Category Archives: Jesus

April 1, 2018 · 6:19 am

Easter – Foreshadows of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection (DEVOTION)


PAINTING - Road to EmmausTime

10 minutes
Description

This devotion shows how God left clues to Jesus’ death and resurrection in the pages of the Old Testament.  God had a plan to restore us to relationship with Him from the very beginning.

 

Scriptures

  • Genesis 3:14-15; 22:6, 13; 37:23-24; 41:39-43
  • Exodus 12
  • Exodus 17:1-7
  • Numbers 21:4-9
  • Joshua 2:17-20; 6:23
  • Jonah 1:17-2:10
  • Daniel 6:15-24
  • Luke 24:13-35
  • John 10:10

 

Materials

·       Slide deck – “Easter – Foreshadows of Jesus Death and Resurrection – Slide Deck” (available on the Lesson and Material Downloads page at www.teachingthem.com/downloads/)

·       Projector and screen

Preparation

·       Practice the script.

Procedure

  • (Show slide 1)
  • “It was Sunday, and there was despair and confusion among all of Jesus’ disciples.”  
  • “The one that they had put their hopes in had been crucified by the Romans, but the women had gone to the tomb that morning and found that his body was missing.” 
  • “They came back with an incredible story about the stone being rolled away from the tomb and angels, who said that Jesus was alive!”
  • “Two of the disciples were on their way to Emmaus and talking about all that had happened when a man joined them.” 
  • “When they told him what they had been talking about, he told them that they were foolish and slow to believe what the Prophets had said about the Messiah.” 
  • “Then, he began to explain to them what Moses and the Prophets said about Jesus.”
  • “Of course, the man was Jesus, as the two men found out later that day.” 
  • “They said that their hearts had burned within them as Jesus opened the Scriptures to them.”
  • “I wish I knew exactly what He had said to them, but I’m pretty sure I know at least a part.”
  • (Show slide 2.)
  • “I’m sure He told them about Isaac, Abraham’s promised son, that God asked him to sacrifice.” 
  • “He probably pointed out that Isaac himself carried the wood that he would be sacrificed on up the hill just as Jesus had carried His own cross.” 
  • “I’m sure He pointed out how Isaac willingly allowed himself to be bound and placed on the wood just as Jesus had willingly allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross.”
  • (Show slide 3.)
  • “Then, I’m sure that Jesus pointed out that God provided a ram in the thicket as a sacrifice instead of Isaac.” 
  • “He probably told them that Jesus was the sacrifice that took our place and that the thicket would one day be used to create a crown of thorns for the Lord.”
  • (Show slide 4.)
  • “After that, I bet He told them that Jesus was the rock in the wilderness that Moses struck and from which issued a stream of water that saved the people.” 
  • “He probably pointed out that Jesus was struck to save the people, too, and that streams of living water came from Him.”
  • “Whoever drank the water that Jesus offered would never be thirsty again.”
  • (Show slide 5.)
  • “Then, He might have reminded them about the bronze serpent that Moses put on a pole when poisonous serpents attacked the people.”
  • “Whoever had been bitten by the snakes could look on the bronze serpent and be healed just as any who had been poisoned with sin could look to Jesus’ death on a cross and be saved from death.”
  • (Show slide 6.)
  • “After that, He might have reminded them of the Passover in Egypt, when they had to sacrifice a lamb without defects and spread its blood over their doorframe so that the Angel of Death would pass over them that night.” 
  • “He would have told them that Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God, whose blood covered and protected them from death.” 
  • “And just as no bone of the lamb could be broken, no bone of Jesus’ was broken as He hung on the cross even though the legs of the two thieves were broken to hasten their deaths.”
  • (Show slide 7.)
  • “Jesus might have told them that the red cord Rahab hung out her window protected her and her family during the destruction of Jericho just as His blood protects those who trust in Him.”
  • (Show slide 8.)
  • “Then, He might have asked them to remember Joseph, who was the favorite of his father and who had a magnificent robe that his brothers stripped off of him as they threw him into an empty well while they decided whether or not they would kill him.” 
  • “In this way, Joseph was like Jesus, who was killed by His own people and put in a tomb in the ground.”
  • (Show slide 9.)
  • “I’m almost positive He told them once again about Jonah, who spent three days in the Belly of a giant fish and then was spit out onto dry land.” 
  • “And He would have reminded them that Jesus told the Pharisees and the teachers of the law that they would be given no sign except the sign of Jonah.”
  • “Though Jonah was thrown into the sea and certain to die, He rose alive from the depths again, just as Jesus was buried for three days and then rose to life again.”
  • (Show slide 10.)
  • “Jesus might have pointed out that Daniel was also thrown to certain death in the lion’s den but that the stone was rolled away in the morning to reveal that Daniel was still alive.” 
  • “In the same way, the stone was rolled away from Jesus’ tomb in the morning, and Jesus rose again to life.”
  • (Show slide 11.)
  • “Finally, I’m sure that Jesus wouldn’t have neglected to mention that Joseph spent several years in an underground prison but was raised to the right hand of Pharoah just as Jesus spent three days in an underground tomb but then rose to be seated at the right hand of God the Father.”
  • “Jesus had hours and hours to talk with these men, and He likely shared with them many more connections to His life from the Old Testament than these, but I hope that you can see Jesus’ arrest, death and resurrection were not a surprise to God.”
  • “He had a plan for rescuing us from before time began, and He left a trail of breadcrumbs throughout the Old Testament to show us how intentional His plan was.”
  • “As far back as page 3 of the Bible, God told us how Satan would strike out at Jesus but that Jesus would crush his head. (Genesis 3:14-15)” 
  • “Jesus did this at the cross, and because of His sacrifice, death has been defeated.  Jesus came so that we could have life and that we could have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)”

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July 6, 2013 · 6:56 pm

Solid Foundation (OBJ LESSON)


Building with LegosTime

20 minutes
Description

When you are building a house, it’s essential to have a strong foundation.  Jesus illustrated this in the parable about the wise and foolish builders and made it clear that the “house” is a metaphor for our life.  If we build on the Rock (Jesus), our lives will withstand every storm of life.  In this object lesson, children will build three different foundations and then test them to see if they will stand the test.

 

Scriptures

  • Luke 6:46-49

 

Materials

  • Sugar cubes (1 box per group – make sure they are fresh so that they will dissolve quickly in water)
  • Marshmallows (1 bag of large marshmallows per group)
  • Legos or Duplo building blocks (about 100 small blocks or 50 large blocks per group)
  • A small house made from half of the Lego’s or Duplo blocks
  • Watering can or 3 bottles of water
  • Water (enough to fill you can or bottle)
  • Clear plastic containers (3  – about 8-10 inches tall and large enough for kids to build their foundations in)
  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Build a small house out of the Legos or Duplo blocks, but save about half of your blocks for building one of the foundations.
  • Put the sugar cubes in one plastic container, the marshmallows in another and the rest of the Legos or Duplo blocks in another.
  • Fill the watering can with water (if you are using one)
    • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “Jesus told a story about a wise and a foolish builder.”  (Have a volunteer read Luke 6:46-49.)
  • “Jesus isn’t really talking about houses.  He’s talking about something much more important.  When He says ‘house,’ He really means life.”
  • “Jesus is saying that we should build our life on a strong foundation so that when bad things happen (like the flood and the torrent, which is a fast-moving stream), our house – our life – will not be destroyed.”
  • “So what is this foundation that Jesus is speaking about?  Does anyone know?” (Acknowledge responses.)
  • “In Scripture, the term ‘foundation’ is often used to mean truth.”
  • “In the story Jesus told, He said that the wise builder dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock.”
  • “In the Bible, rocks are usually references to Jesus, the Rock.”
  • “So, what Jesus was saying is that the wise builder built his life (his ‘house’) on the truth (the ‘foundation’) that Jesus (‘the Rock’) is Lord and Savior.”
  • “If you build your life on any other foundation, it won’t stand up during the storms of life – the difficult times.”
  • “Let’s do an activity that will show what Jesus means.”  (Divide the group into three small groups, and give each group a container with different building materials. Give them 3 minutes to build a foundation out of their materials.  When everyone is finished, set the small house on top of the sugar cubes.)
  •  “Let’s see what happens when the storms of life happen to a house built on this kind of foundation.”  (Get a volunteer to poor water over the house to simulate a storm and flood.)
  • “What is happening to this foundation?” (Acknowledge responses.  Get another volunteer to shake the plastic container to simulate an earthquake.)
  • “Now what’s happening?” (Acknowledge response. Repeat the process for the marshmallow and Lego/Duplo foundation, but when you put the house on the Lego/Duplo foundation, attach it so that it sits firmly and will withstand the “earthquake.”  After you’ve finished the activity, discuss the Debrief questions below.  You can use the Rhyme Time to reinforce the main teaching point.)

