Jesus birth is something to celebrate!

Transcription

1 Celebrating Jesus Birth Lesson 3 Bible Point Jesus birth is something to celebrate! Bible Verse For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n understand the period of waiting between the prophecy and fulfillment of Christ s birth, n understand that Jesus birth is a time of celebration, n learn that celebration should last longer than the holiday, and n discuss and understand how Jesus birth changed the world. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Celebrating Jesus Birth Luke 2:1-20 Luke 2:1-20 describes Joseph and Mary s continuing hardships. Certainly it had been difficult for them to overhear the snickers of acquaintances who noticed that Mary had become pregnant prior to the completion of her marriage. Now she and Joseph had to travel from his home in Nazareth to his ancestral home of Bethlehem, a journey of about 70 miles. Though popular renditions of this trip usually show Mary riding a donkey, she and Joseph probably weren t wealthy enough to own one. It s more likely that they had to walk all of the way even though Mary was close to her time to deliver. The exact date of Jesus birth is impossible to calculate. According to Luke 2:2, the census occurred when Quirinius was governor of Syria. His first term occurred from 5 to 4 B.C., so Jesus was likely born between those dates. Unfortunately, the date of Jesus birth was miscalculated when the Christian calendar was created. It s significant that Jesus birth was announced first to shepherds. In those days shepherds were not highly thought of. They were considered so unreliable that their testimony was not accepted in the courts, and they were deemed unclean by the orthodox religious establishment. The fact that Jesus birth was announced first to them indicates that Jesus came to earth for those in need of a Savior. It also foreshadows the common people s acceptance of Christ and the religious leaders rejection of him. Prayer Read Hebrews 1:1-4. How do you celebrate Jesus birth? Pray: Lord, help me to express excitement to my students about the celebration of Jesus birth by Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6 35

2 Lesson 3 Before the Lesson n Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in the chart. n Make photocopies of the Takin It Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your students. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber What Students Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies 400 Years in the Dungeon Listen to a taped story, and then explore Matthew 4: Bible, CD player, 2 AA batteries Bible Exploration & Application Birth Announcement Create birth announcements for Jesus based on the elements found in Luke 2:1-20. Bibles, paper, markers Year-Round Celebration Read Luke 2:20, and discuss ways to celebrate Jesus birth throughout the year. Bibles What Was It Like? Refer to various Scriptures and simulate situations that compare life before and after Christ s birth. Bibles, Another Life handouts (p. 43), scissors, paper, pencils Closing A Joy to Share Listen to a Christmas song and pray for someone who needs to hear the message of it. Bibles, CD player, pieces of paper cut to 4x6 inches, strips of red and green ribbons 36 Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6

3 Welcome Celebrating Jesus Birth As kids arrive, remind them of the signal for the quarter. Tell kids that whenever you sound the noisemaker, they re to stop what they re doing and look at you without talking. Explain that when you have everyone s attention, you ll continue the lesson. Before you begin the lesson, ask kids about last week s lesson and Takin It Home discussions. Use questions such as In what ways did you prepare your heart for Jesus coming? and How did your letter to God help your faith? Be careful not to alienate students whose families chose not to use Takin It Home. Attention Grabber n 400 Years in the Dungeon SUPPLIES: Bible, CD player, 2 AA batteries Welcome your students as they arrive, and ask them track 5 to sit in a circle. Be sure to put the batteries in the fiber optic flashlight before you begin. Say: This is an exciting time to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ! Ask: How many of you can hardly wait for Christmas to get here? Why is it so hard to wait? (I want to know what I m getting; I m excited about seeing my cousins on Christmas Day.) Say: Christmas is less than a week away, but for some of us, that can feel like a really long time. I m going to play a story for you on the CD about a man who waited a really long time for something. Darken the room as much as possible, and instruct your kids to close their eyes as they listen to the story. It is vital that they keep their eyes closed. Stress this! Tell kids they are not to open their eyes until you tap them individually on the shoulder. Play 400 Years in the Dungeon (track 5) from the CD. After the story draws to a close, wait a full minute in silence. Then stand behind the circle and walk around it, positioning the fiber optic flashlight in front of students faces and tapping them on a shoulder one at a time. As kids open their eyes, indicate they should stay silent. Move around the circle until every student s eyes are open. Ask: How long did you think you would have to wait before I tapped you on the shoulder? (Not that long, but it seemed long; I figured it would be a few minutes.) How did it feel to have the light flashed in your face after being in darkness? (It surprised me; it was weird; I didn t expect it.) How long did Bernie, the man in our story, have to wait? (Four hundred years; a very long time!) When was a time you felt like you were waiting in the darkness for something? What were you waiting for? (I was waiting forever to get braces; I waited a long time for a baby sister.) Birthdays, holidays, vacations whatever the occasion, kids love to celebrate. During this holiday week, help your students remember that the coming of Jesus is the greatest reason of all to celebrate. Because of Jesus and our faith in him, we can enjoy the blessings of God s eternal love. Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6 37

