Unit 2--Life and Ministry of Christ--Lesson 1 NT2.1 …...asked his mother Mary. "Joseph and I have been anxiously searching for you. "Why were you searching for me?" asked Jesus

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NT2.1 Jesus Grows Up © Beverly Wilson 2015

Unit 2--Life and Ministry of Christ--Lesson 1

NT2.1 Jesus Grows Up

Scripture: Luke 2:41-52

Lesson Goal: As Jesus grew up, He showed love and obedience to God. In this lesson we will learn about

ways to grow in loving and obeying God.

Introduction: This is the first 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 about the boyhood of Jesus and his trip to the Temple in Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. This story is found in the book of Luke. Luke is one 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: Have you ever thought about how your body changes as you grow up? Here is a series of pictures of one little girl that shows how she grew from a baby to a little girl. Did you know that baby Jesus grew up much like you? He grew from a baby....into a toddler then into a little boy. Next he grew into a teenager and finally into a man! God help Jesus grow taller and stronger. God loved Jesus and helped Him as He grew. In this lesson we are going to learn how God loves and helps us as we grow, too. Alternative Activity: You will need different sized shoes for baby, older child, and adults. Bring in various sized shoes for the children to look at and try on. Talk about how the baby shoes are too small for them to wear and how they will eventually grow big enough to wear the adult shoes. Say: "Once Jesus was a small boy who grew bigger, taller, and wiser every day, just like we do. Today we are going to learn different ways we can grow to love and obey God." You could also use clothing of different sizes such as winter clothes: baby snowsuit, child-sized coat, and adult winter coat. Emphasize the change in clothing due to growth!

Opening Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, Help us to want to learn to talk to you. We want to learn to be like Jesus was as a Boy—obedient, helpful, and kind. Please help us to honor our parents just as Jesus did—to obey them with a good attitude. Thank you Jesus for coming to earth and living a perfect life. You did that so You could die on the cross for our sin. Thank you Jesus for giving us the way to be saved. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: Our memory verse is Luke 2: 52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

Lesson Video: http://youtu.be/SP7kgjUx1i8

What kinds of things do you think Jesus did when He was a boy? Although it is fun to think about these things, there is no record in the Bible of what Jesus did or what His life was like when He was a boy your age. From the time when His family returned to Nazareth until the time He was twelve going on thirteen, the Bible only tells us that Jesus grew and became strong and wise because God was with him. Although God was His real Father, Jesus lived with and obeyed Mary and Joseph, His earthly parents. He was kind and always willing to do what was asked of Him. When Jesus was growing up in the little town of Nazareth, He probably looked pretty much like all the other boys around. He had an eager mind and a heart ready to help others and a body that kept growing taller and stronger just like the bodies of other boys and girls. Jesus had several younger brothers and sisters. They were half-brothers and sisters, because Jesus had no earthly father. His Father was God the Father.