 

Debriefing Questions

 

  1. If the Legos/Duplo blocks represent the Truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior, what do you think the sugar cubes and marshmallows represented?  (An answer that you are looking for is that they represent what the world says is true.  These are fake truths.)
  2. What are some examples of fake truths that some people build their lives on?  (Some responses might include “money, power, fame, pleasure… are the most important things in life” or “other religions” or “if you are good enough, you can get to heaven.”)
  3. What happens when people build their lives on these truths?
  4. What truth do you want to build your life on?

 

Rhyme Time

A life built on the Rock

Will withstand every shock!

 

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February 12, 2013 · 3:38 pm

Learning Links (OBJ LESSON)


LinksTime

15 minutes
Description

This object lesson teaches that we learn by linking new ideas to old ones and demonstrates that this is the method Jesus used to teach about the Kingdom of God.

Scriptures

  • Mark 4:26-32 (man who throw seeds; mustard seed)
  • Luke 13:20-21 (yeast)

Materials

  • Large paperclips, carabineers or toy chain links (50 or more)
  • Slips of paper to mark places in the Bible for the verses you will share.
  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Form a chain of your paperclips, carabineers or toy chain links.  It should include 30-40 links, so that you can create a large “ball” of links when you hold them all in your hands.
  • Have your other links separated individually and at the front of the teaching area.
  • Write the Scriptures you want read on individual slips of paper, and put them in the Bible at the appropriate places.
  • Practice the script.

Procedure

Use the following script and instructions (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “When Jesus taught, He used a teaching technique called a parable.”
  • “A parable is a simple story that teaches a spiritual lesson.”
  • “The word, ‘parable’ means, ‘to throw alongside of.’” (from the Greek – para, means ‘beside,’ and bole, means ‘a throw’)
  • “With His parables, Jesus was placing two ideas right beside each other.”
  • “He would always use one idea that the listener already knew, and it was usually about farming or fishing or everyday living.”
  • “Then, He would compare what the listener already knew to something they didn’t know about, like the Kingdom of God.”
  • “Let’s look at a few examples.”  (Ask volunteers to read the following Scriptures: Mark 4:26-32, Luke 13:20-21.)
  • “In these Scriptures, Jesus uses examples about farming and cooking to make comparisons to the Kingdom of God.”
  • “In other Scriptures, He uses children, camels, childbirth, light, salt, parties (feasts or banquets), weddings, masters and servants, and fig trees to teach about the Kingdom.”
  • “Let me show you why Jesus taught in this way.”  (Ask a volunteer to come forward, and hand him/her a single link.)
  • “The people Jesus was teaching about the Kingdom of God didn’t know anything about it, but they did know some things about fishing and farming and weddings and trees…”
  • “This link (ask volunteer to hold up their link) represents the knowledge that the people already had about ordinary things in their lives.” (Hold up your “ball” of links.)
  • “This giant ball of links represents everything that Jesus knew about the Kingdom of God.”
  • “If Jesus had tried to give them the entire ball of knowledge all at one time, they wouldn’t have been able to handle it.”  (Toss the ball of links to the volunteer.  It’s okay if he/she doesn’t catch it.  That will illustrate your point.)
  • “Jesus knew that he had to start small and start with what they already knew.”  (Take your ball of links back, and remove one link.)
  • “So, He taught in parables and said this thing that you already know (point to the link in the volunteer’s hand) is like the Kingdom of God.” (Hold up the ball of links) in this way (hold up the single link that you removed from the ball. Then, connect it to the link in the volunteer’s hand.)
  • “The Kingdom of God is like a man who throws seeds.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “The Kingdom of God is like yeast that works its way through the dough.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “Unless you become like little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “In the Kingdom of God, there will be a great wedding feast!” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “Just like you see new leaves on the fig tree when summer is coming, you will see certain signs that tell you when the Kingdom of God is near.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “You cannot enter the Kingdom of God unless you are born a second time in your spirit.” (Remove another link from the ball and connect it to the volunteer’s links.)
  • “By teaching in this way, Jesus helps understand something very big and difficult to understand.” (Hold up ball of links.)
  • “And this is the way all learning works.”
  • “We connect something we know to something we don’t know, and it helps us to understand it better.”  (Thank and dismiss your volunteer.)

 

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October 31, 2012 · 5:20 am

My Latest Book – Peter’s Path


I’m very excited to announce that my new book just went live on Amazon!  It’s called:

Peter’s Path:

Lessons, Skits and Games for Teaching About the Life of Simon-Peter

It’s a collection of all my object lessons, Bible lessons, games, and drama skits about the life of Peter, the Apostle.  You can find all the lessons here on the blog for free, but if you’re lazy like me, you might prefer to have them collected for you.  And for $3.99 (Kindle Edition), it’s worth the time savings.

Hope you like it!

If you would like to purchase the hardcopy version, click this link: Peter’s Path – Hardcopy

If you would like to purchase the Kindle version, click this link: Peter’s Path – Kindle

 

Blessings….Michael

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September 30, 2012 · 9:01 am

Restored (GAME)


Time

15-20 minutes
Description

Peter denied knowing Jesus three times.  After Jesus rose from the dead, he reinstated Peter to leadership of the church by giving him three opportunities to express his love for Jesus.  In this activity, children will try to knock down three cans labeled, “I don’t know him!” with beanbags or balls labeled, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”

 

Scriptures

  • John 18:15-18
  • John 18:25-27
  • John 21:15-17

 

