6. Jesus Reinstates Peter (John 21)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus uses imperfect people who love Him to tell others about His salvation.

Key Verse:

Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true. - Mark 16:20

Props: Several signs, each with a different name of a country on it (Before class begins, hand signs out to several students throughout the room. Ask students to keep signs down until you call on them.)

Background/Review

Say: Jesus appeared twice to His disciples. By appearing, He proved that He had risen from the dead, and that He was truly the Messiah. Jesus told them that they would soon be sent out to teach people how to be saved from their sins. But Jesus told them to wait until He sent the Holy Spirit to fill them with power (Luke 24:49).

The disciples were in Galilee, because Jesus told them to go there. They were miles away from Jerusalem where Jesus had been crucified, and where the Pharisees and chief priests were. Most of the disciples were from Galilee. It was their hometown. They probably had time to visit with their families while they were there. Surely, they were eager to see Jesus again, but they didn’t know exactly when He would appear.

Jesus Appears To The Disciples (John 21:1-14)

Say: One day, Peter announced to the other disciples that he was going to go fishing on the Sea of Galilee. This was not the kind of fishing that you and I do with a rod and reel. This was the kind of fishing that is done with a large net. Peter was a professional fisherman before He met Jesus. In fact, this day he was probably going to go fishing in his old boat with his old nets. Thomas, Nathanael, James, John, and two other disciples decided to go with him. They fished all night but didn’t catch anything.

Early the next morning, they heard someone calling out to them. Their boat was about 100 yards away from the shore. That’s about the length of a football field, so they couldn’t tell who it was.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore. But the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.
He called out to them, “Friends, don’t you have any fish?”
“No,” they answered.
He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat. There you will find some fish.”
When they did, they could not pull the net into the boat. There were too many fish in it.
Then (John) the disciple Jesus loved said to Simon Peter, “It is the Lord!” (Teacher: Interject here to say that Jesus loved all His disciples. This was written by John. John called himself “the disciple that Jesus loved,” because he felt so loved by Jesus.)
As soon as Peter heard that, he put his coat on. He had taken it off earlier. Then he jumped into the water.
The other disciples followed in the boat. They were towing the net full of fish. - John 21:4-8a

Ask: Does this story sound familiar to anyone? Listen for answers. Say: A very similar thing had happened three years before. It happened way back when Jesus first started teaching people out in the open. Jesus only had a handful of followers at the time. A crowd had gathered to hear Him teach. He hopped in Peter’s boat and asked Peter to row the boat out into the water a little ways. He taught the people, then He told Peter to take the boat to where the water was deep and put out his nets. Peter told Jesus that he and his partners had fished all night, but had not caught a thing. But he did what Jesus asked of him. As soon as the nets were in the water, they were packed full of fish. His partners, James and John, had to come with another boat to help bring in the fish. Both boats were so full of fish that they nearly sank! It was at that moment that Peter realized that Jesus was truly sent from God. Jesus said, “From now on, you’ll be fishing for people.” That day, they left everything to follow Jesus (Luke 5:1-11).

Now, here it was three years later, and the same scene was replayed: same sea, same boats, same fishermen, and the same Lord. The sight of nets filled to overflowing with fish must have jogged John’s memory. He remembered the time when he and his friends were all first filled with hope that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for.

Note to Teacher: So many things had happened since that day three years ago. We wonder if John’s “deja vu” experience in the fishing boat brought back a flood of memories. Did the unmistakable smell of fresh fish and the sound of anxious tails slapping the water cause the past three years to pass before his eyes? Did he recall intimate moments of laughing with Jesus, wondrous times of gleaning truth from Him, glorious moments when fields of people put their trust in Him, and the devastating hours when Jesus went to the cross? Did Jesus reenact this scene to purposely refocus their minds back to the time when they first believed He was the One? We can almost imagine the slight grin on Jesus’ face as He used this miracle as a calling card to the disheartened disciples.

Say: Suddenly, John called out, “It is the Lord!” Peter jumped in the water and swam to shore. This is not at all surprising. Peter had been the boldest of all the disciples. Peter often did before he thought. The others followed Peter in the boat. When they got to shore, they saw a fire with fish and bread cooking. Jesus invited them to come and eat breakfast with Him. They all recognized Him.

Application: Even though these men were life-long fishermen, they couldn’t catch a thing. They couldn’t even provide breakfast for themselves. Jesus provided what they needed: fish and bread for breakfast, and even plenty of fish for the days ahead. This was a good reminder that nothing they would try on their own could compare to what Jesus could do through them. Just the same, when we follow Jesus in everything we do, He will do amazing things in our lives. He provides EXCEEDINGLY more than we could ever accomplish on our own.

Jesus Takes Peter Back (John 21:15-17)

Say:

When Jesus and the disciples had finished eating, Jesus spoke to Simon Peter. He asked, “Simon, son of John, do you really love Me more than these others do?”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered. “You know that I love You.”

Jesus said, “Feed My lambs.” - John 21:15

Before Jesus was arrested, Peter had bragged that he would never leave Jesus’ side, even if every other disciple deserted Jesus (Matthew 26:33). Really, Peter was bragging that he loved Jesus more than the rest of the disciples. Ask: But, when Jesus was arrested, what did Peter actually do? He denied knowing Jesus 3 times. Say: Peter denied even knowing Jesus 3 times.

So, here on the beach, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to be humble when He asked if Peter loved Him more than the others. Peter answered without bragging this time. Jesus gave Him the simple instruction to feed His lambs. This was a symbolic way of telling Peter to teach God’s word to Jesus’ followers (Hebrews 5:12).

Again Jesus asked, “Simon, son of John, do you really love Me?”
He answered, “Yes, Lord. You know that I love You.”
Jesus said, “Take care of My sheep.” - John 21:16

This time, Jesus asked Peter if he really loved Him. Again, Peter honestly said that he loved Him. Jesus told him to take care of His sheep, because Jesus wanted Peter to care for the spiritual needs of His followers.

Jesus spoke to him a third time. He asked, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?”
Peter felt bad because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love Me?” He answered, “Lord, you know all things. You know that I love You.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. - John 21:17

Now, for the third time, Jesus asked Peter if he simply loved Him. This was difficult for Peter. Usually, the reason someone would ask the same question over and over is because he didn’t believe the answer that was given. Maybe one of your parents has looked at you and asked a question like, “Susie, who broke my lamp?” Then, when you answered, “Nobody,” your parent looked at you again and asked, “Who broke the lamp?”

This was not the case here. Jesus knew that Peter loved Him. Jesus was giving Peter the opportunity to profess his love out loud three times, just as he had denied Jesus three times several weeks before.

If Peter loved Jesus at all, there was one instruction he must follow. He must teach others about the new life that Jesus offered. Jesus was going to be leaving the disciples very soon. Jesus would no longer be able to take care of the spiritual needs of His followers. Jesus was handing this VERY important job over to Peter and the other disciples. At this point there was a small number of people who believed in Jesus, but that number was about to grow quickly. It was VERY important that Peter teach the truth about Jesus to the many people who would believe in Him.

Before Jesus was arrested, Peter was the boldest of all the disciples. He was a leader, and others followed his example. Then Peter showed his weakness by denying that he knew Jesus. Jesus did not want Peter to feel that he could never be a leader again. With these three questions and instructions, Jesus “reinstated” Peter. To reinstate means “to bring back into use,” or “to restore to a previous position.” There was great work to be done, and Jesus wanted bless Peter by putting him right in the middle of it.

Application: Everyone makes mistakes. If God only used perfect people, who could He use? He couldn’t use anyone, because no one is perfect! Jesus will use people who love Him. Not people who love Him with some super-human love, but those who simply love Him as much as they can. All the heroes we read about in the Bible have one thing in common: they loved God. Some were rich, some were poor, some were beautiful, some were plain, some were strong, and some were weak. But the one thing they shared was a heart that loved God. That is all He requires of you (Matthew 22:37).

Some of you may already love God, and that’s awesome. But some of you may feel like God is too far away or too hard to get to know for you to actually love Him. If this describes you, then please hear this. He is NOT far off. He loves you and He wants you to love Him. The only way to love someone is to get to know him or her personally. Simply knowing facts about someone will never lead you to love them. For example, I know facts about Abraham Lincoln. I know he was the 16th president of the United States. I know that he was very honest and he wanted all people to be treated fairly. Because I know these facts about him, I think he was a great man. I admire his accomplishments, but I do not love him.

On the other hand, I know _________ (my husband, my father, my son, my mother). He was not ever president of a country. He is not famous. But I know him. I know what he likes and dislikes. I know what makes him laugh and what makes him sad. I know him because I have spent so much time with him. Because I know him so well, I love him very much. Knowing someone this well doesn’t happen over night. I have known him for a really long time.

In the same way, we get to know, and love, God by spending time with Him. We read His word, the Bible; we see Jesus at work in other Christians that we know; we stop and think about His amazing power when we see His creation. All this is called abiding in Him. It is remaining with Jesus day in and day out. When we really know Him, we are able to love Him. If you are just getting to know Jesus, pray for God to keep you close to Him. Tell Him you want to love Him.

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven (Acts 1:9)

Say: John tells us that Jesus remained on the earth for 40 days after He was resurrected. During that time, He appeared to the disciples at different times and He taught them about the Kingdom of God.

One day while they were eating, Jesus told them that in just a few days they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said:

PPT VERSE

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be My witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.

After Jesus said this, He was taken up to heaven. They watched until a cloud hid Him from their sight. - Acts 1:8-9

The disciples worshipped Jesus and they were overwhelmed with joy (Luke 24:51).

Just as Jesus promised, He sent the Holy Spirit to fill the disciples a few days later (Acts 2:1-4). The disciples went out preaching and teaching. God worked in amazing ways, and many people put their faith in Jesus (Mark 16:20).

Jesus specifically mentioned the city of Jerusalem, the area of Judea, and then the ends of the earth. Teacher: Refer to map. Jerusalem was the city they started out in. Judea was the next larger area. As the disciples told the truth of Jesus, it spread to larger and larger areas. It is still spreading. One day it will reach every nation (Matthew 24:14).

Application: Just as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, each one of us is filled with the Holy Spirit when we put out trust in Jesus (Acts 2:38). God’s Holy Spirit gives us power to understand God’s truth and tell it to others (John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:13).

Each of you has a circle of friends that you can consider your Jerusalem. Choose a volunteer. Say: Here is ______. She has a best friend, a little brother, a little sister, and two cousins that live really close to her. (Pull up a volunteer for each person you mention, and place him or her in a circle around your original volunteer - facing inward.) This is ______’s “Jerusalem.” She sees them every day. She can share truth with them all the time.

Then you have larger groups of people, like kids in your class or on your sports team. Call up ten volunteers to be her classmate (or teammates). Place them in a circle around the first circle - facing inward. Say: These kids are ______’s “Judea.” She sees them pretty often. She can share with them sometimes.

As ______ shares truth with those around her, one person might believe, and that person would start telling others. Choose one person on the inner circle, and turn him or her around - facing outward. Then another might believe and begin to tell others. Face him or her outward. Then another. Face him or her outward. Can you see how this works? And just think: each person represented here has his or her own circles. It is amazing how the Good News can spread!

And, one day, God may use you to take His truth to the ends of the earth. Call on your sign-holders to stand up and hold up their signs. Send some of your “believing” volunteers to stand by the different countries.

Jesus is calling you to tell others. First, get to know Him and love Him, then He does the rest!

Optional Application (without volunteers): Just as the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, each one of us is filled with the Holy Spirit when we put out trust in Jesus (Acts 2:38). God’s Holy Spirit gives us power to understand God’s truth and tell it to others (John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:13). Each of you has a circle of friends that you can consider your Jerusalem. Then you have larger groups of people, like kids in your class or on your sports team. They are your Judea. And, one day, God may use you to take His truth to the ends of the earth.

Key Verse:

Then the disciples left and preached everywhere. The Lord was with them, and the miracles they worked proved that their message was true. - Mark 16:20

PPT KEY VERSE

Main Point: Jesus uses imperfect people who love Him to tell others about His salvation.

PPT MAIN POINT

Note to Teacher: Caution should be exercised in making too much of the two different words for “love” which are employed in this text. The two verbs are agapao and phileo. The first two times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, the word for love is agapao. The third time Jesus asks, He employs the term phileo. Every time Peter responds to Jesus’ question, indicating his love, he employs the word phileo. The distinctions that some make between these two terms may hold true in some cases, and for some authors. They do not seem to hold true for John, who often uses different terms for the same concept. When commentators do seek to emphasize the distinctions between the two Greek words John uses, they do not agree as to what the meaning and emphasis of these terms are. We should keep in mind that when Jesus spoke to Peter and asked him these three questions, He spoke not in Greek (the language in which the Gospel of John is written), but in Aramaic, the language spoken by the Jews of that day. The change in words may have some significance, but I hardly think it is the key to understanding the passage.

