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Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group

Unit 31 Session 3 – Younger Elementary

Sunday, May 3, 2015

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TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Jesus Cleansed the Temple

Matthew 21:12-‐17; Mark 11:15-‐19; Luke 19:45-‐48 In preparation for the Passover feast, Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew, Mark, and Luke also describe Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. Herod the Great had completely rebuilt the temple in 20–18 B.C. as part of his architectural projects. Herod’s temple was surrounded by walls and gates, with specific places for Gentiles, women, and men to worship God and offer sacrifices.

When Jesus entered the Court of the Gentiles, He was furious to see people buying and selling in the temple. Animal sacrifices were required for participation in the temple, since God declared that all Jewish men must appear three times before the Lord each year, and they must not appear empty-‐handed. (See Deut. 16:16.) For many worshipers traveling from all over the Roman Empire to take part in Passover, it was easiest to purchase unblemished animals for sacrificing in the Court of the Gentiles. There, they also exchanged foreign currency for the temple taxes and offerings. So why was Jesus angry at the people?

The merchants buying and selling in the temple were treating the temple as a market or bazaar, not like the house of prayer for all nations that God had intended for it to be. (See Isa. 56:7.) The money changers’ prices were so exorbitant, they were practically robbing the people. (Mark 11:17) On top of that, people were using the temple courts as a shortcut to get to their businesses. The Gentiles who wished to worship God in peace were surrounded by greed and extortion.

After Jesus threw out the merchants and money changers, the chief priests and the scribes wanted to destroy Him. (Luke 19:47) Jesus was angry that people were misusing the temple, the place people could go to meet with God.

Today, Christians do not go to a temple to meet with God or to offer sacrifices for sin. Jesus died on the cross as the final payment for sin, and we gather with the church to worship Him together.

YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Jesus Cleansed the Temple Bible Passage: Matthew 21:12-‐17; Mark 11:15-‐19; Luke 19:45-‐48 Big Picture Question: Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living.



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Small Group Time Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes)

Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal (5 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes)

THE BIBLE STORY

Jesus Cleansed the Temple Matthew 21:12-‐17; Mark 11:15-‐19; Luke 19:45-‐48

The time was coming to celebrate Passover. Jesus, His followers, and many other Jewish people traveled to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was an important city; it was the capital of Israel, and the temple was there.

Jesus and His disciples went into the temple area. What Jesus saw made Him angry. In the area around the temple, people were doing things they were not supposed to be doing. Some were buying and selling animals for sacrifices—animals like oxen, sheep, and doves. Other people had set up tables, and they were exchanging money.

The Jews had to pay a tax at the temple, and they needed to have the right kind of money. So the people at the tables traded for the money accepted at the temple.

And still other people were carrying supplies through the temple area, using it as a shortcut to get from one side of the city to the other. This was not what the temple was for!

Jesus made those people leave. He pushed over the tables of the money changers, and He pushed over the chairs of the people selling doves. Jesus did not allow people to carry supplies through the area around the temple. He wanted the people to learn something important. Jesus said, “Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?”

Yes, it was written. The prophet Isaiah had written those words in Scripture. Isaiah wrote that God’s temple would be a place where everyone could worship Him. But that was not happening. The area the people had turned into a marketplace was supposed to be a special area where Gentiles—people who were not Jews—could worship God. How could anyone pray and worship with the cooing of doves and the jingling of coins all around them?

Jesus told the people, “You have made this temple into a den of thieves!” Not only were the people wrong for doing business there, they were like thieves; they were not fair in the way they did business. They charged people too much money. They were misusing the temple—God’s house. Jesus was right to be angry! While Jesus was at the temple, people who were blind and people who were lame came to Him. Jesus healed them. Children praised Jesus. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they said.



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“Do you hear what these children are saying?” the religious leaders asked Jesus. The religious leaders were angry, but they were not right to be angry.

Jesus said, “Yes. Haven’t you read the Scriptures that say, ‘You have taught children and babies to give you praise’?”

The religious leaders saw that the people were amazed at the things Jesus taught and at the miracles He did. They were afraid of Jesus, so they started looking for a way to kill Him. That evening, Jesus and His disciples left Jerusalem. They went to the nearby city of Bethany and spent the night there.

Christ Connection: Jesus was angry that people were misusing the temple, the place people could go to meet with God. Today, Christians do not go to a temple to meet with God or to offer sacrifices for sin. Jesus died on the cross as the final payment for sin, and we come together to worship Him.

SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: Jesus Cleansed the Temple Bible Passage: Matthew 21:12-‐17; Mark 11:15-‐19; Luke 19:45-‐48 Big Picture Question: Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living. Welcome time:

Arriving Activity: Mirror game Assign each child a partner. Select one partner to be the leader and the other to be the “mirror.” Partners will stand facing each other, looking each other in the eye without talking or touching. The leader will make simple facial expressions or movements and the mirror will copy the movements exactly.

Remind kids the goal is not to trick your partner but to help them mirror you. After a few minutes, switch roles.

Say • Did any of you make an angry face while you played the mirror game? In today’s Bible story, Jesus was angry. Let’s find out why.



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Activity page (5 minutes) • “What’s Different?” activity page, 1 per kid • pencils Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. (Answer key: missing window, extra stones, cloak with stripes, stripes on the awning, no chicken, no basket, different hat, camel’s load, fish in the basket, green jug, red tunic)

Say • Today’s Bible story took place in the temple area. Some people were not using this area in the right way. Let’s find out what they were doing.

