angel visits mary and joseph

Matthew 1:18-25 New International Version

Joseph accepts jesus as his son.

18  This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about [ a ] : His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ( A ) 19  Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet [ b ] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce ( B ) her quietly.

20  But after he had considered this, an angel ( C ) of the Lord appeared to him in a dream ( D ) and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, [ c ] ( E ) because he will save his people from their sins.” ( F )

22  All this took place to fulfill ( G ) what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” [ d ] ( H ) (which means “God with us”).

24  When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel ( I ) of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. ( J )

• Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this
• Matthew 1:19 Or was a righteous man and
• Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
• Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14

Cross references

• Matthew 1:18 : Lk 1:35
• Matthew 1:19 : Dt 24:1
• Matthew 1:20 : S Ac 5:19
• Matthew 1:20 : S Mt 27:19
• Matthew 1:21 : S Lk 1:31
• Matthew 1:21 : Ps 130:8; S Lk 2:11; S Jn 3:17; Ac 5:31; S Ro 11:14; Tit 2:14
• Matthew 1:22 : Mt 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9; Lk 4:21; 21:22; 24:44; Jn 13:18; 19:24, 28, 36
• Matthew 1:23 : Isa 7:14; 8:8, 10
• Matthew 1:24 : S Ac 5:19
• Matthew 1:25 : ver 21; S Lk 1:31

Luke 1:26-38 New International Version

The birth of jesus foretold.

26  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel ( A ) to Nazareth, ( B ) a town in Galilee, 27  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, ( C ) a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29  Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30  But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, ( D ) Mary; you have found favor with God. ( E ) 31  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ( F ) 32  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. ( G ) The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ( H ) 33  and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom ( I ) will never end.” ( J )

34  “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, ( K ) and the power of the Most High ( L ) will overshadow you. So the holy one ( M ) to be born will be called [ a ] the Son of God. ( N ) 36  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child ( O ) in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37  For no word from God will ever fail.” ( P )

38  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

• Luke 1:35 Or So the child to be born will be called holy,
• Luke 1:26 : S ver 19
• Luke 1:26 : S Mt 2:23
• Luke 1:27 : Mt 1:16, 18, 20; Lk 2:4
• Luke 1:30 : ver 13; S Mt 14:27
• Luke 1:30 : Ge 6:8
• Luke 1:31 : Isa 7:14; Mt 1:21, 25; Lk 2:21
• Luke 1:32 : ver 35, 76; S Mk 5:7
• Luke 1:32 : S Mt 1:1
• Luke 1:33 : Mt 28:18
• Luke 1:33 : 2Sa 7:16; Ps 89:3, 4; Isa 9:7; Jer 33:17; Da 2:44; 7:14, 27; Mic 4:7; Heb 1:8
• Luke 1:35 : Mt 1:18
• Luke 1:35 : ver 32, 76; S Mk 5:7
• Luke 1:35 : S Mk 1:24
• Luke 1:35 : S Mt 4:3
• Luke 1:36 : ver 24
• Luke 1:37 : S Mt 19:26

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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

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Why Did an Angel Speak to Joseph about Mary and Jesus?

We possess few details about Joseph, but that angelic spotlight highlights the nature of a man favored by the Lord to receive such a visit and such an invitation. He was not vengeful or violent; his character was peaceful, generous, and merciful. He obeyed God.

In 21st-century America, many unmarried women give birth without attracting the cruelty and condemnation of society. A woman who has become pregnant by someone other than her fiancé can expect to face criticism but not to be shunned or threatened with death-by-stoning.

Her jilted fiancé would be justified if he chose to leave, and Joseph believed he would be justified to separate from Mary. That was his plan before an angel visited him with strange and wonderful news.

What Did the Angel Tell Joseph?

“Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” ( Matthew 1:20-21 ).

Don’t be afraid : the very words spoken to Mary by the Angel Gabriel. Why would they have been afraid of a heavenly being? As one writer puts it, a visit from an angel was extraordinary. “The biblical authors’ use of angelos when recounting angelic appearances indicates that a chief task of these supernatural creatures is to bring a message from on high.”

Even before Christ’s birth was proclaimed to shepherds, three people in the preceding year are known to have heard from angels: Zechariah, Joseph, and Mary.

Each person heard a very special but also unbelievable message. The news would have been hard to swallow if a mere man had delivered it. But a “supernatural” being delivered a supernatural message.

The angel’s message to Joseph is obvious at one level. Stay with Mary; this is a special child. She did not commit adultery. At a deeper level, he also connected Joseph with an Old Testament prophecy by addressing him as the “son of David.”

Joseph’s father was Jacob, according to Matthew 1:16 , and he was descended from the line of David.

Israel was expecting their Savior to be “a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land” ( Jeremiah 33:15 ). The angel affirmed his own message by adding this verbal seal of authenticity.

The silence of heaven was broken, not to foreshadow an event to come centuries in the future but very soon. This surprising emissary delivered a shocking wake-up call that salvation was imminent.

For an ordinary man to believe and obey, no wonder, the Lord sent an angel with the invitation. He was asking a lot of Joseph — credulity, and sacrifice. Give up the right to be the father of Mary’s first child and choose his name.

