14. Jacob Returns Home (Genesis 30:25-35:29)

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Lesson

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Main Point: God’s blessings are greater than anything else we could want.

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Key Verse: Jacob replied, “I won’t let You go unless you bless me.” - Genesis 32:26b

Props: 2 big bowls, bag of popcorn, bag of M&Ms

Review

Ask: Who can tell me how Esau felt about his brother, Jacob, stealing his father’s blessing? Esau was furious. What did Esau say he would do to Jacob? He threatened to kill Jacob. So what did Jacob do? He ran to live with his Uncle Laban. Say: So, remember that Jacob fell in love with Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachael. But Laban tricked Jacob into marrying his oldest daughter, Leah, before Laban let Jacob marry Rachael. Even though there was a whole lot of tricking going on, God still kept His promises. He still showed that He was good and kind and faithful. Jacob was the father of 11 sons and one daughter.

Jacob Returns Home (Genesis 31:1 - 32:21)

Say: Jacob stayed and worked for Laban for several more years. Laban was not fair to Jacob. He cheated him out of his pay many times. But God blessed the work of Jacob’s hands, so Jacob became a rich man (Genesis 31:7-9,12). Laban’s sons became very jealous of Jacob. All together, Jacob worked for Laban for 20 years.

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Then one day God spoke to Jacob and told him to leave Paddan Aram and return to the land of his father. Using the map, point to Paddan Aram, and show the general direction (southwest) toward Canaan. God promised Jacob, “I will be with you.” (Genesis 31:3) Ask: Can anyone guess why God promised Jacob that He would be with him? Can anyone remember why Jacob left the land of his father? Esau wanted to kill him. Say: Surely, God wanted Jacob to know that He would be with him so that he would not be afraid to return home and face Esau.

Jacob packed up his wives, his children, and all their belongings, and headed south toward his homeland. Jacob sent messengers to Esau who lived in the land of Seir to tell him he was coming. Refer to map. When the messengers came back, they told Jacob that Esau was coming to meet Jacob, and that Esau had 400 men with him.

Jacob was very afraid! He thought Esau was bringing an army to fight him. He was so afraid, that he split up his family and servants into two groups. Sort of like this. Let’s say each M&M is one of Jacob’s wives or kids or servants. Dump M&Ms into the big bowl. He had a bunch. Then, each piece of popcorn is one of Jacob’s animals. He had tons of cows, camels, donkeys, sheep and goats. Dump popcorn into the same bowl. So they were all traveling together. But then when Jacob heard about Esau coming with his 400 men, Jacob thought, “We better split up.” Pour half of the contents into second bowl, show the two bowls splitting up and “traveling” separately. “That way, if Esau comes and attacks one group, at least half of my family and cattle will escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “You are the God of my grandfather Abraham. You are the God of my father Isaac.

“Lord, you are the one who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives. Then I will give you success.’ You have been very kind and faithful to me. But I’m not worthy of any of this. When I crossed this Jordan River, all I had was my walking stick. But now I’ve become two groups.

“Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau. I’m afraid he’ll come and attack me and the mothers with their children. But You have said, ‘I will certainly give you success. I will make your children as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. People will not be able to count them.’ “- Genesis 32:9-12

Jacob picked out some fine animals and had some of his servants take them ahead to give as gifts to Esau. Wouldn’t you love for someone to send you 30 camels as an apology gift?

Jacob Wrestles With God (Genesis 32:22 - 32:32)

Say: That night, after Jacob had sent everyone on ahead, he was all alone. Or was he? Who told Jacob that He would be with him? God!

This brings us to a very interesting story. Bible scholars have “wrestled” with the meaning of this story for years and years. Let’s begin reading in Genesis 32:24.

This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

“What is your name?” the man asked.

He replied, “Jacob.”

“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

“Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.” The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip. - Genesis 32:24-31

Somehow God appeared to Jacob in a form that looked like a man. (For older kids: How do we know it was God? Jacob says so in verse 30. God merely touched Jacob’s hip and it was out of it’s socket, and God is the one who renames His children.)

The two began to wrestle. This was NOT a wrestling match to see who was the strongest! This wrestling was allowed by God, probably so He could see how persistent Jacob would be. It was allowed for Jacob’s sake.

“Why does God say ‘let me go’ in vs 26? Because daybreak would have revealed His face to Jacob and Jacob would have died. But Jacob wouldn’t let go. He says, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.” Jacob has finally come to the point where he would rather die than live without God’s blessing.” (Hampton Keathly IV, Bible.org, Jacob)

Hearing Jacob’s desperate plea to be blessed, God gave His blessing to Jacob. God also changed Jacob’s name. Does anyone remember what Jacob means? “Heel-holder,” or “one who takes the place of another.” His new name would be Israel, which means, “God prevails.” In other words, God always is, and God always wins. This was a great reminder that God’s purpose and promises would be fulfilled through Jacob.

Facing Esau (Genesis 33)

The next day, Jacob saw Esau coming toward him. Jacob bowed down to his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob with a big hug! Jacob introduced Esau to all of his wives and children. The two men were so nice to each other, they seemed much more like best friends than angry enemies. God certainly hears the pleas of His people! God answered Jacob’s prayer and kept His promise to be with him!

Application: God always hears our prayers and always keeps His promises!

Moving On (Genesis 35)

Then Jacob settled in the city of Shechem, but God did not allow him to stay there (Genesis 34). God told Jacob to go to Bethel, the place where God first appeared to him more than 20 years before. God told Jacob to build an altar there. God appeared to him again. Again, God blessed him.

God said to him, “I am the Mighty God. Have children and increase your numbers. A nation and a community of nations will come from you. Kings will come from your body. I am giving you the land I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will also give it to your children after you. - Genesis 35:11-12

Jacob continued to travel toward his father’s home in Hebron. Along the way, Rachael had another son and Jacob named Benjamin. Sadly, Rachael died just after she gave birth, and Jacob buried her. Jacob finally arrived at his father’s home. Isaac lived to be 180 years old. Then Jacob and Esau buried him.

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So Jacob had 12 sons which became the 12 tribes of Israel. Through these tribes, the nation of Israel was formed. The nation of Israel was key in God’s rescue mission for mankind. It was to the nation of Israel that God gave the Law, to show us that we do not meet up to God’s perfect standard. The Law shows us that we need a Savior. And it was to the nation of Israel (into Jacob’s direct family line) that the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ, would be born. By sending the Savior through the line of Jacob, God would keep His long-standing promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: “Through you all nations will be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)

Application: When we look back at the saga of Jacob’s life, we see lots of messy situations. Lots of people do the wrong things; lots of people make bad decisions. Still, God is faithful to keep His promises. His blessings (especially the blessing of Jesus) are greater than anything else we could ever hope to have.

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Main Point: God’s blessings are greater than anything else we could want.

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.

1. Herod and the Wise Men (Matthew 2)

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Main Point: Each person must decide how he or she will respond to Jesus.

Key Verse: “But what about you?” (Jesus) asked. “Who do you say I am?” - Matthew 16:15

Props: a bright flashlight

Background/Review

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(Teacher: Prearrange for a student to read Luke 2:19NIrV when you call on him or her.)

Say: Jesus came to be the Savior of the world. He did not come as a grown king, with trumpets blasting. Instead, He came quietly as a baby. God chose two humble people, Mary and Joseph, to be a part of His amazing plan. This news was too wonderful to keep silent. God sent an angel with word of the glorious birth to simple shepherds in a nearby field. Soon, heaven burst open with a host of angels singing praises to the Lord. The shepherds believed God’s message and ran to find the child. After they found Him, they were unable to keep it to themselves. They ran to tell everyone that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived, in a manger in Bethlehem. And what did Jesus’ teenaged mother think of all that had happened? (Call on your volunteer reader to stand and read Luke 2:19: “But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over and over.” )

The Infant Jesus (Luke 2:21-38)

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Say: Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem when He was 8 days old. At that time, they gave Him the name Jesus, as the angel had instructed. They returned to the temple when Jesus was 40 days old. Mary and Joseph offered a sacrifice to the Lord, in keeping with God’s Law (Leviticus 12:1-8).

While they were at the temple, they met two special people:

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The first person they met was Simeon. The Bible says that he was a good and godly man, and that the Holy Spirit was with him. God had told him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took Him in his arms and praised God. He said that the Child came to bring salvation to all people. Simeon predicted things that would happen to Jesus, because he was led by the Holy Spirit. He said Jesus would bring some people great joy, but would cause other people to fall. He said even though God sent Him, many people would be against Him (Luke 2:28-35).

The other person they met was Anna. Anna was an elderly woman who devoted her life to worship and prayer. The Bible calls her a prophetess. She was a very old Jewish widow.

She never left the temple. She worshipped night and day, praying and going without eating. Anna came up to Jesus’ family at that very moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free. - Luke 2:37b-38

Application: Simeon and Anna both knew who Jesus was. They knew He was the Messiah that God had sent to set His people free, and they openly proclaimed His Lordship.

Simeon and Anna spent their lives listening to God and watching to see where He was at work. They abided with the Lord; they remained with Him. They were certain that God would keep His promises, and they waited joyfully. Their eyes were always watching for God’s hand. All believers should learn from their example. We should watch and pray, then we will always recognize when God is at work.

The Wise Men Find Herod (Matthew 2:1-9)

Say: Some time later, some men came looking for Jesus. We are not sure exactly how old Jesus was at this point, but we believe He was between 6 months old to one and a half years old. He was no longer a newborn in a manger, but He lived with Joseph and Mary in a house.

After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the Child who has been born to be King of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw His star. Now we have come to worship Him.” - Matthew 2:1b-2

The Wise Men were also called Magi. This term was used for men who were advisors to kings in some countries. At times they were asked to interpret the kings’ dreams (Genesis 4:8). Many times, Magi were men who tried to gain wisdom by studying the stars (Daniel 5:7). Somehow, when a very special star appeared in the sky, they knew they should follow it. We will talk more about the star in a few minutes.

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We don’t know exactly which country the Wise Men came from, but we know they came from east of Jerusalem. (Teacher: Refer to map to show countries east of Israel.) Say: Some people believe they came from the Orient, but it is more likely that they came from Arabia (Isaiah 60:6).

Note to Teacher: In Isaiah 60:6, the prophet says, “Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.” The peoples mentioned are the descendants of Abraham by his wife Keturah, whom he married after Sarah died. Midian was the progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians. Sheba also refers to the nation of Arabia, a land rich in frankincense, spices, gold and gems (Thayer’s Lexicon).

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Depending on where they came from, their trip may have taken months, or even up to a year! Ask: Who can tell me how many wise men there were? (Many kids may say that there were 3.) Say: Even though most movies and plays show 3 Wise Men, we really have no way of knowing how many there were. There may have been 3, or there may have been dozens. Either way, when the men arrived in Jerusalem, they caused quite a stir. They began asking where they could find the child who was the new King of the Jews.

The Jews already had an earthly king at that time. His name was Herod. He was not a good man. In fact, he was famous for being a terribly cruel man, who did not trust anyone. When King Herod heard that these men were asking about a new king, he became very upset.

Note to Teacher: Herod Augustus or Herod the Great (73BC - 4BC) was appointed by Rome as the king of Judea. Because Herod was pro-Roman, and was not even a true Jew, most Jews resented his appointment. In 20BC, Herod began to rebuild the Temple to appease his subjects. Jewish historian, Josephus, tells that Herod murdered his wife, her brother and father, along with his own friends, and hundreds of military leaders. He even killed three of his own sons, accusing them of treason. Herod was known as paranoid and treacherous king who committed atrocities against the Jews.

When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born. - Matthew 2:3-4

Herod did not want a new king to come along! He wanted to remain the king. So he went to the Jewish religious leaders who knew God’s promises about the Messiah.

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Herod asked them where the Messiah would be born. The leaders told Herod what was written in God’s word. One of God’s prophets had said that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2). Then Herod did something very sneaky:

Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go! Make a careful search for the Child. As soon as you find Him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship Him too.” - Matthew 2:3-8

Herod pretended that he was happy about the Messiah’s birth. He asked the Wise Men exactly when the star appeared. This helped Herod to know exactly how old the Child was at that time. Then, Herod told them to go to Bethlehem to look for the Child. He told them to return and tell him where the child was, so he could worship Him too. Ask: Do you think Herod planned on going to worship the new King? No! Say: We will find out that he was planning something terrible!

