You carefully devise a plan to send your son to accomplish a critical mission. The success or failure of his mission will impact the lives of millions of people. If the mission succeeds, millions of people will benefit in direct ways from his success. If the mission fails, the consequences will produce a major catastrophe.
You personally commit your child to this critical mission. You have every resource at your command. You can provide your child with anything he will need to be successful in his mission. What resources would you provide your child?
God's plan to defeat evil existed before evil entered this world (Ephesians 1:4). God sent His Son on a mission that would change the world and eternity. If Jesus succeeded, the means for permanent, continuing forgiveness would be an established fact for all people until the end of time (Hebrews 8:8-12, noting verse 12; 1 John 1:5-10, noting verse 9). If Jesus failed, the failure would confirm and intensify evil's stranglehold on people. God could provide Jesus with any resource to equip him to succeed in his mission.
What did God give him? Poverty!
Read Luke 2:1-20
For every man in the Roman Empire to return to his extended family's home of origin to enable the empire to take a census.
He returned to comply with the decree. Bethlehem was his extended family's home of origin.
A manger is a feeding trough for farm animals. Discuss why using an animal feeding trough would not be our choice for a newborn infant's crib, and likely was not common practice.
"Do not be afraid. For behold, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger."
Praised God saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased."
They quickly went to Bethlehem to find Mary, Joseph, and the baby.
The shepherds report what they were told. All who heard their report wondered.
She "treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."
What a beginning! His mother conceived him before she was married. The man who served as his earthly father had to be informed by an angel that his fiancée had not been sexually unfaithful to him (Matthew 1:19-21). Jesus' first bed was a feeding trough for animals.
Read Matthew 8:18-20
The scribe wanted to go with Jesus anywhere Jesus went.
"The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
Jesus owned no property, no home, no furnishings, no bed. From one night to the next he did not know where he would stay. In our words, "He had no place to call home." In current terminology, he was a homeless person. Wild animals and birds had dens and nests; Jesus had no where to return at night.
John 19:23-24
Four pieces of clothing and a tunic (a garment worn next to the skin). The tunic was a seamless, woven garment.
Read John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:59,60
Everything necessary for Jesus' burial, including the tomb, was provided by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. When he died, Jesus had almost no material possessions. Discuss how poor a person is whose burial expenses must be paid outside the family.
Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-9
They sacrificially gave a generous gift to help suffering Christians in another region.
Though Jesus was rich, he became poor that they might become rich.
Discuss the wealth of heaven that Jesus left behind. Focus the discussion on the circumstances and situation that he left behind rather than Revelation's symbols of material splendor. Refer to Revelation 21:1-4. You might choose to have the members of the class share what they regard to be the most significant thing that Jesus left behind.
Read Philippians 2:5-8. Jesus became poor when he left heaven. You might choose to have members of the class discuss the most difficult thing about becoming the human creature that the preexistent Jesus helped create. Perhaps discuss the "poverty experience" of doing this. Perhaps discuss how hard it is for us to "return to" circumstances in life that we have moved beyond.
His poverty made us rich the moment we became sons and daughters of God. That made us heirs of God (Galatians 3:24-29, with focus on verse 29). Read 1 John 3:1-3. Perhaps focus a discussion on the fact that we are heirs in Christ. We will be "rich" for eternity when we live with God.
God provided the opportunity for salvation to all people. That opportunity will exist until time comes to an end. How did God do this? He sent His Son as a homeless, poor man who was executed as a criminal.
Link to Student Guide Quarter 1, Lesson 3