Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome everyone! Today is the second lesson of our Superbook story, “The Fiery Furnace.” I would like one girl and one boy who were here for the first lesson of “The Fiery Furnace” to share something you remember from the Bible story.

Very good! Now let’s praise God as we sing “‘Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”

Play Video 11: (Song) ‘Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along and do the motions with the children. They may clap and do freestyle movements during the animation sections.

Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus

SuperTruth and Discussion (1 minute)

Our SuperTruth today says: “God is able to save me.” Let’s close our eyes and say it together without looking.

“God is able to save me.”

Okay; open your eyes! Has someone ever saved you from something?

It’s comforting to know that our God watches over us and is able to save us from anything!

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If all children watched the Bible story video in the previous lesson, you may skip it here and go straight to the Bible Background Video.

In our previous lesson, does anyone remember what Chris forgot about? He forgot to study for a test, and only those who passed it could go on a school trip.

For the children who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version of “The Fiery Furnace” to learn about three Hebrew men who would not bow to an idol. For those of us who have seen the full video, try to memorize the names of the three Hebrew men. They aren’t easy names to say and even more difficult to spell!

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story* (7.5 minutes)

*Be sure to preview the video, as it may contain imagery that may be disturbing for some children.

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to ancient Babylon to meet Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The three Hebrew men must choose whether to bow to an idol or face death. The children learn that obeying God is always the right decision.

Discussion (1 minute)

How do you think that the three Hebrew men were able to serve God even when their lives were threatened?

Have you ever faced pressure to follow the crowd instead of obeying God?

Introduce Bible Background Video (1 minute)

Now let’s watch our Bible Background Video and learn more about the story of “The Fiery Furnace.” When Gizmo asks a question in the video, wait for him to suggest some answers, then call out the one you think is right!

Play Video 5: Bible Background (9.5 minutes)

Bible Background

Play Video 10B: SuperVerse Graphic 2 (3 minutes)

Graphic loops 2.5 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 2

SuperVerse Discussion (2 minutes)

Let’s say our SuperVerse together. Daniel 3:17:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.”

The three men had complete trust in God, didn’t they? They knew God could do anything! Now, let’s read the next verse in the Bible.

Read Daniel 3:18:

“But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego placed their lives completely in God’s hands. They were willing to serve God even if it meant death!  

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group.

Prayer and Send-Off (1 minute)

Let’s pray: Dear God, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not worship a false god even when they faced death. Fill us with Your strength and power to serve You, no matter what! In Jesus’ name, Amen.        

Let’s go to our Small Group where you will play a game to heat up the fiery furnace! Are you ready to see what it is all about? Go have some fun!

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Optional: Have five Sixth Grade helpers or other older children look up Daniel 3:19–28. Have them each read two verses of the passage aloud before beginning the game.  

¹⁹ Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. ²⁰ Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.

²¹ So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully dressed in their pants, turbans, robes, and other garments.²² And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in.

²³ So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, securely tied, fell into the roaring flames. ²⁴ But suddenly, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?” “Yes, Your Majesty, we certainly did,” they replied.

²⁵ “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!” ²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire.

 ²⁷ Then the high officers, officials, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke! ²⁸ Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel to rescue his servants who trusted in him. They defied the king’s command and were willing to die rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

Hold up the Fiery Furnace Visual. The furnaces in Bible times were very large and made of stone or brick. They were used to make bricks or to heat and shape metal. The king was furious that the three Hebrew men would not obey his command to worship the statue of gold. He was so mad that he ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter than it normally was! The servants could not just turn a dial to a hotter setting! The furnace could only be made hotter by blowing air into it with a tool called a bellows, or by adding fuel to the fire.

Divide the children into three teams—or two teams, if the class is small. Teams do not need to be equal. Have them stand behind the mark in separate lines. Place a pile of ten paper “fuel balls” at the mark for each team. Hold up the fuel balls and point to the boxes—furnaces—as you explain the game.

The goal of our game today is to make the furnaces hotter by throwing “fuel balls” into them. The king ordered the furnace to be made seven times hotter, so today we need to throw seven fuel balls into the top or the front of your furnace. The first team to do this wins. Each player gets to throw two fuel balls on their turn and then go to the back of the line. When you run out of fuel, a player must go get the balls that missed the furnace and return them to your team.

