Jesus

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

People in the Old Testament told that Jesus would be born.

Teach

Have you ever wished you knew something before it happened? What would you like to know about the future? What would you do with that news?

The Bible has several books in the Old Testament and New Testament telling of things that have happened and will happen in the future. One of the things the Old Testament tells us about is a special baby that would be born into the world. The baby would be a boy, and He would be the One God promised to send to save us from our sins.

Several writers of the Bible received messages from God about this special baby. Isaiah told us a special young lady, who had never had children, would have a Son. She would call Him Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (Matthew 1:23 ESV). Isaiah also told us about His character by giving Him other special names: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.” Isaiah said this special baby would one day grow up to rule like a king who is fair and just. Micah, another prophet, told us the baby would be born in Bethlehem and rule over Israel. All of these things came true about 700 years after they were written.

We know this special baby as Jesus. He is God’s Son. We celebrate His birthday at Christmas. That is why we sing songs like “Immanuel” and “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

Our Bible verse this week is Isaiah 9:6, “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

Say this verse several times. Play several Christmas songs that are about Jesus’ birth. Play a form of “Musical Chairs” with those around your table. Stop the song several times. When the music stops, say the verse.

Discussion Questions

1. Who told about Jesus in the Old Testament? (Prophets: Isaiah, Micah, and others)
2. What was one of the special names the Prophets gave for Jesus? (Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace)

Play

Pull out a baby picture of each person at the table. Starting with the youngest, have them place the picture in front of the person it belongs to. If this is not correct, gather the pictures and let the next child place the pictures down. Continue until all the pictures are with the correct person.

Continue looking at other pictures. If you have baby books of the child(ren), pull them out. Child(ren) love looking at themselves as babies. You can also use this time to talk about the meaning of their names.

Sing

‍“This is Amazing Grace”

Live it Out

This week, we learned that people in the Old Testament told us Jesus would be born. We learned that Jesus is God’s Son, and He would be born in Bethlehem. He would be called Immanuel which means, God with us. He would be our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. When you meet or see a new baby, pray that baby will learn about Jesus and live for Him.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven, Thank You for allowing us to see that You had special plans to send Jesus to us. Thank You for Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection—just as You told the Old Testament Prophets. Thank You for allowing them to see this and write about it so long ago. May we live for You. Amen!

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

Prophets in the Old Testament told that Jesus would be born. Jesus is the Messiah who fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.

Teach

Have you ever been given a brand-new set of Legos? When you open a box, there are usually a few plastic bags to open with all the pieces as well as a booklet of instructions. The instructions give you pictures of what each piece looks like in the set. They also give you step-by-step directions on how each piece fits together until you have one completed structure. They usually show you what the final completed structure should look like, too! The booklet that comes with a new set of Legos tells us the plan and how to put everything together to make the completed structure. When we look at what Jesus did on Earth, we can go back to the Old Testament and read about God’s special plan for Jesus.

God had a special plan for Jesus. Rather than never telling His people that He would send His Son, God used prophets to talk about Jesus hundreds of years before He was born. The prophet Isaiah told us a child would be born. He would be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. Jesus is God’s plan to rescue the world from sin. Even though God told people about His plan before Jesus was born, there are still so many people that don’t believe Jesus is God’s Son. They don’t believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of the world. Let’s take time now to pray and thank God for sending His Son Jesus.

Discussion Questions

1. Where can we read about God’s plan for Jesus? (Old Testament)
2. Were there any prophecies about Jesus that were wrong? (No)
3. How long has God planned to send Jesus as our Savior? (Since the beginning of time)

Play

Ask your child(ren) if they know what country, city, state, and hospital they were born in. Describe what the place was like. The Old Testament didn’t tell us about every detail related to Jesus’ birth, but Micah 5:2 did tell us He would be born in Bethlehem, and it came true.

