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Main Point: Jesus emptied Himself to come and be our Savior.
Key Verse: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. - Philippians 2:6-7 NLT
Props: Styrofoam ball “sun” and “moon”, faux tree, seashell, several sponges cut in the shape of people (One unmarked sponge slightly wet; the other sponges dry, with a black mark hidden inside - make a slice long-ways in the sponge and color on it with black marker); a clear pitcher of water
Say: We just celebrated Christmas. We know the story of Jesus’ birth, with Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. We put a little manger scene in our house so we will remember the way Jesus chose to come into the world. (Lead kids to sing the first verse of “Away in a Manger.”) It is a wonderful story and it is really great to celebrate it every year.
Over the next few months, we are going to study the life of Jesus, and what happened when He grew up. I’ll be honest. I have a few questions about Jesus. Maybe you do too. Like, how is it possible that He is God and man? Did He know everything when He was little? Did His parents really have to teach Him how to walk and talk, or did He just pretend not to know anything so He wouldn’t hurt their feelings when they tried to teach Him things? Did He really get hungry? How can God get tired? I have always had a lot of questions about Jesus. Well, the book of John gives us some answers.
There are four books in the Bible that tell the life story of Jesus. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We call these four books the Gospels, which means Good News.
John knew Jesus very well. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. He wanted the whole world to know the truth about Jesus. He tells us about the life of Jesus, but it is very different from the other three gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us what happened once Jesus was born in that manger. But John backs up; John backs way, way up. John starts with, “In the beginning...” Where have we heard those words before? The creation story in Genesis starts with those same words. John starts his story of Jesus way back at the creation of the world. Was Jesus around back then? Yes, He was.
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At the beginning of chapter 1, John calls Jesus by another name. John calls Jesus, “the Word” (John 1:14). The Greek word for this is “logos.” Logos means the essence, the truth, the very core of who God is. Just to make it easier to follow, I’ll say “Jesus” every time John says, “the Word.”
In the beginning, [Jesus] was already there. [Jesus] was with God, and [Jesus] was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him. Nothing that has been made was made without Him. - John 1:1-3
The Bible says that God is Spirit (John 4:24). There’s no way for me to show you a Spirit, so let’s say that this water represents God’s Spirit and Jesus’ Spirit. Show pitcher of water. In real life, they are not contained at all! Wet fingers and fling some water out. But they were always together. They always existed, and they were together.
Jesus already existed before the creation of the world. Because He is God, He has no start and no end. He simply always was. He is the Creator of the universe. When He spoke, His words created the light, the sun, and the moon. Hold up your sun and moon. His word created the oceans (hold up seashell), the mighty oak trees (hold up tree), and, best of all, people, like you and me. Hold up dry sponges, keeping wet one hidden.
Jesus created all these things, and they were very good. Everything God made was wonderful. But soon, the people had a BIG problem. Every person chose to sin. They chose to do things their own way. They were marked with sin. Pry open the people and show the black marks inside. No matter what they tried, the people couldn’t do anything to get rid of their sin. It’s a huge problem, because that sin separated them from God. So God promised that one day He would send someone who would take away their sin. He would make them clean again! So the people waited for the Savior. They waited for generation after generation after generation. Then, listen to John 1:14:
The Word [Jesus] became a human being. He made His home with us. We have seen His glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And He was full of grace and truth. - John 1:14
Jesus, who is God, became a human being. The Word became flesh (NIV). He was a Spirit, but He took on skin and bones. There is not a perfect illustration about how this happened! It is unlike anything else that we have ever seen. It is a complete miracle, an amazing work of a perfect God.
At just the right time, Jesus became human. Hold up the pitcher of water, and replace it with the slightly wet sponge. I don’t know how He did it, but Jesus became flesh and blood, just like you and me. Pinch your arm to show flesh. Can you all feel your skin and bones?
Listen to this interesting verse. Philippians 2:6-7 says: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. (NLT)
When Jesus came as a baby human, He chose to empty Himself. Somehow, He chose to give up His godly power. Wring out sponge water into pitcher. But even so, He NEVER sinned. He grew up in Nazareth. There were lots of other people in Nazareth: little boys, girls, moms and dads. Hold up the people-sponges next to sponge representing Jesus. Compare all the sponges. They should look very similar on the outside. Jesus looked like a regular Jewish boy. The Bible says that there was nothing special about the way He looked (Isaiah 53:2). He was not more handsome; He didn’t have a halo around His head! But there was one very big difference. Jesus did not have sin. Of course, we can’t see sin on the outside of a person, but every other person had sin on the inside.
When Jesus was a boy, growing up in Nazareth, none of His neighbors knew that the Savior of the world was living right beside them!
Several years later, God sent a special messenger to tell everyone that the Savior was about to step forward! Who knows who that messenger was? John (not the writer of this book, but Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son. Do you remember that miraculous story from right before Christmas?)
I would have loved to have met John! John is not someone who cared what other people thought of him. Most people do care what other people think. We fix our hair just so, or wear the clothes that we think our friends will like. We don’t want people to think we are weird or different from them. But not John! He didn’t care about fitting in. He just did what he knew was right. He did whatever God told him to do!
When John was about 30 years old, he started talking about the Savior. He started preaching it - loudly. He went all the way out to the wilderness, on the other side of the Jordan River. If anyone wanted to hear him preach, they had to go way out of town to hear him. Lots of people did. Here’s what Mark has to say about John:
And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. [That’s why we call him John the Baptist.] He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River. John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey. [There weren’t any grocery stores out there!]
Here is what John was preaching. "After me, One will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie His sandals. I baptize you with water. But He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." - Mark 1:4-8
Say: More and more people came out to hear John. The leaders even sent people to find out who John was. They wondered if he was the Savior. But John was sure to tell them he was not!
(One) day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A Man who comes after me is more important than I am. That's because He existed before I was born.' [Remember, Jesus always existed.] I did not know Him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this Person is. That's the reason I came baptizing with water." - John 1:29-31
Say: John had been telling people that the Savior was coming. When Jesus arrived, John announced that Jesus was the One! Finally, the people knew His name! JESUS. John knew that Jesus was the One because God told him (John 1:33). Isn’t it wonderful that John was always listening to God?
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Jesus wanted John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13). Jesus wanted to show everyone who was watching that John’s message was true. John did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus, but he obeyed Jesus’ request. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. And when they came out of the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down like a dove and rested on Jesus (Luke 3:21-22).
A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, and I love Him. I am very pleased with Him." - Matthew 3:17
Pick up the pitcher and pour water into the sponge that represents Jesus. God poured His Spirit out on Jesus (Luke 4:1). So now, we have an amazing thing. Jesus was flesh and blood, but He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. In the coming weeks, we’ll see the amazing miracles that Jesus did because He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit.
These are difficult things to understand. Even the smartest grown ups don’t fully grasp how any of this happened. Some things are simply done by God, and we just believe that it’s true. That is called having faith. We can’t see it with our eyes, but we know it is true in our heart.
Jesus always existed. He spoke and created everything that exists - including people. The people chose to sin, and they were separated from Him. When the time was perfect, Jesus chose to become a human being. He left heaven. He gave up all of His rights and privileges. Somehow, He emptied Himself of His power. He grew up like all the other kids in his town, except He never sinned. And when the time was right, He came out to be baptized by John the Baptist. At that moment, God filled Jesus with His Holy Spirit, and Jesus’ ministry began. In the coming weeks, we will read about the amazing things Jesus did: He healed the sick, made blind people see, made demons flee, and even raised people from the dead! He did all of these things to show people that God has a wonderful, joy-filled, perfect kingdom that they could be a part of by believing in Him.
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. - Philippians 2:6-7 NLT
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus emptied Himself to come and be our Savior.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Main Point: Jesus performed miracles to show people that He was God.
Key Verse: That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11
Props: Small tub of water, small bowl of dirt, towel; One glass pitcher full of water, one ceramic jar or pitcher with red powdered drink mix secretly at the bottom, ladle, plastic cup
Say: Jesus had stepped into time to come to the earth. Though He was almighty God, He willingly allowed His infinite power to be limited for a time. Jesus came into the world as a human baby. The boy Jesus grew up. He obeyed His earthy parents (Luke 2:51) and He abided in His heavenly Father. This week we begin to study Jesus’ life as a grown man.
Ask: Who can remember the name of Jesus’ cousin? (Hint: He was Elizabeth and Zechariah’s son.) John. Say: John was a very special person. He was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus. When John was a grown man, he lived out in the wilderness and preached that the Messiah was about to come. Many people believed what John said, and followed him. Others did not like what John said (Matthew 14:3-4).
One day, when Jesus was 30 years old, John saw Jesus walking toward him. Listen to what John said about Jesus:
John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! - John 1:29b
Several of John’s followers believed that Jesus was the Messiah, so they started to follow Jesus (John 1:37). They were called Jesus’ disciples.
Say: Three days later, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother, Mary, was there. Jesus and His handful of disciples were also invited. The Bible lists five disciples at this time (John 1:35-49). It seems that Mary may have been helping with the wedding feast. Perhaps she was friends with the young couple’ parents, or maybe they were even related. Weddings were a fun and joyous occasion back then, just as they are now. In Bible times, weddings were a huge celebration that could last up to a week (Judges 14:12). Guests would eat and drink and celebrate the new life that the couple was beginning together. Can you imagine providing food and drinks for all those guests for several days? (Teacher: For young children, you may want to say: Just like a birthday party usually has cake, a wedding in Jesus' time usually had a special drink called wine.) For some reason, at this wedding feast, the couple ran out of wine. Maybe the couple did not plan very well. Or maybe the couple could not afford to buy enough wine to last throughout the celebration. Running out of wine would be very embarrassing for the couple. Also, with nothing left to drink, guests would have left early, cutting the celebration short.
When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine." - John 2:3
Mary brought the problem to Jesus. She was one of the few people who knew exactly who Jesus was. She knew that He was the Creator of the universe (John 1:3). Even though Jesus had not yet performed any miracles (John 2:11), Mary knew that creating some wine would be no problem for Him. Mary did not specifically ask Jesus to do a miracle. She just mentioned the need for more wine. As always, Jesus had a very interesting reply.
"Dear woman, why do you bring Me into this?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." - John 2:4
Jesus had grown up in Mary’s care. He loved her and obeyed her. Yet, at this time He made it clear to her that He must follow God’s plan above all other things. He said, “My time has not yet come.” This meant that the time was not quite right for it to be made known to all people that He was actually God in a human body (John 1:14). Soon the time would be right, but not on that day at that wedding feast.