Start the game and make sure all children have a chance to throw. For faster game play, have sixth grade helpers or other assistants return the missed balls to the teams as needed.

By commanding the furnaces to be made hotter, King Nebuchadnezzar only made God’s miracle more amazing! The heat that baked bricks or molded metal was blazing and intense, and no human could survive it without a miracle from God. In fact, the furnace was so hot that the guards who threw the Hebrew men into the fire instantly died—and they were only close to the fire, not in it! Our Bible verse that we read earlier says that the fire did not touch the Hebrew men. Their hair was not singed, and their clothing was not scorched. God is all-powerful and amazing—and He is able to save us from anything! 

Teaching

Can someone who was here last time remember what Chris learned from his adventure with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego?

Yes, it is always a good choice to obey God and resist the pressure to disobey God’s Word. We saw in the video that God performed an amazing miracle when He saved the three men from the blazing furnace! The Bible is filled with true stories of God rescuing His people in impossible situations. When we learn about these stories, our faith in God is made stronger as we think about what He can do in our lives!  

Now, are you ready to learn more about the three Hebrew men: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah? Children are probably confused. 

Oh, I forgot to tell you that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego weren’t the names their parents gave them. The names we are familiar with were given to the men after they were captured and brought to Babylonia by King Nebuchadnezzar. Why do you think the king would change their names?

Changing their names showed his power over them. He took their Hebrew names, which had something about God in their meaning, and changed them to names representing Babylon’s idols and false gods. The king may have thought that by changing their names and teaching the Hebrew men about Babylonian ways for 3 years, they would become different people and they would forget about the One True God.   

God knows each one of us—He knew us before we were even born! He knows everything about us, inside and out. Nothing can change that. The king tried to change the three men but he could not change or remove what was inside of them—their love, faith and trust in the One True God.

Hold up the heart and the bag. What are these? A heart and a bag.

Watch me put the heart into the bag. Place heart in bag. Now, let’s give this bag a new name, What shall we call it?

Okay, so this is not a bag anymore, it is a name given by class. What’s inside of it?

Oh, I guess you are right, it’s still a heart. What was on the inside didn’t change.

Take the heart out of the bag and put it in the box. All right, now we have completely changed the outside container to a box. What do you think is inside now? A heart.

Really? But we changed the outside completely. Let’s check. 

Open the box and take the heart out. You are right! We can change the names or the outside all we want, but that doesn’t change what is inside!

Have volunteers read Daniel 3:15–18:

¹⁵ I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?” ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.¹⁸ But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The king could not believe that anyone would refuse to obey his command. He believed no one could be more powerful than he and his gods were. But the three Hebrew men, who were captured from their homes, given different names, changed in their outward appearance, and educated in Babylon’s ways, still served God! Nothing was able to change them on the inside and nothing could take away their faith in the One True God! God still knew they were His faithful servants, regardless of what clothing they wore and what names they were given! He was completely able to save them!

Things can change in the world, but that doesn’t affect our relationship with God. People may tell us we aren’t allowed to pray out loud, but we can still pray in our hearts—and God hears us, He knows where we are, and He is able to save us!

Read 1 John 5:4–5:

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

How can we win the victory? By believing in Jesus!

Let’s say our SuperTruth again. “God is able to save me.”  

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Now it is time for our Discipleship Challenge!

Hold up the sample Holophone craft you made and show how the Memory Card slides up and down, revealing questions in the front window of the phone, with the answers plus corresponding scripture references in the back window. Give a Holophone pattern to any child who was not present for Lesson 1 and explain how to make the craft at home.

Our challenge for the “Fiery Furnace” lessons is to learn about other people in the Bible who had to risk everything to obey God. How many of you took the time to look up some of the answers and Bible verses on your Holophone Memory Card “A”? Who would like to share how one of the Bible characters risked everything and obeyed God and what happened as a result of their obedience?