http://youtu.be/SP7kgjUx1i8

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As children growing up together, they probably played many games with each other such as checkers and backgammon. They would have used small stones or pieces of clay for game pieces. At the time when Jesus was a boy, another favorite game that children liked to play was an athletic contest such as tug of war! Can you imagine the fun that Jesus and his other brothers and sisters had doing that? Joseph, Mary's husband, was a carpenter. In that day a boy usually learned to do whatever trade or business his father did. When Jesus was big enough, He began to help Joseph in the carpenter shop. He would sweep the floor, carry out the wood shavings, and learn to mend things that had broken. Soon, He was making things Himself—perhaps a toy, a table, chairs, or other furniture for their home. When a Jewish boy was around five or six, he went to the synagogue school in his city. The synagogue was a place of worship for people who lived far from the Temple in Jerusalem. In the synagogue the boys were taught by the local priests how to read and do math problems. Young Jewish boys were taught to read the scrolls of scripture that were kept in the synagogue. The scrolls were copies of the Old Testament Law. Jesus would have read the stories about Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and learned how they trusted in God. The synagogue was the also the place where Mary and Joseph and their family would go to worship each Sabbath day. They were always in their places at the house of God hearing the scribes read the scriptures and worshipping and praising God. But there was one thing that was very different about Jesus while He was growing up. He never did anything wrong! All boys and girls do wrong things but not Jesus! He was perfect. He never did one thing that was wrong. He never stole; He never lied; He was never disrespectful. He always obeyed his parents and He was never ugly or mean. Jesus was born without sin, and during His entire life He always did that which was good, right, and pleasing to His Father in heaven. Wouldn't it be great to be like Jesus? When a boy was between the ages of twelve and thirteen, he was considered a man. As a man he could then go into the Temple. The law required all adult Jewish men to come to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. So when Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph took him to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. It was a holiday celebration and thousands of people all over the country were traveling to the city. For the first time, Jesus was old enough for Joseph to take him into the Temple court. When they reached the temple, it must have been exciting! The lawyers and respected teachers were talking about the Law, perhaps even arguing over a particular Scripture. They would talk a long time about different ways to obey that law. Many were also talking about the Passover feast and remembering how long ago in Egypt the Jews were delivered from the Egyptians. They recalled how Moses had told the people to sprinkle the blood of a lamb on the sides and tops of the door frames of their homes. That night they were to eat a meal of roasted lamb. When they did this the death angel would pass over their houses, killing only those first born who did not obey. To Jesus, the Passover was also something very sacred. It was a beautiful picture of Himself, the spotless Lamb of God Who would one day die for the sins of the world. During the feast the rabbis and priests would gather the young people in a part of the temple and give them a lesson about the meaning of the Passover. As a young boy just twelve years old, Jesus went to the meeting for the first time! It must have been exciting! Soon the Passover feast was over. Mary and Joseph joined their other family and friends from Nazareth making the trip home. They thought Jesus was with the other boys his age. Surely he was with their relatives and friends in the crowd as they made the return journey. They did not worry about Jesus because He never got into trouble. That evening Mary and Joseph set up camp but when they looked for Jesus they could not find him. They began to ask around. "Has anyone seen Jesus?" But no one had seen him! After a frantic search they realized Jesus was not with their relatives or friends. They had come a whole day without Jesus! Immediately they returned back to Jerusalem to find Him. Where could Jesus have gone? What could have happened?" they wondered. They searched the city for three days asking everyone if they had seen their boy. Having searched and searched, they returned into the Temple. There in the courtyard was Jesus! He was sitting with the lawyers and teachers discussing God's Law! Those listening to Jesus were amazed at the questions He asked and the answers He gave. Jesus was teaching them--the temple leaders--about the coming Messiah, the Promised One who would take away the sin of the world. Jesus could teach them because He was the Promised Son of God. Even as a boy Jesus knew who He was and why God had sent Him to earth.

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"Son, why have you treated us like this?" asked his mother Mary. "Joseph and I have been anxiously searching for you. "Why were you searching for me?" asked Jesus. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house doing what He wants me to do?" Jesus was trying to tell them that He was getting ready to do the work for which His Heavenly Father had sent Him. But Mary and Joseph did not understand what He was saying to them. Jesus had not been lost at all. He was right in the temple where He belonged. Jesus returned to Nazareth with His parents and was obedient to them and honored them. Jesus loved Mary and Joseph. Because Jesus loved His Father God most of all, He was obedient to Mary and Joseph and honored them. Honoring your parents is more than just obeying them. To honor is to obey with a good attitude. Mary treasured or remembered all these things in her heart and thought about them many times later Jesus lived at home with his parents until he was almost 30 years old. During that time he worked as a carpenter. He honored his parents. God commands us to honor our father and mother, and He promises that this will give us a longer, happier life. We too can grow in ways that please God. At school we spend a lot of time learning how to spell and how to do solve math problems. Many of us have learned to play a sport or musical instrument, too. Sometimes we forget how important it is for us to learn about ways to love and obey God. We grow to love and obey God when we get to know Him by learning about the Bible and talking to Him. God's Word tells us the Truth. By reading it we can learn to be wise. Then we will know how God wants us to live, honoring our parents, and showing love to others. One way we can grow in a way that pleases God is to come to church and worship Him. God wants us to praise Him. This will help us to "grow in favor with God." Jesus also wants us to grow in a way that pleases Him by being kind to everyone around us. Sharing with others is way to grow "in favor with man." Jesus obey his parents and we too can honor our parents like Jesus did. That means we do what our parents tell us without complaining and having a good attitude. That means we will take out the trash without giving excuses! Remember "Let's grow like Jesus did!"

