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We Have Waited for Him

The Nativity told as seven hundred years of promises coming true, then a Name Draft to choose a title of the Savior for the new year

  • 🔥 Youth 14–15
  • Week 52
  • 📅 Sunday, December 27, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

For thousands of years God’s people waited in hope for the Messiah, every promise came true in Bethlehem, and Jesus Christ is still the One I can wait on, rejoice in and trust with my griefs.

I can rejoice in Jesus Christ, come to know Him by His names, and trust Him with whatever I’m waiting for.

Come, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Christmas)
Know the chapters

This week wraps up the Old Testament with Christmas. The manual’s title comes from Isaiah 25:9: “we have waited for him, and he will save us.” From Adam and Eve to Malachi, God’s people looked forward to a Messiah, a Deliverer. They held on to that hope in Egypt, in Babylon and through their own mistakes. The prophets kept promising He’d come to bear their “griefs” and carry their “sorrows,” in Isaiah 53:4. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the long wait ended. Teens know what waiting feels like. Waiting for things to get better at home, for a friend to come back, for an answer, for life to start. This lesson connects that feeling to the most famous wait in history.

Teens love prophecies with receipts. Isaiah foretold a son called Immanuel, which Matthew explains means “God with us.” That’s Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22–23. Micah named Bethlehem, in Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:4–6. Balaam saw “a Star out of Jacob,” in Numbers 24:17 and Matthew 2:2. In the Book of Mormon, Samuel the Lamanite foretold a night without darkness and a new star, in Helaman 14:2–6. Unbelievers set a deadline to kill the believers if the sign didn’t come. Nephi prayed all day, and the sign came that very night, in 3 Nephi 1:9–21. Every one of these promises came true.

If questions come up, here are the basics. Jesus’s mother is Mary, and His Father is Heavenly Father. That’s why the angel said He’d be called the Son of God, in Luke 1:35. Joseph was chosen to raise and protect Him. Jesus is also Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament. So Isaiah could call a baby “The mighty God.” He’s called “The everlasting Father” because He created the earth under Heavenly Father’s direction. We also become His sons and daughters through our covenants, in Mosiah 5:7. He isn’t Heavenly Father. No youth plays Jesus or Heavenly Father in any activity.

The manual invites us to look at the Savior’s names and titles. It also points to Old Testament symbols of Him: a star, a shepherd, a lamb, water, a rock, a branch and light. Those are in Numbers 24:17, Psalm 23:1, Genesis 22:8, Exodus 17:6, 1 Samuel 2:2, Isaiah 11:1 and Psalm 27:1. Many hang on Christmas trees. End by having each youth choose one title of the Savior to carry into next year. That’s when they’ll study His life in the New Testament. Keep it warm and joyful. Some youth had a hard Christmas, and the Prince of Peace is for them too.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Isaiah 25:9, 9:6, 53:4 and Luke 2:1–20. Ask about the longest thing they’ve ever waited for. Tell the Prophecies with Receipts story from the screen with its questions. Read Isaiah 25:9 together, then run the Name Draft with the titles on the screen. End with each youth choosing a name of Christ for the new year.

What to bring3 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Write one title per index card. Wonderful. Counsellor. The mighty God. The everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace. Immanuel. The Good Shepherd. My Light. Redeemer. The Rock.
  2. Read the eight story scenes once so you can tell them in your own words. Mark Isaiah 25:9, 53:4 and Luke 2:11.
  3. Think of which name of Christ means the most to you right now and why. You’ll share it at the end.

If your class is wild

  • Attendance may be tiny or huge over the holidays. The story and the Name Draft work with three youth or fifteen.
  • Visiting cousins and friends may not know the routine. Welcome them by name. Ask them an easy question during the story.
  • The Name Draft works best when you push them to argue. Ask, “Why that one and not Prince of Peace?”
  • Some youth had a rough Christmas. Keep the tone joyful but not forced. Let Isaiah 53:4 speak to anyone who’s hurting.
  • End on time. It’s a holiday week, and a calm, short, strong finish beats a long one.

The 25-minute plan24 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

The Longest Wait

3 min

Connecting their own experiences of waiting to Israel’s centuries of waiting makes the Christmas story personal.

  1. SAY“Quick poll. What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something? A package, a driver’s license, a text back?”
  2. Let a few people answer and top each other. Then ask about harder waits, the kind you can’t order online. Don’t push for details.
  3. SAY“God’s people waited for the Messiah for thousands of years. Through slavery. Through exile. Through their own mistakes. And the prophets kept saying, He’s coming.”
🌪️ If they’re sleepy or sugar-crashed, make it a stand-up line. They line up by the length of their longest wait.

Class screen: ⏳ What’s the longest you’ve ever waited for something?

2. Story

The Story: Prophecies with Receipts

8 min

Hearing the prophecies and the Nativity side by side shows that every promise about the Savior came true.

