October 12, 2014 1st - 2nd Grade 9:30am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: 1 The prophecies concerning Jesus birth are numerous, and many of them refer to Jesus lineage. Old Testament prophecies tell of the promised Messiah being born from the seed of a woman (Gen. 3:15); from the seeds of Abraham (Gen. 22:18), Isaac (Gen. 21:12), and Jacob (Num. 24:17); from the tribe of Judah (Micah 5:2); from the line of Jesse (Isa. 11:1); and from the house of David (Jer. 23:5). The prophecies said He would be born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14) and would be the Son of God (1 Chr. 17:13-14; Ps. 2:7). Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies. In Bible times, Jews took great care to accurately record family genealogies. The family a person belonged to was directly linked to property rights. Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 both chronicle the genealogy of Jesus. The account in Matthew presents Jesus as the king of the Jews the legal heir to the throne of David. The account in Luke was written to Greek Christians and focuses on Jesus descent from Adam. Jesus was born as a baby in Bethlehem. He had earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, but His true Father is God. Jesus is fully God and fully man. As fully God, in Him the entire fullness of God s nature dwells bodily (Col. 2:9). As fully man, Jesus has a human body, human mind, and human emotions. (See Luke 2:7,52; Matt. 26:38.) He is our sinless representative (2 Cor. 5:21), sympathetic high priest (Heb. 4:15), and substitute sacrifice (1 John 4:10). Use this Bible story with the kids you teach to review Jesus ancestors and their stories in the Old Testament. Help kids recognize that God had been working out His plan to send Jesus over hundreds of years through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jesse, David, Solomon, and Josiah. God sent Jesus to earth to save people from their sins. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 1
Younger Kids Bible study OVERVIEW Session Title: Genealogy of Christ Bible Passage: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Big Picture Question: How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah. U N I T 23 1 The Forerunner of the Savior 2
The BIBLE STORY Genealogy of Christ Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Jesus is the Son of God, which means that He is fully God. But when Jesus was born on earth as a little baby, He had human parents too. Their names were Mary and Joseph. Jesus is fully human, too. Jesus is both fully God and fully human; that makes Him different from any other man. Like all people on earth, Jesus family had a history a family tree. Jesus had parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, great-greatgrandparents all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The Bible says Adam and Eve had children. Three of their sons were named Cain, Abel, and Seth. When Seth got older and had a family, his wife had a baby. Seth named his son Enos (EE nahs). Enos grew up and had a family too, and his great-great-grandson was named Enoch (EE nuhk). Enoch loved God, and he was part of Jesus family. Then there was Noah! Noah obeyed God and built an ark to save his family from a great flood. Noah was part of Jesus family too. Abraham was in Jesus family, and so was his son Isaac. When Isaac had a family, one of his sons was named Jacob. Jacob was part of Jesus family. Years later, a man named Salmon (SAL mahn) was born into Jesus family tree. He married Rahab (RAY hab), who had hid the Israelite spies when they came to Jericho. Rahab had a baby, and his name was Boaz (BOH az). Boaz was a farmer, and he married Ruth. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed (OH bed). Obed s son was Jesse. Jesse had many sons, and the youngest was David. David was just a boy when he was chosen to be Israel s king. King David liked to write. He wrote songs called psalms and some of them were about the time when Jesus would come to earth. Other people in Jesus family were kings too. David s son Solomon was a king. King Jehoshaphat (jih HAHSH uh fat) was part of Jesus family, and so was Uzziah (uh ZIGH uh), Ahaz (AY haz), Hezekiah (HEZ ih kigh uh), and Josiah. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 3
Then came Matthan (MAT than). Matthan s son was named Jacob, and Jacob s son was named Joseph. Joseph is the man who took Mary to be his wife. Mary and Joseph were the earthly parents of Jesus, God s Son the Messiah. Christ Connection: Jesus came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem. Jesus had earthly parents, Mary and Joseph, but His true Father is God. Jesus was still God the Son when He came to earth, but He also took on the form of a man. Jesus was born to save people from their sins. The Forerunner of the Savior 4
