grades 3-4 new testament sets 1, 2, and 3 a and b lessonsother ideas for your doorknob hanger: •...

Grades 3-4 New Testament Sets 1, 2, and 3 A and B Lessons Teacherʼs Guide

The teacherʼs guides for Grades 3-4 New Testament lessons are found in three Adobe PDF files: Teachers3_4NT1.pdf Teachers3_4NT2.pdf Teachers3_4NT3.pdf

A fourth file, TeachersTableofContents.pdf, contains a complete table of contents for the

year, which may be useful to the teacher for planning purposes.

Three additional Adobe PDF files contain To Do At Home activities for each lesson. TDAH3_4NT1.pdf TDAH3_4NT2.pdf TDAH3_4NT3.pdf

The program to read these files, Adobe Reader®, is included with almost every computer. To avoid potential printing difficulties, use the latest available version of Adobe Reader.If your computer does not have Adobe Reader or has an outdated version, you may download the latest version for free at www.adobe.com. Adobe Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Printing the Teacher’s Guide and To Do At Home activities In order to achieve the optimum format of the printed documents, and to make sure that the page numbers print, do the following: from the print menu click on “Page Scaling” and set to “Fit to Printable Area.”

The entire teacher’s guide for each set is in one file. The entire set of To Do At Home activities is also in one file. If you wish to print the entire file, simply open it and print.

• DO NOT COPY • DO NOT COPY • DO NOT COPY • DO NOT COPY •

DO N

OT CO

PY

Note: No matter which page is on the screen, when you click on the print button, the default option will be to print all the pages of the PDF file. If you wish to print just certain pages, click on the Bookmarks tab usually found to the left of the open page. Note the page numbers on the bookmark for the pages you wish to print. In the print window, indicate that range of pages. You can also click on the page you wish to print, then in the print window, click on “current page.” Copyright Information All rights reserved. The contents of this CD may be reproduced and used only by the purchasing school or congregation. Sharing this material with other congregations or schools is prohibited.


DO N

OT CO

PY

TEACHER’S GUIDEGRADES 3-4

NEW TESTAMENT | SET 1 | A AND B LESSONS

Annunciation Throughthe Sermon on the Mount


DO N

OT CO

PY

Project Coordinators: Owen Dorn, Raymond SchumacherEditorial Team: Lynn Groth, Jane Mose, Deborah SchuhArt Director: Karen KnutsonDesign Team: Paula Brouwer, Diane Cook, Pamela Dunn, Scott Meyer, Lynda WilliamsIllustrator (line art): Nan Pollard

We extend our thanks to the many employees of Northwestern Publishing House who have contributed to this project.

Catechism materials are taken from Luther’s Catechism: Revised. © 1998 by Northwestern Publishing House.

Hymn and hymnal references, unless otherwise indicated, are to Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal. © 1993 byNorthwestern Publishing House.

Christ-Light and the Christ-Light logo are registered property of Northwestern Publishing House.

Northwestern Publishing House1250 N. 113th St., Milwaukee, WI 53226-3284

www.nph.net© 2013 by Northwestern Publishing House

Published 2013Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-0-8100-1854-9

All rights reserved. The Teacher’s Guides on this CD may be reproduced for use in one classroom. Schools with morethan one classroom per grade level should purchase one Teacher’s Guide CD for each classroom.

I am the light of the world.Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,

but will have the light of life.

John 8:12(NIV 1984)


DO N

OT CO

PY

1A

1B

2A

2B

3A

3B

4A

4B

5A

5B

6A

6B

7A

7B

8A

8B

9A

9B

10A

10B

11A

11B

12A

12B

13A

13B

ContentsNEW TESTAMENT | SET 1

NOTES PAGE

INTRODUCTION vii

Gabriel Announces the Births of John and Jesus ________________________________ 1

The Birth of John the Baptist ________________________________ 11

The Birth of Jesus ________________________________ 20

Jesus Is Brought to the Temple ________________________________ 30

The Wise Men Worship the Savior ________________________________ 39

The Escape to Egypt ________________________________ 48

The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus ________________________________ 57

John the Baptist ________________________________ 66

The Baptism of Jesus ________________________________ 75

The Temptation of Jesus ________________________________ 84

The Wedding at Cana ________________________________ 93

Jesus Heals the Official’s Son ________________________________ 102

Jesus and Nicodemus ________________________________ 111

Jesus and the Woman From Samaria ________________________________ 121

Jesus Is Rejected in Nazareth ________________________________ 131

Healing in the Synagogue at Capernaum ________________________________ 140

Peter the Fisherman ________________________________ 149

The Calling of Matthew ________________________________ 158

The Parable of the Farmer and the Seed ________________________________ 167

The Parable of the Weeds Among the Wheat ________________________________ 176

Jesus Calms the Storm ________________________________ 185

Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man ________________________________ 194

The Daughter of Jairus ________________________________ 204

The Young Man From Nain ________________________________ 213

Jesus Teaches His Disciples About Love ________________________________ 221

Jesus Teaches His Disciples About Earthly Needs ________________________________ 231


DO N

OT CO

PY


DO N

OT CO

PY

HO

W TO

USE TH

IS BOO

K

GRADES 3-4 | NT | SET 1 | INTRODUCTION

vii

IntroductionChrist-Light is a complete religion curriculumfor youth from birth through grade 12.

