How to Know the Truth

Transcription

1 How to Know the Truth Lesson 4: The Truth About Jesus TM.com

2 How to Know the Truth TM Lesson 4 The Truth About Jesus Unit Summary This DiscipleTown unit introduces kids to basic questions and answers related to understanding and defending the Christian faith the study of apologetics. While apologetics is often used as a witnessing tool, its proper place is to strengthen the faith of believers. Nonbelievers will rarely be argued into coming to Christ. Everyone must come to Christ by faith. However, apologetics can be used to show that Christianity is reasonable and that trusting Christ does not require abandoning reason and logic. Our faith makes sense; there are answers to the tough questions nonbelievers ask and that come up naturally even to Christians as we think about what we believe. While most children don t consciously worry about these issues, it is important to help prepare them for these questions and to teach them that having questions is okay. Children need the confidence that when they think logically and search God s Word, He will provide His answers! Lesson Summary Jesus: good man, prophet, myth, or Savior of the world? This lesson will help children understand exactly who Jesus is and is not. The most polarizing man in human history was far more than just a man and He did much more than just become the central point of our calendars. Children need help understanding the significance of who Jesus was and what He means for their lives both now and for all of eternity. This lesson will give them an opportunity to accept Him as Savior if they have not done so already, as well as to decide if they are ready to follow Him as a disciple or follower, since that is the calling of those who truly discover the truth of who He is. Disciple Targets In this lesson, your children will... Know Jesus, God s only Son, died and rose again to forgive their sins Feel Glad that Jesus can free them from any sin Do Tell someone else how Jesus solved the sin problem 1 Paul s Power Principle: Jesus has already solved your biggest problem!

3 SUpplies General Supplies Bibles, puppets, video projection (optional) Pencils, pens, paper Spark Interest WELCOME!: name tags, markers LET S PLAY!: various supplies (see activity) CONNECT WITH YOUR KIDS: none Explore Scripture KEYVERSE: none Inspire Action DRAMATIZE THE POINT: exercise outfits PowerPoint Presentation As you plan your lesson, select PowerPoint slides that correspond to the lesson elements you choose. In the Slide Sorter View, you can rearrange and/or delete the slides as necessary. For descriptions of the included slides and tips on their use, see the notes accompanying each slide. SPARK INTEREST Choose from the following activities and ideas to engage kids and grab their attention. How to Know the Truth Lesson , DiscipleLand. All rights reserved. Karl Bastian / Kidology.org Welcome! My Name Is Supplies: name tags, markers As the children arrive today, give them each a name tag that has the name Jesus on it. They will wonder why. Try not to answer their questions. Some may guess that the reason is because we all represent Jesus to the world. They will be encouraged to wear the name tag for the rest of the day, even after they leave church. Let s Meet-n-Greet! Invite the kids to turn and shake hands with two people at the same time one with their left hand and one with their right and then, without letting go, ask those two people, When did you learn about Jesus? or What is your earliest memory of church? Leaders, be sure to stop whatever you are doing and connect with two kids yourself! Move through the audience and greet the children, especially those you do not recognize. Announce any birthdays for the week. (See the How to Use DiscipleTown guide for quick and easy ways to acknowledge visitors and birthdays.) Let s Worship! Jesus most amazing quality isn t His miracles, sermons, or even His resurrection. It is His love for us. Recommended song: Jesus Loves Me from Superstar, available at Kidology.org 2

