FK Case 7
Week 7 July 19, 2015 Case 7: What did Jesus say about Himself? Case 7 Solved: Jesus said He was the Messiah. From:
Headquarters
To:
Fellowship Kids Detectives
Subject:
Case 7: What did Jesus say about Himself?
Case Overview: The Jews expected the Messiah, the promised, expected savior, to be a King. A King was rich, popular, saved people from their enemies, and loved entertainment. The Messiah God sent was Jesus. He was poor, associated with poor and sinners, humble, and saved us from our sin. He needed.
1ST HOUR
2ND HOUR
8:30 - 8:45 (15 min)
Small Group Time
10:00 - 10:15 (15 min)
8:45 - 9:00 (15 min)
Case Brief
10:15 - 10:30 (15 min)
9:00 - 9:15 (15 min)
Large Group Worship
10:30 - 10:45 (15 min)
9:15 - 9:30 (15 min)
Analyze the Evidence
10:45 - 11:00 (15 min)
9:30 - Pick up (10 min)
Case Debrief
11:00 - pick up (10 min)
MATERIALS LIST: SMALL GROUP : 1. Review Matching Game 2. Top Secret Reveal Pages 3. Evidence Envelope
MENTOR NOTES: Your kids may only use the restroom during small group time. They should not be allowed to go out of the garage for water or the restroom during the Case Brief or Worship.
Enclosed:
SMALL GROUP REVIEW
Time:
8:30-8:45am /10:00-10:15am (15 minutes)
SMALL GROUP WELCOME Mentor Directions: You will read ALOUD the text in red and NOTE the text in black. Good morning detectives. I’m __ and I’ll be your lead detective today. Let’s look through our case folders to review our cases so far. Remember to show the evidence from the previous weeks. •
How do we know if the Bible is trustworthy? Who remembers how we solved that case? We know the Bible is Trustworthy because God wrote it.
• We solved How do we know that Jesus is the one that God promised? Who remembers our evidence? • Week 3, we solved the case What Did God say about Jesus? How did we solve that case? • Week 4, we solved the question What did others say about Jesus? How did we solve that case? • Week 5, we solved the case, How do I respond to people who disagree with me? Be Prepared to Give an Answer with Gentleness and Respect. • Last week, we solved Do you remember how we solved that case? Jesus life shows that He is a servant and our Savior. Let’s play a memory game to review our cases. Spread the cards face down on the rug in the center of your circle. the cases we have covered so far. Have you heard of a metaphor? A metaphor is a comparison between two things that don’t necessarily go together. For example, if I say “She’s a bear in the morning when she wakes up,” What do you think I mean? A bear is grouchy, scary, growls. If she is a bear in the morning, she wakes up grumpy. I have some more for you. Tell me what you think I mean when I tell you these metaphors: • This house is a zoo. (The house is loud, crazy, smelly) • Her hair is spun gold. (Her hair is golden, shiny, beautiful) • He has the voice of an angel. (Her voice is beautiful, clear, lovely to listen to) • His hair is a rat’s nest .(His hair is messy, tangly, dirty) • • He sleep like a log. (When he sleeps, he doesn’t move, he is heavy and still)
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 1
Time:
9:15 - 9:30am/10:45 - 11:00am (15 minutes)
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE of evidence with an “I AM” statement. Read the information and discuss each “I AM” statement with your detectives. When we were in large group, we talked about Jesus comparing Himself to physical things with a spiritual meaning. We are going to investigate what Jesus said about Himself. Let’s look at Jesus’ I AMs. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE Listen to this verse: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, (John 6:35a) What is Jesus comparing Himself to? Bread. Put the bread of life Top Secret Reveal page in the middle of your group. When the people heard Jesus say he was the bread of life, they would have thought of when the Israelites had been freed from Egypt. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During that long time, God took care of them. The people were hungry, so each morning, God sent manna which was a thin bread for them to eat. They were each to gather enough for the day. He blessed the bread and it multiplied and fed all the people. What do you think Jesus meant? Why do we need bread? To nourish us, give us life. Jesus gave the people this metaphor to show them that He gives real life. Just like Point to the Bread of Life Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s see what Jesus was saying about Himself when He says I AM the Bread of Life. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 2
