For the student: Read along, fill in the blanks, and write your answers on the lines. Your parent has the answers.
Step 1 · Understand the Collect
A collect is a short prayer the pastor prays for the whole church. Here is today's collect:
Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Words to know. Poured: filled, as water fills a cup. Incarnate: having taken on a human body. The Word: a name for Jesus (John 1:1, 14). Shine forth: show clearly to others. Flee (in the Gospel): run away from danger. Nazarene: someone from the town of Nazareth.
1. God has poured the true ______________ into our hearts.
2. The Light is Jesus, God's ______________ Word.
3. We ask that this Light may ______________ forth in our lives.
Step 2 · Understand the Gospel
Matthew 2:13-23
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: 18 "A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."
19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead." 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.
1. Who warned Joseph in a dream?
2. Where did Joseph take Jesus and Mary?
3. Why did they have to leave?
4. Where did the family finally live?
Step 3 · Find the Collect in the Gospel
Our prayer says God has put the Light of Jesus into our hearts, and it asks that the Light would shine in how we live. In the Gospel, a wicked king tries to put out that Light, and Joseph keeps it safe. Let's find our prayer in the story.
1. The collect asks that the Light would shine forth in our lives. What did Joseph do each time the angel told him to rise?
2. Who tried to put out the Light?
3. Did Herod win? Read verses 19-20.
Step 4 · The Small Catechism
The Third Article. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean? I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
1. Luther says the Holy Spirit has "enlightened" me. What does the collect say God has poured into our hearts?
2. Luther says the Spirit has "sanctified" me, which means made me holy. How did the Light shine in Joseph's life?
Step 5 · Wrap It All Up
Pray today's collect together one more time. Then ask:
1. What does Jesus do for you when the world is dark?
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible. Small Catechism quotation from Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanation, © Concordia Publishing House.