#DATENIGHTINBOX
FAITH DISCUSSION GUIDE
Discussion guide It i s G o d ’ s pr om i s e t o y ou th at as y ou c on ti n u e to l ov e e ac h o ther a nd seek His w isdo m in yo ur r el a t i o n s h i p , H e w i l l re v e al H i mse l f to y ou i n b e au ti f u l w a ys. C o z y up a nd dive into w ha t Go d ha s i n s t or e f or y ou th rou gh some h on e st d i sc u ssi on , reflectio n a nd pra yer. Be sure t o have y o u r B i bl e h a n d y . If y ou d on ’ t h av e ac c e ss to on e , check o ut the Bible G a tew a y a pp availab l e o n y o u r A p pl e or A n d roi d d e v i c e . F o r a cus t om D a t e N i g h t I n – Fai th p l ay l i st f e atu ri n g Ch ri sti an a rtists, visit d at e ni g h t in b o x . c o m /f a i th . Chr is t m a s t i m e i s f u l l of p a rti e s, p re se n ts, an d tasty f ood . Thro ugh the hustle a nd bustle, it can b e d i f f i c u l t t o s t o p an d c e l e b rate wh at Ch ri stmas i s a ll a bo ut. Let’s ta k e so me time no w t o r e f l e c t on t h e m o st i n c re d i b l e e v e n t to e v e r take p l ace o n E a rth—a n event perfectly wo v en t o g e t h e r b y g r a n d d e si gn .
If yo u live in the city, yo u may l o o k u p o n an av e r ag e n i g h t an d s ay , “O h h e y , l o o k. T h e r e ar e a few sta rs.” If yo u w ere l i v i n g d u r i n g th e 1 st ce n tu r y i n th e Mi d d l e East, y o u wo u l d h av e seen m illio ns o f sta rs, a n d y o u wo u l d h av e h ad a p r o fo u n d kn o wl e d g e o f th e m. Yo u wo u l d ha ve used them to tell ti me , tr ack th e s e as o n s , an d so mu ch mo r e . Yo u wo u l d h av e th o u g h t o f them a s yo ur new spap e r . Yo u wo u l d l o o k to th e s ky , se e so me th i n g h ap p e n i n g an d s ay to ea ch o ther, “It lo o k s l i ke th e r e ’ s so me th i n g g o i n g o n to th e e ast o f u s .” Ev e r y th i n g was interco nnected. Yo u w ou l d e x p e ct e v e n ts i n th e s tar s to co r r e l ate wi th s o me th i n g h ap p e n i n g o n E a rth, a nd vice vers a. In the G reek la ngua ge, th e wo r d fo r “wi se man ” i s “Mag i , ” fr o m wh i ch we fo r me d th e wo r d ma gicia n. It w a s the Ma g i ’ s j o b to i n te r p r e t th e s tar s , an d i t was n o t u n u s u al fo r th e m to tra vel a cro ss la nds to co n fi r m th e i r p r e d i cti o n s ab o u t wh at was “i n th e n e ws .” T h e Mag i we r e ma ster a stro lo gers a nd we r e v e r y we l l r e sp e cte d i n th e i r ti me . There a re severa l differ e n t th e o r i e s to e x p l ai n wh at th e wi s e me n s aw i n th e s ky th at famo u s night. So me scho la rs bel i e v e i t was Si r i u s , th e b r i g h te st s tar i n th e sky to th i s d ay . O th e r a stro no m ers cla im tha t i t wo u l d h av e b e e n th e al i g n me n t o f th e p l an e ts Ju p i te r an d Satu r n
The Wis e Me n E v er y s t o r y h a s l e a di n g a n d su p p orti n g c h arac te rs. In a story tha t w e hea r tim e a nd time aga in, l et’ s s h i f t o u r f o c u s to th e su p p orti n g c h arac te rs—the w ise m en. Let’s rea d their sto ry t o get he r :
tha t o ccurred in 7 BC . Wh ate v e r i t r e al l y was th at th e y saw, th e y awai te d i ts co mi n g . T h e y k new the pro phecies o f th e co mi n g K i n g o f th e Je ws . “ W here i s H e who ha s b een b orn K i ng of t he Je ws? For we sa w H i s s t a r when i t ros e a nd ha v e com e t o wors hi p H i m ”
(M a t t h ew 2 : 2 ) . The w ise men set o ut acr o ss th e d e se r t to v i s i t th e co mi n g K i n g o n a j o u r n e y th at wo u l d cha nge their lives. By th e ti me th e y r e ach e d Ju d e a, Je s u s may h av e b e e n a fe w mo n th s to a
“ No w a f te r J e su s w as b o r n in Beth leh em o f J u d ea in t he days of He rod t he ki ng,
few yea rs o ld a lrea dy. T h e y h ad l o n g awai te d th i s me e ti n g ! Wh e n th e y me t K i n g He r o d , h e
b eh o l d , w i se me n fr o m th e eas t came to J er u s alem , sayi ng, “Whe re i s He who
w a s no t a t a ll plea sed a t wh at th e i r p r e se n ce r e p r e se n te d . He r e , He r o d was n ame d th e K i n g
has b e e n b o r n K i n g o f th e J ew s ? F o r w e s aw His s ta r whe n i t rose and have
o f Judea , a nd these Mag i we r e say i n g , “Wh e r e i s He wh o h as b e e n b o r n K i n g o f th e Je ws? ”
come to w o r sh i p H im.” W h en Her o d th e k in g h ear d t hi s, he was t roubl e d, and
Yo ur fea thers w o uld be a l i ttl e r u ffl e d to o , r i g h t? He r o d s e n d s th e m o n th e i r way to fi n d th e
all J e r u sa l e m w i th h im; an d as s emb lin g all th e ch ie f pri e st s and sc ri be s of t he
new bo rn k ing o f the line o f D av i d wh o was to b e b o r n i n th e to wn o f B e th l e h e m.
