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LESSON 12 • March 22, 2014 - Jesus, the Ultimate Hero • 125

JESUS, THE ULTIMATE HEROWe Know Him!

March 22, 2014

PREPARING

A. THE SOURCE

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) • “You are the light ofthe world. A town built on a hill cannot be hid-den. Neither do people light a lamp and put itunder a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,and it gives light to everyone in the house. Inthe same way, let your light shine before others,that they may see your good deeds and glorifyyour Father in heaven.”

John 3:30 (NIV) • “He must become greater; Imust become less.”

Philippians 2: 5-7 (NIV) • “Have the samemindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with Godsomething to be be used to his own advantage;rather, he made himself nothing, by taking thevery nature of a servant, being made in humanlikeness.”

Hebrews 12:1, 2 (NIV) • “Therefore, since weare surrounded by such a great cloud of wit-nesses, let us throw off everything that hindersand the sin that so easily entangles. And let usrun with perseverance the race marked out forus, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer andperfecter of faith.”

(See additional passages in student material.)

1 B. WHAT’S TO BE SAID ABOUT“JESUS, THE ULTIMATE HERO”

When He was only 12 years old, Jesus knewtwo things for sure: (1) that His Father was God;and (2) what His lifetime occupation would be.

People search a lifetime to find their identi-ties. But Jesus found His by the time He was theage of your e-teens. Jesus Christ should be ourgreat example. He is our hero. Through Him wecan find our true identities.

Jesus knew His identity and purpose in lifebecause He allowed His heavenly Father to di-rect His steps. He was tempted in all things, yetwithout sin. He fulfilled the Word of God so thatyou and I can enjoy life as children of God, car-rying out our Father’s business.

C. WHERE WE’RE GOING WITH“JESUS, THE ULTIMATE HERO”

As a result of this lesson we would like thestudents to be able to:

1. Understand that Jesus is truly the ultimateperson to emulate.

2. Realize that the power to live a life withJesus as a hero comes from Jesus alone.

3. Accept the cost of being a follower ofJesus.

D. MATERIALS NEEDED

Beginning • (Activity A) pictures of cartoonsuperheroes, crayons, pencils, “The PerfectSuperhero Draft Sheet,” p. 129; chalkboard or

flipchart; (Activity B) celebrity magazines fromthe public library.

Connecting • Student lessons, Bibles.

Applying • Paper, pens or pencils.

BRIDGING

A. WHERE WE’VE BEEN BEFORE

Allow 10 minutes as students are arriving to:1. Ask them which verse they chose to learnfrom Wednesday’s portion of their lesson.Give them opportunity to say their versesfrom memory.

2. Give the students opportunity to “quote”themselves, using what they wrote in theMonday portion of their lesson. Be sure todebrief them about any quotations thatmight not reflect the Christian life accu-rately. However, quotations of this naturedo not occur in every lesson.

3. Review responses that they and othersmade to the scenario that was posed inthe Sunday portion of their lesson.Discuss the variety of responses, endingwith thoughts from last week’s What’s toBe Said About . . . in the teacher lesson.

If you have a very large group, have adultsavailable to process this section with smallergroups of students.

B. OTHER SABBATH SCHOOLCOMPONENTS

>> Song service>> Mission emphasis (find a link for

Adventist Mission for Youth and Adult at www.realtimefaith.net)

>> Service project reports

BEGINNING

NOTE TO TEACHER: Put together your own pro-gram with options from the categories below—

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Beginning, Connecting, Applying, and Closing.Please keep in mind, however, that the studentsneed to have an opportunity to be interactive(participate actively and with one another) andto study from the Word. At some point youshould distribute or call their attention to theirstudent lesson for this week.

A. BEGINNING ACTIVITY

Get ready • Tape pictures of different super-heroes on the walls—Spider-Man, Batman,Wonder Woman, Superman, the Hulk, etc. Orsimply show pictures of superheroes or comicbook covers with them. Talk about their specialstrengths and powers.

Get set • Divide the class into groups. Pass out“The Perfect Superhero Draft Sheet,” from p. 129,pencils, and crayons. Give each group instruc-tions to create the perfect superhero figure.

Go • Have each group describe and share theirnewly created “perfect” Superhero. While theyare making their presentation, take notes on allthe positive qualities of their creations.

Debriefing • [Note: The objective of this de-briefing is to help the students figure out thatJesus is the best superhero. Help them see thatJesus has all the positive qualities that their su-perhero is designed to have.] Ask: How didyou choose the strengths and qualities ofyour hero? (We know the evils that need to befought; we want our hero to be really cool; wewant him/her to be the best; we want someonethe whole world will notice; we want someonepopular.)

