My family has a yearly tradition of reading a chapter a day of the book of Luke, leading up to Christmas. It has been such an enriching experience that helps center our holiday season on what is most important to us. If you’d like to join us in these readings, I’m providing questions to talk through with your kids to help spark conversations and meaningful engagement with what you read. I hope it’s helpful!
(Here is where you can find background information or to start this project at Chapter 1.)
Before you start each night, think about the environment you’re creating for this experience. Check your heart. Lower your expectations. Here is where you can find more ideas on how to set yourself up for success.
Questions before you read Luke 2:
In Chapter 1, what were the names of the two women who found out they were going to have babies?
What did the angel Gabriel say to both Zechariah and Mary?
What were the babies to be named?
Is there anything in particular you learned from Chapter 1?
I ask my kids to listen for this information while we’re reading and I’ll ask about it after we’re done:
Who was the governor of Syria during the events of this chapter?
Where was the baby when the shepherds met him?
In this chapter, two groups spread the word about Jesus. Who were they?
Who believed he wouldn’t die until he saw The Messiah?
How old was Anna?
Who lost Jesus?
(Asking them to look for the information before you start reading is super helpful in keeping little learners engaged. They tend to listen pretty hard when they’re listening for something specific. I might even write the questions out so they can hold them and look for the information while we read. I will assign these questions to my youngest kids and target the longer discussion questions to my older kids. If my younger kids need to go to bed while we’re deep in discussion, they still had a chance to participate.)
Questions after you’ve read Luke 2:
Why would Luke include so many specific details about who issued the census and where Mary and Joseph traveled?
Does the Bible tell us that Jesus was born on December 25th, or during the winter, or on a silent night?
How did the shepherds feel about seeing an angel?
Why do you think God would have chosen for shepherds to get the news?
The shepherds are so excited about this, they hurry off to meet the baby, then they tell everyone they meet about what happened. Are you excited to tell other people about Jesus? Why is that hard sometimes? When does it feel most important to do?
How do you think Mary felt when she heard what Simeon said to her? What do you think he’s referring to that will happen later in Jesus’s life?
What do we know about Jesus’ life from the time he was a baby until he was 12?
How do you think Mary and Joseph felt when they realized they lost Jesus?
What does Jesus’s answer to his parents say about his priorities?
Jesus wasn’t capable of sinning, but he did upset his parents. Does that mean he did something wrong? Even if we do the right thing, is it possible people will be upset with us or won’t be happy with our decisions?
Was there anything else that stuck out to you or surprised you?
(We might get through all of these questions, or just focus on one or two, depending on how deep the discussion is getting. And some nights, we might listen to the chapter in the car and not have a chance for a great discussion at all. Be flexible.)