Materials for prekindergarten through grade 8have been thoroughly updated to reflectcurrent educational research.

Parent involvement is key!

Student Lessons offer interesting, interactiveparent-child activities.

Teacher’s Guides offer additional ideas forencouraging parent-child interaction.

Characteristics of eight- to ten-year-old children

Mental Development

• Have the ability to use basic reasoningskills

• Are beginning to think abstractly

• Are inquisitive

• Have vivid imaginations and love tohear Bible stories and see pictures ofBible events

• Are eager to explore spiritual truthsmore deeply

• Are eager to learn many new truths

• Can begin to grasp where events tookplace

• Have a general understanding of thesequence of events

Emotional Development

• Are highly impressionable

• Are developing the ability toindependently form personal attitudesand habits

Social Development

• Can work cooperatively in small groups

• Learn from words, actions, and opinionsof their teachers

• Learn from words, actions, and opinionsof their peers

• Enjoy having parents help them learn

Teaching Materials

General Supplies

Each child will need a Bible and a hymnal (ChristianWorship). In order to best carry out many of thesuggested activities, the teacher will need a chalkor marker board and projection equipment.

Teacher’s Guides

Familiarize yourself with the Teacher’s Guide byreading Teaching the Lesson, beginning on page viii.

Note that the Teacher’s Guide is set up withparallel lesson plans—one in the wide column andone in the narrow column.

Those who want one straightforward, completelesson can use the wide column, start to finish.

Those who want to design their own lessons mayselect activities from either the wide or the narrowcolumn, or from the Lesson Activities section.


DO N

OT CO

PY


viii

Student Lessons

Christ-Light student lessons are an essential connectionwith the home. Encourage all parents to use themwith their children.These loose-leaf, two-page lessonsheets contain the Bible story text, a full-colorteaching picture, a brief summary of the lesson,both a grade-appropriate and a family parent-childactivity, a prayer, and a memory treasure.

Copy Master CD

The Old Testament cycle and the New Testamentcycle each has its own copy master CD. The CDscontain hundreds of reproducible copy mastersdesigned to teach, review, apply, reinforce, or enrichyour lessons.

MusictEach lesson includes at least one song or hymn.

Teaching CDs with upbeat accompaniment andaccompaniment + vocal tracks are available for:1. 38 memory treasure hymns 2. 61 core memory treasure passages 3. grade level songs (selected from

corresponding copy masters)

Note: Files on each copy master CD containprintable copies of the selections found on themusic CDs.

A music CD icont identifies the songs that havebeen recorded on the CDs.

Take-Along CDs of the accompaniment + vocaltracks of all CDs are available at an attractive pricefor use by families. These CDs can teach on the wayto school, on the way home from soccer practice,and during evening family time.

Teaching Pictures

CDs of the Bible story pictures for prekindergartenthrough grade 4 are available. The pictures may beprojected or reproduced for classroom use.

Teaching the Lesson

Lesson Overview (theme)

Both weekly A and B lessons have the same theme.Note that the Theme of the Week is listed at thetop of each page of the Teacher’s Guide. This themecan be emphasized in weekly school-wide activities.

Lesson goals are not listed specifically, but they arecrucial and are expressed in the Truth, Application,and Response.

The teacher is encouraged topresent the Memory Treasuresin interesting, fun ways. Seethe Leader’s Resource CD forsuggestions.

You will find new or difficultwords, phrases, and concepts inthe section called Wordwise.Be sure students understandthese as you teach the lesson.

It is always helpful for theteacher to have as much back -ground information as possible.Appro priate commentaries arelisted in Dig Deeper.

As Christians, we have the priv -ilege of being able to approachour God in prayer. The TeacherPrays offers a prayer that maybe just what you would like tosay to God before you beginteaching your lesson.

Christ-Light provides a song andprayer to open each lesson. Thebrevity makes it possible to teachthe “meat” of the lesson duringprime learning time.


DO N

OT CO

PY


ix

Introduce is designed to createstudent interest in the cominglesson. Introductions providenec essary background, activelyinvolve students, and lead themto anticipate an answer to the aimquestion.

The Aim asks what God is tellingus in the lesson. The Truthanswers that question.

Teachers will use this sectionto teach the Word of God bytelling the story in a creative,interactive way.

In this section, key story eventsare briefly reviewed, leading thestudents to apply the truth totheir lives and to examine ways inwhich they can respond.

Each lesson closes by leading thestudents to briefly sum marizethe main points of the lesson.Key memory treasures are oftenintegrated into the lesson closing.

