Rotation.org Writing Team

The Temptation of Jesus

Video Workshop 

Summary of Activities

Students will watch and discuss two video clips depicting Christ's temptation in the wilderness. Both re-tell the story and create opportunities for discussion.

About the Two Videos in This Lesson

The first video is approximately 3 minutes long, sticks closely to Matthew 4, uses live actors and is cinematically dramatic. The second video is approximately 20 minutes long, animated, and expands the story in a kid-friendly way by adding some helpful context, and suggesting more about Jesus' persevering and compassionate character.  The first video functions like the scripture for the lesson, while the second prompts more discussion. If you are short on time, and plan on including the "optional" scripture reading, you can skip the short video. 

If you do not already own these two videos, you will need to buy them. See the Prep notes for more info. The links below go to preview  versions of the two videos found on YouTube. 

Video 1:  A clip from "The Bible" (the 2014 TV series) -the temptation scene is approximately 3 minutes long and mostly sticks to scripture. The link takes you to a YouTube preview of the section in The Bible. The Bible video is well worth your investment as it covers many other stories as well.

For preview purposes...

Video 2: Chapter 6 from the "Jesus: Kingdom Without Frontiers" video series: The Temptations in the Desert.  The link takes you to a YouTube preview of chapter 6.  

This series is also known by the name "New Testament Bible Stories for Children," currently being distributed by "Under the Rainbow" via the Christian Book Distributors website. Chapter 6 was retitled, "Jesus is Tempted." Approximately 20 minutes long. It adds some nice "context" and illuminating storytelling elements.  For example, Jesus is heard quoting scripture as he enters the wilderness –which suggests why the Spirit led him there. We see the transition from the fertile Jordan to the desert-like wilderness. Jesus brings a donkey with him and is compassionate towards it (they kids will like that and it helps reveal Jesus' caring character which will contrast with what Satan offers). Satan's dialog and temptations are visually depicted in a way children will understand.

For preview purposes...

Scripture for the Lesson

Matthew 4:1-11, The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness.

Key/Memory Verse:  "Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” (Matthew 4:10, NRSV)

There are several good memory verses in the passage, namely, Jesus' three responses to Satan, but verse 10 sums up the story: serve God instead of yourself.

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives and teacher-friendly Bible background.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• DVD - "The Bible" (the 2014 TV series). Optional -see notes.
• DVD - "Jesus Is Tested" (New Testament Bible Stories Series) by Under God's Rainbow (previously known as "The Temptations in the Desert" from the "Jesus: Kingdom Without Frontier Series"). 
• Preview the two video clips. Note where they begin on your DVD and how to best navigate to them with your DVD remote. 
• Consult with your pastor about how your church wants you to talk about "Satan." See notes below.
• Set up your room for viewing comfort. Pop some popcorn!
• Slips of paper and pencils for each student.

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome your students and begin introducing today's lesson by asking the following questions....

Ask:  What's the place you like to go to when you want to think by yourself, or make a big decision? (You may need to offer some suggestions, such as: your room, a quiet spot, nature, walking, lying awake in the dark, church, prayer, listening to music, exercising.)

Ask: Why do people go to special places to think about important things?   

Say: Jesus had a big decision to make right at the beginning of his ministry. Just after he was baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to make some tough decisions about what kind of Messiah he was going to be. We call this story, the temptation in the wilderness.

Say: Jesus was tempted by three things. After we view this short video, I'm going to ask you what those three temptations were ...so be watching!

View the Scripture

Option: You may choose to have students read Matthew 4:1-11 from their Bibles prior to showing Video #1, or in place of it. Video 1 is almost a direct quote from the scripture.

Play Video #1, the 3 minute clip showing Jesus in the wilderness from "The Bible," (2014, 20th Century Fox). 

Tell your class that today they will "see and hear the scripture" rather than read it themselves. Tell them that it comes from Matthew, chapter 4.  Tell them a little bit about what they're going to see, and that this temptation story comes right after Jesus had been baptized. This will be an important piece of information to help them answer your question following the video 1 clip.

Questions for after the clip:

Where did Jesus go and what did he do to prepare himself to face his temptations and make decisions?   [The wilderness, and he fasted –which is a form of self-denial that helps a person focus their thoughts. Fasting was most likely only during the day.]

What kind of physical shape was Jesus in after so many days in the desert?  [He was probably tired, dirty, hungry, and anxious.]

What were the three temptations Jesus faced?  

1. Use his power to make himself comfortable (bread, not hungry). This is an important temptation because Jesus is going to have to be willing to give up his own life.

2. Use his power to impress people and make them believe he was the Messiah (jump off the Temple).  Jesus will frequently visit the Temple –where he chooses to teach instead of wow people with public miracles.

3. Use his power to take control over kings and kingdoms. Have power and wealth (all for the price of worshiping Satan instead of God).  Jesus will confront authorities again and again. How will he deal with them?

Say: All three temptations were about how to use his power in a way that would make his life and mission EASIER for himself. 

Ask: Why didn't Jesus want to make his mission easy?  [This is a tough question they'll be challenged to answer. You could say that, instead, Jesus was CHOOSING to be an example of LOVE and UNSELFISHNESS, rather than "power and might."  That God wants us to love him, and not be afraid of, or only impressed by, his power. This is certainly a different kind of Messiah~King that the people expected.]