(Thayer’s lexicon defines agapao as to be fond of, dearly love; phileo as to approve of, to like, befriend)

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

7. The Last Supper and Judas’ Betrayal (Matthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:1-23)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus wants us to remember Him.

Key Verse:

Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you are telling of the Lord’s death until He comes again. - 1 Corinthians 11:26 NLV

Props: a small bag of silver coins (foreign money or silver dollars would be great); a family photo album; matza bread; grape juice; Optional for older students: X-ray film

Atmosphere: Set up a low table in the front of the room. Use many candles, and teach this with low lighting to get the effect of nighttime.

Background/Review

Say: Jesus showed His tremendous power over death when He raised His good friend Lazarus from the dead. This was HUGE! People everywhere heard that a dead man came back to life, and everyone was talking about it. Just imagine if this happened today! People would want to know all about it. The man would be interviewed on the news, and people would be looking up information about him on the Internet. Some people would doubt, and some would believe. Because Jesus raised Lazarus, MANY people put their trust and belief in Jesus.

Jesus was ready to announce that He really was the Messiah. The people shouted praises to God while spreading palm branches and coats on the ground in front of Him when He entered Jerusalem. This was their way of saying Jesus was their King.

Ask: Who can tell me how the Pharisees felt about all the people praising Jesus? Say: When the Pharisees heard the people shouting praises to Jesus, they became very jealous. Even though it was clear that Jesus was doing miraculous signs, they refused to follow Him. And they didn’t want anyone else to follow Him. They wanted everyone to depend on them. They wanted to hold onto their power and money, so they looked for a way to get rid of Jesus once and for all!

It’s amazing to see the opposite reactions that people had to Jesus: the Pharisees hated Jesus, while His disciples and followers loved Him more and more!

Judas’ Betrayal (Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:1-6)

Say: The Pharisees and chief priests were waiting for the right time to arrest Jesus. Judas was one of Jesus’ disciples, but he was not a true believer (John 13:10). Do you remember how Satan tempted Eve to doubt God? Satan loves to deceive people by lying about God. Satan is the father of lies (), and he knew he could deceive Judas. Led by Satan, Judas went to talk to the chief priests (Luke 22:3).

(Judas) asked, “What will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?” So they counted out 30 silver coins for him. From then on, Judas watched for the right time to hand Jesus over to them. - Matthew 26:15-16

Judas made a deal with the men who wanted to get rid of Jesus. The men paid Judas 30 silver coins, and Judas promised to lead them to where Jesus was. Teacher: Hold up your bag of silver coins, and show some of the coins. Some people estimate that the coins were worth about three months of pay. Judas betrayed Jesus. He pretended to be Jesus’ friend and follower, but he was a deceiver. He was going to lead Jesus’ enemies right to Him. What had Jesus ever done to Judas but show him love and compassion? Judas’ eyes were not on Jesus. They were on his own selfish greed.

The Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-23)

Say: Jesus knew that His time on earth was coming to an end. He knew that very soon He would be arrested, put on trial, lied about, and killed on a cross. Jesus would allow all these things to happen because He came to be the perfect sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world. Jesus wanted to share a special meal with His disciples before these things happened. It was the Passover Feast (Matthew 26:17-19), which God had instructed His people to celebrate every year. Jesus told Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal in the upstairs room of a certain home in Jerusalem (Luke 22:10-13).

Note to Teacher: The place in which the Last Super would take place was kept a secret by Jesus. Only His two closest disciples knew the location, and only at the last minute. It is very possible that, in addition to wanting to escape the crowds, Jesus did not make the location known to the others so that Judas could not tell the chief priests where He was until after this special Passover meal. Jesus longed to share this intimate time with His disciples before His suffering. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” - Luke 22:15-16 NIV

We often call this meal “the Last Supper” because it was the last meal Jesus ate before He willingly gave up His life. During the meal, Jesus explained to His disciples all that was about to happen to Him. But they did not understand everything He was saying. Jesus told them to have this special meal again later in order to remember the sacrifice He was about to make for all people.

Jesus took bread. He gave thanks and broke it. He handed it to them and said, “This is My body. It is given for you. Every time you eat it, do it in memory of Me.” - Luke 22:19

Say: Jesus told the disciples that the bread should remind them of His body that would be given up for them. Teacher: Show the piece of Matzoh Bread, and explain the following symbolism:

Say: This is Matzoh, or unleavened bread. It is the type of bread that must be eaten during the Passover meal. The Jews ate this bread when they escaped from Egypt.

This bread has stripes on it. Jesus was about to be beaten, and the whippings would make STRIPES on His back. The Bible says that by Jesus’ stripes we are healed, or saved from our sin (1 Peter 2:24).

It also has holes in it. Nails were going to be forced into Jesus’ hands and feet in order for Him to hang on the cross. The Bible says that Jesus was pierced for our sins (Isaiah 53:5).

This bread is flat because there is no yeast in it. Yeast is a symbol of sin because just as yeast makes bread puff up, our sin makes us puffed up (Luke 12:1). There is no yeast in the bread that represents the body of Christ because there was no sin in Jesus.

Teacher: Show the broken bread. Say: Though none of Jesus’ bones were broken, His body was broken for us (John 19:36).

Teacher: Show a small cup of purple/red grape juice.

Say: The grape juice is not blood, but it is a reminder of Jesus’ blood that takes away our sin (Leviticus 17:11).

Then He took the cup. He gave thanks and handed it to them. He said, “All of you drink from it. This is My blood of the new covenant. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many.” - Matthew 26:27-28

The juice from the grapes was a symbol of Jesus’ blood. He said that soon His blood would be poured out. This would happen when He was beaten and nailed to the cross (Mark 15:19, John 19:34). Jesus said this would happen so that the sins of many people would be forgiven. Jesus made Himself the final, perfect sacrifice that God required to take away sin (Hebrews 10:12). Everyone who believed in Him would be saved from the punishment of his or her sin (Romans 1:16).

Jesus told His disciples that whenever they ate the bread and drank the grape juice, they must remember what He was about to do for them - and for all people. He said to remember Him with great affection (remembrance: Luke 22:19, Thayer’s Lexicon).

Additional Teaching for older students: Jesus said His blood was the blood of the NEW covenant or NEW Testament. Ask: Who can tell me what a covenant is? It is a promise. Say: When God makes a promise, it can never be broken! If this was the new promise, let’s take a look at the promise that was in effect before this, and why God needed to give a new promise.

Centuries earlier, God gave the 10 Commandments and other laws to Moses. We call this, “The Law.” It is contained in the first five books of the Bible. The Law was a reflection of God. He is perfect and holy. Therefore, the Law is also perfect. It requires God’s people to be perfect - every thought and every action to be pure. If they obeyed the Law, God would bless them, make them holy, and remain with them (Exodus 19:5, Leviticus 19:2, Exodus 40:34). Moses read the Law to the Israelites, or Jews. The people promised to obey everything God said. Moses made an animal sacrifice and said, “This is the blood that puts the covenant into effect.” (Exodus 24:7-8)

Of course, the people did NOT keep their promise. Every single person fell short. It was no surprise to God that the people could not keep the Law. Ask: Does it seem a bit mean, or cruel, for God to give a Law that His people could not follow? Listen for answers.

Say: Let’s look at it this way: Let’s say I went to the doctor for a check up. On the outside, I looked about as healthy as everyone else. The doctor poked and prodded, then took some x-rays. The doctor left the room for a while, and then came back with some X-ray films. He held one up to the light box and said, “I have some good news and some bad news.” He pointed to a spot on the film and said, “Here is a tumor. It is cancer. The bad news is that it’s deadly. The good news is, one day, I promise there will be a cure.”

Ask: Wow, how would I feel about this news? Listen for answers. Say: I would be shocked and scared, but very glad there would one day be a cure. Ask: Is the doctor mean or cruel for giving me this x-ray? No. He is just showing me what is already there, what is already true. He is good. He wants to heal me. Ask: Is the actual x-ray film a bad thing? No. It’s a great thing. It shows me that I have a big problem. Without it, I would never know I needed a cure.

Say: The Law was sort of like that x-ray, showing each Israelite that he or she had a BIG problem called sin. And sin is truly deadly. But, God promised that He would send a Cure for their sin problem. And, until that Cure came, God gave the Jews a temporary solution. God told the people to make animal sacrifices. The blood of the animals would cover their sin, but only for a while. It did NOT take away their sin. Similarly, my doctor might give me medicine that would help, but not CURE me. I would have to take bitter medicine over and over until there was a cure.

When Jesus took the cup of grape juice, or wine, He said it was a symbol of the new promise. The new promise was the CURE! The new promise did not take away the old promise; it fulfilled it. The old promise, the Law, said the people must be perfect. The new promise made them perfect. When Jesus, the Lamb of God, shed His perfect blood on the cross, He took away our sins, once and for all.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. - 1 Peter 2:24

The old promise: If you obey the perfect Law, then God will bless you, make you holy, and remain with you.

The new promise: Christ will die to take away your sin. If you believe in Him, God will make you righteous, holy, and perfect. You will have abundant life now, and live with God in heaven forever!

The old promise was good. The new promise is much BETTER!

Application: I brought one of my family photo albums. I love to look through my photo albums and remember all of the things that my family has done together – all the special times we’ve shared.

Jesus left His disciples - and us - a “picture” to remember Him by. It isn’t a picture in an album that we can look at and remember what Jesus looked like, but it is a picture to help us remember what Jesus did for us.

We still eat the bread and drink the grape juice today, and when we do, we do it to help us remember what Jesus did for us (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We call it “The Lord’s Supper,” or Communion.

Who can take Communion? Only true believers of Jesus Christ - people who have put their trust in Him to take away their sin. Many times, people follow Jesus in baptism before they take their first Communion. This is something you should discuss with your parents.

Our attitude while taking Communion is very important! It is a very serious thing to remember Jesus’ death. We should never be flippant or silly. The Bible tells us that we should take Communion in a worthy manner. Not that we’re perfect, but that we remember Jesus with great love and thankfulness (1 Corinthians 11:27-33).

Before taking communion, we should examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 11:28, 31). That means think about your thoughts and actions. Is there a sin that you know you keep doing? Before you take communion, confess your sins. Agree with God that the sin is wrong, and ask God to change your mind and actions.

That bread and grape juice look good. I’m hungry! Later on in the Bible, there was a group of people who took Communion just because they were hungry. They ate until they were stuffed. The Bible tells us that judgment came upon them: some became very sick, and others even died! Remember that the purpose of taking Communion is to remember what Jesus did to save us.

There are many different Christian churches, and many different ways to take communion. In some churches, people get up and walk to their Pastor to receive the bread and juice. In some churches, a big plate is passed, and each person takes a small cup of juice and a piece of bread, and then passes the plate to the next person. The tradition in our church is...(explain how the elements are taken in your church). End with: No way is better than the other. What is important is that we do this, and that we remember Jesus gave up His body and His blood to bring us back to God.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Every time you eat this bread and drink from this cup you are telling of the Lord’s death until He comes again. - 1 Corinthians 11:26 NLT

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus wants us to remember Him!

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

8. The Plot to Kill Jesus; Jesus Enters Jerusalem (John 11:45-12:19)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Nothing in this world compares to the new life that Jesus offers.

Key Verse:

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. - John 12:25

Props: Perfume, cologne, or essential oil (with a spicy or musky smell) in a fancy bottle, a small cloth; Optional: palm branches (real, or made from construction paper)

Background/Review

Say: If you have your Bible with you, hold it up high so I can see it. Awesome! I want you to bring your Bible with you every week. It is God’s word. It is powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and I want you to be VERY familiar with it. Open your Bibles to Genesis 1, the very first chapter in the very first book. Leave your Bibles open there for just a minute.

Last week we learned about Jesus raising His dear friend, Lazarus, from the dead. Ask: Does anyone remember how Jesus did this? He said Lazarus come forth! Say: Jesus simply spoke, and death was shattered! Now, who can stand up and read Genesis 1:3, really loudly? Choose a volunteer. After they read the verse, ask them to re-read just the first three words. Say: Did you hear that? “And God said.” These three words are repeated throughout the creation story. God spoke and all of creation came into being. Then, when Jesus, Who is fully God, spoke, He overcame death. Our God is so POWERFUL! His mere words created the universe and they give life.