Face the suspicions of a society, which might have wondered whether Mary had been faithful or if Joseph and Mary had behaved sinfully before their marriage. Courageously bear the responsibility of raising his own Savior.

What Did Joseph Do?

Joseph Benson explains that Jewish marriage began with “a solemn promise of marriage, made by the parties to each other, before witnesses, to be accomplished at such a distance of time as they agreed upon.”

This was a serious commitment before the actual marriage took place. “The parties had hereby time to think seriously of the great change they were soon to make in their lives and to seek unto God for his blessing upon them” (Ibid.).

If Mary was lying about her immaculate conception in order to cover her sin, her reasoning was understandable since adultery was a crime punishable by death ( Leviticus 20:10 ; Deuteronomy 22:23-24 ).

Matthew 1:18 suggests that Joseph had heard the story: “it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit.”

Is the verse saying that he had heard a rumor and believed it was a lie or that Mary might have been suffering from a mental breakdown of some kind?

Benson asserted that Mary almost certainly would have told her friends that she had been impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and they, “considering her great piety, and the testimony borne by her cousin Elizabeth, probably, fully believed her. But certainly, she had not mentioned it to Joseph, as despairing, perhaps, of his giving credit to what was so improbable or judging it better to commit the matter to God.”

We learn that Joseph was “a just man and unwilling to put her to shame” ( Matthew 1:19 ), so he was planning to divorce Mary.

4 Relevant Lessons About Forgiveness

He would do it quietly so as to preserve her from being ostracized by their community and even protect her and her unborn child from death. He did not need an angel to convince him to behave with a generous heart.

God was calling him to more than mercy, but in answer to the angel’s message, Joseph obeyed. Think of the disciples when Jesus called them.

They did not turn and say, “I would rather keep fishing” or “come with you where?” They went. God chose an earthly father for Jesus, one who would immediately obey.

He was a “just” man who was prepared to turn 180 degrees away from a firm and kind-hearted plan and take on a daunting role, believing in the Lord’s word spoken through Scripture long ago and through an angelic messenger in his dream.

Giving and Receiving Gifts

God knew Joseph’s heart and how Mary’s fiancé would respond to the angel’s message. We possess few details about Joseph, but that angelic spotlight highlights the nature of a man favored by the Lord to receive such a visit and such an invitation. He was not vengeful or violent; his character was peaceful, generous, and merciful. He obeyed God.

We also learn the nature of a “gift” in the scriptural sense. The angel’s visit was a gift, perhaps reminding Joseph every time he wondered about his child that Jesus was their Savior. J.C. Ryle tells us that “the name Jesus means ‘Savior.’ It is the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament.”

Joseph would have awoken from his dream and realized who Jesus was and what a weighty privilege he was receiving. This child would be The Christ. 

We are encouraged by Joseph’s obedience also to obey, to remember the validity of God’s Good News, and to remember his love when we enter dark times.

“Those who are careful to keep a good conscience may cheerfully trust God with the keeping of their good name” (Benson). We certainly remember Joseph.

We learn from Joseph what it means to accept a gift from God and what a real gift is. Our Lord is concerned less with our bellies and more with our souls. “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, [...] for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” ( Hebrews 12:2 ).

The gift, as far as Jesus saw it, was an opportunity to restore our relationship with the Father, and it was also the ultimate instance of obedience to God. The gift was faith, knowing God would resurrect Jesus and redeem humanity.

Sending an angel perhaps helped Joseph recognize the solemnity of this gift he was about to receive with faith and joy rather than resignation.

God Had to Send an Angel

As Matthew Henry put it , “God's time to come with instruction to his people is when they are at a loss. Divine comforts most delight the soul when under the pressure of perplexed thoughts.” Could any man’s thoughts have been more perplexed than Joseph’s?

God asked a lot of him, but he gave Joseph a great deal more. The entire scene sounds so ordinary now thanks to simplified and sentimental Nativity plays, yet the Nativity is anything but  ordinary.

This is why the Lord sent an angel to certify the message and convince the listener instantly. Christians can pray that the hearts of listeners, hearing the angel’s news for the first time, will be open to the supernatural splendor of God’s plan, that they will wake up from their dreamlike state into the reality of Christ’s love for them.

We can pray for Christian hearts to warm once again to the wonder that the Lord employs ordinary people in his supernatural work of reviving sinners from death through the birth of his Son.

For further reading: 

Did Mary and Joseph Really Stay in a Cave?

What Was the Significance of the Angels at Christmas?

How Can Mary and Joseph's Faithfulness Encourage Us This Christmas?

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Christmas Angels: An Angel Visits Joseph about the Virgin Mary

Bible Says an Angel Told Joseph in a Dream that He Should Marry the Virgin Mary

• Religious Texts
• An Introduction To Angels
• All About Miracles
• Prayer and Meditation
• Famous Archangels

Whitney Hopler is a writer and editor who has covered faith since 1994. She is the author of the book "Wake Up to Wonder."

