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Video, A-V Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for Jesus and the Man Let Down Through the Roof

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Jesus and the Man Let Down Through the Roof - The story of the paralytic being brought by four friends and healed by Jesus can be found in three of the four Gospels: Matthew 9:2-8, Mark 2:1-22 and Luke 5:17-26, etc.

Bible lessons and ideas about Jesus and the Man Let Down Through the Roof -with video, audio-visual, movie, video-tape, animated Bible, etc.

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Bible Builders (Bedbug Bible Gang Series)– note older video with early simple animation with Begbug characters narrating the story. But I really like these, songs are catchy for younger children. The three stories covered on this video are Tower of Babble, House on the Rock, & Man Through the Roof. 23 minutes total, each story is covered separately, including a song and on-screen game. (Ages 3-8). I've included a link to Vision Video where you can download a MP4 version for $3.99, you can also see a preview of the video.  https://www.visionvideo.com/mp...mp4-digital-download

Below is a link, on this site, of a lesson I did using the Bedbug Bible Gang's "Easter Party" I wrote for a Easter rotation for our younger children - all their video's have similar layout, so it might be helpful to you.  Easter Party (Bedbug Bible Gang)

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

DVD Idea

 

We used the Jim Elliott story DVD, from the Torchlighters series.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Torchlig...-Story/dp/B0007GP7J6

 
Jim and his friends showed their faith, like the friends in the Bible story, by going to the Auca tribe to share the good news of Jesus. God changed the hearts of those in the tribe who saw the faith of the friends.
 
The Jim Elliot story is animated for kids and still available. He gave his life spreading the Gospel in the jungles of Ecuador, which inspired his friend.
Last edited by Rotation.org Lesson Forma-teer

The Man Let Down Through the Roof

Movie Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will explore Matthew’s version of the story and look at some of Jesus’ other miracles as they watch the scripture come to life in The Visual Bible: Matthew. They will compare the way Matthew told the story to how Luke and Mark tell the story.

Scripture Reference:

Mark 2:1-12, also Matthew 9:2-8 and Luke 5:17-26

Memory Verse:

1 John 3:18 (NLV)

Video:  

"Matthew" from the Visual Bible

Lesson Objectives for the Movie Workshop
By the end of the session, the students will

  • see that different writers tell a story differently.
  • know that Jesus healed many people.
  • know that Jesus had authority on earth.

Supply List:

  • Video: The Visual Bible: Matthew. Nashville: Visual Bible International, Inc., 1997. You will be showing about 11 minutes of Volume 1 (Matthew 7:28 - 8:17) and 3 minutes of (Matthew 9:2-8).
  • Popcorn, lemonade or water and cups, hand wipes.
  • Dictionary. (Use a children’s dictionary only if it has all the words you need: see the list before the second viewing of the video under Application.)
  • Memento: heart or some sort of friendship stickers.
  • Shepherd Time journal page: designed to look like a “movie ticket” with memory verse


Teacher preparation in advance:

  • Read the scripture passages and lesson plan and attend the Bible Study, ...
  • Prepare a closing prayer.
  • Learn the memory verse.
  • Learn the American Sign Language for the memory verse.
  • Consider what age-level adjustments might be necessary (consider those in the lesson plan and others you think of). Confer with the Shepherd on who will use the Activities and Stretchers.
  • Preview the video. Be familiar with the places where the video should be stopped for discussion. (Neil MacQueen’s “Two Most Important SHOWING TIPS: 1.) Use the PAUSE button. It’s your most powerful ‘video’ teaching tool. 2.) Don’t be afraid to view an important scene a second time. Kids (and adults) watch movies over and over all the time.")
  • Cue video to first clip
    Clip #1 - DVD 1: Matthew 9:2-8 You will be showing this clip 3x's.  (paralytic)
    Clip #2 - DVD 1: Matthew 7:28 - 8:17. You will be showing this clip once. (Other Healings)
    (Note: chapter and verse numbers show in lower right corner of movie.)
  • Make sure you and the Shepherd know how to operate the DVD player and move through chapters.
  • To our teachers at RCC: The design of this workshop is very intentional. The activities and discussion questions for this workshop were designed to meet the goals of the entire rotation and the educational objectives of the Rotation Model (tm) at River Community Church. While we feel it is important to follow the serendipitous leading of the Holy Spirit, please do not change the lesson plan without consulting a Curriculum Planning and Writing Team member.
  • Check out the room before your first Sunday workshop so that you know where everything is located.

