Sunday, December 29, 2013: Josiah's Reforms

2 Chronicles 34 - 35

 

On Sunday, December 29 in The Gospel Project^® for Kids, we will take a look at Josiah. Josiah was 8 years old when he became king. His father, Amon, had been assassinated by his own servants, and the people of Judah made Josiah king. (2 Kings 21:23-24) Think of the 8-year-olds you know. Are any of them suited to rule over a kingdom?

Josiah did well as king of Judah, and he didn’t step into the easiest of circumstances. His father had been a wicked king, and Judah was corrupt with idolatry. Josiah was not like his father, though. When he was a teenager, he began to seek God—the God of his ancestor David. Then Josiah made changes in Judah. He tore down the altars and idols of false gods, and he began repairing the Lord’s temple.

During the temple repair, the high priest found the book of the law of the Lord. The court secretary read the book of the law to Josiah, and Josiah tore his clothes. He knew the Lord’s righteous requirements, and the people of Judah fell short. Josiah gathered the people and read the law aloud. He made a covenant to follow God and obey His commands, and then those listening vowed to do the same. Josiah had great respect for God's law. He allowed God's word to control what he did as a king. Josiah wanted God's people to love God and obey the law too.

When we stand before the law, we too should mourn over our sin. We have fallen short of God’s standard and are cursed. (Romans 3:23; Galatians 3:10) But the gospel is good news. When Jesus came to earth, He fulfilled the law by obeying it perfectly. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. When we trust in Him, His righteousness is credited to us. Our debt is laid on Him, and He redeems us. (Galatians 3:13)

Sunday, December 22, 2013: Jesus Was Dedicated

Luke 2:21-40

Thank you for continuing this journey of The Gospel Project^® for Kids. Sunday’s Bible account takes place after the events of Christmas, when Mary and Joseph were enjoying the sleepless nights as parents of the newborn baby Jesus. (Remember those days?) Life was seemingly going back to normal.

Long ago, the Lord spoke to Moses: “Consecrate every firstborn male to Me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is Mine” (Exodus 13:2). Consecrate means “to dedicate to a sacred purpose.” God’s people were to set apart their firstborn as belonging to the Lord. The firstborn of sacrificial animals were sacrificed to God, and the firstborn of humans and donkeys were redeemed—a lamb was sacrificed instead. God’s law for the consecration of the firstborn had a purpose: to remind the people that the Lord brought them out of Egypt by the strength of His hand. (See Exodus 13:14-16.)

After a woman gave birth, she was considered “unclean,” and she would observe a period of purification, a reminder that we are all born in sin. Then she would bring to the priest a burnt offering and a sin offering. (See Leviticus 12:1-8.) This is what Mary did. When Mary’s days of purification were complete, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem, where they presented Him to the Lord and offered a sacrifice. Though Jesus was not born in sin, He identified with sinners even as a baby. This initial act introduced Jesus’ life of perfect obedience to the law.

While Mary and Joseph were at the temple, God graciously revealed to a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna that Jesus was the One—the promised Messiah they had been waiting for. Imagine their joy! Throughout the Old Testament, God promised the arrival of a king who would redeem God's people. When Jesus arrived, Simeon and Anna knew He was the promised Messiah. Today, we have faith that Jesus is God’s Son. We can trust Jesus for our salvation.

Sunday, December 15, 2013: Jesus Was Born

 Luke 2:1-20

This week in The Gospel Project^® for Kids, our journey takes us from Nazareth to Bethlehem. God had promised through the prophet Micah that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) Mary and Joseph, however, lived in Nazareth. But God is in control of all things. Do you think it was just by chance that Caesar Augustus called for a census? Did it just so happen that Mary and Joseph traveled 80 miles to Bethlehem? God used a pagan emperor to bring about His plan.

Imagine the shepherds’ surprise when an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared. The Bible says that they were terrified! But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David” (Luke 2:10-11). The people of Israel made sacrifices daily to atone for their sin. Finally, a Savior had come who would be the perfect sacrifice for sin, once and for all. Jesus is also Messiah the Lord. The word Messiah means “anointed One,” especially a king. The angel told the shepherds they would find the baby King in a manger.

The birth of Jesus was good news! Jesus was not an ordinary baby. He was God’s Son, sent to earth from heaven in the most humble of circumstances, “not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus came into the world to save people from their sins and to be their King.