Easter Through the Eyes of Peter
Video Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Explore the story of Peter’s denial and restoration while watching the scripture come to life in the video, The Gospel of John (Visual Bible).

For scripture, objectives, and background - see above.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the scripture for this lesson.
• Read and reflect on the overview material provided for this lesson.
• Preview the video and have it cued to the correct starting place.
• Gather the materials.

Supplies List:

• Video Reference: The Gospel of John, Visual Bible International, 2003. [Starring Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus, and narrated by Christopher Plummer] Use the 3-hour version.
• The TV/DVD will have been reserved for your workshop.
• Snack items: goldfish crackers, paper cups, napkins, water pitcher
• Bibles (for 3rd grade and up)
• A Bible bookmarked to John 13:33

Before Start of Class:

• Prepare snack.
• Make sure you know how to use the TV/DVD, especially how to move by chapters and scanning forward and backward within a chapter.
• Using the DVD, from MAIN MENU, choose <Chapter & Verse>. Choose <more> 5 times until you see the option for <13:21-38, 14:1-14>. Turn the sound off.

Lesson Plan

Opening:
Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the video workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults. Pass around a basket to collect any offering.
[Note: The Shepherd will quietly take attendance, etc. while you are starting your lesson.]

Say: Let’s begin with prayer. Ask for any prayer requests. Ask if anyone would like to lead the group in prayer. Be prepared to say a prayer yourself, working in prayer requests. A suggestion: “Jesus, we know that we will sometimes fail you. Thank you for always loving us in spite of our mistakes. Help us to learn from our mistakes and be your faithful disciples. Amen.”

Dig into the Story:
Ask:

• Let’s say that a friend of yours promises to help you with a school project, but then they break their promise and don’t help. Will you ever trust your friend again?
• What if a friend borrowed one of your toys and didn’t give it back. Would you ever trust that friend again?
• What if a family member agreed to take you somewhere special, but then they didn’t. Would you ever trust them again?

Say: Today we will talk about one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter. Peter did something to Jesus that would make us think that Jesus should never trust Peter again.
Ask:

• Does anyone know what Peter did?

Say: Let’s read about what happened.

Ask the children if they remember the Last Supper.
Ask:

• Would the Last Supper be in the New Testament or the Old Testament? (new)

Tell them that the first part of our story took place at the Last Supper. It was a time during the supper when Jesus was teaching his disciples.
Read to them John 13:33 and 36-38.
Ask:

• What is Jesus predicting? (Peter will disown him; he will say he doesn’t know him)

Does this happen? (accept all answers)

Ask the students what happened after the Last Supper? (disciples & Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane)
Say: After a time of prayer in the Garden, Jesus was arrested and taken to the house of the High Priest.
Ask:

• Guess what happened then?

Say: While Jesus was being questioned by the High Priest Peter got asked if he was one of Jesus’ disciples, and he said he was not!
Ask:

• What did Jesus say would happen if Peter said three times that he did not know Jesus? (a rooster would crow)

Say: Peter got asked three times and each time he said he didn’t know who Jesus was. When Peter heard the rooster crow he realized that he had denied Jesus; that he had let Jesus down. Peter felt terrible. Peter had failed Jesus but we will see that Jesus loved him anyway.

Ask:

• What happened to Jesus? (he was killed on the cross)
• What happened three days later? (Jesus had risen, Jesus was alive)

Say: The risen Jesus showed himself to his disciples. They were overjoyed to see him alive again. During the 40 days after his resurrection or his raising, Jesus appeared several times to his disciples. Let’s read about one of the times.

For 3rd grade and up:
Distribute Bibles. Have the students find the book of John, chapter 21, verse 1. Praise students for bringing their own Bibles.
[Make sure everyone remembers the quick way to find the New Testament – dividing the Bible in half gets them near Psalms. Dividing the back half in half again gets them near the New Testament.]
Have students take turns reading verses 1-17.
[If this is a week early in the Rotation, read the scripture together. Towards the end of the Rotation, ask the students if they can tell you the story. Have them check their Bibles for accuracy.]

For 1st and 2nd grade:
Tell them the following story:
Peter and six of the other disciples decided to go fishing. They went out in their boat on Lake Tiberias. They fished all night long but didn't catch anything.
Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not recognize him. Jesus called out, “Young men, have you caught anything?” They answered, “No!”
Jesus told them to throw their net out on the right side of the boat. They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not pull it into the boat! That is when the disciples recognized Jesus. John grabbed Peter’s arm. “It’s the Lord!” Peter jumped into the water and swam to shore. He wanted to talk to Jesus!
The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish.
When the disciples got out of the boat they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and some bread. Then Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught. Come and have breakfast.” He handed them bread and fish and they all ate.
After they had eaten, Jesus called Peter by his real name, “Simon son of John, do
you love me more than these others do?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter answered, “you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Take care of my lambs.”
A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered, “You know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”
A third time Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter became sad because Jesus asked him the third time, and so he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!”
Jesus said to him, “Take care of my sheep.”

