The Miracle of the Tribute Money

“Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.” Psalm 40:5

The miracle of The Tribute Money is unique to Matthew…the “ex” tax gatherer!  .  Jesus was not liable for the temple tax being the Son of God, even though Peter impetuously answered the officials that Jesus would pay it!  The temple tax (Exodus 30:13) amounted to two day’s wages for a common laborer and was required of every adult Israelite male over 20 years of age for maintaining the temple. Jesus was free from obligation to pay this tax…after all, the temple belonged to Him according to Malachi 3:1 “…’Behold, I send My messenger (John the Baptist) And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, (Jesus) in whom you delight.  Behold, He is coming’, says the LORD of hosts”.  Jesus anticipated Peter’s question, and told him  to cast a hook  into the sea of Galilee and take up the first fish he caught.  Can you imagine how this must have humbled Peter who usually fished professionally with nets?   Jesus trusted in the miraculous provision of God to pay His taxes…not out of obligation but out of a desire that He not offend…(and I think as a great lesson for us.)

Please visit “kidsbible.wordpress.com” for the free worksheets and instructions to this lesson.  I am still traveling and would appreciate your prayers for the LORD’S guidance to a new location which would have to include some kids to teach!  (If you are new to the blog…WELCOME… a complete Table of Contents  for  lessons I have covered from the Old and New Testaments is available if you scroll back past the last post on “food allergies”. (April 2, 2013)  For a Mother’s Day project see the blog from May 2, 2012.

Food Allergies

I have just finished reading a book on food allergies and have been  woefully ignorant of how severe they can be.   I have added warnings on previous posts where food items were utilized in the lesson… but from now on I am going to insist on “health information” cards on all of the kids I teach.  They will include name, age (birthdate) any known allergies and an emergency phone number. Kids with severe allergies should not even be at the same table with the items they are sensitive to, so please be aware of this and plan your lessons accordingly.   If you are new to the Blog…WELCOME…for a complete list of Bible Lessons see the previous two posts!

Table of Contents – New Testament

Messiah is Born   (8/25/11 & 11/26/12)

Wisemen Seek Him  (8/25/11)

Boy Jesus   (8/25/11)

Jesus Baptized   (8/25/11)

Temptation of Christ   (8/25/11)

Jesus Seeks His Disciples  (8/26/11)

Water to Wine   (8/26/11)

Sermon on the Mount   (8/27/11)

Nick at Night   (8/27/11)

Jesus Heals the Paralytic   (8/27/11)

Parable of the Sower (1/02/2012)

Jesus Stills the Storm   (8/27/11)

Man of the Tombs (6/19/2012)

Jesus Defeats Death (Jairus’ daughter) and Disease (woman who bleeds)     8/29/11

Jesus Feeds the Multitudes/Walks on Water   (3/06/2012)

Transfiguration   (8/29/11)

Miracle of the Tribute Money (5/09/2013)

The Good Samaritan  (2/4/2012)

Light of the World   (12/11/2011)

Parable of the Rich Fool   (4/8/2012)

Jesus heals a Daughter of Abraham   (8/30/11)

Jesus Saves (a lost sheep, a coin, a son)    8/30/11

Rich Man and Lazarus (3/20/2012)

Remember Lot’s Wife (1/13/2012)

Who can enter the Kingdom of Heaven – Rich Young Ruler   (8/29/11)

Raising Lazarus   (8/30/11)

Mary Anoints Jesus (3/01/2012)

Jesus Cleanses the Temple   (8/30/11)

The Widow’s mite (2/12/2012)

Watch and Pray  ”Olivet Discourse”   (8/30/11)

The Five Foolish Virgins ( 1/12/2013)

Jesus Serves  - “The Last Supper”   (8/30/11)

Gethsemane   (8/31/11)

Suffering Servant – Isaiah 53 fulfilled  (2/23/2012)

Resurrection   (8/31/11)  Alternate “Empty Tomb craft” (3/26/2013)

Doubting Thomas   (8/31/11)

Peter Restored – The  miraculous catch of 153 fish    (8/31/11)

Pentecost   (8/31/11)

God’s Holy Convocations – Part One   (5/21/2012)

Lame Man Healed  (8/31/11)

Stephan’s Standing Ovation   (8/31/11)

