A15. Jesus is Tempted Matthew 4:1-11

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1 Page1 A15. Jesus is Tempted Matthew 4:1-11 Learning Objectives 1. The children will examine the story of Jesus being tempted in the desert. 2. The children will recognize that when we keep God s word in our heart we are more able to resist Satan and his temptations. Memory Verse: Getting Started I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. --Psalm 119:11 (NLT) All Ages "Guess the Gift" Game See: New Testament Lesson 215 Teacher s Guide - Page 2 You will need to prepare a beautifully wrapped package or gift bag and display it for your class. Inside the gift bag or box, place something completely worthless like a brick, a rock, a piece of wood, or nothing at all. Describe for your class that the contents of the package are special, valuable, interesting, expensive, etc., and have the class try to guess the contents. After a little while, open the package and reveal the worthless contents. Explain to the class that today we're going to learn that this is what Satan does. He offers us something that looks beautiful. He may even lie about the contents, but once the paper is taken off, what he has offered is revealed to be completely worthless. Jesus was not immune from Satan s temptations either. Continue with the lesson. Grades K-2 Distractions Activity You will need candy for this activity. Show the children the box/bowl full of candies. Then have the children close their eyes and imagine that the box is on their kitchen counter. Tell them to pretend it is close to dinner time, and their mom has told them not to eat the candies. After a short time their mom leaves the room and they are all alone in the kitchen with the candy. They could easily take a candy without getting caught. Now have the children open their eyes and take turns telling you what they would do. After their responses, explain to the children that this is an example of temptation. Then tell them that in the lesson today, they will learn how the Devil tried to tempt Jesus.

2 Page2 Getting Started Grades 3-5 Distractions Activity See: Grade School Activities Distractions You will need a problem sheet for each child (print out before class from the above website), pencils, a medium sized stuffed animal, pieces of candy for each child, a noise maker (whistle, for example) and a rubber ball for this activity. You will give each child a copy of the problem sheet and a pencil. The kids must concentrate on the test, and not take their eyes off the paper so they can complete as many of the questions as possible in three minutes. While they are trying to take the test, you will distract them with the various items. Please see the above website for detailed instructions and for the discussion questions. (Don t forget the discussion!) You will then compare this experience to how there are also many distractions that keep us from making Jesus first in our life. Remind the children that we must try the best we can. Praise the child who got the furthest, but reward every child with the candy for their ability to do as well as they did. Continue with the lesson. Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: Keep God s word in your heart. Before you begin with the story/lesson, ask the children if they know what it means to be tempted. Explain to them that temptation creates a strong feeling inside us that makes us want to have OR to do something that is wrong or unwise. Teacher Note Please see the attached ROLE PLAY activity as another option to enhance the story telling for this lesson about John the Baptist. Jesus Is Tempted 1 The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him. 2 After 40 days and 40 nights of going without eating, Jesus was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him. He said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." 4 Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Man doesn't live only on bread. He also lives on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' " (Deuteronomy 8:3) 5 Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city. He had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. It is written, "'The Lord will command his angels to take good care of you. They will lift you up in their hands. Then you won't trip over a stone.' " (Psalm 91:11,12) 7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' " (Deuteronomy 6:16) 8 Finally, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain. He showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 "If you bow down and worship me," he said, "I will give you all of this." 10 Jesus said to him, "Get away from me, Satan! It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God. He is the only one you should serve.' " (Deuteronomy 6:13) 11 Then the devil left Jesus. Angels came and took care of him.