Room set-up:
Students will sit in seats or on the floor facing the television/projection screen.



Presentation

Opening-Welcome and Introductions:
Greet the children and introduce yourself. Wear your name-tag. (Remember, you are interacting with a different group of students each week who may not know you.) Make sure the children are wearing name-tags. If not, ask the shepherd to supply a temporary badge.

We had an opening prayer during the gathering time, but you may open with prayer if you feel led to do so.

Explain the purpose of this workshop: Today we will be looking at this rotation’s story of Four Faithful Friends in the Gospel of Matthew. We will also consider some of Jesus’ other miracles.

Scripture/Bible Story:
Read the scripture: Matthew 9:2-8. (Encourage the children to use their Bibles in looking up verses. Remind them that Matthew is the first of four Gospels and it is toward the end of the Bible, but is the first book in the New Testament.)

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:
Application:

Before beginning the video, talk about what is it like waiting in a doctor's office or hospital waiting room? Who cares for you when you are ill?

First viewing ~ Clip #1 (paralytic):

Tell the children: This is a short clip of just 7 verses directly from the Gospel of Matthew (the New International Version, which is a slightly different translation than the one we just read). We will watch it several times, as it is hard to see everything the first time. This first time you’re watching the video, notice

  • the teachers of the law — where they stand, how they react to what Jesus says and does.
  • the friends’ reaction to what Jesus says and to what happens.


Set the story up by telling the children that Jesus had been traveling all over the country teaching people about God and healing the sick. The strict teachers of the Law of Moses didn’t like what Jesus was preaching. Matthew, the author of this Gospel, is the narrator.

Pass out wipes, popcorn and drinks.

Start the video.

Watch Matthew 9:2-8 straight through

If you don’t stop the video quick enough, let the children know that the old man in the next scene is Matthew, telling a grandchild these stories.

Second viewing ~ re-watch Clip #1 (paralytic):

[While you are doing the dictionary activity, have the Shepherd set-up the video back to the start of Matthew 9:2.]

Dictionary Activity:

Before we watch the video clip again, there are some key words you should understand. Can anyone tell me what ______ means? [Take suggestions, then offer dictionary definition if they need help. Look up the word for younger children - with older, ask if a volunteer wants to look it up.]

  • paralytic [person whose movement in one or more body parts/limbs is impaired or lost -- caused by injury or disease]
  • blaspheming [speaking irreverently of God, lacking respect]
  • sins [“closing our hearts to God and disobeying God’s law” -- Belonging to God: A First Catechism]
  • authority [the power to determine, the right to control; an expert on a subject]
  • awe [overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, or wonder produced by that which is extremely powerful, grand, etc.]

(Note that the video uses the New International Version rather than the NLT which we read, so some words are a bit different.)

Now that some difficult words have been defined, let’s watch Matthew 9:2-8 straight through again. Let me know if there are any other words you don’t understand.

Replay the video clip.

Were there any other words you would like to look up or have explained?

Third viewing ~ show Clip #2 (Other Healings):

[While you are introducing the other healings, have the Shepherd Cue video to second clip.
DVD 1: Matthew 7:28 - 8:17). Note: chapter and verse numbers show in lower right corner of movie.]

Now let’s take a look at some other healings that Jesus did right before today’s story where he healed the paralytic. Watch to see all the other people that had come to Jesus for help before the four friends came. Word about Jesus was spreading. The crowds were growing.

A few things you should know before we watch the video:

  • The first man that approaches Jesus for help has leprosy. Leprosy is a skin disease. It is very obvious when someone has it. It was believed to be very VERY contagious and there was no known cure, so someone who had leprosy was not allowed to go near other people.
  • Jesus tells the man to go to the priest after he is cured of leprosy. The Old Testament Law requires the priest to make sure the leprosy is gone before someone who is cured can return to live in a community.
  • A Centurion is an officer in the Roman army over 100 men (‘cent’ means 100). Remember that the Romans had taken over in Judea and were disliked and mistrusted by the Jews. If a Jewish person enters the house of a Roman, he is unclean and not allowed to do certain things for a period of time, so Jesus’ friends try to stop him from going to help the Centurion.
  • Notice how neither the man with leprosy nor the Centurion are welcomed by the crowd, but Jesus welcomes them.