Application: In this part of our story, we see several groups of people, each hearing that the long-awaited Messiah had been born. Let’s look at each group’s response to the news:

The wise men left their homes and their families. They set out on a very long and possibly dangerous journey, hoping that they would have the opportunity to bow down and worship Him.

Just the opposite, Herod became angry at the thought of giving up any of his power. Herod knew this was no ordinary child. There was something about this boy that struck fear in his heart. So, he deceived the Magi, and he began to work out an evil plan.

There is one other group of people that the Bible mentions. It is the people living in Jerusalem. These were the sons and daughters of Abraham. They were the very people to whom God had made His great promises. They were supposed to be watching and waiting for the Messiah to come. However, Matthew 2:3 says, “Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled.”

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The Jewish people in Jerusalem were troubled to hear that the Messiah had come! But why? One of God’s promises about the Messiah was this: When He arrived, it would be a wonderful day for people who were humble and who respected the Lord, but it would be a terrible day for those who were proud and who did not respect the Lord (Malachi 4). Jesus came to offer forgiveness of sins for all who admit they are sinners and need a Savior. But many in Jerusalem did not want to admit they were sinners and they would not accept God’s gift of forgiveness. They liked things the way they were. They wanted to run their own lives, and not bow down to worship the Messiah.

The Wise Men Find Jesus (Matthew 2:10-12)

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Say: After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. - Matthew 2:9-10

Say: The Magi followed the unusual star to the place where Jesus was. (Teacher: If possible, dim the lights where you teach in the room. Turn on the flashlight. Stand as far from the students as you can. Shine the light on one student, and ask the kids who the light is shining on. The farther away you are, the harder it will be to tell who you have chosen. After the kids guess, or say they can’t tell, move the light closer to the chosen student. Ask if they can guess. Keep moving closer until the light is right above the student.) Say: More than likely, these men were experts in studying the stars. This must have been a very unusual star in order for the men to want to follow it. And it must have been positioned close enough to earth so that they could follow it for many, many miles, right to the home of to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

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The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the Child with His mother Mary. They bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave Him gold, incense, and myrrh.

But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road. - Matthew 2:11-12

Say: God is faithful to send His people warnings when danger is near. God did NOT want Herod to find out where Jesus was, so He instructed the Wise Men not to go back to Herod. The Magi LISTENED to God, and they went home a different way.

Note to Teacher: It is very fitting that God used a star, a great light, to guide men to Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the Light of the world. Whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness (John 8:12). Matthew 5:14 says that those who believe in Jesus are also light in the dark world. When we tell others about Jesus, we shine like stars in a dark night sky (Philippians 2:15-16).

Escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23)

Say: Not only did God warn the Magi, but He also sent His angel to warn Joseph to leave Bethlehem and go to Egypt. Joseph also LISTENED to God.

When the Wise Men had left, Joseph had a dream. In the dream, an angel of the Lord appeared to him. “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the Child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you to come back. Herod is going to search for the Child. He wants to kill Him.”

Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the Child and His mother Mary. They stayed there until King Herod died. - Matthew 2:13-15a

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Say: Joseph did not waste a minute. He obeyed God IMMEDIATELY. It’s a good thing Joseph was listening to God because once Herod realized that the Magi had not come back, he was furious. Do you know how crazy with anger he became? He ordered ALL the baby boys living in Bethlehem, age 2 and younger, to be killed! This was his way of making sure that Jesus, the King of the Jews, would be dead. Ask: Did Herod’s plan work? No. Say: God protected Jesus. Sending Jesus to earth was God’s perfect plan to save people from their sins. The Bible says no one can keep God’s plans from happening (Isaiah 14:27, Psalm 33:11). Notice the amazing way God provided for Jesus and His parents. Ask: What did the Wise Men bring to Jesus? Gold, incense, and myrrh. Say: The Wise Men brought expensive gifts which Joseph could use to pay for their traveling expenses. God always provides what we need in order to obey Him! Later, when Herod died, and it was safe to return, God called Joseph to bring Jesus back to Israel. Joseph and Mary raised Jesus in the town of Nazareth.

Note to Teacher: Bethlehem was a small town. Some estimate the number of boys killed to be between 20 and 60. This horrible act was not out of character for Herod.

Application: Each person in the Christmas story had to decide what to do about the Messiah who had come. Mary and Joseph loved Him and risked everything to protect Him. The Shepherds ran to meet Him. Simeon and Anna proclaimed Him. The Wise Men left everything to worship Him. The Jews in Jerusalem were troubled by Him, and Herod plotted to kill Him. Everyone who has ever lived has had to make a decision about Jesus. Will you despise Him, will you ignore Him, or will you believe in Him and make Him the Lord of your life?

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Key Verse: “But what about you?” (Jesus) asked. “Who do you say I am?” - Matthew 16:15

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Main Point: Each person must decide for himself who he believes Jesus is.

Note to Teacher: Several Biblical prophecies, specifically concerning the location of the birth of Jesus, are displayed in today’s lesson.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. - Micah 5:2

Joseph got up. During the night, he left for Egypt with the Child and His mother Mary. They stayed there until King Herod died. So the words the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true. He had said, “I chose to bring my Son out of Egypt.”(Hosea 11:1) - Matthew 2:13-15

And he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” - Matthew 2:23

Three cities were prophesied, and all three were correct. Who but our sovereign Lord could have orchestrated such a fulfillment?

© 2007 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide

Related Topics: Children, Christmas

2. Jesus is Born (Luke 2)

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Lesson

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Main Point: Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world.

Key Verse: She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

Props: Three headdresses for shepherds, and shepherd staffs

Background/Review

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Say: Last week, we talked about two young Jewish people, Mary and Joseph. The Jews, including Mary and Joseph, were all part of the family line of Abraham. It was to Abraham that God promised many blessings. One blessing was that all nations would be blessed through him. Today, we will see that promise fulfilled.

God sent an angel to both Mary and Joseph to tell them some incredible news. Ask: Who can remember what God’s message was? Mary was going to have a baby. Say: Remember, Mary and Joseph were not married yet. The baby she was going to have would be a miracle from God. The most important thing about this baby was that He was the Messiah that God had promised thousands of years before. He was coming to point people to God (John 1:18), and to save people from the punishment of their sin (John 1:29). Mary and Joseph both trusted God and believed His message. Even though this story is familiar to most of us, let’s ask God to help us hear with fresh ears today.

Birth of the Messiah (Luke 2:1-7)

Say: At that time, the Jews lived under the rule of the Roman government, led by Emperor Caesar Augustus. While Mary was pregnant, the Roman government made a law that everyone must go to their hometown to be counted. Counting all the people is called a census. Joseph took Mary to his family’s hometown of Bethlehem.

So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line of David. - Luke 2:1-4

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Say: Remember that back in Bible times, they didn’t have cars. The trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem was about 90 miles. That’s not too far to drive in a car, but that is a very long way to walk - especially if you’re pregnant! Mary probably rode on a donkey. That would have been very uncomfortable (Luke 2:5).

Imagine if our president declared that everyone in our country had to go back to the town in which he or she was born to be counted for a census. People would have to leave their homes, pack up their cars, and travel to wherever they grew up. Ask: When the people got to these towns, where would they stay? In hotels, motels, or inns Say: With almost everyone needing a place to stay, those hotels would soon run out of room. That is exactly what happened in Bethlehem. Many people had already arrived there, and all the inns were full.

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Probably the best place Joseph could find for he and Mary to stay was in a stable with the other travelers’ animals.

Note to Teacher: We are not specifically told that Mary and Joseph took refuge in a stable, though it is logical because we are told that Jesus was placed in a manger.

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While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the Child to be born. She gave birth to her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped Him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed Him in a manger. There was no room for them in the inn. - Luke 2:6-7

Application: Notice how amazing God is! He is in control of everything. He can even use ungodly people to bring about His plan. The Roman Emperor called for a census. This was most likely so that he could make sure every citizen was paying his taxes. Yet, this census caused Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. This fulfilled God’s prophesy given 400 years before that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:4-6):

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. - Micah 5:2a

There are no surprises for God. Take comfort in the fact that He is in charge. He can direct the hearts of kings (Proverbs 21:1) and no one can stop His perfect plans (Psalm 33:11).

The Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)

Say: The miraculous birth of the Son of God had occurred. Only Mary and Joseph knew the King of kings had arrived. No trumpets sounded; there was no royal announcement. But there was about to be.

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There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. - Luke 2:8

A group of shepherds was taking care of their sheep on the hillside just outside of Bethlehem. This was hundreds of years before electricity was used for lighting, so there was no glow rising from the nearby town. The dark of night was really dark. The only light that shone that night was the soft moonlight. Suddenly, a bright light pierced the darkness, and the shepherds saw a messenger from God. This was unlike anything they had ever seen, and they were gripped with fear.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” - Luke 2:9

Suddenly a large group of angels appeared, singing praises to the Lord. The shepherds must have been amazed at the sight of the heavenly host! Then the angels returned to heaven.

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The shepherds didn’t waste a minute. They rushed to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had told them about. Their only clues were that the baby was a boy, and that He would be lying in a manger. This was a great clue - surely Jesus was the only baby tucked into a manger that night! And at least the shepherds knew where to find a manger. We must wonder how many places they looked before they found Him. Did animals all over Bethlehem being to whinny and bray as the shepherds poked their heads into every stall in every stable until they came to the right one? Did Jesus’ newborn cry give Him away? Did the shepherd’s excited search cause a stir throughout the quiet town?

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So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger. After the shepherds had seen Him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said about this Child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. - Luke 2:16-18

The Bible tells us the shepherds went out and told everyone what the angels had said, and what they had seen with their own eyes. Ask: Does anyone know what we call a person who tells people what they have seen and heard? A witness. Say: The shepherds were not afraid to be witnesses of this incredible event. The news that the Messiah had finally come was way too great to keep to themselves!

I need a few volunteers. (If students start to raise their hands, tell the students to wait until they hear the assignment before they volunteer.) I need some volunteers, who were listening really well, to be shepherds. Think about how you would have explained to someone what you saw that night. (Choose two or three volunteers to be shepherds. Give them the headpieces to put on, and staffs to hold. Then choose a couple students to be townspeople of Bethlehem, who will hear the good news.)

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Say: Start with, “We were out in the field, minding our own business when all of a sudden...” (Like a movie director), say: “And... action!” (Allow the “shepherds” to talk about what they saw. Encourage the “shepherds” to speak enthusiastically. After a few minutes, thank your volunteers.)

After going around telling the good news, the shepherds returned to Jesus. They praised God for what He had done (Luke 2:20). They must have been amazed that God chose them to be a part of this incredible night. The angels did not announce Jesus’ birth to Emperor Augusta, or King Herod, or even the Jewish religious leaders, as we might expect. The angels appeared to shepherds in a field. Being a shepherd was a lowly job. It was passed down to the youngest, least important son of a family. So, why would God chose to tell the good news to them?

Perhaps it was because they were looking for the Messiah to come. Maybe they were men of faith who had very little except their belief that God would send them a Savior. Perhaps it was because the rich and the famous of the day would not take the time to acknowledge the miracle that had happened. Maybe those who were “important” would not bow down to praise anyone else - not even God’s own Son.

Or perhaps it was because the shepherds would understand Jesus’ role better than anyone else would. Day after day, the shepherds cared tenderly for their sheep. Many of the young lambs they raised would be taken to the Temple, just a few miles from Bethlehem, to be killed as an offering to cover the sins of the Jewish people (Leviticus 17:11). They knew that God required a first-born, spotless, male lamb for an acceptable sacrifice. The Bible calls Jesus, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) One day He would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice that would take away the sin of all those who believe in Him (Acts 10:43).

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Application: As Christmas approaches, and we sing songs about shepherds and angels, let’s remember that on that special night, God was announcing the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. Through this Baby, placed in Abraham’s family line, ALL people would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). That includes everyone in this room. We are ALL given the opportunity to believe in Jesus, to put our trust in Him and be saved from the punishment of our sin.

