Jesus Loves His Sheep
Theme: Good News to Share
Theme Verse: "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10b NIV
Readings: Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15: 3-7
Memory Verse: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
This lesson is rooted in the John 10 parables about Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd knows his sheep by name. He loves them so much that he lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11,15,17) The Good Shepherd, Jesus, laid down his life by coming as a man, a human being, to seek his lost sheep and to lay down his life (die for us) and take it up again (resurrection) (John 10:17) This is his Father's will and command. Jesus and God the Father are one. (John 10:30) This is HOW MUCH God our Father and Jesus love us and all the lost and straying sheep. It is the LENGTHS he will go to, to find his sheep.
Look at the Memory Verse. "God so loved the world (the people he created), that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes/trusts/has faith in him, may not perish/die/be lost but have eternal life." Word received: I lay My life down for the sheep. That is the context for the two parables.
In Matthew 18 and Luke 15 Jesus continues the picture of himself as a good shepherd who loves his sheep so much that if even one is missing, has gotten lost, wandered away, he will go out into the wilderness and search till he finds the lost sheep or lamb and he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and carries it back to the sheep pen. And NO ONE can snatch them out of my hand. (John 10:29) Some are so wounded they have to be carried. Word received: Look at My priorities. I go after the one who is lost. I go to difficult places to find the lost and retrieve them. I will never forsake you; you are mine. Word received: I search out the lost. (See Matthew 18:12)
Remember this is a parable so it makes a main point and doesn't go into details. When the shepherd goes out to search for the lost sheep or lambs, he still loves and cares for the sheep in the sheep fold. The shepherd has assistant shepherds to care for them and they also care for each other. Since Jesus and God the Father are one, he can be in both places at once! Jesus will never leave you or forget you. " I have carved you on the palms of my hands." (Isaiah 49:16) Think of the nails in his hands! "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my father who is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10) Word received: Tell the children (and the adults) that I will never leave them nor forsake them. They are precious in my sight. The Pharisees despised by little ones and I rebuked them. Do not despise the humble and the weak.
God wants us to care about his little ones -- the ones inside the sheep pen and the ones outside. It is not God's will that ANY be lost! (Matthew 18:14) The religious leaders thought that the children were not important and the "sinners" were too bad for God to care about. Word received: Do you see how I value My lambs? I will always take care of them. I want you to treat them as I would treat them.
Jesus doesn't want us to look down on anyone, like little kids, teenagers, the middle aged, old people, the poor, the one who lives an openly sinful life. God doesn't make throw-aways. He loved each one enough to die for them. What does God think of you?
In these two stories we see that not only were the notorious sinners objects of Jesus' search -- but many of the religious leaders of his day had wandered away from God's will--and didn't know it! At least the "tax collectors and sinners" knew they were lost and responded to Jesus. Even Jesus' disciples were concentrating on being the most important and famous. Jesus turns their ideas upside down and tells them that they have to enter his kingdom like a trusting, little child that they looked down on. Jesus himself was their model (the greatest become the least, a servant) but they didn't get it yet. Jesus' own disciples were wandering sheep sometimes. "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost." (Matthew 18:11) Word received. My people, my sheep and my lambs, are wandering and I am calling them back to me.
It is not that Jesus doesn't love those who already know him, it's just SO IMPORTANT that he not lose any! So there is great rejoicing in heaven when a lost sheep returns or is found! Word received: This is about My love for all those who don't know Me. I want every single person to know how much I love them. It is a love deeper than anything they will ever know without Me. Everyone needs My love to be complete. If you know My love, I want you to share it with others. Are you willing?
"Even so it is not the will of your father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Matthew 18:14) Word received: My will is to do the will of my father. I want you to have shepherds' hearts as well. Seek out the lost -- they are all around you. You do not have to go to the mountains -- the lost are all around you.
Word received: I love you. I want you to speak of my love. That is good news. I love lost sheep and I go looking for them. I love sinners and I redeem them. I love you and I lay my life down for you. I want the students in the classes to see that they are to seek out the lost and go looking for the strays. That is my call to you: go look for the strays.
Jesus knows your name and he knows the names of his lost and wandering sheep. He wants to work through you and me to call them back to himself. "All we like sheep have gone astray." Those of us who have been found and redeemed need to remember Jesus' great mercy towards us and let him work through us to find his lost sheep.
There are times when each of us wanders away, maybe a little or a lot. What should we do when Jesus shows us what we have done? "Repent" (turn away from wrong doing and going our own way) and turn/return to Jesus. We give great joy to God when we turn back to him (when he finds us and calls our name.) Prayer: Lord, keep me turning back to you. Give me a sense of the rejoicing that goes on in heaven when I come back to you. Thank you for searching for me when I'm lost.
We see in some of the religious leaders of Jesus' day that sometimes God's sheep not only wander away but have the capacity to reject his will -- to say NO to God. (Luke 7:30 talks about those who rejected God's will for them.)
How do we reach out? Reach out and pray for each person. And pray about how Jesus wants us to pray for that person and for his guidance. Share God's love for them. Help with needs where we can. JESUS IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD. We can rely on him. If we ask for wisdom he will not reject us. "Ask and it shall be given to you."
How to teach teachers' WORD I AM (underline AM) the Good Shepherd. I not only gave My life for My sheep, I give My new life to them. Ask to receive a fresh filling of My Holy Spirit.
Teaching Ideas for Lesson 02
Please read the Study Guide first. Go over Memory Verse to make sure the children understand it and then if they have memorized it.
Remind them their parents need to sign a report slip monthly if they have read the lessons, so they will get credit at the end of the year.
Make sure they know what happened in the story. Get them to tell you.
Basic points of the lesson for little ones:
1. Jesus loves each one of us..
2. Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to die for us and our sins.
3. Jesus loves us so much that He will be with us all the time and be our best friend if we will let him.
4. If we do something wrong, we can tell him we're truly sorry and He will forgive us. He doesn't want to lose anyone.
5. Jesus wants us to tell others that He loves them too!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment