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Reply to "COMPLETE LESSON SET: Investigating the Trial of Jesus - Theme, Zion Baptist Community, AB, Canada"

Trial and Crucifixion

Courtroom Wrap Up

Do we have a verdict?

Summary of Lesson Activities:

For the Wrap-up, the children gather again at the courtroom. The person hosting the wrap-up is the court clerk and should be dressed in business clothes. The court clerk’s role will be to facilitate the review of the evidence for Jesus’ innocence and the creation of testimony placards. There will be a closing court session where the kids will present their evidence for Jesus’ innocence before the judge – and Jesus will be declared innocent! The Judge will then open his next file to find that all of the kids (and teachers) are on trial for sinning against God. Evidence of guilt will be brought forward, and just before the judge makes the final sentence, the clerk will bring in a defence – 1 Peter 3:18. This session will close with a cheer and songs of celebration that Jesus’ innocent death made the way for sinners to be declared righteous!

Session Outline:
10 minutes: Welcome and introduction to the placard activity

20 minutes: Divide into age groups (spread across Bible Times Square) to review case notes and create placards

20 minutes: Jesus’ Trial (evidence brought before Judge)

10 minutes: Our Trial (discover our guilt and Jesus’ death on our behalf)

15 minutes: Celebration


Leader Preparation:

  • Read the background info.
  • Go over the evidence the children have gathered.
  • Gather the Materials.

Materials List:

  • Costume for the judge (robe, wig, gavel)
  • Table, tablecloth, and wooden chair (judge’s desk – set up at the front of the chapel)
  • Flag on a pole (optional – but would help make the chapel court-like. Have in a stand beside the judge’s desk.
  • Poster board (1 per student)
  • Sharpie markers
  • Folders with case notes
  • Small podium or table (the witness stand)
  • Laptop and projector
  • Celebration DVD from Athens VBS (cued to ‘Happy Day’; or from link (editor adds, link removed no longer active, here is another couple links of the same song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqI2sPIczxM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI7IvqNp0zY)


Lesson Plan


Opening:

Welcome kids as they are dropped off. Inform them that today Court will be in session again, and you have some time to help them prepare before their big presentation before the judge, who will decide today once and for all if Jesus really was innocent or guilty of blasphemy. Remind them what blasphemy is (saying or doing something that is extremely offensive to God) and that if Jesus really was the Son of God, then He wasn’t guilty of blasphemy when He claimed to be the Son of God!

Inform kids that the Judge will be calling on them to testify to whether Jesus was innocent or guilty. Explain that they have 20 minutes to review the evidence in their case notes and prepare to present before the Judge.

Dig:

Split the kids into their age groups (gr. 1-3 girls, gr. 1-3 boys, gr. 4-6) and have them spread out through Bible Times Square and the Chapel. In their age groups, they can discuss what they found through their investigation, and each child needs to decide whether they think Jesus was innocent or guilty. Instruct the kids to write their verdict (innocent or guilty) on one side of their placard using a Sharpie marker. On the other side, they need to write why they believe that He is innocent or guilty – choose one piece of evidence from the investigation. (Ex: Innocent; Jesus healed the blind, The angels announced Jesus as the son of God at his birth, Jesus rose from the dead, etc.). The students can feel free to draw illustrations or decorate their placard once they are finished. If they need help remembering some of the evidence they found they can refer to their case notes.  Inform the kids that they will need to provide the judge with proof to back up their claim, so they need to make sure they have their briefcases handy to pull out the evidence if

the judge asks for it!

[Classroom helpers can circulate to keep the kids on track and help them as needed.  Let children know that they will also be presenting their cards to the rest of the church in the sanctuary at 11.  Encourage them to write/draw neatly.]

After 20 minutes, have the kids gather in the chapel for the court hearing. Remind them of the Court rules (be very quiet and respectful, rise when the Judge is entering or leaving the room, address the Judge as ‘Your Honour’ when you respond). Explain the court procedure: The Judge will call you up one at a time – bring your placard and your evidence up here to the witness stand. When you are asked for your verdict, say either ‘Jesus is innocent, Your Honour’ or ‘Jesus is guilty, Your Honour’ – whatever decision you made – and hold up your placard so that everyone can read it. You’ll be asked why you came to that decision, and you can turn your placard around and tell everyone the reason that you wrote down. If you are asked for evidence of your reason, show the Judge what you collected in your investigation. You guys will do great, I know it!

The Trial (Led by the Judge)

[Clerk moves to the door and opens it; looks toward the stage and speaks with dignity]: All Rise!

