Lesson - The Wise Men Seek Jesus

VERSES:    Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:21-39

MEMORY VERSE:   Matthew 2:11   "...they presented him with gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Take one more week for the children to memorize Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

PRAYER:   Thank God for always providing for us.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click orange circle for tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• We studied last time about baby Jesus being born in Bethlehem, not in a hospital or an inn or motel or even a house, but in a place where animals like cows and sheep were kept! We studied about how the shepherds traveled to see if the things that the angel told them were true about the Christ being born in Bethlehem. 
• Eight days after Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary officially named the baby JESUS, but really the baby was named Jesus even before Mary knew she was going to have a baby. Remember when the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary in Nazareth and said she was going to have the Son of God, what did the angel say to name the baby? That's right! Jesus! After a short period of time, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord in the temple. They offered a sacrifice of two turtledoves according to the law (Leviticus 12:8; Luke 2:24). While they were in the temple, a man whose name was Simeon was filled with the Holy Spirit and said many wonderful things about baby Jesus. There was also a very old woman named Anna who was in the temple at the same time who prophesied about Jesus.
• We also want to learn about the wise men who visited Jesus. There were wise men who came from the east to Jerusalem. Let's turn our Bibles to Matthew, chapter 2, and verse 1 and see how many wise men came to Jerusalem. (Read verse aloud.) How many wise men came to Jerusalem? It doesn't say! People who have never read the Bible carefully say that there were three, but, let's read it again to see if we missed how many. (Read again). No. The Bible just doesn't say how many wise men there were, so can we put a number in there? No. We can only say what the Bible says. Let's find out what these wise men were doing in Jerusalem.The wise men were asking questions! They wanted to know where the King of the Jews was born. They had seen his star in the east and came to worship him. 
• Now when Herod, the king, heard about a king being born and wise men who were looking for him, he was troubled. In fact, everyone in Jerusalem was troubled. Herod gathered all of the chief priests and scribes and demanded to know where Christ was to be born. Without hesitation, the chief priests and scribes said, "In Bethlehem." They said that it was prophesied in the book of Micah that it was in Bethlehem that a ruler should be born, and that was the ruler was Christ (Micah 5:2). When Herod found that out, he questioned the wise men about time the star appeared. He commanded the wise men to go to Bethlehem and search very carefully for the young child, and when they had found him, then to send word to him, so that he could go and worship Him, too. When they heard what the king had to say, the wise men left. Guess what the wise men saw in the sky again? The same star they had seen in the east! The wise men were very happy and full of joy to see the star! They kept following the star that went before them until it stood over where the baby was. They had found the Christ!
• The wise men went into the house where the baby was with his mother, Mary (Matthew 2:11) . When the wise men saw Jesus, all of the wise men fell down and worshiped Him. The wise men had brought the baby treasures from where they lived. They brought Him very valuable gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When the wise men started their journey back to their home, God warned them in a dream not go back to Herod, so they went back to their home a different way. Next time, we will see 

"Older Student" Tips:

• When we grow up hearing familiar stories like this one, it is always good to stop and go to the Bible to read what God has to say about the story. Sometimes we find we have added little things or taken away important details, such as how many wise men there were or the fact that Jesus could have been up to two years old when the wise men were searching for Him. How do we know that? How old were the babies that Herod commanded to be killed? Two years old and under (Matthew 2:16).  Remember, no matter what people say, the Bible is always right, even if it is something different from what "we have always heard." 
• We know that Joseph and Mary were a poor family because of what they offered as a sacrifice. Read Leviticus 12:8 and Luke 2:24.
• A scribe was one who wrote down and copied the law. They did not have a printing press or a copier back in those times, so men wrote everything down by hand. What takes us less than a minute with a copier, it took scribes a long time to copy just one document. 
• Some people say that because there were three presents, there were three wise men, but this does not necessarily mean there were only three wise men. There could have been more! The principle remains that we must speak where the Bible speaks and we are silent where the Bible is silent. If God would have wanted us to know how many wise men who worshiped Jesus, He would have told us. 
• Sometimes we see pictures of Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus and animals around them with the shepherds and the wise men there all at the same time. Sometimes people, even artists, are mistaken about facts. Where was Jesus when the wise men came to worship Him? Let's turn to Matthew 2:11 and read. They weren't in a barn or a stable or even outside! They were in a house! It is always good for us to turn to the pages of the Bible and read it well, whether we are really old or really young; the Bible is always right.
• We will see in our next story that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus flee to Egypt . They would need money to live on while they were in a foreign country without friends or family. With these expensive presents, Joseph and Mary could sell these gifts and have money to live on because they were poor people. By using the wise men's gifts in this way, God provided for Joseph and Mary and God's only begotten Son (John 3:16).
• We all may know what gold is, but we might not know what frankincense and myrrh are. Frankincense and myrrh are sticky substances that can be hardened and made into a sweet smelling perfumes and incense. They were both very expensive and the wise men must have thought that they were perfect presents to give to a king.

