
Dear Parents,
We trust you are well and kept by the grace of God. This lesson is a follow-up with answers to the previous lessons on our website.
With Christian love and respects.
AUGUST SUNDAY SCHOOL
Answers to Previous Lessons/ PASSAGES:
Eighth, God, engaged, women, Jesus, David, no End, Holy Ghost, Be it unto me according to Thy Word, Nothing shall be impossible.
For quick reference to Stories below: Read:
- Luke 1: 18 The Priest do not believe The Angel’s Message.
- Luke1:26 Mary Believes The Angel’s Message.
- Luke 1:41 A Dead Baby receives Life in his mother’s womb…
- Luke 1: 46-45 Mary rejoices.
- Matthew 1:18-25 Joseph has a dream…
- Luke 2: 1-5 A Census to register for tax purposes.
- Luke 2:6 The king is born. Jesus is born.
- Luke 2:8 Visitation of Angels to humble shepherds.
- Luke 2: 15, 16, 20 The Shepherds find the Newborn King.
- Why it was Shepherds.
* Important facts (1-6) to remember of the story so far.
1) Luke 1:18… The Priest did not believe the Angel Gabriel.
Zacharias did not believe his wife Elisabeth could have a baby… her being old. (That baby… John was born a prophet)
- Luke 1:26….. Mary, the Virgin believes the Angel Gabriel’s Message.
- Mary says: “Be it unto me according to thy Word.”
Now nothing like this has ever happened that a woman would have a baby and she doesn’t have a husband yet. This is the first time this would happen. This would be a Supernatural event or happening. Yet Mary accepted and believed all that would happen to her—that. The things which the angel said are true and would be done.
- The Angel told her “For with God, nothing shall be impossible.”
(The Angel said her cousin Elizabeth, who was barren, would have a son}.
- Luke 1: 41… At the Name of Jesus, A dead baby receives life in its mother’s womb. When Mary utters the name of Jesus, Elizabeth’s baby receives life in his mother’s (A dead baby (John) gets the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb.)
- Luke 1: 46-55 Mary rejoices that she of so low estate (not a person of noble birth); a humble poor girl should be chosen to carry the Saviour of the world.
She praises God and says; “My Soul does magnify the Lord………for He has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden….. For from henceforth all generations will call me blessed! …
The Story continues:
Read: Matthew 1:18-25
- Joseph has a dream.
After 3 months, Mary leaves Elizabeth to return to her own home. Every one could now see that she was going to have a baby… She tells Joseph to whom she is engaged to be married, that an Angel had visited her. He finds her story very unusual.
Matthew 1:18-25. In those days if you are going to have a baby and not married you as the woman were stoned to death with your baby. (Because it was considered a disgrace or bad thing.) Joseph didn’t want this to happen to this lovely girl. He wanted to protect her. . That night an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife for the Baby she was carrying is of the Holy Ghost. So Joseph took Mary to be his wife…. and they got married…
- A Roman Census:
A law is passed
Luke 2:1-5 At the time that Mary was to have her Baby, 9 months had already passed, a law went out from Caesar Augustus that the entire world should be taxed. Everyone was required to go to their city in which they were born, to get registered, so they could pay their taxes.
No one could disobey this law. It was from the very governor himself. Everyone had to leave in a hurry; leave their comfortable homes; their businesses, their workplaces, their cattle and sheep and land to travel for several days to get to their birth places. All the shops were closed, the schools were closed, the synagogues were closed, and every business was closed. Only travelling was open and donkeys available and sold for travelling.
It was the week before they had to leave their home in Nazareth in Galilee to travel to obey the Roman Census.
So Joseph and Mary started their journey…to Bethlehem a town far away, about 7 days journey. The journey was arduous, as Mary was heavy with child and travel those days was on a donkey or by foot -She could even lose the baby. There were also many forests dangers like lions or bears and bandits or dessert robbers. On their way, over the hills and on rough pathways, they had to stop often to rest. It was getting late. This day they will arrive in Bethlehem before nightfall – later than anyone else. There was a Very Bright Star hanging low in the sky; so it seemed to Mary and it was so very close, even guiding them. ……… picture of The Star?
- A King is born….. The Messiah is born
Luke 2:6 in Bethlehem, they arrived later than anyone else. There was no place to stay not even at any of the many inns/ hotels. Bethlehem was overcrowded. One innkeeper was kind to them and showed them to a stable, which were in a cave on a hill…
Now what type of place is a stable?
What is done in a stable and what is it used for?
A stable is: a house or place for animals of the landowner. He would feed them and keep them there during the night. This stable was in a cave on a hill.
You may find all sorts of animals …. For example: donkeys, cows, or even sheep with their little lambs kept in a stable.
What else would you find in a stable? Is it a nice smelling place? No!
Here where the animals had been. It certainly was not the nicest place to sleep in. It was noisy and dirty. It wasn’t warm, wonderful and comfortable.
But Mary was to have her Baby this night. Joseph just wanted to make her comfortable. Soon here Mary’s Baby was born. They had left their home in Nazareth in a hurry….. There was no time to pack special clothes for Baby Jesus that was to be born.
They wrapped him in Swaddling clothes and put him in a manger”
Swaddling clothes are wrapping material or rags that they put on the back or neck of animals. They may have used it for many other purposes for animals and their young. Often times the little lambs born could have been wrapped in these swaddling cloth.
What was Baby Jesus dressed in? Swaddling cloth, not fine needle work clothes…. in swaddling cloth. Old rags used mostly to wrap around the neck or back or the cow. These were the only clothes Mary that night had to wrap her Baby in.
Where was He born? In a manger.
Why was He born in a manger?
Because He was a Lamb.
Lambs are not born in houses; they’re born in mangers out in straw or on hills or on a farm in a stable. And in the main stables that night there was some swaddling cloth. Mary and Joseph didn’t even have anything to put on for Him. And they took some of this cloth or rags and used it to wrap Baby Jesus in it.
(Later we will learn that:
- The gentle nature of the Lamb is as the gentle nature of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus was also called the Lamb of God.
- A Visitation of Angels Luke 2:8
It was springtime and many new lambs were born on the hills. Shepherds were watching their flocks on the hills near Bethlehem, Judea that night.
Suddenly an Angel appeared before them and announced The Good News that a Saviour was born in Bethlehem that night;
And this sign they will see “They will find Him wrapped in Swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Soon afterwards, a large number of Angels then appeared and sang praises to God and glorifying God. What a sight it must have been for the Shepherds.
- The Shepherds find The Newborn King
Luke 2:15,16, 20 As soon as the Angels disappeared, the shepherds decided to leave their flocks on the hills and go to Bethlehem to see The Baby who was born the Christ. They found him lying in a manger and wrapped in Swaddling clothes as the angel had said. They fell down and worshipped Him in adoration and praise and later told others of what God had done in Bethlehem.
- Do you know Why, it had to be Shepherds that visited the Baby Jesus in the stable?
Do you know that Shepherds look after lambs, little sheep?
Shepherds lead the sheep and their lambs to feed on green grass.
They also lead them to rivers where there is fresh water for them to drink.
They protect them and shield them from being killed and eaten by wild animals.
But this night, they left their sheep on the hills to go to see this little Lamb.
So would they have been comfortable in a hospital room or a fancy room in the inn, or even a king’s palace?
No! But in a stable the shepherds were quite happy, because they were used to the smell and presence of animals.
Now you know why it had to be shepherds who came to the stable that night to welcome the Baby Jesus.
Later we will learn that the Prophet John called Jesus… The Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the World. JOHN 1:29
The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
The Shepherds were first to see Jesus, The Newborn King.
The END