  1. SAY“I’m going to tell you a story that took seven hundred years to finish. Count how many promises come true in one night.”
  2. Tell each scene in your own words as the screen shows it. Ask its question and take one or two answers before moving on.
  3. At “The wait is over,” lower your voice. Let the room sit quietly for five seconds.
  4. At the end, ask how many they counted. Then ask what that tells them about the promises He’s made to them.
🌪️ If they’re chatty, let them answer every question. If they’re quiet, answer the first one yourself to break the ice.

Class screen: 🧾 Seven hundred years of promises, and the night they came true · Isaiah · Micah · Samuel the Lamanite · Bethlehem

3. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: Isaiah 25:9

4 min

Youth see that the Savior is still the One we wait on, and that He carries our griefs while we wait.

  1. SAY“Isaiah wrote a line for anyone who’s tired of waiting. Let’s read it together.”
  2. Say Isaiah 25:9 together with the motions. Half the room answers the other half.
  3. A youth reads Isaiah 53:4. Ask: “One verse is about waiting for Him. The other is about what He carries. How do they fit together?”
  4. Ask what people our age are waiting on Him for today. Take a few answers.
  5. SAY“The same Savior who kept every promise at Christmas still keeps them. He hasn’t forgotten what you’re waiting for.”

Class screen: 🌅 We have waited for Him, and He will save us · Isaiah 25:9 · Isaiah 53:4

4. Talk it over

The Name Draft

6 min

A draft-and-debate discussion helps youth think hard about the Savior’s titles and which ones people their age need most.

  1. SAY“Draft time. Ten names of the Savior are on the table. Your team gets three, and you have to defend every pick.”
  2. Lay the ten cards face up. Split into two teams or pairs. Teams take turns drafting a title, with fifteen seconds to say why.
  3. In the final round, each team makes a thirty-second case for its top title. Push for specifics, like stress, loneliness or mistakes. Then use the questions.
  4. SAY“Every one of these names is true. And the one you need can change from year to year.”
💬 Ask the class
  • Which name would you draft first, and why?
  • Which name do people our age need most right now?
  • Isaiah said He would carry our griefs. How can someone let Jesus carry something instead of carrying it alone?
  • Which name fits what you’re waiting for?
🌪️ If one team dominates, give the other team first pick in the final round.

Class screen: 📋 Draft a name of Christ. Defend why we need it. · Wonderful · Counsellor · The mighty God · Everlasting Father · Prince of Peace · Immanuel · Good Shepherd · Light · Redeemer · Rock

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Ten index cards, each with one title of the Savior (see prep)

  1. SAY“Draft time. Ten names of the Savior are on the screen. Your team gets three, and you have to defend every pick.”
  2. Split into two teams or pairs. Teams take turns calling out a title, with fifteen seconds to say why.
  3. In the final round, each team makes a thirty-second case for its top title. Then use the questions.
  4. SAY“Every one of these names is true. And the one you need can change from year to year.”
5. Testimony

A Name for the New Year

3 min

End with each youth choosing one title of the Savior to carry into the New Testament year.

  1. SAY“Here’s the name of Christ that means the most to me right now.”
  2. Share your title and why. Testify that He keeps His promises.
  3. Invite each youth to choose one title for the new year. They keep it somewhere they’ll see it every day.
  4. Show the challenge and invite someone to say the closing prayer. Share the optional treat on the way out.

Class screen: ✨ Choose one name of Christ to carry into next year · Wonderful · Counsellor · Prince of Peace · Immanuel · Or any name that fits your year

6. Wiggle break

Line Up by the Wait

2 minBONUS

A quick stand-up review gets bodies moving and puts the prophecies in order.

  1. SAY“Everybody up. Line up by how long you think each prophecy waited, shortest to longest.”
  2. Call out Isaiah, Micah, Balaam and Samuel the Lamanite. They sort themselves in about thirty seconds.
  3. Reveal the answer. Balaam waited longest. Samuel waited only five years.
  4. SAY“Long or short, every one came true.”
⏱️ Big Timer (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 📏 Line up: which prophecy waited the longest? · Isaiah · Micah · Balaam · Samuel

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the prophecies and the Nativity.

  1. SAY“Two teams, one captain each. Huddle for ten seconds. Then only the captain answers.”
  2. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  3. Use the steal rule. A missed question can be stolen by naming the reference.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

Story and questions

Prophecies with Receipts

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Micah 5:2; Numbers 24:17; Helaman 14; 3 Nephi 1; Luke 2:1–20; Matthew 2:1–11 ↗

Scenes

  1. 📜⏳ Isaiah: a sign, and a son called Immanuel

    About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, Isaiah gave a sign. A virgin would bear a son, and call Him Immanuel. Centuries later, Matthew explained what the name means. God with us. Not God far away. God with us.

