WELCOME TO WEEK 1

Waiting can be difficult to do patiently. We often get anxious for what is to come. Israel had waited for their Savior, but they were not exactly ready. Their hearts still needed to be prepared for what Jesus was coming to do. This week we will see who made straight the path for Jesus to come.

Mark 1:1-8; Isaiah 40:1-8

BIBLE STORY

I am going to say a few statements, listen to them and then complete them with your own words, or how you think the saying goes. 

Be prepared to….

Here comes the long awaited…

This wait is taking…

Make way for…

This is the long expected…

Hold your…

Good things come to those who…

The wait is…

Some of these phrases may have sounded familiar and some you just made up, but they all have to do with waiting for something with expectation. It may be hard to wait for something we are anticipating and can not wait to happen, it may seem to take forever to happen. God’s people had waited for a savior for so long, but they remembered God had promised to send one. Before Jesus came, they needed to be prepared to hear his message. They needed to realize that they had sinned and were in need of a Savior for their sins. Jesus came not to just free them from their captors, but to free them of their sinful living. He wanted them to realized they needed Him more than anything else. John the Baptist came before Jesus to help prepare their hearts for what they needed most, Jesus!

Read or listen to Mark 1:1-8

What was the messenger supposed to do? (Prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah)

Where did John the Baptist appear? (In the wilderness)

What was his message? (A baptism of Repentance for the forgiveness of sins)

Where did the people of Jerusalem go to hear this message? (The Judean countryside)

Where did John baptize them? (In the Jordan River)

What was John’s appearance like? (wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

What did John say to the people about who was coming next? (After him comes one more powerful than he of whom he is not worthy to untie his sandals)
What did John say Jesus would baptize with unlike him? (He baptizes with water but Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Activity

Play a game of hangman. Each player chooses a card on their turn and writes out the correct amount of blank spaces. Everyone else will guess the phrase one letter at a time. If a letter is guessed that does not belong on the board, a body part of the hangman is added to the picture. Guess the word without getting a hangman.

Materials: printed hangman cards, white board or several sheets of paper, dry-erase marker/pencil

Alternate

Play a game of ring-toss. Use a ring shaped object (binder rings, lifesavers, Cheerios, fruit loops or curtain rings) to toss into a bowl that is empty or filled with water depending on the type of ring being used. I’m going to read these scenarios and if it sounds like the person is prepared, toss a ring into the bowl. Read several scenario cards. We often prepare for important things such as a test, a visit to the doctor, an important visitor, or when we are presenting in front of people. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus to come. He helped people realize they needed a Savior, someone to rescue them from their sins. Our rings remind me of a lifesaver, something used to rescue people from drowning in water. Jesus is our lifesaver. He rescues us from our sins that will lead to death. Jesus came as everyones Savior.

Materials: rings to toss (binder rings, lifesavers, Cheerios, fruit loops or curtain rings) bowl, water (optional)

Independent activity:

Create your own crossword puzzle using the names of people you can share Jesus with. Everyone needs a Savior and we can share Jesus with them so they can get to know their savior. Just as John the Baptist prepared peoples hearts for Jesus, we can share what Jesus has done for us with people we know. Give clues or a wordbook to create your crossword puzzle. Save this picture to remember who God has placed in your life to share this news with.

Materials: sheet of paper, pencil

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a large announcement, preparing the way for Jesus. Create an announcement much like a birth or wedding announcement, drawing a picture of Jesus, and describing when he is coming and why. You can make several to pass out to your friends as a reminder of why we celebrate Jesus’ birth; to make way in our hearts for our Savior.

Materials: sheet of construction or cardstock paper, crafting items such as: crayons, glue, stickers, glitter, markers, scissors

Craft 2

Coloring page

Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons

FOLLOW-UP

Read or listen to Isaiah 40:1-8

Isaiah is writing prophecy about what is to come long before it happens. He describes John the Baptist coming to prepare the way for the Lord. That they are to make a straight highway, to raise up the valleys and make low the mountains and hills, to make every rough place level and every rugged place a plain. This doesn’t sound like a simple task of preparing for a simple visitor, but a complete overhaul of what was. Isaiah wanted people to know that they needed to be prepared for the coming of Jesus and how He would change everything. He also said, that even though the grass and flowers wither and fall, God’s word would never end. What God has to say, and what He does is not dependent on what we can bring to Him. His word and His love never ends even when we come up short.

How do you prepare your heart to hear what God has to tell you?

How can we prepare our hearts for God?

What should our actions look like if we have been transformed from our hearts?

What are somethings you prepare for?

Have you ever taken weeks or months to prepare for 1 thing?

How is preparing to hear from Jesus different from preparing for a visit from a friend?

Practical Application at Home

Preparing for Jesus is more than just cleaning our room or getting rid of some old boxes. When we prepare our hearts, we admit that we have made mistakes and Jesus is the one who can help me make better choices. We all make mistakes and we all need forgiveness. We are all in need of a Savior. 

We can make room in our hearts for Jesus by looking at what we spend our time doing. On a sheet of paper, make a list of 4 things that are important to you that you do every week. Over top of your list, draw or write the name Jesus. This is to remind us that the most important thing we can do is to put Jesus first and then everything else can follow. This week, make time to spend with Jesus. Prepare a pathway for time with Jesus this week.

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?