Session 6 FOR THE LEADER Jesus Was Anointed Luke 7:36-50 Jesus accepted a dinner invitation from one of the Pharisees, showing that He, too, had no favoritism. Since it was known that Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors, Jesus also desired to fellowship with the Pharisees. The home to which He went belonged to a man named Simon. The Bible gives no identification of this man other than his name and the fact that he was a Pharisee. The text does yield clues to Simon s intent, which was to determine Jesus true nature and whether Jesus was truly a prophet. While guests reclined at the table in Simon s house, a woman approached Jesus and began to wash His feet with her tears. She wiped Jesus feet dry with her hair. She then took a bottle of perfume and anointed Jesus feet with the perfume. Simon was disturbed at what the woman had done and was even more disturbed by the fact that Jesus allowed this woman, a known sinner, to even touch Him. Simon wondered to himself why Jesus, if He truly were a prophet, would allow this behavior. Simon was quickly jolted to reality by Jesus who spoke and offered to tell Simon a story. Jesus told a parable about a creditor who had two borrowers that owed him money. One of the borrowers owed an enormous amount of money equal to approximately 1½ year s wages. The second borrower owed only about 2 month s wages. The creditor in Jesus story forgave both men their debt. Jesus asked Simon which of those forgiven would love the creditor more. Simon rightly answered that the man to whom more was forgiven. Jesus answered Simon s unasked question and immediately gave the implications of His parable. Simon had not given Jesus the customary observances of washing the feet of a guest and greeting them with a kiss. Simon had not done wrong by neglecting these services, but he was not motivated to go out of his way for Jesus. The sinful woman showed Jesus each of these observances; and when Jesus forgave her sin, she was more grateful for the encounter than Simon. We should gratefully rejoice when God forgives us. 2018 LifeWay Session 6: Jesus Was Anointed 45
OVERVIEW SESSION FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 7:36-50 MEMORY VERSE: 1 John 1:9 TEXT TRUTH: We should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. CHRIST IN CONTEXT: The Book of Luke gives a detailed description of the life of Jesus. Jesus was described as the Son of Man who came to save all people Jews and Gentiles. Because Jesus was fully human, He was tempted and suffered as we do. Luke showed that Jesus cares for people and can understand when we face hard times. GET STARTED TOOLS (10 MINUTES) Bible Skills: Bibles, pictures of kids from around the world, Luke (Books of the Bible Posters), Bible Timeline for Kids Note: To order a set of the Bible Timeline for Kids (Item No. 005811866) contact LifeWay s Customer Service at 1.800.458.2772 or online at www.lifeway.com. BIBLE STUDY TOOLS (35 MINUTES) Jump In: Perfume Vase (DVD-ROM) Examine the Text: Bibles, Text Truth Strips and Christ in Context: Luke (Poster Pack), The Gospel (enhanced CD) Video: Explore the Bible on Location video Memory Verse: 1 John 1:9 (Poster Pack), ball Prayer: Family Cards SMALL GROUP TOOLS (30 MINUTES) Explorer Guides: Bibles, Explorer Guides, pens Move: large plastic hoops, marker board, dry erase marker Make: seashells, fine point permanent markers, The Gospel (enhanced CD) Explore: cotton balls, essential oils, small ziplock bags, latex free gloves, Allergy Alert and Review Questions (enhanced CD), Bibles NOTE: Downloadable versions of DVD items are available in the Digital Video Bundle. Downloadable versions of enhanced CD items are available in the Music and Print Extras Bundle. For free online training on how to lead a group, visit ministrygrid.com/web/explorethebible. 46 Explore the Bible: Older Kids 2018 LifeWay
BIBLE STORY JESUS WAS ANOINTED Luke 7:36-50 One day Simon, a Pharisee, invited Jesus to come to his house to eat. While Jesus was there, a woman from the town entered the house. She was a sinner and heard that Jesus was visiting the Pharisee s home. The woman brought an alabaster jar of fragrant oil with her. She stood behind Jesus at His feet. She began to cry and wash Jesus feet with her tears. She wiped His feet with her hair and anointed them with fragrant oil from the jar. Simon thought to himself, If Jesus were really a prophet, He would know the kind of woman that is touching Him. She is a sinner! Then Jesus told Simon a story, called a parable. A creditor had two men who owed him money. The first one owed him 500 denarii and the second man owed him 50. The men could not pay back what they owed. So the man graciously forgave them both. Which man do you think loved him more? Simon the Pharisee answered, I suppose the one who was forgiven the most. You are right. Jesus answered. Then Jesus turned to the woman and said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I came to your house. You did not give me any water to wash My feet. But this woman, with her tears, has washed My feet. You didn t anoint My head with oil, but she has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Her many sins have been forgiven, that is why she loves Me much. The one who is forgiven of little loves only a little. Jesus said to the woman, Your sins are forgiven. The others at the table asked themselves, Who is this man that He can forgive sins? Jesus told the woman, Your faith has saved you. Go in peace. TEXT CONNECTION Jesus taught many things through the way He lived His life. Jesus interactions with people were varied and sometimes could be considered dangerous. Religious leaders did not like Jesus actions. One day a religious leader invited Jesus into his home. While attending the dinner, Jesus was approached by a sinful woman who washed His feet with her tears and hair, then broke open a jar of expensive oil and anointed Jesus feet with the oil. Simon, the homeowner, was upset at the waste, but Jesus helped Simon see that the woman was grateful that her sins had been forgiven. While Simon did not give Jesus the customary hospitality a host would have offered, the woman had cleansed Jesus feet with her tears. As another example of His compassion, Mark 7 tells that Jesus was teaching when He was approached by a Gentile woman asking for healing for her daughter. Jesus healed the girl because of His compassion for the woman and daughter. KEY POINTS Only God can forgive sin. We should be thankful for God s gift of forgiveness. EXPLORE THE BIBLE AT HOME See the enhanced CD for additional family resources. 2018 LifeWay Session 6: Jesus Was Anointed 47
