Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Parable of the Wedding Feast Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus parable of the wedding feast is more than a simple story about a king s rude guests. The parable reveals the King (God the Father) who seeks to honor His Son (Jesus) with a banquet. Though many people are invited to the kingdom of heaven, few will choose to come. When Jesus told this parable, He had been teaching for three years. Many people who heard Jesus opposed Him, including the religious leaders. It was to this audience that Jesus told such a shocking story in which the attitudes and actions of the people who rejected the king s invitation clearly paralleled the religious leaders. In the parable, the religious leaders are represented by the guests who refused to come to the wedding banquet. They had been invited, but when the king s servants told them the feast was ready, they did not want to come. Instead, they went about their lives to their farms and businesses. Some of them even killed the king s messengers! What an insult to the king! These people had turned down an invitation to the most wonderful and joyous event they could imagine. The king would have given His best to honor his son, and the king reacted justly. He punished those who rejected him and invited others instead those not in the city, both the good and the bad. Likewise, God invites Gentiles into His kingdom. No one is refused based on his or her economic or social standing. The King Himself provides the required attire robes of righteousness like those given to Joshua the high priest. (See Zech. 3:3-4.) The King rejects those who try to come by their own merit in their own clothes as the man without wedding clothes did. This story reminds us that we need to be clothed in Christ s righteousness. The kingdom of heaven is like a wedding feast for the Lamb (Jesus) and His bride (the Church). (See Rev. 19:7-9.) Those who receive the invitation to come will be clothed in Jesus righteousness, made fit for an eternity in the presence of a holy God. OLDER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Parable of the Wedding Feast Bible Passage: Matthew 22:1-14 Big Picture Question: Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 1
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Small Group Time Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal (5 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY Parable of the Wedding Feast Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus often told parables, or stories, to teach people about God s kingdom. One of the parables Jesus used to teach people was about a wedding feast. Jesus said, This is what God s kingdom is like. A king s son was getting married, so the king prepared a big wedding feast. The king sent out his servants to tell everyone who was invited to the banquet that the feast was ready. The servants went out and came back. They told the king that the people did not want to come. So the king sent out his servants again. The king said, Tell the guests that I have prepared a feast! I have killed the best oxen and fattened cattle. Dinner is ready! Come to the wedding banquet! The servants went out, but the people did not listen to the king s message. One man went to his farm, and another man went to his business. Some of the people even captured the king s servants and killed them. When the king found out what happened, he was angry! The king sent out his army, punished the murderers, and burned down their city. Then the king told his servants, The feast is ready, but the people who were invited do not deserve to come to my feast. Go out to the streets and invite everyone you see. So the servants went out and did what the king asked. They invited all the people they saw good people and evil people. The wedding feast was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who was not dressed in the right clothes for a wedding. The king said to the man, Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes? The man was speechless. The king ordered his servants, Tie this man up hand and foot, and throw him out. Jesus ended His story by saying, Many people are invited to God s kingdom, but only a few are chosen. Christ Connection: Salvation is a free gift. We can t earn our way into heaven. Jesus did all the work when He died for our sins on the cross. This story reminds us that we need to be clothed in Christ s righteousness. Jesus invites us to join Him in heaven the great wedding feast. When we receive His invitation, Jesus gets us ready by clothing us in His righteousness. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 2
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: Parable of the Wedding Feast Bible Passage: Matthew 22:1-14 Big Picture Question: Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Welcome time Greet each kid as she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Let kids describe their favorite foods. If they were to host a party, what foods would they serve? Whom would they invite? Activity page (5 minutes) You re Invited activity page, 1 per kid pencils Invite kids to work individually to complete the activity page You re Invited. Prompt kids to consider who they would want to invite to a feast. Provide crayons and markers for kids to draw in the faces of people at the party and the foods that might be included on the plates. Say How many of you enjoy parties? Have you ever been to a wedding where food was served afterward? Today we are going to hear about a story Jesus told about a great wedding feast. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Rigorous requirements paper pencils Allow kids to work together, or form two groups. Give each group a piece of paper and a pencil. Guide them to imagine that they are in charge of the guest list for a fancy celebration with a world leader such as a king or president. Rather than listing names, kids should list qualities the guests should have or requirements the Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 3
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group guests should meet to come to the event. (Examples: wear fancy clothes, be famous, drive a fancy car, and so forth.) After a few minutes, invite the groups to share their lists. Say Those are some strict requirements! Do you think you should be invited to the fancy celebration? Why or why not? What kind of people do you think are invited to heaven? What are the requirements for getting into heaven? We ll answer some of those questions after we hear today s Bible story. Option 2: Service relay bowls of dry beans or dry rice, 2 spoons, 2 paper plates, 6 Option: For an added challenge, specify various numbers of beans for kids to spoon onto each plate. Form two teams of kids. Position three paper plates for each team along opposite sides of a table. Guide the teams to stand single file a few feet from the end of the table. Give the first player in each line a spoon and a bowl of dry beans. Explain that teams will race to serve the beans. The first player will spoon a single bean onto each plate and then return to her team. The next player will do the same. Continue until every player has served the food. The first team to finish should sit down and shout, Dinner is served! Say Great job! Today s Bible story is about a wedding feast. At the feast, the king provided the very best food for his guests. SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: Parable of the Wedding Feast Bible Passage: Matthew 22:1-14 Big Picture Question: Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 4
