son Word Savior Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 1 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A 3

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son Word Savior Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 1 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A 3

Name Today is. (date) We studied a Bible lesson called. It taught me that... 4 Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 2 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A

Zechariah and Mary Hear Promises 1. Narrator: All at once an angel appeared. Zechariah was frightened when he saw the angel. The angel Gabriel said: Don t be afraid, Zechariah. God has heard your prayer for a child. Your wife, Elizabeth, will soon have a son. 2. Narrator: Gabriel also said, Your son will serve God in a special way. God will use him to get the people ready for the promised Savior. Then Zechariah asked: How can I be sure that what you are telling me is true? Elizabeth and I are too old to have a baby. 3. Narrator: Later the angel Gabriel visited Mary. Gabriel told Mary, The power of God will make you the mother of God s own Son. Mary showed that she believed God s message by saying: I am willing to do what God wants me to do. May the Lord do to me as you have said. 4. Narrator: Mary was so happy that the Savior was going to come! She couldn t keep this wonderful news to herself. So she went to tell her cousin Elizabeth. When she was at Elizabeth s house, Mary said: I praise the Lord. For even though I am not rich or powerful, God has chosen me to be the mother of his Son. Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 3 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A 5

God sent me to Zechariah with a very important message. Who am I? I told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior. Who am I? 1 2 My wife, Elizabeth, and I were old and had no children. Who am I? Gabriel said my son would get the people ready for the Savior. Who am I? 3 4 God chose me to be the mother of his Son, the Savior. Who am I? Gabriel said I would have a son and name him Jesus. Who am I? 5 6 6 Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 4 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A

Name Gabriel Brings Good News God s Word in the Lesson Follow along carefully as your teacher reads the sentences with you. Then trace the dotted words with your pencil to complete each sentence. son John 1. Gabriel said Zechariah and his wife would have a. 2. Gabriel said they should name their baby. son Jesus 3. Gabriel said Mary would have a. 4. Gabriel said Mary should name her son. God s Word in My Life God no longer uses angels to bring us messages. He uses his Word. Color only the letters with dots inside to complete the sentence. When I study God s Word, I learn more about MATHFROG. TRJESUSKL.... CATGREEN Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 5 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A 7

God s Word in the Lesson Name Gabriel s Messages from God Complete each sentence with a word from the angel. Each answer has been started for you. 1. Gabriel said that Zechariah and his wife would have a s. 2. Gabriel said they should name him J. 3. Gabriel said that John would get the people ready for the S. 4. Gabriel said that M would have a baby. 5. Gabriel said Mary s baby would be the Son of G. Jesus John son Savior God Mary 6. Gabriel said that Mary should name him J. God s Word in My Life Follow the path that has the ABCs written in the correct order to find the word that completes the sentence. Circle that word. I study God s Word to learn more about ABCDTFGHIJKLMNOPQRSEUV W X Y Z ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUV W X Y Z JOHN. JESUS. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNUPQRSTOV W X Y Z ABCDEFGHIJKLXNOPQRSTUVW M Y Z GABRIEL. MARY. 8 Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Copy Master 6 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson A

A Prayer God wants all in heaven with him. Dear Parent, Thank you, God! We give you praise! God made a to save us from sin. Your child has heard this prayer in class. Help your child praise God by reading it together. Take turns reading lines! Thank you, God! We give you praise! God kept his.!! Thank you, God! We give you praise! God sent us.!! Thank you, God! We give you praise! Amen. 6 8 5 ZECHARIAH ELIZABETH GABRIEL SPIRIT SAVIOR 1 9 3 2 4 EIGHT PROPHET 7 TABLET DESERT John Is Born Copy Master 1 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson B 3

God gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son. They named him John. Zechariah praised God for the promised Savior. Zechariah said John would tell the people about Jesus. 4 John Is Born Copy Master 2 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson B

God s Word in the Lesson Name God Keeps His Promises Who said or wrote these words? Listen as your teacher reads each sentence to you. Put a P in the box if the people who visited Zechariah said those words. Put a Z in the box if it was Zechariah. 1. You should name your son Zechariah. 2. His name is John. 3. Praise the Lord God of Israel. 4. You will be a great prophet of God. God s Word in My Life God has kept all of his promises to you, and he always will. What can you say to God for keeping his promises? Color letters with a G inside green, with a B inside blue, and with a Y inside yellow to find the answer. John Is Born Copy Master 3 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson B 5

God s Word in the Lesson His Name Is John! Finish the story. Write the correct word on each line. Name father God John name Savior speak The people said, It would be good for the baby to have the same name as his. But Elizabeth said, No, he must be named 1. And Zechariah wrote, His is 2 3 John. Then Zechariah could! He gave praise to 4. 5 Zechariah said John would tell about the. 6 God s Word in My Life God has kept all of his promises to you, and he always will. What can you say to God for keeping his promises? Write your words below. 6 John Is Born Copy Master 4 II New Testament Set 1 Week 1 Lesson B

