Journey to BethlehemÀpẹrẹ

We all know the Christmas story … but what if you could look at the greatest story ever told with new eyes (and new ears). Dive deeper into the story and the heartbeat of the first Christmas, and the people who lived it in this 3-Day Reading Plan.

This plan is based on JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM, a new live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family. Experience the nativity story in a whole new way.

Day 1: Who Is Jesus? Who Am I?

We come to the Christmas season with different circumstances, attitudes, and expectations. That’s absolutely normal. In fact, we see it reflected in JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM—Mary, Joseph, their parents, the wise men, and Herod and his son all come to the news of Jesus’s birth differently.

At the same time, our circumstances shouldn’t form our understanding of the meaning of Christmas and who we are in relationship to God. Understanding who Jesus is helps us understand who we are. Misunderstanding who Jesus is makes us misunderstand ourselves.

Consider the way Mary finishes the sentence when the angel comes to tell her she was chosen to carry God’s Son, the Messiah.

“See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:36

Mary understood who she was because she understood who God is. So, her service to God wasn’t reluctant. It wasn’t a have to; it was a get to. The same was true for James, John, Peter, Paul, and a long list of others we find in Scripture who lived their lives by the same hope Mary so boldly expressed: “May it happen to me as you have said.”

These bold declarations of identity confront us with another important truth—our understanding of who we are has a direct correlation to what we do and how we live. In other words, your perceived identity determines the reality of your obedience to God’s call on your life.

When we see ourselves as God’s servants, we’re compelled to obey His commands. When we identify as ambassadors for Christ and partners in His tribulation, kingdom, and endurance, we look for ways to share His gospel every day.