Jesus’ Temptation - Alone in the Desert!

Art Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:
All three classes will make a “five fingered” decision stand to take home with them. This will help them to think about consequences of their decisions and how it relates to temptation.

Supplies List:

• Sculpey modeling compound (one box for four stands)
• 18 gauge stem wire (five per stand)
• Sculpey and wire can be found in the craft/floral department at Wal-Mart or Michael’s
• paint and paintbrushes
• index cards or white paper cut into small squares
• a variety of colors of construction paper cut just larger then the cards
• colored pens or pencils
• craft scissors
• glue stick
• Permanent markers

Leader Preparation:

• Before class, make a stand for each child. Cut one block of Sculpey lengthwise into four equal pieces (approx. 7”x1) Bend each piece of clay into an arch. Place each stand over a cardboard paper roll, which has been covered in foil and place on a covered cookie sheet. Take five wire stems and curl one end (about 1.5 inch circles), so a piece of paper can be held in each. Poke the straight end of the five wires into the clay stand and bake the stand according to package directions. Allow them to cool.
• Read the story ahead of time.
• Gather the materials.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introductions:

Welcome and Introductions: Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Remember that all of the children may not know who you are! Make sure you are wearing your name tag and that the children have picked up their nametags. Always begin each class with introductions. Tell the children that today you will be learning about what happened to Jesus, right after he was baptized. Jesus spent a long time in the desert, where he was tempted by the devil.

Opening Prayer: Pray something like this: “Dear God, Thank you for this day and for all the people who are here today. Thank you for sending Jesus and the Holy Spirit to show us the best way to deal with temptation. Help us to grow more like Jesus every day. ” AMEN

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Bible Passage: Gather the children at the TEMPLE AREA with their Bibles. If children did not bring a personal Bible, use the classroom Bibles. Encourage children to bring their Bibles to Sunday School each week.

Each workshop begins with the Bible passage. One of our primary goals is to improve the children’s Bible literacy! Always tell the children where in the Bible the story is found. This rotation’s story is found in three gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) Be sure to walk the children through the process of locating the scriptures. The handout “Helping Children Use Bibles in the Classroom” will help you guide the children through this part of the lesson.

For Younger children: Read the story “Jesus is Tempted in the Desert,” on pages 295-296 of The Little Kids’ Adventure Bible. Be sure to read the Did You Know and Let’s Live It notes on those pages and discuss with the children. Use the classroom maps to point out some of the important locations for this rotation. (Jordan River, Jerusalem, picture of Temple) Make sure children understand the meaning of the words: fast and temptation.

For Older children: Tell the children that this Bible story is found in three places (Matthew, Mark and Luke). Choose either the Matthew or Luke version to read, but older children can practice locating both stories. Have the children locate the scripture and follow along as you read, or let the children take turns reading aloud. After reading the text, find the Let’s Live It note in Matthew 4:1-11 and the Did You Know note in Luke 4:4. Read these together and discuss briefly.
Use the classroom maps to point out some of the important locations for this rotation. (Jordan River, Jerusalem, picture of Temple) Make sure children understand the meaning of the words: fast and temptation.

NOTE: as the rotation progresses, the children will become more familiar with the story. Use your discretion, but encourage the children to tell YOU what they know of the story. You can then fill in the gaps and take the discussion to a deeper level using the discussion questions below.

