Lesson - Jesus' Words Of Comfort

VERSES:   John 14:1-31

MEMORY VERSE:   John 14:1  "Let not your heart be troubled..."

BOOK TO REMEMBER:  Hosea. Write "Hosea" on small slips of paper, so the students may take the book home to memorize.

PRAYER:  We pray that we may always be close to the Lord and do His Will. If we study His Word, we will be drawn closer to God.

SPECIAL SONG:   The Books Of The Old Testament (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #3 on this blog. Click orange circle to hear tune.) Be Patient And Kind (see April 2014 - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)

VISUAL AID:  The Bible. A Large Activity (see below)

LESSON POINTS:

• Jesus knew what was in His future--a death on a cruel cross. He had said to His disciples on different occasions that  His hour was come (John 12:23), that it was because of this hour that He had come to the earth (John 12:27), that He would be lifted up from the earth (John 12:32, 33), that He was going to be with the disciples for only a little while (John 13:33), and that where He was going they could not go (John 13:36). 
• Jesus was concerned about His disciples, so He told them many comforting words. He said not to be worried or troubled. He told His disciples to believe in Him as they believed in God. He said that there were many mansions in His Father's house and that He was telling them the truth. He was going to prepare a place for them, but He was coming back again and would gather His disciples, so that they could go to where He was going--which was heaven.
• While we have the Bible and can read these things that happened for ourselves, the disciples could not see everything like we can. We have the Bible today, but at that time, they were doing the things that were written in the Bible! The disciples did not entirely understand everything that Jesus was telling them, but Jesus said that His Father would send them a Comforter, which was the Holy Spirit,  who would teach them all things and would bring all things that had happened to their memories (John 14:26).
• Jesus also said that if His disciples loved Him, then they would keep His commandments. That is still how we show Jesus that we love Him by keeping His commandments.
• Jesus told His disciples that He would not be talking with them as much as He had been because of the things that were going to happen shortly. He said that He was going to do the things that His Father had commanded that the world might know know that He loved His Father in heaven.

"Older Student" Tips:

• Not only was Jesus going to prepare a home for His disciples, He went to prepare a place for all those who did His will, even us! We might not live in a fancy house here on this earth, but in heaven, there is a mansion for all those who obey Him.
• In John 14:26, Jesus tells us what the Holy Ghost does and that is teach! Some mistaken people say that the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit enters their bodies and makes them jump around and say words that no one knows what they mean, but that is not what John says here in these passages. God chose preaching to save the lost (1 Corinthians 1:21). The Holy Spirit furnishes the words (Mark 13:11 and Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit sends preachers to teach (Acts 8:29). The Holy Spirit does the same as God's Word, the Bible--it teaches (John 14:26).

ACTIVITY:  If you love me, keep my commandments.
Materials needed:  9" x 12" red construction paper, scraps of gold and white paper, scissors, marker, crayons, glue.

1. Hand out red paper.
2. Fold red paper in half, width-wise.
3. Draw a half of a heart on red paper with fold in the middle.
4. Cut on curved line.
   
5. Open heart.
6. Write "IF YOU" on right side of heart.
7. Write "Me," towards the right edge of paper, leaving room for a gold heart to the left of 'ME.'
8. Hand out gold scrap of paper.
9. Fold gold paper in half, width-wise.
10. Draw a half of a heart on gold paper with fold in the middle.
11. Cut on curved line.
12. Open heart.
13. Cut gold heart on folded line.
14. Fold 1/4" outside edges of gold heart. 
15. Glue EDGES ONLY of tiny gold heart.
16. Place on the left of the word 'ME.'.
17. Open heart.
18. Write "LOVE" under gold heart.
    
19. Hand out white scrap of paper.
20. Fold white paper in half, width-wise.
21. Draw a half of a heart on white paper with fold in the middle.
22. Cut on curved line.
23. Open heart.
24. Cut white heart on folded line.
25. Fold 1/4" outside edges of white heart. 
26. Glue EDGES ONLY of small white heart.
27. Place both pieces of white heart on the bottom middle of red heart's fold line.
28. Open white heart.
29. Write "Keep my commandments." under the white heart.
    
30. Decorate.