Good Things Week 3-God's plans require sacrifice

By now you've probably heard so many Christmas carols you're probably singing them in your sleep! But to get us ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I thought we could start with a song.

INSTRUCTIONS: Give each of your students (or just a few who you bring to the front of the room) with kid instruments and kazoos. Put the lyrics to "Away in a Manger" in a visible place and have your students perform the song.

Those lyrics sure do paint a picture!

No bed, donkey poop everywhere, a newborn baby, and a brand new mother hanging out in some itchy straw on the hard ground. I guess that's one way for Jesus to make an entrance. Have you ever wondered what it must have been like for Mary in that stable? Think of the stench she put up with! But a smelly animal cave wasn't the first sacrifice Mary would make, nor would it be the last. "Sacrifice" isn't usually what we think about when we think about Christmas, is it? Instead, we think about what we want, the gifts we're excited to receive, and the experiences that make us happy. But what if, this Christmas, we asked ourselves some new questions, like . . .

*Title Slide*

What have other people given up for me this Christmas? What has God given up for me? What can I give in return? Why does it matter if I do?

SO WHAT? Why does it matter to God and to us?

POLL | "What are some sacrifices you've had to make at Christmastime?"

Christmas comes with obligations for everyone. Some of those obligations we choose and some are chosen for us. Buying a gift for Secret Santa with friends? Awesome! Going to your cousin's cringey Christmas play? Maybe not so awesome.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read each scenario one at a time while students respond by raising their hand or standing up if they can relate.

What are some sacrifices you've had to make at Christmastime?

Do any of these sound familiar? Have you ever had to . . .

Help hang Christmas lights until you thought your arms would fall off?

Not see your friends because you had family obligations?

Sit next to your weird Uncle Eddie at Christmas dinner?

Eat every bite of Aunt Edna's Christmas-tree-shaped Jell-O salad?

Babysit your younger relatives while the adults went Christmas shopping?

Spend a ton of your savings on Christmas gifts?

We all make at least the occasional sacrifice at Christmastime, so as we look at a few more of the events that led to the very first Christmas, think about the discomfort and hesitation you sometimes feel when you're being asked to be inconvenienced.

SCRIPTURE | Luke 1:26-38

The full story of Christmas can be found twice in the Bible — once in the Gospel of Matthew and once in the Gospel of Luke. Today we're going to look at Luke's version of the story.

Luke tells the story of Jesus from a different perspective than the other Gospel writers because he was not Jewish. Unlike Jesus and His disciples, Luke was a Gentile (which is just another way of saying he was not Jewish). While some of the other authors of the New Testament wrote mostly with a Jewish audience in mind, Luke wrote his book with everyone in mind — Jew or Gentile, religious or non-religious. Luke risked his reputation and social status with his Gentile (non-Jewish) family and friends to follow the way of a radical Rabbi named Jesus. Luke knew God's plan for humanity included every person, no matter their ethnicity or religious background. He wanted everyone to know Jesus was good news for them too — especially people who weren't usually prioritized by the religious leaders of the time.

Maybe that's why Luke wrote down the stories of more women than any other Gospel writer. Women were often overlooked in society at that time, but Luke seems to have noticed the way Jesus always elevated and honored women. One of the women whose story Luke told is Mary, the mother of Jesus. When we meet her, she is an unmarried young woman.

Luke 1:26–38 NIV

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Can you imagine being in Mary's shoes? That angel gave her a lot to process.

At first, Mary was really "troubled," which makes sense. This was a major upset. An inconvenience. Not part of the plan. Then she was confused. How was this even possible? But in the end, she said, "Okay!" She was ready to be part of God's plan for the world, even if it meant making some sacrifices.

SCRIPTURE | Luke 1:46-55

INSTRUCTIONS: Read Luke 1:46-55

Luke 1:46–55 NIV

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

In Mary's song, we see she had hope that God's love would one day win over all the evil and broken things. When she saw that promise being fulfilled, she was full of joy that she had a role in making God's plan finally happen. Mary expressed a lot of joy, but that doesn't mean she wasn't making a big sacrifice.

Mary was a real teenage girl, having a real baby. She would experience a real pregnancy with all the discomfort and labor pains that came with it — in a stinky stable, no less. She would have to deal with judgment and assumptions from people who didn't know her story and simply saw an unmarried girl with a baby. But Mary trusted God had good things in store, even if she had to make some sacrifices in the meantime.