4 Puppet Intro Leader & puppet introduce today s lesson. You will find a scripted version of this intro at the end of the lesson. Supplies: puppet, toilet paper (In the puppet intros for this unit, you ll want to emphasize that it is okay to have and ask questions about your faith. This week, Puppet is back with more questions, this time about Jesus.) Puppet comes out with toilet paper wrapped all around him! Leader asks what he is doing. He says, I m investigating the greatest feat in the history of the world! Leader says, I m afraid to ask what it is, if it involves toilet paper! Puppet says, No, no, this isn t toilet paper; these are burial garments. Not even the greatest magicians have been able to reproduce the resurrection of Jesus! I m trying to re-create the scene and figure out how He did it! It just seems impossible. How could He have done it? I saw a TV special that said His disciples faked it somehow. Leader says, Well, there are people who would like to think it was faked, but that isn t what the evidence points to. Puppet says, Is there really evidence that shows Jesus rose again? I thought we had to just believe it on blind faith. That s what the TV show said. Leader says, Well, we do believe it by faith, but it doesn t have to be blind faith. There is a lot of evidence that has brought many people to Christ who set out to prove the Resurrection didn t really happen. Puppet is excited, Really? Tell me about it! Leader says, Puppet, Jesus was killed on a cross and then buried in a rock tomb. Three days later, the tomb was empty. Many people saw Jesus alive at different times and places. Once, more than 500 people saw Him at the same time! They weren t all imagining this or making things up. After seeing Jesus alive, His followers told people everywhere the good news that Jesus was alive! Some were even killed for saying this! If it were not true, why would they be willing to die for a lie? They had nothing to gain for a lie. Plus, a dead body of Jesus was never found, and the Roman government certainly would have defended the job they did guarding the tomb. Puppet says, I guess those are some pretty good reasons to believe it really happened. Leader goes on: But the best evidence is all the lives that were changed. Obviously, thousands of people believed it back then. If it hadn t been true, don t you think somebody would have disproved it then? How could a lie have fooled so many people for so long? To say now, after all this time, that it didn t happen is like saying today that Abraham Lincoln wasn t assassinated just because no one is alive who saw it happen. We know it did because of the records of those who knew it when it happened. Puppet says, Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I guess they don t want it to be true, so it s easier to say it isn t true. That way they don t have to accept Him as their Savior and they can go on sinning. Leader says, You just hit the nail on the head, Puppet. Puppet says, But I have another question, if it s okay. Leader says, Fire away! Puppet: I know we believe Jesus is the way to get to heaven, but is He really the only way? What if people believe something else? If they are good and really believe in their way to heaven, isn t that enough? Can t they go to heaven believing their own way to heaven? Leader says, Once again, you are asking a question that is asked all the time. Jesus clearly answered this question. He did not say, I am a way to God. He did not say, I am one of the ways to heaven. He said, I am the only way to heaven (John 14:6). We can know Jesus was telling the truth because He lived a perfect life and never sinned. Puppet says, Wow, I guess there may be a lot of good religious leaders in history, but none of them can claim to have done what Jesus did! Leader: That s right. Only Jesus died for your sins, and only Jesus came back from the dead! Puppet: Which means, only Jesus proved He can bring me back too! Leader: I think you are getting it. You know, Puppet, you ve been asking great questions. Puppet: And you ve been giving me very helpful answers. Leader: Well, questions are the key to learning and growing, so never stop asking questions about your faith; it is the only way to keep strengthening your faith by getting answers to the things you wonder about. 3

5 Let s Play! Truth or Oops: The Game Show Where the Truth Sets You Free! Supplies: masking tape, paper, or carpet squares; a prize; fifty true/false questions Set Up: Choose two contestants from the audience to be prisoners. Have them stand on one end of the stage. On the floor in front of them are ten squares leading across the stage to freedom and a prize they can see! The squares can be pieces of paper, carpet squares or squares made with tape on the floor. The object of the game is to answer questions correctly in order to move from square to square until contestants are free from captivity. Game Play: Flip a coin to see who goes first. Ask the first contestant a question. The player answers True or False. If the contestant answers correctly, say, Your answer is true! You move one square toward freedom! If the answer is incorrect, leader say, Oops! That was incorrect; you stay where you are. Would you like to stay or try another question? Remember, if you try another question, you may have to move back. The player has the option of answering another question and regaining his or her turn or saying, I ll stay, and ending his or her turn. If the player chooses to have another question and answers incorrectly again, he or she will move back one square! (Note: This option cannot be given when a player is located on the first square.) Each time contestants answer correctly, they move ahead a square and get another question. Players may only advance three squares per turn. Once a contestant answers incorrectly twice, stays, or answers correctly three times, play passes to the other contestant. The first player to the tenth square wins the prize and freedom! Questions for Week Four: Because the topic is Jesus, make your questions all about Jesus the miracles He did, His disciples, prophecies about Him, His teachings, places He went, things He said and did, etc. You will need around fifty questions to make sure you have enough. Make most of the questions relatively easy, but create a few tricky ones that can throw off contestants so that game play alternates. Connect with Your Kids You may have shared it before, but it is a story your students need to hear many times. Share the story of how you met Jesus Christ and put your faith in Him for your salvation. In your story, be sure to include the Gospel, but as it relates to you. When Jesus asked us to be His witnesses, He was being strategic. Too often we point our fingers at others, telling them that they need to be saved. That is the Holy Spirit s role. It is best to do what a witness does talk about what happened to you. When you explain that you realized you were a sinner, that you realized you needed a Savior, that you learned that Jesus died for you to take your punishment, and that you put your faith in Him for your forgiveness, people can figure out that they too are sinners and need to do the same without our pointing fingers at them. Your story of how Jesus saved you, who He is to you, the difference He has made in your life, and how you are looking forward to meeting Him in heaven can make all the difference in leading others to make the same decision. 4

