Unit 2: Ministry of Christ--Lesson 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus€¦ · 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus...

1

NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus © Beverly Wilson 2019

Unit 2: Ministry of Christ--Lesson 2

NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 3:1-15; Luke 3: 1-21; Mark 1:1-12

Lesson Goal: God wanted people to know that Jesus was His Son. He used John the Baptist to get

people's attention so they would believe in Jesus. In this lesson we will learn how John baptized Jesus and how he told people that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Introduction: This is the second lesson in Unit 2: The Life and Ministry of Christ. The life and ministry of Jesus is told to us in the first four books of the New Testament. In this lesson we will learn how John baptized Jesus and how he told people that Jesus is the Savior of the world. This story is found in the book of Matthew, Mark and Luke. These books are three of the Gospels in the New Testament. The word Gospel means the "Good News about Jesus." The Gospels tell the life and ministry of Jesus while He was here on earth. Let's say the names of the gospels--Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Attention Getter: Can you think of a famous sports figure that you wish would come visit you in your home? What might you do to prepare for his or her visit? Challenge every student to give a different answer. Examples: cleaning, painting, redecorating, fixing fancy food, getting nice clothes to wear. List the answers on the board. Let’s imagine that Jesus is coming to visit your home. What might you do to prepare? Would you do some of the same things you did for the sports figure? Would some preparations not be as important? What would be important if Jesus were coming to visit? What if He were coming to stay? Discuss how a clean, willing heart gives Jesus the best welcome of all into a person's life. Alternative: Have you ever seen someone baptized? Here is a video of a baptism. Being baptized is a commandment that Jesus gave to His followers. Jesus was baptized as an example to us. In this lesson we are going to learn about how John baptized Jesus and why we should be baptized too.

Opening Prayer: Our Father in heaven, all of us do wrong things that make us dirty on the inside. Some of have been mean to our friends, some of us have been disrespectful to our moms and dads. Some of us have told lies. I ask you to forgive us our sins and to clean us on the inside. Then help us to want to do what's right. Fill us with your Holy Spirit so that we might live our lives in a way that brings honor and glory to You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Matthew 3:17 "And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.”

Lesson Video: http://youtu.be/oouWjNNLkSM

Luke begins the story of Jesus before He was even born. It starts with two people named Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives of Jesus. When Herod was king of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zachariah and his wife, Elizabeth. They had been unable to have children and were both very old. Both Zachariah and Elizabeth were very good. They loved God and obeyed all the commandments. One day while Zechariah was serving in the temple, something amazing happened to him. An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing by the incense altar. Zechariah was overwhelmed with fear. "Don't be afraid, Zechariah!" the angel said, "God has heard your prayer. Your wife Elizabeth will give you a son,

http://youtu.be/oouWjNNLkSM

2


and you are to name him John. Wow! John the Baptist's birth so important that It was announced by an angel. He had an important job to do. "Your son will be great in the eyes of the Lord," the angel announced. "He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. He will be a man with the power of Elijah who will prepare people for the coming of the Lord." John was to be a great leader who would come ahead of Jesus to help people prepare to believe in Jesus as the Lord! But Zachariah did not believe Gabriel. He asked, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man and my wife is also old." The angel answered, "I am Gabriel and stand in the very presence of God. God sent me to bring you this good news! But since you didn't believe what I said, you will be unable to speak until the child is born." The people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary and wondering why he was taking so long. When he finally came out, he couldn't speak to them. They realized from his gestures and sign language that he must have seen a vision. Zechariah could hardly wait to tell Elizabeth the news. He wrote on a piece of paper, "We are going to have a son!" Soon afterward Elizabeth became pregnant. Elizabeth was so excited. She said, "How kind the Lord is!" Six months after the angel’s announcement to Zechariah, another angel appeared to Mary the mother of Jesus to tell her that she too was to have a son. Mary's son was to be the Son of God--Jesus the Messiah. Mary was a first cousin to Elizabeth. When Mary heard the news about the birth of Jesus she decided to visit her relative Elizabeth who lived in the hill country of Judea. She and her husband Zechariah had been promised by God that they would have a son who would grow up to prepare people for the coming of the Savior of the world. When Elizabeth answered the door and heard Mary greeting her, the baby leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you Mary among women, and blessed is the child you are carrying! Why am I so privileged that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as you greeted me, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Happy is the woman who believes the Lord keeps His promises!” Mary burst out in praise, "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and returned home to Nazareth. This was a time of great encouragement and joy for both young Mary and her older cousin Elizabeth. Nine months after the angel's announcement to Zechariah, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. It was a boy just like the angel had said. After eight days the family came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah after his father. But Elizabeth said, "No! His name is John." "What?" they exclaimed. "There is no one in your family by that name." They used gestures to ask the baby's father what he wanted to name him. Zechariah motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone's surprise he wrote, "His name is John." Instantly Zechariah could speak again. He began praising God and gave a prophecy about his son. Although they were cousins, John and Jesus grew up in different parts of Israel. Now they were both young men. And God had important jobs for each of them. Joseph had taught Jesus to be a carpenter but now He knew it was time to leave the shop and begin to tell people that He was God's Son. John grew up and became strong in the Holy Spirit. He lived alone in the desert or wilderness and spent much time studying the scriptures. He was a young man in his early thirties when he began his public ministry to prepare the way for Jesus. John wore clothes made of rough, scratchy camel hair. Around his waist he wore a leather belt tied around his waist. He ate locusts or grasshoppers and wild honey. John was like Elijah the great man of God. He knew that God was sending the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and that it was his job to prepare the people’s hearts to listen to the Messiah when He did come.

