Leader Guide

Teaching

God’s dream was for us to live in a garden where we wouldn’t have to work. Sin messed it up, but God never gave up—He had a plan. Throughout history, He has unfolded that plan to restore His dream. God’s plan was fulfilled in Christ: born as a baby from a woman, beaten and crucified, but victorious over death.

Have you ever watched a game or a contest where it seemed like a person or team was going to be defeated—but the outcome was totally different? This is what it must have looked like as God’s plan of redemption unfolded over time.

Have you ever heard of a sport called boxing, where two fighters wear big gloves and try to knock each other down? A boxing match consists of several rounds. At the beginning of each round, a bell is rung. The boxers fight until the bell is rung a second time. One boxer is declared the winner for each round. The scores are totaled at the end of the match, and a winner is declared. Let’s take a look at the battle between Satan and Jesus in rounds as if it were a boxing match today.

For each round, have a different child hold up the appropriate sign and another child ring the bell. 

Round 1

In our video today, Satan believed he had struck a victorious blow in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. But God wasn’t caught off guard or surprised! As we learned in our SuperVerse today, He already had a plan of restoration and redemption in place! God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to Earth as a baby to grow up and live a sinless, perfect life in our place. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21:

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 

Choose a child to ring the bell. So, who wins this round? 

The winner of Round 1—Jesus!

Round 2

Satan was afraid of Jesus and plotted to get rid of Him! He worked to have Jesus arrested on false charges and nailed to a cross. He thought he had won the battle when Jesus died and was buried. God knew this would happen, too! On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead! Acts 2:24 says:

But God released Him from the horrors of death and raised Him back to life, for death could not keep Him in its grip. 

Jesus won the victory over death and came out of the sealed tomb! Hebrews 2:14 tells us:

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could He die, and only by dying could He break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 

Yes, Jesus came as flesh and blood and died to defeat Satan and death so that we can live with Him for eternity! Choose a child to ring the bell. So, who wins this round? The winner of Round 2—Jesus!

Round 3

Satan is still fighting a battle, although He has already lost! His goal is to tempt us and cause us to disobey God, just like he did with Adam and Eve. But Jesus has won the victory over sin by His death and resurrection. We have God’s Holy Spirit in us to resist temptation and live a life in obedience to God’s Word. We read in 1 Corinthians 15:56–57:

For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan’s time on Earth is coming to a close. There is one final round and it will be the final battle. Jesus will defeat Satan in that battle once and for all. Satan thought he was God’s equal, but he was completely wrong. God is infinitely more powerful than the devil, and we can trust Jesus to save us from the power of sin and death. Revelation 11:15b says: 

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” 

When that battle takes place, we will once again be able to live in a world full of God’s presence! This was God’s plan from the beginning, and we know that in Jesus, the battle has already been won! Choose a volunteer to stand up, and hold up his or her arm like a victorious boxer’s.

So, who wins this round—and the match? 

Yes—Jesus is the winner—yesterday, today and forever! Who can say John 3:16 (nkjv)p?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Let’s say our SuperTruth together; “God has a plan to bring me back to Him.”

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

For the past two lessons, we have been noticing things in God’s creation and praising Him for His amazing power and creativity. Did you bring your lists to class? Even if you were absent, you can still participate by sharing a special animal you observed in the past few days. What animals have you noticed, what makes them special, and why are you thankful for them?