Lesson 1.17: The King Is Born

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LESSON 1.17: THE KING IS BORN

Loved ones, for this lesson we will simply tell you the familiar story of Jesus without referencing all the Bible passages. We pray that with an honest and noble heart you will “received the word with all readiness of mind,” and search the scriptures daily, to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11).

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO MARY

God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary. The angel said to Mary, "Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him." But Mary was confused about what the angel said. She wondered, "What does this mean?"

The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you. Listen! You will become pregnant and have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus, and he will be great. People will call him the Son of the Most High God, and the Lord God will make him king like his ancestor David. He will rule over the people of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen? I am still a virgin."

The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God." Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord God. Let this thing you have said happen to me!" Then the angel went away.

All this happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah: "The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will call him 'Immanuel,' meaning 'God with us.'"

AN ANGEL APPEARS TO JOSEPH

Mary was engaged to marry Joseph. But before they married, he learned that she was expecting a baby. She was pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a good man. He did not want to cause her public disgrace, so he planned to separate himself from her secretly.

But after Joseph thought about this, an angel from the Lord came to him in a dream. The angel said to him, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to accept Mary to be your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you will name him 'Jesus' [meaning 'The Lord Saves']. Give him that name because he will save his people from their sins."

When Joseph woke up, he did what the Lord's angel told him. He married Mary, but he did not have sexual relations with her until her Son was born.

JESUS IS BORN IN BETHLEHEM

Augustus Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, sent out an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that everyone's name must be put on a list.

People traveled to their own hometowns to have their name put on the list. So Joseph left Nazareth and went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. It was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David.

While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby. There were no rooms left in the guest house, so Mary gave birth to Jesus in a stable. Mary wrapped the baby well and laid Him in a box where animals were fed.

AN ANGEL TELLS SOME SHEPHERDS ABOUT JESUS' BIRTH

That night, some shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem watching their sheep. Suddenly, an angel appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid.

The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid. I have some good news for you – news that will make everyone happy. Today your Savior was born in David's town. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box."

Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying: "Praise God in heaven, and on earth let there be peace to the people who please him."

THE SHEPHERDS VISIT JESUS

The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this great thing the Lord told us about." So the shepherds went running and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in the feeding box. When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child.

Everyone was surprised when they heard what the shepherds told them. Then the shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking Him for everything they had seen and heard. When the baby was eight days old, He was circumcised, and He was named Jesus.

WISE MEN COME TO JERUSALEM

Jesus was born during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the child that has been born to be king of the Jews? We saw the star that shows He was born and we came to worship Him."

When King Herod heard about this, it upset him, and he called a meeting of all the leading Jewish priests and teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ would be born. They answered, "In the town of Bethlehem of Judea. The prophet Micah wrote about this in the Scriptures."

Herod had a private meeting with the wise men from the east. He learned from them the exact time they first saw the star. Then Herod sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go and look carefully for the child. When you find Him, come tell me. Then I will go worship Him too."

THE WISE MEN VISIT JESUS

After the wise men heard the king, they left. They saw the same star they had seen in the east, and followed it. The star went before them until it stopped above the place where the child was. They were filled with joy.

The wise men came to the house where the child was with His mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened the gifts they had brought for Him. They gave Him treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But God warned the wise men in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they went home to their own country by a different way.

EVIL MEN TRIED TO DESTROY JESUS

Early in life, Jesus was attacked by the forces of evil. Evil men tried to destroy Him. But God is stronger than Satan, and God protected His Son from harm. Joseph and Mary must have been very happy when Jesus was born. The angels in heaven were happy. The shepherds in Bethlehem were happy. The wise men from the east were happy. But King Herod was unhappy.

HEROD KILLS THE BABY BOYS IN BETHLEHEM

After the wise men left, an angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child with His mother and escape to Egypt. Herod wants to kill the child and will soon start looking for Him. Stay in Egypt until I tell you to come back." So Joseph got ready and left for Egypt with the child and His mother. They left during the night. Joseph and his family stayed in Egypt until Herod died.

When Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him, he was very angry. He was afraid and worried that Jesus would take his place as king, and thus, he would lose his throne. Herod had learned from the wise men the time the baby was born. It was now nearly two years from that time, so in an effort to kill Jesus, he gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem and the whole area around Bethlehem.

JOSEPH AND MARY RETURN TO NAZARETH

While Joseph was in Egypt, Herod died. An angel from the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the child with His mother and go to Israel. Those who were trying to kill the baby are now dead." So Joseph took the baby and the baby's mother and went back to Nazareth of Galilee. It was there that Jesus grew up.

POINTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS LESSON

1. Mary's Pregnancy Was Supernatural.

Approximately 2,000 years before Jesus was born, Sarah gave Abraham a son in his old age. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born, and Sarah was ninety. Naturally, it was impossible for Sarah to have a baby at that age. Yet, all things are possible with God. God did something for Abraham and Sarah that nature could not do.

Later, Isaac's wife Rebekah was not able to have children. For nineteen years, Rebekah waited. Finally, Isaac prayed to God for his wife, and God gave them twin boys, Jacob and Esau. God did for Isaac and Rebekah what nature had not been able to do.

Later, Jacob's wife Rachel could not have children. Year after year she waited and prayed. Finally, God gave her a son. God did something for Jacob and Rachel that nature had not done.

When we come to the New Testament and read about the supernatural pregnancy of Mary, we are hardly surprised. Nothing is too hard for the All-Powerful God.

2. Jesus Was The One Seen By Old Testament Prophets.

Jesus was the descendant of Eve who would crush Satan's head.

Jesus was the descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who would bless all nations.

Jesus was the true King who would come from the tribe of Judah, receive the authority of His ancestor David, and rule over His kingdom forever.

Jesus was the child born of a virgin who would be called "Emmanuel," meaning "God with us."

When Jesus was born, God became flesh and lived among us. He was the promised King.

3. God Can Use Ordinary People To Accomplish Great Things.

Joseph and Mary were from David's family, but they were very ordinary people. Joseph was a carpenter, not an important official.

Joseph and Mary were sleeping in a stable with animals the night Jesus was born. Yet, Mary gave birth to the Son of God.

Joseph provided food, clothing, and shelter for God's Son. God used these ordinary people to change the course of human history.

God can use you and me to accomplish great things today if we will give ourselves to Him completely.