‘Be You’ Christmas Childrens Lesson on Jesus is Born

BIG IDEA: JUST BE YOU.

AIM: The ‘Be You’ Christmas Childrens Lesson on Jesus is Born is a simple lesson that shows children that Jesus came to the earth to be himself – without trying to impress others. It is aimed at helping children to see that they are free to be themselves.

SONG IDEAS:

1. ‘I am a Friend of God’ 
2. ‘I am a Child of God’ by LC Kids

GAME IDEAS:

1. Christmas Who am I. Children are given a post it note with a Christmas picture or word that they must stick to their head without looking at it. Children take turns to guess what it is.
2. Reindeer Antlers. Use a pair of tights for each team and have the children blow up balloons and fit them into the tights. Then have one child wear the tights on their head as antlers. The team with the best antlers are the winning team. This also works as an upfront game with a few players.
3. Human Christmas Tree. Have teams compete to create a human Christmas tree by making one of their team mates wear baubles and be dressed with tinsel and a star. You can give them lots of decorations and have each team use their creativity accordingly or you could put all the decorations in the middle and make it a relay race for kids to fetch a decoration before attaching it to their teammate.

SET the Scene:

Read Luke 2:1-7.

VIDEO IDEAS:

1. ‘Jesus is Born’ by Saddleback Kids
2. ‘The Christmas Story’ 

SPOT the Simple Meaning:

1) JESUS DIDN’T COME TO IMPRESS OR SHOW OFF

You could prepare a Christmas skit where two children are comparing what they will get for Christmas. Refer to the top Christmas presents of the year within your skit and have the children walking away at the end discontented.

You could use the clip from Aladdin where Aladdin becomes a prince to impress Jasmine, the princess of Agraba. Alternatively you could use a clip from Cinderella as she becomes a Princess to attract her Prince. The Little Mermaid also changes to become a human to get to know Prince Eric.

Say: Jesus was born in a stable; not a fancy hotel or a palace. His mother and father had to leave Nazareth and travel by foot and by donkey to the little town of Bethlehem (Luke 2:4). There was no room for them in an inn so they had their baby in a stable and laid him in a box where animals are fed (Luke 2:7).

Jesus didn’t come to impress or show off. Jesus is the Son of God, yet he came as a tiny baby. Jesus was himself. He didn’t try to be anyone else. Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus was nothing special to look at; he didn’t look especially attractive or wear impressive clothes. It says “He had no special beauty or form to make us notice him. There was nothing in his appearance to make us desire him.”

Philippians 2:6-11 says:

⁶ Christ himself was like God in everything.
    He was equal with God.
    But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be held on to.
⁷ He gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.
    He was born as a man
    and became like a servant.
⁸ And when he was living as a man,
    he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God.
    He obeyed even when that caused his death—death on a cross.
⁹ So God raised Christ to the highest place.
    God made the name of Christ greater than every other name.
¹⁰ God wants every knee to bow to Jesus—
    everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
¹¹ Everyone will say, “Jesus Christ is Lord”
    and bring glory to God the Father.

Although Jesus is God and has all the powers of God, He did not use them to his own advantage. He lived like any other man, yet he used his power for good, healing, saving and serving others. How amazing is Jesus! He is the most incredible person and God that anyone could ever meet! The God of all creation that loves to serve and be there for others – WOW! Stop and take a moment to think about that. God could have had anything and done anything he wanted. He could have enjoyed all the things of this world. Yet He chose to come as an ordinary baby and live so that you might know God. He came for YOU! [Take a few moments to pause and reflect] So what do you want to say to God? [Take a minute to stop in silence and let the children respond. Don’t rush this.]

Just as Jesus came to heal, save and serve, without trying to impress and show off, so God calls each one of us to live like Him. We don’t need to impress others or try to show off. We don’t need to be rich or important to know God. You can be you, and I can be me. We can be ourselves and know that God loves us for who we are. We don’t need to be rich or cool to be loved by God. Material things don’t matter to Jesus – he was born in a stable!

So, remember that it is good to be you! Jesus made you in His image (Genesis 2) and you are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).

 

SEARCH the Scriptures:

Put lots of baubles in a bucket for each team. Attached to the baubles tape one of the identity scriptures. Have teams relay to run and grab a bauble each. The winning team is the team that does it the fastest. To make it more difficult and messy you could float the baubles in water in each of the buckets. Then the teams can sit and read the scriptures together.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What are some of the things that the bible says we are?
2. How does it feel to know what the bible says about you?
3. Is it easy to just ‘Be You’ or do you try to be someone else?

 

SENSE How You Feel:

How does it feel to know that we can be ourselves because Jesus came for us just as we are?

1. Create a fun stable scene and have the children dress up as the characters from the nativity and pose or re-enact the story.
2. Color the Nativity Christmas printable.
3. Create one of these fun crafts by Activity Village

 

SEEK God:

Play ‘Away in a Manger’ as the children think about what it means for Jesus to leave all the glory in heaven and come down to earth to live as an ordinary man. To give up all the pleasures of heaven so that you and I can know God.