BOOK 2, PART 1, LESSON 2

JESUS, THE SON OF GOD THE BIBLE: Luke 3:15-16, 21-23a THEME: Jesus lived as God’s obedient son. His life of love, compassion and healing show what children of God are called to be and do.

PREPARING FOR THE LESSON MAIN IDEA: Jesus’ baptism was a sign that Jesus is God’s son. Baptism is a sign we are part of God’s people and the church. MEMORY VERSE: “A voice from heaven said, ‘You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.’”—Luke 3:22b CEV KEY WORDS AND CONCEPTS TO BE LEARNED: a. Messiah - the promised one. b. Repent - regret and to be sorry for the wrong that you have done. c. Grace - unearned love and forgiveness. d. Baptism - washing or cleansing. Christian baptism symbolizes identification with Christ in His death to sin and resurrection to a new life. John’s baptism was connected with repentance and John baptized so that the people would be spiritually prepared to recognize and receive the Messiah. BIBLE BACKGROUND: John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, and a cousin to Jesus, had become a charismatic preacher. John called the people to repent in preparation for the coming kingdom of God. John would baptize them in the Jordan River. This symbolic cleansing by water helped the people understand that God had washed away their old, sinful life. Baptism prepared the people for the coming of the kingdom of God, which John believed to be approaching. Many people in Jesus’ day thought that John was the Messiah promised in the Scriptures. John, however, was the one sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. The Romans ruled Palestine during this time. They tolerated John and his work as long as it did not create conflict. John’s increasing popularity among the people made the Roman government nervous. Early Christians often had difficulty with Jesus coming to John to be baptized. Why did he seek baptism? Perhaps Jesus had heard of John’s ministry through baptism and sought baptism as a sign of doing what was right. Perhaps Jesus wanted to identify with the people and their needs. Maybe Jesus recognized that the time was right to begin his task on earth. Jesus’ short but dynamic ministry began with his baptism. How did he live before this? What had his life been like? We do not know.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR STUDENTS: Children at this age are beginning to identify themselves with groups of friends or organizations. Their need to belong becomes stronger as they get older. It is reassuring for children to know that they belong to God’s family, a place where everyone is welcome. Baptism is sacrament of the Methodist church. In the Methodist church, there is to be only one baptism of infants, youth or adults. DEVELOPING YOUR FAITH: Read Luke 3:1-14. John’s ministry of baptism was a ministry of repentance and life changing action. As a Christian, what does God call you to do in order to live out your baptism? Read Matthew 3:1-17. At the time of his baptism, Jesus received the Holy Spirit, which empowered him to begin his ministry. How does the Holy Spirit work in your life? What does it empower you to do?

TEACHING THE LESSON 1. INTRODUCTION Talk about water. 

Bring a pitcher (or bowl) filled with water and one empty bowl. Keep these out of sight.  Ask the children to close their eyes and listen carefully. Pour the water from the pitcher into the bowl slowly from a height that will make the greatest sound.  ASK: What do you hear?  Ask the children to share the uses of water. As a child shares a use of water, repeat it loudly for all to hear.  SAY: Water is important. We drink it. We bathe in it. We use it to cook and to water plants. Farmers need water for their crops so that they can grow food. Farmers also need water for their buffalo and other animals. Without water, we would all die. We do not waste water. Water is a special gift from God. Water is an important part of today’s Bible story. Map work and review of the last lesson.  Enlarge the map at the end of this lesson or talk about the following places.  Have the children locate the following: 1. The place where Jesus was born. (Bethlehem), 2. The place where Jesus grew up. (Nazareth), 3. The location of the Temple. (Jerusalem), 4. Have a child find the Jordan River. Trace the river with your fingers.  TELL the children: Last week we heard the story about Jesus when he was growing up. He was around twelve or thirteen.

