Jeremiah

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this lesson is to introduce the book of Jeremiah, present the author Jeremiah, and identify types of Christ throughout.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Ask the students to take out their phones and open a Maps app. Have them search for the directions from their homes to the church. Have some students read out the directions (e.g., Turn left on 1st street, continue 4 miles, Turn right on Palm Ave., etc.). Point out how different each person's set of directions is--some have more turns, some have to take the freeway-- but no matter which one you take, they all lead to the church. Explain to the kids that God has a unique plan for each of us, and if we trust Him and follow His directions, He will lead us to salvation. (Make sure students put their phones away after this activity.)

Review the previous week's lesson briefly. Display this Old Testament timeline and ask the students to identify where Jeremiah falls in the timeline.

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 5 Minutes

31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--- 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more"

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Memory Verse

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope"

Jeremiah 29:11

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 15 Minutes

Introduction to Jeremiah

Jeremiah and His Prophecy
- The book of Jeremiah is a call to repentance, but presents the judgment of God
- Jeremiah demonstrates this attitude as the "weeping prophet" as he grieves over the unrepentant Jews
- This autobiographical prophecy provides a contrast between the faithful Jeremiah and the rebellious Jews
  - In fact, Jeremiah suffers for his ministry and the truth, which is a type of Christ who also suffered for the Gospel's sake
- Besides providing warnings of judgments, God also provides through His prophet words of encouragement and hope through promises to renew the people by renewing their hearts
Outline
- Introduction to the Prophecy (Jr. 1)
- Israel's Sin (Jr. 2-29)
- Israel's Restoration (Jr. 30-33)
- Israel and the Nation's Punishment (Jr. 34-51)
- Conclusion (Jr. 52)

Life of Jeremiah

Ministry of Jeremiah
- Jeremiah was a prophet between 627 and 597 BC, during the reigns of the last five kings of Judah:
  - Josiah, a good king who led spiritual reforms
  - Jehoahaz, who ruled only three months before Egypt deposed him
  - Jehoiakim, an enemy of Jeremiah, who favored Egypt over Babylon
  - Jehoiachin, who ruled three months before being taken captive by the king of Babylon
  - Zedekiah, who sought Jeremiah's advice yet failed to serve God
Calling of Jeremiah
- Jeremiah was born in the village of Anathoth and was the son of a priest
- In the passage above, God tells Jeremiah that he had "ordained and sanctified" him before he was even formed in his mother's womb. (ask the students what the preceding words mean)
- Jeremiah responded by saying that he was not able to speak as a prophet because he was a youth, and because the people he had to face were a lot higher in status than he was (ask the students how old they think Jeremiah was when this happened - share that he was a youth/teenager).
- However, God comforted Jeremiah by telling him not to worry, and that God will help him speak.
- God gave Jeremiah two visions to help him understand the message to Judah.
- The message had both bad and good news: The Isreaelites would be punished because they disobeyed the Lord and turned to idolatry and sin
  - However, God would save and restore them.Life of Jeremiah
Jeremiah Warns the Israelites
- He gave them God's message that if they didn't repent from their sins, they would be destroyed
- Most of them didn't listen and became angry with Jeremiah and sought to kill him
- They were attacked and taken into captivity by Babylon
A New Covenant
- Although the Isrealites were evil and broke the previous covenant God had made with them, God is merciful and kind, and made a new covenant with them
  - "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people....For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more" (Jr. 31:33, 34)
Jeremiah's Trust in God
- Although he was initially worried about how he would confront the Isrealites, he chose to trust in God and obey, knowing that the Lord would keep His promise to him.
- He worked very hard telling the Isrealites to repent, but unfortunately they started plotting to kill him. Even then, Jeremiah trusted in the Lord during the hardest times.