We know that Jesus could read the thoughts of men and woman (Luke 5:22). It seems that Jesus was reading Mary’s thoughts. It may be that Mary wanted Jesus to perform a great miracle that everyone could see, even though she was careful not to say so. Even after Jesus answered her, Mary still hoped He would do something to help the wedding couple. She spoke to the servants and said, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5 NLT)
There were six stone water jars nearby. Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons of water. These water jars were used for special washing. The Jews were never supposed to eat without first washing themselves (Mark 7:3), and they washed again after they ate.
Teacher: Show your small tub of water. As you describe the trip to the ceremony, rub some dirt on your hands. Say: The guests would have come to the wedding along a dusty road. If they rode on donkeys, they would have had to stop along the way to care for their animals. When they arrived at the wedding feast, they would dip their dirty hands into the water to wash off the sweat and grime of the day. Dip your hands into the water to wash them. Dry your hands on the towel.
Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the top. - John 2:7
Say: Think of how heavy one full gallon of milk is. When you add the weight of the water to the weight of the stone jar, each full jar might weigh over 300 pounds. More than likely, the servants used smaller jars to go to the nearest well and bring back water to fill the large jars.
Then He told them, "Now dip some out. Take it to the person in charge of the dinner." - John 2:8
Filling the water jugs so guests could wash themselves was a normal part of a servant’s job. However, dipping out some of the wash water to serve as a drink to someone was VERY unusual! This would be like offering a cup of bath water to a guest in your home! Jesus told the servants to give a cup of this water to the table master. He was in charge of the dinner. The table master’s job included deciding what food to serve at a feast, and tasting the food and wine before it was served (Strong’s Concordance). Can you imagine being the servant who had to hand a cup of washing water to the man in charge?
Amazingly, between the time the servants poured ordinary well water into the large jars, and the time the servants scooped out a cupful for the table master, it turned into wine! Teacher: Show the kids your ceramic pitcher or jar (with powdered drink mix secretly at the bottom). Tilt the jar to make the point that it is empty. You may even stick your hand in the jar to prove it is empty. Next, take your pitcher of water and pour it into the ceramic jar. Then dip in a ladle and fill a plastic cup, so the kids can see your colored water or “wine.
The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn't realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew. Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. He said to him, "Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now." - John 2:9-10
Jesus not only cleaned what was once dirty, but He made it into something wonderful! Jesus transformed the dirty water into the BEST wine! The table master was very impressed with how good the wine was - and tasting wine was part of his job. Normally, if a wedding couple could not afford great wine throughout their feast, they would start with the best wine they could afford. As the guests ate and drank, and became full, the servants would serve less expensive wine. But, after tasting the wine that Jesus made, the table master pulled the groom aside. He told the groom that he could tell that he had saved the best wine for last. Ask: If there were six jars of this fine wine, and each jar could hold 25 gallons, how many gallons would there be? 150 gallons! Say: Jesus blesses in abundance! Without Jesus stepping in, the groom would have run out of wine, and would have been embarrassed and ashamed. After Jesus took matters into His hands, the groom was known as the most generous party host in town.
Application: It is deep within Jesus’ nature to turn bad things into good. Just as He turned dirty hand-washing water into the best tasting wine, He can turn anyone’s life into a beautiful thing! Sometimes when we look at ourselves or other people, we see the “dirt” and problems. When Jesus touches a person’s life, they become clean and they receive a new life (Matthew 8:3). Jesus can turn anyone’s life into something wonderful when they trust and obey Him.
Note to Teacher:2 In this first miracle of our Lord, Jesus takes something not so great and turns it into something very wonderful. He takes that which is the cause of drudgery and makes it the source of great delight. The Old Testament Law required various kinds of washings. All of these were to demonstrate to the Israelites how deeply sinful and unclean they were, and thus how unfit to enter into God’s presence. These washings were drudgery, yet the Israelites were to do them in obedience to God’s law. By the time legalistic Judaism added even more washings, Judaism was a laborious religion. Jesus took this ceremonial cleansing water and made it into wine. Jesus took that which was a pain and made it into a pleasure. Jesus took that which Jews would have found unfit to drink, and He made of it the best wine that has ever passed the lips of man.
What a picture this is of the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old, of grace to law. Because He came and perfectly fulfilled the law, meeting all of its requirements, our Lord was uniquely qualified to die for sinners on the cross of Calvary. The salvation He procured through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary makes it possible for men to leave the drudgery behind and to enter into the joy of His salvation.
Our Lord is able to take that which is less than desirable (for drinking, at least) and make it into a vintage wine, the finest man has ever tasted. He is able to take fallible men like Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, and Nathaniel and make them into apostles. He is able to take the “weak and foolish things of this world”—people like us—and transform us so that people marvel at God’s grace and power. What a wonderful Savior!
Jesus did help the couple with their wine shortage, as Mary wished He would. But He did not perform this miracle in full site of all the guests. Because He knew it was not yet God’s perfect timing for everyone to find out who He was, He did this miracle quietly. The only people who knew what had happened were the servants, Mary, and the few disciples who were with Him.
Note to Teacher: Consider the God of perfect solutions. The wedding predicament was that the bride and groom needed a miracle, but the time was not right for Jesus to be made known. So, Jesus performed a private miracle. Only Mary (who already knew who He was), the servants (who were certain not to talk to the wedding guests), and the disciples (who had already begun to follow Him) saw what He did.
The ultimate predicament was that of mankind. We were separated from God because of our sin. God did not want us to be separated from Him, but there was nothing we could do to reconcile ourselves to Him. So, God sent His perfect Son, the only One who could fulfill God’s own requirement.
The last verse in this passage of Scripture is:
That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11
This was the first miracle Jesus performed. The Greek words for “Jesus showed His glory” could also be said this way: “Jesus made His hidden majesty and kingly perfection to become known.” (Strong’s Concordance G5319, G1391) When the handful of disciples who had begun to follow Jesus saw His glory, they put their faith in Him. This was a turning point for the disciples. In fact, it was the most important moment of each of their lives! Suddenly, these men saw who Jesus really was. At that moment, they knew He was more than a great Teacher. They knew He was the Messiah, and they placed their trust in Him.
Application: The book of John describes many of the miracles that Jesus performed. At the end of the book, the writer tells us exactly why these amazing events were recorded.
PPT CUE: Verse
These (miracles) are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to Him. - John 20:31
The disciples saw what Jesus did and they put their faith in Him. Teacher: Hold up your Bible. John wrote down these miracles for US - so that you and I would have the same opportunity to place our faith in Jesus. Over the past several weeks, we have learned about how our sin separates us from God, and leads to death (Romans 6:23). And we have learned that there is nothing we can do to make things right with God (Ephesians 2:9). But God doesn’t want to be separated from us. God provided a way for sins to be covered. In the Old Testament, God required His people to offer an animal sacrifice because the life in the blood of the animal covered the death of their sin (Leviticus 17:11). We also learned that long ago, God promised that He would send a better way - a permanent solution to our sin problem (Isaiah 53:5, Galatians 3:8).
For the next ten weeks, we will learn all about the life of Jesus - the fulfillment of God’s promise. Listen, and learn, and pray for God to show you truth. Just as the disciples faced a turning point in their lives, each of us must come to the same point. Each of us may see things that God does, or hear about His wonders, but we too must come to a turning point in our own lives where we choose to put our faith in Him. The Bible says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. If you place your trust in Him, your sin will be taken away, and you will have new life (Romans 10:9).
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus performed miracles to show people that He was God.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Bob Deffinbaugh, The First Sign: Jesus Turns Water into Wine (John 2:1-11) ©1996-2006 Biblical Studies Press, reprinted with permission from www.bible.org.
Main Point: We must each be born again.
Key Verse: You should not be surprised when I say, “You must all be born again.” - John 3:7
Props: A captain’s hat, or life jacket
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Ask: Who can tell me what the word Emmanuel means? Say: Emmanuel means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) This was the perfect name for Jesus, because He always was and always will be God, yet He put on a human body so He could come to be with us. People could see Him, touch Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him. We looked at Jesus as a child, and last week we saw Him when He was grown up. He performed His first miracle when he turned six huge jars of water into wine. Jesus did this miracle quietly because it was not yet God’s perfect time for everyone to find out who Jesus was. But soon after this quiet miracle, Jesus started to do miracles where everyone could see them. Jesus taught in the synagogues, and news about Him traveled throughout the entire area (Luke 4:14-15). The Bible says, “Many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing. And they believed in His name.” (John 2:23b) Some people believed in Him and some did not, but one thing is for sure - people were definitely taking notice of Him.
Ask: Who brought their Bible with them today? Say: I LOVE seeing you with your Bibles. Now, I am about to say something I hardly ever say. For the next few minutes, do not open your Bibles! Okay, all Bibles closed. Ask: Who can recite John 3:16, without looking it up? Teacher: Call on a student to stand and say the verse. Thank your volunteer. Say: John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible. People put it on billboards, and they hold it up at ball games. It is a great verse about God’s love for us and how we can be made right with Him if we put our trust in Jesus. Now I have another question. Ask: Again, without looking, who can tell me what Bible story John 3:16 is from? Say: It is from the story of Nicodemus.
PPT CUE
Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader. He belonged to a group called the Pharisees. These men were experts in God’s law. They felt very strongly that the Jewish people should follow the law, and not become like the non-Jewish people around them. This would seem to be good, but they had become proud in their hearts. They were proud that they were God’s chosen people, they were proud that they knew so much about God’s law. They became so proud of their rule-following that they added lots of rules to God’s word. The Pharisees mistakenly believed that God was pleased with them because of all their rules (Matthew 5:20). They judged people by how well they followed all the rules, and they did not have love or mercy in their hearts (Matthew 23:4, 23).
Because the Pharisees were experts in God’s word, they knew that God had promised to send the Messiah. But sadly, they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They expected the Messiah to come in a royal robe, not in swaddling clothes. They thought the Messiah would come and tell them that God already accepted them. And, they enjoyed the power they had as leaders. They did not want to bow down to a carpenter’s son. Let’s see what the Bible says about the Pharisee named Nicodemus. Open your Bibles to John 3:1, and read along. If you have a “red letter edition,” then the words that Jesus spoke will be in red ink.