Small Group Opening Session Title: Genealogy of Christ Bible Passage: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Big Picture Question: How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah. items that are important to your family Family Tree activity page, 1 per kid pencils LOW PREP Welcome time Arriving Activity: Look back Bring something that is very important to you because of its connection to your family. Consider a photo album or antique that has been passed down. If the item isn t breakable, allow the kids to hold and touch the item. Take some time to share why it is so important to you. Say Family is very important to all of us. That s why your parents might still have those pictures you drew when you were in preschool. In today s Bible story, we will learn about the most important family ever. Activity page (5 minutes) Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Can you name someone who was part of Jesus family? His family tree has a lot of names. Today, we will talk about some of those names. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: First up Form two or more groups with the same number of kids. You may also choose to play as one large group. Invite the Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 5
groups to see which one can line up in order the fastest based on the instructions given. Encourage the kids to line up in order of the month of their birthdays, from shortest to tallest, from the fewest brothers and sisters to the most brothers and sisters, from the biggest feet to the smallest feet, and so forth. Feel free to reverse the directions too. Play as time allows. Say People and things are both created in a specific order. For instance, your grandparents were born before your parents. The Bible shares the order of the people born before Jesus. It gives us His family tree. We ll see who His family members were in a moment. The Forerunner of the Savior 6
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Genealogy of Christ Bible Passage: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Big Picture Question: How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah. wrapped gift Introduce the session (1 minute) [Large Group Leader enters with a birthday gift.] Leader Hi there! Are you here for the big birthday party? That s a silly question. Why else would you be here? Do you like birthday parties? What is your favorite thing about birthday parties? Well, I love the gifts. I love getting gifts, and I love giving gifts. I think I enjoy the excitement of not knowing what each gift is until you open it. Even though the gifts may be wrapped the same, each one is different. Did you know God gave us a gift? Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8 tell us that salvation is Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 7
a gift. Jesus offers salvation to people who trust in Him. God didn t have to send Jesus to save us from sin, but He did because He loves us. Timeline Map Timeline map (1 minute) Leader Jesus was born as a human just like you and me. He had parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth. Here s a long, twisting line of Jesus family. Let s see who can find one of these faces somewhere else on the timeline map. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader Where do you think we can go to learn more about Jesus family? That s right! It s all in the Bible. Jesus grew up just like you and me. He loved His mom and dad, just like you and me. Today, we will talk more about how Jesus was like you and me, but He is also very different. That brings us to the big picture question, How is Jesus different from any other man? The Forerunner of the Savior 8
Key Passage Slide or Poster You Will Be Called song Genealogy of Christ video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Key passage (4 minutes) Leader Before Jesus came, God sent just one more prophet to point Him out. Our new key passage is about the man we know as John the Baptist. Show the slide or poster of the unit s key passage, Luke 1:76-77. Lead the boys and girls to read the verses. Sing together You Will Be Called. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader We will learn more about John in the coming weeks. It s time for our Bible story. We ll find out more about Jesus family. We will also find the answer to our big picture question, How is Jesus different from any other man? Show the Genealogy of Christ video, or choose to tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text. Leader Jesus came to earth as a human like you and me. His family started with the very first two people, Adam and Eve. Some of Jesus family members were rich. Some were poor. Some were even kings. Jesus isn t just a man though. How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Jesus had an earthly family, but He is also God s Son. He is God with us. Ask the following questions: 1. Who were the first two people in Jesus family? (Adam and Eve, Luke 3:38) 2. Who in Jesus family built an ark? (Noah, Luke 3:36) 3. Who in Jesus family hid the Israelite spies in Jericho? (Rahab, Matthew 1:5) Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 9
4. What king from Jesus family wrote songs and was the son of Jesse? (David, Matthew 1:6) 5. How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. The Forerunner of the Savior 10
Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Prayer (5 minutes) Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Is everyone ready to answer the big picture question, How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Ask the big picture question, and call on the kids to answer based on members of their families. For instance, ask those who have an aunt to answer, those with a brother to answer, those with a sister to answer, and so forth. Before transitioning to small groups, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that God will help each kid understand that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Dismiss to small groups Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 11
