Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.6 Parable of Good Shepherd and His Sheep

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1 1 Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.6 Parable of Good Shepherd and His Sheep Scripture: Matthew 18:12-14, Luke 15:3-7.; John 10:7-18 Lesson Goal: When Jesus lived on earth He taught people many important things about God and heaven. To help people understand what He was saying Jesus often told stories called parables. One day Jesus told a story about "The Good Shepherd and His Sheep" to show us that God wants us to be part of His family. Introduction: This is the fourth lesson in Unit 4: The Parables of Jesus. When Jesus lived on earth He taught people many important things about God and heaven. To help people understand what He was saying Jesus often told stories called parables. This story is "The Good Shepherd and His Sheep." Jesus is showing us that God wants us to be part of His family. These stories or parable are found in the gospels. This parable is found in the books of Matthew, Luke, and John. These books are part of the gospels in the New Testament. The gospels tell the story of the life of Jesus and are the first four books in the New Testament. Let's say the first four books of the New Testament together. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Attention Getter: What do you know about sheep? Listen to the sound that they make. Did you know that a sheep's wool gets scratchy and very heavy when it is wet? So if a sheep goes to the stream to get a drink they need someone to help them find still water not a gushing river because if they fell in the water, they would drown! Did you know that sheep sometimes like to wander off? If they wander off they might get into trouble because they do not know how to fight back. Sheep are not very smart. They need someone to show them where to go and to watch them closely. One day Jesus taught the people something very important. He said that people are a lot like sheep. They need to be taken care of, too. People need Jesus to take care of them! To help people understand His love Jesus told a story about Himself as the Good Shepherd and He talked about people as if they were His sheep. Opening Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your loving care and protection. You are like a Good Shepherd to us and we are like your little lambs. Thank You that when we were lost in our sins, You came and found us and brought us into Your sheep fold, so now we are one of Your sheep. I pray that You will continue to watch over us and keep us from straying away from Your protection. In Your name, we pray. Amen. Memory Verse: The memory verse is John 10: 14 "I am the Good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." Lesson Video: When Jesus lived many people raised sheep. They knew all about sheep. They knew that sheep need a good shepherd. A shepherd is a man who takes care of sheep. His sheep are called his flock. Sheep need a shepherd to watch over them so they do not become lost. In the same way we need our Shepherd Jesus to watch over us. If he did not watch over us, we would become lost and could not find the way to be saved. Sheep need a shepherd to protect them from wild animals, because sheep are weak and cannot fight back. A good shepherd protects his sheep, even if he is in danger of getting hurt or killed. We need our Good Shepherd Jesus to protect us from lies about God and his Word. If he did not protect us, we would believe those lies, and we would not go to heaven. A shepherd finds good grass and water for his sheep. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, watches over us, protects us, and feeds us his Word because he loves us. At night shepherds would sometimes lead their flocks into a sheepfold. This is a place with a stone wall around it, with a doorway in one of the walls. Often, more than one flock was put into the sheepfold for the night. In the fold these sheep were safe from wild animals. The shepherd would sit down at the door of his sheepfold at night to

2 keep away wild animals or thieves. He protected the sheep when they were asleep. Jesus is our door to heaven. When we are his sheep he protects us. When morning came, each shepherd would take his flock out of the sheepfold. But which were his sheep? They all looked alike. Each shepherd would make a certain sound with his voice. The sheep of the shepherd s flock knew that sound. When the shepherd made his sound, his sheep would leave the sheepfold with him. The others would stay in the sheepfold. Christians, who are Jesus sheep and lambs, know his voice. They follow only him. Jesus voice is God s Word. Christians obey God s Word and do not listen to lies about how to be saved. Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep, and my sheep know me. My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me. I have given my life for my sheep. I shall take them to heaven to live with me forever. My sheep will never be lost, and no one will take them from me. When Jesus told this story this was not the first time in the Bible that people have been compared to sheep. In the Old Testament King David was a shepherd. Hundreds of years before David wrote Psalm 23 about the Lord Jesus being our Shepherd. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. This means the Lord will take care of everything I need. In fact He is always taking care of me even if there are times when it doesn t look that way. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Sheep usually lie down when they feel safe and satisfied. This means that I can be happy and content because Jesus is taking care of me! He leads me beside the still waters. Sheep need to drink water that is quiet. This means God cares and knows about every detail of my needs. He restores my soul. A good shepherd wants all his sheep to be as strong and healthy as possible. God wants me to be at my absolute best in every way not sickly or weak. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name s sake. The paths of righteousness are the right ways. God wants me to be a good sheep, doing what is right, and staying away from all sin. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. Before I became a Christian death was a horrible curse, but now it has faded into a harmless shadow. For You are with me I cannot see God, but I see my prayers being answered. In every place, all through my life, God is in charge. Even when it feels I am alone, he is watching over me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. God has a rod for defending me, And he uses a staff for rescuing me. The rod is a stick for striking my enemies, and the staff is a hook for pulling me out of trouble. You prepare a table before me in the midst of my enemies. Even in the worst troubles, God's love can fill my heart. There is no problem too big for God to solve. God can help me escape or go through any trial. You anoint my head with oil. God calls me to be one of his children. He places me in his royal family. My cup overflows. He has given me so many blessings I cannot contain them all. My life is like an overflowing cup. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. I want to be a good person, and obey God in every way. I want to be just like him. I want to show mercy, and love and patience with other people. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Heaven is my final and everlasting home. I want to always be one of God's sheep, a member of his eternal family. 2

3 Some people were grumbling and complaining about Jesus. They did not like what Jesus said and they really did not like seeing the big crowds following Him. Jesus heard them and knew that they did not really understand that God loves all people. Jesus decided to tell them a story to help them know that He had come to earth to show God's love to people who needed it most. Jesus told a parable about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. The shepherd took good care of His sheep. Every day he counted his sheep to make sure all of them were there. One day the shepherd was counting his sheep--95, 96, 97, 98, 99,...one sheep was missing. So he left the ninety- nine sheep and went out to find the one missing sheep. He went to the mountains to find the one that was straying. He looked down the cliffs and searched the rocks. He looked everywhere! Finally he heard the "baa" of the sheep. He followed the sound and found the frightened, lost sheep. The shepherd was so happy! He picked up his sheep and carried it all the way back to the safe place where his flock was. The shepherd called all his friends and neighbors to come celebrate. "Come and see! come and see" My lost sheep has been found! Jesus then told the people what this parable means. He said, "God is like the shepherd. He is so happy when we become His children. God loves us and has a wonderful plan for us. Jesus said that God is like the shepherd. He is so glad when we become His children. John 10: 14 says "I am the Good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." God loves each of us and made a wonderful plan to find us! But how do we get to be one of God s sheep? If we want to go to heaven we must listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd. His words are found in the Bible. God s Word says that everyone has done things that are wrong. We are just like the sheep that was lost. We have sinned. Some sins are telling lies, stealing, swearing or saying God s name in anger, cheating, or not obeying our parents. God s Word says that everyone has done these things. So first, we have to admit that we have sinned! Then we have to believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sin. Jesus was the perfect Good Shepherd. He took the punishment for our sin when he died on the cross. We have to trust in Him as our Savior. Just like the shepherd Jesus showed God's love for us by dying on the cross for our sins. When people turn away from doing wrong things and ask to be God's children God is so happy that each one has come to Him. Next we have to confess