Who Jesus Is

Read John 1:1-18

We have been hearing about who Jesus is.  We heard about who Jesus is on Christmas Eve along with the shepherds.  We heard about who Jesus is last Sunday along with Simeon and Anna.  This week we hear who Jesus in the first chapter of St. John’s gospel.  John uses a lot of words to tell us about Jesus.  Let’s hear St. John’s words and learn more about and remember who Jesus is.

Watch this video together:

Read:

St. John tells us in his gospel that Jesus is the Word of God.  He writes, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  That means that Jesus was with God from the beginning and helped create the world.  God is three-in-one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Jesus is God’s Son and Jesus is God.

St. John also reminds us that in Jesus is life.  Jesus died on the cross and rose to new life so that we too might have new life, even when we die we will live forever with Jesus in heaven.

Jesus is the Word of God made flesh.  That means that Jesus, while fully God, was born as a baby in Bethlehem and so he was also fully human.  Jesus became flesh in order to be a light to the world, to live among us, and to save the whole world from sin.

Jesus is full of grace, which means God’s love and forgiveness for us that is never ending even though we don’t deserve it.  Jesus is full of truth.  Jesus is full of light, in fact, the Bible says that in Jesus there is no darkness at all and that Jesus is the light that no darkness can overcome.

St. John uses a lot of words to tell us who Jesus is, but they help us know and they can be a reminder for us if we ever forget.

Discuss

• What does it mean that Jesus is the Word of God?
• How does Jesus tell us about himself through his actions?  Can you think of an example?
• Did you know Jesus existed before he came to earth born as a baby in Bethlehem?

Song

What Child Is This?  LifeTree Kids.

Activity

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  That means that God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, created the whole world.  That is part of who Jesus is.  To help us remember, today we are going to make a snack.  All we need is half an English muffin or piece of bread/toast and a cheese slice.  Use a plastic knife to cut out the world or land (continents) from the cheese slice and put it on English muffin or bread/toast.  This is your world.  When you are done creating, enjoy eating your creation!

Activity

Try one or both of these activities involving light remembering that Jesus is the light of the world.

Use a flashlight. Sit in a circle in a dark room. Turn the flashlight on, place it on a hard surface and spin it around. The person on whom the flashlight is shining when it stops spinning tells one way to be a light for God to others.

Search the internet to find the names and positions of a variety of stars and/or constellations. Take a star walk together and see how many stars and/or constellations you can see. After the walk, pray together, asking God’s help in being like lights that help others see how to love and serve others in Jesus’ name.

Prayer

God, you sent your Son, Jesus, born as a baby in Bethlehem and in him is life.  He gives us light.  He is the Word made flesh who lived among us.  In him we see your glory.  He is full of grace and truth.  Help us be a light for others by our words and our actions, so that they may know who Jesus is.  Amen.

Pastor Dan Fugate, Assistant to the Bishop for Discipleship in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, put this lesson together for Sunday School @ Home.  There will be a new one for each Sunday while we are unable to gather together physically in our congregational buildings.  Contact him at dfugate@iksynod.org.