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Let’s see what else Jesus compared himself to. Remember he was using physical things they knew to represent spiritual things that were harder to understand. Listen to this verse: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(John 8:12) What did Jesus call himself? The light of the world. Remember the Festival we learned about in Large Group? Well there was another ceremony I want to tell you about. During the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a great ceremony called the “Illumination of the Temple,” which involved the lighting of four golden oil-fed lamps. These lamps were All night long the light shone their brilliance, it is said, illuminating the entire city. In celebration and anticipation, the holiest of Israel’s men danced and sang psalms of joy and praise, before the Lord. This festival was a reminder that God had promised to send a light, the Light, to a sin-darkened world. God promised to send the Messiah to renew Israel’s glory, release them from bondage, and restore their joy. Imagine that you are in ancient Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Visualize seeing these massive menorahs giving a tremendous amount of light. Now imagine the impact of the words said by Jesus in the Temple courtyard when he announced, “I am the Light of the world.” What did Jesus mean when He said He is the light? Why do we need light? So we can see. To take away the darkness. Jesus is the Light, the source of illumination to bring the lost out of darkness. He saves God’s people from their bondage to sin. Now Jesus says that those who follow him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jesus is our Savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the light of the world”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Light of the World Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 3
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD So far, we have seen that Jesus said I AM the light of the world, I AM the gate, I AM the bread of Life and I AM the light of the world. Listen to another I AM Jesus said. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep..my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Ask: What did Jesus compare himself to here? A shepherd. A shepherd was something people in Jesus’ audience were familiar with. A shepherd cared for his sheep - made sure they were fed, safe and cared for. He would lead his sheep to nice green pastures his life to protect the sheep. In village life, each family owned a couple of sheep for personal use. The animals stayed at night in the courtyard of the family’s house - this was like a sheep-sleepover. designating one or more of the children. In the morning, each shepherd would go down the street to gather his sheep. The overnight “sheep-sitter” recognized the shepherd and would open the door for the sheep to pass through. The shepherd would call or their shepherd. together, a shepherd would make his special call as he started to walk away. The sheep knew their shepherd’s call and would follow him. A shepherd would even name his sheep. A sheep wouldn’t follow a stranger, in fact he would run away from him, because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. Each sheep knew its shepherd and was known by his shepherd. Why did Jesus compare Himself to a shepherd? Let the kids share some ideas. Jesus is saying that He is our perfect shepherd. He takes perfect care of us, His sheep. He knows us and He loves us. But Jesus does not just risk his life to protect us from our enemies; he gave his life for the sake of us, his sheep to save us from our sin. Jesus calls us, and we follow him because we know his voice. We need a shepherd to lead us and take care of us. And Jesus says He is that kind shepherd. He gave His life for us, so that we can have eternal life. He is our savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said I AM the Good Shepherd? Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Good Shepherd Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 4
I AM THE VINE We have one more I AM to look at. Listen carefully to these verses. branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more... Remain in me, and I will remain in you...you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. In the other I AM statements Jesus makes, He wants people to believe in Him. He promises to be light, bread, the gate, the shepherd. But in this “I AM” statement, Jesus talks to those who already believe that He is the Messiah. He tells them He is the Vine. What do you know about a vine? There is a vine and the branches are attached to it. Throughout the Bible, the vine was a symbol of Israel, God’s chosen people. When Jesus says I AM the vine, He is saying that Israel’s place as the people of God is now taken by Jesus and his followers. God’s people are now those who believe in Jesus, the true vine. Did you hear that Jesus says that His Father, God, is