Hi all! Today’s story is from Matthew 4. (Also touched on in Mark 1 and Luke 4)

After Jesus was baptized by John, the Holy Spirit led Him to the desert and He fasted for 40 days. (That means He didn’t eat any food. Instead of eating, He prayed and talked with God. You can imagine that after 40 days He was HUNGRY!!!)

**Side note: Do you remember what God’s helpers are called? (The angels.) Who made the angels? (God did!) So who do you think is more powerful, the angels or God? (God is!) But just like people, God lets the angels choose if they will love and obey Him. Some of them choose not to and these bad angels are called demons. Their leader is named Satan (or the devil). He wants people to NOT love God. And he thinks HE is better and more powerful than God. (But we know he’s NOT!)

So…Satan came to visit Jesus in the desert to try to trick Him and get Him to stop following God’s rules.

Matthew 4 tells us 3 different things Satan did to try to trick Jesus. First, he knew Jesus was very hungry, so he said, “Why don’t you take some of the stones around here and turn them into bread? If you’re REALLY God’s son…You could do that!”

But Jesus said, “NO! God says ‘food and bread are good for people, but God is MORE important.’ I choose God.”

Then Satan took Jesus to the top of the temple (the church) and said, “If You’re REALLY God’s son, then jump all the way down and let His angels catch you!”

But Jesus said, “NO! God says ‘You are NOT supposed to try to trick God!'”

Lastly, Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and they looked over all the kingdoms of the world. Satan said, “If You will bow down and worship ME, I will give You all of this! You can have all the kingdoms and all the people!”

But Jesus said, “NO! God says ‘worship only HIM!'”

(Every time Satan tried to trick Jesus, Jesus used God’s words to fight Him. We can use the Bible verses we know too when people try to get us to stop following God. Sometimes we can even THINK things that are untrue, like “i’m not pretty enough or good enough.” But then we can remember that the Bible says “I am fearfully and wonderfully made! And God loves me!”)

Satan tried to get Jesus to do things His own way, instead of God’s way, but Jesus remembered God’s words and followed Him.

After that, Satan left Jesus alone and God sent some of His angels to help Jesus (probably to get Him some food and take Him back home.)

 

For our craft today we made a little book.

The front says “Jesus was tempted. Matthew 4”

Page 1: Satan said, “turn the stones to bread”

(You could use clipart from the internet, but i like child-produced art, so i let them draw stones and bread how they could).

Page 2: Jesus said, “No! People need food, but they need God more!”

Page 3: Satan said, “Jump! and let the angels save you!”

(This is how we drew the temple– a box, with big columns, a triangle roof and Jesus standing at the top.)

Page 4: Jesus said, “No! Do not try to trick God!”

Page 5: Satan said, “worship me and i’ll give all the kingdoms to you”

(we drew a castle)

Page 6: Jesus said, “No! We are supposed to worship ONLY God”

 

Thanks for joining us. Love to you all!