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with You. If He weren't, You couldn't do the miraculous signs You are doing." - John 3:1-2
Ask: When did Nicodemus come to see Jesus? At night. Who can guess why he came at night? Perhaps so that no one would see him. Say: Nicodemus was well-known, and he belonged to the group of men who spoke out against Jesus. Nicodemus did not want the other Pharisees to find out that he went to see Jesus. This may seem cowardly, but Nicodemus was risking his reputation by going to see Jesus, an untrained teacher from Galilee. It took a great deal of courage for Nicodemus to go at all!
Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus, and he wanted to find out more. Nicodemus probably thought a long time about what to say to Jesus. He started by calling Jesus “Rabbi,” which is the Jewish word for Teacher. Then he admitted that Jesus must have come from God.
The Bible tells us that Jesus can read the hearts of men (Matthew 9:4, 12:25). Jesus knew why Nicodemus had come, and He spoke to his deepest need.
Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again." - John 3:3
PPT CUE
Nicodemus’ deepest need was to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus told him he must be “born again.” The original words used for “born again” can be stated “born from above” (Strong’s concordance). Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant by this.
"How can I be born when I am old?" Nicodemus asked. "I can't go back inside my mother! I can't be born a second time!"
Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can enter God's kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised when I say, 'You must all be born again.' - John 3:4-7
Jesus made it clear that He was talking not about a physical birth, like a baby being born. He was talking about a spiritual rebirth. This is getting a new life from God.
One of God’s prophets, Ezekiel, had once talked about water and spirit. Nicodemus would have known this. Through Ezekiel, God spoke to His people when they had sinned against Him. God said that one day He would wash away the filth of their sin with water. Then God said He would put His Spirit inside of them to guide their hearts to do what is right. Water was a symbol for the forgiveness of sin (John 13:8-11), and the Spirit would give them a new abundant life (John 6:63, Romans 8:11). Jesus also made it clear that this new birth could not come from Nicodemus’ efforts, but it could only come from God (John 3:6).
Note to Teacher: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. - Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT
Say: His entire life, Nicodemus had been trained to believe that he could earn God’s approval by following a list of rules. It was very difficult for him to understand that this new life was given by God. Again he asked Jesus, “How can this be?” (John 3:9)
"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus. "Don't you understand these things? - John 3:10
Additional teaching for older students: Jesus assured Nicodemus that He had full authority to speak about the kingdom of God, because He had come from heaven (John 3:11-13). He called Himself the “Son of Man,” which was a name for the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for (John 3:13, Daniel 7:13).
In John 3:14, Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time when the Jewish people were attacked by poisonous snakes in the desert as a punishment for their complaining against God (Numbers 21:4-9). In His mercy, God provided a way for His people to be saved from the deadly snake bites. God told Moses to make a bronze statue of a snake and hold it up high. Everyone who looked at the snake would NOT die. All they had to do was trust God enough to look, and they would be saved. There was no other way to be saved. Jesus told Nicodemus that in the same way, He would soon be lifted up. Believing in Him would be the only way for people to be saved from the punishment of their sin.
Then Jesus explained it in the most crystal clear way:
PPT CUE: Verse
God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. - John 3:16-18
Everyone is guilty of sinning against God. The Bible says that the punishment for our sin is to be separated from God and punished forever. This applies to EVERYONE (Romans 5:12). But Jesus had great news for Nicodemus, and for all people. Jesus told Nicodemus that EVERYONE who believes in Him will be SAVED from the punishment they deserve, and they will no longer be separated from God.
Here is another way to look at it. Teacher: Call on about 8 volunteers. Have them come to the front and stand as a group. Say: Let’s say this group of people is shipwrecked on a desert island. There is no water to drink and no food to eat. Ask: What would happen to these people with no food and no water? They would die. Don’t miss this point: They are all going to die unless they are rescued. But, there is great news! One day a rescue boat comes to the island. Call on another volunteer to “drive” a rescue boat to the group, wearing the captain’s hat or life jacket. The boat is big enough for all the people on the island. Ask: Now, in order to be saved by the boat, what does each person need to do? They need to believe the boat will take them to safety, and they MUST get on the boat. There is only ONE way to be rescued. Each person is free to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat. Instruct all but two volunteers to “get on the boat,” and have them take a few steps away from the “island.” Point to the remaining students on the island, and Say: These people decided not to get on the boat. Everyone (point to all the students who started out on the island) who was stranded on the island was destined to die. Then a rescue boat came. Those who chose to get on the boat were saved. And those who did not get on the boat will die. Thank your volunteers.
Optional presentation, without volunteers: Picture a group of people who are shipwrecked, and stranded on a desert island. There is no water to drink and no food to eat. Ask: What would happen to the people with no food and no water? They would die. Don’t miss this point: They are all going to die unless they are rescued. But, there is great news! One day a rescue boat comes to the island. The boat is big enough for all the stranded people. Ask: In order to be saved by the boat, what does each person need to do? They need to believe the boat will take them to safety, and they MUST get on the boat. Say: There is only ONE way to be rescued. Each person is free to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat. Some people may decide not to get on the boat. Everyone on the island was destined to die. But a rescue boat came. Those who chose to get on the boat will be saved. And those who did not get on the boat will die.
Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus the best news ever told. Nicodemus could be free from all of the rules that he followed. He could be given new life by the Creator of the universe, if only he would place his trust in God’s Son who was standing right in front of him.
Jesus ended His conversation with Nicodemus with one more illustration. He said:
Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God's help. - John 3:19-21
Did you ever get a scab on your knee, and your mom told you not to touch it, or it would get infected? What if I had a scab on my leg, and even though I knew better, I picked at it and it became infected? Once I know that the infection is there, I have two choices. I can either go to the doctor to have it cleaned out, or I can wear long pants to cover it up and pretend it isn’t there. After all, it is really gross to look at, and I don’t want to admit what I did. Ask: What’s the problem with covering it up? The infection would spread and would make you really, really sick. Say: If I cover up my problem, I still have the problem and it will get much worse.
Our sin is very much like that infection. Jesus said He is the Light of the world (John 8:12). When He enters our lives, He shines light on our sin. When we see our sin problem, we either choose to go to Jesus to take our sin away, or we cover it up by turning away from Jesus.
Application: Like Nicodemus, many people believe that Jesus was a great teacher, and a good man. But we must believe more than that. We must first believe that Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us. Jesus fulfills every promise God ever made in His word about the Messiah that He would send.
Then, just like each person on the island had to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat, each person MUST decide whether or not to believe in Jesus. Our natural state is that we are guilty of sin and will receive punishment. God sent Jesus as our rescue plan. If you put your trust in Him, you will be saved! Your sin will be forgiven and you will receive His Spirit inside of you. When you receive this new life, you are born again.
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: You should not be surprised when I say, “You must all be born again.” - John 3:7
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: We must each be born again.
Note to Teacher: (On criticizing Nicodemus for coming to Jesus under cover of night)
It is, at any rate, altogether rash to speak of the manner of his first approach to Christ as most commentators have done. We can scarcely realize the difficulties which he had to overcome. It must have been a mighty power of conviction, to break down prejudice so far as to lead this old Sanhedrist to acknowledge a Galilean, untrained in the Schools, as a Teacher come from God, and to repair to Him for direction on, perhaps, the most delicate and important point in Jewish theology. But, even so, we cannot wonder that he should have wished to shroud his first visit in the utmost possible secrecy. It was a most compromising step for a Sanhedrist to take. With that first bold purgation of the Temple a deadly feud between Jesus and the Jewish authorities had begun, of which the sequel could not be doubtful. It was involved in that first encounter in the Temple, and it needed not the experience and wisdom of an aged Sanhedrist to forecast the end. Nevertheless, Nicodemus came.
Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Chapter 6, 1883
Additional Note to Teacher: We are not told of Nicodemus’ reaction to his interview with Christ. Did he believe? Did he receive new life? If he did believe, he did it secretly. In John 7:48-49b, the Pharisees (in the presence of Nicodemus) said, “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him? No!” Evidence that he may have believed secretly comes in the following verses: Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" (John 7:50-51) Nicodemus did not defend Jesus, but suggested that Jesus should at least have the opportunity to defend himself.
Further proof that Nicodemus probably came to place his trust in Jesus comes after our Lord’s death on the cross.
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. - John 19:38-40 NIV
Nicodemus was in the company of Joseph, a secret disciple of Christ. Logically, we can infer that these men would have talked about Jesus and probably held the same view of Him. They may have even met secretly before Jesus’ death to discuss His teachings, or perhaps it was only after Jesus’ death on the cross that Nicodemus fully believed. Nicodemus would have been privy to the mock trial, knowing Jesus was completely innocent. Maybe then Nicodemus saw that Jesus did not come for personal gain, but to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus had fulfilled Scripture by becoming the sacrifice for mankind. Either way, it would seem that by this time, Nicodemus was willing to forsake his reputation, and even his position as a Pharisee by caring for Jesus’ body. After all, the Pharisees had demanded the death of Jesus on the grounds of blasphemy. In their eyes, a blasphemer would not deserve a proper Jewish burial.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
PPT CUE
Main Point: Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him.
Key Verse: I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews. - Romans 1:16
Props: A beautiful vase, filled with dirty rocks, a clay vase filled with gold or pearls
Say: Jesus left heaven and came to earth to be the Savior of the world. Anyone who believes in Him will be forgiven of their sins, and will enter eternal life. Last week we learned about a Jewish leader who came to meet Jesus in the middle of the night. Ask: Who can tell me his name? Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The Pharisees knew God’s laws very well and they even added more rules to them. The Jewish people admired the Pharisees, and the Pharisees were proud of their positions. They mistakenly thought that God would accept them because of all their rule following. As a whole, the Pharisees did not believe in Jesus, but Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus. He wanted to find out more about him. The Bible does not tell us if Nicodemus put his faith in Jesus at that time. If he did, he kept it a secret from the other Pharisees (John 7:48-49).
PPT CUE
Because the Pharisees wanted to cause trouble for Jesus, He and His disciples left the Jewish town of Judea (John 4:1-2). They headed toward the town of Galilee (John 4:3). The quickest route between these two towns was through another town, called Samaria. Teacher: Point to this on the map. However, the Jews hated the Samaritans. The Samaritan people were half-Jewish. That means one parent was Jewish and the other parent was a foreigner. Because they were half-Jewish, Samaritans believed only part of the Jewish religion. The Jews believed the Samaritans were “unclean” in God’s eyes. Therefore, most Jews would never travel through Samaria. They would travel way out of their way to avoid getting near a Samaritan person.
