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Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group

Unit 23 Session 2 – Younger Elementary

Sunday, July 20, 2014

TEACHER BIBLE STUDY John’s Birth Was Predicted

Luke 1:5-‐25 At the end of the Old Testament, God spoke these words to His people: “Look, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes” (Mal. 4:5). Then a period of silence began. For 400 years, God did not speak to the Jewish people as He had done through the prophets.

The period between the Old and New Testaments was a time of significant change. The Jews saw Persian rule overtaken by Alexander the Great and the Greeks. They were forbidden to practice religion, and the temple in Jerusalem was turned into a pagan shrine. Then Maccabeus, the son of a priest, led the Jewish people to fight for and win their independence, and the temple was cleansed. But the new leaders became corrupt, and the Jews asked a Roman general to restore order.

Rome restored order among the Jews but also submitted them to Roman rule. In 37 B.C., the Roman senate appointed Herod the Great to be king over Palestine—the land of the former kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Herod was king when Jesus was born, and his son Herod Antipas was the Herod whose marriage John the Baptist denounced. (See Matt. 14:3-‐4.)

Zechariah the priest was serving in the temple during the reign of Herod the Great when Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared. Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.”

The name John means “the Lord is gracious.” He certainly is. The foretelling of John’s birth by the angel Gabriel marked the coming of the end of God’s silence.

Compare Malachi 4:5-‐6 to Luke 1:16-‐17. God had big plans for the baby who wasn’t even born yet—the baby who would bring joy and delight. God would send John as the last prophet, to prepare the way for the promised Messiah.

YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: John’s Birth Was Predicted Bible Passage: Luke 1:5-‐25 Big Picture Question: Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-‐77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah.




Small Group Time Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes)

Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal (5 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes)

THE BIBLE STORY

John’s Birth Was Predicted Luke 1:5-‐25

Zechariah (zek uh RIGH uh) the priest lived in the days when Herod was king of Judea. Zechariah’s wife was Elizabeth. Zechariah and Elizabeth both loved God, and they obeyed His laws. But Zechariah and Elizabeth were getting old, and they did not have any children.

Zechariah took turns with the other priests serving in God’s temple. When it was Zechariah’s turn to serve, he went to the temple. Zechariah was chosen to go into the sanctuary and burn incense as an offering to God. Zechariah went inside the sanctuary, and a crowd of people stood outside and prayed.

Suddenly Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, appeared to Zechariah. Zechariah was surprised and afraid! But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, because God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you will name him John.”

The angel told Zechariah that many people would be happy about John’s birth. He said that God’s Spirit would be with John, and God would do great things in John’s lifetime. John would get people ready for the Lord’s coming and turn them back to God. He would lead people who disobey God to change how they were living.

“How can I know that you are telling the truth?” Zechariah asked.

“I am an old man, and my wife is getting old too.” Was it even possible for Elizabeth to have a baby?

The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. God sent me to tell you this good news. Now listen! You will not be able to talk until the day these things happen because you did not believe me. Everything I said will really happen.”

The crowd that had been praying outside started to wonder what was taking Zechariah so long. When Zechariah finally came out of the sanctuary, he could not speak. The people realized Zechariah had seen a vision. The only way Zechariah could communicate with the people was by motioning with his hands. When Zechariah finished serving at the temple, he went back home.

After this happened, Zechariah’s wife Elizabeth found out she was going to have a baby. She stayed in her house for five months. Elizabeth said, “God has done this for me. He has helped




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me and has given me a baby.”

Christ Connection: God sent John to be the last prophet before Jesus. John would tell people about the coming Savior. John’s job was to remind the people what God had said in the past and to get the people ready to meet Jesus.

SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: John’s Birth Was Predicted Bible Passage: Luke 1:5-‐25 Big Picture Question: Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-‐77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah.

Welcome time:

Arriving Activity: Hands only • paper • pencils As kids arrive, encourage them to communicate only with their hands or by writing notes. Provide pencils and small pieces of papers. You may also consider teaching the kids some sign language. Sign language resources are available online and at your local library.

Say • Imagine not being able to speak for months. Someone in today’s Bible story had to do just that.

Activity page (5 minutes) • “Job Search”activity page, 1 per kid

• pencils

Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page.

Say • These people all have special jobs. Today, we will learn about a baby who would be born with a very special job.




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Session starter (10 minutes)

Option 1: How long? Challenge the kids to see how long they can do one or more of the following things: stand on one foot without switching feet, balance a paper wad on their heads, hold their arms in the air, stand on their tiptoes, and hold their eyes open without blinking. Feel free to add other challenges. Applaud those who were able to do these things the longest. Say • I bet it seemed like each challenge was taking forever.

