Lesson (Peter's Confession of Faith)
Why did Jesus call Peter “Satan”? Was Peter really Satan?
Jesus called Peter Satan because God wanted Jesus to die on the cross so that He could save us from our sins, but Peter was trying to stop Jesus from dying on the cross.
When we try to stop things that God wants to do, or when we do things that God doesn’t want us to do, we’re acting like Satan because Satan always tries to get in God’s way. When Peter tried to stop Jesus from dying, even though God wanted Him to die, he was acting like Satan because he was going against God’s plans.
>> Meaning of Messiah: basically Savior, literally "the anointed one" <<
Song
Lesson 2:
Object Lesson with fire (a lighter or a match) for James 3:1-12
In our video today, we saw Peter using his words for good at first when he declares that Jesus is the Savior sent by God. But then he uses his words in a bad way when he tells Jesus that Jesus should stop talking this way (i.e. about how He needs to die).
The Bible compares our tongue to fire:
- A small fire (e.g. a candle) can be a good thing. Our words can be a good thing, too. Examples: saying "I like you" or "thank you". Just like a little fire from a candle can give light, so our words can do good for others.
- A big fire (e.g. a wildfire) can do a lot of damage. Our words can do damage, too; they can hurt people just like fire can hurt people. Sometimes, we say mean things to people or maybe we even tell lies about other people and that is like our tongue being a like a bad big wildfire.
Can you think of a time when you used your tongue (i.e. your words) for good?
Can you think of a time when you used your words for hurting somebody?