YEA Lesson Library
A Go-Between
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches (and gives support for) the idea that Melchezidek was the one who became Jesus Christ.
Scriptures
Genesis 14:17-24
Matthew 28:18-20
John 1:1-18
Romans 8:26-27
Romans 8:32-34
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Hebrews 7
James 5:13-16
Words to Know
BAILIFF - a sheriff's deputy who keeps order in a courtroom
DEFENDANT - the person accused of a crime
INTERCESSION- prayer on behalf of another
PRESIDING - having control or authority over
The Lesson
The courtroom was silent as the jury was being seated. The defendant sat at the table with his lawyer who would defend him. Then the bailiff stood and said, "All rise for the honorable Judge Smith presiding." Everyone was there as the judge entered the courtroom. The defendant was being accused of a crime. And the defense lawyer was the go-between. The jury would decide if the defendant was guilty or innocent. If the jury finds the defendant guilty, the judge will give out the punishment. If he is not guilty, the judge will let the defendant go free. These are all necessary to have a fair trial.
In Bible times a priest or a judge acted as a go-between for the people and their God. When a crime or sin was committed, that person would bring an offering to the priest. The priest would then take the offering into the Tabernacle or Temple and offer it to God. He would pray for the person and ask for God's forgiveness. God was the judge and jury. He always gives us a fair trial.
One day Abram was returning from battle. His nephew, Lot, had been captured and everything he had was stolen. Abram heard about it. He went to rescue Lot. Abram not only saved Lot, but he also took back everything that was stolen.
As Abram returned from battle, "the king of Sodom came out to meet him, and Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Jerusalem), who was a priest of the God of Highest Heaven, brought him bread and wine. Then Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing:
"The blessing of the supreme God, Creator of heaven and earth, be upon you. Abram: and blessed be God, who has delivered your enemies over to you" (Genesis 14:17b-20a TLB).
Melchizedek's name means "King of Righteousness" and "King of Peace." There is something else that is very interesting about Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:3 tells us that he didn't have a father or mother. It also says that he had no "beginning of days or end of life.” This was way back before anyone had even thought of cloning. So we know that all human beings had to have a father and mother. We also know that there is a time when life begins, and when life ends. Melchizedek had no father or mother, and he had no beginning of days or end of life. How could this be? Do you know of anyone else who has no father or mother? God is the only one. Then maybe we should ask, who is Melchizedek?
In one of our YEA lessons we learned that God had a Son whose name was Jesus. He was born as a baby and His mother, Mary, put Him in a manger. Since Jesus was the Son of God, He was
like God. He had God's power. He was Eternal. "Before ANYTHING ELSE existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is - nothing exists that he didn't make" (John I:1-3 TLB).
Did you notice that this Scripture says that Jesus has always been alive - that He actually created the world. But we never see the name Jesus in the Old Testament. Why? Was His name Melchizedek in the Old Testament until He was born as a baby and given the name "Jesus"?
The One who became Jesus had a very important job to do in the Old Testament. Not only did He create the world, He was also a priest of the Most High God. He was the go-between for the people and their God. Abram recognized Him as God in the flesh! He gave Melchizedek a tenth part of everything he owned.This was an act of worship! When we pay our tithe and give an offering to God, we are worshiping Him.
Jesus Christ is our go-between with our God and Heavenly Father (I Timothy 2:5). He acts as our defender when we sin. He goes before God and pleads our case. He makes intercession for us. His Holy Spirit prays for us when we can't find the right words to say.
Isn't it wonderful to know that you are not alone? Jesus Christ is your defender. His Holy Spirit speaks for you when you don't even know how to pray. Jesus will bring you comfort and will strengthen you when you face your enemies. He is there when you face tough decisions. Christ will encourage you when there is sickness in your family. If you are truly sorry when you do something you shouldn't, Jesus will be your defender.
Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of everything he had when he realized who he was. He praised and worshiped God. Doesn't Jesus Christ deserves our worship? Shouldn't we be willing to give our tithe and offerings and our praise to Him?
God Hand-Picked Melchizedek to represent Him here on earth. Melchizedek spoke to Abram and blessed him. Jesus Christ was Hand-Picked by God to bless you. He came and gave His life for your sins. He is your go-between with the Father. But, you have also been Hand-Picked to be one of His children. If you are His child, you can pray to God for others. You can talk to your friends about what Jesus has done for them. You can live the right kind of life so that others will know that you are God's child.
