Introduction: Essential Jesus

ALL ABOUT JESUS 
ESSENTIAL JESUS…
Over the next couple of months, you are going to go on an adventure learning all about Jesus. Most people think the Bible is all about people. But the Bible is actually all about Jesus. You don’t read His name much in the Old Testament, but He is talked about on almost every page. Get ready to learn why Jesus is important and how God worked His massive plan for Jesus to come to earth and be your Savior.

Why Jesus?

Day 1 – CREATION

Let’s start from the beginning… literally. Why Jesus? Let’s look at the beginning of the Bible.
Read Genesis Chapter 1-2:3
Write down what God created on each day of the week.
Re-read Genesis 1:26-27
On what day did God create man? How did God create mankind?
Do you believe you are created in God’s image?

Day 2- MAN’S ROLE

Read Genesis 1:26-31 again
What responsibility did God give mankind? Did they have a cool job?
How did God provide for the man and the woman?
Do you think that the man and woman had everything they needed in the garden?
Does God give you everything you need today?

DID YOU KNOW

Did you notice that God said “Let there be light” on day 1 of creation, but didn’t create the sun and the moon until day 4? Do you wonder how there was light on days 1, 2, and 3? In the book of Revelation in chapter 22, God tells us what the new earth will be like after Christ returns. He tells us there will be no sun or moon because God will give the light. God was the light for days 1, 2 and 3 of creation. Isn’t it cool that He will do the same thing in the end as He did in the beginning?

Day 3- DOWN TO THE DETAILS

God put Genesis 1 in the Bible to tell us how and when He made the earth and all that is in it.
Genesis chapter 1 gives us the overview and chapter 2 gives the specifics of what happened.
Read Genesis 2. Look back on your list from Day 1.
Did God provide what mankind needed before He created mankind? Do you think God provides things for you before you need them?
What did God tell Adam he could eat? How many trees do you think were in the Garden?
Did God give Adam a lot or a little? What was Adam not supposed to eat?
Do you believe God knows what you need? Why or why not?

Day 4- GOD’S PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING

Read Isaiah 46:10
What does God declare in the beginning?
If God knew the end of all things when He created the earth, do you think He knew that mankind would need Jesus?
Do you think God knows all that is going to happen in your future?
What does God promise you at the end of this verse?
How does this verse give you confidence in what God has planned for you?
How does this verse give you confidence in what God says you need?

Day 5- I AM CONFIDENT…

Re-read Genesis 1:26-27. How was man and woman created?
What do you think it looks like to be created in God’s image? (If it helps, how are you like your parents or family members? Do you resemble them in any way?)
What does it mean to be created in God’s image? God made you with the capacity to look like Him! This is part of the answer to the question of “why” Jesus. It is also important to show you proof that God had His plan in place before He created the earth. God built mankind in the beginning so he would be ready for Jesus. Here’s the deal: God created you in His image but you don’t have His character. He is holy and you are not, but He created you with the capacity to have His holiness. You won’t ever be God, but you can have His righteousness. This is why and how Jesus comes into play…
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21
Can we do anything to earn God’s righteousness?
How can you have God’s righteousness?
Read Galatians 2:20
When you believe in Jesus, who lives in you?
When God created mankind in His image, did He create a home for Jesus?
Read John 8:12
What are ways you can actually look like God through Jesus?
What is Jesus? What will you have if you follow Him?

Man's Fall

Day 1- TWISTED

Read Genesis 3:1-13
Who is the serpent? What does the serpent tell Eve?
Read Genesis 2:15-17
What did God specifically say not to do with the tree? Did God ever say they couldn’t touch the tree? Why do you think the serpent twisted what God said?
Do you believe twisting the truth is a lie? Have you ever believed a twisted truth?
Have you ever twisted the truth?
Living in the Garden of Eden was awesome. Adam and Eve had the coolest job ever and they had more food, water, and shelter than they could ever ask for. They had everything. They even saw God everyday. They didn’t even need the one thing God said they couldn’t have. God knew the danger of the serpent in the tree. He was protecting Adam and Eve from being separated from Him. Isn’t it funny how we always want what we shouldn’t have? This is exactly why we need Jesus.

GIVE IT A TRY!

There are many people who know Jesus but don’t believe Him to be their Savior. How can you know Jesus and not believe Him to be who He says He is? They don’t see their need for Jesus. You have to realize you need Jesus to accept Him as your Savior. Make it your goal this year to not just learn about Jesus but also look into your own heart and see all the ways you need Him.

Day 2- LIAR, LIAR…Read Genesis 3:1-13 again
In verses 4-5, how did Satan lie to Adam and Eve? Did they believe it?
Have you ever believed a lie before? Write down what that was like.
Satan lied to them by saying they would not die. True death is to be separated from God forever. God didn’t want them to eat from the tree of life because He did not want man to be separated from Him.
Read Genesis 3:6 again. What are the three reasons Eve ate from the tree?
Have you ever chosen to do something wrong because you were physically hungry or hungry for things of the world? Have you chosen to do something wrong because it was a “delight to the eyes”? In other words… it looked good?
Have you ever chosen to do something wrong because it would benefit you?

Day 3- THE AFTERMATH

Read Genesis 3:7-13
What immediately happened to Adam and Eve after they ate?
Do you think they felt ashamed? What do you think they were feeling?
Have you ever done something wrong? How do you feel after you do it?
What did they try to do to hide what they had done?
Read Genesis 3:12
Did Adam own up to his sin or did he blame someone else? Have you ever blamed someone else for your actions? How did Eve respond?
Some people get confused that God didn’t know what Adam and Eve had done. He actually did know they sinned but asked them the questions so they would recognize what they had done. God starts by asking them “Where are you?” He asks this not because He didn’t know, but so they would realize they had separated themselves from Him. Before they sinned they literally walked with God and interacted with Him every day. Now they were separated; not because God left them, but because they left God. Can you relate to this?

Day 4- THE CONSEQUENCES

After man sins in Genesis 3, God gives consequences to the serpent (Satan), Eve and Adam. What God says to Adam represents consequences for males but also consequences for all of mankind… woman and man. Today, we are going to focus on the consequences for mankind because of sin.
Read Genesis 3:17-24
In verse 19, where will mankind return? Satan told Adam and Eve they would not die. Based on what God says in verse 19, was this true?

Day 5- THE TREE OF LIFE

Read Genesis 2:15-17
What trees could Adam and Eve eat from?
What was the tree called that they could not eat from?
Read Genesis 3:22
What tree was also in the Garden of Eden? What happens when you eat from that tree?
God said only the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden. If all other trees were okay to eat, were Adam and Eve allowed to eat from the tree of life?
Read Genesis 3:23-24
What did God do to guard the tree?
Do you think man has any chance to eat from that tree on his own?

Yesterday, you learned that sins have consequences. Just like a parent disciplines his children, God disciplines us. But God is also a protective Father and remembers mercy. Adam and Eve made a choice to disobey God. They sinned causing separation from God. If they had eaten from the tree of life afterwards, they would live forever in a sinful state, separated from their Father. So God protected His children by removing them from the Garden. God knew one day, through Jesus Christ, He would create a way for His children to once again live with Him forever.

The Problem With Sin

Day 1- SIN

Learning what God says in His Word on your own is an important way God grows your faith in Him. Your job today is to make note of what God is telling you about sin in the Bible.
Read the following verses:
James 4:17, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, 1 John 1:8-10, James 1:14-15, and John 8:34
Sum up what you have learned about sin in a few sentences.
Can you relate to any of these verses?

Day 2- YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY

The world likes to think that people are good until they are influenced by evil. The Bible says that sinning is part of our nature.
Read Ephesians 2:1-3
Before someone believes in Jesus, who do they follow? What desires do humans have?
Read Genesis 8:21
When does man have evil intent in his heart?
Read Psalm 14:2-3
What did you learn about the state of mankind?
Read Romans 5:12
You are no different than Adam. You are a sinner. It’s easy to get mad at him for disobeying God, but you would have done the same thing. Adam was born with the need for a Savior and so were you!
Do you think you need a Savior?

Day 3- GOD IS HOLY

Read Isaiah 6:3
How is God described in this verse?
Read Psalm 5:4-5
Why can’t God be involved with sin?
Read Isaiah 59:2
What have your sins done?
God wants to have a relationship with you but He cannot be involved with sin. He is pure. There is no wrong in Him and He must protect His holiness. This doesn’t sound good for us sinners, but God loves us and does not want us to have separation from Him. He wants all men to be with Him forever.
Read 2 Peter 3:9
What does God desire?

Day 4- THE PLAN WAS IN PLACE

After Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the serpent (a.k.a Satan). You would probably pass over this verse 100 times because it is hard to understand, but it’s important because it’s the first mention of Jesus in the Bible.
Read Genesis 3:15. What will God put between the woman and the serpent?
Who is the only woman in Genesis 1 mentioned?
Read Luke 3:23-38
Was Adam in the lineage of Jesus? Who was Adam’s wife?
Read Genesis 3:15 again. What will the woman’s offspring do to the serpent (Satan)?
What will Satan do to the woman’s offspring (Jesus)?
Whew!!! This verse is kind of cryptic. The Bible is cool that way. At this time in history, God was not ready to reveal all the details about Jesus, but He wanted to let Satan know that he will be destroyed. The word enmity means “two sides against each other”. Satan would bruise Jesus on the heel. If you think about it, being bruised on the heel is not that big of deal. You might hurt for a little but you can recover. God is giving us a little clue about the cross. Taking death on the cross was very painful, but Jesus conquered sin and death three days later through His resurrection. You want to know something cool? The word “bruised” means “crushed” in the original language of the Bible. You can recover from a heel being crushed, but you cannot recover from your head being crushed. God is telling Satan right here, in the beginning, that he had no chance. Are you thankful God had the plan of Jesus in place before man sinned?
Circle one:  YES or NO

Day 5- SACRIFICE NEEDED

Read Genesis 3:6-7 again. What did Adam and Eve do to try to cover themselves?
Read Genesis 3:21. What did God do for Adam and Eve to clothe them?
Do you realize you just read about the first sacrifice in the Bible? Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves with leaves. Think about how temporary and silly this fix was. A leaf would have become very fragile and wilted away to nothing. God clothed them instead with animal skin, which means there was a sacrifice. The animal skin was a much more lasting solution. God shows us that to cover your sin, there must be a blood sacrifice. Like Adam and Eve, we try to cover up our sin and fix things ourselves. God’s plan is bigger than a “cover up.” Instead of covering up your sin, He wants to clothe you with something a lot more lasting… His righteousness. To get God’s righteousness, there has to be a sacrifice.
Read Hebrews 2:14-15
Why did God become flesh and blood in other words… human?
What did Jesus do for those who were in lifelong slavery to sin?
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, the perfect Lamb whose blood sacrifice makes an everlasting atonement for those who believe in Him.