1A Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Luke 1:5-55 A short time before Jesus was born, a priest by the name of Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, lived near Jerusalem. Both of them loved God and waited for the day when he would send the Savior. But one thing made Zechariah and Elizabeth very sad. They had no children, and now they were too old to have a baby. One day it was Zechariah s turn to serve God in the temple. He was about to burn incense on the altar when an angel suddenly appeared! Zechariah was frightened when he saw the angel. The angel said, Don t be afraid, Zechariah. God has heard your prayer for a child. Your wife, Elizabeth, will soon have a son. You are to name him John. Your son will serve God in a special way. God will use him to get the people ready for the promised Savior. Zechariah listened carefully, but he didn t believe the angel. How can I be sure that what you are telling me is true? he asked. Elizabeth and I are too old to have a baby. The angel answered, I am the angel Gabriel. God sent me to tell you this good news. But now since you won t believe me, you won t be able to talk until God s promise comes true and your son is born. Then Gabriel was gone. Zechariah tried to talk, but he couldn t say a word. When Zechariah s days of serving God in the temple were over, he went home. It wasn t long before Elizabeth knew that she was going to have a baby. Six months later God sent Gabriel to a 1

little town called Nazareth. This time he had some wonderful news for a young woman named Mary. Mary had promised to become the wife of a man named Joseph. But they were not married yet. Gabriel said to Mary, Peace be with you. The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you! Mary was troubled and wondered what the angel s words meant. Then the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary. God is going to bless you with a miracle. You are going to have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be a very special baby, for he will be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Mary asked the angel, How can this be? I m not married yet! Gabriel answered, The Holy Spirit will bless you in a special way. The power of God will make you the mother of God s own Son. Mary said, I am willing to do what God wants me to do. May the Lord do to me as you have said. Mary was so happy that she couldn t keep this wonderful news to herself! So she went to tell her cousin Elizabeth. But as soon as she got there, Elizabeth told Mary, You are the most blessed of all women. And blessed is the child you will have. Mary then praised God and said, I praise the Lord. For even though I am not rich or powerful, God has chosen me to be the mother of his Son. And because of this, people from now on will call me blessed. We, like Zechariah and Mary, have received a very special message from God about our Savior. God has recorded that message, the good news about Jesus life and death for our salvation, in written form so that we can read and reread it many times! The simple Bible narratives featured on these student lessons are key tools in building your child s Bible literacy. Develop a special system for saving them. A colorful binder, a large envelope, or a file folder may work well for you. Bring the lessons out regularly, and reread the narratives together. You will be surprised how many of the names and events your child will recall just by looking at the pictures again. Enjoy your Jesus time together. Prayer Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son to earth to be our Savior. Thank you also for telling us all about him in the Bible. Fill our hearts with joy as we study your Word to learn more about our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen. * John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ** The Second Article of the Apostles Creed I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. 2

1B John Is Born Luke 1:57-80 The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that God would give him and his wife, Elizabeth, a son. When Zechariah did not believe the angel, God made Zechariah unable to speak. Then, after Zechariah and Elizabeth had waited many months, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy, just as God had promised. When their family and friends heard how God had blessed Zechariah and Elizabeth, they also were happy. When Zechariah and Elizabeth s baby was eight days old, their family and friends gathered at their house. For this was the day the baby was to be given a name. When the time came for Zechariah and Elizabeth to name their son, their family and friends said, It would be good for the baby to have the same name as his father. You should name your son Zechariah. But Elizabeth said, No, he must be named John. Why? they asked. No one in your family is named John. Mothers and fathers always choose a name from their family for their first son. Then they turned to Zechariah and asked him what name he wanted the baby to have. Zechariah took a writing tablet and wrote, His name is John. At once Zechariah could speak again! And right away he 1

began to thank and praise God. The Holy Spirit then came into Zechariah s heart and had him tell about God s plan to save all people. Praise the Lord God of Israel, Zechariah said. Long ago he promised to send a Savior, and that Savior is coming soon! Then turning to John he said, And you, my son, will be a great prophet of God and will tell everyone that the Savior is coming. You will get the people ready for him by telling them that the Savior will take their sins away. The baby John grew, and so did his love for his Savior. When John was a young man, he went to live in the desert. There he told the people about the coming Savior. Your child has learned about the angel Gabriel and the prophet known as John the Baptist. What do this angel and this prophet have in common? They were God s messengers. You are God s messenger to your child whenever you read or talk about God s Word with her. Use this student lesson and future lessons with your child. Read and review the lesson together. Help her memorize the memory treasures, and do the suggested activities together. By doing so you will be helping your child learn God s message of love. Here are some steps to help your family establish a daily Jesus time. Set aside the same time each day as Jesus time. Choose a specific place in your home for the entire family to gather. Discuss what your child learned about Jesus today. Share something that you learned about Jesus today. Join in a prayer of petition, thanks, or praise. Prayer Dear God, thank you for sending us a Savior. Thank you also for giving us the opportunity to learn about him as a family. Please bless us as we study your Word. Amen. * John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ** Galatians 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son. ** The Second Article of the Apostles Creed I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. 2