6 DiscipleTown Visitor Seminary Professor Dr. Stramselbib,* Professor of Apologetics at the Institute for Advanced Biblical Studies (Note: Stramselbib is Bible Smarts spelled backward if you want to have some fun with it.) The professor should be dressed in as obnoxious a suit coat as you can find with a clashing tie! He carries an overstuffed briefcase filled with books and papers, has slightly messy hair, and (of course) a thick Bible. He loves talking about the Bible and God and the things he has learned from years of studying and teaching future pastors. The professor is back to help the children learn more about apologetics. This week the topic is the central character of the Christian faith: Jesus. The leader asks, Can you tell us how we can know that Jesus was more than just a good man, and was indeed God? (Note: This is not a script, but information to help the actor prepare. Find an optional script of this section at the end of this lesson.) It is important to understand that hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, the people of Israel understood that God was preparing to send a special person to earth to rescue us from sin and death. This person was called the Messiah (in the Hebrew language) or the Christ (in the Greek language). A good question to ask is: How would the people know when the Messiah arrived? Certainly, many might claim to be that person. The answer? God told the people of Israel what the Messiah would be like, where He would be born, many things He would do, and finally how He would die, along with many details about His death. In fact, the Old Testament has more than 300 prophecies about the Messiah. (Remember, a prophecy is something written before it happens telling what will happen.) Jesus fulfilled every one of them! One mathematician, who was trying to describe how impossible it would be for one man to fulfill all of these prophesies, said it would be like covering the entire state of Texas three feet deep in silver dollars, marking just one of those coins with an X, mixing up all the coins all over the state with bulldozers for months, and then taking a blindfolded person by helicopter all over the state for hours on end until he finally told the helicopter pilot where to land. The pilot would then ask the person to step out of the helicopter into the sea of coins three feet deep as far as the eye could see and reach down and pick up just one coin. The chance that this person would pick up the one coin marked with an X is about the same as the chance that one man would fulfill all the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His life. If you try to calculate the odds on your calculator, the number would be so high that you d get an error message! This is just one of the many ways we can be sure that Jesus is the Messiah and God s special Son! We also have the miracles He did, His resurrection, and the millions of lives He has changed since He walked this earth. But the very best way to discover just how real Jesus is, is to give your heart to Him and watch what He does in your life; then you won t need any other proof because you will have experienced Him for yourself. *CHARACTERS: These are suggested characters and names. Please feel free to change or adjust according to the actors and props you have available. 5