Once you complete Memory Card “A,” continue with memory Card “B.” Remember, the most important part of our challenge is to pray about ways that God would want you to stand up for Him! Can anyone share about a time in the last few days when you were able to stand up for God and obey Him—even if other people didn’t want you to?

SuperVerse

Let’s look at the board and say our SuperVerse. Daniel 3:17:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood strong before an angry king. They would not worship his gold statue. They fully believed that God was able to save them, so they respectfully told the king about their God and His ability to rescue them. In the verse that follows the SuperVerse, we learn more about their courage and their faith.

Read Daniel 3:18:

But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Wow—what do you think about this statement? Do you think you could say the same thing in a difficult situation like this—why or why not?

Yes, it would be very difficult, even impossible, without God’s help. Do you remember in the video when the three Hebrew men were talking about God being with them to strengthen them? This is what the Holy Spirit does for us in difficult times. He fills us with God’s strength at the very moment we need His power the most, helping us do the right thing.

Have the children sit on the floor facing the board.

Let’s say our SuperVerse together one more time. Daniel 3:17:

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.”

Have the children lower and/or cover their eyes so they cannot see the board. Using the list below as an example, change one word of the SuperVerse on the board at a time to alter the meaning of the verse, then have the children look at the board and raise their hands to tell you what word should be fixed. You may vary the order of the list and erase more than one word at a time as children catch on. Correct the word, then repeat the process. 

• Change “thrown” to “rolled.”
• Change “blazing” to “cold.”
• Change “serve” to “disobey.”
• Change “able” to “unable.”
• Change “save” to “harm.”
• Change “rescue” to “abandon.”
• Change “power” to “threats.”

Conclusion: Great job making all of the changes so our SuperVerse is correctly written again! The three Hebrew men put their lives in God’s hands trusting that He could save them. However, even if He chose not to, they still were committed to obey Him! 

Prayer

In our Superbook video, Abednego was talking to Chris, Joy and Gizmo about how God was completely different from the idol the king ordered them to worship. Abednego said, “When we pray to Him, He hears and answers our prayers because He is real.” Think about that; we can pray to the one, true, living God who created everything. We cannot see God with our eyes, but by faith we believe that He is real and hears our prayers.

Have helper read Psalm 145:19:

He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them.

To fear God means that we have tremendous respect and admiration for Him. We love and admire Him so much that we want to obey Him in everything. The three Hebrew men feared God more than the king. When we choose to serve and worship God in this world above anyone or anything, God draws near to us and hears every word we speak to Him.

What do you need help with today? Do you believe that God is able and wants to save you? Do you believe that He hears you? Let’s take a few minutes now to find a place in the room to pray with God, alone. Take your desires to Him today.

Give children time to pray alone and then close with prayer: Dear God, though we cannot see You with our eyes, we see You by faith as the Hebrew men did. We believe You are real and will answer our prayers today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.  

Object Lesson

Hold up the helmet. This is a bicycle helmet. What does it do?

It protects your head and can save you from a serious injury if you have an accident while riding your bike. Now, what if I just held it in my hand while I rode my bike, or what if I hung it on the handlebars? Would it protect me?

No, that would be careless and asking for trouble! I have to put it on!

Hold up the oven mitt or pot holder. What is this?

And what does it do? It protects your hands when you take something out of a hot oven or off a hot stove.

Playfully put it on your head. Will it protect me now? No!

Why not? You have to put it on your hand.

That’s right!

Optional: Hold up the goggles or safety glasses. Have you ever worn a pair of goggles or safety glasses? What do they do?

Yes, they protect your eyes if you are doing things like a science experiment, mowing the lawn, or doing a cleaning chore. Goggles keep liquids from splashing into your eyes or objects flying up and striking them. Now what if I just sat them on top of my head or hung them around my neck. Would they protect my eyes? No!

Certainly not—I need to actually put them on to keep me safe!

It is the same with spiritual things. God can save us, but we also must be wise and prepare for temptations and tests that we may encounter each day! Let’s read what God’s Word says about how we can prepare for the trials we will face.                

Volunteer reads Ephesians 6:13:

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.

God provides protection to us in the spiritual battles we face—through His Word and through His Holy Spirit. However, we must put on every piece of God’s armor so we are fully protected. Let’s read about all the pieces of armor that God gives us.