• B.A., English, George Mason University

The Christmas story in the Bible includes several different angelic visits, including one from an angel who spoke to Joseph through a dream about God's plan that he serve as the father of Jesus Christ on Earth. Joseph was engaged to marry a girl named Mary , who was expecting a baby in a very unusual way -- as a virgin -- because the Holy Spirit had caused her to conceive Jesus Christ.

Mary's pregnancy troubled Joseph so much that he considered ending their engagement (which in his society required a divorce process to cancel an official pledge of marriage ).

But God sent an angel to let Joseph what was going on. After hearing the angel's message, Joseph decided to be faithful to God's plan, despite the public humiliation he would have to face from people who thought that he and Mary had conceived the child together before their wedding.

The Bible records in Matthew 1:18-21: "This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.'"

God knows what people are thinking before their thoughts ever become words or actions, and this passage shows God sending an angel to speak to Joseph after Joseph simply had divorce "in mind" and "considered" it. The name "Jesus" that the angel tells Joseph to give the baby means "God is salvation."

While some people think that the angel who came to Joseph in a dream could have been Gabriel (the archangel who had visited Mary in a vision earlier to inform her that she would serve as Jesus Christ's mother on Earth), the Bible doesn't mention the angel's name.

The Bible passage continues in Mark 1:22-23: "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel' (which means "God with us")."

The verse that Mark 1:23 refers to is Isaiah 7:14 of the Torah . The angel wanted to make it clear to Joseph, a devout Jewish man, that an important prophecy from long ago was being fulfilled through this baby's birth. God knew that Joseph, who loved him and wanted to do what was right, would be motivated to take on the challenge of raising the baby once he knew that the child's birth was fulfilling a prophecy.

The last part of this passage, in Mark 1:23-24, shows how Joseph reacted to the angel's message to him: "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."

Joseph took care to do everything that the angel had instructed him to do, as well as to honor the purity of what God was accomplishing through Mary. His integrity shows his love for, and faithfulness to, God -- even in the midst of challenging circumstances. Rather than worry about what he wanted to do or what other people thought about him, Joseph chose to trust God and focus on what God's messenger, the angel, had told him was best. As a result, he ultimately experienced many blessings .

• The Annunciation
• Hagar and Ishmael
• Archangel Gabriel
• How to Recognize Archangel Gabriel
• How Do Angels Speak?
• The Ancient History of the 7 Archangels of the Bible
• Archangel Gabriel Visits Zechariah, father of John the Baptist
• What Was the Christmas Star of Bethlehem?
• What Is the Easter Miracle of the Resurrection?
• How Did an Angel Expel Adam and Eve From the Garden?
• Mother Mary's Healing: The Procession of the Miracles in Costa Rica
• Jesus Heals a Bleeding Woman in a Crowd
• How Does Archangel Gabriel Quiz Muhammad in the Hadith?
• The Story of Jesus Healing a Blind Man
• The Holy Spirit Appears as a Dove During Christ's Baptism
• The Christmas Story of the Wise Men (the Magi) and a Miraculous Dream

An Angel Visits Mary

The Christmas Story starts with a teenage girl called Mary being told, in a special way, that she will give birth to a very special baby indeed!

The Story in the Bible

• The History behind the Story

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. Having come in, the angel said to her, “Greetings, favored one. The Lord is with you.”

But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And look, you will conceive in your womb, and bring forth a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his kingdom.”

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born will be called the Son of God.

And look, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

And Mary said, “See, the handmaid of the Lord; be it to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.

Luke 1:26-38

The History behind an Angel visiting Mary in the Christmas Story

Mary was probably about 14 to 16 years of age when she gave birth to Jesus. This was a very common age for young women to be engaged and marry in biblical times. So the son of God was the son of a teenage mother. Joseph was probably slightly older, around 30.

Joseph and Mary were a very average couple in Israel at that time. They would have probably been quite poor. Joseph was a carpenter and this job was seen by some religious leaders as a religious duty rather than a profession. Both Joseph and Mary were descendants of King David of Israel, but at this time his family was in the poorest state it had ever been. Mary was also related to the traditional Priest families of Israel through her cousin Elizabeth.

Nazareth, the town where they both lived, was a small hill town on a caravan route through the country. It also had a center for the temple priests, in which they could come and pray and fast when they were not on duty at the temple. So a wide range of people would travel and visit a town like Nazareth.

Under Jewish law, an engagement like Joseph and Mary's was treated almost like a marriage and could only be broken by an official divorce.

The angel Gabriel, who visited Mary, is God's chief messenger angel and only appears to very important people in the Bible. The first words that Gabriel spoke to Mary 'Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.' are very important words. 'Highly favoured' means 'God's holy grace is upon you' and is a divine blessing from God - something that would have never normally been said to a peasant girl like Mary! She would have been very scared by this and that is why Gabriel said 'Do not be afraid'.

If you'd like to know more about Gabriel, go to the section on whychristmas?com's sister site whyangels?com about Gabriel .

The name Jesus (or Jeshua as it would have been said then) was a very common name in Israel at that time. If you had gone down a normal street and called 'JESHUA' to some children playing, it is more than likely that a couple of them would be called Jeshua! The name Jesus means 'Saviour' and has a very important meaning in the story.