7 EXPLORE SCRIPTURE Seize on the children s interest and direct them into God s Word. Paul s Power Principle: Jesus has already solved your biggest problem! Suggested Bible Narrative Paul on the Road to Damascus Acts 22:1 21 Tell the Bible Story through dramatic reading, acting, first person drama, a video clip, story pictures, or some other creative method. Relate it to the lesson using the suggestion below. Paul had persecuted Christians until he was confronted with the real Jesus; then he followed Jesus! A lot of people have a hard time understanding or believing in Jesus. We can try explaining Him, even using arguments to try and prove He existed or was God, but these explanations usually don t work until people have their own experience with Jesus. Our job is to present the facts and then trust that Jesus will do the rest. Let s Learn! The Truth About Jesus Famous People!: Who is the most famous person you or your family has ever met? (Allow for responses; if you have a story of meeting a famous person, share it!) Can you imagine meeting God? How amazing would that be? Well, imagine what it was like to meet Jesus the most famous person in all of history! What year were you born?: Ask the children what year they were born. (Allow for responses.) Have them try to guess what year you were born, and then finally tell them. Then ask them if they know what happened [blank] years ago, using the year of your birth to fill in the blank. For example, if you were born in 1969, say, Do you know what happened one thousand, nine hundred and sixty-nine years ago? If they say no, use one of their years of birth, going child by child and ask the same question about their year of birth. Finally, ask, Do you know what happened two thousand years ago? Accept all answers until someone figures out the answer: Jesus was born! Note: While the calendar year is technically a few years off from when Jesus was born, there is no need to complicate your lesson with that information, though if you want to mention it, you are welcome to do so. You could also say, Jesus was born about 2,000 years ago. Water into Wine! Supplies: two clear pitchers (one filled with water), red food coloring or drink mix, stirring spoon (optional) Unknown and unseen to the children, put red powder or mix in the bottom of the empty pitcher. Show the children that you have a pitcher filled with water and another that is empty. Tell them that you are going to try to magically create red water from nothing! Say a silly magical phrase such as A la magical splashtical! and pour the water from one pitcher to the other right onto the powder or mix in the bottom of the other pitcher. If it doesn t mix well, be sure to slosh the pitcher around or use the mixing spoon for laughs. The children will be on to how you did your trick and will probably call you on it. Simply announce that you can t really turn water into red drink, so you had to cheat. But then tell them about Jesus first miracle, where He really did it, and there was no trick to it. He really did it! 6

8 Jesus miracles show that He had power over nature (Mark 4:39), evil (Mark 1:23 28), demons (Luke 8:33), sickness (Luke 14:1 4), and even death (John 11:38 44)! The apostle John tells us that Jesus performed many more miracles than just the ones recorded in the Bible (John 20:30 31). John tells us that Jesus miracles pointed (like signs) to His power. Note: The references above are not necessarily for sharing with your students, but for your information as a teacher. The Greatest of all Illusions! Supplies: a large bedsheet Announce to the children that you will now perform the greatest of all illusions! You are going to disappear right before their eyes. Build it up with great fanfare, telling them that in a moment they will not be able to see you, even though you will be standing right in front of them! Then ask them to all close their eyes and count to ten while you accomplish this amazing illusion! Once they have closed their eyes (of course, many will be peeking), take out the bedsheet and cover yourself as you count down from ten; then boldly tell them to open their eyes and say, Poof! You can no longer see me though I am standing right in front of you! Allow the children to respond any way they want, then hush them and announce that you will now become visible to them, but you need them to close their eyes again as you count down from ten again. Then uncover yourself. Obviously, this is a spoof, but the more you act like you think it is a great illusion, with fanfare and hoopla, the better it will go over. Finally, ask what they think would really be the greatest illusion of all time. Lead into what was truly the greatest event in all of history, which has never been figured out or duplicated. It was accomplished by Jesus Christ when He raised Himself from the dead! The resurrection of Jesus is the most important and greatest event in human history. Because of the Resurrection we can be sure of God s existence, love, and power. We can know that everything Jesus taught should be believed and followed. Also, because of Christ s resurrection, Christians can be sure that their sins are forgiven and that they will be raised from the dead to be with God forever in heaven. When a bee stings someone, the insect will often lose its stinger. When this happens, the bee s power to harm anyone has been taken away. The Bible tells us that Jesus removed death s sting when He died on the cross. Because of this, we don t have to fear death; we know that the devil s power to harm us has been taken away (1 Corinthians 15:55). Choose Your Guide: Have four kids come on stage to read the following options. Have them pull them from envelopes labeled A, B, C, and D. Explain to the kids in the audience that they want to go to [fill in name of nearby amusement park] and need to choose the best guide to get there; these are their four choices. They are to listen to all four choices before choosing. After all the children on stage have read their descriptions, point to each child in turn and have the audience vote for their favorite by applauding. A. Make-Believe, Imaginary Place: I don t believe that [amusement park] exists. People just make that up because they want to believe in something wonderful to go to, but there is really no such place. It s too good to be true. But I can lead to you some place that is real, like [popular fast food place in town.] B. My Parents Have Taken Me There: I can lead you there. I ve been there lots of times in the backseat of my parents car, so I m pretty sure I know the way. It can t be that hard; just be good and follow me and we ll be there in no time. I might have to drive around a little, but I ll figure it out. C. All Roads Lead to [Amusement Park]: It really doesn t matter what road you take because they all lead there eventually; it s like there is only one path. I mean, everyone gets in; you don t even need a ticket or anything. It s like totally free, dude! 7

