Who Is Jesus, Anyway?

David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School

Lesson 5
Winter 2019-20
By: Kelsey Grulke
December 29, 2019

Lesson Focus:

We can know who Jesus is.

Bible Basis:

John 1:29-34

Materials Needed:

Step 1:

Internet access

Step 4:

Internet access
Whiteboard and marker
Smartphones
Paper
Pens/pencils

Summary & Links:

Students will watch a video clip about DNA testing as they talk about their identity in preparation to start thinking about Jesus’ identity.

Memory Verse:

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. —1 John 2:2

Students will watch a video clip about DNA testing as they talk about their identity in preparation to start thinking about Jesus’ identity.

Materials Needed:

Internet access

Welcome your students as they enter. As everyone settles in, have a discussion about where your families and ancestors come from. Some students might know more about their genealogy than others. You can include conversation about family traditions with questions such as: What do you eat at holidays? Do you have any family traditions from different cultures?

In our culture, DNA tests to determine your ancestry or genealogy have become really popular. Basically, you spit into a tube and send it to a lab to analyze. The company then sends you back information about where your ancestors came from. If you search online, you can find tons of stories of people being shocked by the new information they learned about their ancestors. Let’s watch a video of some celebrities who had surprising DNA test results.

Share the following video with your students [1:06]:
6 Unbelievable Celebrity DNA Test Results

Has anyone in your family had a DNA test done? What facts about their heritage did they discover? (You may not find anyone in your group who has had this done yet. If not, ask, “Would you like to find out more about your heritage?”)
Why do you think these DNA tests are so popular with many in our culture? (Answers will vary. People want to know where they came from. It’s just interesting. Our past is part of our identity, etc.)
Why might it matter to people if they find out their ancestry isn’t what they thought it was? (Answers will vary. Maybe they’ll discover a mystery in their family history, maybe they’ll discover that they’re actually a part of a group against which they previously discriminated, etc.)
Our genes and family history make up part of our identity, but they certainly don’t determine our whole identity. What else is important to a person’s identity? (Where they live, what they like, their religion, the choices they make, their talents, etc.)
If someone asked you who you are, what other parts of your identity would you want to highlight? (I like basketball, I’m quiet, I’m outgoing, I like school, etc.)

We just celebrated Christmas where we learned the background of Jesus’ identity: where He’s from, who His ancestors were, and so on. Today, we get to dive into a new part of Jesus’ identity: the part that teaches us just how important and unique He is.

Looking for Steps 2 & 3?

You can find Steps 2 and 3 in your teacher’s guide. To purchase a teacher’s guide, please visit: Bible-in-Life or Echoes.

Materials Needed:

Internet access
Whiteboard and marker
Smartphones
Paper
Pens/pencils

Thinking back to our lesson, what are the two major identifying factors that John the Baptist tells us about Jesus? (He is the Son of God, and He’s the Lamb of God.)
How would you sum up what those names mean in one sentence each? (Jesus is God’s only begotten Son—He is unique and 100% God and 100% human at the same time. Jesus is the Lamb of God—He came to be the sacrifice for our sins.)

When we live openly as followers of Jesus—unafraid to talk about Him and follow Him, it’s inevitable that people will ask us, “Who is Jesus?” It’s important that we think about how we would answer that question so we’re ready when the situation arises. Have your students pair up in groups of two or three—make sure everyone has access to a smartphone. If necessary, help them access the following on their smartphones:

Who Is Jesus?

Help them explore this webpage together by clicking on some of the highlighted topics, etc.

What are the most important things about Jesus you would want to make sure you mention when asked who He is? (He’s God’s Son, He paid for our sins by being the perfect sacrifice, He is the reason we can live forever with God. Write the answers on the board.)

Hand out paper and pens/pencils. With their partner(s), have them explore the question, “Who is Jesus?” at the www.gqkidz.org page. Ask your students to write down any facts they find out that responds to this question. Encourage your students to share what they find with someone else sometime this week. Remind your students that Jesus promises to be with them when they take a chance to share about Him.

End with prayer, asking for wisdom in answering the questions that people around us have about Jesus and for God’s presence as we try to answer.

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David C Cook COVID-19 Response

Middle School