Christmas Lesson 2 The Preparation
Memory verse
Matthew 1:21
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.
Many, many years went by and many people were born into the world. Then God did another thing to prepare for the coming of His dear Son. He called one man, Abraham and said to him, “Abraham, you are to be the father of a special people. They are to be my people. Through you and this special race of people the Saviour will come and He will bring blessing to the whole world.” Genesis 12:1-3.
This was 200 years before Jesus came. God was preparing a special nation. Abraham is called the father of the Jewish race. Jesus came from the Jewish race.
Another thousand years went by and God’s special people grew and grew until there were millions of them. Then God did something else to get His people ready for the coming of the Saviour. One day He sent a message to King David through a prophet. The message was something like, “David, you will not always be a king but the Saviour who I am sending into the world will be a King. He will come through your family and be called the Son of David and He will be a King forever.” 2 Samuel 7.
Then God prepared a mother! 700 years before this Isaiah who was a prophet said that a virgin someone who was not married, a pure girl would be the mother of the Saviour. In a little town called Nazareth there lived a girl called Mary. She came from the race of Abraham and was a descendant of the royal line of David. She had always been taught the scriptures and believed that God would send a Saviour as He had promised.
Mary was not yet married but she was engaged to a carpenter called Joseph. In those days this was a very sacred and binding agreement. Everyone know that they belonged to each other although Mary had not yet gone to live with Joseph.
One day when Mary was alone, an angel appeared in the room with her. It was the angel Gabriel, the most important angel of all. He had been sent from Heaven with a message for her. The angel said to her, “The Lord is with you. You are to be blessed more than any other women.” Mary was troubled and a little frightened. Then the angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is going to send His Son into the world as a little baby, and He has chosen you to be His mother.” Mary knew that every baby born into the world must have a father as well as a mother. She knew that she was not yet married to Joseph and that he would not be the father of her baby. She said to the angel, “But I am not married yet, how can I become the mother of this wonderful child?” Gabriel said to her, “But this child is the Son of God. He will not have a human father as every other baby has, for God is His Father.”
Then Mary bowed her head and Said, “I am the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Thy Word.” The angel left her and returned to heaven. Later Mary sang a song of praise to the Lord for giving her this great honour, and because, after all these years of waiting, the Saviour was to come at last.