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NT1.1 God's Promise © Beverly Wilson 2019

Unit 1 Birth of Christ

NT1.1 God's Promise

Scripture: Matthew 1

Lesson Goal: This lesson is about the prophecies of the coming Messiah. In this lesson we will learn about the ancestry of the family to whom Jesus was to be born and some of the prophecies about His birth. Children will understand that Jesus is the Promised Son whom God sent to earth to save us.

Introduction: This is the first lesson in Unit 1: The Birth of Christ. From the time of the first promise to Adam and then later to Abraham, people expected God to send a Savior to the world. They knew He would come to govern God's kingdom on earth. In this lesson we will learn about the family to whom Jesus was to be born and some of the prophecies about His birth. Matthew is the first book in the New Testament. 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.

Attention Getter: Look what I brought today...a box of popcorn. I think there is enough popcorn for me to share it with all of you. Popcorn tastes so good doesn't it! I like lots of butter, don't you? Did all of you get a bag? Good! Can you guess why I brought popcorn today? It is because I wanted to talk to you about going to the movies. Popcorn and movies go together -- like peanut butter and jelly -- or a burger and fries. When we go to the movies, we get a big box of popcorn, sit back and relax, and get ready to watch the movie. But first, we have to watch the previews of coming attractions. These are short clips of movies that will be coming soon. In fact, they almost always say, "Coming soon to a theater near you!" As we watch the previews, we decide which movies we want to see and then we watch and wait until they come to a theater near where we live. If we went to a movie today, we would probably see previews of all the new movies that will be coming during the holiday season. It is only a few weeks until Christmas you know. This is a season when we look forward to "Coming Attractions." We call this season Advent. Do you know what that means? It means the coming of something important. What is the important thing that is coming? Well, for one thing, Christmas is coming. We look forward to hearing the beautiful music and seeing the decorations. We look forward to Christmas parties and to sharing gifts with family and friends. Most of all, we look forward to celebrating the birth of 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 1:23 says," They shall call him Immanuel which means

"God is with us."

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/Wj5vRQWRM_I Think about God's people. How must they have felt while waiting for the Savior to be born? In the Old Testament we read many prophecies. A prophecy is a message that comes directly from God. It's not something a person can learn. God gave messages to the prophets about things that would happen. The

https://youtu.be/Wj5vRQWRM_I

https://youtu.be/Wj5vRQWRM_I

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prophets wrote down these messages in the Bible. Some of these prophecies were quite specific. The birth of the Son of God was prophesied several hundred years before it happened. Let's read about some of God's promises about the coming of Jesus to earth. In the beginning, God created a perfect world and He was very satisfied with everything. Genesis 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. When Adam and Eve sinned, our holy God was saddened. His perfect creation was ruined. Immediately after that first sin, God made a promise that he would send a Savior. He told Adam and Eve that they would someday have an offspring or a child that would crush Satan. God was referring to Jesus. Another prophecy of Christ's coming was given to Abraham. God promised Abraham that in him and his descendants all the world would be blessed. Genesis 12: 1-3 Now the Lord had said to Abram, “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you. And in you, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” God repeated this promise to Abraham's son Isaac, then to his son Jacob. The children of Israel expected a Savior to come who would govern God's kingdom on earth. After 400 years of slavery in Egypt God raised up Moses to lead the people of Israel from the bondage of Pharaoh to the Promised Land. God used the plague of the Death Angel by the death of a lamb to show them that someday Jesus would come as the Perfect Lamb just as He had promised and save them from their sins. Moses led the people of Israel back to the Promised Land. In the Promised Land God passed the promise on to King David. God said that the Messiah or Promised One would be born in his family--the tribe of Judah. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." King David's son was King Solomon. The only people who could rule from King David's throne would be those who were descendents of David. This prophecy said that the son born would be God himself and He would rule forever on David's throne. Jesus is God's Son and someday He will come back again and rule on the throne of David. That is why it is important to know about the ancestors of Jesus! When Jesus came to earth the first time, He left heaven and came to earth. He was born to Mary and Joseph. Both Mary and Joseph were in the family of Judah. Joseph and his ancestors had a right to inherit the throne of David. Let's see how this prophecy was fulfilled. This is the family tree of Jesus. See how it begins with Jesus, his father Joseph, and goes all the way back to King David. It even shows the family line back to Adam and his son Seth! God continued to repeat His promise of a Savior to many of the prophets. God said to Isaiah in Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Emmanuel." A virgin was a young maiden who was not yet married and had kept herself pure. This Old Testament verse was saying that a young pure girl would become pregnant and would give birth to a son who would be called Immanuel which means "God is with us." God was telling Isaiah that Jesus would be born to Mary! The New Testament shows us how each prophecy about the birth of Jesus was fulfilled. Luke 1:30-31 tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. He said, "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 call His name Jesus." This was exactly what God had promised to Isaiah hundreds of years before!

