Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable.

The Son of God Is Born! Lesson 3 Bible Point Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. Bible Verse Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Growing Closer to Jesus Children will n discover what it s like to be in a crowded place, n hear about the stable God provided for Mary and Joseph, and n talk about ways they can make room for Jesus in their lives. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n The Son of God is born! Luke 2:1-7 Luke provides the only extensive account in the Bible of Jesus birth. The events described in this passage may have held greater significance for Luke than for the other Gospel writers because Luke was a physician and most likely intimately aware of the process of birth. Whatever the reason, God made sure to tell us about these events, though none of the New Testament authors witnessed them. Luke must have gotten his information from Mary. Luke 2:1-7 describes Joseph and Mary s continuing hardships. Certainly it had been difficult for them to overhear the snickers of acquaintances who noticed that Mary had become pregnant prior to the completion of her marriage. Now she and Joseph had to travel from his home in Nazareth to his ancestral home of Bethlehem, a journey of about 70 miles. Though popular renditions of this trip usually show Mary riding a donkey, she and Joseph probably weren t wealthy enough to own one. It s more likely that they had to walk all the way, even though Mary was close to her time to deliver. The exact date of Jesus birth is impossible to calculate. According to Luke 2:2, the census occurred when Quirinius was governor of Syria. His first term occurred from 6 to 4 B.C., so Jesus was likely born between those dates. Unfortunately, the date of Jesus birth was miscalculated when the Christian calendar was created. The census, which involved traveling to the hometown of Joseph s family, created a problem for Joseph. In Jewish culture, if a woman was made pregnant by her pledged husband prior to the wedding, the husband was rejected by his family for the dishonor. If the woman was made pregnant by someone else, the woman was rejected by the husband s family. So Mary and Joseph faced nothing but rejection as they went to visit Joseph s family. Yet they went willingly, following through on God s plan for them. Prayer Read Hebrews 1:1-4. What do these verses reveal to you about the nature of Jesus Christ? Pray: While I spend time with your children this week, help me to bring glory to your name as I 41

Lesson 3 Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Today I Learned handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for the children in your class and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Welcome Time Let s Get Started Direct children to one or more of the optional activities until everyone arrives. Welcome! Receive name tags, and be greeted by the teacher. Option 1: No Room Crowd into a small area until there's no more room. Option 2: Stars and Stables Build stables out of blocks, and talk about Jesus' birth. Option 3: Innkeeper Set up an inn and rent out rooms. "Shining Star Name Tags" (p. 23), scissors, marker, safety pins or tape Chairs Building blocks, animal crackers, baby wipes, bowl Blankets, pillows, bowl or box, play money Bible Story Time Pick-Up Time Sing a song as they pick up toys and gather for Bible Story Time. Setting the Stage Try to fit in small spaces, and talk about what it's like when there's no room. Bible Song and Prayer Time Sing a song, bring out the Bible, and pray together. Hear and Tell the Bible Story Pretend they're in Bethlehem with Mary and Joseph looking for a room. Do the Bible Story Play the Baby's in the Manger game. CD player Stop-and-go sign from Lesson 1 Bible, CD player Bible, small box, dry chow mein noodles Closing A Room for Jesus Tell Whiskers about the stable where Jesus was born. Box of blocks God's Son Singalong Play rhythm instruments as they sing God s Son (John 20:31). Bells and other rhythm instruments, CD player *See the end of this lesson for extra-time ideas and supplies. 42

The Son of God Is Born! Welcome Time Supplies: Shining Star Name Tags (p. 23), scissors, marker, safety pins or tape Bend down and make eye contact with children as they arrive. Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile. Thank each child for coming to class today. As children arrive, ask them how they practiced what they learned last week. Use questions such as What did you tell others about the angels? and How did you show love for Jesus this week? Say: Today we re going to learn that Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. Hand out the shining star 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 that week, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable handout. Direct children to the Let s Get Started activities you ve set up. It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again will help children remember it and apply it to their lives. Let s Get Started Set up one or more of the following activities for children to do as they arrive. After you greet each child, invite him or her to choose an activity. Circulate between the activities to offer help as needed and direct children s conversation toward the point of today s lesson. Ask questions such as How would you feel if it was too crowded for you to come to our class today? or What would it be like to sleep with animals? If you have access to a large box, you can cut a doorway in it and play this game with the box as the inn. n Option 1: No Room Supplies: chairs Line up several chairs near a corner to partition off a small area. Place two of the chairs back to back with a small space in between as if they re a doorway. Let the children crowd into the area. Have them take turns standing in the doorway as the innkeeper saying, Sorry, no room in the inn! Tell them that today s Bible story is about an inn, which is like a motel, that had no room for Mary and Joseph. n Option 2: Stars and Stables Supplies: building blocks, bowl of animal crackers, baby wipes Set out blocks. Let children use the blocks to create small stables. Help children clean their hands with baby wipes or at a nearby sink. Set out a bowl of animal crackers, and let children add animals to their stables and snack on them as they play. As children are building their stables, talk about what kinds of animals live in stables. Tell children that Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. 43

