Bible Study –Fourth Sunday in Lent – Come to the Light
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
As in Advent, when we went inward to prepare to go outward with Christmas and Epiphany, in Lent we again go inward – in preparation. In the first two Sundays of Lent, Mark, brilliantly succinct, reveals the preparation Jesus experienced. During the next three Sundays John adds shimmering lights on Jesus’ ministry before we plunge into the Crucifixion, where we watch, from wherever we are, what Jesus must go through in order to give us Easter. These six vignettes invite us to take a closer look at the choices we are making in our lives and what we might choose to jettison, correct, or add.
Jesus patiently prepares his followers for what is to come. Jesus is to be "lifted up" so that he may then lift up all of us. The light has come into the world – a light some will seek at all costs. For others, the darkness is preferable to the penetrating brightness of the light. God reaches out to all of us, sending the Son into the world so that all might be saved through him. We do not know what the disciples made of this revelation. Our concern is what we make of it and what realignment we may be called to make.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for loving us so much. Thank you for being so patient with us. And thank you for Jesus. Help us to follow him. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to John 3:14-21 and read or read the scriptures below.
John 3:14-21
4 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[a] 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”[b]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
Questions (Answers at the bottom of the page):
- Jesus knows that Good Friday and Easter are soon to come. On Good Friday Jesus dies on the cross and everyone thinks the story is over, but on Easter, they see that Jesus is resurrected and will show us the way to be with Jesus even after we die.
- What is Jesus telling the people when he says, "the Son of Man must be lifted up?"
- Jesus talks about darkness. Who likes to be in the dark?
- What happens in the light?
- What happens when we do "what is true" – when we choose to follow Jesus?
- Where you see light or Jesus’ love in the world today?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson.
Videos (Click on url)
John 3: 14-21 Nicodemus Visits Jesus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_bwq9AWXw
Gospel of John Summary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-2e9mMf7E8
Song: Jesus is my Best Friend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfHHotTAis
Jesus Love the Little Children - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUg-UvjEmSY
Activities:
Come to the Light: Take a piece of heavy paper/poster board and create pictures, poems or a piece of art that reflects where you see “the light” or God in the world today.
Prayers: Write a Lenten prayer about "Obedience." Obedience means doing what we are supposed to do, doing the very best we can. It is not about getting an "A" but about faithfully doing the homework. It may not mean getting the soccer goal, but it is about showing up for practice and for the game. Write how you might be obedient in your life today. Another way of looking at obedience is to look at the prayer of oblation. “Oblation is an offering of ourselves, our lives and labors, in union with Christ, for the purposes of God.” Write prayers about obedience and oblation.
God’s Love Banner: Roll out a paper to make a BANNER. Write Ephesians 3:18-19 on the ROLLED out BANNER and make colorful BIG letters for “WIDE”, “LONG”, “HIGH” and “DEEP” is GOD’s LOVE FOR ME! Hang it on your wall.
God So Loved the World - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/god-so-loved-the-world
God So Loved the World - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/god-so-loved-the-world-2
Measuring Gods Love – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/measuring-gods-love-4
God So Loved the World – Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/god-so-loved-the-world-1
Ash Wednesday was February 14, 2024. It was the first day of Lent which is a 40 day season (excluding Sundays) before Easter. Lent is a time for praying daily and giving of our time and service for others. We are now in the Fourth Sunday of Lent. If you haven’t done any of the Lenten activities, please use the 40 Day Lenten Calendars below during Lent.
Prayer: "Thank you, God, that you so loved the world that you gave us your only Son. Amen.”
Answers to the above questions:
- Jesus knows that Good Friday and Easter are soon to come. On Good Friday Jesus dies on the cross and everyone thinks the story is over, but on Easter, they see that Jesus is resurrected and will show us the way to be with Jesus even after we die.
- What is Jesus telling the people when he says, "the Son of Man must be lifted up?" (That he will be resurrected and bring all of us with Him – in time.)
- Jesus talks about darkness. Who likes to be in the dark? (People who are doing stuff they should not be doing.)
- What happens in the light? (Everyone can see what is happening.)
- What happens when we do "what is true" – when we choose to follow Jesus? (The light of Jesus shines on us and helps us to do what we are supposed to do.)
- Where you see light or Jesus’ love in the world today?