Note to Teacher: There had been bitter feelings between Jews and Samaritans for centuries. The Samaritans find their origin at the time of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. According to Assyrian figures, nearly 30,000 Israelites were deported, being replaced by heathen captives from all over the Assyrian empire (cf. 2 Kings 17:3f.). It was not long before the purity of the Israelites was defiled, not only racially, but spiritually.
Ultimately, Samaritan theology differed greatly from that of Orthodox Judaism. The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) as inspired and authoritative. They rejected the Psalms, the prophets, and other books of the Old Testament. When the Babylonian exiles returned to the Holy Land, the Samaritans made efforts toward merger, but were rebuffed and rejected (and rightly so). As a result, open hostility sprung up from time to time. The Samaritans held that the center of worship was at Mt. Gerizim, while the Jews maintained that it was Jerusalem (cf. John 4:20). The Samaritans actually tampered with the Scriptures to substantiate their theology. Around 400 B.C., a Samaritan Temple was built on Mount Gerizim. Around 128 B.C., this temple was destroyed by the Jews and relations between these two peoples worsened. Such was the background to this conversation between Jesus and the woman. Evidence to the friction between the Jews and the Samaritans is easily found.
Bob Deffinbaugh, The Manifestation of Messiah to the Samaritan Woman ©1996-2006 Biblical Studies Press, reprinted with permission from www.bible.org.
Say: Unlike every other Jew, Jesus felt the need to go through Samaria.
Note to Teacher: The Greek word for Jesus’ need to go through Samaria was “dei,” meaning, “the necessity of law and command, of duty, of equity.” The dictionary defines equity as the quality of being fair or impartial. We will soon see that in Samaria, Jesus impartially shares the Gospel with Gentiles for the first time.
He and His disciples came to a town called Sychar. They stopped at a well that had been dug by Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. Jesus was tired, so He sat by the well. His disciples left Him there and went into town to buy food. It was about 6:00 in the evening at this time.
A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" - John 4:7
This may seem like a simple question, but it was much more than that! Jesus was a Jew, and as we said, a Jew almost NEVER spoke to a Samaritan. And even more than that, this Samaritan was a woman. Back in Jesus’ day, the Jewish teachers did not allow Jewish men to speak to women in public. By speaking to this Samaritan woman, Jesus proved He was different from any other teacher. He was concerned about people, not about rules made up by men.
The Samaritan woman said to Him, "You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?" She said this because Jews don't have anything to do with Samaritans.
Jesus answered her, "You do not know what God's gift is. And you do not know Who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked Him. He would have given you living water." - John 4:9-10
This woman stood face to face with Emmanuel, God’s own Son, yet she did not know Who He was. As always, Jesus knew this woman’s deepest need. Very often, Jesus used things that people could see to explain heavenly things that they could not see. He spoke to her of living water. The Bible says that this water is a symbol for God’s Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). But the woman did not understand that He was talking about spiritual things. She thought He meant actual water. Back then, living water meant water that moved, like water from a brook or stream. This water would be much fresher than the well water this woman was used to.
She asked Him where He could get such water. She even mentioned that the well they were at once belong to Abraham’s grandson. She asked Jesus how He could get water better than the water from Jacob’s well. She asked if Jesus was more important than Jacob. And as always, Jesus focused on what was most important.
Jesus answered, "All who drink this water will be thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give him will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life." - John 4:13-14
The woman said she would like to have this water, but she still did not fully understand. Jesus told her to go get her husband and come back. She said she did not have a husband. Of course, Jesus already knew this, and much more. Jesus knew all about her past, and her present.
Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you have now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true."
"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our people have worshiped on this mountain for a long time. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." - John 4:17b-20
The Jews and Samaritans argued over where the center of worship should be: at the Temple in Jerusalem, or a temple built by the Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim. Jesus spoke to what was most important.
Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews.
"But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. God is spirit. His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming." (He is called Christ.) "When He comes, He will explain everything to us."
Then Jesus said, "I, the One speaking to you, am He." - John 4:21-26
Note to Teacher: It is possible that this statement of our Lord in verse 26 is even more bold than simply a declaration of His identity as Messiah. When our Lord said, ‘I who speak to you am He,’ the ‘He’ is not present in the original text, but rather supplied by the translators. Jesus, I believe, made claim to be the ‘I AM’ of the Old Testament, where God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that “I AM” sent you (Exodus 3:14). If this is the case, Jesus claimed to be Messiah and God at the same moment. - Bob Deffinbaugh
Ask: Who did Jesus say He was? The Messiah, the Christ. Jesus could not have spoken more clearly about who He was. And though He said salvation must come through the Jews, it was not only for the Jews. Now it was for the non-Jews, or “Gentiles,” also.
Right at that time, Jesus’ disciples returned from town. They were very surprised to see Jesus talking to a woman, but they did not ask Him about it.
The woman had come to the well to get water, but she received new life instead. She left her water jar by the well and ran back to town to tell others the Good News.
She said to the people, "Come. See a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Christ?" The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus.
His disciples were saying to Him, "Rabbi, eat something!"
But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."
Then His disciples asked each other, "Did someone bring him food?"
Jesus said, "My food is to do what My Father sent me to do. My food is to finish His work.
"You say, 'Four months more, and then it will be harvest time.' But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! (Teacher, point to power point slide of people coming to Jesus.) They are ripe for harvest right now. Those who gather the crop are already getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So those who plant and those who gather can now be glad together.
"Here is a true saying. 'One plants and another gathers.' ” - John 4:29-37
His disciples wanted Jesus to eat the food that they had bought in town. Once again, Jesus used something that they could see (food) as a symbol of heavenly things. The food they bought in town would nourish their bodies, but the food of doing God’s work would nourish their souls. As the crowd of people from town made their way up the hillside to see Him, Jesus compared them to a crop that was ready to be harvested. A regular crop takes months to prepare. First, the farmer plants the seeds, then he waters and the sun shines. Each seed grows slowly into a mature plant. Then it is time to harvest, or pick the grain. But this day, Jesus spoke of a spiritual crop. The Samaritan woman had planted seeds of truth into the townspeople. Those who wanted to hear more were coming right to Jesus and the disciples. That very day, many Samaritans believed in Jesus. The spiritual crop was harvested! The disciples weren’t even present when the woman first came to Jesus, but they were privileged to help lead her friends and relative to new life in Christ. The Samaritans invited Jesus to stay with them for a few more days. The Bible says, “Many more became believers.” (John 4:41)
Application: Nicodemus was a Jew, one of God’s chosen people. He was a very educated man, admired by others, and he followed God’s laws. Nicodemus looked good on the outside. Teacher: Show the beautiful vase. Contrast this woman. She was a Samaritan - outcast from God’s chosen people. She had a terrible reputation; other people looked down on her. She had openly broken God’s laws. On the outside, she looked awful. Show the clay pot. Nicodemus had everything going for him, yet when he heard the news about Who Jesus was, and why He came, Nicodemus did not put his trust in Him - at least not right away. And if he did, he was afraid to tell anyone. Show that the beautiful vase is empty. But when the woman at the well heard the news about Jesus, she gladly accepted it. Then she ran to tell everyone about Him. Show the gold or pearls inside the clay pot. They BOTH needed Jesus, but only one boldly accepted Him. By outward appearances, anyone would have thought Nicodemus would have accepted Jesus instead of the woman. Perhaps the woman could see her need for Jesus’ forgiveness much more clearly than Nicodemus could see his.
Jesus came to save people from the punishment of their sin. This salvation was first offered to the Jews, and then God freely offered it to the non-Jews. We can apply this to our lives by remembering that Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him. Pray for the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone - those who look shiny on the outside, and those who don’t. EVERYONE needs to know Him.
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews. - Romans 1:16
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
PPT CUE
Main Point: Jesus performed miracles so that people would believe in Him.
Key Verse: Key Verse: Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family became believers. - John 4:53
Props: (Optional) A party favor “blower”
Say: Has anyone here been to a surprise party? (Tell a personal story if applicable, or ask a student to stand up and tell a story about his/her involvement in a surprise party.) We all know that we have to wait for just the right moment to yell, “Surprise!”, right? Option: Blow party favor each time you yell, “Surprise!”
What if you got invited to your friend’s surprise party, and you went to his house two hours before the party and yelled, “Surprise!”? Is that good timing? No, that would ruin everything. What if you waited until after the party to yell, “Surprise”? That would be pretty lame. And what if you stood up on your chair in the lunch room, say, tomorrow, and yelled, “Surprise!”? Would that be good timing? Not at all. Sometimes, timing is everything.
You know who has great timing? God does. God’s timing is perfect. God’s plan to save the world through Jesus had to be timed just right. In today’s story, we’ll see that Jesus managed everything so that He wouldn’t become too famous too quickly.
PPT CUE
Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which is in Galilee. Refer to map. He had a very normal childhood. Most people had no idea who He was. At just the right time, when He was all grown up, Jesus stepped forward and was baptized by John the Baptist. He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit and He began, little by little, to reveal who He really was.
The first miracle Jesus performed was right nearby in Cana. Refer to map. Who remembers what that miracle was? Jesus turned dirty bathing water into top-quality wine. Sometime later, Jesus and His disciples went to Samaria, where Jesus met the woman at the well. By the time they were finished talking, the woman knew that Jesus was the Savior, the Messiah. She told all her friends about Jesus, and tons of people came out to meet Him. Many Samaritans believed and entered God’s kingdom. These people began proclaiming that Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:42).
Jesus only stayed there for two days. This was part of His perfect timing. God knew ahead of time the perfect time for Jesus to become known to the Jewish leaders and for Him to go on trial and be crucified. God could not allow each step in His plan to happen too early or too late. People were catching on that Jesus was the Messiah, so Jesus knew it was time to leave. He decided to go back to His hometown where people did not proclaim that He was the Messiah.
After the two days [in Samaria], Jesus left for Galilee. He Himself had pointed out that a prophet is not respected in his own country. - John 4:43-44
We might think that home is where Jesus would be most respected, but that’s not the way human nature works. Someone might be a really famous singer or athlete, but at home, they are just the same old person. Their family still expects them to take out the trash or wash the dishes. Also, we know that Jesus never sinned. It might be that his brothers and sisters, cousins and friends were a little irritated that He was so good growing up. Can you just imagine hearing, “Well, Jesus never forgets to do His chores.” So, even though Jesus had gone out and done amazing things, and the people in His hometown knew about these things, they still did not realize He was the Savior of the world. The Bible says they welcomed Jesus when He came home. But it seems that the people wanted to see if He could really do miracles (John 4:45, 48).
