The Shepherds Heard Good News

Luke 2:8-18

Our story comes from the Bible. It is in the part, or book, of the Bible called Luke. Luke loved Jesus and wrote about Him so that others could know Jesus and love Jesus, too.

The Bible tells us that on the night Jesus was born, some shepherds were out in the fields near the town of Bethlehem, watching their sheep.


Suddenly the sky was filled with light. An angel of the Lord appeared to them! There was light shining all around the angel. At first the shepherds were afraid. They didn’t know what to think.


The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I have good news of great joy for you and all people. God’s Son, Jesus, has been born today in Bethlehem. He is Christ the Lord. This is how you will know Him—He is a little baby wrapped in cloths and sleeping in a manger.”


The shepherds were surprised. God’s Son was born! Then the whole sky was filled with angels saying, “Glory to God in heaven and peace to those God is pleased with on earth!”


Soon the angels were gone. It was still and dark. The shepherds jumped up and ran toward Bethlehem. They wanted to see God’s Son.


The shepherds looked all over Bethlehem until they found Mary and Joseph. Baby Jesus was lying in the manger. This was what the angel had told them. This was God’s Son!


The shepherds didn’t keep this good news to themselves. They went and shared with everyone the angel’s good news and how they had seen the special bay, Jesus.


The angel shared good news. The shepherds shared good news. We share good news! God’s Son is born!


Bible Paraphrase: God send his Son. (But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law. Galatians 4:4 NIV)

Text Truth: We share good news.


Family Devotional

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. — Luke 2:16-18

 Just as the people who had to go to Bethlehem to be counted had to change their lives for a while, our routines can become different the closer we get to Christmas. Sometimes it seems as if the preparations control us instead of us controlling the preparations. 

 Take a look at how your routine has changed this season in preparation to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Find ways you can bask in Jesus' love and be open to His Word in the midst of the Christmas season.

 Be willing to adjust your routine in order to give Jesus priority each day as you prepare to celebrate His birth. Plan a way to share the good news of Jesus with your class and others in your life.


Activities You Can Do at Home


God Sent His Son

Sing the words of the Bible phrase to the tune of "O Christmas Tree." 

God sent His Son. God sent His Son.
(Point up.)
The Bible tells us this verse.
(Hold hands open like a book.)
God sent His Son. God sent His Son.
(Point up.)
The Bible tells us this verse.
(Hold hands open like a book.)
Galatians chapter four verse four.
(Hold hands like a book.)
Galatians chapter four verse four.
(Hold hands like a book.)
God sent His Son. God sent His Son.
(Point up.)
The Bible tells us this verse.
(Hold hands open like a book.)


Marshmallow Sheep 

Use marshmallows and stick pretzels to make sheep for your little shepherd to care for. As you make and eat your sheep, talk about the good news that the angel told the shepherd. 


Share Good News 

As you go places this week, let your child share good news with people you meet. Your preschooler might share the good news that grandparents are coming. Encourage your family to share the best news of all with people they meet this week—Jesus is born! 


Share, Talk, Help

Share the good news Of Jesus' birth with neighbors who might not know. As a family, talk about how you could share this news. Pick something that everyone in your family can help with.


Dress Up

Your family might want to dress up with robes and towels to illustrate each paragraph of the Bible story on the other side of this card. Take photos and mount them in a notebook. Read the story together every day until Christmas. 


Pray and Thank

At family prayer times, thank God for the good news that Jesus is born. Thank Him for the people that share the Good News with your family such as church leaders and Sunday school teachers.

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Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing and licensed by FreeBibleimages (http://freebibleimages.org) for free download under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 unported licence.
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