unit 1 birth of christ nt1.2 angel visits€¦ · 2 nt1.2 angel visits © beverly wilson 2019...

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NT1.2 Angel Visits © Beverly Wilson 2019

Unit 1 Birth of Christ

NT1.2 Angel Visits

Scripture: Luke 1: 5-80; Matthew 1: 18-24

Lesson Goal: From the beginning of time with Adam and Eve and then later to Abraham and then to King David, God had promised to send a Savior to the world. In this lesson we will learn how God sent His angel Gabriel to tell Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zachariah about the coming birth of Jesus.

Introduction: This is the second lesson in Unit 1: The Birth of Christ. In this lesson we will learn how God sent His angel Gabriel to tell Mary and Joseph and Elizabeth and Zachariah about the coming birth of Jesus. These events are told in the books of Matthew and Luke. The first four books of the New Testament are called the gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They tell about the life and ministry of Christ. Let's say the first four books of the New Testament together--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Today we begin lessons from the New Testament. The first four books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. These are four stories about Jesus given to us by four different men. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew was the apostle who was once a tax collector. He wrote the first book of the New Testament called Matthew. Matthew shows us that Jesus is our King and Savior. Mark was a young man who followed Jesus. Although he was not an apostle he probably knew Jesus personally. He wrote the second book of the New Testament. He shows us that Jesus is our Servant and that He came to give His life for us. Luke was a Greek doctor who traveled with Paul the Apostle. He wrote the third book in the New Testament . Luke gives us many details about the life of Christ. Luke shows us that Jesus was indeed human—a perfect man. And, finally the fourth book of the Gospels is John. It was written by John the Apostle who was one of Jesus' closest disciples. The book of John shows us that Jesus is the Mighty God, full of power.

Attention Getter: Do you always keep your room neat and clean? Are all your toys picked up? Are there any clothes on the floor or hanging over the back of a chair? Did you make your bed this morning? If you knew I was coming to visit this afternoon, would you have to rush home to make sure everything was in order? My mother was a very good housekeeper. When company came to visit at our house, my mother would bring out the broom, the mop and pail, sponges, window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, dust rags, and furniture polish. Then she called all of us girls together and assigned each of us the jobs that we were to do. When we were finished, she checked to make sure that not a speck of dirt or dust remained. Can you imagine what it would have been like around our house if we had been expecting somebody really important -- someone like a king or queen? Well, that is what our Bible lesson is about--the coming of a King. Not just any king -- the King of Kings! Jesus!

Opening Prayer: Let's pray "Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth as a baby. We believe that you really are the Son of God and that you came to take away our sins. Thank you Jesus for saving us. We look forward to your return. You said that you were "Coming Soon." We pray that we will be ready when you come. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins."

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Lesson Video: http://youtu.be/W26rbtaabpo This lesson is from the books of Matthew and Luke. Luke begins the story of Jesus before He was even born. It starts with two people named Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives of Jesus. Zechariah was a priest. He and his wife Elizabeth were very good people. They believed in God with all their heart and kept all His commandments.

Zechariah and Elizabeth were very old and they had never had any children. Even though they loved God He had not given them even one child. This made Zechariah and Elizabeth very sad because they so wanted a child.

In the land of Israel there were many priests who worked in the temple. Each morning a priest entered the Holy Place in the temple and burned incense. When the people saw the smoke from the burning incense, they prayed. The smoke going upward was like their prayers going upward to God. Since there were so many priests they took turns serving. The privilege of going into the temple might only happen once in the priest's lifetime. That was why it was such a special day when Zechariah was chosen.

While Zechariah was serving in the temple, something amazing happened to him. Suddenly, the angel Gabriel appeared to him. When Zechariah saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. The angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

Wow! What kind of a child would this be? John the Baptist’s birth was so important that it was announced by an angel. It had been over 400 years since Israel had heard any messages from God. Many people had given up believing in Him. So, God sent John the Baptist to come ahead of Jesus to help prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival.

But, Zechariah didn’t believe Gabriel, he thought it would be impossible for Elizabeth to have a baby because they were so old. Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” Zechariah doubted God, because to him having a child at his age seemed impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.

