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NEW TESTAMENT LESSON
Jesus Is Baptized (Matthew 3:1-17)
In those days, John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judaea. He told the people, “Repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is near.” John was the one that the prophet Isaiah said would come. Isaiah lived a long time before John the Baptist or even before Jesus was born and he wrote down messages. One of the messages he wrote was that some day in the future, a man would appear speaking in the wilderness and saying, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Now John the Baptist had clothes made of camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his hips. John ate locusts and wild honey.
Many from Jerusalem, Judea, and the area of Jordan came out of their cities to see John the Baptist in the wilderness and to listen to his words. The words he spoke made them feel sorry for doing wrong, which is called sin, and they confessed or told God about those sins. Then John the Baptist baptized them, which means to lay a person under water and then bring them up again. This showed that they truly meant that they were sorry and wanted their sins to be washed away.
But when John the Baptist saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to the baptism, he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Show that you are really sorry for your sins (which is called repentance). Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We are related to Abraham and are fine just as we are because I say to you, that God is able to raise up children unto Abraham from these stones. And now you people are like trees. Every tree that does not grow good fruit will be cut down with an axe and thrown into the fire. Therefore if you do not show good works, you too will see the same thing. I baptize you with water unto repentance, but there is another person that will come after me that is mightier than I. I am not worthy to bear, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He will gather those that are His followers and discard those that do not want to be His follower.”
Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan. Seeing John, Jesus went to him to be baptized. But John said, “I need to be baptized by you. Why come to me?” Jesus answered and said, “Allow it to be now because it is for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John the Baptist allowed Jesus to be baptized.
And Jesus, when he was baptized rose up straight out of the water and the heavens were opened before John. He saw the Holy Spirit descend like a dove and lighting on Jesus. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
PARENTS: Young children love repetition and so they will love to hear this story over and over again. We did our best to include something for all ages so where necessary, please assist your child or adjust it to make it more their level.
OLD TESTAMENT LESSON
Joseph Is Sold As A Slave (Genesis 37)
Jacob, who is now known as Israel, dwelt in the land of Canaan.
Now Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren. He went to his father, and told his father the bad things his brothers were doing. Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Israel made Joseph a coat of many colors. When his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they disliked him and could not speak nicely to him.
Then Joseph dreamed a dream. Joseph said to them, “This is the dream I have dreamed. We were binding sheaves in the field. My sheaf rose up and stood up. Your sheaves stood around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” His brethren said to him, “Are you to reign over us?” And they disliked him even more because of his dreams and his words.
And Joseph dreamed yet another dream and told it to his brothers. “I have dreamed another dream. The sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me.” And Joseph told it to his father also. His father said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I, your mother, and brothers bow down ourselves to you?” And Joseph’s brothers envied him, but his father observed the saying.
Then Joseph’s brothers went to feed their father's flock in Shechem. Israel said to Joseph, “I will send you to your brothers. Go and see if your brothers are well with the flocks and give me a report.”
And when the brothers saw Joseph as he approached, before he was near, they thought to hurt Joseph really bad. They said, “Let us hurt him and throw him in a pit and then lie about it. We will say that some beast had devoured Joseph.” But Reuben delivered Joseph out of their hands, and said, “Let us not hurt him. Let us just throw him into this pit.” He said this so that he could deliver him to his father again.
And when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors. And they took Joseph and threw him into a pit that was empty and no water was in it.
They then sat down to eat bread. Shortly after that, they lifted up their eyes and looked. They saw a company of Ishmeelites come from Gilead with their camels carrying spices, balm, and myrrh going to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, “Let us sell him to the Ishmeelites.” But Reuben was not with them at the time. So the brothers lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver, which brought Joseph to Egypt.
Now when Reuben returned to the pit, he found Joseph was not in the pit. He tore his clothes, and went to his brothers. Reuben said to himself, “The child is not. Where is he?”
The brothers then took Joseph's coat, killed a goat, and dipped the coat in the blood. They then sent the coat of many colors to their father and said, “This is what we have found. Now is this your son's coat, yes or no?” And Israel knew that it was and said, “It is my son's coat. An evil beast has devoured him. Joseph is torn in pieces.” Israel tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his hips and mourned for his son many days.” And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, “I will go down into the grave mourning my son.” This is what his father wept.
In the meantime, the Midianites sold Joseph into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard.