9 D. I Am the Way in; My Father Built the Park: If you follow me, I can take you there. That s why I m here. My father built it, and when we get there, I ll pay your admission; but you ll need to be with me when we get to the gate or you won t be admitted. Do you accept my invitation? D is the correct choice. Read Jesus statement in John 14:6. Some people think that there are many ways to heaven and that other religions are just as true as Christianity. However, Jesus Christ is the only religious leader who could do miracles, who fulfilled ancient prophecy, who was without sin, who had a miraculous birth, and who was raised from the dead. Think about it: if you were lost and needed to find the right way, would you ask directions from a living person or a dead person? Because Jesus conquered death and is forever alive, we can know for sure that He, and He alone, is the way to heaven! Let s Search! Bible Dash Supplies: Bibles Ask all kids with Bibles to participate, or invite a few volunteers to come to the front. As children hold Bibles closed with hands on covers, ask the question that goes with a Bible reference (see below). State the Bible reference twice; then on the command Search, have the students race to locate the verse. Once they have found the verse, they must have an answer to the question before they stand and call out, Found it! Have the first child read the verse aloud and give the answer to the question. John 3:16 1 John 2:1 Isaiah 7:14 1 Corinthians 15:1 8 Matthew 28:5 10 Hebrews 2:14 15 Acts 4:12 John 3:16 17 John 14:1 3 Why did God send His Son to this world? Can I trust Christ to forgive my sins? Before Jesus was born, how did God describe what He would be like? What are three important facts about the Christian faith? What happened to Jesus body after He was killed? Why don t Christians need to fear death? Can someone or something other than Jesus save us? Who has eternal life? What is Jesus preparing for His followers? Dee s Disciple Tip: Jesus is the answer to the questions people are asking. When you teach toddlers, it can get funny, because often they will just answer Jesus! to every question; they have learned that Jesus is often the answer to a lot of the questions we ask in church. But toddlers might be pretty smart, because in life, Jesus is the answer to a lot of the questions people are asking, such as these: What is the meaning of life? How do I get to heaven? Who can save me? and Who should I turn to with my problems? We need to point our friends to Jesus when they are asking tough questions in life. KeyVerse Topic: The Truth Frees Us Reference: John 8:31-32 This final week, focus on what it means to be free. No one is really free. We are all slaves to something; the key is to choose what we are slaves to! Will we be slaves to bad actions, or to Jesus? 8

10 INSPIRE ACTION Encourage kids to apply the Bible truth to their lives. Dramatize the Point Truth s Gym This drama is set in Truth s Gym. Each week a personal trainer comes to lead a group of people in some Faith Strengthening Exercises. They are dressed up like they are there to work out, doing warm-ups, etc. (Involve all of your kids in this routine.) Trainer: Okay, kids, this is our last class; are you ready to have fit faith? Kids: [cheer] Trainer: Now I have a question before we begin. What if, when we exercised, we sat on a chair and only exercised our legs and our arms? Would we be fit? Kids: No! That s crazy! Trainer: Right. In fact, our core (the part here in the middle with our heart and lungs and abdomen) is the most important part. So today we are going to work our core! Trainer: Let s start with 10 sit-ups! Get with a partner; one person sits on the other person s feet and counts. When I say to, we will switch it up. Go! Trainer: Jesus is the core of our faith. If we just do kind things, but do not share Jesus, we are just exercising our legs; if we go to church every week, but do not truly love God in our heart, we are neglecting our core, and we will have weak faith! Trainer: Time to switch! Let s go, let s go work that core! Jesus was at the core of God s plan, and Jesus should be the core or the center of our faith! Without Jesus, our faith is on the wrong path! Jesus is the center, the main Thing, the One who makes our faith strong! Trainer: Great work today, guys... I hope you remember that practice makes permanent; memorize as much of the Bible as you can! Remember that we always want to look for clues about God and focus on Him every day! Remember that we can t quit and that Jesus is the core of our faith. If you do these things, you will have fit faith! Bye, kids! Kids: [cheer] Thanks! Bye! Object Talks The Bible and the Personal Argument for God Supplies: video projection In this video segment, Karl Bastian, the Kidologist, is seen as Professor of Objects aka, Professor O, explaining to the children one of four classic arguments for the existence of God. Featured verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 9

