5. Jesus Heals the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54)

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Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Jesus performed miracles so that people would believe in Him.

Key Verse: Key Verse: Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family became believers. - John 4:53

Props: (Optional) A party favor “blower”

Background/Review

Say: Has anyone here been to a surprise party? (Tell a personal story if applicable, or ask a student to stand up and tell a story about his/her involvement in a surprise party.) We all know that we have to wait for just the right moment to yell, “Surprise!”, right? Option: Blow party favor each time you yell, “Surprise!”

What if you got invited to your friend’s surprise party, and you went to his house two hours before the party and yelled, “Surprise!”? Is that good timing? No, that would ruin everything. What if you waited until after the party to yell, “Surprise”? That would be pretty lame. And what if you stood up on your chair in the lunch room, say, tomorrow, and yelled, “Surprise!”? Would that be good timing? Not at all. Sometimes, timing is everything.

You know who has great timing? God does. God’s timing is perfect. God’s plan to save the world through Jesus had to be timed just right. In today’s story, we’ll see that Jesus managed everything so that He wouldn’t become too famous too quickly.

PPT CUE

Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which is in Galilee. Refer to map. He had a very normal childhood. Most people had no idea who He was. At just the right time, when He was all grown up, Jesus stepped forward and was baptized by John the Baptist. He was filled with God’s Holy Spirit and He began, little by little, to reveal who He really was.

The first miracle Jesus performed was right nearby in Cana. Refer to map. Who remembers what that miracle was? Jesus turned dirty bathing water into top-quality wine. Sometime later, Jesus and His disciples went to Samaria, where Jesus met the woman at the well. By the time they were finished talking, the woman knew that Jesus was the Savior, the Messiah. She told all her friends about Jesus, and tons of people came out to meet Him. Many Samaritans believed and entered God’s kingdom. These people began proclaiming that Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:42).

Jesus only stayed there for two days. This was part of His perfect timing. God knew ahead of time the perfect time for Jesus to become known to the Jewish leaders and for Him to go on trial and be crucified. God could not allow each step in His plan to happen too early or too late. People were catching on that Jesus was the Messiah, so Jesus knew it was time to leave. He decided to go back to His hometown where people did not proclaim that He was the Messiah.

After the two days [in Samaria], Jesus left for Galilee. He Himself had pointed out that a prophet is not respected in his own country. - John 4:43-44

We might think that home is where Jesus would be most respected, but that’s not the way human nature works. Someone might be a really famous singer or athlete, but at home, they are just the same old person. Their family still expects them to take out the trash or wash the dishes. Also, we know that Jesus never sinned. It might be that his brothers and sisters, cousins and friends were a little irritated that He was so good growing up. Can you just imagine hearing, “Well, Jesus never forgets to do His chores.” So, even though Jesus had gone out and done amazing things, and the people in His hometown knew about these things, they still did not realize He was the Savior of the world. The Bible says they welcomed Jesus when He came home. But it seems that the people wanted to see if He could really do miracles (John 4:45, 48).

Once more, Jesus visited Cana in Galilee. Cana is where he had turned the water into wine. A royal official was there. His son was sick in bed at Capernaum. The official heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea. So he went to Jesus and begged Him to come and heal his son. The boy was close to death.

Jesus told him, "You people will never believe unless you see miraculous signs and wonders."

The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."

The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. - John 4:46-50

This royal official was a Jewish man. He had a powerful job and plenty of money, but he had no way to help his sick son. His son had a terrible fever. There was no Tylenol back then; there was no way to bring the fever down. The boy was about to die. Suddenly, the desperate father heard that Jesus was visiting a few miles away. This Jewish official may have scoffed at the stories about Jesus before, but now he had a real need. His son’s life was on the line. I can imagine him, looking at his son, wondering if he should leave his side. “Will he die while I’m gone?” But the father took the chance. He rode as fast as he could to find the Healer he had heard about.

I can imagine the man stopping at the marketplace and the synagogue, asking if anyone had seen Jesus. Those whom he asked could hear the urgency in his voice. It is possible that several people were gathered around by the time he came face to face with Jesus. (Teacher note: The plural form of you is used in verse 48.)

When the official found Him, he begged Jesus to come home with him. Jesus’ answer is very surprising to us. It seems pretty harsh. But we know that Jesus is not harsh. He is simply trying to get to the matter that is most important–something that is even more important than the little boy’s illness. It is the man’s belief. You see, for Jesus, curing a deadly illness is no problem at all. He can speak and the fever must obey. However, belief is different. God always allows men and women to choose whether they will believe in Jesus as their Savior.

So when the man pleaded for his son’s life, Jesus brought up the issue of the man’s belief. Would he believe in Jesus?

The Bible calls miracles “signs and wonders.” What is a sign for? A sign points to something that is real.

What real thing does this sign point to? There is a very curvy road ahead.

What truth does this sign tell us? There is high voltage here. If you touch something here you will get shocked!

What real thing does this sign point to? A deer may run across the road.

The miracles that Jesus did were a SIGN that He is God! They were a sign that Jesus’ message was completely true. They were a sign that He could take away their sins, and all who believe in Him would enter God’s kingdom. Many people were only interested in the signs. They wanted to see miracles, but they didn’t care about the real thing that the signs pointed to: that Jesus was the Messiah. They wanted physical healing, or wine at the wedding, but they didn’t think about the thing that was WAY more important: Jesus could give them eternal life!

Jesus wanted the official to consider His message of eternal life. But the man could not stop thinking about his son. He continued to beg Jesus to come with him.

Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said, and so he left. - John 4:50

So, without seeing a miracle, the man believed that his son would be fine. But here is a question that the man was probably asking himself as he traveled home: Is Jesus the Messiah or just a prophet? Will Jesus make my son well with a miracle (Messiah), or did Jesus simply hear a message from God that my son will not die (Prophet)? Either way, the official believed Jesus’ words so much that he was able to go home alone.

A Miracle

PPT CUE: Verse

While he was still on his way home, his servants met him. They gave him the news that his boy was living. He asked what time his son got better. They said to him, "The fever left him yesterday afternoon at one o'clock."

Then the father realized what had happened. That was the exact time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family became believers.

This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee. - John 4:46-54

Ah ha! So now the official knew for sure: Jesus had performed a miracle! At the very moment Jesus said he would live, the boy got well. Because Jesus spoke the word, the boy was healed. (Remember the power of Jesus’ words in John 1? He spoke everything into existence. Of course He could speak the fever out of a weak little boy!)

This was enough for the man to understand that Jesus was more than just a physical healer. He was more than a prophet. He was the Messiah. The man, his son, and his entire household believed in Jesus from that moment on.

Because Jesus did not go to the official’s home and make a big show of the miracle, the other people in Cana did not find out who Jesus really was - yet. Timing is everything, and Jesus’ timing was perfect. More people would find out when the time was right.

Applications: There are a couple things that we should take away from this story. Something the official did right: He came to Jesus when he had a need! The official had a very serious need that he was powerless to fix. Surely God allowed the boy’s fever so that the man would be desperate enough to go and find Jesus. Because of the illness (which seemed so terrible at the time) the entire family gained eternal life (which is the best thing possible). We should always go to Jesus when we have a need - great or small. Share everything with Jesus. He wants to help you, guide you, and share every day with you!

Another thing for us to notice is that Jesus doesn’t always do things the way we think He should. This official begged Jesus to come home with him. He thought that Jesus had to see and touch his son to heal him. The official did not know how powerful Jesus was! Jesus simply said the boy was well, 13 miles away, and he was well! God’s ways are so far above our ways (Isaiah 55:9)! The official only wanted a healthy son, but Jesus had way more in store for him. Jesus wanted to heal the boy, teach the official just how powerful His word was, give the official the opportunity to believe in Jesus and gain eternal life, and keep His true identity under wraps a little while longer! Isn’t it a good thing that Jesus did things His way instead of the official’s way?

We should remember this when we pray for something. So often, we think we know the solution to our problem. We ask God for things to go a certain way, and we are so disappointed when things don’t happen the way we have asked. The far better way to pray is to say, “Lord, here is my problem...,” then tell Jesus all about it. Say, “I know that you care about me (Nahum 1:7). I know that you can work every detail of my life out for good (Romans 8:28). Please take care of this problem in the very best way for me and for the people around me. Please use this situation to bring more people into your kingdom. Please tell me anything you want me to know.”

And lastly, Jesus wants us to know that His message - that He is King, He can save us from our sin - is more important than the physical miracles He can do for us. Yes, it is right to ask for blessings and miracles. But it is far more important to believe the truth of who Jesus is. Jesus said there is a special blessing for those who believe without first seeing a miracle (John 20:29).

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus performed miracles so that people would believe in Him.

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

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

6. Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind (John 9)

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Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Jesus brings light to everyone in darkness.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12b

Props: small cup of dirt, cup of water, rag

Background/Review

Say: We have been studying the life of Jesus using the book of John. Teacher: Hold up your Bible. The first chapter of John tells us that Jesus is the light of God that came into the world. He is pure, and full of truth and life. He came to shine His light on men - to lead them to God. But, sadly, many people do not like the light, because they want their sin to stay hidden in darkness (John 1:1-14).

So far, we have seen Jesus reveal His identity to several different people. He showed His disciples that He was God by turning water into wine. He spoke truth to Nicodemus at night, and to the Samaritan woman at the well.

As Jesus taught and performed miracles, some people started putting their trust in Him. This made the Pharisees very nervous. Jesus did not fit the idea that the Pharisees had of Who the Messiah would be. They believed that when the Messiah came, He would pat them on the back and tell them that God was really pleased with them (John 8:47). Instead, Jesus told them that God was not pleased with them (John 5:37-42). He said that the ONLY way to be made right with God was to believe in Him (John 5:24).

The proud Pharisees did not believe in Jesus, and they did not want anyone else to believe in Him either. The more Jesus spoke, the angrier the Pharisees became (John 8:13, 48, 59). The Pharisees wanted to find proof that Jesus was not Who He said He was, but, of course, there was none.

Sight For The Blind (John 9:1-12)

One day Jesus and His disciples came across a man who had been born blind. Back then there were no Braille books for blind people, no seeing-eye-dogs, and no way for a blind person to work. This man had no choice but to beg for money (John 9:8). The disciples asked an interesting question.

Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned? Was this man born blind because he sinned? Or did his parents sin?" - John 9:2

Very often sin leads to pain and suffering (Leviticus 14-16, Exodus 12:29-30). But the disciples were mistaken to think that all suffering was caused by sin.

"It isn't because this man sinned," said Jesus. "It isn't because his parents sinned. This happened so that God's work could be shown in his life. While it is still day, we must do the work of the One who sent Me. Night is coming. Then no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

After He said this, He spit on the ground. Teacher: put some dirt in your hand. He made some mud with the spit. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the dirt in your hand, and mix into a paste. Show the kids. Then He put the mud on the man's eyes.

"Go," He told him. "Wash in the Pool of Siloam." Siloam means Sent.

So the man went and washed. And he came home able to see. - John 9:3-7

Say: After the man washed off the mud, he could see for the first time in his life! When he went home, his neighbors could hardly believe that he could see. They asked him what had happened. He told them what Jesus had done. They asked where Jesus was, but by then the man did not know where He was. (Wipe off your hands on the rag.)

