Closing the Lesson

Transcription

Closing the Lesson

Set 3 Lesson 13
The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus
Luke 2:4-20
Overview
Aim
How the shepherds showed their joy
Truth
The shepherds showed their joy by telling
others about the Savior.
Application/Appropriation
We show our joy by telling others about our
Savior.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: (optional) picture of shepherd and sheep, or figures of
shepherd and sheep from a nativity set; letter from shepherd (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: nativity set that includes a stable, Mary, Joseph, baby
Jesus, manger, animals (optional), shepherds, sheep, and angel
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 2: flannelboard; Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph pieces: indoor
scene; 103—Mary; 21—Joseph; 112—baby Jesus; 238—manger; 233—stool; 238A—cow
and donkey feeding in stable; 230A—stable window with night scene; 199A, 199B—stable
posts; night scene with hillside overlay; 32, 34, 89B—shepherds; 126,127,129, 130—
sheep; 9—angel; 10—five smaller angels; 56—young man; 106—woman
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible
Dear Christian Friend
© 2010 JCM Media. All rights reserved.
Set 3 Lesson 13 – Page 1
Set 3 Lesson 13
– The Shepherds Visit Baby Jesus
Lesson
Beginning the Lesson
Opening Statement
We begin in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Introduction and Letter
Do you know what a shepherd does? (Allow students to respond.) A shepherd takes care of
sheep. (Optional: Show a picture of a shepherd and some sheep, or figures of a shepherd and
sheep from a nativity set.) He watches over the sheep carefully, making sure that they find
plenty of good food to eat and water to drink. He also protects them from wild animals and
makes sure the sheep don’t wander away and become lost.
Today we’re going to hear about the night Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem. We’ll
also learn about some shepherds who lived near Bethlehem. We will find out why these
shepherds left their sheep one night. Let’s pretend that one of these shepherds wrote you a
letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read
his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to learn how the shepherds showed their joy.
Sharing God’s Word
Option 1
The time came when God planned to send his Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus was born as a little baby one night in the town of Bethlehem. (Display nativity set stable
with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, manger, and animals.) Jesus was born in a stable where
animals were kept. His mother, Mary, wrapped baby Jesus in strips of cloth and laid him in a
manger, which is a box of hay.
That same night some shepherds were in a field near Bethlehem. They were taking care of
their sheep. (In another area, display shepherds and sheep.) Suddenly the sky above them
became bright, and an angel appeared! (Hold angel above shepherds.) The shepherds were
afraid.
Set 3 Lesson 13
The angel said to the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid. I bring you very happy news for all people.
Today your Savior was born in Bethlehem! He is Christ the Lord. You will find him wrapped in
strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly the sky was filled with angels! (Tell the students to imagine that many angels are
now in the sky.) The angels praised God by saying, “Glory to God in the highest! He brings
peace to all the earth!” Then the angels went back into heaven (remove angel), and the sky
was dark again.
The shepherds were very happy to know that the Savior had been born. They said, “Let’s go
to Bethlehem right now. We want to see this baby the angel told us about!” So they left their
sheep and hurried to Bethlehem. (Begin to move shepherds toward stable.) Soon they found
the stable where Mary and Joseph were staying. And there in the manger they saw baby Jesus,
God’s Son. (Place shepherds in front of baby Jesus.)
The shepherds left the stable full of joy. (Remove shepherds from stable.) They were so
happy that they wanted to share the good news about the Savior! They told everyone they met
about baby Jesus and what the angel had said to them.
Then the shepherds went back to their sheep. (Return shepherds to sheep.) They thanked
and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen.
Option 2
The time came when God planned to send his Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world.
(Display indoor scene. Add Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in the manger, stool, cow and donkey
feeding, stable window, and stable posts.) Jesus was born as a little baby one night in the town
of Bethlehem. Jesus was born in a stable where animals were kept. His mother, Mary, wrapped
baby Jesus in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, which is a box of hay.
That same night some shepherds were in a field near Bethlehem. They were taking care of
their sheep. (Place night scene with hillside overlay over stable scene. Add shepherds and
sheep.) Suddenly the sky above them became bright, and an angel appeared! (Add angel.) The
shepherds were afraid.
The angel said to the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid. I bring you very happy news for all people.
Today your Savior was born in Bethlehem! He is Christ the Lord. You will find him wrapped in
strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly the sky was filled with angels! (Add five additional angels.) The angels praised God
by saying, “Glory to God in the highest! He brings peace to all the earth!” Then the angels went
back into heaven, and the sky was dark again. (Remove angels.)
The shepherds were very happy to know that the Savior had been born. They said, “Let’s go
to Bethlehem right now. We want to see this baby the angel told us about!” So they left their
Set 3 Lesson 13
sheep and hurried to Bethlehem. (Remove shepherds.) Soon they found the stable where Mary
and Joseph were staying. (Remove night scene and sheep to display stable scene. Put
shepherds in front of Jesus.) And there in the manger they saw baby Jesus, God’s Son.
The shepherds left the stable full of joy. (Replace night scene with hillside overlay over stable
scene. Place shepherds and sheep at opposite ends of the scene.) They were so happy that
they wanted to share the good news about the Savior! They told everyone they met about baby
Jesus and what the angel had said to them. (Place young man and woman by shepherds to
look as though the shepherds are speaking to them.)
Then the shepherds went back to their sheep. (Remove man and woman. Move shepherds
next to sheep.) They thanked and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen.
Checking for Understanding
1a.
1b.
Why did God plan to send his Son Jesus into the world? (to be our Savior)
Did God plan to send his Son Jesus to be our Savior? (yes)
2a.
2b.
Where was Jesus born? (in a stable in Bethlehem)
Was Jesus born in a hospital in Bethlehem? (no)
3a.
3b.
Where did Mary lay baby Jesus? (in a manger)
Did Mary lay baby Jesus in a crib? (no)
4a.
Who were taking care of their sheep in a field near Bethlehem? (shepherds)
5a.
What happened that scared the shepherds? (The sky became bright and an angel
appeared.)
4b.
5b.
6a.
Were shepherds taking care of their cows in a field near Bethlehem? (no)
Show me how the shepherds felt when the sky became bright and an angel appeared.
(Demonstrate fear by hugging yourself and looking afraid.)
What good news did the angel give to the shepherds? (“Today your Savior was born in
6b.
Bethlehem.”)
Did the angel tell the shepherds that the Savior had been born in Jerusalem? (no)
7a.
7b.
Who praised God by saying, “Glory to God in the highest”? (angels)
Did the shepherds say, “Glory to God in the highest”? (no)
8a.
Why did the shepherds leave their sheep? (They wanted to go to Bethlehem and find
baby Jesus.)
Did the shepherds leave their sheep and go to find baby Jesus? (yes)
8b.
Set 3 Lesson 13
9a.
9b.
Where did the shepherds find baby Jesus? (in a manger)
Did the shepherds find baby Jesus in a castle? (no)
10a. How did the shepherds feel after they had seen baby Jesus? (very happy, full of joy)
10b. Were the shepherds full of joy after they had seen baby Jesus? (yes)
11a. What did the shepherds do before returning to their sheep? (They told everyone they met
about baby Jesus and what the angel had said to them.)
11b. Did the shepherds tell everyone they met the good news about the Savior? (yes)
Truth (a): How did the shepherds show their joy?
The shepherds showed their _____ by _____ others about the Savior. (joy, telling)
Truth (b): Let’s remember how the shepherds showed their joy. Did the shepherds show
their joy by telling others about the Savior? (yes)
Yes, the shepherds showed their joy by telling others about the Savior.
Applying God’s Word
Who told the shepherds the good news about the Savior? (an angel) We also have heard
this good news. We didn’t hear about the birth of Jesus from an angel. We learned about it from
God’s Word, the Bible. (Hold up Bible.)
The shepherds were full of joy when they learned that the Savior had been born. We are
happy to know this as well. We are all sinners who needed a Savior to come and take our sins
away. Jesus came to earth as a baby. He lived a life without sin and then died on the cross to
take away our sins. Then he rose from the dead. He promised to take all who believe in him to
heaven. This is very good news for us and all people!
Did the shepherds keep the good news to themselves? (no) The shepherds told everyone
they met about baby Jesus and what the angel had said to them. We also want to share the
good news about Jesus with others. The Bible says, “We cannot help speaking about what we
have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). We know that there is no better news we can give to people.
We can’t keep from talking about it with others.
Who are some people you can tell about the Savior? (Allow students to respond.) Let’s be
like the shepherds and show our joy by telling many others about Jesus and what he did for us.
Set 3 Lesson 13
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Go, Tell It on the Mountain” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, we are happy that you sent Jesus to earth to be our Savior. This is wonderful
news for us and all people! Help us be like the shepherds by sharing this good news every
chance we have. Amen.
Bible Words to Remember
We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20)
1. speaking—extend right index finger in front of mouth, pointing left,
and move it in a circular motion
1
2. seen—point to eyes with right index and middle fingers; then move
2
3. heard—use right index finger to touch right ear
3
hand slightly forward
Set 3 Lesson 13
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from the shepherd by completing the letter on Copy
Master 2. You could give each student a letter to complete individually by inserting words or
pictures, with help from a teacher as necessary. Or you could display an enlarged copy of the
letter and fill in the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: sheep, angel [face
with halo and wings], baby, people.)
2. Activity Sheet
Provide duplicates of Copy Master 3 for the students to complete on their own or with
assistance as needed. (Option: Provide this sheet as a take-home activity.)
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects, using Copy
Master 4 and following these steps:
q Manger Magnet
~ Photocopy the manger from the copy master onto heavy paper and cut it out.
~ Help the student cover the project with clear self-adhesive paper (or laminate it) and
attach magnetic tape to the back.
~ Let the student know that the magnet can be displayed on a refrigerator or other metal
object.
q “Good News” Cards
~ Photocopy the card from the copy master onto heavy paper. Make five or six (or more)
cards per student. Cut out the cards.
~ If you wish, let the student color the borders of the cards. Encourage the student to give
the cards to family and friends.
q “Ask Me” Badge
~ Photocopy the badge from the copy master onto brightly colored paper.
~ Cut out the badge and cover it with clear self-adhesive paper or laminate it.
~ Safety-pin or tape the badge onto the student’s clothing. Encourage the student to be
ready to answer anyone who asks about Jesus.
Set 3 Lesson 13
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. Encourage them to clap or play rhythm instruments as
you sing the song together.
(Melody: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
If you’re happy and you know it, spread the news.
You can tell all those you see
Christ was born for you and me.
5. Evangelism Practice
Give the students an opportunity to share the good news of the Savior by pretending to be a
person who doesn’t know about Jesus. Invite them, individually or as a group, to tell you about
Jesus. You may wish to have them wear their “Ask Me About Jesus” badges (see Activity 3,
“Craft Projects”). Then ask them questions such as “Who is Jesus?” “Why did Jesus come to
earth?” and “Why do I need Jesus to be my Savior?”
Dear Christian Friend,
The word joy means “great happiness.” Have you ever received some news that
filled you with joy? What was that news that made you so happy?
I am a shepherd. One night some other shepherds and I were taking care of our
sheep in a field near Bethlehem. The night was dark and quiet. Suddenly the sky
became bright, and we saw an angel! At first we were very scared. But then this
angel spoke to us and gave us some wonderful news.
Listen carefully to today’s lesson to find out what the angel told us. You will also
learn why we left our sheep alone in the field that night and hurried to Bethlehem.
Your friend,
The Shepherd
Set 3 Lesson 13 – CM 1
Dear Shepherd,
Today I learned that one night you and some other shepherds were watching your
_________. An _________ appeared to you and told you that the Savior had been
born in Bethlehem.
You and the rest of the shepherds left your sheep and went to find this special
_________. You found Jesus wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.
You were so filled with joy that you couldn’t keep the good news to yourselves.
You told many _________ about baby Jesus.
I also am happy to know that Jesus came to earth to be my Savior. I want to
share this good news with everyone!
Your Christian friend,
______________________
Name _________________________
Share the Good News!
Part
One
Draw a line to the correct answer to each question.
1. Who were taking care of
their sheep in a field near Bethlehem? v
2. Who told the shepherds that
the Savior had been born in Bethlehem? v
v shepherds
3. Whom did the shepherds
see in a manger in Bethlehem? v
v baby Jesus
4. Whom did the shepherds
tell about the Savior? v
Part
Two
v angels
v everyone they
met
Part Two: Circle all the pictures that answer the question.
Who can you tell about Jesus?
older people
children
friends
everyone I know
Manger Magnet
“Good News” cards
“Ask Me” Badge
Set 3 Lesson 14
A Captain’s Faith
Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10
Overview
Aim
Why the captain asked Jesus for help
Truth
The captain trusted that Jesus had the
power to help him.
We can trust that Jesus has the power to
help us.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: picture of a Roman centurion/captain (get from Internet), letter
from captain (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: students or helpers to play the roles of Jesus, the
captain, the servant, several men, several friends; blanket; (optional) robes or sheets for
the actors to wear
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 2: flannelboard; Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph pieces: water
and sky scene with the hillside overlay; S7—tree; S4—distant trees; 2—Jesus; 29, 56, 20,
94, 106B, 58, 60—disciples and crowd members; 17, 21, 63, 79—friends of centurion
q For Applying God’s Word: gift-wrapped box labeled “Faith,” Bible
Set 3 Lesson 14
– A Captain’s Faith
Lesson
Opening Statement
In the time when Jesus lived on earth, people called the Romans were ruling over the land
where God’s people lived. Roman army captains lived in the land. (Show picture of Roman
centurion.) Roman captains had a lot of power.
Today we’re going to hear about a Roman captain who came to Jesus for help. We’re going
to pretend that this captain wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or
display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out why the captain asked Jesus for help.
Option 1
When Jesus was a grown man, he traveled around the land teaching God’s Word to the
people. Jesus also did many miracles—things that only God can do. Jesus did miracles to show
that he is the Son of God.
One day Jesus came to a city where an army captain lived. (Have “Jesus” stand on one side
of the room.) This captain had a servant who was very sick and about to die. (Have “captain”
stand on the other side of the room and “servant” lie on the floor on a blanket near him.) The
captain wanted to help his servant. So he sent some men to Jesus (have several “men” walk
from the “captain” to “Jesus”) with the message, “Lord, my servant is very sick. He is in great
pain. Please heal him.”
The men told Jesus, “Please help this captain. He has been very kind to all the people.” So
Jesus went with the men. (Have “Jesus” and “men” take several steps toward “captain.”) They
walked toward the captain’s house.
Set 3 Lesson 14
The captain heard that Jesus was coming. He sent some friends to Jesus (have several
“friends” walk from the “captain” to “Jesus”) with another message: “Lord, I am not good enough
to have you come to my house. But I know that you can just say the words, and my servant will
be healed. I have power over my soldiers. They do whatever I tell them to do. And I know that
your words have much more power than mine.”
When Jesus heard the captain’s message, he was very surprised. He said, “I have not found
any of God’s people with a faith as strong as this captain’s faith!”
Then Jesus told the captain’s friends, “Go and tell the captain that I have done what he
asked me to do.” (Have “friends” walk back to “captain.”) When the friends got to the captain’s
house, they found that the sick servant was completely well. (Have “servant” stand up.) Jesus
had healed him! He had done another miracle!
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the hillside overlay; add trees, Jesus, disciples, and
crowd members.) When Jesus was a grown man, he traveled around the land teaching God’s
Word to the people. Jesus also did many miracles—things that only God can do. Jesus did
miracles to show that he is the Son of God.
One day Jesus came to a city where an army captain lived. This captain had a servant who
was very sick and about to die. The captain wanted to help his servant. (Add two friends of
centurion facing Jesus.) So he sent some men to Jesus with the message, “Lord, my servant is
very sick. He is in great pain. Please heal him.”
The men told Jesus, “Please help this captain. He has been very kind to all the people.”
(Remove the first friends.) So Jesus went with the men. They walked toward the captain’s
house. (Move Jesus and the disciples forward.)
The captain heard that Jesus was coming. (Add the other two friends.) He sent some friends
to Jesus with another message: “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come to my house. But I
know that you can just say the words, and my servant will be healed. I have power over my
soldiers. They do whatever I tell them to do. And I know that your words have much more
power than mine.”
When Jesus heard the captain’s message, he was very surprised. He said, “I have not found
any of God’s people with a faith as strong as this captain’s faith!”
Then Jesus told the captain’s friends, “Go and tell the captain that I have done what he
asked me to do. (Remove the two friends.) When the friends got to the captain’s house, they
found that the sick servant was completely well. Jesus had healed him! He had done another
miracle!