Simple Bible passages, cate chism,and hymn memory treasures areincorporated into the lessons.Many of these memory treasuresare taken from a core list that willbe repeated in later grades. TheBible passages are available invarious translations in electronicformat. The teacher can printthe memory assignments anddistribute them each day or createa memory booklet of all thememory assignments for the year.The hymns are also included in theelectronic memory treasure files.

Every student lesson has activitiesthat parents can use to teach anduse the Word in their homes.

Additional To Do at Homeactivities are available in a separatefile on the Teacher’s Guide CD.The importance of parents as theprimary Christian educators oftheir children cannot be stressedenough. These To Do at Homeactivities help the teacherencourage and extend this vitalministry.

A brief lesson plan is offered forthose teachers who teach a lessonover a two-day period. The lessonis reviewed, but Day Two activitiesfocus on applying the Word andresponding to it. A brief openingand closing are provided.

Lesson Activities

These additional activities offer even more optionsfor teaching, reviewing, applying, or responding tothe truth of the lesson. The purpose of each activity isstated so the teacher can quickly see how the activityapplies to the lesson. The procedure explains how touse the activity.

The final activity for each B lesson is a Bible studyavailable on the copy master CD as a four-page, full-color copy master. The Bible study is always basedon the theme for the week. You can use the Biblestudy to search and apply Scripture in the classroom,or you can encourage parents to conduct this Biblestudy with their children at home. The Bible studiesare from the original Christ-Light (© 1998) and usethe 1984 edition of the New International VersionBible translation.

The Lesson Activities section in each A lessonconcludes with a reference to that Bible study. Ifyou will not be using the study with the B lesson,you may choose to use it with the A lesson.


DO N

OT CO

PY


x

The following memory treasures are developed throughoutmaterials for prekindergarten through grade 6.

Catechism Memory Treasures

• Ten Commandments, meanings, and conclusion

• Apostles’ Creed—articles and meanings

• Lord’s Prayer and meanings

• Sacrament of Holy Communion

Hymn Memory Treasures

* One asterisk indicates a core hymn for Sunday school and Lutheran elementary school. ** Two asterisks indicate that the hymn is an additional core hymn for Lutheran elementary

school. Thus, Lutheran elementary school students learn both the Sunday school core hymnsand the additional core hymns. Hymns with no asterisk are used in some lessons but are notconsidered core hymns.

Hymn Category Hymn Number Hymn Title

Advent 2:1 Savior of the Nations, ComeChristmas 38:1-3,13 From Heaven Above to Earth I ComeLent 103:1,2,6 Glory Be to JesusLent 111:1,2,5 Sweet the Moments, Rich in BlessingEaster 152:1-3,7,8 **I Know That My Redeemer LivesAscension 170:1,3 Draw Us to TheeAscension 173:1 On Christ’s Ascension I Now BuildPentecost 183:1,3,4 Holy Spirit, Light DivineReformation 200:1-4 **A Mighty Fortress Is Our GodEnd Time 208:1 Great God, What Do I See and HearWorship and Praise 234:1,3 Praise to the Lord, the AlmightyWord of God 282:1 **Lord, Open Now My Heart to HearWord of God 284:1,3,4 How Precious Is the Book DivineWord of God 293:1 God’s Word Is Our Great HeritageConfession

and Absolution 304:1,5,7 *Jesus Sinners Does ReceiveClose of Service 319:1 On My Heart Imprint Your ImageClose of Service 333:1,2 Abide, O Dearest JesusRedeemer 348:1,4 **Jesus, Jesus, Only JesusRedeemer 358:1,2 How Sweet the Name of Jesus SoundsJustification 379:1,3 Amazing Grace—How Sweet the SoundJustification 391:1,3,4 God Loved the World So That He Gave


DO N

OT CO

PY

Hymn Category Hymn Number Hymn Title

Prayer 411:1,2 *What a Friend We Have in JesusTrust 422:1-4 **Jesus, Lead Us OnTrust 429:1-3 *What God Ordains Is Always GoodTrust 432:1 I Am Jesus’ Little LambTrust 436:1,2,4 **Jesus, Shepherd of the SheepTrust 441:1,3 O God, Our Help in Ages PastCommitment 469:1-3,6 *Take My Life and Let It BeCommitment 478:1,2 ** With the Lord Begin Your TaskStewardship 485:1,2 We Give Thee but Thine OwnChristian Love 490:1-3 **Love in Christ Is Strong and LivingChristian Home 506:1,3 Oh, Blest the House, Whate’er BefallMissions 573:1,2,4 *Hark! The Voice of Jesus CryingEvening 587:3,4 **Now Rest Beneath Night’s ShadowEvening 588:1,2,6,7 **Abide With MeConfirmation 596:1 **Let Me Be Yours ForeverDeath and Burial 606:1-3 **For Me to Live Is JesusThanksgiving 610:1-3 **Now Thank We All Our God


xi


DO N

OT CO

PY

Bible Passage Memory Treasures

* One asterisk indicates a core passage for Sunday school and Lutheran elementary school. ** Two asterisks indicate that the passage is an additional core passage for Lutheran elementary

school. Thus, Lutheran elementary school students learn both the Sunday school core passagesand the additional core passages.

