Unit 24, Session 4: Jesus Showed His Glory
Matthew 17; Mark 9; Luke 9
As Jesus traveled and taught, people were trying to figure Him out. Who was this man? Was He a prophet? Was He crazy? Where did He come from? Some people thought He was John the Baptist who had been raised from the dead; others thought He was Elijah or another ancient prophet. Peter recognized Jesus as God’s Messiah. (See Luke 9:19-20.)
One of the ways Jesus revealed His identity was through His miracles. Jesus performed miracles to glorify God, to show He is the Son of God, and to care for people. For three of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, James, and John—Jesus’ identity became even more clear when they witnessed His transfiguration, or change in appearance. The disciples accompanied Jesus to a mountain to pray. The location was likely Mount Hermon, which sits about 40 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus’ appearance changed as He prayed: His face changed and His clothes became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared with Him, and they talked about Jesus’ upcoming departure (His death and resurrection). Peter, James, and John had been sleeping, but they awoke to the incredible sight.
When you share with your kids, review who Moses and Elijah were. In the Old Testament, God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Later, Elijah was a prophet to Israel. As Moses and Elijah were leaving, a cloud covered the whole group and a voice—God the Father’s—said, “This is my Son, the Chosen One; listen to him!”
Jesus showed His glory to Peter, James, and John. Jesus said He would die, rise from the dead, and return to heaven. One day, Jesus will come back to earth in His glory to make all things new.
At the transfiguration, Peter, James, and John beheld Jesus’ glory. We look forward to the day when Jesus will return in full glory to make all things new. While we wait, God calls us to share the gospel with others so they can share in the joy of knowing Jesus, the Son of God, and seeing His glory when He returns.
Big Picture Question:
Why did Jesus perform miracles? Jesus performed miracles to glorify God, to show He is the Son of God, and to care for people.
Key Passage:
Psalm 40:5
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you!
I will proclaim and tell of them,
yet they are more than can be told.
Worship ideas that connect with today’s lesson:
- Walk on Water by Family Force 5
- Waymaker- Kids Lyric Video
- Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)- Rend Collective
Bible Story Lesson:
Activity Ideas:
Have a Glow Party! Get glow in the dark objects and have fun playing with them as they glow.
Say • Glow-in-the-dark objects cannot shine unless they absorb the light-energy of other sources of light. Even after absorbing that energy, they quickly give off all the light they were able to store. In a way, these objects can help us think about the way we “shine” for Jesus.
We cannot give off any light apart from Jesus. In our story, Jesus showed His glory to Peter, James, and John, and it shone as bright as the sun. When we believe the truth of the gospel, it transforms our lives so that we become lights in the world. But how brightly we shine depends a lot on how much time we spend with Jesus, the source of our light. We study our Bibles, pray, and fellowship with other believers to help us grow in our relationship with Jesus, so that we can shine His light onto everyone we meet.
Shaving Cream Art
Squirt some shaving cream onto a table or tray and let your kids play in it. Make picture, write their name, or write JESUS. Talk to them about how the shaving cream looks kind of like clouds, which was what covered Jesus when God spoke in our story. Ask them if they remember what God said from the cloud. “This is my beloved Son, in Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him.”
Discussion Questions:
What does this story teach me about God or about the gospel?
What does this story teach me about myself?
Whom can I tell about this story?
Elementary
Where did Jesus show His glory? (at the top of a mountain, Mark 9:2)
Who stood with Jesus in glory? (Moses and Elijah, Mark 9:4)
What did the voice tell Peter, James, and John to do? (listen to Jesus, Mark 9:7)
Why do you think Jesus chose to reveal His glory to Peter, James, and John? Discuss those three disciples’ role as leaders among the disciples. Help the kids understand that they were Jesus’ closest friends as well as some of His most loyal followers. Help them understand that showing His glory to them was a way to help them see that He truly is God’s Son.
How should we respond to Jesus? Guide kids to discuss appropriate ways we might respond to the good news about Jesus. Talk to the kids about what it would look like to feel overjoyed, humbled, and awestruck. Remind the kids that part of our response to Jesus is loving obedience to His commands, including a desire to tell others about Him.
How do you feel when you think of Jesus’ return? Help the kids process through the different emotions they may feel about Jesus’ return. Remind them that everyone who has faith in Jesus will be glorified with Him and live forever with God. Focus on Jesus’ return as our source of hope.
Preschool
Whom did Jesus take with Him up the mountain? (Peter, James, and John)
How did the way Jesus looked change? (His face was shining like the sun, and His clothes were bright white.)
When the disciples awoke, whom did they see talking with Jesus? (Moses and Elijah)
What did the voice from the cloud call Jesus? (“My beloved Son”)
Why did Jesus perform miracles? Jesus performed miracles to show He is the Son of God.