Jesus is the Plan

Day 1- JESUS PASSED THE TEST

Read Matthew 4:1-11
What are the three ways Jesus was tempted?
How did Jesus respond?
It is important to understand that Jesus was tempted in the same way that Adam and Eve were tempted. They failed the test and He passed it. Adam and Eve ate the fruit because it was good for food, they believed Satan when he twisted God’s words and told a lie, and they wanted power by being wise like God. Jesus, on the other hand, trusted God to provide the best food for Him, He didn’t listen to Satan twist God’s truth, and He wasn’t tempted by the “power” that Satan offered Him. Jesus was the only human on earth to never sin.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21
Why is it important that Jesus did not sin?

Day 2- THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

Read 1 Peter 2:24
What did Jesus do for us on the cross?
How is your “wound” or your problem of sin healed?
Do you believe Jesus did this for you?
Write down this verse and memorize it today.

I PROMISE YOU

God promises that He will one day put an end to all evil. He has not yet done this because He wants people to know Him so He allows sin and evil for a little while. In the future, His wrath will destroy Satan and all evil. Jesus saves you from experiencing God’s wrath when it happens. The great news is there will be no more evil, and because of Jesus you will get to live life without it.

Day 3- JESUS SAVES US

Read Romans 5:6-10
What did God do for us? When did God do this for us? “While we were still _________”
The word “justified” means being declared righteous. How did Jesus do this?
What will we be saved from? Write these verses down and memorize them.

Day 4- JESUS GIVES ETERNAL LIFE

Read Romans 6:23
Without Jesus, our sin separates us from God. What do we get because of Jesus?
Write this verse down and memorize it this week.

Day 5- THE TREE OF LIFE UNGUARDED

In the beginning, man literally lived with God, walked with God, and saw Him daily. Man sinned and could no longer live with God this way. God always had a plan to solve this problem: Jesus. He sent His Son because He loves you and wants you to live and walk with Him forever. The end of the Bible gives us a hint at what forever with Him will be like.
Read Revelation 22:1-4
What will living with God forever be like? What tree is present?
Read Ephesians 2:8
How are you saved? Is there anything you can do to be saved?
In Genesis 3, we learned that Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie and they were disobedient to the Lord’s instruction. They sinned and became separated from God. Through His Son, God gave us a gift – eternal life. We cannot do anything to earn it.
God loves us so much that He gave His Son so we could live forever with Him.
Read John 14:16. Memorize this verse today.

Satan's Attack

Day 1- WHAT GOD WANTS

Today is just a reminder of what God wants for you.
Read John 10:10. What does your enemy want to do to you?
How did Satan do this with Adam and Eve? How has he done it in your life?
What does God want for you? How did God show this in the Garden of Eden?
How does God show this in His plan to save you?

Day 2- SATAN’S ATTACK

Yesterday you learned how Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan thought he had the power to stop God from bringing you salvation. One of his attempts to “steal, kill and destroy” your salvation comes with the story of Noah and the flood. If salvation was coming through mankind, Satan was going to attack mankind. Read how He did it.
Read Genesis Chapter 6,7,8 and 9
Make notes in your Bible or in this notebook about what happened.
Why did God have to bring the flood? How did Satan attack?
How did Jesus stop what Satan had done? Thousands of years later, what are some ways you have seen Satan try to keep salvation from you or others?

Day 3- THE PROMISE

Read Genesis 8:6-14. After Noah sent out a raven, what bird did He send out of the ark?
Why did Noah send out the bird? What did the dove eventually return with?
In the story of Noah, the dove is the promise of life. It returns with a olive leaf and Noah knows the flood water has receded and there is now life on earth. I know Jesus’ name was never mentioned in the story of Noah, but this story gives a little look on how God will show us who the promise of true life is. God will actually use the dove again to show that true life has shown up on earth.
Read Matthew 3:13-16
Why is a dove seen in the sky? What true life has shown up on earth?

Day 4- LINEAGE OF JESUS

Read Genesis 5 and write down the lineage of Jesus from Adam to Noah on the page titled “Lineage of Jesus.” This chart is located at the end of this month. We have started it for you to give you an example, but add to it from what you read. If there are any women mentioned, put their name in parentheses next to the husband. For example: Adam (Eve)
Read Luke 3:23-38. Don’t add to the lineage of Jesus yet. You will do this later.
Is Noah in the lineage of Jesus? Why do you think God chose Noah and his family to be saved in the ark? Do you think Satan can stop God from bringing salvation?

Day 5- GOD’S PLAN SECURE

Read Job 42:2
How powerful is God? Does God show this in the story of Noah? How?
Does this story prove that God fulfills what He promises?
Does the story of Noah show God can protect and complete His plan?
Read Philippians 1:6
Do you believe that God is able to fulfill His promise of salvation in your life?

God's Plan Includes People

Day 1- LINEAGE OF JESUS CONTINUED

Continue adding to the Lineage of Jesus chart where you ended last.
Read Luke 3:34
Which one of Terah’s three sons was in the lineage of Jesus?
This week you are going to learn about how a guy named Abram, who was also known as Abraham after God changed his name. You are going to learn how Abraham was a part of God’s plan for Jesus and how the true stories of his life point to Jesus!

Day 2- GOD’S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM

God made some promises to Abram (a.k.a. Abraham).
Read Genesis 15:1-6. List all the things God promised Abraham.
How many offspring or descendants would Abraham have?
Read Genesis 17:1-8
God told Abraham that he would be the father of a multitude of what?
What would come from him? Read verse 7 again. What type of covenant would God make with all of Abraham’s people?
This probably was overwhelming and very confusing to Abraham because he was old and didn’t have a son. Later in the chapter, God promises Abraham that he and his elderly wife would have a son. Could you imagine waiting 99 years to have a son? What is more confusing to Abraham is how he would be the father of many nations. Abraham and his wife were Israelites. In today’s culture, an Israelite is more commonly known as a Jew. Abraham is the father of Jewish people, but how can a Jewish man and a Jewish woman father many nations? Jesus, who is in Abraham’s direct lineage, would unveil the mystery of how this could happen after He died and resurrected.
Read Ephesians 3:6
In the Bible, Gentiles are any nation that is not Jewish. Because of Jesus, who else are considered God’s people?
Are there different people from all different nations in the world now who believe in Jesus? Did God’s promise to Abraham come true through Jesus?
How does this give you confidence in Jesus?

DID YOU KNOW

God chose to show Himself through His people throughout the entire Bible. In the Old Testament His people are the Jews, but it doesn’t mean that other people couldn’t be His people. There are many non-Jewish people (the Bible calls them Gentiles) who believed in God. Rahab and Ruth are two examples. In fact, both of them were in Jesus’ lineage!

Day 3- BELIEVE TO BE SAVED

Read Genesis 17:1-7 again
What was Abraham’s response to God when God made him a promise?
The Old Testament can be hard to understand because we don’t live in that era anymore. God will ask His people, the Israelites, to do many things that we don’t have to do because we now have Jesus. These verses are important because you get to see God’s heart is the same in the Old Testament as it is today. To get God’s righteousness, you must believe.
Read Romans 10:9. Who must you believe in to be saved?
Abraham did not know Jesus, but he did know God and believed in His promises. Jesus died for all sin past, present and future. You believe in Jesus to be saved. Abraham believed in the promise of Jesus and He was saved. Yes, God asked His people to do lots of things in the Old Testament, just as He asks you to do things for Him today. Doing those things won’t save you, but you should want to do them because you believe.
Do you believe in God’s promises like Abraham? Do you accept God’s grace?

Day 4- ABRAHAM’S SACRIFICE

Read Genesis 22:1-19
What did God ask Abraham to do?
Was Abraham obedient?
What did Abraham trust God would provide?
Write down verse 14 below and circle what Abraham named the place were he almost sacrificed his son.
This seems crazy for God to ask Abraham to sacrifice his son, but God was testing Abraham’s faith. You read yesterday that Abraham believed. God is giving us a clue about what kind of sacrifice it would take to save people from their sin. Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son, but God would.
Read John 3:16
How did God give His one and only Son?
Why did He do this?
Thousands of years after Abraham almost sacrificed his son, God would sacrifice His Son for the sins of the world. God would provide the true Lamb just like Abraham believed He would.

BIGGER & BETTER

The Bible says that Abraham took Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice on the mount of the Lord. If you study the Bible, you will see the mount of the Lord is Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah is a range of mountains and Abraham would have offered a sacrifice on the highest part of the mountain. The highest part of Mount Moriah was a place called Golgotha. Abraham’s almost sacrifice is where God would sacrifice His Son thousands of years later.

Day 5- THE RAM BEFORE THE LAMB

Read Genesis 22:8
You can only imagine how hard it was for Abraham to lay his only son on the altar. Especially because this was the son that God promised many offspring through. Abraham trusted God would provide the lamb.
Read Genesis 22:13
Did God provide a lamb? What did He provide instead?
Abraham was right, God would provide the lamb but it wouldn’t be until thousands of years later. He first provides a ram. The ram represents God’s Old Covenant which is the law He would soon give Moses. The law set up requirements for His people to follow God and atone for their sin. God’s plan was the Lamb, but He first needed to show people why they needed the Lamb.
Read Romans 7:7. How did God use the law?

Read Exodus 20:1-17
Have you broken any of these Ten Commandments?
Do you realize you need Jesus?

Jacob, Judah, and Joseph

Day 1- JACOB AND HIS TWELVE SONS

Read Genesis 46:8-25
List all the sons of Jacob (who God re-named as Israel)
Note: List all the names at the beginning of the verses. For example “The sons of Reuben”… write down Reuben. You don’t need to list Jacob’s grandsons.
This might seem pointless, but these sons are the start to all the tribes of Israel. Jesus comes from one of them and tomorrow you are going to find out who that person is.

Day 2- LINE OF JUDAH

Read Matthew Chapter 1. Which one of Jacob’s sons is in the lineage to Jesus?
Add to your lineage chart from Abraham to Judah.
Read Genesis 49:10
What is prophesied about Judah?

