Lesson 6 – The Birth of Jesus

A savior is born to you! He is Christ the Lord.

Opening

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Discovery Guide and the Lesson 6 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist Joseph looking at the baby Jesus. Also paper and colored pencils or crayons will be needed.

Listen to the hymn "O Jesus So Sweet, O Jesus So Mild".

Prayer:  Lord God, heavenly Father, we know that we are sinful people. Thank You that You have redeemed sinful people by sending Your own dear Son. Send Your Spirit to be with us as we learn about the birth of our Savior. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

God Speaks

 Today's lesson is the Christmas story of Luke 2.

Read Luke 2:1-20.

The Luke 2 account is simple and factual, describing the fulfillment of God's promises and prophecies. This follows the dramatic events of Luke 1, when John was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth and when Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she would be the earthly mother of the Son of God.

Also in Luke 1, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife.

Look at the map in the Bible Discovery Guide on pages 8-9 to locate Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph began, and Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.

The distance is about eighty miles. The journey would have been difficult by donkey and on foot, even without Mary's pregnancy.

Why did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem (BETH Ileh hem)? Caesar Augustus [SEE zur aw GUS tus] had ordered a census, most likely for the purpose of taxing the people. Jesus ancestor King David was from the town of Bethlehem, so that is where Mary and Joseph had to report. This is yet another fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem [see Micah 5:2].)

Before the angels appeared to the shepherds, how many people do you think knew that this newborn baby was the Savior? Mary and Joseph knew, but no one else. If the angels had not appeared to the shepherds, this birth might have passed completely unnoticed in the busy town Bethlehem must have been in the days of the census.

Describe Mary and Joseph. They are common people, even though they were descendants of King David. They were probably responsible citizens, because they reported for the census as directed, even under difficult circumstances. The town's accommodations were full, so they humbly accepted lodging in a stable and were probably thankful to have it. The cloths Mary wrapped baby Jesus in were typical baby clothes of those times [they were like diapers].

After the shepherds' visit, Scripture tells us that Mary "treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart" [Luke 2:19). She would remember and reflect on the humble way her Son, the Savior of the world, had come to earth.

Describe the shepherds and their experience in the fields of Bethlehem. At first, the shepherds must have been afraid and then amazed at the angels' message. They were curious and left their flocks to explore the truth of the message. When they found the baby just as the angels had said, they excitedly told everyone they met about what had happened.

Page 6 in the Bible Discovery Guide  has some information about  modern-day Bethlehem.

 

We Live

 

Follow the directions under From Eden to Bethlehem on page 2 of the leaflet. Read the verses as needed to remember the people involved.

Answers

• Sin entered the world with Adam and Eve, and right away God promised the Savior (Genesis 3:6-7, 15).
• God promised Abram/Abraham (and later affirmed) that his descendant would be the Christ (Genesis 15:5-6; 22:17-18).
• Despite Jacob's deception of Isaac and Esau to obtain the blessing, God promised to be with Jacob and send the Savior through his descendants (Genesis 28:12-14).
• Mary is chosen as the earthly mother of the Savior. Elizabeth's unborn baby, John, recognizes Mary as the mother of the Savior (Luke 1:26-33 41-45).
• John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, will be a prophet and point many people to Jesus Christ, the Savior (Luke 1:76-79; John 1:29).
• Jesus, the Savior, is born, just as foretold (Luke 3:4-7, 10-14).

 Read the Bible Words of John 3:16 on page 4 of the leaflet.

John 3:16 is a summary of the entire Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News of what God has done for His people. These Bible Words are sometimes called "The Gospel in a Nutshell." Without the Gospel, we, like the shepherds, would have reason to fear God because we can't keep the Law-the Commandments. But Jesus keeps the Law for us.

God sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sin and eternal death. We do not need to be afraid of God. Knowing this gives us true peace.

God requires that we keep the Law perfectly, as in keeping the Commandments, to be saved. But we cannot keep the Law because of sin. This is why we need a Savior. The Gospel tells us of the work that God has done for us. It is God's action to redeem us from our sins. Sending the Savior, even though we are sinful, is the Gospel.

Even though the promise of the Savior was given specifically to God's chosen people, the birth of the Savior was for all people, no matter who their ancestors are or what their past is like. Jesus died for the sins of all people, so anyone who believes in Him is saved.

Read the Second Article of the Apostle’s Creed and Martin Luther’s explanation.

 

We confess in this article of the Apostles' Creed that we "believe that Jesus Christ [is] true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary."

Why did Jesus have to be true man? Christ had to be truly and fully human to fulfill the Law for us and be able to suffer and die for our guilt because we fail to keep the Law.

Why did Jesus have to be true God? Only Christ, as God's Son, could, with His life, suffering, and death, pay the price for our sin and buy us back, or redeem us, from the devil.

God kept His promise to send the Savior. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the same Savior we confess in the Apostles' Creed.

Follow the directions on page 3 of the leaflet to decipher the cod and reveal the message.

Answer

The decoded message reads, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

Closing

On page 4 of the leaflet, review the Key Point, Bible Words and Faith Words.

Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born in Bethlehem. The angels proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased."

When you have good news, what do you want to do? Tell it. That's how the shepherds felt when they found out about the Savior. As the shepherds returned to their work in the fields, they gave God all the glory for all they had seen and heard as they told people they met in Bethlehem. We can tell others about the birth of Jesus. We celebrate God's gift of forgiveness and love.

Complete The Birth of Jesus matching game at the end of the lesson.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, we thank and praise You that You have fulfilled Your promise. You have sent Your Son, Jesus, the Savior of the nations. Grant that we, like the shepherds, joyfully share the Good News of His birth and the forgiveness and salvation He brings. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.