SCRIPTURE | Romans 12:1

There's a passage in the book of Romans that captures Mary's attitude in this moment.

INSTRUCTIONS: Read Romans 12:1

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

I know what you might be thinking. "Is God asking for me to sacrifice my body? What?" Don't worry. Here's what Paul (the author of Romans) is trying to teach us . . .

Because Jesus sacrificed Himself for our sins once and for all, we no longer need to make religious sacrifices in order to be loved by God. We're already loved, just the way we are. But if we're going to make any sacrifices to God, God invites us to sacrifice ourselves — to give ourselves to God just like Jesus gave Himself fully for us. When you think about it, you start to realize that Christmas is all about sacrifice.

The very first Christmas would never have happened without Mary's sacrifice. Because of her love for, and trust in, God, she gave up her own plans in order to say yes to God's plan. Because of Mary's sacrifice, Jesus was born! On that very first Christmas, another sacrifice happened as well. By coming to earth as Jesus, God was making a sacrifice too. Jesus (God Himself) chose to give up His heavenly existence in order to experience an earthly life — a life He always knew would end in death and suffering. Then, thirty-ish years after that first Christmas, Jesus' sacrificed Himself. He gave up everything, eventually even His life, for you and me, so God's plans could be completed. And now today, God is inviting you and me to consider how we can make a sacrifice in order to be part of God's plans too. God's plans for us and for the world are always good, but just like Mary, Jesus, and so many who have gone before us discovered,

God’s plans require sacrifice.

NOW WHAT? What does God want us to do about it?

STORY | Talk about a sacrifice you're glad you made.

I don't know what kind of sacrifices God might be inviting you to make.

Maybe it's a sacrifice between you and God. Maybe you're being asked to give up on a bad habit, or pattern of behavior, or sin that's holding you back from experiencing all of the "good things" God has for you.

Maybe it's a sacrifice God is asking you to make for others. Maybe there's someone who could really benefit from something you have the power to give them. Maybe part of God's good plans for you and them involves this sacrifice you're being asked to make.

REFLECTION | Reprioritizing

A sacrifice always costs us something, otherwise it wouldn't be a sacrifice. We might hesitate because we're afraid . . .

Of wasting our time, energy, or money. Of our reputation getting ruined. Of giving up control. Of losing family and friends. Of feeling uncomfortable. That following God's plans will make our lives boring, restrictive, or unhappy. But do you remember how full of joy Mary was after she decided to make a sacrifice in order to be part of God's plans? God's plans are always bigger, more fulfilling, and more full of joy than any plans we could design for ourselves. So what about you? What can you give? What are your priorities right now and how can you reprioritize them to be more selfless?

YOUR TIME:

Think about how you're using your time. Of course, there are plenty of things on your schedule that are important, but how can you find pockets of time to spare? How can you sacrifice some of your time to better connect with God? How can you sacrifice some of your time to care for and serve someone else? Who or what might God be inviting you to spend your time on?

YOUR ENERGY:

We all have a limited amount of energy each day, but if we're honest, we're probably not using our energy on the best things all of the time. We might be spending too much energy worrying about things that don't matter, or doing things that only help us and no one else. So what would it look like for you to sacrifice some of your energy and give it to God or to others? What kinds of things do you think God might be asking you to do or care about? Who might God be inviting you to spend your energy on?

YOUR STUFF:

You're probably not rich, and that's okay. But we all have some "stuff" we don't need. It might be an object you own (like money, clothes, or anything you own that you can share) or something else you have (like a skill, a friendship, an opportunity, or a relationship). How can you use the stuff you have to sacrifice for God or for someone else?

*Title Slide

ACTIVITY | A Christmas Surprise

In the last few weeks, I hope you've learned to see the Christmas story in a new way. It's not just an old story we repeat every year. It's a reflection of God's plans, which began at the beginning of time and are still in motion today. Christmas reminds us that . . .

God has a plan to restore everything that was broken by sin and death.

Jesus completes God's plan through His birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Jesus brings joy. He did it when He first arrived on earth and He continues to bring joy right now to everyone who knows and loves Him.

God's plans have always been good, but God’s plans require sacrifice.

This Christmas, will you choose to be part of God's good plans?

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