Elementary Level, Block 9—Jesus
Week 82
Jesus—Advancing in Wisdom and Stature
Point to Emphasize: We can advance as we grow, taking more responsibility.
Reading Reference: Matthew 1:16; 2:23; Mark 6:1-3
Memory Verse: But know that Jehovah sets apart the faithful man for Himself… (Psalm 4:3a)
Story Sample
You are maybe 5 to 7 years old. I have some questions for you. Can you get dressed, get some car keys, and drive to work? Can you open your refrigerator and get the uncooked chicken out and prepare a full meal for your family? No! Right?! Well, at least not yet. These responsibilities are for grownups! For you to be able to do some of these tasks, you will have to wait a few more years.
While you are growing up, you will have some responsibilities. That’s a long word. Can we all spell it together? R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-I-T-Y. As you grow older, you will be able to have more responsibilities added to you.
I will use laundry as an example. When I was your age, every day, I had the responsibility of putting my dirty clothes in the hamper. But as I grew older, my mom then taught me to help her to sort dirty clothes by colors before putting them into the washing machine. Later on, she taught me how to load the washing machine and how to add the detergent. Doing this was my favorite part! I got to climb over the top of the washing machine to add detergent, with her help of course! As years went on, I was washing, drying, folding, and putting away all my clothing and even my younger sister’s clothing! I started just with a little responsibility, but as I grew older and was able to understand and do more, my mom was able to give me more responsibilities! [Storyteller, share one of the responsibilities you learned while you were growing up.]
As He was growing up, Jesus’ life was probably the same as ours in many ways. He also needed to learn how to do different things and get more responsibilities as He grew. His family settled in a village called Nazareth. Jesus did all the things the oldest son in a family needed to do, picking up more and more responsibilities as he continued to grow older. Probably, he helped his mother with his younger siblings. He may have helped to cook, set the table, wash the dishes, and clean up the house. As Jesus grew up in a family that loved God, He also learned God’s Word. As Jesus continued to grow in the family, he spent much time reading God’s Word and loving and worshiping God. Growing in responsibility and learning the Word of God caused Jesus to grow in a normal way in all wisdom and stature!
When he was older, he also learned a trade from Joseph. A trade is a skilled job. So, this means that he was becoming more responsible and was now able to learn to work. Carpentry work requires you to use your hands and have special training. Jesus learned some carpentry skills from Joseph. Have you seen carpenters work? A carpenter cuts wood and makes wooden objects and structures. When you go home, see how many objects made of wood you have in your house. You might find a table, a desk, and maybe even your bed are all wooden. If a piece of wood is cut crookedly, it becomes completely useless. Jesus learned carpentry not as a hobby but as a job, so he could help Joseph provide for their family.
I hope that from now on when your mom or dad gives you a task to do, you will be full of excitement! Why? Because that means that you are growing up. It means you are advancing in a normal way! Let’s be those that are happy to take on more responsibilities until one day we can grow to be useful to God, a skilled and responsible person just like Jesus.