Then, just as the shepherds ran out to tell everyone about the miraculous birth of Jesus, we are also called to be witnesses for Jesus. Those of us who have received forgiveness for our sin are told to go and tell others. If we truly understand what Jesus has done for us, we won’t be able to keep the good news to ourselves either. God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of all believers to give us the power to tell others about Jesus (Acts 1:8, 5:32). Jesus said,” You will be My witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.” (Acts 1:8b) This Christmas season, pray for the opportunity to tell someone the good news about the Messiah, who was born to a young Jewish girl in Bethlehem.

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Key Verse: She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21

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Main Point: Jesus was born to be the Savior of the world.

Related Topics: Children, Christmas

3. Mary and Joseph (Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-24)

Related Media

Lesson

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Main Point: God graciously invites people who believe in Him to be a part of His plan.

Key Verse: The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7b NIV

Props: Mary costume or headdress, Mary and Joseph Nativity figurines

Background/Review

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Last week we talked about an older Jewish couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest who was serving in the temple when an angel, one of God’s messengers, appeared to tell him some wonderful news. Ask: Can anyone remember the angel’s good news? The angel said that Zechariah’s wife was going to have a baby. Say: That baby would be named John. He would be blessed by God and would announce that the Messiah, the Savior of the world, was coming. At first, Zechariah wasn’t so sure this would happen. Ask: What happened to Zechariah because he doubted God’s message? He couldn’t talk the entire time Elizabeth was pregnant. Say: But as soon as John was born, Zechariah wrote down the name John. This showed he finally believed all that the angel had told him. Suddenly he could talk! First he praised God, and then he spoke blessings over his son.

God Sends an Angel to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

Say: Part of our story this week overlaps what we learned last week, so we need to back up a few months. Three months before John was born, the same angel who had appeared to Zechariah came to earth with the best news ever told.

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Gabriel appeared to a young Jewish woman named Mary. Mary was Elizabeth’s cousin. She lived in the town of Nazareth, about a three-day trip from where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. She was not married, but was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. Way, way back in Joseph’s family line was the Jewish King David. But Joseph wasn’t royal; he was a simple carpenter. It was the custom of that time for girls to become engaged when they were young teenagers. Mary was probably somewhere around 14 or 15 years old.

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The angel greeted her and said, “The Lord has given you special favor. He is with you.”

Mary was very upset because of his words. She wondered what kind of greeting this could be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary. God is very pleased with you.” - Luke 1:28-30

Say: Can you imagine a mighty angel suddenly appearing in your bedroom one evening? No doubt, you would be terrified. What if he came to tell you that God was pleased with you? Mary was no one special. She wasn’t royalty; she wasn’t rich or famous. Why was God pleased with her? Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God.” There was nothing Mary had done to please God (Isaiah 64:6). Mary’s belief in God was pleasing to Him. Then the angel said:

You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make Him a king like his father David of long ago. He will rule forever over His people, who came from Jacob’s family. His kingdom will never end.” - Luke 1:31-33

Mary asked how she could possibly have a baby when she was not yet married.

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy One that is born will be called the Son of God. Your relative Elizabeth is old. And even she is going to have a child. People thought she could not have children. But she has been pregnant for six months now. Nothing is impossible with God.”

“I serve the Lord,” Mary answered. “May it happen to me just as you said it would.” Then the angel left her. - Luke 1:35-38

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Say: Just imagine, Mary was the first person to hear the name of JESUS! The name Jesus means, “Jehovah is salvation,” or ,”The one true God saves.” This was the name by which all people could be saved from the punishment of their sin (Acts 4:12). This was the name of the Messiah that people had awaited for thousands of years! This is the name by which our prayers are heard and accepted by God (John 16:23). What a privilege for Mary to hear the angel speak the name of Jesus.

Application: Mary believed God (Luke 1:45). Unlike Zechariah, Mary did not doubt God’s power to make this incredible thing happen. Mary was completely willing to be used by God to accomplish His plan. This would not be easy for this young Jewish girl. How could she explain to people that she had a baby without being married? People might think she was crazy, or a liar. Still, Mary trusted that God would take care of her and she followed Him completely. We must each come to a place where we trust God and are willing to follow Him completely, even when our circumstances look difficult.

Mary Visits Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56)

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After hearing the angel’s news, Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Mary must have felt that no one in the world could understand what she had been told better than Elizabeth. Both women were given miraculous pregnancies from the Lord. Elizabeth was too old, and Mary was too young and not yet married. Mary hurried to the town where Elizabeth lived. (Luke 1:39-40)

The Bible says that as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the baby inside her jumped for joy! God’s Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth and she spoke. With a loud voice, Elizabeth called out, “God has blessed you more than other women. And blessed is the child you will have!” (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth called Mary, “The mother of my Lord.”

Then Mary sang this song of praise to God:

(Prearrange for a teenage girl to dress as Mary and read Mary’s song with great expression.)

Mary said,
“My soul gives glory to the Lord.
My spirit delights in God my Savior.
He has taken note of me
even though I am not important.
From now on all people will call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me.
His name is holy.
He shows His mercy to those who have respect for Him,
from parent to child down through the years.
He has done mighty things with His arm.
He has scattered those who are proud in their deepest thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones.
But He has lifted up people who are not important.
He has filled those who are hungry with good things.
But He has sent those who are rich away empty.
He has helped the people of Israel, who serve Him.
He has always remembered to be kind
to Abraham and his children down through the years.
He has done it just as He said to our people of long ago.” - Luke 1:46-56

Just try to picture Zechariah. All he could do was watch and listen to these two women. Remember, he couldn’t say a word! Perhaps this visit from Mary helped him to believe that everything Gabriel had foretold was actually happening. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months before she returned home. (Luke 1:56)

Application: God chose Elizabeth and Mary to be a part of His amazing plan. They were not perfect people, or even important people. They were just people who had faith in Him. God still involves people who believe in Him in His plans. Notice how kind God was to give these women each other to understand and encourage one another. God often gives us a friend to help us and encourage us as we follow Him. It is right to encourage those who are doing God’s work (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Ask: How can you encourage a friend who is doing what God wants him to do? Pray for him, speak kind words, and help him do his work.

JOSEPH (Matthew 1:18-24)

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Say: We said that Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph. When two people are engaged, that means they promise to marry each other. Nowadays, if two people who are engaged decide not to get married, they would simply say they did not want to get married, and their engagement would be called off. However, when two people were engaged in Mary and Joseph’s time, they were bound by a contract. Although they lived separately until the wedding, they could not break their engagement easily. They would actually have to get a divorce to break their engagement. Because Mary and Joseph were already bound by law, the news that God was going to make Mary the mother of Jesus would be extremely important to Joseph!

God was now going to send an angel to Joseph. Joseph needed to know that Mary was truly carrying the Son of God, and he needed to know what part he would play in God’s amazing plan. While Joseph was sleeping, an angel spoke to him. The angel told Joseph to take Mary as his wife.

The angel said, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary home as your wife. The baby inside her is from the Holy Spirit. She is going to have a son. You must give Him the name Jesus. That is because He will save His people from their sins.”

All of this took place to bring about what the Lord had said would happen. He had said through the prophet, “The virgin is going to have a baby. She will give birth to a Son. And He will be called Immanuel.” The name Immanuel means “God with us.” - Matthew 1:20b-23

Say: This must have been amazing news to Joseph. To help Joseph understand, the angel reminded Joseph about one of the promises that the Lord had made a long time ago about the coming Messiah. The angel quoted from the book of Isaiah. (Teacher: Hold up your Bible, open to the book of Isaiah.) The prophet Isaiah had said that a virgin would have a baby and He would be called “God with us.” A virgin means a girl or lady who has never been married, or been with a man the way a wife is with her husband. Joseph believed that Mary was the chosen girl that the prophet Isaiah had spoken about so long ago. Joseph woke up from his dream and he obeyed the Lord. He was not afraid to take Mary to be his wife.

Application: Joseph was not a wealthy or famous man. He was a carpenter; he built things out of wood for his job. But the Bible calls him righteous (Matthew 1:19). This means he believed in the Lord (Genesis 15:6). Like Mary, Joseph was chosen by God. He was chosen to be the adopted father of the baby Jesus. Even though Joseph’s DNA would not be passed down to this special child, Joseph would have a very important role in Jesus’ life. He would rock Him as a baby, train Him as a child, and show Him how to work with His hands (Matthew 13:55). One of his most important tasks would be to protect the young Jesus when He was in danger (Matthew 2:13).

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When we think of Mary and Joseph, and put their figurines in a miniature stable under our Christmas tree (Hold up Mary & Joseph figurines), we may think that they were chosen because they were such “good” people. Through the decades, master painters have painted these two people with elaborate clothing and glowing halos. But that is not how the Bible describes them. They were young, regular people who simply trusted God. And because they trusted God, God chose them to care for His Son - the Savior of the world. The Bible is full of examples of God using regular people to be involved in His plan (Judges 6:15, 1 Samuel 17:33-50, Amos 7:14-15)

God still uses regular people to be involved in His plan! The Lord is not looking for people who have great skills to do great things. In fact, He is looking for those who have nothing on their own and who simply put all their trust in Him (2 Corinthians 12:9). God pours out His grace on simple people who believe in Him (1 Peter 5:5). He empowers those He has chosen with the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). As with Elizabeth and Mary, He uses those who are young and those who are old. Trust in the Lord, and follow Him completely when He invites you to join in His plan to draw all people to Himself (Psalm 67:2, Revelation 14:6-7).

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. - 1 Samuel 16:7b NIV

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: God graciously invites people who believe in Him to be a part of His plan.

Related Topics: Children, Christmas

4. Thankful in All Things (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Lesson

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Main Point: We should be thankful in all our circumstances.

Key Verse: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

Props: A dollar; eye glasses (Optional: small bag of popcorn for each student)

Giving Thanks

(Teacher: Arrange ahead of time for an adult to interrupt you as you begin welcoming the students. Have the adult say to you, “Hey. I hate to interrupt, but I left my wallet at home and I really wanted a cup of coffee this morning. Can you give me a dollar?” Search your pockets and pull out a dollar. Hold it up and the adult will grab it–without saying thank you–and walk away. Stare at him as he walks away.)

Ask Students: I’m happy to give a dollar to my friend, but did anyone notice anything when he took my money? He did not say thank you. Say: I wonder why he didn’t say thank you. It’s sort of like he thinks he deserved that dollar. But, that was my dollar. I gave it to him to be nice. He didn’t deserve it. Or maybe he just doesn’t want to admit he needed my help. Either way, not saying thank you is really a sign of pride.

Say: Well, let’s move on to our lesson. One of the most important questions that a believer can ask is, “What is God’s will for my life?” Where do you think we can find the answer to this important question? Listen for answers. Say: Whenever we have a question, the best place to find the answer is in God’s written word, the Bible. Let’s take a look at our Key Verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In fact, let’s all read it together off of our screen.

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Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

This verse says that it’s God’s will for everyone who believes in Jesus to be thankful. There are some things that happen in our lives that we are truly thankful for. We are thankful for birthdays, weddings, love, and family. But some things that happen are really difficult. We might have an illness, the death of a loved one, divorce, or some other sad event. How can God expect us to be grateful for those things? Let’s look really closely at our verse. Some might think that this verse says to be thankful FOR all of our circumstances. But the verse actually says to be thankful IN all circumstances. The original Hebrew word for IN that is used here means “in the middle of” or “during.”

In other words, no matter what is happening in your life, you can be thankful. The Bible gives us a long list of things we should be thankful for. These are the things that never change, no matter what is happening in your life. We are to be thankful:

That God is good (1 Chronicles 16:34)
That His love lasts forever (Psalm 106:1)
For God’s amazing grace (1 Corinthians 1:11)
For the wonderful things God does (Psalm 107:8)
Because God answers prayers (Psalm 118:21)
For His perfect laws (Psalm 119:62)
Because God gives us wisdom and reveals His truth to us (Daniel 2:22-23)
For other believers (Philippians 1:3)

And most of all, we should be thankful because God gave His Son, Jesus, to save us from the punishment of our sin, and give us new life! (1 Corinthians 15:57) God has saved all who believe in Jesus; He has taken our sin and given us His righteousness.

