August 24, 2014 1st - 2nd Grade 9:30am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: Zechariah was a priest who had been born in Babylon. He had returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. At this time, the prophet Haggai was bringing God s message to His people. The Judean exiles were struggling to finish rebuilding God s temple. In fact, several years had passed without progress on the temple when God called Zechariah to prophesy to His people. Zechariah s message was twofold: first, look back and remember the past. Second, look forward and prepare for the future. God wanted His people to learn from the mistakes of their parents and grandparents who had ignored the prophets warnings. Zechariah set out to encourage the people. 4 The Book of Zechariah is organized into eight visions, four messages, and two oracles. The visions Zechariah saw each symbolized something God would do such as rebuild Jerusalem, judge Israel s enemies, and remove national sin. (See Zech. 1 6.) A couple of years later, God spoke to Zechariah again. This time, God spoke four messages to respond to a question the people had about fasting. (Zech. 7:3) In the last six chapters, Zechariah changed the subject to the future of God s kingdom. Chapters 9 12 are rich with Messianic prophecy; the words are quoted often in the New Testament. Compare Zechariah 9:9 with John 12:15; Zechariah 11:13 with Matthew 27:9-10; and Zechariah 12:10 with John 19:37. As you teach kids about Zechariah, emphasize God s promise: A king is coming. Zechariah s visions were significant to the reality of God s people at that time, but a greater reality awaited. Zechariah pointed to Jesus, the coming deliverer who would be struck and pierced to take away sin. God would deal with His people s enemies. He would cleanse His people. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say: They are My people, and they will say: Yahweh is our God (Zech. 13:9). Under the rule of King Jesus, their future is incredibly bright. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 1
Younger Kids BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Zechariah 1 14 Big Picture Question: What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. U N I T 21 4 2
The BIBLE STORY Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Zechariah 1 14 The exile in Babylon was over. A group of God s people had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild God s temple. Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest led the people. When they stopped rebuilding God s temple, God sent prophets to give His people a message. One of those prophets was named Zechariah (zek uh RIGH uh). God told Zechariah what would happen in the future, and then Zechariah told the people what God said. This was God s message for His people: Return to Me, and I will return to you. God reminded the people about their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents. The prophets told them to stop sinning, God said, but they did not listen. So God had punished the people for their sin. Don t be like them, God said. One night, God gave Zechariah some messages through visions. Zechariah saw eight visions; each vision was a different message from God about something that was going to happen. In the first vision, Zechariah saw a man riding on a red horse. Behind him were other horses. They had been patrolling the earth. Everything was calm and quiet. But soon the Lord would punish His enemies. The Lord s house would be rebuilt, and His cities would be blessed again. In the second vision, Zechariah saw four horns these stood for Israel s enemies. Zechariah also saw four craftsmen, who would defeat those enemies. Next, Zechariah saw a man going out to measure Jerusalem, but the city could not be measured because it was too big for walls. Instead, the Lord would be a wall of fire around it. God then showed Zechariah how He would forgive His people if they would follow Him. In the fifth vision, Zechariah saw a solid gold lampstand, which showed how all the Lord s plans would happen because of His Spirit. Then, Zechariah saw a flying scroll, which was a curse on everyone who Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 3
disobeyed God. In the seventh vision, a woman sat inside a basket. She represented the wickedness of those who worshiped false gods. She was lifted up and taken back to Babylon. In the eighth vision, Zechariah saw four chariots. Like the horses of the first vision, they would patrol the earth. God then told Zechariah to collect silver and gold from the people. Use the gold and silver to make crowns, He said, and place them on the head of Joshua, the high priest. The crowns on the head of Joshua were a sign to the people that a special king was coming to bring peace for everyone. Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey, Zechariah said. God promised to bless His people and punish the rest of the nations for their sin. One day everyone will worship the Lord. Christ Connection: God was going to help His people and give them a different kind of king. Jesus is the King who came and rode humbly on a donkey, just as Zechariah said. Because Zechariah s prophecy came true in Jesus, we can have hope and forgiveness of sins when we trust in Jesus. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Zechariah 1 14 Big Picture Question: What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. various items measuring tape or ruler paper pencils Vision Search activity page, 1 per kid pencils Welcome time Arriving Activity: How wide or tall? Measure the height or width of several small items. Use centimeters or inches. Place a piece of paper in front of each item. Encourage the kids to guess the height or width of each item, and write their names beside their guesses. Before the session begins, reveal the correct measurements and applaud those with the closest guesses. Say In today s Bible story, God shared several visions with a prophet named Zechariah. In one vision, a man tried to measure Jerusalem. We ll see what he found out. Activity page (5 minutes) Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say Each word you found is part of today s Bible story. Listen to see if you can find each one. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 5
