The Year Before: A look at Jesus’ backstory

One on One with Him in His Advent--Day 1

Everyone you meet has a fascinating backstory. Just ask them about it. Where did you grow up? Who most influenced you? What factors shaped your path? What’s important to you? What do you love?

In the year before Jesus Christ arrived on earth, His backstory was being written in the lives of a handful of people living in northern Israel at the turn of the calendar. Real people living mostly insignificant lives. All that changed when God picked them to play a part in the greatest story in history. Same as when He invites us into His story . . . 

For the next 30 days, take a fresh look at a story you think you already know. Meet the people in Jesus’ backstory one on one and you might be surprised how much they remind you of people you know, maybe even yourself.

We’ll start with a peek into what could have been happening in heaven a year before Jesus was born. Then if that’s not crazy enough, we’ll be there when the glory of heaven comes to earth.

Why take such a journey?

The Bible tells us Jesus knows each of us personally—by name, by heart. He also invites us to do the same—to know Him—by name, by heart. And so He tells us His backstory. Where He grew up. Who influenced Him. What factors shaped His life’s path. What’s important to Him. What He loves.

On the way, we’ll meet the man and woman God chose to be His parents. We’ll get to know His aunt and uncle and cousin and hear some of His family’s stories from that crazy first year they always seemed to be on the road. Every holy and human moment of Jesus’ backstory will give us a little more to know and love about Him. Every road we’ll travel leads us to one place—back to Him.

And as we begin to see the bigger picture of Jesus’s life and mission, we’ll see it’s only the beginning of the best story we’ve ever heard.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 

Tomorrow: One on one with an angel with a message

Let’s talk about it:

True or False? Everyone you meet has a fascinating backstory. 

1.               Ask each other one of these questions about your backstories: Where did you grow up? Who influenced you most? What factors have shaped your path? What’s important to you? What do you love?  For the sake of time, you may have to limit your response, but use this new understanding of each other to spur more discussion in days to come.

2.               Who in Jesus’ backstory would you like to know more about?

3.               When you think about your spiritual backstory, how do you see God shaping your relationship with Him?  Who/what has He used to grow you up in Him?

4.               Consider how Philippians 1:6 and Colossians 1:10-14 have been evidenced in your life.