Set 3 Lesson 14
1a.
1b.
When Jesus was a grown man, he traveled around teaching what? (God’s Word)
When Jesus was a grown man, did he travel around teaching fairy tales to the people?
(no)
2a.
2b.
What did Jesus do to show that he is the Son of God? (miracles)
Did Jesus do miracles to show that he is the Son of man? (no)
One day Jesus came to a city where an army captain lived.
3a.
3b.
What problem did the army captain have? (His servant was very sick and about to die.)
Did the army captain have a servant who was very sick? (yes)
The captain sent some men to Jesus with a message.
4a.
4b.
What did the captain ask Jesus to do? (heal his servant)
Did the captain ask Jesus to heal his servant? (yes)
The captain heard that Jesus was coming to his house, so he sent some friends with another
message.
5a.
5b.
6a.
6b.
Why didn’t the captain want Jesus to come to his house? (He thought he wasn’t good
enough to have Jesus come to his house.)
Did the captain think he was good enough to have Jesus come to his house? (no)
What did the captain know would happen if Jesus just said the words? (His servant would
be healed.)
Did the captain know that Jesus could heal his servant just by saying the words? (yes)
The captain had power over his soldiers. His soldiers would do whatever he told them to do.
7a.
7b.
8a.
8b.
What did the captain say about Jesus’ words? (Jesus’ words had much more power than
his own.)
Did the captain say that Jesus’ words had less power than his words? (no)
How did Jesus feel when he heard the captain’s message? (He was very surprised.)
Show me how Jesus felt when he heard the captain’s message. (Demonstrate surprise by
opening mouth and eyes wide.)
Set 3 Lesson 14
9a.
9b.
What did Jesus say about the captain’s faith? (It was very strong.)
Did Jesus say that the captain had a very weak faith? (no)
Jesus told the friends to go and tell the captain that he had done what the captain had asked.
10a. What did the friends find when they got to the captain’s house? (The sick servant was
completely well.)
10b. When the friends got to the captain’s house, was the servant still sick? (no)
11a. How had the sick servant gotten well? (Jesus had healed him.)
11b. Had the captain healed the servant? (no)
Truth (a): Why did the captain ask Jesus for help?
The captain trusted that _____ had the _____ to help him. (Jesus, power)
Truth (b): Did the captain trust that Jesus had the power to help him? (yes)
Yes, the captain trusted that Jesus had the power to help him.
The captain had faith in Jesus. He trusted that Jesus had the power to help him.
We have faith in Jesus too. But where did our faith come from? (Show gift-wrapped box
labeled “Faith.”) Our faith is a gift from God. God has given us faith to believe that Jesus is our
Savior. We believe that Jesus is the almighty God. And we can trust that Jesus has the power
to help us.
The Bible (display Bible) tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart” (Proverbs 3:5). This
means that we can trust in Jesus’ power to help us no matter what happens. If we have a bad
sickness, can we trust that Jesus has the power to help us get well? (yes) If something in our
lives makes us afraid, can we trust that Jesus has the power to help us? (yes) Even if we have
problems that seem very bad, can we trust that Jesus has the power to take care of those
problems? (yes)
We thank God that he has given us faith in Jesus. And we ask God to help us trust in Jesus
with all our hearts.
Set 3 Lesson 14
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves Me” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving us faith in Jesus as our Savior. We know that Jesus has the
power to take care of us no matter what happens in our lives. Help us trust in Jesus with all our
hearts. Amen.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart. (Proverbs 3:5)
1. Trust—extend thumb and curve fingers to form the letter “C” with
each hand, holding right “C” hand a few inches above left “C” hand; then
1
2. LORD—make “L” shape with thumb and index finger of right hand, and
2
3. all—place both hands in front of body, palms facing in and left hand
3
4. heart—using extended index fingers of both hands, trace outline of a
heart on left side of the chest
4
make fists and bring hands together, right fist on top of left
touch the thumb to left shoulder; then move the “L” hand to right hip
behind right hand; sweep right hand under left hand, landing the backs
of the right fingers against the left palm
Set 3 Lesson 14
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from the captain by completing the letter on Copy
letter and fill in the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: Jesus [cross], God
[cloud with rays], afraid/sad [sad face], Jesus [cross].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects following these
steps:
q “Trust” Poster
~ Photocopy the poster from Copy Master 4 and cut it out.
~ Let the student color the poster as desired.
~ Help the student glue the poster to a 9" x 12" piece of construction paper to form a
border.
q Craft Foam Magnet
~ Cut a rectangle about 3" x 4" from craft foam. Use a decorative scissors if desired.
~ Help the student attach letter stickers or stick-on craft foam letters to write on the
magnet “I trust in Jesus!”
~ If there’s room, help the student add a Jesus sticker or stick-on craft foam decorations.
~ Attach a magnet to the back. Let the student know that the magnet can be displayed on
a refrigerator or other metal object.
Set 3 Lesson 14
4. Song or Action Rhyme
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, sing the first half of each line and have
the student repeat it. Or you could all sing the first half of the song loudly and the second half
softly like an echo.
(Melody: “Are You Sleeping?”)
Trust in Jesus; trust in Jesus.
He is God; he is God.
He has pow’r to help us; he has pow’r to help us.
Trust in him; trust in him.
5. Application Activity
Tell the students about various scenarios. Tell them to put their thumbs up if the person is
trusting in God and their thumbs down if the person is not trusting in God. Examples:
~ Jodi is sick. She goes to the doctor and gets medicine. Jodi trusts that the medicine will
make her well. (thumbs down)
~ Andrew hears that his company is firing some people from their jobs. Andrew really
needs the money from his job to pay his rent and buy food. Andrew trusts that Jesus will
take care of him whether he keeps his job or loses it. (thumbs up)
~ Ma Lee’s friend was in a bad car accident. The doctors think that her friend might die.
Ma Lee prays to Jesus to make her friend get better. Ma Lee knows that Jesus will do
what’s best for her friend. (thumbs up)
~ Vincent and his roommate hear that there is a tornado warning, so they go to the
basement to stay safe. Vincent trusts that their strong building will keep them from
getting hurt. (thumbs down)
I am a captain in the Roman army. I lead 100 soldiers who must do whatever I
say. I have a lot of power. But one day, one of my servants became very sick. I had
no power to help him.
Then I heard that Jesus came to my city. So I asked Jesus to help my servant.
Listen carefully to today’s lesson to learn why I asked Jesus for help. You will also
learn that you can ask Jesus for help too.
Your friend,
The captain
Dear Captain,
Today I learned that your servant was very sick. You thought he might die. You
had no power to help him. But you trusted that __________ had the power to help
your servant. And Jesus did help! He healed your servant just by saying the words.
I know that Jesus is __________. He is almighty. He can help me when I’m
sick. He can help me when I feel __________. And he can help me when I have
troubles. I can trust that __________ has the power to help me.
____________________
Name _________________________
Trust in Jesus
Directions Cut out the boxes at the bottom of the page and glue each
one next to the correct sentence.
1. The captain had a servant who was very _____.
2. The _____ trusted that Jesus could make his servant well.
3. Jesus said that the captain had a very strong _____.
4. We can trust that _____ has the power to help us.
#
#
Jesus
#
faith
#
captain
sick
Set 3 Lesson 15
Jesus’ Glory
Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36
Overview
Aim
What Peter, James, and John learned
about Jesus
Truth
Peter, James, and John learned that Jesus
is God’s Son and the Savior of the world.
We can be sure that Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from Peter (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers, figure of Jesus from Copy
Master 3 colored, cut out, and with a magnet or tape attached to the back; numerous
flashlights and lamps that you can turn on to illuminate the board
and sky scene with hillside overlay; S8,9—trees; 3—transfigured Jesus; 55, 21, 28—
standing disciples; 39—Moses; 38—Elijah; 1C—cloud; 77, 78—disciples on the ground;
2—Jesus
q For Applying God’s Word: picture of Jesus, Bible
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
Lesson
Opening Statement
When Jesus lived on earth, he had many friends. Jesus also had 12 disciples—12 men who
traveled around with him and helped him.
Today we’re going to hear about three of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, James, and John. We’re
going to pretend that Peter wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what Peter, James, and John learned
about Jesus.
Option 1
One day Jesus took three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—with him to the top of a
high mountain. (Draw mountain on the board. Place figure of Jesus on top of the mountain.
Sketch stick figures of Peter, James, and John near, but not at, the top of the mountain.) Then
Jesus began to pray. While he was praying, his body began to shine with a heavenly light.
(Shine all your flashlights and lamps on the Jesus figure to make it as bright as possible.) His
face shone like the sun, and his clothes were as bright as lightning. Jesus was showing his
glory as God!
Suddenly two other men were standing with Jesus. (Sketch stick figures of Moses and Elijah
next to Jesus.) These men were Moses and Elijah, two believers who lived on earth long before
Jesus. Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus about how Jesus would soon die on the cross to pay
for the sins of all people.
When Peter saw all this, he said, “Lord, it’s so good for us to be here! Let me put up three
shelters for you and Moses and Elijah.” Peter wanted to stay there on the mountain with Jesus.
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
Then a bright cloud covered everyone. (Draw a cloud shape around figures.) God the Father
spoke from the cloud. God said, “This is my Son. I love him very much. I am very happy with
the work he is doing to save people. I want everyone to listen to him!”
When the disciples heard the voice of God, they were very afraid. They fell down with their
faces on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched them. Jesus said, “Get up. Don’t be
afraid.”
When the disciples looked up, they saw that only Jesus was there. (Turn off all the lights
shining on the Jesus figure, and erase the sketches of Moses and Elijah.) And his face and
clothes did not shine anymore.
Then Jesus and the disciples went down the mountain. As they were walking, Jesus said,
“Do not tell anyone about what you have seen here until after I have risen from the dead.”
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the hillside overlay; add trees, Jesus, and three
disciples.) One day Jesus took three of his disciples—Peter, James, and John—with him to the
top of a high mountain. Then Jesus began to pray. While he was praying, his body began to
shine with a heavenly light. (Replace regular Jesus with transfigured Jesus.) His face shone like
the sun, and his clothes were as bright as lightning. Jesus was showing his glory as God! (Add
Moses and Elijah next to Jesus.)
Suddenly two other men were standing with Jesus. These men were Moses and Elijah, two
believers who lived on earth long before Jesus. Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus about how
Jesus would soon die on the cross to pay for the sins of all people.
When Peter saw all this, he said, “Lord, it’s so good for us to be here! Let me put up three
shelters for you and Moses and Elijah.” Peter wanted to stay there on the mountain with Jesus.
(Add cloud.)
Then a bright cloud covered everyone. God the Father spoke from the cloud. God said, “This
is my Son. I love him very much. I am very happy with the work he is doing to save people. I
want everyone to listen to him!”
When the disciples heard the voice of God, they were very afraid. They fell down with their
faces on the ground. (Remove standing disciples and replace with ones on the ground. Remove
Moses and Elijah, and move Jesus closer to the disciples on the ground.) Then Jesus came
over and touched them. Jesus said, “Get up. Don’t be afraid.” (Replace disciples on the ground
with ones standing. Replace transfigured Jesus with regular Jesus.)
When the disciples looked up, they saw that only Jesus was there. And his face and clothes
did not shine anymore.
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
Then Jesus and the disciples went down the mountain. As they were walking, Jesus said,
“Do not tell anyone about what you have seen here until after I have risen from the dead.”
1a.
1b.
Whom did Jesus take up a mountain one day? (Peter, James, and John)
Did Jesus take Peter, James, and Matthew up a mountain one day? (no)
2a.
What happened as Jesus was praying? (His body began to shine with a heavenly light.)
3a.
Who suddenly appeared with Jesus? (Moses and Elijah)
4a.
What did Moses and Elijah talk to Jesus about? (how Jesus would soon die on the cross
to pay for the sins of all people)
2b.
3b.
4b.
As Jesus was praying, did his body begin to shine with a heavenly light? (yes)
Did Adam and Eve suddenly appear with Jesus? (no)
Did Moses and Elijah talk with Jesus about how Jesus would soon die on the cross to pay
for the sins of all people? (yes)
Moses and Elijah knew that Jesus would die because he is our Savior. (Have the students
repeat “Savior.”)
5a.
5b.
When Peter saw all this, what did he want to build? (three shelters for Jesus and Moses
and Elijah)
When Peter saw all this, did he want to build three shelters for Jesus and Moses and
6a.
6b.
Then what covered everyone? (a bright cloud)
Then did a dark cloud cover everyone? (no)
7a.
7b.
Who spoke from the cloud? (God the Father)
Did God the Holy Spirit speak from the cloud? (no)
8a.
8b.
What did God call Jesus? (his Son)
Did God call Jesus his daughter? (no)
Elijah? (yes)
God said that he loved Jesus and was very happy with the work he was doing to save people.
9a.
9b.
How did the disciples feel when they heard the voice of God? (very afraid)
Show me how the disciples felt when they heard the voice of God. (Demonstrate fear by
opening eyes wide and hugging yourself.)
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
The disciples fell down with their faces on the ground. Then Jesus came over and touched
them.
10a. What did Jesus say to them? (“Get up. Don’t be afraid.”)
10b. Did Jesus tell the disciples to get up and not be afraid? (yes)
The disciples looked up and saw that only Jesus was there.
11a. What did they notice about Jesus? (His face and clothes did not shine anymore.)
11b. Did Jesus’ face and clothes still shine? (no)
Then Jesus and the disciples walked down the mountain. Jesus told them not to tell anyone
what had happened until after he had risen from the dead.
Truth (a): What did Peter, James, and John learn about Jesus?
Peter, James, and John learned that Jesus is God’s _____ and the _____ of the
world. (Son, Savior)
Truth (b): Did Peter, James, and John learn that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior of
the world? (yes)
Yes, Peter, James, and John learned that Jesus is God’s Son and the Savior of the
world.
When Jesus lived on earth, he looked like an ordinary man. (Show picture of Jesus.) He
usually didn’t let anyone see his glory as God. But that day on the mountain, he let Peter,
James, and John see his heavenly glory. Jesus let his disciples see that he really is ____.
(Have students say, “God.”) And the disciples heard the voice of God himself say that Jesus is
his Son. The disciples could be sure that Jesus really is the Son of God. The disciples also
heard God say that he was happy with the work Jesus was doing to save people. This showed
them that Jesus really is the ______. (Have students say, “Savior.”)
We weren’t there on the mountain that day. We didn’t see Jesus shine with a heavenly light.
And we didn’t hear the voice of God the Father. But when we hear and learn this Bible lesson,
the Holy Spirit gives us faith to believe it is true. And we too can be sure that Jesus is God’s
Son and our Savior.
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son”
(John 3:16). We are very happy that God sent his Son to be our Savior. And we look forward to
the day when we will be able to see Jesus’ glory for ourselves. When will that be? (when God
takes us to heaven)
Closing the Lesson
Song
“God Was There on Calvary” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for sending Jesus into the world. Help us always be sure that Jesus is
your Son and our Savior. We are happy that one day we will see him in all his glory in heaven.
We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. (John 3:16)
1. God—move right hand, palm facing left and fingers pointing up, in an
arc toward forehead and down in front of face
1
2. loved—make two fists and cross arms at wrists, palms toward body,
across chest
2
3. world—form a “W” with each hand by extending the three middle
fingers; then bring right hand, palm left and fingers forward, in a circle
3
over and around left hand, ending with right hand resting on left
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
4
4. gave—holding both hands in front of body with tips of fingers and
thumb of each hand together, move hands forward and slightly down while
opening hands, ending with palms up
5. Son—bring right hand down from a saluting position on the forehead
to the crook of bent left arm, ending with both palms up
5
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Peter by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
You could give each student a letter to complete individually by inserting words or pictures, with
help from a teacher as necessary. Or you could display an enlarged copy of the letter and fill in
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: mountain, sun, cross,
afraid/happy/excited, Savior [cross].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Poster
~ Photocopy the passage box from Copy Master 5 and cut it out.
~ Have the students use tempera paints and sponges to sponge-paint an abstract design
on a 9" x 12" piece of construction paper.
~ Help the student glue the passage onto the dried poster.
Set 3 Lesson 15
– Jesus’ Glory
q Jesus Figures
~ Duplicate the figure from Copy Master 3 onto two sheets of heavy paper for each
student.
~ Help the student color and decorate the figures to make one look like “normal” Jesus
and one like Jesus in glory. (You may wish to use very bright crayons or markers and
glitter to decorate Jesus in glory.)
~ Teach the student how to use the pictures to help retell what happened to Jesus.