Application: Remember when Mr. _____ took my dollar without saying thank you? We saw that when someone doesn’t take the time to say thanks, they are really saying that they don’t need anyone’s help, or that they deserve what they have received. Make no mistake: no one deserves the wonderful blessings, grace, and salvation that God gives you! You should always take the time to thank God for these things, no matter what is happening in your life.

The Bible says that being thankful brings honor to God (Psalm 50:23). God actually commands us to be thankful. Back in the Old Testament, there were certain sacrifices that people were instructed to make as thank offerings to the Lord. When we thank God, we acknowledge that He deserves the credit. He has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. When others see you thank God, you point them to Him.

Giving thanks also helps us, because it makes us focus our attention back to the One we are thanking! (Teacher: Hold up eyeglasses and put them on.) Giving thanks is like putting on spiritual eyeglasses that help you focus on God. It will remind you that God is in control of everything. He never changes and He only allows what is good for you. You can have FAITH in God’s goodness, and not FEAR the things around you. No matter what is happening in your life, give thanks to God in the middle of your circumstances.

Pilgrims’ Example

Say: Today, we’re going to look at a story in history that isn’t in the Bible. It happened a long time after the Bible was written. It’s the story of the first settlers in America. Although it isn’t in the Bible, it is a great example of the thankfulness that the Bible teaches us about.

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Say: In 1620, a group of 102 passengers set sail for the New World. These people were citizens of England who called themselves Separatists. The Separatists wanted to live in a land where they would be free to worship God the way they believed God wanted them to. In those days, there was only one kind of church in England. Everybody went to the same kind of church. And that church was not doing a very good job of teaching the Bible and connecting people to God. So the Separatists “separated” themselves from the Church of England, and they risked everything to go to America. We call these brave men and women “Pilgrims.” (Optional for younger students: Say: Every time you hear that the Pilgrims thanked God, raise both your hands in the air. Teacher, demonstrate raising both hands in a praise posture.)

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The Pilgrims spent three wet, drippy, cold months at sea. Ask: Who knows the name of the ship they sailed on? The Mayflower. Say: They arrived in America on December 21. According to William Bradford, one of the pilgrims, as soon as the Pilgrims landed safely, “They fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean.” (Bradford’s Journal)

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Even though the journey had been very difficult, and they were facing an even more difficult future, the Pilgrims thanked God for bringing them this far. (Raise hands in the air.)

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It was the dead of winter in the ice-cold northeast. The first thing the people did was to build a building where they could worship God together. The families had to live on the wet, drafty Mayflower while the men tried to build houses. Their lives were very, very difficult. There were no stores where they could buy wood, tools, or food. And in the middle of winter, they could not grow food in the frozen ground. The Pilgrims were constantly hungry and cold. Soon, sickness came, but there were no hospitals where they could go to get well. The Pilgrims began to die. By the end of winter, nearly half of the Pilgrims had died.

Optional Questions for Older Students: Can you imagine, if you and your family had been part of the Pilgrims? What if you left everything you knew to go to an untamed foreign land so you could worship God, and within the first few months, half of your family died? Do you think you could still be thankful to the Lord?

Say: Even in their worst times, the Pilgrims thanked the Lord every day. (Raise hands in the air.) The Pilgrims were not thankful because so many people died. They were thankful even though so many people died. They were thankful IN their circumstances. Even in their grief, they found things to be thankful for.

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The Pilgrims prayed continually for God’s help and guidance. One day in March, during a church service, God sent a big answer to their prayers. In walked an Indian chief named Samoset. He saw the Pilgrims’ serious needs and came back with an Indian helper name Squanto. Before this time, the Pilgrims had been terribly afraid of the Indians.

Squanto spoke English! He had been captured before by earlier explorers and taken to Spain to be sold as a slave. He escaped to England where he learned to speak perfect English. A kind Englishman had paid for his voyage to return to his homeland, and now he was here to help the Pilgrims. Notice how God had been at work in the life of Squanto! God worked all things together to answer the prayers of the Pilgrims at this critical time in the new settlement of America! The Pilgrims thanked God for Squanto’s help. (Raise hands in the air.) In the words of the Pilgrim’s leader, Governor William Bradford, “Squanto became a special instrument sent of God for [our] good.”

Teacher Note: We can draw a comparison between Squanto’s life and that of Joseph’s in Genesis 37-45. Joseph was captured and taken to a foreign land, where he was taught a foreign language and was prepared by God to feed His people.

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Squanto taught the Pilgrims to hunt deer and other animals. He taught them how to trap beavers. He taught them how to grow a great crop of corn. The trick was to bury a fish in the ground so the soil would have the proper nutrients to grow the best crops. He also helped them to trade with other Indian tribes.

The following fall, their harvest was plentiful. Governor William Bradford declared a day of giving thanks to God, which would be held in October. (Raise hands in the air.) He invited a friendly Indian neighbor to join them at the feast.

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When this Indian arrived, he brought 90 additional Indians with him! The Pilgrims didn’t know how they would feed that many guests, but the Indians had brought 5 deer and a dozen wild turkeys to eat. The Pilgrims prepared vegetables such as carrots, beets, cucumbers, and turnips. The Indians taught the Pilgrims how to make cornmeal pudding and how to toast kernels of corn until it POPPED! Ask: Has anyone here ever eaten popcorn with your Thanksgiving feast? (Optional: Hand out small bags of popcorn.)

But the hardship didn’t end there. The next winter was incredibly harsh and difficult. In November, another ship, called The Fortune, arrived. On board were 35 more settlers. These people arrived with no food, no warm clothes, and no other supplies. The Pilgrims would have to share what little they had. At one point, each person was only allowed to eat 5 kernels of corn per day! Can you imagine having less than one spoonful of corn per day?

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The following summer, there was a 12-week drought. Ask: How many months is 12 weeks? Say: The crops were dying, and Pilgrims desperately needed God’s help. The Pilgrims fell to their knees and prayed for 8 hours.

Ask: Do you think God heard their prayers? Yes! Say: God always hears our prayers (Psalm 6:9). And God’s answer was incredible. It started to rain, and it didn’t stop for 14 days! The harvest was saved. To celebrate, the Pilgrims had a second day of giving thanks to the Lord. (Raise hands in the air.) Again, the Indians were invited to the feast. This time, 120 Indians came to celebrate with their Pilgrim friends. Again, they prepared deer and turkey, fruits and vegetables.

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“Only this time one dish was different. The first course, served on an empty plate in front of each person, consisted of 5 kernels of corn, a gentle reminder of God’s faithful provision for them.” (Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory)

This helped the Pilgrims remember that it was only by God’s grace that they had the bountiful harvest. No amount of hard work or skill could have produced a good crop without rain. Only God could bring the rain that they needed!

Application: We can learn so much from the Pilgrim’s example. The Pilgrims faced so many difficult situations. They faced hunger, sickness, freezing weather, and even death. However, they remembered the most important thing: God was in control. By thanking God for His grace and blessings during their hard times, they honored God and kept their focus on Him. They offered thanks to God every day, and He gave them the grace they needed to survive and thrive, and build a new country.

No matter what things are happening in your life, give all your thanks to the Lord. His grace is abundant, His love for you lasts forever, and He gives new life to everyone who trusts in His Son.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: We should be thankful in all our circumstances.

Note to Teacher: “Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; and, as one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.” - Governor William Bradford

More fascinating reading of the first 30 years of Plymouth Colony can be found in the journal of William Bradford, known as “Of Plymouth Plantation.” For more information:

http://www.pilgrimhall.org/bradjour.htm

© 2008 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide

5. Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25, 57-80)

Lesson

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Main Point: God is full of mercy. He wants people to believe His message of love and forgiveness.

Key Verse: Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. - Luke 1:78-79

Props: a white piece of paper with SIN written in red marker, placed inside of a clear plastic sleeve; one red dry erase marker, one permanent red marker, small cloth or eraser; robe, incense and match; a piece of parchment paper with “His name is John” written on it

Background/Review

Say: We have talked about many pieces of God’s plan to save people from their sins. Today we will start to see how God put all the pieces together.

First of all, we saw that in the beginning, God created everything and it was very good. There was no pain, no suffering, and no death on the earth. But, sadly it did not stay that way. Satan, the prideful fallen angel, tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God. Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan instead of God, and they sinned.

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Their sin separated them from God because God is holy (Isaiah 59:2). Romans 6:23 tells us that the result of sin is death. Ask: What is the opposite of death? Life. Say: Listen to what the Bible says about life.

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The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin. - Leviticus 17:11

Say: God is a loving God. He does not want people to be separated from Him. God gave His people a way to cover their sins.

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God required His people to kill an animal as a sacrifice in order to pay for their sins. We saw in the story of Cain and Abel that Abel’s animal sacrifice was acceptable to God. Sometimes the father of the family would make a sacrifice for his family, and once a year the high priest would make a sacrifice for the whole nation of Israelites. (Call up a boy volunteer.) Say: Ok, let’s say you are the dad of a family. You and your family have sinned, so you must take a flawless, first-born, male lamb and kill it to cover the sins of you and your family. This seems so icky, and you would certainly dread having to do it, but you are just thankful that God has given you a way for the sins of you and your family to be covered. (Hold up your plastic sleeve with the word “SIN” showing through. Give the volunteer a red DRY ERASE marker. Instruct him to “cover” the sin with the marker.) Say: How awesome. God has allowed your sins to be covered. What a relief! You feel cleansed and renewed as you leave the temple. You think to yourself, “I’ll do better from now on. I don’t ever want to watch another innocent lamb die on my behalf.” But the next day, guess what? You get angry at your neighbor, and that anger is sin. (Take your cloth and wipe off the dry erase marker.) Say: What do you have to do now? Make another sacrifice. (Have him scribble it out again.) Say: That’s good - for a short time - but then you sin again. (Wipe it off again. Repeat this cycle several times.)

Ask: Does anyone see a problem with this system? Blood is icky, many animals died. Say: The main problem with this system was that it was a temporary solution. Temporary means it did not last. Now, don’t think that because there was a problem with this system that God made a mistake. God NEVER makes mistakes! This system had a purpose. By watching an innocent animal die, the people could see how serious their sin was to the Lord. And by having to sacrifice over and over, they were reminded that they needed a solution that was not temporary (Hebrews 10:3). They needed a PERMANENT solution.

Of course, God already knew all of these things. He had planned a permanent solution to save people from their sin before He even created the first people (2 Timothy 1:9). God would send the permanent solution at just the right time (Romans 5:6). When the permanent solution came, the sins of everyone who accepted the solution would be taken care of forever. It would be like this: (Take your permanent maker and scribble out the word SIN. Make sure the word is COMPLETELY covered. Hand your cloth to the volunteer and ask him to wipe it off.) Say: Their sin would be blotted out forever (Acts 3:19). (Thank your volunteer.)

While God was waiting for just the right time, He made promises about the permanent solution. God made it clear that the permanent solution would be a man (Genesis 3:15), and that He would come from the family of Abraham (Galatians 3:8) who were the Israelites or Jews. The Bible calls this man the Messiah, or chosen One (John 1:41). The Bible makes it very clear that this man, the Messiah, would take away the sins of the world (Isaiah 53:5-6). And God promised that He would send a messenger to announce that the Messiah had come (Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3).

God’s people heard His promises and waited anxiously for the permanent solution, the Messiah, to come.

Note to Teacher: Be careful not to say that the animal sacrifices took away or wiped away sins. Use the term “covered their sins.” For further study on the limitations of animal sacrifices, and the final perfect sacrifice God provided by sending the Messiah, Jesus Christ, please read Hebrews 10:1-23.

The Temple (1 Kings 6 - 8, 2 Kings 25:9, John 2:20)

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God had instructed His people to build a temple in which they could pray and make their animal sacrifices to Him. The Lord was very specific about how to build this temple, and He was very specific about who could enter. In the middle of the temple was a small room called the “Holy of Holies.” This was a sacred place. Here, in this special place, God came to be near His people. Only the Jewish high priest could enter this place, and only one time each year. He came to offer a sacrifice to cover the sins of the Israelite people. Before he could enter, he had to wash himself, put on special clothing, carry animal blood for the covering of sins, and burn incense so smoke would shield his eyes from a direct view of God (Hebrews 9:7, Leviticus 16:13). The Israelites did this over and over for hundreds of years as they waited, and prayed for the Messiah to come.