With that in mind, it makes it even more amazing that God cares so deeply for each one of us. When Jesus looked into the faces of Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, He cried. He cried because He loved them and He could feel their suffering. The same is true for every person in this room. Jesus loves you deeply. He knows when you are hurting, He cares, and He will never leave you.

The Plot To Kill Jesus (John 11:45-57)

Say: Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead out in the open, in front of many people. He did this so that the people watching would believe that He was God’s Son, and put their trust in Him (John 11:42). Many people put their faith in Him. But some of the people went to the Pharisees to tell them what Jesus had done.

Remember, the Pharisees were the Jewish religious leaders. They were supposed to teach and model God’s love, but they did not have love or mercy in their hearts (Matthew 23:4, 23). Jesus had many things to say against these men (Matthew 23). The Pharisees had become very proud (Matthew 23:5). They thought they were better than other people. They cared more about themselves than other people (Matthew 23:25). The Pharisees knew that God had promised to send the Messiah. But sadly, they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. All they could see was that if people started believing in Jesus, the people would no longer follow them. They were afraid to lose their wealth and power.

The Pharisees and chief priests held a meeting to decide what to do about Jesus.

“What can we do?” they asked. “This man is doing many miraculous signs. If we let Him keep on doing this, everyone will believe in Him. Then the Romans will come. They will take away our temple and our nation.” - John 11:47b-48

Did you hear that? The Pharisees and chief priests admitted that Jesus was doing miracles and signs! But they still refused to put their faith in Him because of their greed. At that time, the Jewish people were being ruled by the Roman government. The Pharisees said that if the Jewish people started following Jesus and calling Him King, the Roman government would get angry and punish the Jewish nation. The Pharisees told themselves that they were only doing what was best for the people. But this was just an excuse to hold on to their own power and money.

One of them spoke up. His name was Caiaphas. He was high priest at that time. He said, “You don’t know anything at all! You don’t realize what is good for you. It is better if one man dies for the people than if the whole nation is destroyed.” - John 11:49

Because He was the chief priest, God allowed Caiaphas to know that Jesus would soon die for the good of the Jews (John 11:51-52). But Caiaphas did not understand that Jesus would WILLINGLY die to take away the sins of all who put their trust in Him.

Note to Teacher: Notice the sovereignty of God shown in John 11:51-52. Because Caiaphas was the high priest, God gave him a prophecy concerning the death of Christ. “He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.” NIV (prophesied: propheteuo - to declare what can only be known by divine inspiration, Thayer’s Lexicon.) God was faithful to the “position” of high priest that He had created (Leviticus 21:10), even though the man currently holding the position was ungodly. Of course, the self-absorbed Caiaphas could not fathom the truth that crossed his own lips. Jesus had to die - not to keep the political system in tact, but to become the atoning sacrifice for the Jewish nation and for all men.

Next we read these chilling words: “So from that day on, the Jewish rulers planned to kill Jesus.” (John 11:53) This was a real life murder plot! These men made their plans in secret, because they were afraid that the people would get angry with them for plotting against Jesus (Mark 14:1-2). The sacred feast of Passover was coming soon. They planned to arrest and kill Jesus as soon as the Passover Feast was over (Matthew 26:4-5).

Because of the plot against Him, Jesus and His disciples left and went to stay near the desert. The Pharisees and chief priests gave orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, he must report it. Tens of thousands of Jewish people came to Jerusalem during the week before the Passover Feast. The people wondered if Jesus would come to the feast.

Mary Annoints Jesus (John 12:1-11)

Say: Six days before the Feast, Jesus went back to Bethany where Lazarus, Mary, and Martha lived. There was a dinner given in Jesus’ honor. Imagine how grateful Lazarus and his sisters were to Jesus. Martha served the meal, while Lazarus reclined at the table with Jesus. Back then, in their part of the world, friends and family sat around a low table. They didn’t sit in upright chairs, but on pillows or low couches. Doesn’t this sound like a fun way to eat? It allowed people to relax and have fun together. Lazarus was sitting and eating with Jesus. Have you ever thought of Lazarus’ life after Jesus raised him from the dead? He was given new life and he could walk, talk, eat, and laugh with friends.

Mary came in with a bottle of perfume that was made from a plant called Nard (or Spikenard). It came from very far away, so it was very expensive. Teacher: Hold up your bottle. In fact, she had about two cups of the perfume, which was worth a whole year’s pay. While everyone else was eating and talking, Mary knelt down beside Jesus and poured out the perfume on Him (John 12:3, Mark 14:3). Pour some of your perfume on the cloth and walk through your students. Wave the cloth so they can smell the perfume. Then she leaned over and wiped off the excess perfume from His feet with her long hair. The other guests may not have even noticed Mary until the house was filled with the sweet smell of the perfume. It’s clear that Mary knew Jesus was the Messiah. He showed that He had power over death and that He could give new life. Mary gave up the most valuable thing she owned to worship the Savior. Jesus called her actions “beautiful.” (Mark 14:6)

Some of Jesus’ disciples complained that this was a waste of the expensive perfume (Matthew 26:8). One of them, Judas, complained that the perfume should have been sold and the money given to poor people. But the Bible tells us that Judas didn’t really care about the poor. He wanted to keep some of the money for himself (John 12:5-6).

Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “The perfume was meant for the day I am buried. You will always have the poor among you. But you won’t always have Me.” - John 12:7-8

Jesus spoke of His burial, because within the week He would give up His life to save people from their sin. He told Judas to leave Mary alone. Of course it is a wonderful thing to take care of poor people, but the BEST thing to do is to worship Jesus (Luke 10:41-42). Mary did not neglect the privilege of worshipping Jesus while she was with Him.

Note to Teacher: This was not the first time Mary chose spending time with Jesus over doing good work (Luke 10:38-42). Mary poured out her love offering on Jesus. It was NOT a waste! It was a beautiful expression of her praise.

Application: We were created to know God and praise Him (Isaiah 43:7, Acts 17:27). But, many times we become too busy to spend time with God: too busy to read His word, talk to Him, praise Him, enjoy His creation, and think about Him. We can even become busy doing good things such as helping others. Nothing that we can do is BETTER than abiding with Jesus. Remaining with Jesus is the BEST thing we can do.

Say: While Jesus was having dinner, a large crowd of Jews came to see Him. They also wanted to see Lazarus because he had been raised from he dead. Wouldn’t you want to see Jesus and Lazarus?

Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were putting their faith in Him. - John 12:11

So, the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too (John 12:11). Notice how one sin leads to another. It was no longer enough for them to kill Jesus, now they wanted to kill Lazarus also. When would they stop? Would they kill everyone He ever healed?

Jesus Enters Jerusalem (John 12:12-19)

The next day the large crowd that had come for the (Passover) Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. So they took branches from palm trees and went out to meet Him. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord! “Blessed is the King of Israel!” - John 12:12-13

News that Jesus was on His way spread quickly through the crowded the streets of Jerusalem. The people picked palm branches and covered the dusty road that led into town. Some people even laid their cloaks along the road (Matthew 21:8). Optional: Ask for volunteers to come up and lay palm branches down in a path. This was their way of “rolling out the red carpet” to welcome Jesus. The people shouted, “Hosanna,” which means, “Save us, now!” Have half of the class shout “Hosanna!” and have the other half shout, “Save us, now!” They also quoted from an Old Testament passage in Psalm 118 that talks about the Messiah (Psalm 118:26). The people called Jesus the King of Israel. It would seem that the crowd finally understood Who Jesus was, and they welcomed Him into Jerusalem.

Jesus sent two of His disciples to get a young donkey for Him to ride on (Matthew 21:1-3). This fulfilled another one of God’s promises about the Messiah. Zechariah 9:9 said that the Messiah would enter Jerusalem (Zion) on a donkey’s colt.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred (Matthew 21:10a). The crowd was buzzing with talk of Jesus and how He raised Lazarus from the dead. It would have seemed like a big party was thrown in Jesus’ honor. The disciples were caught up in the excitement. They didn’t realize until later that the events that were happening right in front of their eyes were God’s promises being fulfilled.

The Pharisees became even more angry and frustrated because so many people were following Jesus (John 12:19). But very soon the tide would turn.

Application: (See alternate application for older children below.) The foolish Pharisees hated Jesus because they wanted to keep their power and money. Just the opposite, Mary gladly poured out her most valuable possession at the feet of Jesus. Mary knew that the things we have in this life are NOTHING compared to what Jesus offers. The things we have in this life like toys, games, jewelry, clothes, and popularity, will all pass away (Matthew 6:19). But what Jesus offers - forgiveness of our sins, peace with God, true joy, and everlasting life - these things will last forever! (Romans 5:1-11).

What about you? Are you hanging on to things that won’t last? Or are you, like Mary, willing to put God first, knowing that nothing compares to abiding with Him?

Application option for older students: A very wise man once said, “He is no fool who gives what He cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” This is a quote from Jim Elliot, a missionary who was killed while sharing God’s truth with a tribe of people who did not know Jesus. It means the things we have in this life are NOTHING compared to what Jesus offers. The things we have in this life - toys, games, clothes, money, popularity - will all pass away (Matthew 6:19). But what Jesus offers - forgiveness of our sins, peace with God, true joy, and everlasting life - these things will last forever! (Romans 5:1-11). The foolish Pharisees hated Jesus because they were afraid they would lose their power and money if they admitted He was the Messiah. Just the opposite, Mary gladly poured out her most valuable possession at the feet of Jesus.

What about you? Are you hanging on to things that won’t last? Or are you, like Mary, willing to put God first, knowing that nothing compares to abiding with Him?

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. - John 12:25

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Nothing in this world compares to the new life that Jesus offers.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

9. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God raised Jesus from the dead to give us new life.

Key Verse:

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. - Romans 6:4b NLT

Props: Several dollar bills, folded and tied so none can see the denomination. (This will represent one million dollars.); “No throwing rocks” sign; Thick chain

Background/Review

Say: Jesus willingly went to the cross to be crucified, even though He was innocent. In a moment of overwhelming shame, He took on the sin of all mankind, and for the first time, God turned away from Him (Mark 15:34). Jesus gave up His spirit, and He died. He paid the penalty for the guilty.

Let’s look at it this way. Teacher: Choose an adult volunteer, preferably a man (because a student may not take this role seriously enough). Let’s just say I am the ruler of a country, and here is my son. I make the rules and I am just, so I MUST punish people when they break the rules. Now, I am extremely good. I only make rules that are good, and they are good for everyone in my country. One of my rules is, “No throwing rocks.” Hold up sign. I know this is a good rule to keep everyone safe. Choose a student volunteer. So, along came (student’s name), and guess what she did? She threw a rock and broke a window. She was brought to me to be sentenced. The law is, she has to pay one million dollars, or go to jail - forever. Turn to the student volunteer. Say: Okay, because you broke my good rule, you have to pay $1,000,000.00. Hold your hand out. Explain that she has to pay $1,000,000.00, or she’ll go to jail forever. Say: There are no exceptions. I wouldn’t be a fair ruler if I made some people pay, and let some people go without paying. You have to pay. Wait with hand out. Well, I knew this very thing would happen, and I have a plan. I am so good that I don’t want you to go to jail forever, but I am so fair, that I can’t let you go without paying. Here’s what I’ll do. Give the roll of money to the man volunteer. I’ll provide it. I’ll give the $1,000,000.00 to my son, and he can pay it for you. Have the man stand next to the student. In an official voice, say: Your fine is $1,000,000.00, or go to jail forever. Do you trust my son to pay your fine? (yes.) Hold out your hand and take money from your “son.” Declare to student: Your fine has been paid in full. You are free to go. Thank your volunteers.

The Bible says that every one of us has sinned, or broken God’s rules. There is nothing we can do to “undo” our sin - not any more than (student volunteer’s name) could “un-shatter” the glass she broke with the rock. And the punishment is separation from God forever, because He is perfect and holy. God is so good, and loves us so much, that He didn’t want us to be separated from Him. But He is perfectly just, so He HAD to punish our sin. So God provided a way; He sent His Son. When Jesus poured out His innocent blood on the cross, He paid what God required to take away our sin. Everyone who places their trust in Jesus is forgiven of their sin. When God looks at those who put their trust in Jesus, He no longer sees their sin. He sees His perfect Son. This is AMAZING news!

But the story does NOT end there! The Bible says:

Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. - Hebrews 12:2a NLT

Today we will finish the story. We’ll look at the JOY that Jesus was looking forward to.

Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)

Remember that the Jewish leaders knew that Jesus said He would rise again after three days and three nights. So, they asked Pilate to seal the tomb to keep Jesus’ followers from stealing His body and telling people He had risen.

