Trial and Crucifixion

Storytelling/ Computer Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

We set this workshop up in our computer lab with the computers (4) being used in four out of the six stations used to collect evidence from Peter.  I have attached the worksheet that students used to help collect their data.

Lesson Objective:

This lesson is part of a themed rotation studying Jesus’ trial. Children have been recruited as investigators and will be collecting evidence that Jesus is innocent of his charge of Blaspheme. Each workshop will help students gather their evidence and learn more about the story of Jesus’ trial. Help the students stay in theme by calling them investigators, asking to see their briefcases and notes and using legal terms. 

Your workshop will provide the opportunity for kids to document evidences that Jesus is the Son of God through the cross examination of the apostle Peter (acted out by you!)

Using the worksheets included, children will gather information that proves that Jesus really is the Messiah.

Leader Preparation:

• Read the background materials.
• Read the scripture ahead of time.
• Gather the materials.
• Have the computers ready to go.
• Print the Worksheets

Materials List:

• Video Sources (The Story of Jesus for Children (see Stations 3, 5 & 6 below)
• Audio Clip from Bible Gateway (see Station 4 below)
• Laptops (4)
• Costume for Peter
• Bibles
• Worksheets (file attached at end of this lesson)
• Pens
• Pencil Crayons

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Begin by welcoming the students to their class. Greet them as investigators. Tell them that you are Peter and you understand that they have come to cross examine you and ask you questions about your interactions with Jesus. Make comments that reference their task to prove that Jesus is who He said He was – the Son of God! Tell them that you will give them as much information as you possibly can.

Dig:

To bring some order to this cross-examination process explain that the investigators (students) will have to take turns asking you questions. Hand out their cross-examination worksheets with a mention that the judge had dropped them by earlier in anticipation of this very important meeting.

Also communicate that the judge made it clear that he would only accept documents that were completed with good attention to detail.

Staying in character as Peter, allow the children to take turns asking you the questions on their worksheets in order. Using the resources below, answer each question as best possible. It would help greatly to be familiar with each bible story referenced so you can provide additional detail, use your own words and answer questions as they arrive. Be prepared to help with paraphrasing or providing instruction on what answers are required on the worksheet - all while staying in character of course!! Remember to use dramatic gestures, expressions and voices as you interact with children and answer questions.

Questions for Peter

QUESTION 1

Q: Was Jesus trying to overthrow the Roman government?

Peter's Answer: No. In fact, Jesus told the people to pay taxes to Caesar and not to resist people who treat you badly. After Jesus did some amazing things, there were a lot of people who wanted Jesus to rule over them instead of Caesar. Jesus knew this, and so He started to spend His time in remote places so that they wouldn’t try to make Him their earthly king by force.

Worksheet Instructions: Students circle their yes/no answer and indicate that Jesus told people to pay their taxes!

QUESTION 2

Q: Did Jesus claim to be the Messiah?

Peter's Answer: Jesus is the Messiah, but He didn’t come right out and tell everyone “I am the Messiah!” – though it was obvious by what He did. One time, Jesus asked all of us disciples who we thought He was. I said, “You are the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of the living God!” And He told me that I was right. But he also told us not to tell anyone that He is the Messiah. It wasn’t the right time for that news to spread.

Worksheet Instructions: Students circle their yes/no answer and indicate that the time was not right for the news to spread that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

QUESTION 3

Q: How do you know that Jesus was telling the truth about being the Messiah?

Peter's Answer: Not long before He was killed, Jesus took me, along with James and John, up on a mountain to pray. And there, as He was praying, His appearance totally changed! Light was coming from His face, bright as the sun! His clothes were whiter than white – as bright as a flash of lightning. And Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus! James, John, and I had been very sleepy, but when we saw Jesus change like this, boy, did we wake up! I was so stunned and scared, I started talking nonsense about building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Suddenly, a cloud appeared and covered us, like what I had read about when God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai – my knees were shaking, I was so afraid. And then the voice of God the Father spoke from the cloud, and said: “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him.” Then suddenly, we were alone with Jesus. As we walked back down the mountain, Jesus told us not to tell anyone about it until he had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:2-12, Luke 9:38-36)

Worksheet Instructions: Students fill in the blanks using the information you provided in the story.

Stations

Peter - introduce this next portion of the worksheet (stations) by stating that you can talk a lot about what you’ve heard Jesus say and what you saw but you have even gathered evidence for them to see for themselves that Jesus really is the Son of God. Jesus was telling the truth!

Tell the students that as they look at each piece of evidence they can fill in the next portion of their case notes for the judge.

Station Directions: Divide students into teams of 2 (making sure that at least one student can read/write) and send them around the 6 stations set up. Make sure to wander around the room to provide assistance as required. Grade 1-2 students may need extra help with writing/reading.
Note:  Stations 1 & 2 do not require computers.  Station 3, 4, 5, &  6 do.

