Lesson One December 6, Reveal the plans of three groups of people, along with Jesus knowledge. them. Preparation Checklist

Transcription

1 No Surprise to Him! Lesson One December 6, 2009 Text: Matthew 26:1-16 Lesson Objective: To recognize that God knows everything, including the plot to kill Jesus by the chief priests and others, and Judas agreement with them to betray Him Theme: Omniscience (All-Knowing) Memory Verse: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:17). CONNECT LEARN EXPLORE APPLY RESPOND Bring a surprise in a box or show the impossibility of guessing others thoughts Use a crepe paper ball to aid in learning the memory verse Reveal the plans of three groups of people, along with Jesus knowledge of all of them Explain why we can trust Jesus Discuss how actions show whether you trust Jesus or yourself Daily Bible Readings Day 1 Matthew 26:1-2 Day 2 Matthew 26:3-5 Day 3 Matthew 26:5-9 Day 4 Matthew 26:10-13 Day 5 Matthew 26:14-16 Preparation Checklist q Prepare Teaching Essentials needed for lesson q Select CONNECT activity; gather and prepare items as needed q Tear out Discovery Sheet Lesson 1 q Gather and prepare items needed for LEARN q Copy D6 Family Link One for distribution 7

2 Teacher Talk Look at the contrasts in this week s text. As I see it, several players make up Matthew 26:1-16: chief priests and elders, Mary, the disciples, and Christ. All had a role to play in God s story of redemption. First, it amuses me how the chief priests plotted against Christ. Plotting is a secret endeavor, yet Christ already knew what the chief priests were about. There was nothing hidden from Him. Contrast their arrogant, yet naïve, understanding of Christ with His complete omniscience His full knowledge and acceptance of God s will. Then there is Mary and her unabashed devotion. As the familiar Steve Green song goes, she was driven by love for her Lord. She approached Christ with her alabaster jar of perfume very expensive indeed and poured it on His head. In that sacrificial moment, the perfume s cost did not matter, nor did her reputation. She did what she did simply because she loved her Master. Contrast her act with the disciples response. Instead of approving her worshipful act, they questioned and criticized. The disciples were looking through earthly eyes, not eternal ones. They claimed the perfume s worth could have been used for the poor, and while seemingly noble, their response demonstrates they still had a lot to learn regarding Christ s purposes. Mary, however, appeared to be more in sync with the Master s purposes than the Twelve who followed Him day and night. And while in that moment she could never fully know what the days ahead would bring, her pure devotion showed a true Christ-like understanding and acceptance of the Father s will. I am so thankful my Lord knows all. Aren t you? He has full knowledge of the past, present, and future, and full knowledge of the thoughts and intents of men s hearts. Respond to Christ with a Mary-like devotion, with abandon. CONNECT Bring a surprise in a box or show the impossibility of guessing others thoughts Option 1 Items Needed: Sweet-smelling perfume or oil to put inside box Box (tightly sealed or wrapped) TE 1-1 Before coming to class, ensure the perfume or oil is wrapped securely to avoid breakage. Begin class by asking students about the best surprise they ever received. Allow them to share their stories. Good surprises can be lots of fun. Display the wrapped box. I brought a surprise with me today. The surprise has to do with the Bible story. If your class size is small, you may pass the box around, or you can call one or two helpers to the front of the class to hold the box. Emphasize to students that you will not tell them what is in the box until that point in the Bible story because it is to be a surprise. In your most exciting voice, say something like: I can hardly wait to show you; I have wrapped this special surprise just for you; I love good surprises, or Do you think I should show it to you now? Pick up the box and pretend 8

