Lesson Six

LESSON 6: JESUS AND THE TEMPLE

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: MARK 11:1-19

15:22

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LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will recognise that Jesus drove the buyers and sellers out of the temple because they corrupted the place where people worshipped God.

Students will discover that people from all nations are welcome to worship God.

SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

Jesus in the Temple:

The temple was the central place of worship. Pilgrims from different nations made their way to the temple in Jerusalem. Merchants and money changers would set up shop near the temple so that worshippers could buy from them. Instead of setting up shop outside the temple, they had occupied an area within the temple grounds used for worship by the Gentiles. The temple was supposed to be a “house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah 56:7). Furthermore, the merchants exploited the buyers for the sacrificial animals while the money changers offered unfair exchange rates. They had turned the Lord’s house into a “den of robbers” (Jeremiah 7:11).

INSTRUCTION

WELCOME & REVIEW

Welcome to the sixth lesson! Our lesson today comes from Mark 11:1-19. Last week we learnt that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the one chosen by God and sent to the world to save us all from sin.

Jesus wants us to fully trust him with our lives. We should allow him to influence our lives, families, friendships, and school work.

What are some areas of their lives that young people may feel hesitant to give Jesus full control?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Music, films, romantic feelings or relationships, money, and private thoughts/ideas.)

Total surrender is a daily journey. We are not called to perfection, but to surrender every part of our lives to Jesus. That is what it means to deny ourselves, take up our crosses daily, and follow him. He is worthy of our trust.

Denying ourselves does not mean living a boring life. It means seeking his guidance regarding our plans, dreams, and relationships.

INTRODUCTION

Imagine walking to church one Sunday morning and finding different business activities happening there. As you look closer, you notice that sellers with their cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and ducks have occupied half of the church. All the seats have been stuck on the side to make room for the buyers.

Near the pulpit is a young man dancing to booming secular music as onlookers throw coins to him. You are lost in wonder when you get startled by the loud cheers of some people watching a cockfight.

What feelings would be going through your mind?

(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Confused, angry, bewildered, weird, lost, sad, funny.)

The lesson for today is about “Jesus and the Temple.”

VIDEO CLIP

Let us watch the video clip entitled “Jesus and the Temple.” Listen intently to how Jesus describes the purpose of the temple.

(After the video clip, release the students to sit together in their small groups for group discussion.)

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360p, 214 MB

SMALL GROUPS

If your community was under oppression, what kind of a king or ruler would you wish to become the leader of your people?
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Strong military ruler, an accomplished soldier, a brave person, a war veteran, one who would deliver them.)

Similarly, the Jews were under the oppression of the Romans. They, too, were expecting a strong earthly king who would drive the oppressors out and establish his kingdom. Such a king would be as powerful as David who in ancient times won many battles for the Israelites. In Mark 11:9-10, they saw Jesus ride into Jerusalem and sang “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” To them, the promised Messiah had arrived to deliver them. However, the kingdom Jesus came to establish was not focused on driving out the Romans, but would bring all nations under the rulership of God.

How would Jesus bring the kingdom of David to the people? (Hint: look at Mark 11:10for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Possible answer: Jesus would bring in the kingdom through suffering, death, and resurrection. And in this kingdom, Jesus would rule over all the nations of the earth. The kingdom of David belongs to him, who is God in the flesh.)

Read Mark 11:15-17. Why was Jesus angered by the actions of the buyers, sellers, and money changers?
(Allow students to respond. Answer: Through their actions, they had corrupted the temple of the Lord by converting it into a marketplace. The Gentiles could not properly worship amidst the noise of buying and selling, noise from the moneychangers, and commotion from the animals.)

According to Jesus, what was the purpose of the temple? (Hint: look at Mark 11:17 for help.)
‍(Allow students to respond. Answer: Jesus quoted Isaiah 56:7 and said that the temple was supposed to be a “house of prayer for all nations.” He meant that people from other nations were welcomed to the temple in Jerusalem where they could worship God. He also quoted Jeremiah 7:11 and said that the temple was no longer a house of prayer, but had become a den of robbers where unjust business deals were performed.)

