[Song] “Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life. Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life.”
Hello, my name is Miss Barb! Welcome to Lifeline English, the podcast that helps you know God and know English.
You can read the written script for today’s lesson online at lifelineenglish.com.
Today I want to teach you four words.
The first word is “messiah”. Can you say that word? Mes-SI-ah. In the first part of the Bible, God promised to send the Messiah to the Jews to save them from their enemies. Now “messiah” means someone who rescues people from dangers or problems. Some people thought their country’s new president was the messiah. They believed he would fix the problems in their nation.
The next word is “assistant”. As-SIS-tant. An assistant is a person who assists, or helps. An assistant is a helper. The manager asked his assistant to take the letters to the post office.
You may know this word. Desert. Not “dessert”. Desert! Dessert is a sweet food usually eaten at the end of a meal. But a desert is a place that does not receive much rain. Deserts are dry and do not have many green plants.
And the last word is easy to say but hard to spell! Straight. It rhymes with wait, date, and the number eight, but isn’t spelled like any of them! “Straight” describes something that is not bent or curved or crooked. Sit up straight! Don’t curve your back. The airplane flew in a straight line from London to Paris.
Okay, ready for today’s story? It’s called, “Who are you?”
The Jews in Jerusalem sent some priests and assistants to John.
Who was sent? Some priests and assistants were sent.
Who sent the priests and assistants? The Jews sent them.
Which Jews sent them? The Jews in Jerusalem sent them.
Where did the Jews send the priests and assistants? The Jews sent them to John.
The Jews sent them to ask John, “Who are you?”
Why did the Jews send the priests and assistants? The Jews sent them to ask John a question.
What did the Jews want to know about John? The Jews wanted to know who he was.
John came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah”.
Did John tell them who he was? No, John did not tell them who he was. He told them who he was not.
Did John claim to be the Messiah? No, John said, “I am not the Messiah.”
“Then who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “I am not,” he said.
Elijah was a very famous prophet who lived about 800 years before John. The Bible says that Elijah will return to earth before the Messiah comes.
Was John Elijah? No, John was not Elijah. John was John. :)
Did John tell them who he was? No, John did not tell them who he was.
“Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he answered.
Another famous prophet named Moses lived 1200 years before John. Moses promised that God would send another prophet like him. Moses did not say what the name of the prophet would be.
Was John this prophet? No, John was not this prophet.
Did John tell them who he was? No, John did not tell them who he was.
Then they said, “Who are you?”
Did the priests and assistants give up? No, they did not give up.
How many times did they ask John a question? They asked John a question 4 times. This is their fourth question.
“Tell us, so we can give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
Why did they want John to answer them? They wanted to give an answer to the people who sent them.
John replied using the words of the prophet Isaiah.
Whose words did the people want to hear? They wanted to hear John’s words. They wanted to know what John said about himself.
Whose words did John use when he replied? John replied using the words of the prophet Isaiah.
John said, “I am a voice shouting in the desert, ‘Make a straight road for the Lord!’”
Isaiah lived 700 years before John. Isaiah wrote the words that John said.
Where is the voice shouting? The voice is shouting in the desert.
What does the voice tell people to do? The voice tells people to make a straight road.
Who will travel on the road? The Lord will travel on the road!
Why must the road be straight? The road must be straight so that the Lord can arrive quickly and easily.
Let’s listen to the whole story together.
The Jews in Jerusalem sent some priests and assistants to John. The Jews sent them to ask John, “Who are you?”
John came right out and said, “I am not the Messiah”.
“Then who are you?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?”
“No,” he answered.
Then they said, “Who are you? Tell us, so we can give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John replied using the words of the prophet Isaiah. John said, “I am a voice shouting in the desert, ‘Make the road straight for the Lord!’”
Now I will tell the story again. I will leave a space before I say some of the words. See if you can say the correct word before I do!
The Jews in Jerusalem sent some priests and... assistants to John. The Jews sent them to ask John… “Who are you?”
John came right out and said, “I am not the … Messiah”.
“Then who are you?” they asked. “Are you… Elijah?”
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the … Prophet?”
“No,” he answered.
Then they said, “Who are you? Tell us, so we can give an... answer to the people who... sent us. What do you say about... yourself?”
John replied using the words of the... prophet Isaiah. John said, “I am a... voice shouting in the... desert, ‘Make the road... straight for the Lord!’”
John was an important man. But he did not want attention. He did not want people to honor him. He wanted people to honor the Lord. He pointed to God.
Do you want to be like John? Let’s pray together. Lord, we don’t want attention and honor from people. We want people to give attention and honor to You. Help us point them to You. Amen.
Do you have questions? You can write me. Go to our website, lifelineenglish.com.
Until next time, may Jesus help you know Him and know English. Good bye!
[Song] “Jesus only savior, sanctify forever, beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life.”
