Jesus himself had to lay a F/F and F/S

Aims
a) Jesus himself had to lay a F/F and F/S, before he could stand in the position of the Messiah.
b) Jesus successfully laid the F/F through his 40 day fast.
c) Jesus tried to lay the F/S by teaching God’s word and performing miracles, but failed because the chosen people rejected him.

Materials
* A picture of Jesus praying
* Word cards of Jesus’ words
* Picture cards of Jesus’ parables
* Picture cards of Jesus’ miracles
* Outline of the Principle Level 4. chapter 13 – Jesus in the History of Restoration
* children’s worksheet

Lesson Outline
1. Review Jesus’ 1st Course
2. Jesus’ 2nd Course
3. The Foundation of Faith
4. Foundation of Substance
5. Activities – worksheet, memory game, video
6. Review the aims
7. Prayer

1) Jesus’ 1st Course
* Review Jesus’ 1st course to remind the children of what was studied last time. Read the worksheet page, pausing where the words are missing, so the children can say them.

Because Adam and Eve fell, Satan has dominated this world. Jesus came as the second Adam to win over Satan and establish the Kingdom of God. To do this he followed the model courses of Jacob and Moses But, just as the Israelites under Moses lost their faith, so did the Jews at the time of Jesus. As a result, Jesus, like Moses, had to go through three courses.

First Course
Jesus came as the Messiah, but first a foundation of faith and substance had to be made. John the Baptist was the central person to lead them to the Messiah. He dedicated his life to God and the Jews greatly respected him. Unfortunately, John didn’t understand his mission. He doubted Jesus was the Messiah and he blocked the way for the people to come to Jesus. The first attempt ended in failure.

Foundation of Faith Foundation of Substance
1) Central Person: John the Baptist
2) Offering: an ascetic life
3) Time 400 years preparation

2) Jesus’ 2nd Course
Begin explaining the second course by asking questions:
1) Abel position John the Baptist
2) Cain position Israel

* What happened after John the Baptist failed his mission?
He lost his life, because he criticized the king. This shows he failed his mission and lost God\s protection.

* Who is going to make a F/F and F/S now that John has failed?
Jesus himself must do it, in the position of John, not as the Messiah. Jesus shouldn’t have had to make the foundation of faith, but he had no alternative, because the whole foundation to receive him was lost.

* Compare Jesus situation with Father’s
The same has happened to Father. Many Christian groups, in the position of John the Baptist, were prepared to receive him, but they failed to receive him. Christianity as a result lost its position as the John the Baptist. That’s why Father had to start again, in the position of John the Baptist and make a new foundation. He had to go to North Korea and later to start his own church.

3) The Foundation of Faith
* What did Jesus do to make a F/F?
He fasted for 40 days and had to overcome three temptations.

* What were the three temptations?
1) Satan said, “Turn stones to bread.” Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone.”
2) Satan said, “Throw yourself off the temple.” Jesus said, “You shall not tempt the lord God.”
3) Satan said, “All this I will give,fall down, worship me. Jesus said, “You shall worship God, only

Matthew 4 tells us the story. Read the passage together with the children.
1) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

2) Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
” ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

3) Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

* Jesus successfully laid the F/F by overcoming the three temptations. Complete the chart about the F/F together with the children

Foundation of Faith Foundation of Substance
1) Central Person: Jesus
2) Offering: Fast 40 days

Overcome 3 temptations
3) Time 40 days

4) The Foundation of Substance
1) Abel position
2) Cain position
* The whole purpose of the F/S is to get Cain (Israel) to follow Abel (Jesus). All the Jewish people had to believe, serve and obey Jesus. In this way the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature would have been achieved. Then Jesus could move from the position of John the Baptist to the position of the Messiah

* What did Jesus do to lay the F/S? What did he do to get the people to follow him? Jesus did two
things:
A) HE TAUGHT GOD’S WORD. Jesus revealed new truth to inspire people and show he was chosen by God
B) HE PERFORMED MIRACLES in order to testify that he was the Messiah

A) GOD’S WORDS
Examples:
1. Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
2. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
3. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
4. Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
5. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
6. Love your enemies
7. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
8. Do to others what you would have them do to you.
9. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
10.Love your neighbor as yourself.
11.Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God
12.Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God

Parables – Jesus taught God’s word through parables (simple stories with a message). Ask the children to name some. Can they identify the pictures.

Examples: (with pictures)
The Lost Sheep
The Lost CoinThe Lost Son
The Good Samaritan
The Sower
The House Built on Rock
The Pharisee and the Tax Collector
The Rich Fool
The Talents
The Unforgiving Servant
Other Examples
The Hidden Treasure
The Workers in the Vineyard
The Two Sons
The Wicked Tenants
The Faithful and Wise Servant
Faithful and Wicked Steward

B) MIRACLES
* Jesus performed miracles to convince people of who he was. Ask the children to name some. Can they identify the pictures?

Examples: (with pictures)
Raising of Lazarus from the dead
Healing a blind man
Changing water into wine
Calming the stormy sea
Feeding 5000 men and their families
Raising Jairus’ daughter
Walking on water
Healing a paralytic
Other Examples
Catching a large number of fish
Healing a leper
Healing a centurion’s servant
Healing a withered hand
Raising a widow’s son
Healing a deaf man with a speech impediment
Healing 10 lepers

* Jesus desperately wanted people to accept him, but how did the they react? The Jewish people’s attitude went from ignorance to disbelief, to distrust and criticism, to fear, to wanting to stone him, and finally they crucified him. The Jewish leaders called him a sinner. Like the Israelites during Moses time, they became faithless. Satan attacked Jesus through the Jewish leaders and finally through one of his closest followers, Judas Iscariot

* What was the result of Jesus attempts to lay a Foundation of Substance?
Rather than Cain (Israel) following Abel(Jesus), Cain killed Abel again. The second course also ended in failure, because of the faithlessness of the people

5) Activities
* Worksheet
For younger children use the worksheet showing the lists of words to use. For older and more capable children use the worksheet without the list of words.

Because of the failure of John the Baptist , the foundation of faith was invaded by Satan. A new foundation of faith had to be made by Jesus. He did this not in the position of the Messiah, but in the position of John the Baptist. He fasted for forty days and overcame Satan’s three temptations. Next, he needed to make a new foundation of substance. He wanted the Jewish people to believe him and follow him. He spoke to many people about God and performed miracles to try to persuade them. If he had succeeded, he could have taken the position of the Messiah and given salvation to the people. Instead, the Jewish leaders turned against him. His own disciples became faithless and, finally, Judas Iscariot betrayed him. The second attempt also failed.

Foundation of Faith Foundation of Substance
1) Central Person: Jesus
2) Offering: Fast 40 days
Overcome 3 temptations
3) Time 40 days
1) Abel position Jesus
2) Cain position Israel

*Play the memory game to reinforce knowledge of Jesus’ words, parables or miracles

*Have a quiz – Use the cards to test the children’s knowledge of Jesus’ words, parables or miracles.

6) Review the aims
To understand that:
a) Jesus himself had to lay a F/F and F/S, before he could stand in the position of the Messiah.
b) He successfully laid the F/F through his 40 day fast.
c) He tried to lay the F/S by teaching God’s word and performing miracles, but failed because the chosen people rejected him.
Ask the children what they learnt from the lesson. One important point is that people easily become faithless and reject the chosen person

7) Prayer