Lesson: The Godless

for Saturday 5 May 2012

Topic: The Way of the Wise, Lesson 8: “Fools: The Godless”

Teaching: Janice, Kathryn

Helping: Rachel

Driving: (both times) Jennifer

Note:

• Paul will be away for the weekend … I’ll phone Mr J and ask him to open the church for you at 9:30

Lesson: The Mocker

for Saturday 21 April 2012

Topic: The Way of the Wise, Lesson 6: “Fools: The Mocker”

Teaching: Paul, Kathryn

Helping: Maria, Josh

Driving: 10am: Tyler; 12pm: Nora

Extra Supplies:

• PJ: coloring sheet
• other supplies for activities (see p. 50)

Easter 2012 Lesson

for Saturday, 31 March 2012

Teaching: Janice, Alyssa

Helping: Janaya, Ally

Driving: 10am: Fran; 12pm: Sheila

Topic: Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus

Note:

• You may choose to teach all the kids together, or divide into two groups
• Please give black hairband (in CBS bin) to Lolo — she left it behind last time
• It’s a long lesson — feel free to summarize some parts, as you see fit

Key Verse: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11; NIV 84)

Extra Supplies:

• two coloring pages (Paul)
• any activity supplies?

Lesson

1. Garden

• From the time He was a baby, people had tried to kill Jesus, but it was not yet God’s time.
• “No one takes [my life] from me. I give it up myself. I have the authority to give it up. And I have the authority to take it back again. I received this command from my Father.” (John 10:18; NIRV)
• Today’s story begins after Jesus had taught as an adult for about three years.
• On a Thursday, Jesus ate a Passover meal with His students. Jewish people celebrate this feast once a year.
• One of the apostles named Judas went out.
• After eating, Jesus and His students sung a hymn, Jesus prayed, and they all walked to a hill called the Mount of Olives — a place they had met at often.
• In a grove of olive trees, Jesus spoke about a part of the Bible, and told them that they would all scatter away from Him that very night.
• They went to a garden on the side of the Mount, called Gethsemane. Jesus Christ told His students to sit down while He went with Peter, James, and John to a different spot to pray.
• He said to these three men, “My soul is very sad. I feel close to death. Stay here. Keep watch with me.”
• He went a little farther. Then he fell with his face to the ground. He prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering away from me. But let what you want be done, not what I want.”
• An angel appeared to give strength to Jesus. He was in agony, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
• Peter and the other two men were asleep when Jesus looked at them. He wished that they would stay alert with Him for even just one hour.
• Jesus prayed more, and returned to find the men sleeping again.
• He prayed the same prayer for the third time. When He returned to His students, He said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look! The hour is near. The Son of Man is about to be handed over to sinners. Get up! Let us go! Here comes the one who is handing me over to them!”

2. Arrested and Tried

• A betrayer is someone who only pretends to be your friend. Jesus’ betrayer was one of His students named Judas.
• Judas had made a plan with the Jewish leaders who hated Jesus so much that they wanted Him to be killed. These leaders paid Judas thirty silver coins so that he would help them find Jesus.

Roman silver denarius (left)

• Judas told the Jewish temple guards and Romans soldiers that he would lead them to Jesus and then kiss Jesus as a signal to show the murderers which of the men to grab and arrest.
• A kiss was a normal way to greet a friend, even as it still is today in some countries. It would not seem unusual to Jesus’ students, but it would secretly show let the Jewish officers know which one was Jesus.
• Judas knew that the Mount of Olives was a likely place to find Jesus and His followers. [John 18:2]
• While Jesus was still speaking, Judas arrived. He was one of the Twelve. A large crowd was with him. They were carrying swords and clubs.
• Judas went up to Jesus and said, “Hello Teacher!”
• Jesus answered with a question, “Judas, do you plan to betray me with a kiss?”
• Then Judas kissed Jesus.
• Jesus knew everything that was going to happen, so He stepped forward and asked the crowd, “Who are you looking for?”
• “Jesus from Nazareth,” they answered.
• He said, “I am he.”
• When He said this, they stepped back and fell! So Jesus asked them again, “Who are you looking for?”
• They said, “Jesus from Nazareth.”
• “I told you that I am he,” said Jesus, “So if you are looking for me, let these people with me go.”
• The crowd of men with weapons then arrested Jesus and tied Him up as their prisoner.
• Jesus could have called sixty-thousand angels to help Him! But instead He obeyed His Father even though it would mean suffering and death. Jesus knew from the Bible what needed to happen.
• Jesus spoke to the crowd: “Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me as though I were a robber?” [Mounce & Mounce translation.]
• “Every day I was with you,” He said, “teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the [prophesies in the] Scriptures must [come true].”
• All of the students of Jesus ran away, just like He had said they would.
• The gang of men took Jesus to the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas. [ KIE’ – AH – FASS ]
• The 71 most important Jewish law-makers gathered with other Jews to pretend to decide whether Jesus was innocent or guilty. They did not plan to be fair. The Bible says that they “were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death.”
• After some time, two people finally told a lie about Jesus that was fat and juicy, so Caiaphas stood up and said to Jesus, “Have you no answer to what these men have said?” (The lie was: “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’” (Mark 14:58))
• But Jesus was quiet.
• Caiaphas said to Him, “I order you to tell us if you are the anointed King, the Son of God.”
• “It is as you have said,” Jesus answered, “and you will see me sitting at the right hand of God.”
• This was the moment Caiaphas was waiting for – Jesus had said something amazing about Himself – that He was the prophesied king who would sit on the throne of David forever, and that He was the Son of God. Now Caiaphas felt he had a reason to start acting like a crazy animal to please the people, and help excite them into making a fuss big enough to wake up Jerusalem city.
• Caiaphas ripped his clothes and said, “Jesus has insulted God! You all heard it! Now what is your decision about whether he is guilty or not?”
• The people answered, saying, “He deserves to die!”
• They spat in Jesus’ face, hit Him, slapped Him, and teased Him. Even the officers slapped Him in the face. Some soldiers put a blindfold over Jesus’ eyes, hit Him, and said, “Tell us who hit you.”
• Early the next morning, all the important Jewish people in Jerusalem talked about how they might put Jesus to death. They tied Him up and led Him to the Roman ruler of the area around Jerusalem. His name was Pontius Pilate. The Jews needed to convince the Romans to kill Jesus, because, as they said to Pilate later, “It is against the law for us to kill anyone.”
• There is a prophecy in the Bible that the Christ would die on a cross. Since the Romans used crucifixion, Romans had to kill Jesus and not Jews, in order for this prophecy to come true. These wise Jewish rulers thought they were important men who were in charge of everything that happened. But really, they were just living lives that proved the Bible is true – this Bible that they had studied all their lives!

