Week 1 Study
SCRIPTURE READING
Have one person read the following passages out loud.
Before they left the garden, God whispered a promise to Adam and Eve: “It will not always be so! I will come to rescue you! And when I do, I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the dark and the sadness you let in here. I’m coming back for you!” And he would. One day, God himself would come. THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ISAIAH 9:6
REFLECTION
Briefly talk about what it means to be rescued from something. When might you need to be saved from danger? Whom would you call upon to rescue you? For example, if there were a fire, whom would you call to save you? What are rescuers typically like?
Have an adult read the commentary below.
In the very beginning, God created a perfect world. There was no sin, pain, sickness, death, or sadness. God created Adam and Eve to live in His perfect world with joy and peace. But Adam and Eve sinned. They disobeyed God. When they sinned, God’s perfect world broke.
There was a punishment for Adam and Eve’s sin. Because God is perfect, He cannot be near sin. So Adam and Eve were separated from God. The punishment for their sin would also be placed on all humans who were born after Adam and Eve.
Ask: Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God, each of us needs to be rescued from something. What do we need rescue from?
But before Adam and Eve left God’s perfect Garden, God made a promise. God promised to send a Rescuer, someone to save Adam, Eve, and mankind from the punishment of sin. He promised to send Jesus!
God did not send Jesus to rescue His people right away. God waited thousands of years to send the Rescuer. During that time, God’s people faced many hard things. While they waited, God gave them hints and clues about how Jesus would come, what He would do, and what He would be like. These hints, written in Scriptures by prophets, would help God’s people wait. The verse from Isaiah that we read together after lighting the Advent candle was written while God’s people waited those thousands of years for the Savior.
During that time, God made other promises to His children and kept those promises. Each time God made and kept a promise, it helped His children trust that He would be faithful to His promise to send Jesus to rescue them from their sins.
Ask: What do you think it felt like for God’s people to wait for the promised Rescuer to come?
Some days, God’s children waited patiently. Some days, they waited with tears and frustration. Some days, they wondered if God had forgotten His promise. But God continued to whisper it over and over again as His children waited. And one day, when no one was expecting it, Jesus would come.
God shows us many things about what’s He’s like through the birth of Jesus. How do you see that God is the Deliverer, that He rescues His children, in this part of the Advent story? What other attributes of God do you see?
PRAYER
Have one family member say a prayer to thank God for His goodness and mercy in sending Jesus to rescue us from our sins.
SONG
As a family, sing or listen to “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus.” As you do, read carefully through the lyrics and explain any words that might be unfamiliar to your kids. Ask them what they learn about Jesus from this song.
Come, Thou long expected Jesus Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art; Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
FAMILY ACTIVITY
Parents, make plans for a fun Christmas activity next week that you know your children will love. Perhaps it’s watching a Christmas movie, decorating cookies together, or seeing Christmas lights.
At the end of your family Advent time, promise your kids that you are going to do something special together to celebrate Advent—something they will love—but don’t tell them what or when. As the days go by, remind them of your promise and give them hints as to what it might be. Let their expectation and excitement grow throughout the week. Use this opportunity to remind them of God’s promise to send a Rescuer and the anticipation God’s people felt as they waited.
Week 2 Study
Have one person read the following passages out loud.
And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. LUKE 2:3–7
And there, in the stable, amongst the chickens and the donkeys and the cows, in the quiet of the night, God gave the world his wonderful gift. The baby that would change the world was born. His baby Son. THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE
REFLECTION
Have an adult read the commentary below.
Do you remember the promise we talked about last week? God’s promise to send a Rescuer? His promise to send Jesus? Well, Jesus came, just like God said He would!
After thousands of years of waiting, on an ordinary night, Jesus came. God gave His people hints and clues about how Jesus would come. He told them that Jesus would come from Bethlehem, be a Ruler, and bring peace. Many expected a soldier; some expected a politician. No one expected a baby. But that’s how Jesus came.
