In the story today, God's plan unfolds.
To illustrate "unfold," as well as to present the gospel, see Handout #7 bearing John 3:16. After duplicating this handout, fold it accordian-style so that one part of the verse appears on each of five sections of the sheet of paper. The words "God's Plan" will appear on the "cover" before unfolding the "good news." Have a pre-folded copy for each student to read silently as you read one section at a time. Then say:
Jesus prepared all His life for what happens in today's story. Jesus and His twelve closest followers are preparing for the Passover Supper, an important holiday for the Jews.
Point to holidays listed on the board as you say:
It is more important than Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving!
#B on Student Study Guide
Let's talk about the new words to help you understand the story.
look for
Pantomime this action.
to kill
To cause to die
You may illustrate this with a simple drawing on the board as you say:
You have a pretty flower. The rain comes down. The flower grows and grows. But then the rain stops. For many months there is no rain-no water for the flower. This kills the flower. The flower dies.
To make well. When we are sick, we take medicine. We are healed.
agree to help
I say: "Tomorrow we will have a party. [Name of student in your class], will you please bring cookies?" If you say "yes," you agree to help with the party. "[Name of student in your class], will you please help me erase the board?" If you say "yes," you agree to help me erase the board.
arrest
When a person disobeys the law, the police arrest this person and take him or her to jail.
prepare
To make ready. You invite a friend to eat dinner at your house. You prepare by cooking the food . . . You are going to take a test. You prepare by studying the book . . . You plan to travel. You prepare by packing your suitcase.)
arise
Jesus was saying: "I will not stay in the grave. The grave cannot keep me. On the third day I will "arise".
greet with a kiss
Recall the comparison of greetings in Lesson One-and the fact that in some cultures, people kiss each other on the cheek when they say "hello." This was the custom for Jews in the days of Jesus.
take
When I leave class today, I will take my pen with me. When we are sick, we take medicine.
has done no wrong
Is innocent - not guilty.
crucify
Killing a person by nailing the person to a cross.
religious rule-keepers
People who always follow the rules.
This would be a good time to ask your students to share some of the rules of their religion-where and when to pray, how to dress, what to eat, etc.)
Sabbath
The day of worship. In the U.S., Sunday is the Sabbath for most people.
sins
Disobedience of God's Law by thought, word, deed (either commission or omission); wickedness or evil.
sinners
People who sin. God's Word says: "All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory." (Romans 3:23, CEV)
"If we say that we have no sin, we lie to ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we tell God our sins, . . . we can always know that He will forgive us and take our sins away." (I John 1:8-9, NLV)
soldiers
Compare with the military (and wars) in the experience of your students.
Roman governor
Compare this position with a head of state known by your students.
innocent
Not guilty (the opposite of guilty).
!!!More Advanced!!!
Novices will go directly to "First Look." More advanced learners will have the following supplemental activity designed to aid understanding of why Jesus is called the Lamb of God and why He shed His blood as sacrifice for our sins. Say to the more advanced learners:
Before looking at today's story, let's learn more about the Passover holiday.
You will be using the information provided in Handout #5: (Origin of Passover). Follow the directions below to facilitate the jigsaw cooperative learning strategy to be used at this time:
1. Form original or "home-base" groups. To determine the number of groups needed, divide three (the number of parts to the story) into the number present. Even if you have only two groups, be sure to have at least three students in each. In order to accommodate the entire class and-ideally-have three in each group, a few students may need to double up and share in the telling of their part of the story.
2. After forming groups of three each, students number off (A, B, C in this case) to assign each person a different part of the story.
3. Students disperse to the three stations of information placed around the room or sit in their circle of three. Here they will meet other students with specific interest in the same bit of information. All "A's" will be together, all "B's," etc.
4. Students read and discuss their information, then practice telling this information to each other. In other words, they become experts on their piece of the puzzle.
!!!More Advanced!!!
5. Students return now to their original groups-but this time as three experts on three parts of the story. Everyone experiences "the whole" of the story rather than only one part which they have known up to now. At this point, the more advanced students proceed to "The First Look."
One of the twelve closest followers is going to betray Jesus. While you watch them eating the Passover Supper, look at the faces. See if you know who will betray Jesus.
Reiterate by writing on the board:
After eliciting response to the above question, move to the "Second Look" that follows:
The answers are provided here for your convenience. The Student Study Guide will have only questions. Remember to go over the questions prior to showing the film clip a second time.
1. Who wants to kill Jesus? (The religious rule-keepers.)
Surprising = unexpected . . . During dry season, you do not expect rain. If rain comes, this is unexpected. You are surprised and happy!
Refocus by restating the question-stressing the word "surprising." (Answer: that He is going to die and arise on the third day.)
Allow students to work together on the answers. Debrief the whole class when finished. Then say: Now let's read the story!
1. The religious rule-keepers look for a way to kill Jesus.
!!!More Advanced!!!
At this time for more advanced students, distribute Handout #6 and go over the historical comparison of the What/When/Why of the blood sacrifice. Ask students to read the scripture in their first language.
Answer Key-1-kill, 2-he, 3-sins, 4-Jesus, 5-to, 6-for, 7-sends, 8-bread, 9-must, 10-the, 11-will, 12-day, 13-of, 14-cup, 15-and, 16-take, 17-says, 18-yells
Answer Key-9-a, 2-b, 11-c, 4-d, 10-e, 1-f, 13-g, 5-h, 3-i, 7-j, 6-k, 8-l, 12-m, 14-n
1. At the Passover Supper Jesus and His closest followers eat lamb, bread without yeast, and bitter herbs.
Using as a point of reference the holiday time line made by each student earlier in the lesson, have pairs of students interview each other-asking about the foods they usually eat for various holidays. Write the question on the board also: What do you usually eat for (name of holiday)? Demonstrate what you expect students to do. Ask two students also to demonstrate what they understand the instructions to be. When students have completed the interviews, debrief the class, noting any similar or unusual foods.