NT Set1 Week 1 Theme OVERVIEW OF THE WEEK God prepared his people for the Savior s coming. Scripture Texts Lesson A: Luke 1:5-55 Lesson B: Luke 1:57-80 Lesson A Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Lesson B John Is Born What did Gabriel tell Zechariah and Mary? How did God keep his promise to Zechariah? Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary that the Savior was coming soon. God gave Zechariah a son who would get the people ready for the Savior. Summary and Application Luke 1:5-55 God sent the angel Gabriel to Zechariah and Mary to tell them long-awaited news about their Savior. The angel told Zechariah that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son a prophet who would prepare the people for the coming Savior. Gabriel told Mary that God had chosen her to be the mother of the promised Savior. Zechariah and Mary were the first to know that the Savior, whom God had promised, was coming soon. Today God uses his Word to tell us about our Savior. Summary and Application Luke 1:57-80 Elizabeth gave birth to a son, just as God had promised. Eight days after his birth, Zechariah and Elizabeth named him John, much to the dismay of their family and friends. God restored Zechariah s speech, and Zechariah praised God for the coming Savior and for giving him a son who would tell the people that the Savior had come. Just as God kept his promise to Zechariah, we can be sure that he will keep all his promises to us. * John 3:16 ** A portion of the Second Article of the Apostles Creed * John 3:16 ** Galatians 4:4a ** A portion of the Second Article of the Apostles Creed Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 7

Week 1 Lesson A Gabriel Visits Zechariah and Mary Luke 1:5-55 LESSON OVERVIEW Goals It is our prayer that the child knows this spiritual truth: Jesus is God s Son, the Savior, whom God promised long ago. develops this spiritual attitude: Being thankful for the Bible because it is God s precious message about the Savior. develops this spiritual habit: Eagerly hearing and reading Bible lessons to learn more about the Savior. What did Gabriel tell Zechariah and Mary? Key Points 1. Gabriel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son. 2. Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would get the people ready for the Savior. 3. Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior. Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary that the Savior was coming soon. * John 3:16 ** A portion of the Second Article of the Apostles Creed Preparation for Teaching Prayer for the Teacher Father, as I study your Word, I learn of your faithfulness in keeping your promises. May the Holy Spirit use the fulfillment of these promises to strengthen my trust in you. Amen. Know these words and definitions so that you can explain the words as you come to them in the lesson: ~ priest a church leader in the temple, somewhat similar to our pastor today ~ temple the building in Jerusalem where Jewish people worshiped God ~ incense a mixture of spices that gives off a sweet smell when burned ~ angel a heavenly being created by God to worship him, be his messenger, and protect his people Read Revelation 22:20b (Opening Devotion). Read the lesson in Luke 1:5-55. Read pages 4-13 in Franzmann, Bible History Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 1. You may also choose to read pages xiii-3 in this volume. These pages give useful background information about the time between the Old Testament and the New Testament periods (Intertestamental Period). Read pages 8-13 in Prange, Luke, The People s Bible series. Locate Jerusalem and Nazareth on a map. Lesson Materials For Opening Devotion: Bible For Telling the Story: map showing Jerusalem and Nazareth, or overhead transparency of Copy Master 2S For Telling the Story: (optional) poster drawn as shown on the next page; wide marker; and copies of the labeled pictures from Copy Master 1 as follows: 8 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A

~ two copies of son ~ three copies of Savior ~ one copy of Word GABRIEL S MESSAGES FROM GOD 1. and Elizabeth would have a. 2. s would get ready for the. 3. would be the mother of the. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ God tells us about the in his. Opening Devotion Song: Jesus Loves Me, This I Know Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House Remind the children that we know Jesus loves us because the Bible, God s Word, tells us. Ask them to name some other things that the Bible tells us about Jesus. (Jesus is God s Son; Jesus is our Savior; Jesus rose from the dead; etc.) Scripture Reading Revelation 22:20b Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Hold up a Bible and tell the children that God s Word is full of promises. Explain that God made one of these promises shortly after Adam and Eve sinned he promised to send a Savior. God sent that Savior to earth long before any of us were born, but the people long ago waited eagerly for his birth. God has also promised that he will send his Son to earth again someday. Ask, Why is Jesus going to come back to earth? (to take all believers back to heaven with him) Explain that Christians today are waiting eagerly for the Savior to come back. The reading is found near the very end of the Bible. The writer of these words was asking Jesus to come soon. Prayer Dear Jesus, thank you for coming to earth to be our Savior, and thank you for telling us all about yourself in the Bible. We trust that you will keep your promise to return to earth and take all believers to live with you in heaven. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Teaching the Lesson Review Review the world s need for a Savior by asking the following: What word describes the world when God created it? (The world was perfect when God created it.) When was God s perfect world spoiled? (God s perfect world was spoiled when Adam and Eve sinned.) What do we and all people deserve because we are sinners? (We and all people deserve to be punished forever in hell because we are sinners.) Because God loves all people, whom did he promise to send? (God promised to send a Savior.) Introduction Write the names Adam, Abraham, and David on the chalkboard. Read them aloud with the children. Then ask, How did these men know God would send a Savior? (God spoke to Adam and Abraham; David had the written Word and the prophets.) Explain that these men knew God s promise to send a Savior, and they believed that promise. But none of these people knew just when or how God would keep his promise. Say, Today we will hear that God sent the angel Gabriel to tell two people some news about that promise he had made so long ago. Ask the children to listen carefully to answer the question, What did Gabriel tell Zechariah and Mary? Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A 9