the gardener? What does a gardener do? waters, prunes, cares for the plants didn’t have fruit and would carefully prune the branches that did had fruit so they would grow even more. Can a branch grow grapes if it is not connected to the vine? No, it needs the vine. So what does this all mean? Jesus says that He is the Vine. Our source of life. We are the branches. We are totally dependent on Him. Just like a branch can’t bear fruit without being attached to the vine, we can’t bear fruit without being attached to Jesus. What kind of fruit do we show? Grapes? We show the fruit of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. God our Father is the gardener. Jesus was obedient to His Father, and we obey Jesus. As branches, we REMAIN in Jesus and bear fruit, and others see us and can tell we are Jesus’ disciples. can be even more fruitful for Him. Jesus’ command is for us to remain in him. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. We need Him to save us and to help us live in a way that pleases the Father. Jesus is our Savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the vine”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Vine Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 5
IF TIME ALLOWS: I AM THE GATE Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. What did Jesus compare Himself to? A gate. In the summer, sheep were sometimes kept out in the pasture overnight. The pen used is simply an enclosure made of piled rocks. There was not a roof or a door, but thorns along the top of the rock walls protect the sheep from wild animals, and the shepherd himself sleeps in the entrance, providing a door. So when Jesus says he is the gate for the sheep, he is still using the image of a shepherd, but applying it directly to himself. From this picture of a shepherd sleeping in the entrance we would expect Jesus’ role to be the protector of the sheep. Jesus does indeed protect his own , but the image is developed here in a surprising way. The sheep are to enter through Jesus, the gate. What does He mean by saying He is the gate? Jesus says the one who enters through him will be saved. When we realize we are lost in our sin, and we believe in Jesus, personal ...he knows each of us, His sheep, by name. We all need salvation, and the only way to be saved is through Jesus, the gate. We are then free from our sin and free to live in Jesus’ presence. He is our Savior. He is our Messiah. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the gate”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Gate Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
THE CASE DEBRIEF
Time:
9:30am- Pick up/11:00am-Pick up (15 minutes)
THE CASE DEBRIEF Wow! Detectives, we have done some amazing investigating today. Let’s review the I AMs we studied today: Show the Top secret pages as you review I AM the light of the World I AM the gate I AM Bread of Life I AM living water I AM the good shepherd I AM the true vine In all these metaphors, our Top Secret Reveal pages showed us our evidence. Do you think we can solve our case today? What did Jesus say about Himself? Jesus Said He is the Messiah! Can we say our case is solved? Let’s say it together! CASE SOLVED! Take time to ask for prayer requests in your group and pray together.
Headquarters
To:
Fellowship Kids Detectives
Subject:
Case 7: What did Jesus say about Himself?
Case Overview: The Jews expected the Messiah, the promised, expected savior, to be a King. A King was rich, popular, saved people from their enemies, and loved entertainment. The Messiah God sent was Jesus. He was poor, associated with poor and sinners, humble, and saved us from our sin. He needed.
1ST HOUR
2ND HOUR
8:30 - 8:45 (15 min)
Small Group Time
10:00 - 10:15 (15 min)
8:45 - 9:00 (15 min)
Case Brief
10:15 - 10:30 (15 min)
9:00 - 9:15 (15 min)
Large Group Worship
10:30 - 10:45 (15 min)
9:15 - 9:30 (15 min)
Analyze the Evidence
10:45 - 11:00 (15 min)
9:30 - Pick up (10 min)
Case Debrief
11:00 - pick up (10 min)
MATERIALS LIST: SMALL GROUP : 1. Review Matching Game 2. Top Secret Reveal Pages 3. Evidence Envelope
MENTOR NOTES: Your kids may only use the restroom during small group time. They should not be allowed to go out of the garage for water or the restroom during the Case Brief or Worship.
Enclosed:
SMALL GROUP REVIEW
Time:
8:30-8:45am /10:00-10:15am (15 minutes)
SMALL GROUP WELCOME Mentor Directions: You will read ALOUD the text in red and NOTE the text in black. Good morning detectives. I’m __ and I’ll be your lead detective today. Let’s look through our case folders to review our cases so far. Remember to show the evidence from the previous weeks. •
How do we know if the Bible is trustworthy? Who remembers how we solved that case? We know the Bible is Trustworthy because God wrote it.
