“December 19–25. Christmas: ‘We Have Waited for Him, and He Will Save Us,’” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: Old Testament 2022 (2021)
“December 19–25. Christmas,” Come, Follow Me—For Primary: 2022
For unto Us a Child Is Born, by Simon Dewey
December 19–25
Christmas
“We Have Waited for Him, and He Will Save Us”
The Old Testament prophets looked forward with great joy to the birth of the Messiah (see Isaiah 25:9). As you prepare to teach during the Christmas season, consider how you can help the children find joy in the birth of the Savior Jesus Christ.
Record Your Impressions
Invite Sharing
Invite the children to share what they know about Jesus Christ’s birth. As they mention a person or object from the story, invite them to draw it on the board. Ask the children what they love about this story.
Teach the Doctrine: Younger Children
The Old Testament teaches me about Jesus.
Help the children focus on the Savior Jesus Christ as the reason we celebrate Christmas. You can do this using scriptures from the Old Testament that testify of Him.
Possible Activities
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Display a picture of the nativity (such as Gospel Art Book, no. 30, or one of the pictures in this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families). Read Isaiah 9:6, giving each child a turn to point to the baby Jesus when they hear the phrase “a child is born.” Share your testimony that prophets in the Old Testament knew that Jesus would be born.
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Invite each child to say his or her name, and point out that in addition to our names, we can be called other things, like sister or brother or friend. Invite the children to think of other examples. Read Isaiah 9:6 to the children, emphasizing the names that refer to Jesus Christ: “Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Help the children understand what these names tell us about Jesus.
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Give each child a paper star, and invite the children to hold their stars up when you read the following phrase from Numbers 24:17: “there shall come a Star out of Jacob.” Invite the children to share how Jesus is like a bright star that shines to all the world. Sing together a song about the star that appeared when Jesus was born, such as “Stars Were Gleaming” (Children’s Songbook, 37) or “The First Noel” (Hymns, no. 213).
Jesus Christ is my Savior.
Christmas is a time to celebrate not only Jesus’s birth but also His life and mission as Savior of the world. How can you help the children feel joy and gratitude for Jesus Christ’s Atonement?
Possible Activities
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Ask the children to think of something that they are looking forward to. Explain that faithful people in Old Testament times looked forward to Jesus Christ’s birth. Read Isaiah 25:9 to the children, and have them repeat the phrase “We have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Share with them why you are glad and rejoice that Christ was born. Invite the children to share their feelings about the Savior.
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Sing together a song about Jesus’s birth, such as “Away in a Manger” (Children’s Songbook, 42–43) or “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” (Hymns, no. 209). Help the children discover phrases in these songs that teach us about our Savior and the blessings we have because of Him.
Teach the Doctrine: Older Children
The Old Testament teaches me about Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah.
The Old Testament is more than just a collection of interesting stories and writings; its purpose, like all scripture, is to testify of Jesus Christ. Help the children learn how to find Him in the Old Testament.
Possible Activities
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Invite the children to make a list of all the names and titles of Jesus Christ they can find in Moses 7:53; Psalm 23:1; Job 19:25; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 12:2; Amos 4:13; and Zechariah 14:16. Let them work in pairs if they would like. Invite them to share their lists with each other. What do we learn about the Savior from each of these names and titles?
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Show the children a few Christmas decorations (or pictures of some), such as a star, lights, or a gift. Ask the children how each of these things might remind us of the Savior. Explain that the scriptures often use symbols to teach us about Jesus Christ. Invite the children to look in one or more of the following verses for something that could symbolize Jesus Christ: Genesis 22:8; Exodus 17:6; Psalms 18:2; 27:1 (see this week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families for additional examples). How is Jesus like a lamb, water, rock, a fortress, or light?
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At the end of studying the Old Testament this year, invite the children to share their favorite stories or scriptures from the Old Testament. What do these stories or scriptures teach us about Jesus Christ? Why are we grateful to have the Old Testament?
Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer.
As we celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, we can also rejoice in His life and atoning sacrifice. How might you use scriptures from the Old Testament to help the children build their faith in their Savior and Redeemer?
Possible Activities
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Read together Isaiah 7:14; then invite the children to share what they know about Christ’s birth. Or show the video “The Nativity” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org), and invite each child to choose a person from the video and share how that person may have felt. Share your testimony about the Savior, and invite the children to do the same.
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To help the children better understand Jesus Christ’s role as our Savior, invite them to read Isaiah 25:8–9; 53:3–5; and Hosea 13:14. What do these scriptures teach us about how the Lord saves us? How can we “rejoice in his salvation”? (Isaiah 25:9).
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Sing a song together about Jesus Christ’s love for us, such as “Away in a Manger” (Children’s Songbook, 42–43) or “I Stand All Amazed” (Hymns, no. 193). Invite the children to share phrases that help them feel the Savior’s love.
Encourage Learning at Home
Invite the children to share with their families or a friend something they have learned about Jesus Christ from the Old Testament. Encourage them to begin studying the New Testament this week.
Improving Our Teaching
Create an environment that invites the Spirit. There are many ways you can invite the Spirit into your class. Music can encourage reverence. Expressions of love and testimony can create a warm, spiritual atmosphere. Prayerfully consider what you can do to create a spiritual environment in your class. (See Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 15.)