#B on the Student Study Guide

teaching. . . how to live for God

How to honor God in the way we live/how we act; how to follow God's rules for living

baptizing

Followers of Jesus going into the water and out again-a symbol of having one's sins washed away

Show the Jordan River on map of Israel.

white dove

A white bird.

Take time to place "color" labels - including white - on the most basic colors in your classroom for passive learning at this point. Do not linger except to answer any questions from the students.

pleased with him

Happy with him.

Point to your own smile-draw a "happy face" on the board. An example of being pleased with some person; the way parents feel when their child walks or talks for the first time - or when a child graduates from school

disguised like a snake

Use props (a mask, a hat, dark glasses, a wig?!) to disguise one of the students or yourself); draw a snake.

lead

Place a "river" sign on one side of the room and a "desert" sign on the other. Take the hand of a student and lead that student from the "river" to the "desert." Point on the map the route from the river to the desert.

desert

Hot sand everywhere-no trees-no water.

If possible, have a sample of sand or a picture of a desert.

eats nothing

Draw a picture of food-then draw an "X" over it (as in a "no smoking" sign). Place some food on a table. Pantomime as if you are going to eat some fruit-then gesture "refusal" with motions from your arms and hands.

the devil/Satan

The most powerful evil spirit and the ruler of hell through all eternity, who tries to get people to make bad choices and to say "no" to God, and who tries to stop the work of God on earth.

to test

Trying to make a person choose to do evil (to prove the person wants to follow Satan, not (God). In today's story-trying to persuade Jesus to turn his back on /say 'no' to God.

Demonstrate this action using body language.

to tempt

Trying to get a person to do wrong things / bad actions. Satan tells lies (untrue words): "Go ahead! Do it! It's O.K. No problem!"

let

Give permission to do something.

Illustrate by having a student drop a pencil. Then say (as you bend over to pick it up):

I want to help you! Let me help you!

protect

Demonstrate with an umbrella (to protect from rain) and a hat (to protect from the sun). Use the actual items if at all possible, or draw them on the board.

every time

Always doing something the same way. Every time he drinks coffee at night, he cannot sleep! Every time I receive a letter from a friend, I am happy! Every time I see a beautiful rainbow, I think of God's promises.

The story today is in three parts. In part one, John, (the son of cousin Elizabeth), is teaching and baptizing people in the Jordan River. They call him "John the Baptist." The people ask John what they should do-and he instructs them.

Make an overhead transparency of Handout #3, if possible. Read all of the instructions while the students follow along silently and circle any words they do not know. Discuss meanings with the whole class. To increase students' understanding, provide examples that are not in today's story. Otherwise you will be doing all their work for them!.

Make another copy of Handout #3. Cut John's instructions into strips. Give one strip to each small group of students. Ask the groups to plan how to dramatize their instructions for the whole class. The class then guesses what the instruction is. For your convenience these instructions are also listed for you here.

1. The person with two shirts must give to the man who has no shirt.
2. The person with food must share it.
3. Don't collect more money than a person owes. (For example, you may owe me 10 dollars-but I say, "Give me 20 dollars!")
4. Don't take money from a person by force. (Demonstrate meaning by "twisting" someone's arm.)
5. Don't accuse a person falsely. Don't say untrue things about people. (For example, telling a bad story about someone-and you know the person is a good person-not bad!)
6. Be content (happy) with your pay (with the money you get from working).

#C on Student Study Guide

As you watch the first part of the story, hold up your hand when you hear one of these six teachings.

Show film clip. Start as the written words are leaving the screen and the sun is fading. Stop quickly after John the Baptist says: "But someone is coming who is much greater than I am."

In the second part of the story, Jesus is thirty years old. He comes to John and asks John to baptize him. After John baptizes Jesus, what happens on the shoulder of Jesus?

What words do you hear?

Show film clip. Start as Jesus appears in the crowd. Stop with God's affirmation of Jesus as the dove sits on Jesus' shoulder.

After eliciting response to the above question, proceed to part three of the story.

In part three of the story, where does Jesus go after He is comes out of the water?

Show film clip. Start as Jesus is walking into the wilderness. Stop as Jesus is walking up the sandy hill on his way home to Nazareth.

After eliciting response to the above question, say:

Now let's watch all of today's story and learn more.

Read through the following questions to ensure meaning in the second viewing of today's story.

#D on Student Study Guide

Note: For more advanced learners, you may skip the "Listening for Details" (#D on the Student Study Guide) and use Handout #4 (the dialog between the Devil and Jesus).

1. John the Baptist is doing two things when Jesus first sees him? (Underline what John is doing.)

(1) teaching and eating
(2) traveling and baptizing
(3) teaching and baptizing

____If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn into a bird.
____If you are God's Son, tell this stone to turn into bread.
____Worship snakes and I will give you all power and glory in the world.
____Worship me (the Devil) and I will give you all power and glory in the world.
____If you are God's Son, jump off the temple and let God protect you.
____If you are God's Son, jump off the temple and let God catch you.