Volunteer reads Ephesians 6:14–18a:

¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.¹⁶ In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.¹⁷ Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion.

Discuss how each piece of spiritual armor protects us in our spiritual walk.

If we keep a Bible next to our bed but we never open it and read it, will we be fully protected when we face a trial or a temptation? If we never pray and ask God for guidance, and if we never listen for His quiet voice in our hearts, will we know what God wants us to do? When you pray, ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and to show you how to apply God’s Word in your life. When we do this, we can stand firm as the three Hebrew men did when they faced an angry king! God is able to save us, but we cannot take His protection for granted. He expects us to do our part by obeying Him.      

Who remembers our SuperTruth? On the count of three, let’s all shout it together; 1–2–3! “God is able to save me.”

It is wonderful to know we serve a God who can save us from anything in the world. What has God saved us from?

All of us have sinned—and the punishment for sin is death! But God sent Jesus to take our punishment, and save us from our sins.

ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION FOR GRADES 4–6

Did Jesus ever sin? No.

No, Jesus, never sinned—not even once! Yet the devil tried to get Jesus to sin! Let’s read about it in the Bible.

Volunteer reads Matthew 4:5–7:

⁵ Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,⁶ and said, “If You are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order His angels to protect You. And they will hold You up with their handsso You won’t even hurt Your foot on a stone.’” ⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”

The devil told Jesus that to prove He is the Son of God, He should jump off the highest point of the Temple, and God would save Him from harm. What did Jesus tell the devil?

Jesus replied that we must not test God. Do you think it would be smart to climb up on a high building and jump off to see if God will catch us? No.

We must live wisely and follow God’s will for our lives. He gives us His Word, the Bible, to show us how to live. He gives us our parents and teachers to guide us. He gives us His Spirit to live in our hearts, showing us what to do and what not to do. Yes, God is able to save us but we have a responsibility to make good choices and prepare ourselves for what we may face each day.

SuperVerse Game

Say the SuperVerse aloud with the children. Divide the class into teams of two or three children each, depending on class size. Each team will send one child to search through the pile for one SuperVerse card at a time to take back to their team. The other players will assemble the cards in the correct order as they are brought to them. The first team to assemble their cards in the correct order and shout the SuperVerse wins. Play until all teams have assembled their set of SuperVerse cards and shouted it aloud. For additional rounds, you may wish to place two or three piles of cards in different locations of the room.

Nice work finding the cards you needed to complete the SuperVerse! Let’s remember the Hebrew men’s bold example of how we are to stand up for God and trust Him in difficult situations. God is able to save us no matter what temptation, situation or difficulty we find ourselves in.      

Word Search

Hand out a Bible, pencil, and Fiery Furnace Word Search sheet to each child. Have them use their Bibles to find any answers they don’t know from Daniel 3. Show the children how to find and then circle answers on the sheet. Be ready to assist children as necessary with using their Bibles or finding the words in the puzzle.       

Answer Key

1. Nebuchadnezzar / The Babylonian king.

2. Meshach / Hebrew man’s name starting with “M”. 

3. Shadrach / Hebrew man’s name starting with “S”.

4. Abednego / Hebrew man’s name starting with “A”.

5. Gold / The material the statue was made of.

6. Furnace / This was made seven times hotter.

7. Four / How many men the king saw walking in the fiery furnace.

8. Smoke / The men didn’t smell like _____ when they came out of the furnace.

9. Worship / The Hebrew men would not _____ the statue.

10. Save / The Hebrew men believed God was able to ____ them.

Bible Study

Divide Daniel 3:17–18 between two children to read aloud.

¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. ¹⁸ But even if He doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

The three Hebrew men were clear and bold in their reply to the king. They would not bow, whether God saved them or not! They knew God could save them; but if God chose not to, they were willing to give their lives to God. In our story, we saw how the three men did not back down and were actually thrown into the furnace. Miraculously, God did save them!

It is easier to say that we will stand for God no matter what comes our way, but it is more difficult to follow through with those words when the heat or pressure is turned up. 