On a chalkboard or flipchart, combine thequalities of all their perfect superheroes into onelist. Ask: How is it possible for one person tohave all these qualities? Is it humanly possible?(No one can have all these powers. God can.)

Say: Jesus is really the best superhero ever.He encompasses all that we would want a su-perhero to be. And best of all, He is someonewe can relate to. Not some half-man, half-

126 • March 22, 2014 - Jesus, the Ultimate Hero • LESSON 12


radioactive spider, but a real, live person wholives and breathes just as we do.

B. BEGINNING ACTIVITY

Get ready • Distribute the celebrity magazinesand paper and pens, making sure you have onefor each person.

Get set • Have each one find at least one reason that Jesus is a better hero to have thansomeone featured in the magazine. The reasonmust be connected to one of the articles in themagazine.

Go • Review the reasons together.

Debriefing • Ask: What is it that draws peo-ple to celebrities? (the attention, the glamour,the have-it-better lifestyle) What separatesChrist from worldly heroes? (Christ is perfectwithout the flaws of the heroes of the world. Heisn’t all about Himself.)

Say: Most people are always looking forsomeone to follow. Whether an athlete, anactor, a musician, or even a spiritual leadersuch as a pastor—role models are always indemand. Our job as Christians, as agents inGod’s kingdom, is to tell others about the ulti-mate hero, Jesus.

C. BEGINNING ACTIVITY

In Friday’s portion of the student lesson thestudents will be asked to assume the role ofJesus’ talent agent. They are to think of differentstrategies to promote Jesus in society today. Forthis exercise, have them create a strategy forpromoting Jesus in Jerusalem in His own time.

Say: Imagine that you are living in Jerusalemduring Jesus’ ministry on earth. You are a tal-ent agent. You hear about Jesus from hereand there. You believe that He is the answerto all of the world’s problems. So you decideyou are going to be Jesus’ publicist—Hisagent. You are going to sell Jesus. What

would you do? Remember, the Romans aretrying to get rid of Him, the Pharisees thinkHe’s a heretic, the women think He’s thebest, and some fishermen are now unem-ployed because of Him! How are you going tosell Jesus as the superhero for the world?

Brainstorm together for a while.

CONNECTING

A. CONNECTING TO THE KINGDOM

Present the following ideas in your ownwords:

Let’s talk about a man who marketed Jesus.He did this after he chose Jesus as the ultimatehero. That one decision changed him so muchthat even his name was changed to forever remember his new life with the ultimate hero.From being Saul he became Paul. In the firstphase of his life he had everything—power, pres-tige, lineage, education, influence, opportunity,personality, skills, money. His life as Paul took on special meaning because he focused on imi-tating Jesus. He wanted to be just like his hero.Ellen White refers to Paul as a hero of faith.

Ask: What type of soldier would a general pickto be part of their army? (strong, loyal, brave)

Say: In the battle between the two kingdoms,Jesus is the general of God’s army. What awinning team Jesus would have if every re-cruit were like Paul!

Ask: Do you think that Jesus is looking for peo-ple like Paul today? (Some will say yes; otherswill say no.) How do you know that you are inGod’s army? (Sometimes it is as simple as beingconfident in who you are and what you are doingwith your life. Sometimes it is knowing that every-thing will be all right when things really aren’t. It’sbelieving that God is in control of your life.)

Say: Jesus loves us so much that He doesn’texpect us to be on the waiting list to join Hisarmy until we are “worthy.” In love and grace

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Jesus accepts us as we are. We don’t have tomeet any requirements or standards. All wehave to do is to accept Him as Savior—andwe’re in. Then He does His work of transform-ing us into His elite forces.

B. CONNECTING TO THE LESSONILLUSTRATION

Ask someone beforehand to tell or read thestory from the student lesson. Have them pre-sent it now. When it is completed, distribute thestudent lessons for this week. Have studentsturn to the texts in the Wednesday portion. Haveeach verse read aloud and then ask students todiscuss how they feel that verse relates to thestory that was just read.

C. CONNECTING TO LIFE

Tell the following anecdote in your ownwords:

You may have heard of people going overNiagara Falls, but have you ever heard of some-one walking across on a tightrope? Blondin, afamous tightrope walker, used to entertainthousands of people as he made his way overthe falls on a thin rope stretched from shore toshore. During his many trips over the falls, henever fell once. So what was Blondin’s secret?Throughout his walk he kept his eyes fixed on a large silver star he had hanging on the otherside. By keeping his eyes on the star he wasnot distracted by the crowds or afraid of whatmight happen. The star helped him get to theother side.