Because Zechariah did not believe, the angel said, "I am Gabriel. And now you will be silent and not be able to speak until the day your son is born. This will happen because you did not believe my words."

Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and they kept wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized that he had seen a vision in the temple because he kept making signs to them but he could not talk. Zechariah could hardly wait to tell Elizabeth the good news. When he arrived home, he wrote on a piece of paper: “We are going to have a son!” In a very short time, Elizabeth got pregnant after all the years of waiting!

At the time that Elizabeth was pregnant with John and was only about 6 months along, her cousin Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. Mary lived in Nazareth which was a city in Galilee. She was a very good young girl who loved and served God with all her heart. Mary and Joseph weren't married yet. Mary was still living at home with her parents. She was probably excited about her upcoming marriage to Joseph. She probably wondered what kind of a life she'd have as the wife of a carpenter.

One day an angel suddenly appeared to Mary. He told her that God would do a miracle in her, like he did for her cousin, Elizabeth! The angel said, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; You are blessed among women!" But when Mary saw him, she was startled. You can imagine how surprising it would be to suddenly have a visit from the angel Gabriel! It must have frightened her!

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.

Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" Mary knew that she had kept herself pure for her future husband. She wondered how she could possibly get pregnant. Mary wasn’t doubting God’s ability to perform a miracle, she just wondered how He was going to do this.

http://youtu.be/W26rbtaabpo

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And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will over shadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." What a miracle this birth would be! Joseph would not be the father--God would! Truly only God could do a thing like this! But remember nothing is too hard for God to do? Here’s what the angel Gabriel said..."For with God nothing will be impossible. "

Then the angel Gabriel told Mary about her cousin Elizabeth. He said, "Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age and she who was said to be too old is now in her sixth month!" What a surprise this must have been to Mary!

But Mary's reply is so beautiful. She said, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be done to me as you have said!" Mary was totally obedient to God. She was willing to be the woman God had chosen to give birth to His Son Jesus! We be like Mary and want to follow God's plan for our lives! Then the angel Gabriel disappeared.

Mary was so excited that she got ready immediately and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea to visit her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. When Mary came to their house she called out to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth! I have come to visit you."

Then a very special thing happened. The Bible says that as soon as Elizabeth saw Mary, she felt the baby John in her womb jump for joy. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and He gave her special wisdom. She said to Mary, "You are blessed among women because you are going to have the baby Jesus. I am highly favored to have you come to visit me! You are the mother of my Lord." Both Mary and Elizabeth were so overjoyed that they had been chosen to serve God by being the mother of Jesus and the mother of John the Baptist.

They began to sing praises to God. Mary's song of joy was "My God is so great, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing my God cannot do! The mountains are His, the rivers are His, the stars are His handiwork, too. He made them all! God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Making Mary pregnant was a synch for Him!

Mary stayed with her cousin Elizabeth and Zechariah for about three months. What a time of encouragement this must have been for Mary to stay with her older cousin Elizabeth! Both were experiencing a great miracle of God! They must have talked together excitedly while old Zechariah could say nothing! Then Mary returned home to Nazareth.

And when it was time for the baby to be born, it was a boy just as the angel had said. Zechariah probably shouted for joy when the baby was born. To him having a child at his age seemed impossible. But with God, nothing is impossible.

When everyone asked what name should be given to his son, Zechariah wrote "His name is John." This surprised everyone because they expected him to be named after his father. Telling everyone that his name was to be John showed that Zechariah now believed! . Now Zechariah could speak again just as the angel Gabriel had promised. Zechariah told everyone how God had said that his son John the Baptist would have an important job. He would be the one that would preach to all the nation of Israel and announce the coming of Jesus. He would help prepare the hearts of the people to believe in Jesus as the Lord.

When Mary returned to Nazareth her future husband Joseph found out that she was pregnant. He knew that they had never been together because they were not married yet. Who was the father of this baby? He knew it was NOT his baby. What was he to do? Joseph was a very good man and he loved God. But what could he do? He could not marry a woman who was pregnant. He wanted a woman that was pure and holy. He loved Mary and he did not want to hurt her

As he was thinking about what to do, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because the baby she is going to have is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. This child is the Savior that your people, the Jews, have been waiting for since the beginning of time!"

