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Jesus Cleansed the Temple
Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19 It was time for the Jewish people to celebrate Passover. Jesus, His friends, and many other people went to the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and His disciples went to the temple. The temple was supposed to be a place where people went to worship God, but Jesus saw people doing things they were not supposed to do. Some people were buying and selling animals. Other people were trading money. The temple was not a store! Jesus also saw people carrying things through the temple to get from one side of the city to the other. This was not what God wanted the temple to be used for. How could people pray and worship God with all that noise? Jesus was right to be angry. He turned over the tables and knocked over the chairs of the people who were selling animals and trading money. He told all of those people to leave. “The Scriptures say, My house will be called a house of prayer for everyone. But you are making it a place for thieves!” He said. Every day, Jesus went to the temple to teach people about God. People who were blind came to Jesus, and He healed them. People who could not walk came to Jesus, and He healed them too. People were amazed at the things Jesus said and did. Children began shouting in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” The word hosanna means “Save now!” The religious leaders did not like what was happening. They did not like Jesus, and they did not like how everyone else liked Him. The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus. “Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked Jesus. “Yes,” Jesus said. “Have you never read the Scripture that says, ‘You have prepared praise from the mouths of children and babies’?” Then Jesus left and went to the city of Bethany to spend the night. Christ Connection: Jesus made the people in the temple leave. He was right to be angry. The people were keeping others from praying and worshiping God. Jesus came to earth to die on the cross to take away people’s sin so they could be friends with God. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** Jesus Was Anointed
Matthew 26:6-13; John 12:1-8 Every year, the Jewish people celebrated a holiday called Passover. They gathered together to remember a special event that happened long ago. When God’s people were slaves in Egypt, God rescued His people. God did great things to show the king of Egypt that God is in charge. Finally, the king of Egypt let God’s people go. God made Moses a leader of His people. Moses led them out of Egypt to a land God had promised to give them. God did not want His people to forget what happened in Egypt, so every year, the Jewish people had a feast to remember. Many of the people traveled to the city of Jerusalem to get ready for the celebration. A few days before the Passover feast began, Jesus went to the town of Bethany. Jesus’ friend Lazarus lived in Bethany. Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha, lived there too. Jesus went to a friend’s house for a meal. Jesus was relaxing at the table when Mary came to Him. She had a jar, and inside the jar was some very expensive oil. The oil smelled good, like a perfume. Mary broke open the jar and poured the oil on Jesus’ head and feet. Jesus’ friends were at the house, and they were upset! They thought Mary had done a silly thing. The oil was worth a lot of money. One of Jesus’ friends said, “She could have sold the oil and used the money to help people who are poor!” Jesus’ friends told Mary that she had done the wrong thing, but Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has done a very good thing for Me.” Then Jesus said, “You will always have people around you who are poor, but you will not always have Me.” Jesus was going away soon. He knew He was going to die. By pouring oil on Jesus, Mary got Jesus’ body ready to be buried. Jesus said that many people would hear about the good thing Mary had done. He said, “Wherever the good news about Me is told in the world, people will hear about this woman.” Christ Connection: Mary did the right thing by pouring oil on Jesus. She worshiped Him. Jesus is most important, and He deserves to be worshiped. Jesus knew that He was going to die to rescue people from sin. He would be buried and then rise from the dead **This is a Lifeway Lesson** Jesus Raised Lazarus
John 11:1-7,17-44 Jesus and Lazarus were friends. Lazarus lived in the town of Bethany, in Judea, with his sisters, Mary and Martha. One day, Lazarus got sick. Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus. “Lord, Your friend Lazarus is sick,” they said. Jesus told His disciples, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. This sickness will bring glory to God and to the Son of God.” Jesus stayed where He was for two more days. Then Jesus said, “Let’s go back to Judea.” By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been in a tomb for four days. Martha hurried to meet Jesus, but Mary stayed home. Martha said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” Martha knew Jesus could do a miracle, though. “I know God will give You whatever You ask,” she said. Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha believed that Lazarus would rise from the dead in the future—on the last day. But Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” Martha said. “I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Martha went back to her house. She told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her. So Mary left the house, and all the people who had come to comfort Mary and Martha followed her. Mary fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!” Mary was crying, and Jesus wept too. Mary led Jesus to the tomb where Lazarus was buried. It was a cave, and a huge stone covered the opening. “Remove the stone,” Jesus said. So the stone was moved aside. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank You that You heard Me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” Lazarus came out of the tomb, wrapped in linen and cloth. Jesus said, “Unwrap him and let him go.” Christ Connection: When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He showed that He has power over death. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead. He gives eternal life to those who trust in Him. **THIS IS A LIFEWAY LESSON** Three Parables
Luke 15 Tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus teach. The religious leaders complained because Jesus welcomed sinners, so Jesus told them three parables to teach them about God. Jesus said, “If a man has 100 sheep and loses one, what does he do? He leaves the 99 sheep in the open field and searches for the lost sheep until he finds it. Then he tells his friends, ‘Let’s celebrate! I found my lost sheep!’” Then Jesus said, “This is what heaven is like; there is more joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turns back to God than for 99 people who did not wander off.” Jesus said, “If a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one of them, what does she do? She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully until she finds it! Then she tells her friends, ‘Let’s celebrate! I found my lost coin!’ ” Then Jesus said, “This is what heaven is like. There is joy in heaven when one sinner repents and turns back to God.” Finally, Jesus said, “A man had two sons. The younger son said, ‘Father, give me my inheritance today.’ So the father gave his son his share. The younger son left home. He wasted his money and lived foolishly. There was a famine, and the people there did not have enough food. The son got a job feeding pigs. He was so hungry, even the pigs’ food looked tasty. “The younger son made a plan. He would go back to his father and admit he was wrong. He would ask to work for his father like the servants. “So the younger son headed home. He was still a long way away when his father saw him coming. His father ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. The son began to apologize. ‘I have sinned against God and against you,’ he said. “But the father told his servants, ‘Let’s celebrate with a feast! Bring the best robe and put it on my son! Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. This son of mine was lost, and now he is found!’ “At this time, the older son came from the fields and heard music at the house. “What’s going on?” he asked one of the servants. “‘Your brother is here,’ the servant said. ‘Your father is celebrating.’ “The older brother was angry! He refused to go to the feast. The father asked him to come inside. ‘Look!’ the older brother said. ‘I never disobeyed you! But you never threw a party for me.’ “‘Son,’ the father said, ‘everything I have is yours. We have to celebrate and be happy. Your brother was lost and is found.’” Christ Connection: The religious leaders complained that Jesus welcomed sinners. Jesus told these parables to teach about God’s forgiveness. God sent Jesus so sinners can be forgiven. As Savior, Jesus seeks sinners. He paid the ultimate price—His own life—to save people from sin. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37 A Jewish lawyer asked Jesus a question: “Teacher, what must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered, “What do the Scriptures say? What do you think is the answer?” The lawyer replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.’ And ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” Jesus said, “That’s right. Do this, and you will have eternal life.” Then the man asked, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told a story to help the man understand. “A man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him. The robbers took everything he had, beat him up, and left him for dead on the side of the road. “A priest was traveling down the road when he saw the man lying there. But instead of helping the man, the priest passed by on the other side of the road. “Then a Levite, or religious leader, came down the road. He saw the man lying there, but instead of helping the man, the Levite passed by on the other side of the road, too. “Then a man from Samaria came down the road. Samaritans and Jews did not get along, but when he saw the man lying there, he helped him. The Samaritan bandaged the man’s wounds. He put the man on his donkey and took him to an inn where he could rest. The Samaritan took care of the man. Then he paid the innkeeper to care for the man.” Jesus asked, “Which of these people was a real neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers?” The lawyer replied, “The one who helped the man.” Jesus said, “Go and do the same!” Christ Connection: Jesus’ story about the good Samaritan surprised the people who heard it. Like the good Samaritan, God saw that we needed to be rescued. He sent His Son to save us from sin. Jesus died on the cross for our sin and rose again so we can have eternal life. God calls us to show His love for the world by helping people in need. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** The Unmerciful Servant