* Genesis 1:1** Genesis 39:9b* Exodus 20:11a

** Job 19:25-27* Psalm 37:5* Psalm 50:15* Psalm 51:5

** Psalm 103:1,2* Psalm 118:1* Psalm 119:105

** Psalm 139:14** Psalm 145:15,16* Proverbs 3:5

** Isaiah 41:10* Isaiah 43:11

** Isaiah 64:6a

** Matthew 4:10b** Matthew 6:33* Matthew 7:7* Matthew 11:28

** Matthew 18:20* Matthew 22:37* Matthew 22:39b* Matthew 26:41* Matthew 28:19* Matthew 28:19,20* Matthew 28:20b

** Mark 10:45* Mark 16:16* Luke 11:28

** Luke 18:13b** John 1:29b

* John 3:16** John 5:39** John 11:25,26a* John 14:19b

** Romans 1:16* Romans 3:23

** Romans 3:24* Romans 6:23* Romans 8:28* Romans 10:17* 1 Corinthians 10:31

** 1 Corinthians 12:3b** Galatians 3:26** Galatians 3:27** Galatians 4:4,5* Ephesians 2:8,9

** Ephesians 4:32** Ephesians 6:1* 1 Timothy 2:3,4

** 2 Timothy 3:15** 2 Timothy 3:16** Hebrews 11:1** James 1:22* 1 Peter 5:7

** 1 Peter 5:8* 1 John 1:7b

** 1 John 3:15** 1 John 4:19* Revelation 2:10b


xii


DO N

OT CO

PY

GRADES 3-4 | NT | SET 1 | WEEK 1 | LESSON A

1

A

How did God prepare Zechariahand Mary for the Savior’s coming?

God reminded Zechariah andMary that his promises alwayscome true.

Application: God also reminds us that his promises alwayscome true.

Response: We trust God’s promises and encourage others todo the same.

Lesson Summary: God sent the angel Gabriel to announce thebirths of John and Jesus. Because Zechariah doubted God’spromise to him, he was unable to speak until after his sonJohn’s birth. But Mary trusted God’s promise that she wouldbe the mother of his Son.

* John 3:16* Portions of the Second Article of

the Apostles’ CreedHymn 2:1d (See p. 8.)

vision—something a person sees in his orher mind

descendants—people who come froma person’s family (children, grandchildren,and so on)

lowly—humble; not rich or important

See Franzmann, Bible History Commentary:New Testament, Volume 1, pages 4-13; ThePeople’s Bible: Prange, Luke, pages 8-16.

Locate Judea, Nazareth, and Galilee on a map.

Dear God, as I study your Word, strengthenmy faith in your promises. Help my studentsalso trust that your promises always cometrue, and lead them to rejoice that Jesus,their Savior, came as promised. Amen.

Looking Ahead at 1BThe Birth of John the Baptist

Luke 1:57-69,76-80

Aim: How did Zechariah show

his faith in God?

Truth: Zechariah obeyed God,

praised him, and proclaimed

his Word.

Application: We also can show

our faith by obeying God,

praising him, and sharing

his Word with others.

Response: With the Holy Spirit’s

help, we show our faith through

our words and actions.

Lesson Summary: God mercifully

blessed Zechariah and Elizabeth

with a son in their old age, as

he had promised. God enabled

Zechariah to prophesy that John

would be the great prophet who

would prepare the hearts of the

people for the Savior.

Memory Treasures: *John 3:16;

**Galatians 4:4,5; *Portions

of the Second Article of the

Apostles’ Creed; Hymn 2:1

1THEME OF THE WEEK: God prepared his people for the Savior’s coming

Gabriel Announces the Birthsof John and Jesus Luke 1:5-56

© 2013 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.


DO N

OT CO

PY

1


2

Sing: Point out that today the childrenare beginning their study of the part of God’s Word called the NewTestament. This part of the Bible tells us what Jesus did to save us.Sing “Lord, Open Now My Heart to Hear” (hymn 282:1) as a prayerthat God would help the children listen to God’s Word and grow intheir faith.

Pray: Dear Lord, thank you for the opportunities we have to gathertogether to hear your Word. Each time we gather, lead us to growin our thankfulness for your Word and in our love for you, ourSavior.Amen.

Ask the children to name times when they had towait for something special—perhaps a new bike ora family vacation. Ask how they felt while theywaited and whether they ever felt that the timefor what they wanted would never come. Tellthem that God promised something much more

wonderful than a new bike or a great vacation.

