“The Day after Christmas” (Luke 2 & Matt. 2)

Published 26 Dec. 2025

Scroll down for “Lessons Learned…”

Designed for Personal Bible Study or for Bible Teaching

1️⃣ The world quickly moves on from Christmas while God’s work continues quietly (Lk 2:19).
2️⃣ Treating Jesus’ birth as a one-day event misses God’s long-term purposes (Lk 2:21–24).
3️⃣ Knowing prophecy without responding in faith leads to tragic blindness (Matt 2:4–6).
4️⃣ Power and fear can turn news of Jesus into a threat instead of hope (Matt 2:3).
5️⃣ Ignoring God’s warnings places families and nations in great danger (Matt 2:12–13).

1️⃣ Many in Bethlehem missed the Savior even while He lived among them (Lk 2:7).
2️⃣ Herod refused to seek God’s will and only protected his own throne (Matt 2:16).
3️⃣ Religious experts knew where Messiah would be born yet did not go to worship Him (Matt 2:4–6).
4️⃣ Nazareth struggled to accept Jesus’ true identity despite knowing His family (Mk 6:3).
5️⃣ Humanity often reacts to Jesus with disturbance instead of welcome when He disrupts our plans (Jn 1:10–11).

1️⃣ Resisting God’s involvement in “our human affairs” is rebellion against His kingship (Ps 2:1–3).
2️⃣ Treating Jesus as a seasonal idea instead of Lord of all is sin (Col 1:15–18).
3️⃣ Hardening our hearts after hearing clear testimony about Christ invites judgment (Heb 2:1–3).
4️⃣ Using power to oppose God’s purposes, like Herod, is wickedness (Prov 28:15).
5️⃣ Choosing comfort and reputation over obedience, as in Nazareth, dishonors Christ (Lk 4:28–29).

1️⃣ Joseph and Mary obeyed God’s law by presenting Jesus at the temple (Lk 2:22–24).
2️⃣ Simeon and Anna faithfully waited and recognized the Messiah when He came (Lk 2:25–32).
3️⃣ The Magi traveled far, sought Jesus diligently, and worshiped Him with costly gifts (Matt 2:1–2; v.11).
4️⃣ The Magi obeyed God’s warning and returned home by another route (Matt 2:12).
5️⃣ Joseph quickly obeyed God’s instructions to protect his family (flight to Egypt) (Matt 2:13–14).

1️⃣ The day after Christmas is a perfect time to keep seeking Jesus, not to move on from Him (Col 2:6).
2️⃣ Reflecting on Simeon’s and Anna’s faithfulness encourages us to wait on God’s timing (Isa 40:31).
3️⃣ Letting God’s Word shape our “ordinary days” forms Christlike character (Ps 119:105).
4️⃣ We grow when we welcome Jesus into every part of life, not just our holidays (Rev 3:20).
5️⃣ Remembering God’s faithfulness after Christmas prepares us for the year ahead (Lam 3:22–23).

1️⃣ Godly leaders help people think about “the day after Christmas,” not just the day itself (Heb 13:7).
2️⃣ Leaders are called to protect those entrusted to them by listening carefully to God’s warnings (Matt 2:13–14).
3️⃣ Wise leaders point others to Scripture, not speculation, about Jesus’ identity and story (2 Tim 3:16–17).
4️⃣ Leadership includes helping families and congregations welcome Christ into ordinary routines after the holiday glow fades (Deut 6:6–9).
5️⃣ True spiritual leadership stands with God’s purposes even when culture and power structures resist Jesus (Acts 5:29).