Memory Verse

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Day 1-“To Save His People From Their Sins”

• Pray.
• Introduce the memory verse. We sing it to the tune of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”.
  • Look it up in the Bible.
  • Underline it.
• For the next few days, we will be talking about why Jesus came. Before we read, quickly brainstorm with your kids what they already know about why Jesus came.
• When the angel, Gabriel, came to Joseph in a dream to explain that Mary was going to have God’s Son, he told Joseph exactly what to call the baby and why.
• Read Matthew 1:21-23.
  • Why were they to name the baby Jesus?
  • What other name did you hear Jesus called?
    • Verse 23 is a quote from Isaiah, which was written about 700 years before Jesus was even born. The prophets in the Old Testament spoke many times of the One who would come to save God’s people. Jesus was the One of whom they were speaking. (Matthew 5:17)
  • God had a plan from the very beginning when sin first entered the world that He would make a way to save His people and bring them back to Him. Jesus was the Way (John 14:6). God came down to us!
    • If you have little kids, this is a good stopping place for today. If you have elementary kids or older, keep reading if you have time.
  • The Jews had been waiting for a long time for the Messiah to come. They knew God had a plan to save His people, but they were expecting it to happen a little differently. Even John the Baptist needed some reassurance that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, they had read about and heard about and had been waiting for.
• Read Luke 7:18-22.
  • How did Jesus show John and others that He indeed was the Savior they had been expecting?
  • The signs (miracles) Jesus did fulfilled what was written by the prophets hundreds of years before. Through these signs, Jesus showed the people that He was Immanuel (God with us) and that He was the Messiah, the Expected One, the One whom they had been waiting for. He came to save us from our sins.

Day 2-“For God So Loved the World…”

• Pray.
• Practice the memory verse.
• Explain that today we will be reading about a conversation that Jesus had with a man named Nicodemus. As we will read, Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. This meant that he was very careful and devoted to following the laws that God gave to Moses.
• Read John 3:1-3.
  • Nicodemus recognized that Jesus was from God. How did he know this (verse 2)?
  • Nicodemus didn’t ask Jesus anything about being born again, but Jesus knew what was in his heart.
• Read or summarize John 3:4-8.
  • What does born again mean?
  • When we accept God’s forgiveness and surrender to Him, He changes us. We are given new, eternal life. We are “born again” as children of God.
• Read John 3:16-17.
  • What good news did Jesus tell Nicodemus? Why was did He come?
  • God sent Jesus to save us. He came to give us new life, eternal life with Him. Jesus knew that Nicodemus was zealous about keeping God’s laws (he was a Pharisee), but keeping the law or obeying the rules is not what saves a person and gives new life. Believing in Jesus is only way to be saved.
• Have older kids (middle school/high school) read John 3:19-22. Talk about what they think about the passage. Does it remind them of anyone or of a situation? Have them look up John 8:12 and Matthew 5:14. What do these verses say about Light.
• The Bible doesn’t tell us any more about Nicodemus that night, but we see later in the book of John that he eventually came to believe in Jesus (John 7:50-52 and John 19:38-42)!
• Ask:
  • Can you say John 3:16 by memory?

Day 3-To Preach the Kingdom of God

• Pray.
• Practice the memory verse.
• At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, as he had been healing and teaching, many people began following Him, wanting to know and see more.
• Read Luke 4:42-43.
  • Why did Jesus come?
    • Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God. This isn’t just referring to a physical place, but God’s rule over those who belong to Him (Mt 3:2). The Bible says that the kingdom of God is in our midst (Luke 17:21); where God rules in the hearts of those He has saved (Romans 14:17) .
• At the end of Jesus’ ministry, while He was praying for us, Jesus summed up what He accomplished while He was here.
• Read John 17:25-26.
  • Jesus knew God (after all, He is God with us-Immanuel), and while He was on earth, He showed us who God is and how He wants us to live. He showed us how much God loves us.
  • How did God show His great love for us? (Hint: Think of the memory verse.) How does that make you feel?