3 Page3 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - Continued Discussion Questions: 1. What does the word tempt mean? (To try to make a person want to sin.) 2. How would you feel if you didn t have anything to eat for forty days? (Discuss explain that fasting is when someone chooses not to eat.) 3. Share the homework. Let the children share their thoughts and feelings. Then discuss how easy it might be for a person to tempt them with food, if they were in that desperate situation. (Discuss together.) 4. Why do think Satan is referred to as the tempter in verse 3? (Satan tries to tempt Jesus, he tries to convince Jesus to sin.) 5. If you were Jesus in the story, and you were hungry and in the desert for 40 days with no food, would you be able to resist Satan if he tempted you? Why or why not? (Discuss.) 6. Why do you think it is important to resist temptations from Satan in our lives? (Discuss together. Sin draws us away from God, which is what Satan is all about doing.) 7. What can you do to stay strong and firm so that you can resist Satan when he tries to tempt you? (Discuss and make a list together read the Bible, pray to God each day, learn what God expects of us and wants for us in our lives, stay close to Him, etc.) Application to Real Life All Ages Throw away our Sins Game Grade School Games Throw away your Sins You will need sheets of paper, one for each child, and masking tape for this game. Crumple the sheets of paper into balls according to the number of children in the room. Then divide the children in to two teams, and have them stand at opposite sides of the room. Mark the center of the floor with masking tape to separate each team. Then have each child pick up one paper ball. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. Use the game to teach the children that Jesus gives us the strength and help we need to get rid of all our sins. We are not free of sins and we all sometimes have temptations, such as envy, anger, disobedience, and other garbage of which we need to be aware. These temptations try to turn our eyes away from Jesus. We know what these sins are and when they come our way, we need to throw them away. When we are faced with something and we are not sure what to do, we can always stop and pray and ask God to show us the right thing to do according to His word. Jesus shows the gift of discernment when He turns Satan s offers of temptations into godly truths. Jesus could see the difference between good and evil. Ask the children: Can you give an example of a time where you did the right thing when you easily could have done something wrong? (Talk about it together.) Then, review the memory verse and message statement. Teacher Notes: The gift of discernment the divine enablement to differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong, and distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

4 Page4 Application to Real Life - Continued Grades 3-5 Temptation Resistance Activity See: Grade School Activities Temptation Resistance You will need to print one activity page for each child before class. Give each child a copy of the activity page that contains four temptation stories. Have the children read each story and then circle one of the choices to indicate how much they would be tempted to do the mentioned activity. The kids will most likely know the correct way to respond, but encourage them to be honest. After completing the activity page, go through each story again with the children to find out how they responded. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. At the end of the activity, review the memory verse and message statement. Remind the children that they can always pray to God and ask Him to help them resist Satan s temptations and make good choices, according to God s word. Teacher Note: If you have some younger children or children who are unable to read well, you can pair them up with older children, so they can work together. Memory Work Fun 1. Use a game to practice reciting the memory verse. 2. Practice finding the memory verse and/or Bible text in their Bible! (Old or New Testament?) 3. Review the first commandment with a game - pass/toss a bean bag or stuffed animal whoever gets it says the next word. Activity Ideas All Ages Temptation Object Talk See: Grade School Object Talks Temptation You will need an old bed sheet, a crayon or marking pen, and a pair of rolled up socks (one for each child) for this object talk. You will also need to prepare the sheet and socks before class. Tightly roll up the pairs of socks so they resemble balls. On the bed sheet, write in large letters, "The Word of God". If you do not want to write directly on the bed sheet, write the words on sheets of paper and tape them to the bed sheet. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. This activity will help teach the children that God has given us His Word so that we might be able to fight off temptation and defeat Satan. God s Word is very powerful and can act as a shield between us and whatever Satan tries to throw at us. Grades K-2 Memorizing Mania See: New Testament Lesson 215 Teacher s Guide - Page 5 You will need to prepare a tray of items for the class and cover it with a large piece of paper or a towel. Explain to the class that you are going to remove the cover from the tray for 10 seconds and that they must study and try to remember as much of the contents as they can. At the end of 10 seconds cover the tray again and have the class raise their hands and tell you what they remember seeing. Use this activity to share the importance of memorizing God s word so that we know what He expects of us and to help us not to sin. We want to keep God s word in our hearts (message statement).