4 Lesson 3 How would you feel if you waited for 400 years for something, and then it happened? (I wouldn t live that long!; I d wonder what took so long.) Ask students to form pairs. Read Matthew 4:12-17 aloud to the class. Say: God s people waited 400 years from the time the last prophet spoke to the time Jesus arrived. Have the pairs discuss the following questions: How was the story on the CD like God s people waiting in the dark for Jesus to appear? (They also waited 400 years; they thought it would never happen.) What are some things you hate to wait for? (Christmas vacation to start; to open presents under the tree; for the next episode of my favorite TV show.) How long can you wait for something you really want or need? (As long as I have to, I guess; a few months, maybe.) How do you feel when you finally get something you ve been waiting a long time for? (Glad it s finally here; if it s too long of a wait, I don t care anymore.) How is that like how God s people felt when Jesus appeared? (They were really glad; some of them didn t even realize he had come.) Say: Not everyone recognized that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah. But those who did knew that Jesus birth is something to celebrate! This week, that should be easy to remember! Return the CD and fiber optic flashlight to the Learning Lab for later use. You may need to demonstrate the use of the handblasters. Hold one of the handblasters in each hand. Toss them up and together. The two will magnetically attach to each other and create a rattling sound. WARNING! This activity uses magnets. Swallowed magnets can attract each other through opposing intestine walls, causing serious infection or even death. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled. Bible Exploration & Application n Birth Announcement SUPPLIES: Bibles, paper, markers Have kids form three groups, and distribute paper and markers to the groups. Divide the reading of Luke 2:1-20 into three sections verses 1-7, 8-14, and and assign one section to each group. Have kids read their sections of the Luke passage aloud in their groups. At the end of the reading, have each group practice using the noisemakers, handblasters, clacker balls, or whip whistle to create sounds that would draw attention. Ask: How did you react to the noises you made? (They caught me by surprise; I jumped from the noise.) How is that like the way the shepherds reacted to the vast host of angels that praised God in the heavens at the birth of Jesus? (The shepherds were surprised, too; they wanted to know what was going on.) Have group members imagine that they are the shepherds that were in the fields that night. Have them discuss what kind of birth announcement they could create that would let others know about the joy of Jesus birth, and how they would get people s attention so that they could read the announcement. Finally, have the groups each create an announcement using markers and paper. After all the groups have finished their announcements, have a representative from each group choose one of the noisemakers, handblasters, clacker balls, or the whip whistle 38 Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6

5 Celebrating Jesus Birth to get everyone s attention. Then have a second representative from the group present his or her group s birth announcement to the whole class. After groups have presented, ask: What got your attention the quickest? (The handblasters; the noisemakers.) Which birth announcement kept your attention? Why? (Answers will vary; because the announcement was funny; because the announcement was about Jesus.) What was it like to create a birth announcement for Jesus? (It was fun; hard; challenging.) What part of your group s announcement is most meaningful to you? Why? (Answers will vary; because we told people how important Jesus is; because I was reminded of why Jesus came.) How could your birth announcement help you share Jesus birth with someone who doesn t know Jesus? (It could give a person important details; it could let someone know how big of a deal it is that Jesus was born.) Select a volunteer to read today s Bible verse, Isaiah 9:6: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Say: Usually within the first week or so after a new baby is born, the child s parents will send out a birth announcement, telling everybody their exciting news. But can you imagine? The prophet Isaiah made a birth announcement for Jesus that came centuries before Jesus did! That s how important it was! Jesus birth is something to celebrate, and there s no reason we can t celebrate his birth all year long! n Year-Round Celebration SUPPLIES: Bibles Have a volunteer read Luke 2:20 as the others follow along. Say: After the shepherds saw Jesus, they returned home and praised God. Ask: How do you think God s people may have celebrated when they heard the news of Jesus birth? (Maybe they had a big dinner, like a feast; they might have told everyone they knew and danced around and stuff.) Show your kids the handblasters and say: The shepherds praised God. We re going to use these handblasters as a way to praise God for Jesus birth. I m going to pass the handblasters to someone in the circle. That person will say one way we can celebrate Jesus birth during the year, such as giving money to poor people. Then the first person will smack the handblasters together and pass them to someone else. We ll continue until each person has had an opportunity to say how we can celebrate Jesus birth during the year. Pass the handblasters to a student. Continue until all the kids have had a chance to say one way to celebrate Jesus birth throughout the year and to use the handblasters. Ask: How did using the handblasters make you think about celebrating? (It reminded me of a rattlesnake; it was fun.) Why do people think Jesus birth is worth celebrating? (Because Jesus is that important; because Jesus came for them.) WARNING! This activity uses magnets. Swallowed magnets can attract each other through opposing intestine walls, causing serious infection or even death. Seek immediate medical attention if magnets are swallowed or inhaled. Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6 39

