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FRIGHTENED!
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus .
Luke 1:30–31
One night, a young girl named Mary was sleeping. Suddenly, a loud voice woke her up! She opened her eyes to a bright light, and she didn’t know what was happening. Mary covered her face, wanting to hide from whatever was in her room.
But peeking through her fingers, she saw a beautiful creature all in white. “Greetings, Mary!” said the angel, whose name was Gabriel. “Don’t be afraid. God thinks you are really special. He wants you to be the mother of His Son. You will name Him Jesus.”
Mary was afraid and didn’t know what to think. She had never seen an angel before. Maybe she wanted to cry or tell the angel
to go away. Maybe she wanted to run away herself! But she didn’t. She loved God, and she was willing to do whatever God wanted her to do. God had a plan to bless Mary, and He wanted to bless the whole world through her. Even though she was frightened, she chose to obey God.
Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus. I’m glad Mary obeyed You even though she was afraid. When I feel afraid, help me to remember that You love me and that I am special to You.
THE KING
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luke 1:32–33
Most kings inherit their crowns from their fathers. When a king is born, he is called a prince. Then, when he is old enough, he becomes the king, and he rules over his kingdom. When he dies, or perhaps when he is
too old to be a good ruler, one of his sons will become the king.
Sometimes, a king will lose his kingdom altogether. Perhaps there is a war and another country steals his kingdom away. Or perhaps the people of his own kingdom decide they want a different king.
Jesus is a different kind of king, because His kingdom will never end. He is called the
Prince of Peace, but He is also the King of kings. He has always been the King, and He always will be. He is a good and kind ruler. He will never die, so He will never have to pass His crown on to anyone else. And no matter who may try to take His kingdom from Him, they will never win. The kingdom of God will remain forever, and Jesus will always be its ruler.
Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus to be a good and kind ruler. I’m glad He is the King, and that His kingdom will last forever.
ADOPTED
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother
Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 1:18
Mary and Joseph were planning to get married. They were excited about the wedding. They probably had a big celebration planned, with many guests and a delicious feast. Like most couples, they looked forward to having children someday.
But then Mary and Joseph learned that their first child would be God’s Son! They would be parents sooner than they expected. Jesus had two fathers. Joseph was His adoptive father. Joseph loved Jesus, and he taught Jesus all the things that a good father teaches his son. Joseph taught Him how to be a carpenter and how to be a good man. But God was Jesus’ father too. It was important for
everyone to know that Jesus was truly God’s Son. God sent Him as a gift to the world.
Just as Joseph adopted Jesus and raised Him as his own son, God wants to adopt each of us to be His children. He loves us, and He will teach us the things we need to know in life.
Dear Father, thank You for sending Your very own Son as a gift to the world.
Just as Joseph adopted Jesus, I know You want to adopt me and make me Your own child. Thank You for loving me and teaching me how to live.
NEW DAD
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the L ord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus : for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 1:20–21
Joseph was surprised to learn that Mary was going to have a baby. At first, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to adopt her son or not. One night, while he was trying to figure out what to do, he had a dream.
In this dream, an angel spoke to him. The angel said, “Joseph, don’t be afraid to make Mary your wife and adopt her son. He is God’s Son, but He will need a dad here on earth. His name will be Jesus, and He will be a blessing to the whole world.”
Joseph obeyed God and adopted Jesus. He became Jesus’ dad, and he was proud of his son. Sometimes, when we’re not sure what to do, we can just wait. If we ask God to help us, He will show us what He wants us to do.
Dear Father, sometimes I don’t know what to do. Help me to always look to You for answers. I know that You will help me to do the right thing. Thank You for leading me in the way I should go.
CHOOSING A NAME
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Before a baby is born, that baby’s parents spend a lot of time choosing a name for their child. A name is important, because it will stay with that child throughout life. Often, the parents will choose a name that reflects a positive character trait. Or sometimes they
will name their child after a person they admire.
When Jesus was born, He was given many names. Each name tells us something about who He is. He is called Wonderful because He is wonderful. He is called Counselor because He helps us to make good choices.
Jesus is the mighty God. He is not beneath God—He is God! He is one with the everlasting
Father. Even those who don’t have a father here on earth can claim Jesus as their Father. He will never stop being Father to all who ask. He is the Prince of Peace. Even when things are scary and unsettled, we can know peace if we know Jesus. Jesus has many more names, as well. Each name tells us how great He is. Each one lets us know how much He loves us.
Dear Father, thank You for giving Jesus many names so we can know more about Him. Help me to know and remember all the wonderful things about Him.
GOD WITH US
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 1:22–23
God had promised His people that His Son was coming to be their King. For a long, long time, they had looked forward to Jesus’ arrival. They had waited and hoped and prayed. It had been so long, some of them wondered if it
was ever going to happen! But God gave them signs to look for so they would know Jesus was really God’s Son. They were to look for a young girl who was going to have a baby. She would name her son Immanuel, which means “God with us.” When those things happened, they would know that God had kept His promise.
When Jesus was born, God truly did come to live with us. Instead of being in heaven where no one could see Him, He became a man. People could now talk to God and touch God
and hug God and laugh with God. Because Jesus is God, the people were able to be with Him. When Jesus came, God was really with us!
Jesus was with the people when He was born. Today, God is still with us, watching over us and caring for us. He is all around us, and we can talk to Him anytime. He promises to never, ever leave us.
Dear Father, thank You for choosing to be with us. I know I can talk to You anytime, and You will never leave me.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
Luke 1:37
Mary didn’t understand how she could be the mother of God’s Son. It didn’t seem possible to her. It just didn’t make any sense, and she felt confused.
“Don’t be confused,” the angel said to her. “God can do anything.” Then, he told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was going to have a baby too. Elizabeth was very old and had never had any children before. It seemed impossible for Elizabeth to have a baby at
her age. But God made it happen.
Mary accepted the angel’s explanation. She still didn’t understand, but she knew that God could do anything. She chose to trust Him, even though it didn’t make sense to her. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll do whatever God wants me to do.”
Sometimes, things don’t make sense to us. We don’t always understand what God is doing. But even when we feel confused, we
