Christmas according to Mary and Joseph
key words
biblical reference
Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20; Philippians 2:5-8
lesson objective
To help the children comprehend the significance that Jesus became a human like us to save us, and to invite them to thank Jesus for having come to Earth, and something very important, to help them to accept Jesus as their Savior
memory verse
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
At this age, it is very possible that your children have participated in many activities revolving around the life and ministry of Jesus. But it is probable that they have not known about the full incarnation; Jesus was fully man and fully God.
Jesus, being fully God, did not need to come to Earth to die for us humans. But because of his love for us, he became fully man, physically suffering until finally giving his life for us on the cross.
The book of Matthew starts with Jesus’ genealogy, and then he writes about the events of Jesus’ birth.
The birth of Jesus Christ
Matthew tells us that Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married, but did not live together yet. Back then, an engagement was a lot more serious than today. Legally, they were married. They only lacked completing the formal marriage activities before the congregation and thereafter living together.
Mary was expecting a child conceived by the Holy Spirit is power. But Joseph found that hard to believe. Joseph, being a righteous man, did not want to divorce her publicly, so he decided to leave her secretly. That was until an angel of the Lord came to him and explained what had happened. Joseph then understood and took care of Mary and the baby.
In Matthew 1:22-23, we can see that Jesus came to fulfill the promises made by God to his people Israel (Isaiah 7:14). These verses show us that he was the long - awaited Messiah.
God as man
This marvelous miracle does not have a scientific explanation. Jesus, with the exception of being born without original sin because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was completely human and completely God.
The Bible teaches us the humanity of Jesus, in that he ate, drank, was hungry, thirsty, tired, he got angry, he had problems, was tempted, felt pain, not to mention was crucified and killed without even deserving it. In dying, he took our place.
And we see the godliness of Jesus when he spoke with divine authority; he claimed the power of forgiving sins (Mark 2:5-12), he accepted adoration for his name (Matthew 14:3), he is the son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16-17).
The Gospel of Luke talks about Jesus’ childhood. Luke adds in another story about Jesus’ infancy that proves his humanity, and it is the testimony of the shepherds. In Luke 2:8-20, an angel comes to them and announces the coming of Jesus to Earth, and immediately, the shepherds leave in search of this baby King. They were happily surprised to find a baby sleeping in the manger.
We can make a summary of Jesus’ life from Philippians 2:5-11, where Paul writes to the people of Philippi and reminds them of Christ’s humility and the exaltation he deserves. Jesus renounced everything that was naturally his and humbled himself all the way to the cross, where he died because he loves us so much, so Heaven and Earth would kneel and worship him.
What would have happened if Jesus did not come to Earth? God would have stayed the same, but how would things be for us?
It was necessary for us that Jesus came to Earth so we could receive salvation; it is thanks to his sacrifice that we have this precious gift. We should be forever grateful to Jesus for coming and sacrificing his life for us.
It was not his obligation to give his life, but he did so to show us his love. And thanks be to him, we no longer have to make animal sacrifices to God to pardon our sins; we do not have to suffer and die in our sins.
What is so important about Jesus becoming man? He became a man, which allows him to understand us fully. He gave us a model to follow, and gave us a goal: to be like him.
Jesus was tempted by everything and he never sinned. He cried, he laughed, and he suffered. He was exposed to harsh weather, he was hungry, and he ate. He rested, He was exposed emotionally and physically to human fragility, pressures, and other human aspects of life. The difference between him and other human beings is that even through all of this, he never once sinned.
introduce the lesson
As appropriate greet and hug the children as they come to the session. Give a special welcome to the children who are here for the first time. Explain that today they will be participating in a drama of one of the most important stories in the whole world. You will need volunteers to do it. If possible bring costumes and scene settings that you deem necessary, and ask them to participate in the play. (They can read their roles, no memorization required!)
teach the lesson
In the still of the night
Characters: Narrator, Mary, Joseph, angel, angel choir, innkeeper and shepherds.
Scene 1: (Mary and Joseph are talking excitedly)
Mary: Joseph! Something marvelous has happened!
