Joyful Moments in Christ

Good News for All People

This Sunday School lesson is intended for upper elementary students. All lessons on this website are protected by copyright, but you can use them for free in small groups or Sunday School classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not copy these pages and put them on other websites.

The Big Idea

God announced the birth of Jesus to humble shepherds, showing that the Savior is for everyone, and calling us to rejoice and share the good news.

Lesson Objectives

1. Understand that God chose to announce Jesus’ birth to ordinary shepherds.
2. Recognize Jesus as the Savior, Christ the Lord, born as promised.
3. See that the shepherds believed the message, responded with praise, and shared what they had seen.
4. Encourage students to praise God and share the good news of Jesus with others.

Class Setting Notes

1. Recommended for upper elementary Sunday School.
2. Lesson length: 45–60 minutes. Can be shortened or extended based on activities selected.

Opening Activity

“Surprise News!” Game

• Ask students to form small groups.
• Each group takes turns pretending to deliver a surprising piece of good news (real or made-up) to the rest of the class.
• Allow time for others to react with joy or surprise.

This activity helps introduce the shepherds’ experience of receiving joyful and unexpected news from God.

Bible Reading

Ask the class to read Luke 2:8–20 aloud together or have one person read it.

• Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 2:8-20 (ERV)
• Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 2:8-20 (NIRV)
• Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 2:8-20 (GNT)
• Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 2:8-20 (NLT)
• Hard: New International Version: Luke 2:8-20 (NIV)
• Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 2:8-20 (ESV)

Additional Reading: Choosing the Right Bible Translation: A Comparison of 7 Versions

Suggested prompts:

As the class reads aloud, consider asking some of these prompts:

1. Who are the main people in this story?
2. What kind of people were the shepherds, and why is that important?
3. What does the angel’s message say about who Jesus is?
4. How did the shepherds respond to what they saw and heard?
5. What does this passage tell us about how God works?

Teacher Background Notes

1. Shepherds were often viewed as lowly or unimportant in society, yet God chose them as the first recipients of the announcement.
2. The angel declares Jesus’ identity clearly: he is Savior, Christ (the Messiah), and Lord.
3. This passage fulfills Old Testament prophecy, especially the promise in Micah 5:2 that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.
4. The heavenly host (a multitude of angels) singing praise points to the glory of God’s plan of redemption.
5. The shepherds’ joyful obedience models the right response to the gospel: receive it, rejoice, and share it.

Theological Insights

1. God reveals the good news of Jesus to the humble, showing that salvation is for all people.
2. Jesus is the Savior promised in the Old Testament, who came to rescue sinners.
3. God’s glory is displayed not only in power but also in grace and mercy.
4. The proper response to God’s message is faith, worship, and witness.
5. Mary treasured God’s work in her heart, reminding us to meditate on what God has done.

Discussion Questions

Understanding the Text

1. Who were the shepherds, and what were they doing at night?
2. What happened when the angel appeared to them?
3. What message did the angel bring?
4. What were the signs the angel gave to the shepherds?
5. What did the shepherds do after the angels left?
6. How did people respond to the shepherds’ story?
7. What did Mary do with what she heard?
8. What did the shepherds do when they returned to their fields?

Personal Reflection and Application

1. Have you ever received joyful news that changed your day? What happened?
2. Why do you think God chose shepherds to hear the good news first?
3. What does this story show about how God views people the world might overlook?
4. How can you be like the shepherds and share the good news of Jesus with others?
5. What is one way you can praise God this week for the gift of Jesus?

Suggested Activities

Angel and Shepherd Scene Drawing

• Provide paper and art supplies.
• Ask students to draw the scene of the angel appearing to the shepherds and the night sky filled with God’s glory.
• Encourage them to write part of the angel’s message around the drawing.

This activity helps children imagine the awe of that night and remember the words of the angel.

“Glory to God” Song and Movement

• Teach a simple praise song or chorus based on Luke 2:14.
• Add motions or simple hand movements to help students memorize the words.

This activity reinforces the theme of worship and helps students participate in praising God like the angels.

Shepherd’s Message Scrolls

• Give each child a strip of paper and ask them to write or copy the angel’s message: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
• Roll the paper like a scroll and tie it with yarn.

This activity gives students a tangible way to remember and share the message of Christ’s birth.

Memory Verse

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11 (ESV)

Closing Prayer

Father,

Thank you for sending your Son to be our Savior. We praise you for your love and for the joyful message the angels shared. Help us to believe your word, rejoice in Jesus, and tell others about the good news of his birth.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

The ESL Version

I also create materials for adult English Language Learners (ELLs) and ESL students. You can find my ELL Bible Study based on Luke 2:8-20 here:

ELL Bible Study: Luke 2:8-20 — The Shepherds and the Angels

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English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.