John the Baptist is Promised (Luke 1:11-25)

Say: For 400 years, there had been no new word from the Lord. People were living in spiritual starvation. But God ALWAYS has a remnant of people who love Him and trust Him. There was a Jewish couple named Zechariah and Elizabeth who were very old. They both loved God and worshipped God. They were upright in His sight. There was one thing that they did not have that they longed for and prayed for: a child.

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Zechariah was a priest in the temple. At this particular time, he was chosen to go into the temple of the Lord to burn incense. This was a very important job for the priest to do. Israelite history tells us that a priest would only have this honor once in his lifetime. (Teacher: Show the robe and put it on.) Say: Zechariah went behind a very thick curtain and was alone with God. (Teacher: Burn some incense.)

Say: Just as the smell of incense fills a room, so our prayers rise up to God. Our prayers and praise “smell good” to God (Psalm 141:2). Zechariah was praising God and praying to God inside the temple behind the thick curtain. While he was inside, there were many worshippers outside of the temple praying.

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While Zechariah was burning incense before the Lord, an angel appeared to him. Whenever angels appear to people in the Bible, people become very afraid (Genesis 19:1, Luke 1:29). The angel had some wonderful news to tell Zechariah! The angel from God told Zechariah that his prayers had been answered, and he would have a son. The angel said:

He will be a joy and delight to you. His birth will make many people very glad. He will be important in the Lord’s eyes. - Luke 1:14-15

There were several “He wills” that God gave: “He must never use wine or other such drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he is born. He will bring many of Israel’s people back to the Lord their God. And he will prepare the way for the Lord. He will have the same spirit and power that Elijah had. He will teach parents how to love their children. He will also teach people who don’t obey to be wise and do what is right. In this way, he will prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.” - Luke 1:15b-17

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And God even gave this baby a name: JOHN (Luke 1:13).

John means, “The Lord is gracious.” God is full of grace and longs to save those who trust and believe in Him. WOW! Just think, all those years Zachariah and Elizabeth had prayed for a child, and now, God was not only going to give them a child, but a son who would be GREAT in the sight of the Lord. And even better than that, the long-awaited Messiah was finally coming! And Zechariah’s special son would be the one to announce His arrival!

But even though Zechariah heard the angel, Zechariah did not believe what the angel said (Luke 1:20). He doubted that God could do such a wonderful thing because he and his wife, Elizabeth, were very old. Because of Zechariah’s unbelief, God caused him to not be able to speak.

Remember, all the people were praying outside of the temple. They were beginning to wonder what was taking Zechariah so long in the temple. Finally, he came out. Imagine their surprise when he came out and wasn’t able to speak! He had to make hand motions to show them that an angel of the Lord appeared to him (Luke 1:22). It must have been very strange for the people to see that Zechariah could not speak. The Bible says that Zechariah went home.

God ALWAYS keeps His promises: Elizabeth became pregnant! Zechariah could not speak the entire time Elizabeth was pregnant. For nine months, Zechariah could not talk!

Application: Zechariah had prayed his entire adult life for two things. He prayed for a child, and he prayed for God to send the Messiah. In one moment, God announced that both of Zechariah’s prayers were answered. Yet, when Zechariah heard this, he doubted that God could or would do these things. Sometimes when we pray for something for a long time, we forget that God is able to do anything, and that He wants what is good for His children. When we pray according to God’s word, we can pray with an expectant heart. We must remember that God is all-powerful, and He ALWAYS keeps His promises!

John’s Birth (Luke 1:57-80)

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Say: The time finally came for their baby to be born. All of Elizabeth’s friends and family rejoiced that Elizabeth and Zechariah finally had a son. All the people there wanted to name him “Zechariah,” after his father. But Elizabeth said his name should be John. The people turned to see what Zechariah thought. He motioned for some paper to write on. (Teacher: Show the parchment paper that says “His name is John.”)

By obeying God and naming his son John, Zechariah proved that he finally believed what the angel had told him. Now he believed that God could do all that He promised to do. After he obeyed, God allowed him to speak. The Bible says, “Right away Zechariah could speak again. His first words gave praise to God.” (Luke 1:64)

Their friends and neighbors were all talking about this special boy. They could tell that the Lord was with him and they wondered what would become of him. Talk of John spread throughout the whole region (Luke 1:65-66).

After Zechariah praised God, listen to what he said:

And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace. - Luke 1:76-79 NLT

Application: God had an amazing plan for John. He was chosen to lead people to the Messiah. He was born to tell people the good news that their sins can be forgiven if they will trust in God’s permanent solution.

God also has a very special plan for YOUR LIFE. First, God wants you to put your trust in the Messiah. In the upcoming weeks, we will learn more about the Messiah and how He did what the animal sacrifices could not do - take away sin forever (Hebrews 10:1, 10). Then, God’s plan for you is for you to do just what John did - to lead others to the Messiah so their sins can be wiped away. Just like John, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can spread the good news of God’s permanent solution (Acts 1:8).

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Main Point: God is full of mercy. He wants people to believe His message of love and forgiveness.

Related Topics: Children, Christmas

1. Jesus Begins His Ministry (John 1:1-34)

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Lesson¹

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Main Point: Jesus emptied Himself to come and be our Savior.

Key Verse: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. - Philippians 2:6-7 NLT

Props: Styrofoam ball “sun” and “moon”, faux tree, seashell, several sponges cut in the shape of people (One unmarked sponge slightly wet; the other sponges dry, with a black mark hidden inside - make a slice long-ways in the sponge and color on it with black marker); a clear pitcher of water

Background/Review

Say: We just celebrated Christmas. We know the story of Jesus’ birth, with Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. We put a little manger scene in our house so we will remember the way Jesus chose to come into the world. (Lead kids to sing the first verse of “Away in a Manger.”) It is a wonderful story and it is really great to celebrate it every year.

Over the next few months, we are going to study the life of Jesus, and what happened when He grew up. I’ll be honest. I have a few questions about Jesus. Maybe you do too. Like, how is it possible that He is God and man? Did He know everything when He was little? Did His parents really have to teach Him how to walk and talk, or did He just pretend not to know anything so He wouldn’t hurt their feelings when they tried to teach Him things? Did He really get hungry? How can God get tired? I have always had a lot of questions about Jesus. Well, the book of John gives us some answers.

There are four books in the Bible that tell the life story of Jesus. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We call these four books the Gospels, which means Good News.

John knew Jesus very well. He was one of Jesus’ disciples. He wanted the whole world to know the truth about Jesus. He tells us about the life of Jesus, but it is very different from the other three gospels. Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell us what happened once Jesus was born in that manger. But John backs up; John backs way, way up. John starts with, “In the beginning...” Where have we heard those words before? The creation story in Genesis starts with those same words. John starts his story of Jesus way back at the creation of the world. Was Jesus around back then? Yes, He was.

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At the beginning of chapter 1, John calls Jesus by another name. John calls Jesus, “the Word” (John 1:14). The Greek word for this is “logos.” Logos means the essence, the truth, the very core of who God is. Just to make it easier to follow, I’ll say “Jesus” every time John says, “the Word.”

In the beginning, [Jesus] was already there. [Jesus] was with God, and [Jesus] was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through Him. Nothing that has been made was made without Him. - John 1:1-3

The Bible says that God is Spirit (John 4:24). There’s no way for me to show you a Spirit, so let’s say that this water represents God’s Spirit and Jesus’ Spirit. Show pitcher of water. In real life, they are not contained at all! Wet fingers and fling some water out. But they were always together. They always existed, and they were together.

Jesus already existed before the creation of the world. Because He is God, He has no start and no end. He simply always was. He is the Creator of the universe. When He spoke, His words created the light, the sun, and the moon. Hold up your sun and moon. His word created the oceans (hold up seashell), the mighty oak trees (hold up tree), and, best of all, people, like you and me. Hold up dry sponges, keeping wet one hidden.

Jesus created all these things, and they were very good. Everything God made was wonderful. But soon, the people had a BIG problem. Every person chose to sin. They chose to do things their own way. They were marked with sin. Pry open the people and show the black marks inside. No matter what they tried, the people couldn’t do anything to get rid of their sin. It’s a huge problem, because that sin separated them from God. So God promised that one day He would send someone who would take away their sin. He would make them clean again! So the people waited for the Savior. They waited for generation after generation after generation. Then, listen to John 1:14:

The Word [Jesus] became a human being. He made His home with us. We have seen His glory. It is the glory of the one and only Son. He came from the Father. And He was full of grace and truth. - John 1:14

Jesus, who is God, became a human being. The Word became flesh (NIV). He was a Spirit, but He took on skin and bones. There is not a perfect illustration about how this happened! It is unlike anything else that we have ever seen. It is a complete miracle, an amazing work of a perfect God.

At just the right time, Jesus became human. Hold up the pitcher of water, and replace it with the slightly wet sponge. I don’t know how He did it, but Jesus became flesh and blood, just like you and me. Pinch your arm to show flesh. Can you all feel your skin and bones?

Listen to this interesting verse. Philippians 2:6-7 says: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. (NLT)

When Jesus came as a baby human, He chose to empty Himself. Somehow, He chose to give up His godly power. Wring out sponge water into pitcher. But even so, He NEVER sinned. He grew up in Nazareth. There were lots of other people in Nazareth: little boys, girls, moms and dads. Hold up the people-sponges next to sponge representing Jesus. Compare all the sponges. They should look very similar on the outside. Jesus looked like a regular Jewish boy. The Bible says that there was nothing special about the way He looked (Isaiah 53:2). He was not more handsome; He didn’t have a halo around His head! But there was one very big difference. Jesus did not have sin. Of course, we can’t see sin on the outside of a person, but every other person had sin on the inside.

When Jesus was a boy, growing up in Nazareth, none of His neighbors knew that the Savior of the world was living right beside them!

John In The Wilderness

Several years later, God sent a special messenger to tell everyone that the Savior was about to step forward! Who knows who that messenger was? John (not the writer of this book, but Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son. Do you remember that miraculous story from right before Christmas?)

I would have loved to have met John! John is not someone who cared what other people thought of him. Most people do care what other people think. We fix our hair just so, or wear the clothes that we think our friends will like. We don’t want people to think we are weird or different from them. But not John! He didn’t care about fitting in. He just did what he knew was right. He did whatever God told him to do!

When John was about 30 years old, he started talking about the Savior. He started preaching it - loudly. He went all the way out to the wilderness, on the other side of the Jordan River. If anyone wanted to hear him preach, they had to go way out of town to hear him. Lots of people did. Here’s what Mark has to say about John:

And so John came. He baptized people in the desert. [That’s why we call him John the Baptist.] He also preached that people should be baptized and turn away from their sins. Then God would forgive them. All the people from the countryside of Judea went out to him. All the people from Jerusalem went too. When they admitted they had sinned, John baptized them in the Jordan River. John wore clothes made out of camel's hair. He had a leather belt around his waist. And he ate locusts and wild honey. [There weren’t any grocery stores out there!]

Here is what John was preaching. "After me, One will come who is more powerful than I am. I'm not good enough to bend down and untie His sandals. I baptize you with water. But He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." - Mark 1:4-8

Say: More and more people came out to hear John. The leaders even sent people to find out who John was. They wondered if he was the Savior. But John was sure to tell them he was not!

(One) day John saw Jesus coming toward him. John said, "Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'A Man who comes after me is more important than I am. That's because He existed before I was born.' [Remember, Jesus always existed.] I did not know Him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this Person is. That's the reason I came baptizing with water." - John 1:29-31

Say: John had been telling people that the Savior was coming. When Jesus arrived, John announced that Jesus was the One! Finally, the people knew His name! JESUS. John knew that Jesus was the One because God told him (John 1:33). Isn’t it wonderful that John was always listening to God?

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Jesus wanted John to baptize Him (Matthew 3:13). Jesus wanted to show everyone who was watching that John’s message was true. John did not feel worthy to baptize Jesus, but he obeyed Jesus’ request. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. And when they came out of the water, the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down like a dove and rested on Jesus (Luke 3:21-22).