ACTIVITY:   The Wise Men Worship Jesus
Materials needed:  6" x 12" red construction paper, three 3" x 3" squares white bond paper, scraps of shiny gold, light brown, and tan paper, glue, tape, scissors, marker.

1. Hand out red paper.
2. Fold each side of red paper one inch. (See picture).
   
3. On each corner, cut ONE slit on fold line. (See picture). 
   
4. Fold corner and secure with tape. (See picture).
   
5. Repeat all four corners to form a box.
6. Hand out three white papers.
7. At the bottom of each paper write one word, "Gold," "Frankincense," or "Myrrh."
8. Glue white paper inside box (see picture at top).
9. Hand out scrap papers.
10. Cut out various small 'nuggets' of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
11. Glue nuggets on white paper (see picture at top).
12. Write "The Wise Men's Gifts" on one side edge of box.
13. Write "Matthew 2:11" on opposite side edge of box.

Lesson - Jesus Is Born!

VERSES:   Luke 2:1-20

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 2:7  "And she brought her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for him in the inn."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Review the first four books of the New Testament. This is the foundation of all of the New Testament books. Review until you think all of the students know them.

PRAYER:   Thank God for sending Jesus to save us from our sins.

SPECIAL SONG:   No, Not One (see June - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #6 on this blog. Click on orange circle for tune.)

VISUAL AID:    Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• About the time that Jesus was to be born, all the people were required by the Caesar or the king to go from wherever they were living to their own city to be registered or taxed. Because Joseph was a good man, he obeyed the laws, and went out of the city of Nazareth where they had been living to a small town called Bethlehem which was Joseph's home town. Joseph went to Bethlehem, which was also called the City of David, because Joseph was from the house of David. Joseph could trace his family's lineage all the way back to Abraham (Matthew 1)! Mary also went with Joseph to Bethlehem because she was his wife and was also going to have a baby boy who was God's Son. While they were in Bethlehem, Mary had the baby. Because there were so many people in Bethlehem due many people coming to be taxed, there was no room in the inn or motel for Joseph and Mary, so they had nowhere to stay, but where the animals like cows and sheep were kept. Mary wrapped the baby up in what they called swaddling clothes or cloth and laid him in a manger. 
• In the meantime, in that same country, there were shepherds in the fields who were watching over and taking care of their sheep at night. While they were out in the field, an angel appeared. The Bible says that the glory of the Lord shone all around the shepherds and the shepherds were afraid. The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid because the angel was bringing good news, full of joy, to them and to all people. A Savior, which was Christ the Lord, was born in Bethlehem and the angel said the shepherds could find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Suddenly, there was a multitude of heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards men!" And then the angels went away into the heavens. The shepherds turned to each other and said, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see if this really happened." So, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found the baby lying in the manger just like the angel had said. When they had seen that what the angel said was true, they went and told everyone about the baby. All the people who heard the news thought about what had happened, but Mary kept all those things in her heart. Finally, the shepherds went back to their field, but as they went, they praised God for all the things that they had heard and seen.

"Older Student" Points:

• Luke, the writer of the book of 'Luke,' was a doctor (Colossians 4:14) and had perfect understanding of all the things he was going to write about from the very beginning. He wrote down everything that he was inspired to write about Jesus' life in an orderly way and addressed the book to his friend, Theophilus (Luke 1:3). He wanted his friend to know the record with certainty (Luke 1:4). Many years later, we, too, know in detail about Jesus' life through the inspiration of this Gospel written by Luke.

ACTIVITY:  The Birth Of Jesus
Materials needed:  9" x 12" dark brown construction paper, 2" x 12" strip of tan construction paper, 3" x 3" dark brown construction paper, 5" x 7" tan construction paper, scraps of brown and white paper, glue, scissors, marker, crayons.

