Sunday Spotlight is where we share our Calvary Kids Bible lesson topic each week for kids of all ages. Use this lesson for a Family Night devotion or a preview/review time to talk about what your children are learning at Calvary on Sundays. These lessons correspond to the take-home cards your child receives each week. We post a new lesson here every Wednesday.

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Sunday, July 12

Lesson Title: John Baptized Jesus

Bible Passage: Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3; John 1

Key Passage: John 1:14

Big Picture Question: Is Jesus God or a human? Jesus is fully God and fully human.

Lesson Summary

There is much we don’t know about the early life of Jesus. After Jesus’ trip to the temple as a 12-year-old, we are told that He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people” (Luke 2:52). Luke's Gospel account then fast-forwards to the baptism of Jesus as an adult. This was an important event in the life of the promised Messiah that is recorded in each of the four Gospels.

At first glance, it may seem strange that Jesus would seek to be baptized, as even John seemed surprised by this request and tried to stop Jesus. After all, Jesus never sinned and was not in need of God’s forgiveness. Yet, Jesus was fully committed to doing the will of His heavenly Father, which included baptism. Jesus' baptism modeled how His followers are to publicly profess their faith in Him. Jesus’ baptism would also be His next step in beginning His earthly ministry. Indeed, the very next day, Jesus began calling disciples to follow Him.

As Jesus went up from the water, we see a beautiful picture of the Trinity: The heavens opened as the Son prayed, the Spirit descended upon Him, and the Father declared Jesus the Son in whom He is well pleased. Jesus’ baptism represents believers’ death to sin. Just as Christ died on the cross and was raised, so, too, are His followers born again and raised up from the grave into new life.

Lead children to see that Jesus lived a perfect life of obedience and died as the sacrifice for our sins before rising again. Help them understand that though we cannot follow God perfectly, we can place our trust in the One who did. Remind boys and girls that Christians are called to obedience through baptism. While baptism does not have the power to save us, it is an outward expression of an inward reality in the life of the believer.

 
Christ Connection

This is the big idea of how this week’s Bible story points to Jesus.

• Babies & Toddlers: People are baptized to show they have turned from their sins to follow Jesus.
   
• Younger Preschool: Jesus never did anything wrong, but He was baptized like sinners are baptized. People are baptized to show they have turned from their sins to follow Jesus.
   
• Older Preschool: Jesus obeyed His Father by being baptized. Baptism reminds us that Jesus died and came back to life. People who turn from their sins and trust in Jesus should be baptized, too.
   
• Kids: Jesus obeyed His Father by being baptized. Later in life, He obeyed His Father by dying on a cross for our sins and rising again, so that all who trust in Him will receive eternal life.

Big Picture Question & Answer

This is an important biblical truth that your child will encounter each week of this unit.

• All: Is Jesus God or a human? Jesus is fully God and fully human.

Key Passage

John 1:14  This is a Bible verse that relates to what your child will encounter each week of this unit.

• Babies & Toddlers: The Word became flesh and lived among us. John 1:14
   
• Younger Preschool: The Word became flesh and lived among us. John 1:14
   
• Older Preschool: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:14
   
• Kids: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Next week: Jesus Was Tempted (Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 4)

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And check out our playlist on Spotify — these songs are featured in our Kid Zone and Zone 345 worship time on Sundays. Sing along at home or on the road!

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