"Focus on Prophets"
Click below to download the Cornerstone Connections leader’s guide and student lesson. This week’s resources also include two lesson plans and a discussion starter video which offer different ways of looking at the topic. Each lesson plan includes opening activities, scripture passages, discussion questions, and real-life applications.
Even after Elisha was called by God and granted a double portion of His Spirit, he wasn’t guaranteed respect from his peers.
Chapter 17, Royalty in Ruin
Chapter 18, Royalty in Ruin
The wonderful thing about Scripture and stories is that themes emerge. This week’s lesson is about Elijah passing the mantle of leadership on to Elisha. Through this lesson students will be able to see that good leaders mentor, and good disciples take on the mantle of leadership that has been passed on to them. Jesus did that through His ministry, and what we see by looking at both of these stories is that Elisha did a much better job of accepting a call to ministry than most of Jesus’ disciples
Sometimes it is hard to describe something without seeing it. But even when you have more information about something, it is still sometimes hard to pass that information along clearly.
This week we will be continuing to look at the stories of the prophets and kings of Israel. It is amazing how often the New Testament mirrors stories in the Old Testament. By learning and understanding both we see a fuller picture of God and how humanity relates to God.
Let’s start with the Old Testament story. Elijah knew that his ministry was about to conclude. He had just spoken to God on Mount Sinai after the confrontation with Jezebel at Mount Carmel. Elijah was getting old and knew he and Israel needed a successor to be a voice for God. Let’s read about how his successor was found and chosen.
Read 1 Kings 19:19-21 (NIV).
The Call of Elisha
19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowingwith twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threwhis cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father andmother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned theplowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out tofollow Elijah and became his servant.
Look at the last few words. Some versions say that Elisha became Elijah’s servant. Some say he now assisted him, or ministered to him. Before we see Elisha and Elijah together again chapters (or years) seem to pass, but we don’t know a lot about what Elisha learned—just that he “assisted” Elijah. As we look into the New Testament, we will see that this this model is very similar to the way Jesus called His disciples.
Read Mark 1:16-20 (NIV).
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and hisbrother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,“and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat,preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boatwith the hired men and followed him.
One thing that stands out is “at once.” Other versions say “immediately.” The disciples of Jesus, as Elisha did, saw the potential of learning from a master.
After years of Elisha’s following Elijah, the Bible tells us that Elijah was about to be taken to heaven. (Are you starting to see the Easter parallel?) Look at how many times Elijah asked Elisha to stay behind.
Read 2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6 (NIV).
2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
4 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the Lord has sent me to Jericho.”
And he replied, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” And he replied, “As surely asthe Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them walked on.
Let’s look at the difference with Jesus’ disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Read Matthew 26:44-45 (NIV).
44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, thehour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners.
Three times Jesus asked the disciples to pray for Him in the garden and to follow Him, like they had committed to do. Three times, instead of being insistent like Elisha, they fell asleep. It gets worse. When the soldiers came, the disciples—who had promised to stay with Jesus just hours before—turned and fled. I love the details that Mark adds in his gospel. It helps us see just how committed to running the disciples were.
Read Mark 14:50-52 (NIV).
50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.
51 A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, 52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
The story of the disciples doesn’t end there. And that’s the wonderful reason why we celebrate Easter. We don’t focus on the garden or even the cross. We focus on a resurrected Lord! Someone who defeats death and sin on our behalf.
Let’s finish our Old Testament story. Elisha never left Elijah’s side. Let’s look at the final conversation between the mentor and mentee.
Read 2 Kings 2:9-12 (NIV).
9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied.
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11 As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and tore it in two.
Finally, let’s look at one of our last pictures of a resurrected Jesus before His ascension. There is a story at the end of the book of John. It is a dialogue between Jesus and Peter. Again, a question is asked three times. Jesus asks Peter, one of the disciples who denied Him and fled, “Do you love me?” And now, much like Elisha, Peter is up to the master’s task. He is focused on Jesus.
Read John 21:17-19 (NIV).
17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
In both of our stories today, a “discipler” chose one or more disciples. Christianity has followed this model. Yes, the ultimate person to follow is Jesus. But it is also helpful to follow other people who are committed to following Jesus well and to learning from how they are applying their relationship with Jesus to the world we live in today.
Who are your spiritual mentors? Can you think of someone who has been a good spiritual mentor to you and share it with your group?
Note to the leader: Please be ready to share some of the people who have mentored you.
In the book Faith for Exiles, the authors propose that we are living in a digital Babylon. Their research indicates that the “disciples” most likely to stick with Jesus for their entire lives had found meaningful intergenerational relationships.
When a person feels that isolation (what many of us are experiencing right now) and mistrust (what many teens feel about society, leadership, etc.) are the norms, then it is more important than ever for that person to forge meaningful intergenerational relationships with long-time followers of Jesus.
Why do you think that is true?
Who are the leaders who have spiritually mentored you? Were they a parent, teacher, pastor, relative?
Perhaps you would like a mentor. Studies show that students who succeed in sticking with their faith in Jesus have five adults, besides parents, who act as spiritual role models. Who are your five? Do you need to add some people to your list?
