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

Games Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Uses a four team, buzz in, question game to teach about Jesus' birth from the Shepherds point of view.

Scripture Reference:

(Younger children) Luke 2: 8-20

(Older children) Luke 2:1-20; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1: 26-38)

Key verse:

“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”– Luke 2:10

Concepts:

• God sent Jesus because God loves us.
• God cares for people even if they don’t have an important job.
• God communicates with people through messengers (angels).
• The shepherds heard the message about Jesus, believed it, looked for and found Jesus, praised God and told people (a model of behavior for us.)

Objectives:
Participants will: 

• Learn where to find the story of the shepherds and the angels in the Bible.
• Learn details of the story.
• Discuss the meaning of the story.

Leader Preparation:

• Study the Scripture and Background materials.
• Learn the rules of the game.
• Make a word search puzzle

Materials List:

• Supplies to make four signs
• Something to display the memory verse on.
• Printed Word Search
• Buzzer Boxes
• A White Boards
• Small Prizes

Advanced Preparation Requirements:

• Make four signs designating Red, Orange, Green, Purple, and post in different areas of the room.
• Display the scripture memory verse somewhere in the room. (For the last couple of workshops, you might, instead of displaying it, use it as a question in the game.)
• For grades 2-5, consider copying the word search puzzle at the end of this lesson plan. Have on hand in case you need an extra activity, or give to the children to take home

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

As the children come in the door, count them off by color -- Red, Orange, Green and Purple -- and have them go to the area of the room that is designated with their color. Introduce yourself and open with a brief prayer, thanking God for the day and for sending Jesus to the world.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Scripture/Bible Story:

1. Review the story. The first-graders will not use Bibles, but do open yours to show them the story is in there. For grades 2-5, make sure everybody has a Bible. Help the students to find the book of Luke. (Get the shepherds to go around the room and help with this.)
2. If necessary, review the organization of the Bible: The Bible is divided into two big parts, the Old and New Testaments. Each part is made up of books, which are divided into chapters and verses. Have them figure out whether Luke is in Old or New Testament (it’s about Jesus so it’s in New Testament). The first four books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – the gospels, which tell the stories of Jesus’ life. Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they’ll usually land in the book of Psalms in the OT. Point out that the book name is at the top of each page. After finding Psalms, if they then take the pages on the right side and divide them in half, they’ll land in one of the gospels. From there they can find Luke.. (Some of the older children should know the books of the Bible. Encourage everyone to learn them.)
3. After they’ve found the book of Luke, help them find chapter 2, verse 8, and tell them this is where the story of the shepherds and angels is told in the Bible. Some of the children will confuse chapters and verses. Show them that chapter numbers are the big ones, and also are at top of every page.
4. Grades 1-2: Read the story to the children, letting those who can, follow along in their Bibles. Tell them that even though they’ve heard the story before, they need to listen very carefully and remember the details in order to play the game that’s coming up.
   
   Grades 3-5: Briefly review the story, using this summary as a guide. Since they’ll be reading from their Bibles during the game, you don’t need to dwell on the details. You might let the children help you tell the story. This will give you an idea of how much they already know.

On the night when Jesus was born, some shepherds were in the countryside nearby watching over their sheep. Suddenly they saw an angel standing in front of them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’ve got good news. A baby has been born in Bethlehem, and he’s your savior, the Messiah, the Lord. You can find him wrapped up tight in cloth and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a lot of angels appeared, praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace.”

After the angels left, the shepherds decided to go and see for themselves what the angel was talking about. So they went to Bethlehem and found Mary, Joseph, and the baby. Afterwards they went back, praising God and telling everybody what they had seen and heard, and people were amazed at the story. But Mary kept quiet, and thought and wondered about everything that had happened.

Application:

1. The children are already divided into four teams, named for the four colors on the buzzer box – Red, Orange, Green, Purple. Have either four (one from each team) or eight players (two from each team) gather around a table with the buzzer box in the middle (One of the round tables from the main room would probably be good for this). Each player holds a buzzer (the buzzer wires are color-coded; players on the same team hold the same color wire). 
2. Older children (grades 3-5) have their Bibles open on the table. They can refer to them if they need to during the game, and some of the questions will require them to find a specific verse. Younger children answer without Bibles. (See end of lesson plan for two sets of questions.)
3. Explain the Rules: Ask the shepherd keep score on the white board. To play, the leader asks a question. The first player to buzz gets to answer. Award 2 points for a correct answer. For a wrong answer, give the buzzing team no points and all the other teams 1 point, then let anybody who knows the answer tell it. After three or four questions, switch to the next group of players. Make sure everybody gets to play.
   