• We solved How do we know that Jesus is the one that God promised? Who remembers our evidence? • Week 3, we solved the case What Did God say about Jesus? How did we solve that case? • Week 4, we solved the question What did others say about Jesus? How did we solve that case? • Week 5, we solved the case, How do I respond to people who disagree with me? Be Prepared to Give an Answer with Gentleness and Respect. • Last week, we solved Do you remember how we solved that case? Jesus life shows that He is a servant and our Savior. Let’s play a memory game to review our cases. Spread the cards face down on the rug in the center of your circle. the cases we have covered so far. Have you heard of a metaphor? A metaphor is a comparison between two things that don’t necessarily go together. For example, if I say “She’s a bear in the morning when she wakes up,” What do you think I mean? A bear is grouchy, scary, growls. If she is a bear in the morning, she wakes up grumpy. I have some more for you. Tell me what you think I mean when I tell you these metaphors: • This house is a zoo. (The house is loud, crazy, smelly) • Her hair is spun gold. (Her hair is golden, shiny, beautiful) • He has the voice of an angel. (Her voice is beautiful, clear, lovely to listen to) • His hair is a rat’s nest .(His hair is messy, tangly, dirty) • • He sleep like a log. (When he sleeps, he doesn’t move, he is heavy and still)
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 1
Time:
9:15 - 9:30am/10:45 - 11:00am (15 minutes)
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE of evidence with an “I AM” statement. Read the information and discuss each “I AM” statement with your detectives. When we were in large group, we talked about Jesus comparing Himself to physical things with a spiritual meaning. We are going to investigate what Jesus said about Himself. Let’s look at Jesus’ I AMs. I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE Listen to this verse: Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, (John 6:35a) What is Jesus comparing Himself to? Bread. Put the bread of life Top Secret Reveal page in the middle of your group. When the people heard Jesus say he was the bread of life, they would have thought of when the Israelites had been freed from Egypt. They wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. During that long time, God took care of them. The people were hungry, so each morning, God sent manna which was a thin bread for them to eat. They were each to gather enough for the day. He blessed the bread and it multiplied and fed all the people. What do you think Jesus meant? Why do we need bread? To nourish us, give us life. Jesus gave the people this metaphor to show them that He gives real life. Just like Point to the Bread of Life Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s see what Jesus was saying about Himself when He says I AM the Bread of Life. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 2
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD Let’s see what else Jesus compared himself to. Remember he was using physical things they knew to represent spiritual things that were harder to understand. Listen to this verse: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”(John 8:12) What did Jesus call himself? The light of the world. Remember the Festival we learned about in Large Group? Well there was another ceremony I want to tell you about. During the Feast of Tabernacles, there was a great ceremony called the “Illumination of the Temple,” which involved the lighting of four golden oil-fed lamps. These lamps were All night long the light shone their brilliance, it is said, illuminating the entire city. In celebration and anticipation, the holiest of Israel’s men danced and sang psalms of joy and praise, before the Lord. This festival was a reminder that God had promised to send a light, the Light, to a sin-darkened world. God promised to send the Messiah to renew Israel’s glory, release them from bondage, and restore their joy. Imagine that you are in ancient Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles. Visualize seeing these massive menorahs giving a tremendous amount of light. Now imagine the impact of the words said by Jesus in the Temple courtyard when he announced, “I am the Light of the world.” What did Jesus mean when He said He is the light? Why do we need light? So we can see. To take away the darkness. Jesus is the Light, the source of illumination to bring the lost out of darkness. He saves God’s people from their bondage to sin. Now Jesus says that those who follow him will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Jesus is our Savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the light of the world”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Light of the World Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 3