MEMORIZE IT

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Day 3- JOSEPH’S DREAMS

Today you are going to read about one of Jacob’s son who is not in the lineage of Jesus.
But much of his story foreshadows things that would happen to Jesus.
Read Genesis 37
Why did Joseph’s own brothers condemn him to die?
Read Luke 19:14, Luke 23:21
Why did Jesus’ own brothers (the Jewish people) condemn Him to die?

Day 4- JOSEPH IS WRONGLY ACCUSED

Read Genesis 39
What happened in this passage? Did Joseph do anything wrong?
What was Joseph’s outcome? What do you learn from Joseph’s actions?
Read John 19:6
Was Jesus punished for doing nothing wrong?

Day 5- JOSEPH FORGIVES HIS Read Genesis 40-45
This is a longer reading today but it’s a great story. You can learn a lot about how God works bad things for His good. There are so many things in this story that foreshadow Jesus. Split this devo up into a few days if you like!
Joseph was persecuted, but how did God use those situations for His purpose?
What position was Joseph given? Did Joseph forgive his brothers even though they wronged Him? What did Joseph do for his brothers who would have died from starvation? Where did his brothers live from that day on?
Read Hebrews 12:2
Did God use Jesus’ death and persecution to give Him the highest command?
Read Luke 23:34
What did Jesus say of the people who put Him on the cross?
How does Jesus forgive you on the cross?
Read Ephesians 2:4-7
What does Jesus give us through His death and resurrection?
How does Jesus save us? Where is the place He has given us?
Do you see how this story points to Jesus? Do you see how Jesus’ name is not mentioned in the Old Testament, but He is still the main subject?

Prophecy

Day 1- BORN OF A WOMAN

Read Genesis 3:15 . Who would Jesus be born from, a man or a woman?
Read Matthew 1:20 and Galatians 4:4. Who was Jesus born of?
Things to note: This prophecy might seem silly because every human comes from a woman. You first lived in your mom’s belly and came from her. The thing to notice is that Jesus is the only human to be born of a woman without a man’s help.
Do you believe without a shadow of a doubt that He is the Messiah?
Circle one:   YES or NO

Day 2- IMMANUEL, BORN OF A VIRGIN

Read Isaiah 7:14 . Who will Jesus be born from? What will His name be?
Read Matthew 1:18-23 and Luke 1:26-31
Was Jesus born of a virgin? What did the angel tell Mary/Joseph to name Him?
What does Immanuel mean?
Things to note: The Bible says that Mary was betrothed to Joseph. That was what they meant by engaged. Before the angel appeared, Joseph found out Mary was pregnant. It is clear he knew there was no way she was pregnant by him because the Bible says he was going to divorce her quietly. Joseph thought Mary cheated on him until the angel explained what happened. How does what you have learned give you confidence Jesus is your Savior? Do you believe Jesus was God on earth like His name explains?

I PROMISE YOU

You are looking at 20 of the 300+ prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in the Bible.  All of these prophesies are another way God is promising you a Messiah, who is Jesus.  As you read these verses write the prophecy verse next to the fulfilled verse in your Bible and vice versa.

Day 3- HE WILL BE BORN IN BETHLEHEM

Read Micah 5:2. Who would come from Bethlehem according to this prophecy?
Read Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:4-6. Where was Jesus born?
Things to note: Joseph and Mary were living in a town called Nazareth in the region of Galilee. In those days, before Jesus’ birth, Caesar issued a decree for all the people under the control of the Roman Empire to register for a census. The Romans did this so they would know how many people existed in their empire. Since Joseph and Mary were from the lineage of King David, their hometown was Bethlehem in the land of Judah. God used the Roman government to make history happen in the right timing to fulfill a prophecy. God is in control and even the world lines up with His plan. How does what you have learned give you confidence Jesus is your Savior? Do you believe God can use the world to make His plan for you happen?

Day 4-  A STAR WILL COME OUT OF JACOB

Read Numbers 24:17
What will come out of Jacob? What is a scepter?
Look back at Micah 5:2. Does it say here the Messiah would be a ruler?
Read Matthew 1:2. Was Jesus a descendant of Jacob?
Read Matthew 2:1-2. Who came to see Jesus and why?
How did they know the King of the Jews had arrived?
Things to note: God changed Jacob’s name to “Israel” in Genesis 35. Being a descendent of Jacob also proves that He is Jewish. A ruler holds a scepter and this is why the Magi call the child they are looking for “King of the Jews.” The Magi are from the East. The prophecy in Numbers was from a pagan man from the east who was commanded by an eastern king to curse God. Instead, God controlled his speech and the pagan man from the east blessed God and prophesied about Jesus. The Magi knew of the star because of they had heard the prophecy of hundreds of years earlier.

Day 5- THE TRIBE OF JUDAH/DAVID’S THRONE

Read Genesis 49:10
Jacob (Israel) had 12 sons. Each son represented a tribe of Israel. What is the prophecy concerning the son/tribe of Judah? What shall not depart from Judah?
What will happen when who it belongs to comes?
Read Luke 3:33 and Hebrews 7:14
What son/tribe of Israel did Jesus come from?
Read 2 Samuel 7:12-13, 16 and Isaiah 9:7
What does God tell David about his throne?
Read Luke 1:32-33 and Romans 1:1-3
Is Jesus a descendant of King David?
How does Jesus fulfill the prophecies in 2 Samuel 7:12-13 and Isaiah 9?
Things to note: King David was also a king from the tribe of Judah. The lineage of King David stayed intact throughout Israel’s rule, even when they were in captivity and didn’t have kings. How does what you have learned give you confidence Jesus is your Savior?
Do you believe He is the Messiah?
LIST THE 12 TRIBES:
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12

Taking a Journey

Day 1- JESUS’ TRIP TO EGYPT

Read Hosea 11:1. Where will God call His Son out of?
Read Matthew 2:1-14
Why did Joseph and Mary take Jesus to Egypt? How long were they to stay here?
Things to note: Sometimes prophecies have two meanings. Hosea 11:1 has two meanings. When the nation of Israel was a young nation, they were in slavery in Egypt. You know how the story goes… God got His people out of Egypt and back to where they belonged. This was a little preview of what He would do with His Son. Jesus would go to Egypt for a little while where God would protect Him from King Herod who wanted to kill Him.

Day 2- THE GREAT MASSACRE OF CHILDREN

Read Jeremiah 31:15
Rachel was one of Jacob’s (Israel) wives. What does it say about her?
Why is she refusing to be comforted?
Read Matthew 2:1-18. What did Herod do? What happened to the kids of Israel?
Things to note: If you learn about Herod in your history book, it will call him Herod the Great. He was known as an extremely evil ruler. One of the reasons is this massacre of children. This event is documented in history.

DIG DEEPER

Read Revelation 19 to see how Jesus will arrive when He returns. The King of Kings will look a lot different and will be riding a horse. When He comes the second time, He will be coming to put an end to sin and evil and set up His kingdom with His people forever.

Day 3- THE MESSENGER TO PREPARE THE WAY

Read Isaiah 40:3-5
What does this passage say will happen before all will see the Lord?
Where will this person be?
Read Matthew 3:1-3
Who prepared the way for Jesus?
Fun Facts: John the Baptist was actually Jesus’ cousin. He was born 6 months before Jesus.

Day 4- REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE

Read Psalm 69:8 and Isaiah 53:3
What do you learn about what the prophecy says it will be like for the Messiah?
Read John 1:11 and John 7:5
How was Jesus treated by His own people and His family?
Things to know: Jesus’ mother and father believed in who He was, but the majority of His people (the Jews) did not believe He was the Messiah. His own brothers didn’t believe in Him while He was alive. We know that James, His brother, later believed and wrote the book of James in the Bible. Later in this study, you will even read about how Jesus’ hometown rejected Him. Can you relate to Jesus through His rejection? How does knowing your Savior experienced rejection give you comfort?

Day 5- THE KING ON A DONKEY

Read Zechariah 9:9
What type of ruler was the Messiah supposed to be? How would He enter the city?
Read Matthew 27:37. How was Jesus described?
Read Mark 11:7-11. How did Jesus enter Jerusalem one week before He was crucified?
Fun Facts: Jesus is the King of Kings but while on earth, He was constantly humbling himself. A donkey was a very lowly animal. It would never be the animal an earthly king would ride to arrive in his city. Jesus came to earth to be a servant and die on the cross for people’s sin. Are you thankful Jesus came as a servant?

Betrayed and Mocked

Day 1- THE MESSIAH WOULD BE BETRAYED

Read Psalm 41:9
Who is predicted to turn against the Messiah? What is this person like?
What will the Messiah and this person do together?
Read John 13:18-30
Who betrayed Jesus? How did Judas share the piece of bread with Jesus?
Things to think about: Jesus didn’t try to stop Judas. He didn’t get revenge or fight back. Jesus knew that following God’s will for Him would not be easy and He was willing to take all the hurt that came with what needed to happen…even betrayal from good friends. Have you ever betrayed anyone? Have you been betrayed?
How do you think Jesus felt… remember, He was a human with emotions.

Day 2- CRUCIFIED WITH CRIMINALS

Read Isaiah 53:12
Different versions of the Bible say this verse in a few different ways. Fill in the “blank” as best you can.
“Because He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the ______________.” (NIV)
Read Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27
Who was Jesus crucified with?
Things to think about: Jesus didn’t deserve to be on the cross, but the two criminals with Him did. Jesus wasn’t concerned with His reputation. He was concerned with yours. He didn’t want you to be called sinner anymore so He took your sin to the cross and was crucified with criminals.
How does what you have learned give you confidence Jesus is your Savior?
How does Jesus prove here that He loves you?

Day 3- THE MESSIAH’S PIERCED HANDS AND FEET

Read Psalm 22:16, Zechariah 12:10
What would happen to the Messiah?
Read John 20:25-27. After Jesus was resurrected, what does He show His disciples?
Read John 19:34. How else was Jesus pierced on the cross?
Things to think about: Genesis 3:15 prophesied that the Messiah would be bruised on the heel. It literally happened on the cross when His feet were pierced. It was painful, but Jesus recovered and in doing so defeated Satan. Do you realize Jesus didn’t deserve the cross… you did? Are you thankful He went to the cross instead of you… for you?

GIVE IT A TRY!

If you are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and believe you need Him as your Savior, try sharing what you have learned with someone who does not believe.

