Teaching Students the Theology of Christmas
The Advent season offers a tremendous opportunity for parents and student ministry leaders to turn the hearts of teenagers toward Jesus. Almost every aspect of our culture’s focus turns to the Christmas holiday in the coming weeks, and even if most of it is aimed toward the secular, most minds are captivated and primed by the season to be open to spiritual things. With their senses already prepared by the season, we can help students dive into the rich theology of Christmas.
Here are a few great truths to put front-and-center with students during the Christmas season.
The Glory of God
We clearly see all three persons of the Trinity actively involved in the Christmas story. It is by the sovereign providence of God the Father that these events take place in their appropriate times, with messengers from God actively involved in preparing the way for key events. The angel explains to Mary that her miraculous conception will occur as “the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35a). And, of course, the identity of that baby is “the Son of God” (Luke 1:35b). The majesty of God’s attributes are on full display as this story unfolds: his sovereignty, his love, his omniscience, his omnipotence, his holiness, etc. We must allow time to stop and ponder them, though, amidst the familiar narrative of Christ’s birth.
Question to ask students: Which attributes of God can you identify throughout the story of Christ’s birth?
The Objective of Redemption
The story of Christmas offers a remarkable opportunity to highlight God’s objective for redemption. Peter summarizes this when he writes, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God…” (1 Peter 3:18a, emphasis mine). Sin has cut humanity off from experiencing the fullness of God’s presence and life in him. Dead in sin, cut off from the blessedness of his life, and destined to spend an eternity instead in the intense presence of his wrath, how can there be any hope for restoration? Christmas holds the answer: God drew near to us. Isaiah prophecies that this coming child would be called Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isaiah 7:14)! The anticipation of advent looks to his arrival. And our reflection on his first coming should fill us with anticipation for his coming again. Upon his return he will consummate his Kingdom and all who are his will dwell fully in his presence for eternity, which is the glorious end of the believer’s salvation (Revelation 21-22)!
Question to ask students: How does Christmas serve as an invitation to us to know God and abide in his presence?
The Purpose of the Incarnation
In his coming, Jesus completed his rescue mission by fulfilling all that was necessary to reconcile sinful humanity to the Father. This baby came to make propitiation, completely satisfying the legal demands of holy God for us. Everything this baby came to accomplish he came to accomplish in our place. The writer of Hebrews explains the purpose of the incarnation by writing, “he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (2:17). The redemptive work of Christ didn’t just take place on the cross, although the cross is certainly vital. It also includes his miraculous conception, his birth, and his righteous life, along with his atoning death and victorious resurrection. Everything he did, he did as a substitute Savior for those who would trust in him through faith.
Question to ask students: Why was the incarnation of Christ necessary for redemption?
The Wonder of Grace
In the prologue to John’s gospel he writes, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth … For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (1:14, 16, emphasis mine). It’s a shame that a season that should highlight the magnificence of this grace has morphed into one so saturated with consumerism and entitlement. We need to be careful (especially us parents) that we don’t also fall into those patterns during this season. Our treasonous rejection of God brings the just consequence of eternal wrath. And yet Jesus accomplished absolutely everything necessary to completely satisfy God’s wrath in our place! What grace!
Question to ask students: What are some distractions to your heart in this season that can distract you from both understanding and communicating the grace and truth at the heart of Christ’s coming?
The Grandeur of the Big Story
The story of Christmas is best understood within the framework of the Big Story of God and his redemptive purposes. The birth of Jesus sounds the beginning of the crescendo of that larger story. Everything prior is a foreshadow and everything since is a repercussion of its reality. Christmas is a vital piece of the story’s melody. It provides the basis for the “But God” that we read in Ephesians 2:4-5. The implications of salvation are made possible only by his birth. This event makes way for the salvation of God’s people that we see at the end of the story. Christmas is a big deal on its own; but only enhanced as such when placed in its proper context!
Question to ask students: How does the Christmas story help provide the key that unlocks your understanding of the Scriptures?
The Certainty of the Gospel
Christmas reveals the mystery in God’s original gospel pronouncement within his curse to the serpent in Genesis 3:15. The Serpent crusher is finally revealed and announced to humanity as the child who sleeps in Bethlehem's manger. This season reminds us in a profound way of God’s faithfulness. Based on his preeminent place in God’s Big Story of redemption, Paul tells us, “all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus]” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Our hope for the second advent of King Jesus is in many ways anchored in the reality of his first. God does what he promises he will do. And he will accomplish what he sovereignly sets out to accomplish. In fact, he already has in Christ. And we can look forward in an already/not yet sense because of the reality of Christmas.
Question to ask students: How should the story of Christ’s birth provide the stability of hope to our hearts as we consider the craziness and brokenness of the world around us?