Watch the second clip ~ DVD 1: Matthew 7:28 - 8:17

Discuss verse 17: Matthew reminds his readers/listeners that the prophet Isaiah said:

“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4a, NIV)
“Yet it was our weakness he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.” (Isaiah 53:4a, NLT)

  • I wonder what Matthew and Isaiah meant by this?
  • I wonder why so many people turned to Jesus? What did they know about him or see in him?

Fourth viewing ~ re-watch Clip #1 (paralytic):

[While you are introducing this viewing, have the Shepherd Cue video back to first clip.
DVD 1: Matthew 9:2-8 straight through.

So after all these healings that we just saw, word is spreading about Jesus’ ability to do miracles, his authority. So you can see why the four friends were willing to work so hard to get to Jesus.

This time as you watch the story of Four Faithful Friends, watch how everyone reacts to the healing.

Watch Matthew 9:2-8 one more time.

Discuss:

  • Why did Jesus stop the friends from helping the paralyzed man get up?
  • Why were people laughing? Was something funny?
  • The last verse says: “When the crowd saw this [the man getting up], they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:7, NIV) Was everyone praising God? What do you think of the way the filmmaker chose to show this verse? [Show the video clip one more time if necessary.]

Reflect:
Pulling it all together (closing discussion):

[adapted from “Man Through the Roof - Kirk of Kildaire”]

  • What did the friends believe about Jesus? [He had the power to heal the man.]
  • What does it mean to know that Jesus had the power to forgive sins and to heal? What does this story tell us about Jesus? [Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus is God. Jesus has authority.]
  • Why were the Pharisees upset with Jesus? [Only God can forgive sins. Jesus was implying that he was God.]
  • How did the crowd of people react when they saw the miracle? [They were amazed.]
  • Do you think they told other people about this amazing Jesus? [Yes and that was how more people learned about Jesus and believed in his teachings.]
  • How would you react if you saw this miracle? [Go and tell others - that is how the word about Jesus spread in the world and that is how more friends are brought to Jesus.]
  • Can we still bring friends to Jesus, even though he is not here in person at River Community Church teaching and healing? [Yes, by bringing them to church with us, by telling them the stories from the Bible, by telling them the things Jesus has done in our lives.]

Review the memory verse. Teach the children the memory verse using American Sign language (see Resources for ASL website).

By 11:45 a.m. ask the Shepherd to pass out the journal pages and pencils/markers. Suggestion: You may wish to give the children a heart sticker or some other sort of sticker that shows love and friendship to paste in their journals as a reminder of the story.

Shepherd Time:
The Four Faithful Friends were faithful to their friend who was paralyzed and they also were faithful to God. They loved their friend and so they brought him to God.

Here is a “ticket” [pass out the journal page tickets with the memory verse]. Decorate this ticket however you want. Maybe you want to draw a scene from the movie. Maybe you want to list some friends you want to pray for and bring to Sunday School. Maybe you want to draw a picture of yourself taking action that shows someone you love him or her.

This is meant to be a time of reflection and introspection. Writing about faith helps clarify lessons. In addition to the suggested activity, children may draw pictures relating to today’s scripture or memory verse, list highlights of the day’s activities, or rephrase the memory verse. The journal pages will be saved and given to the children at the end of the school year.

You may want to provide an extra activity or worksheet for children who finish their journals quickly, such as coloring sheets, crossword puzzles, word searches, games. See the Workshop Leader’s Background Notes and rotation.org for ideas. The Stretchers and Activities handout has some additional ideas.

Before noon, ask the students stop journaling for a moment and sit quietly for prayer so that they can leave when their parents arrive. Allow them to finish journailing after the prayer.

Closing:
Do you have someone you love that you want to bring to God? Think about that person (a friend, a family member, a classmate) you want to know Jesus better, someone you can show love to through your actions. Think about that person or those people in your hearts as we pray. Remember, God hears all your prayers, spoken and unspoken.

Pray for the children and their friends. [Sample prayer: Jesus, thank you for these children and their friends and families. Hear their prayers that they and those dear to them will grow closer to you and know you as a personal friend and Lord and Savior. Help these children to be faithful friends to all they meet. Amen.]

Tidy and Dismissal:

  • Ask children to help tidy the room. Give any specific instructions for clearing the workshop room.
  • Collect the journal pages before they leave.
  • Give everyone the parent take-home flyer the first week of the rotation; give it only to children who were absent and have not yet received it the other weeks of the rotation.


