Chapter 51 - N
Two by Two
Jesus had a plan so that more people could learn about Him. What was it?
Read: Luke 10:1-24
Or:
Besides the special twelve, Jesus had many disciples —people who followed Him. Jesus chose about seventy of them for a special job. He was going to send them ahead of Him to every town where He was about to go. They would tell the people in these towns about Him before He came.
Jesus sent these disciples two by two so they could help each other. It would not always be easy. Jesus called the people they would talk to “the harvest.” The disciples would be getting this harvest of people ready for Him. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send our workers into His harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
Then He told them they did not need to take along a bag of money. God would provide for them through the sharing of others. He told them not to greet people along the road but to go to their homes. Jesus went on to say, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there.”
These disciples were to tell people, “The kingdom of God is near you.” If a town did not welcome them, they could still say, “The kingdom of God is near.” But they were to warn the people that they would suffer for rejecting Jesus’s message. “He who listens to you, listens to Me,” Jesus explained. “He who rejects Me, rejects Him who sent Me.”
After pairs of disciples went to the towns, they came back with great joy. They happily told Jesus that they were able to heal sick people and even cast out demons. Jesus had given them His power so that the people in these towns could see miracles and believe in Jesus. Even Satan and his helpers had to obey the name of Jesus!
Jesus was happy too. He said, “Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” He praised His Father in heaven for showing these miracles to simple people. Then He told His disciples, “Many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.” What a blessing for them to be living after Jesus had come to earth!
Things to Think About:
What is a harvest? What harvest were the disciples to bring to Jesus? How would they harvest people? How could you be a harvest worker? Is this always an easy job? Who will help you? Who will give you the power to speak? What will you tell them about Jesus? How will we feel after we share the good news of Jesus?
Things to Pray About:
Pray for more “harvest” workers. Thank Jesus for the power He gives you to do His work.
Things to Do:
Paper Disciples: Fold a piece of paper. Cut out the shape of a person with one arm touching the fold. When you open it, two “disciples” should be holding hands. Draw faces and clothes. You may move them around a map or around the room to act out the story.
Study a map of your community, state, province, country, or the world. Have an adult help you find places where people need to know about Jesus.
Missionary Project: Adopt a missionary or missionary family to help. Send letters, money, and things they need.
Sing “I Love to Tell the Story,” “This Little Gospel Light,” or other songs about telling others of Jesus. See also “Things to Do” in chapter 8-N.
Teaching Hint:
Have children use “Paper Disciples” above. As you tell the story, let each move a pair of disciples to a different spot on a map or simple landscape you have drawn. Or let children act out the story in pairs. Also show illustration 12 on p. 411.
Chapter 52 - N
Jesus and Two Sisters
Did Jesus have other friends besides the twelve special disciples ? Who were some of them? What did He do with them?
Read: Luke 1-:38-42, John 11:1-5
Or:
In the town of Bethany lived sisters named Mary and Martha and their brother, Lazarus. Jesus visited them when He came to Bethany. He loved all three. They loved Him and believed what He taught.
Martha kindly opened up her home for Him to use. She was very busy getting ready for her company. But Mary sat at Jesus’s feet, listening to what He said. Martha was angry. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
But Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better. And it will not be taken away from her.”
Things to Think About:
Was it bad for Martha to let Jesus use her home to teach in? Was it bad for her to work to get ready for Him? Was it bad for Mary to sit there listening to Him teach? What did Jesus tell Martha? Working is good, but what is even better? How do we listen to Jesus? Do you listen during church, Vacation Bible School, church school, or family devotions?
Things to Pray About:
Thank Jesus for teaching you. Ask Him to help you make the best choices.
Things To Do:
Bible Storybook : Draw pictures of some of your favorite Bible stories. Staple or tie the pages together with heavy colored paper on the top and bottom for a cover. Share the stories with other children.
Chart : Use lined or graph paper. Going across, write each day of the week. Going down, list “morning, afternoon, evening.” Put a cross whenever you spend time learning about Jesus. Write a “W” when you work, and a “P” when you play.
