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Christmas!
Fill in the blanks: Gifts for Jesus. **NEW**
Picture: Gifts for Jesus. **NEW**
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Fill in the blanks: Gifts for Jesus
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Picture – Gifts for Jesus
Picture – Jesus and lamb
Picture – O Come Let Us Adore Him
Christmas Anagrams
Song – We Three Kings
It’s nearly Christmas!
I hope you are looking forward to Christmas as much as I am. Remember to find out what really happened by reading in the Bible from the books of Matthew and Luke, the first two chapters of each. If you want to read the Contemporary English Version you can click or tap here to jump down the page to find it then click or tap on ^Back to Contents^ to come back up the page.
Christmas Crossword
Picture – Shepherds
Picture – Wise Men
Song – Can You See?
Song – Life is Good
The Angel Gabriel
The Angel Gabriel: God’s Messenger.
The Angel Gabriel visited Zechariah in the temple in Jerusalem to tell Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would have a baby called John even though they were both very old. Their baby grew up to be known as John the Baptist, who prepared people to belong to Jesus.
The Angel Gabriel later visited Mary to tell her that she would have a baby called Jesus. An angel also told Joseph that it was OK to marry Mary. Jesus was born in Bethlehem and he had to sleep on a bed of hay because there was nowhere to stay.
Angels also spoke to some shepherds in the nearby fields when Jesus was born to tell them to go and see the baby Jesus.
Colouring picture – Gabriel.
Wordsearch – Gabriel.
Songs: Gabriel and Mary.
Here is a link to a song about Angel Gabriel.
Here is a link to a song titled Mary Did You Know?
Contemporary English Version of the Bible, Matthew 1 (part) and 2; Luke 1 and 2:
[If all this is too much for you to read, just read the parts in the bold type.]
Matthew Chapter 1
18This is how Jesus Christ was born. A young woman named Mary was engaged to Joseph from King David’s family. But before they were married, she learned that she was going to have a baby by God’s Holy Spirit. 19Joseph was a good man and did not want to embarrass Mary in front of everyone. So he decided to quietly call off the wedding.
20While Joseph was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said, “Joseph, the baby that Mary will have is from the Holy Spirit. Go ahead and marry her. 21Then after her baby is born, name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22So the LORD’S promise came true, just as the prophet had said, 23″A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel,” which means “God is with us.”
24After Joseph woke up, he and Mary were soon married, just as the LORD’S angel had told him to do. 25But they did not sleep together before her baby was born. Then Joseph named him Jesus.
Matthew Chapter 2
When Jesus was born in the village of Bethlehem in Judea, Herod was king. During this time some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem 2and said, “Where is the child born to be king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
3When King Herod heard about this, he was worried, and so was everyone else in Jerusalem. 4Herod brought together the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?”
5They told him, “He will be born in Bethlehem, just as the prophet wrote,
6’Bethlehem in the land of Judea,
you are very important among the towns of Judea.
From your town will come a leader,
who will be like a shepherd for my people Israel.’ “
7Herod secretly called in the wise men and asked them when they had first seen the star. 8He told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, let me know. I want to go and worship him too.”
9The wise men listened to what the king said and then left. And the star they had seen in the east went on ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10They were thrilled and excited to see the star.
11When the men went into the house and saw the child with Mary, his mother, they knelt down and worshiped him. They took out their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh and gave them to him. 12Later they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, and they went back home by another road.
13After the wise men had gone, an angel from the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Hurry and take the child and his mother to Egypt! Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is looking for the child and wants to kill him.”
14That night, Joseph got up and took his wife and the child to Egypt, 15where they stayed until Herod died. So the LORD’S promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “I called my son out of Egypt.”
16When Herod found out that the wise men from the east had tricked him, he was very angry. He gave orders for his men to kill all the boys who lived in or near Bethlehem and were two years old and younger. This was based on what he had learned from the wise men.
17So the LORD’S promise came true, just as the prophet Jeremiah had said,
18″In Ramah a voice was heard
crying and weeping loudly.
Rachel was mourning for her children,
and she refused to be comforted,
because they were dead.”