Additional Suggestions:
You will need to decide how best to adjust the lesson for older and younger students. Keep the children active and involved in activity. Do what works for you and the children. Some ideas:

Older children:

  • compare the Matthew version to Mark and Luke (either by reading all three versions or if this is not the first week of the rotation, by recalling what they read in other workshops). This can be done between the second and third video viewings or save it until later to see if time permits.
  • ask a volunteer to look up the words in the dictionary.

Younger Children:

  • For classes composed primarily of pre-readers, show the children how to find the passage in the Bible (for example, “To find the Gospels, open the Bible in the middle and then open the second half in the middle - you should end up in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Our passage is in Matthew.") and then have them find it. After everyone has found the passage, have them close their Bibles and set them aside to listen while you read.
  • for the dictionary/definition portion of the second viewing, find a simple definition for each word or think of a number of synonyms to help explain the concepts. Remember, children this age have small vocabularies.

Resources:

  • American Sign Language Browser: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm
  • Atkinson, Rev. Dr. Lonnie. “Jesus Heals the Paralytic-A Lesson Set from St. Paul's Presbyterian, Ingersoll, Ontario.” A lesson set from the Lesson and Idea Exchange at rotation.org
  • Belonging to God: A First Catechism. PCUSA, 1998.
  • Catherine. “Man Through the Roof - Kirk of Kildaire.” A lesson set from the Lesson and Idea Exchange at rotation.org
  • MacQueen, Neil. “A MANUAL for the "VIDEO ~ A-V" WORKSHOP. https://www.rotation.org/topic...-video--a-v-workshop
  • “Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man, Wellshire Presbyterian, Denver, CO.” Drama Workshop and other workshops (source for many of the discussion questions). A lesson set from the Lesson and Idea Exchange at rotation.org
  • Payne, Luanne. Matthew (Visual Bible) Chapter Breakdown found under Video Workshops, Video Series Reviews.
  • Random House Webster’s College Dictionary. New York: Random House, 1991.
  • Some Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
  • Other Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
  • NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of International Bible Society.



This lesson was written by Amy Crane for River Community Church
Prairieville, Louisiana.

Copyright 2003 Amy Crane. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.
Updated 2020 by Moderator to include DVD clip information (originally written for VHS - that info removed).

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Man Through the Roof

Video Workshop 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

This Video Workshop lesson is written for Grades K-3 and uses clips from two animated videos: "The Miracles of Jesus" (Greatest Heroes and Legends series) and "Jesus is the Good News" (What's in the Bible?, Vol. 10). Children will watch portions of these two videos as they examine the scripture and consider what it conveys about the identity of Jesus and the importance of faith.

Scripture Reference:
Mark 2:1-12, also Matthew 9:2-8 and Luke 5:17-26

Memory Verse: 
1 John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 

Workshop Objectives — At the end of the Rotation, the students will

  • Be able to identify Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as the four Gospels and know they are where we find the stories about Jesus.
  • Be able to locate and read the texts.
  • Know that Jesus chose to heal this particular man to show he had God’s power to heal and forgive.
  • Understand we show our faith in God by helping and praying for others.
  • Know that Jesus is someone to whom you take your friends, even if there are obstacles.
  • Know that God can make a difference in the life of a friend.
  • Be able to repeat the memory verse.

 
Supplies:

  • DVD #1: The Miracles of Jesus, Greatest Heroes and Legends of the Bible series.
  • DVD #2: Jesus is the Good News, What’s in the Bible? Series, Vol. 10
  • Popcorn
  • White board with marker
  • Various Bibles
  • Children’s Bibles
  • Markers/pencils
  • Decorated carpet square
  • Bowl of small candies
  • Questions for memory review game
  • Cd and cd player

 
Leader Preparation in Advance:

  • Read the scripture for this lesson.
  • Read and reflect on the background material provided for this lesson.
  • Preview the DVDs and be familiar with starting and stopping points.

Before Start of Class:

  • On the white board, write this word: blasphemy


 
Presentation

Opening- Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet your students warmly, welcoming them to the Holywood workshop. Introduce yourself and any other adults.

After week 1, ask: Who can tell me what your Sunday School lessons have been about this month? (See how much they can tell you.)

Say: Today we’re going to watch a couple of different videos that will help us learn more about our scripture.  But before we do that, raise your hand if you have a Bible at home.

(Note:  Most if not all of the 3rd graders should have the same Bible, and they should be bringing them to Sunday School.)