Brought Before The Pharisees (John 9:13-34)

Say: This all had happened on a Sabbath day. The Sabbath was a special day each week that was set aside to rest and to remember the Lord (Exodus 31:13). Keeping the Sabbath was part of the Law that God had given to Moses (Exodus 20:8-11). God’s Law said not to do any work on the Sabbath. The Pharisees were very strict about keeping the Sabbath. Of course, it was right to rest and remember God, as God had instructed His people to do. But the Pharisees made the Sabbath into something it was not. They added SO many rules that it was almost impossible to keep the Sabbath. For example, a person could drag a chair across a hard floor, but he wasn’t allowed to drag it across dirt, because it would make a groove in the dirt that looked like the groove a farmer would make with his plow. Isn’t that ridiculous? If people didn’t follow all of the Pharisees’ rules about the Sabbath, they could be thrown out of the synagogue, which was the Jewish house of worship. Sometimes the Pharisees even stoned people to death for breaking the Sabbath rules. The Pharisees' rules even turned resting into work!

The Pharisees had it all wrong. The truth is: the Sabbath is for our good (Mark 2:27). It is good for us to rest and it is even better for us to remember God. It is not wrong for us to help others and glorify God on the Sabbath. Many times as Jesus walked the earth, He did good things on the Sabbath. Jesus said it is right to do good on the Sabbath (Luke 6:9, John 7:23).

The man whose sight had been restored was taken to the Pharisees. They asked him how he was healed.

"(Jesus) put mud on my eyes," the man replied. "Then I washed. And now I can see."

Some of the Pharisees said, "Jesus has not come from God. He does not keep the Sabbath day." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So the Pharisees did not agree with each other. - John 9:15b-16

Some of the Pharisees were more concerned with what day it was than the fact that Jesus was able to heal a man’s sight! But some started to think He must be from God. They asked the healed man what he thought of Jesus. The man said, “He is a prophet.” (John 9:17)

Many people doubted the healed man’s story because no one had ever been healed from blindness before (John 9:32). They called in the man’s parents to ask them about it. His parents were afraid to say too much because they did not want to be thrown out of the synagogue.

"We know he is our son," the parents answered. "And we know he was born blind. But we don't know how he can now see. And we don't know Who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is an adult. He can speak for himself." - John 9:20

The Pharisees brought the healed man back in. The Pharisees tried to get him to say that Jesus was a sinner. The man refused to agree with them. He said, “I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!” (John 9:25) They continued to ask him questions, trying to find fault with Jesus. They became very angry when they could not get the man to speak against Jesus. The Pharisees said of Jesus, “We don’t even know where this fellow comes from.”

The man answered, "That is really surprising! You don't know where He comes from, and yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to godly people who do what He wants them to do. Nobody has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this Man had not come from God, He could do nothing." - John 9:30-33

The Pharisees became furious at the man and they threw him out of the synagogue.

Face To Face With The Savior (John 9:35-38)

Jesus heard that the Pharisees had thrown the man out. When He found him, He said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"

"Who is He, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me, so I can believe in Him."

Jesus said, "You have now seen Him. In fact, He is the One speaking with you."

Then the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped Him. - John 9:35-58

What a beautiful picture of our Savior! Knowing the man was kicked out of the presence of the religious leaders, Jesus came to him. Because Jesus had healed him, the man knew Jesus was from God, but he did not yet know that Jesus WAS God. The healed man asked to see the “Son of Man.” This was a name that meant the Messiah (Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus said, “You have now seen Him.” Instantly, the man believed and worshipped Jesus. He chose to leave his spiritual darkness and place his faith in “the Light” in front of him.

Much more important than the man’s physical eyesight was his spiritual eyesight. Seeing with his eyes was a symbol for seeing with his heart. At this moment he could “see” more than the most educated Jewish teachers and Pharisees. Now he knew the truth about Jesus, the Light of the world.

Spiritual Blindness (John 9:39-41)

Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge it. I have come so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind."

Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this. They asked, "What? Are we blind too?"

Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you claim you can see, you remain guilty.” - John 9:39-41

Here, Jesus was not talking about being blind in the eyes, but being blind in the mind (Strong’s Concordance). The Pharisees claimed to know (or “see”) everything about God and His law. They swore that they knew the truth, but they still did not believe in Jesus. Therefore, their sin would not be forgiven. But everyone who does believe in Him will become a child of God, saved from the punishment of his or her sin (John 1:12).

Application: First, notice that God can use suffering to reveal His glory. Jesus used the man’s blindness to show that He could work miracles. This grown man had been blind since he was born. This was a very long time to suffer in shame. Yet, Jesus used it to reveal that He was God. Illustration: Everyone put two fingers as close together as possible without touching. Teacher: demonstrate this by holding your two index fingers close together. Let’s say this stands for your time on earth. Now (carefully) spread your arms out as far as you can reach. Spread out your arms. Okay, this - plus forever farther - stands for eternity. The blind man’s problem brought him to a place where he needed Jesus. He suffered during his life on earth (hold up two index fingers), but then he encountered God and received eternal life (spread arms out). It is far better to suffer in this life, and gain eternal life, than to have no trouble in this life and miss out on eternal life. (Such was the way of the Pharisees.) Optional question: Do you think the man would say his years of blindness were worth seeing Jesus and living in heaven for all of eternity? Yes!

Next, let’s look at the testimony of the healed man in front of the Pharisees. They questioned him over and over. They knew SO much more about the Scriptures than he did. He knew almost nothing about Jesus, but what he did know, he stated boldly. He said, “I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!” This is a great lesson for us! You don’t have to have all the answers in order to share about Jesus. If He answers your prayers, if He gives you peace, if He has changed your life, tell others!

And finally, we have to look at the Pharisees. Why did they choose to remain in their spiritual darkness instead of receiving the light of new life that Jesus freely offers to all people? The Pharisees had SO much knowledge. They had great educations; they had memorized God’s Law. They knew every Scripture that pointed to Jesus (John 5:39-40). They heard Jesus teach, and they even saw Him perform miracles with their own eyes. How could they know so much about God, and still not “see” Him? The problem was: they were not abiding in God. They were depending on themselves and the rules they kept. They leaned on their own understanding. They knew about God, but they didn’t know God. No Pharisee, other than Nicodemus, came to Jesus really seeking to know the truth. How does God say we can find Him?

Then you will call out to Me. You will come and pray to Me. And I will listen to you. When you look for Me with all your heart, you will find Me. - Jeremiah 29:12-13

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12b

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus brings light to everyone in darkness.

Note to Teacher on the Pharisees’ view of the Sabbath:²

“In 167 B.C. Antiochus’ army put a stop to the Jew’s sacrifices. The people of Jerusalem, under the leadership of Matthias, revolted and then fled to the desert. Their hiding place was soon discovered, and the pursuing soldiers demanded that they repent and surrender.

The Jews refused to give in, but they also refused to fight because it was the Sabbath. They would not block the entrances to their caves or fight in any way. Approximately 1000 men, women and children died without resistance, because they considered the Sabbath sacred.”

The death of 1,000 people resulted from the sincere conviction that the Sabbath should not be violated. Although this event happened nearly two centuries before the healing of the blind man in John chapter 9, it does give us a feel for the intensity of the conviction of devout Jews that the Sabbath could not be broken. As a matter of fact, the intervening years between the days of Matthias and Christ did not weaken this conviction, but strengthened it.

The sect which especially set out to protect the Sabbath was the Pharisees. In the light of many pagan forces at work to corrupt the purity of the Jewish faith, the Pharisees took upon themselves the task of keeping Judaism pure of foreign and pagan influence. As a result, the Pharisees were separatists (the word Pharisee means separated). Initially devout and well-motivated, this sect became more and more rigid and legalistic. The central issue for the Pharisees was the preservation of the Sabbath.

“The Jerusalem Talmud contained 64 pages, and the Babylonian Talmud 156 double pages, with specific rules on observing the Sabbath.”

The Pharisees succeeded in turning the Sabbath rest into a burden, rather than a blessing.

“The scribes drew up a list of forty works save one which were forbidden and which, if done knowingly, rendered the offender liable to stoning, and if done inadvertently demanded a heavy sin-offering in expiation. These thirty-nine works in the technical language of the legalists were called ‘fathers,’ and the subsections of derivative pieces of labor were called ‘descendants.’”

For example, plowing was a ‘father’ prohibited on the Sabbath. Digging was a ‘descendant.’ Dragging a chair on the ground would make a kind of furrow, and therefore was forbidden, but dragging a chair on a hard surface was permitted. Another ‘father’ was carrying a load, and this prohibition was attended by a host of ‘descendants.’ To wear an unneeded garment was prohibited. A tailor had to leave his needle and thread at home, and a scribe could not carry his pen. One matter which caused a great deal of discussion was what a man could do if his home caught on fire on the Sabbath. Nothing could be carried out, but clothing, if it were put on one piece at a time, could be worn outside, taken off, and then one could return for another garment. People must have come from miles around to watch the spectacle as the house of a devout Jew burned down!

Although we have only scratched the surface of the issue, you can easily see why our Lord viewed the regulations of the Pharisees as a heavy burden upon the Jews (cf. Matthew 11:28-30; 23:1-4). Those who were skilled in the Law also were skillful in devising ways to circumvent most of the meticulous rules which they had laid down. Worst of all, these traditions of the Pharisees were so intertwined with the Old Testament Law that to violate these traditions was viewed as breaking the Law of God.

Such was the backdrop for this healing of the blind man recorded in John chapter nine.

Related Topics: Christology, Children, Children's Curriculum

7. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10)

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Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Jesus is a Shepherd to all who believe in Him.

Key Verse: I am the good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. - John 10:14

Props: beautiful gift-wrapped box filled with rotten fruit or vegetables, a marble

Background/Review

Teacher: Before class, choose a child to look up 1 Samuel 16:7b to read when you call on him or her. Say: As Jesus taught throughout the land, some people believed He was the Messiah sent from God, and other people did not. The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the Jewish people. They were experts in God’s law and the Scriptures. They were supposed to be leading the people toward God. But instead, they made it very difficult for people to find God because they taught things that were not true (Matthew 23:13, Matthew 16:12). Jesus called the Pharisees, “blind guides” (Matthew 13:15). The Pharisees made up rules for the people that were nearly impossible to follow (Matthew 23:4). Instead of helping people, they judged them. The Pharisees were unkind and unmerciful men who took advantage of people (Matthew 23:23). Hold up the decorated gift box. The Pharisees were a lot like this box. They wore fancy robes and they looked very important on the outside, but on the inside they were - (open the box) rotten (Matthew 23:27-28). As we have been learning, Jesus was the exact opposite. He looked entirely plain on the outside, but on the inside, He was fully God.

PPT CUE: Verse

Ask: What does God care about - what is on the outside, or what is on the inside? The inside. Have your volunteer read 1 Samuel 16:7b: “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Jesus came to offer a new heart to everyone who believes in Him (Ezekiel 11:19).

Jesus had just healed a man who had been born blind. No one had ever done such a miracle before. Still, the Pharisees refused to believe in Jesus. And even worse, they also tried to keep others from believing in Him.

Note to Teacher: To gain insight on God’s opinion of the religious leaders of Israel, read the prophesy in Ezekiel 34:1-31. Because these shepherds did not care for the flock, but only for themselves, God promised to come find His lost sheep and care for the flock Himself. Jeremiah 23:5-6a lends further insight: “For the time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be His name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ ” (This is a sacred name for the Messiah - Strong’s Concordance.)