 ASK: Who can tell me some of the things he did? Can you think of the time he got into trouble with his parents? (He did not follow his parents home but stayed at the temple. His parents became worried about him.) Encourage the children to remember and talk about the last story.  SAY: The Bible does not tell us any more about Jesus until he was about thirty years old. (If the children are interested have them subtract to see how many years went by.)  SAY: I am going to mention three people and see if you remember who they are: 1. Elizabeth (Mary’s cousin), 2. Zechariah (Elizabeth’s husband), 3. John (Their son, Jesus’ cousin).  SAY: Today Jesus and his cousin meet again. The story has something to do with water. Listen and see if you can figure out how and why water is an important part in today’s story. 2. EXPLORE THE BIBLE MESSAGE Tell the story. John became an interesting character. While Jesus was growing up and learning to become a carpenter like Joseph, John became a preacher. He had a special job to do. Do you remember what it was? (He was to prepare the way for the Messiah, who was Jesus.) John stood in the middle of the Jordan River. He called out to the people who stood around. “The kingdom of God is at hand. Ask for God’s forgiveness and be baptized.” Now John, Jesus’ cousin, was a strange-looking man. But he was not concerned about his looks. He had a special job to do. God had sent him into the world to prepare the way for God’s Son—the promised Messiah. John delivered this message to as many of the people of Jerusalem and Judea as he could. “You must change the way you are living. God does not want it to be this way. You have become thoughtless. You do not care whether other people have enough food to eat or clothes to wear. God’s Promised One is coming and you will not be ready. Change your lives. Let the water wash you clean of all your wrongdoings.” The people worried. They did not want God’s kingdom to come and them to be left out. They called out to him, “But what shall we do to get ready?” “Whoever has two coats, let him share with anyone who has none. Whoever has food should do the same. Tax collectors should stop cheating the people. Collect no more than what is due to you a by the law. Soldiers, be satisfied with your wages and do not try to bully people into paying you extra,” John told them. Day after day, people came to the river. And day after day, John preached to them. “Ask God to forgive you. Be baptized with water and begin a new life. It is time to get ready.” Sometimes people asked him, “Are you the coming Messiah? Are you the one God promised?” “No,” said John, “I am not the Messiah, but I have come to prepare his way. I am not good enough even to bend down and untie his sandals.” One day, while John was preaching and baptizing, Jesus came to the bank of the Jordan River. He asked John to baptize him. “This is the one,” thought John. “This is

the one everyone has been waiting for.” John did not know what to do. “It is you who should baptize me,” John told Jesus. “Do it this way for now,” Jesus told him. And John led Jesus into the water. When John had baptized Jesus, the Spirit of God came upon Jesus like a dove. And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Filled with God’s power, the time had come for Jesus to begin to teach people more about God and God’s love. 3. RESPOND TO THE BIBLE MESSAGE ACTIVITY 1: Questions 1. What did John do? (He preached.) 2. What did he ask the people to do? (Repent and be baptized.) 3. How did he feel when Jesus asked to be baptized? (He was happy.) 4. How was water important in the Bible story? (Water is used for cleansing. When we use water in baptizing we are reminded that God has washed away our sins and wrong-doing.) ACTIVITY 2: Talk more about baptism ASK: Have you ever seen a baptism? Have you ever known anyone who was baptized? Were any of you baptized when you were a baby? SAY: There are many ways to be baptized. Each one is a special way of recognizing that we belong to God. All persons belong to God, whether they have been baptized or not. However, baptism is a way of showing in public that a person is a part of God’s family and the church. Sometimes parents take their children to be baptized when they are babies. Sometimes people choose to be baptized at later ages. Encourage the children to ask questions about baptism and to share their experiences. ACTIVITY 3: Hear about the Holy Spirit and make a dove SAY: Before Jesus’ baptism, we don’t know if he taught anyone about God or not. We do know that the Holy Spirit filled him with great power, the power to preach, to teach and to heal. From this very time, he went about doing God’s work. Since the beginning of the early church, people have felt that the Holy Spirit was guiding their lives in special ways. These people preach and teach about God and about God’s love. (Here share your own story of a time you felt that God, through the Holy Spirit, led you in some way. Share other stories of men and women who have been led by God to do something for the church or other people.) MAKE AN ORIGAMI DOVE: Origami is the art of paper folding. This art began in Japan. The dove has become a symbol of baptism and the Holy Spirit. Make a dove by following the directions below. Any size square of paper will work. Each student

may make a small one or you may make a larger one for the class. If possible, hang them up in the classroom. 4. CLOSE IN PRAYER Remind the children that God sent Jesus into the world to teach about God’s love and more about what God was like. From the time of Jesus’ baptism, the Bible tells us many stories of what Jesus said and did. Have the children repeat the following prayer after you: Dear God, thank you for your gift of Jesus. Help us to remember that we are children of God. Amen. NEEDED/SUGGESTED PICTURES: 1. Map of Palestine in Jesus’ time. 2. John baptizing Jesus.

MAKE AN ORIGAMI DOVE

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