paper tape LOW PREP Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Flying scrolls Invite each kid to roll up a piece of paper and put a small piece of tape on it. Then, let the kids fly the rounded papers. See who can get their scroll to fly the farthest. Say God gave a special message about those who had disobeyed God. He did it with a vision about a flying scroll. We ll talk more about this vision and several others in today s Bible story. 6
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Zechariah 1 14 Big Picture Question: What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. wrench Timeline Map Introduce the session (1 minute) [Large group leader enters with a wrench.] Leader Does anyone know what this is? That s right! It s a wrench. What might you use a wrench for? A wrench is used to tighten or loosen a nut or bolt. It s a tool that can be useful when building things. Do you know how it tightens and loosens? It wraps tightly around an object, and you turn it around. That reminds me of the Israelites after they returned to the promised land from Babylon. God was wrapping His love and protection around them. He wanted them to turn from their past of disobedience and follow Him; however, the people returned to a destroyed nation. Rebuilding takes time, so God encouraged them through a prophet named Zechariah. Timeline map (3 minutes) Leader The Israelites were responsible for their situation. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 7
They continued to disobey God. God had better plans for the people He loved, but they refused to follow His plans. After 70 years in exile, they were getting a new start in the promised land. God prepared the people for their return by promising to punish those who didn t help them when they needed help. The prophet Obadiah told the people of Edom that they should have fought for the Israelites. Instead, they thought they were better than God s people. This was proof of their pride. Why did God judge Edom s pride? Pride steals God s glory. Obadiah also promised that the Israelites would be allowed to return to their land. A Persian king named Cyrus released the Israelites so they could go home. It was the answer to a promise God made to His people even before they were taken to Babylon. How did God keep His promise to the Israelites? God changed King Cyrus s heart so the Israelites could go home. The Israelites started off well. They began to rebuild the temple as soon as they returned. However, some of the people living in the area didn t want the temple rebuilt. They made work difficult for the Israelites, so they stopped. They built houses and forgot about the temple. God sent a prophet named Haggai to remind them that God wanted His people to put Him first. How can we honor God? We can put God first in our lives. Now, we turn our attention to Zechariah. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader We are getting closer and closer to the end of the Old Testament. That means we are getting closer to the birth of Jesus! The people in Zechariah s day were still a few hundred years away from Jesus coming, but God 8
was already preparing His people for Jesus. If you want to know more, you must have a Bible. Hold up your Bible if you have it today. Meanwhile, let s check out the big picture question, What was Zechariah s message? Key Passage Slide or Poster Look song Zechariah, Prophet to Judah video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Key passage (4 minutes) Leader Our key passage offers a clue to the answer to the big picture question. Let s see who knows it. Show the slide or poster of the unit s key passage, Zechariah 9:9. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse together. Sing together Look. Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader Open your Bible to the Book of Zechariah. It s the next to last book in the Old Testament. Listen closely for the answer to the big picture question, What was Zechariah s message? Show the Zechariah, Prophet to Judah 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 God s message to Zechariah came about the same time as His message to Haggai. The people were struggling with life in Jerusalem and other parts of Judah. It wasn t the same place they had left. Rebuilding was Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 9
a struggle. God first encouraged His people to obey and worship Him better than their parents and grandparents. God made several other promises through the visions He gave to Zechariah. He promised they would become a great city again. He would punish their enemies and protect them. God promised to bless those who followed Him and punish those who did not. These were great promises, but the best promise was God would raise up a new High Priest. This High Priest would be welcomed as a King. He would be righteous and bring the people victory. He would be the promised Messiah. Who was Zechariah talking about? That s right! He was talking about Jesus. What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Ask the following review questions: 1. Who were the Israelites told not to be like? (their ancestors, or parents and grandparents; Zechariah 1:4) 2. What did Zechariah s vision of the man riding the horse mean? (God was going to punish Israel s enemies, bless Israel, and rebuild Jerusalem; Zechariah 1:12-17) 3. How many visions did God give Zechariah? (eight, Zechariah 1 6) 4. What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. 5. Who is the Messiah Zechariah talked about entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey? (Jesus, Zechariah 9:9) 10
