YEA Lesson Library
Three Choices
About This Lesson
This lesson teaches about Satan tempting Jesus. It explains that Satan will also try to tempt the student to be disobedient to their parents and to God.
Scriptures
Matt 4:1-11
Matt 26:41
Mark 1:12-13
Luke 4:1-13
Luke 4:4
James 1:2, 3
James 4:7
2 Peter 2:9
Words to Know
PROCEED - to go out of
WORSHIP - to love and praise
TEMPLE - God’s house
The Lesson
Kim and Patti were having fun. They were playing with their dolls and tea set. Kim’s mom told her it was time to come in for dinner. Patti didn’t want to stop playing yet. She told Kim to pretend she didn’t hear her mother. What should Kim do? Should she listen to Patti? Should she tell her mom she will be there in a minute? Or, should she listen and obey her mother? Choosing between what is right and wrong isn’t easy. Let’s see how Jesus handled some very hard choices.
Do you know what a desert is? It is a very dry place. Trees and grass don’t grow there because there is very little water. Most animals and people don’t live there because they need water, too. Jesus went into the desert after He was baptized. He wanted to get away from everything and everyone. He wanted to spend time with His Father in prayer.
Jesus knew He would need His Father’s help to do God’s work. He was busy talking to the Father. He didn’t even think to eat. We call it fasting when a person goes without food. Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. He ate nothing all that time. Just think how hungry He must have been!
Guess who showed up while Jesus was praying? Satan! He knew how hungry Jesus was. He tried to get Jesus to eat. He said, “If you are God’s Son, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus had to make a choice. He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.” Jesus quoted a Bible verse to Satan!
Did Satan win on this first test? No! But, he wasn’t giving up yet. Satan took Jesus up to a very high place. He showed Him the whole world. Satan said, “I will give you everything you see. Just get down on your knees and worship me.”
Would that be a good thing to do? Jesus knew it was wrong. So, He quoted another Bible verse. “We must worship God and God alone.”
Satan never gives up easily. He wasn’t happy when he couldn’t get Jesus to do something bad. So, he tried a third time to get Jesus to do what he wanted. He took Jesus to a high roof on the Temple. Satan said, “If you are God’s Son, jump off! The Bible says God will send His angels to guard you and keep you from crashing to the ground below.”
Jesus knew the Bible better than Satan. He said, “The Bible says don’t put God to a foolish test.” He told Satan to “Get out!” Satan left, defeated. After that, angels came to take care of Jesus. Remember, He hadn’t eaten for 40 days, so He must have been very weak and hungry.
Satan will try to get you to do things that are wrong. He’ll try to make you want things that aren’t yours. He may try to get you to lie, to steal, or disobey your parents. He wants you to think of other things to do be- sides go to Sabbath School. So remember to do what Jesus did. Think of a Bible verse. Tell Satan to leave you alone. Obey God.
Jesus prayed for God to help Him say “No!” to Satan. Pray, like Jesus did, for God to help you. God has power to win over Satan. And, He will help you.
Student Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for being with Jesus when Satan tried to get Him to sin. Please help me to say “no” when Satan tries to get me to do bad things. Help me learn my Bible verses so I can quote them instead of doing wrong. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Matthew 4:1-5
Monday - Matthew 4:6-10
Tuesday - Mark 1:12-13
Wednesday - 2 Peter 2:9
Thursday - Matthew 26:41
Friday - James 1:2, 3
Saturday - James 4:7
YEAH — At-Home Activity
1. Bread Alone - Have some freshly baked bread (if possible) in the room when the kids walk in. Be cognizant of your gluten-free and/or dairy-free students. If the students haven’t read the lesson, read it to them. If they have read it, discuss the three choices. Talk about bread being a staple in many cultures over the centuries. Ask the students to explain what Satan was trying to get Jesus to do that was wrong (to do Satan’s bidding to prove He was the Son of God). The second test would give Jesus the world without having to endure the cross. But it would have been wrong to worship Satan and wrong to get the world in a way outside of His Father’s will. The third test likewise tried to get Jesus to obey Satan in order to prove He was God’s Son, while at the same time trying to make Jesus doubt His Father’s protection of Him. As Christians, we don’t have to doubt that God loves us. We don’t have to disobey God to prove anything to anyone. (Note: Be aware that there are lots of theologians who think the temptation of Jesus was much deeper than this simple explanation.) Pray always. Study the Bible. Don’t let Satan tempt you into sin. At the end of the discussion, allow the students to eat the bread. Talk about the angels coming to minister to Jesus after the temptation.