Day 4- THE MESSIAH WOULD BE MOCKED (#fffffff BKG) (#f05722 Font)

Read Psalm 22:7-8
How did the Old Testament say the Messiah would be mocked?
What did they say when they shook their head?
Read Luke 23:35-36
How was this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus?
Things to think about: Jesus had the power to get off that cross but He chose not to so you could be free from the slavery of sin.
Do you believe God wants good things for you? How does the cross prove it?

Day 5- FORSAKEN BY GOD

Read Psalm 22:1
What does the Bible say the Messiah will say?
What will God do to the Messiah?
Read Matthew 27:46
What did Jesus cry out on the cross?
Things to know: Jesus took all of mankind’s sin to the cross. That is a lot of sin. God cannot be involved with sin and since Jesus bore our sin, there was a moment He was separated from God. Jesus, the Son of God was separated from His heavenly Father. Jesus understands the agony and pain that comes from being separated from God. He did it on the cross so you would not have to experience the pain in agony forever.
What sins of yours did Jesus bare on the cross?

Jesus' Birth and Life

Day 1- THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE

Read Matthew 1:18-22
Write down what Joseph learns from the angel. What is Jesus’ purpose on earth?
Read Luke 1:26-38
Write down what Mary learns from the angel. What is the angel’s name?
What does the angel tell Mary about Jesus in verses 32 and 33? How did Mary respond?
Could you imagine the surprise and amazement Joseph and Mary must have felt? Can you imagine how overwhelmed they were at the news they would be the parents of the Savior?
How would you feel if that was you? Is it clear why Jesus arrived on earth? The world says Jesus was just a good man, or a wise prophet or teacher. Is that all that He is? What does Jesus’ name tell you about Him?

Day 2- THE VIRGIN BIRTH

Read Luke 1:26-35
Why was Mary confused about being pregnant? Who was the real father of the baby?
Read Luke 3:23. Who did people think Jesus’ father was?
Read Romans 5:12. What happened through one man?
The virgin birth is one of the most important parts of Jesus’ birth story. Humans are born sinners. If Jesus was born a sinner, He could not have been the sacrifice on the cross for your sin. So God planned that man would have nothing to do with Jesus being created in His mom’s belly. The Holy Spirit created Jesus in Mary’s belly and Mary gave birth to Him. She was His biological mom. Joseph was not His biological dad. He loved Jesus like a son and took care of Him like a dad, but Jesus’ real dad was God.

Day 3- JESUS WAS BORN

Read Luke 2:1-20. Write down all the details that happened when Jesus was born.
Your Savior showed up as an infant. Many people thought the Messiah would be a mighty king who arrived in splendor. But Jesus showed up as an infant and was born, not in an awesome palace fit for a king, but in a place where animals eat. His first visitors were not people of high position but stinky, lowly shepherds. Speaking of shepherds… How did the shepherds know about Jesus? What do you think they felt when they saw the multitude of angels? How did they respond after seeing Jesus?
Read John 10:14. What does Jesus call Himself?
Do you think it was a coincidence that Jesus’ first visitors were shepherds?
Why do you think God did that?

Day 4- THE MAGI VISITRead Matthew 2:1-12
Who came to see Jesus? Where did they come from? What did they give Jesus?
The Magi were actually astronomers, people who study the stars. Their arrival was about two years after Jesus was born because we see in verse 11 that they go to a house, not a manger. When they don’t return to Herod, he attacks all kids two years and under. You can learn a few lessons from the Magi in how to respond to Jesus.
Lesson #1 The first thing the Magi do when they meet Jesus is worship Him. Do you worship Jesus?
Lesson #2 When the Magi met Jesus, they gave Him the best they had. Do you give Jesus the best of yourself?
Lesson #3 After meeting Jesus, the Magi went home a different way than they came. How is your life different since believing in Jesus?

Day 5- SATAN’S ATTACKS

Read Matthew 2:16-18
What happened after the Magi left? Do you think Satan had anything to do with this?
Read 1 Peter 5:8
What does Satan do? Does Herod’s attack fit into what Satan does?
Herod was the Roman appointed king of the Jews. He was a little worried about another king showing up. Out of jealousy and a desire to keep power, he tried to kill the prophesied King of the Jews. This is classic Satan. He does not want to be “crushed on the head” like God told him he would be back in the Garden. This is just another way that he tried to keep salvation from coming to you. How did Jesus escape? Can Satan stop God?

Jesus Growing Up

Day 1- IN THE BEGINNING

Read John 1:1-5
Who was with God in the beginning? John doesn’t call Jesus by His name.
What is Jesus called here? What do you learn about Jesus in verse 3 and 4?
Read John 1:14
What became flesh (human)? Why did Jesus become human?
Jesus is God. God isn’t just God the Father. God is three persons. He is God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Spirit (the Holy Spirit). All three have existed together for all eternity. All were together at creation. God the Son, Jesus, became human and walked the earth for 33 years so that He could pay the penalty for our sin.

Day 2- JESUS HUMBLED HIMSELF

Read Philippians 2:5-11
Fill in the blank: Jesus existed in the form of ____________.
How was Jesus humble? What does verse 7 say Jesus did?
What did Jesus become obedient to?
Why is Jesus worthy of worship?
Jesus is God. God is eternal and perfect. Jesus could have stayed in heaven and let you suffer for your sin. But God is love so He came to earth to save you from your sin.  The Bible says “He emptied Himself.” This is hard to understand, but what Jesus had to do to become human was give up some of the cool things about being God. Another way He emptied Himself was that by being human, Jesus now had to face death. In His case, death was going to be a very painful one. God loves you and wants to forgive you of your sins. He wants to give you eternal life and He willingly gave up a lot to do it.

Day 3- JESUS VISITS THE TEMPLE (#b11e58 BKG) (#ffffff Font)

Read Luke 2:22-24, 39-40
How did Jesus grow up as a child? How did you become strong as a kid? If Jesus was a human, did He get strong in the same way?
How did you learn things growing up? How do you think Jesus learned things?
Jesus was a baby who turned into a toddler who grew to be a child and eventually a teenager just like you. How does knowing this about Jesus make Him relatable?

Day 4- JESUS GREW UP

Read Luke 2:52. What are the four ways Jesus grew?
Read Psalm 19:7-8. How can you grow in wisdom?
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. What are ways you can grow in physical stature?
Read Romans 5:3-4. What are ways you can grow in character?
Read John 14:21. What are some ways you can grow in God’s favor?
Read Mark 12:30-31. What are ways you love other people?
Make some goals: How you can set yourself up to grow in these areas like Jesus did?

Day 5- JESUS IS BAPTIZED

Read Matthew 3:13-17
Who baptized Jesus? What happened when Jesus was baptized?
Jesus was God but He was also human. It can be confusing because Jesus did not need to repent like John was saying. He was baptized because He was a faithful, God-following Jew. Most importantly, it was another way God wanted to confirm that Jesus was His Son.

Changed By Jesus

Day 1- JESUS HEALS THE SICK

Read Matthew 9:35-36 and Matthew 4:23-25
What did Jesus do for people who needed Him?
How did He feel towards the people who needed Him?
Read 1 Peter 5:7
What should you cast on Jesus and why?
Do you trust Jesus to take care of what you need?
Do you believe He cares?
Are you compassionate towards others’ needs?

GIVE IT A TRY!

We are supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus while on earth. We are called to be His light to others. He was compassionate towards people in need.
This week, think of how you can be compassionate towards others’ needs.

Day 2- JESUS STARTS TEACHING

Jesus spent a lot of time teaching His disciples about His Kingdom.
Read Matthew 7:13-14
What is the gate like to enter into His Kingdom? What is the gate to destruction like?
Which gate seems easier? Which gate do the majority go through?
Read John 14:6
How does Jesus describe Himself? If He is the only way, is this why He describes the gate as narrow?
There are many ways to believe a lie. There are many religions that are not true. There are many beliefs that are false. The gate to destruction is very broad. It might be easy to follow or it might feel easy at first but the consequence of going through it is destruction. Jesus wants you to enter through the gate He has made. He is the only truth and the only way.

Day 3- NICODEMUS

Read John 3:1-3
What does Jesus tell Nicodemus a person must do to enter the Kingdom of heaven?
Read Galatians 2:20
How does this verse explain what it means to be born again? Who lives within you when you believe in Jesus? What must you do for Him to live within you?
To believe in Jesus, you must die to your own way and your own self. When you do, Christ will make you alive by living inside you. This is what it means to be born again.
Have you decided to be born again? Have you given up your life for Christ?

Day 4- THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

Read John 4:1-42
Did Jesus know the sins of the woman at the well?
Did her sins keep Jesus from offering her living water?
Do you think the woman was ashamed of her sin?
Did she know about the coming Messiah?
Did she believe when Jesus told her who He was?
What did she run off to do? Did others believe?
There is no sin that is too big to keep you from drinking the “living water.” Jesus will forgive any sin. You must believe in who He is and give your life to Him. When you do, you will be free from the sinful life you have been living. God has the ability to change lives and will use those lives to change others!
What have you learned from this story? How can you apply it to your life?

Day 5- SHINE BRIGHT

Read Matthew 5:14-16
What does Jesus teach that those who follow Him are to the world?
Think about how you can be a light for Jesus wherever you are today. Write down some specific ways you want to be a light for Him… big or small.

The Miracle of Jesus

Day 1- THE LEPER

Read Matthew 8:1-4
Who did Jesus heal? What was wrong with the man?
How did he ask Jesus? What did Jesus do for the man?
Leprosy was a disease in the Bible that did not have a cure. In fact, if you had leprosy you were considered “unclean” and cast out by society. This man was an outcast. He approaches Jesus and asks Him for healing. Did you notice how he asked? “If you are willing…You can make me clean.” The leper believed that Jesus had the power to heal him, but he also wanted it to be a part of God’s will. When you are in eternity with Jesus, there will be no more sickness and death. While on earth, He can use your sickness and other tough circumstances to grow your faith and the faith of others. Just like the leper, believe the Lord can heal you, but also trust that His will is better than being healed on earth. Remember, you get to live eternally without sickness.

DID YOU KNOW

In the Old Testament the priest diagnosed leprosy, not doctors. Only God healed leprosy and the Jewish people knew this. Jesus sent the healed leper to the priest so that the priest would know that God was here on earth.