Ask: Does it look like this?  Or this?  Or this?  (Show different Bibles

Say: My goodness!  All these Bibles look so different, but inside they have the same stories.   Here’s a question I bet you don’t know the answer to: 

Ask: How many books are in the Bible?  (66)

Say:  In the Old Testament, you have stories that happened before Jesus was born.  Let’s see if we can think of some.  (Creation, Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Moses, Abraham (rotation topic in the fall), Jonah and the Whale, etc.)

Say: In the New Testament, there are stories that happened after Jesus was born.  In fact, one of the first stories was about his birth in a manger.  Then he grew up and began his ministry of teaching and healing.  That’s what we’re going to talk about today…his miracles of healing and showing love to others.

Dig-Main Content and Reflection:

Application #1:  Miracles of Jesus DVD (total running time for clip is 8 minutes)

Distribute popcorn. 

Say: The first video we are going to watch this morning shows Jesus performing several miracles, including the one that is the focus of our scripture.  In the opening scene, he is crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat with some of his disciples when a big storm blows in…let’s watch and see what happens.

Insert Miracles of Jesus DVD.  Go to Scene Selection.  Choose Chapter 4: Miracle Worker.  Start movie.  Pause at the end of the storm scene.

Ask:  What questions did Jesus ask his disciples?  (“Have you no faith?”  “Do you not trust me even yet?”)
Say: Even Jesus’ own disciples don’t understand that he is God.

Restart the video.  Pause after narrator says, “These miracles of Jesus strengthened the faith of his followers but others saw Jesus as a threat and they feared him.”

Ask: How did the crowd react when they saw what Jesus did for the paralyzed man?  (Some were amazed.  Others saw Jesus as a threat and they feared him.)

Say:  In the next scene, you will see Jesus calling Matthew to be one of his disciples.  Matthew was a tax collector, and people didn’t trust him.  We learned this part of the story in our workshops last month.

Restart the DVD.  Stop after Jesus says to Jairus, “Give her something to eat and tell no one what has happened here.”

Ask: 

  • What does Jesus say healed the old woman? (Her faith)
  • What does Jesus say to Jairus before he enters the house?  (Go on believing and your daughter will be alright.)
  • What is faith? (accept all answers …lead them to understand that faith is believing in something you can’t see.


Say: The four men who took their friend to Jesus had faith that Jesus could heal him.  The old woman had faith, so much that she believed she only needed to touch Jesus to be healed.  Jairus also had faith that Jesus could heal his daughter, but he got more than he ever expected when Jesus brought her back to life.  When we have faith, God will do amazing things.

Say:  Before we watch our 2nd video, let’s take a closer look at the story of the paralyzed man in our Bibles.

Scripture:
Review the organization of the Bible:
Ask:

  • Where in the Bible did we say you would read about Jesus healing people, in the Old Testament or the New Testament? (New)
  • What are the first four books of the New Testament? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
  • What do we call those first four books? (the Gospels)


Say: The word Gospel means “good news.” In the Gospels Jesus teaches us the good news about God’s love. There are four Gospels. Different people wrote the four Gospels. Sometimes they tell the same story; sometimes the stories are slightly different. Our story for today is told in three of the Gospels. We are going to read the story from the Gospel of Matthew.  See if you notice any differences from the movie version we just watched.

Grades 2-3:
Distribute Bibles. 
Remind them about the quick way to find the New Testament: dividing the Bible in half gets them near Psalms in the OT. Dividing the back half in half again gets them near the beginning of the NT.
After they have found Matthew tell them to find Matthew 9:2-8. 
Offer help as needed. Point out that the book name is at the top of each page. Some of the children may confuse chapters and verses. Show them that chapter numbers are the larger ones.

 

Grades K-1:
Explain to the children where this story is found and show them in your Bible. 

 
All grades:
Read the scripture to them.  Have the older children follow along in their Bibles.
Have them watch and listen for any differences between the Bible version and the movie version of the story. 
When you finish reading, ask for volunteers to share any differences they noticed.  (Matthew’s account does not mention how many friends and there is no mention of having to get to Jesus through a roof  – explain that those details are included in the other gospel accounts)

Say: The teachers of the law use a big word to criticize Jesus.  They say he is “blaspheming.” 

