Jesus Without Language

 
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Elizabeth and Mary are today’s heroes because they show us the gift of Motherhood

Essential Teachers notes:

The of Christmas is often done in many parts, the birth of John the Baptist, the annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem, the shepherds account, and later the wise men and Anna and Simeon. All these parts are hugely important but this story wraps up the first two into one, giving those teachers who have a more hectic Christmas schedule a little breathing room. If you wish to split the story then this story probably works better for Elizabeth than Mary.

Main Passage : Luke 1
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Today’s story is about something that happens all the time. It’s about women who have babies. The first hero of this story is a woman called Elizabeth. Elizabeth was married to Zechariah, a man who worked in the temple. Elizabeth and Zechariah had been married a long time but Elizabeth had never been pregnant. she thought God had chosen not to bless her with children. One day when Zechariah came back from the Temple he couldn’t speak. He couldn’t speak the next day either, or the day after that. One of the other men from the temple told Elizabeth that Zechariah had met with God and God had stopped him speaking. When Elizabeth asked Zechariah what god had said Zechariah just pointed to Elizabeth’s tummy. Elizabeth got a paper for him to write it down and on the paper he wrote ‘baby’. Elizabeth was amazed, God had said she would have a baby?

Elizabeth’s tummy started to grow, she was going to have a very special baby and a very quiet husband. the house was so quiet she loved when her cousin Mary came to stay, but when Mary arrived a very strange thing happened.

Mary is the second hero of this story. Mary wasn’t old like Elizabeth, she was still a teenager. Mary has been sitting alone one day when an angel had come to give her a message from God. He told Mary that she would have a child too. Mary was confused, you needed a man and a woman to make a baby and while Mary hoped one day to marry Joseph, she couldn’t be pregnant, that was impossible. The angel reminded her that nothing was impossible for God, that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant, and that her child would be the son of God.

Mary decided to go see Elizabeth. She travelled to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home and as she got there she went straight to where Elizabeth was waiting for her. Elizabeth’s tummy was getting big and as Mary gave her a hug the baby jumped with excitement and Elizabeth felt God’s spirit inside here. Elizabeth recognised that Mary was carrying a baby like no other, a baby that she would one day call Lord.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months, Elizabeth helped her prepare for the baby and Mary helped Elizabeth prepare too. We know that Mary did marry Joseph and that on a dark night she gave birth to a baby that would be the light of the whole world. Jesus. Elizabeth gave birth to a little boy who she called John, when people questioned her choice of name her husband Zechariah wrote on a paper ‘his name is John’ and as the words were read out God gave him his voice back. Both Mary and Elizabeth had an important job in being a mother to these incredible men. Just like Elizabeth knew who Mary’s son really was long before everyone else, and called him Lord, John too became John the Baptist and prepared people for Jesus’ arrival.

Elizabeth and Mary are today’s heroes because they show us the gift of Motherhood