Ideas for Discussion:

• (from last rotation) What happened to Jesus when he was baptized? (Holy Spirit descended like a dove)
• Who is the Holy Spirit? (God’s presence with us)
• Where did Jesus go after being baptized by John in the River Jordan? (Wilderness, desert)
• Describe the wilderness where Jesus went. (Hot, desolate, barren, rocky, hilly, located east of Jerusalem)
• How much time did Jesus spend in the desert? (40 days)
• What happened to Jesus there? (Fasted, prayed, tempted by devil)
• What does it mean to fast? (Go without food, usually to pray and get closer to God)
• What does it mean to be tempted? (An attraction to do wrong, when someone tries to get you to do wrong)
• What were the three temptations told in this story? (Food/physical desires, power/bowing down to Satan, miracles/testing God)
• Why did Satan tempt Jesus to turn stones into bread? (he was hungry from the fast)
• What did Jesus mean when he said, “man does not live by bread alone, but on every world that comes from the mouth of God?” (Physical things are not as important as spiritual, we need to depend on God, not try to do everything on our own)
• What did Satan show Jesus he could be in charge of? (All the kingdoms of the world)
• What would Jesus have to do to have that power? (Worship Satan)
• Jesus knew that only God should be worshiped and put first in his life. What types of things do we “worship” today by giving them priority in our lives and making them more important than God? (Toys, TVs, money, gameboys, video games, computers, etc.)
• What are you most tempted to worship?
• What did Satan do to try to get Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the Temple? (quoted scripture to tell him he wouldn’t be harmed)
• Does Satan know the Bible? (Yes, he quoted scripture, but twisted its meaning)
• Why did Satan tempt Jesus? (Tried to stop God’s plan for Jesus’ ministry)
• How did Jesus respond to the temptations? (Resisted them, quoted scripture, let Holy Spirit strengthen him)
• Which Old Testament book did Jesus quote scripture from when resisting the devil? (Deuteronomy)
• Which temptation do you think was the most difficult for Jesus to resist? (No right answer, just explore their answers)
• Who strengthened Jesus in the desert? (Holy Spirit within Jesus)
• What else helped Jesus resist temptation? (His knowledge of the scriptures)
• Why do you think God allowed Satan to tempt Jesus? (To test his human nature, to strengthen him and prepare him for his ministry, to give us an example to follow)
• How can temptation be a positive or good thing? (Strengthens our faith, helps us lean on God, shows us where we need to grow, helps us become better disciples)
• What kind of temptations do you face?
• What can you do to resist temptation?
• Jesus decided to obey God rather than take the easy way out. Why do you think even Jesus had to obey God? (to fulfill his plan, to prepare for his ministry, to live a sinless life)
• Whom should you obey? (parents, teachers, Bible, God)

Temptation Wire Stands:
In class, the children will be able to paint the stand however they would like and then write the following on the front of the arch with either a permanent marker or paint:
“If I do this…”

Give the children five cards to write the following, one phrase per card:

1. Will I be disobeying someone God has placed over me?
2. Will I harm my body?
3. Will I hurt someone else?
4. Will I be glad about it tomorrow?
5. Would Jesus be pleased if He were standing beside me?

After they have finished writing on the cards, have them glue the cards to colored paper as if they are putting a mat around it. They may cut the edge of the colored paper with the craft scissors to make a fancy border. The children then should place the cards in the wire holders on the stand. Tell the children to place these somewhere at home where they can see them frequently and use these as a guide for making decisions in their lives.

Journal Questions:
Grades 1-2: Draw a picture of Jesus in the desert.
Grades 3-4: What do you think was the hardest thing for Jesus when he was in the desert?
Grades 5-6: What would be the hardest thing for you if you had been in the desert for 40 days?

Definitions - Words to Know:
fast - to go without food in order to devote time to prayer
tempt - to try to get someone to do something wrong, an attraction to do the wrong thing

Closing:

Gather the children together at the end of class. Share reminders about upcoming events. Remind them to bring their Bibles to class and encourage them to bring their friends to the G.R.E.A.T. Adventure. Ask for prayer requests and pray together.

Clean-up: Gather all supplies and put away in storage cabinet. Place journals, stickers, and pens/pencils in class box. Encourage the children to take responsibility for putting away all materials and supplies and to help keep our rooms neat and orderly.

Release children only to parents after they have signed their child out on the classroom clipboard, unless they have made prior arrangements with you.

A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC G.R.E.A.T. Adventure

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