Bible Study “Seeking Another Way” (First Sunday in Lent)
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.
Lent is a forty-day period before Easter. It begins on Ash Wednesday. We skip Sundays when we count the forty days, because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection. Lent begins on February 22, 2023 and ends on April 8, 2023 , which is the day before Easter.
In most churches, the decorations are purple, the royal color, to prepare for the King
Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus’ withdrawal into the wilderness for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD 1500 observe Lent. The ancient church that wrote, collected, canonized, and propagated the New Testament also observed Lent, believing it to be a commandment from the apostles.
The church uses this time to get ready for Easter by doing some internal housecleaning. Some people give up something (chocolate or desserts maybe.) Others take on something extra (getting up earlier to have time for prayer, reading books to find out more about Jesus, etc.) The Bible passage we have today shows Jesus getting ready for his ministry
Today’s passage includes a lively discussion between Jesus and the Devil. Although it is clear that evil is loose in the world, the dualism implicit in evil as a person (the Devil) is a problem for many. Have you ever had the experience of arguing with yourself: having an idea and then noticing that it is not a good idea after all?
Think of ways you can get off the consumer wagon. How are decisions about what we think we need influenced by television, media, what we see in computer ads, etc? What might be some alternative responses? (Plain tshirts rather than designer t-shirts, tap water rather than bottled water, healthy snacks rather than junk food, etc.)
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for this time to notice things we want to either stop doing or begin doing so we can become closer to you. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 4:1-11 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a] by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
Questions: (Answers at the bottom of the page)
- Why do you think Jesus went out into the wilderness?
- What does the fact that Jesus was tempted tell us about the kind of person he was?
First Temptation:
- What would have been good about turning stones into bread?
- What was the problem with turning stones into bread?
- What do we think Jesus meant by his answer (verse 4b)?
Second Temptation:
- What could have been good about the second temptation?
- What was not good about this temptation?
Third Temptation:
- What could have been good about Jesus getting to be in charge of the whole world?
- What was not so good about this?
What does this say to us today?
- Are there things we might do that start out good and then go bad?
- How could wanting to get good grades end up turning out bad?
- What other situations can you think of that could start out good and end up bad?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
Discover Jesus – The Temptation of Jesus Christ – Matthew 4:1-11 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5WyrClVCp4
Matthew 4:1-10 Bible Study 2BeLikeChrist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKyzmDqOYFY
Overview: Matthew 1-13- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dv4-n6OYGI
Activities:
Journal: Resist the Devil – Write or draw a picture that represents a temptation and then write what the BIBLE says about temptation. It could be on the school grounds when there are no adults around and how you would deal with the tempter. Possible topics: someone offering drugs, someone offering cigarettes, someone offering to sell the answers to the big test coming up.
Lent Calendar: Make this Season of Lent more meaningful by doing random Acts of good and loving deeds. Click on the Lent Calendar, print it out and hang it up in your room. Then each day during Lent you can do an Act of good and loving deeds.
The Temptation of Jesus – Crossword Puzzle: https://sermons4kids.com/temptation_of_christ_matt_crossword.htm?fromSermonId=81
The Temptation of Christ - Jumble: https://sermons4kids.com/temptation_of_christ_matt_jumble.htm?fromSermonId=415
The Temptation of Jesus Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/temptation_of_christ_matt_wordsearch.htm?fromSermonId=81
Prayer: Thank you, God, for showing us that your way is the right way and that you are not far from us. We ask you to bless us as we move through Lent, especially those things we name before you now in silence… Guide us and direct us in all we do. Amen.
Answers to the Questions:
- Why do you think Jesus went out into the wilderness? (He needed a place where he could think and figure out what he was supposed to do with his ministry.)
- What does the fact that Jesus was tempted tell us about the kind of person he was? (He really was a human being. All people are tempted by something.)
First Temptation:
- What would have been good about turning stones into bread? (Lots of hungry people would have benefited.)
- What was the problem with turning stones into bread? (God had not sent Jesus to do magic tricks, but to show people things they could do themselves.)
- What do we think Jesus meant by his answer (verse 4b)? (There is more to life than just getting your fill of food. And it is not just about being a winner.)
Second Temptation:
- What could have been good about the second temptation? (He sure would have gotten everyone’s attention.)
- What was not good about this temptation? (It would have made Jesus into a show-off. Jesus did not come to show people how to be big powerful people.)
Third Temptation:
- What could have been good about Jesus getting to be in charge of the whole world? (He would have done a much better job of governing than anyone else has.)
- What was not so good about this? (Jesus came to show people that God is right here and how to take responsibility for ourselves, living the life God has shown us.)
What does this say to us today?
- Are there things we might do that start out good and then go bad?
- How could wanting to get good grades end up turning out bad? (Cheating to get the grade? Refusing to help another as we spend all our time on our project? Spending all our time studying and not getting any exercise and fresh air?)
- What other situations can you think of that could start out good and end up bad?