3


John's message was simple and direct. He preached on both sides of the River Jordan saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." John was the person the prophet Isaiah had talked about 600 years earlier. "A voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord." John told people to turn from their sins and ask God to forgive them. John told people to get ready because the Savior was on His way! The One who would die to save them from their sin was soon to appear. This One was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah. People from all around went into the wilderness to hear John preach. Many people confessed their sins and were baptized by John in the River Jordan. Baptism shows people that you are sorry for your sins and that you want a fresh start in life. John was telling people that they needed to stop doing un-godly things and to start leading their lives the way God wanted them to. By being baptized, John was helping people prepare their hearts for the coming of Jesus. Priests and Levis were sent to question John. John told them he was preparing the way for Someone who lived among them and he was not worthy to untie the straps of that Person's sandals. John told them that he baptized with water but the One coming after him would baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. John warned the Pharisees and Sadducees that they must practice what they preached. "If you have two coats," John said, "give one to the poor. If you have extra food, give it away to those who are hungry." Soldiers wanting to repent were told not to cheat people out of money or accuse people falsely. Tax collectors were warned not to collect more money than they should. The crowd began to call him John the Baptist because he dipped people under water to show they were sorry for their sins. Then at last, Jesus traveled from his home out to the Jordan River where John was baptizing people. Jesus went from Galilee to the River Jordan to be baptized by John. When John saw Jesus he didn't want to baptize Him. "This isn't proper," he said, "I am the one who needs to be baptized by you." John knew that Jesus wasn’t dirty on the inside. He was God the Son. Jesus had never disobeyed His parents. He never said mean things to people. He never played tricks on anyone. Jesus never told a lie. Jesus didn’t need to become clean on the inside. But Jesus insisted. "Please do it, for I must do all that is right." Jesus wanted John to baptize him because he wanted to show everyone that He promised to do the Father's will no matter what. Jesus was giving us an example to follow. So John baptized Jesus. But Jesus said, "God wants you to baptize Me. And I want to show that I do what God wants." And so John obeyed Jesus and baptized Him. After Jesus was baptized, something happened that had NEVER happened before--not with any of the people John had baptized. The heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with Him." Both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit were giving their approval to God the Son--three in One. This was God's sign that Jesus was God's Son. John told the people, "When God sent me to baptize he told me, "When you see the Holy Spirit descending and resting upon someone--He is the one you are looking for. He is the one who baptized with the Holy Spirit." I saw it happen to Jesus and I testify that He is the Son of God. The next day as John was standing with two of his disciples, Jesus walked by. John looked intently at him and then declared, "See! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." If you have asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, can other people tell if you are clean on the inside? No! Only God can see inside your heart and know for sure if you really are forgiven of your sins. What is a way that we can show others on the outside what has happened in the inside of your heart? How can

