Matthew Chapter 1 Christ is born of Mary—She conceives by the power of the Holy Ghost—Our Lord is named Jesus.
Luke Chapter 1 Gabriel promises Zacharias that Elisabeth will bear a son, whom they will name John—He also tells Mary that she will be the mother of the Son of God—Mary visits Elisabeth and utters a psalm of praise—John the Baptist is born—Zacharias prophesies of John’s mission.
Angels announced the birth of Jesus.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1” Mary and Joseph were each visited by an angel who announced the birth of Jesus Christ. These experiences can help the children see how important Christ’s birth was.
- Invite a child’s parents to come to class dressed up as Mary and Joseph. Ask them to share the experiences recorded in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–38.
- Tell the stories of angels appearing to Mary and Joseph, as recorded in these verses. (See also “Chapter 2: Mary and the Angel” and “Chapter 4: Joseph and the Angel,” in New Testament Stories, 8–9, 12, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) You could show the picture in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families. Invite the children to repeat the stories back to you.
- Invite the children to draw pictures of the stories found in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:26–38.
An Angel Foretells Christ’s Birth to Mary video
With God nothing is impossible.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1” The births of Jesus and John the Baptist were possible only through the power of God. Learning about these miracles can strengthen the children’s faith that God has the power to work miracles in their lives.
- As you and the children review Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:5–37, ask the children questions like “What would you say if you were Mary?” or “How would you feel if you were Zacharias?”
The naming of John the Baptist Video
Latter Day Kids “Nothing Shall Be Impossible” Lesson ideas
- In simple terms, tell the stories described in Matthew 1:18–25 and Luke 1:5–37. Ask the children to raise their hands when they hear something that might seem impossible without God’s power. What other stories can the children share in which God did something that seemed impossible?
- Help the children memorize Luke 1:37. To do this, you could write the verse on the board and invite the children to recite it several times. After each time, erase one word.
Friend January 2023 “Come, Follow Me Activities: A Nativity Story”
Story: Elisabeth and Zacharias wanted to have a baby, but Elisabeth was too old. One day, an angel told Zacharias that they would have a son! Their son was John the Baptist. Elisabeth and Zacharias learned that with God, nothing is impossible. (See Luke 1:11–14, 37.)
Song: “A Child’s Prayer” (Children’s Songbook,12–13)
Activity: Try this “impossible” task! First, bend your middle finger under. Then put your hand down on a table, palm down. Now try to lift your ring finger. Then ask someone else to lift it for you. How has Heavenly Father helped you do something that did not seem possible?
Liahona January 2023 “Families and the Light of the World: Come, Follow Me Family Fun”
Doing Hard Things with God’s Help
Like Mary and her cousin Elisabeth in the New Testament (see Luke 1:5–55), sometimes we are asked to do hard things and may wonder if we can.
- Set an empty container, such as a bucket or a box, at one end of the room.
- Give each family member a feather.
- Starting on the opposite end of the room from the container, have each family member try to get their feather into the container by blowing it to keep it in the air as they cross the room.
- To make it more challenging, allow only 30 seconds, and use a straw to blow air on the feather. Continue to decrease the allotted time until the activity becomes impossible.
Discussion: Keeping in mind that some challenges may not be resolved in this life, share an experience that strengthened your testimony that “the things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27) What small steps can you take each day to achieve tasks in your life that seem impossible?
For the Strength of Youth January 2023 “The Ultimate Miracle” Stories about ancient miracles and modern miracles and the ultimate miracle of the atonement
Friend January 2023 “For Older Kids”
Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Matthew 1:21–25; Luke 1:30–35, 46–47
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1” Jesus Christ is the Son of Heavenly Father and Mary. What can you do to help the children learn more about Him?