Lesson 3 n Option 3: innkeeper SupplieS: blankets, pillows, bowl or box, play money Give children blankets and pillows, and have them set up their own inn. Have them take turns being Travelers and Innkeepers. Explain that an inn is a motel. Give the Travelers play money to pay for their rooms. Give the Innkeepers a bowl or box to collect money in. Have the Innkeepers show the Travelers to a bed in the inn. When all the Travelers have rooms or all the beds are full, have Travelers and Innkeepers switch roles. Tell children that today s Bible story is about a time Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and looked for a room in an inn. When everyone has arrived and you re ready to move on to Bible Story Time, encourage the children to finish what they re doing and get ready to clean up. n pick-up Time SupplieS: CD player Lead children in singing Come Along With Me (track 2) track 2 with the CD to the tune of Come and Go With Me. Encourage children to sing along as they help clean up the room. You ll be using this song each week to alert children to start picking up. At first, they may need a little encouragement. But after a few weeks, picking up and singing along will become a familiar routine. Come along with me and pick up all our things, Pick up all our things, Pick up all our things. Come along with me and pick up all our things So our room will be clean. (Repeat 2x.) Bible Story Time n Setting the Stage SupplieS: stop-and-go sign (from Lesson 1) Tell children you ll hold up the stop-and-go sign to get their attention. Explain that when you show the red side, the children are to stop what they re doing and listen for your directions. When you show the green side, you ll stop talking and listen to them. Encourage children to respond quickly so you ll have time for all the fun activities you ve planned. Make a small circle on the floor with the garland. 44

The Son of God Is Born! Ask: What did you make or do when you came to our class today? (Tried to fit in an inn; made a stable; paid for a room at the inn.) Say: Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. You were all learning important things about Jesus birth in your activities. If you were Innkeepers and Travelers, stand up, lie down, and then sit up. Let children respond. If you made a stable, stand up, turn around, and then sit back down. Let children respond. If you tried to fit in an inn, stand up and squish together with the other people who are standing. Wait for children to squish together; then have them sit down. Say: That was a tight squeeze! Now let s see if we can all squeeze together under the table. Gather children under a table or in another small area. Then say: Now let s try to squeeze in an even smaller space. Lead them to the garland circle. After you ve tried to crowd into the tiny circle, say: Well, it doesn t look like there s enough room for us here. We d better go back to our story area. Put away the garland, return to your story area, and ask: What was it like to squeeze into a space that was too small? (Fun; crowded; my foot got stepped on.) We couldn t all fit into the little circle. How did you feel if you squeezed in? (Lucky; squished; glad I got in.) How did you feel if there wasn t room for you? (Mad; glad I didn t get squished; left out.) Say: When there s no room, we sometimes feel sad, mad, or left out. Our Bible story is about a time when there wasn t enough room for Mary and Joseph. Let s find out what happened to them and how they felt. n Bible Song and prayer Time SupplieS: Bible, CD player Say: Now it s time to choose a Bible person to bring tracks 3 & 4 me the Bible marked with today s Bible story. As we sing our Bible song, we ll pass around our special Bible. The person who s holding the Bible when the music stops will be our Bible person today. Each week one of you will get to be the Bible person. Lead children in singing I m So Glad for the Bible (track 3) with the CD to the tune of Give Me Oil in My Lamp. As you sing, pass around the special Bible. Use Whiskers the Mouse to draw out a shy child or to encourage disruptive children to settle down. Preschoolers may be more receptive to a message coming from a cuddly friend than from an adult. I m so glad for the Bible. Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. I m so glad for God s book today. I m so glad for the Bible. Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin Keep me learnin all about his way. Let me hear bout God s love Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. Let me hear bout God s love for me. Let me hear bout God s love Keep me learnin, learnin, learnin. Let s shine the light for all to see. (Repeat first verse.) 45