Mary would have been very surprised with the Gabriel saying that the Holy Spirit would be in her, because in the old Jewish stories, only very important people had the Holy Spirit come into them. She might not have even believed that it is was going to happen, so she went to see her cousin Elizabeth, who Gabriel said would have a baby, to see if it was really true. She did this even before she told Joseph about Gabriel and Jesus.

An Angel Visits Joseph

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (v. 21).

Matthew wishes his Jewish audience to see — through the structure of his geneology — that Jesus is the Messiah. Beginning with Abraham (Matt. 1:2), two of the three sets of fourteen generations in the list of ancestors find conclusions in David (v. 6) and the exile (v. 11). Of course, Abraham, David, and the deportation of Israel to Assyria and Babylon (2 Kings 17:7–23) are pivotal points in the story of God’s people. David fulfilled, in shadowy form, the Abrahamic promises, but his sons lost the kingdom. Yet Yahweh pledged to send His servant, a greater son of David, to end Israel’s exile (Amos 9:11–15). The placement of Joseph’s family at the end of the third set of fourteen generations (Matt. 1:16) tells us that they will be the people God uses to restore the kingdom.

Joseph is the adopted father of the Son who fulfills ultimately all of the Lord’s promises. Righteous Joseph is a fine choice to raise the Christ, for he loves and delights in God’s law. According to the custom in Joseph’s day (circa 4 b.c.), he and his bride-to-be would be engaged for a full year (without cohabitation), and would require a legal divorce to dissolve their bond. Mary becomes pregnant during this period (v. 18), which implies the couple has had sexual relations unlawfully before the proper time. Joseph is not guilty of this sin and needs to initiate a divorce to preserve his righteousness and good name. He is unwilling, however, to put Mary to shame, and so he pursues a private divorce, an acceptable provision according to the law of Moses (Num. 5:11–31), in order to avoid embarrassing Mary publicly (Matt. 1:19). 

Neither Mary nor Joseph has sinned, and an angel is sent to tell Joseph not to divorce her. Mary has become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit and will bear One who will “save his people from their sins” (vv. 20–21). This Jesus, John Calvin tells us, delivers His people in two moves. “Having made a complete atonement, he brings us a free pardon, which delivers us from condemnation to death, and reconciles us to God. Again, by the sanctifying influences of his Spirit, he frees us from the tyranny of Satan, that we may live ‘unto righteousness’ (1 Peter 2:24).”

In mercy, Joseph did not call for the Law’s harshest penalties on the wife he thought unfaithful (Deut. 22:13–21). Depending on the offense and its circumstances, while the church is always called to discipline, it is not always required to exact the harshest penalty. Applying God’s Word rightly involves much prayer. Matthew Henry wrote: “Were there more of deliberation in our censures and judgments, there would be more of a mercy and moderation in them.”

For Further Study

Good news for all nations.

Matthew 1:1–17

Matthew 1:22–25

More on this Scripture

Lesson: God Sends an Angel to Visit Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

Mary was not the only one visited by angels in advance of Jesus’ birth. In this story, God sends an angel to prepare Joseph for his very special role in the Christmas story. Ultimately, Joseph accepts Jesus as his son.

This lesson was first used in a broadly graded children’s church program. It could easily be adapted as a Christmas Sunday School lesson or used in other ministry contexts. The emphasis on this lesson is the amazing facts about Jesus that Joseph learns from the angel. There is also some advanced teaching on the two natures of Christ – fully God and fully man.

Bible Passage: Matthew 1:18-25 Bible Story Title: Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th Grade Target Time Frame: 25 minutes Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church

Learning Objectives : After this lesson . . .

• Children will demonstrate knowledge of the three amazing facts about Jesus in this passage … by listing them when prompted with 3 “word clues.”
• Children will demonstrate a basic understanding of the two natures of Christ … by explaining in their own words how Jesus is both 100% God and 100% Human.

Target Age : Kindergarten – 5 th

Items Needed:

• Marked Bible: Read Matthew 1:18-25. Prepare the copy in advance by highlighting the significant points to emphasize and underlining items that will need additional explanation.
• Marker Board (or 3 poster boards that you can write on)
• Holy Spirit

Teaching Plan: God Prepares Joseph

Show the children the three word clues. Display them on the wall. Each word clue will help them discover something amazing about Jesus from the story. Ask the children to listen carefully for these word clues in the story.

Say, “In this story we learn where Jesus really came from. Raise your hand if you think Jesus is really a human because his mother was a human? Hands down. Now raise your hand if you think Jesus was really God because he was born in a special way without a human father? Hands down. Let’s listen and find out what the Bible says…

Read (and summarize) Matthew 1:18-25. (Read with emotion and pause often to engage the children with the reading.) Make special note that Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and of Mary – so he is both really God and really human.

During the telling of the story reinforce the three amazing discoveries about Jesus.

• Holy Spirit – Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit.
• Immanuel – Jesus will be called Immanuel, which means God with us.
• Save – Jesus will save his people from their sin.

After the story, use the word clues and ask for volunteers to share their amazing discovers about Jesus.

Draw the picture on the marker board that explain that Jesus is both 100% God and 100% Human. Invite one student to come forward and draw the same picture and repeat your explanation. Then draw several wrong pictures and explain why they do not show how Jesus is both 100% God and 100% Human.