Once more, Jesus visited Cana in Galilee. Cana is where he had turned the water into wine. A royal official was there. His son was sick in bed at Capernaum. The official heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea. So he went to Jesus and begged Him to come and heal his son. The boy was close to death.
Jesus told him, "You people will never believe unless you see miraculous signs and wonders."
The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. - John 4:46-50
This royal official was a Jewish man. He had a powerful job and plenty of money, but he had no way to help his sick son. His son had a terrible fever. There was no Tylenol back then; there was no way to bring the fever down. The boy was about to die. Suddenly, the desperate father heard that Jesus was visiting a few miles away. This Jewish official may have scoffed at the stories about Jesus before, but now he had a real need. His son’s life was on the line. I can imagine him, looking at his son, wondering if he should leave his side. “Will he die while I’m gone?” But the father took the chance. He rode as fast as he could to find the Healer he had heard about.
I can imagine the man stopping at the marketplace and the synagogue, asking if anyone had seen Jesus. Those whom he asked could hear the urgency in his voice. It is possible that several people were gathered around by the time he came face to face with Jesus. (Teacher note: The plural form of you is used in verse 48.)
When the official found Him, he begged Jesus to come home with him. Jesus’ answer is very surprising to us. It seems pretty harsh. But we know that Jesus is not harsh. He is simply trying to get to the matter that is most important–something that is even more important than the little boy’s illness. It is the man’s belief. You see, for Jesus, curing a deadly illness is no problem at all. He can speak and the fever must obey. However, belief is different. God always allows men and women to choose whether they will believe in Jesus as their Savior.
So when the man pleaded for his son’s life, Jesus brought up the issue of the man’s belief. Would he believe in Jesus?
The Bible calls miracles “signs and wonders.” What is a sign for? A sign points to something that is real.
What real thing does this sign point to? There is a very curvy road ahead.
What truth does this sign tell us? There is high voltage here. If you touch something here you will get shocked!
What real thing does this sign point to? A deer may run across the road.
The miracles that Jesus did were a SIGN that He is God! They were a sign that Jesus’ message was completely true. They were a sign that He could take away their sins, and all who believe in Him would enter God’s kingdom. Many people were only interested in the signs. They wanted to see miracles, but they didn’t care about the real thing that the signs pointed to: that Jesus was the Messiah. They wanted physical healing, or wine at the wedding, but they didn’t think about the thing that was WAY more important: Jesus could give them eternal life!
Jesus wanted the official to consider His message of eternal life. But the man could not stop thinking about his son. He continued to beg Jesus to come with him.
Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. - John 4:50
So, without seeing a miracle, the man believed that his son would be fine. But here is a question that the man was probably asking himself as he traveled home: Is Jesus the Messiah or just a prophet? Will Jesus make my son well with a miracle (Messiah), or did Jesus simply hear a message from God that my son will not die (Prophet)? Either way, the official believed Jesus’ words so much that he was able to go home alone.
PPT CUE: Verse
While he was still on his way home, his servants met him. They gave him the news that his boy was living. He asked what time his son got better. They said to him, "The fever left him yesterday afternoon at one o'clock."
Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family became believers.
This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. - John 4:46-54
Ah ha! So now the official knew for sure: Jesus had performed a miracle! At the very moment Jesus said he would live, the boy got well. Because Jesus spoke the word, the boy was healed. (Remember the power of Jesus’ words in John 1? He spoke everything into existence. Of course He could speak the fever out of a weak little boy!)
This was enough for the man to understand that Jesus was more than just a physical healer. He was more than a prophet. He was the Messiah. The man, his son, and his entire household believed in Jesus from that moment on.
Because Jesus did not go to the official’s home and make a big show of the miracle, the other people in Cana did not find out who Jesus really was - yet. Timing is everything, and Jesus’ timing was perfect. More people would find out when the time was right.
Applications: There are a couple things that we should take away from this story. Something the official did right: He came to Jesus when he had a need! The official had a very serious need that he was powerless to fix. Surely God allowed the boy’s fever so that the man would be desperate enough to go and find Jesus. Because of the illness (which seemed so terrible at the time) the entire family gained eternal life (which is the best thing possible). We should always go to Jesus when we have a need - great or small. Share everything with Jesus. He wants to help you, guide you, and share every day with you!
Another thing for us to notice is that Jesus doesn’t always do things the way we think He should. This official begged Jesus to come home with him. He thought that Jesus had to see and touch his son to heal him. The official did not know how powerful Jesus was! Jesus simply said the boy was well, 13 miles away, and he was well! God’s ways are so far above our ways (Isaiah 55:9)! The official only wanted a healthy son, but Jesus had way more in store for him. Jesus wanted to heal the boy, teach the official just how powerful His word was, give the official the opportunity to believe in Jesus and gain eternal life, and keep His true identity under wraps a little while longer! Isn’t it a good thing that Jesus did things His way instead of the official’s way?
We should remember this when we pray for something. So often, we think we know the solution to our problem. We ask God for things to go a certain way, and we are so disappointed when things don’t happen the way we have asked. The far better way to pray is to say, “Lord, here is my problem...,” then tell Jesus all about it. Say, “I know that you care about me (Nahum 1:7). I know that you can work every detail of my life out for good (Romans 8:28). Please take care of this problem in the very best way for me and for the people around me. Please use this situation to bring more people into your kingdom. Please tell me anything you want me to know.”
And lastly, Jesus wants us to know that His message - that He is King, He can save us from our sin - is more important than the physical miracles He can do for us. Yes, it is right to ask for blessings and miracles. But it is far more important to believe the truth of who Jesus is. Jesus said there is a special blessing for those who believe without first seeing a miracle (John 20:29).
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus performed miracles so that people would believe in Him.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
PPT CUE
Main Point: Jesus brings light to everyone in darkness.
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12b
Props: small cup of dirt, cup of water, rag
Say: We have been studying the life of Jesus using the book of John. Teacher: Hold up your Bible. The first chapter of John tells us that Jesus is the light of God that came into the world. He is pure, and full of truth and life. He came to shine His light on men - to lead them to God. But, sadly, many people do not like the light, because they want their sin to stay hidden in darkness (John 1:1-14).
So far, we have seen Jesus reveal His identity to several different people. He showed His disciples that He was God by turning water into wine. He spoke truth to Nicodemus at night, and to the Samaritan woman at the well.
As Jesus taught and performed miracles, some people started putting their trust in Him. This made the Pharisees very nervous. Jesus did not fit the idea that the Pharisees had of Who the Messiah would be. They believed that when the Messiah came, He would pat them on the back and tell them that God was really pleased with them (John 8:47). Instead, Jesus told them that God was not pleased with them (John 5:37-42). He said that the ONLY way to be made right with God was to believe in Him (John 5:24).
The proud Pharisees did not believe in Jesus, and they did not want anyone else to believe in Him either. The more Jesus spoke, the angrier the Pharisees became (John 8:13, 48, 59). The Pharisees wanted to find proof that Jesus was not Who He said He was, but, of course, there was none.
One day Jesus and His disciples came across a man who had been born blind. Back then there were no Braille books for blind people, no seeing-eye-dogs, and no way for a blind person to work. This man had no choice but to beg for money (John 9:8). The disciples asked an interesting question.
Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?" - John 9:2
Very often sin leads to pain and suffering (Leviticus 14-16, Exodus 12:29-30). But the disciples were mistaken to think that all suffering was caused by sin.
"It isn't because this man sinned," said Jesus. "It isn't because his parents sinned. This happened so that God's work could be shown in his life. While it is still day, we must do the work of the One who sent Me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
After He said this, He spit on the ground. Teacher: put some dirt in your hand. He made some mud with the spit. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the dirt in your hand, and mix into a paste. Show the kids. Then He put the mud on the man's eyes.
"Go," He told him. "Wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam means Sent.
So the man went and washed. And he came home able to see. - John 9:3-7
Say: After the man washed off the mud, he could see for the first time in his life! When he went home, his neighbors could hardly believe that he could see. They asked him what had happened. He told them what Jesus had done. They asked where Jesus was, but by then the man did not know where He was. (Wipe off your hands on the rag.)
Say: This all had happened on a Sabbath day. The Sabbath was a special day each week that was set aside to rest and to remember the Lord (Exodus 31:13). Keeping the Sabbath was part of the Law that God had given to Moses (Exodus 20:8-11). God’s Law said not to do any work on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were very strict about keeping the Sabbath. Of course, it was right to rest and remember God, as God had instructed His people to do. But the Pharisees made the Sabbath into something it was not. They added SO many rules that it was almost impossible to keep the Sabbath. For example, a person could drag a chair across a hard floor, but he wasn’t allowed to drag it across dirt, because it would make a groove in the dirt that looked like the groove a farmer would make with his plow. Isn’t that ridiculous? If people didn’t follow all of the Pharisees’ rules about the Sabbath, they could be thrown out of the synagogue, which was the Jewish house of worship. Sometimes the Pharisees even stoned people to death for breaking the Sabbath rules. The Pharisees' rules even turned resting into work!
The Pharisees had it all wrong. The truth is: the Sabbath is for our good (Mark 2:27). It is good for us to rest and it is even better for us to remember God. It is not wrong for us to help others and glorify God on the Sabbath. Many times as Jesus walked the earth, He did good things on the Sabbath. Jesus said it is right to do good on the Sabbath (Luke 6:9, John 7:23).
The man whose sight had been restored was taken to the Pharisees. They asked him how he was healed.
"(Jesus) put mud on my eyes," the man replied. "Then I washed. And now I can see."
Some of the Pharisees said, "Jesus has not come from God. He does not keep the Sabbath day." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So the Pharisees did not agree with each other. - John 9:15b-16
Some of the Pharisees were more concerned with what day it was than the fact that Jesus was able to heal a man’s sight! But some started to think He must be from God. They asked the healed man what he thought of Jesus. The man said, “He is a prophet.” (John 9:17)
Many people doubted the healed man’s story because no one had ever been healed from blindness before (John 9:32). They called in the man’s parents to ask them about it. His parents were afraid to say too much because they did not want to be thrown out of the synagogue.
