*JESUS PRESENTED AT THE TEMPLE (Luke 2:21-40)
* JESUS AS A TWELVE YEAR OLD BOY (Luke 2:41-52)
* HANDOUT
* JESUS AS A CHILD PLAY
Bible Memory Verse:
“…he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40
“…Jesus grew in wisdom and…in favor with God and men.” Luke 3:52
*JESUS PRESENTED AT THE TEMPLE (Luke 2:21-40)
Eight days after Jesus was born Joseph and Mary named Him Jesus, the name the angel had given him.
Thirty-three days later, according to Jewish custom (“On the eight day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.” Leviticus 12:3-4), Joseph and Mary went to present Jesus to the Lord.
The firstborn child was to be dedicated (some of you have been dedicated to the Lord–your parents and the family of God promise to raise you to know Jesus) to the Lord (“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether man or animal.” Exodus 13:1-2)
A good righteous man named Simeon was waiting to see a Savior come to the Jewish people. God had shown him that he would not die until He had seen Jesus.
The Holy Spirit of God told Simeon to go to the temple where Jesus was being presented to the Lord. Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32
Anna, an old woman never left the temple but worshiped God night and day. She was a prophetess (someone who hears from God and tells what He says to others), She came up to Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus at that very moment, giving thanks to God and speaking about the child to all that were looking forward to the promised Savior.
The child’s father and mother marveled (wondered with excitement) about what was said about him.
QUESTIONS;
1. Where did Joseph and Mary take Jesus after He was born? Why?
2. What did God promise Simon would happen before he died?
3. Why did Anna know that Jesus was the Promised Savior?
4. What did Joseph and Mary do when they heard these things?
* JESUS AS A TWELVE YEAR OLD BOY (Luke 2:41-52)
The Bible does not tell us much about Jesus when He was a boy. We know that He had a happy home. His mother Mary was a wonderful mother. He had several half brothers and sisters. Remember that Jesus’ real father was the Holy Spirit.
In those days a boy learned to do the work that his father did. Joseph was a carpenter so Jesus learned to be a carpenter. WHAT IS A CARPENTER?
The Bible does not tell us much about when Jesus was a boy. The Bible does tell about one time when Jesus was twelve years old. A boy who was twelve years old was given special privileges and responsibilities.
When Jesus was twelve, He went with His parents to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover. The Jewish people had celebrated the Passover every year since the time when Moses had been their leader. The Passover was the time that they were saved from having the firstborn of each family die because they had put the blood of a lamb over their doors.
In order to get to Jerusalem many people traveled together in groups, usually by walking. It took several days to walk from Nazareth where Jesus lived to Jerusalem.
They stayed in Jerusalem several days. When it was time to leave, Joseph and Mary thought Jesus was with people with whom they were traveling. After they had traveled for a day, they began looking for Jesus among relatives and friends. When they did not find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for Him.
After three days they found Him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers. When His parents saw Him, they were astonished. His mother said to Him, “Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why are you searching for me?” He asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what He was saying to them. We know now that He meant that God was His Father and He had to be in the temple, which was God’s house. He had not been disobedient to His parents—He just thought they must have known where He was.
Then Jesus went home with His parents and was obedient to them. Then Jesus grew older and wiser and in favor with God and man.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is Passover? How often is it celebrated?
2. When it was time to leave and Jesus was not with them, where did Jesus’ parents think Jesus was?
3. Where did Jesus’ parents finally find Him?
4. What was He doing?
JESUS AS A CHILD
Bible Memory Verse:
“…Jesus grew in wisdom and…in favor with God and men.” Luke 3:52
1. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple:
a. To see Simon
b. To be dedicated or set apart for God
c. To get food
2. God promised Simon he would:
a. Receive some money
b. See the Savior before he died
c. Live to be 100
3. Anna knew Jesus was the Savior because:
a. God told her
b. She knew what He would look like
c. She read about it
4. Jesus went to the temple in:
a. Jerusalem
b. Bethlehem
c. Nazareth
5. Every year the Jewish people celebrate:
a. Easter
b. Christmas
c. Passover
6. Passover is when:
a. A special kind of bread
b. Jewish people were set free
c. Noah built an ark
7. In Jesus’ day poor people usually:
a. Rode in wagons
b. Rode on bicycles
c. Walked
8. When Jesus was missing His parents thought:
a. Jesus was in the market place.
b. Jesus was at the temple
c. Jesus was with relatives or friends
9. When Jesus was missing His parents:
a. Found Him in the market place
b. Found Him at the temple
c. Found Him with relatives and friends
10. When Jesus grew older:
a. He became wiser
b. He became rich
c. He had 10 brothers
Bible Memory Verse:
“…Jesus grew in wisdom and…in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52
CHARACTERS: Jolly the Giraffe, Polly the Polar Bear, Leo the Lion
JOLLY: (enter) Hi, Kids! Did you have a nice Christmas? (wait for response) Did you get nice gifts? (wait for response) Isn’t it neat that on Jesus’ birthday, we are the ones that get gifts? Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” Acts 20:35 I guess Jesus must be more blessed than anyone because He gives so much.
POLLY: (enter) Hi Kids! Did you have a nice Christmas?
JOLLY: That’s just what I asked them, Polly. And they did.
POLLY: And did they hear the Christmas story?
JOLLY: I know they heard it in Kid’s Club.
POLLY: That’s right. We had a special Christmas Pageant, didn’t we? Hey Jolly, Thank you for the Christmas gift. I have always wanted a brush for my fur.
JOLLY: You’re welcome.
LEO: (enter) Hi, everyone! (wait for response) I’m glad to be back in Kid’s Club. It’s interesting that Jesus was a baby and then a boy. He grew up and lived in a family just like us.
JOLLY: It sure is interesting. And interesting that Simeon and Anna heard from God about Jesus.
POLLY: I wish we could hear from God like that.
LEO: We can. Probably we hear from God more than we think.
JOLLY: That’s true. But first, you need to be a child of God by asking Jesus to forgive you and asking Him to come into your heart.
POLLY: I’ve done that. Now what do I do?
LEO: Read your Bible, for one thing. The Bible is God-breathed. That means that He told men what to write. The Bible is like God’s letter to us.
POLLY: That makes me want to read the Bible more and more—knowing God wrote it.
JOLLY: The Bible tells us what God would have us do. But God can speak to us in other ways, too. Like Simeon and Anna didn’t read in the Bible that Jesus would come to the temple that day.
LEO: They just knew from the Bible that He would be coming.
POLLY: I guess God just told them because He knew they loved Him and were waiting for Jesus to come.
JOLLY: That’s right. Maybe if we just ask to hear from God and obey Him, He’ll tell us special things, too.
LEO: And God leads us along. If we are His children He protects us and guides us and answers our prayers. We’ll be like Jesus. The Bible says that, “…Jesus grew in wisdom and…in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52
POLLY: Wow, it’s more exciting to know God than anything else!
JOLLY: It sure is! Maybe try to remember what you hear from God this week and we can talk about it next week.
POLLY & LEO: OK
JOLLY: See you next week, kids!
POLLY & LEO: Good-bye, kids!
(Puppets exit)