Philip and the Man from Ethiopia  (8/7/2011)

Paul Let Down in a Basket  (8/20/2012)

Tabitha raised to Life   (1/28/2012)

Peter’s Vision   (8/31/11)

The Church Prays   (8/31/11)

Paul and Silas   (8/31/11)

Paul’s Shipwreck   (8/31/11)

“Do Not Forsake the Assembling Together…”  (8/10/12)

“We Shall All Be Changed”   (5/8/12)

The Revelation of Jesus Christ    (9/6/11)

“Behold, I Stand at the Door”   (8/1/2012)

“Behold I Come Quickly…” Rev. 22:12   (10/23/12)

Heaven    (3/27/2012)

Gospel Tract – handwritten (9/13/2011)

Gospel tract – annotated (7/6/2012)

A Gift for Mother   (5/2/12)

Table of Contents – Old Testament

In the Beginning ( 8/10/11)

Wisdom (9/20/12)

The Fall  (8/10/11)

Love Not the World :  A contrast of Jesus and Eve’s Temptation and God’s laws for Kings of Israel  (7/22/12)

The Need for a Covering (Cain and Abel)    (10/3/12)

The Flood  (8/10/11 & 10/3/12)

Tower of Babel  (8/10/11 & 10/16/12)

Call of Abram (8/10/11)

Abraham’s Test  (8/11/11)

Jacob’s Dream  (8/11/11)

Jacob Picks a Bride (6/7/2012)  A lesson on Modesty

Joseph and his Brothers (8/11/11)

Joseph is Tested  (12/29/2011)

Joseph in Egypt  (8/11/11)

Baby Moses  (8/12/11)

The Burning Bush (8/12/11)

God’s Wonders  - the 9 plagues of Egypt  (8/13/11)

First Passover  (8/13/11)

Crossing the Red Sea  (8/13/11)

Manna  (8/13/11)

Victory over Amalek  (8/14/11)

10 Commandments  (8/15/11)

The LORD Proclaims His Name  (8/15/11)

The Tabernacle  (8/16/11)

God’s Holy Convocations – PART 2   (6/21/2012)

A Bad Report  (8/16/11)

Korah’s Rebellion  (8/16/11)

“Look and Live” (8/16/11)

Balaam  (8/17/11)

Crossing Jordan  (8/17/11)

Battle of Jericho  (8/17/11)

Gideon  (8/17/11)

Ruth and Boaz (11/8/2011)

Samson (8/17/11)

Hannah Prays  (8/17/11)

Samuel and Eli  (8/18/11)

Israel’s First Kings  (8/18/11)

Brave Prince Jonathan  (8/18/11)

David and Goliath  (8/19/11)

“Under the shadow of Your Wings”  (6/24/2012)

King David  (8/19/11)

Solomon’s Dream  (8/19/11)

Solomon’s Folly  (8/19/11)

Overview of the Kings of Israel and Judah for Teachers (2/10/12)

King Asa’s Reign “The Eyes of the LORD…” (5/29/12)

King Jehoshaphat  (6/1/2012)

Elijah at the Brook  (8/19/11)

Widow of Zarephath (3/20/2013)

Elijah and the Prophets of Baal  (8/19/11)

Elijah Encounters God   (4/10/2012)

Elisha Helps a Widow  (8/19/11)

The Shunammite Woman (5/26/2012)

Naaman Healed   (8/19/11)

Elisha and the Heavenly Host  (8/20/11)

Four Lepers Share Good News  (5/18/2012)

Jonah – Part one   (8/24/11)

Jonah – Part two   (8/8/2012)

A Godly King’s Armor  -King Hezekiah   (8/20/11)

Good King Josiah  (8/20/11)

Daniel Takes a Stand  (8/22/11)

Fiery Furnace  (8/22/11)

King Nebbie Humbled  (8/22/11)

Handwriting on the Wall  (8/23/11)

Daniel in the Lion’s Den  (8/23/11)

Ezra and the Rebuilding of the Temple  (3/11/2012)

Haggai’s Admonition  ”Consider Your Ways”  (7/01/2012)

Queen Esther  (8/21/2011)

Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls  (10/20/2011)

Reflections from the Prophet Isaiah (2/16/2012- 2/23/2012)