   Try not to let one knowledgeable or fast-reading child dominate the game. Rotating players partially takes care of the problem, but you might run into a team that doesn’t want to rotate, wants to let the sharpest member play the whole time. In this case you might announce that anybody who answers three questions in a row will be retired as permanent champion to give everybody else a chance to compete. (You might as well make this announcement in the beginning when you have fifth-graders). Also, don’t let non-playing team members help the players; this in effect lets the fast kid answer by proxy.
4. Be sure they find the answer before buzzing. If they are buzzing and then hunting for the answer, use the timer and give 5 seconds to answer after buzzing (this was not a problem when I tried out the game).
5. Play the game.

Wrap-up:

1. Recite the Bible memory verse “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people”– Luke 2:10

2. Discussion: What are angels? (Messengers from God.) What do they look like? (We picture wings and haloes, but we really don’t know.) Do you think we have angels among us today? How could we know if a message is from God?

Shepherds weren’t considered very important people. Why would God send angels to tell them of Jesus’ birth? What did they do afterwards? How can we be like the shepherds?

Reflection Time:
Ask the children to write the memory verse and then draw a picture or write down any thoughts the verse brings to mind. Or they can write or draw something that helps them remember the session.

Closing
Close with prayer, thanking God for the gift of Jesus, for the angels and shepherds who shared the good news, and for all who bring the message of God’s love to us today.

Note: I find that the kids participate better if they get little rewards along the way. Skittles are highly motivating for some reason. If I were leading this workshop I’d give them a Skittle for bringing their Bible, for finding the Bible passage, for attempting to answer a question, a Skittle to all 8 players after their turn is done, a Skittle to everybody on the winning team, a Skittle to everybody on the way out the door, etc. I’d have several small jars of Skittles on hand and put the shepherds in charge of distribution. (Better check with shepherds and make sure nobody is diabetic!)

Questions for game (older children, with Bibles)

From Luke 2: 1-7

• Who were Jesus' human parents? (Mary and Joseph)
• What town was Jesus born in? (Bethlehem)
• What ruler is mentioned in the story? (Caesar Augustus, or Quirinius)
• here did Joseph and Mary live? (Nazareth)
• Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? (to be enrolled, or taxed)
• What’s another name for Bethlehem in the story? (City of David)

From Luke 2: 8-20

• Who was first to hear the news of Jesus’ birth? (shepherds)
• What time of day was it (night time)
• What were the shepherds doing? (watching their sheep)
• Who told the shepherds about Jesus? (an angel)
• When the shepherds saw the angel, how did they feel? (scared)
• Why was the angel so scary? (The glory of the Lord shone around)
• What was the first thing the angel said? (Don’t be afraid)
• What did the angel bring the shepherds? (good news)
• Who was the good news for? (everybody)
• What was the good news? (a Savior is born)
• The angel told the shepherds how to recognize Jesus. How would they know they had found the right baby? (wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger)
• After the angel told the shepherds the good news, what suddenly appeared? (lots more angels, or a multitude of the heavenly host)
• What did the angels say? (Glory to God, and peace on earth)
• After the angels left, what did the shepherds do? (went to Bethlehem and found the baby)
• After they found the baby, what did they do? (told others what had happened, praised God)
• What did Mary do afterwards? (kept quiet and thought about everything that had happened)

From Matthew 1: 18-25

• (First to find the verse wins this one)
• In Matthew 1:20, who spoke to Joseph in a dream? (an angel)
• In Matthew 1: 21, what did the angel tell Joseph?
• What does “Emmanuel” mean? (God is with us)

From Luke 1: 26-38
(First to find verse wins)

• In Luke 1: 26, where did God send an angel? (to Nazareth)
• What was the angel’s name? (Gabriel)
• Whom did Gabriel come to see? (Mary)
• What was the first thing the angel said? (Hail, oh favored one, the Lord is with you)
• What was the second thing the angel said? (Don’t be afraid...)
• The angel told Mary she would have a son. Who else did he say would have a son? (Elizabeth)

General questions:

• Which book of the Bible tells the story of the angels and shepherds? (Luke)
• Which book of the Bible tells the story of the angel appearing to Joseph? (Matthew)
• Which book of the Bible tells the story of the angel appearing to Mary (Luke)

Questions for game (younger children)
Some of the questions are from Luke 2: 1-7. You won’t go over this part of the story in class, but most of the children will probably know things like the town of Jesus’ birth. The harder questions have multiple choice answers; give them a chance to answer first without help, then read the choices if needed. 