our sin and ask Jesus to be our Savior. To do this we pray and ask Jesus to save us. We say, Jesus, I am sorry for what I have done that is wrong. I want the punishment that you took on the cross to be for me. I want you to be my Savior and Good Shepherd. Thank you for taking me to heaven. Amen. God s Word says that if we believe in him we will not be disappointed! We will go to heaven! Have you ask Jesus to be your Good Shepherd? Are you a Christian? Remember to follow the Good Shepherd! Review Questions: "Baa, Baa Sheep" (Grades K-3) Procedure: Have all students close their eyes and hide their face with folded arms on the table. Tell the students that you will ask a question. If a child knows the answer to the question, they are to quietly raise their hand. You will tap that child's hand. The child is to say, "Baa, baa" like a sheep. Other students are to guess who the child is by calling out their name. When the child's name is correctly guessed, then "the sheep" may answer the question about the story. Use the review questions below: 1. Why did the Jews hate tax collectors? (They collected money for the Roman government and they were often dishonest and greedy.) 2. Who were the Pharisees and scribes? (They were the Jewish religious leaders who were proud and haughty.) 3. Why did Jesus tell the crowd the story of the lost sheep? (To help them understand His love and concern for everyone.) 3

4 4. What Old Testament Psalm tells about how a shepherd takes care of his flock? (Psalm 23) 5. Who was King David talking about as being our shepherd in Psalm 23? (He was talking about Jesus our Good shepherd who gives us food, provides places for us, and walks with us in hard times.) 6. What does a shepherd take care of? (Sheep.) 7. Does a good shepherd lay down (or give) his life for the sheep? (Yes.) 8. What do you think this means? (The good shepherd would risk his or her own life to protect the sheep.) 9. What happens to a flock of sheep if there is no shepherd? (They may be attacked by a wolf and get scattered.) 10. In our Bible story, does the good shepherd know his sheep? (Yes.) 11. Do the sheep know the good shepherd? (Yes.) 12. How are we like sheep? (We need someone to guide us and protect us, We need Jesus to take us to heaven.) 13. Do we have a good shepherd? (Yes.) Who is our Good Shepherd? (Jesus.) 14. What things does a good shepherd provide for his sheep? (shows them where food is, lets them rest in a safe place, shows them where the water is, protects them from lions and bears, comforts them, and guides them.) 15. What do sheep need to do? (follow the shepherd, trust him, and do what he says.) 16. How do you think a good shepherd would feel if he discovered that one of his sheep was lost? (Concerned.) 17. Spiritually, who is like a lost sheep? (A person that hasn t asked Jesus to forgive them of their sins.) 18. If you are spiritually lost what don t you get to do? (Go to heaven when you die.) 19. What does sin do to us? (It separates us from God.) 20. How is Jesus like a Good Shepherd? (He was willing to even lay down His life for us so that we could be found spiritually.) 21. What did the shepherd in the story do after he found the one lost sheep? (He called his friends and neighbors to celebrate.) 22. Where is the celebration when a lost sinner comes to Jesus? (In heaven!) 4 Bible Memory Verse Activity: "Lost" Cards (Grades K-3) Say: "Our memory verse is John 10: 14 "I am the Good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me." Have students locate the verse in scripture. Have a volunteer read the verse aloud. Repeat the verse several times together as a group." Preparation: Print John 10:14 on index cards, one or two words on each card. Number the cards in verse order. Hide the cards in different places in the room. (For a large group use different colored markers to make multiple sets of cards. Children will sort cards by color before putting them in order.) Procedure: After reading the verse in scripture and repeating it several times tell the students that you have hidden index cards with the words of the verse on them around the room. Invite the children to find the cards. After all the cards have been found work as a group to arrange the cards in order. Together read aloud the verse again. Say: "What does Jesus call Himself in this verse? (the Good Shepherd). What does the verse say about the sheep? (They know the voice of their Shepherd.) Group Learning Activity: Pasture Trek (Grades K-2) Materials: table, chairs, trash can, other classroom furniture Procedure: Create an obstacle course for the shepherd to lead the sheep through on their way to the pasture. Designate a beginning and ending spots and use classroom items for the sheep to navigate. for example, chairs lined up in pairs can create a winding path, a trash can be on its side to jump over, a table can be a low ledge to crawl under, etc. The teacher can be the shepherd of have an older student take that role. If you want to do the activity again, rearrange the obstacles to make it more interesting.

