“NOW THAT WE HAVE JESUS, DO WE HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW?”

2022 Theme: “Doing Life with Jesus”
Week 18: “Now that we have Jesus, do we have to follow the Law?”
Weekly Bible Bite: Matthew 5:17-20

Video lesson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BGO9Mmd_cU (The Bible Project – The Law – for parents and older children)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pURs3HAm0Q (What was the purpose of the Law – CQ Kids)

God gave people his laws so we could know how to live in such a way that pleased God and would enable us to go to live in heaven with him. He knew, however, that we would never be able to live up to the requirements perfectly …no matter how hard we tried. It’s a little like when parents tell their kids how they expect them to keep their rooms…but things always seem to get messy! And just as kids sometimes need their parents’ help to properly clean their rooms, God knew we were going to need his help living according to his laws. So he offers to help anyone who wants help to ‘tidy up.’

When Jesus lived, he always obeyed God’s laws, which meant he fulfilled the requirements…he pleased God! But, because he was God, his work to obey the law actually met the requirements for us too. Now, even though Jesus helps us ‘clean house,’ we should continue to keep God’s laws to show him how much we love him and because of our gratitude for Jesus and the work that he has done for us. We shouldn’t take Jesus’ work to fulfill the law on our behalf for granted, but should try to please him by obeying his commandments to love God and others.

Family goal:
How can you show Jesus how grateful you are that he fulfilled the requirements of the law for us?
[Be sure to pick a measurable goal involving a task so that children will know when they have completed it.]

Weekly verses:
Romans 6:1-2, NLT – “Should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?”

Family activities:
• Colour the picture of Jesus reading from the scroll.
• Can you find all the words in the word search puzzle?
• Hold a clean marathon this week (assign each person a room or task). At the end of the week give a prize to the family member who kept their room cleanest or who completed their tasks most consistently.

Prayer:
Thank you, God for your laws which show us how to live, even though we always seem to mess up. Thank you that you sent Jesus to give us the help we needed. Help me try to live in a way that always pleases you!