Lessons from the Land: the Gospels
Grab your Bible and pack your bags as you prepare for a Bible lands adventure like you've never seen before! Barry Britnell is your guide as you take a journey through the gospels, exploring the lands, the history, and the culture of the places where Jesus lived! Thirteen immersive lessons are packed full of fun and learning, complete with application for today's children.
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Lesson 1
Read Luke 4:17-30. Jesus knew who he was because he knew God’s word. Hundreds of years before Jesus had been born, God had spoken about Jesus. Whether people believed him or not, whether they liked him or not, Jesus was going to be just who God had planned for Him to be.
Lesson 2
Read Mark 13:1-6. Years before it would happen, Jesus prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed. This was God’s word. It wasn’t a happy promise. Read Luke 19:41-44 to see how Jesus wept about the trouble that Jerusalem would face. Whether happy or sad, God’s promises are true, because He is the ruler over all.
Lesson 3
Read John 9:1-12. Jesus had left the temple in John 8:59 when he and his disciples saw a blind man in John 9:1. The temple mount would have been on the north side of Jerusalem, whereas the pool where Jesus sent the blind man was on the south side. This would have been a difficult walk for a blind man! Jesus could have healed him instantly, just as we read in Matthew 20:29-34. Why might Jesus have told the blind man to do something so difficult instead of healing him right away?
Lesson 4
Read Matthew 4:12-22. Jesus called these men to do the hard work of being “fishers of men.” They were his disciples, which means they wanted to be trained by him to be like him. How is following Jesus and teaching about the gospel of the kingdom like fishing?
Lesson 5
Read Matthew 11:20-24. Jesus expected people to take his teaching seriously! He taught them to repent: to turn away from sin and selfishness and turn to God. But even when Jesus did many mighty works to help people trust that God had sent him, they would not listen. They were being like Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom, cities that were well-known for once being great cities that met great destruction. Why? Because they had also refused to listen and obey!
Lesson 6
Read Mark 6:1-6. The Son of God did not grow up in a palace in a wealthy family to live a life of ease. He grew up in a small village where he learned the trade of his adoptive father, Joseph (Matthew 13:55). He—like you!—would have been given household chores. Think about it! Jesus, the creator of the universe, would have grown up working with his hands. He did not think he was too important to do the work given to him. He left heaven to serve, and we never hear him complain.
Lesson 7
Read Matthew 26:36-45. Jesus wanted to submit to the Father, to put himself under God’s rule. He prayed three times that God’s will, not his own, would be done. Why might he have kept praying the same prayer?
Lesson 8
Read Matthew 8:23-27. Jesus demonstrated his power over creation when it became calm at his rebuke. The disciples ask the right question: “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey him?” If the storms obey the words of Jesus, then what should we do with his word?
Lesson 9
Read John 10:1-18. Sheep need a shepherd. They need someone to protect them from predators and thieves and to lead them to good pasture. Talk about why a sheep comes when the shepherd calls. How can you show them appreciation? Thank God for people who care for you!
Lesson 10
Read Matthew 5:14-16. People have lamps to give light. Covering up a lamp would be silly! What is our “light,” and what would it look like to cover it up? Why might we want to hide our lights? Read Mark 4:21-22. This passage uses the same picture—light in a dark room—to teach a different lesson. Here we learn about listening. The truth that Jesus teaches is like a light shining into our hearts and into the world around us. We see clearly what we didn’t before. Why might we want to cover up the light of the truth?
Lesson 11
Read Matthew 16:13-20. Jesus asked his disciples two questions: “Who do people say that I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?” What are some things people say about God or about Jesus today? Who do you think Jesus is and why? Simon Peter said that he believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. The truth that Jesus is God’s Son, that he is God’s chosen King, is the solid foundation on which Jesus’ kingdom is built. Even death—“the gates of hades” in Matthew 16:18—can not destroy Jesus’ kingdom!
Lesson 12
Read John 4:1-30. When a woman from Samaria came to draw water, Jesus took opportunity to talk with her about “living water” (v. 10). What water is Jesus talking about? Consider 4:14, 25-26, and 7:37-39. Look at John 4:19-26. This woman wanted to know truth, and she wanted to know how to worship God. She’d been doing her own “detective work.” What do you want to know about the Bible? Talk about how to discover God’s truth in His word.
Lesson 13
Read Matthew 13:10-23. Jesus taught in parables 1) to conceal the truth from those who do not love the truth and 2) to reveal the truth to those who do love the truth. In the parable of the sower, Jesus shows that the word of God (the seed) is available to everyone, whether they really love truth or not (the types of soils). Based on Jesus’ parable, how can you tell if someone loves truth?