Preschool November 23, 2014 8:45am
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of:november 23, 2014 The Book of Luke records just two narratives about Jesus childhood: His dedication (Luke 2:21-40) and His time at the temple when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52). Both stories set the stage for Jesus ministry on earth as an adult. 3 Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews. They had dedicated the baby Jesus according to the law of Moses, and they traveled to Jerusalem each year to celebrate Passover. God had commanded the men to appear before Him three times a year to observe certain festivals. (See Deut. 16:16.) Once a year, those who followed God s law would travel to Jerusalem, often in large groups. In Bible times, a Jewish boy became a man around age 12. His father would train him to take on all the responsibilities of adulthood, social and spiritual. Joseph was a carpenter, and he likely trained Jesus in his trade. When Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem, Joseph might have taken Jesus around the city to teach Him the significance of the temple and explain the purpose of the Passover feast. Jesus parents started the journey back home after the feast. They assumed Jesus was among their traveling companions, but He wasn t. Jesus had stayed behind at the temple. Mary and Joseph traveled for a day before they noticed Jesus was missing. They went back to Jerusalem and found Him at the temple. Jesus said to them: Didn t you know that I had to be in My Father s house? Mary and Joseph did not understand Jesus words. But Jesus is God s Son, and it was necessary that He honor His true Father. In all this, Jesus did not sin. The Bible does not give many details about Jesus childhood, but we do know that as Jesus got older, He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people. Jesus carried out God s plan to reconcile the world to Himself. (2 Cor. 5:19) Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 1
Preschool Bible study OVERVIEW Session Title: Jesus at the Temple Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52 Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Small Group Opening U N I T 24 3 Large Group Bible Study Small Group Activities Snack and Transition 2
The BIBLE STORY Jesus at the Temple Luke 2:41-52 Every year, Jesus parents took a trip. They went to the city of Jerusalem for a special holiday called Passover. On Passover, the Jewish people got together to celebrate and remember when God saved His people from slavery in Egypt. When Jesus was a boy 12 years old He went with Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem. After the celebration, Mary and Joseph started to go home. They traveled with a large group of people, and they did not notice that Jesus was not with them. They thought Jesus was somewhere among the group. But Jesus was not with them; He had stayed behind in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph walked for a whole day. Then they started looking for Jesus. They searched among their friends and relatives, but they could not find Jesus anywhere! Mary and Joseph hurried back to Jerusalem to look for Jesus. They looked for Him, but they could not find Him. Jerusalem was a big city, and Jesus was just a boy. Finally, Mary and Joseph found Jesus. He was in the temple, sitting with the teachers. Jesus was listening to the teachers, and He asked them questions. The people with Jesus were surprised that Jesus understood so many things. Jesus parents were surprised too. Mary said, Son, why have You done this? Your father and I were worried. We ve been looking everywhere for You. Jesus asked, Why were you looking for Me? Didn t you know that I had to be in My Father s house? God is Jesus Father, but Mary and Joseph did not understand what Jesus was talking about. Jesus went home with Mary and Joseph, and He obeyed them. Mary remembered these things. Jesus grew taller and wiser. God was happy with Him, and so was everyone who knew Him. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 3
Christ Connection: Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Jesus is God s Son. He taught people about God. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead so that we can worship God too. 4
Small Group Opening Session Title: Jesus at the Temple Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52 Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. In Jesus Name song LOW PREP Where s Jesus? activity page, 1 per kid crayons Note: Do not send a child out of the room without a leader! If you do not have an extra leader, drape a blanket over a table and invite the missing kid to hide under the table. Welcome and Session Starter Play the unit song in the background as preschoolers arrive. Set an offering basket near the door. Post an allergy alert if necessary. Set out a few favorite toys such as puzzles and blocks. Activity Page: Where s Jesus? Guide kids to carefully examine the Where s Jesus? picture. Invite them to circle the boy Jesus when they find Him. Say In our Bible story today, Mary and Joseph discovered that Jesus was missing! While this was very scary for Jesus family, it was not scary for Jesus. He was in the temple worshiping God, His true Father. Who is missing? Invite the kids to look around the room to notice friends who came to church today. Guide the children to close their eyes. One leader will lead one kid quietly out of the room. The leader who remains with the class tells the children to open their eyes. The kids must figure out who s missing! Say In our Bible story today, Mary and Joseph couldn t Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 5