~ Encourage the student to take home the pictures and use them to retell the lesson to
family and friends. Remind him or her to include the application: we can be sure that
Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, do the hand signs for the underlined
words as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
Oh, Jesus is God’s Son;
Oh, Jesus is God’s Son;
And he’s our Savior too;
Oh, Jesus is God’s Son.
5. Movement Activity
Let the students act out the story as you review it. Have them walk to the front of the
classroom or march their legs up and down in their seats to represent walking up the mountain.
They could pretend to shade their eyes from the brightness of Jesus’ glory. Have them put their
faces down toward the floor or on their desk to show fear when hearing the voice of God. Then
have them walk back to their seats or march their legs again to represent walking down the
mountain.
Do you have friends? I have many friends. And I have one very special friend.
His name is Jesus. I am one of Jesus’ disciples. I like to hear Jesus teach God’s
Word. Jesus teaches me many things.
One day Jesus took James and John and me up a mountain. There we learned
something very important about Jesus. Listen carefully to today’s lesson. You will
learn something about Jesus too.
Your friend,
Peter
Dear Peter,
Wow! It must have been wonderful to be up on that __________ with Jesus! I
would have liked to see Jesus’ face shine like the __________.
Then you saw Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah about how Jesus would die
on the__________. I can understand why you wanted to stay on the mountain with
Jesus.
After that you heard the voice of God the Father saying that Jesus is his Son. I
think I would have felt __________ to hear God’s voice.
That day you learned that Jesus is God’s Son and the __________ of the
world. I know that Jesus is my Savior too!
____________________
Name _________________________
Jesus Is God
Directions Draw a line to the correct answer for each item.
1. Jesus took Peter, James,
and John to the top of a high _____. v
v sun
2. Jesus’ face shone like the _____. v
v mountain
3. Jesus’ clothes were as bright as _____. v
v lightning
4. Moses and Elijah talked with
Jesus about his death on the _____. v
v cross
5. God the Father said, “This is my _____.” v
v Son
6. God said, “I am happy
with the work he is doing to save _____.” v
v people
7. We can be sure that Jesus is _____ Son. v
v Savior
8. We can be sure that Jesus is our _____. v
v God’s
God so loved the world
that he gave
his one and only Son.
(John 3:16)
God so loved the world
that he gave
his one and only Son.
(John 3:16)
Set 3 Lesson 16
The Servant Who Did Not Forgive
Matthew 18:23-34
Overview
Aim
What the king wanted his servant to do
Truth
The king wanted his servant to forgive the
other servant.
God wants us to forgive others who sin
against us.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: story book, letter from Peter (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers
scene with throne room overlay; 42—king on throne; 73—kneeling servant; 49—soldier
guarding the king; 59, 57—friends; 31—forgiven servant; 40—unforgiven servant; 236—
door for jail; 235—window for jail; 41—king standing; 32—forgiven servant facing left
q For Applying God’s Word: board and chalk or markers, Bible
Set 3 Lesson 16
– The Servant Who Did Not Forgive
Lesson
Opening Statement
Do you like to hear stories? (Show story book.) Sometimes stories are just for fun, and
sometimes stories can teach us something. When Jesus lived on earth, he sometimes told
stories to teach the people things about God.
Today we’re going to hear a story that Jesus told to Peter and his other disciples. We’re
going to pretend that Peter wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or
Listen carefully to hear Jesus’ story about the king and his servant. We will find out what the
king wanted his servant to do.
Option 1
One day Jesus told a story to teach his disciples that God forgives us and wants us to
forgive others. This is the story Jesus told:
“There was a king (on the board, draw a stick figure with a crown and label the figure “king”)
who wanted all his servants to pay him the money they owed him. One servant owed the king
millions of dollars. (Next to the king, draw another stick figure and label it “servant.” Between
the two figures, draw a large circle and label it with a dollar sign.) But the servant did not have
that much money. So the king said, ‘Sell this man, and his wife, and his children as slaves. And
sell everything he owns. Then at least some of my money can be paid back.’
“But the servant begged, ‘Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the money I owe
you.’
Set 3 Lesson 16
“The king knew that the servant would never be able to pay back all the money he owed. But
he felt sorry for the servant. So the king said, ‘I forgive you what you owe me. You don’t have to
pay me anything. (Erase circle.) You may go.’ (Draw happy face on servant.)
“Then this same servant went and found another servant who owed him just a few dollars.
(Draw another figure next to the servant and label it “other servant.” Draw a small circle
between the two servants and label it with a dollar sign.) He grabbed this man and began to
choke him. (Draw angry face on first servant.) He said, ‘Pay me back the money you owe me!’
“The other servant begged, ‘Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the money I
owe you.’
“But the first servant wouldn’t even listen. Instead, he had the other servant thrown into
prison until he could pay back all the money he owed.
“When the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him
everything that had happened. Then the king was very angry. (Draw angry face on king.)
“The king called in the servant and told him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave the huge amount
of money that you owed me. You should have forgiven the other servant just as I forgave you.’
Then the king had the servant thrown into prison to be punished.” (Draw sad face on servant.
Note: Leave figures on board for Applying God’s Word section.)
Option 2
(Display the indoor scene with the throne room overlay. Add the king, with a soldier guarding
him, facing a servant who is kneeling in front of him. Have two people standing behind the
kneeling servant.) One day Jesus told a story to teach his disciples that God forgives us and
wants us to forgive others. This is the story Jesus told:
“There was a king who wanted all his servants to pay him the money they owed him. One
servant owed the king millions of dollars. But the servant did not have that much money. So the
king said, ‘Sell this man, and his wife, and his children as slaves. And sell everything he owns.
Then at least some of my money can be paid back.’
“But the servant begged, ‘Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the money I owe
you.’
“The king knew that the servant would never be able to pay back all the money he owed. But
he felt sorry for the servant. So the king said, ‘I forgive you what you owe me. You don’t have to
pay me anything. You may go.’ (Remove the throne room overlay and fold the indoor scene in
half like a book. On the front of the “book” place the forgiven servant and the unforgiven servant
facing each other; on the inside place the jail door and window. Show the front with the two
men.)
Set 3 Lesson 16
“Then this same servant went and found another servant who owed him just a few dollars.
He grabbed this man and began to choke him. He said, ‘Pay me back the money you owe me!’
“The other servant begged, ‘Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the money I
owe you.’
“But the first servant wouldn’t even listen. Instead, he had the other servant thrown into
prison until he could pay back all the money he owed. (Put the servant who was not forgiven
into prison; add standing king and his guard to front of “book.” Replace the forgiven servant
figure with the forgiven servant facing left.)
“When the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him
everything that had happened. Then the king was very angry.
“The king called in the servant and told him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave the huge amount
of money that you owed me. You should have forgiven the other servant just as I forgave you.’
Then the king had the servant thrown into prison to be punished.” (Put the unforgiving servant
into prison.)
1a.
What did the king in Jesus’ story want all his servants to do? (pay him the money they
1b.
owed him)
Did the king in Jesus’ story want all his servants to pay him the money they owed him?
(yes)
2a.
2b.
How much did one servant owe the king? (millions of dollars)
Did one servant owe the king millions of dollars? (yes)
3a.
Why couldn’t the servant pay the king the money he owed? (He didn’t have that much
money.)
Did the servant have the money to pay back the king? (no)
3b.
At first the king was going to sell the man, and his wife, and his children, and everything he
owned so that part of the money could be paid back.
4a.
4b.
But what did the servant say to the king? (“Please be patient with me, and I will pay back
all the money I owe you.”)
Did the servant say that he would pay back all the money he owed the king? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 16
The king knew that the servant would never be able to pay back all the money he owed. But he
felt sorry for the servant.
5a.
5b.
So what did the king say about all the money the servant owed? (It was forgiven. He didn’t
have to pay the king anything.)
Did the king tell the servant he still had to pay back all the money? (no)
6a.
Then whom did this servant find? (another servant who owed him just a few dollars)
6b.
Then did this servant find another servant who owed him millions of dollars? (no)
The first servant grabbed this man and began to choke him. He said, “Pay me back the money
you owe me!”
7a.
7b.
What did the other servant say? (“Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the
money I owe you.”)
Did the other servant say, “Please be patient with me, and I will pay back all the money I
owe you”? (yes)
But the first servant wouldn’t even listen.
8a.
8b.
What did he have done to the other servant? (He had him thrown into prison.)
Did he have the first servant thrown into a lake? (no)
9a.
9b.
How did the other servants feel when they saw all this? (upset)
When the other servants saw all this, did they feel happy? (no)
The other servants told the king everything that had happened.
10a. How did the king feel when he heard about this? (angry)
10b. Show me how the king felt when he heard about this. (Demonstrate by frowning and
crossing your arms.)
The king called in the first servant and called him a wicked servant. He reminded the servant
that he had forgiven the huge amount of money he owed the king.
11a. What did the king say this servant should have done? (He should have forgiven his fellow
servant.)
11b. Did the king say that the servant should have forgiven his fellow servant? (yes)
12a. Then what did the king do to the first servant? (He had him thrown into prison to be
punished.)
12b. Then did the king have the first servant thrown into prison to be punished? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 16
Truth (a): What did the king want his servant to do?
The king wanted his servant to _____ the other _____. (forgive, servant)
Truth (b): Did the king want his servant to forgive the other servant? (yes)
Yes, the king wanted his servant to forgive the other servant.
(Note: Use the figures on the board from Sharing God’s Word, Option 1, or draw figures on
the board as described.) The king in Jesus’ story wanted his servant to forgive the other servant
just as he had been forgiven. (Refer to the figures on the board.) Jesus told this story to teach
us about forgiveness. God is like the king. (Label the “king” figure as “God.”) The first servant is
like us. (Label the first servant “us.”) The king forgave his servant all the money he owed. What
does God forgive for us? (our sins)
We sin against God many times every day. (Draw a large circle between “God” and “us” and
label it “sin.”) And just as the servant in Jesus’ story could never pay back all the money he
owed, we could never pay for all our sins. But we are sorry for our sins and we ask God to
forgive us. And what does God always do? (He forgives us.) God forgives all our sins because
Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. (Erase circle.) This makes us very happy. (Draw
happy face on the servant.)
Do other people ever sin against us? (yes) Sometimes other people might call us unkind
names or hurt us or take things that belong to us. (Label “other servant” as “other people.”
Label small circle between servants as “sin.”) It may make us upset or angry when others sin
against us. We may not want to forgive them.
But in the Bible (show Bible) God tells us, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians
3:13). What does God want us to do when others sin against us? (God wants us to forgive
them.) Sometimes it is hard to forgive others. When they sin against us, we may feel sad or
hurt or angry. But when we think about how God always forgives our many sins, it can help us
be willing to forgive others. We need to pray for God’s help so that we are always happy to
forgive others who sin against us.
Set 3 Lesson 16
Closing the Lesson
Song
“We Pray for Each Other” stanza 1 and additional stanza below (Everyone Sing & Sign,
Northwestern Publishing House)
We forgive each other,
Our sister and brother,
Our father and mother;
Dear God, bless us all.
Prayer
Dear God, we are so happy that you forgive our many sins! Even when it is hard, help us
forgive others when they sin against us. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:13)
1. Forgive/forgave—lightly brush fingertips of right downturned open
hand across the fingers of the left upturned open hand several times
1
2. Lord—make “L” shape with thumb and index finger of right hand, and
touch the thumb to left shoulder; then move the “L” hand to right hip
2
3. you—point outward with right index finger
3
Set 3 Lesson 16
Activities
1. Letter Writing
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: king [face with crown], angry [angry
face], sins [dark scribble], happy [happy face].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
q Puzzle
~ Photocopy the puzzle from the copy master onto heavy paper and cut out the box.
~ Let the student color the puzzle if you wish; then laminate it or cover it with clear selfadhesive paper.
~ Help the student cut along the puzzle piece lines. Show him or her how to take apart the
puzzle and put it back together again.
~ Give the student an envelope to put the puzzle pieces in.
q Badge
~ Photocopy the badge from the copy master onto brightly colored paper and cut it out.
~ Cover the badge with clear self-adhesive paper or laminate it.
~ Safety-pin or tape the badge onto the student’s clothing.
Set 3 Lesson 16
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, let the students clap the beat or play
rhythm instruments as you sing the song together.
God forgives me; God forgives me.
Yes, he does; yes, he does.
Now I forgive others; now I forgive others.
Yes, I do; yes, I do.
5. Role Play
Remind the students that it is not always easy to forgive others, but it can be easier if we
practice. Help the students practice forgiving others by acting out situations in which one person
might sin against another. Pretend to be the one who “sinned” and say, “I’m sorry.” Have the
student role-playing with you respond by saying, “I forgive you.” Possible situations:
~ A person laughs at her friend’s clothes and hurts her feelings.
~ A person takes out of the refrigerator food that belongs to a roommate.
~ A person at work says something unkind about another worker.
~ One person trips another as he’s walking by.
~ A person plays loud music and wakes up his roommate, who’s trying to sleep.
Close by reminding the students that it can help us forgive others if we remember how God
always forgives our many sins.
Hi! Remember me? I’m one of Jesus’ disciples. One day I asked Jesus a
question. I wanted to know if I should always forgive other people who sin against
me. Jesus answered my question by telling a story.
Jesus’ story is about a king and his servant. Today you will hear the story that
Jesus told. And you will learn what God wants you to do when people sin against
you.
Your friend,
Peter
Dear Peter,
Today I learned about forgiveness. The __________ in Jesus’ story forgave the
huge amount of money his servant owed him. But that servant did not forgive the
other servant. This made the king __________.
God forgives me for all the many __________ I do against him every day. And
God wants me to forgive other people when they sin against me. Sometimes this is
hard to do. I need to pray for God’s help so that I am always __________ to forgive
others.
____________________
Name _________________________
Forgive!
Part
One
Circle yes or no to answer each question.
1. Did a servant owe the king just a few dollars?
2. Did the king tell the servant, “I forgive you”?
yes
yes
no
no
3. Did another servant owe the first servant just a few dollars?
4. Did the first servant forgive his fellow servant?
5. Does God forgive all of your sins?
yes
yes
no
no
no
6. Does God want you to forgive others who sin against you?
Part
Two
yes
yes
no
God forgives your sins. Draw a mouth to show how that makes you feel. Then ask
God to help you forgive others.
Thank you, God, for forgiving me.
Help me forgive others.
Puzzle
Forgive
as the Lord
forgave you.
(Colossians 3:13)
Badge
I’m forgiven!
I forgive!
Set 3 Lesson 17
The Rich Man and Poor Lazarus
Luke 16:19-31
Overview
Aim
What the rich man loved
Truth
The rich man loved earthly things instead of
loving God.
God wants us to love him most of all and to
share our earthly blessings with others.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: real or play money, letter from Peter (see Copy Master 1)
and sky scene; hillside overlay; 203—rich man’s house; 60—rich man; 81—Lazarus
sitting; 136—dog; 171—clouds; 223—angels in heaven; 79—Lazarus in heaven; 18—
Abraham; 267—fire
q For Applying God’s Word: pictures of earthly blessings (clothing, jewelry, money, TV, food,
etc.); picture of Jesus; Bible
Set 3 Lesson 17
– The Rich Man and Poor Lazarus
Lesson
Opening Statement
Wouldn’t it be nice to have lots of money? (Show money.) If you had lots of money, you could
buy anything you wanted. What would you buy if you had lots of money? (Allow students to
respond.)
Today we’re going to hear another story Jesus told. This story is about a man who was very
rich—he had lots and lots of money. We’ll also hear about another man who was very poor; this
man had almost no money at all. We’re going to pretend that Jesus’ disciple Peter wrote you a
letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read
his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what the rich man loved.
Option 1
One day Jesus told a story to teach people not to love earthly things. This is the story Jesus
told:
“There was a man who was very rich. He wore fancy clothes and ate lots of good food every
day. (Draw a stick figure with a happy face on the board and label it “rich man.”) There was
another man named Lazarus who was very poor. Lazarus didn’t have enough food to eat, and
his body was covered with sores. (Draw a stick figure with a sad face on the board and label it
“Lazarus.”) Every day his friends carried him to the entrance of the rich man’s house. Lazarus
wished he could eat the leftovers of the rich man’s food, but the rich man did not give him any.
Only some dogs came and licked Lazarus’ sores.
“One day Lazarus died. Since Lazarus had faith in Jesus as his Savior, angels carried him to
heaven. (Draw a cloud shape for “Lazarus” to stand on. Erase Lazarus’ sad face and give him a
Set 3 Lesson 17
happy face.) The rich man also died. But since the rich man did not believe in Jesus, his soul
went to hell. In hell, the rich man suffered very much. (Draw flames around the rich man’s feet.