Student Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I'm thankful that you Hand-Picked Abram to receive your promised blessing. Thank you for hand picking Melchizedek to be your High Priest. But, most of all, thank you for sending Jesus as my go-between. Help me be a go-between as I pray for and talk to my friends about you.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Hebrews 7:1-3
Monday - John 1:11-14
Tuesday - Romans 8:26-27
Wednesday - Romans 8:32-34
Thursday - Hebrews 7:22-25
Friday - Matthew 28:18-20
Saturday - James 5:13-16
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to:
1. State that Melchizedek was the priest of the Most High God.
2. Give some similarities between Melchizedek and Jesus.
3. Tell how Jesus is our defender.
4. Discuss ways that they can represent God to others.
Topics & Themes
Abraham
Chosen
High Priest
Intercessor
Jesus, High Priest
Melchezidek
Tithe
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA students' and teacher's books, attendance and memory verse chart, stars, songbook, music player and music tape/CD, newsprint pad and markers, or chalk board and chalk, paper bag, slips of paper, highway map
Preparation
"An important but difficult truth for children at this age to understand is that Jesus was both human and divine" (Teaching on Target by Dr. Robert and lane Choun). This lesson not only emphasizes that Jesus represented God in human form, but also that Melchizedek was a representative of God.
Jesus often used metaphors and parables to explain His truths. In this lesson we will use the metaphor of a defense lawyer or go-between to illustrate how man gains access to God, who is
Spirit. Hopefully, using the illustration of a defense lawyer pleading the case of the defendant before a judge will help bring home this idea.
On a chalkboard or newsprint pad, draw a river running from top to bottom in the center of the picture. On one side draw a stick figure to represent a farmer, on the other side a market to sell his vegetables.
Write the following statements on slips of paper, fold and place into a paper bag: I) I let my dog outside. Someone must have left the gate open. The dog got out of our yard. He went next-door and dug up the neighbor's flower bed. 2) When I came home from school I smelled fresh-baked cookies. I looked around but couldn't find my mom. I ate some of the cookies. Then Mom came in and said the cookies were for a bake sale. 3) The teacher handed out the test papers. She was called out of the room for a few minutes. The boy in front of you turned around and copied your answer. 4) Dad told you to help him clean the garage. You picked up the broom to sweep. The handle of the broom knocked over a can of paint and spilled it. (If your class is large, you may want to make up more statements, or make several copies of the above.)
How to Teach This Lesson
Object Lesson - Using a highway map, ask someone to locate the state of Michigan. Next, ask one of the students to locate Florida. Now ask: If you wanted to go from Michigan to Florida by car, find a highway that goes between the two states. (Interstate 75 runs all the way from northern Michigan to the tip of Florida. It is the go-between.) Next, show the picture of the river. Ask: How will the farmer go between his farm and the market where he sells his vegetables? (Draw a bridge across the river or a boat to go across.) Third, what if you were staying on the fourth floor of a hotel. The building caught on fire and you couldn't go down the elevator or stairway. Ask: Can you think of something or someone who would be your go-between to get you to safety? (Fireman or ladder.) Now, suppose God had a message for you or a job for you to do. Since God lives in heaven and you live on earth, He would need a way to go between heaven and earth. Ask: Can you think of a way or go-between?
Priest of God - In Bible times, being a priest was one of the most important jobs a person could have. God Hand-Picked the tribe of Levi to be the priests in the Temple. They were intercessors - the people would go to them with their offerings. The priests would place the offering upon the altar and go into the holy place to offer up prayers for the people.
Pleads Our Case - In a courtroom, the defense lawyer has a most important role. He speaks on behalf of the accused. He tries his best to convince the jury that his client is innocent. He pleads with the judge for mercy, much like the priest in the Temple. Ask: Can you think of reasons why it is so important that a person has a defense lawyer? (He is trained in the law, knows how to speak persuasively, has access to the evidence, etc. Allow the students to give their reasons.)
Melchizedek- God had spoken to Abram and promised to bless him. But now God was sending a special messenger to bring him bread and wine. This may have been like a Passover service. He sent Melchizedek in a human body.The Scripture tells us that, "Melchizedek has no father or mother. He has no family line. His days have no beginning. His life has no end. He remains a priest forever, just like the Son of God" (Hebrews 7:3 NIrV). Ask: Does this sound like an ordinary priest or man? Why? Abram recognized him as God's go-between and gave him tithes.
Jesus, our Go-Between - Our perfect, sinless and holy God sits in heaven as a judge. His law demanded that sin be paid for by the shedding of blood. But, because of His love for us, God sent His Son, Jesus to die in our place (Romans 6:23). He is now at the right hand of God pleading our case (Romans 8:34). Jesus is our High Priest and speaks to God on our behalf. He is our mediator, our defender, our intercessor, our Go-Between.