Some of the women who cared about Jesus wanted to put perfume and spices on His body, to show love and respect to Him. But, the Jewish law said they were not allowed to go to His tomb on the Sabbath. So they went home to wait until the Sabbath was over.

Very early on the morning after the Sabbath, an amazing thing happened.

There was a powerful earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven. The angel went to the tomb. He rolled back the stone and sat on it. His body shone like lightning. His clothes were as white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. - Matthew 28:2-4

Wow! The sight of this angel was so stunning that the soldiers were petrified! They had just spent the night in a graveyard. They were undoubtedly talking about what had happened during the crucifixion, and whom they thought Jesus really was. Then, the very ground they were standing on began to shake. And an angel appeared like lightning. These guards were wearing weapons and they knew how to use them. But the sight of the angel scared them nearly to death. God’s power was far greater than that of the guards.

When Mary Magdalene and the other woman came to the tomb, they saw the stone was rolled away.

John tells us that Mary ran back to tell Peter and John what she saw. Peter and John ran to the tomb as fast as they could. John arrived first. He saw strips of linen cloth lying outside the tomb. He did not go in. Peter was the boldest of all the disciples. When he arrived moments later, he went right into the tomb.

He saw the strips of linen lying there. He also saw the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head. The cloth was folded up by itself. It was separate from the linen. - John 20:6b-7

Then John followed Peter into the tomb. The Bible says, “He saw and believed.” (John 20:8b) When John saw that Jesus was not there, he believed that God had raised Him from the dead.

The disciples left to go back to their homes, but Mary Magdalene stayed by the tomb, crying. She didn’t realize that Jesus was alive. She thought that someone had taken His body. She looked into the tomb and saw two men. They were angels (John 20:10-12). They said:

“Why do you look for the living among the dead? Jesus is not here! He has risen! Remember how He told you He would rise. It was while He was still with you in Galilee. He said, ‘The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful people. He must be nailed to a cross. On the third day He will rise from the dead.’ ” - Luke 24:5b-7

Then, Jesus appeared to her. Matthew tells us that she fell down at His feet and worshipped Him (Matthew 28:9). Just imagine this scene. Jesus had once rescued Mary Magdalene from demons (Luke 8:2). From that point on, she believed in Him and followed Him. He had taken away her shame, and died to take away her sin. Now He had risen to give her new life. She and the other women could do nothing less than fall down and worship Him.

Jesus told her not to be afraid, but to go tell His disciples to go to a specific mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28:16). He would appear to the disciples there.

Application: Do you take time to stop and worship Jesus? He died to take away your sin, and God raised Him to give you new life. If you have put your trust in Him, your sins are forgiven and you have abundant, eternal life. You may have heard this story many times, or it may be new to you, like it was to Mary Magdalene that day. Either way, we should never stop taking time out of our week to worship Him. When we sing worship songs in here, or in big church, are you paying more attention to the friend beside you than to the One who saved you? If things around you are a distraction, move, or close your eyes. Do whatever it takes to focus your worship on Jesus.

False Report (Matthew 28:11-15)

Some of the guards went and reported what had happened to the chief priests. Ask: How do you think the chief priests would have felt about Jesus rising from the dead? Listen for answers. Say: Surely, when they heard about Jesus rising from the dead they would finally believe in Him, right? Wrong. Say: The leaders came up with another plan. They decided to pay the soldiers to lie about what happened. They gave the soldiers a lot of money and told them to tell everyone that during the night, while the soldiers were sleeping, the disciples came and took Jesus’ body. The soldiers took the money and did what they were told. Some people still believe this lie.

Let’s stop and think about the chief priests for a minute. Even when they heard from eye witnesses that the very earth trembled, an angel came from heaven, the stone was rolled away, and Jesus came back to life and walked out of the tomb on His own, they still would not admit who Jesus was! There could be NO other explanation for these events other than that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God. Still they rejected Him. The chief priests had their own plan, and they would not change their ways even for God Himself.

Note to Teacher: This is not a case of the chief priests not knowing who Jesus was. Eyewitnesses had made it clear. This was a case of knowing, yet rejecting Him. This was the same choice of Satan and his minions. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.” (NIV) No one knew who God was better than Satan, but he chose to magnify himself instead of God.

Next week, we’ll see the disciples’ reaction when they see Jesus for themselves.

New Life In Christ

The Bible tells us that if we place our trust in Jesus, then not only will our sins be washed away, but we will receive new life.

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. - Romans 6:4b NLT

Call up your same two volunteers. Say to student volunteer: Through my son, I provided the way for your fine, or penalty, to be paid. That was mercy. You did not get the punishment that you really deserved.

But now, I also want to give you new life. You can have all the blessings that my son has. He has access to everything I own. He has my power, he can talk to me any time he wants to without an appointment, I let him work right beside me, I make things work out well for him, and I bless him. In fact, I want to adopt you so you will be my child. And I want you to live in my wonderful castle. You can live with me forever. My giving you great things that you do not deserve is called grace.

Ask the group: (Student’s name) broke my law, and could not pay the penalty. What did she deserve? To go to jail forever. But I paid the price, and what else did I do? Adopted her, treated her as your own child, invited her to live in your castle forever. Thank your volunteers.

Say: This was a fun illustration to show you something very serious. Not only did God show mercy by sending Jesus to die on the cross to erase our sin, but then He gives us new life and pours out His blessings on us, treating us as His very own sons and daughters (Romans 8:17).

Let’s look at some of these blessings:

Once we believe in Jesus, God sends the Holy Spirit to live inside of us (John 7:39). God’s Spirit lives inside of each believer, to teach him God’s truth (John 16:13). His Holy Spirit helps us to have spiritual fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). And, God’s Holy Spirit gives us power to tell others about Jesus (Acts 1:8). He gives us just the right words at just the right time (1 Corinthians 2:13).

The Bible says, “Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are new because our sin nature is dead. Before we put our trust in Jesus, we are slaves to sin (John 8:34). Teacher: wrap chains around your wrists. Hold the ends in your hands, and tug at them so they seem immovable. It’s as if we’re wrapped in chains, and we can’t break free. We keep sinning, no matter what. But after we put our trust in Jesus, we are FREE. Drop the chains! We no longer have to sin. He gives us the power NOT to sin (John 8:36). Romans 6:14 says, “Sin will not be your master. Law does not rule you. God’s grace has set you free.”

And, Jesus now sits next to God in heaven and prays for His followers (Romans 8:34). Have you ever thought about Jesus praying just for you? He is also preparing a place in heaven for all believers to live one day (John 14:2-3). It will be more wonderful than any of us can even imagine! (1 Corinthians 2:9) There will be no crying, no sadness, no divorce, no cancer, and no sin! (Revelation 22:3)

Application: There is nothing you can do to earn God’s favor. Amazingly, Jesus did it all for you. You must come to the point where you know you are a HOPELESS sinner - unable to pay the penalty you deserve for your own sin. Believe that when Jesus willingly gave up His life for you, He took away ALL of your sin (2 Corinthians 5:19). He paid your debt. When you truly believe and place your trust in Him, not only are your sins washed away in His mercy, but also you are blessed forever by His grace.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. - Romans 6:4b NLT

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God raised Jesus from the dead to give us new life.

Note to Teacher: The four gospel accounts each give different details about the events of the resurrection. Some critics have deemed these to be contractions, but that is not the case.

First of all, the differences prove there was no collusion (or getting together to “get the story straight.”) Law enforcement agents know that a story that is too perfect cannot be true.

The gospel writers give different perspectives from the various witnesses of the events. They are not contradictions, but different details that we can piece together to gain greater understanding of all that transpired. If you are teaching older students who ask about these differences, try this illustration:

Choose 3 students. Have one stand about 6 feet in front of you, another stand 6 feet behind you, and the third student stand 6 feet to the side of you. Do not allow the students to speak to each other. Hold up a 3 x 5” card that has a red dot the size of a quarter drawn in the center of one side of the card, and has a small smiley face drawn in the center of other side. When you hold up the card, lift it straight up and then lower it straight down. Do NOT turn it from side to side. Then ask each student to describe what they just saw. There will be 3 different accounts, all true. These can be pieced together to form a full account.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

10. Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

Related Media

Lesson

Main Point: Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled all of God’s promises.

PPT TITLE

Key Verse:

Jesus explained to them what was said about Himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets. - Luke 24:27

Props: A picture of yourself (teacher), cut into 6 simple puzzle pieces, a 300 piece puzzle; For older students: 8 Old Testament prophecy strips (attached to end of lesson); For younger students: paper megaphone, picture of Bethlehem, paper “donkey ears” attached to a headband, strip of cloth for Judas’ head piece, small bag of coins, wooden cross.

Background/Review

Say: Last week we looked at the VICTORIOUS raising of Jesus from the dead. This is the best part of the Easter story! Not only did Jesus willingly die to take away our sin on the cross, but also He was raised to give us new and abundant life. When you place your trust in Jesus as your Savior, your sins are forgiven, and you are made into a new creation. You are no longer a slave to sin. Jesus sends God’s Holy Spirit to live inside of you, to guide you and to produce spiritual fruit. And you will live with God forever in heaven.

From the beginning, Jesus’ dying on the cross and being raised to life was God’s plan to bring mankind back to Himself (Genesis 3:15). Throughout history, God made promises to His people about the special One who would come to be the Savior of the world. These promises are called PROPHECIES. Teacher: Hold up your Bible. Say: If you brought your Bible this morning, hold it up high so I can see it. Okay, I want everyone to open your Bibles to the place where the New Testament begins. The New Testament begins with the book of Matthew. This is where we see Jesus come into the world as a Baby. The New Testament tells us about Jesus’ life, His death and resurrection, and how the Church grew after His resurrection. It also tells us what will happen in the future. Do you see how much thicker the Old Testament is than the New Testament? The Old Testament tells everything that happened before Jesus came to Earth. Many people think that Jesus is only in the New Testament, but that is not true. Actually, the entire Bible is about Jesus, because the Old Testament tells of God’s promises, or prophesies, about Jesus. A prophecy is telling what is going to happen in the future.

There are hundreds of prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament. God did not tell His people Jesus’ name, but He told many different things about Him. Each prophecy was like a piece of a puzzle that told a little more about the Messiah, or Savior. Sort of like this: Teacher: Call up a volunteer. Hold up one of the puzzle pieces of your own picture and tell a fact about yourself, such as the place you were born. Say: This person was born in _____. Then, hold up another piece of your puzzle. Say: This person has a pet named _____. Go through all the pieces, and for the final piece, say: This person loves to teach kids about the Bible. Ask your volunteer to put the puzzle together. Ask him or her to tell the class who is in the puzzle. Thank your volunteer.

Say: Through the prophets, God gave over 300 small pieces of information about the Savior, or Messiah. The most amazing part is that God gave all these prophecies hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years before Jesus came to Earth. But when Jesus came, He fulfilled every single prophecy that was told about Him.

Because it was sort of like a puzzle, the Jewish people did not understand who the Messiah would be. Show the pieces of the 300-piece puzzle. Say: It would difficult to get all these pieces, one at a time, and understand what the finished puzzle would look like. Sometimes the people would pick and choose which pieces to remember.

Note to Teacher: The Jews were much more interested in a King who would free them politically, make them a great nation, and usher in victory, than a Messiah who would be a suffering servant.

The Road To Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27)

After Jesus was raised to life on the third day, He appeared to Mary Magdalene. He told her to go tell His disciples that they would see Him soon.

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were going to a village called Emmaus. It was about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened.

As they talked about those things, Jesus Himself came up and walked along with them. But God kept them from recognizing Him.

Jesus asked them, “What are you talking about as you walk along?”

They stood still, and their faces were sad. One of them was named Cleopas. He said to Jesus, “You must be a visitor to Jerusalem. If You lived there, You would know the things that have happened there in the last few days.”

“What things?” Jesus asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet. He was powerful in what He said and did in the eyes of God and all of the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed Jesus over to be sentenced to death. They nailed Him to a cross. But we had hoped that He was the one who was going to set Israel free. Also, it is the third day since all this happened.

“Some of our women amazed us too. Early this morning they went to the tomb. But they didn’t find his body. So they came and told us what they had seen. They saw angels, who said Jesus was alive. Then some of our friends went to the tomb. They saw it was empty, just as the women had said. They didn’t see Jesus’ body there.”

Jesus said to them, “How foolish you are! How long it takes you to believe all that the prophets said! Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and then receive His glory?”