Materials

  • 3 canned foods labeled, “I don’t know him!”
  • 3 beanbags or balls labeled, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”
  • Note cards or duct tape to use to label the cans and the beanbags/balls.
  • 1 permanent marker for labeling
  • 1 surface (like a overturned bucket or table) to set the cans on
  • Masking tape
  • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Label the cans of food and the beanbags or balls.
  • Select a space to play the game.
  • Stack the three cans (two on the bottom and one on the top) on the bucket or table.
  • Use the masking tape to lay down a “throwing line” about ten feet away from the cans. (The children will stand behind this line to make their throws.)
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “We’re going to play a game called, ‘Restored.’”
  • “It’s about Jesus and Peter.”
  • “Peter told Jesus one time that even if everyone else left Him, he never would.”
  • “Peter even carried around a sword in case he needed to defend Jesus against an attacker.”
  • “But one night, the Jewish leaders sent their guards to arrest Jesus.”
  • “Peter attacked with his sword, but he hurt a servant instead of the guards.”
  • “Jesus healed the man that Peter had cut and then let the guards arrest Him.”
  • “Peter and all of Jesus’ best friends got scared and ran away.”
  • “Peter followed the guards from a distance as they took Jesus to the Jewish leaders.”
  • “The guards took Jesus to the house of the top Jewish leader and put Him on trial for crimes He didn’t commit.”
  • “Peter waited in the courtyard while the trial was going on, and people started to notice that he looked like one of Jesus’ followers.”
  • “They asked him three times if he was one of Jesus’ followers, and he denied it each time.”
  • “Jesus wasn’t surprised, though.”
  • “He had told Peter that he would deny knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crowed.”
  • “Sure enough, when Peter denied he knew Jesus for the third time, a rooster crowed, and Jesus looked directly into Peter’s eyes.”
  • “Peter was so ashamed that he ran away and cried and cried.”
  • “When Jesus needed Peter the most, Peter wasn’t a very good friend.”
  • “But even though Peter wasn’t a very good friend to Jesus, Jesus still wanted Peter to lead His followers.”
  • “After Jesus rose from the dead, He met with Peter to let him know that he was forgiven.”
  • “Then, one morning, Jesus did a strange thing.”
  • “He asked Peter three times if Peter loved Him.”  (Have volunteer read John 21:15-17.)
  • “By asking Peter this question three times, Jesus was letting him know that Peter was forgiven and restored to a leadership position for Jesus’ followers.”
  • “Each ‘I love you, Lord,’ was like a big eraser getting rid of the ‘I don’t know Hims!.’”
  • “So, this game is like the Bible story.”
  • “Each of these cans is labeled, ‘I don’t know him!’ and represents the three times Peter denied knowing Jesus after Jesus had been arrested.”
  • “Each bean bag (or ball) is labeled, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you!’ and represents the three times Peter was given a chance to express his love to Jesus after Jesus rose from the dead.”
  • “Everyone will take turns throwing three bean bags (or balls) at the cans from a distance of about ten (10) feet.”
  • “If you knock the cans down, it will be like erasing Peter’s denials with his confessions of love for Jesus.”
  • “Want to play?”  (Let the children line up and take turns trying to knock over the cans.  Each child gets three throws before you reset the cans for the next child.  After each child has had at least one chance to knock the cans over, discuss the following debrief questions.)

 

Debrief Questions

  1. How do you think Peter felt after denying Jesus three times?
  2. Do you remember why Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?” three times?  Why did He do that?
  3. How do you think Peter felt after Jesus gave him three chances to confess his love for Jesus?
  4. Do you believe God forgives you for every bad thing you do?  Why or why not?

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August 19, 2012 · 2:02 am

Miraculous Catch (GAME)


Time

10-15 minutes

Description

One of the times that Jesus called Peter to follow Him was after He did a miracle that allowed Peter to catch so many fish that the weight of them made his boat and his friends’ boat began to sink.  Jesus told Peter that from that moment on he would catch men instead of fish.  This activity lets children try to catch a “miraculous catch of fish.”

 

Scriptures

  • Luke 5:1-11

 

Materials

  • Sheet or large piece of fabric to act as the “net.”
  • Bucket filled with balls (the type you find in a “ball pit” in a children’s play area)
  • Bible 

 

Preparation

  • Select a space to play the game, and set up your materials.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script (or modify to suit your needs):

  • “One of the times that Jesus called Peter to follow Him was after He did a miracle that allowed Peter to catch so many fish that the weight of them made his boat and his friends’ boat began to sink.”  (Ask volunteer to read Luke 5:1-11.)
  • “Did you hear that?”
  • “Jesus told Peter that from that moment on he would catch MEN instead of FISH.”
  • “That had to sound strange to Peter.”
  • “But it was also a good way to explain to him how his life would change after this moment.”
  • “Jesus used fishing language to help Peter understand what was going to happen.”
  • “So, who do you think is the better fisherman?  Peter or Jesus?”  (Acknowledge responses.)
  • “Right!  Jesus is much better, because He created the fish and can command the fish to get into the net.”
  • “Peter can’t do that.”
  • “Jesus was helping Peter to understand that He was God by using fishing – something Peter understood very well.”
  • “Peter was an expert fisherman and had spent all night fishing but caught no fish.”
  • “So, when Jesus knew right where and when to put the net into the water, Peter realized this wasn’t just good luck.”
  • “This was God.”
  • “Let’s play a game to help us remember the story.”
  • “I would like for everyone to grab an edge of this sheet.”  (Hold up sheet, and help children to find a place to grab along the edges.  Makes sure there are children all around the sheet and that they use both hands.”
  • “You are all the fishermen, and the sheet is your ‘net.’”
  • “I’ll play Jesus.”
  • “I have a bucket full of ‘fish.’ They are really balls, but we are going to pretend they are fish.”
  • “When I dump out the ‘fish,’ you should try to catch all of them in your ‘net.’”
  • “If you drop some fish, you can collect them, put them back in the bucket and try again.”
  • “Does anyone have any questions?”  (Answer questions, and then start the game. Pretend to dump the fish several times before actually dumping them, and try to make it a little challenging so that the children have to work together to capture all the fish in the net. Play several rounds, and allow some of the children to play Jesus if you like. Then ask the Debrief Questions below.)

 

Debrief Questions

  1. Why do you think Peter said to Jesus, “Get away from me, Lord! I am a sinful man!” after they caught all the fish?
  2. What do you think Jesus was trying to teach Peter and the others?
  3. What did Jesus mean when he said that they would now fish for people?
  4. Why did the fishermen leave everything (even all the fish that they had just caught) to follow Jesus?
  5. What would you have done?

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July 24, 2012 · 2:20 pm

Fish Tax (GAME)


 

Time

15 minutes
Description

Peter was worried about not being able to pay the required tax to the Temple.  Jesus knew what was bothering him even before Peter could say anything and told Peter to go fishing, which is what Peter did best.  In the mouth of the first fish Peter caught, he found a coin that allowed him to pay the tax for both Jesus and himself.  Children will “go fishing” in a pool and try to catch all the fish with coins before they catch too many without coins.

 

Materials

  • “Fishing pole” (You can use a simple dowel rod with a string attached and a magnet at the end of the string.)
    • Dowel rod
    • String (about 3-foot long)
    • Strong magnet
    • Tape to stick the string to the magnet (unless there is a way to tie them together)
    • Children’s plastic pool (the kind toddlers can sit in)
    • Flat, toy or paper fish with strong magnets attached (24 total – 8 of which should have coins taped or glued to the bottom)
      • Fish (24)
      • Magnets (24)
      • Coins (8)
      • Tape
      • Bible

 

Preparation

  • Create the fishing pole.
  • Tape magnets to all the fish.
  • Tape coins to eight of the fish.
  • Place all the fish at the bottom of the pool with the coins on the bottom.  Make sure to mix them up so that it won’t be too easy to find the fish with coins.  It’s okay for some to overlap.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script and instructions (or modify to suit your needs):

·      “One day, the tax collectors (the guys like Matthew, one of the apostles) from the Temple came up to Peter and asked, ‘Does your teacher pay the temple tax?’”

·      “Peter answered, ‘Of course he does!’ but the truth was, he wasn’t sure.”

·      “So he quickly went to see Jesus and ask Him about it.”

·      “But before Peter even had a chance to speak, Jesus knew what he was about to ask.”

·      “Jesus said, ‘Peter, so that we won’t offend the tax collectors, go down to the lake and throw in a fishing line.  Open the mouth of the first fish that you catch, and you will find a coin.  Take the coin and pay the tax for both of us.’”

·      “So Peter did just as Jesus said.”

·      “He went down to the lake and threw in a fishing line.”  (Pretend to cast your fishing pole.)