Have a volunteer find and read Hebrews12:1, 2. Say: The one thing that Blondin andPaul had in common was that they were al-ways focused on something. While Blondinused a star, Paul used Christ. For Paul, Jesuswas the ultimate hero. He spent his entire lifestriving to become more like Him.

APPLYING

A. APPLICATION ACTIVITY

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Say: When Jesus is your hero, you are defi-nitely going to be vulnerable. If you are goingto associate yourself with Jesus, you might aswell walk around with a big bull’s-eye on yourback, because some people are going to takeshots at you.

Divide the class into groups. Supply paperand pens or pencils. Have each group make a listof situations and scenarios in which it would bevery difficult to be a follower of Jesus. Next toeach situation, have them use the Monday orWednesday portions of their lessons to find solu-tions to these situations. Finally, have eachgroup share their problems and solutions withthe rest of the class.

Have someone read Matthew 5:14-16. Askfor suggestions for other more contemporaryanalogies that could be used in this passage be-sides a “light” and “a town built on a hill” (NIV).

B. APPLICATION QUESTIONS

1. In what ways can you show Jesus that Heis your hero?

2. How can you make sure that Jesus is areal presence in your life? Explain.

3. Why do followers of Jesus get attackedwhen doing what’s right?

4. Why does Jesus demand total commit-ment of His followers?

5. If Jesus is such a perfect hero, why don’tmore people follow Him?

6. What is the boldest thing you’ve done as a follower of Jesus?

7. What part of following Jesus most fright-ens you?

CLOSING

SUMMARY

Close by reading this quote from MackStokes, a retired bishop and author from theUnited Methodist Church.

“Some tell us that Jesus’ earthly life was notvery important. They say he wrote no books,composed no songs, drew no pictures, carved

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no statues, amassed no fortune, commanded noarmy, ruled no nation. And yet—He who neverwrote a line has been made the hero of unnum-bered volumes. He who never wrote a song hasput music into the hearts of nameless multi-tudes. He who never established an institution is the foundation of the church that bears his

name. He who refused the kingdoms of thisworld has become the Lord of millions. Yes, He whose shameful death scarcely produced aripple on the pool of history in His day has be-come a mighty current in the vast ocean of thecenturies since He died.”

FOR LESSON TWELVE:THIS IS FOR BEGINNING ACTIVITY A.

THE PERFECT SUPERHERO DRAFT SHEET

Name of Superhero_____________________________________________________________________

Special Superhero Strengths_____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Superhero Costume ____________________________________________________________________

Superhero Motto _______________________________________________________________________

Superhero Qualities_____________________________________________________________________

>>KEY TEXT: Choose one of the texts fromWednesday’s section of the lesson. Write it here and memorize it this week.

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

WE KNOW HIM!

(What connection do you think the following illus-tration has with the Bible texts in Wednesday’ssection?)

Legend has it that a missionary, lost at sea,was by chance washed up out of the sea on theedge of a remote native village. Half dead fromstarvation, exposure, and seawater, he wasfound by the people of the village and wasnursed back to full health. Subsequently helived among these people for 20 years. Duringthe whole of that time he confessed no faith.He uttered no songs. He preached no sermons.He neither read nor recited any Scripture. Hemade no personal faith claim. But when peoplewere sick, he attended them, sitting long intothe night. When people were hungry, he gavethem food. When people were lonely, he was asource of company. He taught the ignorant. Hewas a source of enlightenment to those whowere more knowledgeable. He always took the

side of those who had been wronged. Therewas not a single human condition with whichhe did not identify.

After 20 years had passed, missionariescame from the sea to the village and begantalking to the people about a man called Jesus,and after hearing of Jesus, the natives insistedthat he had lived among them for the past 20years. “Come, we will introduce you to theman about whom you have been speaking.”The missionaries were led to a hut, and therethey found their long-lost fellow missionarywhom they had thought dead.—James S. Hewett,

Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,

1988), p. 361.

Sunday

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

Even adults would find it difficult to stand upand speak of Jesus in certain settings—such asa board meeting. Why do you think this is so?It’s not as if He’s a bad guy or has a bad rep.When you are asked in school to stand up andtalk about your hero, do you say Jesus? If so,why, and if not, why not?

As Christians, adults and young people alike,sometimes we hesitate to be identified as partof the Jesus Fan Club. From your perspective,why is that? Any suggestions to fix this prob-lem? Share your thoughts.

Log onto www.guidemagazine.org/rtf topost your response. Be up-front and honest.Say what you think.

STUDENT LESSON

JESUS, THE ULTIMATE HEROWe Know Him!

March 22, 2014



Monday

WHAT ARE THEY TRYING TO SAY?