Erase the rich man’s happy face and give him a sad face.)
“The rich man looked up and saw Lazarus in heaven standing next to Abraham, a believer
who lived long ago. (Draw another stick figure next to Lazarus and label it “Abraham.”) The rich
man called out, ‘Father Abraham, help me! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my
tongue. I am suffering terribly in this fire.’
“But Abraham said, ‘While you were on earth, you had all the good things, and Lazarus had
only bad things. Now he is happy while you are suffering. Besides, there is a wide space
between heaven and hell. No one can go back and forth between them.’
“The rich man said, ‘Then send Lazarus back to earth to warn my five brothers so that they
do not have to come to hell someday.’
“But Abraham said, ‘They should listen to God’s Word. If they do not listen to God’s Word,
they will not listen even to someone who rises from the dead.’”
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the hillside overlay; add the house to the right side.)
One day Jesus told a story to teach people not to love earthly things. This is the story Jesus
told:
“There was a man who was very rich. (Place the rich man in the front of his house.) He wore
fancy clothes and ate lots of good food every day. There was another man named Lazarus who
was very poor. (Add Lazarus in front of the rich man’s house.) Every day his friends carried him
to the entrance of the rich man’s house. Lazarus didn’t have enough food to eat, and his body
was covered with sores. Lazarus wished he could eat the leftovers of the rich man’s food, but
the rich man did not give him any. Only some dogs came and licked Lazarus’ sores. (Have the
dog lick the arm of Lazarus.)
“One day Lazarus died. Since Lazarus had faith in Jesus as his Savior, angels carried him to
heaven. (Remove the building and place the clouds and angels in the sky; add Lazarus and
Abraham in heaven.) The rich man also died. But since the rich man did not believe in Jesus,
his soul went to hell. (Put flames around the rich man indicating that he is in hell.) In hell, the
rich man suffered very much.
“The rich man looked up and saw Lazarus in heaven standing next to Abraham, a believer
who lived long ago. The rich man called out, ‘Father Abraham, help me! Send Lazarus to dip
his finger in water to cool my tongue. I am suffering terribly in this fire.’
Set 3 Lesson 17
“But Abraham said, ‘While you were on earth, you had all the good things, and Lazarus had
only bad things. Now he is happy while you are suffering. Besides, there is a wide space
between heaven and hell. No one can go back and forth between them.’
“The rich man said, ‘Then send Lazarus back to earth to warn my five brothers so that they
do not have to come to hell someday.’
“But Abraham said, ‘They should listen to God’s Word. If they do not listen to God’s Word,
they will not listen even to someone who rises from the dead.’”
Jesus told a story about a rich man and poor Lazarus.
1a.
1b.
What did the rich man eat every day? (lots of good food)
Did the rich man wear fancy clothes and eat lots of good food every day? (yes)
2a.
What problems did Lazarus have? (He didn’t have enough food to eat, and his body was
2b.
covered with sores.)
Did Lazarus eat lots of good food every day? (no)
3a.
3b.
What did Lazarus wish he could eat? (the leftovers of the rich man’s food)
Did the rich man share some of his food with Lazarus? (no)
Then both Lazarus and the rich man died.
4a.
4b.
Why did angels take Lazarus to heaven? (Lazarus had faith in Jesus as his Savior.)
Did angels take Lazarus to heaven because he was so poor? (no)
5a.
Why did the rich man go to hell? (He didn’t believe in Jesus.)
6a.
6b.
What was it like in hell for the rich man? (He suffered very much.)
Was the rich man happy in hell? (no)
5b.
Did the rich man go to hell because he didn’t believe in Jesus? (yes)
The rich man looked up and saw Lazarus and Abraham in heaven.
7a.
7b.
What did the rich man want Lazarus to do? (dip his finger in water to cool his tongue)
Did the rich man want Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool his tongue? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 17
Abraham pointed out that on earth the rich man had good things, and Lazarus had bad things.
Now Lazarus was happy, but the rich man was suffering.
8a.
8b.
What was another reason Lazarus could not take water to the rich man? (There is a wide
space between heaven and hell. No one can go back and forth between them.)
Also, can anyone go back and forth between heaven and hell? (no)
9a.
Then what did the rich man want Lazarus to do? (Go back to earth to warn the rich man’s
9b.
five brothers.)
Then did the rich man want Lazarus to go back to earth to warn his five sisters? (no)
10a. What did Abraham say the brothers should listen to? (God’s Word)
10b. Did Abraham say the brothers should listen to God’s Word? (yes)
Truth (a): What did the rich man love?
The rich man loved earthly _____ instead of loving _____. (things, God)
Truth (b): Did the rich man love earthly things instead of loving God? (yes)
Yes, the rich man loved earthly things instead of loving God.
God has given all of us many blessings. (Show pictures of earthly blessings.) What are some
of your earthly things that you really like? (Allow students to respond.) We may like some of our
blessings very much. We may even say that we love some of them. But we need to be careful
not to love earthly things more than we love God. God wants us to love him most of all. (Show
picture of Jesus.)
And in the Bible (show Bible) God tells us, “Share with others” (Hebrews 13:16). God wants
us to share our earthly blessings with others. What are some ways you can share your
blessings with others? (Allow students to respond. Examples: I could let my roommate eat
some of the food I bought, I could give some of my money for mission offerings, I could give
one of my pencils to a classmate or coworker who needs one, I could give some of my extra
clothes to people who need them, etc.)
Sharing with others is one way we can show our love for God. Let’s ask God to help us
share our things with others. And let’s also ask God for help to love him most of all.
Set 3 Lesson 17
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Blest Are We” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear God, you have given us so many earthly blessings. Thank you, God! Help us share
these blessings with others. And help us love you most of all. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Share with others. (Hebrews 13:16)
1. Share—place little-finger side of right hand on left palm, and pivot
right wrist back and forth
1
2. others—sign “other” and “people”:
other—make “thumbs-up” with right hand in front of body; pivot wrist to
2
tip thumb to the right
people—put both fists in front of body, palms down; extend index and
middle fingers forward, with thumbs between; move hands in vertical
side-by-side circles
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Set 3 Lesson 17
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: Savior [cross], loved [heart], heaven
[city on cloud], God [cloud with rays].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Construction Paper Poster
~ Have the student choose a color of 9" x 12" construction paper. Then help him or her
choose a 9" x 6" piece of a contrasting color.
~ Help the student cut the 9" x 6" piece of construction paper the long way into five or six
strips. Cut curvy lines and make the strips of varying widths.
~ Help the student arrange the strips on the large sheet of construction paper (placed
horizontally) in a pleasing design. Leave spaces of varying widths between the strips.
Glue down the strips.
~ Use 2-inch letter stencils to cut from a third color of construction paper (black or white
may work best) the words “SHARE WITH OTHERS.” (You may want to do this in
advance.) Help the student glue the letters onto his or her poster. (Option: You could
instead write the words on the poster with a wide-tipped black marker.)
q Heart Magnet
~ Photocopy the heart from Copy Master 4 onto heavy paper and cut it out.
~ Let the student color the project as desired. Then laminate it or cover it with clear selfadhesive paper.
~ Help the student attach a magnet to the back. Let the student know that the magnet can
be displayed on a refrigerator or other metal object.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, hold up the items (or pictures of them)
mentioned in the third line as you sing the song.
Set 3 Lesson 17
(Melody: “Twinkle, Twinkle”)
I can share my gifts from God;
That’s one way I show his love.
Money, food, and clothes, and more;
I can share his gifts galore.
I can share my gifts from God;
That’s one way I show his love.
5. Application Activity
Photocopy the cards from Copy Master 4 onto heavy paper for each student and cut them
out. Give each student the two cards and explain that one stands for our earthly blessings, and
the other for God. Then give examples similar to the ones listed below. If the person described
is showing the most love for earthly things, the students should hold up their “Earthly Things”
cards. If the person is showing the most love for God, they should hold up their “God” cards.
Examples:
~ Shannon got some bonus money from work. She gave part of the money for a mission
offering to help people far away learn about Jesus. (God)
~ Trevor loves playing video games. He stayed up late Saturday night playing a new
game. Then he was too tired to get up on Sunday morning for church. (Earthly Things)
~ Courtney got some money for her birthday. She thought about giving some of it to God
as an offering, but she decided to spend it all on new clothes. (Earthly Things)
~ Chad had lots of food in his cupboard. He knew that God wants us to share with others
so he gave some of the food to a food drive. (God)
~ Lara loves to watch a certain TV show. Sometimes the characters in the show do and
say things that are sinful, but Lara keeps watching the show anyway. (Earthly Things)
~ Charles has a watch he got from his grandfather. The watch is very special to him, but
Charles loves God most of all. (God)
Close with a reminder that we want to love God most of all.
6. Group Sharing Project
Help the students decide on a group sharing project and carry it out. Examples could include
having a food drive for your local food pantry, a clothing drive for a local organization (some
organizations collect hats, mittens, and scarves during winter months), a special mission
collection for a specific mission, and the like.
Hi, it’s me again—Peter! Today you are going to hear another story that Jesus
told. This story is about two men. One of the men was very rich. He could buy
anything he wanted to, and he had many nice things. The other man was very poor.
He didn’t even have enough food to eat.
But the poor man had something that the rich man did not have. Listen
carefully to today’s lesson to find out what it was. You will also learn what the
rich man loved most of all. And you will learn what God wants you to love most of all.
Your friend,
Peter
Dear Peter,
Today I heard the story of the rich man and poor Lazarus. The rich man had
many things and Lazarus had almost nothing. But I found out what Lazarus had that
the rich man did not—faith in Jesus as his __________! Lazarus loved God most of
all. But the rich man did not love God. He __________ his earthly things. The
rich man went to hell, but Lazarus went to __________.
God gives me many blessings. I like some of them very much. But I love
__________ most of all. And I ask God to help me share my blessings with other
people.
____________________
Name _________________________
Who Is It?
Part
One
Circle the picture that answers each question.
1. Who wore fancy clothes and ate lots of good food?
rich man
Lazarus
2. Who had faith in Jesus as his Savior?
rich man
Lazarus
3. Who went to heaven when he died?
rich man
Lazarus
4. Who loved earthly things instead of loving God?
rich man
Lazarus
Part
Two
Draw a line to the picture that answers each question.
1. What does God want us to share with others? v
2. Whom should we love most of all? v
v God
v earthly things
Heart Magnet
Love God most of all.
Activity 5 Cards
Earthly Things
God
Set 3 Lesson 18
Zacchaeus
Luke 19:1-10
Overview
Aim
How Jesus showed his love for Zacchaeus
Truth
Jesus showed his love for Zacchaeus by
telling him that he was saved.
Jesus loves us too and tells us that we are
saved.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: (optional) pictures representing government services: a road,
a city bus, a water faucet, a police officer, etc; letter from Zacchaeus (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: figures of Jesus and Zacchaeus from Copy Master 3,
enlarged (if desired), colored, cut out, and with tape or magnets attached to the backs;
board and chalk or markers
and sky scene; hillside overlay; S7—tree; 62—Zacchaeus; 1—Jesus; 21, 87, 89, 90,
106A, 102, 108—people following Jesus; 202—house; 61—Zacchaeus standing
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, picture of Jesus on the cross, picture of Jesus ascending
into heaven
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
Lesson
Opening Statement
Do you know what taxes are? Taxes are money that people pay to the government. The
government uses the money to help us—to build roads, provide city buses, pipe water to our
houses, pay police officers, and do many other things. (Show pictures representing government
services if you wish.)
In Jesus’ time, people paid taxes too. Men called tax collectors went around and collected
tax money from the people. But many tax collectors cheated the people. They collected extra
money and kept it for themselves. Today we’re going to hear about a tax collector named
Zacchaeus. We’re going to pretend that Zacchaeus wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the
letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how Jesus showed his love for
Zacchaeus.
Option 1
One day Jesus walked through the city of Jericho. (Attach figure of Jesus to the board.) A
man named Zacchaeus lived there. (Attach Zacchaeus figure to the board away from Jesus.)
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. He collected tax money from the people. Tax collectors often
cheated people and made them pay extra money.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus as he was passing by. But a big crowd of people was
around Jesus. (Draw many stick figures surrounding Jesus.) And Zacchaeus was very short. He
couldn’t see over the heads of all the people.
So Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed up a tree. (Draw a tree on the board. Put Zacchaeus
in tree.) Then he waited for Jesus to pass by.
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
When Jesus came to the tree where Zacchaeus was waiting (move Jesus near tree), a
surprising thing happened. Jesus looked right up at Zacchaeus! Then Jesus said, “Zacchaeus,
hurry and come down! I will stay at your house today.”
Zacchaeus climbed down out of the tree as fast as he could. He was very happy to take
Jesus to his house. (Draw a house on the board. Put Jesus and Zacchaeus inside the house.)
Some people were unhappy when they saw Jesus go to Zacchaeus’ house. They said,
“Jesus has gone to the house of a man who is a very bad sinner.”
But Zacchaeus showed that he was sorry for his sins and that he had faith in Jesus.
Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Lord, I will give half of everything I own to the poor people. And
if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much as I took.”
Then Jesus said, “Today this man has been saved. He is a true believer. This is why I came
to the world—to save sinful people.”
Option 2
(Display water and sky scene with hillside overlay. Place tree upper right with Zacchaeus
sitting in it. Add Jesus in front of Zacchaeus with a crowd of people behind him.) One day Jesus
walked through the city of Jericho. A man named Zacchaeus lived there. Zacchaeus was a tax
collector. He collected tax money from the people. Tax collectors often cheated people and
made them pay extra money.
Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus as he was passing by. But a big crowd of people was
around Jesus. And Zacchaeus was very short. He couldn’t see over the heads of all the people.
So Zacchaeus ran ahead and climbed up a tree. Then he waited for Jesus to pass by.
When Jesus came to the tree where Zacchaeus was waiting, a surprising thing happened.
Jesus looked right up at Zacchaeus! Then Jesus said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down! I will
stay at your house today.” (Remove the tree and Zacchaeus sitting in it; replace with house and
Zacchaeus standing in front of the door. Place Jesus behind Zacchaeus.)
Zacchaeus climbed down out of the tree as fast as he could. He was very happy to take
Jesus to his house.
Some people were unhappy when they saw Jesus go to Zacchaeus’ house. They said,
“Jesus has gone to the house of a man who is a very bad sinner.”
But Zacchaeus showed that he was sorry for his sins and that he had faith in Jesus.
Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Lord, I will give half of everything I own to the poor people. And
if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much as I took.”
Then Jesus said, “Today this man has been saved. He is a true believer. This is why I came
to the world—to save sinful people.”
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
1a.
1b.
What job did Zacchaeus have? (He was a tax collector.)
Was Zacchaeus a doctor? (no)
2a.
2b.
Why didn’t people like tax collectors? (They often cheated people and made them pay
extra money.)
Did tax collectors often cheat people and make them pay extra money? (yes)
3a.
Why couldn’t Zacchaeus see Jesus? (He was very short.)
4a.
4b.
What did Zacchaeus do so that he could see Jesus? (He climbed a tree.)
Did Zacchaeus climb a tower so that he could see Jesus? (no)
3b.
Was Zacchaeus too tall to see Jesus? (no)
Jesus came to the tree where Zacchaeus was and looked right up at him.
5a.
5b.
6a.
6b.
What did Jesus tell Zacchaeus to do? (hurry down because Jesus would be staying at his
house)
Did Jesus say that he would stay at Zacchaeus’ house that day? (yes)
Why were some people unhappy about Jesus going to Zacchaeus’ house? (They thought
Zacchaeus was a very bad sinner.)
Did some people say that Jesus had gone to the house of a very bad sinner? (yes)
7a.
7b.
Zacchaeus was sinful, but how did he feel about his sins? (sorry)
Zacchaeus was sinful, but show me how he felt about his sins. (Demonstrate by showing
8a.
What did Zacchaeus say he would do with half of everything he owned? (give it to poor
8b.
9a.
9b.
a sorrowful face.)
people)
Did Zacchaeus say he would give half of everything he owned to the rich people? (no)
And what would Zacchaeus do if he had cheated anyone? (pay that person back four
times as much Zacchaeus had taken)
And did Zacchaeus say that if he had cheated anyone he would pay back three times as
much as he took? (no)
10a. What did Jesus say had happened to Zacchaeus that day? (He had been saved.)
10b. Did Jesus say that Zacchaeus was saved? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
This meant that Zacchaeus would go to heaven someday.
11a. Why did Jesus say he came to the world? (to save sinful people)
11b. Did Jesus say that he came to the world to save sinful people? (yes)
Truth (a): How did Jesus show his love for Zacchaeus?