The temple was a symbol of God’s presence. Both Jews and Gentiles could gather in the temple where they would offer sacrifices to God. People from all nations were welcome to worship God. Jesus Christ was concerned that the traders were blocking non-Jews from worshipping God in their designated area.

What does this story teach us about God’s kingdom and people from other nations?(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: The kingdom of God is for all nations. No matter the race, colour, tribe, class, gender, or education status, all are welcome to the kingdom of God.)

Since God accepts all without discrimination, how should that impact how you treat those who are different from you especially in tribe, race, nationality, gender, or education status?
(Students do not need to answer in class.)

Thank you for all your responses. Let us rejoin the other groups so that we can close the session together.

APPLICATION

The church building is still an important place of worship, but our worship of God is not limited to a physical building. Jesus Christ has opened the way for people from all nations to worship God. By having a relationship with him, they can worship from wherever they are because God is always present in his people through the Holy Spirit.

REFLECTION

God welcomes people from all nations to worship him. Spend some time this week thinking about your relationship with him. Do you have a personal relationship with God? Are you his worshipper?

PRAYER

(Thank God for welcoming people of all nations into his kingdom and for our ability to freely worship him any time, anywhere.)

Lesson 5

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Introduction

Alexis: Hey everyone, it's Alexis. Last session, Eli talked about how Jesus gave his life to restore us to God. But he did more than that. Jesus established a kingdom that is still going today. And that's what I'm talking about, the Kingdom of Heaven in the Here and Now. After Jesus rose from the dead, he spent about 40 days with his followers. After that, he gathered his closest friends and said this to them before ascending back into heaven:

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus’ final words to his followers are what we know today as the “Great Commission”. With those words, the followers of Jesus knew exactly what to do, and they went straight to work. Just kidding. No, they didn't. They kinda just stood there looking up. Take a minute to put yourself in their shoes - What would you do? God shows up and does something amazing; now it's your turn. What is your first reaction? Are you excited? Scared? A little bit of both? Describe how you think you might feel.

Empowered by the Spirit for Kingdom Living

I think one question Jesus' followers asked was, "What are we supposed to do?" Which is fair. It might be a question you’re asking. Maybe you're wrestling with something God’s doing in you, and you can't quite figure out what to do next. You're in good company. Jesus' followers went back to the place where they had been staying, and they waited for days. Imagine how that felt. Waiting on God can be tricky. It’s hard to tell if you're waiting in faith or hiding in fear. I'm sure many followers have prayed for God to give them a sign. Well, they got one. Listen to this:

Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4)

The Holy Spirit came and filled the people in that room, and crowds from all over came running. And what happened next is really cool. The followers of Jesus emerged and began speaking to people from every nation in their heart language. In Acts 2, we read that about 3000 people joined God's kingdom that day!

So what does it look like to live in God's kingdom on Earth? Well, it means following the way of Jesus, our King. Think about that for a moment. Read Galatians 5:16-26. What does it mean to walk by the Spirit? Can you relate to the tension between your flesh and the Spirit that this passage describes? How do you see the Holy Spirit working in your life to produce the fruits listed in verses 22-23? Write down your thoughts.

Being the Church

Living in this freedom to follow Jesus, we are able to be what Jesus called “His Church.” The Church is the embodiment of God’s kingdom on Earth. Imperfect, but becoming more like Jesus every day. The Church isn’t a building or institution - it’s millions of followers of Jesus who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, do two things: They love God, and they love others. That’s simple to say, difficult to do, trust me. But we’re not alone. The Holy Spirit is working through us to build God’s kingdom on Earth and make us more like Jesus every day. I trust in God’s big mission, and I hope you do too. See you next time.

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