Lesson 3 When the music stops, invite the child who s holding the Bible to bring it to you. Lead the class in clapping for the Bible person, cheering, and making fun applause sound effects by slapping your thighs with your palms. Stamp the child s hand with the manger stamp, and thank the child for bringing you the Bible. Then stamp the other children s hands. Return the manger stamp and ink pad to the Learning Lab. Say: I m thankful for [name of child who brought the Bible], and I m thankful for everyone in our class today. Each of you is a special part of our class! Let s thank God together for all our friends in this class. Lead children in singing I m So Glad We re Together (track 4) with the CD to the tune of Give Me Oil in My Lamp. Lead children in folding their hands and bowing their heads as you sing the second verse. Include more children each week by asking others to be the Bible Replacer (to put the Bible away) and the Cheerleader. Just be sure to keep track of who fills your roles each week so each child gets a chance to feel special. Be sure to emphasize to children that the story comes from the Bible, God s Word. I m so glad we re together. Keep us prayin, prayin, prayin. I m so glad we re all here today. I m so glad we re together. Keep us prayin, prayin, prayin Prayin for each other every day. n Hear and Tell the Bible Story Thank you, Lord, for each one. Keep me thankful, thankful, thankful. Thank you for everyone who s here. Thank you, Lord, for each one. Keep me thankful, thankful, thankful Thankful for our friends both far and near. Supplies: Bible, small box, dry chow mein noodles Open the Bible to Luke 2, and show it to the children. Say: Our Bible story comes from the book of Luke in the Bible. Our Bible Big Book shows us pictures of our Bible story. Open the Bible Big Book: Jesus Birth to pages 2 and 3. Say: Last week we learned that an angel gave a special message to Mary and Joseph. Ask: Can you tell me what that message was? (That Jesus would be born; that Jesus is God s Son.) Say: Jesus is God s Son, and Mary and Joseph learned that Jesus was going to be born. Not long after the angels talked to Mary and Joseph, the king decided it was time to count everyone in the land. So all of the people had to travel to their hometowns to be counted. Mary and Joseph had to make a long, tiring trip to Bethlehem. Turn to page 4 of the Bible Big Book. Say: This is a picture of Joseph and Mary when they arrived in Bethlehem. Let s pretend we re there with them. Prop up the Bible Big Book on a chair so children can still see page 4, and say: Let s get on our knees and pretend we re the donkey in this picture. Let s crawl around the room and say heehaw. Lead children around the room and then back to your story area. Say: Good job, donkeys. It s a long way to Bethlehem. You must be tired. Now let s stand up and pretend we re Joseph walking to Bethlehem. Keep walking. 46

The Son of God Is Born! Lead children around in a circle. As you walk, say: I think we re almost there. Look ahead do you see a light on in that window? Let s all look for the light. Lead children in looking for the light; then say: It is a light! Let s knock on the door. Knock, knock. Say: Joseph knocked on the door of an inn that s kind of like a motel, where people can stay when they re far from home. An innkeeper is someone who owns the inn. Now let s pretend we re the innkeeper. Let s open the door and ask Joseph, What do you want? Have children repeat the question with you. Then say: Joseph said, We need a place to stay. But the innkeeper said, Sorry, no room! Say: Let s all say that together. Sorry, no room! Let children respond. Shake your head and say it again. No room! Let children respond. Stomp your feet, say it again. No room! Let children respond. Now shake your whole body and say it real loud. No room! Let children respond. Say: Mary was sad. She was tired, and she wanted to find a place to rest. Show me what you look like when you re tired. Let s sit back down and find out what happened to make her happy. The city of Bethlehem was very crowded. People were waiting in lines everywhere. It was noisy, just the way it is when we go to the store to do our Christmas shopping this time of year. God didn t want Jesus to be born in a crowded, noisy place. He didn t want people pushing and shoving Mary and Joseph or making lots of noise so the baby couldn t sleep. But there was one place in Bethlehem that wasn t crowded. It was a warm, dry, quiet place; it was the stable where animals lived. Let s pretend to look around the stable. Ask: What animals do you see? (Sheep, cows, goats.) What do you smell? (Animals, hay.) What sounds do you hear? (Mooing, baaing, chicks peeping.) Say: Let s crawl around and make some animal noises. (Pause for children to make cow, sheep, goat, donkey, and other animal sounds.) Say: Now let s pretend to eat. Wait! We don t have any food! We need a food box for the animal food. Bring out the small box and the chow mein noodles. Say: Let s use this box for the manger, which is the animals feeding box. Let s put some of these noodles in the feed box. Have the children help you place pieces of chow mein in the box and place it in the center of the floor. Say: Now we have food to eat. Let s pretend to be the stable animals and eat some of the delicious straw. Make your noises again and take turns tasting the straw. Give the children ample time for each child to eat some noodles. Then say: God s Son, Jesus, was about to be born in the stable full of animals. Now sit back down and listen to the rest of this Bible story. Turn to page 5 of the Bible Big Book. Mary and Joseph went to the stable when it was time for Jesus to be born. After Jesus was born, Mary wrapped him up and laid him in the animals feed box. Point to the box of chow mein noodles. Let s pretend we re If someone in your church keeps livestock, borrow an animal feed box filled with hay. Before you let kids touch the hay, be sure none of them are allergic to hay. When you tell about Mary wrapping Jesus in a blanket and placing him in the manger, wrap a doll in a blanket and place this in the box of chow mein noodles. 47