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No other child had ever been or would ever be born like this. Our loving God was coming into the world miraculously, born as a baby. He would be God in a human body. And, because He would be both perfect God and perfect man, He alone could pay the price for all the sin of the world. He would die on the cross to pay for the sins of everyone.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. Joseph took Mary as his wife because He knew that Mary had not been unfaithful. Joseph loved his wife Mary and took her home to live with him. Joseph trusted God and he lovingly cared for Mary because he knew that she was going to give birth to the Son of God. He would call his name Jesus. God knew that Mary would need help to give birth to His Son Jesus and so he used a strong man like Joseph who loved and obey Him to be her husband.

Do you see what God's greatest promise means for you? God sent His only son Jesus to be born on earth so your sins and mine can be forgiven. That was the best gift that could ever be given to us. All we need to do to be saved from our sins is to believe in God's promised One, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that in the days before Jesus began his ministry, a man called John began preaching and telling the people to prepare for the coming King. This was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. When John told people to prepare for the King, he didn't mean that they should go home and sweep the floor, pick up their toys, and make their beds.

He meant that they should prepare their hearts. How? By repenting of their sins and turning toward God. When they did this, John would baptize them in the Jordan River. That is how he got the name, "John the Baptist."

It is important for you and me to make our hearts ready for the coming King too. We do that by confessing our sins and asking God to forgive us. If we will do that, the Bible tells us that he will forgive us and make our hearts clean. Then we will be ready for Jesus when he comes. The promise that the angel made to Joseph came true!

Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins." That is our memory verse. Let's say it again together. Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins. Let's get ready to meet the King!

Review Questions: “Christmas Musical Chairs” Preparation: You will need a CD or DVD of Christmas carols that have “Angels” in the lyrics. You will also need to set up chairs to play the traditional game of musical chairs. Procedure: Play several Christmas songs as children play musical chairs. Set up chairs with the chair backs against each other. You will need to set up one less chair than the number of children in your class. Begin the Christmas song. Have the children walk around the chairs when the music starts. Have students find a chair to sit in when the music stops. As one child is eliminated from game he or she is to answer one of the following review questions. Continue playing the game in rounds until there is one person left. The last child in the game can pick a small "wrapped" Christmas gift.

1. What are some of the Old Testament prophesies concerning the coming of Jesus? (He would be born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem, a descendant of David.)

2. What was it about the announcement of Jesus’ birth that shows us that He would be more than an ordinary man? (His birth was announced by an angel, He would be born of a virgin, and called, “Son of the Most High.”)

3. From what we read about Mary, what can we tell about her? (She's honest; she kept herself pure; she was eager to please God in everything she did.)

4. How did Mary feel when she first heard the angel's news about the Savior? (Confused; then joyful.)

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5. What kind of person was Joseph? (Matthew 1:19 says he was a just man. He immediately obeyed God.)

6. How do you think Joseph felt when he first found out Mary was having a baby? (Confused, sad, angry, disappointed)

7. What changed Joseph's mind? (A visit from an angel in a dream.) 8. How did Joseph know that Mary's baby would be special — unlike any other person ever born?

(The angel explained that the child was sent from God, and the baby was to be named “Jesus”, a name that means “Savior.”)

9. How do you think Joseph felt when he realized he would be helping Mary take care of God’s Son? (Happy, proud, anxious to do God’s will.)

10. Why did God come to earth in the form of a baby? Why did God have to become a man? (He came specifically to take the punishment for our sins.)

11. Why is it important to understand that Jesus is God? (He was sinless and had all power.) 12. Why does sin have to be punished? (God is perfect and He cannot tolerate any impurity in His

presence. Since He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven, He knew He had to do something about our sin problem.)

13. What prophesies concerning Jesus have not been fulfilled yet? (He's coming back!) 14. If Jesus had never been born, what would be different in our lives? (No Christmas, our calendar

years would be numbered different.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Angel Wings” The memory verse is Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins." Let's say the verse again together. Have children locate the verse in the Bible. Read the verse aloud with children several times. Say: “This verse tells us the meaning of the name Jesus. Jesus means “the Lord saves.”Jesus came to earth to save us because we can’t save ourselves from sin. Only Jesus can eliminate our sin and its consequences. He is our Savior.” Preparation: You will need an angel costume that has angel wings. Have angel wings available to hook on children with a piece of elastic around their arms. Procedure: Take turns allowing the children to try and recite the Bible verse while wearing the angel wings. Be sure everyone has an opportunity to say the verse. Angel wings are often a part of inexpensive Halloween costumes. These can be purchased very cheaply after Halloween and just before Christmas!