Joseph: What happened?
Mary: An angel came to me and told me “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!”
Joseph: And you were not frightened?
Mary: At the beginning, I was, but the angel told me, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.”
Joseph: Wait just a moment!! You cannot be pregnant! We have not even completed our marriage ceremonies yet!
Mary: Yes, I know, but this is not a normal baby. The angel told me, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Joseph: (with sadness) But, Mary! Did you even stop to think, how could God have a son? I need time to think about this. (Talking to himself) I suppose Mary and I will have to break off our wedding plans.
Scene 2: (Joseph is sleeping. The angel appears in his dreams.)
Narrator: Joseph went to sleep, concerned and confused. While he slept, an angel appeared in his dreams.
Angel: Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.
Narrator: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel told him and took Mary as his wife.
It was time to pay taxes and the king had ordered all to return to the place where their families came from in order to pay the taxes and be present for the census.
Joseph: Mary, we need to go to Bethlehem. My family is there. You know that David is my ancestor.
Scene 3: (Mary and Joseph have traveled to Bethlehem. The innkeeper talks to them.)
Innkeeper: All of Bethlehem is full of people coming to register for the census. The inn is completely full. I hope no one else comes that I have to tell that I have no more room. Oh…just my luck, another person knocking at the door.
Joseph: Do you have a room available?
Innkeeper: I am sorry, but the inn is full. You will have to find another place.
Joseph: We have come from Nazareth. My wife is about to have our baby and she is so tired. You do not have any place where we could rest for a bit?
Innkeeper: I already told you, no! My inn is full. I would like to help you but…no. Wait, I have an idea. If you want, you can stay in the stable out back. It is all that I can offer you.
Joseph: The stable. Okay, that’s fine, thank you.
Scene 4: (Mary, Joseph and the baby are in the corner of the stable. The shepherds have sat down around their campfire when the angels appear.)
Narrator: While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.
In the same region, there was a group of shepherd that were keeping watch on their flocks at night. An angel appeared to them.
Shepherds (scared): What is this? Who are you? Please do not hurt us!
Angel: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Narrator: Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and they said:
Angels: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.
Narrator: Then the angels left.
Shepherds: Let us go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us.
Narrator: The went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was asleep in the manger.
The End
Ask the following questions:
According to the angel: What would the shepherds find in the manger? (A baby)
Who was that baby? (Jesus)
Why was he called Jesus? (Because he would save his people from their sins.)
Why do you think the shepherds went to worship Jesus? (Because he was the long-awaited Messiah, and they were so excited that the prophecies were finally coming true.)
connect the lesson
Review
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #311-A and #311-B and guide the review of the lesson.
Look at yourself
Distribute Student Activity Sheet #311-C. Tell the children to look for the section using a mirror. Hand out colored pencils to each child and ask them to write or draw words of gratitude to God, because Jesus became a man because he loves us. Also, ask them to think about what happened to them last week. It can be something happy or sad (a birthday party, a trip to the park with their parents, a hard chore they did, something painful that happened to them, a problem they encountered at school, etc.) Tell them that they can write or draw the situation that they saw. When they are done, ask who would like to share what they drew or wrote. Let everyone who wants to talk; but do not make them.
Read Hebrews 2:16-18. Jesus, the Son of God, came to the Earth to be a man and went through everything we go through as humans. Make reference to stories told to children. Jesus, being fully human, understands when we feel happy, sad, scared, mad, or hurt, because he felt these and more. Since he loves us he died on the cross, as if he was at fault. Jesus is a role model we all can follow.
practice the memory verse
Direct the children to Student Activity Sheet #311-D. Follow the instructions on the activity sheet to practice the memory verse.
wrap-up
Pray
For the end-of-session prayer, ask someone to pray, thanking Jesus for becoming human and saving us, and asking him to help us to be thankful that he knows the same feelings as us. Also ask that he helps us when we go through difficult situations.
Encourage
Thank the students for their attendance and encourage them not to forget what they learned.
Invite
Announce something about the next session to increase the group’s interest and encourage them to invite others.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™