3 you are about to open it, but put it back down. Throughout the lesson, repeat these or similar statements to build anticipation. This quarter we will learn about many keys to knowing Jesus. Each week we will add a key, which will tell us more about who Jesus is. On the last Sunday of this quarter, we will use these keys to unlock the door and discover God s plan. Display and say the following poem together. This will be repeated each week as you introduce each lesson s main truth about Jesus. By learning the keys to who Jesus is We will discover God s plan for Him And for each other! Add TE 1-1 to the unit poster (). This week s key is All-Knowing. In today s Bible story you may be surprised at what happened to Jesus. But none of these events surprised Him because He is all-knowing. Option 2 Items Needed: TE 1-1 Each week the students will be introduced to a new key to knowing who Jesus is. You know your class dynamics and time frame, so display each lesson s key at the most feasible time. The repetitive poem for the students to memorize helps build anticipation and ensures focus during the lesson. Be sure to say it together as you reveal the key. Be sensitive to children s allergies when choosing a perfume or oil. Today I am going to try to read your mind. Choose several students to answer one of the questions below. Encourage each of the students to think of his or her answer but not to tell you until you think about it. Then guess like you know what the answer is. Whatever your guess, be sure to make it outlandish (some ideas are included). What do you plan to do after church today? (Ride Splash Mountain at Disney World) TE 1-1 What do you plan to do for your birthday? (Ride a rocket to the moon and plant a birthday banner with my name on it) What do you plan to do during Christmas vacation? (Go around the world in five days and collect Christmas ornaments from every country) What do you plan to do as a job when you are an adult? (Build an ark and collect at least two animals of every kind) I guess it s pretty obvious I do not know what you are thinking or planning. In fact, it is impossible to know each other s thoughts or predict future plans; only God knows the future. This quarter we will learn about many keys to knowing Jesus. Each week we will add a key, which will tell us more about who Jesus is. On the last Sunday of this quarter, we will use these keys to unlock the door and discover God s plan. Display and say the following poem together. This will be repeated each week as you introduce each lesson s main truth about Jesus. 9

4 By learning the keys to who Jesus is We will discover God s plan for Him And for each other! Add TE 1-1 to the unit poster (). This week s key is All-Knowing. In today s Bible story you may be surprised at what happened to Jesus. But none of these events surprised Him because He is all-knowing. He knows our thoughts, and He knows the past, present, and future. LEARN Use a crepe paper ball to aid in learning the memory verse Items Needed: Crepe paper roll (may take two rolls, depending on class size) TE 1-3 Small sticks of gum or wrapped candy (stick gum, Dentyne, Tootsie Rolls, etc.) To make the crepe paper ball, begin with one piece of gum (or candy) and start wrapping the crepe paper around it until it is sufficiently covered. Put in another piece of candy or gum and continue wrapping until that piece is covered. Continue doing this until you have enough pieces to ensure each child in your class has a chance to find a treat in the crepe paper ball. Display TE 1-3 and recite the memory verse together, pointing to each word as you say it. You might mention that these were Jesus words after He told Nicodemus, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The word condemn may be unfamiliar to some students. Most Bible commentators translate the word to mean, to judge. TE 1-3 Use Christmas colors for the crepe paper so the ball will look festive for the season. When Jesus came to earth He did not come only to judge people for their sin; His plan from the beginning was that we would be saved. What do you think He wanted us to be saved from? Allow time for response. Our sin. As you get out the crepe paper ball, explain that each student will say one word of the verse and pass the ball to the next person, who then will say the next word, and so on. The child who says the last word of the verse is allowed to unwrap the crepe paper ball until he or she finds a piece of gum, candy, sticker, etc. After the student has taken his or her one piece, continue passing the ball around and saying the verse until every student has had the chance to unwrap a treat. If it stops at a student who already has a treat, have the student pass the ball until it reaches a student who does not have a treat. 10

5 Reveal the plans of three groups of people, along with Jesus knowledge of all of them EXPLORE Items Needed: TE 1-4 TE 1-8 Point to and repeat this phrase from the CONNECT activities: By learning the keys to who Jesus is, we will discover God s plan for Him and for each other. Jesus, because He is all-knowing, knew God s plan. How do we know that? Jesus told His disciples that in two days, Passover would begin when He would be betrayed and crucified. The Passover was not news to them; this Jewish feast is greatly celebrated (same time, same traditions, etc.). Also, Jesus had talked to the disciples many times before about His death. This may not have been news, but Jesus announcement that His death would be during the Passover in only two days was news! Jesus wanted to make them completely aware that He knew everything. None of the events that followed would be a surprise to Jesus (Matthew 26:1-2). Display TE 1-4. Shortly after Jesus spoke with His disciples, a meeting took place at the palace (home) of the high priest, Caiaphas. The meeting took place between the chief priests, scribes, and elders. The chief priests were in charge of religious affairs for the Jewish people. The scribes were called doctors of the law. The elders were the judges of civil matters. Although these three groups were different in some ways, they agreed on one thing: Jesus must be killed. Their hatred of Jesus, His miracles, and His teachings had led them to plan to have Jesus killed. They knew they would have to be very secretive about this. Shhh! They knew they could not kill Jesus during the Passover celebration because of all the people. That might cause a riot (Matthew 26:3-5). (Mark 11:1-10 references the celebration just days before, when the people laid their coats on the ground for Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem on the colt. They waved branches and cried out, Hosanna; Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. ) How sad that these officials were more afraid of the people than of God! In Lesson 2, the Passover traditions, such as the Jewish Passover meal, will be explained in greater detail. TE 1-4 TE 1-5 Where was Jesus? Display TE 1-5. He and the disciples had gone to the city of Bethany (outside of Jerusalem) to the home of Simon the Leper. Because Jesus had healed him of leprosy, Simon welcomed Jesus to his home. While they were eating, a woman came in and took out a box. Get out the box with the surprise in it. Her box did not look like mine. It was made out of alabaster (white stone-like). But she took out... (open the box and reveal the perfume or oil) an expensive ointment and poured it on Jesus head. This may seem very strange to us, but it was a custom during Jesus time that showed great honor and respect. (It also had a refreshing fragrance.) It would be hard to pinpoint how much the ointment was worth, but the focus is that whatever the expense, Jesus is worth much more (Matthew 26:6-7)! 11

