(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will search Scripture to learn what it means to be humble.
Provide paper and pens (and concordances if available).
Learning Goal: Learners will examine the presence of God’s love in the circumstances of Jesus’ birth.
On the board, write: Humble Location; Humble Position; Humble Proclamation. Lead students to provide evidence of God’s use of humble circumstances through each of the statements on the board from their study of Jesus’ birth today. (Humble Location––Jesus was born in a manger in a barn; Humble Position––The shepherds first received the news about the birth; Humble Proclamation––The shepherds were the first to attend the baby and spread the news to others.) Ask: What does humble mean?
Divide students into groups of two or three. Provide each group a piece of paper and a pen. Encourage students to use their smart phones as they search Scripture in order to come up with a succinct definition of what “humble” means. Instruct students to look up the different times the word “humble” is used in Scripture to piece together a definition. Suggest students use www.biblegateway.com as one resource where they can find a biblical concordance to use. Allow four to five minutes to complete this activity.
After the five minutes, lead groups to share their definitions. Say: God has all the power of the world at His fingertips, and yet He chose to send Jesus through these humble circumstances. Ask: How does this change how you view the birth of Jesus? Encourage the students to ponder these humble circumstances as they go about the hustle and bustle of Christmas.