Typology of Christ

To review, we study types of Christ within the Old Testament to learn more about Him through hidden images that weren't recognized until the coming of Christ
- This is an example of using the New to read the Old Testament
The Incarnation (Jr. 1:5)
- As God knew Jeremiah and established him as a prophet since he was in the womb, so was the Incarnation known throughout eternity
- Christ was sanctified before coming out of the womb, taking flesh for the divine purpose of saving mankind
The Jews refused Christ (Jr. 2:12-13)
- Christ offers Himself as living water, that those who drink from him may thirst no more
- As Jr. 2:12-13 says that the people have forsaken the spring of living water, so did the Jews deny to drink from Christ, the living water
- Christ is the living water who nourishes the church
- Where the Spirit of God is, there is the church and every kind of grace
Christ is the True Vine (Jr. 2:21)
- While Jeremiah speaks about a vine that goes is ruined through sin, Christ is the true vine that that produces many branches that bear good fruit
Christ rescues the Church from Satan (Jr. 4:5-18)
- As Nebuchadnezzar comes from the North to overtake Judah, so Satan wanders about as a roaring lion seeking to destroy the church with false doctrine
- Christ redeems us and washes our hearts with His blood that we may be redeemed
Christ the Lamb to the Slaughter (Jr. 11:18-19)
- The image of the docile lamb is Christ who was silent during his trial
- The Jews schemed and invented lies to crucify Christ on the tree
Christ is the Potter who Recreates Mankind (Jr. 18:1-11)
- When we sinned, mankind fell, but through the resurrection of Christ, we are spiritually recreated just like when a potter reforms clay into a beautiful pot
Christ is the Mediator of a New Covenant (Jr. 31:31-34)
- Jeremiah speaks explicitly about the new covenant
- Through the shedding of Christ's blood, we are redeemed and freed from sin

DISCUSSION (Challenge) - 10 Minutes

Review:
- What did God call Jeremiah to do?
- When was Jeremiah chosen?
- What was the message God wanted to tell the Israelites?
- How did Jeremiah demonstrate trust in God?
Discuss:
- Do you think that God kept His new covenant to the Israelites? How?
  - He sent Jesus Christ to save us
- What similarities can you see between Jeremiah and Jesus?
  - God sent Jeremiah to talk to the people in Judah. Jeremiah told them to think about how they were living. He told them to repent and stop disobeying God. When Jesus came, he told the people to be sorry for their sin. Jesus lived a perfect life for us and took our punishment so we could be right with God
- What are some ways (even simple ways) we can serve God and fulfill His calling for us?
  - Answers may vary - being kind to a new kid at school, helping a friend struggling with a subject, helping at church by cleaning up after an event, donating items or money, etc...

LIFE APPLICATION - 7 Minutes

Read and review the memory verse above.
- God knows us more than we know ourselves, and has a plan for us.
- He calls each of us to a unique role, and it is up to us to be willing to serve Him and to trust that He will be with us each step of the way.
- We should trust God to lead our lives right from the beginning. When we do that, we can avoid some snares and traps along the way.
- He gives us hope by letting us know that even if we stumble, we can always repent and come back to Him and He is always ready to forgive us.
As junior high students, life becomes full of planning--- assignments, studying for tests, after school activities. Furthermore, you are never too young to serve God and obey His calling
If we trust in the Lord, He will guide us every step of the way.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Option 1: Puzzle Activity

Bring a puzzle with a relatively small number of pieces (30) to class. Lay the pieces of the puzzle face down so they cannot see the picture. Have the students attempt to complete the puzzle with the pieces upside down without knowing what it is supposed to look like (make sure they don't see the box)
Online alternative: While using screen share, have the students aid you in completing a puzzle online where there is no picture reference
- Online Puzzle
Discuss: When we buy a puzzle, how do we know what the picture will be? (The picture is on the box). Is it easy to complete a puzzle without having a reference?
Emphasize that this puzzle is like our lives. We can see different pieces but we don't always know what it will end up looking like. However, God sees the full picture of our lives even before we are born. Like we use a picture on a box to guide us in doing a puzzle, we should rely on God's word to guide us throughout our lives.

Option 2: Scripture Coloring

Please see the attached scripture coloring sheets below. Print or send the sheets to the students for them to color and display in their rooms or by their desks. (Can also be sent for homework).