Lesson plans.
Lesson 4: Making big sacrifices.
Matthew 16:21-26 - Jesus explains to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, where he will suffer many things before being killed and on the third day raising back to life again. Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked him, saying that this would never happen to him. Jesus responds by calling Peter a stumbling block to him, and that Peter has in mind human concerns rather than God’s concerns. Jesus goes on to explain to his disciples they too must deny themselves and take up their own crosses in order to follow him, but that in being willing to lose their life for his sake, they will in fact find it.
Lesson 3: What’s on the inside.
Matthew 15:1-20 - Once Jesus was approached by some Pharisees and religious teachers, who accused his followers of breaking the traditions of the elders by not washing their hands before they ate. Jesus turned the accusation around on them, saying that they were the ones who were breaking the commands of God in order to uphold their traditions and human rules. Jesus cites the example of those who dismiss God’s command to honor one’s parents in order to devote to God that which would have been used to help their parents. Jesus concludes by saying that a person is not defiled by eating with unwashed hands but by the wicked thoughts that come from inside their hearts.
Lesson 2: Dodging wrong teachings.
Matthew 16:5-12 - One day Jesus was crossing a lake with his disciples, and they had forgotten to take bread with them. Jesus said to them, “be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The disciples didn’t understand what he meant at first and thought he was talking about bread. Jesus corrected them and said that he was actually talking about teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees which spread like yeast, and which they must be careful about.
Lesson 1: Facing rejection.
Luke 4:14-30 - As Jesus traveled around Galilee, preaching and teaching, news of him spread throughout the countryside and the people praised him. Then he went to the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown, and read a prophesy from Isaiah, which he then stated was now fulfilled in the hearing of the people. The people were amazed and asked, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Jesus then went on to say that the crowd would surely ask him to prove himself through miracles and that a prophet is never accepted in their own hometown. This angered the people, who tried to drive Jesus out of town and off a cliff, but he walked through the crowd and went on his way.