Jesus as a Child:
Wood Working / Art Lesson

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Students will create a simple wire art project while discussing what the life of Jesus may have been like while he was a boy.

(We promoted this class as "bring a parent to Sunday School"- kids were encouraged to come with a parent or other adult, and to bring some tools- hammer, screwdriver, pliers. The parents provided the extra hands for safety with the tools, and provided a connection to think about Jesus working with Joseph as a child. This was very well received and brought parents into class that we've never seen in a classroom.)

Scripture Reference:
Luke 2:41-52

Key Verse:

Luke 2:52 NIV
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Supplies List:

• Bible
• Key verse written on chalk board
• 2x6 boards cut into squares, circle drawn in pencil on the board with marks for 5 points of a star
• nails with flat heads
• screws with a flat bottom (not tapered) to the head
• Sandpaper
• craft wire, 20 gauge works best, a variety of colors is nice
• screwdrivers
• hammers
• awl 

Leader Preparations:

• Gather the materials.
• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Do the project.

Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Give each child a board and a piece of sandpaper. Have them start sanding the edges while you introduce the story. The amount of sanding is unimportant- its more symbolic as part of the process.

Ask:

• What are some of the things you like to do for fun?
• What are some of the things you have to do because your mom & dad tell you to?
• Do you think Jesus had fun as a boy?
• What kind of things do you think He did for fun?
• What kind of things do you think He had to do for His mother and earthly father, Joseph?

Say:
Joseph worked as a carpenter. What does a carpenter do? Many times a boy would learn the work of his father as he grew up. Sometimes, people still learn the work of their fathers today.

3rd grade and up: Have the students find Luke 2:41 in their Bibles. Read through the story. You may read from a children's bible for the younger classes.

Ask:

• Do any of you help your moms or your dads around the house?
• What kinds of things do you help them with?
• Do you think Jesus would have helped Joseph with his carpentry work?

Say:
We are going to pretend we are working in a carpentry shop. While we are working, we are going to talk about some things from our story.

Activity:

Have them select nails or screws (they could do some of each if they want). For screws, they should use a hammer and awl to pound a pilot hole. For nails, someone should hold the nail with a long nose pliers while the child hammers. They should put a nail or screw at each of the 5 marks. Older children may put additional nails/ screws on the circle midway between the marks, so they'd have 10 total.
Once the nails or screws are in place, wrap a wire around one of the screws. Wrap it around other screws to form a star shape. (Where do we see a star in Jesus' life? Over the stable where he was born.) Wrap the wire tightly around the final screw, which should be the same one you started on.

Discussion starters for during or after the project...

• Do you ever help your parents do things?
• Do some of you help your parents with things involving their job?
• What kind of things have your parents taught you? What kind of things do you think Joseph taught Jesus?
• Is there anything you have taught your parents? Or anything that you can do better than them?
• In our story Jesus showed that he knew alot about God and about the bible. We can see here a hint of the kind of things Jesus would do when he grows up.
• Do you think some of the things you enjoy now are hints to what you'll do when you grow up?

Clean Up:
Have the students help clean up. They can take their projects home. Make sure everyone takes home the right tools.

Closing:

Read the key verse from the blackboard. Get some ideas about what characteristics this might be talking about.

Close in prayer: Dear God, please guide our lives so that we, too, may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Amen

A lesson written by rotation.org member Chris18 from: Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Lanesboro, MN

A representative of Rotation.org reformatted this post to improve readability.