5 5 Group Learning Activity: "Shepherds Lead" (Grades 3-5) Materials: Bibles, 12" piece of string Procedure: Give each child a piece of string at least twelve inches long. Ask the children to lay their pieces of string vertically on a table or the floor in front of them and try to push the string away from them. Then ask the children to pull their pieces of string toward them. (It is very difficult to "push" the string and much easier to "pull" the string. Relate this experiment to how shepherds lead their sheep (John 10:4). Explain that in Israel the shepherds lead their sheep by walking in front of them. In some other countries shepherds drive the sheep. Jesus, as our Good Shepherd, leads the way and asks us to follow to Him. The good shepherd always wants what is best for his sheep. He leads them into green pastures where they have plenty to eat. He leads them to water so that they have plenty to drink. He leads them to the shelter where they will be safe from the storm. Jesus wants what is best for us. He said that he came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We will, if we listen to his voice and follow him. Share a testimony that shows how Jesus loves each one of us and wants us to follow him. Share an experience from your own life when you have felt Jesus love or when you have followed him and have been blessed. Group Learning Activity: "Sheep in the Fold" (Grades 2-5) Materials: Bibles, masking tape, measuring stick, cotton balls, two lunch sized paper bags, stopwatch or watch with second hand. Preparation: Use masking tape to form two 2 foot square on the floor representing sheepfolds, about 4 feet apart. Place a handful of cotton balls in each paper bag. Place bags 10 feet from the sheepfolds. Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Teams line up behind each bag. On "Go" the first player of each team takes one cotton ball from their team's bag and runs to their team's sheepfold, drops the cotton ball inside the sheepfold and returns to the line. Next player repeats the action. Teams try to get as many cotton balls inside the fold as possible within a set time limit. (30 seconds) When you say "stop," teams count the cotton balls to see how many "sheep" they have in their sheepfold. At the close of the activity, say: "How is Jesus like a Good Shepherd? (He knows His sheep and brings them into the fold.) Jesus loves and cares for us because we are important to Him. How has Jesus shown His love and care for you? (He left heaven and came to earth to provide for us the way of salvation by dying on the cross for our sins. He is like the shepherd who went out looking for the lost sheep.) What can you do to show that you are glad that Jesus loves and cares for you? (thank Him, spend time in prayer, read the Bible, believe in Jesus as your Savior, and tell others how they can become a member of God's family.) Let's thank God for His love and care. (Close in prayer.) Group Learning Activity: "Shepherd Calls His Sheep" (Grades 2-5) Materials: Bibles, blindfold Procedure: Say: Let's play a game to help us remember the Jesus is the Good Shepherd and the Good Shepherd know His sheep. What does a shepherd use to lead his sheep? (a staff and His voice) When a shepherd calls for His sheep, the sheep that belong to him will come because they know His voice. This game shows us how Jesus knows us." Children stand in a circle. First choose one volunteer to the shepherd. Invite the shepherd to introduce himself or herself by saying their name and telling a way Jesus shows love for him or her. Then choose another person to be a sheep. The sheep is blindfolded and stands in the center of the circle. Children walk around the circle then

6 stop. The sheep points to one of the children in the circle. The child closest to where the sheep is pointing says, "I am the Good Shepherd." The sheep listens carefully to the voice of the speaker. If the sheep thinks the speaker is the shepherd, the sheep nods head yes. If the sheep does not think the speaker is the shepherd, the sheep shakes his head no. Continue until the sheep identifies the shepherd's voice or has had several turns to guess. Select a new sheep and shepherd and repeat activity as time permits. Group Learning Activity: Object Lesson "Sheep Know Shepherd's Voice (Grades K-6) Materials: Object is picture of a dog Procedure: (Show picture of a pet dog.) Say: How many of you have a dog? I don't have a dog now, but I used to have a dog. My dog's name was Mac and he was a Border Collie. This is