find their son Jesus. They looked and looked among all their friends and family, but He was nowhere to be found! various objects baking sheet towel Note: Be sensitive to the kids in your class. Calmly discuss these safety procedures. Reassure them that this game is just to practice safety. What is missing? Place several objects on a baking sheet. Objects should be recognizable items such as a toy, car, block, and plastic cup. With younger preschoolers, start off with just three objects. Add more if that appears to be too easy. Give the children a little time to study and touch the objects. Cover the items with a towel and secretly take one item away. Preschoolers must figure out which item missing. Play several rounds of this game. Say In our Bible story today, Jesus went missing! His parents were very worried and searched all over for Him. They finally found Him in a place they did not expect. Talk about safety Take a few minutes to talk about what kids should do if they become separated from their parents in a crowded place. Stay put! Call out your mommy s or daddy s real name. [Ask kids if they know their mommy s and daddy s real names.] If kids do steps 1 and 2, but Mommy or Daddy does not return, look for another mommy with kids to help. Say Mary and Joseph looked everywhere for Jesus. They were worried! Have you ever been separated from your mommy or daddy in a crowded place? It can be scary. But you can practice these steps at home so you will know what to do. Transition to Bible study Hide a toy in the room. Guide the children toward the toy by saying cold if they are far from the item, warm if they get close, or hot if they are really close. 6
Large Group Bible Study Session Title: Jesus at the Temple Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52 Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Large Group Bible Study Bible Key Passage Poster Grace and Truth song Timeline Map Introduce the Bible story Tell the preschoolers it s time to get ready to go on a trip. Allow them to carry something from the room a favorite toy, perhaps as you go. Lead them on a walk around the room. Lead kids to Jerusalem, the Bible story area. Remind the preschoolers that God s temple was in Jerusalem in Bible times. The temple is where people went to worship God. Say In today s Bible story, Mary and Joseph traveled to Jerusalem with Jesus to celebrate Passover. Passover was a special feast to celebrate that God had delivered the Israelites from Egypt. Jesus family traveled a long way to celebrate Passover, and then they went home. Well, at least part of Jesus family went home! Jesus was missing! Say the key passage and then sing the key passage song. Remind kids that Jesus, the Word, is God s Son, but He also became a human being like us. Review the stories of Jesus as a baby by pointing to the timeline map. Tell the kids that Jesus was born as a baby, but this story happened when He was 12 years old. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 7
Jesus at the Temple Picture Bible Story Picture Poster Big Picture Question Poster Tell the Bible story Say In Bible our story today, Jesus and His family went on a trip for a special holiday. But something happened on this trip nobody expected. Jesus went missing! Mary and Joseph looked everywhere for Him. They looked and looked. As you listen to the Bible story today, whenever you hear the word look, make binoculars with your hands like this. [Model holding O-shaped hands to your eyes.] Open your Bible to Luke 2 and tell the Bible story in your own words. Talk about the Bible story 1. How old was Jesus in our story? (12) 2. Who looked for Jesus when He was missing? (Mary and Joseph) 3. Where did Mary and Joseph find Jesus? (in the temple) 4. What was Jesus doing? (sitting with the teachers, listening to them, asking them questions) 5. Was Jesus worried or scared? (No, He was happy to be in His Father s house.) 6. Who is Jesus true Father? (God) 7. Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Say Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Jesus is God s Son. He taught people about God. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose from the dead so that we can worship God too. Transition to small groups Retrace your steps to small groups, as if you are making a return trip home from Jerusalem. If leaders have not already gathered the toys, make sure everyone who brought a toy is carrying it. 8
Small Group Activities Session Title: Jesus at the Temple Bible Passage: Luke 2:41-52 Big Picture Question: Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Key Passage: John 1:14 Unit Christ Connection: Old Testament prophecies looked forward to the birth of Christ. Jesus roles as Son of God and Messiah are established. Small Group Activities As kids participate in small group activities, emphasize details from the Bible story, including the big picture question and answer and the Christ connection. LOW PREP construction paper yarn white glue hand wipes (for cleanup) Play Hide-and-Seek Play a game of hide-and-seek. The children may hide if you have enough space. If not, hide an object and send the children to find it. If kids hide, make sure they follow these rules: 1) No one may leave the room. 2) No one may hide in a locked room, and 3) All kids must come out of hiding when you say, No more hiding! Say Who went missing in our Bible story today? (Jesus) Where did Mary and Joseph find Jesus? (in the temple) Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Make winding paths Help the children use glue and yarn to make their own winding paths on pieces of construction paper. In order to prevent really messy fingers, let the child squeeze the glue bottle to make the path, and then you press the yarn on the glue. Or squeeze out a thin line of glue and allow the child Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 9
