BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT DID JESUS TEACH WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH? Jesus taught about God and His kingdom. He taught that all Scripture is about Him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. God sent Him to rescue sinners. READ THE STORY:
Jesus’ teaching caused division among the Jews. They argued about who He was and where He had come from. Had He really come from God? Was He crazy or demon-possessed? In John 10, Jesus taught about Himself by using a comparison that is found throughout the Old Testament: the Lord as the Shepherd of His people. In Bible times, shepherding was a common occupation. Leaders of nations—even non-Israelite nations—would refer to themselves as shepherds of the people. A good shepherd would guide, provide for, and protect his people. Yet Old Testament prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel criticized Israel’s leaders for failing to shepherd God’s people well. The Israelites were like sheep—helpless and wandering—and they longed for a truly good shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who provides abundant life for His sheep. A shepherd would gather his sheep at night and form a pen to keep the sheep in and to keep wild animals and thieves out. The shepherd would lay across the opening. Like a shepherd provides safety for his sheep, Jesus provides salvation and eternal life. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. A shepherd protects his sheep from wolves and other wild animals, even at risk to his own life. Jesus gave up His life on the cross to rescue sinners from sin and death. Finally, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep. Even when two or more flocks gathered in a pen, a shepherd could call for his sheep and they would respond to the sound of his voice. Jesus knows His sheep personally. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came to do His Father’s plan: to die on the cross and rise again so that we might be saved. We can live sacrificially as we point others to the sacrifice Jesus made for us. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. God sent Him to rescue sinners. Jesus laid down His life for His sheep so they could have forgiveness and eternal life. When we trust in Jesus, we are His sheep who listen to, follow, and obey Him. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT DID JESUS TEACH WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH? Jesus taught about God and His kingdom. He taught that all Scripture is about Him. Jesus is our greatest treasure. Jesus left His place in heaven to live humbly on earth. READ THE STORY:
A very large crowd—thousands of people (Luke 12:1)—had gathered around Jesus as He taught His disciples. The people recognized Him as a rabbi (teacher), so it was not unusual that someone called out, asking Jesus to settle a financial dispute. But Jesus knew the man was motivated by greed, and He told a story. In Jesus’ parable, a rich man had so many crops that he decided to tear down his barns and build bigger ones. That way, he could store everything he had and take it easy. But the man was foolish and short-sighted. He didn’t consider he could die that very night. The saying is true: “You can’t take it with you.” Rather than storing up treasures for ourselves, we should live to glorify God and live generously, using what we have on earth to make an eternal impact. Jesus also addressed worry with His disciples. Jesus’ followers should not be anxious about their basic needs. God takes care of the birds and the flowers. People are God’s most valuable and beloved creatures; we can trust Him to provide for us! Jesus contrasted the way the unsaved Gentiles lived with how believers should live. Unbelievers seek wealth and possessions as if that was the main goal in life. They act like God does not care about their needs. But our focus should not be on ourselves, our wealth and our possessions; we should focus on God’s kingdom. We do not need to worry. God will provide. He is glad to give us what we need! God gives us good gifts on earth. We can steward these gifts for His glory. Earthly treasures will not last forever. Jesus is our greatest treasure. Jesus left His place in heaven to live humbly on earth. Jesus obeyed God to set up His kingdom. We can give generously and trust God to provide everything we need. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
BIG PICTURE QUESTION & ANSWER WHAT DID JESUS TEACH WHEN HE WAS ON EARTH? Jesus taught about God and His kingdom. He taught that all Scripture is about Him. Jesus taught us to pray. Because of Jesus, we can pray to the Father and ask for what we need. READ THE STORY:
Prayer is personal communication with God. Many people aren’t sure how to pray or feel uncomfortable praying. To pray effectively, then, we must be taught how to pray. This is why Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus began with the Lord’s Prayer, not to establish the words we should use but to show how we should pray and what we should pray about. Through prayer, we demonstrate our dependence on and faith in the Lord. We should approach God as a Father and pray for His kingdom first and then for ourselves and others. Then Jesus told a story about a man who went to his friend in the middle of the night to ask for food for a visitor. The friend did not want to be bothered but because the man did not give up, the friend finally gave him what he needed. God is not a sleepy neighbor. If a grumpy friend will reward persistence, how much more so will God! He cares about His children and is happy to give us what we need when we ask. In a similar way, a human father who loves his child would not give him a snake if he asked for a fish. Will God give us everything we ask for? No, but when we are persistent with our prayers, we can trust Him to answer according to His glory and our good. Jesus used another parable in Luke 18: A judge was unwilling to grant a widow’s plea for justice, but the woman did not give up. So the judge gave her justice. We should not give up praying if we have not received an answer from God. God is not like a wicked judge. When we pray consistently, God will give us justice and He will act quickly. Jesus taught us to pray. Because of Jesus, we can pray to the Father and ask for what we need. We can trust that God is good and loving, and we can count on Him to do what is right. GOSPEL APPLICATION K-2nd:
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December 2023
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