Sunday School Lesson Luke 1 Elizabeth, Mary, and the Magnificat
Music is one of many gifts that God gives us to praise and worship Him. We can use instruments, vocal songs, and prayers to recognize His love and thank Him for His blessings. This lesson considers how Mary praised the Lord with word and song after learning that she would be mother to the Messiah. Just as Mary and her cousin Elizabeth rejoiced at the news of Jesus, we can worship and thank God through music and other means.
This story features a remarkable and joyous family visit. Mary, miraculously pregnant with Jesus, travels to see her relative Elizabeth, who is also miraculously with child (John the Baptist). The child within Elizabeth’s womb recognizes who is in his presence, even though he’s not yet born! Elizabeth also understands the significance of this, and in response Mary bursts into song. All of these reactions remind us of the wonder behind Christ’s coming and His saving work. If infants and teens and elderly women give praise, so should we! God’s gift of His son is something that we can remember with delight and joyful thanksgiving, every day!
Sunday School Lesson on Luke 1 for Children: God’s Love for Mary and Elizabeth
Passage: Luke 1:39-55
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Construction paper; glue; markers or crayons; tape; scissors; decorative supplies; pipe cleaners/string; paper bags; cups; jingle bells; noise makers; wrapping paper; Bibles.
Lesson Opening: This lesson looks at giving praise to God, especially through music. If following an Advent lectionary, this will take place in the last week of Advent, prior to the official church Christmas time. Consider opening activities that connect to Christmas, worship elements, or Mary and Elizabeth.
- Christmas music freeze dance: Dance to some fun holiday music, pausing in a “freeze” motion when the music stops.
- Discuss favorite Christmas songs (or songs in general). Play “name that tune” with classic Christmas carols. For added challenge or older students, have kids take turns humming a song for the others to guess.
- Wrap it up race: split your group into two teams. Have each team select a designated person as a “present” and use wrapping paper and bows to decorate the person! Be careful to leave the head free. Judge winners based on speed and creativity.
- Jump and sing! Celebrate the story with songs that get kids dancing, singing, playing instruments, and making a joyful noise to God.
- Run and shout: this is a game best played outdoors. Line kids up and invite them all to run as far as possible WHILE shouting at the top of their lungs. When the air runs out to shout, students must stop where they are. Great test of lung capacity and energy!
- Embrace the impossible: find some fun riddles or tricks that make seemingly impossible things possible. It shouldn’t have been possible for Mary or Elizabeth to have children, but God made it happen!
- Jumping in the womb: if possible, show students ultrasound pictures of young babies, and explain how God has a plan for us even before birth. John the Baptist leapt with joy inside Elizabeth, and God had special plans for his life, as He does for ours.
Prepare students for the story by describing how these events took place shortly before Jesus was born, and capture some of the feelings that Mary must have been having. This passage also reminds us how important it is to praise God, and how we can do that in a variety of special ways!
Bible Lesson:
This passage is one that could potentially be acted out with script, puppets, or mimed action. You might have older students read or dramatize the parts, or you could read a few verses at a time and pause to discuss. You might also wish to simply read or paraphrase for younger students.
In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. -Luke 1:39-40
Explain (or remind students) that after the angel announced to Mary she would give birth to Jesus, he also told her that her relative Elizabeth was miraculously pregnant. Some people think that Mary went to visit her cousin to escape the prying eyes of townspeople noticing her condition. Many understand the visit to be an opportunity for rejoicing in what God had done for both women. It’s only natural to seek celebration and wise counsel in others, and Mary knew she could trust Elizabeth. It was about 80-100 miles for Mary to journey and see her relative, but worth the trip.
Bible Lesson: (Luke 1) Sunday School Lesson for Kids Explained for Children “Mary magnifies the Lord”
Ask: Who would you go to if you had wonderful news to share? Who would you want to talk to if you needed advice or help?
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” -Luke 1:41-45
Remind/tell students that Elizabeth was going to give birth to John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus. Both Elizabeth and the baby inside of her recognized that something amazing was happening with Mary. John, not yet born, leaped for joy when Mary approached! This child knew whose presence He was in. Elizabeth felt it and was filled with the Holy Spirit. This means God told her what was happening. She knew Who Mary was carrying, and she considered it an honor to be in her (and His) presence. Elizabeth also noted how wonderful it was that Mary believed and had been granted the ability to bear Jesus. Elizabeth had great faith. She had believed the angel who told her about her miraculous conception of John (although her husband doubted), and she knew that Mary’s pregnancy was also amazing.
Ask: What do you do when you get really great news? How do you act if you’re very joyful and excited about something special? How do we give praise to God for wonderful things?
Explain that John was rejoicing inside of Elizabeth, praising God in an infant’s way. Elizabeth glorified God and knew what He had done. There are a lot of wonderful ways that we can celebrate God’s hand and power in our lives. In this story, Mary responded with a joyful song. She rejoiced in what God had done.
Take some time to read the words of Mary’s “Magnificat.”
And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” -Luke 1:46-55
This song is somewhat similar to Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2, glorifying and praising the Lord for His faithfulness and salvation. Mary sang of the mighty works of God, and of His hand in her life and throughout the world. When wonderful things happen, we can celebrate and rejoice. We might sing or make music, we might jump and dance, we might do art, or just tell others that we love Jesus! There are so many ways we glorify God, and He welcomes and loves our genuine praise. No matter who we are or what we do, we can tell others of His love, and praise Him for who He is and what He does for us.
Ask: How can we praise God every day? What do we have to be joyful and excited about?
Close with prayer, thanking God for His many blessings and glorifying Him for His remarkable work in our lives and in the lives of others.