A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, and I love Him. I am very pleased with Him." - Matthew 3:17

Pick up the pitcher and pour water into the sponge that represents Jesus. God poured His Spirit out on Jesus (Luke 4:1). So now, we have an amazing thing. Jesus was flesh and blood, but He was filled with the Holy Spirit of God. In the coming weeks, we’ll see the amazing miracles that Jesus did because He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit.

These are difficult things to understand. Even the smartest grown ups don’t fully grasp how any of this happened. Some things are simply done by God, and we just believe that it’s true. That is called having faith. We can’t see it with our eyes, but we know it is true in our heart.

Jesus always existed. He spoke and created everything that exists - including people. The people chose to sin, and they were separated from Him. When the time was perfect, Jesus chose to become a human being. He left heaven. He gave up all of His rights and privileges. Somehow, He emptied Himself of His power. He grew up like all the other kids in his town, except He never sinned. And when the time was right, He came out to be baptized by John the Baptist. At that moment, God filled Jesus with His Holy Spirit, and Jesus’ ministry began. In the coming weeks, we will read about the amazing things Jesus did: He healed the sick, made blind people see, made demons flee, and even raised people from the dead! He did all of these things to show people that God has a wonderful, joy-filled, perfect kingdom that they could be a part of by believing in Him.

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Key Verse: Though (Jesus) was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, He gave up His divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. - Philippians 2:6-7 NLT

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Main Point: Jesus emptied Himself to come and be our Savior.

¹ © 2010 BibleLessons4Kidz.com All rights reserved worldwide. May be reproduced for personal, nonprofit, and non-commercial uses only. Unless otherwise noted the Scriptures taken from: Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version, (NIrV®) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by International Bible Society / Used by permission of IBS-STL. All rights reserved worldwide.

Related Topics: Christology, Children, Children's Curriculum

2. Jesus Turns Water into Wine (John 2)

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Lesson¹

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Main Point: Jesus performed miracles to show people that He was God.

Key Verse: That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11

Props: Small tub of water, small bowl of dirt, towel; One glass pitcher full of water, one ceramic jar or pitcher with red powdered drink mix secretly at the bottom, ladle, plastic cup

Background/Review

Say: Jesus had stepped into time to come to the earth. Though He was almighty God, He willingly allowed His infinite power to be limited for a time. Jesus came into the world as a human baby. The boy Jesus grew up. He obeyed His earthy parents (Luke 2:51) and He abided in His heavenly Father. This week we begin to study Jesus’ life as a grown man.

Ask: Who can remember the name of Jesus’ cousin? (Hint: He was Elizabeth and Zechariah’s son.) John. Say: John was a very special person. He was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus. When John was a grown man, he lived out in the wilderness and preached that the Messiah was about to come. Many people believed what John said, and followed him. Others did not like what John said (Matthew 14:3-4).

One day, when Jesus was 30 years old, John saw Jesus walking toward him. Listen to what John said about Jesus:

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

Several of John’s followers believed that Jesus was the Messiah, so they started to follow Jesus (John 1:37). They were called Jesus’ disciples.

The First Sign (John 2:1-11)

Say: Three days later, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother, Mary, was there. Jesus and His handful of disciples were also invited. The Bible lists five disciples at this time (John 1:35-49). It seems that Mary may have been helping with the wedding feast. Perhaps she was friends with the young couple’ parents, or maybe they were even related. Weddings were a fun and joyous occasion back then, just as they are now. In Bible times, weddings were a huge celebration that could last up to a week (Judges 14:12). Guests would eat and drink and celebrate the new life that the couple was beginning together. Can you imagine providing food and drinks for all those guests for several days? (Teacher: For young children, you may want to say: Just like a birthday party usually has cake, a wedding in Jesus' time usually had a special drink called wine.) For some reason, at this wedding feast, the couple ran out of wine. Maybe the couple did not plan very well. Or maybe the couple could not afford to buy enough wine to last throughout the celebration. Running out of wine would be very embarrassing for the couple. Also, with nothing left to drink, guests would have left early, cutting the celebration short.

When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine." - John 2:3

Mary brought the problem to Jesus. She was one of the few people who knew exactly who Jesus was. She knew that He was the Creator of the universe (John 1:3). Even though Jesus had not yet performed any miracles (John 2:11), Mary knew that creating some wine would be no problem for Him. Mary did not specifically ask Jesus to do a miracle. She just mentioned the need for more wine. As always, Jesus had a very interesting reply.

"Dear woman, why do you bring Me into this?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." - John 2:4

Jesus had grown up in Mary’s care. He loved her and obeyed her. Yet, at this time He made it clear to her that He must follow God’s plan above all other things. He said, “My time has not yet come.” This meant that the time was not quite right for it to be made known to all people that He was actually God in a human body (John 1:14). Soon the time would be right, but not on that day at that wedding feast.

We know that Jesus could read the thoughts of men and woman (Luke 5:22). It seems that Jesus was reading Mary’s thoughts. It may be that Mary wanted Jesus to perform a great miracle that everyone could see, even though she was careful not to say so. Even after Jesus answered her, Mary still hoped He would do something to help the wedding couple. She spoke to the servants and said, “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5 NLT)

There were six stone water jars nearby. Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons of water. These water jars were used for special washing. The Jews were never supposed to eat without first washing themselves (Mark 7:3), and they washed again after they ate.

Teacher: Show your small tub of water. As you describe the trip to the ceremony, rub some dirt on your hands. Say: The guests would have come to the wedding along a dusty road. If they rode on donkeys, they would have had to stop along the way to care for their animals. When they arrived at the wedding feast, they would dip their dirty hands into the water to wash off the sweat and grime of the day. Dip your hands into the water to wash them. Dry your hands on the towel.

Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the top. - John 2:7

Say: Think of how heavy one full gallon of milk is. When you add the weight of the water to the weight of the stone jar, each full jar might weigh over 300 pounds. More than likely, the servants used smaller jars to go to the nearest well and bring back water to fill the large jars.

Then He told them, "Now dip some out. Take it to the person in charge of the dinner." - John 2:8

Filling the water jugs so guests could wash themselves was a normal part of a servant’s job. However, dipping out some of the wash water to serve as a drink to someone was VERY unusual! This would be like offering a cup of bath water to a guest in your home! Jesus told the servants to give a cup of this water to the table master. He was in charge of the dinner. The table master’s job included deciding what food to serve at a feast, and tasting the food and wine before it was served (Strong’s Concordance). Can you imagine being the servant who had to hand a cup of washing water to the man in charge?

Amazingly, between the time the servants poured ordinary well water into the large jars, and the time the servants scooped out a cupful for the table master, it turned into wine! Teacher: Show the kids your ceramic pitcher or jar (with powdered drink mix secretly at the bottom). Tilt the jar to make the point that it is empty. You may even stick your hand in the jar to prove it is empty. Next, take your pitcher of water and pour it into the ceramic jar. Then dip in a ladle and fill a plastic cup, so the kids can see your colored water or “wine.

The person in charge tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He didn't realize where it had come from. But the servants who had brought the water knew. Then the person in charge called the groom to one side. He said to him, "Everyone brings out the best wine first. They bring out the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best until now." - John 2:9-10

Jesus not only cleaned what was once dirty, but He made it into something wonderful! Jesus transformed the dirty water into the BEST wine! The table master was very impressed with how good the wine was - and tasting wine was part of his job. Normally, if a wedding couple could not afford great wine throughout their feast, they would start with the best wine they could afford. As the guests ate and drank, and became full, the servants would serve less expensive wine. But, after tasting the wine that Jesus made, the table master pulled the groom aside. He told the groom that he could tell that he had saved the best wine for last. Ask: If there were six jars of this fine wine, and each jar could hold 25 gallons, how many gallons would there be? 150 gallons! Say: Jesus blesses in abundance! Without Jesus stepping in, the groom would have run out of wine, and would have been embarrassed and ashamed. After Jesus took matters into His hands, the groom was known as the most generous party host in town.

Application: It is deep within Jesus’ nature to turn bad things into good. Just as He turned dirty hand-washing water into the best tasting wine, He can turn anyone’s life into a beautiful thing! Sometimes when we look at ourselves or other people, we see the “dirt” and problems. When Jesus touches a person’s life, they become clean and they receive a new life (Matthew 8:3). Jesus can turn anyone’s life into something wonderful when they trust and obey Him.

Note to Teacher:² In this first miracle of our Lord, Jesus takes something not so great and turns it into something very wonderful. He takes that which is the cause of drudgery and makes it the source of great delight. The Old Testament Law required various kinds of washings. All of these were to demonstrate to the Israelites how deeply sinful and unclean they were, and thus how unfit to enter into God’s presence. These washings were drudgery, yet the Israelites were to do them in obedience to God’s law. By the time legalistic Judaism added even more washings, Judaism was a laborious religion. Jesus took this ceremonial cleansing water and made it into wine. Jesus took that which was a pain and made it into a pleasure. Jesus took that which Jews would have found unfit to drink, and He made of it the best wine that has ever passed the lips of man.

What a picture this is of the superiority of the New Covenant to the Old, of grace to law. Because He came and perfectly fulfilled the law, meeting all of its requirements, our Lord was uniquely qualified to die for sinners on the cross of Calvary. The salvation He procured through His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary makes it possible for men to leave the drudgery behind and to enter into the joy of His salvation.

Our Lord is able to take that which is less than desirable (for drinking, at least) and make it into a vintage wine, the finest man has ever tasted. He is able to take fallible men like Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, and Nathaniel and make them into apostles. He is able to take the “weak and foolish things of this world”—people like us—and transform us so that people marvel at God’s grace and power. What a wonderful Savior!

Jesus did help the couple with their wine shortage, as Mary wished He would. But He did not perform this miracle in full site of all the guests. Because He knew it was not yet God’s perfect timing for everyone to find out who He was, He did this miracle quietly. The only people who knew what had happened were the servants, Mary, and the few disciples who were with Him.

Note to Teacher: Consider the God of perfect solutions. The wedding predicament was that the bride and groom needed a miracle, but the time was not right for Jesus to be made known. So, Jesus performed a private miracle. Only Mary (who already knew who He was), the servants (who were certain not to talk to the wedding guests), and the disciples (who had already begun to follow Him) saw what He did.

The ultimate predicament was that of mankind. We were separated from God because of our sin. God did not want us to be separated from Him, but there was nothing we could do to reconcile ourselves to Him. So, God sent His perfect Son, the only One who could fulfill God’s own requirement.

The last verse in this passage of Scripture is:

That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11

This was the first miracle Jesus performed. The Greek words for “Jesus showed His glory” could also be said this way: “Jesus made His hidden majesty and kingly perfection to become known.” (Strong’s Concordance G5319, G1391) When the handful of disciples who had begun to follow Jesus saw His glory, they put their faith in Him. This was a turning point for the disciples. In fact, it was the most important moment of each of their lives! Suddenly, these men saw who Jesus really was. At that moment, they knew He was more than a great Teacher. They knew He was the Messiah, and they placed their trust in Him.

Application: The book of John describes many of the miracles that Jesus performed. At the end of the book, the writer tells us exactly why these amazing events were recorded.

PPT CUE: Verse

These (miracles) are written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. If you believe this, you will have life because you belong to Him. - John 20:31

The disciples saw what Jesus did and they put their faith in Him. Teacher: Hold up your Bible. John wrote down these miracles for US - so that you and I would have the same opportunity to place our faith in Jesus. Over the past several weeks, we have learned about how our sin separates us from God, and leads to death (Romans 6:23). And we have learned that there is nothing we can do to make things right with God (Ephesians 2:9). But God doesn’t want to be separated from us. God provided a way for sins to be covered. In the Old Testament, God required His people to offer an animal sacrifice because the life in the blood of the animal covered the death of their sin (Leviticus 17:11). We also learned that long ago, God promised that He would send a better way - a permanent solution to our sin problem (Isaiah 53:5, Galatians 3:8).

For the next ten weeks, we will learn all about the life of Jesus - the fulfillment of God’s promise. Listen, and learn, and pray for God to show you truth. Just as the disciples faced a turning point in their lives, each of us must come to the same point. Each of us may see things that God does, or hear about His wonders, but we too must come to a turning point in our own lives where we choose to put our faith in Him. The Bible says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. If you place your trust in Him, your sin will be taken away, and you will have new life (Romans 10:9).

