How Do We Know Jesus Is God's Son?
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 5:36-39
36 But I have testimony more substantial than that of John. For the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You have never heard His voice nor seen His form, 38 nor does His word abide in you, because you do not believe the One He sent. 39 You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me,
Memory Verse
“And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!””— Matthew 3:17 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalm 26; Psalm 40; Psalm 58; Psalm 61; Psalm 62; Psalm 64
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
Jesus knew people would wonder, "Says who?" So in He laid out His evidence like a trustworthy witness in court. He pointed to three things. First, His works. He said "the very works that I do bear witness of Me" (). No one had ever healed the blind, calmed storms, and raised the dead like Jesus. Second, the Father's testimony. That was the same voice we heard at the baptism. Third, the Scriptures. Moses and the prophets wrote about Him centuries before He was born (). Jesus didn't ask anyone to believe blindly. He gave them reasons.
This matters because Christianity is not a leap into the dark. God built His biggest claim on public, checkable evidence. The claim is that Jesus is His Son. The evidence is miracles people watched, prophecies written long beforehand, and a tomb that came up empty. Faith means trusting what God has shown to be true, not pretending without proof. You are raising your kids in a world that says, "You can't really know." Teach them that we can know. The Bible never says, "Just feel it." It says, "Come and see" (), and, "Search the Scriptures."
Around the Table
Jesus did things only God can do, like making sick people well. That's how we know He's God's Son!
Let's do it: Name one thing only God can do. Could you make the wind stop? Could you make blind eyes see?
Jesus gave reasons to believe Him. He pointed to His miracles, the Father's voice, and the Scriptures.
Let's talk: Which reason do you find the most convincing, and why?
Prophets foretold Jesus hundreds of years early. They told His birthplace, His suffering, even His resurrection.
Let's go deeper: Why is fulfilled prophecy hard to explain away as luck or coincidence?
💬 Conversation Starter
Imagine a friend in your class asked, "How do you even know Jesus is real?" What's one true thing you could say back?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "How do you know Jesus is really God's Son? Maybe people just made it up later." — Answer kindly: "Jesus actually gave evidence. He did miracles crowds watched. The Old Testament predicted Him hundreds of years before He was born. And His earliest followers said God's own voice called Him His Son. Those followers would rather die than lie. That's a lot of witnesses lining up, not a story someone whispered into being." We're always ready to give a gentle, confident reason for our hope ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Jesus' method is a model for your apologetics. He stacked converging lines of evidence: His works, the Father's witness, and fulfilled Scripture. He didn't demand bare assent. Teach your older kids the same posture. Faith is warranted trust. Messianic prophecies were written and copied long before Jesus ( on Bethlehem; on His suffering; on the crucifixion). That removes the "edited afterward" objection. You don't need to win arguments. You need to show your children that the evidence runs with faith, not against it. Then they never feel they must choose between thinking and believing.
Draws on: Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You gave us real reasons to trust Jesus. Help us know the truth. Help us hold it gently. And help us share it kindly with friends who are wondering. In Jesus' name, amen."
Believing in Jesus isn't a guess. God gave us good reasons to trust Him.