11 on presented by month day year Let s Talk! Small Group Discussion How Important Is Jesus? Supplies: Bibles, papers and pens for each student Have kids look up each of the following verses. Ask them to discover what the verse says about how important Jesus is, and then write their discoveries on their paper. Romans 10:9 2 Corinthians 4:5 Philippians 3:8 Romans 6:23 John 14:6 Discussion Questions: 1) Do you think there is a verse in the Bible that says Jesus is not the most important part of the Gospel message? Why or why not? 2) What would happen if we were to take Jesus out of the Bible? 3) Jesus is the proof of God s love for us. Many other religions do not have Jesus. Do you think they can know God s love? Why or why not? 4) What happens if we make being good or following rules more important than loving Jesus? 5) Is it possible to love Jesus and not follow the rules? 6) Is it possible to follow the rules and not love Jesus? 7) What do you think is most important to God? Awarded to for Bringing a Bible award DiscipleTown Super Citizen Award the Super Citizen certificate to a child who displayed Christlikeness today. Let s Pray! Dear Jesus, thank You for everything! Thank You for living Your life as an example to us. Thank You for dying on the cross and for coming alive again as proof that You are God s Son! Thank You that my faith can grow as long as You are at the center of my life. Change my heart so that I can love You more. Teach me to know You through Your Word and help me to always remember that You, Jesus, are the most important part of my faith! Thank You. In Your holy name, amen. Cy s Challenge: Pray that a friend who doesn t know Jesus would meet Him in a real way. Let s Review! If you have extra time, use these review questions to keep the kids focused on the lesson until time to dismiss. A handful of candy will help you keep their attention. After each question, take a minute to reiterate the lesson point related to the question. 1) What is the foundation of our Christian faith? 2) Can we have faith without Jesus? 3) Can we be saved without believing in Jesus death and resurrection? 4) What evidence have you seen in your own life of Jesus transforming and changing you? 5) With so much evidence to prove Jesus is the real Son of God, why do you think it is hard for some people to believe? 6) How would you describe what it means to be a Christian? 7) How can you put your focus on knowing Jesus instead of just knowing rules? 8) What two ways can you pursue God this week? 10

12 For the Home DiscipleTown Table Talker: Give each child a copy of this week s DiscipleTown Table Talker. Be sure to show the kids how to put it together and encourage them to ask their parents to lead family devotions three times this week. Parent Copy and send the below to help your parents connect with their kids during the week. Send them early in the week, but not on Sunday. As a courtesy, be sure parents have opted to receive these s. Review and edit as necessary to reflect the lesson elements you have used. You can also find this as a Microsoft Word document in your download bundle. Dear Mom and Dad, Today we finished our exploration of what is truth, and how can we know what is true. We discovered that Jesus is at the center of the Gospel and that our faith is based on His life, His death, and His resurrection. We discovered that we can t have true faith in God without Jesus and that we can trust that Jesus is the truth because of all the evidence and fulfilled prophecy in Scripture. As you use the DiscipleTown Table Talkers this week, encourage your children to ask questions. Do not be discouraged if they don t understand everything or if they have doubts. Creating a safe place for them to ask and explore their questions is a key to deepening their faith and creating roots for the rest of their life. Unexpressed doubts or the questions they are afraid to ask can be more detrimental in the long run. So encourage your children to talk freely about the things that challenge them, and pray diligently for Jesus to reveal Himself to them as only He can. We are praying for you and want to continue to provide support and resources for your family. Let us know how we can help. Building young disciples, [your name] 11