Review Questions: Human Bowling Pins Have students arrange themselves in a triangle as human bowling pins. Have students link arms or hold hands to keep each row of pins straight. One volunteer stands with the ball behind a line marked with masking tape and rolls the ball on the floor aiming for one of the feet of the bowling pins. The bowling pin person that is hit with the ball must answer the question. They then get to roll the next ball. Alternative Table Game: Set a plastic bowl on the table. Each student takes a turn to gently bounce a ping pong ball on the table so the ball lands in the bowl. Each time the ball lands in the bowl, the student gets to answer one of the following questions for a point. Review Questions: T

1. Where did Mary and Joseph live when Jesus was growing up as a boy? (They lived in Nazareth.) 2. Why did they go to Jerusalem? (They went to celebrate the Feast of the Passover.) 3. What did they have to take to the Temple to worship God? (Each family had to take a perfect Lamb to offer as

a sacrifice.) 4. Why didn't Mary and Joseph realize that Jesus was missing right away? (They though He was going home

with friends or relatives.) 5. What did Mary and Joseph do when they realized that Jesus was not with them? (They looked for him.) 6. How long did it take for Mary and Joseph to find Jesus? (It took them three days.) 7. What did Jesus spend His time doing at the Temple? (Jesus was talking with the scribes and teachers of the

Law asking and answering their questions) 8. What did the teacher at the Temple think of the things Jesus said? (They were amazed that a boy so young

could understand such things.) 9. What did Mary say to Jesus when they found Him in the temple? ("Son, why have you treated us like this?

Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you?")

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10. What did Jesus say to Mary to tell her why He was in the temple? (He said, "Don't you know that I had to be in my Father's house?")

11. What did Jesus mean by "my Father's house"? (God was His Father and the Temple was God's House.) 12. What did Jesus mean when he said that he had to be about His Father's business? (His Father was God and

God had sent Jesus into the world to teach people about Him.) 13. What did Jesus do after Mary and Joseph found Him? (He went home with them and obey them.) 14. What are some ways that Jesus grew? (Jesus grew in statue, in wisdom and in favor with God and man.) 15. What do the following words from the memory verse mean: wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with

man? (Wisdom means to understand and do what is right and good; Stature means to become physically taller and stronger; Favor with God means to become a friend of God; Favor with man means that He got along with people and became their friend.)

16. How did Jesus show that He loved and obeyed God? (He obeyed his parents. He never told lies or did anything wrong. He was kind to others.)

17. What are some things that you can do to help yourself grow to love God more? (We can come to church, study the Bible, pray, worship God with music and songs, be kind to others, obey and honor our parents.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Stacking Styrofoam Cups

Our memory verse is Luke 2: 52 "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." this verse means that as Jesus' earthly body grew bigger and taller and His earthly mind grew in understanding, He was pleasing to God the Father in heaven and He was liked by the people that came in contact with Him. This is a good pattern for our lives. Have children locate the verse in the Bible. Read the verse aloud with children several times. Say: "Our memory verse tells us ways that we are to grow. It gives us four key ways. What are those key words?" (wisdom, stature, favor with God, and favor with man? Explain: "Wisdom means to understand and do what is right and good; Stature means to become physically taller and stronger; Favor with God means to become a friend of God; Favor with man means that He got along with people and became their friend. Divide class into small groups of 3-4 students each. Have each group write each word of the verse on a separate Styrofoam cup. Have students attempt to stack the cups into a tower. The words of the verse must be in the correct order and the cups stacked end to end with the bottom of the cups matching and the top rims of the cups matching. Winning team is the group who gets their tower to "grow to the highest point without falling over."

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Making Scrolls Students will make scrolls to remind them that Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem to talk to the teachers of the Law at the temple. Students will make a scroll and print the verse Luke 2:52 on the scroll. To make the scroll give child a large brown paper bag or some brown paper wrapping paper. Each sheet needs to be about 15" X 20". Crumple the paper into a large ball. Then unwrap the paper and smooth out with your hand. This gives the paper an "old" look. Teacher can then use a candle lighter to singe the edges of the paper to give it a parchment rough edge. Give each child two dowel rods and let the wrap the ends of the scroll onto the dowel rods. Glue or tape the ends of your scroll to the dowel rods. Have student use black marker to print the words of Luke 2:52 onto the center of the scroll. Roll up the scroll and tie with cord or twine to hold the wooden scroll handles together.

Group Learning Activity: Who's Missing? (Grades K-1) Say: "In our Bible story Jesus' family was walking home when they suddenly noticed that he was missing. In our game today, I am going to count to twenty. I want all of you to hide somewhere in the room. Then I'll find some of you and together we will figure out who is missing. Close your eyes and count slowly enough to allow the children to hide. After you have found most of the kids, have them look around to see who is missing and call that person to come out. For more rounds, enlist a child to be the seeker after you count together.

