God s angels watch over us.

Mary and Joseph Take Jesus to Egypt Lesson 4 Bible Point God s angels watch over us. Bible Verse For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go (Psalm 91:11). Growing Closer to Jesus Children will n protect their classmates in a game, n discover that an angel protected baby Jesus, n learn to follow the rules even though angels watch over them, and n be reassured that God is protecting them. Teacher Enrichment The Bible Basis n Mary and Joseph take Jesus to Egypt. Matthew 2:13-18 This passage describes the execution of Herod s brutal backup plan. He had hoped to single out the baby born in Bethlehem and kill him, but the Magi didn t return to Jerusalem to report the baby s whereabouts. So in an attempt to get rid of Jesus, Herod ordered the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem who fell within the age span suggested by the star s first appearance. Imagine the terror in the village of Bethlehem as infants were torn from their mothers arms and murdered! Jesus safety was of utmost importance to Joseph during this time. His faith in God made him realize this child s significance, and he didn t hesitate to obey God s command to f lee to Egypt. It appears that Herod died not long after his brutal act in Bethlehem. As Joseph and Mary returned to Israel in response to God s direction, they heard that Herod s son, Archelaus, had taken Herod s place. Joseph was apprehensive at the prospect of settling in Judea. God again spoke to Joseph in a dream and directed the little family to go to Nazareth. Thus Jesus survived the evil intentions of wicked kings and grew up in obscurity in a small town in Galilee. Prayer Read Psalm 91:11, and then reread Matthew 2:13-23. Think of a time God led you through a tough situation. How did that affect the way you lived your life afterward? Pray: God, thank you for your protection. Help me trust you more fully with... 45

Lesson 4 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 Growing Together handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction in teaching the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Welcome Welcome! Receive a warm welcome from the teacher, and make name tags. Birthday Cake Name Tags (p. 23), markers, scissors, tape or safety pins Attention Grabber Bible Exploration & Application Closing Star Protector Play a game of Tag in which only the child with a piece of cardboard can protect children from It. Starry Trails Follow a path to a new location, and learn the story from Matthew 2:13-18 of an angel leading Mary and Joseph to a new place to keep Jesus safe from Herod. On Guard Guard their classmates, read Psalm 91:11, and learn that angels watch over them wherever they are. Safe Keeping Keep a coin safe, and discuss how Jesus was kept safe. Watching You Be reassured that God thinks they re special enough to send angels to protect them. Bible Bible Quarter Snacks 46

Welcome Mary and Joseph Take Jesus to Egypt SUPPLIES: Birthday Cake Name Tags (p. 23), scissors, markers, tape or safety pins Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. Thank each child for coming to class today. As children arrive, ask them about last week s lesson and Growing Together discussion. Use questions such as Who did you tell about God s gift of Jesus and that Jesus came for each of us? and What promises did you make to family members? Say: Today we re going to learn that God s angels watch over us. Hand out the name tags children made during Lesson 1, and help them attach the name tags to their clothing. If some of the name tags were damaged, or if children weren t in class previously, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable handout. Tell children that the attention-getting signal you ll use during this lesson is clicking the creature clicker three times. Ask children to respond to the sound by snapping their fingers three times as they stop talking and focus their attention on you. Rehearse the signal with the children, telling them to respond quickly so you ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities planned for this lesson. Attention Grabber n Star Protector SUPPLIES: none Say: Let s begin by playing a game similar to Tag. Select a child to be It by deciding whose birthday is next. Then select another child to be the Protector by finding someone with the following birthday. Give the Protector a cardboard piece. Say: During this game, you must take tiny steps on your tiptoes. Whenever It touches you, you become the new It. But the Protector can keep you from being tagged by touching you with the cardboard piece. After the Protector touches you, you re safe for three seconds. You ll mark the three seconds by raising your hands and counting out loud like this: a thousand one, a thousand two, a thousand three. After that, you can be tagged until the Protector touches you again. The Protector can only touch one person at a time. No one may reach out to touch the Protector it s the Protector s job to touch you. Tell the children to freeze during the game whenever they hear the large maraca. Start the game by saying: Go! After about a minute of play, shake the large maraca, and wait for the children to stop. Then have the Protector pass the cardboard piece to another child who will become the new Protector. Begin play again. Stop play several times during the game to pass the cardboard piece so each child has a turn as the Protector. After several rounds of play, shake the large maraca, and have children sit down. Put the cardboard piece and large maraca away. If you have 10 or more students in your class, choose two students to be Protectors. Give each one a cardboard piece. 47