In today’s Bible story, one man’s visit to the temple seemed like forever for those who were waiting on him. We will find out what took him so long.

Option 2: Expressions and more Choose a volunteer. Provide the volunteer with a word or phrase and a specific way to act out the phrase. For instance, act out running with only your legs and feet or anger using only facial expressions. The volunteer may not speak. The remaining kids should try to figure out what he is acting out. Here are some more examples:

• Act out screaming using only facial expressions.

• Act out typing using only your hands.

• Act out juggling using only your hands.

• Act out stomping using only your legs and feet.

• Act out whistling using only facial expressions.

Say •What if you had to communicate without your voice? Do you think it would be hard? A man named Zechariah found out just how hard it was! We’ll learn why he lost his voice in today’s Bible story.

SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: John’s Birth Was Predicted Bible Passage: Luke 1:5-‐25 Big Picture Question: Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-‐77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah.




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Key passage activity (5 minutes) • Key Passage Slide or Poster • dry erase board and markers (optional) Make sure the key passage, Luke 1:76-‐77, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together.

Say • Who is the child these verses are talking about? That’s right! It’s John! John the Baptist was the baby the angel promised Zechariah and Elizabeth would have. John was born to prepare the way for Jesus and to tell others to repent and turn back to God.

Repeat the key passage a few times. Then direct the kids to say the key passage as you move your hand from low to high. The higher your hand goes, the louder the kids should say the verse. As you lower your hand, they should get softer and softer until they are eventually only moving their lips. Move your hand up and down to control the volume as the kids recite the key passage. Repeat as time allows.

Bible story review (10 minutes) • Bibles, 1 per kid • Small Group Visual Pack • Big Picture Question Slide or Poster • special guest (Gabriel) Encourage the kids to find Luke 1 in their Bibles. Help them as needed.

Say • John the Baptist is mentioned in all four Gospels. Can you name the books called the Gospels? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) However, the Gospel of

Luke is the only one that tells about John’s birth. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today’s Bible story is on the timeline. Read the Bible story from the Bible. Before the session, invite someone to play the role of Gabriel. Read Luke 1:5-‐12. Then the angel should burst into the room and say Luke 1:13-‐17. The narrator should read Luke 1:18, and the angel should say Luke 1:19-‐20 before leaving the room.

Say • Zechariah and Elizabeth followed God. They wanted a baby. They likely prayed for a baby for many years. God had special plans for the baby they would have. He would be named John. John would tell others about Jesus and warn them to repent.

Even though Zechariah was a priest, he doubted God’s ability to give him and his wife a child because they were old. He didn’t believe the angel’s announcement. Zechariah was wrong! The angel’s announcement did come true. He and his wife had a son, and they named him John.

Show the big picture question slide or poster.

Say • Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son.




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Activity choice (10 minutes)

Option 1: The path • masking or painter’s tape

Form teams of two and give each team a roll of masking tape or painter’s tape. Tape a long start line and finish line at least 12 feet apart. One kid on each team must make a path with the tape between the start and finish line. If the tape tears, the kid must restart the line where it tore. Once the path reaches the finish line, the second member of the team must race along the path to the finish. The first team to finish is the winner. If you have several kids, allow teams to race in heats of three or four teams at once. If you choose, the winners may race to decide one champion.

Say • On each team, someone had to prepare the way. Zechariah’s son, John, would prepare the way for Jesus. Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son.

Option 2: Love sign • construction paper • scissors • double-‐sided tape • markers or pencils • glue • craft sticks (optional) Demonstrate how to say I love you in sign language by holding your thumb, first finger, and pinky straight out while pulling down your middle two fingers until they touch the palm of your hand.

Invite the kids to trace one hand on a piece of construction paper and cut it out. Use double-‐sided tape to tape the middle two fingers to the middle of the hand. You may choose to glue the cutout onto a craft stick or to another piece of folded construction paper and make it a card. If you choose the latter, encourage the kids to write God loves you! below the cutout.

Say • Zechariah had to use his hands to communicate for several months because he didn’t believe the angel’s message. Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son.




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Journal and prayer (5 minutes) • Journal Page, 1 per kid • markers or crayons • Bible Story Coloring Page Distribute each child’s journal page provided with this session. Instruct kids to draw an angel speaking to Zechariah. Writers can write the key passage.

Say • Let’s all say the big picture question and answer one more time. Who announced John’s birth? The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that he would have a son.

If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for making a way for Jesus to come and save us from sin. Pray for each child by name, asking God to help the kids point others to Jesus.

Dismiss to parents – Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children.

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july 20 younger - clover sitesstorage.cloversites.com/peninsulacommunitychapel... · 2014. 7....

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