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Theme: Discovering Wisdom - God Sends a Savior.
1. Throughout the stories of the Old Testament, God promised a savior, a rescuer who would come and save his people and the whole world from sin. Name some people in the Old Testament who were looking for God’s promised savior.
2. Anna and Simeon waited their whole lives to meet the savior. As you listen to this episode, think about what faith looks like. How do you know that someone has faith in God?
After you listen
Memory Verse
At this time, Anna came in and praised God. She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.
Quiz
A: They were following the Law of Moses and presenting him to the Lord.
A: She was a prophet. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. In her youth, she had been married for seven years, but her husband died. 37 And now she was 84 years old. Night and day, she served God in the temple by praying and often going without eating.
Reflect
Read the story of Anna and Simeon in Luke 2: 22-38. How are they described? What are their stories?
Simeon was a good man who loved God. God’s Spirit had come to him and told him that he wouldn’t die until he had seen God’s promised savior.
Anna was a prophet who served God in the temple night and day. The Bible says that she had been a widow for a long time because her husband died after they had been married for just seven years.
Both Anna and Simeon met Jesus. Simeon had Jesus in his arms. Anna gave thanks to God and then spoke about Jesus to everyone.
Both had faith in God’s promises. Read the passage again and look for signs that show their faith. What would you have done if you had met the baby Jesus? Would you have praised God and given thanks for Jesus? Would you have wanted to hold him? Who would you have told about him?
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith: “Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” Read more about what faith is by reading the stories of faith in Hebrews 11. Check out some of the stories listed there, like the ones about Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, and Rahab.
Challenge
Imagine and wonder what it would have been like for Jesus, ruler of the universe, to come to us in the form of a baby. How would things be different for him?
Make a list of the questions and wonders that you have about Jesus as a baby. Talk to your parent, grandparent, or a church friend about your questions. We don’t have all the answers about that time, but we can praise God and give thanks for the gift of Jesus that God gave us. He loved the world so much that he sent Jesus to save us.
