ADVENT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH

 

Here is a 60-minute classroom activity plan for teaching a catechism class about the advent of Jesus the Messiah. The advent of Jesus was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

ADVENT OF JESUS THE MESSIAH

(60 minutes Classroom Activity Plan)

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this session, children should be able to:

• Understand that Jesus is present throughout the whole Bible
• Know that the advent of Jesus the Messiah was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament.

ACTIVITY:

1. Opening prayer and introduction: (5 minutes):

• Begin with a short prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help the children learn and understand God’s holy Word.

Opening prayer:

“Dear Jesus, thank You for loving us through all time. Help us to see how You are in the stories of the Bible. Give us understanding of how Your advent was promised in the Old Testament long ago. Help us to know how You are working in our world today. Amen.”

 2. Introduction & Whiteboard Activity: (10 minutes)

Objective:

Introduce the connection between the Old and New Testaments regarding the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

 Materials:

• Bibles or printed handouts of key passages
• Whiteboard/markers or chalkboard
• Timeline of Old and New Testament advent prophecies and events (poster or printout)
• “Old and New Testament advent figures” flashcards or cut-outs
• Worksheet: “Old and New Testament advent exploration”
• Colouring or drawing supplies (optional).

 Activity Steps:

Stories of Old and New Testaments regarding the advent of Jesus the Messiah: (10 minutes)

Mini-lecture and visual aid:

• Use whiteboard or timeline poster briefly to explain the advent of Jesus
• Draw two large columns marked Old Testament and New Testament.

·    Ask the students: “What stories do you know from the Old Testament?” (Write answers such as King David who had been a shepherd, Joseph who was sold as a slave and rose to prominence in Egypt in the Old Testament, Joseph the husband of Mary in the New Testament, Moses who parted the Red Sea, Mary who was asked by God to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God, Noah who built the ark and saved his family and the animals of the world)

·     Ask the group: “What stories do you know from the New Testament?” (Write answers such as the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the miracles Lord Jesus performed and names of the disciples of Jesus)

·      Explain: “The Old Testament told us that Jesus would arrive.”  The New Testament shows us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, as had been foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament

·   Draw a simple bridge or cross between the two columns, showing Jesus as the link between them.

3. Group Activity: Bible exploration: (10 minutes):

Objective: discover the Presence of Jesus in Old and New Testaments

Materials: Bibles or printed verses, paper, pencils

Method: Allow students to work in pairs or small groups

Pair of verses: Give each group a pair of verses to look up and discuss:

• Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 1:22–23 (Jesus’ birth foretold and fulfilled)
• Micah 5:2 → Luke 2:4–7 (Jesus born in Bethlehem)
• Isaiah 53:5 → John 19:16–18 (Jesus’ suffering)
• Psalm 22:16–18 → John 19:23–24 (Details of the crucifixion)

Sharing: Each group shares briefly what they found: proof that the Old Testament promised the advent of Jesus. Further, the New Testament shows that the ancient promises were fulfilled.

4. Character match-up Game: (10 minutes):

Objective:  

Connect Old Testament figures to the way they pointed to the advent of Jesus.
Materials:

Printed cards or paper slips with names and clues.

Instructions:

Create two sets of cards:

• Set A: Old Testament characters: Adam, Noah, Moses, David, Jonah and Isaiah
• Set B: How they point to Jesus:

·         “Saved us from sin” (Adam → Jesus is the New Adam)

·         “Saved people through water” (Noah → Baptism)

·         “Led people to freedom” (Moses → Jesus leads us to salvation)

·         “A shepherd king” (David → Jesus is the Good Shepherd and King)

·         “Three days in the fish” (Jonah → Jesus’ resurrection after three days)

·         “Spoke of the coming Messiah” (Isaiah → Jesus fulfilled prophecy).

• Make it fun: act it out, quiz style, or do a quick “Who am I?” game.

5. Role Play: (10 minutes)

Objective: Help children understand how Jesus fulfils Old Testament promises.

Instructions:

Choose children to act out short scenes:

• Prophet Isaiah announcing the advent of a Saviour
• Angel Gabriel explaining to Mary that God had asked her to give birth to Jesus the Saviour
• John the Baptist pointing to Jesus and saying, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

After each role play, explain how that shows God’s plan being fulfilled from the Old Testament to the New Testament. 

OR

6. Creative reflection: (10 minutes):

Option A (younger children): draw a story about the Nativity of Jesus from the New Testament.

Option B (older children): write a short reflection: “Why do you think God sent Jesus to earth as our Saviour?”

7. Closing prayer: (5 minutes):

Activity:

Gather the children in a circle. They can close their eyes and clasp their hands together in prayerful manner.

Prayer:
“Lord Jesus, thank You for being with us from the beginning of time. Thank You for keeping Your promises and showing us Your love. Help us to see You in all the stories of the Bible and in our lives each day. Amen.”

 

HOMEWORK:

Ask each child to draw a picture showing a story from the Old Testament that reminds them of Jesus (such as Moses parting the sea). Beneath the picture, they can write one sentence: “This story reminds me of Jesus because …”

 

 Image designed by Chatgpt