编者按
这是一套在美国很受欢迎的教材，按年龄共分三部分：0-6岁学龄前儿童教程，6-12岁学龄儿童教程，和12岁以上青少年教程。我们将陆续翻译成中文，分享给大家。
这套教材里的每一篇，无论是教程还是各种活动，都独立成篇，没有先后顺序，大家可以按需要和负担选择使用。
*更多内容：thedoorofsheep.com/青少年 课程目的
这节圣诞课向学生讲授以利沙伯和她在圣诞故事中的作用。
1. 使学生的心为庆祝圣诞做好准备
2. 向学生介绍圣诞故事中鲜为人知的女性人物。
3. 提醒学生注意神在他们自己生活中的应许。
主题
基督的诞生, 圣诞节, 认识耶稣, 预言
背诵经文
路加福音1:45
开始祷告(5-10分钟)
团队建造(10分钟)
一般讨论：
- 快! 让我们想出有史以来最有名的三个人! (让学生喊出名字--耶稣、乔治-华盛顿、纳尔逊-曼德拉、勒布朗-詹姆斯等）
- 我们有没有说出任何女性的名字--为什么有或没有？(让学生回答)
- 人类历史上有哪些最著名的女性？(埃及艳后、罗莎-帕克斯、特蕾莎修女，等等)
我给你们一个小测验。我将说出四个女性的名字。让我们看看你是否知道她们做了什么。(女性和答案如下)
1. 马拉拉-尤萨夫扎伊：是有史以来最年轻的诺贝尔和平奖得主。在15岁时，她因要求为女孩提供教育而差点被塔利班暗杀。十几岁的时候，她在联合国发表演讲，出版了一本书，并赢得了诺贝尔和平奖。
2. 玛丽-居里：创立了放射学，有效地发现了治疗癌症的方法。她也是第一个获得诺贝尔奖的女性，也是第一个两次获得诺贝尔奖的人。
3. 英迪拉-甘地：作为世界上最大的民主国家印度的领导人，英迪拉成为对印度妇女和全世界妇女有影响力的人物，担任印度第一位也是唯一一位女总理。
4. 圣女贞德：被认为是法国的民族英雄，她领导了对英国入侵的抵抗，认为从英国手中解放法国是她的神圣使命。她剪了头发，穿得像个男人一样，带领部队。
这四位女性是人类历史上最著名的人物之一，但你可能对她们了解可能不多。
课堂起头(5分钟)
一般讨论：
1. 你能想到有人对你做出承诺，但没有遵守吗？(允许学生分享故事）
2. 承诺被打破让你对自己有什么感觉？(允许学生思考......他们可能觉得自己没有什么价值，对方不可靠，等等）
3. 你能想到你曾有过没有遵守承诺的时候吗？是什么让你没有这样做？(懒惰，健忘，等等）
今天我们将开始一个圣诞节系列。我们将专注于圣诞叙事中一些鲜为人知的人物，特别是来自路加福音的人物。我们将专注于女性。正如我们已经讨论过的，在人类历史上有一些传奇的女性，我们几乎不知道。圣诞故事也是如此。你可能会谈论那些男人--牧羊人、约瑟、智者等等。我们将在未来几周学习的三位女性也不例外。你可能听说过她们，但你了解她们吗？你是否允许她们教导你？
深入学习(35分钟)
读 路加福音1:5-25
问题讨论：
1. 在这段经文中，我们见到了哪一对夫妻？(撒迦利亚和以利沙伯)
2. 为什么这对夫妇没有孩子？(以利沙伯不能生孩子，而且他们都很老了）
3. 在这段经文中，天使向谁显现？天使说什么？（撒迦利亚，天使说他将有一个儿子）
4. 一旦以利沙伯怀孕，她说什么？（"主在眷顾的日子，这样待我，要把我在人间的羞耻除掉"......等等）。
从这部分故事中我们知道的是，有一对亲爱的男女一直在等待一个自己的孩子，加百列出现在他们面前，说会有的。但也正在这个时候，另一个孩子被预言要出生。
读 路加福音1:26-38
问题讨论：
1. 在这段经文中，我们见到的是哪一对夫妇？ 马利亚和约瑟）