Day 2- THE PARALYTIC

Read Mark 2:1-12
What did it take for the paralytic’s friends to get him to Jesus?
What did Jesus do for him at first? What problem did the scribes have with what Jesus did?
What did Jesus do to show proof He had the power to forgive sins?
The account of this story in other gospels lets you know that the men who lowered the paralytic through the roof were his friends. They were desperate to bring their friend to Jesus. He was a paralytic but Jesus first forgave his sins. This is important because it shows what is most important to God… healing your sins. God knows if you believe in Him, you will live forever without sickness. His first priority is to heal your heart so you can get there with Him. The scribes were upset because they knew God’s Word well. They knew that only God could forgive sins. Since they didn’t believe Jesus was God, they had a problem with what He did. To prove that He was God and had the power to forgive sin, Jesus showed them that He could heal the man’s legs. This is a great example of when God does a miracle it’s always to show others something true about Himself. Why do you think God wants to heal your sin before any of your physical sickness?
Do you think an eternity without sickness is better than a 100 years of sickness?

Day 3- PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW

Read Matthew 8:14-15
Who did Jesus heal? What did she do when He healed her?
God has the power to heal your sickness. If it is His will, He is able to heal you. Peter’s mother-in-law is a great example of what your response should be if He heals your physical sickness. If God heals you, this means He has more for you to do on earth. Your response should be to serve Him with a heart of thankfulness!
Who should get the praise and glory for healing sickness?
All medicine is made from what God gives us in the earth and it is made by the people who God creates with the gifts that He has given them. Would you say the medicine used to heal you is God?
All doctors are created by God. He gave them the ability and brain it takes to be a doctor. Do you believe God can use a doctor to heal you?
Do you know of an experience where someone was healed when the doctors said they wouldn’t be? If you don’t, ask your parents and give God thanks for what He has done!

Day 4- SOLDIER’S SERVANT

Read Matthew 8:5-13
Who came to ask Jesus for help? Who needed healing? What was Jesus’ response?
What did the centurion soldier say to Him? How did Jesus describe his faith?
A centurion was a Roman soldier. The Roman soldiers were known to be mean and brutal to people. They were Roman, not Jewish, and most did not believe in God. The Roman soldiers would be the ones who actually put Jesus on the cross. This man was different – he cared about his servant so much that he went for help. He believed in Jesus above all the lies that the Roman people believed. He was also humble. He didn’t feel worthy for Jesus to come to his house, but he understood one important power Jesus had – the ability to heal someone even when He is far away. Jesus praised the man’s great faith, especially because he was not Jewish. This is important to you because Jesus is not physically with you, but He has the power to heal you from where He is.
Do you believe Jesus is at work today, even though He is not with us on earth anymore?

Day 5- BLEEDING WOMAN

Read Mark 5:25-34
What was wrong with the woman who came to Jesus for help?
Jesus was in a crowd. How did the lady get to Him?
Did she ask Jesus or do something else? What did Jesus do when He felt His power go out? Why was the lady afraid? How did Jesus respond?
Could you imagine bleeding for 12 years and no one could do anything for you? This lady was desperate for help and she ran to Jesus in desperation. All she had to do was touch Jesus and she was healed. God is that powerful. This story shows how God wants you to come to Him. The world might help you, but it will only be a temporary fix. Jesus has the long-term solution so when you are desperate you can run hard to Him. In fact, we all should be desperate for Jesus. There is nothing the world can do to heal your sin. We should be running to Him for help.
Are you desperate for Jesus? Have you ever looked to the world to help you with your problems? How did that go for you? Do you believe you need Jesus to heal you?
If so, have you asked Him?

Providing Miracles

Day 1- CAST OUT DEMONS

Read Luke 8:25-33
What was wrong with the man who Jesus healed? Where was this man living?
How was he living? What did the demon say to Jesus? What did Jesus do?
The very important lesson here is that Jesus has power over Satan. When Jesus is present, demons have no power. This man was filled with these demons and they were destroying his life. This is what Satan and his followers are like. He kills, steals and destroys. This man was living in death – literally in the tombs. When Jesus showed up, the demons recognized Jesus for who He was. Did you notice what they said? They were confused why Jesus was there. It wasn’t time for them to be destroyed. Even Satan and his followers know that Jesus will defeat them! Satan knows he is going down, but he will do anything to bring people down with him.

Day 2- JESUS FEEDS THE 5,000

Read Matthew 14:13-21
What does Jesus do for the people? How much food did they have to begin with?
Who fed the people? Where did they get the food? How much was left?
Jesus can provide more than enough for His people and He will use His disciples to help Him provide for others. He will ask you to provide for people’s needs. When you do, you can trust that He will provide more than enough.
How can God use you to provide for others? Do you trust Him to provide more than you need? How can you put what you learn into action today?

Day 3- JESUS FEEDS THE 4,000

Read Matthew 15:32-39
Jesus does it again! How is this time a little different?
Does it feel like deja vu? This time He provided food for 4,000 people who were considered Gentiles. “Gentile” was the name they used for people who were not Jewish. Jesus is simply showing you that He will provide not only for the Jews, but for the entire world.
Are you thankful that Jesus provides for everyone?

I PROMISE YOU

Read how God desires and is able to meet all that you need in Philippians 4:19.

Day 4- I AM A STEWARD OF MY BODY

Read Acts 10:37-38
How did Jesus have the power to do all He did?
Have you ever wondered how Jesus was human and still could do miracles? Yes, Jesus was God, but He was also fully human. He was fully filled with the Holy Spirit and was able to do everything that God could do. He had the power of God. Did you know God gives us the same Holy Spirit when you believe in Jesus? You get the Holy Spirit when you believe in Jesus as your Savior, which means you have the power of God on your side.
Read 2 Timothy 1:7
How can you live up to the power of God who lives in you?

Day 5- GOD DOES MIRACLES

Read Psalm 77:14 and write it down.
Did Jesus line up with how the Psalmist described God? Do you believe Jesus has the power of God? Do you believe Jesus is God? Where have you seen this power in your life?

I Am Selfless

Day 1- JESUS HEALS THE BLIND MAN

This story has so much to teach us that you are going to spend all week reading it.
For today, just read and take notes on what happens.
Read John 9:1-41

Day 2- GOD CAN USE ANY CIRCUMSTANCE

Read John 9:1-7
What did the disciples ask Jesus? How did Jesus respond?
Are you sick or born with disabilities because of sin?
Why did Jesus say this man was blind?
You are who you are because God made you that way. Yes, there are some things that happen in life, such as consequences, because you sinned. There are many things that will happen to you that are out of your control. Jesus is making it clear that when something happens that is out of your control, it’s not always because you sinned or didn’t have enough faith. God made you that way for a reason so others could see His work in you. This looks different for every person, but God can use anything to bring others to Himself. He promises in eternity you will be free from any sickness or ailment… so it won’t last forever. How have you seen God use someone’s sickness or disability to show others who He is and what He can do?

MEMORIZE IT.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Day 3- THE GREAT DEBATORS

Read John 9:5-16
Who noticed the man born blind was now healed? To whom did the man give credit for his healing? Who did the neighbors bring to see him? What did the religious Jews ask the man?
Why were the religious people debating?
It is important for you to see this happening. The blind man clearly experienced Jesus heal him. There was enough proof that he was blind but now could see. But there were still people who argued and debated about if the things Jesus did really happened.
Have you ever met someone who does not believe Jesus did what He says He did?
Have you ever met someone who does not believe Jesus is the reason for the good or change you have experienced from Him in your life?

Day 4- GET OUT…

Read John 9:17-34
Who did the Pharisees seek out to prove that the man was really healed from blindness?
Did the blind man know who healed Him? Why was He so convinced?
The Pharisees believed that Jesus was a sinner and not God. They were trying to bully the man and his parents into what they believed. How did the man respond in verse 25?
What did the former blind man say to the Pharisees in verses 30-34?
Did the man believe Jesus was from God? How did the Pharisees respond?

Day 5- JESUS WILL FIND YOU

Read John 9:35-38
After the man is kicked out of the synagogue, what does Jesus do?
Did the man find Jesus or did Jesus find Him?
Read John 9:17
Who did the man believe Jesus to be at first? Is Jesus more than a prophet?
Read John 9:33. Did the man start to believe Jesus was from God?
Read John 9:35-38 again
Who did Jesus ask the man if he believed in? Did the man know who he was talking to? Why or why not? How did Jesus respond to his question? How did the man respond when Jesus told Him the truth?

Believe in Jesus

Day 1- JESUS CALMS THE STORM

Read Matthew 8:23-27
What did Jesus do? What does this tell you about God’s power?
God can calm any storm… even the ones in your own life. You just have to have faith that He can do it. Have you seen Jesus calm a storm in your life?
Read Philippians 4:6-7
What should you do when you face a storm in life? What does God give you?
Do you go to Jesus for help with storms?

DIG DEEPER

God has control over creation. He can use creation to do His will. Read how God literally lengthened the day to help Joshua do something He asked him to do. Read Joshua 10:12-14.

Day 2- JESUS WALKS ON WATER

Read Matthew 14:22-33
What miracle did Jesus do? Who did Jesus invite to walk on water with Him?
How did Peter respond? What was he able to do? Why did Peter sink?

Jesus can do the impossible and He will ask you to do the impossible. Peter probably thought Jesus was crazy for asking him to walk on water. He had enough faith that Jesus would help him, so he stepped out of the boat. Peter actually walked on water until he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked around Him. God can do the impossible through you. You will be amazed the things you will get to do because of your faith in Him. But you must also keep your eyes on Him. The moment you take your eyes off and look at the circumstances around you, you will fail. Eyes on Him… you can never fail.

Day 3- LOOK UP AND HAVE FAITH

Peter had to have faith to step out of that boat.
To continue walking on water, he had to keep his eyes on Jesus.
Read Colossians 3:2
Do you have faith God can do the impossible in you? How can you keep your eyes focused on Him? How can you practice taking your eyes off earthly things?

Day 4- RAISED LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD

Read John 11:1-45
What happened to Lazarus? What did Jesus do for Lazarus?
Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to show that He has power over death.

Read John 11:25-26
What does Jesus tell His disciples and Lazarus’ sisters here?
Do you believe that when you die on earth you are still alive?
Jesus makes it clear that death of your earthly body isn’t really death. Jesus is about to go to the cross, die, and resurrect. He uses this miracle to show that He can defeat death.