The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-6)

Say: Jesus continued teaching. Again, Jesus used things that people could see to explain heavenly things that they could not see. Everyone in Jesus’ day knew all about sheep and shepherds. Shepherding was as much a part of their lives as cars and computers are a part of ours. Most of us don’t know too much about sheep and shepherds, so let’s talk about this for just a minute. Ask: Who knows what the shepherd’s job is? To take care of the sheep. Say: Sheep are wonderful creatures made by God, but they don’t know how to care for themselves. The shepherd does many things for the sheep:

He finds good clean water for them. Like any creature, sheep need fresh water everyday. But left to themselves, they might drink dirty or polluted water. The shepherd leads them to fresh water or digs a well for them.
He leads them to good food. He leads them past the dry rocky ground, away from poisonous plants, to fields of green grass.
He keeps them from wandering away. A sheep might leave the flock and get lost, or fall into a crook in the rocks and break a bone.
He keeps them from danger. Wild animals lurk nearby waiting to attack a stray sheep. The shepherd protects his sheep.
And the shepherd leads the sheep back to their pen each night.

Jesus used sheep as a symbol for people and the shepherd as a symbol for Himself.

"What I'm about to tell you is true. What if someone does not enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in another way? That person is a thief and a robber. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him. The sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all of his own sheep out, he goes on ahead of them. His sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger. In fact, they will run away from him. They don't recognize a stranger's voice." - John 10:1-5

Often, many shepherds in a community would share a pen. There was only one gate, or door, on the pen. All the sheep and shepherds entered through that gate. One person would be the gatekeeper for the night. The gatekeeper guarded the door and only let in the rightful shepherds. A thief would have to sneak in another way. When it was time to leave the pen, the sheep actually knew their shepherd’s voice and would follow him wherever he led them.

By this comparison, Jesus meant that He was the true Shepherd, or Leader, of the Jewish people. Jesus has been proven to be the One and only King of the Jews because He fulfilled every promise that God made about the Messiah He was going to send. Anyone else is NOT the true shepherd of the Jews (2 Chronicles 23:19). Those who believe in Jesus are “His own sheep.” They know His voice and they would never follow another. It is interesting that the shepherd goes out before his sheep, and they follow him. He does not send his sheep into a place where he has not gone first. While Jesus was on earth, He experienced everything that ordinary people go through (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus tells His disciples that they must not do things their own way, but they must follow Him (Luke 9:23).

The people listening to Jesus did not understand what He meant using these symbols.

THE GATE (John 10:7-21)

Say: Jesus tried again to explain Who He was. This time Jesus compared Himself to the gate of the sheep pen, and the pen stood for forgiveness of sins and new life.

So Jesus said again, "What I'm about to tell you is true. I am like a gate for the sheep. All those who ever came before Me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. I'm like a gate. Anyone who enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out. And he will find plenty of food. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so they can have life. I want them to have it in the fullest possible way. - John 10:7-10

Jesus said He was the ONLY way to enter into new life. All the Jewish people listening to Jesus that day knew the punishment for their sin: They were ALL separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). Jesus wanted them to understand the good news that He came to take away their punishment and give them new life. Jesus continued:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. The hired man is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when the hired man sees the wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired man. He does not care about the sheep.” - John 10:11-13

Ask: Who would care more about the sheep, a man who was hired to help take care of the sheep, or the man who owned the sheep? The owner. Say: The hired man would leave the sheep if danger were near. He cares more about his own safety than that of the sheep. This is what the Pharisees had done. They had the awesome responsibility of leading the Jewish people, but they did not do what was best for them. They didn’t care for the weak (Luke 20:47), or feed them with God’s truth (Matthew 16:12). They only looked out for themselves (Luke 20:46). Just the opposite, the good shepherd loves his sheep, and he would even give up his own life in order to save one of his sheep. This is EXACTLY what Jesus came to earth to do. One day Jesus would willingly lay down His life to take the punishment for all who would believe in Him (John 10:17-18).

Jesus was talking to a group of Jewish people. But He told them that He had other sheep as well (John 10:16). He said those sheep also listen to His voice. The other sheep were the non-Jewish people who would believe in Him. He said the flocks would come together as one flock, and He was the Good Shepherd.

After Jesus spoke, the people listening began to disagree with each other. Some people thought He was crazy, but others knew He was not because He had healed the blind man (John 10:19-21).

THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS (John 10:22-42)

Several months later, Jesus was in the Temple courtyard. Some Jews gathered around Him and asked if He was the Messiah. Jesus said He had already told them, but they did not believe Him. He said that the miracles He performed should also prove Who He was. Again Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one can steal them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of My Father's hand. I and the Father are One." (John 10:27-30)

Say: It is sort of like this. Hold up the marble. This marble is a person who has placed their faith in Jesus. That person has been given to Jesus by God the Father. He or she is securely in Jesus. Place the marble in one hand and close your fist tightly. The Father and Jesus are One. Wrap your other hand tightly around your fist. No matter what may happen, NOTHING can snatch the person out of Jesus’ hand. Call on a (small) volunteer. Tell your volunteer: Using only ONE hand, because God is infinitely stronger than anything else in the universe, try to get the marble.

Say: Once a person has put their trust in Jesus, NOTHING can keep him or her from receiving forgiveness and new life (Romans 8:38-39).

Some of the people listening to Jesus became very angry that He claimed to be One with God. They wanted to kill Him, but Jesus left and crossed the Jordan River. He continued to teach, and many more people believed in Him.

Application: The Bible says, “Everyone has sinned.” Not one of us deserves to be in the presence of God because He is perfect (Romans 3:23). Ask: To whom does EVERYONE refer? Every person. EVERYONE means every person. That includes Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman at the well, the Pharisees, me, and every person in this room. The very wonderful news is that Jesus came, like a Good Shepherd, to save us. He loved us enough to lay down His life for us.

1 Peter 3:18 says, "Christ died for sins once and for all time. The One who did what is right died for those who don't do right. He died to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought Him back to life."

Jesus gives new life to everyone who believes in Him. He is our Good Shepherd. He guides us, feeds us, protects us, and saves us. Once we believe in Him, we are safe FOREVER. Jesus said His sheep hear His voice. They know Him and they follow Him. Are you one of His sheep? Abide with Him. Remain with Him. Hear His voice and follow Him.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: I am the good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me. - John 10:14

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus is a Shepherd to all who believe in Him.

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

The fact that God has chosen to manifest Himself through Christians has some sobering implications. In the first place, if God is to be manifested to men, His children must live godly lives. To continue to live in sin is not only a contradiction (), it is also a gross misrepresentation of God. No wonder God takes sin in the lives of His children so seriously, even though these sins have been covered by the blood of Christ! Discipline is a necessity if men are to properly represent God.

I can now better appreciate these sobering words of the prophet Samuel to disobedient Saul: “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry” ().

Idolatry was an abomination to God because any man-made idol was a misrepresentation of Him, a defamation of His character. So, too, disobedience (insubordination) is an abomination to God, for when His children are in disobedience they defame the character of the God whom they are called to represent: “Be ye holy, for I am Holy” (:44ff.; ).

We have been made stewards of the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. We are responsible to convey this message to men. But beyond this, we are also commissioned with the task of living godly lives which manifest the character of God--His kindness, His love, His holiness, His mercy, His justice.FIT - A Census? Now?! Why now?! The baby is due any day now. How will I make the trip? Did Mary have a nursery all ready for the special Baby? Did Joseph lovingly build a craddle just the perfect size for the Baby king? Did Mary sew a soft little pad to lay in the cradle? When they heard about the law demanding they leave their home, did they think this was going to ruin God’s plan?

Finally, we learn that God’s purposes are often achieved through suffering, and that God’s purposes in our suffering are often not immediately apparent. All of the suffering, inconvenience, and discomfort that was occasioned by the decree of Caesar was not immediately recognized as the sovereign hand of a loving God, who was bringing about His purposes, in a way that was for the good of those who suffered. Let us learn from Mary and Joseph that those seemingly “secular” sufferings of life are most often instruments in the hand of God, which time or eternity will make clear to us.THE INFANT JESUS

Say: Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple when He was 8 days old and then again when He was 40 days old.

The time for making them pure came as it is written in the Law of Moses. So Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. There they presented him to the Lord. - Luke 2:22-24

In the Law of the Lord it says, "The first boy born in every family must be set apart for the Lord." (Exodus 13:2,12) They also offered a sacrifice. They did it in keeping with the Law, which says, "a pair of doves, or two young pigeons." (Leviticus 12:8)

Note to Teacher: The purification for after a child was born was for the woman - not the child (Leviticus 12:1-8; Exodus 13:2; Numbers18:15-16).

Say: While they were at the temple, they encountered two special people:

The first person they met was Simeon. The Bible says that he was a good and godly man. God told him that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. When Simeon saw Jesus, he took Him in his arms and praised God.

He said, "Lord, you are the King over all. Now let me, your servant, go in peace. That is what you promised. My eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the sight of all people. It is a light to be given to those who aren't Jews. It will bring glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them. He said to Mary, Jesus' mother, "This child is going to cause many people in Israel to fall and to rise. God has sent him. But many will speak against him. The thoughts of many hearts will be known. A sword will wound your own soul too." - Luke 2:28-35

The other person they encountered was Anna. Anna was an elderly woman who devoted her life to worship and prayer.

There was also a prophet named Anna. She was the daughter of Penuel from the tribe of Asher. Anna was very old. After getting married, she lived with her husband seven years. Then she was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple. She worshiped night and day, praying and going without eating.

Anna came up to Jesus' family at that very moment. She gave thanks to God. And she spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the time when Jerusalem would be set free. - Luke 2:36-38

THE WISEMEN AND KING HEROD

After Jesus' birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, "Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him." - Matthew 2:1b-2

Say: Listen to what King Herod thought and then said to them:

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

"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied. "This is what the prophet has written. He said,
" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah.
A ruler will come out of you.
He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.' " (Micah 5:2)

Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, "Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship

him too." - Matthew 2:3-8

Say: The Magi followed a star to the place where Jesus was. It was probably 1-2 years AFTER Jesus was born.

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

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

But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a different road. - Matthew 2:9-12

Say: God is faithful to send His people warnings when danger is near. These Magi LISTENED to God, and they did not go back to King Herod.

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

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

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

Say: It’s a good thing Joseph was listening to God because once Herod realized that those magi had not come back, he was furious. Do you know how crazy with anger he became? He ordered ALL the baby boys age 2 and younger be killed. This was his way of making sure that Jesus, the King of the Jews, would be dead. (Matthew 2:16-18)

Ask: Did his plan work? No

Application: It’s very important to listen to God’s warnings. God can speak to us in many different ways. He could speak to you in a dream. Most likely, He will speak to you through His Word and through your parents. It is very important to listen to the warnings that God gives.

Say: After King Herod died, an angel of the Lord told Joseph that it was safe to return to Nazareth. Matthew 2:19-23

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

PPTKey VerseSorrow and grief are not easy things to face We would avoid them if we could. We know that even Jesus wept at times.

Sorrow and grief do force us to examine life from a different perspective. We need to be attentive to what God might want to teach us through difficult times--things that He may not be able to teach us at other times. We need to be sensitive to what God would have us learn through this experience.

(Name) daughter, _____, told me that her grandmother (deceased's mother) encouraged her, maybe MADE her, memorize the 23rd Psalm as a child. I have a sneaking suspicion that (Name) had the same expectation placed upon him as a child.

I would like to look at how God reveals Himself to us as a shepherd, to see if we can gain some understanding of what God may want us to learn about Him.

God Reveals
imself to Us as a Shepherd

Jn 10:11 "I am the good shepherd.... The good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep"

Jn 10:14 "and know my sheep, and am known of mine."