Tell the children that the angel told Mary that her baby would be called the Son of God (see Luke 1:35). Help the children repeat the phrase “Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
- Younger children:Help the children understand who Jesus’s parents were by inviting them to draw pictures of their own parents. As they do this, tell them that Jesus had parents too—Mary and Heavenly Father. In addition, Joseph was asked to protect and take care of Jesus while He lived on earth. (See Red Crystal for an activity page for this part)
- Older Children: Ask the children to read Luke 1:30–35, looking for answers to these questions: “Who is Jesus’s mother?” and “Who is Jesus’s Father?” Help them understand that Jesus Christ is the only person who had a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal Father, Heavenly Father (see also 1 Nephi 11:18–21).
Share your testimony that because Jesus was the Son of God, He could die for our sins and come back to life. Show pictures of Jesus’s Crucifixion and Resurrection (see Gospel Art Book, nos. 57, 59).
President Russell M. Nelson explained that the Atonement of Jesus Christ “required a personal sacrifice by an immortal being not subject to death. Yet He must die and take up His own body again. The Savior was the only one who could accomplish this. From His mother He inherited power to die. From His Father He obtained power over death” (“Constancy amid Change,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 34).
- As you read these verses, invite the children to search for names or titles of Jesus Christ. What do these names mean, and what do they teach us about Jesus?
- Share your testimony of Jesus Christ, and invite the children to share their testimonies as well.
Heavenly Father answers my prayers.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1” Zacharias and Elisabeth had probably been praying for a child for many years. Eventually Heavenly Father answered their prayers by sending them a son, John the Baptist. How can you use this story to teach the children that Heavenly Father answers prayers?
- In your own words, share the story from Luke 1:5–25, 57–63. You may want to repeat the story a few times. Assign children to play the parts of Zacharias, Elisabeth, and the angel and act out the story. Emphasize the angel’s words to Zacharias: “Thy prayer is heard” (Luke 1:13). Share an experience in which Heavenly Father answered your prayer.
- Use “We Bow Our Heads” (Children’s Songbook, 25) or another song to teach the children how to pray. Every time the children sing the words “pray” or “prayer,” invite them to bow their heads and fold their arms.
- Ask each child to do actions that represent something he or she can pray for. Let the other children guess what the actions represent. They can find ideas on this week’s activity page.
Heavenly Father hears and answers my prayers.
Come, Follow Me—For Primary: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1” God answers prayers but not always in ways we might expect. How can you use the account of Zacharias and Elisabeth to teach the children this truth?
- Ask the children what they would say to someone who had prayed for a blessing but had not received it yet. Invite them to think about this question as they read together Luke 1:5–25, 57–66. (See also “Chapter 1: Elisabeth and Zacharias” and “Chapter 3: John the Baptist Is Born,” in New Testament Stories, 6–7, 10–11, or the corresponding videos on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.) What might Zacharias and Elisabeth tell someone who felt their prayer wasn’t being answered?
Friend March 2019 “Faith and Raindrops” A girl has faith that her prayer for rain will be answered, but she learns that we also need to have faith in God’s timing.
Friend October 2016 “The Loose Tooth Test” Tessa says a prayer that her loose tooth that is bothering her will fall out. Tessa learns that sometimes the answer is to wait.
For whatever reasons, God’s timing meant that the blessing Elisabeth and Zacharias desired, to have a child, came much later than they expected. If you find yourself having to wait for a blessing, or if it seems that God isn’t hearing your prayers, the story of Elisabeth and Zacharias can be a reminder that He hasn’t forgotten you. He has a plan for you, and He always keeps His promises to His righteous Saints. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland promised, “Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don’t come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come” (“An High Priest of Good Things to Come,” Ensign, Nov. 1999, 38). Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families: New Testament 2023 “Matthew 1; Luke 1”
- Invite several children ahead of time to share experiences when Heavenly Father answered their prayers. Share a time in which you felt your prayers were answered in an unexpected way.
- Invite the children to draw a picture of a time when Heavenly Father answered a prayer—especially one of their own. Let them share their drawings with the class.
Additional Resources
Red Crystal “Matt 1; Luke 1” Lesson ideas
Mary and Elisabeth Rejoice Together Video
