Bahan Alkitab: Luke 2:1-20
Tanggal: 03/01/2021
Ringkasan:
Before we start the bible story, we will engage with the children to share what is the best gift they have received in 2020. Then, we will continue to tell the children that today’s bible story would be about a special gift which God gave. This is God’s most precious gift to all of us and we will also learn why did God gave this present.
We will start the bible story back to the beginning about Adam and Eve. This is for the children to recall or understand that Adam and Eve have sinned against God by eating the fruits from the tree of knowledge of good and evil which God has warned them that they would die. When they sin against God, they become God’s enemies. Their children, grandchildren and everyone after that including us would become God’s enemies because of sin.
However, there is good news. God made a promise to Adam and Eve. He promised to send a special gift and through this gift, sinners could become part of God’s family. God would forgive them and make them his very own children. God kept his promise and many years later, at the right time, God send his own son to live on Earth. God sent Jesus to be born from a young woman named Mary.
At first, not many people knew that God had sent His only Son as a gift to sinners. On the night baby Jesus was born, in the hills outside of Bethlehem, there were shepherds watching and guarding their sheep. Suddenly, an angel of lord appeared to them and the Glory of God was shining around them. The shepherds were surprised and afraid. But the angel told them not to be afraid and have brought goods news of joy that will be for all the people. The angel told them about a saviour who had been born and also told them where they could visit the baby. Suddenly, many angels from Heaven appeared and praised God and spoke of peace among the people with whom God is pleased. The angels were glad about the good news of God’s gift.
The shepherds were happy and excited. They told one another to go to Bethlehem to find the baby on a manger (feeding box for the animals) which the lord has told them. They finally found Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus who was lying on the manger. Then they went back to their sheep, praising and thanking God for everything they had seen or heard. It was all just as the angel had told them.
God sent Jesus to be punished for the sins of his people. Jesus never sinned and did not deserve to die at the cross. But Jesus took the punishment that we deserved so that our sins against God could be forgiven. God’s gift is more wonderful than any gift that we could get. God sent Jesus so that we could be part of God’s family. All those who trust Jesus for forgiveness of sins are God’s children. May our children grow up to trust and love God knowing that God has first loved us by paying a heavy price for our sins through our saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ayat Hafalan:
John 3:36a
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life