SCRIPTURE
Luke 1:57-64
Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God.
SONG
Gentle Mary Laid Her Child
(Same tune as “Good King Wenceslas”)
Gentle Mary laid her Child
Lowly in a manger;
There He lay, the undefiled,
To the world a stranger:
Such a Babe in such a place,
Can He be the Savior?
Ask the saved of all the race
Who have found His favor.Angels sang about His birth;
Wise men sought and found Him;
Heaven’s star shone brightly forth,
Glory all around Him:
Shepherds saw the wondrous sight,
Heard the angels singing;
All the plains were lit that night,
All the hills were ringing.Gentle Mary laid her Child
Lowly in a manger;
He is still the undefiled,
But no more a stranger:
Son of God, of humble birth,
Beautiful the story;
Praise His name in all the earth,
Hail the King of glory!
ACTIVITY
If your kids have special meanings attached to their names, you can start by talking about them, and then segue into talking about the names of Jesus.
With younger kids, ask them to tell you any names of Jesus they might remember, and then talk about some of the different names that Jesus has and what they mean (Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Way, the Truth, the Life, the Door, the Good Shepherd, etc).
For older kids, you can have a timed race to see how many different names of Jesus they can remember and write down, look up the verses associated with them, and then talk about what they mean.
This seems to be a comprehensive list with references included: All the Names of Jesus | Bible Resources