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To the prophet Micah God told him that Jesus would be born in the little town of Bethlehem. Micah 5:2 says "“But you O Bethlehem, though You are small among the clans of Judah; out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel.” But how could this prophecy be fulfilled? Mary and Joseph were not from Bethlehem. They lived in Nazareth. God knew where Mary would be when it was time for her to give birth. He fulfilled every prophecy to the letter. Luke 2:4 says “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David… and while they were there…she gave birth to her firstborn son.” Do you see how God planned for Joseph and Mary to leave Nazareth and to go to the city of Bethlehem so they could register for the census. Isn't that amazing? God knew the place for the birth of Jesus and told the prophet Micah hundreds of years before it even happened! Many other prophecies tell about Jesus' ministry and his death on the cross. In fact there are over 300 specific prophecies from the Bible about the coming of Jesus. Amazingly Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies in every detail when He came to earth and died on the cross for our sin! Some of the prophesies about His return to earth are still yet to be fulfilled. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Peter the Apostle boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the promised One. At the end of his sermon, he said... Acts 2:36-39 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Everyone in the world — including you and me — is born a sinner and needs to be saved. God knew we would need a Savior right from the beginning. That’s why He made the promise to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David. And, God was faithful to His promise. Jesus was God's Son. He came in human form and was born as a baby in Bethlehem. He lived a sinless life and experienced a savage death by being nailed to a cross. Because Jesus gave His blood when He died on the cross, we can be forgiven and saved from the punishment for sin. When Jesus came to earth as a baby, He came to provide a way so that we could be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven. When we accept Him as our Savior, He becomes the ruler of our hearts. We do the things that please Him. There are still prophecies about Jesus that have not yet been fulfilled. Now we look forward to those happening. One promise is that He will come back to get us and take us to the place that he went away to prepare for us. We can count on Him being faithful to His Word. Acts 1:11 says "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Revelation 19:11, 14, 16. "One day heaven will open and Jesus will be seen riding on a white horse. On His robe will be the words, "King of Kings." When Jesus returns, He will rule as King on earth. The rest of the prophecies about Jesus in both the Old Testament and the New Testament will then be fulfilled, just as the prophecies about His birth were fulfilled. So we look forward to something else during Advent. We are looking forward to the day when Jesus is coming again. Jesus told his disciples that he would come again, but when they asked when, he told them that no one knows when that day will be. He said, "No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven. Only the Father knows." Wow! If we don't know when it is going to happen, what should we do.? Well, it is a bit like the movie previews that say, "Coming Soon to a theater near you." They don't say exactly when, so we have to be watching so that we will be ready when they come. In fact, that is exactly what Jesus told his disciples. "Be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." What should we do to make sure we are ready for Jesus when he returns? We should be doing the things that Jesus

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wants us to be doing -- reading the Bible, praying to Him, singing praises to Him, sharing with others, and being kind to one another. If we are doing those things, we will be ready when he comes. So during this Advent season as we prepare for Christmas, let's remember that Jesus is the Promised One. From the very beginning of time God promised to send His Son. He did that because He loved us so much. Matthew 1:23 says," They shall call him Immanuel which means "God is with us." Jesus came to earth just as God had promised and someday Jesus will return to earth just as He promised. That is why we celebrate Christmas! This Christmas let's celebrate the coming of Jesus the Promised One!