CHARACTER LESSON
DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN GOD’S SIGHT (1 John 3:22)
John the Baptist was warning people to get ready for Jesus to come. To get ready meant to make sure that the people were not continuing in doing bad things called sin. You should be doing the same thing because Jesus is soon to come back and if you are doing bad things on purpose, you need to ask Jesus to help you not do those things. In fact, you can ask Jesus to help you do good things.
John the Baptist wore clothes that were simple. You too should wear simple clothes, and be neat and clean. You should not ask mommy or daddy for clothes that just look nice, like everyone else has, that cost much more, but rather for practical, inexpensive clothing.
John the Baptist ate simple food. You too should be careful of what you eat. You should not be looking at what everybody else is eating. The food should be simple and good for you. So when mommy or daddy tell you that you may not have a certain food, remember, they are trying to give you only that which is good for you.
John the Baptist was preaching in an unusual place -- the wilderness. Just because a preacher or even a writer does not come from the usual place does not mean that they are not sent by God. You need to check with the Bible if what is being said is the truth.
People being baptized teaches us that, if you have not been baptized, that one day you too should let everyone know that you are a follower of Jesus by being baptized.
John the Baptist saw some people that pretended to be sorry for their sins but really they were not. Some children try to do that with their parents, but God knows if you are really sorry even if you try really hard not to let God know. He still knows. So be truly sorry for the wrong things you have done.
But some people that came to see John said that it did not matter - they were born in the right family that will be going to heaven anyways. God did not accept that then and He does not now. You are not going to heaven just because you are in a Christian home. You must believe in Jesus yourself.
When Jesus met John the Baptist, John felt unworthy standing before Jesus. Jesus is perfect and has the power to save or to destroy. You should be reverent toward Jesus always.
When God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”, He is willing to say that about any son or daughter that is willing to follow Jesus.
Joseph telling his Father the bad things that his brothers did was not the little things to simply get them in trouble but serious things that can hurt and cause big problems. If you see a brother or sister doing something that can hurt or cause big problems, you need to tell your mommy and daddy even if your brother or sister told you not to tell.
Israel loving Joseph more than his other brothers caused a lot of problems. Parents should not love one child more than another. However, children sometimes think that when a parent is giving attention to one child at a time that they must love that child more, but that is not the case. You need to take turns if you have brothers and sisters, especially if they are very little. Little brothers and sisters need more time for learning how to grow up like you have.
Joseph shared his dreams with the family, which made them angry with him. Sometimes you need to be careful in what you tell your brothers and sisters and how you tell them. So it might be a good idea to talk to your parents first before letting your brothers and sisters know something that they do not know.
Joseph eagerly went to check on his brothers when his father asked him to. When parents ask you to do something, you too should be eager to do it even if you do not want to.
The brothers wanting to hurt Joseph is not a good thing to do. You should never hurt anyone. Think of ways to be kind to everyone.
The brothers lied about what happened to Joseph. Telling lies is wrong and God calls it a sin. You should always tell the truth.
NATURE LESSON
And the earth brought forth... the tree yielding fruit, whose seed [was] in itself, after his kind: and God saw that [it was] good. (Genesis 1:12)
There are many types of plants. Some plants grow close to the ground so that when a wind blows, they do not suffer from the wind. Then there are plants that grow up tall and bend with the wind. Then there are tall plants that are fragile and lose petals, seeds, or some other part of the plant in a windstorm. Other plants snap if the wind is too strong. Others are uprooted and tossed in the wind.
Of John the Baptist, Jesus asked a crowd of people, “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” (Matthew 11:7). Did the people go out and see a strong speaking man that if challenged would bend, that is to do the popular thing, or would the man still do what was right? Did the people go to see a man that would preach lightly against the popular wrong things called sin or would he tell them what they must stop doing and do rightly? Did they go to see a person living (dressing and eating) the ways that everyone else was living? Jesus even asked, “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft [clothing] are in kings' houses” (Matthew 11:8). So the answer is no. John was not a person that leaned like a plant blowing in the wind. He did not dress like a king -- but simple. He did not eat like a king -- but simple.
John told the popular teachers that they could not pretend to be sorry for their sins. These were people who were taught in school many, many years while John never went to any school. In fact, his parents taught him at home.
He definitely was not fragile. He did not lose his method of preaching even when these teachers that had all that schooling were standing around asking difficult questions.
John was not like a thorny plant hurting people. He did not simply tell everyone that they had no hope and leave them without hope. He provided hope by telling everyone that if they repent, which is to not continue in their old ways, they would have hope.
