The Fish and the Coin teen lesson

Monday:	The Fish and the Coin
Main Passage:	Matthew 17:24-27
Other Passages:	Matthew 12:1-8, Matthew 22:15-22, John 5:18, John 1:1-4, John 1:9-14, Hebrews 1:8, Isaiah 9:6, John 5:17-23
Objective:	Deity of Christ
Memory Verse:	Matthew 16:16-17, Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus replied, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.

Introduction: The Fish and the Coin

[Read Matthew 17:24-27]

Discussion: Who is Taxed

Why didn't Jesus have to pay the temple tax? (Because he was God's son.) What does it mean that Jesus was God's son? (It means he was equal with God.) Turn to John 5. [Have volunteers read v.17-23]

Story: Lord of the Sabbath

Another time, Jesus and his disciples were walking through a grainfield. His disciples were hungry and began to pick and eat some of the grain. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to Jesus, Look! Your disciples are picking grain. They're working on the Sabbath. The Pharisees had many strict rules of things they could and could not do on the Sabbath. They were busy watching everyone to make sure they followed these rules. They included things like not cooking, because that would be too much work, and counting your steps to make sure you don't walk too much. (But even the Pharisees made exceptions to these rules when it suited them, see for instance Luke 14:1-5.) Jesus said, Haven't you read in the law that the priests in the temple work on the Sabbath, but are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here... For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.

Main Point: Lordship

What does it mean to be Lord of something? What does it mean for Jesus to be Lord of the Sabbath? Only God could be Lord of that. Who could be greater than the temple? (Only God.)

What did Jesus tell Peter to do about the tax? Catch a fish, open its mouth, take out a coin, and pay it. How likely is it that when you go fishing, you're going to find a gold coin in the fish's mouth? What are the odds? One in a million? One in a billion? Has it ever happened to anyone else besides Peter? There are a lot of more likely ways to get a coin. Jesus could have sent Peter to work for a few hours. Why did he do a miracle? (Same reason he did most miracles: to demonstrate that he is God.)

Closing Point: Who is the Son of Man?

[Read Matthew 16:13-17. If there's loads of spare time, also look at John's testimony about Jesus (John 1:29-34).]

Invitation: Lordship

Invite any teens who want to acknowledge Jesus as God and as Lord of their lives to stay after and discuss it further.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.