Review Questions: Pick Up Sticks Purpose: The children will review key words and ideas from this week's Bible lesson as they pick up sticks. Preparation: You will need craft sticks. Neatly print the following words, each one on a craft stick--Immanuel, Prophecy, Bethlehem, Abraham, Moses, and Micah Make 4 sets of sticks for each group in your class. Procedure: Divide the class into groups for 2-3 students each. Show the children the craft sticks with the different words on the sticks. Mix up the sticks and hold them together in one hand. With the sticks in an upright position on a flat surface let them fall down. Tell the children that they are to take turns trying to pick up one stick at a time without disturbing any of the others. If another stick moves or is disturbed the child loses that turn. When a child has successfully removed one stick he may say one thing about the word written on it that relates to the lesson. If the child is correct he receives points for the answer. Encourage the group to help the individual with his/her answer. Optional Team Play: Divide the children into two teams. Take turns trying to remove the stick from the stack. Players do not go again if they succeed in removing a stick. Since there are multiple sticks with the same word, answers will be repeated. When all sticks have been removed, total the points. OR: Have the child answer one of the following review questions for a point:

1. How many years before Christ's birth did the Old Testament prophets predict his birth? (From

the beginning of Creation; hundreds of years) 2. Why did God need to send His Son Jesus to earth to be born and die on the cross? (Because

sin entered into the world in the Garden of Eden and ever since then man has sinned. Everyone needs a Savior.)

3. What does the word "Immanuel" mean? ("God is with us." This means that Jesus who is God left heaven and came to earth.)

4. What promise did God make to Adam and Eve after they sinned and were expelled from the Garden of Eden? (God said that they would have an offspring that would or a child that would crush Satan. God was referring to Jesus.)

5. What amazing prophecy did Micah make about the birth of Jesus? (He predicted the town in which he was to be born.)

6. How did God arrange for Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem when Jesus was born? (Caesar Augustus taxed the people and told them to return to their hometown. Joseph's home was Bethlehem.)

7. Besides Jesus' birth what were some other predictions about the life of Jesus? (There are over 300 prophecies about the coming Messiah. The prophets said he would die on the cross for our sins. He would be like a "lamb or sheep before the slaughter.")

8. What prophecy is still yet to be fulfilled? (The coming of Jesus as King of King and Lord of Lords to reign on the throne of King David.)

9. What things should we be doing as we wait for the return of Jesus? (read the Bible, pray daily, sing praises, tell others about Jesus, show love to one another.)

10. What should we celebrate during the Advent season? (Remember the birth of Jesus as God coming to earth in the form of Jesus; time to look forward to His return to earth.)

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Bible Memory Verse Activity: Bible Verse Bulbs The memory verse is Matthew 1:23 says," They shall call him Immanuel which means "God is with us." Let's say the verse again together. Have children locate the verse in the Bible. Read the verse aloud with children several times. Preparation: You will need a printed copy of the Christmas bulbs below printed on colored cardstock. You will also need glitter, glue, flocking, colored markers and scissors. Procedure: Distribute the copies of the Christmas bulbs to each student. Have students make pictures of Christmas bulbs to cut out and decorate with markers, glitter or flocking. Write a word of the Memory verse on each of the bulbs with black markers. Hang the light bulbs in order of the words in verse on a light string of yarn or cording. Attach the string of lights to a large green poster board tree on the bulletin board. Children will enjoy learning their Bible verse from their own designed bulbs.

Group Learning Activity: Genealogy Paper Chain Preparation: You will need 22 red, 14 green, 14 purple and 14 blue strips of construction paper to make a paper chain. Each strip needs to be approximately 1” X 8”. Say: “In this activity we will be making a paper chain with the genealogy of Jesus. Let’s find Matthew 1 in our Bibles to find the names in this family’s genealogy.” Procedure: Make the correct number strips of paper in red, green, purple and blue. Write a name on each strip. Have students help form each strip into a link for a paper genealogy chain. Each link in the chain shows a member of the family of Jesus. Hang the genealogy chain across your classroom as a decoration during the Christmas season. Refer to it as a review.

The red chain begins with Adam and goes to Abraham. In that chain are God, Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Arphaxad, Cainan, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abraham. Each one believed the promise of a coming redeemer.