Group Learning Activity: “Baby Names” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need a baby book of names. You will also need a set of letters and trays from the commercial game of Scrabble so that each child can “spell” out the names of Jesus on his or her letter tray. Say: (Show the baby book of names) “What kind of book is this? (This is a baby book of names) What does this book contain? (The book has suggestions for names that parents might choose for their baby.) What other information does the book contain? (The book may also contain the meaning of names and different versions of the same name. It may have the origin of the name.) Why would parents want a book like this? (Choosing a name for a new baby may be a challenge and they want suggestions. Parents may want to use a name that is popular. Parents may also want to know the meaning of the name so they can choose a good name that describes their baby.)” Say: “In this lesson we learned that Mary and Joseph heard the good news about the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. The good news was told to them by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel also told them the name that

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they were to call the new baby. His birth was special and they were to choose a name that was special too! It was to describe the Son of God. Today we are going to learn about the names of Jesus and his earthly family.” Procedure: Distribute the sets of Scrabble letters and the letter trays to each child. Place the letter square on a table with the face side up so the letter is visible and accessible for children to reach. As you talk about each of the following names in this lesson, have the children “spell” the name on their tray. After you discuss each name, have students return the letters to the table before you go on to the net name. Younger students may need adult help in spelling the names. Say: “We can read about the birth of Christ in the books of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament. We are going to spell the names as we talk about each character in our lesson today.”

Mary—“Our first name is Mary. (Spell the word Mary.) Mary was the young woman whom God chose to have his Son Jesus. She was a good girl who loved and obeyed God. She was engaged to be married but she had never been with any man. The angel said that she was chosen by God to bear the Son of God. The baby was to be from the Spirit of God. God was His father. Mary was obedient to God and was willing to be the mother of the baby Jesus.” (Luke 1:26-33) Joseph—“Joseph is our next name. (Spell the name Joseph.) Joseph was the man whom Mary was engaged to marry. Joseph was a good man who loved God and wanted to obey Him. He was a carpenter. At first he did not want to marry Mary because he did not understand who the Child was that Mary was carrying. The angel appeared to Joseph and told him to marry Mary and that the child she had was the Son of God. The angel told Joseph not to name him after himself. Instead he was to call the baby Jesus.” (Matthew 1:18-21) Jesus—“Jesus is our next name. (Spell the name Jesus.) Jesus is the name of the baby that was born to Mary. He was special because He was the Son of God. He was different than any other baby because he would never sin or do anything wrong. That was because He was really God. The angel told Joseph to name the baby Jesus. The name Jesus is from the Hebrew word “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus was the one that had been promised by God to bring salvation to all the people of the world. The name of Jesus is very powerful because it brings the forgiveness of sins! (Matthew 1:21) Emmanuel—“Emmanuel is the next name. (Spell the word Emmanuel.) This is the name of Jesus that Isaiah the prophet said would be born in Bethlehem. (Isaiah 9:6) The name means “God is with us.” This means that the baby would be God Himself who would come to earth in the form of a man who would live among His people. This name was also repeated by Matthew in his account of the birth of Christ Jesus. (Matthew 1:23)” Zechariah—“Zechariah is our next word. (Spell the name Zechariah.) Zechariah was a priest in Israel. He was the first to know about the birth of Jesus through the birth of his own son John the Baptist. His son would be the one who would announce the birth of Jesus and help prepare the people of Israel to know who Jesus was and to believe in Him as the Savior. At first Zechariah did not believe the angel and so was unable to talk until John his son was born.(Luke 1:13-17) Elizabeth— “The next name is Elizabeth. (Spell the name Elizabeth.) Elizabeth was the wife of Zechariah. She was a righteous woman who had never had any children. She was chosen by God to bear the baby name John the Baptist. She was given a special understanding of who Jesus was when Mary came to visit her. Her baby was John the Baptist who “leaped for joy” when Elizabeth saw Mary the mother of Jesus.(Luke 1:39-46) Gabriel—“The next name is Gabriel. (Spell the word Gabriel.) Gabriel was the angel that God sent to Mary, Joseph, and Zechariah. Angels are messengers of God that appear to men on special occasions to tell the message of God. Gabriel told Mary that she was chosen by God and

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that Jesus would be great and be called the Son of the Most High and that He would reign someday on the throne of David.”