6 Lesson 3 What would your friends think if you celebrated Jesus birth all year long? (They d think I m weird; they would wonder what I m doing; they wouldn t care.) Say: Jesus birth is something to celebrate! When Jesus came to earth, it was a one-of-a-kind event. Now have students pass the handblasters and each share one way he or she can celebrate having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, such as worshipping in church or reading the Bible. Ask: What s one thing you did last week to celebrate your personal relationship with Jesus? (I sang in the church choir; I told a kid in my math class that I believe in Jesus.) How did it make you feel closer to Jesus as a result? (I felt like Jesus was listening when I was singing about him; I started praying for the kid I shared Jesus with.) What are some ways you plan to celebrate your faith in Jesus this week? (I m going to talk to my aunt on Christmas Day about Jesus; I will give my friend Emma a New Testament for Christmas.) Say: As we share our love for Jesus with others, we should feel great joy. A personal and growing relationship with Jesus is something to celebrate all year, just as Jesus birth is something to celebrate! Do you ever wonder what life would have been like for the people who experienced Jesus birth? Let s find out. Collect the handblasters to use in later lessons. n What Was It Like? SUPPLIES: Bibles, Another Life handouts (p. 43), scissors, paper, pencils Before class, photocopy the Another Life handout, and cut apart the situations. You should still have the batteries in the fiber optic flashlight. Form three groups. Have each group pick a Reader to read the Bible passage, a Scribe to write down the group s answers, an Encourager to urge group members to participate, and a Reporter to report the group s findings to the rest of the class. Have extra students serve as Encouragers. If you have fewer than 12 kids, have the groups assign more than one role to a person. For example, the Scribe could also be the Reporter. Distribute the situations from the Another Life handout, and give each group a pencil and a sheet of paper. Give the group with Situation 1 the spicy tea bag, the group with Situation 2 the fiber optic flashlight, and the group with Situation 3 a noisemaker. Tell kids they ll have five minutes to read their situations and discuss the questions. Tell them to be prepared to tell the rest of the class about their discoveries. While the groups are working, circulate around the room to assist any groups having difficulties. 40 Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6

7 Celebrating Jesus Birth After five minutes, have groups report their discoveries. After groups have shared, ask: In what way did your group s situation make you think about what the world might have been like when Jesus showed up? (Everything changed when Jesus showed up; the world wasn t the same when he came.) How do you think the people who were there when Jesus was born felt when they learned he was the Messiah? Explain. (They were probably happy; they probably celebrated a lot.) How do you think their lives were changed? (Maybe they tried harder to be good; they probably praised God more; maybe they obeyed God more.) Say: Many people praised God and celebrated when Jesus was born. Jesus birth is something to celebrate! So let s celebrate now by singing a Christmas song for Jesus. Collect the spicy tea bag, fiber optic flashlight, and noisemaker for use in later lessons. Lead the students in singing a favorite Christmas song. HANDS-ON BIBLE Give each student a paper plate, an index card, and some pieces of yarn or ribbon. Provide scissors, hole punches, and pens for students to share. Say: At this time of year, we can find lots of reasons to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He is the greatest gift God has ever given mankind, and he is the King of kings. Today we ll create something that reminds us of Jesus royalty. Please open your Hands-On Bible to Isaiah 9, and do the Royal Mobile activity using the supplies I ve provided. When students have finished creating their mobiles, ask: What are some royal names for Jesus? (Prince of Peace; Mighty God; Wonderful Counselor.) How do those names remind us to celebrate his birth? (They remind us of how important Jesus is; they are reasons to celebrate how much God loves us to send us Jesus.) What are some special ways we can acknowledge Jesus birth this week? (Tell others the reason why we celebrate Christmas; sing Christmas carols that talk about Jesus birth.) Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6 41