For all students:
Ask:

• How many times did Peter deny knowing Jesus? (3)
• How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved him? (3)
• Do you suppose that is why Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him?
• What did Jesus mean when he asked Peter to take care of his sheep? (take care of people)

Say: Notice that Jesus does not scold Peter for his denials, but instead provides him an equal number of chances to say that he loves Jesus. Each time Jesus instructs him to feed and take care of his flock. This is assurance for Peter that God has work for him to do – to take care of the people of the church – the flock.

Show the Video:

Have the Shepherd distribute the snack.

Turn the sound up on the TV.
Using the DVD, choose <13:21-38, 14:1-14> (Jesus Predicts His Betrayal)
Use right arrow to SCAN FORWARD to 1:58:45, to where Jesus is standing by a pole.
POINT OUT Jesus.
VIEW scene of about 1 minute 30 seconds.
PAUSE after Jesus says “believe in God and believe also in me.”
Say: Let’s watch this part again.

SCAN BACKWARD to the starting point and re-watch.
VIEW scene of about 1 minute 30 seconds.

Ask: How did Peter react to what Jesus told him? (dismayed, surprised)
Say: Peter does not suspect that he will say he doesn’t know Jesus.

From MAIN MENU, choose <Chapter & Verse>.
Choose <more> 6 times until you see the option for <18:1-27> (The Arrest of Jesus)
SCAN FORWARD to 2:21:28, to where Jesus gets his hands tied.
VIEW rest of chapter to where shows village gate at morning (scene is 3 minutes long).

Ask: How is Peter feeling now?
Say: Peter realizes he has denied Jesus.

[Note: Decide ahead of time if this next scene should be watched by younger students or just talked about.]
From MAIN MENU, choose <Chapter & Verse>.
Choose <more> 7 times until you see the option for <19:13-37> (Jesus is Crucified) SCAN FORWARD to 2:33:45 where Jesus is carrying his cross.
VIEW rest of chapter to 2:37:55, PAUSE when Jesus dies on the cross, bowing his head and giving up his spirit. (Scene is 4 minutes long.)

Say: Jesus was killed on the cross. Three days later he rose again and showed himself to his disciples. Let’s watch that scene.

From MAIN MENU, choose <Chapter & Verse>.
Choose <more> 8 times until you see the option for <21:1-25> (Jesus And Peter)
SCAN BACKWARD to 2:46:10 where the outside of the house is shown.
VIEW scene of 6 minutes, to 2:52:09.
STOP after Jesus says, “Take care of my sheep” and when Peter puts his hand on Jesus.

Discussion:
Ask:

• I wonder why Peter denied knowing Jesus? (he was afraid)
• Is it ever scary for us to follow Jesus? (it takes courage to be different from others)
• What are some ways in which we deny Jesus? (going along with a group that is doing something wrong, worrying about what others think instead of what Jesus would want us to do, being too embarrassed to invite a friend to church, not helping someone who needs help, doing things that hurt someone else…accept all answers)
• By denying him, Peter failed Jesus. But did Jesus love Peter anyway? (yes)
• What about us, when we deny Jesus does he still love us? (yes)

Say: We, too, do wrong things sometimes but God can forgive us. The good news is that this is not the end of Peter’s story. He went on to be a leader of the early church and spread the word of Jesus to many places. The book of Acts tells us how he risked his life time and again by sharing his faith in Jesus. After his mistake, Peter didn’t give up; he kept trying to follow Jesus.
Ask:

• What does that mean for us? (we can keep trying to follow Jesus, too)

Closing:
Say: Let’s say our key Bible verse: “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” Acts 3:19a
Ask:

• What does “repent” mean? (means you recognize that you’ve done something wrong and you are sorry about it and want to change)

Say: When we are sorry for things we have done we can turn to God and ask for forgiveness. Peter had failed Jesus but Jesus loved him anyway. We, too, do wrong things sometimes – but God forgives us and loves us.

Resources:

• Faith Quest Lesson Sets at Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian Church. “Peter’s Denial - Antioch Arcade.” 2005.
  http://www.kirkofkildaire.org/...ialAntiochArcade.htm (prayer & some
  discussion questions)
• MacQueen, Neil. A MANUAL for the "VIDEO ~ A-V" WORKSHOP.
  Scripture quoted is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

A Lesson written by Carol Hulbert from: First United Methodist Church
Ann Arbor, MI

Copyright 2006 First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, MI.
Permission to copy materials granted for non-commercial use provided credit is given and all cited references remain with this material

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