Ask: If you had been an Israelite, how would you have expected the promised Savior to come?
Mary and Joseph lived in a town called Nazareth. One day, the king gave an order that everyone was to go back to their hometown to be counted for something called a census. Mary and Joseph traveled a long way to the town of Bethlehem, where Joseph’s family was from. When they got to Bethlehem, the town was full of other travelers, and there was nowhere for Mary and Joseph to stay. So they found a stable to sleep in. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby, and Jesus, the Savior, was born.
Ask: How do you think Joseph and Mary felt when they finally got to Bethlehem and realized they had nowhere to stay? Do you think God knew that they felt this way?
Jesus, the King of heaven, left His perfect home to be born as a baby to a young man and woman. He became fragile and helpless. His room that night was a stable—dirty, smelly, and full of noisy animals. His bed was not kingly and luxurious; it was a feed box that animals ate out of. Mary had to wipe old, rotten food out of the manger and cover it with poky straw before she laid her tiny baby in it.
Ask: Is a stable the place you would expect the Savior to be born? Why do you think God decided for His one and only Son to be born there?
But everything that happened that night was exactly what God had planned and promised. Jesus came, just like God said He would. God saw that we needed to be rescued from sin. He cared about us in our need, and He acted. He sent Jesus.
The events of that night, in that stable in the little town of Bethlehem, would change the world forever.
God shows us many things about what’s He’s like in the birth of Jesus. How do you see that God is compassionate—that He sees, cares, and acts when His children are in need—in this part of the Advent narrative? What other attributes of God do you see?
PRAYER
Have one family member say a prayer to thank God for sending Jesus to be born as a baby who would save us from our sins.
SONG
As a family, sing or listen to “Away in a Manger.” As you do, read carefully through the lyrics and explain any words that might be unfamiliar to your kids. Ask them what they learn about Jesus from this song.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.
FAMILY ACTIVITY
This week, keep the promise you made to your family during last week’s family Advent time. Talk about how you fulfilled the hints and clues you gave them. Discuss the experience
of waiting:
What was it like to wait? What was it like to finally experience what you had been waiting and hoping for? Remember together God’s faithfulness in sending a Savior. It happened just as He said it would.
Week 3 Study
SCRIPTURE READING
Have one person read the following passages out loud.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” LUKE 2:8–12
Behind the angel they saw a strange glowing cloud–except it wasn’t a cloud, it was angels… troops and troops of angels, armed with light! And they were singing a beautiful song: “Glory to God! To God be Fame and Honor and all our Hoorays!” THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. LUKE 2:15–17Have an adult read the commentary below.
As Mary and Joseph held their newborn Son during those late hours of the night, God began spreading the wonderful news of Jesus’ birth. And He began with an unusual group of people.
Ask: Whom would you expect God to tell first that the promised Rescuer had come?
Kings, queens, and religious leaders were not the first people to hear about the birth of Jesus. Instead, God told the most unimportant of people His good news first. Back in those days, people looked down on shepherds and even hated them. Most people considered them criminals, thieves, and liars. Yet these were the first people to hear that the Rescuer had come. And the way they heard that good news was nothing short of amazing.
While the shepherds watched their sheep in a field outside of Bethlehem, an angel appeared. The Bible tells us that the shepherds were filled with great fear. This angel that appeared to them was no baby with wings and a harp sitting on a cloud, like some stories might describe. No, this angel was a warrior of the Lord. And he shone with the glory of God. The bright radiance of heaven itself interrupted the deep darkness of the night. It was as if God peeled back the curtain of heaven and gave the shepherds a small glimpse of Himself.
Ask: How do you think the shepherds reacted when they saw the angel of the Lord?
The angel told the shepherds not to be afraid. God did what He had promised—He sent Jesus to rescue God’s people from their sins. God was making peace between Himself and sinners through Jesus.
