Nicodemus
The child will recall some of the things Jesus taught about how we should live.
Bible Story Reference: John 3:1-21
Memory Verse:
Romans 10:9 (NIV)
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Introduction
In the last lesson, we learned about how Jesus wants us to live. He told the crowd that those who heard his words and obeyed them were like people who built their house on solid rock. What did Jesus mean by this? (They would be safe and secure no matter what happened.)
Today, we will learn about what it means to be born again.
Bible Story
One night, a religious leader named Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus. He was a Pharisee. The Pharisees were a group of Jewish people who cared more about obeying the law than loving God.
“We all know that God sent you to teach us,” Nicodemus said to Jesus. “You could not do all these miracles unless God was with you.”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said. “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
“But how can that be?” Nicodemus replied. “How can a person be born again?”
“Humans give life to their children,” Jesus explained. “But only God’s Spirit can change you into a child of God. God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life.”
Nicodemus went to speak to Jesus because he wanted to know the truth about God. But Jesus’ answer confused him. Jesus told him that God loves us so much that he sent his own Son to save us. God wants us to have faith in him, not in ourselves. He wants us to trust in him alone because we cannot save ourselves, no matter how hard we try (Ephesians 2:8).
God wants us to have a relationship with him. We can do this by trusting in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. This is how we are born again. Only Jesus is able to remove all the sin and evil ways from our lives.
- Why was Nicodemus confused? (He did not understand how people could be born again.)
- What did Jesus tell Nicodemus about God’s love for us? (God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son.)
- What does it mean to be born again? (It means to become a child of God. It means
having a relationship with God by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour.It means trusting in God, not in our own abilities.) - Are you born again? How can you be sure? (Children who have put their faith in Jesus can be sure because God sends his Holy Spirit to live inside believers (1 John 4:15), including them. They are now children of God.)
- A relationship involves spending time with someone. How can you spend time with God every day? (praying, reading God’s Word, and showing God’s love towards others.)
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for loving me. Help me to find ways to spend time with you every day. Amen.
Crafts
New Heart
Jesus talked to Nicodemus about the “new birth.” This heart craft will remind children that when we are “born again” we are given a new heart and a new life.
What You Need
- Red or pink paper
- Marker /pen
- Red or pink recyclable bag
Steps
- Using the red/pink paper, cut out one large and two small hearts.
- Cut the recycable bag into strips and fold them into small squares.
- When the strips are unfolded, glue the strips to the sides of the large heart.
- Glue the small hearts to the ends of the strips.
- Draw eyes onto their heart and a happy face to illustrate a new and happy heart, with open arms full of love.