Read John 11:43-44
What did Jesus tell Lazarus to take off?
Lazarus was alive. He no longer needed to be wrapped in his nasty grave clothes.

Read Ephesians 4:22-24
What are you to throw off? What are you to put on?
When you believe in Jesus, you are alive in Christ. You are no longer dead in sin. God wants you to get rid of your grave clothes… your sinful ways. Put on your new self that is now in Christ. Are you still living in your old sinful ways? How can you put on your new self in Christ?

Day 5- CONSIDER, PRAY AND PRAISE

God is a God of miracles. In the next coming months you are going to learn about His greatest miracle… resurrecting from the dead to give you life. Go back through this past month and write down below the things that you have learned about Jesus.
How can you apply what you have learned to your life?

Take time to thank Him for who He is today!

The Parables of Jesus

Day 1- THE PARABLE OF THE SEED AND SOWER

Read Mark 4:2-9
What happened to the seed that fell beside the road?
… the seed that fell on rocky ground?… the seed that fell among the thorns?
What happened to the seed that fell on the good soil?
Tomorrow you are going to read Jesus’ explanation of this parable.
Do you have any idea what lesson Jesus is teaching?

Day 2- THE ROAD

Read Mark 4:14-20
What does the “seed” in the parable represent?
The four conditions of the soil represent the conditions of people’s heart who hear the truth of God’s Word. If you are going to follow Jesus, He wants you to know how different people will respond to His Word.
What did you learn about the seed that falls beside the road?
Is a road or the side of the road a good place to plant a seed? Why or why not?
Some people who hear the truth of Jesus will have a hard heart. A road is a very hard pavement and when the seed is thrown, it will just lie on the ground. Satan does a good job of making sure the ground stays hard and the seed has no chance to stay long enough to be planted. What are ways that Satan can snatch God’s truth up before someone’s hard heart softens to hear it? It takes a lot to bust up a road and make it plantable soil, but it can be done. God can make a hard heart soft but you must be patient as He works to soften it.

Day 3- THE ROCKY SOIL

Read Mark 4:16-17
What happened to the seed that fell on the rocky soil? Did the plant grow?
Why did the plant not last?
Rocky soil is not as tough as a paved surface. It is a mixture of rocks and soil so when the seed is planted, the soil can receive it and it will grow. The problem is the rocks – they get in the way of a plant growing roots. As you know, roots are important for a plant’s survival in all types of rough weather. Many people hear God’s Word and are really excited to accept it. The problem is they don’t let the gospel transform their life and get rid of the sin in their heart. If sin still remains, your faith will never take root.
When hard times happen, these people will see they don’t really have a true faith in Jesus because the Word did not take root in their lives. Sometimes you can see things like this happen at Kanakuk. It’s called a spiritual high. A person comes to Kamp and is eager to accept Jesus. When they get home, they don’t put Jesus #1 in their lives and still live the life they used to live. All of the sudden, they realize they never really had a faith in Jesus because they didn’t let His Word take root in their life.
Has the condition of your heart ever been rocky? What do you think it takes to allow the plant to take root? Many people who want to know Jesus have rocky soil, but it’s those who give up their sin who encounter the cross and see God’s Word take root in their lives.

DIG DEEPER

Here is an example of a man who did all the right things, but the things of this world kept him from following Jesus. Read Matthew 19:16-22 .

Day 4- THE SEED AND THE THORNS

Read Mark 4:18-19
What did the thorns represent according to Jesus? What happened to the plant?
If you ever take up farming or gardening, you will learn how important getting the weeds out of the area where you plant is. If you want healthy plants, you don’t want anything else taking up the water and sun that is provided for the plant. The thorns represent the desires of the world. If you want to grow in your faith, you can’t be consumed with the things of the world. If you do, just like a thorn can choke a healthy plant, your faith will be hindered by the things of the world. Many people want to believe in Jesus, go to church, pray and do all the right things. But when it comes to growing in their faith and following God, they can’t because the world is more important.
Have the things of the world ever kept you from growing in your walk with the Lord?
What can you do to make sure your soil is free from thorns?

Day 5- THE GOOD SOIL

Read Mark 4:20. What happens to seed that falls on the good soil?
If you want to grow plants, you must condition the soil. If you do, your crops will be healthy. This is why John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ message at the beginning of His ministry was “Repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” God wanted men to get their hearts ready for Jesus. This means breaking up hardened places in your heart, getting rid of sin and getting rid of the world.
What are things that exist that can make a heart hardened? (Here are some examples to get your mind going…. pride, bitterness, hurt )
What do you think has to happen to start to soften a hard heart?
What are sins (rocks) that people typically leave in their heart… even when they want to follow Jesus? What do you think it takes to let go of the sin in your heart?
What are things of the world people like to hold on to?

Read Hebrews 10:24
How can you surround yourself with people who want you to grow in your walk? Read 1 Peter 2:2
What should you crave? Has what you have learned this year helped your faith grow? Has what you have learned changed the condition of your heart?

The Parables

Day 1- PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED

How did Jesus describe the Kingdom of God? What would the Kingdom of God grow into?
A mustard seed was the tiniest seed known to man in Jesus’ time. The Kingdom of God started with Jesus and 12 men. After Jesus died, resurrected and ascended into heaven, God’s Kingdom started to grow at rapid rates. There are about 1 billion followers of Christ on earth right now and billions who have lived thousands of years before your time. When Peter and John preached the gospel after Jesus left the earth, there were men who tried to kill them. Look at how one of the Pharisees responded.
Read Acts 5:33-39. What had happened to other people claiming to be someone important? What was Gamaliel’s advice? Since Jesus’ time, has Christianity gotten bigger or faded away to non-existence? How does history and this verse support what Jesus taught in the parable of the mustard seed?

Day 2- PARABLE OF THE WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD

Read Matthew 20:1-16
What did the workers who were hired at the beginning of the day get?
What about the middle of the day? End of day?
A denarius was a full days wage. Logic would think that the worker who worked all day would get more than the worker who worked only one hour. Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that His kingdom would be different. It doesn’t matter when you joined God’s team, you are promised the same thing. What does this mean? It doesn’t matter if you believed in Jesus when you were little or if you decided to believe in Him right before your last breath… all who believe in Him are promised the same thing, eternal life.
How does this give you comfort for people you know who don’t believe in Jesus?

Day 3- THE PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

Read Matthew 18:21-35
How many times are you to forgive your brother? How did the master forgive his servants debt? Was the servant able to pay the master back? What did the servant do after He was free from his debt?
There is no way that you can pay back the debt you owe God. Your debt is big because of your sin. God knows this and this is why He sent Jesus to forgive you of your sins. A forgiven person forgives others. The unforgiving man was freed from his large debt and then unmercifully held others to their small debts owed to him. God forgives you so you should be forgiving of others.
Read Colossians 3:13
Have you received the Lord’s forgiveness? Do you have a forgiving heart?

Day 4- THE HIDDEN TREASURE AND THE PEARL

Read Matthew 13:44-46
What did the person do when he found the hidden treasure?
What did the person do when he found the pearl of great value?
Read Philippians 3:8
How does this verse line up with these two parables?
Do you consider all things loss compared to knowing Christ?

Day 5- THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP

Read Luke 15:3-7
What will the Shepherd do for one lost sheep? What does He do when He finds the sheep?
Jesus does not want you to be lost. He will find you and go after you. If God would have known, out of the billions of people who have lived on earth, that only you would believe in Him, He still would have done all the work on the cross just for you.
He loves you that much. What do you learn about Jesus in this parable? Does Jesus care about people entering His kingdom?

More Parables

Day 1- THE PARABLE OF WHEAT/ TARES

Read Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Who sowed the wheat? Who sowed the tares?
Why does the man not want the tares to be pulled out until the right time?
A tare is a weed that looks just like a piece of wheat as it’s growing. About the time the tare is full grown, sometimes right before harvest, it looks different than the wheat. Jesus is teaching a few lessons about His kingdom in this parable.
Lesson #1 God sows truth, the enemy sows evil.
Lesson #2 God is patiently waiting for people to come to know Him.
Lesson #3 Only God is the judge of good and evil. Man is not good at telling the difference.

Day 2- THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Read Luke 10:25-42
What did the priest do when he passed by the man in need?
What did the Levite do when he passed by the man in need?
What are reasons we sometimes pass by someone in need?
What did the Samaritan do when He passed by the man in need?
How did the Samaritan go above and beyond for the man in need?
Which one loved his neighbor as he loved himself?
What can you learn from the Samaritan?
How can you do good to others in need instead of passing right by?

DID YOU KNOW

The priest and the Levite were two Jewish men whose job was to serve in the Temple. They should have known better and stopped to help. A Samaritan was a person who was half Jewish and half Assyrian. The Jews did not like them. The Samaritan was helping someone who probably would not have helped him back.

Day 3- THE HOARDER

Read Luke 12: 15-21
What did the rich man do? Who do you think gave him all that he had? What did he do to give back to the Lord? Do you get to take your treasures on earth with you when you die?
Read Matthew 6: 19-21
What should you store up for yourselves?
What do you think are treasures in heaven? (hint: things that last forever?)
If you are investing in heavenly treasures, how should you spend your time?
Having things on earth is not a bad thing. If God has given you something, He wants you to do something with it… not hoard it. The Word of the Lord and the souls of men last forever. God wants you to use your time, skills, gifts and money to give to others and spread the message of the gospel.

Day 4- PRODIGAL SON

Read Luke 15:11-32
What does the son do to his father? What does the father do for his son?
When the son returns, what does the father do?
What does this story teach you about God’s forgiveness? Are you thankful God forgives?

Day 5- CONSIDER, THINK, PRAY

Flip back through what Jesus taught about His kingdom through parables. Write down what you learned. How will what you learned affect how you live your life?

Jesus to Jerusalem

Day 1- JESUS ANNOINTED BY MARY (#f05722 BKG) (#ffffff Font)

Read Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-11
What happens in these verses? What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus? Is worshipping Him just as important?

Day 2- THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY (#8e9ebc BKG) (#ffffff Font)

Read Luke 19:45-48
Read Mark 11:15-19
Read Matthew 21:12-13
What happens in these verses?
What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus?
What had God’s house become?