The green chain begins with Abraham and shows the 14 generations to King David. In that group of people are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Perez, Hezron, Ram, Amminadab, Nahshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, and King David. Note that Ruth was the wife of Boaz.

The purple chain begins with King David. It also has 14 links. King David was the father of Solomon who was the father of Rehoboam, and the Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, and Josaih. Each of the purple links are Kings that ruled the nation of Israel. This is the line of King David all the way down to His son Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. This genealogy is given in Matthew 1:6-16.

Beginning with the blue links we see the families that were taken in captivity to Babylon and Persia. There were 14 families in that group too. These were Jeconiah, Shealtiel, Zerubbabel, Abiud, Eliakim, Azor, Zadok, Akim, Eliud, Eleazar, Matthan, Jacob, Joseph, and Jesus. This was the time of Daniel and the prophets of Isaiah and Jeremiah. It includes the later time when the Roman Empire would rule over Israel. This was when Jesus was born to Joseph and Mary. Mary was also in the family of King David.

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These are the names for each link. 1. God 2. Adam 3. Seth 4. Enosh 5. Kenan 6. Mahalalel 7. Jared 8. Enoch 9. Methuselah 10. Lamech 11. Noah 12. Shem 13. Arphaxad 14. Cainan 15. Shelah 16. Eber 17. Peleg 18. Reu 19. Serug 20. Nahor 21. Terah

22. Abraham 23. Isaac 24. Jacob 25. Judah 26. Perez 27. Hezron 28. Ram 29. Amminadab 30. Nahshon 31. Salmon 32. Boaz 33. Obed 34. Jesse 35. King David 36. Solomon 37. Rehoboam 38. Abijah 39. Asa 40. Jehoshaphat 41. Jehoram 42. Uzziah

43. Jotham 44. Ahaz 45. Hezekiah 46. Manasseh 47. Amon 48. Josiah 49. Jeconiah 50. Shealtiel 51. Zerubbabel 52. Abiud 53. Eliakim 54. Azor 55. Zadok 56. Akim 57. Eliud 58. Eleazar 59. Matthan 60. Jacob 61. Joseph 62. Jesus

Group Learning Activity: “Interview with Isaiah” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need someone to dress up in Biblical costume as the prophet Isaiah. Use the dialogue as a sample of how the teacher will interview Isaiah. Practice with the individual portraying Isaiah for the most effective results. Background Information: “The prophet Isaiah had a vision or dream about what God wanted him to know. In his vision Isaiah saw God. God asked whom He could send to tell people things. Isaiah told God to send him; he would go. Isaiah told the people that god would give them a sign. A sign is an action or event that points to something special. This sign would be a woman giving birth to a son whom she would name Immanuel. Isaiah told the people that the child would be born for them. The child would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and the Prince of Peace. The child would bring peach and rule over the people with love.” Procedure: Enlist two adult volunteers to be the interviewer and Isaiah. Print the following script and give to each volunteer. Sit with the children as the interview is conducted.

Interviewer: “In our lesson we learned that God told many people in the Old Testament about the coming of Jesus the Messiah. Today we are going to have a guest to tell us about his experience. Let’s welcome him. (Clap) Can you give us your name and tell us a little bit about yourself?”

Isaiah: My name is Isaiah, and I am the son of Amos. I am God’s prophet, which means I tell people what God wants them to know. I have been a prophet for the reigns of four kings of Judah. God has told me many things to tell people.

Interviewer: I understand that something special happened to you one year. Can you tell us about it?

Isaiah: Yes, when King Uzziah died, I saw a vision, which is one way God shows me what He wants me to know or do. A vision is like a dream.

Interview: What was this vision about?

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Isaiah: In the vision, I saw God sitting on a large throne. God’s robe filled the whole temple?”

Interviewer: Wow! Did you hear anything?

Isaiah: Yes, I heard God’s voice. He asked, “Whom should I send? Who will go?”

Interviewer” What did you say or do?

Isaiah: I answered. I said, “Here I am. Send me.”

Interviewer: That’s a pretty important vision. Was there anything else?