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Group Learning Activity: Growth Certificate (Grades K-3) You will need a bathroom scale, tape measure, and copies of "My Growth Certificate" for each child. (Growth Certificate is below.) Use the growth certificate to show how much each child has grown since he or she was born. Parents can fill in the missing data from their child's birth records. Say: "We want to grow like Jesus. He grew tall, strong, and wise."

Big and tall: Measure and record each child's height and weight on his or her certificate.

Strong: Ask children to make a muscle to show their strength.

Wise: Encourage children to see how far they can count. Record this on the certificate. Explain to the children how much they have grown since birth. For big and tall show them that a newborn baby is only about 20 inches long and weighs just 7 or 8 pounds. New babies can barely hold onto an adult's finger. New babies don't know how to walk or even crawl. Their muscles are too weak to even turn over. New babies do not know how to talk--they just cry. Ask: "What can you do that little babies cannot do?" (feed yourself; clean up, sing, count, etc.)

Craft Art Learning Activity: Hands That Obey (Grades K-1) Give each child a sheet of drawing paper. Write on the top of each page: "I Can Use My Hands to Obey." Have the children trace around both of their hands. For younger students you will need to help them trace their hands. Have children look through old magazines for pictures of ways that they can take care of toys, clothes, pets, or their bedroom. You can also find pictures of ways they can help such as taking out the trash, and setting the table. Help the students glue pictures onto their hand prints. Tell them that when they do these things, they are obeying their parents and pleasing God.

Group Learning Activity: Go Find Jesus (Grades K-1) Before class fold a piece of paper eight times, accordion style. Trace a pattern of a boy and cut along the outline through all the layers at once. Open the paper and you will have four paper dolls of boys. Cut them apart and add eyes, and a mouth. Hide as many of these paper boys as you wish around the classroom. As children arrive show them one of the paper dolls and tell them you have hidden "Jesus" all around the room. Let them find the paper doll boys, bringing them back to you and then hide them again. Say:"Our story today was about the time that Jesus and his parents got separated from each other. Mary and Joseph looked everywhere for Him and finally found Him in the temple."

Group Learning Activity: Mother, May I? (Grades K-3) The purpose of this game is to illustrate the importance of obedience. Line the class up standing in rows facing the teacher. Play the game "Mother, may I?" Call on a name of an individual student and give them a command. Ex. "Johnny please put your finger on your nose." The student must respond by saying, "Mother, may I?" The teacher responds, "Yes, you may." If the child does not respond by saying, "Mother, may I?" the child sits down and is out of the game. Examples of commands: hop on one foot; close your right eye; sing a song; jump up and down; pretend to ride a horse; sweep the floor; etc. With this illustration, explain to the children the importance of obedience. Say: "Jesus was obedient to His parents and this was pleasing to God. We are to obey our parents because this pleases God, too." Alternative: To demonstrate obedience place an object in the center of the room. Ask one of the children to pick up the object and give it to another child in the room. Give the next child an instruction with the object. Use this game to point out that Mary and Joseph were obedient to what the Lord commanded them to do.

Craft Learning Activity: Stick and Ball Game Say: "When Jesus was a little boy children had to make their own toys. We are going to make a toy that was similar to ones that Jesus would have played." For each child you will need a plastic laundry detergent lid. Make a hole near the top of the rim using a drill prior to class. Cut twine to about 2 feet long and give one piece to each student. Have the students tie one end of the twine to the lid through the hole you just drilled. On the other end of the twine, tie a large wooden bead to it. (Use 2 beads if they are small.) To play hold the cup letting the string hand down. Swing the bead up and try to catch it inside the cup. For competitive play whoever gets the most catches out of 10 or 20 tries is the winner.

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Craft Learning Activity: Clay Tablets Give each student a lump of clay or play dough, toothpicks, and a plate. On the plates have students flatten lumps into a smooth, flat piece about 1/2 inch thick to represent a clay tablet. Students can use hands to flatten clay, rolling pins, or wooden dowels. Say: "In Bible times people wrote words on thin paper called papyrus or sometimes on broken pieces of pottery. People learned to write by attending school at their churches called synagogues. The teachers at the synagogues were called rabbis. This is the kind of school Jesus probably attended while growing up in Nazareth. When you go to school, what are some things that you learn? (reading, math, geography, etc.) Just as it is important to learn about these subjects, it is also important to learn about ways to love and obey God. What ways did we learn today that we can obey and love God? (listening to God's Word as it is read, asking questions like the religious leaders did; praying to ask God to help us obey Him,) Today you are to use your toothpicks to write words on your clay tablet that will remind you of ways to grow in love and obedience to God. (Ex. pray, read Bible, think, talk). Place tablets on separate paper plates to dry and then carry home to help them remember today's lesson.