3. Pontius Pilate

• Inside his headquarters, Pontius Pilate said to Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
• “You say so,” Jesus replied. Then he said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But [now] my kingdom is from another place.”
• “You are a king, then!” said Pilate.
• Pilate went back outside to the Jewish people. They were standing outside, because they did not want to become “dirty” by going inside a non-Jewish home; yet their hearts were full of murder and lies!
• The leading Jewish men told Pilate a lot of lies about Jesus. For example, they said that He was trying to trick everyone in the nation. However, Jesus did not answer any of their accusations. This amazed Pontius Pilate.
• As a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
• Pilate asked the crowd of Jews, “What should I do with Jesus?”
• The crowd shouted together, “Let him be crucified!”
• “But what has he done wrong?” asked Pontius Pilate. “He has not done anything that deserves death.”
• Instead of answering, the crowd just shouted even louder, “Crucify him!”
• Not even one friend was standing beside our King Jesus. He was all alone.
• When Pilate saw that a riot was about to start, he took water and washed his hands so that all the crowd could see. While he did this, he said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood, […] It is your responsibility!”
• Pilate wanted to please the crowd

4. Abuse

• During the time of the Roman Empire, a whip that had pieces of metal in its cords was used to punish criminals. This whip was able to quickly rip a man’s skin off.
• Imagine a Roman soldier mauling a man with one of these whips until his officer orders him to stop because the man is almost dead.
• Jesus Christ was that man on the most important Friday that has ever happened in world history.
• Already badly wounded, Jesus was brought to the army headquarters in Jerusalem city, where about 600 Roman soldiers had gathered.
• These soldiers surrounded Jesus, hoping to have a fun time picking on Him and torturing Him. He was here because many of the Jewish people (who He had come to save) hated Him and wanted somebody to murder Him.
• These Roman soldiers dressed Jesus up as a pretend king, and they laughed about it. They took His clothes off, and dressed Him in a bright purplish-red cape. They twisted some thorns together to make a crown shape, and put it on His head. They also put a tall grass stick in His right hand as a fake rod for a king.
• Then some of them made fun of Jesus by kneeling down in front of Him and saying, “We salute the king of the Jews!”
• They spit on him, and took the [rod from his hand] and [hit] him on the head, [where the thorny crown was,] again and again. After they had [laughed at him], they took off the [cape] and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.
• Crucifying a man is a way of killing him by nailing or tying his hands and feet to a cross made of large wooden beams. The Romans figured that this the most shameful way to die, so this is how they usually punished non-Roman criminals.
• The Jews also knew about how shameful it was — they knew this from God’s law: Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed by God. (See Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13)
• The soldiers took Jesus to a place that was called the “Place of the Skull.” A crowd of people followed them, including women who loved Jesus and were crying. Two criminals were also being led to the same place, to be killed with Jesus.
• At the Place of a Skull, the soldiers gave Jesus some wine that was mixed with a disgusting ingredient. This might have been:
  • mucus from animal guts;
  • some poison with fungus scraped off a plant; or
  • a bitter white drug [myrrh] from a tree.
• Whatever it was, Jesus tasted it, and it was bitter, not sour like the common Roman wine. Then He refused to drink the rest of this awful wine.