Write on a marker board (or say) the three amazing facts statements but leaving out the “word clues.” Have the children guess the word you left out. Leave out the underlined words.

• Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit .
• Jesus will be called Immanuel , which means God with us.
• Jesus will save his people from their sin.

Read the following statements. Ask the children to stand up to answer YES.

• Could Jesus be really human if he did not have any human parents? NO.
• Could Jesus be really human if he had a human mother and father? YES
• Could Jesus be really God if he had both a human mother and father? NO.
• Could Jesus be really God if he was born of the Holy Spirit? YES.

Test: Use the three “word clues” to prompt volunteers to state the 3 amazing facts they learned about Jesus from this story.

Ask for volunteers explain in their own words how Jesus is both 100% God and 100% Human.

Need more help? Browse my free Children’s Church Curriculum or Sunday School Lessons. You can also find many Bible crafts online.

Sample Visuals for this Lesson

Wait there’s more . . . You can browse all of our printable  Christmas Lessons and coloring pages . Our free materials are perfect to use in your church, home, or school. There is no charge and you are welcome to copy as many as you like.

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3 thoughts on “Lesson: God Sends an Angel to Visit Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)”

I am using this Christmas lesson for this Christmas and I really love the sample visuals that you have at the end of the lesson. It is simply portrayed how Jesus is fully God and fully human. I am going to use these to help my kids in the Church school learn about the humanity and the deity of Christ this Christmas season. Thank you again for your wonderful work!

A really active story to give them the true meaning of Jesus being fully God and fully human.

This is wonderful. Thank you so much for serving God. May God richly bless you.

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A Visit from an angel

The angel Gabriel tells Mary about the birth of Jesus.

A Christmas tree angel

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. Luke 1:30-32 (NIV)

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What do you put at the very top of your Christmas tree? Some people put a star at the top of their tree. That's a good choice. After all, a special star played a very important part in the story of Christmas. Some people like to put an angel at the top of their tree. That's a good choice too, because angels also played a very important role in the Christmas story.

As you probably know, angels are messengers from God. Today, I want to tell you about a very important angel by the name of Gabriel. Many years ago, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to deliver a message to a young virgin named Mary who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph.

The angel appeared to Mary and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

Mary was frightened and confused by the angel's greeting. "Don't be afraid, Mary," the angel told her. "You have found favor with God. You will give birth to a son and you will name him Jesus."

Mary asked the angel. "How can this happen? I am a virgin."

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. The baby will be holy and he will be called the Son of God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary replied, "let everything happen just as you have said."

God could have chosen anyone to give birth to Jesus, but he chose Mary, a young virgin living in the little village of Nazareth. She wasn't very important, but she was important to God, and he chose her to do the most important thing one could imagine -- he chose her to give birth to his Son. God still chooses unimportant people to perform important tasks. He has given you and me the task of sharing the good news of Jesus and his love to the whole world. "Go and make disciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:19) Can you imagine a more important task? This year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us, like Mary, answer God's call. "I am the Lord's servant, Let it be with me just as you have said."

Dear Father, we thank you for this story about how you sent the angel Gabriel to take your message to Mary. We also thank you that you have given us the task of taking the message of Jesus and his love to all the world. Amen.

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Angel Visits Mary and Joseph – Worksheet

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An Angel Visited Mary and Joseph

Series: kids online explorers.

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December 12, 2021

Passage: Luke 1:26-56

God helped a man named Isaiah know that one day God would send His Son, Jesus, to the world. Isaiah wrote about God’s plan so that people would begin to look forward to Jesus’ coming.

Many years passed after Isaiah wrote about God’s plan. It was time for the things Isaiah had written about to begin to happen.

God sent an angel to visit a young girl named Mary and tell her some news. “Mary,” the angel said, “God has chosen you to have a special baby. The baby’s name will be Jesus.”

This news surprised Mary, but she loved God and said, “I will do whatever God says.”

Then the angel went to Joseph’s house. While Joseph dreamed, the angel told him about Mary. “Take Mary home and care for her,” the angel told Joseph. “She will have a special baby, and you are to name Him Jesus.”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel said. Joseph went to get Mary and take her to his house. Joseph cared for Mary while she waited for the baby to be born.

Series Information

Kids 4k-5th Grade

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Mary and Joseph

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Bible Lessons » Key Bible Topic or Story » Old Testament

Sunday School Lesson: An Angel Appears to Mary

Published: December 3, 2020

Use this Christmas Sunday School Lesson “An Angel Appears to Mary” to teach kids that God uses ordinary people. This lesson comes from the award-winning Hands-On Bible Curriculum .

Before the Lesson

• Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the supplies listed on the chart.
• Pray for your students and for God’s direction as you teach the lesson.

Teacher Enrichment

If you’re reading through Luke 1 , you find that today’s story of the foretelling of Jesus’ birth to Mary interrupts the story of John the Baptist. At the end of today’s story, Mary runs off to visit Elizabeth. After Mary’s song of praise ( Luke 1:46-55 ), the story of the birth of John resumes.