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group Key passage activity (5 minutes) Key Passage Poster dry erase board dry erase markers Write the key passage on a dry erase board. Lead kids to say the key passage aloud a few times. Then erase one or two words. Lead kids to say the key passage again, supplying the missing words. Continue erasing a few words at a time until kids can recite the key passage from memory. Say Great job. Keep working to memorize our key passage. Matthew 13:10-11 tells us why Jesus spoke in parables. Jesus said that some people would understand what the parables mean, and some would not understand. Like the first guests in today s Bible story, not everyone who hears the truth about Jesus is happy to accept it. Bible story review & Bible skills (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Provide a Bible for each kid and instruct kids to sit. Guide them to find the Book of Matthew in the Bible. Assist any kids who need help. Review the timeline in the small group visual pack. Retell or review the Bible story in your own words, or use the bolded text of the Bible story script. Direct kids to turn to Matthew 22:1-14 and use the Bible to answer the following questions about the Bible story. When a kid has located the answer in the Bible, she should stand. Allow time for several kids to stand, and then call on someone to give the answer and the verse(s) where the answer is found. Then instruct all kids to be seated as you ask the next question. 1. What type of party did the king have for his son? (a wedding feast, Matt. 22:2) 2. What did the invited guests say when the feast was ready? (They said they did not want to come, Matt. 22:3) 3. How did the invited guests treat the king s servants? (They ignored the servants or killed them; Matt. 22:5-6) 4. Whom did the king tell the servants to invite to the feast? (Everyone they could find, both evil and good; Matt. 22:9-10) 5. What was wrong with the man who came to the banquet? (He was not dressed for a wedding, Matt. 22:11-12) 6. Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 5
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group Say Salvation is a free gift. We can t earn our way into heaven. Jesus did all the work when He died for our sins on the cross. When we receive His invitation, Jesus gets us ready by clothing us in His righteousness. Jesus invites us to join Him in heaven the great wedding feast. If you choose to review with boys and girls how to become a Christian, explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another teacher if they have questions. God rules. God created and is in charge of everything. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11; Col. 1:16-17) We sinned. Since Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23) God provided. God sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. (John 3:16; Eph. 2:8-9) Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again so we can be welcomed into God s family. (Rom. 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 3:18) We respond. Believe that Jesus alone saves you. Repent. Tell God that your faith is in Jesus. (Rom. 10:9-10,13) Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: Clothed in righteousness Bible sticky notes marker Write the following letters on separate sticky notes: I, S, A, I, A, H. On another sticky note, write 61:10. Hide the sticky notes around the room. Challenge the kids to find the seven hidden sticky notes. Then kids should work together to rearrange the letters and discover the Bible verse reference. Instruct a volunteer to find the verse in the Bible and read it aloud. Ask kids what this verse reminds them of in today s Bible story. (the wedding clothes) Say Salvation is a free gift. We can t earn our way into heaven. Jesus did all the work when He died for our sins on the cross. When we receive Jesus invitation, Jesus gets us ready by clothing us in His righteousness. Jesus invites us to join Him in heaven the great wedding feast. Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 6
Sunday, Feb 22, 2015 Kidzone 2nd- 4th Grade Small Group Option 2: Make invitations construction paper envelopes markers other art supplies Supply construction paper, markers, and other art supplies for kids to make invitations. Suggest kids think of friends or classmates who do not attend church. Kids can create invitations to distribute during the week. They may fold the construction paper to fit into an envelope, decorate the construction paper, and write a welcoming message. Be sure to include information about your church s location, what time in what room your class meets, and other relevant information. Encourage the kids to invite friends or classmates to church. Say Who is invited to the kingdom of heaven? Everyone is invited to the kingdom of heaven, but few will choose to come. Inviting our friends and neighbors to church is important. What s even more important is that they hear the gospel the good news about Jesus. Pray that each person you invite to church will receive Jesus invitation to the kingdom of God. Journal and prayer (5 minutes) pencils Bibles Journal Page, 1 per kid Wedding Feast Maze activity page, 1 per kid Distribute pencils and journal pages. Instruct kids to write the big picture question and answer. Then prompt them to answer the following question. Say Have you received Jesus invitation to the kingdom of heaven? Why or why not? Invite kids to share prayer requests. Close the group in prayer, asking God to lead kids to receive His invitation to the kingdom of heaven. As time allows, lead kids to complete the activity page Wedding Feast Maze. Dismiss to parents Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children. Unit 30 Session 2 Older Elementary 7
UNIT 30 Session 2 Parable of the Wedding Feast 2014 LifeWay OK TO PRINT Jesus Taught with Parables
2014 LifeWay OK TO PRINT UNIT 30 Key Passage Poster (NIV) Jesus Taught with Parables Matthew 13:10-11 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables? He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
Instructions: The feast is ready, but where are the guests? Draw in the faces of the people you want to invite to a party. Include some of your favorite foods on the plates. UNIT 30 Session 2 Older Kids Activity Pages Jesus Taught with Parables
Instructions: Help the guest get to the wedding feast. UNIT 30 Session 2 Older Kids Activity Pages Jesus Taught with Parables