The Blood of Jesus

TEXT: John 19:16-18,31-34; Romans 5:8-9

OBJECTIVE

The students will be able to describe how and why Jesus shed His Blood on Calvary. They will be able to explain that it is through Christ's Blood that we are saved.

BIBLE LESSON OUTLINE

Introduction: Prepare the In-Class Activity using a transparent overlay as the opener for your lesson. Do not wipe the marks from the heart until later in your presentation.

Progression of events:

1. All have sinned.
2. Good works, going to church, paying tithes, etc., will not save us.
3. Jesus died so that His Blood could wash away our sins. (Wipe off the marks in sinful heart with a damp red cloth.) He had not sinned, and because of this He could die for our sins.

Climax:Only the Blood will cover sin. Use the red page of the Wordless Book.

Conclusion: Forgiveness comes through the cleansing power of Jesus' Blood.

Response: The students will be able to explain how and why Jesus' Blood was shed.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In Christian theology, atonement is the central doctrine of our faith and includes all that our Lord accomplished for us on the Cross. However, the primary child may find it difficult to understand the figurative aspect of this lesson. How could the Blood of Jesus wash sin spots from the heart? As adults, we understand that the remedy for sin, according to the Bible, is based upon the representative principle, in which we have hope through Christ's substitutionary atonement. But the child may have difficulty understanding why Christ died for us and how that act could have anything to do with our sins being forgiven.

Try to keep your language very simple in teaching this lesson. You will need to begin by explaining that God's Law says the wages (or result) of sin is death. Because we were born with sin in our hearts, and because when we were older we chose to do wrong things, we should die. But Jesus came into this world, and—unlike every other person born into this world—He had no sin of His own that He should be punished by death. Because of His great love for mankind, He was willing to pay the penalty. He agreed to die in the place of man. When He died and shed His Blood on the cross of Calvary, He died in our place. Though it is true that "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22), God accepted the Blood of Christ instead of ours.

But there is one condition. That sacrifice needs to be accepted. You may want to lead into next week's lesson by pointing out that a person could say, "No, I don't want to accept Christ's dying for me. I reject His offer to take my death penalty and pay it Himself." Christ's offer to them would then be to no avail.

IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES

• Draw a heart on a piece of white paper. On top of it, tape a sheet of overhead transparency or clear plastic overlay. Talk to the class about the different things that are sin, and as you do, mark on the plastic with a black felt pen so that when you're finished you have a black heart. As you explain that only the Blood of Jesus Christ can wash away our sin, wipe the black off with a damp red cloth, leaving the heart clean and white.
• Cut a cross out of cardboard. Have the class write on paper strips some sins for which they think Jesus died. Let the children nail them on the cross with tacks. Then tape a picture of Jesus over the sins. Jesus died for all these and more, and Jesus was the only One who could die for us because He was without sin.
• Take a bottle of turpentine to class. Have a splotch of black paint on one hand. Show your class the paint and tell them that it represents sin. Remind them that last Sunday they learned that all have sinned. Tell them that some people try to cover up their sins. (Close hand tightly.) But that does not make the sin spots go away. (Open hand.) Others may try to get rid of their sins themselves. (Wash hand with a damp washcloth.) They may accept Christ, get baptized, or join a church. But the Bible tells us there is only one way to remove the stain of sin—that is by the application of the Blood of Jesus. (Wash hand with turpentine.) Jesus' Blood is available to cleanse our sins, but we must allow it to be applied to our hearts.
• For each child make a visual depiction of the memory verse (see Patterns). Impress upon your students the true significance of Jesus' shedding His blood on the cross. He died so that all can be saved from sin. Cut out and follow the six steps for folding each cross so it becomes one square. Then have each child unfold his cross in the reverse order as you say the verse together. Talk about what each section of the verse means.

Special Instructions for this Lesson: Refer to Lesson 1c for additional ideas.

QUESTIONS

1. Why did Jesus have to shed His Blood and die so that we can be forgiven of our sins?
2. For how many sins did Jesus die?
3. How do you think Jesus could have died for you when you weren't even born yet?
4. What day is set aside to especially remember the death of Jesus on the Cross?
5. How do you think you would have felt if you had been there when Jesus died?
6. What is the penalty for sin?
7. How can you get sin out of your heart?
8. What is the meaning of the word repentance?
9. What sins do we keep after we are saved? Why?
10. If something is dead, it is no more. Explain how, when we ask God to forgive our sins, they are "dead"–gone forever.
11. How can we ever repay Jesus for all that He's done for us?

PRE-SCHOOL SUGGESTIONS

• Use two hearts of the same size cut from felt, one from white and one from red. Draw sins spots on the white heart. Glue strips of Velcro on each heart (on the front of the white and back of the red), so the two hearts will stick together. Let each child have a turn covering the white heart with the red. (They love putting Velcro together and pulling it apart!)
• Using red construction paper, prepare a red crayon for each child (see Patterns). Cut out the crayon and fold along the dotted line. Cut out the two ovals and glue them to the inside of the crayon. Show the children a real red crayon and then give each of them their copy of the pretend crayon. Talk about the color red: how pretty it is, how God made the color, etc. Name some things that are red. Then have them open their red crayon and tell them that red can remind them of one more thing, a very important thing—Jesus died for us. Point to the cross on which Jesus died. Point to Jesus who is now alive and in Heaven. Red is a very good color!
• Give each child a JESUS DIED FOR ME answer wheel (see Patterns). Cutout the bottom circle and the top piece. On the top piece, cut along the heavy lines to the right of the boy and then fold that flap on the dotted lines. Attach the two parts together in the center. Show the children the sad heart in the left space and then let them lift up the right section to reveal the cross. Tell them that Jesus died so that everyone who had sin in his heart could pray and be happy. Then turn the wheel so the sad child is in the left space. Let the children look under the right section to see Jesus. Tell them that Jesus loves all the children of the world and wants them to love Him. He is their very best Friend.
  

REVIEW IDEAS‍

Fill the inside of a large flashlight (minus batteries) with slips of paper that say "Lying," "Stealing," etc. Scraps and other "garbage" could also be in the flashlight along with the "bad" things. Open the flashlight and pull out the slips and discuss these bad things. Put batteries, which represent Jesus, into the flashlight. Have plain paper wrapped around the batteries that have good things written on them—"Sharing," "Love," etc. This is what makes the flashlight work.

Have your review feature the bloodline of Christ in song. Sing one verse of "Father Abraham." He had the promise of a family, one member of which would save the world from the sin Adam and Eve started.

Sing one verse of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing." God and sinner reconciled (become friends again). Jesus was the answer to God's promise to Abraham.

Sing "The Old Rugged Cross." After Jesus grew up, He died on the cross for our sins.

Sing “There is Power in the Blood." It still works today to save sinners.

Enlarge the picture of Jesus on the cross, and also make a black heart large enough to completely cover the picture (see Patterns). Cut the heart into several pieces, and attach a different question about the lesson on the back of each piece. Cover the picture of Jesus with the pieces of the heart (in the right order) so the questions do not show. Let each child take a turn choosing a piece of the heart. If the child can answer the question correctly, that piece of the puzzle can be set aside. If the answer is incorrect, the piece of the puzzle should be put back over the picture. Continue the questions until the picture is uncovered, and then explain to the children that Jesus is the answer for cleansing all sin. He is the Savior that God promised to the world.

SUPPORT MATERIAL

• A Garden and a Promise — Arch Book, Concordia
• The Crucifixion and Resurrection — Panorama, Standard Publishing
• Crucifixion and Resurrection — Pict-a-graph, Standard Publishing
• My Bible Story Card — Series II