We’re told very little about either Mary or Joseph in this passage. We only know that they were pledged to be married (a pledge that’s more binding than an engagement today), that Mary was a virgin, and that she apparently was chosen to be Jesus’ mother by virtue of being “highly favored” by God. Of all the Jewish men and women of all time, God chose Mary and Joseph to be the earthly guardians of his Son. These were humble, ordinary people who must have had an extraordinary relationship with God. They were willing to be used by God in whatever way he saw fit. And God used them in an extraordinary way!

Use this lesson to help your students see how God uses ordinary people—like them—who are committed to serving him.

Other Scriptures used in this lesson are Matthew 1:18-21 and 1 Thessalonians 5:11 .

• Read Acts 4:13 .
• In what ways did God use these ordinary men? What made them different?
• How willing are you to be used by God in whatever way he sees fit?
• Pray: Lord, use me. Help me to be the person you want me to be in the lives of my students so that they will…

Explain to the kids that whenever you ring the bell, they are to stop talking, raise their hands, and focus on you. Explain that it’s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible.

• “Will You Risk It?” handouts,
• rubber bands,

Before class, photocopy the “Will You Risk It?” handout (see the bottom of this post). Cut the assignments apart. Make enough copies so that each student will have an assignment. Put each assignment with one rubber band in a separate envelope. Seal the envelopes.

Say: You’re invited to take a risk today. You don’t have to take the risk, but if you do you must agree to do whatever the instructions inside the envelope ask you to do. If you take this risk, you may also be rewarded. I have an envelope for each of you. Who wants an envelope?

Distribute the envelopes. Have kids open their envelopes, complete their assignments, and then give you their rubber bands. As kids turn in their rubber bands, give each one a treat.

Will You Risk It? Debrief

• What thoughts went through your mind when you took an envelope? (I was curious to find out what was inside; I was afraid it might be a trick.)
• If you took an envelope, why did you decide to take a risk? (I thought it would be fun; I hoped there was a good reward.)
• If you didn’t take an envelope, why did you decide not to take a risk? (I thought it might not be worth it; I didn’t care if I got a reward.)
• What other risks do you take sometimes? (Volunteering to do a job for someone; trying to be someone’s friend.)
• How was this activity like other risks you might take? (You never know exactly how it will turn out; if you don’t take the risk, you might miss the reward.)

Say: In our activity, you had to take a risk before you got a reward. At first, some of the opportunities we have to serve God may seem a little risky to us. But the rewards of doing what God wants us to do can be wonderful. God uses ordinary people like you and me to do important things for him. Today we’ll learn how God used an ordinary young woman to bring his Son into the world.

Bible Exploration & Application: Musical Verses

Musical verses introduction.

Set chairs in a circle. Place a Bible with a bookmark at Luke 1:26-38 under one chair. Have students stand inside the circle of chairs. Hold another Bible, and say: You don’t have to be rich or famous for God to use you. Listen while I read Luke 1:26‑27. This passage tells about Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Read Luke 1:26-27 aloud. Say: Jesus’ mother, Mary, wasn’t very old—possibly a young teenager. Most people didn’t know Mary or her family. But God chose Mary for the special purpose of giving birth to Jesus.

An angel told Mary she would give birth to Jesus. Let’s play a game to find out more about Mary. While the music plays, walk around the inside of the circle. When the music stops, sit down in the nearest chair.

Playing Musical Verses

Play some music, then pause it. Say: If you have a Bible under your chair, you’re our designated reader. Open the Bible to the marker, and read Luke 1:28-29 aloud.

After the student reads the verses, say: When Mary first saw the angel, she was confused and wondered what was going on. Imagine that an angel just appeared to you.

• What’s the first thing you might think if you saw an angel? (I’d be scared; I would wonder if it was a dream.)

Place the Bible under a different chair and play another round. Have the student identified as the reader read Luke 1:30-33 aloud. Then ask the class:

• How do you think Mary might have felt after hearing the angel’s message? (Excited; happy to be chosen; curious about how it would happen; scared.)

Place the Bible under a different chair. Continue playing music as kids walk around the inside of the circle. Push “pause,” identify the designated reader, and have that student read Luke 1:34-38 aloud.

After the student reads the verses, ask the class:

• Do you think you would have agreed to do what the angel said as Mary did? Explain. (Yes, I’d do what God wanted me to do; no, I might have said, “Let me think this over first.”)
• Why do you think God chose Mary to be Jesus’ mother? (Because she followed God; because she was nice; God knew she’d make a good mother.)

Place the Bible under another chair. Continue playing music as kids walk around the circle. Turn off the CD player, identify the designated reader, and have that student read Matthew 1:18-21 aloud. Then ask the class:

• Why do you think God chose Joseph to act as Jesus’ father? (Because he was a kind man; because God trusted him.)

Debriefing Musical Verses

Say: God could have chosen someone famous, someone important, or someone wealthy to bring his Son into the world. But he didn’t. Instead, God chose an unknown young woman who was willing to be his servant. God knew Mary would be a wonderful mother for Jesus and that Joseph would be a good earthly father. God didn’t care how famous or important Mary and Joseph were because God uses ordinary people.