·      “Almost immediately, he felt a fish on his line, so he tugged at it as hard as he could and pulled the fish in.”  (Pretend to struggle reeling the fish in.  Be careful not to accidentally reveal one of the fish with the coin attached to the bottom.)

·      “When he opened the fish’s mouth, he found a four-drachma coin! (That’s a coin they used back then.)”

  • “That was just enough to pay both Jesus’s and Peter’s tax!”
  • “That’s amazing, right!”
  • “Well, let’s play a game based on this story.”
  • “Here’s how it works.”
  • “Each one of you will get three chances with this fishing pole to try to catch a fish with a coin attached.”
  • “If you catch a fish without a coin attached, you should put it back into the pool.”
  • “If you catch a fish with a coin, you can pull it out.”
  • “After three turns, we will let someone else try.”
  • “There are eight (8) fish with coins attached.”
  • “We will keep fishing until we catch all of them.”
  • “The one who catches the most wins.”
  • “Does anyone have any questions?”  (Answer any questions.  Then let the children play.  The first person to try can be the person with the next birthday.  After you’ve played the game, you can use the debrief questions below to reinforce the teaching points.)

Debrief

  1. Have you ever caught a fish with a coin in its mouth?
  2. Why do you think Jesus had Peter go fishing in order to pay the Temple tax for Peter and himself?
  3. What was Jesus trying to help Peter understand about who Jesus was?
  4. What should this experience teach Peter about worrying about things?
  5. What should we do when we are worried about some problem in our lives?

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July 7, 2012 · 9:49 am

Would You Die for a Lie? (LESSON)


 

Time

30 minutes

 

Description

This lesson makes the case to prove Jesus’ resurrection by stressing the commitment of the apostles to defending it as truth.  Aside from Judas, they were all eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection, and ten of them died a martyr’s death because they wouldn’t renounce it. (All the gory details about the martyrdom of the Apostles is provided in this lesson, but care should be given to the age of the children when deciding how much information to share.)

 

Scriptures

  • Acts

 

Materials

  • The following supporting materials can be found at www.teachingthem.comon the Lesson and Material Downloads page.
    • “Would You Die for a Lie? – Apostles Faces” (Pictures of the Apostles that volunteers can hold up while you tell about them.)
    • “Would You Die for a Lie? – Where the Apostles Preached” (A PowerPoint slide that shows a map of Europe, Africa and the Middle East and all the places that the Apostles took the Good News.)
  • Computer, LCD projector and screen (to show the map)
  • Paint stir sticks or large Popsicle sticks (12)
  • Paper plates (12)
  • Glue

 

Preparation

  • Print apostle face pictures.
  • Glue pictures to paper plates and then to paint stir sticks to make handles.
  • Put these face pictures near the front of your teaching area, where you can easily reach them.
  • Set up projector and screen and get the map ready to project.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script, or modify to suit your needs:

  • “Do you ever wonder what happened to the twelve apostles who followed Jesus?”
  • “Well, the Bible only tells us about a few of them.”
  • “Most of what we know comes from historians who wrote about the time of Jesus and the beginning of the Christian Church.”
  • “So, here’s what we know.”  (Project the map in the file, “Would You Die for a Lie? – Where The Apostles Preached.”  Invite 12 volunteers to come up, and hand them the face signs you created. Have them hold the signs up to cover their faces.  Line them up in this order: James (the Greater), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew (Nathanael), Matthew, Thomas, James, Simon, Thaddeaus, Judas, John, Peter.  As you tell about each man’s martyrdom, have the volunteer take a seat.)
  • “It all started in this tiny piece of land, called Israel.”  (Indicate Israel on the map.)
  • “Can you believe how small that is?” (Point out Africa, Europe and the Middle East on the map so that the kids will get an idea for where Israel is in relation to them.)
  • “Jesus trained 12 Apostles to take the good news (the Gospel) to all the world.”
  • “The Apostles took their job (the Great Commission) seriously, as you will see!”
  • “Let’s start with James – he was one of the ‘Sons of Thunder’ and one of Jesus’ closest friends on earth, but he became the first Apostle to become a martyr – which is a person who dies for what they believe.”
    • “Herod Agrippa I had James arrested, and when he saw that the Jewish leaders hated James, he had him beheaded.”
    • “This made Herod so popular that he thought he might do the same thing to Peter, but Peter was freed from Herod’s jail by an angel.”
    • “So, James didn’t travel to any of the other places on the map.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “But then there was Andrew– he was the Apostle who was always bringing people to Jesus.”
    • “He brought Peter, he brought the young boy with the loaves and the fishes, and he brought some Greeks to Jesus.”
    • “After Jesus rose to heaven, Andrew took the Gospel (which is the “good news” about Jesus) north into Russia and then into Scotland.”  (Advance slide.)
    • “After angering a Roman governor by leading his wife to Christ, he was crucified in Greece on an X-shaped cross.”
    • “Instead of nailing him to the cross, they tied him to it so that it would take longer for him to die.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Philip – he publically doubted that Jesus could feed the 5,000.”
    • “Eight years after James was put to death, Philip was stoned to death at Hierapolis in Asia Minor.” (Advance slide, and have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Bartholomew – he ministered in Persia, India and Armenia, and tradition says that he was tied up in a sack and thrown into the sea.” (Advance slide, and have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Matthew – he was a tax collector and the most hated of all Jews, but after following Jesus, he wrote his Gospel for the Jewish people.”
    • “Though we don’t have reliable records, it is believed that Matthew ministered in Ethiopia, Persia, the kingdom of the Parthians, Macedonia and Syria.”  (Advance slide.)
    • “We think he was burned at the stake.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Thomas – he was the Apostle who doubted that Jesus had returned from the grave and said he would have to put his finger into the nail scars before he believed, but when Jesus appeared to him, he made the strongest proclamation that Jesus is God.  (“My Lord and my God!”)”
    • “Thomas carried the Gospel to India, and he died when he was run through with a spear.” (Advance slide, and have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “James, the Less – we think that James took the Gospel to Syria and Persia, but we are not entirely sure how he died.” (Advance slide.)
    • “It was either by stoning, beating or crucifixion.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Simon, the Zealot – he started as a dangerous terrorist, who probably participated in attacks on the Romans and on tax collectors, but after following Jesus, his heart was changed.”
    • “He took the Gospel to Egypt and as far as the British Isles and was killed for his beliefs, though we don’t know how.” (Advance slide.)
    • “Some say crucifixion; some say beheading.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Thaddaeus – his name means something like “momma’s boy,” but he really grew up while following Jesus.”
    • “We think he took the Gospel to Mesopotamia, near Turkey, and he once healed the king of the city of Edessa.”  (Advance slide.)
    • “He was also said to have preached in Iran, and he was clubbed to death for his faith in Beirut, Lebanon.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “Judas, the Traitor – He never believed that Jesus was God, so Judas has the saddest story of all.”
    • “He sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver and then had an attack of his conscience.”
    • “He hung himself from a weak tree limb that broke and dropped him on some jagged rocks, where his guts spilled out.”
    • “Out of the Twelve, he was the only one who died for his lack of faith.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “John – he was James’ brother and another ‘Son of Thunder.’”
    • “He, too, was one of Jesus’ closest friends on earth.”
    • “He is actually the only apostle who wasn’t killed for his faith in Jesus.”
    • “He lived many years, but it had to be sad for him to hear that all his closest friends were killed.”
    • “John pastored a church in a city called Ephesus in Asia Minor, but then the Roman Emperor Domitian got angry with him and sent him to live on an island for prisoners (Patmos off the west coast of Turkey).” (Advance slide.)
    • “He had to live in a cave, but there he was able to do some writing.”
    • “During his lifetime, he wrote one of the Gospels, three letters that we find in the Bible and the last book of the Bible (Revelation), which tells about when Jesus will come again.”
    • “John eventually died of old age.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “And finally, there was Simon-Peter– he had the most dramatic transformation after following Jesus.”
    • “Simon eventually earned his name that means ‘listens and obeys.’”
    • “And he also earned his name of Peter, which means ‘rock,’ because Peter became a solid leader who led the early church.”
    • “Peter preached powerfully at Pentecost (a Jewish holiday celebrating the harvest of the crops) and led 3,000 people to the Lord.”
    • “He was so powerful spiritually that people were healed when just his shadow fell on them.”
    • “He raised Dorcas from the dead, introduced the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to the Gospel and wrote two books of the New Testament.”
    • “He eventually went to Rome, Italy, and witnessed to the Roman emperor, Nero.” (Advance slide.)
    • “Peter and his wife were both crucified for their beliefs, but Peter begged to be crucified upside down, because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way Jesus did.” (Have volunteer take a seat.)
  • “So, that’s what became of all of them.”
  • “John was exiled; Judas killed himself and the other ten were put to death because they claimed that Jesus is God.”
  • “Don’t worry, though.  God isn’t asking all of us to die for our faith.”
  • “The Apostles were so powerful that God’s enemy, the Devil, fought very hard against them.”
  • “God protected each of them for a long time, but there came a time in each of their lives that they had completed the work God had for them to do.”
  • “When it came time, they each decided that they wanted to give God as much glory as they could when they died.”
  • “By dying for their belief in Jesus, they told the world that He is really God.”
  • “Let me ask you a question.  If you told a lie, and someone powerful said that you either had to admit you were lying or they would kill you, what would you do?” (Listen for response.)
  • “You wouldn’t die for a lie, would you?”
  • “Touch your neighbor and say, ‘I wouldn’t die for a lie!’”
  • “No, just like me, you would admit that you had lied so that you could go on living.”
  • “Well, the people who killed these men accused them of lying about Jesus.”
  • “They demanded that the Apostles admit they were lying about Jesus being God or else they would be put to death.”
  • “But these men chose to let people kill them rather than admit they were lying about Jesus.”
  • “Why do you think that was?” (Expected response: “They weren’t lying!”)
  • “Right!  They weren’t lying!”
  • “These men didn’t die for a lie.”
  • “Nobody is dumb enough to do that!”
  • “They died for the Truth!”
  • “Touch your neighbor and say, ‘They died for the Truth!’”
  • “They let themselves be put to death, because they knew that death was not the end of their story.”
  • “They knew that it was just the beginning!”
  • “They knew that death was just the end of their physical life on earth, and they were looking ahead to what Jesus promised them – eternal life with Him in heaven.”
  • “Probably none of us will have to die for the Truth that Jesus is alive and Lord of all creation.”
  • “But there are sooooooo many people out there that don’t know the Truth.”
  • “We’ve got to be like the Apostles and tell them about Jesus.”
  • “Don’t let them die believing a lie!”
  • “Tell them the Truth – Jesus is alive!  He loves them, and if they will follow Him, they can live with Him forever in heaven!”
  • “So don’t let them die believing a lie.”
  • “Touch three people and say, ‘I won’t let them die believing a lie.’”  (You can use the Rhyme Time below to reinforce the lesson’s teaching point.)

