We're already 7 weeks into our 9 week Pursue study! Can't believe it! Tonight we talked about the Messiah as "Life". We started out asking the kids what restaurant they would choose if they had to eat at the same one every night for the rest of their lives. We had a little taste test then...of water. We had 4 different kinds of water in four different pitchers. The kids had to rate the waters from 1 to 4 in a taste test...without knowing which water was which. We had tap water, filtered water, seltzer water, and flavored water. Our taste test led into reading about Jesus being described as a different kind of water....living water. He's also described as living bread. We explored these ideas in the gospel of John.
First we read John 4:4-15. When Jesus offered the woman "living water", what do you think she was thinking? What do you think Jesus really meant? In the next story, Jesus miraculously multiplied bread and fish to feed over 5,000 people (John 6:1-15). We read John 6:25-51 together and took note of how Jesus calls Himself the "bread of life" and living bread in verses 48 and 51. Do you think the people understood what "bread of life" meant? What similarities are there between this story and the woman at the well story? Why do you think Jesus chose bread and water as symbols of Himself? Jesus used physical food to open up conversations about spiritual food. Just as food and drink provide nutrients and sustenance, Jesus nourishes and sustains the hunger and thirst of our souls.
Next we read John 1:1-5 and discussed who the Word is and how it (He) has brought us life. John 1:4 contains the first use of the word "life" in the book of John. He uses that word throughout His gospel. It was time to look at examples of Jesus as life. We gave everyone a copy of the "Life Is" handout and they paired up. Reading through 7 Scriptures in John, the kids had to take notes on the uses of the word "life" in each verse. Based on what they read, they were asked then to formulate their own definition of the word "life" as used in the book of John. We got back together and shared our definitions then and discussed what it means to have life in Jesus.
We rolled out a large piece of paper onto the floor then and wrote the word "LIFE" in the middle. We gave the kids some art supplies and and asked them to draw pictures or write words that express the concepts of life we studied tonight to express the life Jesus brings to us all. We had magazines available to them to cut pictures out of and glue onto their poster as well.
We spent the last five minutes of class in prayer, thinking about the life Jesus offers us. We gave everyone more water and some bread to go with it and told them they could eat and drink it at anytime, considering how Jesus is living water and bread of life. We encouraged the kids to praise Jesus for being life. We asked them to consider how He can make their lives even more satisfying when they give themselves over to Him.
Lastly, we reminded the kids that this Living Water and Bread of Life is the very Messiah who pursues a personal relationship with them. Though we can have many wonderful things in life - family, friends, love, food, music, art, humor, beauty, and more - Jesus is the only true and lasting source of ultimate satisfaction and meaning. Make Him your life and...PURSUE Him!
Here is a powerful scene we watched from Ben-Hur....Jesus, the Water of Life.