a picture of my dog Mac. When we were not at home, Mac stayed in the back yard, but when we got home, I would open the back door and call his name. When I called his name, he would come running. Do you know what would have happened if you had opened the door and called Mac? Nothing! Mac would not come because he didn't know you and wouldn't recognize your voice. Sometimes I would open the back gate and call Mac to take him for a walk. If a stranger had come to the gate and called him, do you think Mac would come to him? No way! A dog knows his master's voice and will only do what his master tells him to do. Did you know that same thing is true of sheep? Jesus said that sheep know the shepherd's voice and they will follow him. He then went on to say that he is the shepherd and we are his sheep. If Jesus is our master, we will know his voice and will do what he wants us to do. Sometimes, other people will try to get us to do something we should not do. If Jesus is our master, we won't listen to their voice. Sometimes, Satan tries to get us to do something that we should not do. If Jesus is our master, we won't listen to Satan's voice. The shepherd always wants what is best for his sheep. He leads them into green pastures where they have plenty to eat. He leads them to water so that they have plenty to drink. He leads them to the shelter where they will be safe from the storm. Jesus wants what is best for us. He said that he came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. We will, if we listen to his voice and follow him." Group Learning Activity: "The Sheep, The Shepherd, and the Wolf" (Grades 3-5) Say: "A shepherd knows his sheep by name. Every sheep has a name, just like each child does. When the shepherd calls the sheep, Martha, Gracie, Fleece, the sheep come running. Sheep know and love their shepherd s voice. They will not run to a stranger. In fact, they will run away from a stranger. In the same way Jesus knows each of us by name also. We are so special to Him, that He died on the cross for each one of us. He loves us. It s important that we learn to hear our Jesus voice. He is the Good Shepherd. We learn to hear his voice by praying, reading the Bible, and coming to church. It s also important to not listen to Satan's lies. He wants to lead us into doing wrong and sinning. He will take us into danger. Today we are going to play a game that helps us understand how Jesus calls to us as His Sheep." Procedure: Ask for a volunteer to be the wolf and another one to be the shepherd. (The teacher can also opt to be the shepherd, especially if the children are not familiar with one another s names.) The rest of the children will be sheep. Have the sheep stand at one end of the playing area (a larger space is best), the shepherd at the opposite end, and the wolf in the middle. Tell the students that the shepherd will call each of them by name. Once they hear their name, they are to try to reach the shepherd, without getting tagged by the wolf. If they get tagged, they need to take a sheep nap and sit down. If they don t get tagged, they are safe with the shepherd. Continue play until all students names have been called. For additional games, switch the roles of shepherd, wolf, and sheep. 6

7 7 Craft Learning Activity: Paper Plate Sheep (Grades K-3) Materials: one copy for each child of the printed template below on; white paper plate, scissors; glue Procedure: Cut out the template of the face and legs of sheep. Color and cut out the face and legs of the sheep. Optional: At this point you can cover the paper plate with either cotton balls or pop corn. Glue the head onto the paper plate. Finally glue the legs onto the paper plate. Make sure the back legs are slightly higher than the ones in front. Craft Learning Activity: Materials: white paper plates; cotton balls, glue Paper Plate Sheep Masks (Grades K-2) Preparation: Cut the inner circle out of a large circle out of a large dinner size plate forming a ring. Make a ring for each student in your class. Ring should be large enough to fit around the face of each child. Procedure: Have students glue cotton balls to the ring to cover the circle. Let dry. Cut ears from the middle part of the paper plate and glue them onto the back of the ring. Alternative: Use white yarn to wrap the ring to make the "wooly sheep." Say: "What things does a good shepherd provide for his sheep? (shows them where food is, lets them rest in a safe place, shows them where the water is, protects them from lions and bears, comforts