Lesson plans.
Lesson 1: The mystery of coins and fish.
Matthew 17:24-27 - Once when Jesus and his disciples were traveling in Capernaum, the temple tax collectors came up to Peter and tried to ask him a trick question, whether Jesus paid temple taxes or not. Peter said that he does, and went to Jesus to tell him what happened. While Jesus stated that it wasn’t right to make the children of God pay taxes to the temple, he told Peter to go and catch a fish and look inside its mouth. When Peter did this, he found two coins inside, just enough to pay for his and Jesus’ temple tax.
Lesson 2: The mystery of the official’s son.
John 4:46-54 - Once when Jesus was visiting Cana in Galilee, there was a royal official who’s son was very sick. He heard that Jesus was in town and went to him to beg him to heal his son. Jesus simply said, “Go, your son will be healed.” The man took Jesus at his word and left. While he was still on his way, his servants met him and told him the news that his son was healed. When he asked about what time his son was healed, he learned that it was at the exact time that Jesus said, “your son will be healed.” So he and his whole household believed.
Lesson 3: The mystery of the blind man.
Luke 18:35-43 - Once when Jesus came to Jericho, there was a blind man sitting on the roadside begging. He heard the noise of the crowds and asked what was happening. When he was told that Jesus was passing by he started to shout at the top of his lungs, “Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.” He was told to be quiet, but shouted all the more. Jesus took notice of him, stopped, and called him over to him. When Jesus asked what he could do for the man, he asked for his sight. Jesus healed him on the stop and said that his faith had healed him.
Lesson 4: The mystery of the ten men.
Luke 17:11-19 - Once when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he went into a village where ten men with leprosy (a skin disease causing sores to appear all over their bodies) met him. They cried out to Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus told them to go back to their communities and show themselves to the priests. As they went along, they were healed. One man, a Samaritan, seeing that he was healed, went back to Jesus, praising God and throwing himself at Jesus’ feet in thanks. Jesus asked about where the other nine were and why only one, a foreigner, had returned. He told the man to go in peace and that his faith had healed him.
Lesson 5: The mystery of the woman with a bleeding disease.
Passage: Luke 8:43-48 - Once there was a woman who had bn bleeding for twelve years and no doctors could heal her. She saw Jesus in a crowd and reached out to touch the hem of his cloak and she was immediately healed. Jesus asked who touched him, because although there were crowds of people pressing into him, he felt that power had gone out from him. The woman was scared but she stepped forward and admitted that it was her and explained why she had done it and that she had been healed. Jesus responded to her by saying, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Lesson 6: The mystery of the widow’s son.
Luke 7:11-17 - Once when Jesus was in a town called Nain, he approached the town gates and saw a man who had died* and was being carried out, he was the only son of his mother who was a widow. There was a large crowd surrounding her, and Jesus felt compassion for her. He said to her, “don’t cry” and went up to the man being carried out, touched him, and said, “Young man, get up!” The man got up, and Jesus returned him to his mother. Everyone who saw praised God and said, “God has come to help us.”
Lesson 1: The two sons.
Matthew 21:28-32 - Jesus told this story to the chief priests and elders who were questioning him on his authority. He said to them, there was a man who had two sons, each of whom he asked to go and work in the vineyard. The first son said no, but ended up changing his mind and going. The second son said yes, but he didn’t go. Jesus asked the chief priests and enders which son did what the father wanted, to which they answered, the first son. Jesus then reveals the meaning of the parable: that those considered “sinners” were actually entering the kingdom of God ahead of the religious folk, because when they heard Jesus’ message they repented and believed.
Lesson 2: The growing seed.
Mark 4:26-29 - Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is like a man scattering seeds on the ground, and every night and day, the seed sprouts all on it’s own though the man doesn’t know how. Eventually, the crops are fully grown and it’s time for the harvest.
Lesson 3: The good Samaritan.