Review the memory verse Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins." Say: “This verse tells us the meaning of the name Jesus. Jesus means “the Lord saves.”Jesus came to earth to save us because we can’t save ourselves from sin. Only Jesus can eliminate our sin and its consequences. He is our Savior.” Conclude in prayer thanking God for sending us His Son Jesus to be our Savior.

Group Learning Activity: “WLH-Where Life Happens TV Show” (Grades 2-5) Preparation: You will need to provide Biblical costumes for the following characters: Mary and Joseph. You will also need to provide copies of the following script for the TV Host and Mary and Joseph. Provide a microphone for the TV Host to use as each question is asked of Mary and Joseph. Say: “Today we are going to review our lesson by have a television game show. The TV Host or announcer is going to interview the characters in our story. Our announcer needs to sound very important as they talk to the characters and tell the good news of the birth of Christ. The other characters are Mary and Joseph. They will use these costumes to dress up as his or her character.”

TV Announcer: Thank you for joining us here today at WKS—Where Life Happens Channel. Today I have two very special people with me. I’m excited about your hearing their stories of how life happened to them. Let me introduce you to Mary and Joseph. (Mary and Joseph enter in costume.) Thank you for coming. We are excited to hear about your lives. First let’s just give everyone a little background information. Mary and Joseph were engaged and planning to be married. Joseph is a carpenter and a descendant of King David. So, Mary, tell us what happened before your marriage.” Mary: God sent the angel Gabriel to speak to me. Gabriel told me I had found favor with God and that God was with me. TV Announcer: What did you do? I mean how did you respond? Mary: Gabriel’s statement confused me. I did not understand what type of greeting that was. However, Gabriel told me not to be afraid. The angel told me that I was to have a baby, a son. Gabriel even informed me that I was to name Him Jesus. TV Announcer: I imagine this scared you. Mary: Gabriel explained how all of this would take place. He told me nothing is impossible with God. I told Gabriel that I would do whatever God wanted me to do. Then Gabriel left. TV Announcer: Very interesting. Now, Joseph, how did you react to hearing this? Joseph: At first I did not know what to do. I mean, Mary and I were engaged to be married. I did not want to disgrace Mary, so I decided to secretly break off the marriage. TV Announcer: Obviously you did not do this. Joseph: No after I considered these things, God sent an angel to speak to me. The angel told me to not fear marrying Mary because what was taking place was God’s plan. The angel told me that the baby would be a boy and I was to name Him Jesus. The angel also told me not to fear

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marrying Mary because what was taking place was God’s plan. The angel told me that the baby would be a boy and I was to name Him Jesus. The angel also said Jesus would save people from their sins. TV Announcer: I’m not sure I understand why you and Mary went through all of this. Joseph: We were willing to allow God to use us to fulfill what the prophet Isaiah had said.

TV Announcer: What an amazing event. (To children) Well folks, you heard it here on the WLH—Where Life Happens Channel. Until next time, I’m Bill your announcer, and I’m not sure about you, but I understand I can know that Jesus is the Son of God. (Actors exit.)

Group Learning Activity: “Questions in a Box--John or Jesus?” Preparation: You will need to prepare paper strips with the following sentences written on them. Put the questions in a box that is wrapped on the outside like a present.

1. My mother visited her cousin for three months. 2. I jumped in my mother’s womb when the Messiah’s mother came to

visit. 3. My mom sang a song of praise to God when she knew I was going

to be born. 4. I was almost named after my father. But Mom and Dad gave me the

name that the angel told them to give me. 5. My mom was pretty old when she gave birth to me. 6. My father sang a song of praise to God after I was born. 7. When I grow up I will help get people ready for Jesus. 8. When I grow up I will save people from their sins. 9. My father is Zechariah. 10. My Father is God.