Matthew 18:21-35 Peter asked Jesus, “How many times should I forgive someone who wrongs me? Is seven times enough?” Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy times seven times!” Then Jesus told Peter a story to help him understand what forgiveness in the kingdom of heaven is like. Jesus said, “One day, a king asked all his servants to tell him how much they each owed the king. One of the servants owed the king fifty million silver coins! The servant did not have any money to give the king, so the king ordered for the servant and his family to be sold as payment for the debt. “But the servant fell on his knees and begged the king, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’ The king felt sorry for the man, so he let the man go and forgave the debt; the servant did not have to pay the king anything. “As the servant was leaving, he ran into a man who owed him one hundred silver coins. The servant grabbed the man by the throat and choked him. ‘Give me the money you owe me!’ he demanded. “The man fell to his knees and begged the servant, ‘Please give me more time. I will repay you everything I owe!’ But the servant refused, and he threw the man into jail. “Some other servants told the king what happened. The king called for the servant he had forgiven. ‘You are an evil man!’ said the king. ‘I forgave what you could never repay, and you did not forgive the small amount.’ The king was angry. He punished the official and made him pay his debt.” Jesus said, “This is what My Father in heaven will do if you do not forgive each other.” Christ Connection: Nothing we do is enough to pay the debt we owe God and take away God’s punishment for our sin. Jesus came and died on the cross to pay for our sin and take the punishment we deserve. When we trust in Jesus, God forgives our sin completely. We can forgive others because God has greatly forgiven us greatly. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** Jesus Rejected in Nazareth
Luke 4:14-30 Jesus went to His hometown, Nazareth. On the Sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue like He usually did. The Sabbath day was a holy day of rest. On that day, the Jews gathered in the synagogue to worship God. The synagogue was a special building where Jews met together to pray, worship, and learn about the Scriptures. Jesus stood up to read Scripture. He unrolled the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and read: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me. He has chosen Me to tell good news to the poor. He has sent Me to tell the captives that they are free, to tell the blind that they can see, to free people who have been treated badly, and to announce that the Lord’s favor is on us.” Then Jesus rolled up the scroll. He gave it back to the attendant and sat down. Everyone who was in the synagogue stared at Jesus. Jesus said, “Today as you listened to Me reading these words, they came true.” The people said good things about Jesus, and they were amazed at Him. But some of the people in Nazareth had known Jesus from His youth. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. Jesus was far from ordinary. Even though Joseph raised Jesus as his own son, Jesus’ true Father is God. Then Jesus said to them, “You will probably say this old proverb: ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You’ve heard about the miracles I performed in Capernaum, and you want Me to do them here in My hometown too.” Jesus also said, “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Jesus reminded the people of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. When there was a terrible famine in Israel and no rain fell there for three and a half years, plenty of widows in the country needed help. But Elijah did not help the widows in Israel. Instead, God sent Elijah to help a widow in another land. And when Elisha was a prophet, many people in Israel had leprosy. They wanted to be healed, but Elisha did not heal them. Instead, he healed a man named Naaman (NAY muhn), and Naaman was from Syria—a country that hated God’s people. The people listening to Jesus in the synagogue became angry. They forced Jesus out of town. They wanted to throw Him off a cliff, but Jesus walked right through the crowd and went on His way. Christ Connection: Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, the prophet Isaiah wrote about God’s plan to send a Messiah. He would bring good news and redeem people who were broken and hurting. Jesus read Isaiah’s words and told everyone who was listening that He is the promised Messiah. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** Jesus Met a Samaritan Woman John 4:1-42 Jesus had been making disciples in Judea, and His disciples baptized people. Now Jesus had more followers than John the Baptist. Jesus began traveling back to Galilee. He traveled through Samaria and stopped in a town at the well. Jesus’ disciples went into town to buy food. While Jesus was at the well, a Samaritan woman came to get water from the well. “Give Me a drink,” Jesus said to the woman. The woman was surprised. “You’re a Jew,” she said. “Why are You talking to me? I’m a Samaritan.” Jesus said, “I asked you for a drink. You don’t know who I am. If you did, you would have asked Me for a drink, and I would give you living water.” The woman was confused. “Sir,” she said, “This well is deep, and You don’t have a bucket. Where do You get this ‘living water’?” Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks this well water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks from the water I give will never, ever get thirsty again! In fact, the water I give will become a well inside you, and you will have eternal life.” Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, but the woman did not understand. “Sir,” she said, “give me this water. If I’m not thirsty, I won’t have to keep coming to this well to get water.” “Go get your husband,” Jesus said. “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus knew she was telling the truth. He said, “You don’t have a husband now, but you’ve had five husbands.” Jesus was right. “I see You are a prophet,” the woman said. Maybe this prophet could explain something to her. She said, “The Samaritans worship here on a mountain, but the Jews say we need to worship at the temple in Jerusalem.” Jesus said, “Soon you will not need to be in either of those places to worship God in spirit and in truth.” The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us.” Then Jesus said, “He is talking to you now. I am the Messiah.” The woman left and told the people in her town, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” Many Samaritans believed in Jesus because of what the woman said. They asked Jesus to stay with them, and He stayed for two days. Many more believed because of what Jesus said. They told the woman, “We no longer believe because of what you said, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this really is the Savior of the world.” Christ Connection: Jesus offered the woman something no one else could give her—living water. Jesus wasn’t talking about water that she could physically drink; Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit who would satisfy her spiritual thirst. Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to those who come to Him by faith. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** Jesus Met Nicodemus
John 3:1-21 Jesus had traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. One night, a religious man came to see Jesus. The man’s name was Nicodemus (NIK uh DEE muhs). Nicodemus was a Pharisee. He studied and taught God’s law, and he tried very hard to obey the law. Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus. “Rabbi (RAB igh),” he said, “we know that You have come from God. You are a teacher, and no one could do the miracles You do unless God is with him.” Nicodemus had that right. Jesus said, “I tell you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Now Nicodemus was confused. He thought that keeping all God’s laws was how a person got into heaven. Besides, what Jesus said didn’t make any sense! “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus said, “A man cannot enter God’s kingdom unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” When a baby is born, he gets physical life from his parents. Physical life doesn’t last forever. But the Spirit gives people spiritual life so they can live with God forever. Jesus said, “Don’t be surprised I told you that you must be born again.” Nicodemus still didn’t understand. “How is this possible?” he asked. Jesus replied, “We talk about what we know, and we tell others about what we have seen. But you don’t believe what I’m telling you! When you don’t believe what I say about things I’ve seen on earth, how will you believe what I say about the things I’ve seen in heaven? “No one has ever gone up into heaven, except the Son of Man. He came down from heaven. Do you remember how Moses raised up the bronze snake in the wilderness? Everyone who looked at it was healed. Like that, the Son of Man will be raised up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.” Then Jesus told Nicodemus about God’s great plan. Jesus said, “God showed His love in this way: He sent His One and Only Son to save the world. Everyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. “God didn’t send His Son to declare the world guilty, but to save the world. Anyone who believes in Him is found not guilty, but anyone who does not believe in Him is guilty already.” Christ Connection: Nicodemus needed new life—eternal life—but he could not do anything to earn it. Eternal life is a gift that comes only from God. God showed His love in this way: He sent His One and Only Son to save the world. Everyone who believes in Him will not perish but will have eternal life. **This is a Lifeway Lesson** |
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