Lesson 4 Ask: Which did you like to be best: It, the Protector, or a regular player? Explain. (I liked being the Protector so I could help others; I liked being It because I can move quickly; I liked being a regular player because it was fun to be chased.) In real life who protects you? (Teachers; parents; friends.) What do they protect you from? (Bullies at school; anything bad that might happen.) Why do they protect you? (They love me; they want to watch out for me; they care for me.) Say: It s wonderful to feel protected from bad things. Teachers, parents, and friends do a great job of taking care of us. Today we re going to talk about God s protection. God s angels watch over us. Let s find out how an angel saved baby Jesus. If you re afraid someone will remove the stars and disks, have an adult helper put them in place after classes begin. Bible Exploration & Application n Starry Trails SUPPLIES: Bible Before class, use the separated linking stars to mark a path to another place in the building where your class could meet without bothering others. You could use a hallway or another room or even go outside if the weather is warm. At the destination hide a popper in a place where children will not find it you could even hide it in your pocket. Make sure it will not be found, though. Use the plastic disks to mark a different route that returns to your classroom. Use as many of the stars and disks as possible. Say: For our next activity, we re going on a trip. To find where to go, we ll follow a path of stars. Carry a Bible with you. Have children line up, and begin the journey together. When the first person in line finds a star, have him or her pick it up and give it to you. Then that child will go to the back of the line so the next child can be the leader and look for the next star. Continue until all the stars have been found and you re at your new location. Have children sit in a circle. Ask: When have you had to follow a trail or clues to get somewhere before? (I had a scavenger hunt at my birthday party; my dad got lost once and had to follow directions.) Say: Our Bible story is about people who took a long journey much longer than the journey we just took! Open your Bible to Matthew 2:13-18, and show the passage to the children. Here s what happened. Some wise men from a country far away saw a special star in the sky. They followed the star, just as we followed the stars a moment ago. They knew the star meant a very special child would be born. The star led the wise men to the city of Jerusalem, where they went to talk to a mean, selfish king named Herod. Act like a mean king while I say the next two lines. Do you know about this special baby who s supposed to be a king? the wise men asked. 48

Mary and Joseph Take Jesus to Egypt A king! Herod thought. I m the only king around here! He needed to do something about this so-called king who might take power away from Herod. But where should he start looking? Let s see how hard it might have been for Herod to find baby Jesus in all of his kingdom. I ve hidden a popper for you to find around here somewhere. See if you can find it quickly. I ll give you one minute to look for it. Have kids search for the popper you hid before class. They will most likely become frustrated because you haven t told them where to look. After about one minute, gather children and ask: Why couldn t you find the popper? (I didn t know what it looked like; I didn t have any idea where it was.) Say: There were lots of babies in the country Herod didn t know which baby was the one who would be king. But Herod was afraid the baby would grow up and take over his kingdom. Herod didn t want anyone else to be king, so he thought of a mean plan to get rid of the baby. Ask: What do you think Herod will do? (Kidnap the baby; have his soldiers kill the baby.) Say: Herod told his soldiers to kill all the baby boys in the area his advisors said this special baby was to be born. That way Herod would be sure to get rid of anyone who might be a king. Ask: How do you think the families with baby boys felt when they heard of mean King Herod s plan? (They were scared; they felt angry; they were sad.) What do you think will happen to Jesus? (He will escape; Mary and Joseph will protect him.) What would you do if you were Mary and Joseph? (Run away; hide; fight back; pray.) Say: One night, just before Herod sent out his soldiers, an angel came to Joseph and gave him a message. The angel told Joseph to take Mary and baby Jesus and escape to another country. They were to stay there until the angel told them it was safe to go back home. Ask: What would you think if an angel told your family to get up in the middle of the night and move to a new place? (I wouldn t believe it; I d be afraid; it would be OK if my parents were with me, too.) Say: Let s sneak back to our classroom by a different path so we ll be safe there. Have kids line up and quietly walk along the path with the disks. When the line comes to a disk, have the leader pick up the disk, give it to you, and go to the end of the line. Continue until you arrive at your room. While you re walking, whisper: So Mary and Joseph quickly did what the angel said. They traveled from Bethlehem clear to the country of Egypt, far away from mean King Herod. And they stayed there until the mean king died. Jesus was safe! So even a mean, powerful king couldn t hurt baby Jesus because God s angel watched over him. And God s angels watch over us today, too. When you get back to your room, ask: If you saw an angel, what would you do? (I d be scared; I d do what the angel said.) What do you think God s angels protect people from today? (Bad people; earthquakes; floods; people with guns; car accidents.) How do you feel knowing God s angels watch over you? (Safe; I can t see the angels, so I don t think they re there; I m glad angels are around.) It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help children remember it and apply it to their lives. 49

