The Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness Christian Religious Studies JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 4

Lesson Plan for Christian Religious Studies

Subject: Christian Religious Studies
Class: JSS 2
Term: First Term
Week: 4
Age: 12-13 years
Topic: The Temptation of Jesus Christ
Sub-topic:
I. Define Temptation
II. Narrate the Story of the Temptation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11)
III. State the Moral Lessons of the Temptation of Jesus

Duration: 80 minutes

Behavioural Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Define temptation.
2. Narrate the story of the temptation of Jesus Christ.
3. Explain the moral lessons of the temptation of Jesus.

Keywords

• Temptation
• Devil
• Fasting
• Scripture
• Victory

Set Induction

The teacher will ask the students if they have ever been tempted to do something wrong. This will introduce the topic and help the students relate personally to the idea of temptation.

Entry Behaviour

Students have basic knowledge of good and bad choices from previous lessons.

Learning Resources and Materials

• Bible (New Testament: Matthew 4:1-11)
• Pictures showing Jesus fasting in the desert and being tempted by the devil
• Whiteboard and markers

Building Background/Connection to Prior Knowledge

In the last lesson, students learned about the baptism of Jesus. This lesson continues from that event, focusing on what happened after Jesus’ baptism.

Embedded Core Skills

• Critical thinking
• Decision-making
• Listening and comprehension
• Moral reasoning

Learning Materials

• Bible passages (Matthew 4:1-11)
• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Christian Religious Studies
• Visual aids showing the scenes of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness

Reference Books

• Lagos State Scheme of Work for Christian Religious Studies
• Holy Bible (New International Version)

Instructional Materials

• Bible
• Visual aids (pictures of Jesus’ temptation)
• Drawing charts
• Whiteboard and markers

Content Outline

1. Definition of Temptation
   • Temptation is the desire or urge to do something wrong or sinful, especially when it seems attractive or easy.
   • It is a test of one’s faith and self-control.
   • Temptation often comes from external forces (e.g., people, situations) or internal desires.
2. Narration of the Story of the Temptation of Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:1-11)
   • After Jesus was baptized, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
   • The devil appeared and tempted Him three times:
     1. First Temptation: The devil told Jesus to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. Jesus replied, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
     2. Second Temptation: The devil took Jesus to the top of the temple and told Him to throw Himself down, saying angels would save Him. Jesus responded, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7).
     3. Third Temptation: The devil showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and promised to give them to Him if He bowed down to worship him. Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10).
   • After the third temptation, the devil left, and angels came to attend to Jesus.
3. Moral Lessons from the Temptation of Jesus
   • Self-control: Jesus showed self-control and discipline by not giving in to temptation, even when He was hungry and weak.
   • Dependence on God’s Word: Jesus responded to each temptation by quoting the Scriptures, showing the power of God’s Word in overcoming trials.
   • Obedience to God: Jesus remained faithful and obedient to God’s will, refusing to compromise or take shortcuts.
   • Victory over Temptation: Jesus’ victory over temptation shows that we, too, can overcome our own temptations by trusting in God.
   • Resisting Evil: The story teaches that it is possible to resist the devil’s temptations and choose the right path.

Examples Relevant to the Topic

1. Jesus resisting the devil’s temptation to turn stones into bread.
2. Jesus refusing to throw Himself down from the temple.
3. Jesus rejecting the offer of the kingdoms of the world.
4. Quoting the Scriptures to overcome temptation.
5. Angels attending to Jesus after His victory over temptation.

Evaluation: Fill-in-the-blank Questions

1. Jesus was led into the ___ after His baptism (a. wilderness, b. city, c. garden, d. village).
2. Jesus fasted for ___ days and nights (a. 10, b. 20, c. 40, d. 50).
3. The devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into ___ (a. meat, b. bread, c. water, d. gold).
4. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by ___ alone” (a. food, b. bread, c. drink, d. meat).
5. The second temptation was for Jesus to jump from the ___ (a. mountain, b. city wall, c. temple, d. tower).
6. The devil told Jesus that angels would ___ Him (a. save, b. attack, c. punish, d. worship).
7. Jesus replied, “Do not put the ___ to the test” (a. Holy Spirit, b. angels, c. Lord your God, d. prophet).
8. The third temptation was about receiving ___ of the world (a. wealth, b. kingdoms, c. people, d. nations).
9. Jesus said, “Worship the Lord your God and ___ Him only” (a. follow, b. serve, c. obey, d. love).
10. The devil left Jesus, and ___ came to attend to Him (a. disciples, b. priests, c. angels, d. prophets).
11. Temptation is the urge to do something ___ (a. good, b. right, c. wrong, d. neutral).
12. Jesus was tempted three times by the ___ (a. priests, b. disciples, c. devil, d. Pharisees).
13. Jesus used the ___ to resist temptation (a. law, b. army, c. Scriptures, d. prophets).
14. Jesus showed ___ by refusing to give in to temptation (a. faith, b. fear, c. control, d. anger).
15. After the temptation, Jesus was served by ___ (a. prophets, b. angels, c. disciples, d. priests).

