CRAFT: Advent Wreath. I would rather not use real candles. It is easily possible to make the candles in paper with paper flames Explain to the children that they need to add a flame a week to the candles as a countdown to Christmas.
SNACK: Dried and fresh fruit (to symbolize the prophecy (dried) and the prophecy fulfilled (fresh fruit.) I suppose we could use seeds.
LESSON PLAN: We will use today to explain the wonder of Old Testament prophecy and the fulfillment in the New Testament in Jesus Christ. Start by showing them that you can know the future. Seeds will grow into plants. Gravity will make things drop. Mixing yellow and blue makes green, and expand to the OT knowing Jesus was to be born because it is the Word of God.
MEMORY WORK: Malachi 3:1 See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.
We will learn that everything God says He will do, He does.
We will understand that we are able to recognize the Messiah because of what God told us to expect.
We will thank God that we have been forgiven in the Love of God for us through Jesus Christ.
Preliminary considerations: The overall theme for today is the fulfillment of prophecy. The Introit starts us off by asking God to remember us, and not the other way around. Remember the promises made to us. The Collect reminds us of the prophecy of the second coming, the event on which we base our hope of eternal life. The Old Testament Lesson is that promise that God will send a special messenger to prepare the way for the Messiah, prophecy fulfilled in John. The Gradual is the prophecy of the Savior triumphant entry into Jerusalem, fulfilled on Palm Sunday. The Epistle Lesson repeats the prophecy of the Second Coming of Christ, a promise we can believe in because of the fulfillment of the first Advent. The Gospel Lesson is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. John was promised and came. Jesus was promised and came. Jesus has promised to come again -- do we see a pattern developing here!
THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: Malachi 3:1-4
The Day of God's coming is preceded by His "messenger." The Hebrew word for my messenger is the name Malachi. It is without a doubt a part of God's wonder irony that He uses the last of the prophets of the Old Testament to present the "messenger" prophecy of the work of John the Baptist. The text is really wonderful in the way in which it gives us the two messengers, Malachi and John, and both are only the prophecy of Christ. Neither messenger is the fulfillment, and yet through their appearance we will know the Christ. Malachi's work was done to a people who had lost the sense of the immanence of the first Advent of Christ. John's work was done among a people who had lost the sense of the immanence of the first Advent of Christ. Our work is done among a people who have lost the sense of the immanence of the second Advent of Christ.
THE EPISTLE LESSON: Philippians 1:3-11
A contrast is made between the failure of man to complete what he begins (inspiring little confidence in his plans and promises) and the certainty of God completing all that He begins (inspiring confidence in His plans and promises.) In an age of uncertainty and doubt concerning claims and promises, this text can be used to give comfort and assurance regarding the certainty of God's promises
THE GOSPEL LESSON: Luke 3:1-6
Luke names the rulers of the earth, Roman and Jewish, imperial and local, secular and religious, only in order to contrast their prominence and power with the event of the greatest importance: "the Word of God came to John ... in the desert." The repeated emphasis of the text is the Word of God. It is the Word that came to John. The people came to John because of the Word. He was the voice but not the message. He was the fulfillment of the promise of the messenger, but there was another that he proclaimed. The messenger proclaimed the message that the forgiveness of sins, the restoration of a people to God are about to appear in the wilderness. The hills of sin and the crooked path of deceit are about to give way to the level ground and straight path that leads to eternal life in Jesus.
STUDY SHEET
I have a cousin who is a fireman in Massachusetts. He prides himself on his dependability, he often brags about the fact that if he says he will do something, he will get it done. This is a really excellent trait for a fireman. His fellows know they can depend on him. But...
As with all living human beings not everything is in his control. When he promises to be at the baseball games, and the piano recitals of his children, he has to caveat the statements. His job has been known to interfere and then he has to chose between which promise is more powerful. The promise to always be available for putting out fires, or the promise to be with his children. He also has the same issue as all of us, sometimes we simply forget what we have promised. The world overwhelms us and we sleep in on Saturday even though we promised to accomplished some task.
And so goes the idea of a promise.
Jesus was a man. He had the same pressure of divided interest, but, Jesus was God. God doesn't have divided interests. God has one interest, the salvation of the people of the world. Jesus accomplished everything He promised at all times and in all places. Jesus accomplished the greatest act of effort and struggle (our salvation) through His work and person.
God promised a Savior to Adam and Eve. God kept alive the promise through the prophets, through the chosen people, God kept alive the promise and even gave us clues and keys to see and understand the fulfillment of His promise.
What we could never accomplish with 100% accuracy, God has done perfectly and completely. We are always able to believe and trust that what God has promised He will deliver, no matter what the distraction, God will deliver on ever promise He has ever made, including the Second Coming of Christ to take us to live in Heaven forever.
1. Who was the messenger promised in the Old Testament?
2. What was to be the messengers assigned task?
3. How did God fulfill the promise to send a messenger?
4. What statement from the Gospel Lesson helps us know that John was the messenger?
5. In the Epistle Lesson we are encouraged to remain faithful. How are we to do this work?
6. What promise is made in the Old Testament that is fulfilled in the New Testament?
7. What is the point of the promise that God will fulfill His Word?
8. What else can we be certain of in the appearance of John in the wilderness?