Isaiah: God also told me some things He would do in the future.

Interviewer: Like what?

Isaiah: God said He would give me a sign. A sign is “an action or event that points to something special.” He said a woman would have a baby and name Him Immanuel, which means, “God with us.”

Interviewer: Thank you Isaiah for telling us this. It has been interesting talking to you.

Isaiah: Wait! I want to tell you more.

Interviewer: More than this? What else is there?

Isaiah: God gave me a lot more information about this baby. Let me tell you the rest.

Interviewer: OK. I am listening.

Isaiah: A child will be born for us, and He will be a ruler. He will be called many things such as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. He will be a king. His kingdom will last forever, with nothing wrong. He will be like a tree that has been cut down, and grew new branches. The branches will have much fruit. God will make Him wise and help Him understand things. He will be able to help others and be strong. He will know and love God and want to obey Him. He will not just look at what He sees or hears in people, but He will be fair, helping those who have not been treated fairly. He will teach others the right way to live, and He will always do the right thing Himself.

Interviewer: Thank you Isaiah for visiting and teaching us today. (Isaiah exits.)

Group Learning Activity: Film Footage Purpose: The purpose of the activity is to help students track the prophecies that were given about the birth of Jesus and His future return. Preparation: You will need a long piece of white drawing paper approximately 8 feet long. Using a black magic marker make a line to divide the long paper into sections. Make a border of black and white squares to simulate "film edges." Tape the long piece of butcher white paper to a wall, the floor, or a long classroom table. Say: “Today we are going to make slides in a filmstrip about the coming of Jesus and how He fulfilled the prophecies. Each slide will be one of the events in the coming of Jesus and His birth.” Procedure: Have children work together as groups or teams at each table to make film footage of the "coming attractions" of Jesus' Birth and Return. If children desire to share their film footage, they might enjoy taking their ideas to other classes to show them their lesson on being prepared. Encourage children to use words and Bible verse as well from today's lesson. Children can draw pictures as well as only words to show their ideas. Events to include on the slide are the following: Adam and Eve in the Garden; God’s Call to Abraham; God’s Promise to Isaac; Jacob’s Ladder; Moses and the Passover Lamb; King

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David and His Throne Forever; Promise to Isaiah about Virgin; Promise to Micah about town of Bethlehem being birth; Birth of Jesus the Son of God; Jesus’ Promise to Return at Ascension; etc.

Group Learning Activity: Bible Study: “Prophecies about Christ” (Grades 3-5 Say: “Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophesies when He came to pay the penalty for our sin by dying on the cross. He gave to those who trust in Him the gift of eternal life. Jesus fulfilled over 300 specific prophecies from the Bible. Today we are going to be detectives and see if there is evidence that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies.” Procedure: Give each child a small black spiral notebook and pen. Have students look up the following scriptures. On a dry erase marker board or on chart paper, record the scripture and next to it the promise that was made. Have students record the following observations in their "Detective Notebook." (Prophecy chart is included below for the teacher’s benefit.)

1. Isaiah 7:14 The Messiah would be born of a virgin. Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary.

2. Micah 5:2 The Messiah (Jesus) would be born in the town of Bethlehem. 3. 2 Samuel 7:12 The Messiah (Jesus) would be a descendant of the house of

David. 4. Isaiah 53:3 The Messiah (Jesus) would be a "Man of Sorrows." 5. Psalm 69:8 The Messiah (Jesus) would be rejected by His own people. 6. Psalm 41:9 The Messiah (Jesus) would be betrayed by a friend. 7. Isaiah 53:12 The Messiah (Jesus) would be crucified between two thieves. 8. Psalm 31:5 The Messiah (Jesus) would be raised from the dead. 9. Psalm 110:1 Jesus would take His place at the right hand of God. 10. Zechariah 6:11-15 Jesus will someday return to earth to reign. 11. Matthew 16:21 Jesus prophesied that He would die and rise again. 12. Matthew 19: 28 Jesus prophesied that He would sit on David's throne. 13. Luke 1:32-33 Jesus would be called great, Son of the Highest, and the Lord God would gives Him

the throne of His father David. 14. John 10:11-18 Jesus would be like a shepherd that lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus died

as the sacrifice for our sin. 15. Hebrews 9:12 Jesus paid the price for our sin with His own blood and enter the Holy Place