1. Hand out dark brown paper.
2. Fold shorter edges of dark brown paper in 2 inches (two sides). (See picture)
3. With black crayon or marker, draw lines to resemble boards on dark brown paper. (See picture).
4. Unfold edges.
5. Hand out 2" x 12" strip of tan paper.
6. Without cutting into two pieces, cut snips along one side of paper to resemble hay, leaving 1/4" all along the opposite edge uncut. 
7. Crumple hay slightly. 
8. Fold back 1/4" uncut edge.
9. Glue 'hay' to top inside panel of dark brown paper. (See picture).
10. Hand out 5" x 7" tan paper.
11. Draw Joseph and Mary.
12. Color Joseph and Mary apart from each other. (See picture.)
13. Glue Joseph and Mary on bottom of inside edge of panel of dark brown paper. (See picture.)
14. Hand out 3"3 dark brown paper.
15. Fold one edge 1/2". This is the manger.
16. Glue largest side of folded 3" x 3" dark brown paper to bottom of large dark brown paper in the middle of Joseph and Mary. 
17. Glue left over 'hay' to top edge of manger and inside the manger.
18. Hand out scraps of brown and white paper.
19. Draw two sheep and one cow.
20. Glue to outer brown panels. (See picture).
21. On leftover white scrap paper, write "Jesus Is Born!" and "Luke 2:1-12".
22. Glue white paper to middle dark brown paper. (See picture).
23. Add eyes ears to sheep and cow.
24. Cut out a small white rectangle. This is Jesus' swaddling clothes.
25. Glue in the middle of the manger.
26. Cut out a small tan circle. This is Jesus' head.
27. Glue head to swaddling clothes.
28. Draw face on baby.
29. Make dark brown paper 'stand up' on a table. Crease folds more if it falls down.

Lesson - What The Angel Said To Joseph

VERSES:   Matthew 1:18-25

MEMORY VERSE:   Matthew 1: 25   "...and he called his name Jesus."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   John.   Write "John" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class. Memorizing the books of the Bible can be helpful and this is one way to promote learning all the names of the books.

PRAYER:   Thank God for providing a savior to all mankind.

SPECIAL SONG:   The B-I-B-L-E (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click orange circle for tune.)

VISUAL AID:  Draw Joseph on the whiteboard or chalkboard. Write sentences around Joseph as in Activity below.

LESSON POINTS;   

• We have studied a lot about angels lately, haven't we? Remember the angel named Gabriel who appeared to Zacharias, John's father (see Lesson - December - What the Angel Said To Zacharias on this blog) and then that same angel appeared to Mary, Jesus' mother (see Lesson - December - What The Angel Said To Mary on this blog)? In our lesson today, an angel appears to someone else--Joseph, Jesus' earthly father. We say "earthly father" because who was Jesus' real father? That's right! God was Jesus' father. That's why Jesus is called the Son of God. So an angel appeared to three people, but this time when the angel appeared to Joseph, the Bible does not tell us the angel's name. 
• In the book of Matthew, which is the first book of the New Testament, there was a good man named Joseph who had promised to marry Mary, but he discovered that she was going to have a baby and that concerned him tremendously. Joseph was a righteous and just man and was thinking about putting Mary away secretly, so she would not be a public example. 
• While Joseph was thinking about these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told Joseph not to be afraid to marry Mary because the baby that was going to be born was from God. The angel said Mary was going to have a baby boy and Joseph should name him "Jesus" because He was going to save the people from their sins. Then the angel quoted a verse from an Old Testament book, Isaiah 7:14, that foretold how Jesus would be born and that was exactly like it was happening then! 
• So, Joseph, did as the angel said and married Mary. Joseph and Mary had other children (Matthew 13:55, 56), but Jesus was God's only begotten Son (John 3:16)..

"Older Student Tips:

• Joseph was a man who could trace his lineage or he could prove who his earthly father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather, his great-great grandfather, his great-great-great grandfather, and so on all the way back to Abraham! By being able to prove who his family was, Jesus had a legal right to be king. In Luke 3:23, it tells of how Jesus could prove that He had a blood right to be king through Mary's lineage. These were very important points with the Jews. 
• There were 333 Old Testament prophecies prophesied about Jesus.

ACTIVITY:   What The Angel Said To Joseph
Materials needed:  9" x 12" orange construction paper, scrap of tan and brown construction paper, 8.5" x 11" piece of white bond paper, scissors, glue, marker.