Have the children open their Bibles and read together Genesis 3:15.Ask what God promised in this passage. [This was the first promiseof a Savior, given immediately after the first sin in the Garden of Eden.]Then have them open their Bibles to the last book of the OldTestament and read Malachi 3:1. Point out that in this passageGod made another promise: to send a special prophet to preparethe way for the Savior’s coming. But God waited to keep hispromise to send this special prophet and the Savior until the timewas just right. Meanwhile, he helped his people prepare for theSavior’s coming.

Today you will learn how God prepared twopeople for the coming of the Savior. We’ll answerthe question, How did God prepare Zechariahand Mary for the Savior’s coming?

ATHEME OF THE WEEK: God prepared his people for the Savior’s coming

Sing: Tell the childrenthat today they willbegin to study lessonsabout Jesus, the

promised Savior. Then sing“God Loved the World So That HeGave” (hymn 391:1,3,4) as areminder that God sent Jesus intothe world to save us.

Pray: Dear God, thank you forloving us human beings so muchthat you sent your Son to becomeone of us. Teach us to listeneagerly as we learn about ourSavior. Amen.

(Optional) Haveavailable Old Testa -ment student lessonpictures depicting the

people named below.

Ask the children to name someof the Old Testament people towhom God gave the promise of aSavior. [Adam and Eve, Abraham,Isaac, Jacob, Judah, King David.](Optional: Use pictures to cue.)Explain that thousands of yearshad passed between the timeGod promised a Savior to Adamand Eve and the time of today’slesson. During all those years theHoly Spirit continued to helpGod’s people believe his promiseof a Savior. Now it was time forthe Savior to come.

Listen carefully tolearn how Godprepared Zechariahand Mary for theSavior’s coming.

Alternate Lesson Plan

Note: Remember there are To Do at Home activity options ina separate file on the Teacher’s Guide CD.


DO N

OT CO

PY



3

AAs you tell the lesson events, display at theappropriate times the teaching pictures fromCopy Master 1 (Gabriel and Zechariah),Copy Master 2 (Gabriel and Mary), andCopy Master 3 (Mary and Elizabeth).

Long ago God had promised that he would send a greatprophet to his people just before the Savior himself wouldcome.The time had come when God would keep that promise.This is the way it happened.

A certain priest named Zechariah lived at the time when Herodwas king of Judea. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were a godly couple,true believers in the Savior, whom God had promised to send.

The one thing that made their lives sad was that they had nochildren. They had often prayed for a child, but since both ofthem were now quite old, they did not expect to have a child.

One day Zechariah was carrying out his duty as a priest in thetemple. It was his turn to burn incense on the altar. Meanwhile,a large crowd of worshipers was standing outside in the templecourt praying. Suddenly an angel appeared and stood at the rightside of the altar! When Zechariah saw the angel, he was terrified!

But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, for the Lord hasheard your prayer.You and Elizabeth will have a son.You are toname him John. He will be your pride and joy, and many otherswill also be glad that he was born.

“Your son will be a great man of God. He will be filled with theHoly Spirit even before he is born. He will be a mighty prophetjust like Elijah. And he will prepare the people for the coming ofthe Savior.”

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? My wifeand I are too old to have children.”

The angel answered, “I’m Gabriel! I come to you directly fromGod. He sent me to tell you this good news. But because youdidn’t believe what I said, you will not be able to speak a worduntil God’s promise comes true and the child is born.”

Meanwhile, the people waiting outside were getting restless,wondering what was keeping Zechariah in the temple solong.When he finally came out, they knew he must have seena vision from God, because he kept making signs to themwith his hands and did not say a word.

Note: You’ll need to use the

story in the adjacent column.

Prepare in

advance by

having someone

record—with a

powerful voice

and with expression—all of

Gabriel’s words from this lesson.

Then, instead of speaking

Gabriel’s words as you tell

the story, play the recording

(pausing and resuming the

playback as needed).

Help the children

locate Judea,

Nazareth, and

Galilee on a

map (such as

Copy Master 1S) as you talk

about these places during your

presentation.


DO N

OT CO

PY

1 THEME OF THE WEEK: God prepared his people for the Savior’s coming

A


4

When Zechariah finished serving at the temple, he went home.Soon after that Elizabeth knew she was going to have a baby.In her happiness she said, “How good and kind the Lord hasbeen to me!”

Six months later God sent the same angel to Nazareth, a town inGalilee. This time he came to a young woman named Mary. Marywas engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, but they werenot yet living together as husband and wife. Both Mary and Josephwere descendants of David, the great king of Israel.

Gabriel said to Mary, “You are richly blessed by the Lord. TheLord is with you.”

This unusual greeting disturbed Mary. She could not imaginewhat such a greeting could possibly mean.

“Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel said, “for God looks kindly onyou and is going to bless you in a special and wonderful way. You aregoing to have a son, and you will name him Jesus (which meansSavior). He will be great and will be called the Son of the MostHigh God. He will be the great King who was to come from thefamily of David, and he will rule forever.”