(heaven) for us. 16. John 18:36 Jesus taught that His kingdom is not of this present world system. 17. Mark 13:26 Jesus promised that He would come again in great power. 18. John 14:3 Jesus promised to prepare a place for us in heaven and someday He would come and

take us to that place. 19. Acts 1:11 Jesus will return in the clouds just the same way that the disciples saw Him go into

heaven. Conclusion: The evidence confirms that Jesus was truly the Messiah whom God promised. God's Word is

true. We can depend on Him to keep His promise to return again.

Group Learning Activity: “God’s Promised Gift Jesus” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need to print the following scripture strips at the end of this lesson. Cut apart. Put each scripture strip in a box and wrap it like a present. If you have a Christmas tree set up in your room you can put the presents under the tree. Or you can use stockings and have each Christmas strip in each stocking. You will also need either one large present with one large cross inside (or several little crosses – one to send home with each child), or several small presents wrapped with crosses inside (enough for each child to have his/her own present). These crosses can be as simple as a cross cut out of construction paper. Procedure: Gather the kids together and have them sit in a circle around a Christmas tree.

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Say: “Christmas will soon be here. On Christmas, we remember the greatest gift ever given – the gift of Jesus Christ! Jesus came to earth as a baby over 2,000 years ago . . . but did you know that it was prophesied that he would come long before that? Hold up your Bible. This Bible is divided into two sections – the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament tells about the history of God’s people before Jesus came to earth as a baby. It starts with creation and ends about 400 years before Jesus was born. In this section of the Bible are some prophecies that were spoken about the birth of Jesus – hundreds of years before He was born – and EACH ONE happened, just like it was said! Today, we are going to look at some of these prophecies.” Take the first present out from under the tree. Play some music while the kids pass the present around the circle. When the music stops, whoever has the present needs to open the present, take out the Scripture Strip, and read the verse on the Scripture strip. Discuss each verse right after it is read. Then repeat the game until all the Scripture strips have been read and discussed. Discussion Guide:

1. Isaiah 11:1-2: These verses tells us that Jesus would be from the family of Jesse – who was the father of King David. In other words, Jesus would be born into the same family that King David was! This happened! Both of Jesus’ earthly parents – Mary and Joseph – were in the family of King David!

1. 2.Jeremiah 23:5-6: These verses also tell us that Jesus would be born from the same family as King David. King David himself was even promised that one day one of His descendants would be a king that would reign forever – and Jesus does! Jesus’s kingdom will never end!

2. Isaiah 7:14: This verse tells us that Jesus would be born of a virgin – a woman who is not married and had never been with a man like a married woman is! Guess what? Jesus’s earthly mother was Mary – a young lady who was not yet married and had never been with a man. This is a miracle – but it really happened – just like Isaiah said it would! This verse also tells us that His name would be Immanuel. Do you know what Immanuel means? It means “God with us”. Jesus was God coming down to earth to be right here with us!

3. Micah 5:2: This verse tells us EXACTLY where Jesus was going to be born! What town did it say? The town of Bethlehem. Micah wrote these words hundreds of years before Jesus was born – and they came true! Jesus’s earthly parents had to travel to Bethlehem right before Jesus was born and Jesus ended up being born while they were there – just like Micah had prophesied hundreds of years before!

4. Psalm 72:10: What does this verse sound like it is prophesying? After Jesus was born, some people called Magi (also known as wise men or kings) came looking for him. They saw a special star in the sky that told them a special king had been born, so they went searching for him. They brought him special gifts – does anyone know what they were? Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrhh. These verses in Psalm predicted that those kings would come looking for Jesus and that they would bring him gifts!

5. Jeremiah 31:15: These verses tell of something very sad that would happen close to Jesus’s birth. When the Magi went looking for Jesus, they went to the palace first. That makes sense, doesn’t it? If you are looking for a king, wouldn’t you expect him to be in the palace? However, Jesus wasn’t in the palace – but King Herod was. When King Herod heard that a baby had been born who would one day be king, he got very jealous. He ordered all the baby boys age two and under to be killed! That made so many people very, very sad . . . which is what this verse is talking about. Jeremiah told what King Herod would do hundreds of years before it happened!