Class Activity Discussion: FAQs

1. What is temptation?
   Answer: The desire to do something wrong or sinful.
2. How many days did Jesus fast in the wilderness?
   Answer: 40 days and 40 nights.
3. Who tempted Jesus in the wilderness?
   Answer: The devil.
4. What was the first temptation?
   Answer: To turn stones into bread.
5. How did Jesus respond to the first temptation?
   Answer: He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone.”
6. What was the second temptation?
   Answer: To throw Himself down from the temple.
7. What did Jesus say to the second temptation?
   Answer: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
8. What was the third temptation?
   Answer: The devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would bow down and worship him.
9. What was Jesus’ reply to the third temptation?
   Answer: “Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”
10. What happened after the third temptation?
    Answer: The devil left, and angels came to attend to Jesus.
11. What moral lesson do we learn from Jesus’ temptation?
    Answer: We learn to rely on God’s Word and resist evil.
12. Why did Jesus fast in the wilderness?
    Answer: To prepare for His ministry.
13. What did the devil promise Jesus in the third temptation?
    Answer: All the kingdoms of the world.
14. Why is Jesus’ temptation important for Christians?
    Answer: It teaches us how to resist temptation.
15. How can we overcome temptation?
    Answer: By relying on God’s Word and staying obedient to Him.

Presentation

1. Step 1: Revising the previous topic, “The Baptism of Jesus.”
2. Step 2: Introducing the new topic: “The Temptation of Jesus Christ” by reading Matthew 4:1-11.
3. Step 3: Allowing students to share their thoughts on temptation and how they have dealt with it, correcting them where necessary.

Teacher’s Activities

• Read the Bible passage about Jesus’ temptation to the class.
• Guide the students in defining temptation.
• Explain the three temptations and Jesus’ responses.
• Ask students to discuss how they can apply the moral lessons in their lives.
• To tempt is to entice or persuade someone to do what he or she is not supposed to do. Therefore temptation is the process whereby one is enticed or persuaded to do what he is not supposed to do. The devil tempts us to do things against God’s will.

  After Jesus had been baptized, he was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil in the wilderness. He fasted for forty days and nights while he prayed, and meditated on his future work as the Messiah and Saviour of mankind. At the end of the forty days, Jesus was hungry and wanted food to eat. The devil then came to tempt him.

   In the first temptation, the devil asked Jesus to turn stones into bread if he was really the son of God. Jesus replied him that the scriptures said that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that came out from the mouth of God.

  In the second temptation, the devil took Jesus to the holy city, Jerusalem, sat on the highest pinnacle of the temple, and asked him to jump down if he was really the son of God. The devil added that the scriptures said, that God would tell his angels to bear him up, so that he would not dash his feet against stones, Jesus replied that the scriptures also said that thou shall not tempt the Lord your God.

   In the third temptation, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The devil told Jesus that if he could bow down and worship him, he would give him all of them. Jesus replied that he should get away because the scriptures said that thou shall worship the Lord God and serve him only. After this, the devil left him alone, and angels came and worshiped him.

   

   

  Evaluation: 

  1. After the baptism, Jesus was led by the power of the spirit into the——-
  2. How many days and nights did Jesus fast before his temptations started?
  3. What happened to Jesus after the temptation?
  4. According to Matthew, where was Jesus taken to in the third temptation?
  5. What did the devil ask Jesus to do in the first temptation?

  Sub-Topic 2: The significance of temptation of Jesus.

  1. The first temptation was to make him false to his perfect humanity, i.e. to make him appear as Economic Messiah.
  2. The second was to make him win men’s hearts not by love as required of the Messiah but by startling signs. i.e. to appear as  Miracle Messiah
  3. The third was to make him not to win his kingdom through suffering as required of the Messiah i.e. to appear as Political Messiah.

  Objective Questions

  • How many times was Jesus tempted in the Wilderness? (a)1 (b)2 (c)3 (d)4 (e)5
  • The purpose of the first temptation was to make Jesus a…………. Messiah (a) good (b) miracle(c)economic (d)absolute (e) political
  • Jesus fasted in the wilderness for how many days (a) 30 (b) 40 (c) 50 (d) 20 (e) 7
  • Jesus’ response to the first temptation is ___(a) get behind me Satan(b) thou shall not put the Lord your God to test (c) man shall not live by bread alone(d)worship the lord thy God  (e)I reject it in the name of God
  • That Jesus was tempted shows that (a)Christian cannot be tempted (b) Christians are above temptation (c) Jesus was weak in strength (d) no one is above temptation (e) Satan is wiser than Jesus

   

Learners’ Activities

• Listen to the Bible reading and follow along.
• Share personal experiences with temptation.
• Answer questions about the lesson and participate in discussions.

Evaluation Questions

1. What does temptation mean?
2. Who tempted Jesus in the wilderness?
3. How long did Jesus fast in the desert?
4. What was the first temptation Jesus faced?
5. How did Jesus respond to the second temptation?
6. What did the devil promise Jesus in the third temptation?
7. What was Jesus’ final response to the devil?
8. Who attended to Jesus after the temptations?
9. What is one moral lesson from Jesus’ temptation?
10. How can we resist temptation like Jesus did?

Conclusion

The teacher will move around the classroom, mark the students’ work, and give feedback on their answers. The lesson will end with a summary of Jesus’ victory over temptation and the importance of relying on God’s Word.

More Useful Links 

• Jesus and his family. Jesus and his siblings. Matthew 13:53-56, Matthew 12:46-50.
• The Birth of Jesus Christ Christian Religious Studies JSS 2 First Term Lesson Notes Week 1