Discuss the role of prophecy in the birth of Jesus

• What specific prophecy does Matthew remind us is fulfilled? (Isaiah 7:14)
• What other passages can you find in the Bible that prophesies Jesus' birth? (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 9: 2, 5-7)
• What is meaningful to you about Jesus being the fulfillment of prophecy?
• What does Herod discover about prophecy when the wise men (Magi) visit? (Matt 2:4-6; Micah 5:2)
• Read Jeremiah 31:15 and Matt. 2:18. To what incident in the history of Israel does this prophecy refer? (Look at II Chronicles 36:15-20)

The Angel Talking to Zacharias
Read Luke 1:5-25

Print/ Download Questions -- The Angel Talking to Zacharias

• Who is Zacharias?
• What is so important about the story of Zacharias? (Luke 1:5-25)
• Why do you think the story of Jesus' birth starts with the story of Zacharias?
• What was Zacharias doing when the angel appeared?
• What did the angel tell him?
• What happened to Zacharias?
• Who was Zacharias’ wife?
• Who was her famous cousin?
• Describe the kind of son Elisabeth and Zacharias were going to have?
• What did the angel tell Zacharias to name him?
• What was their son to do with his life?
• When did Zacharias speak again?

The Angel Talking to Joseph
Read Matt 1:18- 25

Print/ Download Questions -- The Angel Talking to Joseph

• Who is Joseph?
• What did the angel tell him?
• Why do you think Joseph was asleep when the angel spoke to him?
• What did it mean to be betrothed?
• Would you have married Mary?
• What kind of a person was Joseph?
• How do you know he took responsibility for Mary and her baby?
• Why did Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem?
• What happened while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem?

The Angel Talking to Mary
Read Luke 1:26-38

Print/ Download Questions -- The Angel Talking to Mary

• Which angel visited Mary? (Luke 1:26)
• If you were Mary, how would you respond to "the angel of the Lord”?
• What impresses you about Mary's response to the angel? (Luke 1:38)
• Why is it helpful to Mary to discover Elisabeth is pregnant?
• What happens when Mary greets Elisabeth? (Luke 1:41)
• Who is Jesus' famous cousin? (Luke 1:60; Matt 3:1)
• Who was Mary's husband? (Luke 2:4-5)
• Why didn't Mary stay home and have the baby in Nazareth? (Fulfillment of prophecy: Micah 5:2)

Elisabeth and the Birth of John
Read Luke 1:39-80

Print/ Download Questions -- Elisabeth and the Birth of John

• Who is Elisabeth?
• What kind of a family did she come from?
• What is special about her?
• How many children did she have?
• Who is related to her?
• How did she help Mary?
• What was her son’s relationship with Mary’s son?
• What did people want to name her son?
• Why did she stop them?

Jesus’ Birth
Read Luke 2:1-7

Print/ Download Questions -- Jesus’ Birth

• Where were Mary and Joseph traveling?
• How far was Bethlehem from Nazareth? (80 miles)
• Figure out 80 miles from your home – how long would it take you to walk that distance?
• Why were they going to Bethlehem?
• Do we have to do anything like that today?
• Where did they stay when they arrived?
• Where was Jesus born? [in the stable under the second floor of a house]
• What did Mary wrap him in?
• What are swaddling clothes?
• Do we wrap babies in anything like that today?
• What did they use for a bed for Jesus?
• Who sang at Jesus’ birth?
• Why was it important for anyone to sing at Jesus’ birth? [customary for neighbors to sing at a boy’s birth, not girls]
• Who came to visit Jesus?
• Why were these visitors important?

The Shepherds
Read Luke 2:8-20

Print/ Download Questions -- The Shepherds

• What were the shepherds doing before an angel appeared?
• What kind of a night was it when the shepherds saw the angel of the Lord?
• Were the shepherds frightened? Why?
• If you had been a shepherd, would you have been frightened by the angel's message?
• What did the angel tell them?
• Who joined the angel after the message was given to the shepherds?
• Why do you think they sang?
• Which Christmas carols do you know that mention the shepherds?
• Why do you think they were selected to visit Jesus? [shepherds know a pure lamb]
• How important are the shepherds to the story?
• If you were a shepherd, would you visit the baby Jesus?

Simeon and Anna
Read Luke 2:21-38

Print/ Download Questions -- Simeon and Anna

• Where did they take Jesus 8 days after his birth?
• Why did they take him to the temple?
• Who saw him in the temple?
• Who was Simeon?
• Who was Anna?
• What did they say when they saw Jesus?

The Wise Men
Read Matt 2: 1-12

Print/ Download Questions -- The Wise Men

• Who were these wise men?
• How many wise men visited Jesus? [We don't know. People assume three because of the three gifts they brought. There is reason to believe there may have been as many as a few dozen wise men accompanied by guards and servants. The group was so large that it may have frightened King Herod. (Sandy Silverthorne. The Awesome Book of Bible Facts. Eugene Oregon: Harvest House Publishers.)]
• What happened to the star when the Magi visited Herod?
• How old was Jesus when the Magi arrived? (some say two years old or why else would Herod have the children under two killed?)
• What kinds of gifts did they bring?
• How useful were these gifts? [helped them survive in Egypt]
• Why didn’t the wise men return to Herod?