Advent: December 24

Advent

Dec 24

Written By Dr. Mark Livingston

Theme:

The Wise Men

Symbol:

A golden star

Read

Matthew 2:1-12 (Micah 5:2-5a, Romans 12:1)

Ask:

Who were the wise men looking for? (the one born king of the Jews) How did they know where to go? (They followed a star) How did King Herod respond? (He was troubled and asked the priests and scribes about it)
How did the wise men respond when they found Jesus? (They fell down and worshiped Him) How should we respond to Jesus? (The same way)
What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus? (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) Why were these gifts important? (Gold is fit for a king, frankincense was a perfume that reflected his deity, and myrrh was anointing oil used for funerals that foreshadows his death) What gifts can we give Jesus?
What instructions were the wise men given after visiting Jesus? (They were warned to not return to Herod) Why? (Herod wanted to kill baby Jesus) How do people respond to Jesus today?

Sing:

We Three Kings

Pray:

Lord, may we prove ourselves wise like these men by diligently seeking You. Help us to respond to You with joyful worship, offering our lives as a gift to You. Help us to be obedient by sharing the good news of Jesus and His salvation to others, even when we are afraid of how people will respond. Amen.

Dr. Mark Livingston

Mark has been the Lead Pastor of Broadway since July 2020. He is married to Amanda, and they have four children: Lacy, Micah, Landon, and Savannah. He was licensed to the ministry in 1998 and ordained in 2004. He obtained a Master of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Covenant Theological Seminary.