• Who were Jesus' human parents? (Mary and Joseph)
• Where did Joseph and Mary live? (Nazareth)
  a. Nazareth
  b. Bethlehem
  c. Jerusalem 
• What town was Jesus born in? (Bethlehem) 
• Where did Mary put Jesus after he was born? (in a manger)
• Why did Mary and Joseph not get a room in a hotel? (no room) 
• Who was first to hear the news of Jesus’ birth? (shepherds) 
• What time of day was it? (night time)
• What were the shepherds doing? (watching their sheep) 
• Who told the shepherds about Jesus? (an angel)
• When the shepherds saw the angel, how did they feel? (scared) 
• Why was the angel so scary?
  a. The angel was carrying a big sword
  b. The glory of the Lord shone around them
  c. The angel was gigantic 
• What was the first thing the angel said? (Don’t be afraid) 
• What did the angel bring the shepherds? (good news)
  a. gifts for them to give the baby
  b. a sheep they had lost
  c. good news. 
• Who was the good news for?
  a. everybody
  b. just the shepherds
  c. just Mary and Joseph 
• What was the good news?
  a. a lost lamb is found
  b. a Savior is born
  c. wise men are on the way to Bethlehem. 
• The angel told the shepherds how to recognize Jesus. How would they know they had found the right baby? (wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger)
  a. there would be a big star over him
  b. there would be a big crowd of people around him.
  c. he would be wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger 
• After the angel told the shepherds the good news, what suddenly appeared
  a. a bright star in the sky
  b. lots more angels
  c. three wise men 
• What did the angels say? (Glory to God, and peace on earth)
  a. Make a joyful noise to the Lord
  b. The Lord is my shepherd
  c. Glory to God and peace on earth 
• After the angels left, what did the shepherds do? (went to Bethlehem and found the baby)
  a. went to look for sheep that the angels had scared away
  b. went to Bethlehem and found the baby
  c. collected gifts to take to the baby 
• After they found the baby, what did they do? (told others what had happened, praised God)
  a. told others what had happened
  b. promised Mary and Joseph they wouldn’t tell anybody.
  c. went back to their sheep and forgot all about it. 
• What did Mary do afterwards (kept quiet and thought about everything that had happened.)
  a. told everybody what had happened.
  b. told an angel what had happened.
  c. kept quiet and thought about everything that had happened
• Which gospel tells the story of the angels and shepherds? (Luke)
  a. Matthew
  b. Mark
  c. Luke
  d. John

Optional: Create a word search with key words from this story.

A lesson written by The Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church, Cary, N

This lesson plan is copyrighted and belongs to the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian, Cary North Carolina. It may be used for non-profit uses only.

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

Scripture Reference:

Luke 2:8-20      

Memory Verse:

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture and background materials
• Go over the questions

Materials List:

• Bibles
• Bookmarks, several for each Bible
• Question cube: This is a cube shaped box (6-8 inches is great).  Each side should have one of the following:
  • Who
  • What
  • When
  • Where
  • Why
  • Free Points
• Question cards (end of lesson)

Filler Materials:

• Two baskets or buckets
• Two beanbags
• Masking tape

Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction

Greet the children and introduce yourself.  Wear your nametag.

Dig- Main Content and Reflection

Bible Story:

Distribute Bibles to each child or every two children.

Say:  We are learning about the birth of Jesus. We are focusing a lot on the role that the shepherds and angels played in the the Christmas story.

Ask: Where in the Bible would we find this story? New Testament, Luke has the story of the shepherds.  Matthew has other parts of the Christmas story.

Have the students find the book of Luke, chapter 2, verse 8, in their Bibles.  Make sure it is noted that Luke is in the New Testament.  Have the children put a bookmark at Luke 2 because they may need it for the game.

Read scripture together.  If children are old enough, you can let them read it.  Otherwise read it to them.

Game: Question Cube

Say: Today’s game is going to test your memory about the Bible story.  The questions will be specific about the story, as it is told in the Bible not as you may remember it from story books, videos, or songs.

Divide the class into two teams.

Say: Each team will take a turn rolling the Question Cube.  You will then be asked a question beginning with the word on the Question Cube.  If you answer it correctly, your team gets 10 points.  If you answer it incorrectly, the other team gets a try.  If they get it correct, they get 5 points.  If you roll a “Free Points!” you get 5 points.  The team with the most points wins.

Filler Time: Basket Relay

Point out the Bible verse on the bulletin board.  You may even want to write it in bigger letters on the white board.

Read the verse with the children.

Ask: How can you obey this verse? What are the most important words in the verse?

Put a masking tape line on the floor.

Say: Line up behind the tape line and take turns tossing the beanbag into the basket.

As you do so, each person must say the next word of the Bible verse.

I’ll keep track of the number of tries it takes to get through the verse.

Repeat the game with the words of the verse covered.  You may make this a competition if you choose.

Closing

Prayer: Thank you God for keeping the promise of long ago to send the Savior of the world, a prince of peace.  Thank you for the poor  shepherds who brought this great message to the world.  Thank you God for sending us Jesus.  Help me to be a shepherd and share the good news of Christ.  

Tidy and Dismissal:

Ask children to help tidy up. Close the door and turn off the lights. Store your materials back in the cabinet.

References

• Christmas: Shepherds and Angels; Kirk of Kildaire Faith Quest Rotation Lesson Sets, Cary, NC; Antioch Arcade (Games) Workshop, http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/quest/contents.html
• "Middler/Bible Story Review: Question Cube." Big Book of Bible Games. Ventura, CA: Gospel Light, 2002. Print.

A lesson written by Ann L. Wright from: Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Raleigh, NC http://www.sapc.com/

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