Now that Christmas has come, what joy and hope can we carry with us after the decorations come down? Roughly a month after Jesus' birth, he was taken to the temple for purification, and there his family encountered Simeon - an old man who is consoled by Jesus' birth, but who also predicts it will divide the hearts of many. How does Christmas both console and divide? What hope does that give us now? As we look to the New Year, let's talk about the hope that the Incarnation gives us, even after Christmas itself has passed.
Discussion Questions
What does it mean to be consoled? When have you been consoled? What do you need to be consoled about at this moment? Talk about a time when you were down about the wrong thing.
Christmas Consoles
Nunc Dimittis: “Now I can die.” If you’re honest about your current path, goals, and wishes, what are you hoping will be the finish line of your earthly life? Do you need to do a course correction or “clarify the win”? What was Simeon saying in Luke 2:29-32?
Consolation is thought of negatively – it’s for losers who lose or lost. Nobody wants to see a loser in the mirror, so most deny their need for consolation. How is it “deadly” to project oneself as a winner who is winning or already won? What does it look like for you to act like this? Be specific.
Read Luke 2:25-27. The Holy Spirit leads us to Jesus, starting with the bad news of our need. Confess a time when your main goal was to achieve a better you. When have you received consolation from the Holy Spirit that led to you becoming more like Jesus, not just a revised version of yourself?
Christmas Divides
Christmas ultimately reveals the thoughts from many hearts (v.35), and this threatens us. Describe how you behave when your identity or dignity gets threatened. When did this happen last?
In order for there to be a new king, the old king has to go! In what sense is Christmas a threat? Jesus says crown me or kill me. Give an example of when you crowned Him or killed Him, so to speak.
The King was divided us for us. He came down to a poor place (i.e., two turtledoves), endured human experiences (sinlessly), and fulfilled the Law for us (vs. 21-24, cf. Leviticus 12:8). There is tremendous cost and sacrifice that comes with celebrating Christmas in our culture. Is there a place for both sacrifice and indulgence at Christmas? How do you balance, or get your heart in the right place regarding this tension?
You’ve been set free to die daily. “Now my ego can die.” This is freedom. What are you being set free from right now, as difficult as it may be to face or say out loud?
GOSPEL: There’s a war going on between God and our sinfulness. Isaiah 40:1-2 brought comfort to Israel and Isaiah 57:15-16 foreshadowed what Christmas means for us now. God came from His high place to confront and divide us in our low, messy place (i.e., the dunghill in Psalm 113:7). We have to be divided and undone in order to be rescued and renewed. We can’t ascend on our own, so He descended to us. Merry Christmas!