2. 为什么这对夫妇没有孩子？(他们还没有结婚）
3. 加百列给马利亚的信息是什么？(她将怀孕并生下一个儿子）
4. 在第36节中，天使提供了什么证据来证明自己的信用？ (即使是马利亚的亲戚以利沙伯，她已经年老，也怀孕了，而且已经六个月了)
5. 马利亚对天使的反应是什么？（"情愿照你的话成就在我身上"）
这之后，两位女性以一种特殊的方式见面。只有路加记录了这次会面。
读 路加福音1:39-45
问题讨论：
1. 当马利亚问候以利沙伯时，发生了什么？ (所怀的胎就在腹里跳动，以利沙伯且被圣灵充溢)
2. 以利沙伯向马利亚说了什么？ (强烈的祝福和感赞)
3. 她如何称呼仍在马利亚腹中的孩子？ (她称祂为 "主")
4. 以利沙伯为什么如此高兴？(因为神实现了对她的应许，她感受到了来自神的丰富恩典）
当我们临近圣诞节的时候，重要的是要记住，耶稣来到世界上是一个伟大的应许得到了实现。没有人喜欢承诺不兑现。福音的好消息是，神遵守了祂的应许--祂在耶稣身上实现了这些应许。
应用(15分钟)
我们已经谈到了当有人不遵守承诺时我们的感受。耶稣的到来，是神对人类的应许，是很久以前的应许。神遵守祂的应许。应许是圣经的一个中心主题。
"应许"一词在圣经中出现了200多次，出现在圣经三分之二的书中，在旧约和新约中都有出现。
让我们看一下其中的几个例子。
选择几个学生，每人读一段：
创世纪 21：1
出埃及记 32：13
申命记 1：11
列王记 6：12，
诗篇105：42。
问题讨论：
1. 读了所有这些经文之后，就神所做的应许，可以得出什么结论？(祂遵守自己的诺言）
2. 我们读到，神会遵守祂的应许到多久？("永远"、"世世代代 "等)
3. 你认为神曾经违背过应许吗？(没有......这违背了祂的本性）
既然我们知道信守应许是神的本性，我们就可以知道，祂关于耶稣的应许是祂一直想遵守的。现在让我们回到路加福音第一章和以利沙伯的故事。有一节经文值得记住。
读 路加福音1:45
现在让我们一起大声背诵这句话。
(和你的学生一起再次背诵这节经文)
我们从圣经中知道，神是一个守信的人。你自己的经历是什么？
一般讨论：
- 你能想到在你的生活中，有什么应许是神所承诺的吗？(也许学生们会想到，神爱他们、拯救他们、与他们同在的应许等）
- 也许你感受到了失约的沉重，尽管你知道神的本性是守约的，但你想知道神为什么要花这么长时间？以利沙伯多年来会有这种感觉吗？一旦神实现了祂的应许，她的感觉会如何？(她肯定会这样，但这肯定也会增加她的喜悦和欣慰）
- 你是否相信，即使你生活中的一切都不完美，即使有应许尚未实现，神也会兑现祂的话语？ (允许学生在此的坦诚，即使有人表示怀疑......以利沙伯肯定也有这种感觉！）
让我们再看看路加福音1:45中以利沙伯的话。
再读 路加福音1:45
让我们再次一起背诵这节经文。让我们把它记在心里。
(与你的学生一起再次背诵这节经文)
我们从圣经和自己的经验中知道，神遵守祂的应许。
也许在你年轻的时候，你会和朋友或兄弟姐妹用小指头搭在一起，以正式确定一个承诺。有些人称这为 "小指承诺 "或 "小指发誓"。我想让你和你身边的人合上小指，让我们再背诵一遍这节经文。
(与学生一起再背诵一次路加福音1:45）。
神是应许的守护者，在所有经文中，也在我们的生活中。而在圣诞节，正如我们在路加福音的开头看到的那样。在我们期待着即将到来的王--婴孩救主耶稣时，愿我们记住祂是一个戏剧性的例子，说明神遵守了祂对我们的应许!
结束祷告(2分钟)
赞美神通过耶稣信守了祂的应许。
**** 英文版 *******
Women of Christmas
Lesson 1: Elizabeth
LESSON OBJECTIVES
This Christmas lesson teaches students about Elizabeth and her role in the Christmas story.
Goals
1. To prepare students’ hearts for the celebration of Christmas 2. To introduce students to the lesser known heroes of the Christmas story — the women 3. To remind students of the promises of God in their own lives
Topics
Birth of Christ, Christmas, Knowing Jesus, Prophecy
Scripture Memorization
Luke 1:45 OPENING PRAYER (5 to 10 minutes)
GROUP BUILDING (10 minutes)
General Discussion: • Quick! Let’s come up with the three most famous people ever! (Let students shout nominees — Jesus, George Washington, Nelson Mandela, LeBron James, etc.) • Did we name any women — why or why not? (Allow students to respond.) • Who are some of the most famous women in human history? (Cleopatra, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, etc.)
I’m going to give you a little quiz. I’m going to name four women. Let’s see if you know what they did. (Women and answers below)
1. Malala Yousafzai — Malala is the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner of all time. At the age of 15, she was nearly assassinated by the Taliban for demanding education for girls. As a teenager, she made speeches at the United Nations, published a book, and won that Nobel Peace Prize. 2. Marie Curie — Marie founded the science of radioactivity, effectively discovering cures for cancer. She also was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win the Nobel prize twice. 3. Indira Gandhi — The leader of India, which is the world’s largest democracy, Indira became an influential figure for Indian women and women around the world, serving as India’s first and only female Prime Minister. 4. Joan of Arc — Considered a national hero of France, she led a resistance to the English invasion, considering it her divine mission to free France from England. She cut her hair and dressed like a man to lead troops.
These four women are among the most famous in human history, but you likely didn’t know a lot about them.
GETTING STARTED (5 minutes)
General Discussion: 1. Can you think of a time when someone made a promise to you that they did not keep? (Allow students to share stories.) 2. How did the broken promise make you feel about yourself? About the other person? (Allow students to reflect…they likely felt like they weren’t worth much, that the other person was not dependable, etc.) 3. Can you think of a time when you made a promise you did not keep? What kept you from doing so? (Laziness, forgetfulness, etc.)
Today we’re going to begin a Christmas series. We’ll be focusing on some of the lesser known heroes of the Christmas narrative, particularly from the Gospel of Luke. We’re going to focus on the women. As we’ve already discussed, there are some legendary women in human history that we barely know about. The same is true with the story of Christmas. You can likely talk about the men — the shepherds, Joseph, the Wise Men, etc. The three women we’ll study in the coming weeks are no exception. You may have heard of them, but do you know them? Have you allowed them to teach you?
DIGGING DEEP (35 minutes)
Read Luke 1:5-25
Discussion Questions: 1. What husband/wife duo do we meet in this text? (Zechariah & Elizabeth) 2. Why was the couple childless? (Elizabeth was not able to have children, and they were both very old.) 3. In this passage, and angel appears to who? What does the angel say? (Zechariah, the angel tells him that he will have a son.) 4. Once Elizabeth becomes pregnant, what does she say? (“The Lord has done this for me…He has shown His favor” …etc.)
What we know from this part of the story is that there is a dear woman and man who have long waited to have a child of their own, and Gabriel appears to them and says it will be so. But it is at about this same time that another child is prophesied to be born.
Read Luke 1:26-38
Discussion Questions: 1. What couple do we meet in this passage? (Mary & Joseph) 2. Why is this couple childless? (They are not yet married.) 3. What message does Gabriel give to Mary? (That she will become pregnant and give birth to a son.) 4. What proof does the angel offer that he should be believed in verse 36? (That even Mary’s relative Elizabeth, who is aged, is pregnant and in her sixth month.) 5. What is Mary’s response to the angel? (“May it be so.”)
After meeting two couples, and two wonderful women, the two meet in a special way. Only Luke records this meeting.
Read Luke 1:39-45
Discussion Questions: 1. When Mary greets Elizabeth, what happens? (Elizabeth’s baby leaps in her womb and Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.) 2. What does Elizabeth offer Mary? (A strong blessing and exclamation.) 3. How does she refer to Mary’s baby, still in the womb? (She calls him “Lord.”) 4. It is clear that Elizabeth is overwhelmed with emotion — why is she so pleased? (Because God has kept His promise to her, and she feels abundant favor from God.)
As we approach the Christmas season, it is important to remember that the arrival of Jesus into the world is a great promise kept. No one likes it when someone breaks a promise. The Good News of the Gospel is that God keeps His promises — and He kept them in the person of Jesus. MAKING IT REAL (15 minutes)
We already talked about how we feel when someone doesn’t keep a promise. This coming, this arrival of Jesus into humanity is a promise kept — a promise made long ago. God keeps His promises. Promises are a central theme of the Scripture.
The word “promise” occurs well over 200 times in the Bible. It’s in two-thirds of the Bible’s books. It’s used equally in the Old and New Testaments.
Let’s take a look at just a few occasions:
Select students to each read one of the following passages: Genesis 21:1, Exodus 32:13, Deuteronomy 1:11, 1 Kings 6:12, and Psalm 105:42
Discussion Questions:
1. Having read all these passages, what do you sense is true about the promises God makes? (He keeps His promises.) 2. How long do we read God keeps His promises? (“forever,” “for generations,” etc.) 3. Do you think God has ever broken a promise? (He has not…it is contrary to His nature.)
Since we know that it is God’s character to keep promises, we can know that His promise concerning Jesus is one that He intended to keep all along. Let’s return to Luke 1 and the story of Elizabeth now. This is a verse worth memorizing:
Read Luke 1:45
Let’s recite that out loud together now:
(Recite the verse again with your students)
We know from Scripture that God is a keeper of promises. But what about your own experience?
General Discussion: • Can you think of a promise in your life that God has kept? (Maybe students reflect on God’s promise to love them, save them, be with them, etc.) • Maybe you feel the weight of a broken promise, and even though you know God’s nature is that of a keeper of promises, you are wondering what is taking God so long? Do you think Elizabeth felt this way over the years? How do you think she felt once God fulfilled His promise? (She surely did, and it must have only added to her joy and relief.) • Do you believe, even if everything in your life is imperfect, that even if there are promises yet fulfilled, God will make good on His word? (Allow honesty here from students, even if some express doubt…surely Elizabeth felt that, too!)
Let’s look at Elizabeth’s words one more time in Luke 1:45:
Read Luke 1:45 again
Let’s recite that verse again, together. Let’s commit it to memory.
(Recite the verse again with your students)
We know from Scripture, and from our own experience, that God keeps His promises.
Maybe when you were younger you would latch pinky fingers with a friend or sibling to formalize a promise. Some people call this a “pinky promise” or “pinky swear.” I want you to join pinkies with someone near you, and let’s recite the verse one more time.
(Recite Luke 1:45 once more with students.)
God is a keeper of promises. All of Scripture. In our lives. And at Christmas, as we see here at the beginning of Luke. As we look forward to our coming King, the infant Savior, Jesus, may we remember that He is a dramatic example of God keeping His promises to us!
CLOSING PRAYER (2 minutes)
Praise God for keeping His promise through the person of Jesus
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