Cheers : Make up cheers for Jesus like you would cheer for a team.
(Example:“Jesus, Jesus, you’re number 1!”)
Sing “Seek Ye First,” “Father, I Adore You,” “The B-i-b-l-e,” and other songs about church, Jesus, and the Bible.
Teaching Hint:
Use hand, stick, or face puppets or faces on paper plates for Jesus, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (optional). Also show illustration 12 on p. 411.
Chapter 53 - N
“Lazarus, Come Out!”
Jesus was God but human like us at the same time. Was He ever sad? Did He ever cry? Why?
Read: John 11:1-57
Or:
In the town of Bethany lived good friends of Jesus—a family with sisters Mary and Martha and brother Lazarus. They opened their home to Jesus when He visited Bethany. Jesus loved them.
As Jesus traveled, Lazarus became very ill. So his sisters sent someone to tell Jesus. Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus stayed where He was two more days. Then He told His disciples He was going back to Bethany in a part of the county called Judea.
They argued, “A short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?”
Jesus was following God’s plan. He said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up” His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”
So Jesus said plainly, “Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” The disciples did not understand.
Thomas said to the rest, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” They were afraid the Jewish leaders would kill them with Jesus.
When they came, they found that Lazarus had already been buried in a tomb for four days. Martha went to meet Jesus. “Lord,” she said, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Jesus said, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
Jesus said, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies. Whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who was to come into the world.” Then Martha went to tell Mary, “The Teacher is here, and is asking for you.”
Mary hurried to Jesus. She fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
When Jesus saw Mary and the Jews with her crying, He was deeply moved. He felt compassion for them. “Where have you laid him?” He asked.
“Come and see,” they replied. Then Jesus cried too. Some Jews said, “See how He loved him!” But others asked, “Could not He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
Jesus went to the tomb —a cave with a stone across the front. “Take away the stone,” He said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard Me. I knew that you always hear Me. But I said this for the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent Me.” In a loud voice, Jesus called, “Lazarus, come out!”
Lazarus did come out! He was wrapped in strips of cloth. Jesus said, “Take off the graveclothes and let him go.”
When many Jews saw this, they put their faith in Jesus. They were excited and spread the news. Some told the Jewish leaders what Jesus had done. But the leaders were not happy and called a meeting. Some said, “Here is a man performing many miraculous signs. If we let Him go on, everyone will believe in Him. Then the Romans will come and take away our nation.” The Romans and their emperor ruled the Jews. If people followed a Jew like Jesus as a ruler, Jewish leaders feared that the Romans would destroy them. So they plotted to kill Him. But other Jews believed Jesus was God’s Son. They spread the news about His power and love!
Things to Think About:
How does this story show Jesus was human? How does it show His power as God? Do you think Jesus can understand when you feel sad? How does He have power to help you? What did Martha say she believed about Jesus? Do you believe that? Did everyone believe it? What did some leaders want to do to Jesus? What did happier people do? When will Jesus bring us back to life? Where will we see people we loved who have died?
Things to Pray About:
Praise Jesus for His godly power! Tell Him your troubles and know that He understands and has power to help!
Things to Do:
Draw a picture of Lazarus coming out of the tomb. Draw people talking about it. You might use speech balloons to show what they say.
Clay Figures: Make a clay man and lay him in a clay cave with a cover over the door. Open the door and let him walk out. You may also make a clay Jesus, Mary, and Martha.
Flower/Butterfly Cross: Cut out a cross from heavy paper. Make paper flowers and butterflies or cut pictures of them from old cards. Glue them all over the cross. Flowers and butterflies remind us of new life. A cross reminds us that Jesus died so we can be alive in heaven.
Sing “I Am the Bread of Life,” “Heaven Is a Wonderful Place,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” or songs praising Jesus as God.
See also “Things to Do” in chapters 11-N, 12-N, 22-N, 24-N.
