JESUS AND THE CHILDREN
MEMORY VERSE
Matthew 18:3, ESV
Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
DAY 1
Mark 10:13-16, NIrV
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus. They wanted him to place his hands on them to bless them. But the disciples told them to stop. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was angry. He said to his disciples, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. God’s kingdom belongs to people like them. 15 What I’m about to tell you is true. Anyone who will not receive God’s kingdom like a little child will never enter it.” 16 Then he took the children in his arms. He placed his hands on them to bless them.
BIBLE STUDY
Jesus was the perfect, all-knowing Son of God. He never did anything wrong. If you made him angry, you can be sure that you messed up big time! When parents brought their children to Jesus so he might pray for them, the disciples thought, “Jesus has important things to do. He doesn’t have time for kids.” So they told the parents to scram! This made Jesus mad. He came to earth so that anyone (including kids) might be saved from their sins and join God’s forever kingdom. Jesus corrected his disciples, “Don’t send these little ones away! God’s kingdom belongs to these little ones, too!”
+ How did Jesus feel about what his disciples did? Why? (vs. 14)
+ After correcting his disciples, what did Jesus do? (vs. 16)
DAY 2
Matthew 18:1-4, NIrV
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus. They asked him, “Then who is the most important person in the kingdom of heaven?”
2 Jesus called a little child over to him. He had the child stand among them. 3 Jesus said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don’t, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Anyone who takes the humble position of this child is the most important in the kingdom of heaven.
BIBLE STUDY
The disciples believed Jesus came to wipe the floor with their enemies and set up his kingdom on earth. When that happened, they wanted important jobs! But Jesus let them know that God’s kingdom wasn’t like any other kingdom on earth. He called a little child over and explained, “To be a part of God’s kingdom, become like this guy (or girl).” What did Jesus mean? Little kids totally trust their parents. They rely on them for food, clothing, and chasing away monsters hiding under the bed! The most important person in God’s kingdom is one who trusts Jesus like a child trusts their mom and dad.
+ What question did the disciples ask Jesus? (vs. 1)
+ Who did Jesus say would be the most important in his kingdom? (vs. 4)
DAY 3
Psalm 127:3-5, NIrV
3 Children are a gift from the Lord.
They are a reward from him.
4 Children who are born to people when they are young
are like arrows in the hands of a soldier.
5 Blessed are those
who have many children.
They won’t be put to shame
when they go up against their enemies in court.
BIBLE STUDY
Jesus wasn’t the only one in the Bible who spoke about kids. In this psalm (which means “song”), the writer compared children to arrows. Aimed in just the right direction so that it strikes in just the right place, an arrow can defeat the most powerful enemy, win a battle, and save the day! Like a soldier aiming an arrow, a parent’s job is to “aim” their kids. Moms and dad must teach them the good news of Jesus and train them to obey God’s commands. And like an archer letting go of an arrow, children grow up, leave home, and live their lives in the way their parents aimed them!
+ What words does God use to describe children in verse 3?
+ How are children like arrows in the hands of a soldier?
DAY 4
Deuteronomy 6:4-7, NIRV
4 Israel, listen to me. The Lord is our God. The Lord is the one and only God. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your strength. 6 The commandments I give you today must be in your hearts. 7 Make sure your children learn them. Talk about them when you are at home. Talk about them when you walk along the road. Speak about them when you go to bed. And speak about them when you get up.
BIBLE STUDY
Long before Jesus was born, God rescued his people from slavery in the land of Egypt. Shortly after, God gave them his Law: the commands for his people to obey. These rules showed God’s people how to love Him and love their neighbors. He gave the adults a big job: to teach all of his laws to their kids. God told them to talk to their kids about God’s laws in all kinds of places (like at home and on the road) and at all sorts of times (when they wake up and when they go to bed). If children are like arrows, then teaching them God’s words is how you aim them right at the bullseye!
+ Where did God say he wanted his commandments to be? (vs. 6)
+ Where and when did God tell parents to talk to their kids about his Law? (vs. 7)
DAY 5
Ephesians 6:1-4, NIRV
1 Children, obey your parents as believers in the Lord. Obey them because it’s the right thing to do. 2 Scripture says, “Honor your father and mother.” That is the first commandment that has a promise. 3 “Then things will go well with you. You will live a long time on the earth.”
4 Fathers, don’t make your children angry. Instead, instruct them and teach them the ways of the Lord as you raise them.
BIBLE STUDY
In these verses, the apostle Paul copied down 1500-year-old words from another Bible book: Deuteronomy. Back then, God’s people were about to enter the good land God promised to give them. If their children obeyed his laws, God promised to give them a long life in their new land. If they didn’t, God promised to kick them out! In his book, Paul told parents to teach their children about the Lord God. If these kids listened to what their parents say about the good news about Jesus, God promises them something way better than long life in a promised land: forever life in God’s good kingdom!
+ What does God want children to do? (vs. 1)
+ What does God want fathers to do? (vs. 4)
DAY 6
Acts 2:38-40, NIRV
38 Peter replied, “All of you must turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven. You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children. It is also for all who are far away. It is for all whom the Lord our God will choose.”
40 Peter said many other things to warn them. He begged them, “Save yourselves from these evil people.”
BIBLE STUDY
This week, we learned that the Bible has quite a bit to say about kids. We started reading about parents who brought their children to Jesus. They were hoping Jesus would pray for their little ones, but they were chased away by disciples who thought, “Jesus is way too important to waste time on little kids! Get those brats out of here!” Boy, did this make Jesus mad! God’s kingdom belongs to little kids, too. The disciples were chasing away some of the very people Jesus came to earth to save!
Later, when Jesus wanted to teach his disciples about the most important person in his kingdom, he brought over a little child. Perhaps the little guy or girl even got to sit on Jesus’ lap! He explained: to enter God’s kingdom, a person must trust in God in the same way this little kid trusts their mom or dad: totally and completely!
Little children aren’t a waste of time like the disciples thought. Instead, they are a gift! As the book of Psalms taught us, they are like arrows who can win important battles. Children are pointed in the right direction when their moms and dads tell them the good news about Jesus. They are aimed at the bullseye when grown-ups teach them to obey God’s laws.
The verses we read today from the book of Acts were words spoken by one of Jesus’ disciples: a man named Peter. After God’s Spirit came upon the disciples in fire and rushing wind, a huge crowd gathered to hear what Peter had to say. And as was his habit, Peter told them the good news about Jesus!
He told them how Jesus had died on the cross to pay for our sins. He told the amazing true tale of Jesus rising back to life on the third day. And he told them what would happen if they believed in Jesus and turned from their sin: they would be forgiven. They would live forever in God’s good kingdom. And even more, they would receive the gift of God’s own Holy Spirit living inside of them!
All these amazing promises would come true for anyone who believed in Jesus. But here’s the great news for a kid like you: Peter said these incredible promises weren’t just for grown-ups. They were true for their children, too. In fact, they were true for anyone, no matter where they were from or how old they were!
A few months or years before his speech, Peter made Jesus angry. How? He was one of the disciples who told the kids to scram and their parents to leave Jesus alone! I’m sure he made Jesus happy when he invited everyone, including the children, to believe the good news. Instead of chasing the little children away, he was happily inviting them to join him in Jesus’ kingdom!
+ What did Peter tell the crowd to do? (vs. 38)
+ Who did Peter say God’s promises were for? (vs. 39)
© 2023 Andrew Doane. All rights reserved.