    🙌 Ask: “Why would ‘God with us’ matter more than ‘God far away’?”

  2. 👶👑 A child with five enormous names

    Isaiah went further. A child would be born. The government would rest on His shoulders. His names would be Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. That’s a lot of weight for a baby. Unless the baby is Jehovah Himself.

    🙌 Read Isaiah 9:6 slowly. Ask: “Which of these names jumps out at you?”

  3. 🏘️⭐ Micah names the town; Balaam sees a star

    Micah lived at the same time as Isaiah. He named the exact village. Little Bethlehem. Even earlier, a prophet named Balaam saw from far away that a Star would come out of Jacob. The details were piling up.

    🙌 Ask: “Why would God give details this specific, this early?”

  4. 🧱🌙 Samuel the Lamanite: a night with no darkness

    Five years before the Savior’s birth, Samuel the Lamanite stood on a city wall in the Americas. He prophesied a day, a night and a day with no darkness. And a new star. Years later, unbelievers set a deadline. If the sign didn’t come, the believers would be put to death. The prophet Nephi prayed all day. That night, the sun went down. And it never got dark.

    🙌 Ask: “Why do you think the believers kept trusting as the deadline got closer?”

  5. 🚶🚪 No room in Bethlehem

    Caesar Augustus ordered everyone to be taxed in their family’s hometown. Joseph was from the family of David. So he traveled to Bethlehem with Mary. The town was packed. There was no room for them in the inn.

    🙌 Everyone knocks twice on a chair or desk, like Joseph at a door.

  6. 🌟👶 The wait is over

    That night, in little Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. After thousands of years of waiting, the promised Messiah had come. Not in a palace. In a feeding trough for animals.

    🙌 Lower your voice. Let the room sit completely quiet for five seconds.

  7. 🐑😇 Shepherds get the announcement first

    Out in the fields, shepherds were on the night shift. An angel appeared. The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, don’t be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. Unto you is born this day a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. The shepherds ran to Bethlehem. They found the baby, and they told everyone.

    🙌 A youth reads Luke 2:11. Ask: “Why tell shepherds on the night shift before anyone important?”

  8. 🔭🎁 Wise men follow the star to a house

    Later, wise men from the East followed a star. First to Jerusalem. Then to Bethlehem, just where Micah said. They found the young child with Mary in a house. They knelt and worshipped Him. They gave gold, frankincense and myrrh. Every receipt had come in. And the same Savior Isaiah promised would one day carry our griefs and sorrows too.

    🙌 Turn to a neighbor for ten seconds. Ask: “Which prophecy surprises you most?”

Key verse

Isaiah 25:9 ↗
“Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
In plain words: Look, this is our God! We waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord. We waited for Him, and now we’ll be glad and celebrate that He saves us.
🙌 “Lo, this is our God” = both hands open toward the screen · “we have waited for him” = check an imaginary watch · “and he will save us” = arms cross over your chest · “we will be glad and rejoice” = hands lift up · “in his salvation” = hand over heart. Split it: half the room says the first half, the other half answers with the second.

More verses

Isaiah 9:6 ↗
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
In plain words: A child is born for us, a Son is given to us. He will carry the weight of ruling, and His names are Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 53:4 ↗
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows”
In plain words: He really did carry our grief and our sadness.
Numbers 24:17 ↗
“there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel”
In plain words: A Star will come from Jacob’s family, and a King will rise out of Israel.
Luke 2:11 ↗
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
In plain words: Today, in David’s town, your Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord.

Forehead Guess words16 words

  • 🤝 Immanuel
  • 🕊️ Prince of Peace
  • 🌟 Wonderful
  • 🏘️ Bethlehem
  • ⭐ Star out of Jacob
  • 🧱 Samuel the Lamanite
  • 🛏️ Manger
  • 🚪 Inn
  • 🐑 Shepherds
  • 🧣 Swaddling Clothes
  • 🔭 Wise Men
  • 🎁 Frankincense
  • 🏛️ Caesar Augustus
  • 👑 Messiah
  • 🦯 Good Shepherd
  • 💗 Redeemer
Clues for each word
  • Immanuel: Isaiah’s name for Him; means “God with us”
  • Prince of Peace: One of the five names in Isaiah 9:6
  • Wonderful: The first name on Isaiah 9:6’s list
  • Bethlehem: The little town Micah named
  • Star out of Jacob: What Balaam saw coming in Numbers 24:17
  • Samuel the Lamanite: Prophesied from a city wall about a night without darkness
  • Manger: An animal feeding trough, the first bed of the Savior
  • Inn: There was no room there
  • Shepherds: On the night shift when the angel appeared
  • Swaddling Clothes: What Mary wrapped the baby in
  • Wise Men: Followed a star and found the young child in a house
  • Frankincense: One of the wise men’s three gifts
  • Caesar Augustus: Ordered the taxing that sent Joseph to Bethlehem
  • Messiah: The promised Deliverer Israel waited for
  • Good Shepherd: A title of Christ from Psalm 23 and John 10
  • Redeemer: The One who buys us back and saves us
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown9 questions

  1. Isaiah 25:9 says “we have waited for him, and he will” what?
    • A. Save us
    • B. Judge us
    • C. Leave us
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Save us The manual’s title for the week. Waiting that ends in rejoicing.

