FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Crazy Jacob

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When Jesus came to earth, interactions in His part of the world were complicated. As you read Crazy Jacob, notice the groups of people who come into conflict for various reasons.

Throughout Crazy Jacob you’ll find examples of tension between Jews, Gentiles, and Romans. But other conflicts were taking place in first-century Israel as well. The story also reveals spiritual conflicts, and how people were affected.

The Jewish people posed little threat to the mighty Roman Empire, so the Romans allowed them to worship as they wished. The Jews had Scripture that informed them of the one true God, and some followed the Law so strictly that they became arrogant, legalistic, and intolerant of others. Some, like Jacob and Andrew in the story, had become confused by the many different beliefs of the surrounding culture. The Romans had dozens of gods and goddesses, and in that part of the world the influence of Greek and Egyptian deities could also be felt.

Jesus came not only to speak the truth of God’s kingdom, but also to model it. He pointed out that a blatant disregard for God’s kingdom would lead to problems. But surprisingly, it could be just as bad to allow blind obedience to Jewish law to prevent an authentic relationship with God. He made it clear that His Father also wants to be our Father —a loving, caring, and forgiving “Daddy” to those who believe in Him (Romans 8:15-17).

Spiritual conflicts arose as they do now —whenever people allow other gods and spiritual forces to distract them from the truth of the one true God. Paul would later warn us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Yes, it can sound scary to consider that all Christians are in an ongoing spiritual battle, though it rarely gets to the point at which Jacob was in this story. The good news, as the story shows, is that Jesus is far more powerful than any and all other powers —including people, “gods,” and dark spiritual forces. As long as we maintain a loving and growing relationship with Him, we have little to fear from anyone or anything else (see Romans 8:35-39).

Crazy Jacob

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If Crazy Jacob got you to thinking and you’d like to know a little more, here are some projects to consider:

Crazy Jacob

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  1. Has anyone ever made fun of your faith? If so, how did you handle it? If not, what do you think you would do if someone began to use your beliefs as a way to put you down every time he or she saw you?
  2. Have you ever been embarrassed by any of your friends or family members because of their behavior or a physical or mental disability? What can you do to help these people feel better about themselves rather than making the matter worse? Who can you talk with to help you work through your feelings?
  3. If you could meet Jesus face-to-face, what would you ask Him? (For a favor? For an answer to a hard question?)
  4. In the story, why do you think Jesus didn’t let Jacob go with Him? Do you think it would be more challenging to be a disciple around strangers or among people who know you well? Why?

The Worst Wish

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It may be hard for us to relate to the world of Seth and Talitha. Most people today have easy access to Bibles, classes, and other resources to help us understand who Jesus was and how important He was in the history of the world. Yet that information often isn’t as personal as we might like it to be.

So put yourself in the sandals of someone experiencing firsthand the ministry and teachings of Jesus. He taught the same things that had been in the Old Testament Scriptures for thousands of years, but somehow that old information started sounding fresh and relevant. Clearly something was special about Jesus, but what was it? No one had yet written any creeds or theology books to explain that He was the Son of God, was part of the Holy Trinity, had existed forever, and had left His home in heaven to come to earth to save humans from their sin. People just knew that this mysterious Jewish teacher was a skilled storyteller and often exhibited great power that no one but God could possess.

And nowhere was Jesus’ power more evident than in His ability to raise people from the dead. As this story of Talitha shows, He wanted to keep the miracle private. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Once word began to spread that the new rabbi in town could bring the dead back to life, everyone with a friend or relative who’d recently died would want that loved one back (which could get more than a little creepy). But later in Jesus’ ministry, shortly before His crucifixion, He restored Lazarus to life after His friend had been dead for four days (John 11). This time the resurrection was in public, before both friends and critics. No one was able to deny what had happened, and it was a turning point when many people started to believe in Jesus (John 11:45).

Yet even the ability to raise the dead wasn’t enough to convince others to put their faith in Jesus. They couldn’t fit Him into their preconceived notions about who God was. And that division has continued throughout the centuries. Jesus still brings new life to those who believe in Him. Those who don’t are still missing out on wonderful new opportunities.

The Worst Wish

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The Worst Wish may have left you with a few questions. Consider the following projects you might want to undertake to get a better understanding of the setting and characters in the story:

The Worst Wish

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  1. Have you ever told someone, “I wish you were dead!”? If so, did you regret it afterward? After reading this story, do you think you’ll ever say that again?
  2. Do you and your friends ever have disagreements over Jesus, church, or other spiritual issues? If so, what are some of them? Do you respect one another’s opinions? Do the discussions sometimes get heated?
  3. In the story of Talitha, why do you think Jesus didn’t want anyone to know what He had done for her? If something like that were to happen today in the Internet age, how long do you think it would remain a secret?
  4. Have you ever plotted revenge on anyone? What did the person do to provoke you? Did you carry out your plans, and if so, what did you learn from the experience?
  5. Are you anxious about anything in your life right now? Did you notice in this story the difficulty of waiting for Jesus, especially when you’re worried about something? Seth and his father had to wait until Jesus could work His way through the crowds and then heal the other woman before He got to Talitha. At one point the author tells us, “Seth had never felt so hopeless in his life.” But it was at that point that he prayed and, surprisingly, found peace. Have you ever had a similar experience? What do you do when you get really worried about a difficult situation?