13 BONUS MATERIALS Use these options to extend your time or as substitutes for the ideas above. Chip s Snack Time! The Core of Things Supplies: apples (cored), apples (uncored) Show each type of apple to kids and ask them what the difference is between the two apples. Ask the kids which apple they would plant in the ground if they wanted to have an apple tree. Teachable Point: The same way that only the apple with the core and seeds will produce an apple tree, Jesus is the Core of our faith. Without Him, we do not have the truth, and our faith cannot grow. Jesus is the Core. Jesus is the Truth. Additional Ideas Recommended Resource: For a story that helps illustrate the Incarnation in a way that children can understand, see Andy and the Ants (available in the Story Zone on Kidology.org). 12

14 Puppet Intro DIRECTOR S NOTES The words in italics are notes for you and your puppeteers; they are not to be read aloud. Supplies: puppet, toilet paper wrapped around puppet [Puppet enters with toilet paper wrapped around himself.] Leader: What are you doing, Puppet? Puppet: I m investigating the greatest feat in the history of the world! Leader: I m afraid to ask what it is, if it involves toilet paper! Puppet: No, no, this isn t toilet paper; these are burial garments. Not even the greatest magicians have been able to reproduce the resurrection of Jesus! I m trying to recreate the scene and figure out how He did it! It just seems impossible. How could He have done it? I saw a TV special that said His disciples faked it somehow. Leader: Well, there are people who would like to think it was faked, but that isn t what the evidence points to. Puppet: Is there really evidence that shows Jesus rose again? I thought we had to just believe it on blind faith. That s what the TV show said. Leader: Well, we do believe it by faith, but it doesn t have to be blind faith. There is a lot of evidence that has brought many people to Christ who set out to prove the Resurrection didn t really happen. Puppet: [excited] Really? Tell me about it! Leader: Puppet, Jesus was killed on a cross and then buried in a rock tomb. Three days later, the tomb was empty. Many people saw Jesus alive at different times and places. Once, more than 500 people saw Him at the same time! They weren t all imagining this or making things up. After seeing Jesus alive, His followers told people everywhere the good news that Jesus was alive! Some were even killed for saying this! If it were not true, why would they be willing to die for a lie? They had nothing to gain for a lie. Plus, a dead body of Jesus was never found, and the Roman government certainly would have defended the job they did guarding the tomb. Puppet: I guess those are some pretty good reasons to believe it really happened. Leader: But the best evidence is all the lives that were changed. Obviously, thousands of people believed it back then. If it hadn t been true, don t you think somebody would have disproved it then? How could a lie have fooled so many people for so long? To say now, after all this time, that it didn t happen is like saying today that Abraham Lincoln wasn t assassinated just because no one is alive who saw it happen. We know it did because of the records of those who knew it when it happened. Puppet: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I guess they don t want it to be true, so it s easier to say it isn t true. That way they don t have to accept Him as their Savior and they can go on sinning. Leader: You just hit the nail on the head, Puppet. Puppet: But I have another question, if it s okay. Leader: Fire away! Puppet: I know we believe Jesus is the way to get to heaven, but is He really the only way? What if people believe something else? If they are good and really believe in their way to heaven, isn t that enough? Can t they go to heaven believing their own way to heaven? Leader: Once again, you are asking a question that is asked all the time. Jesus clearly answered this question. He did not say, I am a way to God. He did not say, I am one of the ways to heaven. He said, I am the only way to heaven (John 14:6). We can know Jesus was telling the truth because He lived a perfect life and never sinned. Puppet: Wow, I guess there may be a lot of good religious leaders in history, but none of them can claim to have done what Jesus did! Leader: That s right. Only Jesus died for your sins, and only Jesus came back from the dead! Puppet: Which means, only Jesus proved He can bring me back too! Leader: I think you are getting it. You know, Puppet, you ve been asking great questions. Puppet: And you ve been giving me very helpful answers. Leader: Well, questions are the key to learning and growing, so never stop asking questions about your faith; it is the only way to keep strengthening your faith by getting answers to the things you wonder about. *PUPPET: Develop a puppet character to use regularly. The children will get to know the personality and enjoy these regular visits. Dee, Cy, and Paul puppets are available at DiscipleLand.com How to Know the Truth Lesson , DiscipleLand. Permission granted to reproduce for volunteers.