Ask:

  • Does anyone know what blasphemy means (refer to the white board)?  [allow for any answers…lead them to understand that blasphemy is was considered a sin that occurred when someone claimed to be God.]
  • What authority does Jesus says he has?  [the authority to forgive sins]
  • Why does Jesus have this authority while the Pharisees (or teachers of the law) do not? [Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus is God. So Jesus wasn’t blaspheming.]

 

Application #2: What’s in the Bible? DVD (total running time for clip is 6 minutes)

Say: Now we are going to watch a video clip that talks about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth and what kinds of things he was doing, including recruiting his helpers or disciples. 

Ask: How many disciples were there? (12)

Say: Towards the end of this clip, Phil, the narrator, explains that Jesus showed the people he had authority over several things.  Listen for these, and we’ll see if you can tell me what those things are when we finish watching.

Insert What’s in the Bible? DVD. Go to chapter selection, Part 2, then choose Chapter 3: “Jesus’ Ministry Begins.”

Start video.  Stop after the narrator says, “They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him on trial for blasphemy but they had to find a way to do it quietly or it would cause even bigger problems.”  (If you get to the section when Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you think I am?” you’ve gone too far.)

Ask: Who can tell me what things Jesus demonstrated his authority over?  (nature, sickness, hunger, death)

Say: Jesus was and is God.  The Pharisees (or the teachers of the law) and the Sadducees did not understand who he was and that’s why they were afraid of him. Eventually they had him crucified for blasphemy. 

Ask: What’s blasphemy? (claiming to be God)

Say:  But that’s a story for another time.  For now, let’s get back to our story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man.

Wrap it Up:

  • Do you think the people who saw Jesus heal the paralyzed man told anyone else about what they had seen?  [Yes and that was how more people learned about Jesus and believed in his teachings.]
  • Can we still bring friends to Jesus, even though he is not here in person at Lewis Center United Methodist Church teaching and healing? [Yes, by bringing them to church with us, by telling them the stories from the Bible, by telling them the things Jesus has done in our lives.]

Closing:
Ask: Do you have someone you love that you want to bring to God? Think about that person (a friend, a family member, a classmate) you want to know Jesus better, someone you can show love to through your actions. Think about that person or those people in your hearts as we pray. Remember, God hears all your prayers, spoken and unspoken.

Pray:  for the children and their friends. [Sample prayer: Jesus, thank you for these children and their friends and families. Hear their prayers that they and those dear to them will grow closer to you and know you as a personal friend and Lord and Savior. Help these children to be faithful friends to all they meet. Amen.]

Review the memory verse, using the strategy provided or one of your own.

If there is extra time…
Play the following memory game to review the facts of the story.  It is played much like musical chairs.  Have the children stand in a circle.  Place the decorated carpet square among the children (so it is a part of the outer circle).  Tell the children they will need to walk in a circle while the music is playing.  When they come to it, they should walk on the carpet square. When the music stops, they need to stop.  Whoever is standing on the carpet square will answer a question about the story.  (See last page of lesson plan for questions.)  If he/she gets the question right, offer a small piece of candy.  The restart the music and play again.  The CD player is in the room on the media cart.

Have the shepherds distribute the activity packets and give the children time to work on them.


Questions for Memory Game

  1. Is the story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man found in the Old Testament or New Testament? (New)
  2. The story of Jesus healing the paralyzed man can be found in what book of the Bible? (Name 1 – Matthew, Mark, Luke)
  3. Name the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
  4. Why couldn’t the friends bring the paralyzed man into the house?  (crowd)
  5. How did the friends solve the problem of getting the paralyzed man to Jesus? (they lowered him through the roof)
  6. What does paralyzed mean? (can’t move)
  7. What did Jesus say first to the paralyzed man? (Your sins are  forgiven.)
  8. How did the people react when Jesus healed the man? (Some were amazed; others complained – they felt threatened)
  9. Why was Jesus able to make      the man well? (He is God)
  10. What does the word  “blasphemy” mean? (claiming to be God)
  11. In Jesus’ day, what was the  penalty for blasphemy? (death)
  12. Name one thing over which Jesus proved he has authority. (nature, sickness, hunger, death)
  13. Why had so many people gathered in the house? (to listen to Jesus)
  14. Who touched Jesus’ robe to be healed in our movie? (old woman)
  15. What miracle did Jesus perform when he was in a boat with some of his disciples? (calmed the storm)
  16. What did Jesus do for Jairus’ daughter? (brought her back      to life)
  17. What does the word, “Gospel” mean? (good news)
  18. True or False.  The Old Testament is full of stories before Jesus was born. (True)
  19. True or False.  The New Testament is full of stories after Jesus was born. (True)
  20. True or False.  There are 16 books in the Bible.  (False – there are 66)

 

A lesson written by Amy Dunlop from Lewis Center United Methodist Church, Lewis Center, Ohio. 