1. Hand out orange paper.
2. Hand out tan and brown paper.
3. Draw Joseph.
4. Cut Joseph out.
5. Glue Joseph in bottom right corner of orange paper.
6. Write "What The Angel Said To Joseph" and "Matthew 1:18-25" at the top of the orange paper.
7. Hand out white paper.
8. Cut out five white "dream clouds."
9. On each dream cloud, write a different sentence:
1. "Don't be afraid to marry Mary."
2. "The baby was from God."
3. "Name him Jesus."
4. "Mary was going to have a baby boy."
5. "Jesus would save the people from their sins."
10. Glue sentences around orange paper.
11. Write "Joseph and Mary had other sons and daughters (Matthew 13:55, 56), but Jesus was the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16)" at the bottom left side of the orange paper.

Lesson - "His Name Is John"

VERSES:   Luke 1:57-80

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 1:76   "...for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Luke.  Write "Luke" on small slips of paper, so the students can memorize the third book of the New Testament. Practice repeating the first three books of the New Testament as a class.

PRAYER:   Thank God for the blessing of babies and for preparing the way for Jesus.

SPECIAL SONG:   Read, Read Every Day (see and hear this song in February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #1 on this blog. Simply click the orange circle to hear the tune.)

VISUAL AID:   This is a simple lesson in which to use the TV Box. The students--even older ones-- enjoy and learn from it. (See February - Visual Aids #1 TV Box on this blog. Type "TV Box" into the Search Box or click on February under Blog Archive. Directions are listed.)

LESSON POINTS:

• After Mary, Elisabeth's cousin and mother of Jesus, went back home to Nazareth, Elisabeth had a beautiful baby boy! We remember that, because Elisabeth's husband, Zacharias, had doubted the angel, Gabriel's, words about having a baby, the angel had taken away Zacharias' ability to speak. He could not talk or say anything at all. He had been that way for nine months. The angel had said that Zacharias would remain that way until all the things that Gabriel had foretold had happened.
• After Zacharias' and Elisabeth's baby was born, all of their neighbors and cousins came to their house to congratulate them and to see the baby. They had heard that Elisabeth, who could not have children when she was younger, now had a baby in her later or older years because of God's mercy. We do that, too, don't we?  When someone has a baby, we are happy for the parents and want to see the baby. That's what their neighbors and family did. But, while everyone was there, they assumed that the baby would be named Zacharias like his father since their custom in those days was to name the babies after their fathers. Not this time! Elisabeth said to everyone, "No. His name shall be John." The people said, "But there's no one in your family named John!" So, they made signs to Zacharias to see what he would say. Zacharias asked for a writing table and wrote, "His name is John." Everyone was amazed that the baby would be named an unusual name like John.
• But then, something truly amazing happened. As soon as Zacharias had written those words, the Bible says that immediately, his tongue became loose and he could talk again!! Do you know what Zacharias did first?  The first thing he did was to praise God! 
• Zacharias was then filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied and said that the LORD God of Israel should be blessed. After 400 years without God speaking through a prophet or to any of His people, God had finally visited His people again! God would use John to prepare the ways of His own Son, Jesus.
• Now, you would think that everyone would be so happy for Zacharias, but the people who lived all around them, were a little afraid and the news about what had happened to Zacharias and Elisabeth traveled all through the hill country of Judea. Everyone who had heard what happened thought, "What will this baby become?" Everyone could see that the Lord was with the child.
• The Bible says that the child grew and lived in the desert until it was time to present himself in Israel.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Because Mary and Elisabeth were cousins, that made John and Jesus cousins, too.

ACTIVITY:   "His Name Is John"
Materials needed:  9" x 12" brown construction paper, 5.5" x 8.5" white paper, 5" x 7" tan paper, scrap of orange paper, marker, crayons, glue, scissors.

1. Hand out brown paper.
2. Hand out white paper.
3. Write "His name is John." on white paper, landscape.
4. Glue white paper to brown paper at an angle.
5. Hand out tan paper.
6. Have student pretend they are writing with a pencil. Trace hand in that position.
7. Cut out hand.
8. Continue to draw fingers (see picture above).
9. Glue hand down in a way that it looks like it might have written the words.
10. Hand out orange scrap.
11. Cut out a long 'pencil' or writing tool.
12. Glue orange pencil to hand and under thumb.
13. Write "Luke 1:63" at the top of the brown paper or wherever there is room.
14. Write "Zacharias' hand" on the hand.

Lesson - What The Angel Said To Mary

VERSES:   Luke 1:26-56

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 1:30   "...fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with the God."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Mark.  Write "Mark" on small slips of paper, so the students can memorize the second book of the New Testament. Practice repeating the first two books of the New Testament.