Review Questions
1. What was the job of a priest in the Old Testament?
2. How did Abram show that he believed Melchizedek was no ordinary priest?
3. In what ways was Melchizedek like Jesus?
4. In what way is Jesus like a defense lawyer?
5. What is the job of an intercessor?
Teacher-Directed Activity
To demonstrate how important a go-between is, divide your class into three groups. Group 1 will be the defendant, group 2 the go-between, and group 3 the judge. Allow each person in group 1 to draw a slip of paper from the bag. One at a time, have the students read it to someone in group 2. That person then goes before a judge in group 3 and defends his client. (Notice: If the go-between doesn't listen carefully to the message, he will not be able to properly present it to the judge.) After each person in group 2 has had a turn at presenting his case, rotate-allowing group 2 to become the judge, group 3 to be the defendant, and group 1 to be the go-between.
Assign John 1:1-18 for the students to memorize and recite the tenth week.
REACH Activity
Back to the Bible: Evidence
Genesis 14:18-20 give us a lot of information! First, Melchizedek is the king of Salem. What does Salem mean? Hmm. Who is the Prince of Peace? (Ephesians 2:14, Isaiah 9:6) Secondly, Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. Who also presented bread and wine? (Luke 22:14-20) The bread and wine are symbolic of what? And what happens if you don’t eat the bread and drink the wine? (John 6:53) Thirdly, Abram gave Melchizedek a tithe. To whom did God say the tithe goes? (Malachi 3:9-10)
After looking at all of the evidence, who do you think Melchizedek was?
Journal Jot: Comparison
Read Genesis 14:17-24. Write down 3-5 things you learn about Melchizedek from these verses. Then read Hebrews 7. Write down 3-5 things you learn about Jesus as our High Priest. What things are similar? What things are different?
Word Study: mesites
In 1 Timothy 2:5, Paul identifies Jesus as our Mediator. This is the Greek word mesites, which means “one who unites parties, one who mediates for peace.” Jesus Christ is our Mediator because He satisfies the payment for sin, i.e. He died to pay the penalty for our sins. He makes it possible for us to be at peace with God. Write this Greek word down in your Bible notebook. Then spend some time thinking about being at peace with God, rather than having Him angry at you. What is that worth to you? Thank God for providing a Mediator, a way for you to be at peace with Him.
(Quote from Zodhiates’ NAS Key Word Study Bible)
Just Toolin’ Around: Intercessor
Romans 8:34 says that Jesus “is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Using a concordance, find two other verses which talk about Jesus Christ interceding for us. Write all three scripture references in your Bible notebook. Then copy each verse into your notebook. Do you know that Jesus intercedes for you? Have you asked Him to?
Did you Know? Melchizedek
Besides Genesis 14 and Hebrews 5 and 7, Melchizedek is also mentioned in the Psalms. (Psalm 110:4) Read this psalm. Did you know that this psalm is cited in Hebrews 5:6? Who is this priest after the order of Melchizedek? It’s Jesus Christ! Not only is He our King (son of David), He’s also our High Priest.
Stretch It Out: Map It
The ESV Study Bible has a great map showing the location of the five rebelling Canaanite cities against their four Mesopotamian overlords. Copy this map (or one from a source you have available) and put it in your Bible notebook. Highlight the rebelling cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Zoar. With another color, circle the name of the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea) where the battle ensued. Circle Dan, where Abram pursued the four Mesopotamian kings and recovered Lot. Make sure your map has a scale on it so you can guesstimate how far Abram pursued the kings. This was a major effort! Write three interesting things you discover in your Bible notebook.
Music Notes: The Mercy That Never Fails
This song is on page 77 of the CEM Hymnal.
Read the lyrics to this hymn that was written by a Sabbatarian, Bonnie French, in the late 1900s. Is there anyone who doesn’t sin? (Romans 3:23) What are the wages, or consequences, when you sin? (Romans 6:23) But you have an intercessor - someone who talks to God the Father on your behalf. Who is it? (Romans 8:34) Why can Jesus intercede for each of us? (Hebrews 3:3; 9:28) When Jesus intercedes for us, what do we gain? (Hebrews 7:25; Ephesian 1:7; 1 John 1:9)
After you answer these five questions and look up the scriptures associated with them, write a paragraph in your Bible notebook - a reflection on the mercy we receive from God the Father because of Jesus Christ, our Savior and High Priest.
Questions?
Write down any questions you have in your Bible notebook so that you can remember to ask your parents or your pastor.
Song
"I Will Sing Of The Mercies Of The Lord Forever” is on page 17 of Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
Lead the students in prayer, thanking God for sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins and to be our go-between.
Printable Pages
