A grandchild, a cell phone, and a church service. Picture that!

Actually, it’s much different than you probably are imagining because this grandchild unknowingly taught Grandma a lesson that not only enhanced but expanded the pastor’s message.

It was Christmas Eve, and the pastor was teaching from Luke 2:10-14:

“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’ “

I gazed at my cell phone with that passage loaded, then at our 6-year-old granddaughter, who is a voracious reader. She loves to read everything from books to product labels to signs to hymns to Scripture.

So I immediately showed her the passage on my cell phone and she was overjoyed to read silently along with the pastor. Soon, she had taken custody of my phone and was continuing to read.

A few minutes later, I glanced down and realized she had scrolled to read ahead as the pastor was still expounding on the original verses. And she had gone ahead … and ahead … and ahead! She was at … wait! Where??

“Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him!’ “ — Luke 23: 20-21

“No!” I thought to myself. “We’re supposed to be celebrating Jesus’ BIRTH! Why are you reading THAT?”

Then it hit me. The reason for the *season* is Jesus, BUT — the reason for *Jesus* is Calvary. That’s WHY God sent Him to be born on earth.

We all know that fact in our minds, but we don’t want to think about Calvary at Christmas time.  We’re saving that for Easter — Resurrection Sunday. At Christmas time, we want to ponder and celebrate the miraculous birth and the rejoicing that took place on Heaven and Earth. We want to drink hot cocoa, exchange gifts with those we love, eat beautifully prepared foods, and just relax.

But without Calvary, we would not have needed the miraculous virgin birth. And without Christmas, we would not have a sinless Savior who lived a perfect life and was the only One able to pay the penalty for the sins of every human being, ushering all those who trust in Christ alone into a totally undeserved paradise with Him for all eternity.

It took a grandchild that day. A grandchild scrolling through Scriptures on my iPhone, stopping at the correct landing place — Calvary — the reason for the season.

We pray that God blessed your dual celebration this year — God in the flesh being born as a baby in Bethlehem, so that God in the flesh as an adult could pay the penalty for our sins at Calvary and give us eternal life.

May we all be enlightened, inspired, and blessed by the unexpected insights that God can impress upon us through our much-loved grandchildren!

— Barb Heki, for Grandparents of Homeschoolers™

Join the “Grandparents of Homeschoolers” Facebook page for a variety of information, resources, and ideas:

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