2. Role Play and Discussion. Ask the students to role play this lesson. If the students haven’t read the lesson, read it to them. If they have read it, discuss the three choices in the role play. Remind them that we’re not trying to be Jesus or Satan; we’re trying to understand what happened and learn the lessons from it. See discussion in #1. This age group will enjoy pretending to be very hungry. A role playing activity appeals to your more kinesthetic learners.
3. Cartoon Action. If the students haven’t read the lesson, read it to them. If they have read it, discuss the three choices. Help them remember these three points of temptation by drawing a cartoon strip. They don’t have to draw either Jesus or Satan. They can draw the temptation if they wish. (Variation on REACH activity #5.) This activity appeals to your visual and tactile learners.
4. Alone, Yet Not Alone. If the students haven’t read the lesson, read it to them. If they have read it, discuss the three choices. Discuss how Satan waited until Jesus would have been vulnerable (alone, in the desert, hungry). We feel most vulnerable when we’re hurting, when we’re alone, when we’re afraid, or when we’re with people who are willing to disobey God. Ask the students to all stand together. Then ask them what they would say if I told them to lie to their parents. Normally the group of students will be more vocal about doing the right thing - as long as it’s a group of good kids. But then separate one child out and ask them to lie to their parents. Talk about how much different it feels when they have to stand up to the temptation when they feel alone. Go through several examples: shoplifting, cheating on a test, trespassing, bullying another. Emphasize how being with the wrong crowd can get you into a lot of trouble, while being with others who love God can help you. Then remind them that God is just a prayer away. Remind them of Psalm 119:11 (Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee.).
5. Clay - Tried in the Fire. Give each student some clay. Encourage them to make an animal or a pot. Once it’s finished, compare their creation to a fired piece of pottery. Why does the clay need to be fired? To harden it, to give it strength so it can be used. Jesus went through a trial by fire (both in the temptation in the wilderness and again in the Garden of Gethsemane). He did not fail the test. He persevered; He obeyed His Father; He fulfilled the purposes God sent Him to fulfill. There are many verses which similarly talk about us being tried in the fire, God purifying His people, and the necessity of us persevering through all of it. How comforting and encouraging to know that Jesus Christ, our Elder Brother, our Savior, the Captain of our Salvation, knows what it’s like to go through the fire. You can’t avoid the fire. But you can keep your eyes on Jesus and follow His example: use the Bible as your foundation and defense against the wiles of the devil.
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Tell what Jesus did when He was tempted.
2. State what it means to fast.
3. Explain who is more powerful, Jesus or Satan.
4. Explain what to do when Satan tempts them.
5. Recite their memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Angels
Bible Study
Bread
Fasting
God’s Omnipotence
God’s Protection
Honor Your Father and
Your Mother
Jesus Sets Example
Obedience
Prayer
Temptation by Satan
Worship
Materials Needed
Bible, YEA student’s and teacher’s books, attendance and memory verse charts, stars, baseball cap, baseball, bat, colored construction paper, marker pens, craft sticks, glue, scissors, cassette tape and tape player, songbook and candy or small favors.
Preparation
Children of all ages are fascinated by superheroes. Television has promoted the superhero as the protector from all problems, the avenger of all adversaries, the vindicator of all victims. Nothing is more powerful in the eyes of a child than their superhero. In today’s lesson the children will be introduced to supernatural power. The power given by God that enables them to resist and overcome their enemy – Satan.
Variety is one of the greatest tools available in holding the attention of the class. When you read the lesson and scriptures early in the week, begin to think about how you can vary this lesson and make it special from every other lesson.
Before you come to class, draw a baseball diamond on a sheet of newsprint or poster board. Attach this to the wall in your classroom. Make enough copies of the baseball pattern so that each child in your class can have one. Number the balls from one to ten (For larger classes, repeat the numbering).
How to Teach This Lesson
Come to the class wearing a baseball cap and carrying a baseball and bat. Make a pennant that says, “We’re on God’s Team” and pin it to the wall. Teach the lesson while holding the bat in your hand.
Explain that the temptation of Jesus followed immediately after His baptism. Jesus went out into the wilderness to spend time talking to His Father. He was so engrossed in His communion with the Father that He didn’t even take time out to eat. Jesus became an example to us by proving that His heart is not divided. He was totally focused on obedience to His Father.
Satan had been looking for an opportunity to gain the advantage over Jesus. Surely Jesus was weak from going without food for forty days - now was his chance to tempt Jesus. But, every time Satan threw Jesus a temptation ball, He hit it back and won the game. Had Jesus accepted the devil’s offer to give Him all the kingdoms of the world, our salvation would have been impossible. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He was not about to worship Satan and be defeated! Instead, God’s word and power enabled Jesus to defeat Satan.
