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Overview
Was He:
. . .the Son of God?
. . .the man who gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, and raised people from the dead?
. . .the One who died so that we might live?
. . .all of the above?
Journey along with Jesus on the Sea of Galilee, on the hill called Golgotha, in the very center of God’s amazing power!
This biblically accurate story of Jesus, the Son of God, created just for the kids in your life, explores the life of Jesus while drawing 8- to 12-year-olds into a fascinating time and place as they learn about the One who gave sight to the blind, made the lame to walk, raised people from the dead, and who died so that we might live. Featuring three key sections—a Fact File, an Action File, and a Power File—kids will enjoying learning about the life of Jesus while coming to understand that an ancient Bible story really does apply to their lives today. Dozens of captivating line art pieces add depth and interest to every chapter.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781683228943 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Barbour Publishing, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 08/01/2018 |
| Series: | Kingdom Files |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 96 |
| File size: | 19 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
| Age Range: | 8 - 12 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Early Life!
Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem located in Israel. Bethlehem means "House of Bread," which is interesting because Jesus is called the Bread of Life. Out of all the people in the Kingdom Files series, Jesus is the most important for so many reasons.
Jesus was born to His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph. An angel came to Mary and said that she would miraculously have a baby and that she should name Him Jesus.
When it was time for Mary to give birth, she and Joseph could not find a proper place to stay, so they had to make do in stable — a place where animals are kept. And so Jesus was born in a manger alongside the animals. The Savior of the world was born in a dusty, dirty place.
A very sad thing Happened after Jesus was born. There was a very evil king by the name of Herod the Great who was put in charge by the Romans. He was supposed to govern the Jewish people who lived in Israel. You might be familiar with the fact that when Jesus was born, a bright star appeared in the sky. Three wise men from the East began following the star to find Jesus because they wanted to meet Him. On their journey, they met King Herod and told him the reason for their travels. Herod did not want to give up his power, so he ordered that every baby in Bethlehem should be killed. This sounds like an insane reaction. It was, but Herod was afraid.
The idea that this baby Jesus could become a king was a threat to Herod's reign. He loved telling everyone what to do, and he surely didn't want to give up all his power. Fear pushed him to make a terrible decision.
But God is a mighty protector, and He sent an angel to warn Joseph of Herod's evil plan. Joseph obeyed and took Mary and baby Jesus to Egypt until they received news that King Herod had died. When the time was right, Joseph led his wife and Jesus back to Israel. But instead of going to Bethlehem, they went to a town called Nazareth.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus was twelve, His family traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual Passover festival. Jesus became separated from His parents — He went into the temple and had deep conversations about God. The people were amazed at how such a young man could know as much as Jesus knew. Eventually Mary found Jesus, who said, "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49).
There's not much written about what Jesus did from the time He was twelve until the time He began His earthly ministry. We do know that Joseph was called a "builder," and that the custom of the day was for a father to train his son in his occupation. Most people say Joseph was a carpenter, and that very well may have been the case. However, many scholars believe that a more accurate job description would be stonemason because trees were, and still are, scarce in the region Jesus grew up in and the majority of homes are built out of rock.
A stonemason is a person who creates buildings out of stone. This person knows how to take a rough stone found in nature and craft it into a shape that is ready to use for making structures. The mason would typically use a mallet (a type of hammer) and chisel (a type of blade) to cut the stone.
Either way, Jesus worked very hard and helped His father every day.
The next information the Bible shares about the life of Jesus was when He was thirty years old. He left His hometown and went to the wilderness by the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist (John 1:29). After that, Jesus went into the desert for forty days. Jesus fasted during this time, which meant He didn't have anything to eat. You can imagine how hungry Jesus was. Fasting helped Him focus on God because it was making Him rely on His Father for strength.
This is also the time when the devil tried to tempt Jesus. The first temptation dealt with turning stones into bread. Remember, because Jesus was so hungry it makes sense that the enemy tried to attack Him with this food temptation. But Jesus was ready for the attack! He replied to the devil's taunt by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 that says man doesn't live just on bread, but on "every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."
The enemy tries to trick people into thinking that true happiness and fulfillment come from all the things that they can do. Jesus turned this thinking upside down when He said that everything that counts comes only from God.