• 1. We can have an intimate relationship with our Shepherd. (10:14)

• 2. It is our Shepherd who makes life abundant (10:10)

• 3. The Shepherd gave his life for us (15, 17-18)

Heb 13:20 "Jesus, the GREAT shepherd of the sheep . . . " Our shepherd rose from the dead, demonstrating to us that there is a resurrection from the dead, life after death.

1 Pet 5:4 "And when the CHIEF shepherd shall appear . . ." The shepherd is going to reappear, and we will stand accountable to Him.

• This gives purpose to life.

• This gives a standard to life.Ever since the first people chose to disobey Him, God has required an animal to be killed on the altar to pay for the sins of His people. This seems so strange and harsh to us. But God is very serious about sin. Sin leads to death - separation from God (Romans 6:23). But the Bible tells us that blood atones for sin (or makes things right with God). The life of each creature is in its blood. So I have given you the blood of animals to pay for your sin on the altar. Blood is life. That is why blood pays for your sin. - Leviticus 17:11 The life of the blood covers the death of the sin.

God promised His people that one day He would send a permanent final sacrifice to take away all the sin of those who believe (Isaiah 49:6, Romans 11:26-27). God ALWAYS keeps His promises. Jesus, God's own Son, was the answer to that promise. Jesus came to live on earth in a human body. He faced all the things that other people face, but He never sinned. He was perfect. Because He was perfect, He could die in our place as our substitution. The Bible calls Jesus, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" - John 1:29

The Bible tells us if we know we are a sinner and believe that Jesus is God and came to die in our place, we will be saved.

Related Topics: Christology, Children, Children's Curriculum

8. Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:1-45)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Jesus has power over death.

Key Verse: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" - John 11:25-26

Props: Strips of white cloth, spices (such as cloves), bottle of perfume

Background/Review

Say: What if you were at school, and another student came up and said, “Give me your math book.” Would you give him your book? Probably not. But what if he came up and said, “The teacher said I need to collect everyone’s math book.” Then you would be much more likely to give him your book. Ask: What is the difference? The teacher said... Say: In the second approach, the student was speaking with the authority of the teacher. That is very different than when your classmate speaks on his own. The Bible says that when Jesus taught, people were amazed because He taught with authority (Mark 1:22). He was speaking the mind of the Father in heaven and people knew His teaching was different than any other teaching (John 14:24).

Jesus taught about God, Himself, and the kingdom of God. He offered new life to anyone who believed in Him. If anyone had any doubt that He was God, the event we are about to study would certainly prove that Jesus is God.

PPT CUE

Last week we heard Jesus describe Himself as the Good Shepherd. He taught these things to the Jewish people in Jerusalem. Teacher: Show Jerusalem on the map. Many of the Jews who were listening became very angry that Jesus said He was One with the Father. They were so angry that they wanted to kill Jesus, so He left them. He traveled across the Jordan River. Show Perea on the map. There, He continued to teach, and more people put their trust in Him.

The Death Of Lazarus (John 11:1-16)

Say: There was a family that was very dear to Jesus. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were brother and sisters, and they all lived together in a town called Bethany. Show Bethany on the map. Jesus liked being with them very much. This family even opened their home for Jesus and His disciples (Luke 10:38). It was a comfortable place for Jesus. It was a place where Jesus and His disciples could slip off their sandals and relax.

While Jesus was teaching across the Jordan, Lazarus became very sick. Mary and Martha loved their brother very much and wanted him to get better.

So the sisters sent a message to Jesus. "Lord," they told Him, "the one You love is sick." When Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory. God's Son will receive glory because of it."

Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. But after He heard Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was for two more days. - John 11:3-6

Say: The Bible says Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, but when Jesus heard Lazarus was really sick, He did not go to him right away. Ask: Is getting really sick a good thing or a bad thing? A bad thing. Say: It is a bad thing, but Jesus was going to turn it into a good thing. Only our all-powerful God can turn something really bad into something really good (Genesis 50:20).

Application: Mary and Martha knew that Jesus had the power to heal Lazarus. They called on the only One who could help them. Just the same, when you are worried about something that is happening in your life, cry out to Jesus. He loves you, and He has the power to help you.

After two days, Jesus told His disciples it was time to go back toward Jerusalem. His disciples were afraid to go near Jerusalem because the Jews there wanted to kill Jesus.

Note to Teacher: Jesus answered, "Aren't there 12 hours of daylight? A person who walks during the day won't trip and fall. He can see because of this world's light. But when he walks at night, he'll trip and fall. He has no light." - John 11:9-10

Jesus was saying He would be on earth for a short time, and then He would be gone from the earth. He had work to do. As long as the disciples were with Him, the Light of the world, they would be where they were supposed to be. They would not stumble.

Jesus said, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up." (John 11:11) This was a figure of speech. Lazarus had actually died, and Jesus was going to raise him from the dead. The disciples did not understand.

So then He told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your benefit, I am glad I was not there. Now you will believe. But let us go to him." - John 11:11-15

Jesus meant that His disciples’ faith needed to grow stronger. Jesus knew that a very difficult time was coming for His disciples. They needed to come to a point where they were fully committed to Him, trusting Him and willing to follow Him no matter what.

Jesus Arrives In Bethany (John 11:17-36)

Say: Back in Jesus’ day, they didn’t have fancy funeral homes. When someone died, the person’s family would wrap his or her body in strips of cloth and nice smelling spices. Teacher: Show strips of cloth and spices. You may want to pour a few drops of perfume on the cloth. Sometimes the family would also pour perfume on the body (2 Chronicles 16:14, Luke 23:56, John 19:40). Then they would place their loved one into a tomb, which was a cave-like area carved out of stone.

When Lazarus died, his sisters lovingly prepared his body and placed him in the tomb. [Note to Teacher: This is a photo of the actual tomb in which Lazarus was buried.] Then they rolled a big stone in front of the opening of the tomb. [The opening was at the top of the stairs.] By the time Jesus arrived at Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Many Jews had come from Jerusalem to comfort Mary and Martha.

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Him. But Mary stayed at home.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "I wish You had been here! Then my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You anything You ask for."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again. This will happen when people are raised from the dead on the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told Him. "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God. I believe that you are the One who was supposed to come into the world." - John 11:20-27

Ask: Did Martha have faith in Jesus? Yes. Say: She believed He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Martha went to get her sister. Mary ran out to see Jesus and many people followed her.

Mary reached the place where Jesus was. When she saw Him, she fell at His feet. She said, "Lord, I wish You had been here! Then my brother would not have died."

Application: Both sisters cried out to Jesus, “If only You had been here!” This was their cry of great sadness. They loved Jesus, and they knew He loved them, but at this moment they were struggling to understand why He didn’t come right away. We have all gone through difficult times when it felt like God came to our aid a little too late. Is it okay to talk to the Lord about how you feel, just as Mary and Martha did. Is it really hard to wait on the Lord when your need feels so urgent, but as we will see, He has a plan, and His timing is ALWAYS perfect.

Jesus saw (Mary) crying. He saw that the Jews who had come along with her were crying also. His spirit became very sad, and He was troubled.

"Where have you put him?" He asked.

"Come and see, Lord," they replied. - John 11:32-34

Then the Bible gives us an intimate detail about Jesus. Verse 35 says, “Jesus wept.” (NIV) Have you ever thought about God crying before? God is the all-powerful Creator of the universe, and yet He cried. Jesus cried because of His great love for His friends. Jesus didn’t cry because He would miss Lazarus; He had already told his disciples that Lazarus would not remain dead. Jesus wept because He was overwhelmed with compassion for Mary and Martha (John 11:33). Compassion is feeling what other people feel. Mary and Martha were broken-hearted that their brother had died. Jesus could feel the pain that Mary and Martha felt at that moment, and He shed real tears for them. All the people watching could see the great love that Jesus felt for this family (John 11:36).

Application: Jesus IS God, but He is not distant. One of the names of Jesus is Emmanuel. Ask: Does anyone remember what that name means? It means God with us (Matthew 1:23). Say: Jesus is with you in good times and in bad times. Jesus loves you just as much as He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. There is NO ONE who loves you more than Jesus does (John 15:13). Jesus said, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you. Now remain in My love.” (John 15:9) He has great compassion; He feels what you feel (Mark 1:41). He promises to stay with those who trust in Him (Matthew 28:20).

Note to Teacher: Certainly, Jesus knew that Lazarus had to die in order for God to receive glory. He understood the necessity of this death, but still He wept. It would seem that Jesus wept because those He loved had to suffer in order for God to be glorified. This is very similar to the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus bent His knee in submission to the Father’s will, but His soul was overwhelmed with anguish over the suffering He and those who loved Him would go through (Mark 14:34-36). We should take comfort in knowing that we do not have to face every trial with a stiff upper lip. It is okay to say, “Lord, I will accept Your will because it will bring You glory, but I may cry along the way.”

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Dead (John 11:37-44)

But some of (the Jews) said, "He opened the eyes of the blind man. Couldn't He have kept this man from dying?" - John 11:37

Ask: Could Jesus have kept Lazarus from dying? Yes! Say: The Bible has many stories of Jesus healing sick people (Matthew 8:3, 9:22). So why didn’t Jesus just heal Lazarus instead of letting it go this far? I want you to pay really close attention to find out why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die.

Jesus, along with Mary, Martha, and all those who had come to mourn the death of Lazarus, went to the tomb. Imagine the curiosity of all the people. It was as if a celebrity had shown up at the funeral. They must have wondered what Jesus would do next. Can you hear the buzz of all the people whispering about what Jesus might do?

"Take away the stone," He said.

The people would have gasped at the thought of this! After a person dies, their spirit leaves their body, and their body begins to decay. A decaying body has a terrible odor.

"But, Lord," said Martha, the sister of the dead man, "by this time there is a bad smell. Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days."

Then Jesus said, "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?"

So they took away the stone.

Then Jesus looked up. He said, "Father, I thank You for hearing Me. I know that You always hear Me. But I said this for the benefit of the people standing here. I said it so they will believe that You sent Me."

Then Jesus called in a loud voice. He said, "Lazarus, come out!"

The dead man came out. His hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen. A cloth was around his face.

Jesus said to them, "Take off the clothes he was buried in and let him go."

Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did. So they put their faith in Him. - John 11:39-45

Ask: Now, who can tell me why Jesus allowed Lazarus to die instead of healing him when he was sick? Listen for answers. Say: Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so that He could reveal something about Himself that these people did not know. Jesus had healed many sick people, but until now, almost no one knew he could raise the dead. God had promised that the Messiah would have victory over death (Isaiah 25:8). After Jesus raised Lazarus, there could be NO QUESTION that Jesus was who He said He was - the Son of God. Even before Jesus went to Lazarus, Jesus told His disciples that this event was for God’s glory: so that God would be made known. And that is exactly what happened!

Again, Jesus used something people could see to explain something they could not see. It was an AMAZING miracle for Jesus to raise a man from the dead. Even today, with all of our medical breakthroughs and advances in science, no one can bring someone back to life after they have been dead for days. But as incredible as this physical miracle was, Jesus had the power to do something even more amazing! He could give spiritual life to everyone who was dead in their sins (Romans 5:10).

Application: The Bible says that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23). Your sin brings death, but God sent Jesus to conquer death. God loves you too much to leave you in your helpless sinful condition. When you choose to put your faith in Jesus, He takes away your sin, gives you new life, and you will live in heaven forever!