Sing

‍“This is Amazing Grace”

Live it Out

Ever since God created the world, He knew we would sin, and we would need a Savior. Jesus was never God’s ‘backup plan.’ Take time this week to thank God that He always had a plan to send Jesus to Earth. Thank Jesus for being willing to come to Earth, be born as a baby, and live a life where He ended up dying for our sins. Ask God to help us trust His plan because He has proven that His plans are always good and perfect.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father in Heaven,
Thank You for allowing us to see that You had special plans to send Jesus to us. Thank You for Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection—just as You told the Old Testament Prophets. Thank You for allowing them to see this and write about it so long ago. May we always live for You. Amen

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time.

Teach

Wouldn’t it be fun to have a secret entrance to our house? What if we had a special door that only we knew about? Which of your friends would you tell? Sometimes people like to hide special information so only they know about it, but thankfully, God did not make His plan for saving us a secret. From the beginning, God knew He would send Jesus to help us.

The Scripture from Isaiah was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and it clearly tells us a special Savior would be born as a child. This child, who we now know is Jesus, was sent for us and announced openly—not in secret. Looking back even further in the Bible, in the very first pages in Genesis, God was already telling Adam and Eve that He would send a Savior to defeat sin and death. Jesus is the promised Savior who God sent to the world, so everyone who believes in Him may be with Him forever in Heaven (John 3:16). Unlike our pretend secret entrance that we may want to keep hidden from others, we need to tell everyone this news!

Discussion Questions

1. Can you name a friend you need to talk to about Jesus?

Play

Help your child list some impossible tasks. (Examples: jumping and remaining in the air, walking across the ocean to another continent, etc. End with forgiving our own sin.)

Say: God did not leave us without hope—He sent Jesus, who was the only One who could perform the impossible task of rescuing us from sin.

Sing

‍“This is Amazing Grace”

Live it Out

Ever since God created the world, He knew we would sin, and we would need a Savior. Jesus was never God’s ‘backup plan.’ Take time this week to thank God that He always had a plan to send Jesus to Earth. Thank Jesus for being willing to come to Earth, be born as a baby, and live a life where He ended up dying for our sins. Ask God to help us trust His plan because He has proven that His plans are always good and perfect.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for making a plan to rescue Your people from sin. Thank You for Jesus. Help us to obey You. When we don’t, help us to stop sinning and turn back to You!

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

God planned for Jesus to be the Savior from the beginning of time and sent Jesus to Earth at the perfect time.

Teach

Many times we incorrectly read the story of Creation in the Old Testament as God’s Plan A that didn’t work, so God started Plan B in the New Testament. However, when you read the Old Testament more closely, you will see that God used the entire text to highlight our need for Jesus. Through the prophesies of Jesus’ birth, the imagery of the Passover and Jesus’ sacrifice, and the prophecy about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection throughout the Old Testament, God’s plan was always that Jesus would be the Savior of His people. Jesus tells us in Matthew that He did not come to get rid of the Old Testament but to help it mean even more. Jesus helps us understand that laws are not a restrictive boundary, but some help to keep us safe and living the best life God has to offer. In our relationship with Jesus, we learn how to live the way we were created and enjoy life to the fullest.

Discussion Questions

1. Discuss how Old Testament figures foreshadow the character or actions of Jesus. (Examples might include Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, etc.)

Play

Look up some of the specific details of Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection that are prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. There are hundreds! See how many you can find. Then, discuss how these fulfilled prophecies assure us the New Testament is true.

Sing

‍“What A Friend”

Live it Out

Option 1:
Take a drive through your neighborhood and discuss all the different traffic laws that must be obeyed any time someone is driving. Talk about seatbelts, speed limits, turn signals, road signs, rules for changing lanes, and four-way stops. If we really think about it, it can be overwhelming and nearly impossible to be sure we are following every single traffic law at every single moment when we are driving. Compare this to how the Israelites felt trying to obey every single aspect of the Old Testament Law.

Option 2:
Discuss a skill your child has recently learned. Maybe it is a sport or hobby he/she has improved and become proficient in. Use this as a talking point—you have to learn the basics before you can fully enjoy and take advantage of the finer points of the craft. (Example: Playing in a basketball game is not fun if you never learned to dribble or shoot.) Use this anecdote as to why God would show us the Law and then later bring Jesus to Earth. God didn’t give the Law so we would fail. Instead, He gave us the Law so we would appreciate and lean on Jesus even more! That way, we would fully appreciate the Law as a helpful blessing in light of Jesus’ love and sacrifice for us.