GET STARTED TOOLS: Bible Skills: Bibles, pictures of kids from around the world, Luke (Books of the Bible Posters), Bible Timeline for Kids PREPARATION: Prepare a collage or slideshow that includes images of kids from several different countries. GET STARTED (10 MINUTES) BIBLE SKILLS Display the pictures of kids from around the world. Invite kids to relate the experiences of the kids in other countries to theirs. Highlight some of the differences. Invite the girls and boys to speculate on the types of churches and Bible studies the kids from other countries experience. Discuss participating in what God is doing. Help the boys and girls understand that through prayer they are able to be a part of ministry in places they might never be able to visit. Ask the kids what they would say if they were able to meet a person from another country who had never heard of Jesus. What would they say to a person in their own country who has never heard of Jesus? Allow plenty of time for replies. Remind kids that the Bible tells us about God s plan to rescue us from sin. That is why we want to share with people here and in other countries about Jesus. Commend any kids who use Bible verses in their responses, then turn their attention to the Luke poster. Using the content on the poster, ask questions and enlist volunteers to find the answers on the poster to read aloud to the group. Display the Bible Timeline for Kids and help kids note the Bible Book studied last week (Song of Songs) and today s Bible Book (Luke). Dismiss to Bible Study. BIBLE SKILLS SPOTLIGHT Knows that the Bible tells about God s plan to rescue us. Knows how to use the Bible to tell someone about God and Jesus. Applies biblical principles to personal and social issues. 48 Explore the Bible: Older Kids 2018 LifeWay
BIBLE STUDY BIBLE STUDY (35 MINUTES) JUMP IN Greet the boys and girls as you welcome them to Bible Study. Begin the discussion by asking the kids to share examples of expensive items people own. Say: Think of something special to you that couldn t be replaced very easily if you gave it away. Display the Perfume Vase visual. Ask: What is this? What is its purpose? Explain that this is an elaborate vase for storing perfume. A jar of perfume is an important part of today s Bible story. Explain: Today, we re going to talk about a woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus feet. It probably was not something she could have replaced very easily. It was a very generous thing to do. Ask the girls and boys to speculate why the woman might have been willing to part with such a precious item. Say: During our study, we ll talk more about how she humbled herself and honored Jesus with that gesture. For now, just know that we should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. TOOLS: Jump In: Perfume Vase (DVD-ROM) Examine the Text: Bibles, Text Truth Strips and Christ in Context: Luke (Poster Pack), The Gospel (enhanced CD) Video: Explore the Bible on Location video Memory Verse: 1 John 1:9 (Poster Pack), ball Prayer: Family Cards PREPARATION: Examine the Text: Identify specific verses for the boys and girls to read during the Bible story. EXAMINE THE TEXT Encourage the girls and boys to open their Bibles to Luke. Because the Bible story is a detailed retelling of the passage, decide ahead of time whether to have some of the boys and girls read Luke 7:36-50. It might work better to enlist a few kids to read assigned verses during specific times as the story is being told. Tell the Bible story using the included page as a guide. Determine an appropriate time during the story to display and reference Christ in Context: Luke. Say: The Pharisee in the story didn t respect the woman who poured the expensive oil on the feet of Jesus. He didn t think she deserved to even touch Jesus feet. He used her presence as evidence to doubt Jesus. Emphasize that we should value all people. Warn that having a low opinion of someone can be a distraction from what God is doing and how He loves that person. Say: We can learn so much from this example about what it looks like to worship Jesus. Ask the girls and boys to search through the verses (Luke 7:36-50) and identify some of the most important points from the story. This is simply an opportunity for the kids to take a closer look at Scripture. If time is a factor, suggest verses for them to consider. Say: Jesus response to the woman was much more than a simple life lesson. He was expressing His authority as God the Son to forgive sin. 2018 LifeWay Session 6: Jesus Was Anointed 49