DID YOU KNOW (#ffc906 BKG) (#ffffff Font)

This is the first time Jesus let the public claim Him as the Messiah. Yes, His disciples privately claimed Him as the Messiah, but anytime He healed someone, He told them not to tell anyone. (Matt 8:3-4; Mark 7:36) Why wait? Why now, a week before His death? There is a prophecy in Daniel 9 that places the triumphant entry at a specific date based on a set # of days. His entry and public recognition on this specific day fulfills that prophecy. God is accurate down to the details!

Day 3- JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE (#b11e58 BKG) (#ffffff Font)

Read Luke 19:45-48; Mark 11:15-19; Matthew 21:12-13
What happens in these verses? What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus? What had God’s house become?

Day 4- JESUS’ AUTHORITY CHALLENGED (#ffffff BKG) (#f05722 Font)

Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
What happens in these verses? What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus?
Why were the Pharisees challenging Jesus’ authority?

Day 5- PLOT TO KILL JESUS

Read the following verses:
Matthew 26:1-5
Mark 14:1-2
Luke 21:37-22:2
What happens in these verses?
What do you learn about Jesus?
Why where people trying to kill Jesus?
Who was trying to kill Jesus?

B&B

The Jewish religious leaders were opposed to Jesus because they were looking for a Messiah to make Israel great again. They thought the Messiah would come in power, be king of only Israel, and judge the powers of the world. Jesus will do all these things when He returns… except He will be the King of everything, not just of Israel. He tells the Pharisee, Nicodemus, in John 3:16 that God loved the entire world. Jesus came the first time as a simple guy with no attempts to judge the world. Thankfully, God’s plan was bigger and better than the Jewish leaders. God wanted to save the world before He judged it so people could live in eternity with Him.

The Plot Thickens

Day 1- JUDAS AGREES TO BETRAY JESUS

Read Matthew 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11; Luke 22:3-6
What happens in these verses? What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus? Why do you think Judas betrayed Jesus?

Day 2- THE LORD’S SUPPER

Read Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-24; Luke 22:7-23
What happens in these verses?

What do you learn about Jesus?

DID YOU KNOW

Jesus died on Passover, the religious holiday the Jews yearly celebrated to remember how the angel of death “passed over” their firstborn sons and brought them out of slavery back in Egypt during Moses’ time. The Jews would sacrifice a lamb every year to atone for their sins. This Passover, the True Lamb was about to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Day 3- JESUS WASHES HIS DISCIPLES’ FEET

Read John 13:1-20
What happens in these verses? What sticks out to you?
What do you learn about Jesus?

Read Matthew 23:11
How does Jesus show He is the greatest by washing His disciples’ feet?

Day 4- JESUS TELLS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

Read John 16:1-14
What does Jesus tell His disciples would happen after He left?
What will the Holy Spirit do for the believers? What do you learn about the Holy Spirit?

Day 5- THE HOLY SPIRIT

What you read yesterday was a huge revelation to Jesus’ disciples and to you. They were so sad that Jesus, God Himself, was leaving them. Jesus gave them great news! God was not going to leave them… the Holy Spirit would be in them. This is true for you today and very important. Read the following verses and write down what you learn.
John 14:15-17
1 Corinthians 2:13
1 Corinthians 3:16,17
John 16:13
Ephesians 1:13
Matthew 10:20

A Big Week

Day 1- JESUS PREDICTS PERSECUTION

Read John 15:18-24
What does Jesus tell His disciples would happen? Does this still happen today?

Day 2- JESUS PRAYS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

Read Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:40-46
What happens in these verses?
What do you learn about Jesus?
What do you learn about the disciples?

GIVE IT A TRY!

Jesus was getting His heart prepared to do God’s will by praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. When it was time for it to happen, He was ready. His disciples were living out the most important moment in history by sleeping. They should have been praying to get their hearts prepared.
Why do you think prayer is important to be prepared for what God asks you to do? Is God preparing you for something right now? Spend time praying today for God to prepare your heart.

Day 3- JESUS BETRAYED AND ARRESTED

Read Matthew 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-52; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:2-12
What happened to Jesus? Who came to arrest Him?
What did one of His disciples do? Which disciple was it?
What did Jesus do to fix what the disciple did?
How did Jesus respond? What did Jesus’ disciples do in the face of persecution?

Day 4- JESUS IS QUESTIONED BY JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Read Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:53-65
What happened here? How did the religious leaders treat Jesus?
What was their problem with Jesus?
These religious leaders were the people who taught and kept the law. Look back at Exodus 20. What commandments were the teachers breaking? Did Jesus fight back?

DIG DEEPER

Poor Peter, he had a bad night the night of Jesus’ trial. Peter is proof we make mistakes. He is scared here, but changes after Jesus’ resurrection. Read how bold he is in Acts 4:8-13. God also chose him to be one of the authors of the Bible. He wrote two books – can you guess which ones?

Day 5- PETER DENIES JESUS

Read Matthew 26:69-75; Mark 14:66-72
What does Peter do? How did Peter feel afterward?
Read Luke 22:39-40
Did Jesus predict this? Does God really know our weaknesses?
Have you ever denied Jesus? Why did you do it if you did? What did you feel afterward?

Trial and Punishment

Day 1- TRIAL BEFORE PILATE

Read Matthew 27:13-26; Mark 15:2-15; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:29-40
Did the Roman governor, Pilate, find any guilt in Jesus?
Who wanted Jesus dead? Did Jesus deserve the punishment He was sentenced?
Did Barabbas deserve the punishment? Write down anything else you learn about Jesus.
What was Jesus’ attitude in this tough time?

DIG DEEPER

The religious leaders did not want to kill Jesus because God’s law says “Thou shall not murder.” Read what Jesus, God Himself, says about murder in Matthew 5:21-22.
The Jews were trying not to break the law. But how were they breaking it?

Day 2- JESUS MOCKED BY SOLDIERS

Read Matthew 27:27-32; Mark 15:16-19
How harsh were the soldiers with Jesus?
Remember, Jesus took the death you deserved. Could you have made it through what Jesus had to do? Are you thankful He did it for you?

Day 3- JESUS IS CRUCIFIED

Read Matthew 27:33-51; Mark 15:20-39; Luke 23:26-47; John 19:16-30
What happened in the events of Jesus’ crucifixion? Take time to write down all that happened. You have to read all four Gospels to get the full story.

Day 4- THE CRIMINAL BELIEVES

Read Luke 23:38-43
What was one of the criminals saying about Jesus?
How did the other criminal defend Him?
What did the criminal who defended Jesus ask Him? What did Jesus say to Him?
Did the criminal believe in Jesus?

Day 5- FATHER FORGIVE THEM

Read Luke 23:34
What does Jesus say on the cross to His Father?
What do you learn about forgiveness from Jesus here? Did Jesus hate the men who hated Him?
Read Matthew 5:43-48
How was Jesus the perfect example of what He taught His disciples?
How can you be more like Jesus?
Has anyone hurt you? Did they even come close to hurting you like people hurt Jesus?
Ask God to help you forgive your enemies today.

BIGGER & BETTER

Read Matthew 27:51 and read about the veil in the Temple being torn in two. This curtain was no ordinary curtain. This curtain was huge and very tall. It separated the room in the Temple where God would dwell. Only the priests could go in the room where God’s presence was. Jesus’ death was the ultimate sacrifice. No longer do people bring sacrifices to the priest. Jesus tore down that curtain so you could approach God yourself. If you believe in Jesus, you are covered by His blood and can now have a relationship with God!

The After Math

Day 1- JESUS BURIED IN THE TOMB

Read Matthew 27:57-61; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 22:50-53; John 19:38-42
What happened in this passage? How was Jesus buried?
Write down what you learn.

Day 2- SOLDIERS PLACED TO GUARD TOMB

Read Matthew 27:62-66
Did people see where Jesus was buried?
Why did the Pharisees want a guard for the tomb?
What were they afraid of happening?

Day 3- THE TOMB WAS FOUND EMPTY BY WOMEN

Read Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-10; John 20:1
What happened in these verses? Who saw the tomb was empty?
Who showed up at the tomb? Who did the women meet on the road?

Day 4- PETER AND JOHN GO TO THE EMPTY TOMB

Read Luke 24:10-12 and John 20:2-10
What do Peter and John see?
How did they respond?
How would you have reacted?

Day 5- ROAD TO EMMAUS

Read Luke 24:13-35
What happened on the road to Emmaus? Did the disciples recognize Jesus?
When did they recognize Jesus?

Jesus is Back

Day 1- THE GREAT COVER-UP

Read Matthew 28:11-15
What did the Roman soldiers do? How did the Pharisees respond to the news of the tomb being empty? What lie did they spread?

DIG DEEPER

Read Ephesians 4:18
The Pharisees should have been amazed that Jesus resurrected from the dead when they heard the news. They didn’t even try to check it out. Instead, they paid money for a good cover up. How do the Pharisees in Jesus’ time show a hardened heart? What do you think makes a heart hard? How do pride and selfishness help create a hard heart?

Day 2- APPEARANCE TO THE DISCIPLES

Read John 20:19-23; Luke 24:36-43
What happened in these verses? Why were the disciples afraid?
Did they believe that Jesus resurrected at first? Did they eventually believe?
Was Jesus a spirit or a body when He resurrected? (Look at what He said and what He did. For example… did He eat?)

Day 3- DOUBTING THOMAS

John 20:24-29
What happened in this passage? What did Thomas need to see to believe?
Do you believe Jesus will help you see Him if you are doubting?
Do you go to Jesus first when you doubt, or do you look to the world for answers?

Day 4- GONE FISHING

Read John 21:1-14
What were the disciples doing? Who did they see on their fishing trip?
Did they believe Jesus was resurrected?
Can you imagine having breakfast with the resurrected Lord?
What would you ask Him if you did?
Ask Him your question. You can ask Him any time. He is listening.

DID YOU KNOW

The disciples hid behind locked doors after Jesus’ death, but after the resurrection (just a few months later) these same men went to Jerusalem and preached about Jesus to the very people who killed Him. That is bold!

Day 5- FEED MY SHEEP

Read John 21:15-19
What does Jesus ask Peter? What does Jesus want Peter to do?
How does Jesus want Peter to show his love for Jesus?
Jesus is feeding Peter and asking him to feed others. The Good Shepherd is asking Peter to take care of His sheep. Jesus isn’t really talking about food. Of course He wants Peter to help people in need, but what He is really talking about is the truth about Himself. His will for Peter was to get out there and share the Gospel. If you read the Book of Acts, you will see that Peter truly loved Jesus. He spent the rest of his life sharing the Gospel.

Where is Jesus Now?

