Mark 1:21-28
Jesus and his followers went to Capernaun. On the Sabbath day Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach. The people there were amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority. While he was in the synagogue, a man was there who had an evil spirit in him. The man shouted, “Jesus of Nazareth” What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are — God’s Holy One!”
Jesus said strongly, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” The evil spirit made the man shake violently. Then the spirit gave a loud cry and came out of him.
The people were amazed. They asked each other, “What is happening here? This man is teaching something new. And he teaches with authority. He even gives commands to evil spirits, and they obey him.” And the news about Jesus spread quickly everywhere in the area of Galilee.
Discussion Questions
- Where did Jesus teach? The synagogue
- Jesus was teaching different from their other teachers of the law. What was different? Jesus taught with authority
- There was a man there that began yelling at Jesus. Why was he yelling? The man was filled with an evil spirit.
- How did Jesus handle the evil sprit? He told the evil spirit to be quiet and come out of the man.
- Why did Jesus do that? Jesus loved that man and wanted him to be set free from evil.
Prayer
Dear God,
Thank you for teaching us that Jesus is all powerful. He can do anything in our lives and we thank you for that blessing. Amen
Bible Verse for January
“Come to me and rest.”
Adapted from Matthew 11:28
Home Connect
Celebrate that Jesus is strong and can do anything by doing an outdoor activity with your child, such as taking an evening walk to observe the night sky. While you enjoy the evening, talk about the things that Jesus can do. He made the moon and the stars, the seasons, the rain, and each one of us — all of creation. Jesus can do anything..
Ask:
- Why does looking at what Jesus made help us know how strong he is?
- What are some things our family can ask Jesus to help us with?
My Recipe Center
Make loving sandwiches with your child as a reminder that Jesus is strong. Get a ready-made angel food cake, and cut it into thin slices. Have your child mix a small jar of strawberry jam with a small container of soft cream cheese in a medium-sized bowl. Spread the strawberry frosting on one slice of cake, and top with another slice. Before eating the snacks, ask your child to try to separate the strawberry jam from the cream cheese! Remind your child that no one but Jesus could separate the evil spirit from the man in the Bible passage.
Ask:
- What happened when you tried to separate the strawberry jam from the cream cheese?
- What are some powerful things that Jesus can do?
- Say a prayer of thanks to our loving God who can do anything; then enjoy the snack together.
Daily Challenge
This week, your child learned that Jesus is strong. Encourage your child to commit to one of the following challenges. Help your child weave faith into life this week and follow through on the challenges.
- Be on the lookout for powerful things such as trains, bulldozers, or planes. Every time you see a powerful thing, say “Jesus is strong”, and thank Jesus for being strong for you.
- Try something you’ve never done before and ask for Jesus’ strength to help you.
- Make up a poem or action rhyme about the amazing things that Jesus can do. Do the poem or action rhyme for your family.
