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Home , John 19, John 7, Nicodemus

Jesus and : The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. Table of Contents Leader Preparation...... 1 Lesson Overview...... 1 Lesson Objectives...... 1 Primary Scripture - : 1-21...... 1 Nicodemus Visits Jesus...... 1 Secondary Scriptures - :50-51; :39-42...... 2 ...... 2John 7:50-51...... 2 John 19:39-42 New International Version (NIV)...... 2 Teaching Prep - Background Information on Nicodemus...... 2

The Before & After (optional)...... 4 Text Message Questions...... 4 Parent Email...... 4

Lesson Guide...... 5 Getting Things Started (optional)...... 5 Activity...... 5 Teaching Points...... 6 Summary...... 7 Annoucnements...... 7 Prayer and Sharing of the Peace...... 7

i Leader Preparation Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we consider the importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. We study the relationship between Jesus and Nicodemus and how it illustrates the importance of loyalty to compassionate-based relationships

Through the discussion, activities, reading, and video clips your teens will realize how the sacrifice of a small part of oneself can yield unforeseeable outcomes for oneself and for others. Lesson Objectives

Through the activities, discussions and video clips the teens will begin to understand these things:

Through discussion questions in our warmup all will describe one experience of sacrifice from which they benefited and one from which another benefited.

Given completion of an individual activity, the teens will begin to understand how life exists in different forms.

Given reading of scripture, the teens will begin to understand the life transformation of Nicodemus and his relationship with Jesus.

Given the viewing of a 15 minute clip from the Star Trek episode Metamorphosis, The teens will observe how sacrifice provides a gateway from selfishness to compassion. Primary Scripture - John 3: 1-21

Nicodemus Visits Jesus

3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”[b]4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born from above.’[e] 8 The wind[f] blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you[g] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[h] 14 And just as lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[i]

1 Jesus and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”[j] Secondary Scriptures - John 7:50-51; John 19:39-42

John 7:50-51

50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus[a] before, and who was one of them, asked, 51 “Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?”

John 19:39-42 New International Version (NIV)

39 He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[a] 40 Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.41 At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42 Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. Teaching Prep - Background Information on Nicodemus

Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the . It is clear that he witnessed or followed Jesus as in John 3 he comes to see Jesus in the middle of the night to talk with him. In this encounter we discover much about Jesus but only a little about Nicodemus.

Nicodemus appears to defend Jesus in the Sanhedrin when the leaders seek to arrest him (John 7). But there is only one brief mention of this in the .

Finally, Nicodemus helps prepare Jesus body for burial and provides the spices for the process. Is this a final indication of Joseph becoming a true believer? Perhaps.

Below read more about the background of Nicodemus.

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. All that we know of Nicodemus in the is from the . In John 3:1, he is described as a Pharisee. The were a group of Jews who were fastidious in keeping the letter of the Law and often opposed Jesus throughout His ministry. Jesus often strongly denounced them for their legalism (see Matthew 23).

Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin. John 3:1 also describes Nicodemus as a leader of the Jews. According to John 7:50–51, Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, which was the ruling body of the Jews. Each city could have a Sanhedrin, which functioned as the “lower courts.” Under Roman authority in

2 Jesus and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. the time of , the Jewish nation was allowed a measure of self-rule, and the Sanhedrin in was the final court of appeals for matters regarding Jewish law and religion. This was the body that ultimately condemned Jesus, yet they had to get Pilate to approve their sentence since the death penalty was beyond their jurisdiction under Roman law. It appears that Nicodemus was part of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem.

Nicodemus came to see and talk with Jesus in the middle of the night. John reports that Nicodemus came to speak with Jesus at night. Many have speculated that Nicodemus was afraid or ashamed to visit Jesus in broad daylight, so he made a nighttime visit. This may very well be the case, but the text does not give a reason for the timing of the visit. A number of other reasons are also possible. Nicodemus questioned Jesus. As a member of the Jewish ruling council, it would have been his responsibility to find out about any teachers or other public figures who might lead the people astray.

In their conversation, Jesus immediately confronts Nicodemus with the truth that he “must be ” (John 3:3). When Nicodemus seems incredulous, Jesus reprimands him (perhaps gently) that, since he is a leader of the Jews, he should already know this (John 3:10). Jesus goes on to give a further explanation of the new birth, and it is in this context that we find John 3:16, which is one of the most well-known and beloved verses in .

