Lesson 5 Encounters with Jesus: Jesus and Woman at Bethany

Sunday, 18 Feb

SUNDAY MORNING EAGLES:

ROSTER:

Sunday 18 4 Jesus & Woman @Bethany Matt 26:6-13

8am Eagles Yvonne
10am Eagles Carmen & Johani Lance & Wano

VENUE:

Kids Church (up to G5) meet in Classroom 2 - - - - - - - - →

Striders (G6 & G7) meet in Classroom 1 - - - - - - - - →

Eagles (G8 & above), Go into church for WORSHIP (a few songs).
When the announcement appears on the screen, meet your leaders in the
Office Block for Eagles and grab drinks from the kid’s church fridge.

Please try to start the lesson by the half hour (8.30/10.30am).

Thanks

BIG IDEA & AIM:

Big Idea: Jesus commended a woman who used costly perfume to express her love for him,
but the disciples thought it was a waste.

Aim: To teach that when we understand who Jesus is and what he has done for us, we will
give everything we have to love and serve him even when others think it's a waste.

PRIMARY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:6-13

CHECK-IN:
07:45 / Leaders and Assistants pray together.
09:45
Take the teenagers into the service for Worship (about 3 songs).

After worship head to the KC fridge with the teens to grab drinks
08:20 – 1. WELCOME & ADMIN (10 min.)
08:30 /
Assistants:
10:20 –
10:30  Go to Kids Church fridge to get the drinks. Encourage the students to move to class.

Leaders:

 Go to your classrooms to receive the students as they arrive with their drinks.
 Introduce yourselves.
 Greet the old students by name. Welcome any new students and get to know them.
 Complete the attendance register. Take details & photos of new kids, if any.
 Check the birthday list; celebrate birthdays if any (See below).
 Hand out scriptures.

February

Name Surname Gender

Emile Malan Male 02/01/2008
Liam Duggan Male 02/07/2006
Rhys Darwood Male 02/09/2006
Aaron Pedro Male 02/09/2009
Annie Hugo Female 02/11/2009
Taylia Jones Female 02/12/2007
Maddie Ward Female 02/16/2009
Antonio Filippi Male 02/18/2008
James Adendorff Male 02/20/2008
Erin Walton Female 02/21/2006
Ashlynn McBryne Female 02/21/2009
Cara Stander Female 02/22/2008
Jodie Meredith Female 02/26/2008
Mitchelle Mawira Female 02/27/2007
Sarah Voyatzoglou Female 02/27/2009
Thomas Shardelow Male 02/28/2004
Jessica Rolfe Female 02/28/2005
Lukas Wynne-Dyk Male 02/28/2009
08:30-08:40 / 10.30- 2. ADDRESS THE BIG GROUP (10 min.)
10:40

OPEN IN PRAYER (1 min)

 Ask a student to open in prayer.

 Ask everyone else to respond by saying Amen aloud at the end.

ANNOUNCEMENTS (1 min)

We're doing an awesome series at Friday Night Youth called "Greater than". Come along next Friday (7pm-9pm) to
check it out. Friends are welcome too, even if they don't come to church. (The last meeting for the term is on Friday
17 March).

Recap the series (1 min)

SAY: We are in a new series called Encounters with Jesus, where we have been learning about the
life-changing impact of the encounters that people from different cultural, religious, social, and
political backgrounds had with Jesus. Some demonstrated humility and faith in Jesus, while others
were proud and reluctant to submit to him as king.

SAY: Today, we’re talking about Jesus’ encounter with woman at Bethany

ICE BREAKER: Treasure or Trash? (2 mins)

SAY:

Before the session, gather several items (or pictures of things) with a much greater or less actual
value than their perceived value. For each round, show the object or image and ask the young
people to stand if they consider the item valuable (treasure) or sit down if they think it is worthless
(trash). Reveal the actual value and award points for guessing correctly.

If time allows, have the students place the items on a scale of least to most valuable. Then, discuss
what affects an item's value and why they put certain items ahead of others. Draw attention to how
some things carry a significant sentimental value regardless of their monetary worth.

ASK:
• What affects an item’s value?

• Why do we say certain items are more valuable?

SAY: In today's true story from the Bible, a woman from Bethany encountered Jesus, who poured
expensive perfume on Jesus, but his disciples thought it was a massive waste of money.

SCRIPTURE READING (5 mins)

Ask for a volunteer to read the passage. Read Matthew 26:6-13

Afterwards, the reader says: “This is the word of the Lord.”

Everyone responds: “Thanks be to God.”
SAY: Let’s dig into this passage of Scripture to learn about this womans encounter with Jesus.
08:40 / 10:40 3. SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS (20 min.)