The devil took Jesus to the top of the temple in the city and said that Jesus should jump off because the angels would save Him. Jesus replied that people shouldn't test God. Finally, the devil took Jesus to the top of a nearby mountain. From there they could see "all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor" (Matthew 4:8). The devil said he would give it all to Jesus if He would only worship him. Jesus stood His ground and reminded the enemy that God is the only One to be worshipped and served.
After a long time in the desert, Jesus went to Galilee and began calling people to follow Him and become His disciples. Jesus told His friends that His mission was to seek out the lost and help people know and understand that they are loved.
CHAPTER 2Jesus started His ministry by teaching in the synagogues and telling people about God and healing people of their diseases.
Early on, large crowds began to gather, and Jesus went up a mountainside. His disciples went with Him, but the crowds followed too. That day Jesus taught a handful of lessons called the Beatitudes.
The first lesson Jesus taught was, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3). Jesus told His followers that they should work hard to avoid being selfish.
The next lesson Jesus gave was on being sorry when people do things that are against God's will for us. He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5:4).
Another point Jesus wanted His followers to understand was the importance of having a right attitude. He said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).
Jesus continued His teaching by saying, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matthew 5:6). This means that God wants us to crave Him and His blessings for our lives. Jesus wants us to remember that when we stay connected to Him, our hearts remain full. If we desire other stuff like popularity or material things, then we will always want more. Jesus also wants to make sure we care for others who may need our help.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy," Jesus told the crowd (Matthew 5:7). When we are merciful, we show compassion to others. Showing mercy means caring about and forgiving our friends. It means being kind and showing sympathy to let other people know that they matter.
Jesus also said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8).
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9). Jesus shared His peace everywhere He went. Being a blessing to others wherever you are is a good way to bring peace. Make it a habit to help others know that they can find rest in Jesus. Make a habit of leaving people feeling the peaceful joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus.
Jesus continued teaching, telling the crowd that there would be hard days in life. "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10). "Blessed are you when people insult you ... because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven" (Matthew 5:11).
Jesus went on to say that His followers are the salt of the earth; they add meaning and give hope to a hopeless world. Jesus also added that His followers were the light of the world and that when they shine in public, God gets the glory. He made a big deal about the importance of not worrying. Jesus told the people that life was so much more than food and clothes. He reminded them that God knows exactly what they need and would provide for His children every time (Matthew 6:33).
Another way Jesus taught people was through the use of parables. These stories were made up but helped Jesus get people to connect their hearts to things of heaven. The themes of the parables in the Bible focus on love and forgiveness, losing precious things and finding them again, the kingdom of heaven, prayer, and the end times when Jesus returns.
Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12–14 and Luke 15:3–7). He described how a shepherd left his flock of ninety-nine sheep to go rescue one that was lost. The religious leaders, who knew Jesus, accused Him of eating with sinners. Here Jesus was teaching that He is the Good Shepherd who goes in search of people who have strayed. The parable ends with Jesus saying that there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over all those who are righteous.
The next parable Jesus told is the parable of the lost coin. This story is found in Luke 15:8–10 and is about a woman who looks everywhere for a coin she had lost. The coin was worth more than a coin we think of today. The coin she had lost was called a drachma and was worth about a day's wages. The woman looked diligently for the missing coin until it was found. The coin in this parable represents a lost sinner.
A third parable Jesus told that represents a lost sinner being found is known as the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32). A father had two sons, and the younger son asked for his share of the inheritance and moved out. After he spent all his money, the younger son was forced to work with pigs. He was so poor that the pig food actually looked pretty tasty. At that point, he realized that he needed to go back home to his family.
The father wasn't mad when the son returned but instead threw a party in celebration. The older brother was angry because he didn't think it was fair, but the father said that the point was that his younger son was lost and now was found.
Jesus also told a few stories about the power of prayer. One of these stories is about a friend at night (Luke 11:5–8), and Jesus used this parable to remind His followers to pray and never give up. In the story, a neighbor went to another friend's house in the middle of the night and asked for bread. He said the bread was for another friend who had arrived after being on a journey. At first, the neighbor said he didn't want to be bothered, but after a while he took care of the request.
Jesus shared another parable with the same theme — the unjust judge. The story is found in Luke 18:1–8. A poor widow approached a judge to ask for help. He said no at first but then gave her what she asked for because she was so persistent.
Finally, on the same theme of prayer, Jesus told a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). Jesus used this story to teach us that when we pray we need to have a humble heart. The self-confident Pharisee thought that because he kept so many religious rituals (more than was required) he didn't need to ask God for anything. Contrast this with the tax collector who realized he was a sinner and humbly asked God for forgiveness. God showed the tax collector mercy and extended forgiveness.