PRAYER:   Thank God for having a wonderful plan of sending Jesus from heaven to save us from our sins.

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Loves Me (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. (Click orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:    Large Activity (see below) or chalkboard/whiteboard drawing.

LESSON POINTS:

• About six months after the angel, Gabriel, had appeared with a message that Zacharias and Elisabeth were going to have their first child even though they were very old, Gabriel appeared to someone else! He appeared to a young girl named Mary who lived in the city of Nazareth who was to be married to a man named Joseph. The angel brought news that Mary was going to have a baby, too! Gabriel appeared to Mary and said to her, "You are highly favored and the Lord is with you. You are blessed among women." Now this was a surprise to Mary, and, at first, she was troubled at the angel's words because she didn't know what his words meant. 
• Gabriel told Mary not to be afraid because she had found favor with God. She would have a baby boy and she should call his name Jesus. Her son, Jesus, would be great and then Gabriel said many other wonderful words to her about Jesus. Mary asked Gabriel how this could happen because she had not married Joseph yet. The angel said that the baby was the Son of God. Gabriel also told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, was going to have a baby in three months, even though she was old and had never had children before. The angel also said, "For with God nothing is impossible." Mary accepted by faith without hesitation that this was going to happen and said to the angel, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." Then Gabriel left Mary.
• So, what did Mary do next? The Bible says she hurried to the hill country of Judea where Zacharias and Elisabeth lived. When Mary walked into their house and said hello to Elisabeth, the Bible says that as soon as Elisabeth heard Mary's voice that her own baby boy, who she was to name John, leaped inside of Elisabeth and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She spoke to Mary and said that Mary was blessed among women and blessed was the baby that she was going to have. She said that Mary was blessed for believing the things that the angel told her would be coming true.
• Mary answered Elisabeth and quoted verses in the Old Testament that prophesied about Jesus. Mary stayed with Elisabeth about three months and then she went home to Nazareth. Next time, we will see what Elisabeth and Zacharias name their son and if Zacharias will ever talk again.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Read Luke 1:37. Name a few examples that prove this point, i.e., Abraham and Sarah having Isaac at an old age, Jonah and the great fish, Daniel in the lion's den, etc.
• Remember the angel had said that in Luke 1:15 that John would be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born. What does Luke 1:41 say?
• When Mary answered Elisabeth, she quoted parts of 13 Old Testament verses. Mary knew her scriptures, didn't she? (Luke 1:46-55).

ACTIVITY:   Mary and Elisabeth
Materials needed:  9" x 12" tan construction paper, 5" x 14" dark brown construction paper, 3" x 7" white construction paper, scissors, markers, crayons, glue, tape.

1. Hand out tan paper. This is the house.
2. Hand out the dark brown paper. This is the door.
3. Fold edge of dark brown paper up 4".
4. Place tape on one edge to secure.
5. Fold 1/2" on one edge of the door, lengthwise.
6. Glue only on folded edge of paper in the middle of the tan paper. The door should open and close.
   
7. Trace door on the tan paper, so that when the door is opened, a small line is visible on tan paper.
8. Draw black lines lengthwise on door to resemble wood planks.
9. Inside the 'house', draw a few household items like  door and picture.
   
10. Hand out two pieces of white paper.
11. Draw Mary on one piece of white paper.
12. Draw Elisabeth on the other piece of paper. (Optional: Mary and Elisabeth are drawn here for you, if you choose to copy and paste this in a word document to copy.)
    
13. Write their names at the bottom of their dresses. 
14. (DO NOT GLUE Mary or Elisabeth. They should be movable.)
15. Color the two women and inside the house.
    
16. Write "Mary And Elisabeth" and "Luke 1:26-56" at the top of the tan paper.
    
17. Practice some things that Mary and Elisabeth said to each other, stressing how John leaped for joy when he heard Mary's voice.
18. Place Mary and Elisabeth inside the door pocket to take home.
    

Lesson - What The Angel Said To Zacharias

VERSES:   Luke 1:5-25

MEMORY VERSE:   Luke 1:13   "...and thou shalt call his name John."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:   Genesis. This is the first book in the Old Testament. Now that we have gone completely through the books of the Bible, we will begin again with the Old Testament.

PRAYER:   Thank God for providing everything we need. 