Jesus explained to them what was said about Himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets. - Luke 24:13-27

Here were two followers of Jesus. They were not part of the twelve disciples, but they were close friends of theirs. On the third day after Jesus’ crucifixion, they were leaving town. They were very sad by what had happened to Jesus. They were crushed that the One that they followed had been killed. Even though Mary and the other disciples told them that Jesus’ body was not in the tomb, they did not realize or understand that He had risen. The two men must have believed that His body had been stolen.

Then, the risen Jesus began to walk with them. We’re not sure how God kept the men from recognizing Jesus, but they thought He must be a stranger who had just arrived in town. They were so surprised that the stranger didn’t know what had happened. Everyone in Jerusalem knew about Jesus being hung on the cross. It was a HUGE event. Everyone was still talking about it days later.

Jesus quickly reminded the two men that the prophets had foretold all of these things. He told them that the Christ, or Messiah, had to suffer and then be raised again. God had promised it in the prophecies. Then Jesus started from the beginning and explained what the Old Testament prophecies had said about Him. But the men still did not know that it was Jesus speaking to them.

Prophecies

Say: We aren’t told exactly which prophecies Jesus talked about with these two men, but let’s look at just a few ourselves. As we read these, try to remember when these were fulfilled.

For OLDER students: Choose eight volunteers who are comfortable and confident reading aloud. Hand the first verse strip to a volunteer and have him read it aloud. Then ask the group when Jesus fulfilled it. Listen for answers. (Students will most likely answer in general terms, not with a Bible verse). Then explain the fulfillment. Say: Remember, each of these Scriptures was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born to Mary.

#1) The Lord who rules over all says, “I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for.” - Micah 5:2

Say: This was fulfilled when God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone that Jesus was coming (Luke 1:17, 76-79).

#2) The Lord says,”Bethlehem, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come a ruler over Israel for Me. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago.” - Micah 5:2

Say: This was fulfilled when Joseph to Mary took Bethlehem to be counted for the census, and Jesus was born there (Luke 2:4-7).

#3) City of Zion, be full of joy! People of Jerusalem, shout! See, your king comes to you. He always does what is right. He has the power to save. He is gentle and riding on a donkey. He is sitting on a donkey’s colt. - Zechariah 9:9

Say: This was fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as the people shouted, “Hosanna!” (John 12:13-14)

#4) If an enemy were making fun of me, I could stand it. If he were looking down on me, I could hide from him. But it’s you, someone like myself. It’s my companion, my close friend. - Psalm 55:12-13

Say: This was fulfilled when Jesus’ friend and disciple, Judas, betrayed Him (Mark 14:10).

#5) What a good price they had set for me! So I threw the 30 silver coins to the potter in the Lord’s temple. - Zechariah 11:13b

Say: This was fulfilled when the chief priests paid Judas 30 silver coins to betray Jesus. Later, Judas threw the coins into the temple (Matthew 26:14-15, 27:5).

#6) He was beaten down and made to suffer. But he didn’t open his mouth. He was led away like a sheep to be killed. Lambs are silent while their wool is being cut off. In the same way, he didn’t open his mouth. - Isaiah 53:7

Say: This was fulfilled when Jesus allowed the guards to whip Him and beat Him. He did not say a word to defend Himself when He was on trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:27-31, 27:14).

#7) A group of sinful people has closed in on me. They are all around me like a pack of dogs. They have pierced my hands and my feet. - Psalm 22:16

Say: This was fulfilled when Jesus was nailed to the cross (John 20:25).

#8) But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us. - Isaiah 53:5

Say: This was fulfilled when Jesus willingly took ours sins to the cross (1 Peter 2:24). When we believe in Him, we are made new. His punishment saves us and gives us new life. Thank your volunteers.

Say: We could go on and on and on reading Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. There are over 300 prophecies about the Messiah, and Jesus fulfills every one of them. No one else could fulfill all the promises God had made about the Savior of the world.

Author Josh McDowell did the math on this. The chances that one person could fulfill just eight of the prophecies are 1 in 10-to-the-seventeenth-power. That is a 1, followed by 17 zeros! This is the same as covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars, two feet deep, marking one of them, mixing them all up and having a blind-folded person go in and pick the right one in just one try! Yet, Jesus fulfilled not only eight prophecies, but hundreds! There is no doubt that Jesus was the Messiah sent by God.

For YOUNGER students: Each time you read a prophecy verse aloud, call up a volunteer to hold up the appropriate prop. Then explain when Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.

Have all volunteers continue to stand with their props until you have read all seven prophecies. Say: I will read a verse that is a promise from the Old Testament. Then we will see how God made the promise come true through Jesus.

Give a volunteer a megaphone to hold. Say: This promise came true when God sent John the Baptist to tell everyone that Jesus was coming (Luke 1:17, 76-79).

#2) The Lord says,”Bethlehem, you might not be an important town in the nation of Judah. But out of you will come a ruler over Israel for Me. His family line goes back to the early years of your nation. It goes all the way back to days of long ago.” - Micah 5:2

Give a volunteer a picture of Bethlehem to hold. Say: This promise came true when Joseph to Mary took Bethlehem to be counted for the census, and Jesus was born there (Luke 2:4-7).

Give a volunteer the donkey ears to wear. Say: This promise came true when Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey, as the people shouted, “Hosanna!” (John 12:13-14)

Choose a volunteer to wear Judas’ headpiece. Say: This promise came true when Jesus’ friend and disciple, Judas, betrayed Him (Mark 14:10).

#5) What a good price they had set for me! So I threw the 30 silver coins to the potter in the Lord’s temple. - Zechariah 11:13b

Give a volunteer a bag of coins to hold. Say: This promise came true when the chief priests paid Judas 30 silver coins to betray Jesus. Later, Judas threw the coins into the temple (Matthew 26:14-15, 27:5).

Choose a volunteer and have him cover his mouth with both hands. Say: This promise came true when Jesus allowed the guards to whip Him and beat Him. He did not say a word to defend Himself when He was on trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:27-31, 27:14).

#7) But the servant was pierced because we had sinned. He was crushed because we had done what was evil. He was punished to make us whole again. His wounds have healed us. - Isaiah 53:5

Give a volunteer a cross to hold. Say: This promise came true when Jesus willingly took ours sins to the cross (1 Peter 2:24). When we believe in Him, we are made new. His punishment saves us. Thank your volunteers.

Say: We just read 7 prophecies, but there are hundreds more! We could read these all day long. Jesus fulfilled every promise that God ever made about the Messiah who was going to come to save people from their sins. No one else fulfills these promises - only Jesus.

Jesus Revealed (Luke 24:28-35)

Say: Jesus explained these things to the two men on the road to Emmaus, because He wanted them to believe in Him. He wanted to take away their sin and give them new life.

The two men approached the village where they were going. Jesus acted as if He were going farther. But they tried hard to keep Him from leaving. They said, “Stay with us. It is nearly evening. The day is almost over.” So He went in to stay with them.

He joined them at the table. Then He took bread and gave thanks. He broke it and began to give it to them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. But then He disappeared from their sight.

They said to each other, “He talked with us on the road. He opened the Scriptures to us. Weren’t our hearts burning inside us during that time?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven [disciples] and those with them. They were all gathered together. They were saying, “It’s true! The Lord has risen! He has appeared to Simon [Peter]!”

Then the two of them told what had happened to them on the way. They told how they had recognized Jesus when He broke the bread. - Luke 24:28-35

Say: Just imagine - after walking all day on the road out of Jerusalem, the two men spun around and went all the way back into Jerusalem. This time, they probably ran! They had the best news ever to share with the disciples. Jesus was alive! They had seen Him with their own eyes. This changed EVERYTHING! Now they were certain that the One they had followed was truly the Messiah. When they reached the disciples, they found out that Jesus had also appeared to Peter.

Application: When Jesus found the two men walking along the road, with their heads down, sad and confused, Jesus gently rebuked them for not knowing what Scripture had foretold about Him. If they had known the Old Testament promises better, they would have understood that what happened on the cross, and at the empty tomb, where all part of God’s amazing plan.

In the same way, God’s word, the Bible, is the best way for us to know Him. Jesus said to abide in Him by remaining in His word (John 15:7). When we know God’s word, we know God. Jesus, Himself, used God’s word to explain who He was to the men. We can also share the truth about Jesus by sharing His word with others.

PPT KEY VERSE

Key Verse:

Jesus explained to them what was said about Himself in all the Scriptures. He began with Moses and all the Prophets. - Luke 24:27

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfilled all of God’s promises.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Canon, Children, Children's Curriculum

1. Jesus is Baptized (Luke 3)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: God wants everyone to know that Jesus is His Son and to believe in Him!

Key Verse:

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. - John3:30 (NLT)

Prop: A police officer’s badge

Background/Review:

The very last words of the last book of the Old Testament read:

“I will send you the prophet Elijah. He will come before the day of the Lord arrives. It will be a great and terrifying day. Elijah will teach parents how to love their children. He will also teach children how to honor their parents. If that does not happen, I will come. And I will put a curse on the land.” - Malachai 4:5-6

Say: There were 400 years of silence in which no one heard from the Lord. People who trusted God were very eager for Him to send the promised Messiah.

One day, the angel of the Lord appeared to a priest named Zechariah in the temple. Zechariah and his wife, Elizabeth, were very old and did not have any children. The angel told Zechariah that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son. Zechariah was very surprised to see an angel, because people hadn’t heard from God in 400 years! So even though he had been praying for a child, he was amazed when an angel spoke to him. The angel said that they were to name their son John.

John was assigned a very special mission from God even before he was born. God made it clear to Zechariah and Elizabeth that John’s purpose in life would be to prepare the way for Jesus. Ask: What are some things that you do to prepare for a special time like a family vacation, the holidays, or birthdays? Listen for answers. Say: John came to prepare the hearts of people to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Savior.

John (Luke 3:1-20)

Say: John grew up to be a very special man. He was very different from the other people who lived in this time. John chose to live in the desert, clothe himself with an outfit of camel’s hair, and eat a diet of locusts and wild honey. He was very different. After all, who else was preaching in the wilderness? Most people preached in the temple where all the people were. But John was preaching out in the desert! To prepare the way for Jesus, John told the people to turn from their wickedness back to righteousness. The people wanted to know how they should live. Here are some of the things that John told them:

John answered, “If you have extra clothes, you should share with those who have none. And if you have extra food, you should do the same.”

Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

“Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” John told them.

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?”

John replied, “Don’t force people to give you money. Don’t bring false charges against people. Be happy with your pay.” - Luke 3:11-14

Above all, John told the people to repent from their sin. Repent means to “change your mind”. To repent is to agree with God that your sin is very very bad, and go in the opposite direction. It does not merely mean to say, “I’m sorry”. John told them that in order to have a change in behavior, there had to be a change of heart.

Even though John lived in the desert, he was very aware of the sins of the people who came to hear him preach. He did not just say what people wanted to hear: he preached the truth. For example, the wicked King Herod had taken another man’s wife to be his own. John told the people that this was wrong. And he told the Pharisees (the religious leaders who ACTED religious on the outside) that they were like a bunch of snakes! Needless to say, his preaching caused quite a stir!

The religious leaders of that day were very proper. They wore long, fancy robes. They taught people in the clean temple, and they ate fine food. The religious leaders thought that John was a crazy man. They wondered who John thought he was and why he was preaching in the desert. So they came out and asked the question: “Who do you think you are anyway?”

Application: As Christians, this is something we also face (or should be facing). People should be checking out who we are, because we should speak and live differently than everyone else around us.

Say: During this time, the Jewish people were very tired of living under the Roman rule. They wanted a hero - a leader. They knew that one day God would send a Deliverer, the Messiah. They were hoping that John the Baptist was the Messiah, the Christ.

Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah. - Luke 3:15 NLT

But John made it perfectly clear that he was not the Messiah. Then they asked if he was the prophet Elijah that was promised at the end of Malachi. John told them, “I am not Elijah.” (John 1:21)

Then they asked if he was the prophet that they had been expecting. He told them he was not.

John was not seeking recognition. His job was to prepare the way for Jesus.

John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, “I’m the messenger who is calling out in the desert, ‘Make the way for the Lord straight.’ ”- John 1:23

Later on, John told the people that he was not even worthy to untie the sandals of Jesus. John said:

He (Jesus) must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. - John 3:30 NLT

John knew that the most important person in his own life shouldn’t be himself; it should be Jesus! So he made sure everybody knew that he was just a servant of the Messiah who was about to come.

Application: John was not the point of the message. He was just the messenger. John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. The same is true of us. We are not the message. (It’s not about you). But we are here as a voice to tell others about Jesus. It is very important for us to lead others to Jesus and not to ourselves.

