The Heart of Christmas is Love

Bible Passage: Luke 1:39–45, Galatians 4:4–7

Summary: The profound truth of our adoption into God's family through Jesus Christ; how God's love transforms us from outsiders to beloved children.

Application: Understanding our identity as adopted children of God helps us navigate struggles with self-worth, belonging, and purpose. It reassures us of our value in God's eyes and encourages us to live in the freedom and love that comes from our identity in Christ.

Point to Christ: Jesus, as the embodiment of God's love, fulfills the promise of adoption. He reconciles us to the Father, creating a new relationship between humanity and God, rooted in grace and love that transcends our failings.

Write Up: At just the right time, Jesus came into the world. He came to free us from the crushing weight of the law. We could never be good enough to earn salvation, so Jesus lived a perfect life on our behalf. Why? Because of love. God wanted us to be a part of his family. Out of love, he adopted us through the work of Christ. We are now the sons and daughters of God. Jesus is our brother and we can rest in the love of the Father.

Think: There is no love that compares to the love of the Father God.

Feel: I don’t have to work to be good enough to receive God’s love. It is already mine in Jesus.

Do: Stop striving to gain God’s approval. You are invited into his family by his grace and love. Share his love with others around you.

Study: Adoption in biblical times. 'adoption' and 'sonship,' the implications of being heirs according to the promise in Galatians 4:7.

Big Idea: Being adopted into God's family through Christ transforms our identity and empowers us to live as His beloved children, full of grace and purpose in our daily lives.

Apply: Sometimes, gifts come late or simply get lost in the mail, or aren’t exactly what we expected.

1. God’s Gift Came Just On Time

Luke 1:39–41

Recognition of the Gift

Mary's visit to Elizabeth unveils the joy of recognizing Jesus' presence, even as an unborn child, which symbolizes our initial encounter with God's family through Christ.

Galatians 4:4–5

God's perfect timing and plan in sending His Son to redeem us, facilitating our adoption.

2. Receiving and Claiming the Gift

Apply: Gifts often come with name tags so we know whose they are. And, sometimes we don’t feel that we deserve great gifts.

Luke 1:42–45

Joy in Receiving the Gift

Elizabeth's blessing over Mary highlights the affirmation and encouragement we receive as members of God's family.

The joy shared between Elizabeth and Mary reminds us that through Christ, our lives are profoundly transformed.

Claiming the Gift Ourselves

Just as Mary is blessed for believing the promise, we too are blessed by faith in our identity in Christ.

Our identity as God's children brings reassurance of our divine worth and belonging.

3. We Are Loved Into the Family of God

Apply: Like any family who comes together at holidays, we come with our own baggage, our learned habits and ways of relating. But, when we are loved well and learn new healthy habits, we flourish in life.

Galatians 4:6–7

Being called children of God through the Spirit's work.

This transformative act of the Spirit in receiving Christ with joy invites us to reflect on the purposeful nature of our identity change from slaves to sons and daughters.

By embracing this truth, we acknowledge the deliberate and loving nature of God's adoption and are reassured of His intentional love.

The transformation into heirs alongside Christ empowers believers with a sense of dignity and belonging.

This is a call to strengthen our faith and live confidently in our inherited status as God's children, surrounded by a supportive spiritual family.

4. Spirit-Given Acceptance, Identity & Purpose

We are called to live in the freedom and intimacy bestowed by the Spirit as beloved children of God, so we have divine purpose in God's kingdom.

That purpose is to freely share the love freely given to us.

Receive Love & Love Well, Beloved of God.