Telling the Story Use a map to show the locations of Jerusalem and Nazareth when you refer to these places in the lesson. (Optional) During your second telling of the lesson, have the children help you complete the poster you have prepared as described in Lesson Materials. Follow these steps: When developing Key Point 1, write Zechariah on the line in sentence 1. Then glue a son picture in the box. For Key Point 2, write Zechariah on the line in sentence 2, and glue another son picture in the first box. Draw stick people in the second box, and glue a Savior picture in the third box. For Key Point 3, write Mary on the line in sentence 3, and glue another Savior picture in the box. When summarizing the application during the Lesson Summary, glue a Savior picture in the first box of the last sentence and the Word picture in the final box. priest > Zechariah > Elizabeth > Jerusalem Both > loved God > (waited > Savior) one thing > sad (no children > too old) Zechariah s > serve > temple burn incense > angel Zechariah > frightened angel > Don t > afraid God > heard > prayer (Elizabeth > soon > son) (name > John) son > serve God (get > people ready > Savior ) Zechariah > didn t believe How > sure > true? (too old > baby ) angel > Gabriel God sent > news won t believe > won t > talk > true > born Gabriel > gone (tried > talk > couldn t) days > serving > over > home wasn t long > Elizabeth knew > baby Six months > Gabriel > Nazareth news > young woman > Mary (promised > wife > Joseph) not married yet Gabriel > Peace Lord > with > blessed you! Mary > troubled > wondered > meant angel > not > afraid God > bless > miracle have > son (name > Jesus) special baby Son of God > Savior Mary > How > be? not married yet! (Gabriel > Holy Spirit > bless power of God > mother > Son ) (Mary > willing > God wants May > Lord do > said ) Mary > happy > couldn t > herself! (went > cousin Elizabeth) Elizabeth > blessed > women blessed > child > have Mary > praised God praise > Lord (not rich > powerful > chosen > mother > Son) people > call > blessed TEACHING CHART Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section One: Luke 1:5-13 priest > Zechariah > Elizabeth > Jerusalem Both > loved God > (waited > Savior) one thing > sad (no children > too old) For whom did Zechariah and Elizabeth wait? What made Zechariah and Elizabeth sad? Why was God s promise to send a Savior so important to Zechariah and Elizabeth? (They knew they were sinners and that they needed a Savior.) 10 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A

Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Zechariah s > serve > temple burn incense > angel Zechariah > frightened angel > Don t > afraid God > heard > prayer (Elizabeth > soon > son) (name > John) What happy news did Gabriel tell Zechariah? What did Gabriel say Zechariah should name his son? How did Gabriel know this? (Gabriel was a messenger sent from God.) Why was it unusual that the angel told Zechariah what to name his son? (Usually parents pick a name for their child, but God chose this name for Zechariah s son.) What happy news did Gabriel bring to Zechariah? Key Point Gabriel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son. Application Ask the children why they would disagree with this statement: Since God no longer uses angels to give us messages, we have no way of getting messages from God. Explanation God no longer needs to use angels to give his people messages. Everything that we need to know about God and our Savior Jesus is written in God s Word. When we study God s Word, we receive God s messages to us. Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section Two: Luke 1:14-25 son > serve God (get > people ready > Savior ) For whom would John get the people ready? Why would this be necessary? (The people may not otherwise know that Jesus is the promised Savior sent by God.) Zechariah > didn t believe How > sure > true? (too old > baby ) Why did Zechariah find it hard to believe the angel? Why should Zechariah have believed what the angel said? (The angel was a messenger from God, and God can make anything happen even things that seem impossible.) Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A 11

Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions angel > Gabriel God sent > news won t believe > won t > talk > true > born Gabriel > gone (tried > talk > couldn t) days > serving > over > home wasn t long > Elizabeth knew > baby What happened when Zechariah tried to talk? Who caused this to happen? (God) What important work did Gabriel tell Zechariah that his son would do? Key Point Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would get the people ready for the Savior. Application Ask the children why they agree with this statement: We need a Savior. Explanation We have all disobeyed God. The Bible tells us that because we are sinners, we deserve God s punishment eternal suffering in hell. (Refer to Romans 6:23a, The wages of sin is death. ) Because of this we need a Savior to take away our sins so that we can go to heaven. Jesus did that for us by living a perfect life and then letting himself be punished on the cross for our sins. Remind the children that God gave John the very important job of reminding people that they needed a Savior. We have the Bible to tell us of our need for a Savior. When we hear and read the Bible and Bible lessons, we also learn about all our Savior has done for us. Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section Three: Luke 1:26-55 Six months > Gabriel > Nazareth news > young woman > Mary (promised > wife > Joseph) To whom had Mary promised to become married? not married yet Gabriel > Peace Lord > with > blessed you! Mary > troubled > wondered > meant angel > not > afraid God > bless > miracle have > son (name > Jesus) What did Gabriel say Mary should name her son? Why did Gabriel say this? (God wanted Mary to name his Son Jesus. Explain that Jesus means Savior. ) 12 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A

Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions special baby Son of God > Savior Mary > How > be? not married yet! Gabriel > Holy Spirit > bless power of God > mother > Son ) How would Mary be able to have this baby? Who, then, would Jesus parents be? (God and Mary) (Mary > willing > God wants May > Lord do > said ) What did Mary say that showed she trusted God? Mary > happy > couldn t > herself! (went > cousin Elizabeth) Elizabeth > blessed > women blessed > child > have Mary > praised God praise > Lord (not rich > powerful > chosen > mother > Son) Whom did Mary go to visit? For what did Mary praise God? Why did Mary think the news of the Savior s coming was so exciting? (God s people had waited a very long time for the promised Savior.) people > call > blessed What did Gabriel tell Mary? Key Point Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior. Application Ask, How has God told us about our Savior and everything he did to save us? Explanation Although God no longer sends angels to earth with his messages, he has blessed us with the Bible. In the Bible we learn about God s promise to send a Savior and about our Savior s birth, death, and resurrection. When we hear and read God s Word, we learn more about the precious gift of a Savior that God has given all of us. Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A 13

Lesson Summary What did Gabriel tell Zechariah and Mary? Key Points 1. Gabriel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son. 2. Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would get the people ready for the Savior. 3. Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior. Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary that the Savior was coming soon. Application Today God uses his Word to tell us about our Savior. * John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God uses this passage to tell us why he sent Jesus to earth: so that those who believe in Jesus as their Savior will no longer need to be punished for their sins in hell but instead will go to heaven to live forever. ** The Second Article of the Apostles Creed I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. Explain that when we say the Apostles Creed, we are saying what we believe to be true about God. With this portion of the creed, we say that we believe Jesus is God s Son, true God, and also Mary s son, true man. Closing Prayer Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son to earth to be our Savior. Thank you also for telling us all about him in the Bible. Fill our hearts with joy as we study your Word and learn more about our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen. Lesson Activities 1. Unit Activities: Picture Journal: Give each child a piece of light-colored construction paper and a blank piece of drawing paper. Tell the children that they will be making journals in which they will draw their own pictures for Bible lessons. Each child should decorate his construction paper to make a journal cover, adding words such as Jesus Loves Me or Jesus Is My Savior. Then ask the children to draw a line across the middle of their drawing papers. In the top section they should draw and color a picture of Gabriel speaking to Zechariah, and in the bottom section they should draw a picture of Gabriel speaking to Mary. Remind them to show the joy in Zechariah s and Mary s faces. When the children have finished, bind each child s picture, along with enough blank paper for the remaining lessons you plan to teach in this set, between his cover and a blank piece of construction paper. (You may wish to laminate the covers first for stability.) A journal entry suggestion will be given for each of the remaining lessons in this set. Classroom Application Journal: Choose a child to complete Copy Master 2 with her own words. (Tell the other children that they will have a turn at a later date.) You may wish to help the child by refreshing her memory of the lesson application or by writing the words for her to copy. Then display the completed sheet in a self-adhesive photo album. Continue this activity throughout the remainder of this set of lessons. Display the journal in a prominent place in the classroom for the children to look at, or allow the children to take turns sharing it with their families at home. (Optional: Have each child keep her own journal, possibly enlisting a parent s or other adult s help to write ideas down. Occasionally conference with the children individually to learn what they have written in their journals; this will give you an opportunity to hear how they are applying the lessons to their lives.) 14 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A

2. Dialogue Retelling: Copy Master 3 contains small, simplified portions of the lesson narrative. Give each child a duplicate of the copy master. Read the first paragraph aloud to the class. The children should respond by reading the words in the box. Continue through the remaining paragraphs in the same manner. (Optional) Rather than giving each child a duplicate of the copy master, read the parts of the narrator, and call on different children to say the dialogue of Gabriel, Zechariah, or Mary in their own words. 3. Who Am I? Review: Cut out the pictures of Zechariah, Mary, and Gabriel from Copy Master 4. Tape each to an inverted paper cup so that the picture stands upright. Then cut out each clue. Glue clue 1 onto one side of a paper lunch bag and clue 2 onto the other side of the same bag. Put the Gabriel picture/cup into this bag. With different bags, do the same for Zechariah and clues 3 and 4, and for Mary and clues 5 and 6. Line the bags up so that the children can see only one side of each bag. Read the clues on each bag, and ask the children to answer the Who am I? questions. Then pull the character pictures out of the bags to show whether each answer is correct. Replace the pictures, turn the bags to show the clues on the reverse sides, and mix up the order of the bags. Continue this review until the children can accurately answer each question. 4. Promise-Keeping Discussion: Explain that sometimes we make promises that we can t or won t keep. Give the children the following examples, and ask what might happen to prevent the promises from being kept. Your friend promises to play with you at recess. (Your friend gets sick and has to go home; your friend plays with someone else; etc.) Your dad promises to take you to the game this weekend. (Your dad has to go to work; it rains; etc.) Your parents promise to let you watch a video tomorrow night. (The VCR breaks; a news special comes on that your parents want to watch; etc.) Your mom promises to buy a certain toy for you next time you go to the store. (The toy is sold out when you come back; you misbehaved so Mom said no; etc.) Ask, What promise did God make to the world? (to send a Savior) Remind the children that just as God kept the promise to send us a Savior, God always keeps his promises. We study God s Word to learn about all of God s promises to us. 5. Second Article Activity: Write parts of the Second Article memory treasure on separate long, narrow strips of paper. Suggested divisions: I believe in Jesus Christ, / his only Son, our Lord, / who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, / born of the virgin Mary. Scramble these strips, and display them on a wall, a pocket chart, or a bulletin board. Call on a child to arrange the strips in the correct order. Repeat the activity until each child has had a turn. You may wish to have more than one set of sentence strips and divide the class into groups to do the activity in different areas of the room. 6. Timeline: Make a very simple timeline on the chalkboard to help the children understand how long God s people waited for the Savior to be born, when the Savior was born in relation to creation and today, and how long Christians have waited for Jesus to return. Follow these steps: Draw a small manger at a point about two-thirds of the way from the left edge of the board to the right edge. Tell the children that it stands for the day Jesus was born. Draw an arrow from the manger to the left edge of the board. At the end of the arrow draw a globe. Under the arrow, write about 4,000 years. Explain that this arrow shows how long God s people had to wait for the Savior to be born a very long time. Draw an arrow from the manger to the right edge of the board. At the end of the arrow, draw a boy and a girl. Under the arrow, write about 2,000 years. Explain that this arrow shows about how long Christians have been waiting for Jesus to return to earth. Remind the children that although 2,000 years is a very long time, Christians are still faithfully waiting for Jesus to return. We can be sure that Jesus will keep his promise to return because he has kept all of his promises. Tell them that throughout the year they will study God s Word to learn many things about Jesus and what he did while he was on earth so long ago. Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A 15

