Jesus' hardcore message... 11 days till easter

Now this next lesson is a little hardcore for a 3 1/2 year old... but i want my kids, from a young age, to know the difference between religion and truly following and being Jesus' friend. And not just knowing about Him but know that they can know Him personally and what that looks like.

Plus they are Jesus' words and He did say them days before He died and rose again... so we know they are important. And they help us understand the religious leaders that played such a big role in His crucifixion.

OUR PRIDEFUL RELIGION

Matthew 23:1-12, 23-28 (One of Jesus’ messages the week before his death and resurrection)

¹ Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³ So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. ⁵ “Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. ⁶ And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. ⁷ They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

⁸ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. ⁹ And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. ¹⁰ And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. ¹¹ The greatest among you must be a servant. ¹² But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

²³ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. ²⁴ Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel! ²⁵ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! ²⁶ You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too. ²⁷ “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. ²⁸ Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Activity: Dress up dinner. Have the kids (and you too!) pick out a costume and where it to dinner. Talk about who they are pretending to be and what that person does. Then talk about the story and how the Religious leaders were pretending to know God but they really didn’t. Jesus wants us to really know Him and be like Him. They were stuck up in their traditions and trying to be good in their own eyes that they missed the whole point… and ultimately missed the predicted Messiah = Jesus.

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Art Project: You will need Sharpies and a mug or cup. Have them draw pretty spring things on the out side of the mug. After they are done on the inside place some mud. (I sit it at the dinner table and it was Elijah surprise..."HEY...there dirt in there!!" - E) Talk about what Jesus said... that the people were pretty on the outside but dirty deep down on the inside. God looks at the inside of our heart… why we do what we do and what we do when nobody is looking… that we need Him for our insides to be clean.. we need his help to live honorable. Then wash the cup out together and drink out of it at your dress up dinner.