A CHRIST Centered Countdown to CHRISTMAS Idea

by Elizabeth Stewart

(Today is the first Sunday of Advent so I am reposting this Advent/ Christmas idea. It's not too late for you to start! Many young families in our church began a tradition of counting down the days to Christmas with their children in this way.  The tags are easy to make with whatever you have on hand and the Names of Jesus and scriptures I used are included below. )

Thanksgiving is now past and if we aren't careful Christmas will be here before you know it with the CHRIST of CHRISTmas forgotten in the midst of all of the holiday hustle and bustle. Some years ago I desired to find a simple way to make sure I was focused on Jesus, the reason for the season, during the busy month of December. I had an idea to countdown to Christmas using twenty five names of Jesus found in the Bible.  I made simple little tags with the name on one side and the scripture where that title is found on the other side. Starting on the first of December, each morning through Christmas day I would hang one of the tags on a branch I'd gathered from the yard, (eventually I bought a mini faux tree for that purpose). This simple ritual helped me to focus for a few moments each day on what that name reveals to me about Jesus.  This is a great advent activity to do with your whole family - I wish I'd thought of it before all my children where grown!  But, my grandchildren enjoy helping me when they are at our house.

Here are the 25 Names/Titles of Jesus I chose with the scripture reference. 

Jesus -Matthew 1:21
Savior-1 John 4:14
Son of God- Luke 1:32-35
Son of Man-Matthew 18:11
Redeemer-Job 19:25
King of Kings -1 Timothy 6:14-15
Lord of Lords-1 Timothy 6:14-15
Bread of Heaven-John 6:51
I Am-Exodus 3:14
Alpha and Omega-Revelation 1:8
The Word- John 1:1
The Way- John 14:6

The Truth- John14:6 

The Life- John 14:6
Lamb of God- John 1:29
The Door- John 10:7-10
Good Shepherd-John 10:11
The Deliverer-Romans 11:26
Friend-John 15:15
My Beloved-Song of Solomon 7:10
Bridegroom-Isaiah 62:5
Faithful Witness- Revelation 1:5-6
My Righteousness-1 Corinthians 1:30
Wisdom of God-1 Corinthians 1:30
Lion of Judah- Revelation 5:5

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