Jesus showed his _____ for Zacchaeus by telling him that he was _____. (love,
saved)
Truth (b): Did Jesus show his love for Zacchaeus by telling him that he was saved?
(yes)
Yes, Jesus showed his love for Zacchaeus by telling him that he was saved.
Jesus said that he came to the world to save sinful people. Why does this make us happy?
(We are sinful people.) Even though we are sinful, how do we feel about our sins? (We are
sorry for them. Encourage the students to show on their faces how they feel about their sins.)
And we believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. (Show picture of Jesus on the
cross.) In the Bible (show Bible), God tells us, “Whoever believes . . . will be saved” (Mark
16:16). Since we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we know that we will be saved. What does it
mean that we will be saved? (Someday God will take us to heaven.)
Jesus said these words, “Whoever believes . . . will be saved,” to his disciples just before he
went back up to heaven. (Show picture of Jesus ascending into heaven.) He loved his disciples
and wanted them to be sure that they would be saved. Jesus loves us too, and he says these
words to us also. Jesus wants us to be sure that we will be saved—that someday he will take
us to heaven. How does this make us feel? (We are happy. Encourage the students to show on
their faces how being saved makes them feel.) We look forward to that happy day!
Closing the Lesson
Song
“God Loves Me Dearly” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you died on the cross to pay for our sins.
We are so happy to know that we are saved! We look forward to the day when we will see you
in heaven. Amen.
Whoever believes . . . will be saved. (Mark 16:16)
1. believes—place right index finger by right temple; then move right
hand smoothly down to clasp upturned left hand in front of body,
palms facing each other
1
2. saved—cross fisted hands in front of chest with palms facing in;
then bring fists outward by twisting wrists away from each other,
ending with palms facing forward by each shoulder
2
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Zacchaeus by completing the letter on Copy
letter and fill in the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: tree, house,
happy/excited/surprised, love [heart].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects, following these
steps:
Set 3 Lesson 18
– Zacchaeus
q Yarn-Laced Bookmark
~ Photocopy the bookmark from Copy Master 5 onto heavy paper, cut it out, laminate it or
cover it with clear self-adhesive paper, and punch holes where indicated.
~ Give the student a 26-inch piece of yarn. (Tip: Wrap a piece of tape around one end of
the yarn to make lacing easier.) Help the student lace the yarn through the holes. Have
the student start at one of the top holes and bring the yarn down through to the back of
the bookmark. Leave about 4" of yarn hanging free and tape the yarn in place
temporarily. (See diagram 1.)
~ After the student is done lacing the yarn, remove the tape from the bookmark and from
the end of the yarn and tie the ends of the yarn in a bow at the top of the bookmark.
(See diagram 2.)
~ Let the student know that the bookmark can be used in a Bible or other book.
q Story Figures
~ Photocopy the figures from Copy Master 3 onto heavy paper and let the student color
them as desired. Help the student draw a tree and a house on a sheet of paper.
~ Cut out the figures and show the student how he or she can use them with the drawings
to retell the lesson.
~ Encourage the student to take the figures and drawings home and use them to retell the
lesson to family and friends.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, do the hand signs for the underlined
words as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “London Bridge”)
Jesus loves me; yes, he does;
Yes, he does; yes, he does.
Jesus loves me; yes, he does;
And he saved me.
5. Cards to Share
Photocopy the cards from Copy Master 6 onto heavy, colorful paper. Make enough cards so
that each student can have at least four or five of them. Have the students add Jesus and/or
heart stickers to the cards. Then laminate the cards or cover them with clear self-adhesive
paper and cut them apart. Tell the students to give the cards to friends, family members,
coworkers, and others to assure others that Jesus loves them and saves them.
Is Born
My name is Zacchaeus. I’m a tax collector. I collect money from the people
and give it to the government. But most people don’t like to pay taxes. So most
people don’t like tax collectors. In fact, many people hate me.
One day I heard that Jesus was passing through my city. I wanted to see
him. Listen carefully to today’s lesson to find out what I did so that I could see
Jesus. And even though many people hated me, you will learn how Jesus showed
his love for me. You will learn how Jesus shows his love for you too.
Your friend,
Zacchaeus
Dear Zacchaeus,
I liked hearing how you climbed a __________ so that you could see Jesus.
You must have been surprised when Jesus looked right at you and said that he
was coming to your __________. I think I would feel very __________ if Jesus
came to my house.
You must have been very happy when Jesus told you that you were saved.
What a wonderful way for Jesus to show his __________ for you! I know that
Jesus loves me too. I’m so happy to know that I am saved. I’ll see you in heaven!
____________________
Name _________________________
Jesus Loves! Jesus Saves!
Part
One
1. What did Zacchaeus climb so that he could see Jesus? v
Part
Two
v Jesus
2. Who went to Zacchaeus’ house that day? v
v tree
3. How did Zacchaeus feel about his sins? v
v love
4. What did Jesus show for Zacchaeus that day? v
v sorry
Jesus loves you and tells you that you are saved. Draw a mouth to show how that
makes you feel.
Jesus loves me! Jesus saved me!
(Mark 16:16)
Whoever believes . . .
will be saved.
Yarn-Laced Bookmark
will be saved.
will be saved.
(Mark 16:16)
(Mark 16:16)
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Jesus loves you!
You are saved!
Set 3 Lesson 19
Mary Honors Jesus
Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8
Overview
Aim
How Mary honored Jesus
Truth
Mary honored Jesus as her Savior and her
King.
We too honor Jesus as our Savior and our
King.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: bottle of perfume, letter from Mary (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: board and chalk or markers; students or adult helpers
to play the parts of Jesus, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and Judas (optional: additional students
could play the other disciples); three or more chairs; perfume bottle
scene; 199—bush; 230—window; 226—table; 250—food; 257—wine glasses; 325—water
jug; 88, 17, 59—disciples; 24—Judas; 4—Jesus; 234—bench; 101—Mary kneeling;
260—long-neck water pitcher
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, toy crown or paper crown, picture of Jesus on the cross
Set 3 Lesson 19
– Mary Honors Jesus
Lesson
Opening Statement
In today’s lesson we’re going to hear about a woman named Mary. We’re going to hear what
Mary did with a jar of perfume. (Show the students a bottle of perfume and let them smell the
perfume if they wish.) Some perfumes can be very expensive. Mary’s perfume cost a lot of
money.
We’re going to pretend that Mary wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each
student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read her letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how Mary honored Jesus.
Option 1
(On the board at the front of the room, write “Jerusalem” far off to one side and “Bethany” in
the middle. Put three or more chairs underneath “Bethany.”) Jesus was on his way to the city of
Jerusalem. (Have “Jesus” and “Judas” [and optional “other disciples”] stand at the front of the
room at the side opposite “Jerusalem” and walk to the center of the room near “Bethany.”) He
knew that in Jerusalem he would suffer and die for the sins of all people. But first Jesus
stopped at the town of Bethany with his disciples. While he was there a man named Simon
gave a dinner to honor Jesus. (Have “Jesus” and “Judas” [and any “other disciples”] sit down in
chairs.)
Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were also at the dinner. Martha helped serve the
dinner, and Lazarus ate at the table with Jesus and his disciples. (Tell “Lazarus” to sit in a chair.
Have “Martha” pantomime serving food.)
Mary knew that Jesus was her Savior. She wanted to honor Jesus in a special way. So Mary
took a jar of very expensive perfume. She poured the perfume on Jesus’ head and feet. (Have
Set 3 Lesson 19
“Mary” hold perfume bottle and pantomime pouring perfume on “Jesus’” head and feet.) In
those days, this was a way to honor people such as kings. Then Mary dried Jesus’ feet with her
hair. (Have “Mary” pantomime wiping “Jesus’” feet with her hair.) The whole house was filled
with the beautiful smell of the perfume.
But one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas, was not happy that Mary had done this. (Tell “Judas” to
frown and wave his finger at “Mary” in an accusing way.) Judas said, “That perfume was worth
a year’s pay. Mary should have sold the perfume and given the money to poor people.” Judas
didn’t really care about poor people. Judas was in charge of the money for Jesus and the
disciples. And Judas would often steal some of the money for himself.
Some of the other disciples did care about poor people. They said to Mary, “You should have
sold that expensive perfume and given the money to some poor people.” (Optional: Have “other
disciples” frown and wave their fingers at “Mary.”)
But Jesus said, “Don’t bother Mary. She has done a wonderful thing for me. You will always
have poor people that you can help. But you will not always have me with you. Mary poured
this perfume on me to get me ready for my burial. Wherever God’s Word is preached in the
world, people will hear how Mary has honored me.”
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with a window and a bush seen through the window on the back wall;
add table with food and wine glasses on the back wall under the window with a large water jug
in right corner.) Jesus was on his way to the city of Jerusalem. He knew that in Jerusalem he
would suffer and die for the sins of all people. But first Jesus stopped at the town of Bethany
with his disciples. While he was there a man named Simon gave a dinner to honor Jesus. (Add
disciples left to right with Judas in the front. Have Jesus sitting on a bench far right.)
Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were also at the dinner. Martha helped serve the
dinner, and Lazarus ate at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
Mary knew that Jesus was her Savior. She wanted to honor Jesus in a special way. So Mary
took a jar of very expensive perfume. (Add Mary kneeling in front of Jesus.) She poured the
perfume on Jesus’ head and feet. (Pick up pitcher and simulate Mary pouring perfume on
Jesus.) In those days, this was a way to honor people such as kings. Then Mary dried Jesus’
feet with her hair. The whole house was filled with the beautiful smell of the perfume.
But one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas, was not happy that Mary had done this. (Place Judas
closer to Mary and Jesus.) Judas said, “That perfume was worth a year’s pay. Mary should
have sold the perfume and given the money to poor people.” Judas didn’t really care about poor
people. Judas was in charge of the money for Jesus and the disciples. And Judas would often
steal some of the money for himself.
Set 3 Lesson 19
Some of the other disciples did care about poor people. They said to Mary, “You should have
sold that expensive perfume and given the money to some poor people.”
But Jesus said, “Don’t bother Mary. She has done a wonderful thing for me. You will always
have poor people that you can help. But you will not always have me with you. Mary poured
this perfume on me to get me ready for my burial. Wherever God’s Word is preached in the
world, people will hear how Mary has honored me.”
1a.
What would happen to Jesus in Jerusalem? (He would suffer and die for the sins of all
1b.
people.)
In Jerusalem, would Jesus suffer and die for the sins of all people? (yes)
2a.
Where did Jesus stop on his way to Jerusalem? (Bethany)
2b.
On his way to Jerusalem, did Jesus stop at the town of Nazareth? (no)
In Bethany, a man named Simon gave a dinner to honor Jesus.
3a.
3b.
Which three friends of Jesus were also at the dinner? (Mary, Martha, and Lazarus)
Were Jesus’ friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus also at the dinner? (yes)
Mary knew that Jesus was her Savior. She wanted to honor him in a special way.
4a.
4b.
What did Mary do with some expensive perfume? (She poured it on Jesus’ head and feet.)
Did Mary pour some expensive wine on Jesus’ head and feet? (no)
5a.
5b.
In those days, which people were honored in this way? (kings)
In those days, were criminals honored in this way? (no)
6a.
6b.
How did Mary dry Jesus’ feet? (with her hair)
Did Mary dry Jesus’ feet with a towel? (no)
7a.
7b.
Who was not happy that Mary had done this? (Judas)
Was Judas happy that Mary had done this? (no)
Judas said that the perfume should have been sold and the money given to poor people. But
Judas didn’t really care about poor people.
8a.
8b.
What did Judas often do? (steal some of the money that belonged to Jesus and the
disciples)
Did Judas often steal money that belonged to Jesus and the disciples? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 19
Some of the other disciples also said that the perfume should have been sold and the money
given to poor people.
9a.
9b.
Did Jesus say that Mary had done a wonderful thing for him or a terrible thing for him? (a
wonderful thing)
But did Jesus say that Mary had done a wonderful thing for him? (yes)
Jesus said that the disciples would always have poor people that they could help.
10a. But who would they not always have with them? (Jesus)
10b. But would they always have Jesus with them? (no)
Mary knew that Jesus was her Savior who would die for her sins. In those days, people often
put perfume and sweet-smelling spices on people’s dead bodies before they buried the bodies.
11a. When Mary poured the perfume on Jesus, what was she getting him ready for? (his burial)
11b. When Mary poured the perfume on Jesus, was she getting him ready for his burial? (yes)
12a. Wherever God’s Word was preached in the world, what would people hear about? (how
Mary honored Jesus that day)
12b. Wherever God’s Word was preached in the world, would people hear how Mary honored
Jesus that day? (yes)
Truth (a): How did Mary honor Jesus?
Mary honored Jesus as her _____ and her _____. (Savior, King)
Truth (b): Did Mary honor Jesus as her Savior and her King? (yes)
Yes, Mary honored Jesus as her Savior and her King.
Mary was happy to honor Jesus as her Savior and her King. In the Bible (show Bible) we
read, “You are my King and my God” (Psalm 44:4). We know that Jesus is God. And God is our
King—he made the earth and rules over it. (Show crown.) We also know that Jesus is our
Savior. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. (Show picture of Jesus on the cross.) These
things make us happy to honor Jesus.
Set 3 Lesson 19
Like Mary, we can honor Jesus as our Savior and our King. We can do and say things to
show our faith in him and to praise him. Raise your hand each time I name something we can
do to honor Jesus. (Students should raise their hands for asterisked items.)
~ Sing songs of praise to Jesus.*
~ Keep all our money for ourselves.
~ Tell others about Jesus.*
~
~
~
~
Wear clothing or jewelry that shows our faith.*
Obey God’s commands.*
Get really angry at other people.
Help others because we love Jesus.*
Let’s ask God to help us always honor Jesus as our Savior and our King.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Alleluia! Alleluia! Give Thanks” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear Jesus, thank you for being our Savior and our King. Help us honor you in every way we
can. Amen.
You are my King and my God. (Psalm 44:4)
1. You—point upward (because this “you” refers to God) with right index
finger
1
2. King—make “K” sign with right hand (middle and pointer fingers
2
spread apart, thumb touching between); then move “K” hand from left
shoulder to right hip
Set 3 Lesson 19
3. God—move right hand, palm facing left and fingers pointing up, in
an arc toward forehead and down in front of face
3
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Mary by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: hair, money, King [face with crown],
Savior [cross].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
q Bible Words Crown
~ Photocopy the crown from the copy master onto heavy yellow paper and cut it out.
~ Let the student glue on some craft “jewels.”
~ If you wish, punch a hole in the top of the crown and tie on a piece of yarn or ribbon for
hanging.
q Savior Poster
~ Photocopy the picture of Jesus on the cross from the copy master and cut it out.
~ Have the student use poster paints or markers to make an abstract design on a 9" x 12"
piece of construction paper.
~ Help the student glue the picture of Jesus onto the poster.
Set 3 Lesson 19
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, give each student a picture of a crown
and a picture of Jesus on the cross. (See Copy Master 4.) Have the students wave the crowns
while singing the first, second, and fourth lines of the song, and have them wave the picture of
Jesus during the third line.
(Melody: “The Farmer in the Dell”)
Oh, Jesus is our King;
Oh, Jesus is our King;
And he’s our Savior too.
Oh, Jesus is our King.
5. Savior/King Chant
Show the students how to clap and chant the following to a steady beat (clap on the
accented syllables):
Je'-sus is' our Sa'-vior! (clap) Je'-sus is' our King'! (clap)
If you wish, have the students honor Jesus by marching around the classroom or the building
as they clap and chant the phrases.
Do you ever wear perfume? Some perfumes smell very nice. One day I used
some expensive perfume in a special way.
I was at a dinner for Jesus with my sister Martha and my brother Lazarus.
Maybe you have heard about Lazarus. Jesus had raised him from the dead. This
made my sister and me very happy. I loved Jesus, and I wanted to honor him. That
means I wanted to do something to show how special he was.
Listen to today’s lesson to see how I honored Jesus that day. You will learn
how you can honor Jesus too.
Your friend,
Mary
Dear Mary,
Today I learned that you put perfume on Jesus’ head and feet to honor him.
Then you dried his feet with your __________. Some of the disciples thought you
should have sold the perfume and given the __________ to poor people. But Jesus
was happy about what you did. You honored Jesus as your Savior and your
__________.
I want to honor Jesus as my Savior and my King too. I can sing praises to
Jesus and tell others about him. I can also help others out of love for Jesus. I am so
happy Jesus is my __________ and my King.
____________________
Name _________________________
Honor Jesus!