Not only did God choose ordinary people to be Jesus’ parents on earth, but God also chooses ordinary people to be Jesus’ spiritual brothers and sisters. That’s right—Jesus was born on earth so that any ordinary person could become a child of God and have a relationship with him. Jesus loves ordinary me and ordinary you!

God Could Use Us!

Say: We’ve already heard how God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. But how did Mary react to the news? Let’s look at Luke 1:28-29 again to find out.

Have kids follow along in their Bibles as you read Luke 1:28-29 aloud. Say: In these verses, Mary is confused about why God has chosen her and what the angel’s message might mean. Mary might have felt too young or unimportant for such a special task. Tell us about a time you thought you were too young to have something special happen to you. (My sister said summer camp was really fun, but I was too young to go; my brother gets to drive, but it’ll be zillions of years before I can drive.)

Say: God uses ordinary people, and his choices are often surprising. Let’s find out why. Have kids turn in their Bibles to 1 Samuel 16:7 b, and ask for a volunteer to read the verse aloud: “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then ask:

• What ideas does this verse give you about why God chose Mary? (Mary was just an ordinary girl, but God knew her heart; she was nothing special, but God can use anyone whose heart is right.)

Say: God uses ordinary people like Mary, and God can use kids, too.

Breaking News Activity

Form teams of no more than five. (Teams can be as small as three kids.) Give each team paper and a pencil. Have teams choose a Writer to record the group’s news story, a Reporter to present the story to the class, and one or more Encouragers to help team members come up with ideas.

Say: With your team, take about five minutes to invent a story that could happen to someone your age who wants to make a difference for God.

Have one person on your team begin with a sentence such as “Today a 9-year-old girl made the news.” Then take turns adding sentences to your story until everyone has had at least one turn to add a sentence. After everyone has contributed to the story, you can agree to change the details if you want. Have the Writer in your group write down the main ideas of the story for the Reporter to present to the class.

Circulate among groups, and offer ideas to help kids get started. After five minutes, ring the clanging bell and wait for kids to respond. Then have teams present their stories to the class.

Breaking News Debrief

When the “newscast” is over, thank everyone for “tuning in.” Then ask:

• Do you think the stories you invented could really happen? Why or why not? (No, we just tried to make a good story; yes, people can make a big difference if they try and their hearts are right.)
• Would you be willing to do something like the characters in your stories did? Explain. (Yes, I’d love to help people in a special way; no, I wouldn’t know what to do; I’m not sure I could do that.)

Say: Like Mary, we may wonder why God would want to use us. We may feel awkward and nervous about doing something like [INSERT: the stories you made up] . But if we’re willing to get involved, God can use us in amazing ways. We know that God uses ordinary people—people like you and me. Let’s explore how God might use ordinary you and me in his plan.

Just a Piece of Paper

• colored computer paper,
• white paper,
• craft supplies,
• paper person cutout

Ordinary People Activity

Before class, draw a gingerbread-style person outline a piece of white paper. Make photocopies so that each student has one. Cut out the person shapes.

Give each child a person cutout and a piece of colored paper. Say: God used Mary, an ordinary young woman, to bring Jesus into this world. God uses ordinary people, even ordinary kids, to do great things for him.

You each have an ordinary person—a plain, white paper person. This ordinary paper person represents you, an ordinary person. Go ahead and glue your ordinary paper person to the middle of your piece of paper.

Pause as kids follow instructions. Then say: T here you are, an ordinary person in the middle of an interesting world. Let’s add some features to make this ordinary person look more like you. Using the craft supplies, add facial features, hair, clothes, and anything else that would make this ordinary person look more like you.

As kids add their unique features, say: From the minute God created you, you were anything but ordinary. God had plans for the way you would look, act, feel, think, talk, and interact with others. He knows the hairs on your head­—in fact, each one has a number! God made every aspect of you unique.

Give kids time to finish adding their features. Then say: But God has even bigger plans for you than just for your looks, thoughts, and feelings. God wants to use you to do amazing things for him, to encourage others, to help other Christians grow closer to Jesus, and to help people who don’t know Jesus have a relationship with him.

Activity Debrief

• What are some extraordinary ways God can use you in your ordinary life? (God can have me invite non-Christian friends to church; I can encourage people when they’re feeling down.)
• What is it like knowing that God can use you in amazing ways? (It surprises me; it feels good to know that God is powerful enough to use me.)
• What are some big things God might be preparing you to do for him in the future? (I might become a pastor; God might be preparing me to go to another country to share about Jesus; God might want me to open a shelter for homeless children.)

Say: On the outside of your person, draw or write ways you can serve God. These can be ordinary ways in your ordinary world, such as at school, with your family and friends, or in your neighborhood. They can also be huge ways to serve God in the future. No one knows exactly how God is going to use him or her, but remember that God can use you in extraordinary ways, so be creative.

Circulate among kids as they work. Offer ideas to get kids thinking of ways God can use them in their current roles and in the future. After about five minutes, ring the bell, and wait for kids to respond. Then say: I want you to take your poster home with you and refer to it in the coming weeks. Let it be a reminder that God uses ordinary people. And when God uses you for something, however small or huge, draw or write about it on your poster. Having these reminders can encourage us when we feel like just an ordinary person. Let’s find out more about encouragement.