Procedure: Review the stories of Mary and Elizabeth and the babies they were expecting. Place the sentence strips in a box and have the children decide if these sentences tell about Jesus or John:

Group Learning Activity Game: “Name Game” (Grades K-4) Preparation: Print all of the children’s first name initials on index cards. Print Mary and Joseph on separate cards. Spread the cards on the floor. You will also need a bean bag to toss onto the cards. Say: “Everyone should stand up. I’ll call out letters or names. If I call a letter and your name starts with that letter, raise your hand.” Procedure: Have everyone stand. Call out letters of the beginning letters of the names of students in your class. Continue this preliminary activity to make sure that all children understand what letter their name begins with and what their initials are. Have children take turns throwing the bean bag to the land on one of the index cards on the floor. The child who throws the bean bag may choose an action for all those whose names begin with that letter to do. Example actions might be raise your right hand, hop on your right (left) foot, clap your hands, jump up and down 5 times, say “Merry Christmas”, etc. If the bean bag lands on the name Mary or Joseph then everyone must say the memory verse together. Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins." Continue playing as time allows.

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Group Learning Activity: “Special Babies in the Bible” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: Each student will need a Bible. You will also need to hide six pictures of babies around the room. Write the following texts listed below, one on each of the backs of the pictures. Procedure: Distribute Bibles to every student. Say: "In this lesson we learned that God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to earth as a baby. God loves everyone—babies, children, and adults. All are special to Him. The Bible tells us about some special babies. Six pictures of babies are hidden around the room. When I give a signal, each group of you are to find a picture and locate the scripture text on the back in your Bible. Be ready to tell the rest of the class who the baby was and what made that baby so special.” Divide class into groups of two or three students each. Have them find a picture card of a baby and look up the scripture and report back to class who the baby is and why he was special.

Exodus 2:1-10 Moses was the baby that was given to Amran the Levi priest and Jochebed his wife. He was given to lead Israel out of bondage of slavery and to take the people to the Promised Land. Moses was saved out of the Nile River and raised by the Pharaoh of Egypt’s daughter.

Judges 13:6, 7, 24 Samson was a baby that was given to Moah and his wife. An angel came to Moah’s wife and told her that Samson was to be raised as a Nazarite and that he was to not have his hair cut. He would become very strong and a mighty warrior who would kill many of Israel’s enemies—the Philistines.

1 Samuel 1:17-20 Samuel was the son that was promised to Hannah and her husband Elkanah in answer to her prayer for a son. He would become the first prophet of Israel and would lead the people of Israel in the worship of God.

2 Kings 4: 11-17 Shunammite’s son was given to a godly woman and her husband in the city of Shunam who graciously entertained the prophet Elisha and his servant when they came to preach in the area. Later the young boy died and Elisha prayed and God raised him from the dead.

Genesis 21:1-3 Isaac was the promised son to Abraham and Sarah and was born when they were very old. Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. Isaac was the one in whom God would bless the family of Abraham by being the ancestor of Jesus the Messiah.

Genesis 30:22-24 Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel. He was the one who would be taken captive into Egypt and eventually become the leader of Egypt. He would be the one who would save his father and brothers from starvation and provide a place of safety for them in Egypt.

Say: “Does God have special plans for other babies besides Jesus, John, and the other babies we have just learned about? (Yes) Why? (We are all God’s children. He has a special plan for each of us. He loves all of us. He promises to show us the way that He has planned if we ask Him and are willing to follow His will for our lives.” Say: “What is the best baby gift that God has given to us? Yes, He sent His Son Jesus to come to this earth. He came to bring us salvation and the forgiveness of sin. When He comes again, He wants to take us to be with him in heaven. Aren’t you glad for that wonderful gift?”

