Note to the parent or teacher: Here is a 20- to 30-minute lesson plan to fill out the post “Cities of the Bible: The Town of Nazareth.” It goes with the lesson objective “Learn about Jesus’ birth (as celebrated at Christmas), early life, and years before His ministry began.” (Christian Life and Faith: Biblical and Christian Foundation: Jesus, God’s Son-1b).

Read “Cities of the Bible: The Town of Nazareth.”

Read John 1:45–46.

Explain how the people of Israel in the time of Jesus were praying for the Messiah to come. They thought the Messiah would take the lead to help them overcome the foreign occupation of Rome.

To help the children relate to how unexpected it was for Jesus, who came from Nazareth, to be the one the prophets had written about, take a look at some of the world’s leaders today, such as the head of your country. Look at what educational and financial background your country’s current leader comes from.

Read John 1:46–51.

Ask the children what Philip told Nathanael to do. (Answer: Philip told Nathanael to go and see Jesus for himself.) Further discuss with your children about how in this story we see a very effective means of winning people to Jesus—encouraging them to personally talk to Jesus to learn for themselves how wonderful He is.

Read Luke 1:26–35 and Matthew 1:18–25.

Read Matthew 2:13–23. Here we understand why Jesus was living in Nazareth.

Discuss how God uses little places, little things, and little people to accomplish His purposes.

• Nazareth wasn’t too small and insignificant for Jesus, the Son of God, to be raised in.
• Mary wasn’t too insignificant to be the mother of Jesus.
• Joseph wasn’t too insignificant as a carpenter in a small town to care for Mary and Jesus.
• Several of the apostles came from insignificant backgrounds (such as fishermen, tradesmen, and a tax collector), but they weren’t too small to be used by God.
• Talk about how this relates to your and the children’s ability to be used by God.

Additional material:

• The series, “A Man Named Jesus”
• “The Intriguing Story of the First Christmas”