5. The Cross

• At the Place of the Skull, the Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a wooden cross. The cross may not have looked like the [Latin] cross that we always see. The Bible does not tell us. We know it had a crosspiece, because he was ordered to carry it; however, the complete cross may have been in the shape of a capital ‘T.’
• Jesus spoke to God, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
• There was a sign above Jesus’ head, written by the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate, that told people the supposed crime Jesus had committed. It read, “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews,” in three different languages. The chief priests of the Jews did not like what this sign said, and asked Pilate to change the accusation that he had written on the sign.
• But, Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”
• The two robbers were also hung on crosses that Friday – one on each side of Jesus Christ.
• Some of the Roman soldiers arranged the clothes of Jesus into five piles, and played a game with straws of different lengths to decide who would get the different parts. King David had already prophesied that this would happen.
• People walked by and insulted Jesus, shaking their heads at Him. They said, “If you are the Son of God, then come down from the cross!” But Jesus always obeyed God; He did not do what people suggested.
• The ruling Jewish priests were also mocking Jesus: “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself!” … some of these priests would eventually believe on Jesus and became Christians! [Acts 6:7.]
• Even the robbers who were suffering on the crosses beside Jesus were taunting Him. Later, one of them understood the truth, and changed his words.
• Then, for three hours there was darkness over all the land – there was no light coming from the sun.
• Jesus cried in a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you left me alone?” This is something that king David had written in a song that is in the Bible. (Psalm 22.)
• Jesus cried out once more, saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit,” and, “It is finished.”
  
• Then He could not breathe any more, and the King of the Jews bowed His head and died.
• At that moment, the earth shook and rocks broke. Graves opened up and the dead bodies of many of God’s children woke up.
• All of this frightened the soldiers who were keeping watch over Jesus, and their commander said, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
• The people standing around Jesus returned to the city in fear.
• From a distance, many women who had looked after Jesus during His life were watching. A woman name Mary Magdalene was among them.

6. Tomb

• Another follower of Jesus, named Joseph (from Arimathea), was actually a member of the Jewish council, but he had not agreed with their decision to have Jesus crucified.
• Joseph was rich, and he owned a brand new tomb in a garden near the “Place of a Skull” where the Roman soldiers had crucified Jesus. Joseph had cut this tomb into a rock.
• After Jesus died, as the sun went down in the sky, Joseph went to the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus Christ.
• This surprised Pontius Pilate! Was Jesus already dead? Pilate asked the Roman commander in charge of the crucifixion if Jesus had been dead for long.
• When the commander [centurion] said that Jesus was dead, Pilate ordered soldiers to allow Joseph to have the dead body.
• Since the Jewish Sabbath day of rest was soon upon them, Joseph did not want to carry Jesus very far, so he would put Jesus in the newly cut tomb because it was nearby.
• Joseph took Jesus down from the cross.
• A man named Nicodemus was with Joseph, and had about seventy-five pounds of funeral spices. Nicodemus was also a Jewish teacher who had secretly believed in Jesus. Joseph and Nicodemus wrapped the body in strips of clean and expensive linen cloth, along with the spices. This was the usual thing for Jewish people to do before burying a dead body in a grave.
• The two men laid the body of Jesus in the new tomb. Then Joseph rolled a large stone across the door of the tomb, and they left.
• Two women were sitting across from the tomb, and they were watching carefully where Jesus was laid. Both women were named Mary, and one of them was Mary Magdalene. They went home to prepare some spices for the burial of Jesus; however, they planned to rest on the Sabbath (Saturday).
• The next day, which was Saturday, the leaders of the Jews went together to Pontius Pilate. “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while [Jesus] was still alive that [liar] said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and [pretend] that he has been raised from the dead.”
• Pilate said to them, “Take soldiers with you and make the tomb as secure as possible.”
• So, they went to the tomb, sealed the stone that was over the door, and posted soldiers to guard it.
• They “sealed the stone” by pouring warm wax over both the stone door and the rock doorway. Then, they imprinted a name into the wax while it was still soft. This way, if someone rolled the stone away to steal the body of Jesus, the hardened wax seal would break, proving that somebody had moved the stone. Nobody would be able to make a new seal with the same signature imprinted on it.

7. Sunday Morning

• The Sabbath rest was over [i.e., sunset Saturday night], and the two women named Mary who had watched Jesus being laid in the tomb, along with a third woman named Salome [Sah-LOW’-me], purchased some spices and oil.
• As the sun began to rise early Sunday morning, they went to the tomb so that they could anoint the body of Jesus with the oil, but they were wondering who would roll away the stone for them.
• Mary Magdalene saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance! So, she ran to the apostles Peter and John, and said, “They have taken the Lord Jesus out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” Mary and the others did not yet understand the scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
• Peter and John ran to the tomb — John got there first.
• John bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there, but he didn’t go in.
• When Peter arrived, he went into the tomb.
• He saw the strips of linen lying there, and also the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head (a handkerchief or face cloth) — the cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen.
• Then John also went inside, and saw what Peter saw. Then they both went back home.
• Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
• She bent over and looked into the tomb. She saw two angels dressed in white, sitting where Jesus’ body had been.
• “Woman, why are you crying?”
• “They have taken my Lord away,” she said. “I don’t know where they have put him.”
• Mary turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t realize that it was Jesus.
• “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
• She thought he was the gardener: “Sir, did you carry him away? Tell me where you put him. Then I will go and get him.”
• Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
• She turned toward him, and cried out “Rabboni!” (Teacher).
• Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me. I have not yet returned to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in me. Tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ “
• Mary Magdalene went to the apostles. “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them what he had said.

