Shepherds First
Why talk to your kids about shepherds and angels this week? Hasn’t it been discussed enough this month? Part of our goal is not just to talk to our kids, but to hear from them how they are processing the message of Jesus’ birth this time around. What do they imagine when they think of the shepherds and the heavenly host and the baby in the manger? Do they think it matters to them personally?
It’s an easy conversation to have on Christmas week and the meaning of Jesus’ birth and God’s favor is always worth talking about. A few of the following questions might even fit around a reading of the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20 if that’s something your family does together this time of year.
By the way, we hope you have a great Christmas and enjoy spending time together with your family.
Talking Points
- How dark do you think night would be if there was no electricity—especially if you were outside of a town? What do you think it would be like to have a night job like a shepherd out in the dark with only a fire to provide any light at all?
- Can you imagine how bright another light source would be if it suddenly started shining around you? Do you think you would have been as scared as the shepherds were?
- When the angels brought this message to the shepherds, probably nobody else in the world knew that Jesus had been born except for Mary and Joseph. Why do you think God chose to make the birth announcement to the shepherds?
- Shepherds were not very important people in Jewish society, but God seems to have placed a high value on shepherds all the way through the Bible. How many shepherds can you think of from the Bible? [Parents: There are many examples, including Jacob’s wife Rebekah and King David. David famously described God as a shepherd in Psalm 23, and Jesus is known as the Great Shepherd. Those who provide pastoring leadership in churches are also called shepherds.]
- Why did the angels tell the shepherds that the birth of Jesus was “good news of great joy that will be for all the people”?
- How is the news good for you? Do you think of it as a reason to be joyful? Why or why not?
- The shepherds were terrified at the sight of one angel. How do you think they felt when they saw many, many angels speaking or singing together? How loud do you think that must have been out there in the night?
- How much scarier would it be, do you think, if you had never seen a Jumbotron screen or a special effect in a movie or fireworks?
- What would the shepherds have thought of when the angels said the Messiah was born? [Parent: The Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah. Many thought the promised ruler of Israel would come and free them from captivity to the Romans and restore Israel to political prominence.]
- What exactly did the angels all say or sing together?
- The shepherds were never supposed to leave the sheep untended, but they apparently did that night. What kind of good news would cause our family to miss work, school, and risk losing our belongings and jobs to go check out?
- In what two ways did the shepherds respond after seeing Jesus in the manger exactly as the angels had described? [Parent: 1) They “spread the word” about Jesus. 2) They went back to their everyday lives glorifying and praising God.]
- How often do we respond to the good news about Jesus that way?
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