Dangerous Dreams

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In this story, Livy worked in the home of Pontius Pilate, an actual historical figure who was governor (prefect) of Judea from AD 26 until AD 36. By most accounts, he was not a very nice man. The Bible mentions one instance in which Pilate apparently had some people killed while they were offering sacrifices to God (Luke 13:1). Other historians give additional examples of Pilate’s violent nature and harsh temper.

Yet Pilate’s interactions with Jesus were more complicated. When he discovered that Jesus wasn’t interested in leading a revolt or immediately starting an earthly kingdom, Pilate appeared genuinely fascinated with Jesus and wanted to set Him free (John 19:6-12). In his position as governor, Pilate had the authority to make that happen. Take a look at some of the things he did to either sway the crowd of onlookers or acknowledge Jesus’ innocence:

It’s not clear exactly why the usually heartless Pilate became so intrigued with Jesus. He had previously had no problem making life difficult for the Jews. Certainly he must have been impressed by Jesus. And perhaps his wife’s note (Matthew 27:19) also had something to do with his level of concern.

In spite of Pilate’s appeals for mercy, he gave in to the crowd and sentenced Jesus to be crucified. Crucifixion was an agonizing punishment the Romans used to impose a maximum level of pain, brutality, and humiliation. You’ve probably seen pictures of T-shaped crosses, but crosses could also be shaped like an I, an X, or a Y. Condemned people were sometimes forced to carry the crossbar, which was then attached to the upright post at the execution site. We know Jesus needed help carrying His cross (Luke 23:26). He had been beaten and flogged (Matthew 27:26-31), a ruthless punishment that sometimes killed the person before he could be crucified.

In spite of this ferocious and demeaning death, Jesus rose again in three days and still lives.

Dangerous Dreams

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If you’d like to know more about the historical events during which Dangerous Dreams is set, here are some projects you might want to undertake:

Dangerous Dreams

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  1. Why do you think this story is titled Dangerous Dreams?
  2. Have you ever been in a situation where you were desperate to escape? What were the circumstances, and how did you handle your feelings?
  3. If you had been Bar Abbas in this story, how do you think you would have responded when you received unexpected freedom and a new life?
  4. Suppose Livy were your friend. What do you know about Jesus that might encourage her? Who are some other friends of yours who might be helped by knowing more about Jesus?

Escape Underground

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This story takes place during an exciting, yet frightening, time for God’s people. In our society it might be hard to understand why there was such a fuss over where people went to church and with whom they worshiped. But in the first century there were a lot of details to be worked out.

For thousands of years the Jewish people had lived and worshiped according to the Law that God had given Moses. But during the series of kings that followed David and Solomon, they’d drifted away from obedience. They ignored God’s instructions about how to live and they worshiped other gods.

Consequently, they were defeated by their enemies; many Israelites were removed from their home country of Israel and carried off as captives. Some eventually returned home, but others stayed where they were. As a result, small groups of Jewish people were scattered throughout the known world.

In the 300s BC, when the Greek Empire was the world superpower, Alexander the Great wanted to unify all his subjects. He immersed them in Greek culture and language. The Jewish people resisted conforming to Greek religion, but the language spread. (That’s why Karis and Mara in Escape Underground could speak Greek. Mara and her friends also spoke Aramaic, which was a more local language —most likely what Jesus spoke most of the time. Some people in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran still speak a form of Aramaic.)

Jesus had come to earth, ministered in Galilee, and been crucified in Jerusalem. His death came during the Jewish Passover, a time when great crowds traveled to Jerusalem to worship and offer sacrifices at the temple. Naturally, there was much discussion about who He was and whether, indeed, He was the Son of God. And it was natural that the church arose in Jerusalem as believers began to meet together and take care of one another. In fact, one of the first “emergencies” of the early church arose because the Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking people were getting better care than the Greek-speaking ones. To remedy the problem, the twelve apostles appointed seven other leaders to oversee those daily needs. Two of those seven were Stephen and Timon (Karis’s father in the story). See Acts 6:1-7 for more details.

But the problems within the church were small compared to those arising outside it. Jesus had faced much opposition from some of the established Jewish leaders (the Pharisees) throughout His ministry. They thought their problems were over with His crucifixion. But then the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). The day the Holy Spirit arrived, three thousand new people became believers and the first Christian church began to take shape (Acts 2:41). No big church buildings existed at the time, so believers met in homes (and it’s no wonder their leaders needed more help taking care of such a crowd).

It didn’t take long for Jesus’ critics to become harsh opponents of the new church, which they saw as a threat to the religion God had given their Jewish ancestors. The rapid growth of “the Way” must have been especially worrisome for them. One of the most aggressive opponents was a young man named Saul, who appears throughout the story. But God had other plans for Saul, and the church that sprang to life during that time has spread throughout the world today, and continues to grow.

Escape Underground

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If you’d like to continue learning about the background of Escape Underground, here are some projects you can do to follow up:

Escape Underground

rightward pointing black triangleDiscussion Questions

  1. Think about your friends. Do you have a nonrelative who’s as close as a sister or brother to you? Do you have any friends you’re close to now, but whom you didn’t like much when you first met? If so, what caused the change?
  2. What are some things adults do at your church that you don’t really understand? Who might explain those things to you?
  3. If you knew you were in danger every time you wanted to get with friends to worship God, do you think your faith would get stronger or weaker? Why?
  4. Can you think of a time during the past week when you had an opportunity to help someone, but didn’t? Why didn’t you? What might have happened if you’d acted? What might you do differently the next time a similar opportunity arises?