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Group Learning Activity: “Angel Hunt” (Grades K-3) Preparation: For each student in your class you will need to make a triangle out of construction paper for the angel body. You will need to make a circle out of construction paper for the head. You will need a white paper doily for each angel. Hide the pieces for the angel throughout the room. Say: “In this lesson we learned that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, Joseph and Zechariah to tell them about the coming birth of Jesus and John the Baptist. Angels are messengers for God. Today we are going to find the parts for our angel and then put them together to form an angel.” Procedure: Make 3 parts of an angel (triangle for the body, a circle of the head, and a paper doily for the wings), and make enough angel parts for each child. When the teacher says GO FIND YOUR ANGEL, each child will run to hunt for the angel's body, head and wings, and come back to the table and put the angel together, gluing it to a piece of construction paper! Have children decorate their angel with colored glitter glue. You can also add googly eyes to the angel, if desired. Children can write the Bible verse on the construction paper background. Matthew 1:21 says "She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus because He will save his people from their sins."

Group Learning Activity: “Praise Microphones” (Grades K-5) Say: "We have learned that Mary sang a song of praise to God when she learned that she was going to have baby Jesus. We can sing about Jesus' birth too. Let's make praise microphones that will help us sing about Jesus' birth." Preparation: Before class, cut black construction paper to fit around empty paper towel tubes, one for each child. You can also use black scrap book paper with a pattern or sparkle. Procedure: Distribute the construction paper, empty paper towel tubes, markers, and clear tape. Help the students roll the papers around the paper tubes and tape the edges of the papers together. You can glue the paper to the cardboard towel tube also. To make the head of the microphone, give each child a Styrofoam ball and a small sheet of aluminum foil. Wrap the foil around the Styrofoam ball and crunch the foil tightly. (Or you can show the kids how to ball up a piece of tissue paper to fit into one end, leaving most of the paper out of the tube.) To attach the ball to the handle apply hot glue to the tube and lay the ball on top and hold until secure. ONLY ADULTS should use hot glue guns. Have students use their microphones to sing “We Will Call Him Lord,” “Joy to the World,” and “The Night That Jesus Was Born” or other Christmas carols.

Craft Learning Activity: “Angel Ornament” (Grades K-5) Say: "What do you put at the very top of your Christmas tree? Some people put stars and some people put angels. Angels also played an important part of the Christmas story. Angels are messengers from God. Today we are going to make a Christmas angel." Preparation: To make the angel you will need one craft stick, pink or flesh colored scrap of felt, one gold pipe cleaner, googly eyes and one sheet of white poster paper, some gold or white wrapping paper and yellow yarn. Procedure: Fold one sheet of white poster paper (8 1/2" X 11") in half lengthwise. Cut along fold. Save the other half for another angel. Starting at the

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shorter end, fold up the sheet of paper accordion style. With the paper all folded up, fold it in half once. Then use your scissors to cut a small slit at the folded edge. When this is unfolded you can stick the popsicle stick through this cut. This will make your angel's wings. Now open up the fan and slide the craft stick into the slit. Position the wings about 2/3 from the bottom of the stick. Make a 6" circle from holiday wrapping paper (gold or white). Cut a slit to the center of the circle. Now wrap the circle around itself to form a cone. Cut a small slit in the top of the cone for the craft stick to thread through. Slide the cone on the bottom of the craft stick. Put a drop of glue where the cone meets the stick. To make the head, fold a piece of pink or flesh colored felt in half. You can also use white foam board. Cut out a small circle so that you end up with two circles the same size. Glue one half to one side of the craft stick and one half to the other side. Bend a gold pipe cleaner into a halo shape and insert it in between the two felt circles of the head. Apply some glue to the pipe cleaner. Be sure it is sticking to the craft stick. You may want to use a clothespin to clamp it down to make a tight seal while it dries. Add features to the face of the angel. You can glue yarn for the hair, some googly eyes to the face, and add cord to hang the angel if you desire.

Craft Learning Activity: “Handprint and Footprint Angel Ornament” (Grades K-3) Preparation: This Christmas angel has a footprint body and two handprint wings. Use heavy paper, craft foam or poster board for a more permanent version. You will need besides the paper, some crayons, scissors, glue, string, and a fairly large photo of each child. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God sent his angel Gabriel to proclaim the good news about the coming birth of His Son Jesus. Angels are special beings that God uses to tell people God’s message for them. God also wants us to be the messengers of His good news the “gospel.” Today we are going to make some special angels that look like you!” Procedure: Have child stand on paper or poster board to trace their foot print. This will form the body of the angel. Trace both hands on white paper to form the wings. They look better if the fingers are not too far apart. Decorate the robe and wings as desired. You can fill in the wings with sparkles or sparkly glue or glue yellow or gold colored tissue to the wings. Glue ribbon to the center of the robe as a belt. Cut a photo of the child to attach to the foot print. Add a string if you wish to hang on the Christmas tree. Attach a tag that reads: "This little angel is special because she is a part of me. Her wings are my hands, her body my feet, and on the tree she'll look very sweet."

