Advent: Born to Dwell With Bible Study FellowshipSample

God Comes Near

How is life different once you believe in Christ’s Advent? We often focus on immediate concerns with little thought of how near God is to us. It is easy to imagine God sitting up in heaven, far removed from people’s daily affairs. However, the truth is that the Son of God left heaven’s splendors and came to earth as a baby. He came near, not only for a season but to prove His love and plan to dwell among His people forever.

After Matthew presents Jesus’ genealogy, he prepares his readers for the explanation of Christ’s Incarnation. He starts in verse 18, “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about …” Then, verse 23 proclaims: “‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”

God directs Joseph and Mary to believe this explanation by faith. Knowing God and hearing Him speak is sufficient cause for action. But God also commands that you and I and every other person believe this message. When we take God’s Word and follow Jesus by faith, truth reorients our outlook on everyday life and the world around us.

As you study about Christ’s coming in human form to dwell among us, we as a WordGo community pray you will:

• know God’s presence.
• experience God’s power.
• rest in God’s peace.

Inexpressible Honor

Matthew describes Jesus’ unique birth story from Joseph’s point of view. He and Mary, two ordinary people, walked by faith with God. They were given an inexpressible honor and privilege. God chose them as the human family to birth, swaddle, rock, feed, hold, and nurture His Son.

Though born of a woman, Jesus is the Son of God. God the Son—eternal, all-powerful, and all-knowing—took on human form to come near. We can draw near to our holy God only because of Jesus. And He longs for us to come close to Him. James 4:8 reminds us: “Come near to God, and he will come near to you.” Jeremiah 29:13 delivers this promise from the Lord: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Every human who has ever lived will one day face Jesus, either as Judge or Savior. Then, He cannot be forgotten, overlooked, or ignored. So, our response to Jesus now matters for eternity. That’s why it is right and good to focus on Jesus Christ’s Advent today and every day.

Knowing Jesus

Is the Lord Jesus Christ your source of hope, faith, joy, and peace? Christ has come near through His Incarnation to save us from our sins. He offers the only way to live in harmony with God: Father, Son, and Spirit. If you know Jesus as Savior, God is for you and with you. He:

• is with you always.
• is your hope.
• forgives you completely.
• frees you from slavery to sin.

Will you praise God for such a great salvation? Pause and make these words from Paul your own: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). Knowing Jesus changes everything—not just for a few weeks out of the year, but in every detail of each moment forever.

Questions

1. Read Matthew 1:18-25. What unexpected or unusual events are related to Christ’s Advent, and what does this passage teach about our expectations and plans?
2. When has God’s grace, at first causing confusion or crisis, eventually revealed wonderful, unimagined changes in your life?