8. Two Bribes and One Lie

• Meanwhile, some of the soldiers who had guarded the tomb went into Jerusalem city, and told the Jewish leaders that an angel of God had rolled away the stone, and Jesus was no longer in the tomb!
• The Jewish leaders gave money to these soldiers who had seen the angel roll away the stone, and commanded them to tell a lie – they told them to say, “We fell asleep in the night, and Jesus’ disciples came and stole His body from the tomb while we were sleeping.”
• The soldiers were probably happy to get the money, but they were worried that the Roman governor might hear this lie and think that they had fallen asleep when they were supposed to be guarding the tomb! However, the Jewish leaders had a plan for that as well.
• They said to the soldiers, “If Pontius Pilate hears about this, we will bribe him so that you will not get into trouble.”
• Those soldiers who had guarded the tomb took the money from the Jewish rulers, and went and told the lie about what happened. When Matthew wrote his part of the Bible about thirty years later, he said that this lie was still being told among the Jews!

9. Two Christians on the Road

• On that same Sunday, two Christian men were walking to a village in the country, about eleven kilometers from Jerusalem. They were talking about the arrest and execution of Jesus, and everything that had happened in Jerusalem.
• The risen Lord Jesus came to them and began walking with them. He looked different from how He appeared to Mary and the other women. One part of the Bible says that these men’s eyes were kept from recognizing Him.
• “What things are you talking about?” Jesus asked them.
• The two men stopped. They looked sad.
• One of them, named Cleopas [CLEE’-ah-pass], answered, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem [for the Passover] who does not know what things have happened these past few days?”
• “What things?” Jesus said.
• They said, “Things about Jesus from Nazareth, who was a prophet. He was mighty in everything He did before God and before people. We were hoping that He was the Christ sent to Israel, but our Jewish leaders had Him arrested and crucified. It is now the third day since this happened.”
• “What’s more,” they continued, “some women from our group of friends have told us something strange. They went to the tomb early this morning and could not find Jesus’ body. They said they even saw angels who told them He was alive.”
• So Jesus said to them, “You foolish people… you are so slow to believe what the prophets said!”
• Then Jesus taught Cleopas and his friend. He explained many things that Moses, Samuel, David, Micah, Isaiah, and other prophets had written long before Jesus was even born.
• When they got near their village, the two men begged Jesus to stay with them, because it was getting dark.
• So, Jesus went into one of their houses with them, and sat down by a table. He gave some bread to the men. As He did this, “their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.”
• After He vanished, they were surprised that they had not realized all along that this was Jesus. They said to each other, “It even felt like our hearts were on fire while He talked to us, and helped us understand the Bible!”
• They immediately went back to Jerusalem, where they found the believers there gathered together in a locked room.
• They said, “It is true! The Lord has risen […]“
• They told the men everything that had happened, and how they had recognized Jesus when He gave the bread to them.

10. More Appearances

• While the two men who had just arrived from the village were still talking, Jesus appeared right in the middle of the room with all the apostles and believers.
• “Peace be with you,” Jesus said.
• This scared them, and they thought they were seeing a ghost.
• “Why are you upset?” asked Jesus, “And why are you doubting what you see? Look at my hands! My feet! It is me! Touch me and see that I am not a ghost. Ghosts do not have flesh and bones.”
• They were confused, happy, and amazed.
• “Do you have anything to eat?” Jesus asked.
• They gave Him a piece of cooked fish, and He ate it while they all were watching.
• Jesus said to them, “What is happening is everything that was already written about me by Moses, by the prophets, and in the Psalms. It all needed to happen.”
• Then Jesus gave them the ability to understand the scriptures [the Bible]. He said, “It is written that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead on the third day. Good news about His work is to be announced, first in Jerusalem, and then to all the world.”
• Eight days later, Jesus came back to them in the same house, appearing in the middle of the locked room. This time the apostle named Thomas was with them, who had missed the first visit, and therefore still did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead.
• He said to Thomas, “Touch my hands with your finger. Believe!”
• Thomas said to Jesus, “My Lord, and my God!”
• Peter and some of the other men eventually went to Galilee.
• One day, they went up a mountain, and into a building, which was probably a home of one of Jesus’ followers. There, sitting at a table, they saw Jesus.
• They worshiped Him, but some of them were not sure what to do.
• Jesus shamed them for refusing to believe the report of others who had seen Him.
• He appeared to them again when they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. [He helped them catch fish, made a fire, and ate fish and bread with them.]
• Sometime after this, Jesus visited more than five hundred Christians at the same time.
• Jesus appeared to Christians at different times and places for forty days before He went to heaven and sat down at God’s right hand.
• He told His apostles that everyone who believes the teaching of the good news about Him and is baptized will be saved. He said that He will always be with them.