PPT CUE: Verse

But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. So He gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God's grace has saved you. - Ephesians 2:4-5

And, have you noticed that almost every time the Bible tells us that Jesus performed a miracle, the Bible also tells us that people put their faith in Him? Jesus performed miracles so that those watching would believe in Him. Only our Lord has power over sin and death (Isaiah 25:7). Only our Lord has the power to give life (Acts 17:25). Each time Jesus gives new life to someone who believes in Him, that is an even more amazing miracle than healing someone’s body. If you have accepted the new life that Jesus offers, you are a miracle! Tell someone about the miracle Jesus has done in your life so they, too, can put their faith in Him!

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even if he dies. And those who live and believe in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" - John 11:25-26

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Jesus has power over death.

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

1. Love (Galatians 5:22)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: We must depend on the Holy Spirit in order to show love to others.

Key Verse: So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. - Galatians 5:16a

Props: Apple; Paper and pencil; 2 strings, 2 straws, 2 balloons, scotch tape

Intro

Teacher, Take out a nice crisp apple and take a big bite. Use facial expressions to show how much you are enjoying it. Really exaggerate! Then describe it. Say: I love apples. Red ones are my favorite. It is so sweet and juicy and refreshing. I would have to say, the apple is the best part of the tree. It’s definitely the prettiest part. And it’s definitely the best tasting part - I sure wouldn’t want to eat the bark or the roots! And another cool part of the apple is - after you finish eating it, guess what you’re left with? Seeds! Right there in your hand are about five seeds. They have the potential to grow into five more trees which will produce no-telling how many more apples.

Ask: What is your favorite kind of fruit? Say: Oh, those are all so good. Yes, I would definitely say that the best part of any tree is it’s fruit. Today we are going to talk about a different kind of fruit. It’s the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s not fruit that you hold or eat, but like this apple, the fruit of the Spirit is refreshing and good for you. Everything about it is good.

Background/Review

Say: During Jesus’ final days on earth, He made a special promise to His disciples. He said, “What I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Friend will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.” (John 16:6-8) The Friend that Jesus was talking about was God’s Holy Spirit. Does Jesus always keep His promises? Yes!

When the time was right, Jesus went into heaven to be with His Father. Sure enough, about a week later, all the disciples were together with other believers, praying. There was an amazing sound and each of the people there were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is an amazing thing! And Jesus promises that even today, when we put our trust in Him, we will be filled with this same Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5).

In the next few weeks, we’ll be learning about what life is like when we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit. Some of God’s qualities, or characteristics, show through us when His Spirit lives in us. These characteristics are what the Bible calls fruit.

Fruit Of The Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

Let’s turn in our Bibles to Galatians 5:22. If you know this verse, say it with me.

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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Love

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Today, we’ll focus on love. What is love? Listen for answers. Love is a word we hear a lot. It’s a word we say a lot. I might say, “I love ice cream,” or “I love sunny days.” Those are the feelings we have - affection for something.

But the word used for fruit in this verse is talking about our actions! (”Fruit” Greek: karpos - work, act, deed.) The Bible has a beautiful definition of what love is in 1 Corinthians 13, beginning in verse 4:

Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. It is not rude. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people's wrongs.

Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up. Love never fails.

Does the Bible mention romantic things like red roses or heart shaped candy? No. These verses tell us many of the actions of love: Being kind, not being rude, not bragging, protecting, and trusting are things we can do.

Remember, love is one of God’s characteristics. In fact, the Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:8). These verses tell us what God is like! God is patient and kind...(go through verse, replacing “love” with “God.”)

Love Shown In Jesus

Ultimately, God showed the greatest love for us by sending His Son for us. Is sending an action? Yes! Who can recite John 3:16 for us? God gave His Son. Is giving an action? Yes! God sent Jesus to take away our sin and bring us back to Him.

When Jesus was on earth, people could see what true love looked like. Jesus was always patient. I think of Peter, who very often spoke out of turn or said the wrong things. Jesus was patient with him. Jesus taught Peter, day after day, for three years. Was that an action?

Jesus was always kind. Remember His first miracle? He was at a wedding and they ran out of wine. His mother, Mary, asked Jesus to help out. Quietly, Jesus turned large jugs of water into wine. He was very kind to the bride and groom, and to His mom. Was that an action?

Jesus didn’t brag. Wow! If anyone deserved the right to brag, it would be Jesus! He was perfect! And He was powerful. But the Bible says that He was humble. He was the opposite of proud. He even washed the dirty, smelly feet of His disciples. Was that an action? A bragger would say, “I’m better than you. You wash my feet.” But Jesus did just the opposite.

Jesus did not look out for His own interests. He put other’s needs before His own. Jesus could have stayed in heaven where He is rightfully worshipped by the angels (Revelation 5:11-12). But He left the glory of heaven to come to earth. (That would be sort of like giving up your vacation in Disney World to stay home and rake your nieighbor’s yard instead.)

Jesus chose to come to earth even though He knew many people would treat Him terribly. In fact, He gave up His own life to pay our sin debt. Was that an action? The disciple John, who saw Jesus beaten and hung on the cross, wrote:

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. - John 15:13

And Jesus did not keep track of other peoples’s wrongs! Use paper and pencil to write a list. Say: That would be like writing down a list: “I see that you lied. I know that you hate that person. I see that you are ungrateful.” No! Jesus did not do that! Just the opposite, Jesus wiped all of our sins away forever and ever! Tear up the list! Because of Him, our sins are gone!

In Jesus, we see the perfect love of God lived out in action!

How Do We Love

Say: If I am a believer in Jesus, if my trust is in Him, I should be living this kind of life. I should be showing this kind of love to other people every day. But you know what? I have learned that on my own, I can’t show love very well. No matter how much I know I should be patient, in my own strength, I get really frustrated and impatient. No matter how much I know I should put other’s needs before my own, in my own strength, I end up doing what I want to do.

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There is only one way for me to show true love to others! Earlier, I read the verses that list the fruit of the Spirit. Well, if we back up to the beginning of that passage, the Bible says, “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives.” (Galatians 5:16a) Of course, our wonderful God would not tell us how we should love, and then leave us without the POWER to do it!

Illustration: Let’s look at it this way. Galatians tells us that love doesn’t brag. But let’s say that my teacher told me privately that I made the highest grade in the whole class on our spelling test. Now, I know I shouldn’t brag, but all the kids are talking about how hard the test was, and I am dying to blurt out, “I made a 100!” Maybe if I just leave my test out on my desk someone will see it. Is that still bragging? Yep.

So, since I know it’s wrong to brag, because it will make my friends feel bad, my goal is to keep my mouth shut and my paper hidden through the rest of the day. Tie a long string to a pole high enough for all to see, or have another leader hold the end. Put on the uninflated balloon racer. Hold your end of the string taut, horizontal to the ground. Say: So this balloon is me , trying to get to the end of the day without bragging. (Point to other end of the string - as if the string is the long day.) It’s a long day with many opportunities to “mention” my grade. Do you think I’ll get there on my own? No.

But, wait! Remember, Galatians said to let the Holy Spirit guide me. I am a believer, so I’m full of God’s Holy Spirit. Give some slack in the string. Blow up the balloon. Pinch the neck; do NOT tie it. Say: I am filled with power. I have to depend on God’s Spirit! Now let go of the balloon, and it will race to the other side.

When you are listening to the Holy Spirit and depending on Him, He’ll give you the power to show the actions of love. You can show kindness to someone who can’t do anything for you. Maybe you can help a teammate with his baseball swing, or give clothes to someone in need. You can never show the fruit of the Holy Spirit without depending on the Holy Spirit! It’s His fruit after all - not mine! It’s the fruit of Who? The fruit of the Spirit!

This is a lot to cover in one lesson! Truly, learning to show love is a life-long goal. Left on your own, it’s an impossible task. God doesn’t expect you to do it! He expects you to let Him do it through you!

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: We must depend on the Holy Spirit in order to show love to others.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

2. Joy (Galatians 5:22)

Related Media

Lesson¹

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Main Point: Joy comes from being with God.

Key Verse: (God,) You will fill me with joy when I am with You. – Psalm 16:11b

Props: A boomerang (or banana, or paper with smile drawn on it, or anything that looks like a smile), a jug of water, two plastic cups (one with several holes poked in the bottom).

Background/Review

Say: When the time was right, Jesus went into heaven to be with His Father. And after He left, He sent His Holy Spirit to live inside His disciples, just like He promised (Acts 2:1-4). And today, when we put our trust in Him, we are filled with this same Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:5). When we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit, some of God’s great characteristics start to grow in our lives. The Bible calls these characteristics fruit. Galatians 5:22 says:

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)”

Last week we talked about love. We love each other with our actions. Jesus showed His love in the most incredible way: He laid down His life to bring us back to God.

Intro

Say: What makes you happy? What makes you sad? Listen for answers. What if I got a new puppy? Would I be happy or sad? Hold the boomerang in front of your mouth like a smiley face. I think I would be happy about that! But what if I broke my leg and had to go to the hospital and get a cast? Hold the boomerang in front of your mouth like a frown. That wouldn’t be so much fun. Or what if I were a football player and I won the Superbowl? Hold the boomerang in front of your mouth like a smiley face. That sure would give me something to smile about! But what about on the inside? Do we always feel on the inside how we look on the outside? Do you ever look like this (smile) on the outside but really feel like this (frown) on the inside? What if you could always smile on the inside, no matter what?

Joy

Say: Today, we’ll look at joy. Joy is the smile we have inside, no matter what is happening around us.

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Some people think that joy and happiness are the same, but there is actually a big difference. The word happy comes from the same word as happen. We feel happy if something good is happening to us at that moment. But this means that being happy is just temporary – it doesn’t last. One minute something good could be happening and we are happy, but the next minute something bad could be happening and we don’t feel happy anymore.

Joy is different. Joy does not depend on what is happening to us – it stays deep down in your heart no matter what! (2 Corinthians 7:4)

PPT Cue: Key Verse

God is our source of joy. Psalm 16:11 says: “(God,) You will fill me with joy when I am with You.” God is so good and everything He does is amazing! When we spend time with Him, we get to know Him more. We are filled with joy because of who God is and how He cares for us.

Moses spent time with God when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on the top of Mt. Sinai. It was the closest anyone had ever been to God. Moses learned more about God. He saw that God is powerful, full of justice, good, forgiving, caring, loving, and faithful (Exodus 34:6-7). Moses also learned more about God’s promises (Exodus 34:10). Because of his time with God, something really incredible happened to Moses!

Moses came down from Mount Sinai. He had the two tablets of the covenant in his hands. His face was shining because he had spoken with the Lord. But he didn't realize it. Aaron and all of the people of Israel saw Moses. His face was shining. So they were afraid to come near him.

But Moses called out to them. So Aaron and all of the leaders of the community came to him. And Moses spoke to them. After that, all of the people came near him. And he gave them all of the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai.

Moses finished speaking to them. Then he put a veil over his face. But when he would go to speak with the Lord, he would remove the veil. He would keep it off until he came out. Then he would tell the people what the Lord had commanded. They would see that his face was shining. So Moses would put the veil back over his face. He would keep it on until he went in again to speak with the Lord. – Exodus 34:29-35

Spending time with God changes us! Moses’ face actually looked different because he had been with God!

God is completely good and everything He created was good (Psalm 100:5, Genesis 1:31). Because God is the source of everything that’s good, joy is found by spending time with Him. Over and over in the Bible, we see that spending time with God fills His people with joy (John 15:9-11, Psalm 28:7, Isaiah 58:14).