Teaching Hint:
Use clothespin people to illustrate the story. With marker, draw faces and clothes on clothespins representing Lazarus, Mary, Martha, Jesus, and extra Jews. At the appropriate time in the story, pin each one on a wire, clothesline, or open box. For the tomb, use a small box with a removable lid, standing sideways. You may also illustrate the story with “Clay Figures” above. Also show illustration 12 on p. 411.
Chapter 54 - N
A Strange Gift for Jesus
(Jesus Is Anointed)
When Jesus was seen on earth, some people believed He was their great helper and Savior. They loved Him. How could they show their love? Read these two stories about a gift for Jesus.
Read: John 12:1-8, Luke 7:36-50
Or:
Jesus came to visit the town of Bethany. There lived His good friends Mary, Martha , and Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They believed Jesus was the promised Savior. Now, a dinner was given in honor of Jesus. Martha was serving. Lazarus sat at the table with Jesus. Then Mary brought Jesus a large jar of expensive perfume. She poured it on Jesus’s feet. Then she wiped His feet with her hair.
Why did Mary do this? She wanted to show how much she loved Jesus, and how important He was to her. Kings had expensive oils and perfumes. People also put perfume and spices on the body of someone who died.
The scent of perfume filled the house. Judas Iscariot complained, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” But Judas did not really care about the poor. He was the disciple in charge of the money given to Jesus and the others. Often he stole some for himself.
Jesus knew this. So He said, “Leave her alone. She should save this perfume for burial. You will always have the poor among you. But you will not always have Me.” Jesus knew that He would die and be buried soon. He knew what was in Judas’s heart and in Mary’s heart. Mary was showing love to her Lord.
Once, a Pharisee invited Jesus to dinner. Pharisees tried very hard to keep hundreds of rules and thought they were very good. Jesus went to the home of this Pharisee, named Simon . But Simon did not do all the polite things people were supposed to do for their guests.
A woman who heard that Jesus was there came to see Him. She had lived a sinful life before. She was happy that Jesus forgave her and would help her live a new life. She wanted to treat Him like a king or lord. So she brought a jar of perfume and poured it on Him. Then she wet His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. When Simon saw this, he thought, If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him—and that she is a sinner.
Jesus did know—and He knew what Simon was thinking. Jesus said, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” Jesus told about two men who owed money to the same man. One owed a lot—what it would take five hundred days to earn. The other only owed money for about fifty days of work. Neither had the money to pay the man back. So he forgave them both. Then Jesus asked, “Which one of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “The one who had the bigger debt.”
“You have judged correctly,” said Jesus. He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give Me any water for My feet” (as hosts were supposed to in those days). Jesus went on, “But she wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give Me a kiss (as friends did in that land), but she has not stopped kissing My feet. You did not put oil on My head, but she has poured perfume on My feet. Her many sins have been forgiven. She loved much. But he who has been forgiven little, loves little.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Some guests asked each other, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
To the woman, Jesus said, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Things to Think About:
Why did the sinful woman love Jesus? Why did Mary, Martha, and Lazarus love Him? Some people thought they were too good to need a Savior. Did they love Jesus? Do you need Jesus? What has He done for you? Do you love Him? Can you put perfume on His feet? You can show you love Him when you sing praises, obey Him, read the Bible, go to church, pray, give money for His work, and show love to others. Which of these things do you do?
Things to Pray About:
Ask Jesus to forgive you for the bad things you’ve done. Tell Jesus you love Him. Ask Him to show you how to share that love.
Things to Do:
Perfume Jar: Write a note to Jesus. Tell Him why you love Him. Put perfume, lemon or vanilla extract, or another scent on the paper. Put it in a jar. Decorate the jar.
List ways you can show love to Jesus. Write them on a large paper heart. Decorate it.
Sing “Jesus Loves Me,” “Oh How I Love Jesus,” and other songs about Jesus’s love for you and your love for Him.
See also “Things to Do” in New Testament chapters 8, 11-12, 41, 44-45,52.
Teaching Hint:
Wear biblical-style clothing and tell the story in first person as if you are a woman or a disciple. Use broad gestures and touch your feet, hair, etc., when talking about them.