11. Jesus Is Taken Up Into Heaven

• During the 40 days that the risen Jesus appeared to believers, he spoke about God’s kingdom and gave orders to the apostles he had chosen
• One day, Jesus led them out to Bethany (on the east side of the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem by about two miles)
• While everybody ate, Jesus told them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
• “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you… Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the rest of the world.”
• After Jesus said this, he lifted up his hands and blessed the apostles
• While he blessed them, he was taken up to heaven. The apostles watched until a cloud hid him from their sight.
• [from NIRV] While he was going up, they kept on looking at the sky. Suddenly two men dressed in white clothing stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. But he will come back in the same way you saw him go.”
• So, the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives
• “When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying.”
• As Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit came to all the believers about ten days after He had ascended. (Acts 2.) They were “baptized” with the Holy Spirit, which means that they were washed clean, and received power from the Holy Spirit.

12. Jesus Current Work in Heaven

• he is the King of heaven and earth on God’s behalf; (Matthew 28:18; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28; Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 3:22)
• he is helping those who call on his name; (Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:25)
• “interceding”: Jesus is continually talking to God about us, and is saving people and leading them to God; (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)
• Jesus is defeating evil powers and teachers
• He is giving gifts to his people (Ephesians 4:9-16), including the Holy Spirit

13. Jesus’ Second Coming

• Jesus will return in His resurrection body, coming with the clouds of heaven, to save those who are waiting for him
• Everybody will see him return to the earth, including those who have already died
• We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet
• Those believers who have died already will rise from their graves
• After that, the believers who are still alive will be “caught up together with them”
• we will be taken up in the clouds and meet the Lord Jesus in the air
• Jesus will judge the world
• He will give glory to God’s children
• He will deliver the kingdom and become subject to the Father
• Nobody knows the time of Jesus’ return — he said, “No one knows about that day or hour. Not even the angels in heaven know. The Son does not know. Only the Father knows.” (Matthew 24:36; NIRV)

14. The New Kingdom

• Read Revelation 21:10 – 22:6 (NIRV)

Lesson Reminder

for Saturday, 3 March 2012

Topic: Prodigal Son

Teaching: (guest) Mrs. Sarah

Helping: Carolyn & Andrew, Paul

Driving: (both times) Adam/Cheryl

Extra Supplies:

• Paul will bring a coloring page
• Paul will bring more juice and iced tea mix
• TBD: activity/craft

Lesson: Wisdom and Foolishness

for Saturday, 18 February 2012

Topic: “The Way of the Wise” Lesson 3: Wisdom and Foolishness

Teaching: Alyssa, Paul

Helping: Maria, Ally

Driving: 10am: Fran; 12pm: Aren/Mary

Key Verse: “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.” (Proverbs 10:23)

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; Acts 4:32 – 5:10; James 3:17; Proverbs 10:23; 20:11; Psalm 112:1

Extra Supplies:

• Visuals from resource pack (in box in library)
• Banner (rolled up in storage room)
• Student workbooks (in box in library)
• Paul will bring: parent resource sheet
• Ally: do you have a basketball you could bring?
• Lorene will be getting more pickles; also cream puffs for one lesson
• Paul will get more stickers (small)
• Paul, Alyssa: any materials for lesson

Notes:

• Alyssa: I will make sure you get your e-copy of the lessons
• Lorene and I talked about the new curriculum — it might be more difficult for the younger kids — we could take grade 1 and younger into Little Lambs and teach them simple Bible stories

Lesson: Jesus, The Sure Foundation

for Saturday, 4 February 2012

Topic: “The Way of the Wise” Lesson 1: Jesus, the Sure Foundation

Teaching: Lorene, Janice

Helping: Rachel, Ally

Driving: (both times) Ben

Memory Verse: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Scriptures: Matthew 7:24-27; Romans 5:12, 18-19; 1 Corinthians 3:11

Extra Supplies:

• Visuals from resource pack (in box in library)
• Banner (in a tube above shelves in the library)
• Student workbooks (in box in library)
• Can somebody pls bring a basketball?
• Envelope
• Paul will bring: parent resource page (“a note to parents”) and parent resource sheet
• Etc (See Lorene, Janice)

Notes:

• We need to find a place to hang the banner for each lesson
• We will hand out workbooks to regular students today; these are in a box in the library; please collect them and return them to the box after

Lesson: Christmas Story in Luke

for Saturday, 17 December 2011

Teaching: Alyssa, Paul

Helping: Julie & Carolyn, Laura Janice?

Driving: 10am: Cheryl/Adam; 12pm: Sheila

Scriptures: Luke 1-2

Lesson Topics:

PART 1: A Young Couple — The angel had amazing news for this young woman of Nazareth.

PART 2: Working Men — These tough, hard-working men were not the kind to imagine the appearance of angels. What they heard and saw was no dream. At Bible School, we deal with real facts and important issues.