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne

VIDEO: Son of God DVD (the 2014 movie)

A lesson sketch particularly good for older students.

Update: I had written a free teacher's outline to the movie Son of God (2014).  I updated it in 2020 and gave it to Rotation.org's Supporting Member Resources here (along with many of my other Bible movie guides). Neil

2 Clips to show from the movie Son of God: 

a)    Man Let Down Through Roof  (Jesus calls us to believe in him)

b)   Jesus Calls (Heals) Matthew **

**Some might think to stop showing this video at the end of the miracle story, but don't. Pause, and discuss the first clip (see notes below), and then set up the next chapter in the video where Jesus calls Matthew. It might as well be titled, "Jesus HEALS another 'lame' man named Matthew." Instead of calling Matthew to walk, he calls him to follow.  As the actor portraying Matthew so touchingly shows, Matthew the tax collector experienced a healing/forgiveness in that call. When you see the video, you'll know what I'm talking about!

Jesus' forgiveness and healing comes in many forms. That healing is also a call to follow.

Important Notes about Miracles and This Story

The primary purpose of Miracles in scripture is to tell us about God, and in this case, WHO Jesus is, what and who he cares about. Miracles are signs of God's heart and what is to come.

Miracle stories also tell us about people (us), our needs, problems, and God’s desire that our needs be met.

Importantly, the miracle of the Man Let Down Through the Roof happens at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Mark and Luke. It is placed there as SIGN to all about who know how to read it.

 

Things to Say Before Watching:

The Bible has several “beginning” stories.

What’s the big “beginning story” in the Book of Genesis?  (Creation). 
This story tells us that God made the world and thinks its pretty good!

What’s the big “beginning story” at the beginning of the Gospels? (Jesus’ birth). 
What does this beginning story tell us?  (that God so loved the world).

There’s another beginning in the Gospel stories, and that’s the beginning of Jesus ministry when he was about 30 years old. He gets baptized, then goes into the wilderness to pray, but his very first PUBLIC ACT is what we are learning about today. His very first public act will tell everyone WHO he is, and WHAT he has come to do. It is a sign. That story is called  “The Man Let Down Through the Roof.” (write these things on the board)

After I show you the video clip, I’m going to ask you to share what you think the story of the Man Let Down Through the Roof TELLS US about WHO Jesus is, and WHAT he is going to do.

SHOW the Man Down Through the Roof Video Clip from Son of God DVD.

Discuss: 

Ask:

  • What did the story tell you about WHO Jesus was and WHAT his ministry was going to be about?   ….that Jesus was the Son of God with authority to forgive. …that he wasn’t just another teacher or leader. …that he was here to forgive sins (heal), …not lead a rebellion or punish people.
  • Why was the Pharisee upset with Jesus' actions? (The Pharisees wanted to be in control, to have the authority, and Jesus was a threat because he claimed his own authority and backed it up with the miracle!)
  • What do you think Peter meant when he said to the Pharisee, "This is only the beginning" ???  The beginning of what?  It's a powerful moment.

Say: There are OTHER ways to look at this story: as a story about YOU.

About You #1: You are the lame man on the stretcher in need of help.

Imagine you are the man in the stretcher.  How do you sins make you lame? How do your sins keep you from learning from Jesus? What kind of help do YOU need?
Who helps you learn from Jesus?  (parents, friends, church, Bible –these things are your stretchers & helpers. Write them out as they are offered, and draw a picture of stretcher above them)

About You #2: You are the friends trying to help another be with Jesus.

Imagine you are the friends carrying and lowering their friend down through the roof to see Jesus. How do YOU share Jesus with your friends? How does the church do it?  How easy is it?

SHOW the Call (Healing!) of Matthew video clip

It comes right after the Man Down Through the Roof clip.

**Before showing, tell the group that they will now see another man “healed” by Jesus, but that he won’t be on a stretcher or have physical problems. I will ask you at the end of the clip “what kind of problems did the man have that Jesus healed?”