 

Rhyme Time

The Apostles died,

But we don’t grieve.

They gave their lives

So we’d believe!

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July 3, 2012 · 7:41 am

The Rest of the Story (LESSON)


 

Time

30 minutes

 

Description

This lesson tells of Jesus’ resurrection and the restoration of Peter to leadership.  Peter denied Jesus three times, and Jesus forgave him three times just so that he would know and understand that he was completely forgiven and that God could still use him.

 

Scriptures

  • Luke 24:37-43
  • John 20:1-9; 21:15-19
  • Acts 2:14-41
  • Romans 6:23

 

Materials

  • The following supporting materials can be found at www.teachingthem.comon the Lesson and Material Downloads page.
    • “Rest of the Story – Love Signs” (This document has a single page with the three Greek words for love – Agape, Phileo and Eros.)
    • “Rest of the Story – Script Cards” (This is a document with all Peter’s and Jesus’ lines on it to help them during the drama.)
  • Tape
  • Costume for Peter character – fisherman’s hat, fishing pole, tackle box, fishing vest, etc.  Can go barefoot.
  • Costume for Jesus character – recommend a long piece of fabric with a hole cut in the middle for his head to fit through.  Add a belt around the waist and maybe a sash to drape over one shoulder and under one arm.
  • Something like a net that Peter and the other disciples can cast during the drama scene.
  • Something to act as a boat for the drama scene.
  • Strips of cloth and a piece of fabric to represent Jesus’ grave clothes.
  • Bible

Preparation

  • Print the “Script” document mentioned above and cut out the lines for both Jesus and peter to say.  (Optionally, you could write these lines for Jesus and Peter to say on notecards:
    • Peter: I’m going fishing.  Anyone want to come?
    • Jesus: Catch any fish?
    • Peter: Nope…nothing!
    • Jesus: Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.
    • Jesus: Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?
    • Peter: Yes, Lord.  You know that I love you.
    • Jesus: Simon son of John, do you truly ‘agape’ me more than these?
    • Peter: Yes, Lord.  You know that I ‘phileo’ you.
    • Jesus: Feed my lambs.
    • Jesus: Simon son of John, do you truly agape me?
    • Peter: Yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you.
    • Jesus: Take care of my sheep.
    • Jesus: Simon son of John, do you phileo me?
    • Peter: Lord, you know all things.  You know that I phileo you.
    • Jesus: Feed my sheep.
  • Print two copies of the “Love Signs” document mentioned above, and crease it along the lines between each of the Greek words.  Then, fold the paper so that it makes a triangle with one word on each side.  Tape the ends together.
  • Select your volunteer to play Jesus (you may want to choose an adult because of the lines he needs to say), and explain what you want him to do.  Dress him in his costume, and have him wait off-stage or out of sight.  Give him the script with his lines on them.
  • Select your volunteer to play Peter (you may want to choose an adult because of the lines he needs to say), and explain what you want him to do.  Dress him in his costume, and have him sit in the audience.  Give him the script with his lines on them.
  • Neatly fold the “grave clothes” and put them somewhere that can represent the garden tomb.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script, or modify to suit your needs:

  • “It’s Sunday.  The Jewish Sabbath day of rest is over.”
  • “In the early morning, several women, who were followers of Jesus, left the house where they were staying and went to anoint Jesus’ body with spices.”
  • “They probably wondered how they were ever going to be able to move the huge stone that covered the opening to the tomb.”
  • “But when they reached the tomb in the garden, the stone had already been rolled away!”
  • “They stepped into the tomb, but there was no body there.”
  • “Suddenly, two angels appeared and said, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; He is risen!  Don’t you remember?  He told you this would happen.’”
  • “The women remembered and ran back to tell the others.”
  • “At first, no one believed them, but Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw for themselves.  Jesus was not there, but his grave clothes were neatly folded where He had been lain.”
  • “When John saw the grave clothes, he believed that Jesus had risen.”
  • “The grave clothes were neatly folded!” (Point to or hold up the “grave clothes.”)
  • “Some people would later say that Jesus’ body was stolen, but no grave robber would take the time to first undress the body and then neatly fold the clothes.”
  • “If they were going to steal the body, they would have had to a) defeat the Roman guards outside the tomb, and these men would fight to the death, because if they lost the body, Pilate would order them killed; b) roll away the stone, which probably weighed over a thousand pounds and would have to be rolled up an incline that was meant to lock it into place.”
  • “After all that exhausting, physical work just to get to the body, do you think they would worry about getting the grave clothes off of the body.”
  • “Besides, that would have meant that they had to carry Jesus’ naked body, and that would have attracted a lot of attention if anyone saw them.”
  • “Nope, when John saw the neatly folded grave clothes, he knew – Jesus had done exactly what He promised – He had raised His own body from the dead!”
  • “Peter, however, still wasn’t sure.”
  • “It wasn’t until Jesus personally appeared to Peter that Peter understood and believed what had happened.”
  • “Then Peter knew that Jesus had to die to take the punishment for our sins, because the Bible says that the payment for sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
  • “But then once the payment was made, Jesus defeated death forever by raising His body back to life!”
  • “Jesus appeared several more times to different people: a few times to the apostles, once to a few men on the road to Emmaus, and once to over 500 people at one time!”
  • “But even with all this excitement, would you believe that Peter once again went back to fishing?”
  • “It’s the truth!  I think he got tired of waiting for Jesus to tell him what to do, so he got up one day and said…”  (Have Peter character stand up where he was sitting and say: “I’m going fishing.  Anyone want to come?”  He can select 4-5 volunteers from the audience to act out the story with him.)
  • “Several of the apostles decided that they would go with him.” (Have them get into the boat and act out whatever you say from this point forward.)
  • “They fished all night long, but they didn’t catch a single fish.” (The volunteers can cast the net over the side of the boat several times to act this out.)
  • “Early the next morning, as the apostles sat or slept in their boat, they heard a call from the shore…” (Have Jesus character call out from the edge of the room: “Catch any fish?”  Have Peter yell back, “Nope.  Nothing!” and then have Jesus call out, “Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”)
  • “Isn’t that funny?  How could someone on the shore know more about where the fish are at than the fishermen on the water?”
  • “But they tried it anyway, and when they pulled their nets back in, there were so many fish, they couldn’t even haul the net into the boat.” (Have volunteers cast their net one more time onto the kids in the audience and pretend to pull them in.)
  • “John said to Peter, “It’s the Lord,” and Peter immediately jumped into the water to swim to shore, leaving his friends to gather up the fish.”  (Have Peter character act this out.)
  • “They had caught 153 really big fish, and when they reached the shore with the boat, Jesus asked them to bring some to put on the fire (where He already had a few fish cooking).”
  • “That morning, they ate together like they used to do before Jesus had been crucified, and they just enjoyed each other’s company for some time in the sun.” (Have volunteers act this out.)
  • “Then Jesus turned to Peter and asked him a serious question…” (Jesus: “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”  Peter should reply, “Yes, Lord.  You know that I love you.”)
  • “Jesus may have been asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than all the other disciples.”
  • “After all, Peter had bragged that even if everyone else failed Jesus, he would never fail Him.”
  • “Or Jesus may have been asking Peter if he loved Jesus more than all the fish he had just caught, because every time Peter got the chance, he stopped following Jesus and went right back to fishing.”
  • “But whatever Jesus was talking about there, I don’t want you to miss something really important that is also happening.”
  • “It’s not obvious in the English translation of what Jesus said, because we usually just have one word for love.”
  • “Jesus didn’t speak English.  He spoke Aramaic, a really old language, Hebrew, the Jewish language, and Greek, a language that was common then because it was used for business.”
  • “When He asked Peter if he loved Him, Jesus used the Greek word ‘agape’ for love.”  (Jesus: “Simon son of John, do you truly ‘agape’ me more than these?” Hand Jesus the love sign triangle, and have him hold it so that everyone can see the “Agape” side.)
  • “Agape means the best kind of love, a kind that will never give up or go away.”
  • “It’s not puppy love, the warm feeling you get inside when you see someone cute.”
    “This kind of love is an action.”
  • “It’s love that loves you even when you don’t deserve it, even when it’s hard to love you, even when you don’t love the other person back.”
  • “Peter knew that he couldn’t claim to love Jesus like that anymore.”
  • “He had run away, and he had denied Jesus three times.”
  • “So Peter used a different Greek word for love when he answered Jesus. He said…” (Peter: “Yes, Lord.  You know that I ‘phileo’ you.” Hand Peter the love sign triangle, and have him hold it so everyone can see the “Phileo” side.)
  • “Phileo is a weaker kind of love.”
  • “It means ‘brotherly love,’ and it’s where the city of Philadelphia gets its name.”
  • “Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love.”
  • “Phileo is a love that says, ‘I’ll love you because I should.  You’re my brother, after all.”
  • “If you have a brother or sister, you know you are supposed to love them because they are family.”
  • “But if your brother or sister is really mean to you, you might decide to stop loving them.”
  • “There’s an even weaker kind of love that’s called ‘Eros.’”  (Have Jesus and Peter characters hold their triangles to show this side of their sign.) 
  • “Eros is the kind of love that says, ‘You’re cute!’”
  • “This is the kind of love that gives boys crushes on girls and girls crushes on boys.”
  • “It only lasts as long as the other person is cute to us.”
  • “So, back to Peter.”
  • “He wanted to say that he would love Jesus with agape love – the kind that never gives up or goes away, but he couldn’t bring himself to boast any longer.”
  • “Peter used to brag a lot, but his failure made him a humble man, and people that knew him said that he was humble for the rest of his life.”
  • “Jesus noticed that Peter changed the word for love, but He just said…” (Jesus: “Feed my lambs.”)
  • “Jesus often referred to His followers as sheep or lambs.”
  • “So, He was telling Peter that he was to be the leader of the Church, that He was to be the shepherd of God’s flock.”
  • “Then Jesus asked again…” (Jesus: “Simon son of John, do you truly agape me?”  Have him show the Agape side of the sign.  Then Peter should say, “Yes, Lord, you know that I phileo you.”  Have Peter show the Phileo side of his sign.  Jesus should then say, “Take care of my sheep.”)
  • “One last time, Jesus asked… (Jesus: “Simon son of John, do you phileo me?”  Have the volunteer show the Phileo side of the sign.)
  • “Did you notice what Jesus did?”
  • “Jesus was basically saying “Okay, Peter.  I know you aren’t ready to be bold yet.  It’s okay if all you are willing to do is love me with phileo.  I’m willing to accept that for now.”
  • “But even so, Peter was hurt, because Jesus asked him a third time if Peter loved Him.  So, he said…”  (Peter: “Lord, you know all things.  You know that I phileo you.”  Have Peter character show the Phileo side of his sign.  Then Jesus should say, “Feed my sheep.”  Thank your volunteers, and let them take a seat.)
  • “Did you notice that Jesus asked the question three times?  Does that remind you of anything?”  (Expected response: “Peter denied Jesus three times.”)
  • “Right!  Jesus asked Peter three times, because each time was like an eraser for the times that Peter denied Jesus.”
  • “Jesus was telling Peter, ‘You denied me three times.  I forgive you three times.’”
  • “Jesus was restoring Peter to his leadership of the flock, the Church.”
  • “I’m sure it was painful for Peter to be reminded of the three times he denied he knew Jesus, but it was important that he knew he was completely forgiven and that Jesus still had a leadership role for Peter to fill.”
  • “Peter did take that leadership role.”
  • “On the day of Pentecost (which is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the time for harvesting crops), Peter and the other disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit.”
  • “Peter got up and preached so powerfully that 3,000 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.”
  • “He was so powerful spiritually that people were healed when just his shadow fell on them.”
  • “He raised a woman named Dorcas from the dead, introduced the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to the Gospel and wrote two books of the New Testament (and probably was the person who told Mark all the stories he wrote in his Gospel).”
  • “Peter and his wife were both crucified for their beliefs, but Peter begged to be crucified upside down, because he didn’t feel worthy to die in the same way Jesus did.”
  • “I guess you could say that Simon eventually earned his name that means ‘listens and obeys,’ because he listened carefully to everything that God told him.”
  • “And he also earned his name of Peter which means ‘rock,’ because Peter became a solid leader who led the early church.”
  • “After that meeting between Jesus and Peter on the beach, Jesus only stayed on earth for a little longer.”
  • “Then, in front of many witnesses, He rose into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God, the Father.”
  • “There, He prays for us and speaks good things about us to the Father every day.”
  • “And one day, we will get to see Him in all His glory when we join Him in heaven.” (You may want to have the kids say the Rhyme Time below to reinforce the teaching point of the lesson.)

 

Rhyme Time

Jesus paid the price I couldn’t give,

And rose again so I could live!

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July 2, 2012 · 3:03 pm

The Spirit Is Willing, But the Body Is Weak (LESSON)


 

Time

30 minutes

 

Description

This reenacts the last hours of Jesus life before His crucifixion all the way through to His death and burial.  Everyone (even Peter) abandoned Jesus in His time of need, but Jesus went to the cross for us anyway.  They way He died, as much as the way He lived, is a testimony to Who He is.

 

Scriptures

  • John 18-19
  • Luke 23:34
  • Hebrews 4:12
  • Ephesians 6:17

 

Materials

  • The following supporting materials can be found at www.teachingthem.comon the Lesson and Material Downloads page.
    • “Spirit Is Willing, But Body Is Weak – Script Cards” (This is a document with all Peter’s and Jesus’ line on it to help them during the drama.)
  • Long table that sits close to the floor (If you don’t have one like this, you can use a folding table.  Just don’t open the legs, and set the table top on a few bricks to raise it about a foot off the ground.  This will more closely resemble the type of table Jesus and his disciples ate at.)
  • Plates, cups, pitchers, fake food (anything to dress up the table for the Passover meal)
  • Costume for Jesus character – recommend a long piece of fabric with a hole cut in the middle for his head to fit through.  Add a belt around the waist and maybe a sash to drape over one shoulder and under one arm.
  • Costume for Peter character – recommend a long piece of fabric with a hole cut in the middle for his head to fit through and a belt around the waist.  He will need a sword to cut off Malchus’ ear.
  • Rope to tie up Jesus
  • Cross for Jesus to carry (It can be made of wood or cardboard or whatever else you can think of.)
  • Strips of cloth to wrap Jesus’ body for burial.
  • OPTIONAL – if you want to decorate or designate portions of the room as The Upper Room, The Garden of Gethsemane, Golgotha, Pilate’s judgment seat, the tomb in the garden, it might add some realism to the story.
  • Bible

Preparation

  • Print the document mentioned above and cut out the lines for both Jesus and peter to say.  (Optionally, you could write these lines for Jesus and Peter to say on notecards:
    • Jesus: One of you is going to betray me.
    • Jesus: It is the one I pass the piece of bread to after I dip it in the bowl.
    • Jesus: It important for you to show love for each other.
    • Peter: Master, where are you going?
    • Jesus: Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.
    • Peter: Lord, why can’t I follow you now?  I will lay down my life for you!
    • Jesus: Will you really lay down your life for me?  I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will deny you know me three times!
    • Jesus: Couldn’t you stay awake to pray?  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.
    • Jesus: Put your sword away.
    • Peter: No! Not me!
    • Peter: I told you, I’m not one of them!
    • Peter: Blankety-blank-blank-blank!  I do NOT know the man!
    • Jesus: You are right in saying I am.
    • Jesus: Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.
    • Jesus: It is finished.
    • Jesus: Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.)
  • Select your volunteer to play Jesus (you may want to choose an adult because of the lines he needs to say), and explain what you want him to do.  Dress him in his costume, and have him wait off-stage or out of sight.  Give him the script with his lines on them.
  • Select your volunteer to play Peter (you may want to choose an adult because of the lines he needs to say), and explain what you want him to do.  Dress him in his costume, and have him wait off-stage or out of sight.  Give him the script with his lines on them.
  • Ask a volunteer to make the sound of a cock crowing when you give the signal.
  • Practice the script.

 

Procedure

Use the following script, or modify to suit your needs:

  • “Today, I’m going to share the saddest part of the story about Jesus.”
  • “It was Thursday night, and Jesus was having His very last meal with His disciples before going to the cross.”  (Have person playing Jesus and twelve volunteers come up and sit around table.  Tell them to act out whatever you say during the story.)
  • “Everyone could tell that something was wrong, but they didn’t understand what was happening, so they were very sad but didn’t know why.”
  • “At one point during dinner, Jesus said…” (Have Jesus character say: “One of you is going to betray me.”)
  • “They all asked, “Is it me?  Who is it?” (Have volunteers act this out.)
  • “Jesus said…” (Jesus: “It is the one I pass the piece of bread to after I dip it in the bowl.”)
  • “Then He dipped the bread and passed it to Judas.” (Have Jesus character pretend to dip some break into a bowl and then pass it to one of the volunteers at the table.)
  • “After Judas took the bread, Satan entered him, and he left to go get the priests’ soldiers.”  (The volunteer who Jesus passed the bread to goes back to his seat.)
  • “You see, Judas had already told the religious leaders (the Pharisees and the teachers of the law) that he would give Jesus to them for 30 pieces of silver.”
  • “Jesus stayed with the other disciples and said… (Jesus: “It important for you to show love for each other.”)
  • “Peter got worried and asked…” (Peter: Master, where are you going?”
  • “Jesus told him…” (Jesus: “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”)
  • “Does anyone know where Jesus is talking about going?”  (Expected response: “Heaven”)
  • “Right, He’s going to heaven, and it’s not time for His friends to follow Him yet.”
  • “But Peter didn’t want to accept that Jesus was leaving, so he said…” (Peter: “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?  I will lay down my life for you.”)
  • “And Jesus said…” (Jesus: “Will you really lay down your life for me?  I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will deny you know me me three times!”)
  • “Peter didn’t believe it.  He thought that there was no way he could ever turn his back on his Lord and friend.”
  • “And he probably thought to himself, ‘Not a chance!  I’ll be the most faithful of all the disciples.  If anyone tries to hurt my master, I’ll use my sword and teach them a lesson.’”
  • “Dinner was pretty much over at that point.”
  • “Jesus took everyone and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, which was an olive grove.”
  • “He was terribly sad, because He knew what was going to happen.”
  • “So He took just Peter, James and John deeper into the garden pray.” (Have Jesus, James, John and Peter go to a place in the room that can represent the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus should go a little bit further than the others to pray.)
  • “Jesus asked Peter, James and John to stay awake with Him and pray, but they kept falling asleep.”  (Have Peter, James and John act this out.)
  • “Three times, He asked them to pray with Him, and three times, He had to wake them up.”  (Have Jesus go back and forth from His praying spot to ask the disciples to stay awake and pray.  Do this three times.  Jesus says: “Couldn’t you stay awake to pray?  The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”)
  • “Peter thought he was willing to lay down his life for Jesus, but he couldn’t even stay awake to pray for the Lord.”
  • “After Jesus woke them the third time, Judas arrived with the soldiers and kissed Jesus on the cheek as a signal to the men.”  (Have volunteer who played Judas grab a few other people who can pretend to be soldiers.  Judas can just pretend to kiss Jesus if he wants.)
  • “Peter, probably embarrassed that he had been sleeping and allowed the soldiers to sneak up on them, grabbed his sword and swung wildly, cutting off the ear of a servant named Malchus.” (Have Peter act this out with one of the volunteers that came up with the Judas character.  The person who “gets his ear cut off” should cover it up and pretend to be in pain until Jesus heals him.)
  • “But Jesus said…” (Jesus: “Put your sword away.”)
  • “Then Jesus healed the man’s ear.” (Have Jesus character act this out.)
  • “You see, Peter brought the wrong sword to this battle.”
  • “He was trying to fight with a physical sword, but he should have been fighting with the Sword of the Spirit.”  (Hold up Bible.)
  • “The Bible says that Word of God is like a very sharp, two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) and that it’s part of the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:17)”
  • “You can use God’s Word to defend against the work of Satan, and you can use it to attack Satan and save people from him.”
  • “So, it’s best to sharpen your sword every day by reading and memorizing Scriptures from the Bible.”
  • “After cutting off Malchus’ ear, Peter and all the others were terrified and ran away.” (Have all the disciple volunteers run away and take their seats.)
  • “One was so scared that when the guards grabbed his clothes, he ran off naked!” (The Drama Team should NOT act this out!)
  • “Jesus was left alone with the guards.  They tied him up and took Him with them to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, where they put Him on trial.” (Have the guard volunteers act this out.)
  • “They tried to convict Jesus of doing bad things, but they couldn’t find anything that He had done that was illegal.”
  • “So they had people lie about Him, but even those men couldn’t get their stories straight.”
  • “While Jesus was being tried, Peter was out in the courtyard warming himself by a fire.” (Have Peter character act this out.)
  • “Peter was afraid, but he couldn’t keep himself away.”
  • “A servant girl recognized him and said, ‘Aren’t you one of his followers?’”
  • “Peter denied it.”  (Peter: “No! Not me!”)
  • “Then another person saw him and said, ‘You sound like a Galilean.  Aren’t you one of them?’”
  • “Peter denied it a second time.” (Peter: “I told you, I’m not one of them!”)
  • “Finally, a third time, another girl said, ‘This man is definitely one of them!’”
  • “Peter began to curse and swear that he didn’t know Jesus.” (Peter: “Blankety-blank-blank-blank!  I do NOT know the man!”)
  • “At just that moment, they were leading Jesus from one place to another.”
  • “A cock crowed, and Jesus looked Peter in the eyes.”  (Have your volunteer make the sound of a cock crowing while your Jesus and Peter characters make eye contact.)
  • “Peter immediately recognized what he had done.”
  • “He had denied knowing Jesus three times!”
  • “He had abandoned his friend and Lord even though he had said that he would lay down his life for Jesus.”
  • “Peter couldn’t avoid the truth.  He was a big phony.”
  • “He wasn’t as brave as he wanted everyone to believe.”
  • “He wasn’t Jesus’ most loyal follower.”
  • “He wasn’t going to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven like he always argued he would be with the other disciples.”
  • “For all his boasting, when the time came for Peter to stand up for his Lord and Master, he was too afraid.”
  • “Peter broke down into tears and ran away.” (Have Peter character act this out.)
  • “He found a corner somewhere and wept bitterly, realizing he deserved neither the name Simon (“listens and obeys”) nor the name Peter (“rock”).”  (Have Peter character act this out.)
  • “Jesus was tried three times by the Jewish leaders, but they couldn’t find anything that He had done wrong.”
  • “Finally, they asked Jesus, ‘Are you then the Son of God?’”
  • “Jesus replied…”  (Jesus: “You are right in saying I am.”)
  • “This was what they were looking for!”
  • “Jesus was claiming to be equal to God!”
  • “They said, ‘Who needs witnesses?  You’ve heard yourself, he’s guilty of blasphemy!’ (which means saying something terrible about God)”
  • “They beat Him, spit on Him and made fun of Him.”
  • “Then, they took Him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor.” (Have the guard volunteers lead Jesus to another part of the room, and get a new volunteer to stand and act like Pilate.)
  • “There, he was tried three more times and found “not guilty” each time.”
  • “But because Pontius Pilate was afraid of a riot from the crowd, he turned Jesus over to the soldiers to be beaten and crucified.”
  • “Even though Jesus had been beaten and whipped, they made Him carry his own cross up the hill.” (Give Jesus character the cross, and have him carry it around the room toward a place that can represent Golgotha.)
  • “At one point, He was too weak to carry it any further, and they made a man in the crowd named Simon pick it up and carry it.”  (Grab a volunteer from the audience, and give him the cross to carry the rest of the way.)
  • “Did you catch that?”
  • “This guy’s name was Simon, too, but it was the wrong Simon.”
  • “It wasn’t Simon-Peter who helped Jesus up the hill.”
  • “It was another Simon, who just happened to be passing by at the time.”
  • “Once again, Peter isn’t where he was supposed to be.”
  • “During the times of Jesus’ greatest need, Peter is no where to be found, even though he said he would never abandon his Lord.”
  • “Around 9a that morning, Jesus was nailed to the cross.” (Have volunteers act this out.)
  • “What I find amazing about Jesus is that while they were nailing his hands and his feet to the cross, he said…” (Jesus: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”)
  • “Jesus even loved those who were killing Him.”
  • “Touch your neighbor and say, ‘Only God can do that!’”
  • “At noon, there was an earthquake, and amazingly, dead people came to life and started walking around and talking to others.”
  • “The sun went dark and stayed dark for the next three hours.”
  • “At the end of that time, Jesus said…” (Jesus: “It is finished.” And then “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.”)
  • “Then He died.”
  • “It was so amazing the way Jesus died that the Roman centurion, a man who had seen many men die, said, ‘Surely, this was the son of God.””
  • “He had never seen someone choose when to die, but Jesus did.”
  • “The Jewish leaders had asked Pilate to take the bodies off the crosses, so Pilate told the soldiers to make the crucified men die faster.”
  • “They did this by breaking the men’s legs so that they couldn’t push themselves up on the cross to get a breath.”  (Optional additional information you could share: Dying on a cross is really dying by drowning, because the men’s lungs were filling with fluid.)
  • “The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves, but when they came to Jesus, they could tell that He was already dead.”
  • “Just to be sure, though, they stuck a spear into His side.  Then they were sure that He was dead.”
  • “Some of Jesus’ followers asked if they could take Him off the cross, and Pilate let them.”
  • “They took Jesus’ body to a cave in a garden and wrapped His body with strips of cloth.” (Have a few volunteers act this out with the Jesus character.)
  • “Then, they rolled a giant stone in front of the cave and left.”
  • “It was Friday night, and Jewish law required them not to do any activities until Saturday night, so they had to get home quickly.”
  • “Because the Jewish leaders were afraid that Jesus’ followers might try to steal his body, they had Pilate seal the tomb and put a guard of Roman soldiers outside.”
  • “Everyone abandoned Jesus – even His best friends and most loyal followers.”
  • “Judas betrayed Him for 30 pieces of silver, all the disciples ran away when the soldiers came, and Peter denied that he even knew Jesus.”
  • “But you know what? Jesus still loved every one of them.”
  • “He knew that they would leave Him before He even chose them to be His friends.”
  • “He knew that their spirits were willing to follow Him even if it meant they would die, but their bodies were weak, and they couldn’t find the courage to stand with Him in His time of need.”
  • “He knew that He would have to go to the cross alone, but He did it anyway – because He loved them and because He loves you.”
  • “The best part of the story is yet to come!  We will cover that next time!”  (If you are not meeting with this group regularly, you probably should finish the story and continue through Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for all of us.  You can find it in the lesson, “Rest of the Story, The (LESSON)” on the Lesson and Material Downloads page at www.teachingthem.com.  You can use the Rhyme Time below to reinforce the teaching point.)

 

Rhyme Time

Sometimes our spirit is willing

But our bodies are weak.

Jesus forgives us

And gives the courage we seek.

 

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