An idea for STORYTELLING the Bible passage

As you read the story with your students, you will RECREATE the Jerusalem landscape, including the location of the Garden of Gethsemane across from the Temple. (This is a storyteller's device.)   In effect, you are creating a VISUAL MAP OF THE STORY in your student's brains.

You can do this using blankets on the floor, or on a table. You Can Go Big and have the kids help you construct the various places. Or you can go small.

Going Big to me usually means having a roll of duct tape ready and large canvas dropcloths which we will use to 'construct' (drape) the various hills and Temple Mount by draping the cloth over a large table. Chairs or books can be put on the table to represent the Temple itself. A potted plant or evergreen branch can represent Gethsemane.

You and the kids construct the story landscape as you tell the story leading up to the Garden of Gethsemane.  A MAP of Jerusalem would be extremely handy!

Use your imagination, to help the kids use their.

Notes from my Gethsemane~Jerusalem Landscape Bible Study

1. Place a blanket over objects to make two hills. One hill is the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, the other right next to it is the Mount of Olives. They had supper in Jerusalem Upper Room and walked up into Gethsemane --an olive grove. The name Gethsemane means "the place of the olive press." Ask the children what Jesus could see from there (Jesus was able to look on Jerusalem and the Temple that night). It must have been quite a moving sight for him. Retell the story of Jesus praying while the disciples slept, the arrest, and then point them back to Jerusalem where the trial was held. Place a few objects to represent Caiaphas', Herod's and Pilate's houses in Jerusalem. (Fans of my lessons know I like to use action figures to represent various characters. The kids like that.)
2. Point out that Golgotha was on a small hill west of the city on the opposite side from Gethsemane where Jesus was crucified. Place a hill there and ask the students to tell you what happened there.
3. If you want to cover resurrection and/or Walk to Emmaus in this presentation, add those locations. You can add a stone to roll away for the tomb, and a small loaf of bread for the Emmaus Walk, which you can pick up and break/share with the students in conclusion.
4. Play a Game after your story/discussion. Disassemble your blanket hills of Jerusalem and place the objects aside. Now ask different groups to come forward and see how well they can reassemble the storyline and hills. After they lay it out, ask the rest of the students to judge the results.

If you want to do more about "the locations of Jesus on his last two days in Jerusalem", see my printable Life Of Christ "Map" Activity ~ here at rotation.org ~ Link.

<>< Neil