7 Unique Bible Study Ideas for This Christmas Season
T-25 days until Christmas Day. This holiday season is often quoted as “the best time of the year.” For me, that’s true. I love everything about Christmas. The lights, the decorations, the presents, the trees, the food, etc. But in all the holiday cheer, the true meaning of Christmas often gets lost, buried, neglected, or forgotten.
In an attempt to refocus on the true meaning of Christmas, check out these seven unique Bible study ideas and give one a try. These ideas are the perfect way to study and live out the Bible in the midst of the holiday season. But first…
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Now, let’s look at those 7 unique Bible study ideas for this Christmas season!
1. Advent
Advent is the season of the liturgical year where Christians celebrate the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas and wait and prepare for His Second coming in the future. It’s a time filled with expectant hope and longing. This year, it began yesterday, on November 29, 2020.
One great way to build anticipation for Christmas is using an advent calendar. An advent calendar has 24 pockets or “windows” that contain Scripture and/or little gifts to mark the days until Christmas. This can help remind us of the expectation God’s people had when waiting for the Messiah. Also, it can remind us to be expecting Christ’s return.
Last year, I got a snowman advent calendar filled with Ghirardelli chocolate squares. This year it will also contain Bible verses! Nothing builds anticipation like chocolate. But it’s more than just enjoying chocolate or treats. The addition of Bible verses helps keep the focus where it belongs–on the good news of Jesus’ birth.
Another great way to celebrate Advent is to use an advent wreath. This is something we might try this year. It is a wreath made up of five candles. Each week a new candle is lit; the last one is lit on Christmas Eve. Again, this helps build anticipation for Christmas while reminding us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Advent Resources
Check out these great resources and products to help you celebrate advent this Christmas season.
- Advent Guide: This Advent guide is put together by The Village Church. It’s an excellent free resource for those just beginning to learn and celebrate the season of advent. It contains five weeks of personal, group, and family devotionals.
Advent Calendars
Advent Wreaths
2. Read the Gospel of Luke
Another great Bible study idea this Christmas is to read the gospel of Luke. Now, a lot of people will read the Christmas story from Luke on Christmas Eve and that is a great idea! But here is another idea. Luke has 24 chapters. So, if you were to take 5 minutes and read a chapter a day starting on December 1, then you will be done with the whole book by Christmas.
This is a fantastic way to experience the Bible in a way that you encounter God this Christmas season. You’ll read not only about His birth, but also why he was born–to save us from our sins through His death and resurrection. This helps us celebrate His birth, remember why it was so important, and look forward to His return.
I plan on doing reading the whole gospel this way this year and am looking forward to it. So, why not join me?
3. Christmas Story Character Studies
This is a fantastic Bible study idea for this Christmas. Spend some time going over each person involved in the nativity story. How did they respond to the good news? What was their character like–were they faithful, righteous, trusting, scared, afraid, etc.? Why do you think wise men traveled such a great distance to find a baby and give Him gifts?
Here are some great people to study:
- Mary
- Joseph
- Herod
- Shepherds
- Angels
- Wise Men
- Jesus
BONUS people to spend some time looking at that often get overlooked:
- Zechariah
- Elizabeth
- Simeon
- Anna
As you look at these people consider putting yourself in their shoes. How would you feel about the events going on? What can we discover about encountering God through these people’s experiences? What can we do differently this year to respond to the good news of Christmas in a biblical way and share the good news with others?
Here is a great idea! As you do this you can set up the individual pieces of a Nativity set. Check out this great nativity set here.
There is so much we can learn from these people. So, if you are interested then start now, take whatever time you need, and enjoy yourself. Have fun with it.
4. Look Backward and Forward
As we have already seen Christmas is a time of celebrating Jesus. We celebrate His birth on Christmas. And we wait with eager expectation for His return. But the truth is Christmas is so focused on His birth. We have that part down. But do we spend as much time in eager expectation for His Second Coming? I doubt it.
So, perhaps it is a good idea this Christmas to spend some time looking forward to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Look up verses that talk about Jesus’ second coming. God’s people lived with an eager expectation for the coming Messiah. We are to live with the same or greater expectation to see His return.
Jesus is coming to make all things right, to save those who eagerly wait for him, to give mercy and eternal life to those who believe in Him. This is something to look forward to. Christmas reminds us that God cares about our everyday, ordinary life. He hears our cries and struggles and loves us enough to do something about it. I, for one, am going to spend this Christmas looking forward to when He will return and make all things right (after all, it’s been a long year).
5. Christmas in the Old Testament
The fifth Bible study idea for Christmas is to look at Christmas in the Old Testament. There are numerous passages in the Old Testament that point to the birth of the Messiah. All of these prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. It is really cool to see how prophecies thousands of years ago were fulfilled when Jesus was born. Of course, this only happened because Jesus is who He says he is.
Here are some Old Testament Prophecies to look at. How does Jesus’ birth fulfill them?
- Genesis 12:3
- Genesis 17:19
- Genesis 28:14
- Genesis 49:10
- 2 Samuel 7:12-13
- Isaiah 7:14
- Hosea 11:1
- Micah 5:2
For more, check out this great post from Answers in Genesis that discusses fulfilled prophecies at the birth of Jesus. They discuss how Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of these prophecies and even discuss some more challenging ones to put together.
6. Songs of Christmas
The sixth idea for a Bible Study that you can do this Christmas is to look at the songs in the Bible about the nativity story. These songs are beautiful pictures of the hope, joy, and expectation of the Christmas season. There are four of these songs found in the Bible.
- The Song of Mary (Luke 1:46-56)
- Zechariah’s Song (Luke 1:67-80)
- The Angels Song (Luke 2:8-20)
- Simeon’s Song (Luke 2:25-35)
These songs and prophecies encourage and lift up the soul. That’s just what we need after such a long year for everyone around the world. So, take some time this season and consider encouraging yourself with God’s Word and these songs.
7. Watch The Nativity Story
The seventh (and final) Bible Study idea for this Christmas season is simple and fun. Watch a movie. If you haven’t watched The Nativity Story then you are missing out. The Nativity Story does a fantastic job capturing the anticipation, fear, and hope of that first Christmas.
I have enjoyed watching this movie every Christmas for a while now. It kind of has become a tradition for me. If you don’t have a copy of this wonderful movie then here is a link where you can go and buy the DVD on Amazon.
This movie really puts that first Christmas into perspective. It changed peoples lives forever. It changed our lives forever. Let’s not forget that this Christmas.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it seven fantastic, unique, and hopefully fun Bible Study ideas for you this Christmas season. I hope you take the time to find one that fits where you are right now and give it a go. You could…
- Celebrate Advent with a calendar or wreath (or both),
- Read a chapter of Luke a day from December 1-24,
- Do character studies on the people in the Nativity while you set one up,
- Spend some time looking forward to Christ’s return,
- Look at how Jesus’ birth fulfilled Old Testament prophesies,
- Explore the songs of Christmas found in the Bible, or
- Watch The Nativity Story.
Whichever one you decide to do I want to encourage you to really reawaken the meaning of Christmas in you mind, heart, and life this Christmas season. With that said, let the Christmas bells ring!
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Building a Bible Study Routine Guide
Want to build a Bible study habit? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and we will send you our free Building a Bible Study Routine Guide. You’ll discover your ideal Bible study method and create a customized schedule. Plus, much more.
Here is what you can expect as a Bible Wonderlife subscriber:
-Welcome email with your Free Guide right now!
-Monthly emails with a brief devotional.
-Practical tips and helpful information for growing in your faith.