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD So far, we have seen that Jesus said I AM the light of the world, I AM the gate, I AM the bread of Life and I AM the light of the world. Listen to another I AM Jesus said. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep..my sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. Ask: What did Jesus compare himself to here? A shepherd. A shepherd was something people in Jesus’ audience were familiar with. A shepherd cared for his sheep - made sure they were fed, safe and cared for. He would lead his sheep to nice green pastures his life to protect the sheep. In village life, each family owned a couple of sheep for personal use. The animals stayed at night in the courtyard of the family’s house - this was like a sheep-sleepover. designating one or more of the children. In the morning, each shepherd would go down the street to gather his sheep. The overnight “sheep-sitter” recognized the shepherd and would open the door for the sheep to pass through. The shepherd would call or their shepherd. together, a shepherd would make his special call as he started to walk away. The sheep knew their shepherd’s call and would follow him. A shepherd would even name his sheep. A sheep wouldn’t follow a stranger, in fact he would run away from him, because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. Each sheep knew its shepherd and was known by his shepherd. Why did Jesus compare Himself to a shepherd? Let the kids share some ideas. Jesus is saying that He is our perfect shepherd. He takes perfect care of us, His sheep. He knows us and He loves us. But Jesus does not just risk his life to protect us from our enemies; he gave his life for the sake of us, his sheep to save us from our sin. Jesus calls us, and we follow him because we know his voice. We need a shepherd to lead us and take care of us. And Jesus says He is that kind shepherd. He gave His life for us, so that we can have eternal life. He is our savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said I AM the Good Shepherd? Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Good Shepherd Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 4
I AM THE VINE We have one more I AM to look at. Listen carefully to these verses. branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more... Remain in me, and I will remain in you...you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. In the other I AM statements Jesus makes, He wants people to believe in Him. He promises to be light, bread, the gate, the shepherd. But in this “I AM” statement, Jesus talks to those who already believe that He is the Messiah. He tells them He is the Vine. What do you know about a vine? There is a vine and the branches are attached to it. Throughout the Bible, the vine was a symbol of Israel, God’s chosen people. When Jesus says I AM the vine, He is saying that Israel’s place as the people of God is now taken by Jesus and his followers. God’s people are now those who believe in Jesus, the true vine. Did you hear that Jesus says that His Father, God, is the gardener? What does a gardener do? waters, prunes, cares for the plants didn’t have fruit and would carefully prune the branches that did had fruit so they would grow even more. Can a branch grow grapes if it is not connected to the vine? No, it needs the vine. So what does this all mean? Jesus says that He is the Vine. Our source of life. We are the branches. We are totally dependent on Him. Just like a branch can’t bear fruit without being attached to the vine, we can’t bear fruit without being attached to Jesus. What kind of fruit do we show? Grapes? We show the fruit of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. God our Father is the gardener. Jesus was obedient to His Father, and we obey Jesus. As branches, we REMAIN in Jesus and bear fruit, and others see us and can tell we are Jesus’ disciples. can be even more fruitful for Him. Jesus’ command is for us to remain in him. Apart from Jesus we can do nothing. We need Him to save us and to help us live in a way that pleases the Father. Jesus is our Savior. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the vine”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Vine Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
ANALYZE THE EVIDENCE Top Secret Reveal Page 5
IF TIME ALLOWS: I AM THE GATE Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. What did Jesus compare Himself to? A gate. In the summer, sheep were sometimes kept out in the pasture overnight. The pen used is simply an enclosure made of piled rocks. There was not a roof or a door, but thorns along the top of the rock walls protect the sheep from wild animals, and the shepherd himself sleeps in the entrance, providing a door. So when Jesus says he is the gate for the sheep, he is still using the image of a shepherd, but applying it directly to himself. From this picture of a shepherd sleeping in the entrance we would expect Jesus’ role to be the protector of the sheep. Jesus does indeed protect his own , but the image is developed here in a surprising way. The sheep are to enter through Jesus, the gate. What does He mean by saying He is the gate? Jesus says the one who enters through him will be saved. When we realize we are lost in our sin, and we believe in Jesus, personal ...he knows each of us, His sheep, by name. We all need salvation, and the only way to be saved is through Jesus, the gate. We are then free from our sin and free to live in Jesus’ presence. He is our Savior. He is our Messiah. So what was Jesus saying about Himself when He said, I AM the gate”? Let’s see. Ask one student to carefully open the Top Secret page. Point to the Gate Top Secret Reveal page. Say: Let’s read this together. Jesus was saying, I AM THE MESSIAH!
Enclosed:
THE CASE DEBRIEF
Time:
9:30am- Pick up/11:00am-Pick up (15 minutes)
THE CASE DEBRIEF Wow! Detectives, we have done some amazing investigating today. Let’s review the I AMs we studied today: Show the Top secret pages as you review I AM the light of the World I AM the gate I AM Bread of Life I AM living water I AM the good shepherd I AM the true vine In all these metaphors, our Top Secret Reveal pages showed us our evidence. Do you think we can solve our case today? What did Jesus say about Himself? Jesus Said He is the Messiah! Can we say our case is solved? Let’s say it together! CASE SOLVED! Take time to ask for prayer requests in your group and pray together.