[God,] You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand. – Psalm 16:11

Joy Shown In Jesus

Say: The more time we spend with God, the more joy we will have. God is the source of our joy.

Turn on a lamp. Let’s look at it this way. (Call up a volunteer. Do NOT allow the child to touch the light bulb at any point!) Put your hands near the lamp. Can you feel the warmth? The closer you get, the warmer it feels. The lamp is the source of the warmth – just like God is the source of our joy. As long as you are near the lamp, you’ll feel the warmth. The more time we spend with God, the more joy we have.

We have a perfect example of someone who was always with God. Who is that? Jesus! Jesus has always existed (John 1:1-2, 14); He has always been with God. Even when Jesus left heaven to come to Earth, He was filled with God’s Spirit (Luke 4:1), and He constantly spent time in prayer listening to His heavenly Father (Luke 5:16).

Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me,” meaning that He was always with His Father (John 14:11). Jesus was always with His source of joy! He always had the true joy that comes from being with God!

But did Jesus ever have bad days? Did Jesus have some bad things happen to him during his life? Yes. What were some sad things that happened to Jesus? Jesus often felt sadness for the people of Israel (Mark 6:34). His friend, Lazarus, died. His friend, Judas, betrayed Him. And Isaiah 53 tells us that Jesus went through terrible pain and suffering on the cross.

Remember our smile and frown? During these times, Jesus was not smiling on the outside (hold up the boomerang again like a frown), but inside, it was a different story (hold up the smile). Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us keep looking to Jesus... He paid no attention to the shame of the cross. He suffered there because of the joy he was looking forward to.”

This verse says that Jesus looked past the pain and shame of the cross because of the joy He looked forward to. What joy was He looking forward to? Bringing us to God! Jesus endured the pain of the cross so that He could experience the great joy of bringing you and me to God!

Joy In Us

As believers in Jesus, we have God’s Holy Spirit living inside of us. We are filled with the same Spirit that Jesus was filled with. Our relationship with God is even better than that of Moses! Moses came face to face with God, which is incredible, but we have God’s Spirit living inside of us, which is even better! (John 16:7) And just like Jesus did, we can go to God at all times to pray and get to know Him more. We can know God just as Jesus did! We can be filled with the same joy that Jesus is filled with!

Remember, joy is deep in our hearts. Joy does not depend on what is happening to us – it stays in us no matter what! Even when Jesus knew He had to die on the cross, He still had joy. And we can be the same way! For instance, I’m not happy when I strike out in baseball or when my friends don’t treat me right. But I still have joy because I know that God is in control, and He can use every situation for my good (Romans 8:28).

Out of all the fruits of the Spirit, joy seems to be the one that is most often overlooked. We always talk about how important it is to love people, be kind, and be peaceful, but we rarely talk about joy. But joy is very important because it is the easiest fruit for people to see, and people are attracted to joy when they see it. When people see joy in you, they will want to know why you are joyful.

Most likely, our face won’t glow like Moses’ did. But when we are full of God’s joy, people will be able to tell. When something bad happens, we won’t fall apart or look like this (show a terribly worried face) because we know that God is with us and He’s looking out for us. If we are full of joy, we can look like this (show a confident, peaceful face) even when things aren’t going just the way we think that they should. No matter what “happens” we are confident in God. That is true joy.

Optional for Older Kids

Jesus told His disciples about a way to expand their joy – to make their joy even fuller. In John 15:10-12, Jesus says:

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have loved you. Now remain in My love. If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love. In the same way, I have obeyed My Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy will be in you. I also want your joy to be complete. Here is my command. Love each other, just as I have loved you.”

Jesus says that He loves us and He wants us to spend time with Him, know Him, and do what He tells us to do. Being with Him is how His joy is in us. And if we love others, our joy will be complete. Our joy will be it’s fullest when we take in Jesus’ love, and then share it with those around us. Last week we talked about love, the first fruit of the Spirit. Here, we see that one fruit leads to another: loving each other leads to the most complete joy!

Illustration: Joy works something like this. Set up your cups and water jug. Have the cup without holes sitting on a table, hold the cup with holes in one hand, and hold the jug in the other. Make sure you are holding the cup with holes directly above the other cup. Spending time with God fills us up with joy, like this jug fills up this cup with water. Pour water into the cup you are holding. But we cannot just keep all our joy to ourselves! It leaks out of us and fills up others, just like the cup in my hand is filling up the other one. But what happens if we stop spending time with God? Stop pouring the water. Not only do we stop being filled with joy, but the other people around us are not filled up either. We cannot make joy on our own – all true joy comes from God! When you are filled with His joy, it will spill out to others, and your joy will be complete.

Romans 15:13 says, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Key Verse: (God,) You will fill me with joy when I am with You. – Psalm 16:11b

PPT Cue: Main Point

Main Point: Joy comes from being with God.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

3. Peace (Galatians 5:22)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Peace comes from knowing that God is in control.

Key Verse: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! – Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Props: An easel, a few markers; optional: hamster or gerbil

Background/Review

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Say: For the past couple of weeks, we have been talking about the fruit of the Spirit. Can anyone tell me what the fruit of the Spirit are? Listen for answers. That’s right! “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)” The fruit of the Spirit are some of God’s characteristics. They grow in us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. So far, we have talked about love and joy.

Last week, we saw how Jesus had joy even in the most difficult part of His life here on earth. He had this joy because He was never separated from God, His Father. Today, we are going to talk about peace.

Intro

Say: I need a few volunteers today. I have an easel and some markers with me. Can I get some volunteers to come up and draw what peace looks like for you? Choose two or three volunteers. Just draw a picture of what you think peace looks like. Thank volunteers and have them sit down when they finish. Ask group if they agree with these pictures.

Say: I once heard a story where a teacher asked some students to do what our volunteers just did – to draw a picture of what they think peace looked like. One student drew a picture of a large field. Another drew a picture of a sunset. But one student drew a picture of a huge, raging waterfall, with gallons of water crashing on the rocks below. Does that sound peaceful to you? What made the picture peaceful was that above the waterfall, there was a bird sound asleep in its nest! Even though there was danger below, the bird knew he was safe in the tree branch that held him – he was at peace.

PEACE

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So what is peace? Some people would say that peace is the opposite of war, when there is no fighting or violence. There is peace in our homes when nobody is arguing or fighting. That is having peace with others. There are two other types of peace.

There is also peace with God. When Adam and Eve started out in the Garden of Eden, they had peace with God. They walked with Him and spent time with Him (Genesis 3:8a). But when Adam and Eve chose to sin by trusting Satan instead of God, the peace that they had with God was broken (Genesis 3:10). The Bible says every person has sinned (Romans 3:23), and every person has lost the peace that God wanted to have with him or her (Isaiah 57:21).

But God wanted to restore the peace we had with Him, so He promised to send a Savior to restore that peace (Genesis 3:15).

The Savior that God promised was Jesus! God fulfilled His promise when He sent Jesus, His Son, to earth. The prophet Isaiah called Jesus the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Anyone who believes in Jesus is made right with God; their peace with God is restored!

“There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” – Acts 10:36b NLT

Thirdly, there is peace within our own hearts. This is something we deal with every day, so this is what we’ll talk about the most today. We have peace in our hearts when we are not worried, upset, angry, or afraid. This is something that people may not be able to see on the outside, but we know it’s there on the inside. When we don’t have peace we feel sort of like this (do a hand motion to show unrest) on the inside. We think about all the things that can go wrong. Our mind races and our heart beats quickly. God does not want His people to live without peace in their hearts and minds.

Peace In Jesus

During His time on earth, Jesus restored peace everywhere He went. One day, after Jesus had been teaching parables to a large crowd, He and His disciples were on a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee. Suddenly, a huge, wild, raging storm appeared! The disciples of Jesus were terrified, but Jesus was so calm that He was asleep in the bottom of the boat. His disciples woke Him up because they were afraid they would drown in the storm (Mark 4:38, Luke 8:24).

“He got up and ordered the wind to stop. He said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down. And it was completely calm.” – Mark 4:39

Wow! Use your hands to show me what you think the water looked like during the storm. (Wave hands wildly.) Then what did it look like after Jesus spoke? (Make a smooth motion.) God loves to give us word pictures. Calming the raging sea was a picture of what Jesus can do to a person’s heart. Sometimes people feel stormy inside their hearts. (Wave hands wildly.) The disciples felt that way in the boat. These professional fishermen were so overwhelmed with fear that they didn’t know what to do. They were sure that they would drown in the storm. Jesus not only calmed down a huge storm outside, but He also brought peace to His disciples in their hearts. (Make a smooth motion.)

Optional for Older Kids

A little while later, a man named Jairus asked Jesus to come help his daughter. She was dying. On His way to help her, a huge crowd was following Jesus. In the crowd, there was a woman with a terrible disease. She came up behind Jesus and touched his clothes, because she believed that if she could touch Him, she would be healed. She touched him, and she was healed because of her faith (Luke 8:48)!

“‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. They all said they didn't do it. Then Peter said, ‘Master, the people are crowding and pushing against you.’ But Jesus said, ‘Someone touched me. I know that power has gone out from Me.’ The woman realized that people would notice her. Shaking with fear, she came and fell at His feet. In front of everyone, she told why she had touched Him. She also told how she had been healed in an instant. Then He said to her, ‘Dear woman, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.’” – Luke 8:45-48

Jesus truly blessed this woman. She came to Jesus very upset about her disease. She had been to every doctor, but no human being could help her. She was worried and upset about her condition. Jesus healed her body and took away her suffering. But then, she was worried that she might get in trouble for touching Him without asking. She was actually shaking with fear. Have you ever been so afraid or worried that your body was shaking on the outside? Shaking on the outside is a sure sign that someone is shaking on the inside! But Jesus did not want her to live in fear and worry! He called her front-and-center to let her know that she was not in trouble. He was very pleased with her. He told her to go in peace. Not only did this woman receive the healing she was looking for, but she also received peace from Jesus.

Jesus can bring us this kind of inward peace.

Peace In Us

When He was about to leave His disciples, Jesus told His followers, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.” (John 14:27a NLT) This peace stays with us even when we have something upsetting in our lives – like the raging waterfall under the sleeping bird.

For instance, what if my dad lost his job, and he didn’t know how we would pay our bills or buy food at the grocery store? That would be a pretty scary situation – I know I would tend to worry about that. But God does not want me to worry about it. He wants me to trust Him.

I want you to learn Romans 8:28a today. This verse is a promise from God, and God ALWAYS keeps His promises.

PPT CUE: Verse

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.

Repeat it after me. We know (We know) that in all things (that in all things) - God works (God works) - for the good (for the good) - of those who love Him (of those who love Him).

Let’s break this down:

We know. Does this mean we guess, we suppose? Maybe? No, we know. We are 100% certain.

That in all things. In how many things? Some things? Every once in a while? When God feels like it? In all things.

God. Who? You, or me, or your mom and dad? God. He is the focus – not us.

God works. What can God do? He can do anything! He is so powerful that He spoke and the Earth appeared. He spoke and the sun rose in the sky. He spoke and the human race began to breathe. He is all-powerful. When He works, watch out! Can anything stop God’s work? No way.

For the good: Is God good? Are the things He does good? Everything He does is very good!

Of those who love Him: Who is this talking about? It is each person who trusts Him! It is every person in the kingdom of God.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him. Our all-powerful, all-good God is in control. He won’t let anything happen to one of His kids that is not what’s best for them.