Show entire film clip for this lesson again-then guide students in answering the questions.

Now let's read the story!

#E on Student Study Guide

1. John the Baptist is teaches people how to live for God.
2. He is baptizes people in the Jordan River.
3. John baptizes Jesus.
4. The Holy Spirit-in a body like a white dove-flies down and sits on the shoulder of Jesus.
5. God's voice speaks from heaven, saying: "This is my dear son, and I am pleased with him."
6. God's Spirit leads Jesus from the river to the desert.
7. Jesus eats nothing for 40 days.
8. The devil-disguised like a snake-comes to test Jesus.
9. The devil commands: "If you are God's son, tell this stone to turn into bread."
10. Jesus says: "No one can live by food alone." (Luke 4:4)
11. The devil tempts Jesus again: "Look at all the countries in the world. Worship me and I will give you all of them."
12. Jesus says: "You must worship God only." (Luke 4:8)
13. The devil tempts Jesus a third time. He takes Jesus to the top of the Temple. Satan says: "Throw yourself down. Angels will hold you up. You will not be hurt."
14. Jesus says: "You must not tempt the Lord your God." (Luke 4:12)
15. Three times Satan tempts Jesus-and three times Jesus says "No!"

#F on Student Study Guide

Answer Key: 1-Jesus, 2-on, 3-from, 4-am, 5-river, 6-40, 7-test, 8-son, 9-says, 10-The, 11-all, 12-will, 13-must, 14-third, 15-of, 16-hold, 17-not, 18-three

(On separate page following the Student Study Guide)

Answer Key: a-5, b-9, c-4, d-7, e-1, f-6, g-3, h-8, i-2, j-10, k-12, l-11, m-14, n-13, o-15

#G on Student Study Guide

1 In the beginning of this lesson John the Baptist is telling people how to live for God. He says what is TRUE and GOOD. On the other hand, the Devil tries to make us believe that true things are false. He also wants us to believe that false things are true! For example: It is TRUE that God loves everyone! (Jer. 31:3 NLV): God loves us "with a love that lasts forever." (His love never stops!) But the Devil whispers in our ear and tells lies or "twists" this truth. The Devil tells us lies-says words that are FALSE: "You are a bad person! God cannot love you!"

If you suspect that "true/false" needs clarification for your students, you might tell the class two things about yourself-(if possible) one of these being rather "far-fetched" but true. Let the class try to guess which is true and false. If there is time, let the students do this same thing in small groups or with a partner. If you have no time constraints, students would have fun with a version of the old TV program "To Tell the Truth."

2 Some of John's instructions below are now false-the way the Devil likes to twist the truth!

Have students work with a partner to find the "twisted truth"-the "devil talk." Change each of these sentences to be a true statement ("Jesus talk"). In small groups, pass out paper strips with one of the following instructions on each slip. Each person is to pantomime the instruction on his/her paper strip and let the others guess which one it is. (If native language Bibles are available, have students read Luke 3:11-14 before doing this activity.)

(1) The person with two shirts must not give to the man who has no shirt.
(2) The person with food must share one bite.
(3) Do collect more money than a person owes.
(4) Do take money from a person by force.
(5) Accuse a person falsely. (It is OK to tell lies about people.)
(6) Be unhappy with your pay.

3 Ask for volunteers to tell the story in their own words. Students who are most proficient will get needed practice, while the others can learn from listening. If students need a little help, you might show small increments of the film clip-then ask the class about what they just saw. Students may enjoy an "add-on" story, i.e., the first volunteer provides the first sentence; a second volunteer adds what comes next; on and on this goes to the end! Everyone benefits! The risk-takers are challenged; the less confident students hear a good model and eventually have courage to try!

#H on Student Study Guide

1. John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord.

He told the people about the coming Messiah. When God has a job for us to do, He will "prepare the way" for us also.

"Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow." (Proverbs 3:6, CEV)

2. Jesus understands when we are tempted by the Devil (also called 'Satan').

"Jesus understands every weakness of every way we are tempted, but He did not sin." (Hebrews 4:15, CEV)

"And now that Jesus has suffered and was tempted, he can help anyone else who is tempted." (Hebrews 2:18, CEV)

3. The Devil (or 'Satan') is a very real presence in this world.

"Keep awake! Watch at all times. The devil is working against you. He is walking around like a hungry lion with his mouth open. He is looking for someone to eat." (I Peter 5:8, NLV)

4. We must not be tricked by Satan.

He often disguises himself and tells us lies. "The Devil has nothing to do with the truth. There is no truth in him. . . he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44, NLV)

5. There is happy news.

"God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world." (I John 4:4, CEV)

"God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations." (I Corinthians 10:14, CEV)

". . . Stand against the devil and he will run away from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you." (James 4:6-7, NLV)

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