Date: December 26, 2021
Session: The King Who Reigns Forever
The Point: Jesus rules His kingdom now and forever.
Get Into the Study
Use the following story to as an alternate introduction to this session.
In June of 2022 (in addition to an entire year of events), Great Britain will celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee—a weekend for the entire country to celebrate the Queen’s historic, unprecedented 70 years on the throne. Imagine being the king or queen of a country for 70 years! Queen Elizabeth has been queen of England since she was 25 years old, and longer than most of us have been alive. Her length of service is certainly something to celebrate.
As impressive as the Queen’s reign is, how much more should we be celebrating the forever reign of Jesus? We have been promised that He will never lose His throne, and that His life and reign will remain forever. What a gift as believers that we can rest in the knowledge that Christ will be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and the Kingdom of Heaven will have no end!
Ask: God’s Word teaches us that Jesus is an eternal King. What does this mean for us?
Ashley Emmert is a freelance writer and full-time mama from Chicago, where she lives with her husband and two busy little boys.
Get Into the Study [Option from the Daily Discipleship Guide, p. 127]
Use the following activity to introduce today’s session.
In the ancient world, kings and queens were announced with musical fanfare. Give your group a taste of this treatment by playing a recorded trumpet fanfare when each person enters your meeting space and announcing their name. “Here is ____!” Click here for an audio clip. Explain that in today’s session, we will study passages that reveal Jesus was no regular baby. He is the King of Kings, and He will reign forever.
Get Into the Study [Option from Adult (p. 52) and KJV Adult (p. 58) Leader Guides]
In advance, play a video clip of the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel’s Messiah to close the session. Invite group members to stand as a way of honoring our King. Afterwards, note how today’s Scripture passage played a prominent role in this famous musical piece.
Live It Out
Share the following as you conclude today’s session.
It’s high tide season for the California coast, with the arrival of the King Tides. These record high tides typically occur in December and January when there is an alignment of the earth, sun, and moon, causing particularly strong gravitational pull. The first round happened on December 4th and 5th this year and the second round will occur on January 2nd and 3rd. The California King Tides Project is encouraging people in the affected coastal areas to collect and share photos of the impact caused by the tides. The California King Tides Project hopes these photos will help people “visualize future sea level by observing the highest tides of today.” According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Ready Estuaries program, “As time goes by, the water level reached now during a king tide will be the water level reached at high tide on an average day.” Observing the impact of these high tides can help in planning for the future.
We can make various predictions about the future, but one thing is certain—Christ’s reign. Jesus rules His kingdom now and forever.
Ask: How can our lives help others see the current reality of Christ’s kingdom? How can our lives help others visualize the future fullness of Christ’s kingdom?
Nikki Wilbanks grew up in Tennessee before heading to California to study literature at Pepperdine University. After graduation, she enjoyed a decade-long career as a commercial real estate appraiser and investor. Having returned to Tennessee with her husband, she is now thrilled to be a stay-at-home mom and writer.
Additional Questions
Icebreaker
- What’s the closest you’ve come to encountering a “royal” in today’s world?
- What would surprise someone who hasn’t seen you since childhood?
- What are some things you associate with a king?
Isaiah 9:6-7
- Where in your life does this fulfilled promise provide you with the most encouragement?
- In what ways does Christ’s eternal reign offer hope?
- In verses 6 and 7, which of the titles and descriptions stands out to you most as good news?
Luke 1:26-31
- What does it mean that Mary had favor with God?
- What can we learn about Mary from these verses?
- Why might Mary have been troubled by the angel’s greeting in verse 28?
Luke 1:32-33
- What implication is there for our daily lives if we truly see Jesus as King?
- How can we let others know about Jesus’ reign in our lives?
- How do these verses broaden your understanding of Jesus?
For Those in Your Group
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Giving Up the Greatest Throne on Earth
Podcast
Click here for a 20-minute podcast for both the group member and the leader.
Magazine Article
This article complements the study. Share this link with your group members.
- Mature Living – What Christmas Emblazons on Our Hearts
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
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