2. Do you like bitter or sour food to eat? Some people in the U.S. like to eat sour pickles or lemon slices. Let's have a taste test and see which tastes you like best. Some will be bitter (hold up or hand out samples) and some will be sweet.
Write on the board the words bitter/sour, sweet, salty, spicy, hot (with pepper), etc. Again, this will depend upon what foods are available where these lessons are being taught. Give familiar examples of food with these qualities. Ask students to copy these words on their paper after repeating them with you.
In advance you will have set up "taste stations" around the room-trays of different tastes. By going to each station, students will taste them all. When finished take a quick poll to see which taste is liked the most and the least.
Prepare a handout listing the names of foods to be tasted. Arrange types of foods at the same station. Number each food sample. Ask each student to number his/her own paper. You will dictate this numbering precisely, depending upon how many tastes you have available. For example, "For Station A-number 1-5; for station B-number 1-4," etc. Students are to mark "yes" or "no" to indicate their taste preferences and write the word to describe the taste (salty, sweet, etc.).
3. What is your opinion (i.e., what do you think) of the following people or groups of people? Who do you think is the worst?
When groups have finished this ranking activity, compare their results on the board.
4. The Jewish people celebrate Passover to remember what God did for them in Egypt.
We also need to remember-and say thank you for-God's gifts to us each day. Even the air we breathe is a gift from God. "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing." (James 1:17, CEV)
Tell your group about the gifts you want to remember and say "thank you" for.
It is important that you, the teacher, model what you want the students to do. Share with your class some of the gifts from God that you are especially thankful for.
5. Ask for volunteers to tell the story in their own words. Students who are most proficient will get needed practice, while the others can learn from listening. If students need a little help, show small increments of the film clip-then ask the class about what they just saw. Students may enjoy an "add-on" story, i.e., the first volunteer provides the first sentence; a second volunteer adds what comes next; on and on this goes to the end! Everyone benefits! The risk-takers are challenged; the less confident students hear a good model and eventually have courage to try!
1. God's timing is perfect.
"But when the time was right, God sent his Son, and a woman gave birth to him. His Son obeyed the Law, so he could set us free from the Law, and we could become God's children." (Galatians 4:4, CEV)
2. God's love is without limits.
"God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful. . . .Even when we were God's enemies, he made peace with us, because His Son died for us." (Romans 5:8, 10a, CEV) "God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world." (2 Corinthians 5:19a, CEV) "Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, CEV)
3. The gift of eternal life is free to us because it cost God so much.
"Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23, CEV)
In return "our sacrifice is to keep offering praise to God in the name of Jesus" (Hebrews 13:15, CEV) and to "thank God for his gift that is too wonderful for words!"
(2 Corinthians 9:15, CEV)
Song:
Note: For the activity in number 2, you may either post the three parts of the story in three different locations on the walls of the room, or you may issue one of three parts of the story to students sitting in three circles. For examples, group A would be given part A of the story, group B would be given part B, etc.
#C on Student Study Guide
WHO IS GOING TO BETRAY JESUS?
Show the film clip beginning with the bread-making scene as the narration speaks of "the Festival of Unleavened Bread." Conclude with Pilate's tossing his decree-the rolled up parchment- off his balcony.
#D on Student Study Guide
2. Why do the religious rule-keepers want to kill Jesus? (Jesus doesn't keep all their rules. He heals on the Sabbath, eats with sinners, and forgives sins.)
3. Who goes early to prepare the food for the Passover Supper? (Peter and John)
4. What food was on the menu? (Lamb, bread with without yeast, and bitter herbs.)
5. How does Judas agree to help arrest Jesus? (He agrees to betray Jesus with a kiss.)
6. What surprising news does Jesus tell the twelve followers at the Passover Supper?
Show film clip a second time.
#E on Student Study Guide
Note: "Cup" here refers to His sacrificial death on the cross. These words mean, "If I can choose, I choose to do this another way." Then Jesus prays to God: "But do what you want, not what I want."
2. The religious rule-keepers think Jesus sins when he (1) heals on the Sabbath, (2) eats with sinners, and (3) forgives sins.
3. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve closest followers of Jesus, begins to obey Satan (the Evil One).
4. Judas agrees to help the rule-keepers arrest Jesus.
5. It is time for Passover ("The Day of the Bread Without Yeast"-Luke 22:7 NLV).
6. Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the Passover meal-lamb, bread without yeast, and bitter herbs.
7. Jesus knows that He must give His body as the blood sacrifice for the sins of the world.
8. Jesus tells his followers: "I will be killed, but I will arise on the third day!"
9. After the Supper, the followers go with Jesus to the Mount of Olives.
10. Jesus prays to the Heavenly Father: "Take this cup from Me."
11. Soon Judas comes with the rule-keepers and soldiers; he greets Jesus with a kiss.
12. The soldiers take Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea.
13. Pilate says: "Jesus is innocent. He has done no wrong."
14. The crowd yells, "Crucify! Crucify!"
#F on Student Study Guide
On separate page following the Student Study Guide
#G on Student Study Guide
(1) the religious rule-keepers who looked for a reason to kill Jesus
Have each group join with three other students to rank these four, going from bad to worst. At first, students may have different opinions. Ask students to keep talking until they agree!
(2) Judas, who betrayed Jesus for money
(3) Pilate, who believed Jesus was innocent, but did what the crowd wanted
(4) the crowd of people shouting "Crucify! Crucify!"
#H on Student Study Guide
Back to the Top- Home