In the book of Matthew, Jesus said that Peter would deny Him three times. Peter boldly replied that he would not deny Jesus even if it meant he had to die with Him! Now, what we often don’t remember is that all the other disciples vowed the same—not just Peter! But after Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples deserted Jesus and fled in fear! See Matthew 26:35,56.

We cannot make a stand for God in our own strength. The three Hebrew men were strengthened by their faith and trust in God, not in themselves. Let’s look at two people, Jesus and Stephen, who trusted God and obediently gave their lives in service to Him.

Divide up the verses between the children and have them read the passages aloud. Lead a discussion with the questions below.  

1. Stephen

Acts 6:8–12,15:

⁸ Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.⁹ But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia.¹⁰ None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. ¹¹ So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.”¹² This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. ¹⁵ At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

• In verses 8 and 10, was Stephen timid and shy about doing God’s work? No, he was bold, full of God’s power, performed signs and miracles, full of wisdom and spoke God’s Word boldly.
• Did Stephen do anything wrong, causing his arrest? No, he was lied about and falsely accused.
• In verse 15, why do you think Stephen’s face was shining like an angel’s? Hint, look at verses 8 and 10.Full of God’s Spirit, wisdom and grace.
• Do you think Stephen was full of fear standing before the council? No, full of God’s power, boldness and Spirit.

 Acts 7:1,54–60:

¹ Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?” ⁵⁴ The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ⁵⁶ And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” ⁵⁷ Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him⁵⁸ and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”⁶⁰ He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Stephen was brought before the Jewish leaders and they asked him to defend himself against their accusations, which were all false. Stephen took this opportunity to preach about Jesus, not to try to save himself!  

• In verse 1, what could Stephen have possibly done to save himself? Lied to protect himself, backed off the truth, promised not to preach, not preached at them.
• In verse 54, how is this similar to the story of the three Hebrew men? The king was furious and enraged.
• In verses 55–56, was Stephen affected or shaken by their rage? Why or why not? No, he was full of God’s Spirit, he focused on God and Jesus, not on the Jewish leaders or the situation.
• How can we apply that to situations we may find ourselves in? Focus on God and be strong in God’s Spirit. Not focus on the situation.
• In verses 57–58, did God save Stephen from the leaders? No, He chose not to in His plan for Stephen’s life.
• In verse 58, do you know who this man named Saul became? The Apostle Paul after his conversion by Jesus.
• In verse 60, how does Stephen remind you of Jesus on the cross? Prayed for those who persecuted and killed him.

2. Jesus

Matthew 26:36–39:

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and He said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and He became anguished and distressed.³⁸ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.” ³⁹ He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.”

• What was Jesus praying about here? His persecution and death on the cross.
• In verse 37, what did Jesus desire from His disciples?Prayer and support.
• In verses 37–38, how did Jesus feel?Anguished, distressed, soul crushed with grief to point of death.
• What does verse 39 tell us about His struggle in His humanity and flesh while trying to do God’s will? He felt pain, He desired not to go through it if possible - if it could be done any other way. It was real, it was not easy by any means.
• What did Jesus want to do even more than to save Himself from suffering? God’s will, to be obedient to God’s plan.

Philippians 2:8:

He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

• Did God choose to spare Jesus from suffering on the cross? No.
• What is similar and what is different in the conclusion of the story of Jesus and the three Hebrew men? They all faced sure death, and remained obedient in the face of death. They trusted God and His will. God rescued and saved the three men; God did not spare Jesus from death so that He would save us from our sins.

Jesus trusted God and obediently gave His life as part of God’s plan of salvation for all. It wasn’t an easy thing for Jesus to give up His life; His prayers in the garden show us that.      

Both Stephen and Jesus were wrongfully accused and lied about so they would be arrested. Both men could have defended themselves and backed away from their bold preaching, but they chose to remain true to God even when facing death. Both men prayed for their accusers and those who ended their lives on Earth.

Let’s pray: Thank You, God, for those who have been willing to give their lives for Your work! It is always the right choice to remain obedient to You, no matter what. We pray for all those Christians who are suffering right now because they are being persecuted for their faith. Give them the boldness and courage to continue to stand up for You. Help us to trust You completely with our lives in worship and service to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.