SPECIAL SONG:   Jesus Loves The Little Children (see February - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #2 on this blog. Click on orange circles to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:   Draw a picture in the middle of the whiteboard or chalkboard of Zacharias talking with the angel. Write nine things the angel told Zacharias around the picture. After those things are discussed, erase Zacharias' mouth and insert an 'x,' showing he was mute. 

LESSON POINTS:

• When we studied the last time in the Old Testament, the very last thing that God had said to the prophet, Malachi, was that He would send someone with Elijah's power and spirit, and he would turn the fathers' hearts to the children and the children's hearts to the fathers (Malachi 4:5, 6; Luke 1:16, 17). After 400 years of silence on God's part, God picks up where he left off, and we find out that that someone was John. He was promised 400 years before he was born and today we find out more about how he would be born and that his purpose was here on the earth was to prepare the way for Jesus. 
• During the reign of the king of Judea named Herod, there was a man named Zacharias who was a priest and worked in the temple. His wife was a woman whose name was Elisabeth. Both Zacharias and Elisabeth were godly people who loved God and were righteous before God. They did everything they knew to do God's way. The Bible calls them blameless. They had no children and they were getting pretty old. Zacharias had prayed for a child.
• One day, Zacharias was in the temple because he had been chosen for the job of burning incense in the temple of the LORD. A large group of people was praying outside the temple, so Zacharias was in the temple alone.
• While Zacharias was inside the temple, an angel appeared on the right side of the altar of incense. When Zacharias saw the angel, he was troubled and afraid. But the angel told Zacharias: 
• not to be afraid because his prayer had been heard. Elisabeth was going to have a baby boy! 
• to name the baby John. 
• he was going to have much joy and many people would be happy because of John's birth.
• that John would be great in the Lord's sight. 
• John was not to drink wine or strong drink.
• John would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before he was born.
• many of the children of God would be turned to God because of John.
• John would have Elijah's spirit and power.
• that John would make the people prepared for the Lord.
• Zacharias asked the angel how he could be certain that he would have a child because he was an old man. The angel said that his name was Gabriel and he stood before God in His presence and was sent to bring Zacharias this good news, but because Zacharias doubted the angel's word and asked how he could be certain that he was to have a baby boy, the angel told him that he would not be able to talk until the baby was born. 
• The people waited for Zacharias outside and wondered why he was staying so long in the temple. When Zacharias finally came out, he could not talk at all! The people thought he had seen a vision in the temple because he made motions with his hands and could not speak a word. 
• When Zacharias' days of ministering in the temple were over, he went home. Soon, they knew that the angel named Gabriel was telling the truth because Elisabeth was going to have a baby! Next time, we will find out who the angel, Gabriel, talks to next.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Luke wrote the book of Luke to his friend Theophilus (Luke 1:3).
• God had not spoken to man in 400 years since He spoke to Malachi. Now, God was ready to speak and He chose Zacharias to whom to speak through an angel. 
• Zacharias and Elisabeth were Jesus' aunt and uncle.  This baby who was named John and baptized many people, was the cousin of Jesus.  
• We need to remember that God answers prayers in His own time, not ours.

ACTIVITY:   John Is Promised
Materials needed:  5" x 11" green construction paper, 12" x 18" yellow construction paper, stapler, staples, scissors, marker.

1. Hand out green paper.
2. Holding paper lengthwise, fold bottom edge about 2 inches from the top.
3. Staple two or three staples on each side, forming a pocket.
4. Hand out yellow paper.
5. Fold yellow paper in thirds.
6. Fold yellow paper in thirds again.
7. Unfold paper.
8. Cut on creases in yellow paper. In the end, there should be nine 'cards.'
9. Write "Luke 1:5-25" at the very top of the green paper.
10. Write "What the angel named Gabriel said to Zacharias" in the middle of the bottom portion of the green pocket.
    
11. Card # 1: Write "Don't be afraid!" Zachariah's prayer had been heard. They would have a baby boy!"
12. Card #2: Write "Name the baby boy John."
13. Card #3: Write "Zacharias would have much joy. Many people would be happy because John was born."
14. Card #4: Write "John would be great in God's sight."
15. Card #5: Write "John was not to drink wine or strong drink."
16. Card #6: Write "John would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before he was born."
17. Card #7: Write "Because of John, many of the children of God would be turned to God."
18. Card #8: Write "John would have Elijah's spirit and power."
19. Card #9: Write "John would make the people prepared for the Lord."
20. Bonus: Turn pocket over and write on the back: "You cannot talk until these things are done."
21. Place cards in pocket.
22. See how many cards they remember before taking the cards out of the pocket.

