Christ Brings Salvation

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this module is to help the students gain a deeper understanding of the Faith and expand their knowledge on practices of the church. In this lesson, we will discuss the meaning of Salvation through the story of the Incarnation.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

To introduce the topic, play a small guessing game with the students. Write each letter of the word Salvation on a separate card and shuffle them around. Do this twice so you have two sets of cards, and split the students into two groups, giving each group a set. Ask them to unscramble the letters to spell out a word and see which group can figure out the word Salvation first.

After the activity, ask the students if they know what the word Salvation means and hear some of their suggestions.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

Memory Verse - " And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory..." (John 1:14)

You can read the verse to the students and ask them if they remember where it is from as an added note

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 15 Minutes

The Story of Incarnation

(Segue from the activity) Salvation is God saving us from sin, death, and the devil. These are three things that are not natural for human beings, but because our first parents, Adam and Eve, sinned and disobeyed God, they became part of our life. In His love, God wanted to save us from these terrible things that separate us from Him, so He came and saved us through His Only-Begotten Son Jesus Christ. This is the essence of salvation.

Salvation began with the incarnation, which means "to become man". Christ became man when he was born of the Virgin Mary according to the prophecies. While Christ was on earth, He was both perfect God and perfect Man, meaning He was both fully divine and fully human. His divinity and his humanity were both shown throughout various instances in the Holy Scripture. For example, his humanity was shown in John 11:35 where "Jesus wept." after the death of Lazarus. His humanity was also shown when He felt hungry after fasting for 40 days and was tempted with bread by satan. Christ's divinity is shown through miracles where people were raised from the dead (Lazarus, Jairius's daughter, etc.) but especially through the Resurrection, because that is the only time when someone raised himself from the dead. So why did Christ do all of this?

God was incarnate and became one of us, resembling us in every way except sin. He was our example of how all people should live. He is the only One Who could save us, so He became one of us to save all of us who believe in Him. The end result is that we will live with Him forever in His eternal Kingdom.

Before Christ was incarnate, people who died were not able to go to heaven. Instead, their souls went to Hades, a dark place where they were separated from God. As a result of our Lord Jesus Christ's life-giving work, however, people are now able to be with God forever; there is no more separation Everything we do in the Church, and especially the Holy Mysteries, such as Holy Baptism, Chrismation, the Eucharist (Holy Communion, Repentance/Confession, etc., allow us to participate in the life-giving work of Jesus and receive the salvation He freely gives us.

Ultimately, Christ wants all of us to be with Him in Heaven. We must show our love and our worship to Christ because He has granted us this great gift that allows us to one day be with Him.

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 5 Minutes

What are some ways you are going to show God your appreciation and love for Him?
Think about the Holy Mysteries in the Church and our lives as Christians. Why do you think these things are important to our salvation?

LIFE APPLICATION - 5 Minutes

Before Christ, people did not have many of the practices that we do today. Now, we have confession, communion and other mysteries which are important steps towards our salvation. It is important to take part in these mysteries consistently and frequently because salvation is a continuous gift.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Salvation words crossword puzzle - See attached

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Encourage your kids and family to attend the Divine Liturgy weekly to receive the Holy Eucharist and participate in the liturgy. Additionally, emphasize the importance of confession to your child and encourage them to start meeting with a father of confession monthly.