“But how can this be?” Mary asked the angel. “I do not havea husband.”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and thepower of God will be around you and in you. For that reasonyour child will be holy—the Son of God.

“And your relative Elizabeth is going to have a son also, threemonths from now, even though everybody thinks she is too oldto have children. For nothing is impossible for God.”

Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything happento me as you’ve said.”

Soon after the angel left, Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her child leaped withinher. And Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit, so thatshe knew things she could not know by herself. Realizing that Marywas to be the mother of the Savior, Elizabeth exclaimed, “What anhonor it is for me that the mother of my Lord has come to visitme! When you greeted me, the baby inside me jumped for joy.Blessed are you for believing that the Lord will do just what hehas promised you.”

Mary was so happy that she thanked God, saying, “My soul praisesthe Lord. For even though I am lowly, God has done great thingsfor me, and people from now on will call me blessed. God haskept his promises and shown mercy to his people.”

To enhance

learning, vary

the envi ron -

ment in

which children learn. Every

few weeks, face desks in a

different direction. Some -

times place desks in a

circle or in groups of four;

other times put them in

rows. On an unexpected

sunny day, conduct class

outside. During work

times, play classical music

or the Christ-Light Memory

Treasures: Hymns CD;

when there is good news,

stand and sing “Now

Thank We All Our God.”


DO N

OT CO

PY



5

A(Optional) Have Copy Master 4 readyto display or distribute.

Ask Why were Elizabeth and Zechariah sad? [Because they had no children.]

Say When the angel appeared to him, Zechariah was terrified.

Ask But what good news did the angel give him? [He and Elizabethwould have a son, whom they were to name John.]

In what way would John be great in the Lord’s sight? [He would prepare the people for the coming of the Savior.]

Why then would the people be glad? [John’s birth meant that the Savior would be born soon.]

Why is it important to you that God kept his promise tosend John? [It’s another reminder that God keeps every promisethat he makes.]

Say Zechariah asked how he could be sure the angel was tellingthe truth, since he and Elizabeth were old.

Ask What did this show about Zechariah’s faith? [He doubted,showing weakness of faith.]

By making Zechariah unable to speak, of what was Godreminding him? [That God’s promises always come true.]

Do Have the children evaluate the following: Dad has promisedto take you to a major league baseball game every year sinceyou were in kindergarten, and he still hasn’t done it. You nowdoubt whether it’s ever going to happen. In the same way thatyou might doubt that your father will keep his promise, was itokay for Zechariah to doubt that God would keep his promiseto give Zechariah and Elizabeth a child? [No. God always keepshis promises.]

Say Soon after Zechariah went home, Elizabeth knew that shewas going to have a baby. Six months later Gabriel went toNazareth to speak to Mary.

Ask How did the angel Gabriel greet Mary? [The angel said, “Youare richly blessed by the Lord. The Lord is with you.”]

In what way was Mary “richly blessed”? [She was chosen tobe the mother of the Savior.]

Say The angel told Mary that she would have a son, and she shouldname him Jesus.

You will need Copy

Masters 1 and 2. Each

child will need a

student lesson. You will also

need Copy Master 4 prepared

to display or distribute.

Do Show Copy Master 1, and

ask what Gabriel is telling

Zechariah. [Zechariah and hiswife would have a son who wouldprepare the way for the comingSavior.] Next show Copy Master

2, and ask what Gabriel is telling

Mary. [She would be the motherof God’s Son, the Savior.]

Say In a way, God was telling

both Zechariah and Mary the

same thing: that God was about

to keep his promise to send the

Savior into the world. God has

also made promises to us about

the Savior.

Do Read the first few words of

each of the following passages

containing promises about

the Savior, and ask the children

to try to finish them. (If they

cannot finish some from

memory, they could look

them up in their Bibles.)

• John 3:16

• Acts 16:31

• Ephesians 1:7

• 1 John 1:7b


DO N

OT CO

PY


A


6

Do Draw the following on

the board:

Ask a child to circle the number

that shows how sure we can be

that God will keep his promises

to us about the Savior. [10!]

Say Zechariah doubted that

God would really give him a

son, since he and Elizabeth

were so old.

Ask What did God do to

remind Zechariah not to

doubt his promise? [He madeZechariah unable to speakuntil the baby was born.]

Say Look at the story on

your student lessons, and

find things that Gabriel and

Elizabeth said to remind Mary

that God’s promises come true.

[Gabriel: “Nothing is impossiblefor God.” Elizabeth: “Blessedare you for believing that theLord will do just what he haspromised you.”]

Do Display or distribute

Copy Master 4. Brainstorm

with the children to name

real-life situations in which

they could encourage

themselves or family

members with God’s promises.

For example, when a child is

feeling very lonesome, thinking

Not sureat all

Absolutelycertain

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Ask Whose son would the child be? [The Son of God.]

What does this tell us about what this child would be?[He would be both God and man.]