So, even if my dad loses his job, I do not have to worry about it. I can have peace knowing that God is working out the situation in the very best way for my family and me. Maybe He has a better job waiting for my dad. Maybe He wants us all to learn to trust Him more. I may not know what’s best, but God does. There are no surprises for God. No situation slips past Him. If I am worrying – if I don’t have inner peace – it’s because I don’t believe that God is able to take care of me, or I don’t believe that God wants to take care of me. If I am worried, I do not believe the promise of Romans 8:28.

But when I trust God and trust His promises, I won’t feel like this (motion) on the inside. When I trust God, I’ll have peace.

Optional: Bring in a hamster or gerbil. Hold him up for the class to see. I wish I could let this gerbil know that he has nothing to be afraid of while I’m holding him. Whenever I pick him up, I know that he’s afraid because he squirms and shakes, and his little heart is racing. I wish he knew that there’s no way that I would ever let anything happen to him. In fact, he’s way safer here in my hands than if I let him down to run around on his own. On his own, he could get lost or stepped on, or an animal outside might grab him. If he would just trust me, he could relax and have a really fun, peaceful ride while I carry him around.

Do you see how we are often like this little hamster? We worry and fret over things in our lives, while the entire time we should just relax because God is holding us in the palm of His hand.

Remember, Jesus was sleeping peacefully in the boat during that raging storm. The disciples panicked while Jesus slept. Jesus trusted His heavenly Father. Jesus knew that His dad had Him in the palm of His hand. Just like Jesus, we will have peace when we trust that God is in control of everything.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Key Verse: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You! – Isaiah 26:3 NLT

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: Peace comes from knowing that God is in control.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

4. Patience (Galatians 5:22)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: Patience is trusting God to keep His promises in His perfect timing.

Key Verse: Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. – Psalm 37:7a

Props: One over-the-top decorated doughnut

Background/Review

Say: This week we continue to study the fruits of the Spirit. By now, we should all know which verses tell us the fruit of the Spirit. Let’s say them together.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23

Last week we learned that peace comes from believing that God is in control of everything and that He only wants what is best for us. This week we will learn about a similar fruit of the Spirit, patience.

Intro

Say: Before we start, I have a question. Did anyone go without breakfast this morning? I have a fresh, tasty doughnut today that I would like to give away. Does anyone want my free doughnut? Choose a volunteer, and have them come up to the front. Okay. I promise to give you this doughnut. Do you believe me? Okay then. The only thing is, I can’t give it to you just yet. I will give it to you, just not right away. Have volunteer sit down. Occasionally mention the doughnut throughout the lesson.

Now, this is going to take some patience from our volunteer. What is patience? Patience is being willing to wait for something without being annoyed or restless. You can even think of patience as waiting for something with a good attitude. You have to be patient when you wait for your brother or sister to finish playing with a toy or video game that you want to use. You have to be patient when you wait for a teacher to give you a doughnut. Those things usually only take a few minutes, but could you ever be patient enough to wait for something for 120 years?

In Genesis 6, God told Noah that He was planning to flood the earth because the people living at that time had become so evil. The Bible tells us that everyone in the world except Noah and his family were always thinking of evil and violence, and God was sad that He had made them (Genesis 5:7). God warned Noah that the flood was coming and told him to build a giant boat called an ark that Noah and his family could stay in while God flooded the earth. God also told Noah to take along a male and female of every animal and bird so that there would be animals alive after the flood. (Genesis 5:11-20)

God told Noah that there would be a flood, but God also chose to wait 120 years to send it! That’s longer than anyone lives today! Imagine if you had to wait for something for more than a century. That is an incredible amount of time to wait. It would take incredible patience for Noah to wait that long.

Did Noah ever get tired of waiting? Did he ever say, “I’ve been waiting for years and I haven’t even seen any clouds! I’m not building this ark!”? Or did he ever say, “All my neighbors think I’m crazy for building this ark. Now I feel silly. What a waste of time. I don’t think there is going to be any flood.” No! Noah never got impatient. Noah never gave up because he believed God’s promise that there would be a flood and that God would protect him and his family. So he obeyed God and he waited the entire 120 years until God finally said it was time to get on the ark. And on top of that, Genesis 7:10 says that after they got on the ark, they waited another week before the rain started. Clearly, Noah and his family had amazing patience to wait on the Lord. Noah had patience because he knew that God ALWAYS keeps His promises, and God’s timing is perfect.

Additional for Older Kids

Numbers 21:4-6 tells us about some people who were not patient. Many generations after Noah, God had led His people out of slavery in Egypt. He saved them from Pharaoh’s army and made great promises to them. But they were impatient and they complained - a lot! They wanted everything that God promised, right away. God was very angry that they demanded things from Him. His timing is perfect; He knows when to do everything. It is a lack of trust to be impatient with God.

Look at volunteer. Hey, by the way, did I mention how fresh and ooy-gooy this doughnut is?

Patience In Jesus

As with all the fruit of the Spirit, we see a perfect example of patience in Jesus. Remember that Jesus was 100% man, but he was also 100% God (John 1:1-14). When Jesus was on earth, He waited to reveal that He was the Son of God. He did not immediately start telling everyone who He was. Jesus’ disciples and His family often wondered why Jesus waited to reveal who He was (John 7:3-5). But Jesus always had a good reason for waiting. Jesus only did what God told Him to do (verse), and God’s time for Jesus to tell who He was had not come yet. For example, Mark 1:1-40 says:

A man who had a skin disease came to Jesus. On his knees he begged Jesus. He said, “If you are willing to make me clean, you can do it.” Jesus was filled with deep concern. He reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing to do it,” He said. “Be clean!” Right away the disease left him. He was healed. Jesus sent him away at once. He gave the man a strong warning. “Don't tell this to anyone,” He said. “Go and show yourself to the priest. Offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. It will be a witness to the priest and the people that you are clean.” But the man went out and started talking right away. He spread the news to everyone. So Jesus could no longer enter a town openly. He stayed outside in lonely places. But people still came to Him from everywhere.

In this passage, a man with a skin disease went to Jesus begging Him to heal his disease. This man had faith that Jesus could heal him, and Jesus did. Jesus did a kind and amazing thing for this man. Would it have been easy for Jesus to let this man go tell everyone what He did, and take the credit? It sure would have. In fact, Jesus deserved to be praised for this miracle. But Jesus knew that it was not time for Him to receive praise for His miracles yet. Jesus trusted His Father’s plan completely. He knew God wanted Him to wait, and He had the patience to wait for God’s timing, so He told the man not to tell anyone about the miracle. Sadly, the man disobeyed Jesus. The healed man did not have the patience not to tell everyone about the miracle, and because of this, Jesus could no longer enter towns without it being a secret. The man’s lack of patience ended up getting in the way of Jesus’ ministry.

Look at the doughnut. By the way, I wonder if they had doughnuts like this back in Bible times.

Patience In Us

Say: Our volunteer sure has been waiting a long time for that doughnut! I know it must have taken patience to wait this long. I think it’s been long enough – come get your doughnut! Have volunteer come get doughnut. Isn’t it a great feeling to finally get something you’ve been waiting for? We all love when someone keeps their promise to us. The best part of this fruit of the Spirit is that when we patiently wait on God’s promises, He always keeps them (Numbers 23:19)!

James 5:7-10 tells us to be patient. It says:

Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient he is for the fall and spring rains. You too must be patient. You must stand firm. The Lord will soon come back. Brothers and sisters, don't find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. As you know, we think that people who don't give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern.

This passage says that people who are patient are blessed, like a farmer who waits for his plants to grow and produce great vegetables. If he just gives up and quits caring for his plants, there will be no crop! But when you are patient, and faithfully do what you are supposed to do, you will always be blessed!

But what does it look like to be patient when you are in (4^th and 5^th) grade? It could be having a good attitude waiting for your turn on the swings at recess. Or it could be not giving up on a friend that you want to know Jesus. Or maybe you could be patient by not being angry that your dad has not found a job yet. Be patient in these kinds of things, and God will bless you!

Teacher, insert a personal story of waiting patiently – or a story of your being impatient! If you have a story from when you were a child, that would be great. When you are impatient, bad things happen. And when you are patient, you will be blessed.

There is an old saying that says, “Good things come to those who wait.” We know lots of very good promises in the Bible that are worth waiting for. Some of these are: God will supply all of your needs (Philippians 4:19), God will give you wisdom (James 1:5), God will get rid of all sadness one day (Revelation 21:4), and Jesus will come back to Earth (John 14:2-3).

If you become impatient about these promises, you are actually saying one of two things. Either you don’t believe that God always keeps His promises, or you don’t believe that God’s timing is perfect. But does God know best? Of course He does! He knows everything, and He will keep His promises at just the right time. If we believe this, if we have faith, then we will be patient like Noah and like Jesus. God has given you His Holy Spirit to remind you of His truth so that you can be patient in all things.

PPT Cue: Key Verse

Key Verse: Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. – Psalm 37:7a

PPT Cue: Main Point

Main Point: Patience is trusting God to keep His promises in His perfect timing.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

5. Goodness (Galatians 5:22)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: We should keep our thoughts on God’s goodness.

Key Verse: Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things. - Philippians 4:8

Props: An apple and some mud or dirt

Background/Review

Who can list the fruits of the Spirit that we have learned about over the past 4 weeks? Love, joy, peace, and patience. These are the fruits of whose Spirit? They are the fruit of God's Spirit. When we believe in Jesus, God's Holy Spirit lives in us, and His characteristics grow in us and show in us.

Intro

Say: Today, we’re going to have a little history lesson, but it’s a story you all have probably heard before. It’s a very, very old story – in fact, it’s the very first story there is! I’m talking about the story of creation, when God created the world and everything in it. Let’s look at Genesis 1, the very first chapter in the Bible.

PPT CUE: Video

Option #1: Play YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQBFuA5dlqI&feature=related

Teacher, read verses as they appear on screen. Every time the word “good” appears, point to kids and have them say “good.”

Option #2: Read the verses without showing video:

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth didn't have any shape. And it was empty. Darkness was over the surface of the ocean. At that time, the ocean covered the earth. The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

God said, "Let there be light." And there was light. God saw that the light was good. He separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:1-4

Stop right there and look at that last verse again. What did God think about the light that He made? It was good! God made light, and saw that it was good! I’m going to keep reading and we’re going to see more about what God thought of His creation. I need your help. Each time I point at you, I want you to yell the word “good” as loud as you can! Let’s practice. When I point to you, yell, “good!” Read Genesis 1:6-31. Throughout the passage, each time God calls His creation, “good,” point to the kids and have them yell, “good!”

God saw all of His creation, and thought it was not just good, but very good! But sadly, things did not stay very good for long. In Genesis 3, we learn that Adam and Eve, the first people, chose to listen to Satan instead of God. Satan told them that God was a liar and that they shouldn’t obey Him. Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, so they disobeyed God. This was sin. Sin ruins everything. Soon God’s good creation was spoiled.

Goodness Shown In Jesus

Say: But we also know that is not the end of the story. God loved us too much to let us stay in sin, separated from Him. Instead, He sent His son Jesus to bring us back to Him. When He was here, Jesus showed goodness to every single person He met. Jesus was just like His Father in every way (John 14:9), so everything about Jesus was good, because everything about God is good. There are many, many examples of Jesus’ goodness in the Bible, and I encourage you to read about them for yourself.

One of these examples is in Matthew 4:23-25. These verses say. “People brought to Him all who were ill with different kinds of sicknesses. Some were suffering great pain. Others were controlled by demons. Some were shaking wildly. Others couldn’t move at all. And Jesus healed all of them (Matt 4:24).” In a world full of sickness and pain, Jesus brought goodness. These verses also say that Jesus was healing so many people that huge crowds followed Him around (Matt 4:25). Jesus’ goodness was so great that crowds of people followed Him to be blessed by it!