Craft Learning Activity: Mary's Song of Praise Preparation: Print a copy of Mary's Song of Praise Bell (template included) on cardstock for each child. You will also need crayons or colored markers, a paper hole puncher, a metal jingle bell, and a short strand of paper ribbon approximately 8” long for each student. Say: “In this lesson we learned that once Mary learned about the coming birth of Jesus from the angel Gabriel that she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth had already learned about the coming birth of her son who would become John the Baptist. Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah had been told that he would be the one who would prepare the way for people to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. When Mary came to visit Elizabeth it was time of great joy and happiness as the two women shared the good news that the Son of God was going to come and bring salvation to all. Today we are going to share in their joy of the news of salvation.”

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Procedure: Give each child the large cut out bell. Have students color and decorate the edges. Punch a hole in the top of each bell and hang a small bell at the top using the strand of ribbon. Have children ring out Mary's song of Praise! The children should also read the PRAISE BELL together!

Craft Learning Activity: “Sandpaper Jesus Sign” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need a sheet of sandpaper, scissors, and crayons for each child. Say: "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph, he told him, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save His people from their sins." We are going to make a craft today about the name of Jesus."

Procedure: Distribute the sandpaper and materials to each student. Have the children cut a sheet of sandpaper in half. Write Jesus backwards on the sandpaper with a marker as show in the example. This is called "mirror writing." Go over the marker with crayon, pressing hard to get a lot of crayon onto the sandpaper. Turn the sand paper upside down onto a piece of cardstock. ADULTS ONLY will use an iron on medium high heat. Iron over the sandpaper until the crayon melts. This won't take long--probably 40 seconds depending on the iron. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God sent his angel Gabriel to Joseph to tell him about the coming birth of Jesus. Joseph believed the angel’s message that he would be the earthly father of the Son of God. He believed the promise that God gave him although it seemed impossible. God also made a promise to Zechariah and Elizabeth and He kept His word. God promised a son to Mary and Joseph and He kept His Word. God has promised to send Jesus to us again so that we might live with Him forever. God keeps His promise! Jesus will come again!”

Snack Learning Activity: “Angel Cookies or Angel Food Cake” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need angel shaped sugar cookies or cut angel food cake into small squares and serve on napkins. Procedure: Give children an angel shaped sugar cookie to enjoy for a snack after singing a Christmas carol about angels. Let children choose a "carol" with the word "angel" in it! Instead of a cookie, you can cut an angel food cake loaf into small squares. Serve on Christmas angel napkins!

Life Application Challenge: “Pleasing to God” Say: “When the angel appeared to Mary, Gabriel told her that she was "pleasing to God." There are many words in the English language that mean "pleasing to God". Virtue, goodness, holiness, righteousness, honor, uprightness, integrity, and morality are a few. When these characteristics are missing, the person is not complete. A person who is pleasing to God and pleasing to others can be used in a mighty way.” Mary was special because she was pleasing to God!” Say: “God used Mary above all the other virgins to be the mother of His only Son. How wonderful! Who knows what great things are in store for all of us as we live lives that are pleasing to God? The challenge this week is to try to live a life this week that is pleasing to God. Be ready to share something next week that you did that was good and right and brought glory to God.” Conclude in prayer asking God to help us live holy lives that are pleasing to Him.

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Angel Visits Mary

Matthew 1:21 She will give birth to a son and you are to call His name Jesus

because He will save his people from their sins.

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Mary's Song of Praise

"My soul glorifies the

Lord, and my spirit

rejoices in God my Savior.."

unit 1 birth of christ nt1.2 angel visits€¦ · 2 nt1.2 angel visits © beverly wilson 2019...

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