Say: John was not concerned about what people thought of him. He was not after popularity. He did not say or do things just to make his audience happy. He came, simply, to tell the truth. He came to call people to a relationship with God.

Once people believed in the message of God through John, John began to baptize people. John was baptizing people in the Jordan River. When John began his mission, he preached a message of baptism as a SYMBOL. John the Baptist called on people to repent and to change their way of life. John told them of their need to leave their sins behind and to live a new kind of life. Baptism does not wash away the person’s sin. Baptism is a SYMBOL that a person has put their trust in God.

Illustration: Teacher: Hold up a police officer’s badge. Say: I am holding a symbol in my hand. Does anyone know what it is? It is a police badge. What does it symbolize? A police officer will wear this badge as symbol, so everyone will know that he or she is a police officer. Wearing this badge does not make a person into an officer! In order to become a police officer, a person has to go to school and go through a lot of training and testing. This badge is just a symbol that shows us that the person is a trained police officer.

What if I put this badge on right now? Would that make me a police officer? No! Putting the symbol on me would not change who I really am. And, believe it or not, police officers do not sleep with their badges on! When a real policeman takes his badge off at night, does he stop being a police officer? No, he is a policeman on the inside, even when someone can’t see his badge on the outside.

In a similar way, being baptized is an outward symbol of the change that’s been made on the inside. Baptism shows everyone that you have believed and trusted God.

John Baptizes Jesus (Luke 3:21-22)

One day, when John and Jesus were both about 30 years old, Jesus came out to the wilderness where John was baptizing people (Luke 3:23).

John said, “Look, the Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29b

Ask: Do you remember the animal sacrifices that were being made to cover the people’s sins? Can you imagine how the people felt when John said that Jesus was the Lamb of God who would permanently take away all of their sin? Because Jesus is the Lamb of God, there would be no more need to sacrifice lambs.

Jesus wanted John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13). Jesus wanted to be identified with John’s message. He wanted to show people that John’s message was true. John said that he was not worthy to baptize Jesus, but Jesus insisted that this was the right thing to do. So 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

Say: I am a human. If I have a son, what is he? Human. If my dog has a baby, what is the baby? It’s a dog. When God announced that Jesus was His Son, this was the first time that it was announced that JESUS IS GOD!

John saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and remain on Jesus. John believed!

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. - John3:30 NLT

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: God wants everyone to know that Jesus is His Son and to believe in Him!

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

2. Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus faced every temptation that we do, yet He never sinned.

Key Verse:

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7 NIV

Props: The Bible, a sword, a stone, a loaf of bread

Note to Teacher: It is important to understand that Jesus was NOT tempted to sin - as in wanting to sin but just holding back the urge. James 1:13 tells us, “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone” (NIV). We have heard the phrase “the temptation of Christ” for so long, that we liken it to our own “feeling tempted” (an inward desire to commit sin). Christ does not have a sin nature as we do. Christ’s temptation was an outward exposure to Satan’s ploys. The significance of these temptations being offered to Christ, and His refusal to partake, is that Jesus remained sinless and therefore remained the perfect sacrifice, able to take on the sin of mankind on the cross.

Background/Review

Teacher: Begin with a personal story of a time when someone tried to tempt you to sin. Bearing in mind the above Teacher Note, do not share a time when you “felt the urge” to sin, but when someone or something actively tried to persuade you into doing something sinful, as Satan did to Jesus. (Ex: Not the temptation to eat cake when you were on a diet; rather when you were 10 and your friend begged you to do his homework.)

Say: To “tempt” is to try to get someone to do wrong. So, to “be tempted” means someone is trying to get you to do something wrong. Ask: Has anyone in this room ever been tempted? When you were tempted, was it hard to do the right thing?

Say: Today we’re going to read from God’s Word that Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness, but Jesus resisted temptation by using God’s Word.

This is what we are going to learn about Satan: Satan is very clever. He tempts when you’re hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Satan also tempts when you’ve just had a wonderful, spiritual event in your life. Satan tried to tempt Jesus right after Jesus was baptized by His cousin, John.

This is what we’re going to learn about Jesus: Jesus used Scripture to counter Satan’s attacks.

The Word of God is living and active. It is sharper than any sword that has two edges. - Hebrews 4:12a

Teacher: Show your sword and your Bible. Say: Just as a sword can defeat a military enemy, even more so, God’s Word can defeat our enemy, the devil.

After Jesus was baptized, the Bible says that the Spirit “immediately” led Jesus into the wilderness. The word “wilderness” is often translated as “desert.” The book of Mark states that Jesus was “with the wild animals” (Mark 1:13). We can assume that He was away from other people. Jesus was alone, in the desert, and He had just been baptized. But the book of Luke tells us even more. Jesus ate nothing for 40 days.

Ask: How would you feel if you didn’t eat for 40 days? Hungry

Let’s talk about fasting for just a minute. Fasting is when you choose to say no to food so that you can give all of your attention to prayer. People fast for various reasons. “It is likely that Jesus was fasting to seek God and refrain from all distractions” (p. 47 Jesus, the One and Only by Beth Moore). Many times people will fast because they want all of their time and energy to go into prayer. Preparing food, eating it, and cleaning up takes a lot of time. When you fast, you can spend all that time in prayer. By doing this, you are communicating to God and yourself that He is more important to you than daily food.

The First Temptation (Matthew 4:1-4)

After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry. The tempter came to Him. He said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” - Matthew 4:2-3

The “tempter” was another name for the devil, or Satan. Satan tried to place doubt in the mind of Jesus with the words “If you are the Son of God.”

Teacher: Show a stone and a loaf of bread.

Say: The book of Luke tells us that Satan tried to tempt Jesus throughout His forty days in the wilderness (Luke 4:2). Satan knew that Jesus had gone without food for forty days. Obviously, Satan knew that Jesus was very hungry! He also knew that Jesus was powerful.

Of course, Jesus could make bread. We will learn that twice Jesus made bread for several thousand people! (Mark 6:35-44, Mark 8:1-21) Making bread was no big deal for Jesus. BUT - that word “if” indicates that Satan was questioning whether or not Jesus was truly God.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”(Deuteronomy 8:3) - Matthew 4:4

Teacher: Show your Bible and the sword again.

Say: God’s Word is like a sword. It cuts through the doubts of the devil.

When Jesus said, “It is written”, He was referring to Scripture. Jesus was quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 where Moses reminded the Israelites that God humbled them in the wilderness when He provided manna from heaven. By quoting this Scripture, Jesus made it clear that there is something much more important than physical needs. It is the need to know God. It’s interesting to note how this temptation compares to Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden.

Ask: What did Satan tempt Eve to do? Eat fruit. And what did Satan tempt Jesus to do? Make bread. What is similar? Both temptations involve food.

Application: We must be careful to control our fleshly appetites. Not just our appetite for food, but also our appetite for things that are not good for us like too much TV, bad pictures, etc.

The more important similarity is that in both cases, Satan tried to plant the seed of doubt. To Eve he said, “Did God REALLY say not to eat the fruit?” To Jesus he said, “IF You are the Son of God…”

Ask: Do you hear how Satan is trying to make them doubt?

The Second Temptation (Matthew 4:5-7)

Say:

Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He had Jesus stand on the highest point of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down. It is written, “ ‘The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won’t trip over a stone.’ ” (Psalm 91:11,12) - Matthew 4:5-6

History tells us that a part of Herod’s temple was about 450 feet high. It is likely that Satan took Jesus to Jerusalem to stand on that part of the temple. Satan challenged Jesus to throw Himself down. He reasoned that IF Jesus was God’s Son, then God would surely protect Him from such fall. Satan tried to get Jesus to do something that would force God to help Him. That’s like saying, “God, I know you can protect me, so I am going to walk out into a busy highway and You must keep me safe”. We are not to do this, because we are not in authority over God. He is in authority over us. We do not force God to serve us. Certainly God is able to rescue His children from incredible danger, however, to act foolishly and then expect God to deliver you is to put God to the test.

Note to Teacher: See Psalm 78:17-22, for God’s anger when the Israelites tested Him in the desert.

Satan quotes Scripture –

Did you know that Satan is keenly aware of what is written in the Bible? He quoted this verse to Jesus:

The Lord will command His angels to take good care of you.
They will lift you up in their hands.
Then you won’t trip over a stone. - Psalm 91:11-12

It is true that God can and does protect His children, but remember, we are to use good judgment. We are not to experiment with God. Satan was challenging Jesus to “push the limits” with God.
Jesus quotes Scripture –

Jesus addressed the real issue by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.

Jesus answered him, “It is also written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ” - Matthew 4:7

The word “test” here does not mean the kind of test you take at school. It means to “make God prove Himself”. God is holy. He is the King of the universe. He does not have to prove anything to anybody! Do not attempt to “test” God.
Teacher: Show your Bible and the sword again.

Say: God’s Word is like a sword. It cuts through the deceit of the devil.

The Third Temptation (Matthew 4:8-11)

Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “If You bow down and worship me,” he said, “I will give You all of this.”

Jesus said to him, “Get away from Me, Satan! It is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God. He is the only One you should serve.’ ” - Matthew 4:8-10

Satan offered Jesus the power to rule the earth. But, the world was not even Satan’s to offer (Psalm 22:28; Isaiah 37:16). This was the very temptation that had ensnared Satan which caused him to be thrown out of heaven. It was Satan’s overwhelming greed for power that caused him to rebel against God. Satan is the one who desired to become more than he was. Just the opposite, Jesus already had all power and glory, but willingly gave it up to come and give His life for mankind. The Bible says:

In His very nature He (Jesus) was God. But He did not think that being equal with God was something He should hold on to. Instead, He made Himself nothing. He took on the very nature of a servant. He was made in human form. He appeared as a man. He came down to the lowest level. He obeyed God completely, even though it led to His death. In fact, He died on a cross. - Philippians 2:5-8

Satan was offering Jesus temporary control of the world in exchange for His eternal rule. Perhaps Satan thought he could play on the goodness of Jesus. Maybe he thought Jesus would seek worldly control in order to stop the sin and suffering that abounds on the earth. Can you imagine how Jesus feels when He sees the misery, war, crime, poverty, abuse, and torture in this world? Perhaps Satan was hoping that Jesus would be eager to bring it all back under His control. In God’s timing, this world will indeed be completely under God’s authority, but not yet. Jesus did not come into the world to stop all of the problems on the earth. Jesus came to take away the sin of the world (1 John 3:5).

If Jesus had bowed down to Satan, He would have sinned because the Bible says we are ONLY supposed to worship God. Jesus saw the big picture. Jesus kept His focus on the eternal - it was far better for Jesus to remain sinless so He could become the substitution for all men, so those who believe could gain eternal life. Again, Jesus quoted Scripture.

Teacher: Show your Bible and the sword again.

Say: God’s Word is like a sword. It cuts through the evil plans of the devil. James 4:7 says to RESIST the devil, and he will flee from you!

Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of Him. - Matthew 4:11

Angels are God’s messengers. They came to Jesus to minister to Him. What a difference! On one hand, Satan was tempting Jesus. God cast Satan away, and angels came instead.

Application: Satan will do his best to tempt, trick, and trap every follower of Jesus (1 Peter 5:8). He is very clever. He knows all of our weaknesses, and he will always try to catch us off guard. Unlike Jesus, we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5;12; 7:18). This means, without God’s help, rebelling against God is natural to us. Therefore, we MUST rely totally on the power of God to resist the devil’s snares. We tap into God’s power by following Jesus’ example. The awesome news is that we all have access to the same devil-defeating tools that Jesus used. Do not be fooled! Good intentions will not defeat the evil one! Only the divine tools God has given us - God’s Word, prayer, and praise - will do the work of defeating such a crafty, deceitful enemy.

We have a high priest [Jesus] who can feel it when we are weak and hurting. We have a high priest who has been tempted in every way, just as we are. But he did not sin. - Hebrews 4:15

PPT VERSE

Key Verse: Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7 NIV

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus faced every temptation that we do, yet He never sinned.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Satanology

3. Jesus Calls His Disciples (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-34; Luke 5:1-11)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: Jesus invites us to follow Him and we must each chose whether we will.

Key Verse:

“Come. Follow Me,” Jesus said. “I will make you fishers of people.” - Mark 1:17

Materials: Two sheets of paper.

Background/Review

Say: Forgiveness from sin is a wonderful gift. Everyone longs to know true forgiveness for their sins. When John the Baptist announced that Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world, people began to follow Jesus (John 1:29).

Leader, call up a volunteer. Say: I want you to copy everything I do. Begin to make a paper airplane, step by step, allowing the student to imitate your actions. Then toss your plane, he should toss his as well. Thank your volunteer. Say: My volunteer imitated everything I did. He followed what I did step by step. You could say he was a student of my amazing paper airplane making skills. Today we will talk about the “students” of Jesus. Ask: Does anyone know another word for student?