Remind the children that God can give them the power to defeat Satan as well. God is ready to give them that power when they go to God in prayer and ask Him for it. Know- ing their Bible by learning their memory verse each week and reading their daily devotionals will enable them to quote scriptures when they are tempted – just like Jesus did!
Review Questions
Place the numbered baseballs into a baseball cap and have each child draw one out of the cap. Ask each child the question correspond- ing to the number on their ball. They will advance around the bases according to the value given to each question using the ball to mark their place on base (this can be held in place with a straight pin or tape). Award a piece of candy to each child who answers their question correctly. (This activity can be repeated by putting the balls back into the hat and having the kids draw again.)
1. What does it mean to be tempted? (Triple)
2. Who tempted Jesus? (Single)
3. How many times was Jesus tempted? (Triple)
4. What did Jesus quote when He was tempted? (Triple)
5. How many days did Jesus fast? (Double)
6. What is fasting? (Triple)
7. Where did Jesus go to fast? (Double)
8. Who came to care for Jesus when Satan left? (Single)
9. Did Jesus ever give in to Satan’s temptations? (Double)
10. How can you have the power to win over Satan? (Home Run)
Teacher-Directed Activity
“I’m On God’s Team” pennant. Have several different colors of construction paper and allow the children to choose one that is their school’s color. Also give each child two craft sticks. Fold the sheet of construction paper diagonally, lengthwise. Cut along the fold, forming two triangular pennants. They may want to draw their school mascot on one. On the other have them write “I’m On God’s Team.” Glue the pennants to craft sticks.
REACH Activity
Special Materials Dice, poster board, honey, bread recipe, plastic wrap, blank labels
1. Draw a pretend map on a posterboard with your house on one side and your destination on the other side. Draw forked roads along the route where the children must make a choice to do things God’s way or their way. Put rough spots, swamps, mountains, dangers, etc., along the route. Explain that God never promised us an easy life as a Christian, but life will work a lot better if we follow His ways. One of the ways to remember to choose God’s ways is to memorize Bible verses.
2. Using the map from activity #1, turn it into a game board by dividing the routes into blocks that can be spaces to move. Make game cards (on index cards) for the children to use along the way. Each time they come to a fork, they must take a card. The cards should have questions from the YEA lesson (and from the previous three YEA lessons, if you need more cards). If the player answers a question incorrectly, he must go down the wrong fork. Use dice to determine the number of spaces each player moves.
3. Sing: “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus”on page 23 of the Kids Classics Collection.
4. Do a sword drill with the Daily Devotional Scriptures. (See Notes section for directions.)
5. Draw: Divide a piece of drawing paper into three sections. On each section, draw a picture of how Satan tempted Jesus. Use your YEA Students’ book if you need help.
6. Pretend you are Kim from the story in the YEA lesson. Write in your Bible notebook what would happen if you ignored your mom like Patti wanted you to. Then write what would happen if you obeyed your mom and Patti got upset. Sometimes we are better able to make choices when we think what would happen if we made each choice.
7. Use the Bible to find Scripture verses to help remind you of how important it is to make good and godly choices. Hint: Look in the Book of Proverbs. Write down at least two Scripture verses in your Bible notebook.
8. Jesus went into a desert. Have you ever seen a desert? Use a Bible map to find a desert and write a paragraph about it. Use a dictionary or encyclopedia for information.
9. Prayer time is special. Set aside time each day for it. Write a prayer plan and try to stick to it.
10. Jesus ate nothing for 40 days and nights. It is called fasting. Have you ever fasted? What is the longest period of time you have ever gone without eating or drinking?
11. Who is Satan? Find out by looking in a Bible dictionary. He has other names, too. Write them in your Bible notebook. Then use a black pen or marker to cross his name out. This will remind you that he is not good for you.
12. Read Exodus 20 and find the Ten Commandments. What is the First Commandment? Draw a picture of yourself worshiping God and God alone.
13. Jesus must have been very hungry after 40 days of fasting. On a calendar write everything you eat over the next 40 days. Plan to eat foods that will make your body strong and healthy. For each day look up and write a Scripture that will make you grow healthy and strong in the Word of God.
14. Bake bread. Wrap when cool. Write your memory verse on a sticker and decorate. Put the sticker on the bread. Give this as a gift with a jar of honey.
15. Sing: “Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart” on page 75 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Song
“My God is So Big” is on page 14 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
The children will learn from hearing the teacher pray. It is important that you lead in prayer from time to time. However, it is also important to rotate having the students pray.
Printable Pages
