Jesus was Born!!!
Volume 7, Unit 19, Session 3
Hi there parents! The following blog is here to be used as a tool by you to help your kids grow in their faith, especially while we can't be meeting weekly during this pandemic. Please feel free to use as much of it as you choose. You know your kids and are the best possible teacher for them. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do more than you think possible (Eph 3:20). I'm praying for you, and for me too, to remember that truth. This week the lesson is on Jesus birth. Wait, it's not Christmas already, is it? No, we have been working through the Bible chronologically and we are coming out of the Old Testament and into the New Testament. So this is a story that you and the kids should be very familiar with. Even so we can always find something new for the scripture to teach us. Let's see if we can find it in this story.
Each week we will include songs, activity pages, the bible lesson video, memory verses and possibly a craft or 2. We pray this will help you find ways to engage your kids spiritually. It is written in script form so you can read directly from it or change it up to suit your children. Take a few moments to print the activity pages as well as the additional activities and review the lesson so you can make adjustments as needed. Then go ahead and start with these songs if you'd like or pick some of your favorite worship songs and then jump right in! Have fun! And remember, this does not need to be done in one sitting! Feel free to break it up over the course of the week.
So let's get started. I like to begin each week with Blessings and Bummers. Tell me, what have you seen the Lord doing in your lives during this time at home? What have your greatest blessings been? How about your biggest bummers?
Parents share your blessings and bummers, here are mine. This week was a little bit rough for me. I miss my routines. But God is good and I've been able to chat with some friends that I haven't talked to in years, so that is my blessing. Let's pray.
Father God, you are so good to us! Thank you for continuing to bless us Lord. We still struggle but thank you for being there to help us through it. Help us to look to you in all that we do. Be with our friends and families while we can not be with them in person. In Jesus name, Amen.
God is so good and he hears the prayers of His people!! We can trust Him.
When we want someone to trust us, we might say that we promise to do something. Although we cannot perfectly keep every promise we might make, God can. He promised to send a Rescuer, and that’s exactly what He did. Today we will learn about when Jesus was born.
Before we do that, let's take a look at our Big Picture Question!
As we get into Jesus’ birth, it’s important to remember that Jesus’ life as a human had a definite starting point when Mary became pregnant with Him. Even so, God the Son has always existed—since even before the creation of the world. That brings us to our big picture question and answer these last few weeks. Is Jesus God or a human? As the Son of God, Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
Jesus completely understands our feelings, thoughts, and temptations, because He has lived as a human. He also has all power and majesty and is worthy of all praise because He is God’s Son.
Last week we learned that Jesus’ family line proved He is the Messiah. God had promised to send a Rescuer through Abraham’s family to be born into David’s family as an eternal King.
Does anyone remember what part of the Bible this story is found in? (New Testament, Gospels) The Bible story we will hear today is called “Jesus Was Born.” Whether this is your first time hearing this story or your one hundredth time, there is always something new to learn in God’s Word. Let's watch and see!
When the page loads, find Volume 7, Unit 19, Session 3 Bible Story video.
Incredible! Can you imagine what it was like to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem? The journey for Mary and Joseph was long—about 90 miles, and cars hadn’t been invented yet! When they got there, Mary needed a safe place to have her baby. Imagine knocking on doors to find a place to stay, only to discover that every place was already full. So Mary and Joseph went to a place where animals were kept and that is where Jesus was born.
Do you know why Mary’s baby was called Jesus? Look at Matthew 1:21. [Allow kids to read the verse and respond.] The name Jesus means “Savior.”
Imagine being a shepherd in the dark hills when an angel appeared, the glory of the Lord shining all around. The shepherds were terrified. Do you remember what the angel said to them? Look at Luke 2:10-12. [Allow kids to read and respond.]
The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby. What did the shepherds do after they saw Baby Jesus? Look at Luke 2:20. [Allow kids to read the verse and respond.]
We too can tell others the good news: Jesus was born to be God’s promised Savior!
The birth of Jesus was good news! Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He is God’s Son, sent to earth from heaven. So, is Jesus God or a human? As the Son of God, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Jesus, the promised Savior, came into the world to deliver us from sin and death.
Bible Time: Help your children open their Bibles to Luke 2. Explain that the Book of Luke was written by a doctor named Luke. Point out that in today’s Bible story, Joseph and Mary traveled from their home in Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem. Help kids locate Nazareth and Bethlehem on a map of New Testament Israel Map (Found in most Bibles in the front or back pages). Then choose a volunteer to read aloud Luke 2:10-11.
Say • Jesus’ birth was good news! Jesus wasn’t born into the world to just show people the right way to live or be kind to people; Jesus was born to be God’s promised Savior. A savior is someone who saves from danger or destruction. Jesus was born to rescue sinners from sin and death.
Ask the following questions. Lead your children to discuss:
Why do you think Jesus was born in such a humble way rather than in a palace to a wealthy family? Guide kids to consider how Jesus can relate to ordinary people because of His upbringing. He gave up His glory and power in heaven to live humbly among people. Jesus’ birth reflects how His kingdom’s values differ from the world’s values. We can boldly and humbly approach His throne in prayer.
(Option: Choose a volunteer to read Heb. 4:15-16.)
Why was Jesus’ birth good news? Help kids understand that Jesus came because we needed Him. God showed His love for us by sending His Son into the world. We were separated from God because of our sins, but God was working out His promise to rescue sinners through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
(Option: Choose a volunteer to read John 3:16.)
Why should we tell others about Jesus? Lead kids to recognize that salvation through Jesus bring the privilege and responsibility of sharing the gospel with the world. God calls us to live as witnesses to the saving power of Jesus—in what we say and how we live.
Let's look at our key memory verse together:
Jesus’ life as a human started when the Holy Spirit put Jesus in Mary’s womb, but God the Son has always existed. Our key passage helps us understand that Jesus—the Word—is God the Son and was with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit all along, even in the very beginning.
Let's pray: Father, thank You for sending Your perfect Son to live a perfect life and die the death we deserve. Help us to see Jesus, the Word made flesh, more clearly today. Help us love Him more and obey Him. Amen.
Thank you all and thank you to Lifeway's Gospel Project for providing this material. I am publishing this with their permission. Please also feel free to use any of the additional activities provided here. They can be plugged in to help emphasize the lesson point. Thanks again and God bless!