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for sending Jesus to ultimately fulfill our requirements for perfection and holiness and take the punishment for our sin and shortcomings. Help us to love You more each day and honor You in our thoughts and actions. Amen.

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

From the beginning, God planned that Jesus would save people from their sins and sent Him at exactly the right time.

Teach

The one, fast food company that has perfected the drive-thru is Chick-fil-A. As you pull into the line, an employee approaches your car with a simple request, “What can we get you today?” With a smile, you list off some of your favorite items from the menu. After completing your order, you pay, and then you wait. That’s right, you are forced to sit patiently until the appropriate time. For some of us, it feels like years go by in the drive-thru line. However, think about that special moment when they finally deliver on the promise they made when you first entered the line. When your food finally arrives, your heart (and your stomach) enjoys every moment!

Throughout the Old Testament, God continually promised, one day, Jesus Christ would come to Earth to offer salvation. People throughout history waited patiently for the day Jesus would appear. The promise made in Genesis finds its fulfillment in the Gospels of the New Testament when Jesus arrives. His purpose in His coming was to take away our sin, extend forgiveness, and make us a new creation. When we finally experience the gift of salvation, our hearts are full of joy!

Discussion Questions

‍Answers may vary. Allow this to be an encouraging family discussion.

1. What kind of joy did you feel when Jesus saved you? If you have never felt the joy of being saved by Jesus, is that something you would like to do right now?
2. Is there anyone you would like to share Jesus with this week?
3. What ways can you set yourself up to have an intentional conversation about Jesus with that person this week?

Play

Think of a moment when you were looking forward to something that hadn’t happened yet. Maybe it was a new gift, a fun vacation, or a person you were looking forward to seeing. Share about the challenges in waiting patiently and share about the joy you felt when you got the full experience at the right time.

Sing

‍“What A Friend”

Live it Out

Take a moment to thank God for His plan to save people from their sins through Jesus. Ask Him to show you someone you can share Jesus with this week.

Closing Prayer

Dear God, give me the courage to share the Gospel with my lost friends. Give me clear opportunities to point my friends toward the saving work of Jesus—His death, burial, and resurrection. I want to tell everyone around me about Your love.

Theme Verse

‍“For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Objective

From the beginning, God planned that Jesus would save people from their sins, and it was necessary that He would be crucified and raised from the dead.

Teach

Have you ever had plans change? Had to create a Plan B? Here is an interesting thought, God does not have a Plan B, nor does He need one.

As we read through the Old and New Testament, we see a common thread: God’s purpose to redeem mankind of sin. His plan from the beginning was to provide the ultimate sacrifice, His Son Jesus, for the penalty for our sin. It has always been His Plan A. Not a Plan B.

Philippians 2:5–10 says:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. For this reason, also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name, which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Aren’t you grateful for Jesus? Through His humility and God’s Plan A, we now have eternal life! Take time to remember the moment when you confessed with your mouth and believed in your heart that Jesus was and is Lord of your life. Be thankful. Be humbled. Be inspired to share with others this good news! And if you have never taken the moment to confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus was and is Your Savior and Lord, consider doing that now!

Discussion Questions

1. According to Philippians 2:5–10, what was necessary in order for us to have eternal life? (Jesus dying in our place)
2. When you think about Jesus’ death on the cross for your sin, what emotions come up?

Play

Around the table, have someone share the Gospel. This might be a moment you’ve never had before as a family, but isn’t this is the best place where we should practice?

Sing

‍“Christ Is Enough”

Live it Out

God loves you so much He sent His one and only Son to die in our place to pay the penalty for our sin. Someone in your life is far from God and needs to know this truth. There are friends all around us who need to hear the message of the Gospel. Who is your one? Who can you share the Good News with this week?

Closing Prayer

Dear God, give me the courage to share the Gospel with my lost friends. Give me clear opportunities to point my friends to the saving work of Jesus—His death, burial, and resurrection. I want to tell everyone around me about Your love. Amen