  2. What does the name Immanuel mean?
    • A. King of kings
    • B. God with us
    • C. Son of David
    Show answer

    ✅ B. God with us Matthew 1:23 explains Isaiah 7:14. God didn’t stay far away.

  3. Which is NOT one of the names in Isaiah 9:6?
    • A. Wonderful
    • B. The Prince of Peace
    • C. The Good Shepherd
    Show answer

    ✅ C. The Good Shepherd Good Shepherd is a true title (Psalm 23; John 10), just not in Isaiah 9:6.

  4. Which prophet named Bethlehem as the birthplace?
    • A. Micah
    • B. Malachi
    • C. Daniel
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Micah Micah 5:2, about 700 years early.

  5. What sign did Samuel the Lamanite prophesy?
    • A. An earthquake
    • B. A day, a night and a day with no darkness
    • C. A rainbow
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A day, a night and a day with no darkness Helaman 14:2–6, fulfilled in 3 Nephi 1:15–21.

  6. Why did Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem?
    • A. To visit the temple
    • B. To escape Herod
    • C. To be taxed in Joseph’s family city
    Show answer

    ✅ C. To be taxed in Joseph’s family city Luke 2:1–4. Joseph was from the house and family of David.

  7. Where did Mary lay the newborn baby?
    • A. In a manger
    • B. In a cradle at the inn
    • C. In the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ A. In a manger Luke 2:7. There was no room in the inn.

  8. Where did the wise men find the young child?
    • A. In a stable
    • B. In a house
    • C. In the temple
    Show answer

    ✅ B. In a house Matthew 2:11. They came later than the shepherds.

  9. Isaiah 53:4 says He has borne our griefs and carried our what?
    • A. Burdens
    • B. Crosses
    • C. Sorrows
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Sorrows The baby in Bethlehem came to carry what we can’t carry alone.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Hymns, no. 209

    It’s packed with titles of the Savior, perfect after the Name Draft. Find it ↗

  • Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains Hymns, no. 212

    The shepherds’ night shift, written by an early Latter-day Saint. Find it ↗

  • Silent Night Hymns, no. 204

    A quiet close after the manger scene. Find it ↗

  • Joy to the World Hymns, no. 201

    The manual suggests it: the long wait is over, so rejoice. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

A Name for the New Year

Keep the name of Christ you chose where you’ll see it every day. This week, start the New Testament by reading Luke 1 on your own. It’s next week’s chapter. All next year, watch for moments when Jesus lives up to that name.

Text the parents

Today in class we finished the Old Testament with Christmas. Prophets waited and promised for centuries, as Isaiah 25:9 shows. Every promise came true in Bethlehem. Your teen chose one name of Jesus Christ to carry into next year’s New Testament study. Ask them which name they chose, and why that one.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

🎶 Christmas Hymn Title Hunt · 4 min

  1. Open the hymnbook or Gospel Library to the Christmas hymns, numbers 201 to 214.
  2. Pairs list every title or name of Christ they can find in the hymn titles and first verses.
  3. Ask which title surprised them. Then ask which they’d want sung at their own Christmas next year.

⏳ Waiting Well · 5 min

  1. Compare three people who waited. Habakkuk on his watchtower, in Habakkuk 2:1–3. Simeon in the temple, in Luke 2:25–32. The Nephite believers waiting for the sign, in 3 Nephi 1:5–15.
  2. Ask: “What did each one do while they waited? What didn’t they do?”
  3. Ask: “What does it look like to wait well for something right now?”

🕯️ Christmas Traditions That Point to Him · 4 min

  1. Each youth shares one family tradition. Brainstorm how it could point to the Savior. Lights go with Psalm 27:1, gifts with John 3:16, a star with Numbers 24:17.
  2. Invite them to suggest one Christ-centered tradition their family could try next year.

🎄 Symbols of Christ Hunt · 4 min

  1. Call out a symbol, like star, light, shepherd, lamb, branch or water. Everyone looks around the room for something that could stand for it.
  2. The first to point it out reads the matching verse and says what it teaches about the Savior. The verses are Numbers 24:17, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 23:1, Genesis 22:8, Isaiah 11:1 and Exodus 17:6.
  3. Challenge them to spot one of these symbols this week, on a tree or down the street. Then tell someone what it means.

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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