One of the most beautiful and meaningful traditions we have at Christmas is also one of the most simple: reading scriptures that point to the birth of Christ. As we celebrate with family, friends, parties, gifts, and delicious foods, we should also take time keep the meaning of the holiday at the center.
There is a wonderful trail of scripture from the Old Testament, pointing to the upcoming birth of the Messiah, and there are numerous scriptures in the New Testament that confirm those prophecies.
What does this accomplish, besides one more tradition to add to your busy schedule? Mamas, the entire Gospel is about Jesus, and without a solid foundation in the truth of the scriptures about Jesus, our children are at risk of becoming swayed by the world around them to believe that Jesus didn’t really exist, or that he was just a prophet or a nice guy. By showing them the prophecies of the Old Testament and their fulfillment in the New Testament, and by making this a priority during the busy Christmas season, we are building that necessary foundation at a time when it means the most.
We live in a post-Christian world. Our kids are growing up in a world that is in desperate need of real truth, hope, and salvation. But we have, in the Holy Scriptures, the source for truth, hope, and salvation. Even more, our children need to be sure of these truths! By making these a central part of our Christmas celebrations, we remind ourselves and our children of the Gospel of Jesus and its importance in our lives.
Below you will find 24 scriptures to begin reading on December 1 and continue through Christmas Eve. These scriptures are arranged so that we see the big picture of Jesus – first as the promised Messiah, and later as the fulfillment of that promise. (I’ve also included a handy printable PDF download.)
There are several ways to utilize this list of verses with your family! Consider beginning a new tradition this year, or changing up your methods while keeping the same list for future holidays.
- Include them in an advent calendar to read each morning
- Use them as copy work each day (whether it’s a school day or not)
- Look them up together as a family and read and discuss them
- Read each new day’s scripture aloud, along with the previous day’s verse, until you are reading the entire list by Christmas
- Read one each day through Christmas Eve, and then read them all together on Christmas Day
The options are flexible enough to use with families of all sizes and all ages, during homeschool time or family devotions. And if December 1-24 doesn’t work for you, definitely adapt your own schedule!
If infusing your children’s days with Scripture is new to you, or you just want more ideas and encouragement to do so, check out my other blog posts on this topic.
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