DNI Winter Wonderland Faith Guide

DATE NIGHT IN BOX

Winter Wonderland DISCUSSION GUIDE

WELCOME It is God’s promise to you that as you continue to love each other and seek His wisdom in your relationship, He will reveal Himself to you in beautiful ways. Cozy up and dive into what God has in store for you through some honest discussion, reflection and prayer. Be sure to have your Bible handy. If you don’t have access to one, check out the Bible Gateway app available on your Apple or Android device.

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Christmastime is full of parties, presents, and tasty food. Through the hustle and bustle, it can be difficult to stop and celebrate what Christmas is all about. Let’s take some time now to reflect on the most incredible event to ever take place on Earth—an event perfectly woven together by grand design.

THE WISE MEN Every story has leading and supporting characters. In a story that we hear time and time again, let’s shift our focus to the supporting characters—the wise men. Let’s read their story together: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 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. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.” Matthew 2:1-12 We don’t really talk about the wise men too much. We tend to think of them as those guys that happened to show up to the party with a few odd gifts to give to a baby. But who were they really, and what does their presence tell us about our king?

If you live in the city, you may look up on an average night and say, “Oh hey, look. There are a few stars.” If you were living during the 1st century in the Middle East, you would have seen millions of stars, and you would have had a profound knowledge of them. You would have used them to tell time, track the seasons, and so much more. You would have thought

of them as your newspaper. You would look to the sky, see something happening and say to each other, “It looks like there’s something going on to the east of us.”

Everything was interconnected. You would expect events in the stars to correlate with something happening on Earth, and vice versa.

In the Greek language, the word for “wise man” is “Magi,” from which we formed the word magician. It was the Magi’s job to interpret the stars, and it was not unusual for them to travel across lands to confirm their predictions about what was “in the news.” The Magi were master astrologers and were very well respected in their time.

There are several different theories to explain what the wise men saw in the sky that famous night. Some scholars believe it was Sirius, the brightest star in the sky to this day. Other astronomers claim that it would have been the alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn that occurred in 7 BC. Whatever it really was that they saw, they awaited its coming. They knew the prophecies of the coming king of the Jews. “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).

The wise men set out across the desert to visit the coming king on a journey that would change their lives. By the time they reached Judea, Jesus may have been a few months to a few years old already. They had long awaited this meeting! When they met King Herod, he was not at all pleased at what their presence represented. Here, Herod was named the king of Judea, and these Magi were saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

Your feathers would be a little ruffled, too, right? Herod sends them on their way to find the newborn king of the line of David who was to be born in the town of Bethlehem.

“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” (Matthew 2:9-10).

P R AY E R A N D R E F L E C T I O N Just like the wise men’s travels, your spiritual journey is never direct. God may choose to send you the long way around. Matthew 2:9-10 tells us that the wise men did not simply follow a star all the way to Jesus; they saw the star, lost the star, and found it again.

As you weave your snowflake together this evening, let the activity serve as a reminder that a direct path isn’t always the one that God has planned for you. He may guide you the long way around, intersecting your story with those around you, all as a part of his grand design.

When you hold up your snowflake, an image of your unique journey, you will see that all of its twists, turns, and woven pieces are what make it so beautiful.

Take some time now to pray together and thank God for the perfectly woven story of his son Jesus’ birth. If you aren’t sure where to start, pray these words: “Dear God, as we celebrate Christmas this year, we want to thank You for the beautiful story of Your son Jesus. Thank You for giving us the perspective of the wise men; how they traveled across deserts to a foreign land to fall at the feet of a child named Jesus. You are weaving our story together to create something beautiful. Help us to trust in You when we cannot see where we are headed. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ”