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Jesus Is Baptized

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Matthew 3:1-15; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-12, 15-18, 21-22 Our true story comes from the parts of the Bible called the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, and the Gospel of Luke. Matthew was a disciple of Jesus. That means Jesus was his teacher. Mark loved Jesus and told people about Him so that they could know Jesus, too. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!”  A long time ago, before Jesus began teaching and helping people, there was a man named John. John loved God very much. God sent John to help people get ready for Jesus. John lived near a river. He told the people, “Turn back to God. God loves you.” People listened to John, and many were baptized in the river as a sign that they wanted to follow God. One day, Jesus came to the river. Jesus asked John to baptize Him. John was surprised. He knew Jesus was very special. But Jesus said it was the right thing to do—to listen to God and obey Him. So, John baptized Jesu...

Jesus in God's House

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Luke 2:41-52 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!” Every year, Jesus traveled with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem to celebrate a special holiday that thanked God. When Jesus was about twelve years old, He went with them, just like He always did. After the celebration was over, Mary and Joseph began their long journey home. They thought Jesus was walking with family and friends. But after a while, they could not find Him. They looked everywhere, but Jesus was not there. Mary and Joseph were very worried. They went back to Jerusalem and searched for Jesus. After three days, they found Him in God’s house—the Temple. Jesus was sitting with the teachers. He was listening carefully and asking good questions. The teachers were amazed at how much Jesus understood. Mary said, “Jesus, we were worried about You.” Jesus answered gently, “I needed to be in My Fathe...

Jesus Is Dedicated to God

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Luke 2:21-40 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!” When Jesus was still a baby, Mary and Joseph took Him to God’s special house, the Temple. They wanted to thank God for Jesus and do what God had asked them to do. Mary and Joseph loved God, and they wanted to raise Jesus in God’s ways. At the Temple, there was a kind, older man named Simeon. Simeon loved God very much. He had been waiting a long, long time for God to send the One who would help and save His people. God had promised Simeon that he would see this special child. When Simeon saw baby Jesus, God helped him know something wonderful. Simeon knew that Jesus was God’s special gift. Simeon held Jesus gently and thanked God. He was so happy because God had kept His promise. There was also an older woman named Anna at the Temple. Anna prayed and worshiped God every day. When Anna saw Jesus, she ...

God Keeps His Promises

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Luke 1:57-80 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!” A little while after Elizabeth learned she was going to have a baby, the happy day finally came. Elizabeth and Zechariah welcomed a baby boy, just as God had promised. Everyone around them was joyful. Their family and friends were happy because they could see that God had been very kind to Elizabeth. When it was time to name the baby, people thought he should have a family name. But Elizabeth said, “His name is John.” At first, everyone was surprised. Then Zechariah wrote down the name too—John. This was the name God had given the baby. As soon as Zechariah wrote the name, something wonderful happened. Zechariah could speak again! The first thing he did was praise God. He thanked God for keeping His promises and for helping His people. Zechariah talked about how God was getting ready to send Jesus. H...

God Hears Our Prayers

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Luke 1:5-25, 39 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!” A long time ago, before Jesus was born, there was a kind man named Zechariah and a kind woman named Elizabeth. They loved God very much. They prayed to Him, trusted Him, and tried to do what was right every day. Zechariah and Elizabeth wanted a baby, but for a long time they did not have one. This made them feel sad sometimes. Even so, they did not stop loving God or praying to Him. They believed that God was listening. One day, Zechariah went to God’s special house, the Temple, to pray. While he was there, something amazing happened. God sent an angel with an important message. The angel said, “Zechariah, God has heard your prayers. Elizabeth will have a baby boy.” Zechariah was very surprised. He wondered how this could happen. But God always keeps His promises. Soon, just as God said, Elizabeth...

The Wise Men Visit Jesus

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Matthew 2:1-12 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew was a disciple of Jesus. That means Jesus was his teacher. And the word gospel means “good news!” A long time ago, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a bright new star appeared in the sky. Far away in another land, some wise men saw the star shining. These wise men studied the stars, and they knew this one was very special. They said, “A great King has been born! Let’s follow the star and find Him.” So the wise men packed their bags and began a long journey. They rode over hills, crossed dusty roads, and traveled for many days and nights. But they didn’t give up. They wanted to find the special King God had sent. At last, the star led them to the land of Judea. They went to the big city of Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the child who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star and have come to worship Him.” King Herod, the ruler, did not like hearing about another king. He secretly to...

The Shepherds Hear Good News

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Luke 2:8-20 Our true story comes from a part of the Bible called the Gospel of Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wanted others to know and love Jesus, too. And the word gospel means “good news!” One quiet night near the town of Bethlehem, some shepherds were taking care of their sheep. The stars twinkled above them, and the fields were calm. The shepherds watched their sheep closely to keep them safe from danger. It was an ordinary night, just like many others. But suddenly, something amazing happened! A bright light filled the sky, and an angel of the Lord appeared right in front of the shepherds. The shepherds were so surprised and afraid that they covered their faces. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone. Today in Bethlehem, a Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord.” The angel told them, “You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Then, all at once, the sky filled with more angels—hundreds and hundreds of them! Th...