"We know he is our son," the parents answered. "And we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he can now see. And we don't know Who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is an adult. He can speak for himself." - John 9:20
The Pharisees brought the healed man back in. The Pharisees tried to get him to say that Jesus was a sinner. The man refused to agree with them. He said, “I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!” (John 9:25) They continued to ask him questions, trying to find fault with Jesus. They became very angry when they could not get the man to speak against Jesus. The Pharisees said of Jesus, “We don’t even know where this fellow comes from.”
The man answered, "That is really surprising! You don't know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to godly people who do what He wants them to do. Nobody has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this Man had not come from God, He could do nothing." - John 9:30-33
The Pharisees became furious at the man and they threw him out of the synagogue.
Jesus heard that the Pharisees had thrown the man out. When He found him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Who is He, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me, so I can believe in Him."
Jesus said, "You have now seen Him. In fact, He is the One speaking with you."
Then the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. - John 9:35-58
What a beautiful picture of our Savior! Knowing the man was kicked out of the presence of the religious leaders, Jesus came to him. Because Jesus had healed him, the man knew Jesus was from God, but he did not yet know that Jesus WAS God. The healed man asked to see the “Son of Man.” This was a name that meant the Messiah (Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus said, “You have now seen Him.” Instantly, the man believed and worshipped Jesus. He chose to leave his spiritual darkness and place his faith in “the Light” in front of him.
Much more important than the man’s physical eyesight was his spiritual eyesight. Seeing with his eyes was a symbol for seeing with his heart. At this moment he could “see” more than the most educated Jewish teachers and Pharisees. Now he knew the truth about Jesus, the Light of the world.
Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge it. I have come so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."
Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this. They asked, "What? Are we blind too?"
Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, you remain guilty.” - John 9:39-41
Here, Jesus was not talking about being blind in the eyes, but being blind in the mind (Strong’s Concordance). The Pharisees claimed to know (or “see”) everything about God and His law. They swore that they knew the truth, but they still did not believe in Jesus. Therefore, their sin would not be forgiven. But everyone who does believe in Him will become a child of God, saved from the punishment of his or her sin (John 1:12).
Application: First, notice that God can use suffering to reveal His glory. Jesus used the man’s blindness to show that He could work miracles. This grown man had been blind since he was born. This was a very long time to suffer in shame. Yet, Jesus used it to reveal that He was God. Illustration: Everyone put two fingers as close together as possible without touching. Teacher: demonstrate this by holding your two index fingers close together. Let’s say this stands for your time on earth. Now (carefully) spread your arms out as far as you can reach. Spread out your arms. Okay, this - plus forever farther - stands for eternity. The blind man’s problem brought him to a place where he needed Jesus. He suffered during his life on earth (hold up two index fingers), but then he encountered God and received eternal life (spread arms out). It is far better to suffer in this life, and gain eternal life, than to have no trouble in this life and miss out on eternal life. (Such was the way of the Pharisees.) Optional question: Do you think the man would say his years of blindness were worth seeing Jesus and living in heaven for all of eternity? Yes!
Next, let’s look at the testimony of the healed man in front of the Pharisees. They questioned him over and over. They knew SO much more about the Scriptures than he did. He knew almost nothing about Jesus, but what he did know, he stated boldly. He said, “I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!” This is a great lesson for us! You don’t have to have all the answers in order to share about Jesus. If He answers your prayers, if He gives you peace, if He has changed your life, tell others!
And finally, we have to look at the Pharisees. Why did they choose to remain in their spiritual darkness instead of receiving the light of new life that Jesus freely offers to all people? The Pharisees had SO much knowledge. They had great educations; they had memorized God’s Law. They knew every Scripture that pointed to Jesus (John 5:39-40). They heard Jesus teach, and they even saw Him perform miracles with their own eyes. How could they know so much about God, and still not “see” Him? The problem was: they were not abiding in God. They were depending on themselves and the rules they kept. They leaned on their own understanding. They knew about God, but they didn’t know God. No Pharisee, other than Nicodemus, came to Jesus really seeking to know the truth. How does God say we can find Him?
Then you will call out to Me. You will come and pray to Me. And I will listen to you. When you look for Me with all your heart, you will find Me. - Jeremiah 29:12-13
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12b
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus brings light to everyone in darkness.
“In 167 B.C. Antiochus’ army put a stop to the Jew’s sacrifices. The people of Jerusalem, under the leadership of Matthias, revolted and then fled to the desert. Their hiding place was soon discovered, and the pursuing soldiers demanded that they repent and surrender.
The Jews refused to give in, but they also refused to fight because it was the Sabbath. They would not block the entrances to their caves or fight in any way. Approximately 1000 men, women and children died without resistance, because they considered the Sabbath sacred.”
The death of 1,000 people resulted from the sincere conviction that the Sabbath should not be violated. Although this event happened nearly two centuries before the healing of the blind man in John chapter 9, it does give us a feel for the intensity of the conviction of devout Jews that the Sabbath could not be broken. As a matter of fact, the intervening years between the days of Matthias and Christ did not weaken this conviction, but strengthened it.
The sect which especially set out to protect the Sabbath was the Pharisees. In the light of many pagan forces at work to corrupt the purity of the Jewish faith, the Pharisees took upon themselves the task of keeping Judaism pure of foreign and pagan influence. As a result, the Pharisees were separatists (the word Pharisee means separated). Initially devout and well-motivated, this sect became more and more rigid and legalistic. The central issue for the Pharisees was the preservation of the Sabbath.
“The Jerusalem Talmud contained 64 pages, and the Babylonian Talmud 156 double pages, with specific rules on observing the Sabbath.”
The Pharisees succeeded in turning the Sabbath rest into a burden, rather than a blessing.
“The scribes drew up a list of forty works save one which were forbidden and which, if done knowingly, rendered the offender liable to stoning, and if done inadvertently demanded a heavy sin-offering in expiation. These thirty-nine works in the technical language of the legalists were called ‘fathers,’ and the subsections of derivative pieces of labor were called ‘descendants.’”
For example, plowing was a ‘father’ prohibited on the Sabbath. Digging was a ‘descendant.’ Dragging a chair on the ground would make a kind of furrow, and therefore was forbidden, but dragging a chair on a hard surface was permitted. Another ‘father’ was carrying a load, and this prohibition was attended by a host of ‘descendants.’ To wear an unneeded garment was prohibited. A tailor had to leave his needle and thread at home, and a scribe could not carry his pen. One matter which caused a great deal of discussion was what a man could do if his home caught on fire on the Sabbath. Nothing could be carried out, but clothing, if it were put on one piece at a time, could be worn outside, taken off, and then one could return for another garment. People must have come from miles around to watch the spectacle as the house of a devout Jew burned down!
Although we have only scratched the surface of the issue, you can easily see why our Lord viewed the regulations of the Pharisees as a heavy burden upon the Jews (cf. Matthew 11:28-30; 23:1-4). Those who were skilled in the Law also were skillful in devising ways to circumvent most of the meticulous rules which they had laid down. Worst of all, these traditions of the Pharisees were so intertwined with the Old Testament Law that to violate these traditions was viewed as breaking the Law of God.
Such was the backdrop for this healing of the blind man recorded in John chapter nine.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
2 Bob Deffinbaugh, The Light of the World (John 9:1-41) ©1996-2006 Biblical Studies Press, reprinted with permission from www.bible.org.
PPT CUE
Main Point: Jesus is a Shepherd to all who believe in Him.
Key Verse: I am the good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. - John 10:14
Props: beautiful gift-wrapped box filled with rotten fruit or vegetables, a marble
Teacher: Before class, choose a child to look up 1 Samuel 16:7b to read when you call on him or her. Say: As Jesus taught throughout the land, some people believed He was the Messiah sent from God, and other people did not. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. They were experts in God’s law and the Scriptures. They were supposed to be leading the people toward God. But instead, they made it very difficult for people to find God because they taught things that were not true (Matthew 23:13, Matthew 16:12). Jesus called the Pharisees, “blind guides” (Matthew 13:15). The Pharisees made up rules for the people that were nearly impossible to follow (Matthew 23:4). Instead of helping people, they judged them. The Pharisees were unkind and unmerciful men who took advantage of people (Matthew 23:23). Hold up the decorated gift box. The Pharisees were a lot like this box. They wore fancy robes and they looked very important on the outside, but on the inside they were - (open the box) rotten (Matthew 23:27-28). As we have been learning, Jesus was the exact opposite. He looked entirely plain on the outside, but on the inside, He was fully God.
PPT CUE: Verse
Ask: What does God care about - what is on the outside, or what is on the inside? The inside. Have your volunteer read 1 Samuel 16:7b: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus came to offer a new heart to everyone who believes in Him (Ezekiel 11:19).
Jesus had just healed a man who had been born blind. No one had ever done such a miracle before. Still, the Pharisees refused to believe in Jesus. And even worse, they also tried to keep others from believing in Him.
Note to Teacher: To gain insight on God’s opinion of the religious leaders of Israel, read the prophesy in Ezekiel 34:1-31. Because these shepherds did not care for the flock, but only for themselves, God promised to come find His lost sheep and care for the flock Himself. Jeremiah 23:5-6a lends further insight: “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be His name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ ” (This is a sacred name for the Messiah - Strong’s Concordance.)
Say: Jesus continued teaching. Again, Jesus used things that people could see to explain heavenly things that they could not see. Everyone in Jesus’ day knew all about sheep and shepherds. Shepherding was as much a part of their lives as cars and computers are a part of ours. Most of us don’t know too much about sheep and shepherds, so let’s talk about this for just a minute. Ask: Who knows what the shepherd’s job is? To take care of the sheep. Say: Sheep are wonderful creatures made by God, but they don’t know how to care for themselves. The shepherd does many things for the sheep:
Jesus used sheep as a symbol for people and the shepherd as a symbol for Himself.
"What I'm about to tell you is true. What if someone does not enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in another way? That person is a thief and a robber. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all of his own sheep out, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don't recognize a stranger's voice." - John 10:1-5
Often, many shepherds in a community would share a pen. There was only one gate, or door, on the pen. All the sheep and shepherds entered through that gate. One person would be the gatekeeper for the night. The gatekeeper guarded the door and only let in the rightful shepherds. A thief would have to sneak in another way. When it was time to leave the pen, the sheep actually knew their shepherd’s voice and would follow him wherever he led them.