Nicodemus in John 7: The next time we encounter Nicodemus in the Bible, he is functioning in his official capacity as a member of the Sanhedrin as they consider what to do about Jesus. In John 7, some Pharisees and priests (presumably with authority to do so) sent some of the temple guard to arrest Jesus, but they return, unable to bring themselves to do it (see John 7:32–47). The guards are upbraided by the Pharisees in authority, but Nicodemus presents the opinion that Jesus should not be dismissed or condemned until they have heard from Him personally: “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” (John 7:51). However, the rest of the Council rudely dismisses Nicodemus’s suggestion out of hand—they appear to have already made up their minds about Jesus.

Nicodemus brings burial spices in John 19. The final mention of Nicodemus in the Bible is in John 19 after Jesus’ . We find Nicodemus assisting Joseph of Arimathea in Jesus’ burial. Joseph is described in John as a rich man and in :43 as a member of the Council. He is also described in John 19:38 as a of Jesus, albeit a secret one because he was afraid of the Jews. Joseph asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Nicodemus brought 75 pounds of spices for use in preparing the body for burial and then assisted Joseph in wrapping the body and placing it in the tomb. The sheer amount of burial spices would seem to indicate that Nicodemus was a rich man and that he had great respect for Jesus.

Nicodemus and His . The limited account in John’s Gospel leaves many questions about Nicodemus unanswered. Was he a true believer? What did he do after the resurrection? The Bible is silent on these questions, and there are no reliable extra-biblical resources that give answers. It would appear that Nicodemus may have been similar to Joseph of Arimathea in that perhaps he, too, was a disciple of Jesus but had not yet mustered the courage to declare his faith openly. Perhaps Nicodemus’s final recorded act was his declaration of faith—although we are not told how public it was. His presentation in the Gospel of John is generally favorable, which suggests that his faith was indeed genuine.

3 The Before & After (optional) Text Message Questions

Ignite is meeting for the first time in the year 2017! Come discover about Nicodemus and his transformation through Jesus. There is intrique - sacrifice - and real surprise. Parent Email

The teens will be learning about the relationship between the Pharisee Nicodemus and Jesus this week. Through the discussion, activities, reading, and video clips your teens will realize how the sacrifice of a small part of oneself can yield unforeseeable outcomes for oneself and for others.

Please encourage your teen to attend this Sunday's Ignite Lesson.

May you have a blessed New Year!

4 Lesson Guide Getting Things Started (optional)

Welcome each student as they come to Ignite. When all are gathered begin in PRAYER.

ASK:

• What are some of your favorite memories from the holiday season? • What are the conditions that caused these conditions to occur? • Think about the presents received. The services that you attended. The trips that you experienced. The people you met or were reunited with.

SAY SOMETHING LIKE: The Christmas season represents a time of great joy. The joy occurs because when someone else has sacrificed his or her resources for the benefit of another. For example, someone sacrificed money for the presents given or someone sacrificed their home and food to host the dinner that you attended. Or even sacrificed their time to travel to be with you...

More often than not, sacrifice was at the root of benefit.

• Let’s take a moment to think about, and then share, a time (not related to Christmas) when someone made a sacrifice for your benefit. • Let’s take a moment to think about, and then share, a time (not related to Christmas) when you made a sacrifice for another’s benefit. Activity

• Distribute two eggs and one bowl to each youth. (Have some paper towels nearby too.) Instruct the students to crack one of the eggs so that its contents go into the bowl. Then instruct the students to put the contents back into the shell and close the shell back together. Provide some silly suggestions to handle the process differently (e.g., crack the egg on the horizontal access or crack the egg closer to its end), • Then have them crack the second egg to see if they can change the outcome. They may attempt a different approach after learning something from the first attempt. • Debrief: Ask the students

1. What possibilities exist for the new existence outside the shell. 2. How are the possibilities different if the shell is cracked from within and from outside? 3. What elements of sacrifice are involved with each possibility? 4. How do the patterns of growth differ based on the patterns of sacrifice present?

Say Something Like: In our lesson today we will meet Nicodemus who was a religious leader in Jerusalem. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the legal ruling body of Jews that helped interpret the law. Let's get to know Nicodemus through the few times he is mentioned in the Gospel of John.

5 Jesus and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. Teaching Points

Read: John 3: 1-21

ASK:

1. Who is Nicodemus? Why does he want to talk to Jesus? 2. What does Jesus mean when he speaks of being born again? 3. What is the difference between flesh and spirit? 4. What is the difference between light and darkness?