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. Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Prayer (4 minutes) Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Let s see who knows the answer to the big picture question now. What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Say the big picture question and call out a kid s name. Toss a paper wad toward that kid. Her goal will be to say as much of the big picture answer as possible while the paper wad is in the air. Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that God will help the kids recognize Jesus as Messiah in their lives. Dismiss to small groups Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 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. 12
Small Group LEADER Session Title: Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Bible Passage: Zechariah 1 14 Big Picture Question: What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Key Passage: Zechariah 9:9 Unit Christ Connection: God saved His people who were in physical captivity as He would one day send Jesus to save and restore His people who are in spiritual captivity. Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) construction paper scissors tape marker Key passage activity (5 minutes) Make sure the key passage, Zechariah 9:9, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say This verse is actually one of several verses that help us understand that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus came to earth humbly, but He left as the forever King in victory over sin. When we repent and trust Jesus, He becomes our King and Savior. Form groups of two or more kids. Hold a piece of construction paper horizontally and write the first two words of the verse on the bottom. Turn it 180 degrees and write the next two words on the bottom. When you are looking at the piece of paper, you should see two words right-side-up and the other two upside down. Repeat with additional pieces of construction paper until you have completed the verse. Make a set for each group. Provide each group with a set of the key passage papers, a few pairs of scissors, and a roll of tape. Invite them to make a large crown by cutting in between the words on each piece of paper in a squiggly line. This will create two crowns. They Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 13
must then tape the crowns in the order of the verse to form a large crown. When a group finishes the crown, direct them to stand together inside of it. Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster paper marker Bible story review (10 minutes) Encourage the kids to find the Book of Zechariah in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Zechariah is in the Old Testament. Only one book comes after Zechariah in the Old Testament. What is it? (Malachi) Which division of the Bible is Zechariah in? (Minor Prophets) Zechariah is quoted in the Gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John more than any other Old Testament prophet. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Write the numbers one through eight on separate pieces of paper and scatter them throughout the room. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. As you tell the story, encourage the kids to travel to the number of the vision you are talking about. Say God wanted to encourage His people as they rebuilt Jerusalem. He wanted them to realize how those who had once lived there had failed to obey and worship only God. God gave Zechariah eight visions, each with its own message, but one message was the most important for them and us. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Jesus was the King who would come into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. 14
LOW PREP Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Was it a vision? Describe a situation, and the kids must decide if it was one of Zechariah s visions. Those who believe it is not should close their eyes. Those who believe it is should keep their eyes open. Here are some examples: Zechariah saw a man in a basket. (No, a woman in a basket) Zechariah saw a gold lampstand. (Yes) Zechariah saw a valley of dry bones. (No, Ezekiel) Zechariah saw four chariots. (Yes) Zechariah saw three horns. (No, four) Zechariah saw a man riding a horse. (Yes) Zechariah saw a flying squirrel. (No, a scroll) Say These visions all had slightly different meanings, but Zechariah ultimately pointed to Jesus. What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 21 Session 4 15
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Zechariah 9:9 Unit 21 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
What was Zechariah s message? Zechariah spoke about the coming Messiah. Unit 21 Session 4 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 21 Session 4 Zechariah, Prophet to Judah OK TO PRINT
Instructions: Circle the following words hidden in this picture. KEY: scroll, crown, silver, donkey, gold, lampstand, horse UNIT 21 Session 4 Younger Kids Activity Pages Christian Resources.
Zechariah, Prophet to Judah Zechariah 1 14 2013 Christian Resources.