By this comparison, Jesus meant that He was the true Shepherd, or Leader, of the Jewish people. Jesus has been proven to be the One and only King of the Jews because He fulfilled every promise that God made about the Messiah He was going to send. Anyone else is NOT the true shepherd of the Jews (2 Chronicles 23:19). Those who believe in Jesus are “His own sheep.” They know His voice and they would never follow another. It is interesting that the shepherd goes out before his sheep, and they follow him. He does not send his sheep into a place where he has not gone first. While Jesus was on earth, He experienced everything that ordinary people go through (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus tells His disciples that they must not do things their own way, but they must follow Him (Luke 9:23).
The people listening to Jesus did not understand what He meant using these symbols.
Say: Jesus tried again to explain Who He was. This time Jesus compared Himself to the gate of the sheep pen, and the pen stood for forgiveness of sins and new life.
So Jesus said again, "What I'm about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. All those who ever came before Me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. I'm like a gate. Anyone who enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out. And he will find plenty of food. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way. - John 10:7-10
Jesus said He was the ONLY way to enter into new life. All the Jewish people listening to Jesus that day knew the punishment for their sin: They were ALL separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). Jesus wanted them to understand the good news that He came to take away their punishment and give them new life. Jesus continued:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The hired man is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep.” - John 10:11-13
Ask: Who would care more about the sheep, a man who was hired to help take care of the sheep, or the man who owned the sheep? The owner. Say: The hired man would leave the sheep if danger were near. He cares more about his own safety than that of the sheep. This is what the Pharisees had done. They had the awesome responsibility of leading the Jewish people, but they did not do what was best for them. They didn’t care for the weak (Luke 20:47), or feed them with God’s truth (Matthew 16:12). They only looked out for themselves (Luke 20:46). Just the opposite, the good shepherd loves his sheep, and he would even give up his own life in order to save one of his sheep. This is EXACTLY what Jesus came to earth to do. One day Jesus would willingly lay down His life to take the punishment for all who would believe in Him (John 10:17-18).
Jesus was talking to a group of Jewish people. But He told them that He had other sheep as well (John 10:16). He said those sheep also listen to His voice. The other sheep were the non-Jewish people who would believe in Him. He said the flocks would come together as one flock, and He was the Good Shepherd.
After Jesus spoke, the people listening began to disagree with each other. Some people thought He was crazy, but others knew He was not because He had healed the blind man (John 10:19-21).
Several months later, Jesus was in the Temple courtyard. Some Jews gathered around Him and asked if He was the Messiah. Jesus said He had already told them, but they did not believe Him. He said that the miracles He performed should also prove Who He was. Again Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one can steal them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are One." (John 10:27-30)
Say: It is sort of like this. Hold up the marble. This marble is a person who has placed their faith in Jesus. That person has been given to Jesus by God the Father. He or she is securely in Jesus. Place the marble in one hand and close your fist tightly. The Father and Jesus are One. Wrap your other hand tightly around your fist. No matter what may happen, NOTHING can snatch the person out of Jesus’ hand. Call on a (small) volunteer. Tell your volunteer: Using only ONE hand, because God is infinitely stronger than anything else in the universe, try to get the marble.
Say: Once a person has put their trust in Jesus, NOTHING can keep him or her from receiving forgiveness and new life (Romans 8:38-39).
Some of the people listening to Jesus became very angry that He claimed to be One with God. They wanted to kill Him, but Jesus left and crossed the Jordan River. He continued to teach, and many more people believed in Him.
Application: The Bible says, “Everyone has sinned.” Not one of us deserves to be in the presence of God because He is perfect (Romans 3:23). Ask: To whom does EVERYONE refer? Every person. EVERYONE means every person. That includes Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the Pharisees, me, and every person in this room. The very wonderful news is that Jesus came, like a Good Shepherd, to save us. He loved us enough to lay down His life for us.
1 Peter 3:18 says, "Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don't do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought Him back to life."
Jesus gives new life to everyone who believes in Him. He is our Good Shepherd. He guides us, feeds us, protects us, and saves us. Once we believe in Him, we are safe FOREVER. Jesus said His sheep hear His voice. They know Him and they follow Him. Are you one of His sheep? Abide with Him. Remain with Him. Hear His voice and follow Him.
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: I am the good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. - John 10:14
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus is a Shepherd to all who believe in Him.
Jesus is the Good ShepherdJohn 10PPTTitle1234PPTMain Point© 2007 BibleLessons4Kids.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only.
Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.FIT - Jesus came to reveal God’s character. We are to do the same!
The fact that God has chosen to manifest Himself through Christians has some sobering implications. In the first place, if God is to be manifested to men, His children must live godly lives. To continue to live in sin is not only a contradiction (), it is also a gross misrepresentation of God. No wonder God takes sin in the lives of His children so seriously, even though these sins have been covered by the blood of Christ! Discipline is a necessity if men are to properly represent God.
I can now better appreciate these sobering words of the prophet Samuel to disobedient Saul: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry” ().
Idolatry was an abomination to God because any man-made idol was a misrepresentation of Him, a defamation of His character. So, too, disobedience (insubordination) is an abomination to God, for when His children are in disobedience they defame the character of the God whom they are called to represent: “Be ye holy, for I am Holy” (:44ff.; ).
We have been made stewards of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. We are responsible to convey this message to men. But beyond this, we are also commissioned with the task of living godly lives which manifest the character of God--His kindness, His love, His holiness, His mercy, His justice.FIT - A Census? Now?! Why now?! The baby is due any day now. How will I make the trip? Did Mary have a nursery all ready for the special Baby? Did Joseph lovingly build a craddle just the perfect size for the Baby king? Did Mary sew a soft little pad to lay in the cradle? When they heard about the law demanding they leave their home, did they think this was going to ruin God’s plan?
Finally, we learn that God’s purposes are often achieved through suffering, and that God’s purposes in our suffering are often not immediately apparent. All of the suffering, inconvenience, and discomfort that was occasioned by the decree of Caesar was not immediately recognized as the sovereign hand of a loving God, who was bringing about His purposes, in a way that was for the good of those who suffered. Let us learn from Mary and Joseph that those seemingly “secular” sufferings of life are most often instruments in the hand of God, which time or eternity will make clear to us.THE INFANT JESUS
Say: Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple when He was 8 days old and then again when He was 40 days old.
The time for making them pure came as it is written in the Law of Moses. So Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. There they presented him to the Lord. - Luke 2:22-24
In the Law of the Lord it says, "The first boy born in every family must be set apart for the Lord." (Exodus 13:2,12) They also offered a sacrifice. They did it in keeping with the Law, which says, "a pair of doves, or two young pigeons." (Leviticus 12:8)
Note to Teacher: The purification for after a child was born was for the woman - not the child (Leviticus 12:1-8; Exodus 13:2; Numbers18:15-16).
Say: While they were at the temple, they encountered two special people:
The first person they met was Simeon. The Bible says that he was a good and godly man. God told him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took Him in his arms and praised God.
He said, "Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the sight of all people. It is a light to be given to those who aren't Jews. It will bring glory to your people Israel."
The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus' mother, "This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too." - Luke 2:28-35
The other person they encountered was Anna. Anna was an elderly woman who devoted her life to worship and prayer.
There was also a prophet named Anna. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. After getting married, she lived with her husband seven years. Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshiped night and day, praying and going without eating.
Anna came up to Jesus' family at that very moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free. - Luke 2:36-38
THE WISEMEN AND KING HEROD
After Jesus' birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1b-2
Say: Listen to what King Herod thought and then said to them:
When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born.
"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied. "This is what the prophet has written. He said,
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah.
A ruler will come out of you.
He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " (Micah 5:2)
Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship
him too." - Matthew 2:3-8
Say: The Magi followed a star to the place where Jesus was. It was probably 1-2 years AFTER Jesus was born.
After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.
The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense, and myrrh.
But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road. - Matthew 2:9-12
Say: God is faithful to send His people warnings when danger is near. These Magi LISTENED to God, and they did not go back to King Herod.
Not only did God warn the Magi, but He also sent His angel to warn Joseph to leave Nazareth and go to Egypt. Joseph also LISTENED to God!
When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. "Get up!" the angel said. "Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the child. He wants to kill him."
Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the child and his mother Mary. They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, "I chose to bring my son out of Egypt."(Hosea 11:1) - Matthew 2:13-15
Say: It’s a good thing Joseph was listening to God because once Herod realized that those magi had not come back, he was furious. Do you know how crazy with anger he became? He ordered ALL the baby boys age 2 and younger be killed. This was his way of making sure that Jesus, the King of the Jews, would be dead. (Matthew 2:16-18)
Ask: Did his plan work? No
Application: It’s very important to listen to God’s warnings. God can speak to us in many different ways. He could speak to you in a dream. Most likely, He will speak to you through His Word and through your parents. It is very important to listen to the warnings that God gives.
Say: After King Herod died, an angel of the Lord told Joseph that it was safe to return to Nazareth. Matthew 2:19-23
Main Point: Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world.
PPTKey VerseSorrow and grief are not easy things to face We would avoid them if we could. We know that even Jesus wept at times.
Sorrow and grief do force us to examine life from a different perspective. We need to be attentive to what God might want to teach us through difficult times--things that He may not be able to teach us at other times. We need to be sensitive to what God would have us learn through this experience.
(Name) daughter, _____, told me that her grandmother (deceased's mother) encouraged her, maybe MADE her, memorize the 23rd Psalm as a child. I have a sneaking suspicion that (Name) had the same expectation placed upon him as a child.
I would like to look at how God reveals Himself to us as a shepherd, to see if we can gain some understanding of what God may want us to learn about Him.
God Reveals
imself to Us as a Shepherd
Jn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd.... The good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep"
Jn 10:14 "and know my sheep, and am known of mine."
• 1. We can have an intimate relationship with our Shepherd. (10:14)
• 2. It is our Shepherd who makes life abundant (10:10)
• 3. The Shepherd gave his life for us (15, 17-18)
Heb 13:20 "Jesus, the GREAT shepherd of the sheep . . . " Our shepherd rose from the dead, demonstrating to us that there is a resurrection from the dead, life after death.
1 Pet 5:4 "And when the CHIEF shepherd shall appear . . ." The shepherd is going to reappear, and we will stand accountable to Him.
• This gives purpose to life.
• This gives a standard to life.Ever since the first people chose to disobey Him, God has required an animal to be killed on the altar to pay for the sins of His people. This seems so strange and harsh to us. But God is very serious about sin. Sin leads to death - separation from God (Romans 6:23). But the Bible tells us that blood atones for sin (or makes things right with God). The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin. - Leviticus 17:11 The life of the blood covers the death of the sin.