That’s Encouraging

Supplies: Bibles, scissors, markers, crepe paper, gift ribbon

Say: Mary wasn’t the only person who knew how special her baby would be. Listen to what Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, said.

Have kids look up Luke 1:39-45. Ask one volunteer to read aloud the narration in verses 39 to 41 and another volunteer to read aloud Elizabeth’s words to Mary, beginning with verse 42 and ending with verse 45. Have other kids follow along in their Bibles. When the readers finish, ask:

• How do you think Elizabeth made Mary feel? (Special; happy; honored.)
• How do you feel when someone encourages you? (Like I can do something special; like I have a friend; more confident.)
• What kinds of encouraging things could we say to each other? (“You’re a good friend”; “you’re smart”; we could tell people what they do well.)

Throw an Encouragement Party

Cut a foot-long piece of the crepe paper for each person, including yourself. Distribute the crepe paper pieces and markers, and have kids write their names on one side of their streamers.

Say: Let’s check out what the Bible says about encouragement.

Have kids look up 1 Thessalonians 5:11 . When all kids have found the passage, ask a volunteer to read it aloud. Say: We’re going to do what this verse says and spend the next five minutes having an encouragement party. Trade papers with someone else, and write a note of encouragement to that person on the blank side of the streamer. Keep swapping with different people until you hear the signal. Hold on to the streamer you have when time is called, even if it’s not your own.

At the end of five minutes, ring the bell. Wait for kids to respond. Then give each person one piece of gift ribbon. Have kids roll up the streamers they’re holding and use the ribbon to tie them like diplomas. When kids have finished tying the streamers, ask them each to pray silently for the person whose streamer they’re holding. Then have them present the streamers to those people.

Give kids a minute or so to open their “diplomas.” Ring the bell, and wait for the kids to respond.

• What did you learn about encouraging others from this experience? (Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say; it makes people feel good; people like you when you encourage them.)
• How do you think God feels when we take time to encourage one another? (God likes us to encourage people; God wants us to encourage others more often.)

Say: When friends or family members encourage us, they remind us how special and important we are. We go from feeling ordinary to feeling special. Just as God used Elizabeth to encourage Mary, God uses ordinary people to spread encouragement to others.

Closing:   Oh, the Things God Can Do With Me and With You!

Say: We’ve learned today that God uses ordinary people. God can use ordinary you and ordinary me to do extraordinary things for him. We only need to have willing hearts. Think about how God might use you this week.

• How might God use you at school? (God might use me to be friendly to someone who needs encouragement; God might use me to invite someone to Sunday school.)
• How might God use you at home? (God might use me to be nice to my little sister; God might use me to help my parents when they’re having a bad day.)

Have kids sit in a circle. Together practice saying, “Oh, the things God can do with me and with you.” Say: I’m going to pass a   ball around the circle as we recite this sentence together. If you’re holding the ball at the end of the sentence, you must name one way God might use you this week.

After everyone has had an opportunity to participate, say: When we choose to serve God, God can use us to do extraordinary things. As you look for ways to serve others this week, remember that God uses ordinary people. God used Mary, and God can use you!

Will You Risk It? Handout

Cut on the dotted lines:

——————————————————————————————————-

Your assignment is to tell three people why you’re glad they’re here today. When you’ve completed your task, take the loop from your envelope and give it to your teacher.

Congratulations on taking this risk!

——————————————————————————————————–

Your assignment is to pat three people on the back and give them each a big smile. When you’ve completed your task, take the loop from your envelope and give it to your teacher.

Your assignment is to say to three people, “It’s a great day to be alive! Gimme five!” and give them each a high five. When you’ve completed your task, take the loop from your envelope and give it to your teacher.

Your assignment is to shake hands with three people and say, “It’s a special day, and you’re a special person.” When you’ve completed your task, take the loop from your envelope and give it to your teacher.

Check out all these Christmas ideas !

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10 thoughts on “ Sunday School Lesson: An Angel Appears to Mary ”

There is no handout of the lists of risks. When I click on the link, it brings me back to this page.

Donna, it’s on page 2 of this lesson. We’ll fix the link so it’s clearer: https://childrensministry.com/articles/sunday-school-lesson-an-angel-appears-to-mary/2/

Who is Trevor and what was his story? Did I miss a part where Trevor tells a news story?

Hi Haley, Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This was in reference to a story that has recently been removed from the article. We have updated the content for you! Let us know if you have any other questions.

Great lessons, very grateful to have them.

Thank you, Melissa! We’re happy to provide the lessons!

What is the key verse in this message? I am looking for a memory verse.

Absolutely love this and the one before about God keeping His Promise in Jesus….so full of action which keeps the kids motivated….love how it all comes together with the kidz actually doing it all.

Well done good and faithful servant of the Most High

In Him I love to Serve

We are so happy you are enjoying our content and thank you for all of your hard work to teach the children in your ministry. We truly enjoy creating content that involves experiential learning, so kids can retain all that they learn a lot easier. Wishing for many blessings for you and your ministry. Have a great holiday season!

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Sunday School Lesson: An Angel Appear...

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