5 Page5 Activity Ideas - Continued Grades 3-5 Hiding God's Word See: New Testament Lesson 215 Teacher s Guide - Page 8 Write down the memory verse on the whiteboard and help the children to memorize it. Have the children read the verse out loud together. Erase one or two words and have the children read the verse again, this time including the erased words from memory. Continue to erase the words until they are all gone and the class knows the verse from memory. Explain to the children how easy Bible memorization can be. Share with them a time in your life when you were tempted and the word of God protected you from sin. Can you see why memorizing Scripture is very important in our struggle with the enemy - Satan? We need a strong sword against his temptation. The Bible is that sword. Look up Matthew 4:10 from today s lesson. Ask the children if they noticed that in verse ten Jesus sent Satan away by quoting the scripture? And then in verse 11, it says "Then the devil left Him... The word of God tells us that we can send Satan away any time he tries to tempt us. Look up the following verses and read them together: James 4:7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you." 1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. The temptation we face is the same for everyone else. Don t kid yourself that you are tempted more than someone else or can t help yourself and must give in. God is faithful. He knows what we can stand and will only allow what we can handle. That also shows us that we have the ability, in Christ to say no to all temptation. Then we are told that God provides a way of escape. The next time we are tempted we need to pray and look for that way of escape that God provides for us. Jesus showed us how to resist the devil by hiding God's Word in our hearts. We must take the time to read, study and allow God s word to enter our hearts, so when Satan attacks we can stand strong on His word. Bible Time: God's Word Has the Answer See: New Testament Lesson 215 Teacher s Guide - Page 9 Have the children tell different temptations that come to mind (examples: getting angry with siblings, cheating on a test, disobeying parents, etc.). Look up Scripture verses that deal with each specific temptation (you may want to pre-prepare the verses, anticipating the various temptations your class may come up with, or bring a Bible that has an index where you can show the children how to find verses on various topics that could help them). Do several if time permits and have the class get involved with looking up the verses. You may use the samples listed below, or find your own, based on what you might think your students would say. Disobeying your parents Ephesians 6:1 Cheating on a test Psalms 119:29 Getting angry with your siblings Matthew 5:22

6 Page6 Journal Optional Grades K-2 Draw a picture of how Jesus was tempted in today s story. Grades 3-5 () What temptations have you faced in your life in the past week? What did you do? Write about it. Can knowing more of God s word help us to defeat Satan and resist his temptations? What do you think? Write about it. Homework Ideas - Read at home with a grown up the story about Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1-11; 12-17; Matthew 26:14-16). - Learn the memory verse: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! --Matthew 21:9 (NIRV) - Work on memorizing commandment #. - Color the Palm Sunday coloring sheet as your parents read you the Sunday School Lesson. Return your coloring page for a sticker. - Draw or bring in a picture of a donkey. Why do you think Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on this animal? Bring your picture to class and be ready to share. Other Resources New Testament Lesson 215 support curriculum

7 Page7 ROLE PLAY Narrator: Satan: Narrator: Jesus: Satan: Jesus: Narrator: Satan: Jesus: (Place the stones on the floor where the other children can see them. Jesus enters.) After Jesus baptism, Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. In the desert, Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights. (Satan enters.) If You are the Son of God, (bending over and picking up the stones) why not turn these stones into bread? Jesus knew that He could do this, but He recognized Satan s voice. It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. (Jesus and Satan walk towards the edge of the room.) (Speaking to Jesus) If You are the Son of God, jump down! God will order His angels to carry You on their hands. You will not get hurt! It is written again, you shall not tempt the Lord, your God. He had failed again. Then Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. (Satan and Jesus walk to the other side of the room.) (Pointing out towards the crowd) I will you give You all these treasures, if You will fall down and worship me. Away with you, Satan! I will only worship and serve the Lord! (Satan runs away.)

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9 Page9 Coloring Page Name: Palm Sunday Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! --Matthew 21:9 (NIRV)

10 Page10 Take Home Page: Jesus is Tempted Today I learned Today your child learned that God wants us to keep His word in our hearts. Children explored story of when Jesus was tempted by Satan in the desert. They also talked about God s word can help us to resist Satan and his temptations even today. Help me learn my memory verse I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. --Psalm 119:11 (NLT) Ask me 1. What does the word tempt mean? 2. What happened to Jesus in the desert? 3. How can you stay strong and NOT let Satan tempt you? Live Your Faith Share with each other times in your lives when you were tempted to do something (or have something) that was wrong or unwise. What happened? Were you able to resist the temptation or did you give in to it? Talk together about how you can help and support each other to know what is right in the eyes of God and resist temptations that might come your way. For example, maybe you will decide to read a little of God s word from your Bible for a few minutes after dinner each night (or even 3 nights a week). Come up with a plan together and commit to completing it.