God promised His people that one day He would send a permanent final sacrifice to take away all the sin of those who believe (Isaiah 49:6, Romans 11:26-27). God ALWAYS keeps His promises. Jesus, God's own Son, was the answer to that promise. Jesus came to live on earth in a human body. He faced all the things that other people face, but He never sinned. He was perfect. Because He was perfect, He could die in our place as our substitution. The Bible calls Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - John 1:29
1 Peter 3:18 says, "Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don't do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought Him back to life."
The Bible tells us if we know we are a sinner and believe that Jesus is God and came to die in our place, we will be saved.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.
PPT CUE
Main Point: Jesus has power over death.
Key Verse: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" - John 11:25-26
Props: Strips of white cloth, spices (such as cloves), bottle of perfume
Say: What if you were at school, and another student came up and said, “Give me your math book.” Would you give him your book? Probably not. But what if he came up and said, “The teacher said I need to collect everyone’s math book.” Then you would be much more likely to give him your book. Ask: What is the difference? The teacher said... Say: In the second approach, the student was speaking with the authority of the teacher. That is very different than when your classmate speaks on his own. The Bible says that when Jesus taught, people were amazed because He taught with authority (Mark 1:22). He was speaking the mind of the Father in heaven and people knew His teaching was different than any other teaching (John 14:24).
Jesus taught about God, Himself, and the kingdom of God. He offered new life to anyone who believed in Him. If anyone had any doubt that He was God, the event we are about to study would certainly prove that Jesus is God.
PPT CUE
Last week we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. He taught these things to the Jewish people in Jerusalem. Teacher: Show Jerusalem on the map. Many of the Jews who were listening became very angry that Jesus said He was One with the Father. They were so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus, so He left them. He traveled across the Jordan River. Show Perea on the map. There, He continued to teach, and more people put their trust in Him.
Say: There was a family that was very dear to Jesus. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were brother and sisters, and they all lived together in a town called Bethany. Show Bethany on the map. Jesus liked being with them very much. This family even opened their home for Jesus and His disciples (Luke 10:38). It was a comfortable place for Jesus. It was a place where Jesus and His disciples could slip off their sandals and relax.
While Jesus was teaching across the Jordan, Lazarus became very sick. Mary and Martha loved their brother very much and wanted him to get better.
So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. "Lord," they told Him, "the one You love is sick." When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory. God's Son will receive glory because of it."
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. But after He heard Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days. - John 11:3-6
Say: The Bible says Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, but when Jesus heard Lazarus was really sick, He did not go to him right away. Ask: Is getting really sick a good thing or a bad thing? A bad thing. Say: It is a bad thing, but Jesus was going to turn it into a good thing. Only our all-powerful God can turn something really bad into something really good (Genesis 50:20).
Application: Mary and Martha knew that Jesus had the power to heal Lazarus. They called on the only One who could help them. Just the same, when you are worried about something that is happening in your life, cry out to Jesus. He loves you, and He has the power to help you.
After two days, Jesus told His disciples it was time to go back toward Jerusalem. His disciples were afraid to go near Jerusalem because the Jews there wanted to kill Jesus.
Note to Teacher: Jesus answered, "Aren't there 12 hours of daylight? A person who walks during the day won't trip and fall. He can see because of this world's light. But when he walks at night, he'll trip and fall. He has no light." - John 11:9-10
Jesus was saying He would be on earth for a short time, and then He would be gone from the earth. He had work to do. As long as the disciples were with Him, the Light of the world, they would be where they were supposed to be. They would not stumble.
Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up." (John 11:11) This was a figure of speech. Lazarus had actually died, and Jesus was going to raise him from the dead. The disciples did not understand.
So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him." - John 11:11-15
Jesus meant that His disciples’ faith needed to grow stronger. Jesus knew that a very difficult time was coming for His disciples. They needed to come to a point where they were fully committed to Him, trusting Him and willing to follow Him no matter what.
Say: Back in Jesus’ day, they didn’t have fancy funeral homes. When someone died, the person’s family would wrap his or her body in strips of cloth and nice smelling spices. Teacher: Show strips of cloth and spices. You may want to pour a few drops of perfume on the cloth. Sometimes the family would also pour perfume on the body (2 Chronicles 16:14, Luke 23:56, John 19:40). Then they would place their loved one into a tomb, which was a cave-like area carved out of stone.
When Lazarus died, his sisters lovingly prepared his body and placed him in the tomb. [Note to Teacher: This is a photo of the actual tomb in which Lazarus was buried.] Then they rolled a big stone in front of the opening of the tomb. [The opening was at the top of the stairs.] By the time Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him. But Mary stayed at home.
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "I wish You had been here! Then my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You anything You ask for."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha answered, "I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Lord," she told Him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. I believe that you are the One who was supposed to come into the world." - John 11:20-27
Ask: Did Martha have faith in Jesus? Yes. Say: She believed He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Martha went to get her sister. Mary ran out to see Jesus and many people followed her.
Mary reached the place where Jesus was. When she saw Him, she fell at His feet. She said, "Lord, I wish You had been here! Then my brother would not have died."
Application: Both sisters cried out to Jesus, “If only You had been here!” This was their cry of great sadness. They loved Jesus, and they knew He loved them, but at this moment they were struggling to understand why He didn’t come right away. We have all gone through difficult times when it felt like God came to our aid a little too late. Is it okay to talk to the Lord about how you feel, just as Mary and Martha did. Is it really hard to wait on the Lord when your need feels so urgent, but as we will see, He has a plan, and His timing is ALWAYS perfect.
Jesus saw (Mary) crying. He saw that the Jews who had come along with her were crying also. His spirit became very sad, and He was troubled.
"Where have you put him?" He asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied. - John 11:32-34
Then the Bible gives us an intimate detail about Jesus. Verse 35 says, “Jesus wept.” (NIV) Have you ever thought about God crying before? God is the all-powerful Creator of the universe, and yet He cried. Jesus cried because of His great love for His friends. Jesus didn’t cry because He would miss Lazarus; He had already told his disciples that Lazarus would not remain dead. Jesus wept because He was overwhelmed with compassion for Mary and Martha (John 11:33). Compassion is feeling what other people feel. Mary and Martha were broken-hearted that their brother had died. Jesus could feel the pain that Mary and Martha felt at that moment, and He shed real tears for them. All the people watching could see the great love that Jesus felt for this family (John 11:36).
Application: Jesus IS God, but He is not distant. One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel. Ask: Does anyone remember what that name means? It means God with us (Matthew 1:23). Say: Jesus is with you in good times and in bad times. Jesus loves you just as much as He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There is NO ONE who loves you more than Jesus does (John 15:13). Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you. Now remain in My love.” (John 15:9) He has great compassion; He feels what you feel (Mark 1:41). He promises to stay with those who trust in Him (Matthew 28:20).
Note to Teacher: Certainly, Jesus knew that Lazarus had to die in order for God to receive glory. He understood the necessity of this death, but still He wept. It would seem that Jesus wept because those He loved had to suffer in order for God to be glorified. This is very similar to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus bent His knee in submission to the Father’s will, but His soul was overwhelmed with anguish over the suffering He and those who loved Him would go through (Mark 14:34-36). We should take comfort in knowing that we do not have to face every trial with a stiff upper lip. It is okay to say, “Lord, I will accept Your will because it will bring You glory, but I may cry along the way.”
But some of (the Jews) said, "He opened the eyes of the blind man. Couldn't He have kept this man from dying?" - John 11:37
Ask: Could Jesus have kept Lazarus from dying? Yes! Say: The Bible has many stories of Jesus healing sick people (Matthew 8:3, 9:22). So why didn’t Jesus just heal Lazarus instead of letting it go this far? I want you to pay really close attention to find out why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die.
Jesus, along with Mary, Martha, and all those who had come to mourn the death of Lazarus, went to the tomb. Imagine the curiosity of all the people. It was as if a celebrity had shown up at the funeral. They must have wondered what Jesus would do next. Can you hear the buzz of all the people whispering about what Jesus might do?
"Take away the stone," He said.
The people would have gasped at the thought of this! After a person dies, their spirit leaves their body, and their body begins to decay. A decaying body has a terrible odor.
"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad smell. Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days."
Then Jesus said, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?"
So they took away the stone.
Then Jesus looked up. He said, "Father, I thank You for hearing Me. I know that You always hear Me. But I said this for the benefit of the people standing here. I said it so they will believe that You sent Me."
Then Jesus called in a loud voice. He said, "Lazarus, come out!"
The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen. A cloth was around his face.
Jesus said to them, "Take off the clothes he was buried in and let him go."
Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did. So they put their faith in Him. - John 11:39-45
Ask: Now, who can tell me why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die instead of healing him when he was sick? Listen for answers. Say: Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that He could reveal something about Himself that these people did not know. Jesus had healed many sick people, but until now, almost no one knew he could raise the dead. God had promised that the Messiah would have victory over death (Isaiah 25:8). After Jesus raised Lazarus, there could be NO QUESTION that Jesus was who He said He was - the Son of God. Even before Jesus went to Lazarus, Jesus told His disciples that this event was for God’s glory: so that God would be made known. And that is exactly what happened!
Again, Jesus used something people could see to explain something they could not see. It was an AMAZING miracle for Jesus to raise a man from the dead. Even today, with all of our medical breakthroughs and advances in science, no one can bring someone back to life after they have been dead for days. But as incredible as this physical miracle was, Jesus had the power to do something even more amazing! He could give spiritual life to everyone who was dead in their sins (Romans 5:10).
Application: The Bible says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Your sin brings death, but God sent Jesus to conquer death. God loves you too much to leave you in your helpless sinful condition. When you choose to put your faith in Jesus, He takes away your sin, gives you new life, and you will live in heaven forever!
PPT CUE: Verse
But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. So He gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God's grace has saved you. - Ephesians 2:4-5
And, have you noticed that almost every time the Bible tells us that Jesus performed a miracle, the Bible also tells us that people put their faith in Him? Jesus performed miracles so that those watching would believe in Him. Only our Lord has power over sin and death (Isaiah 25:7). Only our Lord has the power to give life (Acts 17:25). Each time Jesus gives new life to someone who believes in Him, that is an even more amazing miracle than healing someone’s body. If you have accepted the new life that Jesus offers, you are a miracle! Tell someone about the miracle Jesus has done in your life so they, too, can put their faith in Him!
PPT CUE: Key Verse
Key Verse: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" - John 11:25-26
PPT CUE: Main Point
Main Point: Jesus has power over death.
1 © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.