STATION #1 - THE PROPHETS

Set-up:

• Bible
  
  

Evidence:

• Jesus was born just as the prophets said the Messiah would be
• Isaiah 7:9 – Matt. 1: 22-23 – virgin birth
• Micah 5:2 – Matt. 2:1 – born in Bethlehem

Worksheet Instructions: Students write down their unscrambled bible references and then indicate what old/new testament passages match each other - showing the fulfillment of prophecy.

STATION #2 - THE ANGELS

Set-up:

• Bible
• Pencil Crayons
  
  

Evidence:

• At his birth, the angels announced that He was the Saviour, the Christ (Luke 2:8-11)

Worksheet Instructions: Students draw a picture of the angels who announced Jesus as being the Saviour.

(COMPUTER) STATION #3 - VOICE OF GOD

Set-up:

• Laptop with video clip Jesus’ Baptism pre-loaded (The Story of Jesus for Children 5:22-6:12)
• Headphones and splitter with multiple ports for headphones
  
  

Evidence:

• At His baptism, a voice from heaven – the voice of God the Father! – said “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”

Worksheet Instructions: Students fill in the blanks.

(COMPUTER) STATION #4 - MIRACLE 1

Set-up:

• Laptop with audio clip of Jesus calming the storm pre-loaded (Luke 8:22-25; http://www.biblegateway.com/au...ramatized/niv/Luke.8 3:10 – 3:51)
• Headphones and splitter with multiple ports for headphones
  
  

Evidence:

• He had amazing powers to heal and do miracles: He calmed the storm just by speaking

Worksheet Instructions: Students write the words that Jesus spoke to calm the storm in the speech bubble.

(COMPUTER) STATION #5 - MIRACLE 2

Set-up:

• Laptop with video clip of Jesus healing the blind man (video clip – The Story of Jesus for Children 27:21 – 28:14)
  
  

Evidence:

• Jesus made a blind man see (Luke 18:35-43)

Worksheet Instructions: Students indicate what part of the body Jesus healed in this story.

(COMPUTER) STATION #6 - MIRACLE 3

Set-up:

• Laptop with video clip of Jesus feeding the 5000. (video clip – The Story of Jesus for Children 23:06 – 24:27)
  
  

Evidence:

• He multiplied 5 little loaves of bread and 2 fish to feed 5000 people! (Luke 9:10-17)

Worksheet Instructions: Students will write the grocery list that Jesus required for feeding the crowd of 5,000.

Back with Peter

Once they have been through all the stations, Peter can gather them together, ask them what they thought about the evidence he provided, and then tell them about the most significant piece of evidence for how he knows Jesus really is the Son of God.

Peter Shares:
Jesus was put to death by evil men – but He came to life again, just as He said that He would! Three times, Jesus told us that the Jewish leaders were going to hand Him over to the Romans. He said that He was going to be mocked, insulted, and spit on; that they would whip Him and kill Him. When Jesus first told us these things, we didn’t understand what He was talking about. But then I saw it with my own eyes. I saw the temple guards come and arrest Jesus from the Garden. I followed as they took Jesus to the Jewish leaders, saw them mock Him and spit on Him. I watched as they decided that Jesus was a blasphemer for saying He was the Son of God. I saw Jesus whipped by the Roman soldiers and crucified on a cross. And I saw Jesus die. His body was wrapped up in strips of cloth and put in a tomb, and a great big stone was rolled over the entrance. That was Friday, Preparation day. 

Most Significant Proof:
The next day, the Sabbath, we stayed at home, resting and mourning. Then on Sunday morning, some of the women went to the tomb to put spices on Jesus’ body. They came running back to us, saying that an angel had appeared to them at the tomb saying that Jesus was alive! I got up and ran to the tomb to see for myself. Sure enough, the stone had been rolled away. And when I looked inside, I saw strips of cloth lying in the tomb – but Jesus’ body wasn’t there! And then, later that evening, as I was having supper with the disciples, Jesus Himself appeared to us – alive as can be! We touched him, we watched him eat and drink, we saw the marks on his hands and feet. It was Jesus – and He is alive! If all the other things Jesus has done wasn’t evidence that He is the Son of God, this totally convinces me – no one else could be more powerful than death! (prediction: Luke 18:31-34; death & burial: Luke 23:44-54; resurrection: Luke 24:1-8).

QUESTION 4

Q: Why did Jesus allow people to crucify Him? Why didn’t He defend Himself?

Peter's Answer: Jesus was being obedient to His Father; He loved God and trusted that dying was the only way to accomplish His mission. You see, the night before Jesus was betrayed and crucified, He celebrated Passover with us. And He told us that He was going to bleed and that His body would be broken, in order for all the sin of everyone in the world to be forgiven. Jesus came for that purpose: to die as the perfect sacrifice to save us. So, even though He had done nothing wrong, He allowed Himself to be executed like a criminal. I’ve wrote about it – maybe you’ve heard? “For Christ died once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (practice the memory verse together)

Reflection:

At this point you can discuss the evidence further or answer any further questions children may have.   Have them place their worksheet in their briefcase.

Close with a prayer.

A lesson written by Andrea Anderst from: Zion Baptist Community Church
Alberta, Canada 

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