After all gifts have been opened conclude with the following: Say: “All of those verses we just read were written by people hundreds of years before Jesus was born – and each one of those verses happened just as they were written! Isn’t that amazing to think about? God had the plan to give us this greatest gift of all from the very beginning! But what was so special about the gift of Jesus? Why did we need a gift like that?

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Take out the last present. (If it is possible, have individual crosses wrapped for each of your kids so that they can each open their own present. You could also do this with one large box that has several little crosses in it and pass the crosses out after opening the last present.) Say: “Jesus was a very special gift. He never did anything wrong! He lived a perfect life, and when He grew up, He gave us an even greater gift. Do you know what that gift was? There’s a hint in these presents. Let’s open them and see! Open the last present (or give each kid a present and let them open up their own present to reveal the cross inside. Say: When Jesus was older, He took the punishment for every wrong thing we have ever done by dying on a cross. That’s what this cross is for! This cross can help us think about and remember that Jesus died for us! Jesus died and was buried, but three days after He died, He rose from the dead! He was alive again and many people saw Him, talked to Him, and ate with Him! Jesus is alive today and He is getting heaven ready for us. One day, we can go to heaven and be with Jesus. You see, Jesus truly was – and is – the greatest gift of all!” Read John 3:16 from your Bible. End with a prayer – thanking God for sending the greatest gift of all – Jesus!

Craft Learning Activity: Happy Face Paper Plate (Grades K-2) Preparation: You will need yellow paper plates, one for each student. Students will need black construction paper for eyes and mouth and black yarn for hair. You will also need a dry erase board or chalkboard or chart paper to record student responses for discussion. Say: “What sorts of things do you look forward to in the future? Are there things that you are hoping for or wishing for?” (Teacher, write the children’s responses on the board. Suggestions: Snow, participating in winter sports, being out of school for the holidays, birthdays, Christmas...) “What are some things other than gifts you want to receive? (Record answers.) “What job would you like to have someday? “Can you think of something you’d like to learn how to do such as play a musical instrument or learn a sport? How does it feel to have to wait for wishes, hopes, or dreams to come true? (Exciting, frustrating, frightening, discouraging)” Say: “Today we are going to think about how God’s people might have felt while waiting for the Savior to be born. How do you think they kept from being discouraged? (Prayed for patience, studied God’s Word, lived God’s way.) Getting ready is an important part of waiting. What would be a good thing for you to do while you’re waiting for your wishes, hopes and dreams to come true? Say: “God wants us to know that He is coming back. We should wait with joy for His return. Today we are going to make a Happy Face Plate to remind us of how we should think.” Procedure: Give each child a yellow paper plate for them to decorate and draw their happy face of their choice. For younger children, the teacher can have the face “lightly” drawn on the big happy face for the little ones to trace. Let children be creative and write JOY along the edges, or on the mouth, or in the eyes, etc. Around the edges of the happy face, children can write “Jesus is coming back”! Give students black yarn for hair to glue on the top of their happy face.

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Craft Learning Activity: “Message Bottles” (Grades K-5) Preparation: You will need 1 clean plastic water bottle per child, non-fantasy stickers, yarn, paper confetti, washable markers, construction paper, scissors, and rulers. You will need to print the message template below on adhesive back label paper. Say: “In this lesson we learned that God planned to send His Son Jesus to earth. That was a very important message that He gave to many people hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth from heaven. We also have an important message to tell everyone about Jesus. Today we are going to make message bottles to give to others to tell them the good news about the coming of Jesus.” Procedure: Distribute bottles and one set of label messages to children. Read aloud the messages and have students say the messages after you. Instruct the children to add pictures or write words on the message labels. Help students adhere the sticker labels to the bottles. (Scraps or blank adhesive label paper can also be used for students to make additional messages for their bottles.) Message should include the following: God sent His Son Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for our sin. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus is the only Way to heaven. Have students make additional messages on the construction paper, roll them up and tie the messages with yarn. Have students put these messages inside their bottles. Have students tear the construction paper into small pieces or use the colored confetti paper to add to the water bottle. Close lids. Prompt children to think of people they could give their message bottles to this week such as friends at school, neighbors, or family members. Lead children to say the memory verse. Matthew 1:23 says," They shall call him Immanuel which means "God is with us." Pray together for the people who will receive their message bottles.

