“Jesus is God—listen to Him!”
There are people, movies, books, and many other things telling us what we should do and how we should live. How do we know which voices to listen to? Jesus is the best one for us to listen to and obey because He is perfect and never makes mistakes. Say with me, “Jesus is God—listen to Him!” We listen to Jesus by reading the Bible and doing what it says. Sometimes we might feel like doing things our way instead of the way God says in the Bible, but God knows everything—of course He knows better than we do and we should listen to Him.
Even when Jesus lived on Earth, people had many ideas about who He was. Many people thought Jesus must be a great Bible hero from the past who had come back to life. But that’s not who Jesus is. One day the disciples talked with Jesus about the wrong ideas people had about Him. Then Jesus asked, (read Matthew 16:15). He was asking the disciples who they thought He was. The disciples had been getting to know Jesus for over two years! What had they seen or heard that would help them know who Jesus is? What was special about His birth? What miracles had He done?
A disciple named Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter saw that Jesus isn’t just a wise teacher, a great prophet, or a good person. He is the Savior God promised and He is God’s own Son!
Jesus is the one true God. There are not lots of different gods—there is only one God who exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Though it’s hard to understand, the Bible teaches all three (hold up three fingers) persons are one (hold up one finger) God. This three in one God is the great Creator King of all things. The whole universe belongs to Him because He made it and holds it together. He has no beginning and no end. (Read Jeremiah 10:10a.) He is the one true God. Everybody hold up one finger and say, “One true God!” (Do with children.) The one true God made you and loves you very much. His love is perfect and powerful because He is perfect and powerful. Jesus is the one true God. Who did Peter say Jesus is? Peter was right! Jesus is the promised Savior and the Son of God! God helped Peter understand the truth about who Jesus is. By this time Jesus had spent about two years with the disciples helping them learn who He is. Now He knew it was time to prepare them for what was going to happen next. He taught His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem to suffer, be killed, and then be raised from the dead on the third day. This plan was hard for the disciples to understand. In fact, Peter began to argue with Jesus. “This will never happen to you!” he said. But Jesus wouldn’t change His mind. “You’re thinking about what you want instead of what God wants,” He replied. Jesus knew that Peter and many other people hoped Jesus would make Himself a powerful king and set them free from their enemies. They wanted Jesus to make them powerful and important. But God’s plan was for Jesus to die and rise again to save people from sin.
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit made a plan before the world was even created. Jesus is God the Son and He was there working with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit to create all things. He knew all people would sin and become separated from Him. Sin is anything you do that is against God. You and I are born knowing how to sin. The Bible says, (read Isaiah 53:6a). God knew people would want to keep on sinning by doing things like lying, stealing, and complaining. Jesus, God the Son, knew the punishment for sin would be death and separation from God. That’s a terrible punishment but He chose to take it! This was God’s plan—the reason Jesus came to Earth. This plan didn’t make sense to Peter and the other disciples. They had many different ideas about what Jesus should do, but they needed to trust Jesus and believe God’s plan was best.
“Jesus is God—listen to Him!”
About a week after Jesus had explained His plan to the disciples, He walked up a mountain with Peter, James, and John. Let’s pretend to walk up the mountain with Jesus. While they were on the mountain, something amazing happened! (Read Matthew 17:2-3.)
Suddenly Jesus’ face and clothes began to shine! Staring at Him would have hurt your eyes—that’s how bright He was! He was showing His glory—the power and greatness that only God has. Moses and Elijah, two men who had served God hundreds and hundreds of years earlier, appeared and spoke with Jesus. You can read about Moses and Elijah in the Old Testament part of the Bible. These men were some of the most famous people in the whole Bible. What do you think they were talking about? They were talking about Jesus’ plan to suffer and die. Even way back when Moses and Elijah had been alive, this had already been part of God’s plan to save people from sin.
God’s plan to save people from sin is Jesus. Jesus is God! He has always been and always will be. Even before He was born as a baby on Earth about 2,000 years ago, He lived in Heaven with God the Father. Even though Jesus is the perfect and powerful Son of God, He chose to come to Earth as a human baby, to live a perfect life, and to suffer and die for your sin long before you were even born. Jesus didn’t deserve to be punished for sin because He never sinned, but He chose to take the horrible punishment for your sin by bleeding and dying on a cross. (Read Isaiah 53:6b.) Jesus, the God of power and glory, came to die for all sin. Jesus also knew what would happen after He died. Do you know what happened? He came back to life! Hundreds of people saw Him before He went back to Heaven, where He is alive today. Someday Jesus will return to get rid of all bad things forever! He will make a New Heaven and a New Earth and will rule forever as King over all! Jesus is God’s plan so you can be saved from sin.
This is the great plan Moses and Elijah were talking about with Jesus. The disciples were amazed when they saw what was happening. They had heard amazing stories about Moses and Elijah that had happened hundreds of years earlier. But now these two Old Testament heroes from long ago were right in front of them talking with Jesus
When Peter saw what was happening, he didn’t want it to stop. He thought of a plan to make this moment last and started to explain his plan to Jesus. But something awesome interrupted him! (Read Matthew 17:5). God the Father told the disciples who Jesus was—the Son of God. He wanted them to listen to Jesus and obey Him. The disciples didn’t understand why Jesus had to suffer and die, but they needed to learn to listen to God and obey Him.
You need to listen to God and obey Him too. If you have believed on Jesus as your Savior from sin, honor Jesus as God by doing what He says. Today God speaks to His children through His Word, the Bible. As you read the Bible, God the Holy Spirit helps you know and understand what God wants you to learn. It’s really exciting when you know God is speaking to you.
Say with me, “Jesus is God—listen to Him!” But it isn’t enough to hear God’s Word or know what it says. God tells His children to listen and obey. (Read James 1:22.) When you obey God you are trusting Jesus as the ruler of your life. Maybe you forgot to study for a test and your friend offers to give you the answers. It isn’t enough to know that cheating is wrong. You need to listen to what God says and say no to sin. We work really hard to memorize Bible verses here. Does anyone remember the memory verse from last week? I’m proud of you for knowing the verse by heart, but that isn’t enough. That verse tells you to forgive people who have hurt you. You need to obey what God says in His Word. You need to remember to listen to what God says and obey Him.
The disciples needed to learn this too. They thought they knew exactly what Jesus should do. They wanted Him to follow their plans to make their nation great and powerful, but God the Father spoke to these disciples out loud to remind them to listen to Jesus and do what He said.
Say with me, “Jesus is God—listen to Him!”
The disciples had never seen anything like this! They felt so little and helpless compared to the God of power and glory that they all fell down on their faces. Can you pretend to hide your face and shiver with fear? Jesus had let them see the power and glory of God!
CONCLUSION
They were terrified, but Jesus touched them and told them to get up. They looked up and saw that they were alone with Jesus again. Peter, James, and John never forgot what happened that day. Jesus showed them the power and glory of God! Not long after that, Jesus died and rose again just like He said He would. After this happened, God’s plan made more sense to the disciples. They finally understood that Jesus, the God of power and glory, had come to Earth to make the way for people to be saved from sin.
Free Coloring Sheet: Lesson 5 Printable