Use video #2.  This longer clip from "Jesus Is Tested" (New Testament Bible Stories Series) will REVISIT & REINFORCE the points you just made in clip one. It's a powerful way to teach. Notice the "character" of Jesus we see exemplified in this video clip. Satan tempts him with a very "worldly" definition of a messiah. Of special note is the way Jesus' character is depicted as he goes into the wilderness, --someone who is inspired and strengthened by scripture, feels close to God, and is compassionate to his donkey friend. It's his character which helps him reject Satan's temptations, and be the kind of Messiah God wants him to be.

Prior to showing the video, write this question on the board and tell student's you'll ask them to answer it at the end of the video. "What qualities did Jesus possess that helped him reject Satan's temptation?"

Questions after the video:

Our video "imagines" what Jesus was thinking as he went into the wilderness. What was he doing?

The video imagined Jesus helping his donkey. This isn't in the Bible story itself, so why do you think the writers included that in this story?  What did it show you about Jesus? (compassion).

What qualities did Jesus possess that helped him reject Satan's temptation?  Write these answers on the board.

Some possibilities:    

• Jesus talked to God.
• Jesus knew scripture.
• Jesus was compassionate.
• Jesus stood up against evil and rejected it.
• Jesus strongly and quickly rejected the temptation.
  
  

Reflect

Give each student two slips of paper and a pencil. Have them look at the list of qualities that Jesus possessed PRIOR to the temptations –which you have written on the board, and then pick TWO. Write one quality on one slip, and a second on another. Stick these in your pockets to go home.

Adaptations

For Younger Students:  Satan in Video 1 may scare young children. If so, read the story from a Bible storybook, ask questions, then show Video 2.  If your church believes in a literal Devil, please be aware that young children may not be able to understand the idea of a malevolent being, and their fears might overwhelm your lesson point.

If Short on Time:  Skip the first video and show the second.

Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2016, Rotation.org Inc.

Video Substitutions

We looked at a lot of videos for this lesson, and have identified a couple of "second choices" which you may already have access to. Most are very short. Some embellish the story a bit differently. Some aren't so well done, or merely depict the story without any helpful dramatic flare.  All of the following can be previewed on YouTube.

Jesus, Son of God (Nest Video). Preview Chapter 7 & 8's three minute presentation in this animated classic does a nice job of presenting the basic story of Jesus' temptations, with only a few embellishments.  For the full DVD outline see here.

Read and Share Bible Vol. 1 (from Tommy Nelson) story #11 - Jesus is Tempted by Satan. This animated video is short (3 minutes) and definitely for younger children.

The Saddleback Kids "Temptation of Jesus" video short. After you view our two recommended videos (The Bible and Kingdom Without Frontiers), the Saddleback Kids treatment of the story comes across as a bit too happy.

Two We Do Not Recommend:  (1) The Jesus Film Project (aka, "Jesus") and (2) the Veggie Tales "Larry and the Bad Apple" (temptation) video. The Jesus Film's portrayal is short and uninspired compared to "The Bible."  The Veggie Tales video, unlike the other video choices, doesn't mention Jesus or his temptation. It's story is long and rather hard to follow.

Notes on the Portrayal of Satan (Devil)

The following comes from the Bible Background for this set.

Depending on your translation, your Bible may use the word "Satan" or "Devil." Satan is the Hebrew word for "accuser" or "liar." Devil (Diablos) is the Greek word for the same. There are numerous online articles and wiki entries you can read to learn more about the development of Satan in Hebrew and Christian scriptures and history. 

Matthew 4 doesn't describe what Satan looked like to Jesus. Production companies are thus challenged with visually portraying him. In the recommended videos, you'll see Satan alternately portrayed as a kind of "angel of death," or snake (harking back to Genesis). These various depictions raise an interesting follow-up question, "What or Who is Satan?" and "How does Satan/Evil appear to us?"   Unfortunately, Satan/evil in our own lives isn't as obvious as a black robed demon, or as snake at our feet we can spot coming and run from! The point you should make is this: Satan/evil/temptation tends to appear as a reasonable choice, such as, "wealth" or "popularity," ...but comes at a price.

Please check with your pastor as to how your church wants you to teach about Satan and evil. There is a difference of opinion among Christians, and it is your responsibility to teach what your church approves of --in a way that is sensitive to the needs and psychology of children.

"Satan" in the first video may be a bit scary for 1st graders, though the depiction is certainly nothing they haven't seen in cartoons or at Halloween. It is recommended that you "warn" younger children of his appearance, so that they are not distracted by being scared. Point out that Jesus was not scared. Jesus was confident in the face of evil because he knew his life belonged to God.

It's important to acknowledge that Christians have different opinions about the existence of a literal Satan. Children will eventually question the existence of Satan themselves, or hear the question as they grow up. Without question the Gospel writers believed in a literal Satan. In a different time and place, Jesus' struggle with the temptations of "what kind of Messiah was he going to be" might have been described as an inner struggle between selfish desire or self-preservation –and the Messianic path God wanted him to take. Whether you believe in a literal Devil or not as the source of these temptations, most Christians would agree that they sin quite well on their own –without any outside help.

It is the teacher's job to express what your church believes. Regardless of whether you or your church believe in a literal Satan or not, the tools which Jesus uses to reject evil (resist temptation) are the same:

Jesus decides what's right and what's wrong according to God's Word.

Jesus doesn't run away from the wilderness or temptations. Temptation is part of the human condition, and testing (making difficult choices) actually helps build our faith. As Matthew 4:1 reminds us,  "Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted...."  And as Paul taught us in Romans 5:4, "...suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, ...and character, hope."  Perseverance, character, and hope. Those are three important qualities for any leader of God's people.

Jesus knows that God saves and sends help, and indeed, that's how the story ends.