15 DiscipleTown Visitor Script DIRECTOR S NOTES The words in italics are notes for you and your volunteers; they are not to be read aloud. Supplies: small cup of water, paper towel [Dr. Stramselbib enters, dressed in as obnoxious a suit coat as you can find with a clashing tie! He carries an overstuffed briefcase filled with books and papers, has slightly messy hair, and carries a thick Bible.] Leader: I am so happy to welcome back Dr. Stramselbib, Professor of Apologetics at the Institute for Advanced Biblical Studies. I have asked him to come and help us explore the truth about Jesus! [Turning to the professor] Dr. Stramselbib, how can we know for sure that Jesus is the Son of God? Dr: Ahh, again with the great questions! Let me ask you a question. How do you know for sure that water is wet? Leader: Uh, because every time I step in it, I get a wet foot? Dr: Does this happen only randomly, or always? Leader: Every single drop of water I have every touched, anywhere in the world at any time, has always made me wet without fail! Dr: Would you say there is a little or a lot of evidence to support your idea? Leader: Well. [Turns to grab small cup of water, and proceeds to pour it on the professor s head.] You tell me! [Leader hands paper towel to the professor, who wipes off his head.] Dr: Point taken; that is indeed very wet! Well, the same way that there is so much evidence that water is wet, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that Jesus is exactly who He said He is! The number of prophecies in the Bible that Jesus fulfilled exactly is staggering. One mathematician, who was trying to describe how impossible it would be for one man to fulfill all of these prophecies, said it would be like covering the entire state of Texas three feet deep in silver dollars, marking just one of those coins with an X, mixing up all the coins all over the state with bulldozers for months, and then taking a blindfolded person by helicopter all over the state for hours on end until he finally told the helicopter pilot where to land. The pilot would then ask the person to step out of the helicopter into the sea of coins three feet deep as far as the eye could see and reach down and pick up just one coin. The chance that this person would pick up the one coin marked with an X is about the same as the chance that one man would fulfill all the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His life. Leader: Oh, wow! That sounds... impossible! Dr: But God proved His love for us by sending Jesus, and there is all this evidence to back Him up. But that isn t the greatest evidence of all! Leader: It isn t? What is? Dr: Well, you see, the greatest proof for me was what happened in my life since the day I met Jesus for myself. I don t have a pretty past; I made a lot of mistakes that I really regret. But one day a friend of mine told me about how much Jesus loved me. I had never felt love; I was an orphan abandoned by my parents in the streets of New York City. My friend prayed for me, and for the first time in my life I felt safe and loved. I learned that I didn t have to keep making the mistakes I was making, and God helped me to get my life turned around. I went back to school to study about God and the Bible so that I could know Him the best I could. And now I tell everyone about Jesus and His great love for me. Leader: The things Jesus has done in my life are my best proof too! A transformed life is the best evidence of all that God exists, that Jesus is real, and that the Bible is true! Thanks for sharing your heart with us, Professor. *CHARACTERS: These are suggested characters and names. Please feel free to change or adjust according to the actors and props you have available. How to Know the Truth Lesson , DiscipleLand. Permission granted to reproduce for volunteers.

16 Curriculum Map (DiscipleTown Units in no particular order) How to Worship God How to Use My Bible How to Show Respect How to Pray How to Be Faithful Workers How to Love God How to Memorize God s Word How to Be Global Christians How to Grow Spiritual Fruit How to Make Good Friends How to Walk in the Spirit How to Be Jesus Disciple How to Build Character How to Navigate the New Testament How to Explain My Faith How to Earn Eternal Rewards How to Follow God s Plan How to Make Good Choices How to Navigate the Old Testament How to Study My Bible How to Know the Truth How to Discover Gifts and Talents How to Walk Victoriously How to Meet with God Each DiscipleTown Unit will teach your kids an essential how to skill to become victorious disciples of Jesus! TM.com