Lesson 4 Say: We went to a new place for part of our class time just for fun. Jesus family went to a new place to live so they d be safe. They waited for the angel to tell them when to go back home. n On Guard SUPPLIES: Bible Say: Baby Jesus had a lot of different protectors when Herod was trying to get him. Ask: Who protected Jesus in our story? (God; an angel; Joseph and Mary.) Why did they protect him? (He is God s Son; they loved him.) Have kids form groups of three. Have one child in each trio stand in the center as the other two children form a circle around that person with their arms. Say: If you are standing in the center of your group s circle, close your eyes. I m going to stand somewhere in the room and shake the large maraca. It s your job to walk to me, using only your ears to guide you. The other two people in each group have the job of protecting the person in the middle. Make sure the person doesn t trip or bump into anything. You can t touch or talk to the person. You ll have to protect him or her with your arms. Be sure all children in the center of the circles have their eyes closed, and then quietly move to a new location. Begin shaking the large maraca, and continue until a child reaches you. Have the children open their eyes, and ask the groups to choose a new person to stand in the center of the circle. Repeat the activity. Then repeat the activity once more so each child has a chance to be in the center of the circle. Then put the large maraca away, and have children sit together in their trios. Say: Take turns telling those in your group how you felt when you had your eyes closed. Allow a moment for children to share. Then have volunteers share how they felt with the rest of the class. Say: Now take turns telling each other what you liked about protecting the person in the circle. Allow a moment for children to share. Then have volunteers share how they felt with the rest of the class. Say: Now tell your group members how what we just did is like being protected by angels. (We can t see or feel them, but we know they re there; they are always with us; God sends angels to help us stay safe.) Help a volunteer find and read Psalm 91:11 aloud: For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go (Psalm 91:11). Say: This verse says God s angels watch over us and protect us. Tell your partners about a time you ll be glad angels are watching over you. Maybe you have to stay home alone sometimes, or maybe you feel afraid of a dog next door. After kids have shared, say: Let s pray and thank God for giving us angels to watch over us. 50

Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for sending angels to take care of baby Jesus so that even a powerful king couldn t hurt him. And thank you that angels still watch over us. Next time we re scared, help us remember that you have angels watching over us all the time. In Jesus name, amen. Mary and Joseph Take Jesus to Egypt n Safe Keeping SUPPLIES: quarter Before the lesson, practice using the surprise box from the Learning Lab. Place a quarter in the slot in the black part of the box. When you insert the black holder into the cover with one end first, it will slide the coin so it is hidden. To show the coin again, rotate the black piece so the other end is inserted first. This will expose the coin for everyone to see. Hold up the surprise box and a quarter. Say: I ll bet each of you would like to have this quarter, wouldn t you? I d better put it someplace safe so no one will take it! Slide the black piece into the cover to hide the coin. Show the children that it has disappeared. Ask: How am I keeping my coin safe right now? (You re hiding it from us; you put it away so no one can take it.) How was that like the way Jesus was kept safe from King Herod? (The angels hid him; he hid from the king.) Flip the black holder around and insert it in the cover again, exposing the coin, and show the children that it has reappeared. Say: When it was safe again, the angels told Jesus he could come back out. God s angels were watching over Jesus. And God s angels watch over us, too. Let s find out how. Put the surprise box away. HANDS-ON BIBLE Find an area that won t get damaged if any eggs break they shouldn t if everyone follows directions. Have kids form pairs, and give each pair a raw egg (telling them to be careful) and two plastic cups. Have plenty of newspapers and tape available. Say: God s angels watch over us. I m going to give you a chance to see one way God s angels might protect us by surrounding us with their special care. Turn to Psalm 91 in your Hands-On Bible, and follow the instructions for Protecting the Egg. Help children find the passage in their Bibles, and help pairs work together to protect the egg. Make sure the children are being supervised as they perform step four. After each pair has finished the activity, ask: How was this activity like God sending his angels to watch over and protect us? (They surround us; they help us when things are hard; they make things easier for us; they don t let us get hurt if something happens.) Pray with the class, thanking God for sending his angels to protect us when we need someone to watch over us. 51