Mark 2:1-12 tells another amazing story of Jesus’ goodness. One day Jesus was preaching inside a house in a town called Capernaum, and there was a huge crowd filling the house and overflowing to the outside. Some other men came to the house carrying their friend who was paralyzed on a mat. Mark 2:4-5 says, “But they could not get him close to Jesus because of the crowd. So they made a hole in the roof above Jesus. Then they lowered the man through it on a mat. Jesus saw their faith. So he said to the man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Wow! Jesus just forgave a man’s sins because his friends had faith in Him! That by itself is an amazing story, but there is more. Mark 2:6-12 goes on to say:

Some teachers of the law were sitting there. They were thinking, “Why is this fellow talking like that? He's saying a very evil thing! Only God can forgive sins!”

Right away Jesus knew what they were thinking. So He said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Is it easier to say to this man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’? Or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.”

Then Jesus spoke to the man who could not walk. “I tell you,” He said, “get up. Take your mat and go home.”

The man got up and took his mat. Then he walked away while everyone watched. All the people were amazed. They praised God and said, “We have never seen anything like this!”

This was a wonderful day for the paralyzed man! Jesus healed his body and restored his ability to walk, which is what he probably came for. But even better and more importantly, Jesus forgave the man’s sins! The man was no longer separated from God! I can’t imagine how Jesus could have shown any more goodness to him.

Goodness In Us

PPT CUE: Key Verse

Say: Just like all the other fruits of the Spirit, the Bible says we are to have goodness in our lives and good actions for everyone to see. Read Philippians 4:8 with me.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, always think about what is true. Think about what is noble, right and pure. Think about what is lovely and worthy of respect. If anything is excellent or worthy of praise, think about those kinds of things.

This verse says we need to think about things that are “right,” “pure,” “excellent” – all these words mean “good.” What kind of good things do you think this verse is talking about? Is God’s creation a good thing? Yes! God’s creation is a wonderful thing to think about. But what about video games where you shoot people or TV shows that are full of fighting? Are those the kinds of good things we should think about? No. Those things are not noble or right or pure. Or what about math that you learn at school? Yes! All truth, even math, is God’s truth. What are some other good, right, pure things that we should spend time thinking about?

Why does the Bible say we should think about good things? Hold up an apple. Look at this apple. It is a good fruit, and if I wanted, I could eat it. It would be good for me because it’s a good fruit. But what if I got it dirty on the outside? Put dirt or mud on your apple. Would you want to eat this apple now? No! The apple is dirty now and I can’t eat it until I wash it off. This apple is like the Fruit of the Spirit, goodness, that we have been talking about. If you have goodness in your life, people can see it and they want the goodness you have. But if you spend all your time thinking about things that are not right, pure, or good, it’s like putting mud on the outside. Nobody wants your goodness if it’s coated in sin. Instead, think about good things like Philippians 4:8 says. Then, people will see the goodness in your life and it will point them to God – the source of all good things (James 1:17).

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: We should keep our thoughts on God’s goodness.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

6. Gentleness (Galatians 5:23)

Related Media

Lesson¹

PPT CUE

Main Point: We must be gentle toward others with our words and actions.

Key Verse: A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1

Props: A hammer, a board with a nail halfway through, a soccer ball, a baby chick.

Background/Review

Say: For the past few weeks, we have been studying the fruits of the Spirit. Can anyone name all the fruits of the Spirit, or tell me what verse we find them in?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. – Galatians 5:22-23

Who remembers which fruit we studied last week? Goodness. That’s right. We learned about how when God created the world, everything was good, and that after we sinned, Jesus came to earth to make everything good again. This week, we’ll look at gentleness.

Intro

PPT CUE

Say: Think for a second about how you handle different things. Do you treat every object the same? Let’s look at an example of what I’m talking about. Can I have a volunteer to come help me? Choose a volunteer and have them come up front. Here I have a hammer, a nail and a board. Do you know what you do with these things? Can you show me? Have the volunteer hammer the nail. Think about this hammer and this nail. When you’re hammering a nail, do you need to take care that you don’t break the hammer? Or do you hammer very softly, so that you don’t hurt the hammer or the nail? No! Your hammer is made to hit things. You don’t have to worry about it breaking. You can hammer with it has hard as you want, and the hammer will be just fine.

Will two more people come up to help me today? I have a soccer ball with me today. Who here likes to play soccer? Choose two more volunteers. Volunteers, do you two know what to do with a soccer ball? Can you please show us what you do with one? Have volunteers kick the ball back and forth. Now let me ask you two a question. Were you ever worried that you would hurt the ball when you kicked it? No! You’re supposed to kick a soccer ball. You never worry about breaking or hurting it.

But some things are different. Will one more person please volunteer to help me? Choose a last volunteer. I have something else with me today, something different than a hammer or a soccer ball. Hand the volunteer the baby chick. Look at this sweet chick. Would you ever treat it like our other examples? Would you ever bang it around like a hammer, or kick it around like the soccer ball? Of course not! You don’t treat a baby chick like those things! You hold a chick very carefully and with gentleness. You wouldn’t jerk it around, you would move slowly. You are gentle with some things, like this chick. Gentleness is when we act with kindness and care towards something.

Gentleness

PPT CUE

Say: It’s pretty easy to see the difference between how we can treat things rough or gentle with our hands. Now, let’s think about being gentle with our words. Last week we talked about when God created the Earth and everything in it. How did God create things? God spoke; He used His words! Just think about that for a second. God spoke, and there was dry ground. Guess what we are standing on right now? We are standing on that dry ground – on the word that God spoke! God spoke and created the trees. Who in here has ever climbed a tree? Did you know that you were climbing on the word of God? The book of Job says that God spoke and told the ocean just how far it is allowed to go up on the shore. Who has been to the beach and run back and forth as the tide goes in and out? Did you know you were running with the word of God?

Have God’s words lasted? Yes! They have lasted for thousands of years and will last forever more. Words are very powerful things. Today, I want you to realize that your words are powerful. Everyone say, “My words are powerful.” Did you know that a brother can say something when he is 9 years old (use age of your students) that can affect his brother or sister for the rest of their life? A word spoken to a child can cause that child to act a certain way even when he is all grown up. (Leader, share a story of something that someone said to you when you were a child – good or bad – that has affected you in some way.)

Who in here has a brother? Who in here has a sister? Who has a parent? Okay, so we all live with other people. We speak a lot of words to those people. Our words can be harsh or our words can be gentle.

PPT CUE: Key Verse

A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger. – Proverbs 15:1

Some words are mean. They can feel like a hammer striking our heart and mind. But some words can be gentle and kind. They feel more like they are gently petting our soul.

Gentleness In Jesus (John 8:1-11)

Say: Just like all the fruits of the Spirit, the perfect example of gentleness is Jesus.

(Teacher Alert: the nature of this woman’s sin was sexual, so we should not mention this to the kids. You may not even want to have the kids turn here this week. The main point, certainly, is Jesus’ response to her accusers.)

One day, Jesus was sitting in the Temple courtyard teaching a group of people. Some Pharisees and other leaders marched in with a woman who had been caught sinning. The leaders did not care about the woman. They were testing Jesus to see if He would follow the Law. The law said that they were allowed to throw stones at the woman to punish her. “What do You say?” they asked Jesus.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger.

They kept asking Him questions. So He stood up and said to them, "Has any one of you not sinned? Then you be the first to throw a stone at her."

He bent down again and wrote on the ground.

Those who heard what He had said began to go away. They left one at a time, the older ones first. Soon only Jesus was left. The woman was still standing there.

Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Hasn't anyone found you guilty?"

"No one, Sir," she said.

"Then I don't find you guilty either," Jesus said. "Go now and leave your life of sin." – John 8:6b-11

Wow. Wasn’t that a beautiful gentle answer? Jesus didn’t scold the Pharisees. He didn’t yell at the woman because of her sin. He was gentle with both. We could say that Jesus even had the right to be harsh with both the Pharisees and the woman. But He gave a gentle answer, and His gentle answer changed all of their hearts!

Gentlenesss In Us

Say: If Jesus’ gentle Spirit lives in us, then how should we speak to other people? Gently! No matter who we are talking to, we should use gentle speech.

You should know that even though someone may look pretty tough on the outside like this hammer (show hammer), on the inside, we are all tender and fragile like this chick (show chick).

Again, how would we treat the chick? Softly, slowly. carefully. Teacher: Write words on white board. So we should make sure the words that we speak are like that.

Speak softly - without raising your voice or shouting.
What does it mean to speak slowly? Did you know there is a Bible verse about this? James 1:19 says we should be quick to listen and slow to speak. That means really listen to what the other person is saying. Slow down and think before you speak so you won’t say something that you shouldn’t.
Speak carefully - with care. Do your words show that you care about the other person? Think before you speak – especially when you are frustrated or angry. It is far better not to say anything than to say something that is harsh or mean.

Remember Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.” Use your words to turn anger away. Use your words to compliment and encourage, to build each other up. Use your words so that 20 years from now, someone will have a story to tell about how your words affected their life in a very good way. Your words are powerful and they will last!

And as with all the fruits of the Spirit, you just have to hang out with Jesus for them to show in your life. Spend time reading His word. Pray to Him all throughout your day. Ask Him what you should say to others!

Key Verse: A gentle answer turns anger away. But mean words stir up anger.
Proverbs 15:1

PPT CUE: Main Point

Main Point: We must be gentle toward others with our words and actions.

Related Topics: Sanctification, Children, Children's Curriculum

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5. Jesus Heals the Official’s Son (John 4:43-54)

Lesson1

Background/Review

A Miracle

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6. Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind (John 9)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Sight For The Blind (John 9:1-12)

Brought Before The Pharisees (John 9:13-34)

Face To Face With The Savior (John 9:35-38)

Spiritual Blindness (John 9:39-41)

Note to Teacher on the Pharisees’ view of the Sabbath:2

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

7. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10)

Lesson1

Background/Review

The Good Shepherd (John 10:1-6)

THE GATE (John 10:7-21)

THE UNBELIEF OF THE JEWS (John 10:22-42)

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From the series: Jesus in John PREVIOUS PAGE

8. Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead (John 11:1-45)

Lesson1

Background/Review

The Death Of Lazarus (John 11:1-16)

Jesus Arrives In Bethany (John 11:17-36)

Jesus Raises Lazarus From The Dead (John 11:37-44)

From the series: Jesus in John PREVIOUS PAGE

From the series: Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

1. Love (Galatians 5:22)

Lesson1

Intro

Background/Review

Fruit Of The Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

Love

Love Shown In Jesus

How Do We Love

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From the series: Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

2. Joy (Galatians 5:22)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Intro

Joy

Joy Shown In Jesus

Joy In Us

Optional for Older Kids

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From the series: Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

3. Peace (Galatians 5:22)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Intro

PEACE

Peace In Jesus

Optional for Older Kids

Peace In Us

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From the series: Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

4. Patience (Galatians 5:22)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Intro

Additional for Older Kids

Patience In Jesus

Patience In Us

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From the series: Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

5. Goodness (Galatians 5:22)

Lesson1

Background/Review

Intro

Option #1: Play YouTube video:

Option #2: Read the verses without showing video:

Goodness Shown In Jesus

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Note to Teacher on the Pharisees’ view of the Sabbath:²

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹

Lesson¹