Extra Supplies:

• Paul will bring a coloring page
• Christmas tree
• dress-up clothes

Notes:

• last week the lesson was Matthew 1-2, and we focused on the prophecies of Christ, the wise men, and king Herod
• Alyssa, I will send you lesson text
• will make snowflakes?

Lesson: Christmas Story in Matthew

for Saturday, 10 December 2011

Teaching: Janice, Josie

Helping: Maria, Rachel (Rachel will find somebody else)

Driving: Kim

Scriptures: Matthew 1-2

Lesson Topics:

PART 1: “God with Us” — A child with a remarkable ancestry is born in Bethlehem. His mother is a virgin and His name means ‘God with us.’ Matthew proves from the Old Testament that all this points to the fact that Jesus was none other than the Son of God, born to be the Savior of the world.

PART 2: the Wise Men and King Herod — Two completely opposite reactions to the coming of the Savior raise questions for us.

Extra Supplies:

• Paul will bring a  coloring page
• ?? bring supplies for gingerbread houses

Lesson: Guest Speaker

for Saturday, 3 December 2011

Teaching: Mr. Nap

Helping: Janaya, Julie & Carolyn

Driving: Aren

Memory Verse: n/a

Scriptures: TBD

Extra Supplies:

• Paul will bring a  coloring page
• TBD pending Mr. Nap topic

Notes:

• Mr. Nap might choose a topic that connects what we have studied (Moses, spies into Canaan, etc.) with advent

Lesson: More Miracles and Parables

for Saturday, 7 May 2011

entire-lesson-two-column.PDF

Volunteers: Colleen, Paul, Josie

Driving: Nora

Scripture: John 9, 10

Extra Supplies:

• coloring pages (Paul): “Jesus helps a blind man see,” and “I am the good shepherd”
• supplies for activity: dry-erase marker (Paul)

Outline

• (10:00am) Pray together
• Sing
  
• Lesson — (see below)
  
• Activity — (see below)
• (11:00 am) snack and break
  
• (11:20 am) two-team review [see below] relay game
• stickers (in bin)
• Sing
• Pray: [Colleen]
• (11:50 am) tidy

Lesson

a) Introduction [Paul]

• Jesus was in Jerusalem
• (There is a map of the city in our flip-pad) Remind the kids some of the locations they know in Jerusalem: Golgotha, Bethany & Gethsemane, etc.

Click to enlarge

• The Jews had decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be kicked out of the synagogue (Jewish place of gathering and worshiping)
• In case you forgot, the Pharisees were religious Jews who were very strict about a lot of things — not necessarily things that they ought to have been strict about. There were Pharisees in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus.

b) one born blind [Colleen]

• [Most word and phrase choices based on NIRV text]
• It was a Sabbath day — the seventh day of the week, so Jews in Jerusalem were resting to honor the day that God made holy.
• Jesus saw a man who had been blind since he was born.
• Jesus’ disciples asked: “Teacher, why is this man blind? Was he born blind because he sinned, or because his parents sinned?”
• “It isn’t because he sinned or because his parents sinned. This happened so that God’s work could be shown in his life.”
• “It is important to work in the daytime before darkness comes — in the same way, we must do God’s work before the night comes and nobody can work.”
• “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
• Jesus spit on the dusty ground, and made some mud with the spit.
• Jesus put the mud on the blind man’s eyes.
• “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam,” Jesus said to the man.
• (Show Siloam on the map)
• The man did what Jesus said — he went to the Pool of Siloam and washed.
• He was able to see.
• His neighbors and others recognized him, but they couldn’t believe it was the same man: “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?”
• “Yes, this is him!”
• “No, this can’t be him — it must just be somebody who looks like him.”
• But the man who had been blind said, “I am the man.”
• “How are you able to see?” they asked.
• He replied, “The man named Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed. Then I could see.”
• “Where is this Jesus?” they asked him.
• “I don’t know.”
• The people who were questioning the man brought him to the Pharisees.
• The Pharisees asked the man, “How are you able to see?”
• “The man they call Jesus put mud on my eyes… Then I washed, and now I can see.”
• Some of the Pharisees said, “Jesus has not come from God. He does not obey the Sabbath day rest!”
• But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miracles?”
• The Pharisees argued with each other about this.
• They turned again to the blind man: “What do you have to say about Jesus? You’re the one who was healed.”
• The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
• Some of the Jews still did not believe that this man had been blind, so they sent for his parents.
• “Is this your son — the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
• The parents were afraid of the Jews — they didn’t want to admit that Jesus was the Christ and be kicked out of the synagogue. So they answered like this: “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can now see. We don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him — he’s an adult, and can speak for himself.”
• So the Pharisees called back the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God and tell the truth! We know that the man who healed you is a sinner.”
• He replied, “I don’t know if he is a sinner or not. I do know one thing. I was blind, but now I can see!”
• Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
• He answered, “I have already told you, but you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
• The man’s answer irritated the Pharisees, and they began to attack him with words: “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses. As for this Jesus fellow, we don’t even know where he 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.”
• The Pharisees replied, “How dare you talk to us like that! You are not our teacher, and you were born in utter sin!”
• The Pharisees threw the man out of the synagogue.
• Jesus heard about this.
• He found the man who had been born blind, and asked him, “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 seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you now.”
• “Lord, I believe.”
• The man worshiped Jesus.
• Jesus said, “I have come into this world so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
• Some Pharisees heard Jesus say this, and 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 stay guilty.”

