Lesson Two

LESSON 2: JESUS IS GOD

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: MARK 2:1-17; 3:1-19

15:35

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LESSON OBJECTIVES

Students will identify that Jesus has the authority to forgive sin.

Students will explain how Jesus’ power shows that he is God.

SCRIPTURE BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

Son of Man:

The title that Jesus uses for himself in Mark 2:10 is “Son of Man”. This is a reference to the Son of Man found in Daniel 7. In Daniel 7, God removes all the evil nations that oppose God’s people and gives the kingdom to a person called the Son of Man. The Son of Man is a divine figure. He rides on the clouds like God does ( Psalm 104:3), and all the people in the world serve the Son of Man in his everlasting kingdom. Jesus is claiming to be the Son of Man, the one whom God has chosen to be king. Because Jesus is the Son of Man, he has the divine power to forgive sins.

Levi, the Toll Collector

Jews who collected taxes were not liked. Levi collected certain kinds of taxes called tolls, and these taxes brought in a lot of money to Herod, the leader of Judea at the time. Toll collectors often abused the system in order to gain a profit for themselves. Thus, they were considered to be some of the worst people in society.

The Significance of 12:

In the Old Testament, God’s people were the 12 tribes of Israel. Here in the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus appoints 12 men to be his apostles, he is forming the people of God to be centered around him. Jesus’ ministry of healing and teaching will be carried on by these 12 apostles.

INSTRUCTION

WELCOME & REVIEW

Welcome to the second lesson. We shall focus on Mark 2:1-17; 3:1-19.

Last week, we talked about the good news of the kingdom of God. I would like a few of you to tell us very briefly one thing they can remember from our last session.

(Allow students to respond.)

We also talked about telling others about Jesus Christ. Remember that good news is to be shared with others. God’s kingdom is open to all, and we should continue inviting others to be part of God’s family.

INTRODUCTION

Today, we shall focus on the topic “Jesus is God.”

What would you think if someone you knew claimed to have the same power as God?

(Allow students to respond.)

In today’s lesson, we shall see how Jesus demonstrated that he is God. Are all welcome to God’s kingdom?

(Students do not need to answer at this point.)

As you watch the video, keep that question in mind and see if you have found an answer by the end of the lesson.

VIDEO CLIP

Let us watch the video clip entitled “Jesus is God.” Pay particular attention to how Jesus interacted with all kinds of people.
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(After the video clip, release the students to sit together in their small groups for group discussion.)

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360p, 216 MB

SMALL GROUPS

Imagine the paralytic man was your friend and you could not get to Jesus because of the huge crowd around him. What would you have done?
(Allow students to respond. Possible answers: Wait for Jesus to come out of the house, send someone to call Jesus, and push through the crowd slowly.)

According to Mark 2:5-7 and 2:10-12, how did Jesus demonstrate that he is God?
(Allow students to respond. Answers: He forgave the paralytic man his sins. Since only God can forgive sins, Jesus demonstrated that he is God by forgiving the man. He also showed that he is God by healing the man.)

Why did the teachers of the law accuse Jesus of blasphemy? (Hint: look at Mark 2:7for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Answers: By forgiving the paralytic man’s sins, Jesus had performed a role that can only be done by God. In the understanding of the law, only God could forgive sins. The teachers of the law did not view Jesus as God and therefore were offended when he announced that the sick man’s sins were forgiven.)

How did Jesus demonstrate the purpose of his coming? (Hint: look at Mark 2:15-17for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Answers: He visited the tax collectors and sinners and ate with them. Unlike the Pharisees who would never interact with such people, Jesus demonstrated that everyone including the lame, sinners, and tax collectors are welcome in God’s kingdom. He did not discriminate against anyone and interacted with all kinds of people. Jesus had time for those who welcomed him.)

Why were the Pharisees and the Herodians offended by the actions of Jesus on the Sabbath? (Hint: look at Mark 3:2 for help.)
(Allow students to respond. Answers: Jesus Christ healed the man with the shriveled hand on a Sabbath. By doing this, the Pharisees regarded it as work which was unlawful to do on the Sabbath. The actions of Jesus, however, show that he is compassionate. He showed compassion just like God would do. Jesus’ power to heal diseases also showed that he is God.)What kind of attention did Jesus draw to himself? (Hint: look at Mark 3:10-11 for help.)(Allow students to respond. Answers: The sick came to him for healing, and the evil spirits recognized him as the Son of God, while the Pharisees were offended and plotted to kill him. The Pharisees, who should have been the ones appreciating the coming of the Messiah, were hostile and vindictive.)

Thank you for all your responses. Let us join the other groups and conclude together.

APPLICATION

Back to the question I asked before the video. Are all welcome into God’s kingdom?
(Allow students to respond. Answers: Yes, all are welcome into God’s kingdom. Like God, Jesus does not discriminate. Any person—no matter their struggles and sins—is welcome to God’s kingdom. He loves everyone.)

As Jesus forgave the paralytic man, he is always ready to forgive us, too. This is because of his deep, unconditional love for us. There is nothing we can do that will change his love for us. The process of forgiveness requires that we acknowledge our sins, we confess them to him, and then ask him to forgive us.

REFLECTION

The kingdom of God is open to all. Do you believe that Jesus is God and that he loves you so much?

Throughout this week, think about the fact that Jesus is God and ask him to help you understand how much he loves you. Remember that he loves it when you talk with him!

PRAYER

(Ask a volunteer to pray that students will accept that Jesus is God and is able to forgive their sins and heal their diseases.)

Lesson 1

Lesson 3

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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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