Neil

Last edited by Luanne Payne

Here is the teaching clip from "The Nazareth Jesus Knew" A Television Series".  I found it very interesting, but I'm sure it's too dry for my kiddos.  

(Exchange volunteer moved it to this topic.)


2019 Exchange volunteer adds:

The above video goes into the archaeological-connections, but they also did a shorter one that re-enacts the story as found in "Mark 2" which is only 2:45 minutes in length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...amp;index=7&t=0s

Last edited by Luanne Payne

@Chellejean   
This is really an interesting video. Thanks for finding it. 

I love "making it real" archaeological-connections, especially those which could have a hands-on component I describe below...

My inner child sees MUD, STICKS, AND DIGGING --and immediately wants to try and make that roof!  I also want to try and break through that roof.  Mud, reeds, 2 saw horses (to be the beams of the roof),  tarps, trowels, digging tools.

roof

After making the mud roof, you would have to dig the hole in it to complete the story. This means you need to have a previously made "dry" roof.   In a multi-week Rotation, today's class would make the roof  to be "dug" in the next week's class. The first week would need a dry roof made by the teacher to dig into. I'd arrange some doll-action-figures under the roof to demonstrate the chunks and dirt flying (as described and seen in the video).

Option: I suppose you could make a small version of the mud roof to go home. Use dry mud (or clay) & reeds. You could "cut" the hole in the roof by pre-forming it as you layered mud-clay and reeds. What I would NOT do, however, is lose the mud, the smell and texture of it and the reeds. In other words, I would NOT turn this into a construction and popsicle stick craft. But I'd prefer to "go big" on this, and let the bigger more impressive activity, as well as, the mud in their nostrils and under their nails be the memory that "goes home."

The videos isn't that long, but to focus their attention, after reading through the story, I'd bring out the mud and sticks,then present the video to my kids as a "how-to" video before working to make the roof. 

I love the ideas expressed near the end of the video. Great discussion fodder during the roof making and cutting activities:

"I often wonder...why they didn't clear out down there? God's presence was so strong that nobody was moving."

"You might fall down with him. ....They were willing to take the risk (to cut the hole in the roof)."

"Fixing it would take time.... These friends had to love their friend, be determined."

"I assume these guys were willing to pay, or they came back and repaired the hole..... maybe with their healed friend!"

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Last edited by Luanne Payne

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man (Luke 5:17-26)

A short animated retelling of the story of the man let down through the roof from Saddleback Kids, posted on their free YouTube channel.

Last edited by Neil MacQueen

When we did this story (it's up again in our rotation this year!) in our Art workshop, we made a "roof" using papier mache, paint and sticks. We cut a little trap door in it to lower the man down. We also made character "puppets" by decorating card stock figures (using fabric, markers, yarn, etc.) and adhering to plastic bottles. The kids used the bottle puppets and the roof to re-enact the story in our drama workshop. Looking for photos... it was a LOT of fun and the kids enjoyed learning about the housing styles of the time!

If I find them, I'll add to a post on the drama and art spots.

Jaymie

Last edited by Jaymie Derden

Illustrations for Man Let down through the Roof from the Annie Vallotton Bible Illustrations Collection

Jesus-Paralyzed-Man-Roof-Mark2-Vallotton

In Mark 2, four friends let a paralyzed man down through the roof to see Jesus.

Jesus-Pharisees-Mark2-Vallotton

When the Pharisees hear Jesus tell the paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven, they say it is blasphemy.

Jesus-Sins-Forgiven-Walk-Mark2-Vallotton

Jesus shows his authority by telling the paralyzed man he is forgiven and to get up, pick up his mat, and walk.

Jesus-Pick-Mat-Walk-Mark2-Vallotton

The man does as Jesus says, and picks up his mat and walks!

  Link to larger and higher resolution versions of the Vallotton illustrations and color background options as well in our Vallotton Bible Images Forum (Supporting Membership required, become one today). Copyright and usage information here.

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  • Jesus-Paralyzed-Man-Roof-Mark2-Vallotton: Jesus and the man let down through roof
  • Jesus-Pharisees-Mark2-Vallotton: Pharisees complain about Jesus
  • Jesus-Pick-Mat-Walk-Mark2-Vallotton: Paralyzed man is healed and picks up his mat
  • Jesus-Sins-Forgiven-Walk-Mark2-Vallotton: Jesus tells paralyzed man on mat his sins forgiven
Last edited by CreativeCarol

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