7. Testing Understanding: Use Copy Masters 5 and 6 to evaluate understanding of the lesson. The answers are as follows: Copy Master 5 Activity One: 1. son; 2. John; 3. son; 4. Jesus Activity Two: Jesus Copy Master 6 Activity One: 1. son; 2. John; 3. Savior; 4. Mary; 5. God; 6. Jesus Activity Two: Jesus 8. Songs to Sing: Advent Wreath Song (Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House) is a counting song with optional actions. The Best Book of All (Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House) reinforces the truth that the Bible tells us about Jesus and also about our home in heaven and God s love. The B-I-B-L-E (Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House) is a popular, easyto-learn children s song that reinforces the truth that we learn about Jesus in the Bible. Light One Candle (Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House) is a song about the Advent wreath candles and their symbolism. 16 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson A

Week 1 Lesson B John Is Born Luke 1:57-80 LESSON OVERVIEW Goals It is our prayer that the child knows this spiritual truth: God has kept all of his promises to Zechariah and to us. develops this spiritual attitude: Trusting that God will always keep his promises. develops this spiritual habit: Thanking God for always keeping his promises. How did God keep his promise to Zechariah? Key Points 1. God gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son. 2. Zechariah praised God for the Savior, who was coming soon. 3. Zechariah said John would get the people ready for the Savior. God gave Zechariah a son who would get the people ready for the Savior. * John 3:16 ** Galatians 4:4a ** A portion of the Second Article of the Apostles Creed Preparation for Teaching Prayer for the Teacher Dear heavenly Father, I am awed and humbled by your merciful plan of salvation for all people. I am also very thankful that I can leave my future in your hands, knowing that you will surely keep every promise you have made. As my students and I study your Word, increase our trust in all your promises. Amen. Know these words and definitions so that you can explain the words as you come to them in the lesson: ~ angel a heavenly being created by God to worship him, be his messenger, and protect his people ~ Holy Spirit one person of the Triune God (along with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus); he uses God s Word as a tool to work faith in our hearts and to strengthen that faith ~ Israel the Jewish people, who were descended from Abraham and had been given the promise of the Savior ~ prophet a person chosen by God to deliver messages to his people Read John 20:29b (Opening Devotion). Read the lesson in Luke 1:57-80. Read pages 16-18 in Franzmann, Bible History Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 1. Read pages 16-19 in Prange, Luke, The People s Bible series. Lesson Materials For Opening Devotion: these sentences written separately in speech bubbles on large cards: I ate seven hot dogs! ; I can ride my dad s bike! ; and She caught a fish that was as big as me! For Introduction and Telling the Story, Sections One and Three, Applications: transparency marking pen; large speech bubble drawn on an overhead transparency, containing these sentences: Soon your wife, Elizabeth, will have a son. Your Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B 17