How did Mary respond to Gabriel’s news? [She said that shewas the Lord’s servant, and asked that God would let everythinghappen just as Gabriel had said.]

How was Mary’s response different from Zechariah’s?[Mary trusted God’s Word; Zechariah doubted it.]

Say Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heardMary’s greeting, the child inside her leaped for joy.

Ask What did Elizabeth realize? [That Mary was the mother ofthe Savior.]

How could she know this truth? [God revealed it to her.]

Say Elizabeth called Mary “the mother of my Lord” and said thatMary was blessed for believing God’s promise.

Ask How, then, did God use both Gabriel and Elizabeth to helpprepare Mary for the Savior’s coming? [God used Gabriel andElizabeth to remind Mary that his promises always come true.]

Say As God used Elizabeth to remind Mary of God’s promises,he also gives us opportunities to encourage others to trustGod’s Word.

Do Ask the children how they would encourage the people in thesituations that follow. Display or distribute the copy master ifthe children need ideas. However, they may offer other goodexamples as well. Possible answers are given.

• A friend says, “Praying is useless! God isn’t giving mewhat I want.” [I would tell my friend that God promises toanswer our prayers. I would remind my friend that even thoughGod always answers our prayers, he does not always give uswhat we ask for, but he always gives us what is best for us.]

• Your mother is sad because her uncle, who was aChristian, has died. [I would tell my mother God’s promisethat those who believe in Jesus are saved. I would remind herthat her uncle was a Christian, so he is living in eternal joy.]


DO N

OT CO

PY



7

A

Ask If you have a hard time waiting for a family vacation,what might help you? [Mark off the days on a calendar, haveDad remind me that the vacation really will happen, prepare bypacking, etc.]

Say God helped his people as they waited eagerly for the Savior’scoming.

Ask How did God prepare Zechariah and Mary for the Savior’scoming? [God reminded Zechariah and Mary that his promisesalways come true.]

Of what does God also remind us about his promises? [God also reminds us that his promises always come true.]

Say Let’s trust God’s promises and encourage others to do the same.

Do Close by singing or praying:

Redeemer, come! I open wideMy heart to you; here, Lord, abide!Oh, enter with your saving grace;Show me your kind and friendly face.Your Holy Spirit guide us onUntil our glorious goal is won.Eternal praise and fameWe offer to your name. Amen. (hymn 3:5)

about promise number 2 could

be encouraging.

Say Let’s always trust God’s

promises and encourage others

to trust them also!

Ask Of what promise

did God continue to

remind his Old Testament

people? [His promise to sendthe Savior.] How did God

prepare Zechariah and Mary for

the Savior’s coming? [Godreminded Zechariah and Marythat his promises always cometrue.] Of what does God also

remind us about his promises?

[God also reminds us that hispromises always come true.]

Say Let’s trust God’s promises

and encourage others to do the

same.

Do Sing “Let the Earth Now

Praise the Lord” (hymn 28:1).

With this hymn we praise God

for keeping his promise to send

the Savior.


DO N

OT CO

PY

1


8

* John 3:16

* Portions of the Second Article of theApostles’ Creed

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of thevirgin Mary.

What does this mean?I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of theFather from eternity, and also true man, born of thevirgin Mary, is my Lord.

Have the children find the Apostles’ Creed in theirhymnals (page 19). Explain that when we say thecreed, we are saying what we believe to be trueabout God. Then tell the children that theexplanation helps us understand this part of theSecond Article of the creed. The words of thefirst paragraph tell us who Jesus is. He is trueGod and also Mary’s son, true man.

Hymn 2:1dSavior of the nations, come;Virgin’s Son, make here your home.Marvel now, O heav’n and earth,That the Lord chose such a birth.

dBecause of space limitations, the text of the memorytreasure hymn is not in the student lesson. For hymntexts, use the hymnal or the electronic memorytreasure files for your grade level.

• Pray: Dear God, you preparedboth the people of the OldTestament and the people ofthe New Testament for thecoming of the Savior. Nowprepare our hearts to receive

the Savior with joy and thanksgiving. Use thelesson today to strengthen our faith in yourpromises. We pray in our Savior’s name. Amen.

• Use Activity 1 (Write the Riddle) underLesson Activities to review the story.

• Use Activity 2 to encourage the childrento think about and trust God’s promises.

• Sing the hymn 2:1 memory treasure to closethe lesson.

THEME OF THE WEEK: God prepared his people for the Savior’s coming

A


DO N

OT CO

PY



9

Lesson Activities1. Review

Write the RiddlePurpose: To review the lesson by writing andsolving riddles.

Procedure: Have the children follow the directionsto complete Copy Master 5. [The answer tothe given riddle is “Gabriel.”] Then give them anopportunity to solve one another’s riddles.

Pretend to Be in the PicturePurpose: To review the lesson by pretending tobe one of the main characters.