Group Learning Game: Time Line (Grades 3-5) The purpose of this activity is to help students discover that there are different ways of growing. Give each student a large sheet of paper or a piece of a roll of plain white wrapping paper, markers, and pencils. Have students draw a horizontal line across the center of the paper. Label the line with the following dates or years: 0 or Birth; 1 year; 3 years; 5 years; 6 years; 7 years; 8 years; etc to their present age. On a chalkboard or dry erase board write the following questions for students to answer by writing information on their personal time line. Younger students may use simple line drawings on the time line to identify an event.

When and where were you born?

When did you learn to ride a bike?

When did you start going to school?

When did you lose your first tooth?

When did you get your first Bible?

When did you start attending church?

What is something important that happened each year of your life?

Show a time line that you have prepared about your life. Say: "Time lines show important events that happened in the past. Your time line shows ways you have grown. What are some other ways you have grown? (learned to play a musical instrument; learned to read; learned to play soccer, etc.) Today we learned about ways that we can grow in loving and obeying God. What are some of those ways?

Craft Learning Activity: Stained Glass Window Church Craft Print a copy of the church with steeple pattern on heave paper or cardstock for each child. Have children cut out the windows. Give each child some different colors of tissue paper torn or cut up into small pieces. (Cut up tissue paper into pieces that are less than 1 inch square.) Give each child a piece of transparent contact paper that will cover each of the windows. Peel the backing of the contact paper and adhere it to the back of the church pattern on cardstock so it cover the windows with the "sticky" side of the contact paper showing through the front of the window. Press the colored tissue pieces to the sticky side of the contact paper to make stained glass windows. Students may use markers or crayons to finish coloring their church.

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Snack Learning Activity: Build a Temple Have students build their own temple out of graham crackers. Use icing, cream cheese or peanut butter to hold the walls together. Break the graham crackers into shape of figures to place Joseph and Mary on the outside of the temple and Jesus on the inside. Children can also make a "Bible" from graham crackers and marshmallow crème. Use frosting tubes to write "Holy Bible" on the outside of the graham cracker bible.

Craft Art Activity: Tissue Flower Reminders Say: "What do flowers need in order to be healthy and grow? (water, food, oxygen, sunlight, good soil) What would you need to do to be sure a plant keeps on growing? (Make sure these basic needs are met.) Just as plants need air, water and good soil to grow, people who are followers of God need certain things to help them grown as followers of God. What do people need to help them learn about ways to follow God? (Knowledge about God through reading the Bible; Other people who also believe to encourage them; They need a desire to love and obey God; God's promise of help.) Give each student an index card to write a way he or she plans to learn about loving and obeying God. (Ex. believe God' promise; memorize Bible verse, read the Bible, pray, ask questions about what God's Word means). Punch a hole in the corner of the card and tie the card with a ribbon to the tissue flower they are to make. Students are to take the tissue flowers home as reminders of their plans to follow God. Directions to make Tissue Flowers:

1. Give each student six 6-inch squares of tissue paper. Stack these squares directly on top of each other. (The colored tissue paper squares can be shades of one color or all of the same color.)

2. Fold the tissue squares all at one time. First, fold in half horizontally, then vertically and then diagonally so the square is folded into eighths. The final fold will make a triangle.

3. Cut the folded tissue into a petal shaped curve with scissors. See drawing. 4. Bend the end of wire stem to make a hook. Place the hook between the layers of

paper at the unscalloped corner and staple through all the layers. Wrap floral tape around the base of the flower and wind it tightly down the stem.

5. Fold back the layers of tissue paper away from the center of the flower. Fluff out the flower by pulling each layer back towards the center.

Life Application Challenge: Discussion Questions Using an informal discussion ask the following questions. Have students share responses as a group.

1. How is your attitude like/unlike Jesus when you hear God’s Word taught? 2. What are you doing to grow in wisdom of God’s Word? 3. How can your growing understanding of God’s Word help you in your daily life? 4. Who can you share the Good News with this week?

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My Growth Certificate

Name:______________________________

I'm Growing Bigger birth height:___________ today's height ___________ birth weight: ___________today's weight:___________ birth date: ___________ today's date: _____________

I'm Growing Wiser I can count to _____________.

Documents

Unit 2--Life and Ministry of Christ--Lesson 1 NT2.1 …...asked his mother Mary. "Joseph and I have been anxiously searching for you. "Why were you searching for me?" asked Jesus