September 5, 2010
God's Great Gift
Biblical Passage: Luke 2:1–20
Supporting Passages: Matthew 1:1–17, Luke 3:23–38, John 1:1–18
Memory Verse: Luke 2:11
Biblical Truth: Jesus’ coming was a gracious gift that expressed God’s love for humanity.
Context: In the first few lessons of this series, students have learned about the prophecies and the announcement of the coming Christ. In this week’s lesson, students will read about the actual birth of Christ. God Himself came to Earth as an infant to show His incredible love for His people. The world has not been the same since this life-changing event.
Learning Goals:
•Explore: Students will understand the circumstances of Jesus’ birth and His saving mission for all people.
•Transform: Students will evaluate their response to the miraculous nature of Christ’s coming.
September 12, 2010
Follow the Leader
Biblical Passage: Luke 2:41–52
Memory Verse: Luke 2:52
Biblical Truth: Although fully God and fully man, Jesus’ identity as the Son of God determined His purpose and action in His life.
Context: The previous lesson studied Jesus’ coming to earth as a baby. He became God’s presence in the world for the purpose of redemption. This lesson continues looking at Jesus’ purpose as expressed through his childhood. Jesus clearly revealed that His identity as the Son of God took precedence over any earthly attachments. Even as a boy, Jesus showed that His purpose was to do God’s will. The lesson following this one will begin to explore Jesus’ ministry and identity as John the Baptist is introduced as His forerunner.
Learning Goals:
•Explore: Students will understand that their identity as followers of Christ determines the purpose for their life.
•Transform: Students will begin to commit to aligning their lives as Christ-followers to the will of God.
September 19, 2010
Jesus' Advance Man
Biblical Passage: Matthew 3:1–12
Supporting Passages: Mark 1:1–8, Luke 3:1–20
Memory Verse: Matthew 11:11
Biblical Truth: The prophet John the Baptist, a contemporary of Jesus, prepared people for Jesus’ ministry by calling them to repentance and pointing them toward Jesus the Messiah.
Context: In the previous lesson, Jesus was still a young boy and had not yet begun His public ministry as the Messiah. Still, we were able to see how His identity as the Son of God drove every aspect of His life. In this lesson, we will see the preparations for Jesus’ public ministry through the life and message of John the Baptist. The following lesson will highlight Jesus’ baptism as the beginning of His public ministry and His identity as the Son of God.
Learning Goals:
•Explore: Students will understand the importance of John’s prophetic ministry and his message of repentance.
•Transform: Students will determine their need to model before the world a life that is marked by repentance.
September 26, 2010
Identified
Biblical Passage: Matthew 3:13–17, John 1:29–34
Supporting Passages: Mark 1:9–11, Luke 3:21–22
Memory Verse: Acts 2:41
Biblical Truth: Baptism follows the example of Christ and is an important way of identifying oneself with Jesus.
Context: The previous lesson centered on John the Baptist’s message of repentance and his preparation for the coming of the Messiah. John called those people who had repented to demonstrate their true repentance by being baptized. In this lesson, Jesus comes to John to be baptized—not to demonstrate repentance, but in obedience to God and His calling. This event overtly marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. The subsequent lesson follows Jesus’ baptism as He almost immediately travels into the desert to fast for 40 days. At the end of these 40 days, Jesus is tempted by Satan.
Learning Goals:
•Explore: Students will understand that Jesus’ baptism occurred in obedience to God’s plan and demonstrated His commitment to the work of God’s Kingdom.
•Transform: Students will determine ways to be identified with Christ.