19After King Herod died, an angel from the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was still in Egypt. 20The angel said, “Get up and take the child and his mother back to Israel. The people who wanted to kill him are now dead.”
21Joseph got up and left with them for Israel. 22But when he heard that Herod’s son Archelaus was now ruler of Judea, he was afraid to go there. Then in a dream he was told to go to Galilee, 23and they went to live there in the town of Nazareth. So the LORD’S promise came true, just as the prophet had said, “He will be called a Nazarene.”
Luke Chapter 1
Many people have tried to tell the story of what God has done among us. 2They wrote what we had been told by the ones who were there in the beginning and saw what happened. 3So I made a careful study of everything and then decided to write and tell you exactly what took place. Honorable Theophilus, 4I have done this to let you know the truth about what you have heard.
5When Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest by the name of Zechariah from the priestly group of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was from the family of Aaron. 6Both of them were good people and pleased the Lord God by obeying all that he had commanded. 7But they did not have children. Elizabeth could not have any, and both Zechariah and Elizabeth were already old.
8One day Zechariah’s group of priests were on duty, and he was serving God as a priest. 9According to the custom of the priests, he had been chosen to go into the LORD’S temple that day and to burn incense, 10while the people stood outside praying.
11All at once an angel from the Lord appeared to Zechariah at the right side of the altar. 12Zechariah was confused and afraid when he saw the angel. 13But the angel told him:
Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayers. Your wife Elizabeth will have a son, and you must name him John. 14His birth will make you very happy, and many people will be glad. 15Your son will be a great servant of the Lord. He must never drink wine or beer, and the power of the Holy Spirit will be with him from the time he is born.
16John will lead many people in Israel to turn back to the Lord their God. 17He will go ahead of the Lord with the same power and spirit that Elijah had. And because of John, parents will be more thoughtful of their children. And people who now disobey God will begin to think as they ought to. That is how John will get people ready for the Lord.
18Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this is going to happen? My wife and I are both very old.”
19The angel answered, “I am Gabriel, God’s servant, and I was sent to tell you this good news. 20You have not believed what I have said. So you will not be able to say a thing until all this happens. But everything will take place when it is supposed to.”
21The crowd was waiting for Zechariah and kept wondering why he was staying so long in the temple. 22When he did come out, he could not speak, and they knew he had seen a vision. He motioned to them with his hands, but did not say a thing.
23When Zechariah’s time of service in the temple was over, he went home. 24Soon after that, his wife was expecting a baby, and for five months she did not leave the house. She said to herself, 25″What the Lord has done for me will keep people from looking down on me.”
26One month later God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee 27with a message for a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to Joseph from the family of King David. 28The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.”
29Mary was confused by the angel’s words and wondered what they meant. 30Then the angel told Mary, “Don’t be afraid! God is pleased with you, 31and you will have a son. His name will be Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of God Most High. The Lord God will make him king, as his ancestor David was. 33He will rule the people of Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
34Mary asked the angel, “How can this happen? I am not married!”
35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come down to you, and God’s power will come over you. So your child will be called the holy Son of God. 36Your relative Elizabeth is also going to have a son, even though she is old. No one thought she could ever have a baby, but in three months she will have a son. 37Nothing is impossible for God!”
38Mary said, “I am the LORD’S servant! Let it happen as you have said.” And the angel left her.
39A short time later Mary hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea. 40She went into Zechariah’s home, where she greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby moved within her.
The Holy Spirit came upon Elizabeth. 42Then in a loud voice she said to Mary:
God has blessed you more than any other woman! He has also blessed the child you will have. 43Why should the mother of my Lord come to me? 44As soon as I heard your greeting, my baby became happy and moved within me. 45The Lord has blessed you because you believed that he will keep his promise.
46Mary said:
With all my heart I praise the Lord,
47and I am glad because of God my Savior.
48He cares for me, his humble servant.
From now on, all people will say
God has blessed me.
49God All-Powerful has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50He always shows mercy
to everyone who worships him.
51The Lord has used his powerful arm
to scatter those who are proud.
