Leader Guide

Bible Study

Today, we are going to act on what we have learned about our King Jesus and transform our words and actions to follow His ways. What is the first thing you think of when someone mentions the word “king”?

Display the toy crown or photo. In 2 Samuel 12:30, the Bible tells us about a crown that King David took from an enemy king who he defeated in battle.

David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds.

How would you like to wear something that heavy? That is probably what some of you weigh now! I think my neck would get very tired if I was a king in Bible times! Many of Jesus’ followers believed He was coming to Earth to be a king on Earth. But this wasn’t Jesus’ mission in God’s plan. Jesus came to be a humble servant. The kingdom Jesus spoke of was a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom. We are going to talk about the difference between an earthly king and our heavenly King.

Ask the children the following questions:

• Where does a king live? Palace, castle, or royal residence.
• What does a king wear? A crown, robes, expensive clothes, and jewels.
• What kind of people is a king associated with? Other royalty, dignitaries, and distinguished people. Usually, a king has meals with important people.
• What does a king do? Governs the land and displays power.
• What kind of things would the king not do? Menial tasks, servants’ chores or duties.
• Do you think most kings are humble or proud? Why?

Review the SuperTruth: “Jesus humbled Himself and became a servant.”

• Where did our King Jesus live?

Have children look up Matthew 8:20b and have a volunteer read it aloud.

"Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay His head.”

Jesus did not have a palace or a castle. He often traveled from place to place, spending time with people who wanted to learn from Him.

• What did our King Jesus wear?

The Bible doesn’t give us an exact description of the clothes Jesus wore, but most likely they were simple, common, everyday clothes suitable for traveling as He taught and ministered to people. Have children look up Mark 15:17 and have a volunteer read it aloud.

They dressed Him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on His head.

No, Jesus didn’t wear royal robes and He never had a crown until the Roman soldiers placed a crown of thorns show image of crown on Jesus’ head to make fun of Him and to torture Him.

• What kind of people did Jesus have as friends? Common people—not the rich and powerful.

He ate meals with ordinary people and “sinners” who the respectable religious leaders probably avoided. Have children look up Mark 2:13–17 and have five children each read one verse aloud.

¹³Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to Him.¹⁴As He walked along, He saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow Me and be My disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed Him. ¹⁵Later, Levi invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)¹⁶But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw Him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked His disciples, “Why does He eat with such scum?”<¹⁷When Jesus heard this, He told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Yes, Jesus came to serve not to be served!

• What did our King Jesus do? He humbled Himself and became a servant to others instead of having others serve Him. He washed the feet of His disciples.

Have children look up Philippians 2:8–11 and have four volunteers each read one verse.

⁸ He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. ⁹Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God rewarded Jesus for His humble obedience and made Him Lord of all. He gave Jesus a name above all names, that all would bow before Him!