LESSON 1
WAITING FOR JESUS’ BIRTH
MATTHEW 1:18-24; LUKE 1:26-38
The Bible tells about one true God in heaven. Though he is only one God, he is made up of three parts or beings. They are called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
God created the world we live in. He created the first man and woman. They were the father and mother of all people. God loved them very much. God told them how to live. But they did not obey God. They sinned. Because they sinned, all of their children sinned. Every person who lived after them sinned, too.
This was a big problem for God. God loves all the people, but he hates their sin. God is holy. He cannot sin. He must punish sin. Sin was God’s problem. The Son is the answer to the problem.
God told the world’s first people that he would send someone to the earth to save them from their sin. About two thousand years ago the Son became a person and lived on the earth. He came as a human baby and lived in Israel. They called him Jesus.
Because Jesus was God, he didn’t have a beginning. He will never have an end. He always lived. He created the world. He always was God. But two thousand years ago, he became a person, too. Then he was God and a person at the same time. This is how it happened.
A woman named Mary lived in Israel. She was engaged to a man named Joseph. One day an angel came and talked to Mary. The angel told Mary surprising news. He told her she would have a baby. This baby would be God, the Son. He would save people from their sin.
Mary said, “How can I have a baby? I am still a virgin.”
The angel said, “The Holy Spirit will give you the ability to have a baby even though you are a virgin. Nothing is impossible to God.”
Mary said, “I am God’s servant. I will do what he wants me to do.”
An angel also talked to Joseph. The angel told Joseph that Mary would have a baby while she was still a virgin. The angel said, “You must name the baby ‘Jesus’ which means ‘Savior.’ Jesus will save people from their sin.”
So Joseph and Mary got married. But Mary continued to be a virgin until after Jesus was born.
VOCABULARY
Names–God
God
Father
Son
Holy Spirit
Names of People
Joseph
Mary
Jesus
Names of Places
heaven
Israel
Names of Things
Bible
Other
true (adj)
being (n)
create (v)
obey (v)
sin (v)
hate (v)
holy (adj)
punish (v)
save (v)
human (adj)
engaged (adj)
angel (n)
surprising (adj)
have a baby
virgin (n)
ability (n)
impossible (adj)
servant (n)
savior (n)
continue (v)
IRREGULAR VERBS
Present Past Past Participle Future
become became has become will become
QUESTIONS
- What are the names of the three beings who make up God?
- God loves all people. What does he hate about them?
- When did the Son become God?
- When did the Son become a person?
- Why was Mary surprised when the angel told her she would have a baby?
- What does the name “Jesus” mean?