The people who began to follow Jesus were called His disciples. A disciple is a person who follows another person and his teaching. Becoming a disciple of Jesus is usually a step-by step process. It’s learning through faith to trust and follow Him one step and one event at a time.

Jesus’ Call (Luke 5:1-11)

Say: Peter, Andrew, James, and John were all fishermen. Fishing was their job. You may enjoy an afternoon of fishing. These men were professional fishermen. Every day they let down their nets, caught the fish, cleaned the fish, and sold them. Day after day, they did these same things over and over again. Jesus walked right up to them, and offered to turn their routine into a great adventure.

One day Jesus was standing by the Sea of Galilee. The people crowded around Him and listened to the word of God. Jesus saw two boats at the edge of the water. They had been left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into the boat that belonged to Simon (Peter). Jesus asked him to go out a little way from shore. Then He sat down in the boat and taught the people.

When He finished speaking, He turned to Simon (Peter). He said, “Go out into deep water. Let the nets down so you can catch some fish.” - Luke 5:1-4

Ask: Do you think Simon Peter will LISTEN to Jesus? How long had Peter been awake trying to fish? All night.

Say: Remember, Peter had JUST washed his nets. If he let them down into the sea again, the nets would be full of salt water, and Peter would have to wash them all over again. Peter told Jesus that he had been up all night trying to fish and that he didn’t catch anything. BUT, because Jesus told him to put his net down into the deep water, Peter trusted Jesus and then obeyed!

Application: Often times, God will tell us to do something that may be out of our way or seem too hard at the time. However, we must always be like Peter, obeying and trusting Him. There is blessing in obedience, and even if you don’t see it immediately, it is always better to obey God, no matter what He tells you to do. God always rewards those who trust Him.

Say: Listen what happened next: Simon (Peter) answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

When they had done so, they caught a large number of fish. There were so many that their nets began to break. So they motioned to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. - Luke 5:5-7

When Peter saw the MIRACLE that Jesus did, Peter fell at Jesus’ feet. He said, “Get away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man.” (Luke 5:8) Peter realized that JESUS WAS GOD, and Peter worshipped Him - right there in that smelly boat filled with fish.

Application: You can worship God anywhere at anytime!

Say: This was a huge step for Peter in becoming a disciple of Jesus. When Peter realized that Jesus was God, everything changed!

Jesus told Peter not to be afraid, and from that time forward instead of catching fish, Peter would now catch men. This meant that Peter would join Jesus in telling people about the kingdom of God! This would be a huge change for Peter; he had been a fisherman all of his life. It’s what he knew how to do, and how he made money for his family. Can you imagine Jesus telling you to drop everything you normally do, to go and do something totally different?

From other Scriptures, we know that Peter had a wife. It could be that God knew that Peter would be reluctant to follow Jesus because of his responsibilities to care for his family. But Jesus took away that fear by showing Peter that He was the great Provider. Jesus was a carpenter (Mark 6:3), yet He knew more about fishing than Peter did. Jesus proved He could provide everything for those who follow Him.

Application: There is no life more adventuresome than a life completely given to God. When Jesus Christ takes over, things get exciting! Being a true follower of Jesus Christ is the height of an extreme life!

Following Jesus

Say: Let’s see what we can learn from Peter’s reaction to this miracle:

Following Jesus begins with seeing yourself as a helpless sinner.

This is very important, and there are many people who have difficulty with this point. In our human nature, we want to believe that there is something good about us. We are told to “believe in ourselves.” But the Bible says each one of us has sinned (Romans 3:23). Ask: How many times would a person have to steal a car to be considered a car thief? One time! Say: Likewise, it only takes ONE sin to be a sinner. A sin is any wrong action or any wrong thought (Isaiah 59:7, Matthew 15:19). The GREAT news is, Jesus came to save SINNERS. He came to find the LOST. He came to heal the SICK (Luke 5:31-32).

When Peter realized that Jesus was God, he fell to his knees, and begged Jesus to step away from him. He knew that compared to Jesus, he was a very sinful man.

Following Jesus means knowing that He is God!

Jesus showed Peter and the others that He was unlike anyone else - He was God. Look back to the story: Jesus had the disciples catch so many fish that TWO boats began to sink. When Peter saw this miracle, he was certain Jesus was God (Matthew 16:16).

Following Jesus means that you have FAITH - you trust Him to provide everything you need.

Phillipians 4:19 says, “My God will meet all your needs. He will meet them in keeping with his wonderful riches that come to you because you belong to Christ Jesus.” Everyone needs his or her physical needs taken care of; Jesus proved to Peter that He provides everything we need. Everyone needs forgiveness from sin. Jesus provided that. Jesus even provided the way of ETERNAL LIFE to those who put their faith and trust in Him. When we lack faith, it is often because we don’t trust that God will provide exactly what we need! Jesus PROVES to us that He is our faithful Provider. Faith is based on knowledge and experience. We know that we can trust God because of what the Bible teaches and because of how we’ve seen Him work in our own lives.

Following Jesus means saying YES to Him and NO to other things.

When you say YES to something, you are essentially saying NO to something else. When your parents said YES to marrying each other, they said NO to everyone else. If you only have one dollar at the dollar store, and you say YES to buy something, you are saying NO to buying any other item. Jesus wanted Peter, James, and John to say YES to following Him and NO to life as usual. Their boats, nets, lines, and hooks were familiar to them and made them feel successful, safe, and secure. Jesus would show them that HE alone would be their All-Sufficient One. The Bible says that they left everything (even that fortune in fish) and followed Jesus.

Note to Teacher: Sometimes, our greatest problem will come in that area in which we are most skilled, most knowledgeable. For Peter, this was his skill as a fisherman. Jesus had to show Peter that He knew more than this veteran of the Sea of Galilee, so that Peter could find Jesus the Master and Teacher. Whatever it is that you find yourself good at, whatever it is that you trust in, is that which you may be required to forsake in order to follow Christ.

Following Jesus means that we must LISTEN, OBEY, and do things HIS way!

Jesus came to invite lost people into God’s kingdom. If we are going to follow Jesus, then we must listen, obey, and be careful to do things His way. Peter and his friends had to leave behind fishing as their career. Though they were good at fishing, Jesus had a much bigger and better plan for them. When you are a true disciple of Jesus, He may tell you to do things differently than you did before. LISTEN to what He’s saying to you!

Application: Are you willing to be His disciple? Ask: What is a disciple? A disciple is a person who follows another person and his teaching.

Say: We are going to see large crowds of people who follow Jesus, but only a few become His true disciples. True discipleship has a cost. A true disciple follows Jesus no matter what the cost.

Jesus had just chosen these men to follow Him and be His disciples. Jesus’ disciples are going to be with Jesus. The more they are with Jesus, the more they will believe and trust in Him. The more they believe and trust in Him, the more they will become like Him!

PPT VERSE

Key Verse:

“Come. Follow Me,” Jesus said. “I will make you fishers of people.” - Mark 1:17

PPT MAIN POINT

Main Point: Jesus invites us to follow Him and we must each chose whether we will.

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

4. Jesus Feeds 5,000 People (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT TITLE

Main Point: All things are possible with God.

Key Verse:

All things are possible with God. - Mark 10:27b

Props: 5 loaves of bread (or rolls); 2 fish; 12 baskets (Optional: bread for each child; The Gospel of John DVD)

Background

Say: The last time I took a trip, I took... (give list - you can make it outlandish if you want). When you go on a trip, what do you take? Listen for answers.

After Jesus called His disciples and they chose to follow Him, they traveled all over the area together. Jesus told His disciples not to take anything as they traveled! Why do you think that is? He wanted them to trust God to provide all of their needs.

The disciples saw Jesus heal people and heard His teachings. They heard Jesus proclaim that the kingdom of God had come. As proof that Jesus had authority to tell others about God and His kingdom, Jesus performed many miracles. He healed people of terrible diseases and injuries. He made blind people see and made crippled people walk.

After some time together, Jesus even sent the disciples out on their own to preach and heal in His name. As Jesus sent the men out, listen to what He said:

He told them, “Don’t take anything for the journey. Do not take a walking stick or a bag. Do not take any bread, money or extra clothes. - Luke 9:3

The Fish And The Bread

Say: Meanwhile, John the Baptist was still boldly telling people about God’s right way to live. Some people who were living in sin became very angry with John. King Herod was doing very bad things. He didn’t like hearing John say that his behavior was wrong (Matthew 14:3-4). King Herod ordered that John be killed (Mark 6:14-29). This was awful! This made Jesus and His disciples very sad. Jesus took His disciples by boat to a quiet place so that they could rest and have something to eat

Crowds of people followed Jesus wherever He went. When people heard that Jesus and the disciples had gone off to be on their own, they wanted to go there, too. So they came running from all the towns in the area and got there before Jesus and His friends. They wanted to hear Jesus teach, and they wanted to see more miracles, more signs, and more wonders.

Jesus could have refused to teach the crowd. After all, He and disciples had sailed on the boat to get away from people for a while and rest. But look again at Mark 6:34 says, “When Jesus came ashore, He saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.”

Jesus loved each and every person in that crowd. And He knew that there was so much they still didn’t understand about the kingdom of God. So even though He needed rest, He put the needs of the crowd before His own, and He taught them. The Bible says the people in the crowd were like sheep without a shepherd, which means they were lost and confused about life. By teaching them, Jesus was a kind and loving Shepherd who took care of them.

Application: The Bible calls Jesus the Good Shepherd. He said, “I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me. They know Me just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I give My life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

Isn’t it wonderful to know that Jesus loves us like that? Isn’t it amazing that He loved us enough to die for our sins? If we are ever lost and confused—like the crowd was that day—our Good Shepherd will gently lead us where we need to go and teach us what we need to know.

Say: By that time it was late in the day. Jesus looked over the large crowd and asked Philip, “Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?” (John 6:5). Since Philip was from this area, this question could have been a simple question of where the shops were located (John 1:44). But Jesus really asked Philip this question to test him. All throughout the Bible, we see that God asks questions to test men (Genesis 3:9, 4:9, Job 38). Jesus asked Philip “where” and Philip can think only in terms of “how.” This is a very difficult test because Jesus refers to “buying” bread. A correct answer might have been something like, “Lord, You know.” Philip could also have remembered another miracle that Jesus had done when He turned water into wine. He could have said, “Lord, You are able to provide.” But Philip did not focus on Jesus’ ability. Philip said, “Eight months’ pay would not buy enough bread for each one to have one bite!” (John 6:7)

As it was getting dark outside, some of the disciples asked Jesus to send everyone away so the people could go to the villages to buy something to eat. But Jesus said they did not need to go away. Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” (Matthew 14:15-16).

Jesus was showing Philip and the other disciples that there was no way they could solve the problem on their own. There was no store close enough to buy this much food. And even if there was, it would have taken way more money than the disciples had! Jesus wanted the disciples to trust Him - to know that He alone was able to meet their need.

Application: God wants you to trust that He will take care of you! God may allow a situation in your life that you cannot solve. This is the perfect opportunity to rely on Him. (Teacher, feel free to insert a personal story of when God allowed this kind of situation in your life.) Trust that the Lord is able and willing to meet all of your needs.

Say: At this point, another disciple, Andrew, spoke up and said, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.”

Ask: What do they have? Just a little boy’s lunch

Say: Children were not seen as very important in that culture. They weren’t even counted with the 5,000. God was going to use someone that everyone else overlooked to perform a miracle. God uses all kinds of people in His work. He often uses those who are weakest or least important in the eyes of other people.

Ask: Do you LIKE to share your food? How about when you’re really hungry?

Say: This young boy was willing to give what little he had to Jesus. Jesus told the disciples to bring the 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to Him. Jesus then told the disciples to have the people sit down. Jesus gave thanks for the food.

Application: We should always thank God for our food. Food is a gift from God.Teaching Idea for Younger Children:

Say: What happened next was an amazing miracle. Jesus broke the bread. (Hold up your bread and tear it.) He gave it to His disciples to give it to the all the people. Can you imagine trying to feed that many people? The disciples probably thought, “My basket will run out really quickly with all these hungry people to feed.” But amazingly, they never ran out! The disciples went back to Jesus time and time again to get fish and bread to feed the huge crowd. Ask: At what point do you think the disciples realized that Jesus was performing a miracle? God is so generous! He is never stingy with His gifts. The Bible says:

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. - 2 Corinthians 9:8 NLT

Say: Everyone received as much food as they wanted, they all had pleanty to eat, and twelve baskets full of food were left over (John 6:11-13). Jesus told His disciples to gather what was left. Isn’t it amazing that after everyone ate until they were full, there were 12 baskets full of food left over? Jesus told the disciples not to let anything be wasted.