Part
One
1. On the way to Jerusalem, did Jesus go to a dinner?
yes
2. Did Mary pour expensive wine on Jesus’ head and feet?
3. Did Mary dry Jesus’ feet with her hair?
yes
yes
6. Did Mary honor Jesus as her Savior and her King?
Part
Two
yes
no
no
4. Was Judas happy that Mary poured perfume on Jesus?
5. Was Jesus happy that Mary had honored him?
no
yes
no
no
yes
no
Circle the pictures that complete the sentence.
I honor Jesus as my . . .
Savior
King
Bible Words Crown
You are my King and my God.
(Psalm 44:4)
Savior Poster
Jesus is my Savior.
Set 3 Lesson 20
The Servants and the Money
Matthew 25:14-30
Overview
Aim
What the man wanted his servants to do
with the money he gave them
Truth
The man wanted his servants to use the
money faithfully.
God wants us to use our talents and abilities to serve him.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: Bible, letter from Matthew (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 2: 15 pennies; flannelboard; Betty Lukens’ flannelgraph
pieces: indoor scene with two columns from temple overlay on either side; 230—window;
226—table; 58—man giving out the money; 21, 31, 54—three men receiving money
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, (optional) board and chalk or markers
Set 3 Lesson 20
– The Servants and the Money
Lesson
Opening Statement
(Show the students a Bible.) What is this? (the Bible, God’s Word) Did you ever wonder how
God’s words got written in the Bible? Well, the Bible tells us that God the Holy Spirit told men
what to write, and the men wrote the words down.
Matthew was one of the men who wrote down some of God’s words in the Bible. Matthew
was one of Jesus’ disciples. We’re going to pretend that Matthew wrote you a letter. (Distribute
a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read
the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what the man wanted his servants to do
with the money he gave them.
Option 1
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to teach them how God wants believers to use the
gifts he gives them. This is the story Jesus told:
“One day a man was getting ready to go on a trip. (Draw a stick figure man on the board.)
He gave each of his servants some money to use until he came back. (Draw three stick figure
servants next to the man.) He gave one servant five coins. (Draw five coins under the first
servant.) He gave another servant two coins. (Draw two coins under the second servant.) And
he gave another servant one coin. (Draw one coin under the last servant.) The man wanted
each servant to use the money faithfully. Then the man went on his trip. (Erase man.)
“The servant who had gotten five coins used the money to earn five more coins. (Draw five
more coins under the first servant.) The servant who had two coins earned two more coins.
(Draw two more coins under the second servant.) But the servant who had gotten one coin
Set 3 Lesson 20
went out and dug a hole in the ground. Then he buried the coin in the hole. (Draw a circle
around the last servant’s coin.)
“After a long time, the man came back. (Redraw man.) He called in his servants to see what
they had done with the money he had given them to use. When he saw that the servant with
five coins had earned five more, he said, ‘You have done well. You are a good and faithful
servant! Come and share my happiness!’ (Draw happy face on first servant.)
“The man said the same thing to the servant who had used his two coins to earn two more.
(Draw happy face on second servant.)
“But then the servant who had gotten one coin said, ‘Master, I was afraid of you. So I buried
your money in the ground. Here it is.’ And he gave the money back.
“But the man was angry with this servant. (Draw angry face on man.) He said, ‘You sinful,
lazy servant! You have not used my money faithfully. You have done nothing with it. You should
have at least put the money in the bank to earn more money.’
“Then the man said, ‘Take this worthless servant and throw him out into the darkness where
many people will be crying with pain.’” (Draw sad face on last servant.)
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with two columns from the temple overlay; place a window on the back
wall and a table under the window. Have 15 pennies ready to give out as coins.) One day Jesus
told his disciples a story to teach them how God wants believers to use the gifts he gives them.
This is the story Jesus told:
“One day a man was getting ready to go on a trip. (Add man giving out money.) He gave
each of his servants some money to use until he came back. (Add three men left of man giving
out money.) He gave one servant five coins. (Count out five pennies.) He gave another servant
two coins. (Count out two pennies.) And he gave another servant one coin. (Show one penny.)
The man wanted each servant to use the money faithfully. Then the man went on his trip.
(Remove the man who gave out the money. Then remove the three men.)
“The servant who had gotten five coins used the money to earn five more coins. The servant
who had two coins earned two more coins. But the servant who had gotten one coin went out
and dug a hole in the ground. Then he buried the coin in the hole.
“After a long time, the man came back. (Bring back the man who had given out the money.)
He called in his servants to see what they had done with the money he had given them to use.
(Bring in man who had received five coins and show that he now has ten coins.) When he saw
that the servant with five coins had earned five more, he said, ‘You have done well. You are a
good and faithful servant! Come and share my happiness!’
Set 3 Lesson 20
(Bring in the man who had two coins and show that he has four now.) “The man said the
same thing to the servant who had used his two coins to earn two more.
(Bring in the man who had received one coin.) “But then the servant who had gotten one
coin said, ‘Master, I was afraid of you. So I buried your money in the ground. Here it is.’ And he
gave the money back. (Show that the man has one coin.)
“But the man was angry with this servant. He said, ‘You sinful, lazy servant! You have not
used my money faithfully. You have done nothing with it. You should have at least put the
money in the bank to earn more money.’
“Then the man said, ‘Take this worthless servant and throw him out into the darkness where
many people will be crying with pain.’” (Remove the man who had the one coin.)
1a.
What did the man in Jesus’ story give to his servants? (some money, coins)
1b.
Did the man in Jesus’ story give his servants some money to use? (yes)
2a.
How much money did the three servants get? (One got five coins, one got two coins, and
2b.
3a.
one got one coin.)
Did all the servants get the same number of coins? (no)
3b.
While the man was gone, what did the servant with five coins do? (He earned five more
coins.)
While the man was gone, did the servant with five coins earn two more coins? (no)
4a.
4b.
What did the servant with two coins do? (He earned two more coins.)
Did the servant with two coins earn two more coins? (yes)
5a.
But what did the servant with one coin do? (He dug a hole in the ground and buried the
coin in the hole.)
Did the servant with one coin dig a hole in the ground and bury the coin? (yes)
5b.
6a.
6b.
When the man came back from his trip, how did he feel about the two servants who had
used their coins to earn more coins? (He was happy with them.)
When the man came back from his trip, was he angry with the two servants who had used
their coins to earn more coins? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 20
The man told each of these servants, “You have done well. You are a good and faithful servant!
Come and share my happiness!”
7a.
7b.
How did the man feel toward the servant who had buried his one coin in the ground?
(angry)
Show me how the man felt toward the servant who had buried his one coin in the ground.
(Demonstrate by frowning and crossing your arms.)
The man called this servant a sinful and lazy servant. This servant had not used the money
faithfully. He had done nothing with it.
8a.
8b.
9a.
9b.
What did the man say this servant could have at least done? (put the money in the bank
to earn more money)
Did the man say this servant could have at least put the money in the bank to earn more
money? (yes)
What did the man say should be done with this servant? (He should be thrown out into the
darkness where many people were crying with pain.)
Did the man say this servant should be thrown out into the darkness where many people
were crying with pain? (yes)
Truth (a): What did the man want his servants to do with the money he gave them?
The man wanted his _____ to use the _____ faithfully. (servants, money)
Truth (b): Did the man want his servants to use the money he gave them faithfully?
(yes)
Yes, the man wanted his servants to use the money faithfully.
The man in Jesus’ story wanted his servants to do something with the money he gave them.
He did not want them to do nothing with the money. He wanted them to use the money
faithfully.
Just as the man in the story gave his servants money to use, God has given each of us
talents and abilities to use here on earth. God does not want us to do nothing with our talents
and abilities. He wants us to use them faithfully. The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “Serve the
Set 3 Lesson 20
LORD with all your heart” (1 Samuel 12:20). God wants us to do our best to use our talents and
abilities to serve him.
Let’s think of ways we could use our talents and abilities to serve God. (If you wish, on the
board sketch pictures to represent the talents and abilities you discuss.)
~ How could we use our voices to serve God? (tell others about Jesus, sing songs of
praise, say kind things to others, etc.)
~ If you know sign language, how could you use that ability to serve God? (sign a song for
others who are hard of hearing, teach someone else sign language, etc.)
~ If you’re good at art, how could you use that talent to serve God? (make posters that tell
about God, design Christmas cards that tell about Jesus’ birth, etc.)
~ If you like to help people, how could you use that ability to serve God? (help clean the
church, bring offerings to help tell others about Jesus, etc.)
(If you have students with certain talents or abilities, help them think of ways they could
serve God.) There are many ways we can use our talents and abilities to serve God.
God gives each of us different talents and abilities. We might think that some people have
many talents and abilities while other people have very few. But God wants each of us to use
whatever talents and abilities he has given us to serve him faithfully. We can show our love for
God by serving him the best we can—with all our hearts.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Jesus in the Morning” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Thank you, God, for all the talents and abilities you have given us. Help each of us use these
talents and abilities to serve you with all our hearts. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Serve the LORD with all your heart. (1 Samuel 12:20)
1. Serve—hold both hands in front of chest, palms up; move them
alternately forward and back
1
Set 3 Lesson 20
2. LORD—make “L” shape with thumb and index finger of right hand,
and touch the thumb to left shoulder; then move the “L” hand to
2
right hip
3
3. all—place both hands in front of body, palms facing in and left
hand behind right hand; sweep right hand under left hand, landing the
backs of the right fingers against the left palm
4. heart—using extended index fingers of both hands, trace outline
of a heart on left side of the chest
4
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Matthew by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: money, angry [angry face], Savior
[cross], heart.)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
Assist the students as necessary in completing one or more craft projects, following these
steps:
q Doorknob Hanger
~ Photocopy the doorknob hanger from Copy Master 4 onto heavy paper.
~ The student may color the project as desired and/or decorate it with stickers.
Set 3 Lesson 20
~ Help the student cut out the hanger and cover it with clear self-adhesive paper or
laminate it.
~ Let the student know that the project can be hung on a doorknob or on a wheelchair.
q Personalized Prayer
~ Photocopy the prayer box from Copy Master 5 and cut it out. Help the student fold the
box in half like a book.
~ Also help the student fold in half a 7" x 9" piece of construction paper, and glue the
prayer inside the construction paper.
~ On the outside cover of the “book” write “ (Student’s name) ’s Prayer.” The student
could add some stickers to the project if desired.
~ Show the student how to insert his or her own words into the prayer. You could write the
student’s words in the blanks or encourage the student to say the desired words when
praying.
~ Encourage the student to take the prayer book home and use it to pray to God.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, give each student a paper heart to wave
while you sing the song together.
(Melody: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Serve the Lord with all your heart,
All your heart, all your heart.
Serve the Lord with all your heart,
And show you love your God.
5. Service Project
Help the students find ways they can use their talents and abilities to serve God. They could
do a group project or you could help them find ways to serve God individually. Possible
suggestions:
~ Make posters about Jesus to hang in the church narthex.
~ Sing songs about Jesus for people in a group home or retirement center.
~ Teach a class of young children how to sign a song about Jesus.
~ Be greeters before a worship service.
~ Help clean the church or classroom.
Hi! My name is Matthew. I’m one of Jesus’ disciples. I wrote down part of the
Bible. God the Holy Spirit told me what to write, and I wrote it down. I wrote about
some of the things that Jesus said and did while he lived on earth.
One day Jesus told a story about a man and his servants. I wrote about that
story in the Bible. And today you are going to hear that story. In the story, the man
gave his servants some money. Listen carefully to learn what the man wanted his
servants to do with the money he gave them.
Your friend,
Matthew
Dear Matthew,
Today I learned that the man in Jesus’ story gave his servants some
__________ to use when he went on a trip. The man was happy with the servants
who used the money faithfully. But he was __________ with the servant who did
nothing with the money.
God is like the man in the story. God gives me talents and abilities to use here
on earth. And God wants me to use my talents and abilities to serve him. I can serve
God by singing his praises and by telling other people that Jesus is their
__________. I want to serve God with all my __________!
____________________
Name _________________________
Use Your Talents!
Part
One
1. Did the man give each
of his servants the same number of coins?
yes
2. Did the servant with five coins earn two more coins?
no
yes
3. Did the servant with one coin bury his coin in the ground?
4. Was the man happy with
the servants who had earned more coins?
5. Was the man happy with the servant
who had buried his one coin in the ground?
yes
yes
yes
no
no
no
6. Did the man want his servants to use the money faithfully?
Part
Two
no
yes
no
God has given you talents and abilities. Draw a mouth to show how you feel when you
serve God.
I want to serve God with all my heart!
Doorknob Hanger
Serve the LORD
with all your heart.
(1 Samuel 12:20)
Personalized Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving me the ability to _________________
______________________________________. Help me serve you
by ____________________________________________________.
I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Set 3 Lesson 21
Paying Taxes to the King
Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26
Overview
Aim
What Jesus told his enemies to do
Truth
Jesus told his enemies to obey God and
their government.
God wants us to obey God and our
government.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: a coin with someone’s face on it, letter from Jesus (see Copy
Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: figures of Jesus, enemies, and coin from Copy Master
3, enlarged (if desired), colored, cut out, and with tape or magnets attached to the backs;
scene with two columns from the temple overlay; 18, 36, 38—priests and men of the
church; 1—Jesus; 21, 54—disciples; penny
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, (optional) picture of the United States president or other
government leader(s)
Set 3 Lesson 21
– Paying Taxes to the King
Lesson
Opening Statement
(Show the students a coin with someone’s face on it.) Do you know whose face is on this
coin? (Discuss the person and why his or her face is on a coin.) Today we’re going to hear
about a way that Jesus used a coin to teach something to his enemies. We’re going to pretend
that Jesus wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one
enlarged letter.) Let’s read his letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out what Jesus told his enemies to do.
Option 1
One day Jesus and his disciples went to God’s temple in the city of Jerusalem. (Display
figure of Jesus on the board. If desired, draw a temple diagram and several stick figures to
represent disciples.) While they were there, some of Jesus’ enemies came to ask Jesus a
question. (Display enemies on the board. Draw a question mark above them.) But these
enemies did not love Jesus or believe that he is the Savior. They were really trying to trick
Jesus with their question. They said, “Teacher, we know that you teach what is right. You speak
God’s Word truthfully. So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the king or not?”
Most people did not like paying taxes to the king. So if Jesus said, “Yes, pay taxes to the
king,” many people might be angry with Jesus. They would not follow him anymore. If Jesus
said, “No, don’t pay taxes to the king,” the king might have Jesus put into prison. The enemies
thought that no matter what Jesus said, he would get into trouble.
But Jesus knew his enemies were trying to trick him. He said, “You sinful men, why are you
trying to trick me? Show me the kind of coin you use to pay taxes.”
Set 3 Lesson 21
The enemies showed Jesus a coin with the king’s picture on it. (Display coin on the board.)
Jesus asked, “Whose picture is on this coin? And whose name is on it?”
The enemies answered, “The king’s picture and name.”
Jesus said to the enemies, “Give to the king everything that you owe to the king, and give to
God everything that you owe to God.” Jesus was telling them that they should obey their
government and they should obey God.
When the enemies heard Jesus’ answer, they didn’t know what to say. Their trick did not
work. So they gave up and went away. (Remove enemies from the board.)
Option 2
(Display indoor scene with the two columns from the temple overlay. Show priests facing left
and Jesus facing right with disciples standing next to him.) One day Jesus and his disciples
went to God’s temple in the city of Jerusalem. While they were there, some of Jesus’ enemies
came to ask Jesus a question. But these enemies did not love Jesus or believe that he is the
Savior. They were really trying to trick Jesus with their question. They said, “Teacher, we know
that you teach what is right. You speak God’s Word truthfully. So tell us what you think. Is it
right to pay taxes to the king or not?”
Most people did not like paying taxes to the king. So if Jesus said, “Yes, pay taxes to the
king,” many people might be angry with Jesus. They would not follow him anymore. If Jesus
said, “No, don’t pay taxes to the king,” the king might have Jesus put into prison. The enemies
thought that no matter what Jesus said, he would get into trouble.
But Jesus knew his enemies were trying to trick him. He said, “You sinful men, why are you
trying to trick me? Show me the kind of coin you use to pay taxes.” (Show the students a penny
with Lincoln’s head on it. Say that in Jesus’ time the coins had a picture of the king.)
The enemies showed Jesus a coin with the king’s picture on it. Jesus asked, “Whose picture
is on this coin? And whose name is on it?”
The enemies answered, “The king’s picture and name.”
Jesus said to the enemies, “Give to the king everything that you owe to the king, and give to
God everything that you owe to God.” Jesus was telling them that they should obey their
government and they should obey God.
