Mary visits Elizabeth

Teacher background

This story comes right after the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary (Luke 1:39–56). Gabriel had told Mary that her relative Elizabeth, who was old and had waited many years for a child, was expecting a baby. Mary hurried from Nazareth to the hill country of Judea to see her. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, her baby, the future John the Baptist, leaped for joy, and Elizabeth blessed Mary and her child. Mary answered with a song of praise, the Magnificat, named for its first word in Latin. She sang of a God who lifts up the lowly and fills the hungry with good things. Mary stayed about three months.

The main idea for children is that God’s good news brings joy, and joy grows when we share it. The word “magnifies” gives children a picture: a magnifying glass makes small things look big, and Mary’s song made God’s goodness big for everyone to see.

Children may ask how a baby can jump before it is born. You can say that babies move and kick before they are born, and Elizabeth felt hers jump at just the right moment. Some children may be waiting for a new brother or sister, and some families wait in harder ways, so keep the focus on friendship and joy.

In Year B, Mary’s song (Luke 1:46b–55) may be sung in place of the psalm on the Third and Fourth Sundays of Advent. For more background, read Mary visits Elizabeth.

Welcome activity

Magnify it! (5 minutes). Set out one or more magnifying glasses and a few small things to look at, such as a leaf, a coin, a cracker, or a scrap of fabric. As children arrive, let them take turns looking. Invite them to look at their own fingertips too.

Then gather in a circle and ask:

• What did you see that you could not see before?
• What does a magnifying glass do?

Say: “A magnifying glass makes small things look big. In today’s story, Mary sings, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord.’ Her song makes God’s goodness look big. Let’s find out why she was singing.”

Telling the story

10 minutes. Open your Bible to Luke 1 and show the children where the story is. Then read this version aloud, or tell it in your own words. Pause where the notes in italics suggest.

Mary lived in a small town called Nazareth. One day an angel named Gabriel came to see her. He had big news. “God is with you, Mary! You will have a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. He will be God’s Son.”

The angel had more news. “Elizabeth is going to have a baby too!”

Elizabeth was part of Mary’s family. She was old. She and her husband, Zechariah, had waited many years for a baby. Now God was giving them one. What happy news!

Mary wanted to see Elizabeth right away. So she packed a bag and hurried off. (Walk in place.) Elizabeth lived far away, in the hill country. Mary walked up the hills and down the hills. (Stretch up on tiptoe, then crouch down low.) She walked for days and days.

At last Mary came to the house of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was home, but he could not say a word. An angel had told him he would not talk again until his baby was born. That is another story!

Mary knocked on the door. (Knock on the floor or a table.) “Hello, Elizabeth!” she called.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s hello, something amazing happened. The baby inside Elizabeth jumped! (Jump once.) Elizabeth was filled with God’s Holy Spirit. She was filled with joy.

Elizabeth called out in a loud voice. “Mary, God has blessed you more than anyone! And God has blessed your baby! Why would the mother of my Lord come to visit me? When I heard your hello, my baby jumped for joy!”

Then Elizabeth said one more thing. “You are blessed, Mary, because you believed what God told you.”

Mary’s heart was so full that she began to sing. (Cup your hands around your mouth.) Her song went something like this:

“My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. God looked at me, a girl from a small town, and did great things for me. God is kind to every family, in every time. God lifts up people who are small. God fills hungry people with good things. God keeps every promise.”

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months. (Hold up three fingers.) Maybe they cooked and talked and laughed and prayed together. Then Mary went home to Nazareth. Soon Elizabeth had her baby boy. They named him John. And a few months later, Mary’s baby, Jesus, was born.

God’s good news filled Mary and Elizabeth with joy. And their joy grew bigger when they shared it. God’s good news is for us too. We can share it with each other.

Wondering questions

5 minutes. Wondering questions have no wrong answers. Ask one at a time, wait in silence, and welcome every answer without correcting it. Repeat back what a child says so they know you heard them.

• I wonder which part of this story you like best.
• I wonder how Mary felt on her long walk to Elizabeth’s house.
• I wonder how Elizabeth felt when she saw Mary at the door.
• I wonder why Mary wanted to sing.
• I wonder what song you would sing to God.
• I wonder who you would like to share good news with.

