Elijah & Elisha

1. HOOK: Pass the baton

• Play any simple relay game where 2 teams compete against each other. Kids race to complete a task or run a course and then pass the baton to their teammates who will take their turn. Winner is team that finishes task/course first.
• Note: Class management is very important. Get helpers/parents to assist in getting kids in line etc fast.
• Have you ever watched the Olympics on TV?  When runners are in a relay race, each runner goes all the way around the track and then hands off a stick (or baton) — show pix — to the next runner.  Then that runner takes it on the next part of the race and hands it off again.
• Today we look at how Elijah the prophet passed the baton to Elisha.
• Relay Ideas #1 or #2

2. REVIEW: Kings & Prophets of Israel

• Kings in grey are not so important — included to show timeline and framework. Key thing is for kids to know that we were looking at Jehoshaphat and Joash (Kings of Judah) last month. Now we’re heading back to the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and following the story of Elisha the Prophet.

3. LESSON: Elijah & Elisha (2 Kings 2:7-12)

• We’ve learned about Elijah, who was the prophet during King Ahab’s time. He did many awesome things including raising the widow’s son to life and calling down fire from heaven.
• After defeating the prophets of Baal, Elijah went and found Elisha, who was plowing the fields. Elijah threw his cloak over Elisha, a symbol of passing the baton, and Elisha left everything and followed him as his servant.
• One day, Elijah knew God was going to take him back to heaven. He wanted to be alone, but Elisha begged him to let him come along.  Elisha loved Elijah and he wanted to be with him no matter what happened.
• Elijah wrapped his mantle together and struck the waters of the Jordan River and they parted, and then they walked over on dry ground.  Fifty sons of the prophets were standing afar off and saw this happen.
• Before he left, Elijah asked Elisha if he had any last requests, “What do you want from me?”
• Elisha asked for a special blessing (2 Kings 2:9).  He wanted two times the anointing of God that was upon Elijah. Elijah told him that if he saw God take him then he would get his wish.
• And guess what happen next! Suddenly, horses of fire and a chariot of fire come down from the sky in a whirlwind.  It passed between them and took Elijah off to heaven!  Wow!  Can you imagine seeing the wind rushing around and a heavenly horse and chariot that was so shiny it sparkled like fire? It didn’t burn Elijah.  It came to pick him up.
• Elijah dropped his mantle as he was whisked away up in the air.  Elisha picked it up and became the next great prophet of Israel.
• Elisha went on to perform many mighty works also. In fact, some people say he performed twice as many miracles as Elijah because he had double the anointing! In the weeks to come, we will look at some of Elisha’s many miracles.
• Do you know that Jesus also performed many miracles here on earth? He cast out demons, calmed the seas, fed thousands of people, raised the dead etc.
• But what’s more amazing is that Jesus told His disciples that if they believed in Him and His works, “they will do even greater things than these. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” (John 14:12, 14)
• Can you imagine doing greater works than Jesus? How is it possible? When Jesus died for us and rose from the dead, He went back to heaven and sent us His Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit is in us today, and it has all of Jesus’ anointing and power so that we can do great and marvellous things today in His name! Amen!

4. ACTIVITY SUGGESTIONS

• Mother’s Day craft/card: Thank you mom for all you’ve done for me
• Get kids to give testimonies of their mom and to express their appreciation for her.