6 Do you think the disciples agreed with this? Display TE 1-6. No, in fact, they were annoyed. They complained to Jesus that she had just wasted it by pouring the expensive oil on His head! It could have been sold for money to give to the poor, they argued. Jesus answered that this woman had done a great and kind thing. She would be remembered for this always. TE 1-6 TE 1-7 Notice the woman s name is not mentioned. Why her name is not mentioned only makes the act more special, for the praise would go to Jesus, not her. She was an example to us that nothing is wasted when given to Jesus (Matthew 26:8-13). The story moves from a great and kind deed to a horrible act. There was another meeting in today s Scripture text. Display TE 1-7. Judas Iscariot (one of Jesus twelve disciples) went to the chief priests and asked how much money they would give him if he betrayed Jesus into their hands. They probably were in shock. They had been planning for a while to kill Jesus, and now one of His own followers was willing to help them! This was the final piece of the puzzle. Because Judas had promised to deliver Jesus to them, it would be done in private. There would be no danger of riots. Of course, they immediately agreed and gave Judas thirty pieces of silver for his betrayal of Jesus. How sad that the Law, which they would have known very well, allowed this as a price for a slave. (Read Exodus 21:32.) Judas left to put in motion a most effective plan on how he could betray Jesus (Matthew 26: 14-16). Judas actions may seem very different from the woman who poured oil on Jesus, but the fact is, Jesus knew both of those things would happen. He is all knowing and deserves our worship. APPLY Explain why we can trust Jesus Items Needed: Teaching Essentials CD CD player Nothing that happens is a surprise to Jesus. He knew all about the evil plans of the chief priests and Judas. There was never an oops, what do we do now? moment for Jesus. He knew about it all! And He knows everything about you! He knows when you obey His words. He knows when you go against Him and sin. If we are not careful, we can believe that because we cannot see Him, He cannot see us and know what we are doing. That is wrong. But, how can He know everything? Simple; He is God. Play God Works for Good from the Teaching Essentials CD as a reminder that God is in control. Because He knows everything, we can confidently put our trust in Him. He knows our past, present, and future. God s Word promises that He will work all things out for our good if we love and follow Him. (See Romans 8:28.) We do not have to worry about what is going to happen in our future. Trust Him. We do not have to wonder how things will turn out today. Trust Him. 12

7 Discuss how actions show whether you trust Jesus or yourself RESPOND Items Needed: Discovery Sheet Lesson 1 Scissors Envelopes Judas did not put his trust in Jesus. He put his trust in the religious leaders. He loved money and chose to work out a plan for them to privately arrest Jesus. The religious leaders did not trust Jesus either. They put their trust in themselves. They loved their way and chose to work out a plan to kill the man who got in their way. What about the woman with the alabaster box? She trusted Jesus. Because of her love and faith in Him, she chose to anoint Jesus, showing great honor for her King. What is your choice? Your actions show if you follow God s way (being obedient to God s words in the Bible) or your own selfish way. Since we know Jesus is all-knowing, isn t it wise to put our trust in Him? Close with a prayer affirming the truths about Jesus and expressing thanks to Him for knowing the future and being able to guide His followers. Distribute Discovery Sheet Lesson 1 and allow time for the students to cut out the strips to work on learning the memory verse. Give students envelopes to keep the pieces together. Encourage them to work on learning the verse at home. Next week s lesson is about Communion so you might want to ask the pastor or a deacon to prepare the Lord s Supper and be ready to explain it to your students. If the sanctuary is empty, take a field trip there to learn more about this important act of worship. Discovery Sheet Lesson One Side One 13