Jesus, the king of kings
key words
biblical reference
John 14:1-4, Acts 1:1-11
lesson objective
To help children accept Jesus as the King of their lives
memory verse
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:10, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples over a period of forty days. He reminded them of his teachings about the kingdom of God. However, they still did not understand the spiritual nature of this kingdom. They hoped that Jesus would restore the kingdom to the Jews and destroy Roman power. With these ideas in mind, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
This shows us what kind of king they thought Jesus would be. They did not understand that the earthly ministry of Jesus was over, and now a new period was beginning, not only for them, but also for all of humankind.
Jesus left heaven and came into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. He is now the only one worthy to intercede for us before the Father. His work, as the second person of the Trinity, continues today. Jesus promised to return to earth one day, to bring those who know him to be with him forever.
Jesus also promised the disciples that after he returned to heaven, he would ask the Father to send them the Comforter who would be with them forever (John 14:16- 18). The disciples obeyed Jesus and returned to Jerusalem to wait for this Comforter. He had shown his disciples that he was the expected Messiah, the King of kings who had conquered death and went to the throne of God with power and glory.
The most important decision in the life of a human being is to recognize that Jesus must be the king of their lives. Your children are already at an appropriate age to understand what Christ’s salvation means, and accept or reject it.
introduce the lesson
Remind your children of some of the aspects of Jesus’ resurrection. What day did he rise from the dead? (The first day of the week, Sunday.) How the tomb was after Jesus’ body was placed in it? (Sealed) Who announced his resurrection? (The Angels) Emphasize how wonderful and amazing Jesus’ resurrection is.
Ask, “What does the resurrection of Jesus mean to you?” (Accept all answers.)
Emphasize the idea that Jesus demonstrated his power and glory when he was resurrected, and that is the proof to Christians that he is the King of kings.
teach the lesson
Ask the children to follow along as you tell the story.
It was late; Peter and Andrew could not sleep.
“These last forty days have been incredible,” Peter said. “So many things have happened! I cannot help but wonder what could be waiting for us next.”
“I know what you mean, Peter,” Andrew said.
“When we believed that Jesus would be crowned king, great problems began. I will never forget the fear I felt when the soldiers took Jesus away. Nor can I stop thinking about how he suffered.”
“We were very afraid of the Romans, too!” said Peter. “Yes, and now we’re more afraid of them. The news of Jesus’ resurrection is spreading throughout Jerusalem. The city officials find themselves increasingly angry, trying to hide the truth of the resurrection. They say that one of us stole his body. But let them say what they want. Jesus is alive! We have seen him and so have many people in different places. How can they deny that he is the Messiah?”
“I’m still very afraid of what the Romans will do to us if we do not keep quiet,” Andrew said.
Peter asked, “Do you remember the words of Jesus before he was crucified? He said, ‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.’ ”
Andrew relaxed, sighed and said, “I remember something else that Jesus told us. He said that he was going to his Father’s house. Peter, do you remember his words? ‘I am going there to prepare a place for you . . . I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.’”
“I’ve thought about that a lot,” Peter said. “And I also remember what he told us when he ate with us: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised ... but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Andrew looked confused. “Yes, I know,” he said. “I’m not sure what he meant, but did you hear how he talked about his kingdom?”
Then those who were gathered around him asked, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
“It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
“After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.’”
connect the lesson
Activity:
The kings that people followDistribute Student Activity Sheet #277-A and #277-B and guide the group to review the lesson.
Activity: The kings that people follow
A king is a person or a thing that people put first in their lives. Give your group Student Activity Sheet #277-C for this activity and tell them to look at the banners each child is holding in their hands - Who is their king?
Figure 1 - Money
Figure 2 – Friends
Figure 3 - Celebrities
Ask your children to draw on the blank flag a person or something that is very important to children their age that they try to follow like a king. Remind them of the triumphal entrance to Jerusalem.
Ask:
• “What kind of king did the people think Jesus was?” (A warrior king)
• “What did people do when Jesus entered the city?” (They praised him and left their robes on the ground for him to walk on.)
• “What did the people shout?” (Hosanna to the son of David!)
However, after his arrest, they were disappointed when He was crucified. Even his disciples were frightened. Do you remember what Peter did? (He denied Jesus three times.) Only John was at the foot of the cross. But after three days, Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples. They regained their confidence in him!
Activity: Jesus is king
Have your group refer to Student Activity Sheet #277-B. Find the section entitled “Jesus is King.” Read the sentences aloud. Have your children draw a happy face in the circle next to the sentences that are correct and a sad face next to the incorrect sentences.
• The disciples understood all that Jesus said. (Incorrect)
• Christ returned to heaven as our King. (Correct)
• Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to help the disciples tell others that he is the King. (Correct)
• The kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of love. (Correct)
• Christ came to earth to be a king. (Incorrect)
• Our King Jesus will come again. (Correct)
Now lead your children in a time of reflecting on their relationship with Jesus as King. Ask them:
• “How can Jesus become our King?” (If we ask him into our hearts.)
• “How will we know what Christ wants from us?” (By reading the Bible, his Word.)
• “Will we be different from other people?” (Yes, in our behavior and attitude.)
• “Do you want Jesus to be the King in your life?”
This is a special time - let the Holy Spirit guide you. Encourage the children to accept Christ as King of their life; he is inviting them. Once you know children are seeking a relationship with God, lead them through the following conversation, asking the following questions:
• Do you believe that God loves you?
• Do you know what sin is?
• Do you know who Jesus is?
• Would you like Jesus to be your Savior and best Friend and to begin to live as children of God?
It is as easy as A-B-C!
A: Admit that I have sinned and I need God to forgive me and to help me change.
B: Believe that God loves me and sent His only Son, Jesus, so I can be forgiven.
C: Claim Jesus as my Savior and claim my new identity as a child of God.
Once they have answered these questions, guide them to pray to accept Christ as their Savior.
Tell the children how excited you are that they are now children of God. Let them know that you will continue to pray for them.
Activity: Let’s review
Give your group Student Activity Sheet #277-D. Let them work in groups. Read Acts 1:1-11 aloud with them and let them answer the questions.
• How many days was Jesus with his disciples after his resurrection? (Forty)
• How do you think the disciples felt to have Jesus with them? (Happy)
• Did Jesus demonstrate great power when he rose from the dead? (Yes)
• What did Jesus promise? (That the disciples would receive power to be his witnesses.)
• What did the disciples ask Jesus? (Verse 6 -- Will you restore the kingdom of Israel?)
• What kind of kingdom were the disciples thinking about? (An earthly kingdom)
• In what kind of kingdom does Jesus reign? (The kingdom of our hearts.)
• What happened next? (Jesus ascended into heaven.)
• What did the angels promise? (That he will return the same way that he left.)
Let the groups compare their answers and determine a single answer for each question.
practice the memory verse
Review the memory verse. This is the second to last lesson of the unit and children should have the verse memorized. Encourage those who do not know it to come with it memorized next week.
wrap-up
Pray
To finish the session, have the group share their prayer needs. Let the children pray in their own words. If some of them accepted Christ, tell the pastor of the church and their parents so they can follow up]
Encourage
Encourage the children to share with their family and friends ways Jesus is King of their lives.
Invite
Thank your children for their attendance and announce something about the next lesson to increase their interest. Remind them to welcome new members of the group.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™