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: That was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs. He did it at Cana in Galilee. Jesus showed His glory by doing it. And His disciples put their faith in Him. - John 2:11

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus performed miracles to show people that He was God.

Related Topics: Christology, Miracles, Children, Children's Curriculum

3. Nicodemus Meets Jesus (John 3)

Related Media

Lesson¹

Main Point: We must each be born again.

Key Verse: You should not be surprised when I say, “You must all be born again.” - John 3:7

Props: A captain’s hat, or life jacket

Background/Review

PPT CUE

Ask: Who can tell me what the word Emmanuel means? Say: Emmanuel means “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) This was the perfect name for Jesus, because He always was and always will be God, yet He put on a human body so He could come to be with us. People could see Him, touch Him, talk to Him, and listen to Him. We looked at Jesus as a child, and last week we saw Him when He was grown up. He performed His first miracle when he turned six huge jars of water into wine. Jesus did this miracle quietly because it was not yet God’s perfect time for everyone to find out who Jesus was. But soon after this quiet miracle, Jesus started to do miracles where everyone could see them. Jesus taught in the synagogues, and news about Him traveled throughout the entire area (Luke 4:14-15). The Bible says, “Many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing. And they believed in His name.” (John 2:23b) Some people believed in Him and some did not, but one thing is for sure - people were definitely taking notice of Him.

A Visitor In The Night (John 3:1-20)

Ask: Who brought their Bible with them today? Say: I LOVE seeing you with your Bibles. Now, I am about to say something I hardly ever say. For the next few minutes, do not open your Bibles! Okay, all Bibles closed. Ask: Who can recite John 3:16, without looking it up? Teacher: Call on a student to stand and say the verse. Thank your volunteer. Say: John 3:16 is probably the most famous verse in the Bible. People put it on billboards, and they hold it up at ball games. It is a great verse about God’s love for us and how we can be made right with Him if we put our trust in Jesus. Now I have another question. Ask: Again, without looking, who can tell me what Bible story John 3:16 is from? Say: It is from the story of Nicodemus.

Nicodemus Meets Jesus

PPT CUE

Nicodemus was a Jewish religious leader. He belonged to a group called the Pharisees. These men were experts in God’s law. They felt very strongly that the Jewish people should follow the law, and not become like the non-Jewish people around them. This would seem to be good, but they had become proud in their hearts. They were proud that they were God’s chosen people, they were proud that they knew so much about God’s law. They became so proud of their rule-following that they added lots of rules to God’s word. The Pharisees mistakenly believed that God was pleased with them because of all their rules (Matthew 5:20). They judged people by how well they followed all the rules, and they did not have love or mercy in their hearts (Matthew 23:4, 23).

Because the Pharisees were experts in God’s word, they knew that God had promised to send the Messiah. But sadly, they did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They expected the Messiah to come in a royal robe, not in swaddling clothes. They thought the Messiah would come and tell them that God already accepted them. And, they enjoyed the power they had as leaders. They did not want to bow down to a carpenter’s son. Let’s see what the Bible says about the Pharisee named Nicodemus. Open your Bibles to John 3:1, and read along. If you have a “red letter edition,” then the words that Jesus spoke will be in red ink.

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with You. If He weren't, You couldn't do the miraculous signs You are doing." - John 3:1-2

Ask: When did Nicodemus come to see Jesus? At night. Who can guess why he came at night? Perhaps so that no one would see him. Say: Nicodemus was well-known, and he belonged to the group of men who spoke out against Jesus. Nicodemus did not want the other Pharisees to find out that he went to see Jesus. This may seem cowardly, but Nicodemus was risking his reputation by going to see Jesus, an untrained teacher from Galilee. It took a great deal of courage for Nicodemus to go at all!

Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus, and he wanted to find out more. Nicodemus probably thought a long time about what to say to Jesus. He started by calling Jesus “Rabbi,” which is the Jewish word for Teacher. Then he admitted that Jesus must have come from God.

The Bible tells us that Jesus can read the hearts of men (Matthew 9:4, 12:25). Jesus knew why Nicodemus had come, and He spoke to his deepest need.

Jesus replied, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can see God's kingdom without being born again." - John 3:3

PPT CUE

Nicodemus’ deepest need was to enter the kingdom of God. Jesus told him he must be “born again.” The original words used for “born again” can be stated “born from above” (Strong’s concordance). Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant by this.

"How can I be born when I am old?" Nicodemus asked. "I can't go back inside my mother! I can't be born a second time!"

Jesus answered, "What I'm about to tell you is true. No one can enter God's kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised when I say, 'You must all be born again.' - John 3:4-7

Jesus made it clear that He was talking not about a physical birth, like a baby being born. He was talking about a spiritual rebirth. This is getting a new life from God.

One of God’s prophets, Ezekiel, had once talked about water and spirit. Nicodemus would have known this. Through Ezekiel, God spoke to His people when they had sinned against Him. God said that one day He would wash away the filth of their sin with water. Then God said He would put His Spirit inside of them to guide their hearts to do what is right. Water was a symbol for the forgiveness of sin (John 13:8-11), and the Spirit would give them a new abundant life (John 6:63, Romans 8:11). Jesus also made it clear that this new birth could not come from Nicodemus’ efforts, but it could only come from God (John 3:6).

Note to Teacher: “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. - Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT

Say: His entire life, Nicodemus had been trained to believe that he could earn God’s approval by following a list of rules. It was very difficult for him to understand that this new life was given by God. Again he asked Jesus, “How can this be?” (John 3:9)

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus. "Don't you understand these things? - John 3:10

Additional teaching for older students: Jesus assured Nicodemus that He had full authority to speak about the kingdom of God, because He had come from heaven (John 3:11-13). He called Himself the “Son of Man,” which was a name for the Messiah that the Jews had been waiting for (John 3:13, Daniel 7:13).

In John 3:14, Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the time when the Jewish people were attacked by poisonous snakes in the desert as a punishment for their complaining against God (Numbers 21:4-9). In His mercy, God provided a way for His people to be saved from the deadly snake bites. God told Moses to make a bronze statue of a snake and hold it up high. Everyone who looked at the snake would NOT die. All they had to do was trust God enough to look, and they would be saved. There was no other way to be saved. Jesus told Nicodemus that in the same way, He would soon be lifted up. Believing in Him would be the only way for people to be saved from the punishment of their sin.

Then Jesus explained it in the most crystal clear way:

PPT CUE: Verse

God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son. Anyone who believes in Him will not die but will have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through Him. Anyone who believes in Him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. - John 3:16-18

Everyone is guilty of sinning against God. The Bible says that the punishment for our sin is to be separated from God and punished forever. This applies to EVERYONE (Romans 5:12). But Jesus had great news for Nicodemus, and for all people. Jesus told Nicodemus that EVERYONE who believes in Him will be SAVED from the punishment they deserve, and they will no longer be separated from God.

Here is another way to look at it. Teacher: Call on about 8 volunteers. Have them come to the front and stand as a group. Say: Let’s say this group of people is shipwrecked on a desert island. There is no water to drink and no food to eat. Ask: What would happen to these people with no food and no water? They would die. Don’t miss this point: They are all going to die unless they are rescued. But, there is great news! One day a rescue boat comes to the island. Call on another volunteer to “drive” a rescue boat to the group, wearing the captain’s hat or life jacket. The boat is big enough for all the people on the island. Ask: Now, in order to be saved by the boat, what does each person need to do? They need to believe the boat will take them to safety, and they MUST get on the boat. There is only ONE way to be rescued. Each person is free to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat. Instruct all but two volunteers to “get on the boat,” and have them take a few steps away from the “island.” Point to the remaining students on the island, and Say: These people decided not to get on the boat. Everyone (point to all the students who started out on the island) who was stranded on the island was destined to die. Then a rescue boat came. Those who chose to get on the boat were saved. And those who did not get on the boat will die. Thank your volunteers.

Optional presentation, without volunteers: Picture a group of people who are shipwrecked, and stranded on a desert island. There is no water to drink and no food to eat. Ask: What would happen to the people with no food and no water? They would die. Don’t miss this point: They are all going to die unless they are rescued. But, there is great news! One day a rescue boat comes to the island. The boat is big enough for all the stranded people. Ask: In order to be saved by the boat, what does each person need to do? They need to believe the boat will take them to safety, and they MUST get on the boat. Say: There is only ONE way to be rescued. Each person is free to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat. Some people may decide not to get on the boat. Everyone on the island was destined to die. But a rescue boat came. Those who chose to get on the boat will be saved. And those who did not get on the boat will die.

Jesus was explaining to Nicodemus the best news ever told. Nicodemus could be free from all of the rules that he followed. He could be given new life by the Creator of the universe, if only he would place his trust in God’s Son who was standing right in front of him.

Jesus ended His conversation with Nicodemus with one more illustration. He said:

Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. Everyone who does evil things hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. He does this so that it will be easy to see that what he has done is with God's help. - John 3:19-21

Did you ever get a scab on your knee, and your mom told you not to touch it, or it would get infected? What if I had a scab on my leg, and even though I knew better, I picked at it and it became infected? Once I know that the infection is there, I have two choices. I can either go to the doctor to have it cleaned out, or I can wear long pants to cover it up and pretend it isn’t there. After all, it is really gross to look at, and I don’t want to admit what I did. Ask: What’s the problem with covering it up? The infection would spread and would make you really, really sick. Say: If I cover up my problem, I still have the problem and it will get much worse.

Our sin is very much like that infection. Jesus said He is the Light of the world (John 8:12). When He enters our lives, He shines light on our sin. When we see our sin problem, we either choose to go to Jesus to take our sin away, or we cover it up by turning away from Jesus.

Application: Like Nicodemus, many people believe that Jesus was a great teacher, and a good man. But we must believe more than that. We must first believe that Jesus is Emmanuel - God with us. Jesus fulfills every promise God ever made in His word about the Messiah that He would send.

Then, just like each person on the island had to choose whether or not to get on the rescue boat, each person MUST decide whether or not to believe in Jesus. Our natural state is that we are guilty of sin and will receive punishment. God sent Jesus as our rescue plan. If you put your trust in Him, you will be saved! Your sin will be forgiven and you will receive His Spirit inside of you. When you receive this new life, you are born again.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: You should not be surprised when I say, “You must all be born again.” - John 3:7

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: We must each be born again.

Note to Teacher: (On criticizing Nicodemus for coming to Jesus under cover of night)

It is, at any rate, altogether rash to speak of the manner of his first approach to Christ as most commentators have done. We can scarcely realize the difficulties which he had to overcome. It must have been a mighty power of conviction, to break down prejudice so far as to lead this old Sanhedrist to acknowledge a Galilean, untrained in the Schools, as a Teacher come from God, and to repair to Him for direction on, perhaps, the most delicate and important point in Jewish theology. But, even so, we cannot wonder that he should have wished to shroud his first visit in the utmost possible secrecy. It was a most compromising step for a Sanhedrist to take. With that first bold purgation of the Temple a deadly feud between Jesus and the Jewish authorities had begun, of which the sequel could not be doubtful. It was involved in that first encounter in the Temple, and it needed not the experience and wisdom of an aged Sanhedrist to forecast the end. Nevertheless, Nicodemus came.

Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Chapter 6, 1883

Additional Note to Teacher: We are not told of Nicodemus’ reaction to his interview with Christ. Did he believe? Did he receive new life? If he did believe, he did it secretly. In John 7:48-49b, the Pharisees (in the presence of Nicodemus) said, “Has any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him? No!” Evidence that he may have believed secretly comes in the following verses: Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, "Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?" (John 7:50-51) Nicodemus did not defend Jesus, but suggested that Jesus should at least have the opportunity to defend himself.

Further proof that Nicodemus probably came to place his trust in Jesus comes after our Lord’s death on the cross.

Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. - John 19:38-40 NIV

Nicodemus was in the company of Joseph, a secret disciple of Christ. Logically, we can infer that these men would have talked about Jesus and probably held the same view of Him. They may have even met secretly before Jesus’ death to discuss His teachings, or perhaps it was only after Jesus’ death on the cross that Nicodemus fully believed. Nicodemus would have been privy to the mock trial, knowing Jesus was completely innocent. Maybe then Nicodemus saw that Jesus did not come for personal gain, but to give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus had fulfilled Scripture by becoming the sacrifice for mankind. Either way, it would seem that by this time, Nicodemus was willing to forsake his reputation, and even his position as a Pharisee by caring for Jesus’ body. After all, the Pharisees had demanded the death of Jesus on the grounds of blasphemy. In their eyes, a blasphemer would not deserve a proper Jewish burial.