Craft Learning Activity: “Promised Baby Jesus” (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need white paper plates. Find ones without the shiny finish. You will also need yellow construction paper, scissors, crayons, yellow paper confetti, and brown poster paint. For younger students you will need to precut the paper plate. Make copies of the baby Jesus and star for students. Say: “In this lesson we learned about the prophecies concerning the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. All those prophecies about the birth of Jesus have been fulfilled. A prophecy is like a promise that is kept. We are going to make a craft that will remind us that God has kept His promise to send us a Savior.” Procedure: Distribute the paper plate and other supplies to students. Have students cut over half of the center out of a paper plate center as shown in drawing. Cut out a star shape from yellow construction paper using the star shape or have student color the star yellow. Have students color the pictures of baby Jesus. Have student color or paint the paper plate with brown colored markers or brown paint. When the paint is dry, have student glue the star to the top of the plate. Glue the yellow paper confetti to the cradle section to resemble the hay or straw.

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Snack Learning Activity: Popcorn String Preparation: Give each child a small bag of popcorn to eat during the lesson video. Remind them that the Return of Christ is the "Coming Attraction" for believers. You will also need string and darning needles to string popcorn. Procedure: Have the children string popcorn to hang around their classroom walls to remind them of a COMING ATTRACTION as they learn today's lesson. (To make a popcorn chain, just pop corn and children can be given a dull needle and thread to stick into many pieces of pop corn. For added color, the children could string a cranberry every now and then between the popped corn kernels that are being strung. Children can work in pairs if needed or desired.

Life Application Challenge: Sharing Jesus Card

Say: “How do you feel about the divinity of Christ? Christ's birth is an amazing event. His virgin birth was miraculous. We can show gratitude to God for sending His Son to save us from our sins. We can share the good news about the gospel of Christ with others during the Christmas season. We are going to make Christmas card that tells the good news of Jesus’ birth!”

Procedure: Distribute a sheet of card stock for each child. Fold the sheet in half to make a card. Have each child make a Christmas card celebrating the birth of Christ.

Suggestion: Distribute old Christmas cards that students can cut up to make their own card. Have students think of someone who does not go to church or who does not know Jesus. Encourage them to give their card to that person this week and share with them the good news of Jesus' birth.

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God’s Promise

Matthew 1:23 "They shall call him Immanuel which means "God is with us."

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Advent Calendar

Color the picture, then each day color one star beginning with number one.

(You could also use star stickers instead of coloring the stars.)

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Christmas Bible Verse Bulbs

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Message Bottles

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63. God 64. Adam 65. Seth 66. Enosh 67. Kenan 68. Mahalalel 69. Jared 70. Enoch 71. Methuselah 72. Lamech 73. Noah 74. Shem 75. Arphaxad 76. Cainan 77. Shelah 78. Eber 79. Peleg 80. Reu 81. Serug 82. Nahor 83. Terah 84. Abraham 85. Isaac 86. Jacob 87. Judah 88. Perez 89. Hezron 90. Ram 91. Amminadab 92. Nahshon 93. Salmon 94. Boaz 95. Obed 96. Jesse 97. King David 98. Solomon 99. Rehoboam 100. Abijah 101. Asa 102. Jehoshaphat 103. Jehoram 104. Uzziah 105. Jotham 106. Ahaz 107. Hezekiah 108. Manasseh 109. Amon 110. Josiah 111. Jeconiah 112. Shealtiel 113. Zerubbabel 114. Abiud 115. Eliakim 116. Azor 117. Zadok 118. Akim

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119. Eliud 120. Eleazar 121. Matthan 122. Jacob 123. Joseph 124. Jesus

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unit 1 birth of christ nt1.1 god's promise€¦ · these are short clips of movies that will...

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