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. The Forerunner of the Savior 12
Small Group LEADER Session Title: Genealogy of Christ Bible Passage: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 Big Picture Question: How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Key Passage: Luke 1:76-77 Unit Christ Connection: As prophesied in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1, John the Baptist prepared the people for the coming Messiah. Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Make sure the key passage, Luke 1:76-77, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say Our key passage talks about a man called John the Baptist. John was sent to show the world who the promised Savior was. We will learn about John for the next few weeks. John prepared the way for Jesus, who would save the people from their sins. Repeat the key passage a few times together so the kids are familiar with it. Form two or more groups with both boys and girls in each group if possible. Guide each group to imagine it as a family. Allow the kids to assign family member roles to each person in the group. For instance, a girl could be mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, or aunt. A boy would be a father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, brother, or uncle. Invite the groups to sit down. Call out a family member. The kids who were assigned that family member should jump up and say the key passage together. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 13
Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster strips of paper marker Bible story review (10 minutes) Encourage the kids to find Matthew 1 in their Bibles. Say Is Matthew in the Old Testament or New Testament? (New Testament) In which division of the Bible is Matthew found? (Gospels) Matthew tells us about Jesus life, death, and resurrection. It also points to Jesus as the promised Messiah. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. List 10 members of Jesus family on separate strips of paper. Use familiar names like Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Rahab, Ruth, David, Josiah, Joseph, and Mary. For older kids, include a few lesser known names. Put the names in order as a class, or form groups and see who can put them in order fastest. Say God gave us Jesus family tree so we could know that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The list in Matthew starts with Abraham, whom God promised would be part of the Messiah s family. It details how Jesus was part of a family of kings, including David. The list in Luke takes us through Jesus family all the way back to Adam. Jesus is the One whom God promised in the Old Testament would come to save His people. Much of the Old Testament is about the people mentioned in Jesus family. While Jesus has an earthly family like you and me, He is God s Son. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Colossians 2:9 says that Jesus is as much God as He is a man. Because Jesus is both man and God, He was able to take our punishment for sin. The Forerunner of the Savior 14
LOW PREP name tags marker Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: It s me! Give each kid a name tag with a name from Jesus genealogy: Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rahab, Ruth, Jesse, David, Solomon, and Hezekiah. If you have more kids, use additional names from Jesus genealogy. If you have a small group, kids may wear two name tags. Read one of the questions below and bring two to four kids to the front of the group, including the kid with the name tag of the correct answer. Encourage the kids to quickly stand behind the kid whom they believe is wearing the correct name. God chose my youngest son, a shepherd, to be a great king. (Jesse) I protected some Israelites spies in Jericho. (Rahab) I was the first person in Jesus family. (Adam) I was the wisest king ever. (Solomon) God saved me from a giant flood. (Noah) I was tricked by a snake and disobeyed God. (Eve) God asked me to offer my son as a sacrifice, and then He stopped me. (Abraham) I wrestled with God. (Jacob) I was a shepherd, a king, and a man after God s own heart. (David) Boaz redeemed my family. (Ruth) My parents were really old when I was born a son promised many years before. (Isaac) I was one of just a few kings of Judah who remained faithful to God. (Hezekiah) Say These people from the Bible were part of Jesus family, but Jesus is more than a man. How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 23 Session 1 15
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins. Luke 1:76-77 Unit 23 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT The Forerunner of the Savior
How is Jesus different from any other man? Jesus is fully God and fully man. Unit 23 Session 1 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT The Forerunner of the Savior
Unit 23 Session 1 Genealogy of Christ OK TO PRINT The Forerunner of the Savior
Instructions: Write on each piece of large fruit the name of a family member and how he or she is related to you. UNIT 23 Session 1 Younger Kids Activity Pages OK to print The Forerunner of the Savior
Genealogy of Christ Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38 OK to print