p eo pl e , h e i n qu i r e d o f th em w h er e th e C h r is t w as t o be born. The y t ol d hi m, “In B e th l e h e m o f J u d e a, fo r s o it is w r itten b y th e p r o phe t : ‘And you, O Be t hl e he m, i n t h e l a n d o f J u d a h , ar e b y n o mean s leas t amo n g the rul e rs of Judah; for from you s h a l l c o me a r u l e r w h o w ill s h ep h er d my p eo p le I srae l .’” The n He rod summone d
“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy”
( M at t he w 2 : 9 - 1 0 ) .
t h e w i se m e n se c r etly an d as cer tain ed fr o m th em what t i me t he st ar had ap p e a r e d . A n d h e sen t th em to Beth leh em, s ayin g , “Go and se arc h di l i ge nt l y for t h e c h i l d, a n d w h e n yo u h ave fo u n d Him, b r in g me word, t hat I t oo may c ome and
Pr ayer a nd Re f le c t ion
wo r sh i p Hi m. ” A f te r lis ten in g to th e k in g , th ey w ent on t he i r way. And be hol d, t he
Just lik e the w ise m en’s tr av e l s , y o u r sp i r i tu al j o u r n e y i s n e v e r d i r e ct. Go d may ch o o se to
s t a r th a t th e y h a d s een w h en it r o s e w en t b efo r e t he m unt i l i t c ame t o re st ove r
send yo u the lo ng w a y ar o u n d . Matth e w 2 :9 -1 0 te l l s u s th at th e wi se me n d i d n o t si mp l y
t h e pl a c e w h e r e th e ch ild w as . Wh en th ey s aw th e st ar, t he y re j oi c e d e xc e e di ngl y
fo llo w a sta r a ll the w a y to Je s u s; th e y s aw th e s tar , l o st th e star , an d fo u n d i t ag ai n .
wit h g r e a t j o y . A n d g o in g in to th e h o u s e, th ey s aw t he c hi l d wi t h Mary Hi s m o th e r , a n d th e y fell d o w n an d w o r s h ip ed Him. T he n, ope ni ng t he i r t re asure s, t h e y o f f e r e d Hi m gif ts , g o ld an d fr an k in cen s e an d myrrh. And be i ng warne d i n a d r e a m n o t to r e t u r n to Her o d , th ey d ep ar ted to the i r own c ount ry by anot he r wa y . ”
Matth e w 2 :1 -12
W e d o n’ t r e a l l y t a l k a b o u t th e wi se me n too mu c h . We te n d to think o f them a s tho se guys t hat ha p p e n e d t o s h o w u p to th e p arty wi th a f e w od d gi f ts to give to a ba by. But w ho w ere t hey r e al l y , a n d w h a t doe s th e i r p re se n c e te l l u s ab ou t ou r King?
Ta k e so m e time no w to p r ay to g e th e r an d th an k Go d fo r th e p e r fe ctl y wo v e n s to r y o f Hi s s o n Jesus’ birth. If yo u a ren’ t su r e wh e r e to s tar t, p r ay th e s e wo r d s : “D e ar God, as we cel eb ra t e C hri s t m a s t hi s y ea r, we wa nt t o t ha nk Y ou for t he be aut i ful st ory o f Y our s on J es us . T ha nk Y ou for gi v i ng us t he p ers p ect i v e of t he wi se me n; how they t ra v el ed a cros s d es ert s t o a forei gn l a nd t o fa l l a t t he feet of a c hi l d name d J es us . Y ou a re wea v i ng our s t ory t oget her t o crea t e s om et hi ng be aut i ful . He l p us t o t rus t i n Y ou when we ca nnot s ee where we a re hea d ed . I n Je sus’ name , Am en.