Upon telling the shepherds the good news of Jesus’ birth and how to find Him, the angel was joined by thousands of other angels who began singing about the greatness of God. That dark, quiet night sky was filled with a beautiful, blinding light and roaring song that left the shepherds forever changed. Once they had heard the news, the shepherds were desperate to go and find Jesus and see the marvelous thing that God had done.
Ask: What is the greatest news someone has ever shared with you? What did you want to do in response?
So the shepherds abandoned their sheep and raced to Bethlehem. Once they saw baby Jesus there in the manger, they left the stable and began telling everyone they saw the good news that the Savior had come. God used this group of men—men everyone despised—to tell the world that Jesus had come. As Jesus would do throughout His life, God was coming to sinners to show them the way to salvation.
Ask: How can we be like the shepherds? As a family, whom can we tell that Jesus came to save sinners?
God shows us many things about what’s He’s like through the birth of Jesus. How do you see that God is glorious—that He shows His greatness and worth—in this part of the Advent narrative? What other attributes of God do you see?
PRAYER
Have one family member say a prayer to thank God for sending angels to share the good news of Jesus’ birth to sinners just like us.
FAMILY ACTIVITY
This week, make handmade Christmas cards together as a family! Send them to neighbors, friends, and family, and include words or pictures that tell of the good news you’ve been learning about the coming of Jesus!
Send cards to people you know love and trust Jesus—your card will be a good reminder for them in this season! But also make sure to send at least one card to the home of people who do not love and trust Jesus. Just like God showed grace and love to sinners, share the good news of Jesus’ birth with someone who does not know God. Maybe that person will hear the good news and will believe in Jesus!
Week 4 Study
Have one person read the following passages out loud.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” MATTHEW 2:1–2
The journey that had begun so many centuries before had led three Wise Men here. To a little town. To a little house. To a little child. To the King God had promised David all those years before. THE JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE
And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. MATTHEW 2:11–12
REFLECTION
Have an adult read the commentary below.
The first people God told about Jesus’ birth were the shepherds. He used a spectacular mass of angels to shout from the skies that Jesus had come. But the angels were not alone in proclaiming the good news that night, and the shepherds were not the only people to learn of the Rescuer’s coming.
That same night, God placed a special star in the sky, a bright body of light that announced the birth of the King. Some men in a faraway country saw this star. These men were called Magi. They were educated men who studied the skies and nature. Most scholars believe these men came from Persia, or modern-day Iran. There was something very special about these men.
Throughout the Bible, God promised to send a Rescuer to save the Israelites from their sins. But these Magi were not Israelites. They were Gentiles. That means they were not from Abraham’s family and likely did not know and worship God. But that night, God did something that no one expected.
By placing that star in the sky, God showed unbelievable mercy toward all people. In showing the Magi that Jesus, the King of heaven, had been born, God was extending salvation to people of all nations.
When the Magi saw the special star that God had placed in the sky, they left their home country to find Jesus. Their journey took a long time. They did not arrive in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. In fact, it may have taken them up to two years to reach the place where Jesus was.
The Bible tells us that when the Magi found the place where Jesus was living with Mary and Joseph, they entered the house, bowed down, and worshiped this small child who had come to save sinners. They then gave Jesus precious, costly gifts.
Ask: Why do you think the Magi were willing to leave their homes and families and travel for such a long time to find Jesus? What did they know and believe about Him? Why do you think they brought baby Jesus such special, expensive gifts?
Throughout the Advent story, we see that God is generous. He sent a company of angels to shout the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, and He put a special star in the sky to guide men from a faraway country to Jesus. He desires that all people know, love, trust, and obey Him. And God promises that one day men, women and children from every tribe, tongue, and nation will worship Jesus. God will rescue people from all over the world, and we will worship Him as He deserves.
God shows us many things about what He’s like through the birth of Jesus. How do you see that God is worthy—that only He deserves all glory—in this part of the Advent narrative? What other attributes of God do you see?
PRAYER
Have one family member say a prayer to praise God and ask Him to show people of all nations the good news that Jesus came to save sinners.