Year B. 4th Term. Lesson 2. Bible buddy - Nicodemus

Scripture: for teacher background:  John 3

Making contact: 

Talk about how people and animals have their young. Some babies are born, like we are, and some have eggs that hatch, like chicks. 

When we believe in Jesus, we are born in a different way. We are born again and today’s buddy learnt how, from Jesus.

 Exploration:

There was a leader in the synagogue who was a Pharisee. His name was Nicodemus.

 He didn’t want the other Pharisees to see him talking to Jesus because they really didn’t like Jesus and what He was teaching.

But Nicodemus was curious, so he sneaked around at night and went to visit Jesus.

 He said to Him, “Teacher, I know You are sent from God, because no one could perform the miracles that You are doing unless God was with Him.” 

Jesus answered in a very strange way. He said, “I am telling you the truth, no one can see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Now Nicodemus knew a little about babies being born and he asked Jesus, “How can a grown up be born again? He certainly can’t get back inside his mother’s womb and be born a second time!”

Jesus explained that it meant you had to be born of water and the Spirit.

You are born physically the first time, but that’s not enough, you need to be born spiritually of the Spirit of God – born again.

It’s like the wind – you don’t know where it is coming from or going. It is a mystery that happens when you believe.

 He then told Nicodemus that God loved the world so much that He sent His Son and that if anyone believes in Him, that person will not die spiritually, but will have eternal life.

Jesus said He had come into the world as a light, but people loved darkness and sin and evil and they weren’t born again. 

Some people hated Him because of the light. Even the religious leaders couldn’t see the light.

We don’t hear about Nicodemus again until the end of the Gospel, so maybe he was a secret follower. But we know that he listened to Jesus and became a Christian, a Jesus follower, because when Jesus was dying on the cross, Nicodemus wasn’t secretive any more.

He carried 30 kg of spices – a mixture of myrrh and aloes, and went with Joseph of Arimathea, to wrap Jesus’ body in linen and these spices. 

This was the Jewish custom and it showed how much Nicodemus loved Jesus when he did this.

Application

Are you born again? 

Do you know how to become born again? 

You ask Jesus to wash your sins away with His blood and then ask Him to come and live in your heart. 

You tell Him you want to be His child and follow Him all your life. You pray to Him and live with Him every day.

You might be shy and maybe you’ll be mocked, but don’t be a secret follower of Jesus. 

Be proud that you have His name – a CHRISTIAN.

Teach the children the song: 

Stand up and shout it if you love my Jesus…..Sit down and whisper if you love my Lord…….I want to know, yes I want to know…Do you love my Lord?

Challenge to Mission

We need to openly confess that we love Jesus, openly serve Him and glorify Him by bravely telling others about Jesus.

We need to willingly help people who need the love of Jesus in their lives. Usually people are more willing to listen to the Gospel if they can see the love of Jesus in action.

Consolidation

There is a worksheet. It has a prayer for children to pray if they want to become God’s children.

Memory Verse 

“No one can see the  Kingdom of God unless they are born again.”  John 3:3