Jesus' Birth through the Eyes of the Shepherds, Angelic Host, and the Stable

Bible Skills and Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Uses a Family Feud style game to teach about Jesus birth from the point of view of the Shepherds and the Angels.

Scripture Reference: Luke 2: 8-20 (the Shepherds and the Angels)

Memory Verse:

 "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means, "God is with us." Matthew 1:23

Lesson Objectives:

• To find the story of the shepherds and the angels in the Bible
• To tell the story of Christ's birth, including major events such as the wise men, the shepherds and the angels, King Herod, and Mary and Joseph.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture and background material
• Gather the Materials
• Look over the game questions

Materials List:

• Bibles
• Christmas tree lights
• Props (trees, rock, hay)
• Paper to cover windows
• Two tables with chairs

Advanced Preparation Requirements:
If possible decorate the room with hay, a large paper maché rock, trees, and bushes. Cover the windows to make it like night. Put white Christmas tree lights across the ceiling as stars. Allow for some light so that children can see, but still experience the stars.

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and, as they arrive, divide them up into two groups. Group one will become the "Shepherds" and group two will become the "Angels." Each team should gather behind their own table with their Bibles for a game like "Family Feud."

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

The "game show host" will call out a question and each team will try to find the answer first using their Bibles. Lower grade children may want to use children's bibles and will need assistance from adult leaders. Adjust the questions for grade level use.

1. Who were Jesus' birth parents?
2. What city was Jesus born in?
3. Where was Jesus born?
4. Why did Mary and Joseph not get a room in the local hotel room?
5. Where did Joseph and Mary live?
6. Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
7. What ruler is mentioned in the story?
8. What passage mentions a star?
9. Name one passage in which an angel appears. 
10. Who shows up in Bethlehem?
11. What do they bring?
12. What do the angels say to the shepherds in the field?
13. Which gospel tells the story of the wise men?
14. Which gospel tells the story of the angel appearing before Mary?
15. Which gospel tells the story of the angel appearing before Joseph?
16. Which gospel tells the story of the angels and shepherds?
17. Who is Elizabeth?
18. What role does she play in the story of Jesus' birth?
19. What role does King Herod play in the story of Jesus' birth?
20. Where do Mary and Joseph flee to?
21. Who is called "Emmanuel?"
22. What does "Emmanuel" mean?
23. What was Joseph's father's name?

Some of these questions can be used in a "bonus" round if necessary. You may choose to have candy or small prizes on hand to distribute to both teams at the end of the session.

Closing:

Congratulate the winners and close with a prayer.

A lesson written by St. Elmo's Choir, Rotation Writer's Group

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.