Session starter (10 minutes)

Option 1: Animal charades Invite kids to take turns pretending to be animals by crawling or making animal sounds while other kids guess which animals they are pretending to be. The child who guesses correctly goes next. Play as time allows.

Say • Great animals! In our Bible story today, some people were selling animals in a place were there should have been no selling at all. Let’s find out where.

Option 2: Money exchange • paper • scissors • markers • various craft supplies Invite kids to create their own currency. Kids may wish to make coins, bills, or something entirely different. Encourage creativity. Lead kids to assign values to their currency. As kids complete their currency, encourage them to trade with each other based on the values they assigned.

Say • In Bible times, people from many different countries came to Jerusalem for Passover. They went to the temple and gave an offering or paid the temple tax. They needed the right kind of money to pay this tax, but their countries used different money. People called money changers set up tables in the temple area. They swapped money with the people from other countries so they could make their offerings. What the money changers were doing seems helpful, but they were actually cheating the people by giving them less than what their money was worth. In our story today, we will find out how Jesus dealt with those greedy money changers.



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SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: Jesus Cleansed the Temple Bible Passage: Matthew 21:12-‐17; Mark 11:15-‐19; Luke 19:45-‐48 Big Picture Question: Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin. Key Passage: Luke 18:31 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus’ life and teachings are examples for His followers of true holy living. Key passage activity (5 minutes) • Key Passage Slide or Poster • dry erase board and markers (optional) • strips of paper • tape Make sure the key passage, Luke 18:31, is visible for each child, either as the printed poster or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together.

Say • Jesus spoke the words of our key passage. He told His disciples that they were going to Jerusalem. Hundreds of years before, prophets shared with the people what would happen to the Messiah. In Jerusalem, all those things were accomplished in Jesus.

Write the words of the key passage on strips of paper. Before kids arrive, tape the strips of paper underneath tables and chairs in your room. Invite kids to look under tables and chairs to discover the words of the key passage. Lead kids to put the words in order. Say the verse together several times.

Bible story review (10 minutes) • Bibles, 1 per kid • Small Group Visual Pack • Big Picture Question Slide or Poster • paper • marker • beanbag Encourage the kids to find Matthew 21; Mark 11; or Luke 19 in their Bibles. You may assign certain kids a certain book to find. Help them as needed.

Say • From what part of the Bible did today’s story come? The Old Testament or New Testament? (New Testament) When we are learning about Jesus’ time on earth, we will always



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find those stories in the New Testament and mostly in what division? (Gospels) Our story for today is found in three of the Gospels. Do you know which ones? (Matthew, Mark, Luke)

Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today’s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words.

Write out the following questions on individual pieces of paper and turn them face down on the floor. Give each kid a chance to toss a beanbag onto a piece of paper, turn over that paper, and answer the question. Use the following questions for the review game:

• Why were so many people traveling to Jerusalem? (to celebrate Passover) • What did Jesus see the people doing in the temple area? (selling animals,

exchanging money, using it as a shortcut; Mark 11:15-‐16) • What did Jesus say His Father’s house would be called? (a house of prayer for all

nations, Mark 11:17) • Which prophet wrote “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”?

(Isaiah, Isaiah 56:7) What did the children say about Jesus? (“Hosanna to the Son of David!” Matthew 21:15) • How did the religious leaders feel about Jesus? (Jesus made them angry. The leaders were afraid of Him; Mark 11:18)

Say • God is holy. He deserves respect. The people at the temple were not respectful of God’s house. They did not use the temple as the place of worship it was. Jesus, on the other hand, did. He healed people who were blind and couldn’t walk. Children worshiped Him using the temple in the right way. Show the big picture question slide or poster.

Say • Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin. We should hate sin too. Sin should make us angry. Sin hurts people and dishonors God.

Activity choice (10 minutes)

Option 1: Building tour Take a tour of your church building or the place your church meets. Point out areas that may not be as familiar to the kids. Be mindful of safety and other classes that may be meeting.

Say • In our Bible story today, people came to the temple to offer sacrifices. Did you see any place for sacrifices here today? No, because we do not have to offer sacrifices for sin anymore. Jesus died on the cross as a final sacrifice for sin once and for all. We do not have to go to a temple to worship God. We can worship God anywhere, but we gather with other believers to worship Him together. We will worship God forever in the new heaven and new earth.



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Option 2: That makes me angry! • dry erase board or large piece of paper

Encourage kids to share times they have been angry. Make a list of the things they mention. Narrow down the list to three recurring themes and let kids vote on the one that makes them the most angry. Talk about if anger is a right or wrong response in each situation. Remind kids that we are sinners. We often get angry for the wrong reasons. Jesus never got angry for the wrong reasons. He never sinned. The Holy Spirit can help us in our anger.

Say • Jesus is perfect. When Jesus was angry, He was angry at sin. Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin. Even though Jesus hates sin, He loves sinners. We are sinners. At times, we get angry for wrong reasons. If we trust in Jesus, we can ask the Holy Spirit to help us overcome our anger.

Journal and prayer (5 minutes) • Journal Page, 1 per kid

• markers or crayons

• Bible Story Coloring Page

Distribute each child’s journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of a happy face and an angry face. Writers can write a prayer to God.

Say • Let’s say our big picture question and answer one last time. Was Jesus wrong to be angry? No, Jesus was angry for the right reasons. Jesus hates sin.

If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Praise God for His holiness. Pray for each child by name, asking God to create a spirit of honor and respect in each one. Ask God to help the children hate sin and love the gospel.

Dismiss to parents – Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children.

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