JESUS OUR KING

memory verse for this unit

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord ... (Philippians 2:10-11, NIV*).

objectives of this unit

This unit will help your preadolescents:• Know what kind of King Jesus is• Understand that Jesus’ resurrection gives them hope of salvation and eternal life • Understand that Jesus’ appearances to his disciples is evidence that he was alive and that death couldn’t rule over him, so they can know that he lives today• Understand that Jesus is alive and will return some day.

the reason we teach this unit

The Jews waited hundreds of years for their promised Messiah. The Messiah was going to fulfill the royal covenant that God made with David, and he would be King forever. However, when Jesus arrived, the majority didn’t recognize him as such because he didn’t fulfill the expectations of the Messiah (Savior) that they wanted. The people wanted a powerful political king to rescue them from their Roman conquerors. When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowd rejoiced and shouted, “Hosanna!” which means: “Save us now!” At that time they accepted Jesus as their king. But, they were not prepared to receive the King of Kings that God had sent. This unit will help the students understand the kind of King Jesus is. It will show them that Jesus didn’t come to be a king like those of the earth. He came to bring God’s love and forgiveness to all who want to receive it. He came to be the King who governs our lives and knows us, contrary to the earthly kings who are distant and alien to the life of the ordinary people. This unit will also help our preadolescents know that Jesus is a King who is alive, and who will one day return. The goal of these lessons is to help them understand that they need a Savior, and to accept Jesus as the King of their lives. Remember that one of the NDI discipleship values is comprehensive biblical learning. Jesus placed a high priority on teaching his disciples from the Scriptures. It was knowledge of the Scriptures combined with his instructions that shaped their knowledge of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Learning the Scriptures, through individual and group study, helps disciples become more like Christ.