Jesus Was Born
Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-20
While Mary was pregnant with Baby Jesus, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, announced that everyone needed to be registered for a census. Every person traveled to the town where his family was from. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he and Mary left Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem, the city of David. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. Mary and Joseph looked for a safe place for Mary to have her baby, but every place was full. So Mary and Joseph found a place where animals were kept, and that is where Mary had her baby, Jesus. She wrapped Him snugly in cloth, and she laid him in a feeding trough, where the animals ate their food. In the same region, some shepherds were out in the fields watching their sheep. All of a sudden, an angel of the Lord stood before them. A bright light shone around the shepherds, and they were terrified! But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have very good news for you: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” Then the angel said, “You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Then a whole army of angels appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” The shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to find Baby Jesus. They found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. The shepherds went and told others about the baby Jesus. Everyone who heard about Jesus was surprised and amazed. The shepherds returned to their fields, praising God because everything had happened just as the angel had said. Some time later, wise men came to visit Jesus. They had seen a star in the east—a sign from God that Jesus had been born. The wise men went to King Herod. “Where is the king of the Jews?” they asked. “We have come to worship Him.” A new king? Herod was king! “Go and search carefully for the child,” Herod told the wise men. “When you find Him, report back to me so that I can go and worship Him too.” But Herod was lying. He didn’t want to worship Jesus; he wanted to kill Him! When the wise men found Jesus, they fell to their knees and worshiped Him. Then they gave Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time for the wise men to go home, God warned them in a dream not to tell Herod where Jesus was. So they took a different way home.
Christ Connection: The birth of Jesus was good news! Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He is God’s Son, sent to earth from heaven. Jesus came into the world to save people from sin and to be their King forever.
**This is a Lifeway lesson**
Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 2:1-20
While Mary was pregnant with Baby Jesus, the Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, announced that everyone needed to be registered for a census. Every person traveled to the town where his family was from. Since Joseph was a descendant of King David, he and Mary left Nazareth and traveled to Bethlehem, the city of David. While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. Mary and Joseph looked for a safe place for Mary to have her baby, but every place was full. So Mary and Joseph found a place where animals were kept, and that is where Mary had her baby, Jesus. She wrapped Him snugly in cloth, and she laid him in a feeding trough, where the animals ate their food. In the same region, some shepherds were out in the fields watching their sheep. All of a sudden, an angel of the Lord stood before them. A bright light shone around the shepherds, and they were terrified! But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have very good news for you: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.” Then the angel said, “You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Then a whole army of angels appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!” The shepherds went straight to Bethlehem to find Baby Jesus. They found Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. The shepherds went and told others about the baby Jesus. Everyone who heard about Jesus was surprised and amazed. The shepherds returned to their fields, praising God because everything had happened just as the angel had said. Some time later, wise men came to visit Jesus. They had seen a star in the east—a sign from God that Jesus had been born. The wise men went to King Herod. “Where is the king of the Jews?” they asked. “We have come to worship Him.” A new king? Herod was king! “Go and search carefully for the child,” Herod told the wise men. “When you find Him, report back to me so that I can go and worship Him too.” But Herod was lying. He didn’t want to worship Jesus; he wanted to kill Him! When the wise men found Jesus, they fell to their knees and worshiped Him. Then they gave Him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time for the wise men to go home, God warned them in a dream not to tell Herod where Jesus was. So they took a different way home.
Christ Connection: The birth of Jesus was good news! Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He is God’s Son, sent to earth from heaven. Jesus came into the world to save people from sin and to be their King forever.
**This is a Lifeway lesson**