Lesson 3 the animals in that stable and baby Jesus is sleeping. Hold up the animal sound maker. I ll pass the animal sound maker around so we can hear what it might have sounded like in the stable where Jesus was born. Allow each child to turn the animal sound maker upside down. Then put the animal sound maker away, and say: Show me how quietly you would moo if you were a cow. Let children respond. Say: Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. Let s whisper that Bible Point together. Let children respond. Now clap your hands softly if you think the stable was a good place for Jesus to be born. Let children respond. Say: Jesus came to be our friend. Let s pass our manger of straw around and thank Jesus that he loves us. Pass the manger from child to child. Let each child pray: Thank you Jesus, that you love me. If a child is uncomfortable praying aloud, the child may pray silently. Three- and four-year-olds understand that prayer is talking to God, and can pray simple, spontaneous prayers. n Do the Bible Story Supplies: none Remind children how to play the Baby s in the Manger game you played in Lesson 1. Choose a child to be the Baby, and then continue: The rest of us will stand in a circle and walk around [name of child in center] as we sing our Baby s in the Manger song. Walk around the Baby as you sing the first and second verses of The Baby s in the Manger to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell. At the second verse, invite the Baby to pick someone to join him or her as Joseph. At the third verse, invite the children in the center to pick someone to join them as Mary. You may want to repeat the game to let additional children have a turn in the center. This song is not on the CD. The baby s in the manger. The baby s in the manger. Hip-hip hooray, we re glad today The baby s in the manger. Joseph found the stable. Joseph found the stable. Hip-hip hooray, we re glad today Joseph found the stable. Mary found the stable. Mary found the stable. Hip-hip hooray, we re glad today Mary found the stable. Jesus is God s Son. Jesus is God s Son. Hip-hip hooray, we re glad today Jesus is God s Son. 48

The Son of God Is Born! Closing n A Room for Jesus SupplieS: box of building blocks Bring out Whiskers the Mouse and a box of building blocks, and go through the following puppet script. When you finish the script, put Whiskers away and out of sight. (Have Whiskers line up several blocks on the floor before you start the conversation below.) Teacher: Hi, Whiskers. What are you doing with those blocks? Whiskers: I m making a room for Jesus. Teacher: A room for Jesus? Whiskers: (Nodding) I was listening to your Bible story, and I heard No room! No room! No room! The last time I heard it, it was really loud. So I ran home and got my blocks so I could make Jesus a room. Teacher: Didn t you wait to hear the rest of the story? Mary and Joseph found a place for Jesus to be born. Children, let s tell Whiskers the rest of the story. (Lead children in telling Whiskers how Mary and Joseph found the stable and laid Jesus in the animals feed box.) Whiskers: Well, that stable doesn t sound like a very nice place. I think I ll finish my room just in case Jesus wants to move. (Adds another block.) Teacher: (Gently) Whiskers, Jesus doesn t need another room. Whiskers: (Sounding a little sad) He doesn t? Teacher: Jesus doesn t need another place to sleep, but he does want to have a place in our lives. One way we can make room for Jesus in our lives is by remembering that Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable and Christmas is his birthday. Whiskers: We had a fun time celebrating Jesus birthday last week. What else can we do to help us remember that Jesus is God s Son? Teacher: Let s ask your friends what they think. Children, what can we do to help us remember that Jesus is God s Son? (Children might say that they can pray, go to church, or sing songs about Jesus.) Whiskers: Thanks, friends. I ll try to remember to do those things this week. I want to make room for Jesus in my life! Permission to photocopy this script from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum for Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. HandsOnBible.com 49