4


you show others that you have asked Jesus to forgive you and clean you on the inside? Only He can give us a clean heart and hands. That’s what baptism is all about. We get baptized to show others that we have asked Jesus to come into our lives to be our Savior and your Lord. He saves you when He forgives you of your sins. Then if you make Him your Lord, you will follow His example and do what He wants you to do. So, if you’ve made Jesus your Savior and your Lord, He wants you to be baptized. Jesus was baptized as an example to us. Baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus. When you go down into the water, it is a picture of your death. When you come up out of the water it is a picture that shows people you have been born again. We have a new start in life. God has forgiven you of your sins and filled you with the power of the Holy Spirit so that you can now live your life in a way that brings honor to God. Jesus loves each one of us and wants to make each one of us clean on the inside. You can ask God to make you clean on the inside right now if you want to. All you need to do is ask God to forgive you of all the naughty things you have done and to make you clean in the inside. As I pray, you pray to God. Remember ask Jesus to forgive you and follow His command to be baptized!

Review Questions: “Sandal Race” Preparation: You will need a pair of sandals or flip flops for each team. Procedure: Divide the class into teams of 5-6 members each. Provide a pair of sandals for each team. Children are to wear "John the Baptist's Sandals" in a relay race to see which team can "Prepare the Way of the Lord by making His paths straight. Winner of each leg of race gets to answer a review question to get a point for their team.

1. Who did God send to prepare a way for the Messiah (Christ)? (John the Baptist announced that the Jewish Messiah would soon come.)

2. What did John do to prepare the Jewish people for the Messiah? (John preached about Repentance for the forgiveness of sins and baptized people in the Jordan River when they did repent of their sins.)

3. What did John the Baptist mean when he called Jesus “The Lamb of God”? (Jesus was the one who would be sacrificed for their sins.)

4. What does “repent” mean? (Repent means to STOP a bad attitude or action, and to START a good one. It means “change directions” or “turn around.”)

5. What did John the Baptist use water for? (Baptism) 6. Who was John preparing the way for? (Jesus) 7. Where was John baptizing people? (in the river Jordan.) 8. Why did John want people to be ready for Jesus? (so they would listen to Him) 9. How can we prepare our hearts to love Jesus? (turn from our sins) 10. Why did Jesus get baptized? (Jesus was baptized to set an example for us of obedience to God.

Or, He was baptized to mark the beginning of his public ministry.) 11. How did God show he was pleased with Jesus’ obedience? (God spoke out of Heaven and the

Spirit of God descended upon Him.) 12. Name at least one special thing that happened when John baptized Jesus. (The Holy Spirit came

down as a dove and remained on Jesus. Heaven was opened; God spoke audibly.) 13. Why did John call Jesus, "The Lamb of God"? (Jesus was sacrificed for our sins on the cross.) 14. Why did Jesus come to earth? (To be the sacrifice for our sins on the cross.) 15. What does it mean to you that “the kingdom of heaven is near?” (Jesus is coming again!) 16. What would you like to change about your heart and life? 17. What can you do to be like John the Baptist and “prepare the way for the Lord”? (be a witness and

an evangelist) 18. How can you prepare your heart for Jesus? (I can repent, confess my sins, be baptized, etc.)

5


19. Why is baptism important? (God commands us to be baptized; it is a sign of our death and rebirth in Christ; it shows the world that we are followers of Jesus.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: “Match the Grid”

Our memory verse Matthew 3:17 "And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.” Have children locate the verse in scripture. Read the verse aloud with children several times. Preparation: You will need a set of index cards, markers, and butcher paper or a white board. Procedure: Print the words of Matthew 3:17 on index cards, two or three words on each card. Number the backs of the cards in verse order. Draw a four across and three down grid on butcher paper or on the white board. Make the spaces large enough to hold the index cards. Number the spaces going left to right and from the top down. Mix up the index cards and lay them number side up on a table or floor. Children are to take turns choosing the cards and placing them in the matching number spaces on the grid. Say: "There is a very special message on the backs of these cards that everyone should know about!" Children are to turn the cards over one at a time in numerical order. Read the verse together. "Who is this verse about? Today we learned that Jesus is the Son of God. Can you tell me why the whole world needs to know about Him?" (He is the Savior of the world and only He can forgive us our sins.)