When the enemies heard Jesus’ answer, they didn’t know what to say. Their trick did not
work. So they gave up and went away.
Set 3 Lesson 21
1a.
1b.
Who came to ask Jesus a question one day? (his enemies)
Did Jesus’ enemies come to ask him a question one day? (yes)
But these enemies did not love Jesus or believe that he is the Savior.
2a.
2b.
Why, then, did they ask Jesus a question? (They were trying to trick Jesus.)
Were the enemies trying to trick Jesus with their question? (yes)
The enemies said, “Teacher, we know that you teach what is right. You speak God’s Word
truthfully.” But they did not really believe these things they said.
3a.
Then what question did they ask Jesus? (“Is it right to pay taxes to the king or not?”)
4a.
If Jesus said, “Yes, pay taxes to the king,” who might get angry with Jesus? (many people)
5a.
If Jesus said, “No, don’t pay taxes to the king,” what might the king do? (have Jesus put
into prison)
If Jesus said, “No, don’t pay taxes to the king,” might the king have Jesus put into a
castle? (no)
3b.
4b.
5b.
Then did the enemies ask Jesus, “Is it right to pay taxes to the president?” (no)
If Jesus said, “Yes, pay taxes to the king,” would many people be happy with Jesus? (no)
But Jesus knew his enemies were trying to trick him.
6a.
6b.
What did Jesus ask his enemies to show him? (a coin used to pay taxes)
Did Jesus ask his enemies to show him a dollar used to pay taxes? (no)
7a.
What did Jesus ask the enemies about the coin? (“Whose picture is on this coin? And
whose name is on it?”)
7b.
8a.
8b.
Did Jesus ask his enemies whose picture and name were on the coin? (yes)
What did the enemies answer? (“The king’s picture and name.”)
Did the enemies tell Jesus that it was the king’s picture and name? (yes)
Then Jesus said to the enemies, “Give to the king everything that you owe to the king, and give
to God everything that you owe to God.”
9a.
9b.
Whom should the enemies obey? (their government and God)
Should the enemies obey both God and their government? (yes)
Set 3 Lesson 21
The enemies saw that their trick did not work.
10a. What did they do then? (They gave up and went away.)
10b. Did the enemies keep trying to trick Jesus? (no)
Truth (a): What did Jesus tell his enemies to do?
Jesus told his enemies to obey _____ and their _____. (God, government)
Truth (b): Did Jesus tell his enemies to obey God and their government? (yes)
Yes, Jesus told his enemies to obey God and their government.
The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “This is love for God: to obey his commands” (1 John 5:3).
Because we love God, we want to obey his commands—the things he tells us to do in his
Word. Can you think of some of God’s commands? (worship only him, obey your parents, be
kind to others, don’t tell lies about others, don’t steal things that aren’t yours, etc.)
Another command that God gives us in the Bible is to obey our government. Our government
is a blessing from God. Our government does many things to help us and keep us safe. And
God has put our government in charge of us. (If appropriate for your class, show a picture of
the president or other government leader(s) and discuss briefly.) Sometimes we may not agree
with the people who are running our government. Sometimes we may not like some of the rules
or laws our government makes. We may not like to pay taxes to our government. But God
wants us to obey our government even if we don’t really want to. The only time we should not
obey our government is if it tells us to do something that goes against God’s commands.
One way we can obey God and show our love for him is to obey our government. Let’s ask
God for help to do this.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Follow Me” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Set 3 Lesson 21
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for giving us a government to help us. Help us obey our government
and especially help us obey you. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is love for God: to obey his commands. (1 John 5:3)
1. love—make two fists and cross arms at wrists, palms toward body,
across chest
1
2
3. obey—touch tips of right fingers and thumb together on right
forehead, and place tips of left fingers and thumb together at chest
height; then bring down and open both hands, ending with palms up in
front of body
3
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from Jesus by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: sad/angry [sad or angry face], God
[cloud with rays], commands [stone tablets], love [heart].)
2. Activity Sheet
Set 3 Lesson 21
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Badge
~ Photocopy the badge from Copy Master 5 and cut it out.
~ Let the student decorate the border and color the project as desired.
~ Cover the badge with clear self-adhesive paper or laminate it.
~ Safety-pin or tape the badge onto the student’s clothing.
q “Obey God . . .” Reminder
~ Photocopy the building shape from Copy Master 5 onto heavy paper.
~ Help the student color in the letters.
~ Help the student cut out the shape and fold across the dotted line so that the building
will stand.
q Story Figures
~ Photocopy the figures from Copy Master 3 onto heavy paper and let the student color
them as desired.
~ Cut out the figures and show the student how he or she can use them to retell the
lesson.
~ Encourage the student to take the figures home and use them to retell the lesson to
family and friends.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, sing the first phrase of each line and have
the students repeat it.
Obey God and, obey God and
Government, government.
Obey government and, obey government and
Obey God, obey God.
Set 3 Lesson 21
5. Our Government
Remind the students that our government is a blessing from God. Help them think of things
the government does to help us and keep us safe. Examples: makes roads for us to drive on,
provides parks for our enjoyment, picks up our trash, provides police and fire protection, etc.
Then help the students think of laws or rules that our government has made. Examples: pay
your taxes, cross streets only at crosswalks, don’t litter, drive the speed limit, etc. Remind the
students that God wants us to obey our government unless it tells us to disobey one of God’s
commands. Give examples of laws (real and pretend). Tell the students to nod their heads yes
if we should obey the law and shake their heads no if we should not obey the law. Examples:
~ You must pay taxes to the government. (yes)
~ You may not worship God. (no)
~ You must have a driver’s license in order to drive a car. (yes)
~ You may cross streets only at the crosswalks. (yes)
~ It’s OK to kill babies inside their mothers’ bodies before they are born. (no)
I love you very much. I love all people. I came to earth to save all people. I
know that you love me too. But not all people love me. When I lived on earth, some
people were my enemies. They did not love me. They hated me and wanted me to
die.
One day some of my enemies asked me a question. But they didn’t really want
to learn from me. They were trying to trick me. Listen carefully to today’s lesson to
find out what I told my enemies. You will also learn something God wants you to do.
Your friend,
Jesus
Dear Jesus,
I love you. You are my best friend. It made me __________ to hear that your
enemies did not love you. They tried to trick you. But you are God. You know all
things. You knew they were trying to trick you.
You told your enemies that they should obey __________ and their
government. I know that God wants me to obey his __________. God also wants me
to obey my government. Sometimes I don’t like to obey laws. Help me obey my
government even when I don’t want to. Help me do this out of __________ for you.
____________________
Name _________________________
Obey God and Government!
Part
One
1. Did Jesus’ enemies come
to ask him a question one day?
yes
no
2. Were Jesus’ enemies really trying to trick him?
yes
3. Did the enemies ask,
“Is it right to pay taxes to the king?”
no
4. Did Jesus’ enemies trick him?
yes
yes
no
5. Did Jesus ask the enemies to show him a dollar?
6. Did Jesus tell his enemies
to obey God and their government?
Part
Two
no
yes
yes
no
no
Circle the pictures that answer the question.
Whom should we obey?
God
devil
government
Badge
This is love for God:
to obey
his commands.
(1 John 5:3)
“Obey God . . . ” Reminder
Obey God
and our government!
Set 3 Lesson 22
Jesus Is Crucified
Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19 (selected verses)
Overview
Aim
Why Jesus died on the cross
Truth
Jesus died on the cross to give us
forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven.
We thank Jesus for dying on the cross to
give us forgiveness and eternal life.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: letter from John (see Copy Master 1)
q For Sharing God’s Word, Option 1: figure of Jesus on the cross from Copy Master 3,
enlarged (if desired), colored, cut out, and with tape or magnets attached to the back;
and sky scene with hillside overlay; 69—Jesus on the cross; 48—soldier; 39—priest;
89—people; 101A—woman kneeling; 104—woman standing; 40—man facing left;
69A—criminal on the left of Jesus; 69B—criminal on the right of Jesus; 172—dark clouds;
220—tomb; 220—stone
q For Applying God’s Word: sad face and happy face (drawn on paper plates or paper
circles), Bible
Set 3 Lesson 22
– Jesus Is Crucified
Lesson
Opening Statement
Jesus’ enemies wanted Jesus to be put to death. So they arrested Jesus and took him to
Pilate, the ruler in their land. Even though Jesus had done nothing wrong, Pilate ordered his
soldiers to crucify Jesus—to put him to death on a cross. This made Jesus’ enemies happy
because they hated Jesus. They didn’t know that this was all part of God’s plan for Jesus to
save us.
Today we’re going to hear about the day Jesus was crucified. We’re going to pretend that
Jesus’ disciple John wrote you a letter. (Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out why Jesus died on the cross.
Option 1
Pilate told his soldiers to crucify Jesus. So on Friday morning the soldiers took Jesus to a hill
outside the city of Jerusalem. (Draw a hill on the board.) They nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to a
big wooden cross. Then they stood the cross up with Jesus hanging on it. (Place figure of
Jesus on the hill.) This hurt Jesus very much. He was suffering to pay for our sins.
Many people watched as Jesus was crucified. (If you wish, draw some stick figures around
the hill.) Some of these people were Jesus’ friends who loved him very much. (Make some of
the stick figures look sad.) Others were Jesus’ enemies who hated Jesus and made fun of him.
(Give some of the stick figures smiles and “angry” eyebrows.)
Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus, one on each side of him. (Sketch one cross
and criminal figure on each side of Jesus.) These men were being crucified because they had
Set 3 Lesson 22
done things that were bad. But Jesus had done nothing wrong. He had never sinned—not even
once.
One of these criminals made fun of Jesus along with the enemies. (Give one criminal an
angry face.) But the other criminal said to him, “We deserve this punishment. But this man has
done nothing wrong.” Then this criminal said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come to
your kingdom.”
Jesus knew that this criminal had faith in him as the Savior. Jesus told him, “I promise that
today you will be with me in heaven.”
Jesus hung on the cross all morning. Then at noon, God caused the sun to stop shining. The
sky became as dark as night. Jesus was suffering the punishment for the sins of the whole
world.
At about 3:00, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” Jesus knew that his work of saving all people
from their sins was done. Then Jesus bowed his head and died.
Some of Jesus’ friends took his body down from the cross and wrapped it in a cloth. (Take
Jesus figure off the board.) Then they put his body in a grave, which was like a cave. (If you
wish, draw a cave on another part of the board.) They rolled a large stone in front of the
doorway to the grave. (Draw a large stone in front of the entrance to the cave.) Then they sadly
walked away.
Option 2
(Display water and sky scene with the hillside overlay.) Pilate told his soldiers to crucify
Jesus. So on Friday morning the soldiers took Jesus to a hill outside the city of Jerusalem.
They nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to a big wooden cross. Then they stood the cross up with
Jesus hanging on it. (Place Jesus on the cross in the center back.) This hurt Jesus very much.
He was suffering to pay for our sins.
Many people watched as Jesus was crucified. (Add soldier, priest, and people left of Jesus.
Add woman kneeling, woman standing behind her, and man facing left behind the woman.)
Some of these people were Jesus’ friends who loved him very much. Others were Jesus’
enemies who hated Jesus and made fun of him.
Two criminals were also crucified with Jesus, one on each side of him. (Add the criminals on
the cross left and right of Jesus.) These men were being crucified because they had done
things that were bad. But Jesus had done nothing wrong. He had never sinned—not even once.
One of these criminals made fun of Jesus along with the enemies. But the other criminal said
to him, “We deserve this punishment. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then this criminal
said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come to your kingdom.”
Set 3 Lesson 22
Jesus knew that this criminal had faith in him as the Savior. Jesus told him, “I promise that
today you will be with me in heaven.”
Jesus hung on the cross all morning. Then at noon, God caused the sun to stop shining. The
sky became as dark as night. Jesus was suffering the punishment for the sins of the whole
world. (Add dark clouds.)
At about 3:00, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!” Jesus knew that his work of saving all people
from their sins was done. Then Jesus bowed his head and died. (Replace all pieces with the
tomb.)
Some of Jesus’ friends took his body down from the cross and wrapped it in a cloth. Then
they put his body in a grave, which was like a cave. They rolled a large stone in front of the
doorway to the grave. (Put the stone in front of the doorway.) Then they sadly walked away.
Pilate told his soldiers to crucify Jesus. So the soldiers took Jesus to a hill outside the city of
Jerusalem.
1a.
1b.
What did the soldiers do to Jesus there? (They nailed Jesus’ hands and feet to a big
wooden cross.)
Did the soldiers nail Jesus’ hands and feet to a big wooden tower? (no)
Then they stood up the cross with Jesus hanging on it. This hurt Jesus very much.
2a.
2b.
Why was Jesus suffering? (to pay for our sins)
Was Jesus suffering to pay for our sins? (yes)
3a.
3b.
What did Jesus’ enemies do as Jesus was being crucified? (They made fun of him.)
Did Jesus’ enemies make fun of him? (yes)
4a.
4b.
Who was crucified with Jesus? (two criminals)
Were three criminals crucified with Jesus? (no)
One criminal made fun of Jesus. But the other criminal said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me
when you come to your kingdom.”
5a.
5b.
What did this criminal have in his heart? (faith in Jesus as his Savior)
Did this criminal have faith in Jesus as his Savior? (yes)
6a.
6b.
What did Jesus promise this man? (that he would be with Jesus in heaven)
Did Jesus promise both criminals that they would be with him in heaven? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 22
At noon, God caused the sun to stop shining.
7a.
7b.
What was Jesus suffering? (the punishment for the sins of the whole world)
Was Jesus suffering the punishment for the sins of the whole world? (yes)
At about 3:00, Jesus cried out, “It is finished!”
8a.
What was finished? (Jesus’ work of saving all people from their sins)
8b.
Was Jesus’ work of saving all people from their sins finished? (yes)
9a.
9b.
What happened next? (Jesus bowed his head and died.)
Then did Jesus bow his head and die? (yes)
10a. Who took Jesus’ body and put it in a grave? (his friends)
10b. Did Jesus’ enemies take Jesus’ body and put it in a grave? (no)
Truth (a): Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Jesus died on the cross to give us forgiveness of _____ and eternal life in _____.
(sins, heaven)
Truth (b): Did Jesus die on the cross to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life in
heaven? (yes)
Yes, Jesus died on the cross to give us forgiveness of sins and eternal life in
heaven.
It makes us sad (show sad face) to think of Jesus, our best friend, suffering and dying on the
cross. But Jesus came to earth to save us. And his dying on the cross was part of God’s plan to
save us. The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). We
know that we are sinful. And we deserve to be punished for all our sins. But Jesus took that
punishment for us when he suffered and died on the cross. Now our sins are forgiven. (Show
happy face.) And because our sins are forgiven, we know that we will have eternal life with
Jesus in heaven. (Show happy face.) Just as Jesus promised the believing criminal on the
cross, Jesus promises that he will take us to heaven.
Even though it makes us sad to think of our Savior suffering and dying (show sad face), we
are very happy that Jesus did this for us. (Show happy face.) Jesus is the only one who could
save us. We thank Jesus for dying on the cross to give us forgiveness and eternal life.
Set 3 Lesson 22
Closing the Lesson
Song
“Were You There?” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear Jesus, we know that we are sinful and that we need you to be our Savior. Thank you
for suffering and dying on the cross to give us forgiveness for our sins and eternal life in
heaven. Amen.
Christ died for our sins. (1 Corinthians 15:3)
1. Christ—make “C” shape with right hand; then move “C” hand from left
shoulder to right hip
1
2. died—place open left palm up and open right palm down; then move
2
3. sins—pointing index fingers toward each other, palms in, make circles
3
hands to right while turning left palm down and right palm up
with both fingers, going toward and then away from each other
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from John by completing the letter on Copy Master 2.
Set 3 Lesson 22
the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: cross, sad [sad face], sins [dark
scribble], heaven [city on cloud].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
steps:
q Craft Stick Cross
~ Use two large craft sticks about ¾" wide. Cut two inches off each end of one craft stick
and use craft glue to glue the ends to the back of the other craft stick to form a cross.
Let dry.
~ Photocopy the heart from Copy Master 5 onto red paper and cut it out.
~ Help the student glue the heart onto the center of the cross and stand the cross up in a
lump of clay.
q Cross Hanging
~ Photocopy the inlaid crosses from Copy Master 5. Use each cross shape to cut a cross
from a piece of construction paper. (You will have three different-sized crosses.) Use a
different color for each cross.
~ Help the student glue the crosses on top of each other.
~ Punch a hole in the top of the project and tie on a piece of yarn or ribbon for hanging.