them, and guides them.) What do sheep need to do? (follow the shepherd, trust him, and do what he says.) Play a simple game of Follow the Leader, allowing the children to wear their sheep masks. Craft Learning Activity: Brands (Grades 3-6) Materials: paper, marking pens Procedure: Say: "Some of you may have seen a branding iron. A branding iron is used to put an identifying mark on cattle and sheep. When a calf is branded, they put the branding iron in a fire and burn the brand into the side of the calf. Ouch! I'll bet that hurts! When a brand is put on sheep, they dip the brand into a special paint and put the brand on the sheep's back. That sounds a little better, doesn't it? Okay, let's talk about branding sheep. Do you know why they put a brand on the sheep? They do it so that they will know who owns the sheep. Each rancher has his own special brand. So, if a sheep wanders off and becomes lost or stolen, the brand will prove who owns the sheep. I don't know whether they put brands on sheep in Jesus' day or not, but Jesus once told about a shepherd who went to a sheep pen to get his sheep. He said that the shepherd knew his sheep and called them by name. When he had called them out, he walked ahead of them and they followed him because they recognized his voice. Jesus said that if a stranger called to the sheep, they would not follow him. In fact, Jesus said they would run away from him because they did not recognize the stranger's voice. That is a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is our shepherd. He loves us and cares for us -- he even knows our name. Jesus calls us to follow him and if we belong to him, we will know his voice and we will follow him. Today we are going to make a brand that identifies us with Jesus. " Let students work individually or in pairs to design a brand. Suggest a symbol of the cross or a fish or perhaps a circle with a J inside.

8 8 Craft Learning Activity: No Sew Sheep Sock Puppet Materials: Sock, plastic lid from the top of a cottage cheese or sour cream container, pink, black, and white felt, wiggly eyes, sheep wool for hair, glue gun, piece of 1/4" foam Procedure: Bend the plastic lid in half and push it into the sock all the way to the toes to see that it will fit. Remove. Put some low-temp glue on the inside fold of the plastic lid and carefully inset it again. Position it so that it looks right. Carefully press in the toe of the sock to meet the inside fold of the lid where the glue is. Hold in that position until the glue dries. Cut a piece of 1/4" foam in the shape of half of the lid and insert it into the face area of the puppet to give it a more rounded look. Cut a nose from a piece of black felt. Cut a tongue from a piece of pink felt and two ears from white felt. Glue them into place. Glue the wiggly eyes in place. Glue on some wool hair and draw a mouth to finish. Craft/ Snack Learning Activity: "Marshmallow Sheep" (Grades K-2) Materials: 1 bag of large marshmallows, 1 bag of miniature marshmallows, and box of pretzel sticks Procedure: Have the children create sheep using only the items on the table. They can tear apart the marshmallows and break the pretzel sticks if desired. Have the children decide which sheep are the funniest and the most realistic. Say: "Jesus is our Good Shepherd and we are His sheep. We can depend on Jesus to watch over us, guide us, care for them, and keep us safe." Life Application Challenge: Praise, Ask, Confess, and Thank. Say: "We all need to learn to pray. There are four things we should always do when we pray--praise God, ask God, confess our sin, and thank Him. Everyone, bow your heads. When I call out the parts of the prayer, pray silently in that way. Praise: Let's praise God for being our Good Shepherd. Think of one thing to praise Him about as your Shepherd. Ask: Think of a time when it would be so good to have a shepherd watch out for you. Ask God to protect and guide you during that time. Confess: We are all going to be quiet for a minute so each of us can silently ask God for forgiveness for disobeying or not following Him like He wants us to. Thank: Thank God for being our Good Shepherd. Thank Him for dying on the cross so we can be forgiven of our sins. Remember that no child should be forced to pray but do encourage and invite each one. After you have prayed aloud, say "Amen."

9 9 The Good Shepherd and His Sheep John 10:14 "I am the Good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me."

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