Group Learning Activity: “John the Baptist” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Invite a guest speaker to dress up as John the Baptist with a beard, sandals, rugged clothing including some sort of animal skin. OR the teacher can dress up as John the Baptist. Procedure: Make sure the guest speaker reads Luke 3:1-38 in preparation for the dramatic first person account of the events of Luke 3. Include the following events:

John preached that people should be baptized to show they had turned away from their sins to God. Luke 3:1-3

John preached, "Prepare the way for the Lord." His ministry was to prepare people for the Messiah. Luke 3: 4-6

John warned the crowds not be baptized for the wrong reasons. Luke 3:7-14

John denied that he was the Messiah, saying, "One more powerful than I will come the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." Luke 3:15-20

John baptized Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove. God announced His favor for His Son. Jesus was ready to begin His ministry. Luke 3:21-23

Make sure the special "John the Baptist" guest explains baptism. It is a public expression of salvation and a desire to follow and obey God. Jesus did not need to repent or be forgiven of sins because He had none. He desired to obey His Father. He wanted to publicly express His desire to follow God so He was baptized. Tell students about your own salvation and baptism experience. Allow children to tell about their salvation and baptism experiences as well.

6


Group Learning Activity: “Walk the Tightrope" (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need a long rope. Procedure: Make a path in your room with a long rope. Put lots of bends, twists, and curves in the path. Have the children take off their shoes and walk on the "tightrope." When the first child is several feet along the path, have the next child begin. After everyone has walked the path, straighten the rope, and have the children walk the path again. Gather the children together for a discussion of the experience. Say: "Was it easier to walk along the crooked path or the straight path? (It is easier to walk the straight path.) Why did John ask the people to straighten the road? (The people were sinning and living very crooked lives. They were not ready to meet Jesus the Savior.) How can we straighten the road today? To straighten the road for Jesus means to get ready for his coming. We can get ready for Jesus by looking at our lives and by getting rid of the things that keep us from following Jesus. Then we'll be able to welcome Jesus with our whole hearts.

Group Learning Activity: “Character Puzzle” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: For this activity you will need five 12"x18" sheets of construction paper in different colors, markers, and scissors. Procedure: Use five different colors of cardstock or construction paper. One page is for each letter in the word "JESUS." Print the word "JESUS" one letter on each sheet of paper. Cut around the outline of the letter. Then cut each letter into several distinctive puzzle pieces as shown. With marker print one characteristic or name of Jesus on each puzzle piece. Examples of words include: loving, caring, forgiving, generous, peacemaker, healer, teacher, Lord, Savior, Christ, Messiah, Son of God, Lamb of God, Alpha, and Omega, etc.) Make at least one puzzle piece for each student, repeating names and characteristics if necessary. Say: "Today we are going to find out why it's so important to know and believe certain things about Jesus. In this game we will discuss the names and character qualities of Jesus. I am going to give each of you a puzzle piece. Notice that the puzzle pieces are different colors. You will need to find other students in our room who have the same color of puzzle piece that you have. You will work with them to fit the puzzle pieces together to form a letter. When your group is finished, look at the words on each puzzle piece. Talk about the meaning of the names with your group members. When I call on your group be ready to tell the character qualities that you have in your puzzle that tell about Jesus." Allow students to move about the room to find their puzzle partners and assemble their letter for the word Jesus.

7


Group Learning Activity: “Prop Bag” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Place the following story related items in a brown paper sack: burlap square, plastic insect, jar of honey, sandal, rock or sand; lizard or snake, jar of water, white feather, and a toy Lamb. Procedure: Have volunteer students come up and draw an item out of the bag. They are to tell what part these items played in the Bible narrative. Other students in the class may help the volunteer with their answer.

Burlap square represents the scratchy camel hair that John the Baptist wore.

Plastic insect (represents the grasshoppers or locust that John the Baptist ate.

Jar of honey represents John the Baptist's food.

Sandal represents John the Baptist's shoes.

Rock or sand represents the desert where John preached.

Lizard or snake represents animals in the desert.

Jar of water represents the river that John baptized Jesus in.

White feather is the dove that God sent to represent the Holy Spirit.