Lesson - Introduction To The New Testament

As Bible teachers, we should want to learn helpful, even creative, ideas to aid our students and ourselves in learning all we can about God's Word. Perhaps, it would help to break down the New Testament into grouped areas of study for an easier understanding and memorization of this testament. Take a look at the books below to see if the information will help you become more familiar with the New Testament.

As we have mentioned before, there are 27 books in the New Testament which were written by eight inspired men--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul, Jude and James. The New Testament was originally written in Greek.

• The Gospels:  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four books of biography were written by and named after four inspired men who lived with Jesus for the three-and-a-half years that Jesus spent preaching to and teaching the people. These books are four independent, inspired accounts of the life of Jesus. 
• At times, four men described the same event; 
• Many times, Matthew, Mark, and Luke told about the same happening; 
• Occasionally, two of the men recounted the same incident, 
• Frequently, one man gave an account of something of which only he would write. 

In these books, we find the birth of Jesus, His life, His teachings, His parables and miracles, His suffering and death on the cross, and His resurrection. To understand the entire Gospel story, we must read all four books of the Gospel. This type of study is called a "harmony of the Gospels," seeing how each book harmonizes, compliments, and completes the other books. In these four books, God has given us everything we need to know about Christ to become a believer in Him (John 20:30, 31).

• History:  Acts. This is the only book of the New Testament that records how the church began. It shows us by example what people did to become Christians and members of Christ's church, how the church grew, how the church was persecuted, and the teaching of Christ's apostles. In this book we find out what the early disciples did to worship God and how often they worshiped, about the apostles' miracles which confirmed that the message they preached was God-given, and about how Christ is coming back again.

• Letters Of Instruction: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude. It has been said that the Bible is a "how-to" book and that is correct. The history book, Acts, tells us "how to" become Christians. Now we will notice that these letters of instruction will tell us "how to" live the Christian life. These are actual letters that were inspired by God and written to different congregations of the Lord's church or to certain people. Christians are able to learn how to live their lives in a way that pleases God by reading these letters. Christians were encouraged to continue the many good things they were doing for the Lord and also were rebuked them for not obeying God in the way that He commanded. These books contain instructions to Christians on how to live in a godly way. In these letters, we can read about the differences in the Old and New Testaments, how no one can control the tongue, but should certainly try, how all Christians should be growing in their knowledge of the Word, what Christians should be adding to their faith, about love, and warnings about worldliness.

• Prophecy:  Revelation. This is the only book in the New Testament that contains the promise of a blessing simply by reading it. It contains much figurative language, yet can, with diligent study, be understood. It tells us about the lake of fire and how beautiful heaven is. It also cautions those who add to or take from the words of the Bible.

Do we want to know how to get to heaven? Do we want to know how to live in a godly way? Do we want to know what will happen when we die? The New Testament tells us all of the answers to these questions. We will be studying these twenty-seven books for a good while! Let us open our hearts and minds as we open the Book of Books--the Bible!

ACTIVITY:  The New Testament Books

Materials:  9" x 18" blue construction paper, 6" x 17" brown construction paper, four colors of scrap paper, glue, markers, pencil.

1. Hand out blue paper. This is the background.
2. Hand out brown paper. This is the bookshelf.
3. Leaving only an inch at the bottom of the blue paper, glue brown paper on top of blue paper.
4. Write "The New Testament Books" and "27 Books -- 8 Writers" at the top of the blue paper.
5. Hand out red scrap paper.
6. Cut four 1" x 5" strips.
7. Before gluing, place all strips on brown paper to assure all books will fit on the bookshelf.
8. Next, cut one 1.5" x 5" out of blue scrap.
9. Place this blue strip next to the red strips for spacing.
10. Cut one 1" x 5" green strip.
11. Place green strip at the end of the right side of the bookshelf.
12. Then, cut twenty-one 1.25" x 5" yellow strips. All yellow strips do not need to be the same width. It will be fine.
13. Place yellow strips in between blue and green strips.
14. Alter if they do not fit.
15. Glue the strips down.
16. Turn the blue paper, so that the paper is landscape.
17. Write all 27 books in order on the strips down the bookshelf.
18. Write "The Gospels" below the red strips.
19. Write "History" below the blue strip.
20. Write "Letters of Instruction" below the yellow strips.
21. Write "Prophecy" below the green strip.
22. Review books to make certain books are in the proper order before leaving class.
23. It would be nice to sing The Books Of The New Testament (see March - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3; click on orange circle for tune) at the end of class, if time permits.