After the wondering questions, play the quiz on the slides, or ask the questions aloud and let the children call out the answers.

Craft: a magnifying glass of praise

10 minutes. Each child makes a paper magnifying glass to remember that Mary’s song made God’s goodness look big.

You will need paper plates, plastic wrap, clear tape, craft sticks, crayons or markers, and stickers if you have them. Before class, cut the center out of each plate with adult scissors, leaving a ring about two inches wide.

1. Give each child a paper-plate ring to color.
2. Help each child stretch a piece of plastic wrap over the hole and tape it down on the back.
3. Tape a craft stick to the bottom of the ring as a handle.
4. Write “My soul magnifies the Lord!” on the rim. Children who are ready can write it themselves.
5. Around the rim, draw tiny pictures of good things God gives, such as food, family, friends, the sun, and animals.

When everyone is done, let the children hold up their magnifying glasses and name one good thing God has done.

Game: hello, hop!

7 minutes. Clear a space in the middle of the room. You will need a bell, or a way to play and pause music.

1. The children walk slowly around the room while the music plays.
2. When the music stops, each child finds a partner, says, “Hello! God bless you!” and the two hop once together for joy, like baby John.
3. Start the music again. Each round, children find a new partner.
4. For the last round, everyone makes one big circle, hops together, and says, “My soul magnifies the Lord!”

If a child is left without a partner, they join a pair to make three. Keep the hops small if your room is crowded, and invite any child who cannot hop to clap or wave instead. The game has no winners; everyone gets greeted.

Memory verse

3 minutes. Teach the memory verse with motions. Explain that “magnifies” means makes bigger, and “rejoiced” means was very glad.

My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

Luke 1:46–47

• “My soul magnifies the Lord”: hold your hands close together, then spread them wide apart.
• “My spirit has rejoiced”: wiggle your fingers up high like fireworks.
• “in God my Savior”: point up, then cross your hands over your heart.

Say the verse together in a whisper, then in a normal voice, then in a big singing voice. The memory verse coloring page lets children color the words in bubble letters.

Snack idea

Optional. Mary sang that God fills the hungry with good things. Share small bread rolls or crackers, and grapes or other fruit. Before eating, invite each child to pass the plate to a neighbor first. Check for food allergies before class. You might also invite families to bring a can of food next week for a local food pantry.

Closing prayer

Ask the children to hold up their magnifying glasses or fold their hands. Read each line and let them repeat it after you.

Dear God,
thank you for Mary and Elizabeth,
who shared your good news with joy.
Help us be glad for each other.
Help us share with people who are hungry.
We sing how great you are!
Amen.

Take-home note for families

Send this note home with the activity sheets. It also prints by itself on the printables page.

Today in Sunday school

Today your child heard about Mary’s visit to her relative Elizabeth (Luke 1:39–56). Both women were expecting babies: Elizabeth was carrying John the Baptist, and Mary was carrying Jesus. When Mary said hello, Elizabeth’s baby leaped for joy, and Mary sang a song of praise. She sang that God lifts up people who are small and fills the hungry with good things.

Talk about it

• What was your favorite part of the story?
• Who do you love to visit? How do you feel when you see them?
• Mary’s song made God’s goodness look big. What good things has God done for our family?

Try this at home

Read Luke 1:39–56 together. This week, visit, call, or send a card to someone who would be glad to hear from you. You could also choose a can of food together for a food pantry.

Pray together

Dear God, thank you for good news and for the people we love. Help us share our joy and our food with others. Amen.

Adapting for younger or older children

Younger children (ages 4 to 6). Act out the story with two volunteers as Mary and Elizabeth, and let everyone jump for joy at the greeting. Skip the crossword and the word search, and use the maze, the coloring pages, and the magnifying glass with the plastic wrap taped on ahead of time. Teach only the first line of the memory verse with its motion.

Older children (ages 10 to 12). Read Luke 1:39–56 together from a Bible, taking turns. Then read Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1–10 and look for lines that sound like Mary’s song. Talk about what Mary means when she sings that God brings down the powerful and lifts up the lowly, and invite the children to write a short song or poem of praise of their own. Use the crossword without the word bank.