ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
3.9
I WOULD ALWAYS TELL HER, “GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH THAT HE WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO GET AWAY WITH THESE THINGS.” Inspire (for parents) When we think of Jesus as Deliverer, it may conjure up images of being hidden away in a strong fortress or having our feet planted firmly on solid ground. While these are beautiful and very true images of our heavenly Father, I’ve also noticed that God uses times of discipline as a method of deliverance as well. My oldest daughter, Faith, will tell you that this was her story as a child. She would get “caught” every time she made a sideways step. It actually became quite comical in our home. I would always tell her, “God loves you so much that He will not allow you to get away with these things.” Faith soon recognized that getting “caught” was God’s way of delivering her from a far worse situation. Her realization that sacred hands were working behind the scenes directly influenced her choices as she matured. Jesus delivered us by the sacrifice He made for one and all on the cross. But isn’t
it amazing to realize that He knows each of us so well that He chooses to use different methods to redeem us? Isn’t it wonderful that He loves us too much to allow us to “get away with things?” It’s staggering to realize that out of His deep love He refuses to allow us to run our own course and that He goes to great lengths to put us in the path of the divine—our Deliverer. by Debbie Guinn
Getting Startedast Supper)
ew 26:14-35 (L Scripture: Matth us is Deliverer Main Point: Jes ve your family to ha designed to allow nd te at n re This resource is ild ch ord before your e time in God’s W parents to be th God’s plan is for e us ca we , Be . ith fa ch ur ch children’s nurturers of their ll primary spiritual , your children wi lly ua irit sp ow gr u yo as know that well. grow spiritually as
Equip (for parents) Equip is additional background information that will help you introduce this Scripture passage to your children this week. God has always used extraordinary measures to deliver His people. He instituted Passover right before He freed His people from the worst and final of the plagues in Egypt—the death of the firstborn. Each year following that event, God’s people paused to remember and celebrate what He had done and how He had delivered them. The Passover meal reminded the Israelites of God’s faithfulness and pointed to a time when He would establish a new covenant with His people. Passover was held the first month of the religious year. (On our current calendar, it falls around late March or early April.) Each year during this time, crowds gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate and remember this important event in Israel’s history. The traditional Passover meal included unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and a roasted lamb. Unleavened bread, bread without yeast, represented the hasty way the Israelites left Egypt during the Exodus; the bitter herbs symbolized the harshness of slave life; and the roasted lamb reminded the Israelites of how the angels “passed over” the homes which had doorposts painted in lamb’s blood. Each house participating in Passover required its own spotless male lamb. A lamb would be chosen by the high priest on the tenth day of the month and kept separate until the fourteenth day, when it would be slain. Once the lamb was killed, it was roasted whole so no bones were broken in its entire body (Exodus 12:46). When Jesus celebrated the Passover celebration with His disciples just before His
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“How MBER VER SE the LOR awesom the D grea Most e is all t t King High, he e ove a Psa r t h!” r lm 4 7:2 death, He redefined this tradition for us (Luke 22:19–20). Jesus knew He would the perfect and final sacrifice—the Lamb of God that takes away our sins. And like the lamb at Passover, not one of His bones was broken at His death. His shed blood satisfied the Father and delivered all who believe in Him.
Support (for parents & kids) Choose a time this week to enjoy a meal together as a family. JUST FOR FUN, find a way to make the meal feel festive. You can set the mood for a celebration just with your attitude, but if you have the time and means, add some other special elements: balloons, special dishes, candles, or a special dessert. Before you eat, read together Matthew 26:14–35. Ask your children what they know about the meaning of Passover. Share with them from this week’s Equip section about the foods in the Passover meal and the meaning behind each item. This is a great opportunity to discuss with them that Jesus became our once-and-for-all sacrifice when He died on the cross. Remind your children that what they just heard is part of The Big God Story and that this week in church they will learn more about Jesus and how He delivers us.
© 2011 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.