This lesson note matches the Lagos State Unified Scheme of Work for Junior Secondary School 1 (JSS1 / Basic 7) Christian Religious Studies (CRS), Third Term.
📚 CRS Lesson Note: God’s Law in the New Testament
- Class: JSS 1 (Basic 7)
- Term: Third Term
- Topic: God’s Law in the New Testament
- Duration: 40 minutes
- References: Holy Bible (RSV), Lagos State Unified Schemes of Work.
🎯 Performance Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain how Jesus showed obedience to existing laws.
- Identify Old Testament laws and what Jesus teaches to improve them.
- Discuss how Jesus prioritized human needs over strict legal rules.
- State the core law of the New Testament (The Law of Love).
📖 Lesson Content
1. Jesus’ Obedience to Existing Laws [2]
Jesus did not come to destroy or cancel the Old Testament laws; instead, He came to fulfill them completely (Matthew 5:17-18). He respected both civil and religious laws during His earthly ministry:
- The Visit to Jerusalem (Luke 2:22-24, 41-51): As a child, Jesus’ parents took Him to Jerusalem to fulfill the Law of Moses concerning purification and the Passover feast. Jesus submitted to His parents and grew in wisdom.
- Payment of Taxes (Matthew 22:15-22): When the Pharisees tried to trap Him, Jesus commanded, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s." He also paid temple taxes to avoid causing offense.
- Healing and Cleansing (Mark 1:40-45): After healing a man with leprosy, Jesus commanded him to go show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifices commanded by Moses.
2. How Jesus Improved the Existing Laws (The Sermon on the Mount)
In Matthew 5:21-48, Jesus elevated the physical, external Old Testament commandments into deeper, internal moral laws: [2, 9]
| Old Testament Law 📜 [10] | Jesus’ New Testament Improvement ✝️ |
|---|
| On Murder: "Do not murder; murderers face judgment." | Heart Purity: Unjust anger, nursing hatred, or insulting someone makes you liable to judgment. |
| On Adultery: "Do not commit physical adultery." | Internal Righteousness: Looking at someone lustfully is committing adultery in the heart. |
| On Divorce: Give your wife a certificate of divorce. | Marital Faithfulness: Divorce is forbidden, except on grounds of unchastity or unfaithfulness. |
| On Swearing: Do not make false vows; fulfill promises made to God. | Absolute Honesty: Do not swear by anything. Let your "Yes" be Yes, and your "No" be No. |
| On Revenge: "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." | Forgiveness: Do not retaliate. If someone slaps your right cheek, turn the other to them as well. |
| On Love: "Love your neighbour and hate your enemy." | The Law of Love: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." |
3. Human Needs Above the Demands of the Law
Jesus taught that laws were made to help human beings, not to oppress them. He prioritized mercy and human survival over legalistic traditions:
- Plucking Grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28): When His hungry disciples plucked heads of grain on the Sabbath, the Pharisees complained. Jesus corrected them by stating, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."
- Healing on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1-6): Jesus healed a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on a Sabbath day. He asked the religious leaders, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?"
4. The Core Law: The Law of Love
When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus summarized the entire Old Testament scriptures into two core rules (Matthew 22:37-40):
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
- Love your neighbour as yourself.
Genuine New Testament compliance requires acting out of sincere love rather than fear of punishment. This is perfectly illustrated in the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12): "Do to others what you would have them do to you."
📝 Evaluation and Class Activities
Teachers can test student comprehension using these quick questions:
- Explain how Jesus fulfilled the law regarding tax payments.
- Contrast what the Old Testament says about revenge with what Jesus taught in the New Testament.
- What did Jesus say to the Pharisees when they challenged Him for healing on the Sabbath?
- State the two greatest commandments in the New Testament.
📌 Moral Lesson
- True righteousness starts from a clean heart, not just pretending to be good on the outside.
- Christians must obey civil laws, like paying taxes and respecting constituted authority.
- Love should motivate everything we do for God and our classmates.
We can expand this material further if needed. Would you like to view a weekly breakdown of the Lagos State CRS syllabus? We can also draft multiple-choice examination questions for this unit, or format this text into a printable lesson plan presentation.
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