POINT #1 – THE SUBMISSION TEST
There were 3 main things that happened in Numbers 13 with Caleb and the Israelites:
1) God had prepared a promised land for them
2) The Israelites had to agree with God in faith to take the land
3) They had to overcome the giants to get the land.
Just like the Israelites had to overcome the giants to take the promised land, Jesus also had to overcome 3 giants.
Do you remember what the word OVERCOME means? (Allow the child to answer: to beat/defeat/win against someone, something, and the enemy).
Jesus had 3 different tests to pass to overcome:
1) The Submission Test
2) The Opposition Test
3) The Resurrection Test
We will have to pass these same tests to overcome the enemy in our life. Let’s talk about the Submission test, first.
What does the word SUBMISSION mean? (Allow the child to answer.)
It means to give in to power or authority. For example, let’s say I (mom or dad) tell you to stop playing and go clean your room. Even though you would rather keep playing, you decided to stop playing and go clean your room just as you were asked. This is submission. It is kind of like obeying. We choose to do what a parent, teacher, etc. asks us to, maybe even if we don’t want to do it. Sometimes, submission can also be deciding to not play the game you want to play, but playing what your friend or brother or sister wants to play first. Or letting him/her be the red player in the game, even though that’s your favorite.
Jesus had to pass this submission test in order to save us from our sins. Matthew 26:39 says, “He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Jesus prayed this prayer to Father God, right before he was taken away to die on the cross for us. He was asking God, if I don’t have to die on the cross, I don’t want to. But, I want to do what you want me to do. I want to do what you want to do, MORE than what I want to do.
Just as Jesus was in submission to the Father, we must be in submission to God also. Sometimes, it’s not easy to do what someone else wants us to do, especially if it’s not something we want to do or like to do. Maybe when we get really mad, we want to throw our toys down or slam our door, but we know that behavior is not allowed in our house. So, we choose to show self-control and not do either of those things, but instead we talk with Jesus about being mad. Choosing to follow Jesus and be in submission to Him and His plans and His ways are not always easy, but they are always best.
Discussion Questions
- Can you remember what submission means?
- Can you think of a time that you chose to do something that a parent/teacher asked you to do, even though you didn’t want to do it? (Ask your child to share)
- Can you think of a time that you chose to let someone else decide what to do or play first, instead of what you wanted to do? (Ask your child to share)
- Can you think of and share about times that you submit to Jesus?
Scripture Memory Verse:
“He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” – Matthew 26:39 NLT
Prayer: Jesus, we are so thankful that you passed the submission test and provided a way for us to be forgiven of our sins and have a relationship with God. We thank you for being the example that we get to follow, and that we get to read about your examples in the Bible. We ask you to help us submit to those in authority in our own lives, our parents, grandparents, school teachers, principals, church teachers and leaders, police officers, our president, and all those in authority in our lives. Most importantly, we ask that you help us to submit to you and your ways and your plans for us. Help us to submit to you even when it’s really hard and even when we do feel like it or want to. Help us to submit to your ways even when others don’t. We ask for the strength to submit, Holy Spirit. We pray all of these things, in Jesus’s name, amen.