Different people, different opinions. Some ofthe quotations below represent the views oftrue kingdom citizens; others may not. Canyou tell the difference? How do these state-ments compare with what God is saying inHis Word? After reviewing the texts in theGod Says . . . portion of the lesson, write astatement that captures your belief. Be pre-pared to quote yourself at Sabbath School.

>>“I am still in awe of what the Lord has done inmy life. My heart’s desire is to disciple youngbelievers and to give them the heart I’ve beengiven.”—Aeneas Williams, former U.S. football cornerback.

>>“When my dad passed away I finally made thevow to the Lord that He could have my life, andthat I would glorify him on and off the field.”—Randy Johnson, U.S. baseball pitcher.

>>“Jesus is the one who sees and can releasethe hidden hero in every man.”— William Barclay,

Commentary on the Gospel of John.

>>“The Christian youth should be in earnest,trained to bear responsibilities with brave heartand willing hand. He should be ready to en-counter the trials of life with patience and forti-tude. He should seek to form a character afterthe model of the divine One. —Ellen G. White, 19th-

century inspired writer and church cofounder.

>>“The ordinary man is involved in action, thehero acts. An immense difference.”—Henry Miller,

20th-century American author.

>>“The follower of Jesus should be constantlyimproving in manners, in habits, in spirit, andlabor. But this is done by keeping the eye, not onmere outward, superficial attainments, but onJesus the model.”—Ellen G. White, 19th-century inspired

writer and church cofounder.

Write your own quotation.

WHAT I SAY IS . . .

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Tuesday

SO WHAT?

Old Roman coins have a picture of an ox onthem. The ox faces two things—an altar and aplow. On the coin is also an inscription thatreads: “Ready for either.” The ox symbolized the fervor of Rome. It was ready either for thesupreme moment of sacrifice on the altar or the long labor of the plow on the farm.

We can learn something about Christian liv-ing from this. Like the ox ready for both slaugh-ter and service, when you earnestly followJesus as your hero you must be ready for any-thing. There may be times when you suffer,when you are ridiculed, when you are leftalone, when nothing seems to be going yourway. After all, Satan will do his best to keep you from Jesus. But in spite of it all, you will be totally content with life. Does this soundstrange—hard to believe? But think about it.Ask yourself how much Jesus is worth to you.This week take time to talk to the adults in yourlife about the hardships they have faced for thesake of their Christian life.

Wednesday

GOD SAYS . . .

>>Philippians 2:5-7 (NIV)“Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who,being in very nature God, did not considerequality with God something to be used to hisown advantage; rather, he made himself noth-ing, taking the very nature of a servant, beingmade in human likeness.”

>>Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ

Thursday

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

The most important thing about being a partof God’s kingdom is knowing that you belong inthat kingdom. It is not enough to just feel as ifyou’re part of it some of the time—like whenyou are in church or reading your Bible. God’skingdom needs soldiers—ready for battle at anytime. Being part of His kingdom means that youbelieve 100 percent that you belong with Him.No doubts, no maybes. Just confidence in whoyou are in Him.

Study the life of Jesus—if not straight fromthe Bible, remember the stories you’ve heardgrowing up. Jesus knew, without doubt, who Hewas, what He was to do, when He was just 12years old. Not because He was God, but becauseHe was an earliteen just like you—but a teenwho was always connected to the Person He belonged to. The secret is “connection”—con-nection with the kingdom, through Jesus.

Friday

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You believe that He is the answer to all ofthe world’s problems. So you decide you aregoing to be Jesus’ publicist, His agent. You aregoing to sell the ministry of Jesus—now, today, inthis society. What would you do? How would yougo about it? Would you advertise on TV or theInternet? How would your marketing ideas differfrom those you would have used if you had beenHis agent in Jerusalem during Jesus’ time?

Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

>>Ephesians 5:1, 2 (NIV)“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearlyloved children and walk in the way of love, justas Christ loved us and gave himself up for us asa fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

>>2 Corinthians 3:3 (NIV)“You show that you are a letter from Christ, theresult of our ministry, written not with ink butwith the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets ofstone but on tablets of human hearts.”

>>Micah 7:8 (NIV)“Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”

>>Mark 10:45 (NIV)“For even the Son of Man did not come to beserved, but to serve.”

>>Luke 2:40 (NIV)“And the child grew and became strong; he wasfilled with wisdom, and the grace of God was onhim.”

>>1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)“To this you were called, because Christ sufferedfor you, leaving you an example, that you shouldfollow in his steps.”


LOGO: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SLOGAN: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

STRATEGY:__________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MARKETING TECHNIQUES: ______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________


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