Lesson 4 Although any snack will work, you might want to buy or bake angel food cake! Prepare the cake by cutting enough slices for each child to have one. Closing n Watching You SUPPLIES: snacks Hold up the large maraca, and ask: What does this remind us about angels? (Angels watch over us; God is protecting us with angels.) How did Joseph and Mary know to flee to another country when Herod was looking for Jesus? (God sent an angel; an angel told them.) Say: God sent an angel to save Jesus because God had a special plan for him. Ask: What was the special plan God had for Jesus? (To save us from our sins; to die for us on the cross; to teach us.) Say: God sent angels to save Jesus when he was a baby so Jesus could teach us how to live and save us from our sins. Let s thank God for sending Jesus for us. Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for sending your Son to save us from our sins and to teach us how to live and to love each other. We know you love us because you sent Jesus for us and you send angels to watch over us. We love you, too, Lord. In Jesus name, amen. Show children the snack you ve brought. As you hand each child a snack, say: [Name], you are so special that God s angels are watching over you! Affirm each child this way. As children enjoy the treat, invite them to tell about times they ve been protected in scary situations. As children leave, remind them that God s angels watch over us. Collect name tags for next week s use, and remind children to take home any crafts they made today. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Growing Together handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage children and parents to use the handout to plan meaningful activities on this week s topic. Follow up the Growing Together activities next week by asking children what their families did together. 52

Jesus Birth 4: God s angels watch over us. Bible Story Mary and Joseph take Jesus to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-18). Bible Verse For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go (Psalm 91:11). Angel Pictures We all have different pictures of angels in our minds. Do they have wings? Do they light up when they talk to you? Do angels even look at all like people? Chances are we will not know what they look like until we are in heaven. Sit down with your family in front of your Christmas tree, and look at the angel decorations on the tree. If you don t have a Christmas tree decorated with angels, go Christmas shopping and notice the angels used to decorate your favorite stores. Discuss with your family differences in the ways the angels look. Talk about what you think an angel looks like. Also discuss with the family when you would really like for an angel to show up maybe when you re about to do something big or when you re scared. Angel Food Although the Bible doesn t say what angels eat, or if they eat, angel food cake is a tasty dessert! Purchase an angel food cake mix, and make the cake with your child. Work together to slice a favorite fruit such as kiwi or strawberries. Top the cake with the sliced fruit and whipped topping. Or if your favorite fruits Today children learned that angels are watching over us, offering God s protection. The children learned that an angel told Joseph to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect Jesus from Herod s evil plot to kill all the baby boys. They applied this lesson to their lives by understanding that angels protect us everywhere we go. Use these activities to reassure your child that God will always take care of him or her. aren t in season, mix a heaping spoonful of cocoa powder and a few drops of mint flavoring in with the whipped topping. While you enjoy the treat, talk about what angels look like and what they do. Thank God for sending angels to protect you. What Are Angels Like? Gather Christmas cards you ve received that depict angels, or browse through the card section at a local gift shop. Discuss what angels look like on these cards, and compare that to what family members think angels look like. Do they have wings and halos? Do they shine? Are they soft and cuddly? Are they big and strong? Then read these Scriptures together and compare what they say about angels with your own thoughts about these beings. Judges 13:6 1 Chronicles 21:30 Together search your house for supplies that can be used to create a craft angel. You might use fabric and ribbon scraps, cotton balls, feathers, paper, or glitter. Put your angel where it will remind your child of God s protection. You could even use it to top your Christmas tree! Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 1 & 2 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 53