(WT) Jesus the Boy in the Temple ~ Story Workshop

Rotation.org Writing Team

Jesus the Boy in the Temple

The "Jesus is in the House!" Story Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activity

There are a lot of places people encounter Jesus in their lives, but for most, the church is the first place where children experience his holy presence and compelling message. This lesson turns that important realization into a concrete action and memorable visual for both students and adults.

Playing off of the "Where's Waldo" picture books, in this fun workshop, students will read the book "Where's Jesus" and then prepare and place a dozen or so "somewhat hidden pictures of Jesus" in locations around the church to remind them that Jesus is here to be found if you're looking, and he's looking for you too.

The lesson makes the same point as Jesus did in Luke 2: 41-52. His parents looked for Jesus everywhere else BUT the church! ...er.... "Temple." And when they found Jesus there, he said, "did not know to look for me in my Father's House?" The church is a great place for our kids to start looking as well.

Scripture

Passage:

Key/Memory Verse: Luke 2:49 He said to them, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Objectives

See the Bible Background for this set's complete list of objectives.

Objectives for this Workshop

Students will realize they are in God's House when they come to church, and that means Jesus is there to be found, and also Jesus is there to find them.
Bring the congregation into the lesson by posting "sort of hidden" pictures of Jesus around the church to be found.

Preparation & Supplies

Read Bible Background, scripture and this lesson.
Print the "Face of Jesus" sheet (attached at the bottom of this lesson). Optionally, you can print it on 'removable sticker paper" turning the faces of Jesus into stickers for placing around the church.
"Where's Waldo" book.
"Finding Jesus" book by Winston Rowntree.
Print "A Cheat Sheet for teachers — Where "I THINK" Jesus is in Winston Rowntree's Book" compiled by Luanne and found below this lesson.

Lesson Plan

This lesson plan begins in a similar way to the children's sermons posted in the supplemental resources for this set.

Open:

Sit down with the kids and open a copy of the book, "Where's Waldo?" This series was very popular a number of year's back, and some of your students may be acquainted with it. Let them try to find Waldo on two or three pages.

Now pull out your copy of "Finding Jesus" – which is just like "Where's
Waldo" except that Jesus is the one you're looking for.

Show a couple of pages and see if they can "find Jesus."

Dig:

Ask: How many of you would like to meet Jesus? Talk to him? Give him a hug? Hear him teaching? Offer to serve him? Be his best friend?

Say: Seems kind of hard to do all those things because he doesn't walk around in his body anymore! He is the Holy Spirit.

So where can you find the Spirit of Jesus?

Key Point: Would it AMAZE you to learn that the very first words Jesus ever spoke in the Bible are him telling us where to find him? It's true!

Read the story of Jesus the Boy in the Temple, Luke 2: 41-52

...When he was a boy.... His parents looked for Jesus everywhere else BUT the Temple (i.e. the church). And when they found Jesus there talking to his teachers, Jesus said the very first words ever written down about him. He said, "did you not know to look for me in my Father's House?"

Say: This is one of those Bible verses that has a deep "double" meaning if you look at it long enough. Jesus is not merely speaking to his parents, like almost everything Jesus says in scripture, Jesus is speaking to a much BIGGER AUDIENCE than just his parents

He is speaking to us.

He is speaking about where WE can find him — we will "find" Jesus when we go to his and our Father's House to worship and learn.

You will look for Jesus and encounter his Spirit in many places and times during your life, but Jesus himself reminds us that it is God's House, places of worship and Bible study and mission, where Jesus loves to hang out the most!

And here's the great last part of that: Jesus is here in this place looking for you too.

Stick with it!

Say: It's easy to run around the church and totally miss Jesus, to leave here and still not feel like he's real or means that much to you.

For example...

In worship, we get distracted by someone sitting with us, and we miss Jesus trying to speak to us through a song or scripture.
In prayers, we look at the floor instead of focusing on talking to Jesus.
In fellowship, we don't realize that Jesus' spirit is in the heart of everyone we see.
In Sunday School, we don't see Jesus peeking out from our study or games.

But Jesus is here to be found ALL OVER THE CHURCH! And that's what our "sticker" activity is going to remind us and others about.

» Let's take these Jesus stickers and come up with a list of a dozen "secret or & unexpected places" we want people to see the face of Jesus staring back at them, and a caption with each sticker that will remind them WHO THEY ARE HERE FOR.

Once we make our list, we'll go put the stickers around the church (or tape them up). Now let's come up with 12 locations that will remind people that they are here for Jesus, and not to be distracted by other things.

sticker

Example Locations and Sayings:

Inside the cabinet door in the church kitchen. Caption: "You're not just serving juice and donuts, you're welcoming kids to my Father's House!"

Light switch: "Jesus is the light of the world and wants to shine through you."

Stickers on the backs of pews and on Bibles in the sanctuary: "Keep focused on Jesus and His word for you."

Front door: "Looking for Jesus here? He is looking for you too!"

Exit door: "Don't forget to take this guy home with you."

Teaching Tip:

The idea is to put the images/stickers in unexpected places. The captions should be specific to the location. As you go to each location to place the stickers, offer some additional comments about "how Jesus is in this particular place reaching out to others here," (teaching, serving, preparing, etc.).

Additional Suggestions

Give students some stickers to take home and place in locations around their home.

Find a large format picture of Jesus and then print at your local office store, cut out and glue to plywood or foam core board to make a life-size "stand up Jesus" you can place around the building (moving to a new location each Sunday). Add the caption: "I love being in my Father's House!" (Luke 2:49).

Note: Oriental Trading carries different Jesus Stand-Ups you can purchase! (Example: The one pictured has unfortunately been discontinued, Item #IN-13628525, details: 26" wide x 5.6' high - one-sided, on cardboard, but just search their site for "Jesus Stand-Up" to see their current selection.

About the Book:

"Finding Jesus" by Winston Rowntree, Published 2014 by Three Rivers Press,Available on Amazon

A note about this book

Finding Jesus is like Where's Waldo, but it has a hip spirit that adults will appreciate too. A cartoon image of Jesus is hidden among a large group of people doing all number of things, including camping, attending a house party, attending a wedding (just like in Cana), and even going to a Led Zepplin concert. "Where" the author/illustrator puts Jesus and what's going on around him would make a great subject for discussion for youth, including, "who would Jesus hang out with today?"

FINDING-JESUS at the Lake