Lesson 3 n God s Son Singalong Supplies: CD player, bells and other rhythm instruments Pass out bells and other rhythm instruments. Say: Jesus is track 5 God s Son, born in a stable. Our Bible verse from the Bible tells us that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This means that Jesus came to show love to each one of us. Let s say our verse and use our instruments to make music as we say the words together. Lead children in saying 1 Timothy 1:15 together, and let them shake or tap their instruments to the rhythm of the words. Say: Jesus loves us so much! Because he loves us, we want to show love back to him. Let s sing God s Son to remind us to make room for Jesus in our lives this week. As you sing, you can play your instruments. Be sure to use your strong singing voices. Lead children in singing God s Son (John 20:31) (track 5) with the CD to the tune of London Bridge. Jesus is the Son of God, Son of God, Son of God. Jesus is the Son of God. He is God s Son. If you believe, then you ll have life, You ll have life, You ll have life. If you believe, then you ll have life. He is God s Son. After you finish singing, collect the instruments. Then close with a prayer similar to this one: Dear God, thanks for sending your Son, Jesus. Help us make a place for Jesus as we celebrate Christmas this year. In Jesus name, amen. Collect name tags for next week s use, and remind children to take home any crafts they made today. Want even more activity ideas for this lesson? Check out HandsOnBible.com/tips. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Today I Learned handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with the children. Encourage parents to use the handout to plan meaningful family activities to reinforce this week s topic. 50

The Son of God Is Born! For Extra Time If you have a long class time or want to add additional elements to your lesson, try one of the following activities. n Lively Learning: Animal Praise Lead children in pretending to be the animals in the stable with Mary and Joseph. Choose an animal, and then have children make that animal s sound. In between animal sounds, lead children in saying: Jesus is God s Son. For example, if you re pretending to be sheep, you d say, Baa, baa. Jesus is God s Son. Baa, baa. When you reach your starting point, switch animals. n Make to Take: Baby Jesus Dolls Make baby Jesus dolls out of craft clothespins and gauze bandages. Show children how to wrap a clothespin in a piece of gauze bandage and tape down the end. When they finish wrapping the gauze, have them draw faces on their clothespin dolls with fine-point felt-tip pens. As children work, have them tell you about babies they know. Talk with them about how Jesus came to earth as a baby. Remind them that Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. n Treat to Eat: Graham Cracker Stables Before class, photocopy the Manger Scene handout (p. 52), and cut out the manger scenes. If you have time, and the children in your class have learned to use safety scissors, let them cut out their own manger scenes. You ll need one manger scene for each child. Help children clean their hands with baby wipes or at a nearby sink. Give each child three graham crackers, and help them use plastic knives to spread frosting on the ends of each cracker. Show them how to arrange the crackers in a triangular shape. Have children hold their crackers in place for about a minute while the frosting sets. Set the finished stables on paper plates. Give children the manger scene cutouts, and have them color the scenes with crayons. Help children fold the bottom of their cutouts so they ll stand up and then place the cutouts in or around the stables. Remind children that Jesus is God s Son, born in a stable. (Activity adapted from Crafts & More for Children s Ministry, copyright 1993 Karyn Henley. Reprinted by permission of Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539.) n Story Picture: The Son of God Is Born! Set out crayons, glue sticks, and pieces of gauze bandages. Give each child a copy of the Today I Learned handout, and help each one glue the gauze to the picture of baby Jesus in the manger. As children work, review the details of today s Bible story. 51

Manger Scene 52 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. HandsOnBible.com

Jesus is God s Son, Help me learn this: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). Ask me: born in a stable. n How do you think Mary and Joseph felt when they couldn t find a room? n How do you feel when there s not enough room for you? n What can our family do to make room for Jesus in our lives this week? Family Fun Lesson 3 Today your child learned that JESUS IS GOD S SON, BORN IN A STABLE. The children heard how Mary and Joseph found no room in the inn. They talked about ways they could make room for Jesus. n Gather your family and crowd under a table, into a closet, or in another small area of your home. While you re there, pray a closetogether prayer, thanking God for sending Jesus into a crowded world. n Make room for Jesus in your family by showing his love to others. Call and arrange a holiday visit to an elderly neighbor or friend. Take along some fresh-baked cookies to celebrate Jesus birthday! The Son of God Is Born! (Luke 2:1-7) Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Preschool granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539. HandsOnBible.com 53