Say Something Like: We are beginning to see that Jesus is revealing something profound for this Pharisee - with whom he usually is in great conflict. Jesus senses that with Nicodemus there is curiosity, inquiry, and faith. Jesus engages and Nicodemus especially and he talks about being "born again" and Nicodemus begins to be changed.

The video clip we are about to see is from the old TV series "Star Trek" circa 1968. In this episode the crew is stranded on a planet with a famous scientist from the past. The scientist has been tended to by a cloud called “the companion”, which gives him youth and immortality. Let's take a look.

Video: Star Trek old TV episode "Metamorphosis" - on Amazon Prime videos. https://www.amazon.com/Metamorphosis/dp/B005HEDI3K/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1483462812&sr=1-1&keywords=Star+Trek+Metamorphosis

If you have PRIME then you can stream it yourself - test this. If not then use my Prime - ([email protected] and sean9394) PLEASE TRY THIS BEFORE SUNDAY!

ASK:

1. How is the concept of “born again” present in this video? 2. What does each “born again” character give up in the process of being born again? 3. Do the “born again” characters experience growth? Explain.

Say Something Like: In the Star Trek clip "Metamorphosis" there is change and growth. Let's continue to read about Nicodemus in the Gospel of John and determine if Nicodemus is changing too.

Read: John 7:50-51 and John 19:39-42

Say Something Like: Keep in mind who Nicodemus is - a Pharisee which is a religious leader who keep the religious laws and are often condemning and implacable. And he is a member of the Sanhedrin which means he is a legal leader of his people who help interpret and keep the civil laws too - at the whim of the Roman rulers.

ASK:

1. How does Nicodemus show himself to be a friend of Jesus? 2. What has he sacrificed to accomplish this friendship? 3. How may the other Pharisees perceive Nicodemus’s friendship with Jesus? Why do they hold these views? 4. How popular of a Pharisee would you perceive Nicodemus as being?

6 Jesus and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. Say Something Like: As a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, Nicodemus is an unlikely follower of Jesus. Yet Jesus engages with him and Nicodemus is changed. Nicodemus was forced to confront himself from the inside out through Jesus' life and teachings. He is changed but at a cost of having to sacrifice much of who he was so that he may become a Christ follower. It appears that he did this.

Being a Christ follower asks us to sacrifice for the sake of Jesus and following HIS way of living. That may mean that we must choose to be more disciplined - or choose different friends - or make better choices. Being a Christ follower brings great joy but also to be truly changed we must be willing to sacrifice.

Being a Christ follower also requires a sacrificing of our selfishness for the benefit of those less fortunate. A sacrifice represents a sacred act in that we are giving up a portion of ourselves for the benefit of another.

Jesus sacrificed himself so that we may live a life of peace. We also have a responsibility to sacrifice ourselves for the peace of others. Such is very often not a popular choice; Summary

1. A relationship with Jesus changes us as it did for Nicodemus. 2. Change brings choices and choices require sacrifice. We will be called to grow in Jesus. 3. Being a true follower of Jesus means that we also seek to follow his way of love. 4. His way brings the need to be willing to sacrifice for him and for others. Annoucnements

CHAOS - meets for the first time in the New Year this Wednesday, January 11 at 6:45 --- if you haven't been to CHAOS for awhile or even this school year then please go and enjoy the company of the other teens in our youth group.

Youth Led Worship - Sunday, January 15 at the 11 AM service! Please attend and volunteer to be an usher - reader - communion minister - or sing in the band.

LOCK IN - Sunday, Jan. 15/16 - this LOCK IN is from 7:30 PM to 9 AM the next morning. Permission slip required. Lots of great games and activities and a POTLUCK DINNER TOO!

NEXT IGNITE is Sunday, January 22 Prayer and Sharing of the Peace

Take time to put away any food or books or stuff just laying around to prepare for prayer.

Prayer

• Gather a little closer together for prayer. • Use a candle and the Sharing Cross if you want. • Encourage each person to share their prayers aloud but also remind them they can pray silently too. • Modeling shared prayer is a great way to evangelize and teach the youth how to pray with others.

Sharing of the Peace

7 Jesus and Nicodemus: The Importance of personal sacrifice to achieve spiritual growth. After Prayer invite the youth to share a sign of Peace...

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