In other parables, Jesus taught about the power of love and forgiveness. A popular one is called the good Samaritan, found in the gospel of Luke 10:25–37. The story is about a Jewish man who was traveling and was attacked and left hurting on the side of the road. Two people walked by and saw the man, but both refused to help him. Finally, a Samaritan came by and stopped to help the injured man. At the time Jesus told this story, Samaritans and Jews were groups of people who didn't like each other.
Another similar story is the parable of the two debtors (Luke 7:36–50). There were two people who owed money. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty denarii. The lender forgave both debts. Jesus was making a point that the one who was forgiven the larger debt would be more grateful.
The last parable that Jesus told on love and forgiveness is about an unforgiving servant. (Matthew 18:21–35). There were two servants who owed debts. The first servant was forgiven, but when he was asked to forgive one of his own servants, he refused. When the man in charge of the first servant found out about the man's behavior, he became angry and had the man punished.
Jesus told many other parables that taught His friends important life lessons. One was the parable of the mustard seed (Mark 4:30–32). The mustard seed is tiny but grows into a very tall plant. Jesus explained how the gospel message and the kingdom of God on earth had a very small beginning (remember Jesus was born in a manger!) but had grown very large.
Another parable is about the wise and foolish builders (found in Matthew 7:24–27). In the parable, there were two men. The wise man built his house on rock, and the foolish man built his house on sand. The rains came, and the winds were strong. The house on the rock was safe in the storm while the house built on sand fell down.
The wise man built his life on God's principles and put them into practice. And that is the only sure foundation for our lives.
CHAPTER 3Miracles
One of the many extraordinary things about Jesus is that He performed miracles. Jesus loves you, and He loved His family and friends on earth. During Jesus' earthly ministry, people He met would often ask Him for help. Some were sick. Some needed spiritual healing. Others just needed to know truth. Jesus did miracles to show that He was in charge of everything and that everything was under His supernatural command.
Early in His life, before Jesus began His public ministry, He attended a wedding with His mother and some of His friends. The celebration was in a town called Cana, which is near Nazareth. This was where Jesus performed His first miracle of changing water into wine. (You can find this story in your Bible in John 2:1–11.) During the party, the servants were worried because the wine had run out. Mary, Jesus' mother, told Him about the problem.
Close by were six stone water jars that could hold somewhere between twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants to fill up all the jars with water. Jesus turned this water into wine! One of the servants took some of the new wine to the master of the banquet to try, and he was amazed. He said it was the best wine he had ever tasted. The Bible says that this was the first sign that Jesus did to reveal His glory.
The next miracle Jesus performed involved healing an official's son. (You can find this story in John 4:46–54.) This miracle also happened in Cana, because the official had heard that Jesus was there and went to see Him. The sick boy was in a distant town called Capernaum. When the boy's father found Jesus, he begged Jesus to come back with him to their home and heal the boy.
Jesus told the man to go home because his son would live. The Bible says that the man believed Jesus and went home. The man's servants met him on the road before he reached his house with the wonderful news that the boy was indeed alive. When the father asked what time the boy got better, the servants said it was the exact same time that Jesus had said the boy would live! The official's entire household believed in Jesus because of this amazing miracle!
Another great miracle Jesus performed was in Capernaum when He went to the home of His friend Peter's mother-in-law. She was very sick and had a very high fever (Luke 4:38–39). Jesus got close to the woman and commanded the fever to go away. And just like that, the woman was well. That's how powerful Jesus is!
That evening at sunset, people brought others who had all kinds of sickness to Jesus in hopes that He would heal them. Jesus loved them all and laid His hands on them and healed them.
In Luke 5:3–10, we find another miracle of Jesus that involved a ton of fish. Jesus was on a boat talking to people on the shore, and then He told Peter to take the boat farther out on the lake. Jesus told Peter to let down the fishing nets so they could catch some fish. Peter told Jesus that they had already worked hard at fishing all night and didn't catch one single fish. However, Peter said that because it was Jesus who gave the order, he would obey. When Peter did what the Lord had told him, the fishermen caught so many fish that their nets began to break! Then Peter asked for help from his friends who were in another boat. There were so many fish that both boats began to sink!
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Kingdom Files: Who Is Jesus?"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Matt Koceich.
Excerpted by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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