Discuss:

• A miracle is something God does that science would not be able to explain. Would you call this a miracle, when Jesus healed the man who was blind since birth?
• From other lessons, we know that Jesus called himself the “Son of Man”
• Suffering or sickness are not always a result of sin — in this story, the reason the man was blind was so that God’s work would be displayed in him (and almost 2000 years later, we are here in Canada talking about God’s work in this man’s life).
• Sometimes suffering really is a result of sin (example: car accident after driving reckless) — also, in a general sense, suffering is the result of original sin (see Romans 5 — death came through sin).
• Is it right for us to assume or judge that somebody’s particular suffering is punishment from God? — No, because we do not know that it is.
• The man was probably quite upset to be blind, at least earlier in his life; however, eventually the man got to know Jesus and was blessed more than many people who have always had good eyes — when we are suffering, we ought to remember the “bigger picture,” and to remember that God’s purpose is always good.
• Growing faith of the man: first, a blind beggar; second, “I do not know” where Jesus is (verse 12); third, “Jesus is a prophet” (verse 17); fourth, “Jesus is not a sinner” (verse 31); fifth, “Lord, I believe,”; sixth, he worshiped him (verse 38) — this faith the gospel writer wants us to have: …these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31; NIV)
• Did Jesus really break the Sabbath law of rest? No, nothing he did this day was forbidden in God’s Law that is in our Old Testament, the very same Bible these Pharisees had — the Pharisees falsely understood the Law — Jesus didn’t fit with their traditions, and they were more interested with this than even the miracle they had witnessed.
• Irony: a difference between what is expected to be and what actually is; what irony did Jesus show this day? that those (Pharisees) who seemed to be able to see God’s wisdom were blind, while this unimportant beggar was able to “see” the things of God, when Jesus led him to faith.
• Today, we do not have blind people receiving eyesight from Jesus, not physically. Is the Spirit of Jesus not at work today? He is very much at work — he is giving us eyesight to look into the things of God. He is giving eternal life to those who believe. Faith in Jesus was the best thing the man who was healed could have received as well.

c) the good shepherd [Paul]

• [Most word and phrase choices based on NIRV text]
• After this, Jesus taught a parable:
• “Consider two men — a robber, and a shepherd.”
• “A robber does not use the gate to enter the sheep pen, but instead he climbs in another way, maybe over the fence.”
• “The sheep would never follow that man, because he is a stranger, and they do not know his voice. They will run away from him.”
• “What about the shepherd? He enters the sheep pen through the gate — the gatekeeper opens the gate for him.”
• “The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. They listen to his voice, and follow him as he goes on ahead of them, because he is their shepherd.”
• Those listening didn’t understand what Jesus was telling them.
• So Jesus explained, “I am like a gate for the sheep. All those who ever came before me were thieves and robbers.”
• (Others had claimed to be the Messiah spoken of by the prophets.)
• “But the sheep did not listen to [the thieves and robbers]. I’m like a gate. Anyone who enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out [IE, into the sheep pen and out to pasture]. 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.”
• Jesus told another parable:
• “Consider two men — a hired man, and a shepherd who owns the sheep.”
• “When the hired man sees the wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. The wolf attacks the flock and the sheep scatter. The hired man runs away because he does not own the sheep and does not care about them.”
• “But the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”
• “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. They know me just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I give my life for the sheep.”
• “I have other sheep that do not belong to this sheep pen. I must bring them in too. They also will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
• “The reason my Father loves me is that I give up my life. But I will take it back again. No one takes it from me. I give it up myself. I have the authority to give it up. And I have the authority to take it back again. I received this command from my Father.”
• Then the Jews got into another argument. Some said, “Jesus is crazy — a demon controls him. Why should we listen to him?”
• But others said, “A person controlled by a demon does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of someone who is blind?”
• Then came the Feast of Hanukkah at Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Porch. The Jews gathered around him. They said, “How long will you keep us waiting? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

model of temple; see Solomon's Porch at left (photo by Rick Hoover -- click thru to source)

• Jesus answered, “I did tell you. But you do not believe. The kinds of things I do in my Father’s name speak for me. But you do not believe, because you are not my sheep.”
• “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.”
• […] the Jews picked up stones to kill him.
• But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many miracles from the Father. Which one of these are you throwing stones at me for?”
• “We are not throwing stones at you for any of these,” replied the Jews. “We are stoning you for saying a very evil thing. You are only a man. But you claim to be God.”