We can be like the plants that do not snap, that do not bend with the wind, that are not too fragile. We can do what is right even if everyone else is doing wrong. We can help others to not do the wrong by telling them that we will not do the wrong.
HEALTH LESSON
Whether Therefore Ye Eat, Or Drink, Or Whatsoever Ye Do, Do All To The Glory Of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)
The Third Meal of the Day:
The common practice of eating a large meal late in the day is backward from the natural order. The third meal of the day should be at least 3 hours before bedtime and should never include vegetables, for they would not be digested in time.
The third meal can include foods that are light and easy to digest: crackers, bread, cereal, and fruit.
When no digestion is taking place, the entire body rests better. There will be no disturbing nights rest from the stomach and pre-breakfast quiet time with God will be pleasant. The body is more energetic, and we can even work comfortably for several hours before breakfast if necessary.
When breakfast time comes, the stomach can be awakened and cleansed with a fresh glass of warm water.
Although not recommended for everyone, (under age 2, elderly, and pregnant women) the third meal could be omitted entirely. However, it may take up to six months to adjust to omitting this meal.
Skipping the third meal can cut food costs by about one-third, gives an extra 30-90 minutes of free time and can cut kitchen chores by 30-60 minutes a day. The two-meal plan helps with body weight. Overweight people usually lose weight, and underweight people sometimes gain weight. Without the burden of the third meal, the mind is alert for evening worship, Christian fellowship, study, and recreation. Further, we can go to bed sooner, taking advantage of those doubly blessed pre-midnight hours.
In the autumn, as the days grow shorter, living on two meals a day is easier than at other seasons of the year. Go to bed early.
Overall two full meals a day, properly chewed and at regular times, with nothing in between or before bed, will give you the best health and energy. The third meal is optional.
 |
Mark 1:4 “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
MATCHING: For each item in the first column, write in the letter for the description from the second column.
|
___ 1. Baptize ___ 2. Dream ___ 3. Mourn ___ 4. Pit ___ 5. Repent ___ 6. Slave ___ 7. Wilderness |
A. Place where Joseph was put B. Place where John the Baptist was preaching C. What John the Baptist did to people D. What Joseph became when given to the Midianites E. What Joseph told that made his brothers angry F. What Joseph’s father did when he saw Joseph’s coat with blood G. What people were to do when they came to John the Baptist |
[Answers to July 2002 matching: 1=F, 2=C, 3=D, 4=B, 5=A, 6=E, 7=G]
CRYPTIC: Each letter represents a different letter to make a real word. Replace the letter consistently in each word to reveal the verse being quoted. (Hint - the verse is from the one of the Bible lessons.)
| D C B | A F E G F C | I F D A B | H J, | D C B |
| __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ | __ __ __ |
| . | ||||
| . | ||||
| I F | B F K H L F A F B | I H N | M E J | M O |
| __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ | __ __ __ | __ __ |
| . | ||||
| . | ||||
| J I F H A | I D C B P; | D C B | P D H B, | K F J |
| __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ |
| . | ||||
| . | ||||
| E P | C M J | Q H K K | I H N. | |
| __ __ | __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ |
[Answers to July 2002 cryptic: Each letter in the puzzle stood the place of a real letter: A=D, B=A, C=N, D=J, E=S, F=E, G=U, H=I, I=C, J=R, K=W, L=O, M=T, N=M, O=F, P=V, Q=H, R=G. The verse was: Luke 2:52 “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”.]
UNSCRAMBLE: Rearrange the letters in the following words to reveal the Bible word. (Hint - the words are based upon the Bible lessons and quoted from the King James Version.)
| A A A C N N | E O H J P S | A C T O | A D D E E M R |
| __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| . | |||
| . | |||
| A E E H S S V | I I M N N O O D | G T E P Y | D E M N O R U |
| __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| . | |||
| . | |||
| A B I P S T T | T E E N P R | D G I K M N O | A E E H N V |
| __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ |
| . | |||
| . | |||
| A E E P P R R | T A E I M N R | E I P R S V | A D E E L P S |
| __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ | __ __ __ __ __ __ __ |
[Answers to July 2002 unscramble: Row 1- FLOCKS, DIVIDED, BANDS, CAMELS; Row 2 - SERVANT, LODGED, WRESTLED, HOLLOW; Row 3 - NAZARETH, PASSOVER, JOURNEY, GALILEE; Row 4 - WISDOM, STATURE, FAVOUR, WEEPING.]
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