son will serve God in a special way. John will tell the people that the Savior has come. (Optional: The bubble could be drawn on poster board.) For Closing, Option 1: the portion of Copy Master 1 without the parent note, enlarged and transferred onto an overhead transparency Opening Devotion Song: The B-I-B-L-E Stanza 2 Little Ones Sing Praise, Concordia Publishing House With this stanza the children sing that the love of Jesus is revealed to them in the Bible. Scripture Reading John 20:29b Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. Say, Sometimes people ask us to believe that something really happened, even though we didn t see it. Hold up the sentence cards (see Lesson Materials), and read them aloud with the children. Then ask, Why don t we always believe everything we hear? (Some things seem too impossible to believe, especially if we did not see them for ourselves.) Explain that we can always believe that everything really happened just as God tells us in his Word, even though we weren t there to see it. God always tells the truth! Emphasize that the Holy Spirit has given us faith to believe God s promises about Jesus and all his other promises too. Prayer Dear God, thank you for giving us your Word. Thank you also for blessing us with faith to believe in our Savior even though we have never seen him. Please give us a stronger faith as we learn more and more from the Bible. Amen. Teaching the Lesson Review Review Gabriel s visits to Zechariah and Mary by asking the following: How did Zechariah and Mary receive special messages from God? (The angel Gabriel brought God s special messages to Zechariah and Mary.) What did Gabriel tell Zechariah? (Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife would have a son who would get the people ready for the Savior.) What did God do because Zechariah did not believe his promise at first? (God caused Zechariah to not be able to speak.) What did Gabriel tell Mary? (Gabriel told Mary that she would be the mother of the Savior.) Why were Zechariah and Mary so happy? (Zechariah and Mary were happy because they knew that the promised Savior would be born soon.) How do we learn about our Savior today? (We learn about our Savior by studying God s Word.) Introduction Say, We learn about our Savior and about God s promises in his Word, the Bible. In what special way did Zechariah receive a promise from God? (He was given a message from God by the angel Gabriel.) Show the speech bubble prepared as described in Lesson Materials, and review the promise Zechariah was given. Encourage the children to listen for the answer to the question, How did God keep his promise to Zechariah? Telling the Story Gabriel > Zechariah > Elizabeth > son not believe > unable > speak waited > months > (birth > boy > promised) family > friends heard > happy eight days old > gathered (day > name) time came > name > family > friends > good > name > father (should name > Zechariah ) (Elizabeth > No > John ) Why? > No one > family > John always > name > family > first son turned > Zechariah > asked > wanted writing tablet (wrote > John ) (Zechariah > speak again!) (began > thank > praise) Holy Spirit > heart > God s plan > save Praise > God > Israel Long ago > promised > Savior (coming soon! ) to John > ( you > great prophet) (tell > Savior > coming people ready > telling > Savior > sins away ) John grew > love > Savior young man > live > desert told > people > Savior 18 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B

TEACHING CHART Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section One: Luke 1:57-63 Gabriel > Zechariah > Elizabeth > son not believe > unable > speak waited > months > (birth > boy > promised) What happened just as God had promised? family > friends heard > happy eight days old > gathered (day > name) Why did Zechariah and Elizabeth s family and friends gather eight days after the baby s birth? Why did they wait eight days to name the baby? (This had been one of God s commands for the people of this time.) time came > name > family > friends > good > name > father (should name > Zechariah ) What name did the people at Zechariah s house think the baby should have? What name had Gabriel told Zechariah to give his baby? (John) (Elizabeth > No > John ) What did Elizabeth say her baby should be named? Why did Elizabeth choose this name? (She knew it was the name that God had chosen for her son.) Why? > No one > family > John always > name > family > first son turned > Zechariah > asked > wanted writing tablet (wrote > John ) What did Zechariah write when the people asked him to name the baby? Explain that the name John means gift of God, and ask the children to tell how this baby was a gift from God. (He was a gift to his parents, and he was a gift to the people of Israel because he would tell them that the Savior had come.) Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B 19

What special gift did God give to Zechariah and Elizabeth? Key Point God gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son. Application Show Gabriel s words in the speech bubble and read them again with the children. Ask a child to underline the words of this promise that God kept by giving Zechariah and Elizabeth a son. (Soon your wife, Elizabeth, will have a son.) Remind the children that God, in his Word, has also made promises to them. Ask them whether each of the following is a promise God has made: 1. I will always be with you.* 2. I will give you all the toys you want. 3. I will never let you get sick. 4. I will forgive your sins because Jesus died for you.* 5. I will take all believers to heaven.* Explanation Those promises marked with an asterisk have been made by God. Tell the children that these are just a few of the many promises God has made to them. Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section Two: Luke 1:64-75 (Zechariah > speak again!) What happened as soon as Zechariah wrote that the baby should be named John? Why did this happen? (God chose to give Zechariah s speech back to him at this time.) (began > thank > praise) What did Zechariah do as soon as he could speak? Holy Spirit > heart > God s plan > save Praise > God > Israel Long ago > promised > Savior (coming soon! ) What did Zechariah say about the promised Savior? How did Zechariah know this? (The Holy Spirit gave Zechariah the words to say. Also, the angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that the Savior was coming soon.) 20 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B

For what did Zechariah praise God? Key Point Zechariah praised God for the Savior, who was coming soon. Application Say, Zechariah knew that the Savior was coming soon because the Holy Spirit came into his heart and told him. How do we know for sure that our Savior came into the world and took away our sins? Explanation We know this for sure because God s Word says that Jesus is our Savior and promises that our sins are now forgiven. Everything God promises in his Word is true. the Holy Spirit has also come into our hearts and given us faith to believe God s promises. Story Events Fact Questions Penetration Questions Section Three: Luke 1:76-80 to John > ( you > great prophet) (tell > Savior > coming people ready > telling > Savior > sins away ) What did Zechariah say his son would be? What good news would John tell the people about Jesus? What does this mean? (John would be a messenger sent from God.) John grew > love > Savior young man > live > desert told > people > Savior What did Zechariah say John would do? Key Point Zechariah said John would get the people ready for the Savior. Application Read Gabriel s words in the speech bubble with the children again. Ask a child to underline the words of this promise that God kept when he made John the Savior s special prophet. (All remaining words should be underlined.) Then remind the children that God has made promises to them, and draw the following chart on the chalkboard or overhead projector: Promises God Promises God Promises God has already kept: will keep in the future: will not keep: Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B 21