Birth of Messiah Foretold  (8/24/11)

Teaching the parts of the Bible  (8/24/11)

God the Father – overview  (6/09/2012)

That Great Dragon   (10/1/12)

An Empty Tomb Craft

An Empty Tomb Craft

I am visiting the Hopi Rez and the kids are expecting to make Easter baskets this coming Sunday.  I have come up with 2 styles of “empty tomb” craft ideas to put the emphasis on the Resurrection…but they can also fit a piece of candy or two ! For instructions and worksheets , see the blog at “kidsbible.wordpress.com”

Empty Tomb (part B)

 

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath

Elijah has been living a “hidden” life for the past year or so. Now God has commanded him to go to Jezebel’s home town “where I have commanded a widow to feed you.”  This destitute mother had resigned herself  to the mournful fate of starvation when the prophet of the living God brought her His word of hope… would she have the faith to believe Elijah’s word and take the only sustenance at hand and give it away to the hungry stranger?  This is only the first part of the story as the widow’s son got sick and died.  Distraught, she confronted Elijah with her anguish. He took the young child and prayed to the LORD to restore his soul to his body. The LORD hearkened to the voice of His servant and the boy was restored to his mother. This Gentile widow had experienced supernatural provision for many months…but it took the resurrection of her son to cause her to to believe in Elijah’s God for herself.

Soon we will celebrate the resurrection of the Son of God.  Let us dedicate ourselves to following Eph.5:14-16      “Awake O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine upon you and give you light.  Look carefully then how you walk! Live purposefully and worthily…(not as unwise and witless, but as wise…) Making the most of the time (buying up every opportunity) because the days are evil.”  

Jesus made reference to the faith of the Gentile widow of Zarephath.  She is a good example of what just a little light can accomplish for the Kingdom.  The worksheets for this lesson can be found on “kidsbible.wordpress.com” (3/20/2013)  If you are new to the blog…WELCOME! 

Saddest words of Jesus

Matthew 25:12

Although I don’t have all of my equipment here  because I am moving, I thought I would go ahead and start this lesson…even in its simplest form it is profound.  We have  all read the parable of the ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom.  We have also heard many different interpretations as well.   It is important that we don’t let the message Jesus was trying to get across get drowned out by everyone’s scholarly viewpoints.  The Olivet Discourse , in which this parable takes place, is one of the most thorough teachings Jesus gave in answer to the disciple’s questions.  There were actually three questions, but I’m sure the disciples thought they were asking  just one big question….”When will the stones of our magnificent temple be overturned  (because this must be the end of the world)…so…when will this take place…just when are you coming again?”   Jesus begins to teach His followers what things must take place before He comes again, also weaving the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. into part of His explanation.  There is also a strong warning to “WATCH” and to “be ye also ready…for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of man cometh.”( Matt. 24:44)

This is the background of the parable which starts:” Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.”  We are familiar with the five wise virgins…they are  obediently watching, ready  and prepared to meet the bridegroom when He comes for them.  The five foolish virgins are not ready and prepared.  They come to the shut door and ask to be let in.  The bridegroom  replies with what I think must be some of the saddest words in the Bible, “Truthfully I say unto you, I know you not.”  Here are five foolish people, with eternal souls, that thought they were going to go to heaven.  They were probably faithful members of some church, and maybe they gave money to help the down and out.  Maybe their parents were Christians.  But these “foolish five” had never possessed saving faith.  Jesus said He never knew them!!!  Had they entered though the “narrow gate” and  been giving all diligence to add to a confession of faith in the blood of Christ, virtue (moral excellence)?  Adding to their virtue, knowledge? Adding to their knowledge, self-control? Then patience, godliness and brotherly kindness, and finally agape love?   The answer to this must be a resounding “no!”  Peter writes about the investment we must make in our spiritual lives in 2 Peter 1:4-11…”Give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things you will never fall.”   Practising these spiritual disciplines does not “save” me, but they are the evidence that I have repented of my sin and have a relationship with God because of the covering He provided for me.

Make sure your kids understand what it means to have saving faith.  It is more than mental belief….If they love Jesus their lives will change.

The door for this lesson is posted on “kidsbible.wordpress.com” .  The “Foolish Five” figures were also posted there on 1/21/2013.