What was Jesus like as a child?
Hi there parents! Welcome back! Or if you're new here, welcome! The following blog is here to be used as a tool by you to help your kids grow in their faith while we can't be meeting weekly during this pandemic. Please feel free to use as much of it as you choose. You know your kids and are the best possible teacher for them. God has given you the power of the Holy Spirit to enable you to do more than you think possible (Eph 3:20). I'm praying for you, and for me too, to remember that truth.
Each week we will include songs, activity pages, the bible lesson video, memory verses and possibly a craft or 2. We pray this will help you find ways to engage your kids spiritually. It is written in script form from the K-2nd grade lesson so you can read directly from it or change it up to suit your children. Take a few moments to print the activity pages as well as the additional activities and review the lesson so you can make adjustments as needed. I have included the Bible and Discussion questions along with a breakdown of the Gospel in the Older Kids Activities pages and loads of activities and crafts on the Preschool Extra Activity Pages. Once you are ready, go ahead and start with these songs if you'd like or pick some of your favorite worship songs and then jump right in! Have fun! And remember, this does not need to be done in one sitting! Feel free to break it up over the course of the week. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions. I'd love to hear from you!
So let's get started. I like to begin each week with Blessings and Bummers. Tell me, what have you seen the Lord doing in your lives during this time at home? What have your greatest blessings been? How about your biggest bummers?
Parents share your blessings and bummers, and encourage the kids to do the same. Here are mine. This week my daughter turned 13. It was a blessing to see her growing up and for her sister to show her love by working hard to make the day special. She planned a scavenger hunt, decorated the house, and was really great to her all day. She even did her chores! It was a great day. (Share blessings and bummers as a family)
Let's pray. Father God, you are so good to us! Thank you for continuing to bless us Lord. Thank you for our families and help us to look to you in all that we do. Be with our friends and families while we can not be with them in person. In Jesus name, Amen.
God is so good and he hears the prayers of His people!! He will always take care of us. Just like your parents take care of you.
When we are born, we are basically helpless, and we must rely on others to take care of us. As we grow up, we learn many different skills and lots of information. Today, we will learn about a time after Jesus was a baby, but before He was all grown up. We will see that people were surprised by how much He understood despite His being a child.
Before we do that, let's take a look at our Big Picture Question!
Remember, Jesus had an earthly mother—Mary—and Joseph raised Jesus as his own son. But Jesus is really God’s Son. That brings us to our big picture question and answer. Is Jesus God or a human? As the Son of God, Jesus is both fully God and fully human. Jesus understands our pain, sadness, and brokenness that come from sin, but He never sinned. He carried God’s punishment for sin. Only Jesus could do both those things; only Jesus is fully God and human.
Let's watch this weeks video to learn more... (Please watch Volume 7, Unit 19, Session 5)
In any other circumstances, a mom and dad would probably be very worried if strangers showed up at their door with presents for their child. But Jesus was not an ordinary child. The wise men understood who He was and offered great treasures to worship Him. And we see more clearly who Jesus is from the next part of the story.
You may have had scary situations where you got separated from your parents in a crowded place. It can feel terrifying—especially for a parent. Imagine how Mary and Joseph might have felt. God had given them the important job of raising the Messiah, and they left Jerusalem without Him!
But remember, Jesus was no ordinary child. While you or I might have been afraid or gotten ourselves into trouble without parents around, Jesus was in the temple discussing God with the teachers of the law! The Bible tells us that everyone there was amazed by Jesus’ ability to understand the Scriptures.
Even as a child, Jesus wanted to do His Father’s plan. He understood all along that He would glorify God by obeying God’s plans.
God sent Jesus to earth with a purpose. Even as a child, Jesus wanted to honor God. God blessed Jesus as He got ready to follow His Father’s plan: to die on the cross and rescue people from sin. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sin and makes us part of His family. When we trust God, He will use us in amazing ways to spread the good news. That is His plan for believers, and we can all be a part of it.
Bible Time!
Help kids find Luke 2. Ask a volunteer to tell which division Luke is in (New Testament, Gospels). And what are the other 3 books in this section? (Matthew, Mark, and John)
Ask the following questions. Lead your kids to discuss:
Why did Mary and Joseph travel to Jerusalem each year? (for the Passover, Luke 2:41)
How long did it take Mary and Joseph to find Jesus? (three days, Luke 2:46)
What about Jesus astounded people? (His understanding and His answers, Luke 2:46-47)
Why do you think Jesus’ understanding and wisdom were so surprising? Help kids understand that Jesus would have seemed like an ordinary 12-year-old just by looking at Him? Remind kids that Jesus is fully God and fully human. Jesus was able to understand and explain God’s Word as One who had studied it for many years, despite His young age.
Why do you think Jesus said it was necessary for Him to be in His Father’s house? Guide kids to understand that Jesus’ Father is God. Remind them that Jesus is God the Son, and He knew God’s plans for His life: to make the way for sinners to have eternal life. Jesus understood that He would need to rely on God’s power to obey Him, and Jesus wanted to obey God always.
How can we live out God’s plans for us? Discuss the idea that God’s plan for all believers is for us to glorify Him by loving others, obeying Him out of love, and sharing the gospel throughout the earth. Remind kids that we can live on mission no matter where we are.
Say • Even as a child, Jesus wanted to do His Father’s plan. He perfectly obeyed His earthly parents and all of God’s commands, eventually dying for our sin.
Let's look at our key memory verse together:
Invite your kids to say the key passage from memory. Praise each kid’s efforts and encourage all the kids to continue working to memorize the key passage. Then instruct the kids to sit in a circle (you join them too). Each kid will place her left hand under the right hand of the kid on her left. Kids will then take turns saying each word of the key passage in order.
As each kid says a word on his turn, he will move his right hand to clap the right hand of the kid on his left. Then that kid will say the next word, and so on around the circle. The kid to the left of the kid who says the last word of the key passage will try to move her hand before he can clap it. If he claps his own hand, she wins. If he claps her hand before she can move it, he wins. Play as time allows or until all of your kids have the verses memorized.
That's it for today. Thanks for joining us. Let's pray:
Father, thank You for sending Your perfect Son to live a perfect life and die the death we deserve. Help us to see Jesus, the Word made flesh, more clearly today. Help us love Him more and obey Him. Amen.
Thank you all and thank you to Lifeway's Gospel Project for providing this material. I am publishing this with their permission. Please also feel free to use any of the additional activities provided here. They can be plugged in to help emphasize the lesson point.
Thanks again and God bless!