Related Topics: Christology, Children, Children's Curriculum

4. Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-42)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him.

Key Verse: I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews. - Romans 1:16

Props: A beautiful vase, filled with dirty rocks, a clay vase filled with gold or pearls

Background/Review

Say: Jesus left heaven and came to earth to be the Savior of the world. Anyone who believes in Him will be forgiven of their sins, and will enter eternal life. Last week we learned about a Jewish leader who came to meet Jesus in the middle of the night. Ask: Who can tell me his name? Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee. The Pharisees knew God’s laws very well and they even added more rules to them. The Jewish people admired the Pharisees, and the Pharisees were proud of their positions. They mistakenly thought that God would accept them because of all their rule following. As a whole, the Pharisees did not believe in Jesus, but Nicodemus knew there was something special about Jesus. He wanted to find out more about him. The Bible does not tell us if Nicodemus put his faith in Jesus at that time. If he did, he kept it a secret from the other Pharisees (John 7:48-49).

Traveling North (John 2:4-11)

PPT CUE

Because the Pharisees wanted to cause trouble for Jesus, He and His disciples left the Jewish town of Judea (John 4:1-2). They headed toward the town of Galilee (John 4:3). The quickest route between these two towns was through another town, called Samaria. Teacher: Point to this on the map. However, the Jews hated the Samaritans. The Samaritan people were half-Jewish. That means one parent was Jewish and the other parent was a foreigner. Because they were half-Jewish, Samaritans believed only part of the Jewish religion. The Jews believed the Samaritans were “unclean” in God’s eyes. Therefore, most Jews would never travel through Samaria. They would travel way out of their way to avoid getting near a Samaritan person.

Note to Teacher: There had been bitter feelings between Jews and Samaritans for centuries. The Samaritans find their origin at the time of the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. According to Assyrian figures, nearly 30,000 Israelites were deported, being replaced by heathen captives from all over the Assyrian empire (cf. 2 Kings 17:3f.). It was not long before the purity of the Israelites was defiled, not only racially, but spiritually.

Ultimately, Samaritan theology differed greatly from that of Orthodox Judaism. The Samaritans accepted only the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) as inspired and authoritative. They rejected the Psalms, the prophets, and other books of the Old Testament. When the Babylonian exiles returned to the Holy Land, the Samaritans made efforts toward merger, but were rebuffed and rejected (and rightly so). As a result, open hostility sprung up from time to time. The Samaritans held that the center of worship was at Mt. Gerizim, while the Jews maintained that it was Jerusalem (cf. John 4:20). The Samaritans actually tampered with the Scriptures to substantiate their theology. Around 400 B.C., a Samaritan Temple was built on Mount Gerizim. Around 128 B.C., this temple was destroyed by the Jews and relations between these two peoples worsened. Such was the background to this conversation between Jesus and the woman. Evidence to the friction between the Jews and the Samaritans is easily found.

Meeting At The Well (John 2:4-11)

Say: Unlike every other Jew, Jesus felt the need to go through Samaria.

Note to Teacher: The Greek word for Jesus’ need to go through Samaria was “dei,” meaning, “the necessity of law and command, of duty, of equity.” The dictionary defines equity as the quality of being fair or impartial. We will soon see that in Samaria, Jesus impartially shares the Gospel with Gentiles for the first time.

He and His disciples came to a town called Sychar. They stopped at a well that had been dug by Abraham’s grandson, Jacob. Jesus was tired, so He sat by the well. His disciples left Him there and went into town to buy food. It was about 6:00 in the evening at this time.

A woman from Samaria came to get some water. Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" - John 4:7

This may seem like a simple question, but it was much more than that! Jesus was a Jew, and as we said, a Jew almost NEVER spoke to a Samaritan. And even more than that, this Samaritan was a woman. Back in Jesus’ day, the Jewish teachers did not allow Jewish men to speak to women in public. By speaking to this Samaritan woman, Jesus proved He was different from any other teacher. He was concerned about people, not about rules made up by men.

The Samaritan woman said to Him, "You are a Jew. I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?" She said this because Jews don't have anything to do with Samaritans.

Jesus answered her, "You do not know what God's gift is. And you do not know Who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would have asked Him. He would have given you living water." - John 4:9-10

This woman stood face to face with Emmanuel, God’s own Son, yet she did not know Who He was. As always, Jesus knew this woman’s deepest need. Very often, Jesus used things that people could see to explain heavenly things that they could not see. He spoke to her of living water. The Bible says that this water is a symbol for God’s Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). But the woman did not understand that He was talking about spiritual things. She thought He meant actual water. Back then, living water meant water that moved, like water from a brook or stream. This water would be much fresher than the well water this woman was used to.

She asked Him where He could get such water. She even mentioned that the well they were at once belong to Abraham’s grandson. She asked Jesus how He could get water better than the water from Jacob’s well. She asked if Jesus was more important than Jacob. And as always, Jesus focused on what was most important.

Jesus answered, "All who drink this water will be thirsty again. But anyone who drinks the water I give him will never be thirsty. In fact, the water I give him will become a spring of water in him. It will flow up into eternal life." - John 4:13-14

The woman said she would like to have this water, but she still did not fully understand. Jesus told her to go get her husband and come back. She said she did not have a husband. Of course, Jesus already knew this, and much more. Jesus knew all about her past, and her present.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands. And the man you have now is not your husband. What you have just said is very true."

"Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our people have worshiped on this mountain for a long time. But you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." - John 4:17b-20

The Jews and Samaritans argued over where the center of worship should be: at the Temple in Jerusalem, or a temple built by the Samaritans on Mt. Gerizim. Jesus spoke to what was most important.

Jesus said, "Believe me, woman. A time is coming when you will not worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we do know. Salvation comes from the Jews.

"But a new time is coming. In fact, it is already here. True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. They are the kind of worshipers the Father is looking for. God is spirit. His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

The woman said, "I know that Messiah is coming." (He is called Christ.) "When He comes, He will explain everything to us."

Then Jesus said, "I, the One speaking to you, am He." - John 4:21-26

Note to Teacher: It is possible that this statement of our Lord in verse 26 is even more bold than simply a declaration of His identity as Messiah. When our Lord said, ‘I who speak to you am He,’ the ‘He’ is not present in the original text, but rather supplied by the translators. Jesus, I believe, made claim to be the ‘I AM’ of the Old Testament, where God instructed Moses to tell the Israelites that “I AM” sent you (Exodus 3:14). If this is the case, Jesus claimed to be Messiah and God at the same moment. - Bob Deffinbaugh

Ask: Who did Jesus say He was? The Messiah, the Christ. Jesus could not have spoken more clearly about who He was. And though He said salvation must come through the Jews, it was not only for the Jews. Now it was for the non-Jews, or “Gentiles,” also.

Right at that time, Jesus’ disciples returned from town. They were very surprised to see Jesus talking to a woman, but they did not ask Him about it.

The woman had come to the well to get water, but she received new life instead. She left her water jar by the well and ran back to town to tell others the Good News.

She said to the people, "Come. See a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Christ?" The people came out of the town and made their way toward Jesus.

His disciples were saying to Him, "Rabbi, eat something!"

But He said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about."

Then His disciples asked each other, "Did someone bring him food?"

Jesus said, "My food is to do what My Father sent me to do. My food is to finish His work.

"You say, 'Four months more, and then it will be harvest time.' But I tell you, open your eyes! Look at the fields! (Teacher, point to power point slide of people coming to Jesus.) They are ripe for harvest right now. Those who gather the crop are already getting paid. They are already harvesting the crop for eternal life. So those who plant and those who gather can now be glad together.

"Here is a true saying. 'One plants and another gathers.' ” - John 4:29-37

His disciples wanted Jesus to eat the food that they had bought in town. Once again, Jesus used something that they could see (food) as a symbol of heavenly things. The food they bought in town would nourish their bodies, but the food of doing God’s work would nourish their souls. As the crowd of people from town made their way up the hillside to see Him, Jesus compared them to a crop that was ready to be harvested. A regular crop takes months to prepare. First, the farmer plants the seeds, then he waters and the sun shines. Each seed grows slowly into a mature plant. Then it is time to harvest, or pick the grain. But this day, Jesus spoke of a spiritual crop. The Samaritan woman had planted seeds of truth into the townspeople. Those who wanted to hear more were coming right to Jesus and the disciples. That very day, many Samaritans believed in Jesus. The spiritual crop was harvested! The disciples weren’t even present when the woman first came to Jesus, but they were privileged to help lead her friends and relative to new life in Christ. The Samaritans invited Jesus to stay with them for a few more days. The Bible says, “Many more became believers.” (John 4:41)

Application: Nicodemus was a Jew, one of God’s chosen people. He was a very educated man, admired by others, and he followed God’s laws. Nicodemus looked good on the outside. Teacher: Show the beautiful vase. Contrast this woman. She was a Samaritan - outcast from God’s chosen people. She had a terrible reputation; other people looked down on her. She had openly broken God’s laws. On the outside, she looked awful. Show the clay pot. Nicodemus had everything going for him, yet when he heard the news about Who Jesus was, and why He came, Nicodemus did not put his trust in Him - at least not right away. And if he did, he was afraid to tell anyone. Show that the beautiful vase is empty. But when the woman at the well heard the news about Jesus, she gladly accepted it. Then she ran to tell everyone about Him. Show the gold or pearls inside the clay pot. They BOTH needed Jesus, but only one boldly accepted Him. By outward appearances, anyone would have thought Nicodemus would have accepted Jesus instead of the woman. Perhaps the woman could see her need for Jesus’ forgiveness much more clearly than Nicodemus could see his.

Jesus came to save people from the punishment of their sin. This salvation was first offered to the Jews, and then God freely offered it to the non-Jews. We can apply this to our lives by remembering that Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him. Pray for the opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone - those who look shiny on the outside, and those who don’t. EVERYONE needs to know Him.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: I am not ashamed of the good news. It is God's power. And it will save everyone who believes. It is meant first for the Jews. It is meant also for those who aren't Jews. - Romans 1:16

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus came to give new life to ALL people who put their trust in Him.

Related Topics: Christology, Children, Children's Curriculum

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14. Jacob Returns Home (Genesis 30:25-35:29)

Lesson

Review

Jacob Returns Home (Genesis 31:1 - 32:21)

Jacob Wrestles With God (Genesis 32:22 - 32:32)

Facing Esau (Genesis 33)

Moving On (Genesis 35)

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1. Herod and the Wise Men (Matthew 2)

The Wise Men Find Herod (Matthew 2:1-9)

The Wise Men Find Jesus (Matthew 2:10-12)

Escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-23)

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From the series: Christmas Series PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

2. Jesus is Born (Luke 2)

Background/Review

Birth of the Messiah (Luke 2:1-7)

The Shepherds (Luke 2:8-20)

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From the series: Christmas Series PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

3. Mary and Joseph (Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-24)

Background/Review

God Sends an Angel to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

Mary Visits Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-56)

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From the series: Christmas Series PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

4. Thankful in All Things (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Giving Thanks

Pilgrims’ Example

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From the series: Christmas Series PREVIOUS PAGE

5. Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25, 57-80)

Background/Review

PPT CUE

The Temple (1 Kings 6 - 8, 2 Kings 25:9, John 2:20)

John the Baptist is Promised (Luke 1:11-25)

John’s Birth (Luke 1:57-80)

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1. Jesus Begins His Ministry (John 1:1-34)

Lesson1

Background/Review

John In The Wilderness

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

2. Jesus Turns Water into Wine (John 2)

Lesson1

Background/Review

The First Sign (John 2:1-11)

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

3. Nicodemus Meets Jesus (John 3)

Lesson1

Background/Review

A Visitor In The Night (John 3:1-20)

Nicodemus Meets Jesus

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

4. Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-42)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Traveling North (John 2:4-11)

Meeting At The Well (John 2:4-11)

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