want to impress them.

Let’s see what the wise men did when Herod the King commanded them to do something really bad in Matthew 2:7-12. He commanded them to tell him where baby Jesus was, because he wanted to murder him.

GOD TESTS OUR OBEDIENCE

• A king’s authority: Herod the king was very powerful. When he told anyone to do anything, they did it.
• A king’s trick: Herod told the wise men to tell him where they found Jesus so that they could worship him too. But he really wanted to kill him. It was all a trick.

What will the wise men do? This king is very powerful and very clever. Will they obey him and help him kill Jesus, or will they obey God and protect Jesus? God is testing their obedience.

But God doesn’t just test our obedience, he also encourages it. How does he do that here?

GOD ENCOURAGES OUR OBEDIENCE

• With a star (9): He sends a star to lead them to Jesus
• With joy (10): He gives them great joy in Jesus
• With worship (11): He helps them worship baby Jesus and give him gifts.
• With a dream (12): He guides them in a dream not to return to Herod.

What did they do? God tested their obedience and encouraged their obedience. They obeyed God rather than Herod.

No matter who the person is, we must always obey God rather than anyone else. When God tests our obedience, remember God also encourages our obedience with his Word and his providence, with joy in Jesus and with worship of Jesus.

Listen to this episode on Living the Bible podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

Introduce kids to the Savior of sinners. This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids (RHB). Listen to previous episodes here.

Do you ever feel small and forgotten? You may be actually quite tall but still no one notices you or pays attention to you? You get overlooked, or worse, put down. Not a nice feeling is it? It takes away your confidence. It makes you fell worthless and hopeless. Is this what my life is going to be like?

There was once a town that felt very like how you feel. Its name was Bethlehem and it was forgotten, overlooked, put-down. It was one of the smallest places in Israel, always in the shadow of it’s big brother, Jerusalem. But where did Jesus choose to be born? Our reading today in Matthew 2:1-6, told us it wasn’t big Jerusalem but small Bethlehem.

He chose small rather than tall. But he chose small to make tall, and that gives hope to all small people everywhere. Let’s read Matthew 2:6  and then take away two encouraging lessons.

“‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Jesus goes small

• Bethlehem had a small population
• Bethlehem had a small reputation
• Bethlehem had a small future

Jesus makes tall

• Bethlehem will have a big population
• Bethlehem will have a big fame
• Bethlehem will have a big future

Here’s hope for all the small. Jesus goes small to make tall.

Listen to this episode on Living the Bible podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

Have you ever wondered, “What’s the point of all the sacrifices, ceremonies, rituals, washings, etc., in the Old Testament? In fact, have you ever wondered, “What’s the point in the Old Testament?” Can’t we just go straight to the New Testament and ignore and forget the Old Testament?

Jesus’s first visit to church in Luke 2:21-24, helps us understand the Old Testament and its relationship to the New Testament. It helps us to see the important connection between Jesus and the ceremonies, sacrifices, washings, and rituals.

In fact, I’ll go further and say that you will never fully understand the person and work of Christ if you don’t understand the Old Testament. The result of this disconnect will be weaker faith, love, and worship.

The first time Jesus went to church, aged 5-6 weeks, he effectively preached a sermon about his relationship with the Old Testament. Let’s hear his first “sermon” in order to increase our faith, love, and worship of Christ.

Read the rest in my sermon notes here.

Introduce kids to the Savior of sinners. This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids (RHB). Listen to previous episodes here.

Yesterday we talked about how our society and even the church divide people up too much based on their age. When this happens:

• The young do not love or learn from the old
• The old are not encouraged and enlivened by the young

Yesterday, God’s Word encouraged us to learn from the old. Today in Luke 2:36-40, I want you to see how you can encourage the older members of your family or church. Anna was very old, somewhere between 84 and 105. But she was still serving God and speaking of God.

SENIORS CAN STILL SERVE GOD (37)

• Anna served by worshipping
• Anna served by fasting
• Anna served by praying

SENIORS CAN STILL SPEAK OF GOD (38)

• Anna expressed thanks to God
• Anna explained the salvation of God

So why not share this story with your grandma or grandpa today. They might feel useless in their old age. But they can still serve God like Anna did and still speak of God like Anna did.

Listen to this episode on Living the Bible podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

Introduce kids to the Savior of sinners. This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids (RHB). Listen to previous episodes here.

The young are divided from the old in society and the church and this has some harmful results.

• The young think they know everything
• The old don’t share their knowledge

In Luke 2:25-35 we see how much older Christians have to offer if we would meet with them and listen to them.

We’re actually not told how old Simeon was, but the story indicates that he had been waiting to meet Jesus for a long time and was expecting to die quite soon. When he met Jesus, he said, ““Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.” Then he spoke about Jesus:

JESUS IS FOR ALL PEOPLE (31-32)

• A light for the Gentiles
• The glory of Israel

JESUS DIVIDES ALL PEOPLE (34)

• Some people will rise and some will fall
• Some people will oppose Jesus and some will cry about how he is opposed

JESUS REVEALS ALL PEOPLE (35)

• He reveals bad hearts
• He reveals good hearts

If Simeon was going to die soon, these were great last words weren’t they! Listen to old Christians when they talk about Jesus.

Listen to this episode on Living the Bible podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.

Introduce kids to the Savior of sinners. This is a series of audio podcasts for kids who want to meet with Jesus by using Meeting with Jesus: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids (RHB). Listen to previous episodes here.

Jesus’s name is not treated well today.

• It is unused: not used at all
• It is misused: used in a superstitious way
• It is abused: used as a curse

In Luke 2:21-24, especially verse 21, we learn why and how we should treat Jesus’s name.

JESUS IS A HEAVENLY NAME

• It was decided by God: The name was not decided by Joseph or Mary, but by God, before Jesus was even in Mary’s womb
• It was given by God: God gave the name by sending it with an angel to Mary and Joseph

JESUS IS A REVEALING NAME

• It tells us something about Jesus: He is the Savior
• It tells us something about us: We need saving

JESUS IS A WELCOMING NAME

• It welcomes us for salvation: Let’s bring our sins to Jesus for his forgiveness
• It welcomes us to pray: Let’s bring our needs to Jesus for his help
• It welcomes us to worship: Let’s bring our praises to Jesus for his pleasure

If Jesus is a heavenly name, a revealing name, and a welcoming name, let’s use it as God intended.

Listen to this episode on Living the Bible podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and Spotify.