Aim to learn some basic facts about Jesus’ life
Aim:
*To learn some basic facts about Jesus’ life
* To learn what was special about Jesus
Materials:
* Bible passages – (John 6:1-15, John 6:25-59, Luke 9:18-27)
* a variety of pictures depicting Jesus Christ
* Children’s worksheet
* memory cards of pictures of Jesus
Lesson Outline
1. Introduction
2. Facts about Jesus
3. Was Jesus God?
4. What was special about Jesus?
5. Activities – worksheet, memory game,
6. Conclusion
7. Prayer
1) Introduction
Read the Bible passages together to stimulate discussion about Jesus.
2) Facts about Jesus
* Ask the children what they think Jesus looked like. (tall, thin, long dark hair, beard, wearing a flowing gown).
* Show pictures of Jesus. Which one do they think is the closest to Jesus’ real appearance.
According to Heung Jin Nim, picture 2, from a Russian church resembles Jesus the most.
* What do they know about Jesus? Brainstorm a list. Put all the suggestions on the whiteboard.
1. Born 2,000 years ago, in Bethlehem, Judea (now Palestine) 10 km south of Jerusalem.
2. Jesus is the Greek form of the English name Joshua
3. Parents Mary and Joseph (Zechariah?)
4. Spoke hebraic (hebrew)
5. Lived in Nazareth
6. Healed sick people – blind, deaf, dumb, lame. leprosy, people possessed by evil spirits
7. Performed miracles – turned water to wine, fed 5,000 people, walked on water, stilled a storm, brought dead back to life
8. Preached God’s word
9. Was the Messiah
10.Was the Saviour – He came to save sinners
11.Was called King of Jews
12.Crucified and died aged 33
13.Rose from dead after three days
14.Appeared to disciples for 40 days
15.Promised to return
16.WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT HIMSELF
– I am the light of the world (John 8:12)
– I am the Son of God (John 10:36)
– I am the Way, the Truth and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6)
3) Was Jesus God?
Jesus said:
• To know Him was to know God (Jn 8:19)
• To see Him was to see God (Jn 14:9)
• To believe in Him was to believe in God (Jn 14:1)
• To receive Him was to receive God (Mt 10:40)
• To hate Him was to hate God (Jn 15:23)
• To honor Him was to honor God (Jn 5:23)
Many Christians today believe Jesus is God. What does the Principle say? One famous part of the Bible seems to say Jesus is God.
When Philip asked Jesus to show him God, Jesus replied, ’He who has seen me has seen the Father…… Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?” (John 14: 9-10)
What does this mean?
Some people think Jesus is God and that he came from heaven down to earth. This is not true. He was God’s true son, fully reflecting God’s nature, but not God himself. He was born on earth, died and went to spirit world, like everybody else. But the way he thought, felt and acted was the same as God. He was a man of true love, fully reflecting God’s nature. This is who Jesus was.
4) What was special about Jesus?
1. Jesus had a special mission as the Messiah. The word “Messiah” in Hebrew means the “anointed one,” signifying a king. “Christ” is the Greek word for Messiah.
2. As Messiah, he was the mediator between God and fallen man.
– ”I am the way, the truth and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
– For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 2:5)
3. He was the saviour, who could save people by forgiving them of their sins.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10)
4. He was also the Second Adam, restoring the position of the first Adam, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)
5. He was God’s son, fully reflecting God’s nature
6. He was a true man
7. He had no original sin
8. He had no fallen nature.
9. He performed miracles.
10.He was one with God’s heart in his love,
5) Activity
* Complete the worksheet. Draw a picture and answer the questions
* Play the memory game
6) Conclusion
Review the aims of the lesson
* To learn some basic facts about Jesus’ life
* To understand the kind of person Jesus really was
7) End with a prayer