Day 1- THE GREAT COMMISSION

Read Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49
What did Jesus ask His disciples to do? What does Jesus promise His disciples in Matthew 28:20? Do you think that Jesus wants you to do the same thing?
Do you believe the promise in verse 20 is for you, too?

Day 2- JESUS ASCENDS INTO HEAVEN

Read Luke 24:50-53; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:1-9
What does Jesus ask His disciples to do?
Where does Jesus go?

Day 3- HOLY SPIRIT

Read Acts 2:1-11
What happened to the disciples when they were waiting in Jerusalem?
How was it evident they were filled with the Holy Spirit?
The word “tongue” in the original Greek means “language.” How many different languages were they speaking?
What were the people of different languages hearing from the disciples in verse 11?
How is this another example of God’s promises coming true?
Hint… Did Jesus promise the Holy Spirit would come?

Day 4- JESUS IS YOUR MEDIATOR

Read 1 Timothy 2:5
How is Jesus described in this verse?
How does Jesus mediate between you and God?
Jesus is your mediator between you and God because His blood covers your sin. God no longer sees your sin because of Jesus and you can have a relationship with Him.
Read Revelation 12:10-12
What does the Bible say the accuser does?
What will happen to the accuser?
The verse in Revelation 12 is talking about Satan. Satan has access to God…for now at least. Satan does his best to distract believers from following God. But no matter what things he tries to tempt you with, if you have accepted Jesus, Jesus will stand before God and say, “I know (insert your name), and (insert your name) is covered by My blood.” Jesus is your mediator, and the accuser has nothing on you.

Day 5- SEATED AT GOD’S RIGHT HAND

Read Mark 16:19
Where is Jesus now?
Read Romans 8:34
What is Jesus doing for you now?
Read Ephesians 1:22-23
What things are subject to Jesus?
Is there anything that is not under Jesus’ control?
What is Jesus the “head” of?
Should the church follow Jesus if He is in charge?
God has made Jesus in charge. The God who gave up His life for you is in control. Are you thankful? What should this mean for your life?

Jesus Will Return

Day 1- WHO AM I?

While Jesus was still with His disciples, He started to tell them important things.
But first, He had to make sure they believed in who He was.
Read Matthew 16:13-20
Who did His disciples believe Him to be?
The world around Jesus believed He was different things, but Jesus wanted to make sure His followers believed in who He really was. Jesus was about to explain what was going to happen to Him. He had mentioned what He was on earth for many times, but He hadn’t mapped out the details to His disciples because they were not yet ready to hear it. He also needed to tell them something else that was important. He not only was going to explain His death and resurrection, but also that He would return. If they didn’t believe Him to be “Christ, the Son of the living God,” they would not be able to understand. You are going to learn about Jesus’ return so ask yourself the following questions:
Who do you believe Jesus to be? Who does the world believe Him to be?
Do you trust that His Word will come true?

Day 2- JESUS WILL DIE, RESURRECT AND RETURN

Read Matthew 16:21-28
In verse 21, what does Jesus tell His disciples will happen to Him?
What was Peter’s response? What did Jesus say to Peter after His response?
Peter didn’t want Jesus to die. Jesus’ reaction to Peter seems harsh, but the reality is that Jesus has told them over and over that He must be the sacrifice for people’s sins. Peter had just told Him that He believed who He said He was and this response was selfish.
Read Matthew 16:27
What does Jesus tell His disciples in this verse? How is Jesus going to come?
Jesus’ first arrival was unnoticed by the world. He came as a baby and was born in a lowly manger. The second time He comes to earth, He will come in God’s glory with the angels. This month you are going to learn about Jesus’ return.

Day 3- TRANSFIGURATION

Read Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8: Luke 9:28-36
What happened? What did Jesus look like? What were His clothes like?
The disciples were probably having a hard time understanding that Jesus would return in a different way. You have to understand that these men saw Jesus as very human. He ate, slept, went to the bathroom, got tired and did things that normal humans do. He had proven to them over and over that He had the power of God through His miracles and teachings, but He knew they needed a little help to understand how He would be different when He was on earth next. So, He took a few of His disciples and He was transfigured before them (which is just a fancy way of saying He changed into another form).
Were the disciples amazed? What did God say to them?
Do you realize you will get to see Jesus in this way someday, too?

Day 4- WHY NOT COME THIS WAY FIRST?

Read Luke 19:9-10 and Matthew 1:21. Why did Jesus come to earth the first time?
If Jesus skipped His first arrival, then no one else would get to live with God forever. God’s plan is perfect. Because He wants all people to come to live with Him forever, Christ had to come and die for people’s sin first. His death gave you freedom from the penalty of sin. His resurrection gave you new life that lasts forever, and His return will give you a new home with Him with no evil. Are you thankful God planned for Jesus to come twice? Are you thankful you get to live forever without evil?

Day 5- JESUS WILL RETURN TO JUDGE EVIL

Read Matthew 13:24-30
What will eventually happen to the weeds (tares)? Where will the wheat go?
When do the weeds and wheat get separated?
You have read this parable before and you focused on understanding why you will live on earth with evil. God is patient and wants people to know Him. Eventually Jesus will judge evil. All Jesus tells us here is that this will happen at the harvest. Just like a good farmer knows the right time for this crop’s harvest to happen, Jesus knows the right time to judge evil. The great news is that just like the “wheat” will be gathered into the good farmer’s barn, we will be gathered to live forever with Jesus away from evil.

Jesus Teaches About Return

Day 1- OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY

There are many prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus’ return. The prophets the Lord spoke through didn’t fully understand how God would accomplish everything God said. They simply were obedient and spoke God’s words. The reason this is important to know is that sometimes a prophecy will have a clue to Jesus’ first coming AND His second coming. It wasn’t until Jesus arrived the first time that man started to understand the Old Testament prophecies were about two different comings of Jesus. Here is an example:
Read Isaiah 9: 6 and write it down.
Circle the part of the prophecy that happened during Jesus’ first coming and second coming. Did Jesus become a ruling world leader during His first coming?
Jesus proved He was the Messiah in fulfilling more than 300 OT prophecies in His first coming. This gives us enough proof that He is the Messiah who God promised and gives us confidence He will do exactly what is prophesied. Coming two times also lines up with God’s character and will… loving people and wanting them to live with Him forever. He had to come the first time so people could be with Him during the second.

DID YOU KNOW

Part of the reason many of the Jews didn’t believe in Jesus was because He did not arrive as a ruler. The Jews were persecuted under many of the world governments like the Roman government. They wanted the Messiah to come in the way the Old Testament prophesied about His second coming. They wanted a ruler to make them great again. They also didn’t recognize their need for a Savior because they didn’t think they were sinners. Both reasons are why the Jewish leaders and people didn’t believe Jesus was who He said He was.

Day 2- JESUS TEACHES ABOUT HIS RETURN

Read Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 23-27, 30-31
What will many people do before Christ’s return?
Are there religions in the world that say someone else is the Messiah?
How will Jesus arrive on earth when He returns the second time?

Day 3- WE DON’T KNOW THE HOUR

Read Matthew 25:13
What does Jesus command His disciples to do? Did Jesus tell them when He would return?
God makes it clear how He will return but He doesn’t say when. He knows, He just doesn’t want us to know. Why? He wants us to live our lives for Him. He wants you to be prepared for when He does return.
Is your heart ready for His return? Are you paying attention to what He wants for your life?
Are you reading God’s Word and learning more about who He is?
Are you applying God’s truth to your life? Are you telling others about Jesus?
Are you trusting Him to guide and direct your life?
If you answered yes to these, you are living a life that is prepared for His return.
Is there any way you need to be more prepared?

Day 4- DO NOT BE TROUBLED

Read John 14:1-3. Why does Jesus say not to be troubled?
What did Jesus tell His disciples He is going to do after He ascends into heaven?
Why does He tell you He is coming back for you?
Did your mom and dad prepare a room for you before you came into this earth from your mom’s belly? If you are adopted, did your adopted mom and dad prepare a room for you before you came into your home? Jesus is busy doing that for you. He built the home and the earth you are living in right now. He says your next one will be better. If you like this one now, how awesome will your forever home be?

Day 5- THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD

Read Matthew 24:14. What will happen before the end will come?
Jesus doesn’t give us a timing, but He tells us that He will make sure the Gospel is preached to the entire world. He is patiently waiting for people to know Him.
How can you help Him share the Gospel?
Do you believe God can use you to share His good news with others?

Leave Your Legacy

Day 1- LOOK UP

Read Colossians 3:1-4
What are you to seek?
What will happen to you when Christ appears?
How can you seek the things that are above?
Are you excited to appear with Jesus in His glory?

Day 2- YOU WILL SEE HIM

Read 1 John 3:1-2
What does God’s Word tell us we will be like when we see God?
Did John know what that would look like fully?
How does this verse support what you read yesterday?
It’s okay to not understand what it will look like when Jesus returns. He knows that you won’t understand. The Old Testament people didn’t know what it would look like when the Messiah would show up on earth the first time, but He did and you believe it was awesome. Just get excited your Savior is coming back for you. Instead of being scared and worried, just live for Him where He has you today. He will work out the details of being with you forever.
Read Matthew 6:33 and memorize this verse today.

Day 3- CHRIST’S RETURN

Read the passage about when Christ returns on earth. Remember you will not understand everything, but sit back and read how Jesus is coming back for you.
Read Revelation 19:11-21
What happens? How is Jesus described?
What is He riding? Where does He come from?
How is this different than how He arrived the first time? Who will He fight? Will He win?

Day 4- YOU GET A HORSE

Read Revelation 19:14
Who is with Jesus when He returns?
Let’s use the Bible to explain who is in His army.
Read 2 Corinthians 5:21
What do you get when you believe in Jesus? What does Jesus give you?
Read Isaiah 61:10
What does God clothe those who have salvation with? What are they wearing?
Do you realize that the army that is with Jesus when He returns are His believers?? You get to ride a horse in Jesus’ army. You get a front row seat to Jesus bringing an end to death. You get to be an eyewitness of Jesus defeating Satan!

MEMORIZE IT

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:6-7

Day 5- YOU GET A NEW Read Revelation 21:1-7, Revelation 21:9-22:5
Write down what forever with God will be like. Will there be sin and sickness?
Will there be lies? Will you have everything you need? Who will you be with?
Heaven is hard to imagine, but it is real. God has promised it to those who believe in Him.