Family Time…Jesus’ enemies’ views and difficulty believing
Who is Jesus? There is such an amazing answer to that question! The rest of this school year will be dedicated to answering this question with your family. This month, so far, your family has looked at some prophecy about Jesus, how He fulfilled it, and what Jesus’ claimed about Himself…and the next two weeks are looking at what other people said about Jesus. This month’s family time topic from the “Sky Ranch Family Devotional: Follow the Leader” is on “Jesus is God “ and the weekly discussion is on “Jesus’ enemies views and difficulty believing.“ In the passages below are the description of people who opposed Jesus and how they described Jesus. The people in these passages did understand that Jesus was claiming to be God in human form. However, these people did not agree with Jesus’ claim. But by their reactions, they are validating that Jesus is claiming to be God. Throughout history, there have been arguments of who Jesus claimed to be. Some think that Jesus claimed to be God and others did not agree that He was making that claim. But in the passages below, your family can read for themselves Jesus’ claim and the reaction of other people at that time. Why does it matter if Jesus claimed to be God? This is another question with an amazing answer. For the purposes of keeping the answer simple for your family, God is sinless and the sacrifice that is acceptable to God, the Father to pay for your sins, needed to be sinless. So, God the Father sent God, the Son - Jesus, to free you from your sin. God provided a way for you join Him in His kingdom, if you will believe in Jesus. Jesus paid a price and gave up His life on this earth so that you could have life with God. But in order for you to truly be freed and His death pay for your sins, it is important that you believe all that Jesus said including that Jesus is God.
As a Mom, my kids never really argued if Jesus is God. They just believed it. But as a Bible teacher, I did find it was useful to be able to explain how I knew Jesus is God. Since I needed to be able to understand Jesus’ death on the cross and how it paid for my sins, in order to explain it to others. I had to understand why God would accept Jesus as a substitute sacrifice for me. What was different about Jesus from anyone else? There are many theologians who have gone into in-depth explanations on this topic and I don’t think that you need to get that deep with your kids at this point. But if you need extra help, I found Josh McDowell’s “More than a carpenter” as an easy book to read for teens and adults and useful to someone searching for answers.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family about their personal belief in Jesus. Pray that God would help you address any of their concerns or questions. Some kids have a child-like faith that easily believes and does not question. Pray that your family would feel safe to express if they do have questions. It is okay for kids to question “why” they believe something and it is even healthy. You want their faith to be their own and in order for them to own it, their faith needs to make sense to them. Pray that God would help you explain Jesus is God to your family. Pray for an encouraging discussion that builds your trust in Jesus.
Do you have questions or need prayer for your family? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy
Stacy A. Davis
Sky Ranch Family Devotionals and
Teach Intentionally Author
This week we are in the 1st Topic and 4th Family Time (or page 16 ) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Follow the Leader”…
Family Time 4:
Topic 1: Jesus is God…Jesus’ enemies’ views and difficulty believing
Talk with God: Read…Scriptures and questions below.
Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
John 8:24 (Jesus is speaking) "I said therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am [He], you shall die in your sins.”
- In Exodus 3:14, what is God’s name?
- In John 8:24, what is Jesus asking them to believe His name is?
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." 59 Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple.
John 10:33 (spoken to Jesus) The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out [to be] God."
- In John 8:58 and John 10:33, what do the Jews understand Jesus is claiming to be?
Walk with God: Discuss… Jesus did claim to be God. The Jewish religious leaders did understand this claim. Why is it difficult for others to believe what Jesus claimed about Himself?
Prayer suggestion… Pray for God’s help to understand Jesus is God.
Family Time 4:
Leader Answers:
- I Am
- I Am
- God
- Discussion ideas: John 10:33 tells us that the Jews’ reason for unbelief was that Jesus was a man who claimed to be God. However, wasn’t that what God said would happen ahead of time? Didn’t God say that “God would come to earth as a Child?” And doesn’t a Child grow into a Man? Yes, He does. In Luke 19:41-44, Jesus actually weeps because the Jews missed recognizing His visit to earth. What other truths help you believe that Jesus is God?
© 2012 Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
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