“December 19–25. Christmas: ‘We Have Waited for Him, and He Will Save Us,’” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: Old Testament 2022 (2021)
“December 19–25. Christmas,” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: 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”
During your personal study and preparation to teach, consider how you can help class members feel the resounding joy of the Savior’s birth. Invite the Spirit to testify to them of Jesus Christ’s redeeming love.
Record Your Impressions
Invite Sharing
Christmastime might be a good opportunity to invite class members to share how studying the Old Testament has strengthened their faith in Jesus Christ.
Teach the Doctrine
We rejoice in our Redeemer.
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Even though Christmas is known as a season of joy, there are many whose circumstances make it hard to find joy, even during this time of year. An important message of Christmas is that the Savior can ease our burdens and help us find peace and even joy. To share this message, you could write on the board the following scripture references: Psalm 35:9; Isaiah 25:8–9; 44:21–24; 51:11; Zephaniah 3:14–20; Moses 5:5–11. Then you could write on the board a question for class members to ponder as they read the passages, like What reasons do these scripture passages give to be joyful? Ask them to share what they find. Perhaps you could also give class members time to write about their own joy in the Savior. They might find additional insights from President Russell M. Nelson’s message in “Additional Resources.”
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Christmas provides opportunities to spread the joy of Christ by serving others. Ahead of class, you might invite a class member to review Elder Ulisses Soares’s message “A Modern Angelic Host” (First Presidency Christmas devotional, Dec. 8, 2019, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org) and come prepared to share how an act of service helped Elder Soares and his family feel the joy of Christmas. You could also share portions of his message in class. Class members could share their own experiences of giving or receiving acts of service at Christmastime. How can we act on Elder Soares’s invitation to follow the Savior’s “perfect example of love and goodwill toward men”?
Symbols can help us remember Jesus Christ.
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This week’s outline in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families lists some symbols in the Old Testament that teach about Jesus Christ. Class members could share what they learned about the Savior from these and other symbols they found in their study. What have we learned about finding the Savior in the scriptures? What experiences have taught us that “all things are created and made to bear record of [Him]”? (Moses 6:63).
God gave us the gift of His Son.
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Gift giving is a Christmas tradition in most cultures. You could lead a discussion with class members about the gifts God has given us, especially the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. To do this, you could share the video “He Is the Gift” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) and invite class members to share what the gift of the Savior means to them. How can we show Heavenly Father our gratitude for this gift?
“His name shall be called Wonderful.”
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The prophet Isaiah used many names and titles to describe the Messiah, who would be born in Bethlehem (see for example, Isaiah 7:14; 9:6). Perhaps class members would enjoy learning more about the Savior and His mission by learning about these titles. They could pick a title and find other scripture passages that help them understand what it means. For example, they might learn more about the title “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) by reading Psalm 85:8; Isaiah 52:7; Luke 2:14; or John 16:33. To help class members find other scriptures, suggest that they look in Guide to the Scriptures (scriptures.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). What do these titles suggest about the Savior and what He does for us?
Additional Resources
Jesus Christ offers peace and joy.
President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation … and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel it at Christmastime when we sing, ‘Joy to the world, the Lord is come’ [Hymns, no. 201]. And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy! …
“Just as the Savior offers peace that ‘passeth all understanding’ [Philippians 4:7], He also offers an intensity, depth, and breadth of joy that defy human logic or mortal comprehension” (“Joy and Spiritual Survival,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2016, 82).
Improving Our Teaching
Prepare with people in mind. “Let your understanding of the people you teach guide your plans. … Christlike teachers are not committed to a particular style or method; they are committed to helping people build faith in Jesus Christ” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 7).