VERSES: Matthew 21:23-27
MEMORY VERSE: Matthew 21:27 "...And he said, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."
BOOK TO REMEMBER: Psalms. Write "Psalms" on small slips of paper and hand out to the students at the end of class, so they may taken them home to memorize another Old Testament book. It is always good to recite all the books of the Old testament as a class.
PRAYER: May we always have a pure heart that will accept the Truth.
SPECIAL SONG: Jesus Taught By Parable And Miracle (see March 2014 - Songs We Sing In Bible Class #4 on this blog. Click on orange circle to hear tune.) Since this is a shorter lesson than some, perhaps this would be a good time to sing some of the songs that the class has learned over the past few weeks. For new songs, scroll down to Special Articles - List - Songs on this blog.
VISUAL AID: Using a white board or chalkboard, draw Jesus talking to the chief priests and elders as you tell this short lesson.
LESSON POINTS:
- The chief priests, the elders of the people, and the Pharisees were always trying to trick Jesus into saying things that were not true or they would twist His words into meaning something different than what Jesus meant. Sometimes they lied about what Jesus said, but Jesus knew all things, so He knew what their hearts' intentions were.
- When Jesus went into the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people went to Jesus while He was teaching and asked Him, "By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?" Jesus knew their hearts. They already knew the answer to the question they were asking Jesus, yet they were still challenging Jesus.
- But Jesus did something that they did not expect. Jesus asked them a question! Jesus said, I will ask you one thing. If you tell me the answer, then I will answer your question. Where did the baptism of John come from? Was it from heaven or from men?"
- The chief priests and elders got together and talked about Jesus' question. They said among themselves, "If we say John's baptism was from heaven, then he will ask us why did we not believe John; but if we say that John's baptism was of men, then we fear the people who are listening to this conversation because everyone considered John a prophet." So, the chief priests and the elders lied to Jesus and said, "We cannot tell." Jesus said to them, "Then I cannot tell you by what authority I do these things."
"Older student" Tips:
- There are many verses in the Bible that tell us that Jesus knew the hearts of people (Matthew 12:25; Mark 2:8; Luke 6:8; Luke 11:17). Jesus knows what is in our hearts, too. When we do not answer truthfully, then we are being deceitful and not being honest. God wants our hearts to be pure (Matthew 5:8).
ACTIVITY: Jesus Answers A Question With A Question
Materials needed: 9" x 12" yellow construction paper, crayons, scissors.
- Hand out yellow paper.
- Holding the paper portrait-style, fold the paper down 2" at the top of the paper and fold the paper up 2" from the bottom.
- Trace on fold lines.
- Draw a line down the middle of the top box and a line in the bottom box.
- Cut both short lines.
- In top left box, write, "By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?"
- In top right box, write, "Where did the baptism of John come from? From heaven or from men?
- In bottom left box, write, "We cannot tell."
- In bottom right box, write, "Then I cannot tell you by what authority I do these things."
- Fold top and bottom boxes towards the back of the paper.
- Draw a line 1" from the top boxes.
- In this long top box, write with bright crayon, "Jesus' Authority Questioned."
- Draw a line 1" from the bottom boxes.
- In this long bottom box, write, "Matthew 21:23-27."
- In the large box in the middle, draw Jesus talking to the chief priests and elders in the temple.
- The way it works:
- All 'cut' boxes are folded towards the back of the paper, so they cannot be seen.
- The chief priests and elders ask their question of Jesus by unfolding their question, so it pops up and can be read aloud, then folded back down again.)
- Jesus then asks his question (unfold Jesus' question, so it pops up and can be read aloud, then folded back down again.)
- The chief priests and elders' answer is revealed, read, and folded up again.
- Jesus' answer is revealed, read, and folded up again.