(Option: Photocopy the crosses onto a sheet of white paper. Do not cut them out. Help the
student trace around each cross with a different-colored marker.)
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, give each student a cross to wave as you
sing the first stanza. While singing the second stanza, they could fold their hands as if thanking
Jesus.
(Melody: “Mary Had a Little Lamb”)
Jesus died for all our sins,
All our sins, all our sins.
Jesus died for all our sins;
We have eternal life.
Set 3 Lesson 22
I just want to thank you, Lord,
Thank you, Lord; thank you, Lord.
I just want to thank you, Lord,
For all you’ve done for me.
5. “Thank You” Litany
Write on the board “Thank you, Jesus, for forgiveness” and “Thank you, Jesus, for eternal
life.” Then pray the following litany, pointing to the correct phrase each time the students are to
say it.
Teacher: Jesus, we know that we are sinful.
Students: Thank you, Jesus, for forgiveness.
Teacher: We are so happy that you died on the cross to pay for our sins.
Students: Thank you, Jesus, for forgiveness.
Teacher: Now we know that you will take us to heaven.
Students: Thank you, Jesus, for eternal life.
Teacher: We look forward to the day when we will see you with our own eyes.
Students: Thank you, Jesus, for eternal life.
Teacher: We love you, our dear Savior.
Students: Thank you, Jesus, for forgiveness. Thank you, Jesus, for eternal life.
Pilate told his soldiers to crucify Jesus. So his soldiers took Jesus to a hill
outside the city and nailed him to a wooden cross. I saw Jesus hanging on the cross.
I was very sad to see my Savior suffering.
I knew that Jesus is God. He had the power to come down off the cross if he
wanted to. But Jesus stayed on the cross. He knew it was all part of God’s plan to
save us. Listen to today’s lesson to learn why Jesus died on the cross.
Your friend,
John
Dear John,
Today I learned how Jesus died on the __________. It made me feel very
__________ to hear about my Savior suffering. I heard about the two criminals who
were crucified with Jesus. One of them had faith in Jesus as his Savior. Jesus
promised that this man would be with him in heaven.
I also learned why Jesus died on the cross. Jesus died to pay for my
__________. Now my sins are forgiven. And I know that one day I will live with Jesus
forever in __________. I am so thankful that Jesus died on the cross to give me
forgiveness and eternal life.
____________________
Name _________________________
He Died for Me
Part
One
1. Did the soldiers nail
Jesus’ hands and feet to a cross?
yes
no
2. Were three criminals crucified with Jesus?
3. Did Jesus tell both criminals
that they would be with him in heaven?
Part
Two
yes
yes
4. Did Jesus suffer the punishment
for the sins of the whole world? yes
no
5. Did Jesus’ friends wrap his body
in a cloth and put it in a grave? yes
no
no
no
Draw a line to the correct picture for each missing word.
Jesus died on the _____ v
to give me forgiveness of _____ v
and eternal life in _____. v
Thank you, Jesus!
v sins
v heaven
v cross
Craft Stick Cross
Cross Hanging
Christ died
for our sins.
Set 3 Lesson 23
Jesus’ Enemies Guard His Grave
Matthew 27:62-66; 28:2-4,11-15
Overview
Aim
How Jesus showed that he is God’s Son
Truth
Jesus showed that he is God’s Son by rising
from the dead.
We can be sure that Jesus is God’s Son
and our Savior.
Materials Needed
q For Introduction and Letter: picture of Roman soldier, letter from a soldier (see Copy
Master 1)
and sky scene; hillside overlay; 220—tomb with stone in front; 48, 50—soldiers standing;
9A—angel; 50C, 50E—soldiers lying down; 23, 24—Jewish leaders; 273—two money
bags
q For Applying God’s Word: Bible, picture of Jesus
Set 3 Lesson 23
– Jesus’ Enemies Guard His Grave
Lesson
Opening Statement
Last time we learned that Jesus was crucified—put to death on a cross. Jesus died on a
Friday afternoon. Today we’re going to hear about what happened on Sunday morning. In
today’s lesson we’ll hear about some soldiers. (Show picture of Roman soldier.) These soldiers
were strong and brave. We’re going to pretend that one of these soldiers wrote you a letter.
(Distribute a copy of the letter to each student, or display one enlarged letter.) Let’s read his
letter. (Read the letter.)
Listen carefully to today’s Bible lesson to find out how Jesus showed that he is God’s
Son.
Option 1
(As you tell about the soldiers being sent to the grave, ask for volunteers [a few students or
the entire class] to pretend to be soldiers guarding Jesus’ grave. You could draw a large grave
on the board for them to guard. The students could march to the board and stand or sit as
straight as they can while “guarding” the grave. When you tell about the earthquake, have them
move back and forth as they imagine the earth shaking. Tell them to imagine that they see the
angel rolling the stone away from the grave, showing that Jesus’ body is gone. Have them
pretend to be afraid and, if appropriate, fall down to the ground. Then have them pretend to run
to Jesus’ enemies and tell them what happened.)
After Jesus died on the cross, some of Jesus’ friends put his body in a grave that was like a
cave. Then they rolled a large stone in front of the doorway to the grave.
Jesus’ enemies remembered that Jesus had said he would rise from the dead after three
days. The enemies did not believe that Jesus would rise from the dead. But they thought that
Set 3 Lesson 23
someone might steal Jesus’ body out of the grave and tell people that Jesus had risen from the
dead. So they asked Pilate to send some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave.
Pilate agreed. He sent some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave. The enemies thought that now
they could be sure that Jesus’ body would stay in the grave.
But early on Sunday morning something amazing happened! Suddenly a strong earthquake
shook the ground. An angel came and rolled away the stone from in front of Jesus’ grave. But
the grave was empty! Jesus’ body was gone. Jesus had already risen from the dead!
The angel sat on the stone. His face shone like lightning and his clothes were as white as
snow. The soldiers were so afraid that they fell down to the ground. Then they got up and ran to
tell Jesus’ enemies what had happened.
Jesus’ enemies were not happy to hear this news. They did not want people to know that
Jesus had risen from the dead. So they gave the soldiers a lot of money. They told the soldiers,
“Don’t tell anyone else what you saw at Jesus’ grave. If anyone asks you what happened, tell
them that Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole Jesus’ body while you were
sleeping.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were told. But this did not change the truth that
Jesus had risen from the dead!
Option 2
(Display the water and sky scene with the hillside overlay; add tomb with the stone in front of
it.) After Jesus died on the cross, some of Jesus’ friends put his body in a grave that was like a
cave. Then they rolled a large stone in front of the doorway to the grave.
Jesus’ enemies remembered that Jesus had said he would rise from the dead after three
days. The enemies did not believe that Jesus would rise from the dead. But they thought that
someone might steal Jesus’ body out of the grave and tell people that Jesus had risen from the
dead. So they asked Pilate to send some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave.
Pilate agreed. He sent some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave. (Add soldiers standing by the
tomb.) The enemies thought that now they could be sure that Jesus’ body would stay in the
grave.
But early on Sunday morning something amazing happened! Suddenly a strong earthquake
shook the ground. An angel came and rolled away the stone from in front of Jesus’ grave.
(Show an angel rolling the stone away from the tomb.) But the grave was empty! Jesus’ body
was gone. Jesus had already risen from the dead!
The angel sat on the stone. (Place the angel next to the stone.) His face shone like lightning
and his clothes were as white as snow. The soldiers were so afraid that they fell down to the
ground. (Replace the standing soldiers with ones on the ground. Then replace soldiers on the
Set 3 Lesson 23
ground with soldiers standing up again, and have them run off the board.) Then they got up and
ran to tell Jesus’ enemies what had happened. (Remove the tomb, stone, and angel and
replace with Jewish leaders and the soldiers facing them.)
Jesus’ enemies were not happy to hear this news. They did not want people to know that
Jesus had risen from the dead. So they gave the soldiers a lot of money. (Show the leaders
giving the soldiers money.) They told the soldiers, “Don’t tell anyone else what you saw at
Jesus’ grave. If anyone asks you what happened, tell them that Jesus’ disciples came during
the night and stole Jesus’ body while you were sleeping.”
The soldiers took the money and did as they were told. But this did not change the truth that
Jesus had risen from the dead! (Remove the soldiers and display the empty tomb.)
1a.
1b.
2a.
2b.
After Jesus died on the cross, where did some friends put his body? (in a grave that was
like a cave)
After Jesus died on the cross, did some friends put his body in a castle? (no)
What did Jesus’ enemies remember that Jesus had said he would do after three days?
(rise from the dead)
Did Jesus’ enemies remember that Jesus had said he would rise from the dead after three
days? (yes)
The enemies thought that someone might steal Jesus’ body out of the grave and then tell
people that Jesus had risen from the dead.
3a.
3b.
So what did they ask Pilate to do? (send some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave)
Did the enemies ask Pilate to send some disciples to guard Jesus’ grave? (no)
So Pilate sent some soldiers to guard Jesus’ grave.
4a.
4b.
What did the enemies think would happen to Jesus’ body now? (It would stay in the
grave.)
Did the enemies think that Jesus’ body would stay in the grave now? (yes)
But early on Sunday morning there was a strong earthquake.
5a.
5b.
What happened next? (An angel came and rolled away the stone from in front of Jesus’
grave.)
Did a disciple come and roll away the stone from in front of Jesus’ grave? (no)
Set 3 Lesson 23
6a.
6b.
What was in the grave? (Nothing! Jesus’ body was gone.)
Was Jesus’ body still in the grave? (no)
7a.
7b.
What had happened to Jesus? (He had risen from the dead!)
Had Jesus risen from the dead? (yes)
8a.
8b.
What did the soldiers do because they were so afraid? (fell down to the ground)
Were the soldiers so happy that they fell down to the ground? (no)
9a.
9b.
Then where did they go? (They ran to tell Jesus’ enemies what had happened.)
Then did they run to tell Jesus’ enemies what had happened? (yes)
10a. How did Jesus’ enemies feel about this news? (They were not happy.)
10b. Were Jesus’ enemies happy to hear this news? (no)
The enemies did not want people to know that Jesus had risen from the dead.
11a. What did they give to the soldiers? (a lot of money)
11b. Did they give the soldiers a little money? (no)
The enemies told the soldiers, “Don’t tell anyone else what you saw at Jesus’ grave.”
12a. What should the soldiers say if anyone asked them what happened? (Jesus’ disciples
came during the night and stole Jesus’ body.)
12b. Should the soldiers say that Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole Jesus’ body
while they were sleeping? (yes)
The soldiers did as they were told. They told people that Jesus’ body had been stolen out of the
grave.
13a. But what had really happened? (Jesus had risen from the dead.)
13b. But had Jesus really risen from the dead? (yes)
Truth (a): How did Jesus show that he is God’s Son?
Jesus showed that he is God’s _____ by rising from the _____. (Son, dead)
Truth (b): Did Jesus show that he is God’s Son by rising from the dead? (yes)
Yes, Jesus showed that he is God’s Son by rising from the dead.
Set 3 Lesson 23
Jesus’ enemies didn’t believe that Jesus is God’s Son. They thought that with soldiers on
guard, Jesus’ body would stay in the grave. But there was nothing they could do to keep Jesus’
body in the grave.
The Bible (show Bible) tells us, “Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5). (Show picture of
Jesus.) And since Jesus is God’s Son, he is all-powerful. He had the power to come alive again
and go right through the walls of the cave. And that’s just what he did.
We can be sure that Jesus is God’s Son. And we can be sure that he’s our Savior too. Jesus
suffered and died to pay for our sins. Then he came alive again. How sure are we that Jesus is
God’s Son and our Savior? (Make a small space between your hands.) Are we just a little sure,
like this? (no) Are we about this sure (make the space a bit wider)? (no) Are we (stretch your
arms far apart) absolutely, totally, completely sure? (yes) We are absolutely, totally, and
completely sure that Jesus is God’s Son and our Savior.
Closing the Lesson
Song
“He Is Lord” (Everyone Sing & Sign, Northwestern Publishing House)
Prayer
Dear Jesus, we know that you are the all-powerful Son of God. You really did rise from the
dead. Thank you for being our Savior! Amen.
Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5)
1. Jesus—touch left middle finger to right palm, then right middle finger
to left palm, as if indicating nail holes from Jesus’ crucifixion
1
Set 3 Lesson 23
2. Son—bring right hand down from a saluting position on the forehead
to the crook of bent left arm, ending with both palms up
2
3
Activities
1. Letter Writing
Write a letter responding to the one from the soldier by completing the letter on Copy Master
2. You could give each student a letter to complete individually by inserting words or pictures,
with help from a teacher as necessary. Or you could display an enlarged copy of the letter and
fill in the entire group’s responses. (Possible answers/pictures: angel [face with halo and wings],
afraid [sad face], money, Savior [cross].)
2. Activity Sheet
3. Craft Projects
q Doorknob Hanger
~ Photocopy the doorknob hanger from the copy master onto heavy paper.
~ The student may color the project as desired and/or decorate it with stickers.
~ Help the student cut out the hanger and cover it with clear self-adhesive paper or
laminate it. Let the student know that the project can be hung on a doorknob or on a
wheelchair.
Set 3 Lesson 23
q Jesus Magnet
~ Photocopy the circle from the copy master and cut it out.
~ Let the student color the project as desired. Then help the student glue the circle to a 4-
inch square of construction paper. Then laminate the project or cover it with clear selfadhesive paper.
~ Help the student attach a magnet to the back. Let the student know that the magnet can
be displayed on a refrigerator or other metal object.
4. Song
Teach the students the following song. If you wish, let the students clap their hands or play
rhythm instruments as you sing the song together.
(Melody: “London Bridge”)
Jesus is the Son of God,
Son of God, Son of God.
Jesus is the Son of God
And our Savior.
5. Egg-ceptional Review
You will need a dozen plastic Easter eggs in an egg carton. Number the eggs from 1 to 12
and put the following items in them:
Egg 1: small piece of rope (to represent being arrested and tied by soldiers)
Egg
Egg
Egg
Egg
2:
3:
4:
5:
thorn (to represent the crown of thorns)
small cross, which can be made from toothpicks (to represent Jesus’ cross)
nail (to represent Jesus’ hands and feet being nailed to the cross)
newspaper obituary heading with “Jesus” written underneath (to represent the fact
that Jesus actually died)
Egg 6: strip of cloth or gauze (to represent the cloths used to wrap Jesus’ body)
Egg 7: small container of spice or cloves (to represent the spices used to wrap Jesus’
body)
Egg 8: stone (to represent the stone placed in front of the grave)
Egg 9: small angel figure or white piece of cloth (to represent the angel at the grave)
Egg 10: nothing (to represent the empty grave—no body of Jesus)
Egg 11: coin (to represent the money paid to the soldiers to lie about the resurrection)
Egg 12: happy face sticker, drawing, or computer emoticon (to represent how happy we
are that Jesus rose)
Open the eggs in order, one at a time, and use the objects inside to review the story of
Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection.
Have you heard about Jesus? He was a man who lived at my time. Some
people said that Jesus was the Son of God and the promised Savior. But other
people hated Jesus. They wanted him to be put to death. And that’s what happened
to Jesus. He was put to death on a cross. Then his body was put into a grave.
I didn’t know if Jesus was God’s Son or not. But I was given the work of
guarding Jesus’ grave. While I guarded the grave, something happened that made
me very afraid. Listen carefully to today’s lesson to find out what happened that
Sunday morning.
Your friend,
A soldier
Dear Soldier,
Today I learned that while you were guarding Jesus’ grave, a strong
earthquake shook the ground. Then an __________ came and rolled away the stone
from in front of Jesus’ grave. But Jesus’ body was gone! He had risen from the dead!
You were so __________ that you fell to the ground. Then you ran to tell
Jesus’ enemies what had happened. The enemies paid you a lot of __________ to
say that disciples stole Jesus’ body. But I know that’s not true. I know that Jesus
really rose from the dead. I know that Jesus is God’s Son and my __________.
____________________
Name _________________________
Jesus Lives!
Part
One
Part
Two
1. Who did not believe that
Jesus would rise from the dead? v
v soldiers
2. Whom did Pilate send
to guard Jesus’ grave? v
v enemies
3. Who rolled away the stone
from in front of Jesus’ grave? v
v Jesus
4. Who rose from the dead? v
v angel
Circle the pictures that answer the question.
Who is Jesus?
God’s Son
our Savior
Doorknob Hanger
Jesus is the Son of God!
Jesus is my Savior!
Jesus Magnet
God so loved
the world
that he gave
his one and only
Son.

Closing the Lesson

Transcription

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