to place the yarn on top. Say Mary and Joseph searched for a whole day for Jesus. Jerusalem is a very big city with a lot of streets, gates, and towers! Mary and Jospeh probably walked back and forth, winding in and out of the streets of Jerusalem, calling His name and asking everyone they met, Have you seen our son Jesus? Where was Jesus the whole time? (in the temple) Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. ball Church Cards 4 sets Toss a ball Gather the children in a circle. Toss a ball to a child and ask a review question from the story. Whether that child answers correctly or not, she gets to toss the ball to another child, who answers the next review question. Continue until all the children have caught the ball and answered a question. Say When Jesus stayed behind at the temple, He learned, asked questions, and taught others about God s Word. The people were amazed at His understanding. To them, Jesus was just a 12-year-old boy. But Jesus wasn t just any 12-year-old boy, He is God s Son! Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. We come to church to learn about God and worship Him too. Match churches Position the church cards facedown in a grid. One kid will flip over two cards at a time. If her cards match, she may take the cards from the grid. Say Churches come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some people don t have a big church building, so they meet 10
in homes or schools. Other people around the world aren t allowed to worship God, so they have to worship secretly. We are blessed to live in a country that lets us worship God freely. Coming to church is important. Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Sing about the Bible story Teach the children the following lyrics and motions to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. 1) This is how Jesus went to Jerusalem [March in place.] Went to Jerusalem, went to Jerusalem. This is how Jesus went to Jerusalem With His family. 2) This is how Jesus sat at the temple [Sit, hands folded.] Sat at the temple, sat at the temple. This how Jesus sat at the temple Worshiping God, His Father. 3) This is how Jesus listened to teachers [Cup ear.] Listened to teachers, listened to teachers. This is how Jesus listened to teachers, The teachers at the temple. 4) Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus [Shade eyes.] Looked for Jesus, looked for Jesus. Mary and Joseph looked for Jesus When He was at the temple. 5) This is how Jesus went back home [March in place.] Went back home, went back home. This is how Jesus went back home. Jesus obeyed His parents! Say Mary and Joseph scolded Jesus for causing them to worry. Jesus had not disobeyed Mary and Joseph, He had obeyed God! Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Preschool Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 24 Session 3 11
Snack and Transition Take a bathroom break and wash hands. Choose volunteers to help set up for the snack. Remind children during snack time to say please and thank you. Thank God for the snack. Journal Page crayons Transition - Journal Page When a child finishes his snack and throws away any trash, he may dictate questions they would like to ask a church leader for you to write on their journal pages. Remind kids that Jesus asked the teachers in the temple questions about God s Word. Now would also be a good time to pray over the children, asking God to give them hearts like Jesus, who wanted to worship God. Ask God that the kids would be happy to hear and study God s Word, ask lots of questions, and depend on God s Word to help them. Thank God for the Word, Jesus, whom He sent to die on the cross to pay for our sins. Pray that the kids will love and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. If parents are picking up their children at this time, tell them something that their child enjoyed doing or did well during the session. 12
Journal Page November 23, 2014 Key Passage: John 1:14 Session 1: Jesus Was Born Luke 2:1-20 Session 2: Jesus Was Dedicated Luke 2:21-40 Session 3: Jesus at the Temple Luke 2:41-52 Session 4: Jesus Was Baptized Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:19-34 Session 5: Jesus Was Tempted Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13 Session 6: Jesus Called Disciples Matthew 4:18-22; 9:9-13; Mark 1:16-20; 2:13-14; 3:13-19; Luke 5:27-32; 6:12-16 OK TO PRINT
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. John 1:14 Unit 24 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
Why did Jesus go to the temple? Unit 24 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Why did Jesus go to the temple? Jesus went to the temple to worship God. Unit 24 Session 3 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Unit 24 Session 3 Jesus at the Temple OK TO PRINT
Where s Jesus? Instructions: Mary and Joseph are looking for Jesus, but Jerusalem is very crowded. Do you see the boy Jesus in the picture? Circle Jesus when you find Him. UNIT 24 Session 3 Preschool Activity Pages OK to print
Jesus at the Temple Luke 2:41-52 OK to print
Church Cards Instructions: Print two copies of the church cards onto heavyweight paper. Cut them apart and arrange the cards facedown in a grid. Invite kids to play a matching game. UNIT 24 Session 3 Church Cards OK TO PRINT