Procedure: Give each child a copy of CopyMaster 1, 2, or 3. Then have each childpretend to be one of the people on the copymaster (Gabriel, Zechariah, Elizabeth, or Mary)and write about the event that is shown. Forexample, a child who has Copy Master 2(picture of Gabriel and Mary) could begin,“My name is Mary. One day an amazing thinghappened to me . . .” Have the children tapetheir stories to the bottom of their pictures.

2. Application

Promise BoxPurpose: To encourage the children to thinkabout and trust God’s promises.

Procedure: Divide the class into groups of three orfour children. Give each group five index cards.Ask each group to think of five favorite Biblepassages that contain promises from God, andwrite one passage on each index card. When theyare done, place all the index cards in a boxlabeled “God’s Promises.” Allow a child to drawout one card and read the promise. Ask the otherchildren to tell what that promise means tothem. Have another child draw out a secondcard, and proceed in the same way. Do as manycards as time permits; save the remaining cards, ifpossible, to do at other times (possibly one

promise to begin each class). Encourage thechildren to trust that all God’s promises willcome true!

(Optional) Display the promises on a bulletinboard after they are read.

3. Music

The MagnificatPurpose: To help the children become morefamiliar with Mary’s song of praise.

Procedure: Do one of the following activities:

• If you have a recording of Bach’s “Magnificat”(Mary’s song of praise), play a brief portion ofthis splendid piece for your children as theywork at their activities.

• Have the children sing the “Song of Mary”(Magnificat), Mary’s song of praise set tomusic in the hymnal, page 57.

“Jesus, Name Above All Names”Purpose: To sing a song that will remindthe children of various names Scripturegives to Jesus.

Procedure: Teach the children to sing “Jesus,Name Above All Names” (Let All the People PraiseYou, Northwestern Publishing House). Ask thechildren to find all the names for Jesus in thesong that they can. Talk briefly about themeanings of some or all of the names.

4. Art

Jesus’ Name PosterPurpose: To remind the children that Jesus hasmany different names in Scripture, all of whichremind us that he is the promised Savior.

Procedure: Tell the children that throughout themany years that people waited for the promisedSavior, he was referred to by different names.Then give the following instructions:

A


DO N

OT CO

PY



10

A• In the middle of a sheet of paper, write “You

will name him Jesus.”

• Look in your Bible for as many other names ofJesus as you can find. (Some places to look inthe Bible are Luke 1; Matthew 1:20-25; andIsaiah 9:6.) You can also find names of Jesus inthe song in Lesson Activity 3.

• Make a poster by writing the names of Jesusall over the paper. You may use differentkinds of letters and color them with crayons,markers, or colored pencils. Make your posteras attractive as you can. If you wish, make aborder for your poster.

5. Review and Apply

Announced by an AngelPurpose: To identify speakers of various quotationsfrom the lesson, reinforce understanding of theSecond Article memory treasure, and express thelesson’s meaning.

Procedure: Have each child complete CopyMaster 6. The answers are as follows:

Part One: 1. Mary, 2. Elizabeth, 3. Gabriel,4. Zechariah, 5. Gabriel, 6. Elizabeth

Part Two: Jesus, Christ, Son, Lord, Jesus, Christ,God, man, Lord

Part Three: 1. Son; 2. God, man; 3. Lord

Part Four: Wordings will vary, but should expressthe fact that if Jesus hadn’t come into the world,we would have no Savior and we wouldn’t goto heaven.

Speaking of Promises (Challenge)Purpose: To review the story throughquotations and to express the meaning ofsome of God’s promises.

Procedure: Have each child complete CopyMaster 7. The answers are as follows:

Part One: The completed quotations andtheir speakers:

You and Elizabeth will have a [son]. (Gabriel)

For nothing is [impossible] with God. None ofhis words will ever fail. (Gabriel)

My wife and I are too [old] to have children.(Zechariah)

I am the Lord’s [servant]. Let everything happento me as you’ve said. (Mary)

What an [honor] it is for me that the [mother] ofmy Lord has come to visit me! (Elizabeth)

Part Two: Answers will vary.

6. Other Ideas

Bible SkillsPurpose: To help the children learn how to usetheir Bibles.

Procedure: Show the children where the OldTestament books begin and end. Remind themthat during Old Testament times, God’s peoplewere waiting for the Savior to come. Then showthem where the New Testament books begin andend. Remind them that in the New Testament,God tells us about the life of Jesus and about theearly Christian church. Help them find today’slesson in the book of Luke. Encourage them toread the lesson at home with their parents.

Bible StudyIn the B lesson for this week, an age-appropriate,theme-related Bible study is offered on a copymaster. If you do not plan to use it with theB lesson, you may use it with this lesson. TheBible studies are from the original Christ-Light(© 1998) and use the 1984 edition of the NewInternational Version Bible translation.


DO N

OT CO

PY

grades 3-4 new testament sets 1, 2, and 3 a and b lessonsother ideas for your doorknob hanger: •...

Documents