Toy Lamb represents Jesus Who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Group Learning Game: “Come to the River” (Grades K-2) Preparation: You will need a strip of long blue cloth to represent a river for this game. With masking tape secure the long blue cloth on one side of the room to make a river on the classroom floor. Say:"Today in our Bible story, Jesus came to see John when John was teaching by a river. Everyone is to stand in a line across the room from the river cloth. When I call your name you are to come to the river following the direction I give you." Procedure: Continue with directions similar to this for each child. "If you are wearing purple, come in giant steps to the river." If you are wearing blue today, tiptoe to the river. Continue the activity, naming other colors and actions such as hopping jumping, walking backwards, taking baby steps, etc. After everyone has reached the river, ask the following question: "When Jesus saw John what did Jesus ask? (I want you to baptize me.) When John saw Jesus walking near the river, what did John say about Jesus? (Here is Jesus. Jesus is God's Son.) John was glad to know that Jesus is God's Son. I'm glad too. Jesus will always love us and help us."

Group Learning Game: You've Got Mail! (Grades K-3) Preparation: You will need index cards, markers, large brown paper bag, and envelopes. Procedure: Print the following sentences on separate index cards.. "Jesus loves us," "Jesus died for our sins." "Jesus lives forever." "Jesus helps us." "John baptized Jesus." "God said the Jesus was His Son." etc. Place the cards in envelopes. Place the envelopes into a large brown paper bag. Place the brown paper bag with the envelopes in the center of a large classroom. Say: "When have you received a card in the mail? Who was it from? It's always nice to get mail, especially when the mail tells us some good news! In our lesson today John the Baptist was like God's mailman. He was delivering a message to everyone about the coming of Jesus as the Savior of the World. Today we are going to play a game to tell some good news about Jesus."

8


Have the children sit in a large circle around the bag of envelopes. The first child who volunteers may go to the center of the circle and select an envelope from the bag. The child opens the envelope and whispers the message on the card to the child sitting to his left. Children continue passing the message around the circle by whispering the message in the next child's ear. Continue until the last child hears the message. The last child stands up and says the message aloud. Read the card aloud and see if the messages match. Children may change places in the circle before another card is selected. Repeat activity as time permits. Gather children for a discussion of the activity. Say: "The New Testament tells us the Jesus is the Savior God promised to send. Why is the news about Jesus good news? It is good news because Jesus took the punishment for the wrong things people do. It is good news because people can become members of God's family. What are some ways that you can learn about Jesus? (Go to Sunday School; watch videos about Bible stories; Look at Bible story pictures; read the Bible.) Who do you know that needs to learn more about Jesus? What are some ways you could tell someone else about Jesus? (Talk about what you know about Jesus with a friend. Invite a friend to Sunday School. Show Jesus' love to a friend by being kind.)

Group Learning Activity: “Object lesson: Reflecting the Light” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need the following supplies--flashlight and mirror—for this object lesson. Say: "Have you ever sat outside on a bright sunny day and used a mirror to reflect the sun's light? If one of you will take this flashlight and shine it on me I will show you what I mean. You see, as the light shines on me, I hold up my mirror and I can reflect the light to shine on you. I am not the light, I am just letting my mirror reflect the light to shine on you. If I am going to reflect the light on you, there are a couple of things that are very important: (1) I must keep my mirror facing toward the light. If I turn away from the light, I cannot reflect the light. (2) I must make sure that nothing comes between the light and me. If that happens, I cannot reflect the light. “The Bible tells us that "There was a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light: he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." “Who do you think the true light is that the Bible said was coming into the world? That is right! It was Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world. You and I need to be like John. The Bible says that we are to let our light shine, but we need to remember that "Our Light" is Jesus. We are not the light, we are just mirrors that reflect His light. If we are going to reflect the light of Jesus, we must remember a couple of things: (1) We must keep our faces turned toward Jesus. (2) We must not let anything come between us and Jesus. When we remember those two things, we will reflect His light to the entire world."