[The Judge enters regally and moves to the desk on the stage; bangs the gavel on the desk]

Judge:  Court is now in session. [Sit down]

[Clerk motions to the kids to sit down]

Judge: Today, we will be hearing the case of Jesus’ trial: Is Jesus innocent or guilty of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God? I will be calling upon our investigators to testify and present their evidence one by one.

Call upon the kids by name, one at a time (ask students to state their name if required). Start with older or more confident kids. When they come to the witness stand, ask them what their verdict is (Is Jesus guilty or innocent?). Then ask for one reason they came to that decision. Ask for some evidence to back that up (this could be the signed testimony of Mary Magdalene, spice sachets, photos, or case notes from interviewing Peter.) Prompt kids as necessary and allow them to get help from their classmates if they are nervous at the front. After you’ve seen the same evidence a couple of times, you don’t have to have them show it to you – just say something like “I bet you have a signed statement from Mary Magdalene, too!” or “I’ve seen the photos that prove that!”

Once all the kids have testified, briefly review the evidence that has been brought forward. You can ask the kids as a large group if there is any other evidence that they found to show that Jesus really was the Son of God. Ask them if Jesus was trying to overthrow the Roman government and why people wanted Jesus to be killed. At this point you are now totally convinced that Jesus was innocent, and it is time for you to make your official verdict.

Judge: After careful review of the evidence, this court has reached a conclusion on the question: “Is Jesus innocent or guilty of the charge of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God.” I hereby declare that Jesus Christ is INNOCENT of the charges laid against Him! Case is dismissed! [bang gavel on the desk]

[Clerk initiates a cheer; the Judge smiles, but after a few seconds bangs the gavel on the desk and calls for order.]

Judge: I will now hear the next case. [Open file folder, and then look up with an expression of shock]. All of you are on trial! My notes here say that all of you are on trial for sinning against God. You have broken His laws. Here’s a list:

  • God has said “Do not bear false testimony”. That means, “Do not lie”. But you have lied. If you have ever, even once, said something that you knew was not true, you have broken God’s law and are guilty of sinning against Him.
  • God has said “Honour your father and mother.” Honouring your parents means only doing and saying thing that are respectful to them, and obeying what they have asked. If you have ever, even once, disobeyed your mom or dad, you have broken God’s law and are guilty of sinning against Him.
  • God has said, “Do not covet”. That means, do not want something that belongs to someone else. If you have ever, even once, been jealous of what another person has or wished that you owned what they own, you have broken God’s law and are guilty of sinning against Him.
  • God has said, “Love your neighbor”. That means to treat everyone with love. If you have ever, even once, been mean to someone – called them a mean name, taken something that they were playing with, hurt them, thought rude thoughts about them – you have broken God’s law and are guilty of sinning against Him.

[Look up from your list]. There are more offenses listed here. But I think you all know, already, that you are guilty. I am going to skip to the part about the sentence – that is, the punishment. [Open a Bible to Romans 6:23 and read “The wages of sin is death.” Look up at the kids with a very serious, sad expression]. Do you understand what this means? If you are guilty – the consequence of sin is death!  That is a terrible punishment!

Clerk: Wait, wait! Judge – please don’t punish these children – there is something you need to know! [Move to the front of the room and stand so that you can speak to the Judge and the kids at the same time.] [Look at the kids]. Remember the verse that I told you two weeks ago? Say it with me: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”

[Look at the Judge] I admit that I am guilty of sinning against God – I have lied, and disobeyed, and been jealous and unkind. I am unrighteous. But this is my defense: Jesus is righteous, and He already suffered for my sins, in order to bring me to God! My punishment has already been taken – Jesus died on the cross as an innocent man, so that I, who am guilty, do not have to die for my sins! Your Honour – because I trust Jesus, you cannot punish me anymore.

Judge: You are right! If Jesus has taken your punishment, then I cannot sentence you to die for your guilt. [Look over the rest of the kids]. And if any of you trust Jesus, you do not have to die for your sin either! Jesus was innocent, but He died for the guilty – He died for you! I am going to call this trial closed. Court is dismissed! [bang gavel]

[Clerk initiates another loud cheer, and this time the Judge joins in!]

Clerk: I think this calls for a celebration! Jesus is innocent – and He chose to die for us who are guilty! And He’s alive today! Let’s get some music playing - this just makes me want to sing!

Celebration (led by Clerk)

Play ‘O Happy Day’. Sing together.

Reflection:

Close with a prayer.

After the session have children take their verdict cards with them into the sanctuary.  Explain to them that they will be sharing their evidence with the church just like they did here downstairs.  The judge will be telling the church what we have been learning about and then each child will tell the church what they have written on their cards. Tell students that you, the clerk, will call them up to the front of the church when it is time.


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

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne
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