BORN AGAIN DAILY · PRINT-FRIENDLY DISCUSSION WORKSHEET

Advent and Christmas: Scripture, History and Tradition

Christians celebrate Jesus' birth and sometimes prepare through Advent. The Gospels provide the birth narratives; many calendar customs developed later.

Start the conversation

Read Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2. The stories overlap but have distinct perspectives. Neither Gospel specifies a modern calendar date for Jesus' birth.

Practical next steps

1. Use Advent as a season of waiting and reflection if your tradition observes it. The precise customs differ by church.
2. Read the annunciation and birth narratives slowly, noticing Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the magi and the larger themes of promise and hope.
3. Distinguish what the Bible says from later traditions about December 25, decorations and holiday practices.
4. For a family activity, choose one passage each week, ask an age-appropriate question, and make a practical gesture of generosity toward someone in need.

Read Scripture with the group

• Luke 2:1-20 — Luke's narrative includes the birth in Bethlehem and the shepherds.
• Matthew 2:1-12 — Matthew's account includes the magi and their visit.
• John 1:14 — John describes the Word becoming flesh rather than narrating a manger scene.

Discuss and respond

What part of the biblical story is easy to overlook amid familiar decorations and expectations?

Important: Do not claim the biblical writers confirmed a precise birthday or that every church historically kept the same customs.