9


Group Learning Activity: “Writing Newspaper Headlines” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need Bibles, pencils and spiritual journals. Give each student a copy of The Bible Times newspaper template below. Procedure: Have students look up the following passages of scripture and read aloud: Isaiah 40:3-5; Matthew 3: 1-17; Luke 3:1-21; and Mark 1:1-9. Say: "In Bible times people heard the news through town criers or people who would ring a bell and call out the news to everyone in town. They would shout, "Hear ye! hear ye! Today, people get the news in many different ways. Some rely on the newspaper and they read it from cover to cover, some get the news from the Internet, others get the news by listening to the radio. Probably the main way that people get the news today is by watching television. No matter how you get the news, it is important to know what is going on in the world around us. “Long before the birth of Jesus, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to tell how he would spread the news of the coming of the Messiah. This is what he said, "I will send my messenger to prepare the way. He will be a voice of one crying in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the coming of the Lord! Clear the road for him.'" “Who was the messenger that God chose to bring this good news to his people? It was a man named John the Baptist. John was a very unusual man who wore clothes made of camel hair with a leather belt around his waist. His favorite food was locusts and wild honey. He traveled around in the desert preaching that people should repent of their sins and turn to God. When they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. John the Baptist was very popular and had a great following, but he always told the people about Jesus. "Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am," John the Baptist said. "He is so much greater that I am not even worthy to stoop down and untie the straps on his sandals." Yes, John was faithful in bringing the news to the people. It has been 2000 years since God sent his Son, but God still needs messengers to spread the news. Today we are going to write some headlines about the coming of Jesus as our Savior." Give each child a pencils or pens to write a headline for their newspaper. Ask them to write a news article about the coming of John the Baptist announcing Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Draw an accompanying picture. Display the newspapers on a bulletin board.

Craft Learning Activity: “Baptism Bags” (Grades 3-5) Preparation: You will need sandwich size zipper bags, corks or round headed clothes pins. Procedure: Fill sandwich size zipper bags half full with water. Decorate little corks to look like Jesus. (Draw a face with a beard on the cork.) Carefully place the cork in the bag. Optional: You can use old fashioned round headed clothes pins. Draw faces on the round heads and use scraps of fabric as clothes. As the cork or clothes pin bobs up and down remind the children that Jesus was baptized. You may want to write the memory verse on the outside of the bag with a permanent black marker or tape a message to the side. You could also add a little blue jello to the water to make the water blue. Pretend that the blue water is the Jordan River. Say: "The word baptism literally means "to be dipped." Back in Jesus time, the merchants would dye fabric by dipping it in dye. When the fabric came up out of the dye solution, it was a different color. When we are baptized, it is a picture of what God has already done in our lives. Like the fabric changed, our lives have been changed by Jesus. He cleans out all the sin and helps us live for Him and do things His way."

10


Optional: You may want to illustrate by dipping a paper towel in food coloring and show how it is changed.)

Craft Learning Activity: “Dove” (Grades K-5) Preparation: Print out copies of the dove below on heavy white paper or cardstock one set per child. Procedure: Have students cut out the dove. Cut a slit in the dove's body to slide the wing into. Fold a square of white tissue paper accordion style and push it through the slit, until half way. You can join the wing at the tips to make a fan type of wings. Punch a hole in the top of the dove and attach a long string of yarn. Hang the doves from the ceiling. Variation: Have the children glue tissue paper or feathers to the body or tail of the dove and add wiggly craft eyes. Say: “In this lesson we learned that the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus as a dove. The heavens were opened and John the Baptist saw the Spirit of God coming down in the form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, and I am wonderfully pleased with Him." Both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit were giving their approval to God the Son--three in One. This was God's sign that Jesus was God's Son.” “God has three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the person of God who helps us know what to do, gives us peace to know we are doing what God wants us to do, and helps us to know how to live. The Holy Spirit helps those who believe in Jesus to show His love to other people. Jesus was baptized as an example to us. When we follow Jesus, we are to be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was showing us that all the persons of the Holy Spirit are equal in power and authority.”