5 mins 1. The Woman's Action (26:6-7)

ASK:
• Why did the woman pour expensive perfume on Jesus?
• What did the woman’s actions show about how she viewed Jesus?
•
SAY: In that culture, sprinkling a little perfume onto guests' feet was common
practice, and using oils for medical and other purposes was not out of place at such a
gathering. For this lady to be using expensive perfume went beyond the norm.

5 mins 2. The Disciples' Reaction (26:7-9)

ASK:

• How did the disciples respond?

• How did they view what the woman had done?
• How do you feel about people being wasteful with what they have?

SAY: Although the disciples' concern about wasted resources may seem
commendable, Jesus' rebuke highlights their lack of awareness of Jesus' importance
and what he was about to do to make their salvation possible. While they were correct
that the perfume had a high monetary value that could've helped the poor, they were
wrong that using it as a sign of love for and devotion to Jesus was a waste.

5 mins 3. Jesus' Explanation (Matthew 26:10-13)

Ask:

• How did Jesus view what she had done?

• What did Jesus say the woman's perfume was preparing him for?
• What did Jesus mean when he said, 'You will not always have me?'

Say:
These verses highlight’s Jesus' defense of a woman's act, underlining his care for the
poor. Despite upcoming challenges, Jesus focuses on the importance of good actions
expressing love for him. The woman's act of pouring perfume symbolizes a small-scale
sacrifice compared to Jesus' impending ultimate sacrifice for humanity's sins. Notably,
when women later sought to anoint Jesus' body, he had already risen, fulfilling his
resurrection promise
5 mins APPLICATION

As you ask the following questions, make a note of at least one prayer point
per person and get the group to pray for each other.

ASK:
• What would you describe as a waste of money or resources?
• Is your time, talents or money spent serving Jesus and his Church ever a
waste?
• When is following Jesus costly for you?
• Would you be willing to give up everything you had to follow Jesus?
• How does remembering that Jesus paid the ultimate price for your salvation
encourage you to follow him, even when it is costly?
• How can your life display such costly devotion to Jesus that others notice and
remember?
• Why did Jesus want this woman's act to be remembered? For what do you
wish to be remembered?

(Ask: Can we pray for that?)

CLOSE IN PRAYER

Encourage your students to each pray for at least one other person, and they may also
pray for themselves, of course.

09:00 / ALL LEADERS & ASSISTANTS:

11:00
 Please tidy up and pack away after your class.

THANKS FOR SERVING AT PVC!

PRE-READING FOR LEADERS AND ASSISTANTS:

LESSON OVERVIEW:

In this lesson, Jesus has an encounter with a woman. The scene occurs in Bethany a few days before
Jesus' arrest and less than two miles from Jerusalem, where the Jewish religious leaders were plotting
to kill him. We will getting to unpack more of who Jesus is and what he has done for us, we will give
everything we have to love and serve him even when others think it's a waste.

TEACHING PREP:

Read Matthew 26:6-13, noting how the woman treats Jesus and how his disciples respond.

Use the following notes to help you think about the passage in more detail.

26:6-7 — Mark records that the perfume was made from nard and that the woman broke the
container, intending to use it all on Jesus (Mark 14:3). Spikenard, an oil imported from India, was a
luxury cosmetic sometimes used to anoint the dead, which explains Jesus' comment in verse 12. Oil
was also poured on the head when anointing kings (1 Samuel 16:13) or as a sign of generous
hospitality (Psalm 23:5). Precisely which of these was the woman's intention is unclear, but all are
true of Jesus. She did it to express her love for and devotion to Jesus publicly.

26:8-9 — The disciples were indignant, believing that using perfume this way was wasteful as the
money that could have helped the poor. But their comments expose their belief that this woman's
extravagant love for and devotion to Jesus was a waste. She was not counting the cost, but they
were, and they thought the expression was beyond what was required! As seen in previous lessons,
their reaction demonstrated a lack of understanding of what Jesus came to do despite what he had
just told them (Matthew 26:1-2).

26:10-13 — Jesus was not dismissing the real needs of the poor – they would require ongoing care.
The more pressing need for this woman was to publicly express her devotion to Jesus before he
paid the ultimate sacrifice. He acknowledged and appreciated her gesture and promised that her
actions would echo through the centuries, which they have to this day.
Matthew 26:6-13
Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an
alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the
table.

8
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume
could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”

10
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a
beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you,[a] but you will not always have
me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I
tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be
told, in memory of her.”

Footnotes

a. Matthew 26:11 See Deut. 15:11.