Big Questions
Wasn't Jesus Just a Good Man?
Deuteronomy 30:19
Some people say Jesus was just a good teacher — wise, kind, worth listening to, but not actually God. It sounds like a reasonable middle ground. But Jesus didn't leave that option open. He said things about himself that a good teacher never would have said unless they were true.
Main Focus
Jesus said things like 'I and the Father are one' and 'before Abraham was born, I am' — using God's own name for himself. A truly good teacher doesn't say things like that unless they're actually true. So there are really only three options: he was lying, he was genuinely deluded, or he was telling the truth. A liar doesn't produce the greatest moral teaching in history. Someone that deluded doesn't live and reason as clearly as Jesus did. That leaves the option people often don't expect: he was telling the truth.
Memory Verse
Big Movement Game
One child is the King, wearing a bib on their shoulder that's easy to grab. Four other children are the King's Knights — they hold hands in a circle around the King and must keep their hands linked at all times. One child is the Thief, trying to steal the bib off the King's shoulder. The Knights work together, side-stepping and rotating as a team to keep the King protected and out of the Thief's reach, without ever letting go of each other's hands. Swap roles and play again. Just like the Knights worked together to protect their King, we're learning today that Jesus really is King — worth following, worth protecting his name, worth standing up for when others doubt him.
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think God chose to give us free will instead of just controlling us like the car, or the person in the blindfold game?
- In the obstacle course game, which round felt more like the 'real you' — the guided round or the free round? Why?
- If God gave us free will, that means we can choose to do good things — but also bad things. Why do you think God took that risk?
- Is there a choice in your own life right now where you're deciding between two paths, like in the obstacle course? What would it look like to choose well?
Object Lesson
Bring a small locked box or padlock, along with a few wrong keys and the one correct key. Try each wrong key first — no matter how confidently you try, none of them work. Then use the real key — it opens instantly. Talk about how anyone can claim to have the right key, but only the person who actually has it can prove it. Jesus didn't just claim to be God — he backed it up: healing the sick, calming storms, and ultimately rising from the dead. A liar or someone genuinely deluded can only talk. Only the real thing actually opens the lock.
Craft & Activity
Design your own crown fit for a King! Cut out both pieces, decorate them, then glue the tabs together to join them into one long band. Wrap it around your head, overlap the ends to fit, and glue or tape in place. Wear it as a reminder that Jesus really is King — worth following, worth standing up for, worth wearing a crown for.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for showing us who Jesus really is — not just a good man, not just a wise teacher, but truly Lord. Help us to hold onto that truth with confidence, especially when others tell us he was just an ordinary man. Thank You that we don't have to guess or hope it's true — we can look at what Jesus actually said and know. Help us to follow Him not just as a good example, but as our King. Amen.
Leader Prep & Tips
Have your Crown Chase space cleared and ready, and your locked box with the wrong keys and the right key prepped ahead of time — the object lesson works best when you've practiced which key is which beforehand, so there's no fumbling in front of the group. For Crown Chase itself, keep the play area clear of trip hazards and encourage side-stepping rather than shoving as Knights protect their King. As you lead the discussion, keep coming back to the actual reasoning, not just the conclusion — Liar, Lunatic, or Lord. This is exactly the kind of question children will be asked by friends and doubters, so the goal isn't just for them to believe Jesus is Lord, but to understand why, so they're genuinely equipped to explain it themselves when the moment comes