52He drags strong rulers from their thrones
and puts humble people in places of power.
53God gives the hungry good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54He helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful to his people.
55The Lord made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family forever!
56Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months. Then she went back home.
57When Elizabeth’s son was born, 58her neighbors and relatives heard how kind the Lord had been to her, and they too were glad.
59Eight days later they did for the child what the Law of Moses commands. They were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John.”
61The people argued, “No one in your family has ever been named John.” 62So they motioned to Zechariah to find out what he wanted to name his son.
63Zechariah asked for a writing tablet. Then he wrote, “His name is John.” Everyone was amazed. 64Right away, Zechariah started speaking and praising God.
65All the neighbors were frightened because of what had happened, and everywhere in the hill country people kept talking about these things. 66Everyone who heard about this wondered what this child would grow up to be. They knew that the Lord was with him.
67The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:
68Praise the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has come to save his people.
69Our God has given us a mighty Savior
from the family of David his servant.
70Long ago the Lord promised
by the words of his holy prophets
71to save us from our enemies
and from everyone who hates us.
72God said he would be kind to our people
and keep his sacred promise.
73He told our ancestor Abraham
74that he would rescue us from our enemies.
Then we could serve him without fear,
75by being holy and good as long as we live.
76You, my son, will be called
a prophet of God in heaven above.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to get everything ready for him.
77You will tell his people
that they can be saved when their sins are forgiven.
78God’s love and kindness will shine upon us
like the sun that rises in the sky.
79On us who live in the dark shadow of death
this light will shine
to guide us into a life of peace.
80As John grew up, God’s Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to the people of Israel.
Luke Chapter 2
1About that time Emperor Augustus gave orders for the names of all the people to be listed in record books. 2These first records were made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3Everyone had to go to their own hometown to be listed. 4So Joseph had to leave Nazareth in Galilee and go to Bethlehem in Judea. Long ago Bethlehem had been King David’s hometown, and Joseph went there because he was from David’s family.
5Mary was engaged to Joseph and traveled with him to Bethlehem. She was soon going to have a baby, 6and while they were there, 7she gave birth to her first-born son. She dressed him in baby clothes and laid him on a bed of hay, because there was no room for them in the inn.
8That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the LORD’S glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”
13Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said:
14″Praise God in heaven!
Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.”
15After the angels had left and gone back to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.” 16They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and they saw the baby lying on a bed of hay.
17When the shepherds saw Jesus, they told his parents what the angel had said about him. 18Everyone listened and was surprised. 19But Mary kept thinking about all this and wondering what it meant.
20As the shepherds returned to their sheep, they were praising God and saying wonderful things about him. Everything they had seen and heard was just as the angel had said.
21Eight days later Jesus’ parents did for him what the Law of Moses commands. And they named him Jesus, just as the angel had told Mary when he promised she would have a baby.
22The time came for Mary and Joseph to do what the Law of Moses says a mother is supposed to do after her baby is born.
They took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem and presented him to the LORD, 23just as the Law of the Lord says, “Each first-born baby boy belongs to the Lord.” 24The Law of the Lord also says that parents have to offer a sacrifice, giving at least a pair of doves or two young pigeons. So that is what Mary and Joseph did.
25At this time a man named Simeon was living in Jerusalem. Simeon was a good man. He loved God and was waiting for God to save the people of Israel. God’s Spirit came to him 26and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.
27When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to do what the Law of Moses says should be done for a new baby, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple. 28Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God,
29″Lord, I am your servant,
and now I can die in peace,
because you have kept your promise to me.
30With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done to save your people,
31and foreign nations will also see this.
32Your mighty power is a light for all nations,
and it will bring honor to your people Israel.”
33Jesus’ parents were surprised at what Simeon had said. 34Then he blessed them and told Mary, “This child of yours will cause many people in Israel to fall and others to stand. The child will be like a warning sign. Many people will reject him, 35and you, Mary, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger. But all this will show what people are really thinking.”
36The prophet Anna was also there in the temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. In her youth she had been married for seven years, but her husband died. 37And now she was eighty-four years old. Night and day she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.
38At that time Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.
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