Say: Each of the 12 disciples, who must have agonized over the shortage of food and the size of the crowd they were commanded to feed, walked away with a basket full of extra food. They came to this place sad and hungry – ready to be away from the people. But God had a different plan. He came to fill their emptiness with Himself! God supplies all our needs and more.

Application: Nothing is too small for God to use it - even a little boy’s lunch. The disciples could not see how the child’s lunch could be of help, but showing Himself strong through our weakness is characteristic of the way God provides (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

PPT VERSE

Key Verse: All things are possible with God. - Mark 10:27b

Main Point: All things are possible with God. PPT Verse

Teaching Ideas for Younger Children: Teach this song and motions to the tune of “Happy Birthday”:

One boy had two fish (hold up 2 fingers)
And five loaves of bread (hold up 5 fingers)
He shared them with Jesus (hold hand out; palms up)
Lots of people were fed (wiggle fingers to show lots of people)

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum, Miracles

5. Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

Related Media

Lesson

PPT CUE

Main Point: We should each be truly thankful for what Jesus has done for us.

Key Verse:

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. - Luke 17:15

Props: Two pieces of identical white cloth—one that is dirty, tattered and torn, and one that is clean and bright.

Say: From the time we are tiny children, our parents are constantly reminding us to have good manners. When you ask for something, what do your parents always tell you to say? Please. And when you receive something, what are you supposed to say? Thank you.

When your parents remind you to say “please” and “thank you” they are helping you to understand thankfulness. Let’s say you receive a gift you really wanted for Christmas. You are probably very happy that you have received the gift. But being thankful takes it a step further: you’re not just happy that you HAVE the gift, you are filled with thankfulness to the giver as well. You think of all the giver had to do to make sure you could get the gift. They took the time to go shopping. They paid for it. They wrapped it in pretty paper. And because you are so amazed by the giver’s generosity and love, you freely show your thankfulness by giving them a big hug, or saying “thank you” over and over, or writing a note and sending it in the mail.

Today we are going to look at a story in Luke 17 about a time that Jesus gave an amazing gift to ten men. And while all ten of them may have been happy that they received a gift, only one of them chose to show their thankfulness to Jesus. Let’s read together in Luke 17:11-19.

Teacher Note: The story of Jesus healing the ten lepers in Luke 17 appears immediately after a teaching conversation Jesus has with His disciples after one asked Him to “increase our faith.” In this conversation, Jesus indicates that obedience to God is not something extra we do to receive His thanks and rewards. Rather, it is our duty to serve Him, just like it is a servant’s duty to serve his master. Our pride sometimes twists this truth and tells us that we should expect God to thank us for all we do to serve Him. But Jesus teaches here that true faith is total dependence on God and a willingness to unselfishly do His will. This conversation, combined with the story of the ten lepers, puts gratitude in its proper perspective. God is the one deserving of gratitude because of the grace and mercy He freely gives to those who do not deserve it.

Jesus Heals 10 Lepers

Say:

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men met him. They had a skin disease. They were standing close by. And they called out in a loud voice, “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!”

Jesus saw them and said, “Go. Show yourselves to the priests.” While they were on the way, they were healed. - Luke 17:11-14

Say: Before we read on, it is important to understand exactly what leprosy was and why it was such a big deal that Jesus healed these ten men.

In all of our lives, bad things happen from time to time. Sometimes these bad things are consequences for bad choices, but other times bad things happen simply because we live in a sinful world. The Bible says that the men in this story had a skin disease called leprosy. It doesn’t say that they deserved leprosy but just that they HAD leprosy. It was a disease they suffered from because they were living in a sinful, fallen world.

When God created the world, it was perfect. There was no sickness; there was no death. Everything was beautiful, happy and good. But when sin came into the world, it spoiled everything! There are accidents and cancer and divorce. There are tornadoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, crime and sickness. It is not hard to see how awful sin is!

So because we live in a fallen, sinful world, there are terrible diseases. The disease of leprosy is one of them.

Say: Some of you are probably wondering what this disease really is. Leprosy is a terrible condition where a person’s skin begins to rot and fall off. Many lepers lose all of their fingers and toes because of the disease. It is very painful and smelly. You could tell if a person had leprosy because their body would be covered with sores. People with these sores are commonly referred to as lepers.

Leprosy was a common skin disease a long time ago, and there are still people in some parts of the world today who have leprosy. There are lepers in India, China, and Japan as well as in parts of Africa and the West Indies and in South America.

Leprosy is very contagious. It is very easy to “catch” leprosy. Even just touching a person who has leprosy or touching something that they touched could make you get the disease. So whenever a person caught leprosy in Bible times, they had to live outside the community. In fact, one of the laws that God gave the Israelites in the Old Testament says, “As long as he has the infection [of leprosy] he remains unclean. He must live alone. He must live outside the camp.” - Leviticus 13:46

If Mr. ______ (adult volunteer) found out that he had leprosy, he could no longer be in here with us, he would have to leave our building and even leave our town! He couldn’t hug his wife and children, because they might get the disease. Wouldn’t that be sad?!

You can see that leprosy wasn’t just bad for a person’s body, but it was also terrible for their ability to enjoy friends and family, since they lived alone. Sometimes lepers would get very lonely and seek out other lepers to live with. That’s why the ten men in this story were together. They all had leprosy, and they were not allowed to be a part of their original family community. In some parts of the world today, groups of lepers living together are called “leper colonies.”

Leprosy made a person “unclean”. Because leprosy was so contagious, people long ago would shout “UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!” when they were walking on the road or were in the company of people who did not have leprosy. No one wanted to be near a person with this terrible disease, so they would hurry away from anyone shouting the word “unclean.” The religious leaders, who liked to add rules to the laws that God had given His people, said that lepers could not even go to the Temple like everyone else could. This wasn’t just because they were afraid of catching leprosy, it was because the religious leaders also thought lepers were “unclean” spiritually. How sad for those with leprosy. Not only did they have a terrible disease, but they were also falsely accused of having unclean hearts, too.

APPLICATION: Wouldn’t it be terrible if someone accused you of being a bad person, just because you had a cold or strep throat? What if getting sick meant you could never see your family again? What if someone told you that God didn’t want anything to do with you because you were sneezing and coughing? That would be terribly unfair, wouldn’t it?

Say: That’s why the men in our story stood at a distance from Jesus and called out to Him. These ten lepers knew that they could not go near anyone because they had a contagious illness. But they also believed they were bad people who were unacceptable to God.

The men had probably been waiting for Jesus at the edge of the village. When they saw Jesus crossing the border between Galilee and Samaria, they yelled, “Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us.”

When the lepers saw Jesus, they yelled, “Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us.”

Jesus then told the them to show themselves to the priest. At some point, as they were going to do that, the ten lepers noticed that their leprosy was gone. They had been healed!

Say: Their skin changed from being full of sores and disease (show the cloth that is dirty, tattered & torn) to being clean and healthy (put that cloth down & hold up an identical, brand new clean piece.)

Only One Leper Shows Gratitude

Say: Now let’s continue reading to see what happens next. Look at Luke 17:15-19.

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. The man was a Samaritan.

When Jesus saw the Samaritan, He immediately wondered about the other nine men who had also been healed.

Jesus asked, “Weren’t all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Didn’t anyone else return and give praise to God except this outsider?”

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Say: It is hard to believe that only one of the ten men Jesus healed came back to thank Him. Certainly, the other nine men noticed that they were healed, but they did not take the time to return to say, “Thank you.”

It’s very likely that once the other nine saw they were healed, they ran home to their families and friends. After all, they had been living far away from them for some time. Can you imagine how excited they were? Can you imagine how happy their families must have been to see them again?

Though these nine other men were so, so happy to be healed, they didn’t return to Jesus to publicly GIVE THANKS. They didn’t “praise God with a loud voice and throw themselves at His feet” like the leper who did return to thank Jesus.

APPLICATION: When Jesus gave His life for you and me, His blood healed us from a disease much more hideous than leprosy. Do you remember when we talked earlier about how sin spoils everything? Well, sin spoils us too! Like a terrible disease, sin ruins us.

Sin is a great spiritual need that requires healing. We seem to recognize physical needs better than spiritual needs. When we’re hungry, we eat. When we’re sick, we go to the doctor. When we’re tired, we sleep.

In each of our lives, there are sins like hate, anger, greed, lying, and selfishness. Just like leprosy is a physical disease, these sins are spiritual diseases that need to be healed. And Jesus wants to heal them! He wants us to call out to Him for help, just like the ten lepers called out to Him for help.

And like the one leper who returned, we should worship, praise, and thank God at all times. We can do this when we’re alone, but God also wants us to give thanks to Him publicly and with other believers.

Say: The ten lepers in Luke 17 were given a great gift. The problem was, nine of them didn’t receive it with true thankfulness. Sure they were happy that they had received the gift of healing, but they didn’t CHOOSE to thank the gift giver. When Jesus asked, “Where are the other nine?” He clearly was asking, “Why aren’t they giving thanks to God?”

The same question could be asked of us today: “Why aren’t these people giving Me thanks?” Jesus has given us the unbelievable free gift of forgiveness. We didn’t have to do anything to earn it. Even though our sin deserves to be punished, Jesus took that punishment for us when He died on the cross. How many of you think that’s the biggest, best gift we will ever receive?

But the problem is, many people accept the free gift of forgiveness and never do anything to show their THANKFULNESS to Jesus.

The message from God is clear: we should have a heart filled to overflowing with thanksgiving to God, AND we should also tell God and others how thankful we are! God has done so much for us! He deserves our thanks!

Here is what Psalm 107:1-2 says about thankfulness:

Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good.
His faithful love continues forever.
That’s what those who have been set free by the Lord should say.

Say: Jesus was publicly crucified to heal our sins. We should find the time to publicly thank Him for that amazing gift. We should live a life of thankfulness, just like the one leper who returned to give thanks to Jesus. We should do what Colossians 2:7 tells us: “Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.”

Key Verse:

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him. — Luke 17:15

Main Point: We should each be truly thankful for what Jesus has done for us.

PPT CUE

Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®)

Special thanks to John R. Cross, The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus, GoodSeed International.

Related Topics: Children, Children's Curriculum

You are here

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

6. Jesus Reinstates Peter (John 21)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jesus Appears To The Disciples (John 21:1-14)

Jesus Takes Peter Back (John 21:15-17)

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven (Acts 1:9)

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

7. The Last Supper and Judas’ Betrayal (Matthew 26:14-30; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:1-23)

Lesson

Background/Review

Judas’ Betrayal (Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:1-6)

The Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30; Luke 22:7-23)

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

8. The Plot to Kill Jesus; Jesus Enters Jerusalem (John 11:45-12:19)

Lesson

Background/Review

The Plot To Kill Jesus (John 11:45-57)

Mary Annoints Jesus (John 12:1-11)

Jesus Enters Jerusalem (John 12:12-19)

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

9. The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)

Lesson

Background/Review

Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-13; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-18)

False Report (Matthew 28:11-15)

New Life In Christ

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE

10. Jesus Appears on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35)

Lesson

Background/Review

The Road To Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27)

Prophecies

Jesus Revealed (Luke 24:28-35)

From the series: Holy Week PREVIOUS PAGE

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

1. Jesus is Baptized (Luke 3)

Lesson

Background/Review:

John (Luke 3:1-20)

John Baptizes Jesus (Luke 3:21-22)

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

2. Satan Tried to Tempt Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4)

Lesson

Background/Review

The First Temptation (Matthew 4:1-4)

The Second Temptation (Matthew 4:5-7)

Satan quotes Scripture –

The Third Temptation (Matthew 4:8-11)

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

3. Jesus Calls His Disciples (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-34; Luke 5:1-11)

Lesson

Background/Review

Jesus’ Call (Luke 5:1-11)

Following Jesus

Following Jesus begins with seeing yourself as a helpless sinner.

Following Jesus means knowing that He is God!

Following Jesus means that you have FAITH - you trust Him to provide everything you need.

Following Jesus means saying YES to Him and NO to other things.

Following Jesus means that we must LISTEN, OBEY, and do things HIS way!

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

4. Jesus Feeds 5,000 People (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15)

Lesson

Background

The Fish And The Bread

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

5. Jesus Heals the Ten Lepers (Luke 17:11-19)

Lesson

Jesus Heals 10 Lepers

Only One Leper Shows Gratitude

From the series: Jesus in Luke PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE