Sunday, December 20, 2015 John the Baptist Luke 1:5-13, 57-80 Luke 1:13, 76 Elizabeth and Zechariah prayed for a child. God listened to and answered Zechariah and Elizabeth s prayer by sending them a son, John. God listens and answers our prayers, too. Gospels Prayer After completing this lesson, students will be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of the story of John the Baptist by re-telling the story in a creative way. Identify prayer as an important part of faith by creating something to help them pray. Understand the Gospels by exploring stories found in them. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 1
Activities a la Carte Activities Into the Story Who s Praying For what do you pray? Supplies 10 min. Nothing Bible Nuts and Bolts Gospels What are the Gospels? 5 min. Bibles Whiteboard or large sheet of paper Marker Learning the Story John the Baptist Report the story of John s birth!. Living the Story Prayer Beads Make something to help you live a life of prayer. Additional Activities Prepare the Way! Unscramble the Key Verse. 15 min. Bibles Paper (optional) Pencils or pens (optional) 15 min. String Scissors Pony beads 10 min. Activity Sheet #2-15.A Scissors Bible (optional) 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 2
Activities a la Carte Activities Song of Praise Create a song of praise for God! Student Bible Book: John the Baptist Students continue their own Bible story book! Closing Prayer Supplies 15 min. Bible Paper Pencils or pens 10 min. Each student s binder Copies of Activity Sheet #2-15.B A three-hole punch Pens Markers and/or crayons A sample page 5 min. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 3
Background for Teachers Story Connections Last week, your students explored the story of God s people returning from exile. This week, your students will learn about John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the return of the Lord. Story Summary: John the Baptist John the Baptist, whose birth is narrated in Luke 1, begins the story of the Gospels by preparing people for the arrival of Jesus. Elizabeth, John s mother, and Mary, Jesus mother, were cousins. Both women also experienced unusual pregnancies at about the same time. Zechariah, John s father, served as a priest in the temple. Elizabeth and Zechariah, both old in age, hoped and prayed for a child. Though they thought it impossible, God answered their prayers and Elizabeth did have a son, who they named John. At the time of John s birth, Zechariah proclaimed and prophesied the things that his son would say and do. He prophesied that John would proclaim the return of God s kingdom. John did do these things. He proclaimed repentance and baptized people (this is why we call him John the Baptist ) in the Jordan River. Eventually, John even baptized Jesus. Bible Nuts and Bolts: Gospels Today your class begins their journey through the Gospels, or the first four books of the New Testament. The word gospel means good news. These first four books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of the good news of Jesus. Today s story is placed at the beginning of one of these Gospels. John s birth and teaching is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. Story Themes Any passage of Scripture has innumerable themes and lessons for the student. However, a single lesson cannot cover everything. The following themes are the focus of this lesson. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a child. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of God. In fact, Zechariah even served as a priest in the temple. Their faith in God led them to live lives of worship and prayer. Through their prayers, Zechariah and Elizabeth hoped that God would bless them with a baby. God listened to and answered Zechariah and Elizabeth s prayer by sending them a son, John. Although everyone thought it would be impossible, God did answer Zechariah and Elizabeth s prayers. While in the temple, Zechariah is visited by an angel who tells him that Elizabeth would have a baby boy. In time, God s promise came to fruition, and Elizabeth did have a baby boy, who was named John. John would live a life of servanthood and discipleship, and encourage people to do the same. God listens to and answers our prayers, too. As Christians, we live lives of worship and prayer. We pray for many things for comfort, for peace, for healing for ourselves, and for other people. As people of faith we know that God listens to us when we pray and will answer our prayers, even if the answer comes in an impossible way. Through our faith we know that nothing is impossible with God! Spiritual Practice: Prayer Prayer is an integral part of today s story. Prayer is also an important part of our lives as people of faith. We pray for many things at many different times. In today s Living the Story activity, your class will be invited to participate in a special time of prayer. This time of prayer will encourage students to say both prayers of thanksgiving and prayers of supplication (asking God for something). 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 4
Lesson #2-15 (3rd-6th) December 20, 2015 Lesson Plan Into the Story (10 minutes) Who s Praying? For what do you pray? You will need: Nothing During class: 1. Do you pray? There are many things that people pray for. What are some of the things you pray for? Let s find out by playing a game of charades. When it s your turn, act out something that you pray for. The rest of us will try to guess what it is! 2. Give students a moment to think. Then, invite a volunteer to act out their idea. Once the class guesses the answer, invite another volunteer to act. 3. Continue playing the game until everyone has acted out their idea. 4. What were some of the things that we pray for? [Accept all answers.] 5. There are lots of things that people pray for. We pray for family and friends. We pray for people who are sick. We pray for people who are in trouble. Sometimes we even pray for ourselves! Prayer is an important part of our faith, and it is an important part of today s story. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 5
Bible Nuts and Bolts Gospels (10 minutes) What are the Gospels? You will need: Bibles Whiteboard or large sheet of paper Marker During class: 1. Today we start our journey through the Gospels. Do you know what the Gospels are? [Accept all answers.] 2. The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament. Let s look them up in our Bibles. 3. Give each student a Bible. Help them use the Table of Contents in their Bible to find the Gospels. 4. When we read stories in the Gospels, we read from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. What are some of the stories we read? Let s find out. 5. Invite students to page through the Bible and take note of the stories they find. 6. What stories did you find? Let s make a list. Invite students to list off some of the stories they found in the Gospels. As students share, make a list on the whiteboard or paper. 7. The word gospel means good news. Many of the stories in the Gospels are about the good news that comes with Jesus! As we listen to stories from the Gospels, we will hear lots of stories about the things Jesus did and taught. Learning the Story (15 minutes) John the Baptist Report the story of John s birth. You will need: Bibles Paper (optional) Pens or pencils (optional) 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 6
During class: 1. Give each student a Bible. Help them find Luke 1:5-13. 2. Today s story comes from the Gospel of Luke. This story is about two people named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth asked God for something special. Let s see what they asked for. 3. Read the story as a group. What did the angel say God would give Zechariah and Elizabeth? [A baby.] What do you think will happen next in the story? [Accept all answers.] 4. Read verses 57 through 63. What special gift did Zechariah and Elizabeth receive? [A baby boy.] What did they name their son? [John.] 5. People were amazed that John was born because Zechariah and Elizabeth didn t think they could have any children! How do you think people reacted to the news of John s birth? Let s share these reactions in a skit! 6. Split students into small groups of three or four each. In your small group, create a news report that tells people about the story. What do you want people to know about what happened? How do you think people reacted to John s birth? Provide paper and pens or pencils for groups to take notes. 7. Give groups time to create their skits. Then, invite groups to share their news reports with the rest of the class. Living the Story (15 minutes) Prayer Beads Make something to help you live a life of prayer. You will need: String Scissors Pony beads During class: 1. Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of worship and prayer. Zechariah was a priest in the temple and spent a lot of time praying to God. They knew that God would listen to their prayers. We should also be a people of prayer, too. Let s make something that will help remind us to pray every day. 2. Invite students to cut a length of string. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 7
3. What are some of the things you might pray for? [Answers will vary, but may include: family, friends, for something special to happen, healing, etc.] 4. Think about some of the things that you pray for. Pick a bead for each of these things and thread them onto the string. 5. Invite students to thread their beads onto the string. Then, finish the bracelet by tying the string to their wrist. 6. Every day this week, stop and take some time to pray. Use the beads on your bracelet to help you pray to God! Additional Activities Prepare the Way! (10 minutes) Unscramble the Key Verse. You will need: Copies of Activity Sheet #2-15.A Scissors Bible (optional) Before class: 1. Make one copy of Activity Sheet #2-15.A for every 2-3 students. 2. Cut apart and scramble the words of the Key Verse. During class: 1. John the Baptist had a special job. This special job was given to him when he was born! Let s find out what this job was. 2. Divide students into groups of two or three. Give each group a set of the Key Verse cards. 3. Instruct students to unscramble the words of the Key Verse by working together. If students need help unscrambling the verse, have them look up Luke 1:76 in a Bible. 4. Once everyone has unscrambled the verse, read the verse together. 5. John s special job was to prepare the way of the Lord. What do you think that means? [Accept all answers.] John helped people get ready for God s coming. He helped them prepare for the coming of Jesus! 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 8
Song of Praise (15 minutes) Create a song of praise to God! You will need: Bible Paper Pencils or pens During class: 1. How do you think Zechariah and Elizabeth felt when John was born? [Answers will vary, but may include: happy, excited, thankful, etc.] 2. After John was born, Zechariah and Elizabeth were very happy! Zechariah even praised God. Read Luke 1:68-79. 3. We also sing songs of praise to God. Let s create our own songs of praise, thanking God for listening to our prayers! 4. Divide students into pairs. Give each pair a sheet of paper and a pencil or pen. Invite students to write a song or poem of praise to God. 5. After pairs are finished, invite groups to share their songs or poems to the rest of the group. Student Bible Book: John the Baptist (10 min) Students continue their own Bible story book! You will need: Each student s binder Copies of Activity Sheet #2-15.B on 8.5 x 11 cardstock paper or plain paper A three-hole punch Pens Markers and/or crayons A sample page (See below) Before class: 1. Create a sample page using the instructions below to demonstrate to students approximately what their page should look like. 2. You may copy the activity sheet onto the cardstock, or just have students write it all themselves. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 9
During class: 1. Hand out one piece of cardstock paper and a pen to each student. 2. Show students the sample page you made before class. 3. Today we are going to continue making our own Bible book! 4. If you did not copy the activity sheet onto the cardstock, instruct students to write the name of the story on the top of their page (in portrait orientation) and write the passage underneath the title. 5. What are some of the important things we have learned from this story? [Answers will vary, see story themes for suggested answers] 6. On the bottom of your page, please write one or two important things that you have learned from this story. In the middle of the page, draw a picture from the story or illustrate one of your important things you ve learned. 7. When students are finished, have them put their names on the back and collect the pages. Three-hole punch the papers and put them in individual binders for each student to be kept at church until the end of the year. Closing Prayer Before ending class, make a point to come together to pray. Use the following or say your own prayer. Allow any students who would like to include a personal prayer to do so at the appropriate time. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved 10
Lesson #2-15 (3rd-6th) December 20, 2015 Prepare the Way! Cut apart these cards and use them to unscramble the Key Verse! And you, will be called of the Most High; go before to prepare child, the prophet for you will the Lord his ways Luke 1:76 11 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved
Lesson #2-15 (3rd-6th) December 20, 2015 John the Baptist Luke 1:5-13, 57-80 I learned: 12 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved
The Story @ Home Narrative Lectionary, Year 2 John the Baptist This week, your student heard the story of the birth of John the Baptist. John the Baptist was an important person who helped prepare the way for the Lord s return. Story Summary: John the Baptist John the Baptist, whose birth is narrated in Luke 1, begins the story of the Gospels by preparing people for the arrival of Jesus. Elizabeth, John s mother, and Mary, Jesus mother, were cousins. Both women also experienced unusual pregnancies at about the same time. Zechariah, John s father, served as a priest in the temple. Elizabeth and Zechariah, both old in age, hoped and prayed for a child. Though they thought it would be impossible, God answered their prayers and Elizabeth had a son, who they named John. At the time of John s birth, Zechariah proclaimed and prophesied the things that his son would say and do. He prophesied that John would proclaim the return of God s kingdom. John did do these things. He proclaimed repentance and baptized people (this is why we call him John the Baptist ) in the Jordan River. Eventually, John even baptized Jesus. Bible Nuts and Bolts: Gospels Today your student began their journey through the Gospels, or the first four books of the New Testament. The word gospel means good news. These first four books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell the story of the good news of Jesus. Today s story is placed at the beginning of one of these Gospels. John s birth and teaching is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. Story Themes Any passage of Scripture has innumerable themes and lessons for the student. However, a single lesson cannot cover everything. The following themes are the focus of this lesson. Zechariah and Elizabeth prayed for a child. Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were people of God. In fact, Zechariah even served as a priest in the temple. Their faith in God led them to live lives of worship and prayer. Through their prayers, Zechariah and Elizabeth hoped that God would bless them with a baby. God listened to and answered Zechariah and Elizabeth s prayer by sending them a son, John. Although everyone thought it would be impossible, God did answer Zechariah and Elizabeth s prayers. While in the temple, Zechariah is visited by an angel who tells him that Elizabeth would have a baby boy. God s promise came to fruition, and Elizabeth did have a baby boy, who was named John. John would live a life of servanthood and discipleship, and encourage people to do the same. God listens to and answers our prayers, too. As Christians, we live lives of worship and prayer. We pray for many things for comfort, for peace, for healing for ourselves, and for other people. As people of faith we know that God listens to us when we pray and will answer our prayers, even if the answer comes in an impossible way. Through our faith we know that nothing is impossible with God! Spiritual Practice: Prayer Prayer is an integral part of today s story. Prayer is also an important part of our lives as people of faith. We pray for many things at many different times. In today s Living the Story activity, your student as invited to participate in a special time of prayer. 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved
LIVING THE WORD Try it @ HOME Last week, your student heard the story of God s people returning home from exile through a text in Ezra. In today s story, your student learned about John the Baptist, who would prepare people for the coming of Jesus. In next week s story, found in Mark 1:1-45, Jesus comes to announce the return of God s kingdom on earth, and John baptizes him. As you hear and study these Scripture verses each week, consider what God has to say to you and your family. Help your children to imagine what it would have been like to be the people contained in the stories. What is God s message to them and to us? Pick a time each day to gather together and read the following verses from an age-appropriate Bible. Engage in a few activities that help you better understand how God loves us and listens to our prayers. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Samuel 1:12-28 Write a song or poem thanking God for answering your prayers. Daniel 6:10-28 Exodus 3:1-12 1 Kings 17:8-24 John 11:17-27, 38-44 Build your own den or fort. As you sit inside your den, thank God for always protecting you and loving you. Create a drawing of what you think the burning bush looked like. Has there ever been a time when God answered your prayers in a strange way? Sit around a table and eat a loaf of bread. As you eat, discuss: when has God answered your prayers and provided you with what you need? 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing - All Rights Reserved Re-tell the story as a skit. How did God answer Mary and Martha s prayers? Acts 2:1-10 Acts 16:16-34 Before his ascension, Jesus said that God would send the Holy Spirit to help and guide the disciples. Find objects to make some wind. As you make your wind, thank God for sending people to help us and guide us. Music can be a prayer, too! Sing your favorite song from church.