VERSES: Matthew 5:1-12
MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: 2 Thessalonians. Write "2 Thessalonians" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class to take home and memorize.
PRAYER: Pray that we all might show that we are following Christ by the way we act and the way to talk. May we always think about the beatitudes and live our lives in a way that may imitate the beatitudes.
SPECIAL SONG: Be Patient And Kind (see April - Lesson - Joseph Meets His Brothers Who Hated Him for lyrics to song. Click on orange circle to hear tune.)
VISUAL AID: Draw a picture of the Activity below on the whiteboard or chalkboard.
LESSON POINTS:
- The news that Jesus could heal people from their sicknesses spread quickly around the area where Jesus was preaching, places like Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. Sometimes the crowds of people grew so large that Jesus needed to be alone and went to the wilderness for a short time, but there were other times when the people crowded around him and Jesus placed himself in a better position, so the people could hear him better. We just studied about the time that Jesus went into a ship and talked to the people on the shore. This is an example of how Jesus sat in a better place to teach the people.
- In our lesson today, Jesus saw that there were many people following Him and listening to what He was preaching and teaching, so He went up into a mountain. When he was ready and sitting down, his disciples went to Him, and he began to teach them. Some people call his preaching on that particular day "The Sermon On The Mount."
- On that day, Jesus taught the people about how to live the way God wanted them to live and the attitude that they should have towards other people. Some people call the first few verses in Matthew chapter 5 "The Beatitudes" because Jesus told the people to behave in a certain way and have their minds set on a better way to live. He said that his followers would be blessed or happy if they believed and did the things that He said.
- Some of specific things that Jesus said were:
- "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." People who are poor in spirit are not proud or think they are better than anyone else. They treat everyone just the same. People who are poor in spirit are the people will be in the kingdom of heaven.
- "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." People who mourn or are sad because there is so much sin and disobedience to God in the world are promised that they shall be comforted.
- "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." To be meek means to have strength under control. Remember Moses was meek.
- "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." This does not mean physically hungry. It means that people who are hungry and are thirsting for righteousness or doing right, just as they would be hungry for food, will be filled up.
- "Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy." People who are compassionate to the point that they have a desire to help others will find that same mercy.
- "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." People who have unpolluted hearts that are free from sin-which comes from obeying God (1 Peter 1:22)-will see God.
- "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." People who bring peace to others, whether they are soothing others in stressful situations or bringing others to Christ will be called the children of God because God, their Father, would do the same.
- "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Those who are troubled because they are doing right will have a home in heaven.
- "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my name's sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven..." There is a heavenly reward waiting for the obedient children of God who are mistreated because they are trying to do what God wants them to do.
Materials Needed: 9" x 12" light blue construction paper, 4" x 12" green construction paper, 4" x 6" dark brown construction paper, 3" x 12" tan construction paper, 2" x 6" tan construction paper, crayons, marker, glue, scissors.
- Hand out light blue paper.
- Hand out green paper.
- Tear top edge of green paper. This is the mount.
- Glue green paper to bottom of light blue paper.
- Hand out dark brown paper.
- Tear dark brown paper into a rock.
- Glue rock in the middle of the green paper.
- Hand out long strip of tan paper.
- Draw and color the heads and shoulders of people.
- Cut the people out.
- Glue the people to the bottom of the green paper.
- Hand out small tan paper.
- Draw and color Jesus on small tan paper.
- Fold Jesus' feet to the back of Jesus' body.
- Fold about 1/4" above Jesus' feet fold line to make knees.
- Glue Jesus to rock to make it look like Jesus is sitting on the rock.
- Write "The Sermon On The Mount" and "Matthew 5" at the top of the light blue paper.
- Write "Blessed are they..." into a speech bubble close to Jesus (see picture at top).