Lesson - More Contrasts Between The Old And New Testaments

As we venture into the lessons of the New Testament, we find that some may question, "Didn't God's people already have a law? Wasn't that enough?" In order to answer this question, we look to the book of Hebrews, which is in the New Testament.

Hebrews 1:1, 2 tells us that God did, indeed, talk to His people in different ways at different times, but now--in these last days--God talks to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. God appointed His Son as heir of all things. Jesus was and is better than the angel who spoke to the men under the Old Law (Hebrews 1:3, 4). Under this Old Law, God spoke to His people through prophets, individuals, and other means such as a burning bush or a donkey, but now there is no need to speak in those ways because we have Christ's law or a new testament in the Bible. 

Yes, God's people were governed under the Law of Moses until Jesus died on the cross, taking that first law out of the way and establishing the second law, His law, which was a better law (Hebrews 7:22). Jesus is now the mediator--or the go-between--of a better covenant with better promises (Hebrews 8:6). As a better covenant, there is no need to offer animals as sacrifices which were once required under the Law of Moses because Jesus was offered once and for all as a perfect sacrifice to bear the sins of all mankind under both testaments (Hebrews 9:28). 

The Old Testament was written for our learning that we might have hope (Romans 15:4) and as a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). We can learn from those Old Testament characters like Moses, David and Elijah, yet we still need the New Testament to lead us to Christ that we might be saved by obeying His will.

Lesson - The Difference Between Old And New Testaments

We have learned through our studies and taught our children that there are 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Old Testament is in the front of the Bible and the New Testament is in the back of the Bible. If a person holds a Bible in their hands, searches through its pages until they find the page that says, "New Testament", one has a visual of how much of the Bible is the Old Testament and how many pages are in the New Testament (see picture below). Holding our Bibles in this way, we can ask ourselves, "What is the difference in these two Testaments?"

We know 'old' and 'new' are opposite terms and that 'testament' can be defined by the word 'law.' But what do the terms 'old' and' new' mean when joined by this word 'testament?" By looking at the words "old" and "new", a person can determine that there should be a great difference in the titles "Old Testament" and "New Testament" just by looking at their names.

The theme of the Bible is "Salvation from sins through Jesus Christ." 

While the Old and New Testaments both have this same overall subject matter, the main difference is that the Old Testament is looking to the future, "Jesus is coming!" As we have seen in the beginning from the fall of man, God had a plan to save mankind. (Genesis 3). We have learned that when man sinned, there was a penalty due. The blood of bulls and goats was never intended to completely wash men's sins away. Jesus, the Messiah, was coming as a sacrifice to bear the sins of all men that they might be saved from their sins.

However, in the New Testament, we find that throughout its pages, the theme is "Jesus is here!" It tells us of Jesus, God's only begotten Son, coming to this earth, what He did while He was here, how He died, and how He took men's sins away through the shedding of His blood. It tells of how man can come in contact with His blood through baptism (Romans 6:3, 4).

Yes, there are differences in the Old and New Testaments. We will study more about this wonderful book that God has given and how it can help us.

End Of The Old Testament Thoughts

After nine months and nine days, we have now completed our study on lessons through the entire thirty-nine books of the Old Testament. Within these 281 posts, we have studied many characters and have learned much about God's way and His wishes. He never wanted much...only the people's love and obedience. Even with many promises and rewards, the people disobeyed. We have learned that it must have been a difficult task for His children. They disobeyed more times than they obeyed; they suffered the consequences of their sins continually; they prayed to God for forgiveness, repenting of those sins; God would listen, have compassion, and help them; then the people would get comfortable and fall into sin again. A vicious cycle indeed! God was faithful, compassionate, and true, providing words of encouragement and judgment, yet His people never learned. 

The Old Testament was written for our learning (Romans 15:4). We can learn lessons that His people did not by reading and applying what we read to our lives. We can learn by their examples, whether they were good or bad. The fact that God's Word does not whitewash or put God's children in only a good light is an indicator that this book must be from God! Man certainly would have left out some of the bad! 

We will be beginning new children's Bible lessons in the New Testament soon. I will be taking a few days to organize my thoughts and creating a plan for these new exciting lessons. In the meantime, take a look through some of your favorite Old Testament lessons on this blog.  So many lessons, so little time! Thank you for studying with me. We still have much to teach our children!