BIBLE STUDY Display and review The Gospel for the boys and girls. Use it to help them understand some of the key points of salvation. Engage the kids in a brief discussion about what it looks like to be forgiven of sin. Refer back to the example of the woman at Jesus feet. Tell the kids that humility allows us to recognize our need for forgiveness, and it allows us to be grateful to the Savior who forgives. Display the Text Truth Strip for a volunteer to read to the group. We should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. PLAY THE VIDEO Play the Session 6 video. Ask: Where did Joel go visit today? What did he learn about how the camp started? What did Joel learn about the Book of Luke and gratitude or thankfulness to God? MEMORY VERSE Review the previous week s verse, 1 John 4:19. Commend any girls and boys who recite it without a reminder. Display the 1 John 1:9 poster. Say: It s exciting to know we can be forgiven! Let s practice this verse together so we never forget what God can do in our lives. Say the first word of the verse, then toss the ball to one of the kids to say the next word. Every time the ball is tossed, the person who catches it will say the next word of the verse. Leave the verse displayed during the first few rounds of this activity, but remove it once the boys and girls become familiar with the verse. Repeat as many times as possible. PRAYER Distribute the Family Cards. Say: Every time we look in the Bible, it shows us more about God. It gives us a deeper understanding of His loving sacrifice. When we know Him better, we grow in gratitude. Review the Text Truth: we should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. Encourage the boys and girls to take their cards home to review with their families this week. Remind them to discuss the questions on the back and use the cards to share what they are learning about God. Close in prayer by thanking God for offering His love and grace. Ask Him to help each girl and boy to grow in faith. Dismiss to Small Group. 50 Explore the Bible: Older Kids 2018 LifeWay
SMALL GROUP SMALL GROUP (30 MINUTES) EXPLORER GUIDES Distribute an Explorer Guide to each girl and boy. Help the kids locate today s pages Jesus Was Anointed. Invite kids to pair up to use their math skills to find the Hidden Message. Review today s object, Porcelain Vase. Guide boys and girls to read about the Uncommon Objects. Challenge kids to complete Jars, Jars, Jars. Select a couple of volunteers to read How Is Perfume Made? TOOLS: Explorer Guides: Bibles, Explorer Guides, pens TECH CONNECT (OPTIONAL) Prior to group, download the Explore the Bible: Kids Family App. Use the activity labeled Explorer Plus on the app. ACTIVITIES Select one or more of the activities to complete as time allows. MOVE HOOP TOSS Tools: large plastic hoops, marker board, dry erase marker Guide girls to partner with girls and boys to partner with boys during this game. There are three different ways to play this game: Option 1 Arrange the room to enable partners to work together from several feet apart. Option 2 Form groups. Two members of each group participate at one time. Option 3 Sit everyone on the floor in a large circle around the room. Invite two people to the center to participate. The first option is ideal for the kids, because they do not have to wait for their turns. However, it requires more space and more hoops. The rules of the game are very simple: one kid will stand completely still with her arms straight up in the air. Her partner will toss the hoop to try to make it drop around her. The hoop must drop all the way to the floor for five points. If it gets caught on the way down, it is three points. Consider defining any penalties for rough play or unsportsmanlike behavior. For example, if a hoop hits a player in the face or is intentionally thrown at a player s midsection, it will cost ten points. Allow the boys and girls to maintain their own scores on the board. Each time a team lands a hoop on the floor, mark it on the board. After twelve times, announce a freeze for everyone to recite the Text Truth: we should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. 2018 LifeWay Session 6: Jesus Was Anointed 51
SMALL GROUP MAKE EXPLORE DECORATED SEASHELLS Tools: seashells, fine point permanent markers, The Gospel (enhanced CD) Sometimes shells need to be cleaned prior to coloring. Also, consider decorating some seashells ahead of time to show the boys and girls. Provide various markers and seashells to each girl and boy. Demonstrate how to follow the natural lines in the shells with the fine tip of the markers. They can draw lines, dots, or dashes as they go. This technique will create unique patterns, because of the variations in the shells as well as the artistic methods. It is especially interesting to experiment with different colors. However, some of the boys and girls might want to attempt other designs. For example, some might prefer to color the entire shells, while others will only want to color the insides of the shells. Encourage whatever method they consider most appealing. As the kids work, initiate a discussion about the session. Invite everyone to share thoughts or ask any questions about the Bible study. Review the Text Truth: we should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. Allow any of the girls and boys who are interested to explain salvation using The Gospel. As everyone completes their shells, invite the group to take a tour around the room to see the finished products. Relate the unique shells to our unique relationships with God. SCENTED REMINDER Tools: cotton balls, essential oils, small ziplock bags, latex free gloves, Allergy Alert and Review Questions (enhanced CD), Bibles Begin the activity by discussing the Text Truth: we should be grateful for God s gift of forgiveness from our sin. Explain that you are going to make a scented reminder of today s Bible story. Distribute a pair of gloves to each kid. Help kids sprinkle some essential oils onto some cotton balls. Guide kids to place their cotton balls into a small ziplock bag. If kids use more than one essential oil, they may want to put the cotton balls into separate bags to keep the scents from mixing. Encourage kids to take home their cotton balls and place them inside dresser drawers, shoes, book bags, and so on. When they smell their cotton balls during the coming week, encourage kids to remember the woman s expensive perfume that she used to anoint Jesus. If kids finish the activity quickly, continue reviewing the Bible story by asking kids the Review Questions and allowing them to look up the answers in their Bibles. 52 Explore the Bible: Older Kids 2018 LifeWay