Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words king and Jesus.
Reading
Acts 17:1–9—Another King, Jesus
Optional Reading
Zephaniah 3:1-13
Keys for kids
- Zephaniah tells his readers that the King is in their midst
- The Jews noted that the disciples were serving King Jesus.
- Jesus is King in our midst too.
Questions
- How did Jesus resurrection prove His kingship?
- Who were these disciples with Jason serving as King?
- How can we serve Jesus as King?
Notes
(See Saturday for authors.)
Zephaniah assures his readers that the King is in their midst. Jesus, who was proclaimed as king at His birth (Matt 2:2) and at His death (Matt 27:37). Further, the NT repeatedly connects Jesus’s rule to His resurrection. Brannon points out that something monumentally significant happens with Jesus’s resurrection—Peter proclaims that God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him at his right hand (Acts 2:22–36). Similarly, in Acts 13:16–37, Paul preaches that God has raised Jesus from the dead and connects his resurrection with his kingship. In both cases, the implication is that Jesus’s resurrection serves as his enthronement.
This kingship of Jesus was not at all lost on the early church. Here in our reading, Paul is proclaiming the resurrected Jesus as the promised Messiah. Some Jews and many Greeks believed, but others instead started a riot opposing Paul (and Jesus). They specifically attached Jason, whom we know little about except that the church in Thessalonica likely met in his house.
The accusation against Jason and the rest of the disciples was that they had turned the world upside down—suggesting that they were causing trouble all throughout the known world. How had they done this? By serving a king other than Caesar—King Jesus!
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 99a, 57b
Prayer
- Pray your serving King Jesus will impact your world.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.