8 Lesson 3 Closing n A Joy to Share SUPPLIES: Bibles, CD player, pieces of paper cut to 4x6 inches, strips of red and green ribbons Say: Jesus birth is something to celebrate! track 6 You re probably used to celebrating Jesus birth every Christmas. But there are others who may not know the true meaning of Christmas God sending his Son. I m going to play Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6), a song based on Isaiah 9:6, which tells of the birth of Christ. Play Wonderful (Isaiah 9:6) (track 6) from the CD. You may want to hand out copies of the lyrics, which are located at the back of this teacher guide. When the song ends, have kids form pairs and discuss: What words from Wonderful would you like to share with someone who doesn t know the real meaning of Christmas? (About how wonderful it is that Jesus came; that Jesus is a wonderful counselor.) What ways could you share Jesus with this person? (I could tell her about his dying on the cross for her; I could tell him how Jesus started off his life here on earth as a defenseless little baby.) Say: Sharing the real meaning of Christmas with someone who doesn t know it is one of the best Christmas gifts you could give. Hand out one neon ring, a piece of paper, and one piece each of red and green ribbon to everyone. Have the students write down today s Bible verse, Isaiah 9:6, on the pieces of paper: For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. When they ve finished, show them how to roll up the piece of paper like a scroll, insert the scroll through the neon ring, and tie the ends with the pieces of ribbon. Ask: Look at the scroll you ve created. What does it remind you of? (A special document; some kind of invitation.) Who can you think of who hasn t received an invitation to follow Jesus Christ? (My dad; my friend Jessica; my cousin Dan.) Say: Take a few minutes and pray with your partner about the person you d like to extend your invitation to. Then ask God to help you share Jesus birth with that person so that he or she, too, can realize that Jesus birth is something to celebrate! Give kids a few minutes to pray before closing with amen. Return the CD to the Learning Lab for future use. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Takin It Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 42 Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6

9 Another Life Directions: Photocopy and cut apart these situations. Give a situation and its corresponding Learning Lab item to each group. Situation 1 Your group lives in a country with no spices or seasonings. You don t have salt or ketchup for your french fries or butter for your baked potatoes. People in your country eat their food plain. What would your lives be like without seasoning for your food? One day someone brought spices to your country. This discovery transformed your country. Pass the spicy tea bag around your group, and let each group member smell it. How will living in your country be different now that you ve discovered spices? Read Colossians 4:3-6, and answer these questions: What does it mean to live wisely? How is bland food like the way people lived before Jesus came? How is seasoned food like the life we have since Jesus came? Situation 2 Your group lives in a country where there are no light bulbs, and the buildings have no windows. When people go inside, they have to feel their way around because it s impossible to see. What would it be like to live in a country with no inside light? One day, someone brought a fiber optic flashlight to your country. The people were impressed. They started planning ways they could do things inside their homes since now they had flashlights. Pass the fiber optic flashlight around, and have each group member look at the different types of light coming from it. How will living in your country be different now that you ve discovered the fiber optic flashlight? Read Isaiah 9:1-3, 6, and answer these questions: What does it mean to live in darkness? How is walking in darkness like life before Jesus was born? How is having light from the fiber optic flashlight like life since Jesus was born? Situation 3 Your group lives in a country with no sound. It s not that the people can t hear; it s just that no one has any need to make sound. All communication is done through touch and through sign language. What would it be like to live in a country with no sound? One day, someone brought a noisemaker to your country. All the people were amazed. They had never heard anything before. Pass the noisemaker around, and let each group member make noise with it. How will life change now that the people of your country have discovered sound? Read Luke 2:13-15, and answer these questions: How did sound change the shepherds lives? How is a world without sound like the world before Jesus was born? How is a world with sound like life since Jesus was born? Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum, Grades 5 & 6 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO group.com 43

10 What do you think God likes about the Christmas celebrations in our country? What do you think God dislikes about our Christmas celebrations? What is the best way to celebrate Jesus birth? *FOR KIDS ONLY: Ask a friend what he or she does to celebrate Christmas. Then tell the person what your family does and why you do it. Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 5 & 6 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO group.com Something to Think About In the Philippine Islands, Christmas is celebrated for 22 days. The celebration begins with a church service at 4 a.m. on December 16 and continues until January 6. In India, servants present a lemon to the head of the household on Christmas morning to show their high esteem for the person. Rather than waiting for Santa Claus to come Christmas Eve, Syrian children set a bowl of water and wheat outside the house as they wait for one of the Magi s camels to bring them presents. Instead of decorating a Christmas tree, Italians decorate the Presepio, which is made of strips of wood that form shelves. Presents, candy, and nuts are placed on the shelves. On St. Nicholas Eve in France, Père Noel visits the homes of children and stuffs gifts in their shoes. Jesus birth is indeed something to celebrate. Christmas is a time to remember what God did for us by sending his Son to die for a lost and hurting world. So enjoy the traditions your family celebrates. But don t forget why you are celebrating. Whether you put the trimmings around the Presepio, leave your shoes out for Père Noel, or wait excitedly for presents from the Magi s camel, remember the ultimate gift that was given for you the life and death of God s Son, Jesus. *FOR PARENTS ONLY: Encourage your children to give a gift to someone who doesn t have money to buy Christmas gifts. Challenge your kids to save up enough money to buy the present or ask them to help you pick out the present. *FOR THE FAMILY: Think of a new family tradition that directly reminds you of what Christmas is all about. For example, consider visiting a lonely neighbor for 30 minutes on Christmas Day, inviting friends over who have nowhere else to go, or reading Luke 2:1-20 aloud together. Celebrating Jesus Birth, Week 3 For a child is born to us, a son given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).