Ask the children to name promises from God to list in each column. Explanation (Optional: If the children cannot think of promises to name, you could name some promises and ask the children in which column you should list them.) Possible promises to name and columns in which to list them are as follows: I will be with you. (has already kept, will keep in the future) I will send a Savior. (has already kept) I will forgive your sins. (has already kept, will keep in the future) I will hear your prayers. (has already kept, will keep in the future) I will take you to heaven. (will keep in the future) Draw attention to the fact that there is nothing to list in the third column God keeps all of his promises! Remind the children that this is yet another blessing for which we thank God. Lesson Summary How did God keep his promise to Zechariah? Key Points 1. God gave Zechariah and Elizabeth a son. 2. Zechariah praised God for the Savior, who was coming soon. 3. Zechariah said John would get the people ready for the Savior. God gave Zechariah a son who would get the people ready for the Savior. Application God has also made many promises to us. We can be sure that he will keep all of them. * John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God uses this Bible passage to tell us the wonderful news about why he sent Jesus to earth. By studying this passage, we learn God s promise that those who believe in Jesus as their Savior will not be punished for their sins in hell but will go to heaven to live forever with Jesus. ** Galatians 4:4a But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son. This passage reminds us that when the time was right, God kept his promise to send his Son to save us. ** The Second Article of the Apostles Creed I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary. With this portion of the Apostles Creed, we say that we believe Jesus was true God and also Mary s son, true man. God kept his promise by sending Jesus into the world to be born as Mary s son. Closing Option 1: Litany On an overhead projector, show the litany found on the top of Copy Master 1. Explain the symbol key to the children, and pray the prayer with them. As a follow-up activity, send home the top portion of the copy master, including the parent note. The children can then use the litany with their parents. 22 Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B

Option 2: Prayer Dear God, thank you for keeping your promise by sending us a Savior. Teach us to trust always that you will keep all your promises to us. Amen. Lesson Activities 1. Unit Activities: Picture Journal (see Lesson 1A, Lesson Activity 1): Explain that the children will continue their journals by drawing and coloring a picture for this lesson. Suggestions: Zechariah is holding the writing tablet that says His name is John, or Zechariah is praising God. Classroom Application Journal (see Lesson 1A, Lesson Activity 1): Follow the instructions in Lesson 1A to have the children begin or continue keeping a classroom journal of what they have learned from each lesson in this set. (Optional: The children could also keep individual journals.) 2. Retelling Activity: Use a marker to divide a piece of poster board into quadrants. Cut the flaps off four standard envelopes, and glue an envelope to each of the sections. Number the envelopes 1 through 4. On four large index cards, glue the four rectangles from Copy Master 2. (You may wish to color the pictures first or have the children do so.) Then scramble the cards, and give them to four children. As you retell the lesson, each child should place his card in the appropriate envelope pocket as you come to that part of the lesson. (Optional: Start by displaying the cards in the pockets; then call on children to tell about each part of the story. Or, display the board and cards in the classroom so that the children can practice retelling the story.) 3. Crossword Review: Transfer the bottom portion of Copy Master 1 the crossword puzzle grid and answer box to an overhead transparency and project it. Ask the following questions to lead the class in completing the puzzle together: 1. What was the name of the angel who told Zechariah to name the baby John? (GABRIEL) 2. Who was John s mother? (ELIZABETH) 3. How many days old was John when he was named? (EIGHT) 4. What did the people who visited want to name the baby? (ZECHARIAH) 5. On what did Zechariah write the baby s name? (TABLET) 6. Who gave Zechariah some special words to say? the Holy (SPIRIT) 7. What would John be when he grew up? (PROPHET) 8. Where did John live when he grew up? (DESERT) 9. Whom would John tell the people about? the (SAVIOR) 4. Bible Activity: Draw a long horizontal line on the chalkboard. At the left end of the line draw a globe, in the center draw a manger, and at the right end draw a stick boy and girl. Then write the words Old Testament above the left half of the line. Explain that the Old Testament is that part of the Bible in which we learn about things that happened between the time God created the world and the time Jesus was born. It is in this section of the Bible that we learn about God s promise to send a Savior. Then write the words New Testament above the right half of the line. Tell the children that the New Testament is that part of the Bible which tells us about Jesus life and work and things that happened after he returned to heaven. Explain that the Bible has sections in it which we call books. Write the names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on the board. Tell the children that these are the names of the books of the New Testament that tell us about Jesus life on earth, and that the remaining books of the New Testament tell us about things that happened after Jesus returned to heaven. Help the children find the four gospels in a Bible. (You may wish to mark the edges of the pages with a highlighter so that they can be more easily found.) Extend this activity into each of the remaining lessons by helping the children find the Scripture texts for each lesson. Be sure Bibles are always readily available for the children to browse through. 5. Four Gospels Ongoing Activity: As an ongoing extension of Lesson Activity 4, make a chart that can be used to show where the birth of John and future lessons can be found in the Bible. The chart should have four columns and as many rows as the number of lessons you plan to teach from this set. Along the top of the chart, label the four columns Matthew, Grades 1-2 New Testament Week 1 Lesson B 23