Luke 10:30-37 — Speaking to an expert in the Law, Jesus told the story of a man who was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was attacked by robbers, who beat him and left him on the side of the road. One after the other, a priest and a Levite happened to walk by, and each passed by on the other side of the road, not stopping to help the man. However, a Samaritan, when he came across the injured man, took pity on him and did everything he could to help him. When Jesus asked the expert in the Law which of the three was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by robbers, the expert answered, “The one who had mercy on him,” to which Jesus replied, “Go and do likewise.”
Lesson 4: The unmerciful servant.
Matthew 18:21-35 - When Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive someone who wrongs him seven times, Jesus answers that he should not forgive only seven times, but seventy-seven. Jesus then tells a story about a servant who owed the king a large sum of money. When the servant was unable to pay the king back and begged for extra time, the king took pity on him and completely forgave the servant’s debt. However, the servant immediately went and found a fellow servant who owed him a smaller amount of money, and demanded payment. When that servant couldn’t pay and begged for extra time, the first servant did not take pity on him but threw his fellow servant in jail until he could pay back what he owed. When the king heard of this he was indignant. He called the first servant to him, and told him that he had changed his mind and would throw the servant in jail until he could pay back everything he owed.
Lesson 5: The vineyard workers.
Matthew 20:1-16 - There was a man who owned a vineyard and he went out in the town to search for workers for the day. Early in the morning he found a group of people who agreed to work for one denarius. Throughout the day he found more workers to join the first group. At the very end of the day, he gathered them together to give them their pay, beginning with the last ones hired and on to the first. He paid each one the same amount — one denarius each. The workers who had been their since early morning felt that this was unfair and they complained. The owner responded that they had been paid the amount agreed upon, and that he was simply choosing to be generous to the others too. In this way, Jesus taught that in the Kingdom of God, the last would be first and the first would be last.
Lesson 1: Jesus prays for his friends.
John 17 - Jesus prays and speaks to God about his mission and his followers. First, he asks the Father to glorify him so that he can glorify God and give eternal life to those who believe. Then, he prays for his disciples, asking God to protect them, keep them unified, and set them apart in the truth as they continue his work in the world. Finally, he prays for all future believers, desiring that they would be united in love, just as he and the Father are one, so that the world may know God’s love.
Lesson 4: Returning to Nazareth.
Matthew 2:19-23 - After King Herod died, the angel appeared to Joseph again in a dream to tell him that it was safe to return to Israel with Mary and Jesus. However, Herod's son had become the king of Judea in his place and they were afraid to return there. Instead, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus went to Nazareth in Galilee. This fulfilled the prophesy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene.
Lesson 3: Escape to Egypt.
Matthew 2:13-15 - When the wise men had gone home after visiting Jesus, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him that King Herod was going to try to kill Jesus, and that they should escape to Egypt. So Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed in Egypt until King Herod died. This happened in fulfillment of the prophesy from Hosea, “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”
Lesson 2: The magi visit Jesus.
Passage: Matthew 2:1-12 - After Jesus was born, the wise men, also known as Magi, came searching for “the one who has been born king of the Jews.” They had seen a star in the sky which alerted them to his birth, and wanting to find him to worship him. But when King Herod of Judea heard about it, he was disturbed by the news. He found out from the chief priests and religious teachers that the Messiah (anointed one) was to be born in Bethlehem. So Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to search for the child, and asked them to bring him news as well. When the Magi found Jesus, they were overjoyed, bowed down and worshipped him, and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, but to go by a different route.
Big Idea: A sign in the stars
Lesson 1: An angel appears to Joseph.
Matthew 1:18-25 - In this passage, Matthew recounts the story of how Jesus’ birth came about. A woman named Mary was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, but before they got married, she was found to be pregnant. Joseph didn’t want Mary to be publicly shamed, so he decided to divorce her quietly. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him not to be afraid and that Mary was pregnant through the Holy Spirit. The angel announced that the child would be named Jesus and that he would be the savior of all people. Jesus would also be called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.”