Craft Learning Activity: “Fabric or Twisted Yarn Belts and Tunics” (Grades 3-5) Say: "In Bible times people wore clothes called tunics. Tunics needed belts so they would fit closely and not get int he way when people moved. John the Baptist's tunic was made from a rough fabric like burlap and he wore a leather belt around his waist. Jesus probably wore more comfortable clothes made of cotton or linen. Today we are going to make a belt. Some of you will make cloth belts; others will make twisted yarn belts." Lead students to make one of the following belts: Cloth Belt: Cut muslin fabric or any solid light colored fabric into 9X 30 inch rectangles. Give one strip of fabric to each child. Provide fabric pens or permanent markers for students to draw designs on fabric. Students can use scissors to fringe the belt ends. Tie the belt around the waist. Twisted Yarn Belt: Cut yarn in a variety of colors into 3 yard lengths--four different colored yarn strings for each student. Each student chooses four lengths of yarn and ties the yarn together with a knot at each end. Working with a partner, students face each other and hold the ends of yarn, pulling the yarn taut. Each student twists the yarn clockwise (to the right) until the yarn is tightly twisted. One student holds both ends of yarn. The other student pulls on the center of the yarn and then lets it go. The yarn should twist itself together forming a rope. If the yarn does not twist, partners twist the yarn clockwise again, twisting the yarn even tighter. Tie knot 2 inches from each end. Then cut off ends to form tassels. Repeat the process to make a belt for the second student. Tie the belt around the waist.

11


Optional Tunic: Cut slits in the middle of a 2 yard length of fabric to make Bible times tunics. Tunics should be large enough to fit over students' heads. Tie the belt around the Bible times tunic.

Snack Learning Activity: Honey and Chocolate "Grasshoppers" Preparation: You will need graham crackers, honey, plastic knives, and paper plates. You can also make a recipe of Unbaked Chocolate Cookies. Say: "Our lesson today was about a man who lived in the desert. His name was John. One of the things he ate was honey. Bees make honey and store it in holes in the ground or rocks or trees. You can taste the honey if you like to." Procedure: Place a graham cracker on a paper plate for each child. Put a small amount of honey on each cracker. Children may spread the honey with plastic knives. You can have fun with "chocolate grasshoppers" which are really just Unbaked Chocolate Cookies. (The coconut gives the effect of eating a grasshopper!) Be sure to tell the kids that these cookies are NOT really grasshoppers! Recipe: Mix and bring to a boil, stirring constantly: 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 4 Tablespoon cocoa, 1/2 cups milk, and 1/2 cup butter (1 stick). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and cool. Add 3 cups quick cooking oats, 1 cup coconut, and 1 cup nuts to the cooked mixture and mix thoroughly. Drop onto waxed paper to cool. Optional: Use crescent roll dough and shape them into bugs. Use raisins for eyes, pretzel sticks for antennae and legs. After baking brush the rolls with honey and the children can enjoy locusts with honey!

Life Application Challenge: “Meaning of Baptism” Procedure: Take a few minutes to discuss the meaning of baptism. Say: “Baptism is a picture that tells a story. Romans 6:4 tells us that it is a picture of what Jesus did for us. As a person goes down into the water it is a picture of how Jesus died on a cross and was buried for our wrongs. When a person comes up out of the water, it is a picture of how Jesus rose again. “The water in baptism does not save a person. Jesus does. There is nothing magical about being baptized. It is a picture telling people that we have trusted Jesus and want to follow Him. Baptism tells people that we believe in Jesus and trust Him in our hearts. It also tells people that we have been changed and are ready to do what God wants. Being baptized also is a way we obey God, just like Jesus did. God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that we are to be baptized when we believe and trust Jesus.”

12


“What is one thing a person must do before they are baptized? (Listen carefully to the answers because they will tell you what the children believe.) “A person must trust Jesus and ask Jesus to come into his life.” Explain that the children can do this right now. Share how you (the teacher) trusted Jesus and was baptized. If someone is interested in being baptized, ask these questions: What must a person do before they are baptized? (Ask the person to tell you about their experience. Try not to use yes or no questions.) What does baptism tell about Jesus? What does baptism tell others about you? What do we promise when we are baptized? Set up a time to talk to interested kids about this. Begin to teach them more about what it means to be a Christian (discipleship). Please be sensitive to the needs and understanding of your students. Do not coax them into a desire to be baptized. Let the Holy Spirit do His work in their heart.

13


14


15


16


17


18


The Bible Times News

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Isaiah 40: 3-5 Prophecies of Isaiah EST. 700 A.D.

19


Unit 2: Ministry of Christ--Lesson 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus€¦ · 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus...

Documents

Transcript of Unit 2: Ministry of Christ--Lesson 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus€¦ · 2 NT2.2 John Baptizes Jesus...