Discuss:

• In these parables, Jesus explained himself as both the gate for the sheep, and the good shepherd. A parable is a short story that has a deeper meaning. What is the deeper meaning of these parables? When speaking about the sheep gate, Jesus said, “anyone who enters through me will be saved.” By this he meant that He will save forever those who trust in Him. As the good shepherd, Jesus leads sheep who would otherwise be lost, and he died to save them.
• Sheep are able to recognize the voice of their shepherd. Those who belong to a shepherd will follow him; the others will not. Some people hear the voice of Jesus and follow him; others do not.
• Do the sheep who belong to the shepherd act exactly like the rest of the sheep? No, they do not. They follow where the shepherd leads, so we can see the difference. God’s children are more and more responding to the Lord Jesus by following Him.
• Sometimes the Bible calls Jesus the “Lamb of God.” How does this fit today’s lesson? He said this: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11; ESV). And here is what the Jews knew about lambs from their Bibles and their history: (1) when God saved the people of Israel from Egypt, they killed a lamb and sprinkled his blood on their doorposts, and the death angel “passed over” their homes — I.E., they were saved from death that night; (2) “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7; NIV)
• From what Jesus taught here, does it sound like everybody gets saved by the death of Jesus? No, for he said, “I lay down my life for my sheep” (verse 15), and he taught that only the sheep who belong to the shepherd know his voice. Also, in verse 26: “… you do not believe because you are not part of my flock.”
• What did Jesus mean, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this sheep pen. I must bring them in too. They also will listen to my voice”? Jesus was in Israel, speaking to Jews, so he probably meant that there are children of God in the rest of the world, who are not Jews, who will also hear His voice and follow Him.
• What did Jesus mean, that he had authority to take his life up again? He was talking about the resurrection, and we know how that went.
• “Feast of Hanukkah”: The Jews still celebrate this festival, in December. (It is for remembering a time when the temple was restored.)
• Jesus told the Jews that he had already told them he was the Christ, but they did not believe. This reminds us of the first part of the lesson, about blindness.

Review Questions

1. Why was the man born blind? who had sinned? (This had not happened because of anybody’s sin, but so that God’s work would be shown when Jesus healed the man.)
2. The man looked just the same as before, so why did some Jews say, “No, this is not the man who used to sit and beg”? (They couldn’t believe that he was healed.)
3. What was the Pharisees’ “evidence” that Jesus did not come from God? (According to them, Jesus did not obey the Sabbath day rest.)
4. Why did the blind man’s parents say, “He is an adult — ask him”? (They were afraid, because the Jews had decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be kicked out of the synagogue.)
5. How did the blind man reason with the Pharisees that Jesus was not a sinner? (God wouldn’t listen to a sinner / Jesus would not be able to do this miracle if he were not from God.)
6. What irony did Jesus teach when he healed the blind man? (That some people who seem to be able to see God’s wisdom are actually blind, while an unimportant beggar was able to see the things of God when Jesus led him to faith.)
7. What did the blind man receive from Jesus that was even better than eyesight? (Faith in Jesus.)
8. Draw a sheep pen, a gate, a gatekeeper, some sheep, a shepherd, and a robber.
9. Why would a robber climb the fence instead of using the gate to the sheep pen? (Because the gatekeeper would not open the gate for a robber.)
10. Why wouldn’t sheep follow a robber who called out to them? (Because they don’t know his voice.)
11. In what way is Jesus like a gate of a sheep pen? (His sheep can find security, and food, through him.)
12. In what way is Jesus like a good shepherd to sheep? (He knows his sheep / they know him / he gives his life for them / he loves them.)
13. Why would a hired man run away from the sheep pen when a wolf came? (He wants to save himself, and he doesn’t care about the sheep / he doesn’t own them.)
14. Perform this skit: A wolf comes to the sheep pen, and the hired man looking after the sheep runs away.
15. Are all of Jesus’ sheep Jews? (No, he said that he has other sheep.)
16. What reason did Jesus give to explain why some of the Jews did not believe that he was the Christ? (They did not believe because they were not his sheep.)
17. What is some evidence that somebody is one of Jesus’ sheep? (They listen to his voice / they follow where he leads them.)

Activity

This game will be a review of the parables we have learned. It is based on an idea from the book, “180 Faith-Charged Games for Children’s Ministry.”

Make two teams — each on one table, with 6 sheets of paper per team, and drawing supplies.

On the flip chart (or use the white board part), write these parables in two columns:

Good Shepherd (John 10:1)	Net of Fish (Matthew 13:47)
Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25)	Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11)
Friend at midnight (Luke 11:5)	The Sower (Matthew 13:3)
Lost Coin (Luke 15:8)	Lamp on a stand (Matthew 13)
Lost Sheep (Luke 15:4)	Wise Builder (Matthew 7:24)

Briefly remind the kids of these stories, all of which we have taught this year.

Let team A choose 2 parables from the first column, and team B choose 2 parables from the second column.

Each team should illustrate their parables using 3 sheets of paper per parable. They should write the name of the parable, and the scene #, on the back of each sheet.

Shuffle each of the team’s pages.

The teams should switch tables, and then are timed to order the scenes of the parables that the other team illustrated.

The first team to order both parables correctly wins. A volunteer from each team should tell the parables.