Easter – Trial and Crucifixion

Games and Bible Skills Workshop

State Street UMC G.R.E.A.T. Adventure

Summary of Lesson Activities:

The children will play and Easter symbol relay game and a sculpture game.

Scripture Reference:

Mark 14:43-15:47

Leader Preparation:

• Review the Bible Background, Behavioral Covenant, Teaching Tips and Lesson plan.
• Gather all necessary supplies for games.
• Review the Rotation Music CD. Plan to play the music in the background as the children study, play games and do journal questions.

Materials List:

• White linen strip
• Length of rawhide
• Praying hands
• Bag of spices
• Crown of thorns
• Real crown
• Cross
• Sign that says, “This is the King of the Jews”
• Feather
• Die
• Silver coin
• Communion cup
• Picture of a sword
• Stone
• Nail
• Card with “Jerusalem” written on it
• Card with “Passover” written on it
• Picture of a skull
• Purple cloth
• One can of Play-Doh
• Basket
• Symbol slips

Important Note for Games Workshop Leaders:
The purpose of the games workshop is two-fold: to develop Bible skills and to reinforce that knowledge by having fun with games. The games are not frills and fluff! Playing games helps to cement the knowledge and reinforce the skills you introduce during the Bible lesson. Please do not skimp on the games portion of the lesson! Use the time guidelines to keep your lesson on track. Remember -- children are spending 4 weeks on this story, so if you can’t cover every single aspect of the story, it’s ok!

Time Guidelines:

• Introductions/Opening Prayer: 10 minutes
• Bible Study 15 minutes
• Games 25 minutes
• Reflection/Closing Prayer: 10 minutes

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Gather the children together in the Temple area with their Bibles. Welcome the children and introduce yourself. Always begin each class with introductions. Remember that workshop leaders rotate often and the children may not know you. Make sure you are wearing your name tag and that the children have picked up their nametags from Fast Pass. Tell the children that today you will be hearing about the Easter Story – Jesus’ trial and how he was killed – and then what happened on Easter Sunday!

Opening Prayer: Open with prayer: “Dear God, Thank you for this day and for all the people who are here today. Help us to open our hearts and minds to your Word as we study and play here today.” Amen

Dig:

Bible Study:
Adventure Bible for Young Readers - Mark 14:43-15:47, Little Kids’ Adventure Bible - pages 348-355

Important Notes:
Each workshop begins with the Bible story. One of our primary goals is to improve the children’s Bible literacy! If children did not bring their Bibles from home, use the classroom Bibles. Shepherds should help the children locate the stories. Use the handout “Helping Children Learn to Use their Bibles” and the Background Information to help you introduce the story.

**Remember, that as the rotation progresses, the children will become more familiar with the story. When this happens, allow the children to tell you what they know. The children should still locate the story in their Bibles every week. Use the bold headings in their Bibles to guide your discussion. You may want to review some of the Bible notes as well. Then you can fill in any missing information and add additional details using the Background Information to help you. One of greatest advantages of this model is that children who come regularly learn the story in great depth.

Today’s story is too long to read in its entirety from the children’s Bibles. Instead have them locate the beginning of the story and note the titles (in bold red and blue print for grades 1-2, in bold print for grades 3-6). Use the paraphrased passage below. Be sure to pause and discuss the Bible notes as you come to them and take time to answer any questions the children may have.

Introduce the Story:
Ask: Where would we find a story about Jesus’ life and death? (gospels in the New Testament). Today’s story is found in all four gospels. What are the gospels? (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – first four books of the New Testament)

The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection is found in all four gospels, but we are going to study the account from the gospel of Mark.

Say: Today’s story is pretty long, so we won’t read the whole thing from our Bibles. Instead I am going to tell you the story and you will find certain parts of it in your Bibles. First let’s remember what Jesus was doing….Let’s review what has been happening to Jesus. Jesus was in Jerusalem to celebrate the most important Jewish feast, the Passover. Jesus had just celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples. We have a special name for this supper; do you know what it is? (Last Supper) After the Passover meal, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. This was on the Mount of Olives. (Point out these locations on the wall map) He knew that this would be his last night on earth and soon he would be arrested and killed. He was feeling very alone and sad. He asked his disciples to stay awake with him while he prayed, but they were tired and full from the meal…Do you remember what happened? (They fell asleep) Jesus prayed in the garden for a long time. Then suddenly, a crowd of people and soldiers came looking for Jesus. They had clubs and lanterns and swords. Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples, was with them. He came to betray Jesus. He got 30 silver coins for betraying Jesus. Do you know what he did to show the soldiers who Jesus was? (kissed him) So, the soldiers arrested Jesus. Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the ear of one of the men. But Jesus told Peter to put his sword away. This was not the time to fight. Then Jesus healed the man’s ear.

Let’s find the story in our Bibles now…

"Jesus is Taken to the Sanhedrin"(Grades 1-2: page 348, Grades 3-6: Mark 14:53)
The soldiers and crowd took Jesus away to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest and president of the Sanhedrin. Do you know what the Sanhedrin is?

Locate and read the "Did you Know Bible" note (Grades 1-2: page 348, Grades 3-6: page 1088): What was the Sanhedrin?

The Sanhedrin was a very powerful Jewish court of religious leaders. They didn’t like Jesus and what he had been teaching. They had been looking for a way to get rid of Jesus since Lazarus was raised from the dead. They were more interested in following the rules that they made up, rather than really doing what God wanted. The Sanhedrin was very powerful, but the Romans were really in charge. As long as the Sanhedrin kept things peaceful and quiet, the Romans let them do their own thing. Caiaphas was the high priest and the president of the Sanhedrin. He was afraid that Jesus was getting people too riled up – all this talk about new Kings and all. Maybe the people would even riot. If that happened, the Romans would take over and take away the Sanhedrin’s power. Caiaphas thought it would be better for Jesus to die, since he was just one man. Then everything would get back to normal.

Grades 3-6 only: People in Bible Times: "Caiaphas" (page 1191),

Now the Sanhedrin was known throughout the world for their just laws. But this night, they broke many of their own laws! (Refer to Background Material for list of broken laws.)

Caiaphas asked Jesus a lot of questions. Lots of people told lies about Jesus and what he had been doing. But Jesus didn’t answer any of Caiaphas’ questions. Finally, Caiaphas asked Jesus, “Are you the Christ? Are you the Son of God?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of God.” This made Caiaphas so angry that he tore his clothes. This is blasphemy! This man is claiming to be God, himself. He must die!”

Locate and read the People in Bible Times note: "Jesus" (Grades 1-2: page 289, Grades 3-6: page 1106). Jesus called himself the Son of God and the Son of Man. This means that Jesus is both God and human.

The Sanhedrin was furious! They spit on Jesus and hit him. They found Jesus guilty and said that he must die. But, remember, the Sanhedrin was very powerful, but they didn’t have the power to put anyone to death.

"Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus" (Grades 1-2: page 349, Grades 3-6: page 1187)
Meanwhile Peter, Jesus’ disciple, was downstairs in the courtyard. A woman saw Peter and recognized him as one of Jesus’ followers. But Peter was afraid. He said three times that he didn’t know Jesus. Just as he said it the last time, a rooster crowed. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed. Peter felt terrible and cried and cried.

"Jesus Goes Before Pilate" (Grades 1-2: page 350, Grades 3-6: page 1187)
Early the next morning, the priests took Jesus to Pilate, the Roman governor. The Sanhedrin could arrest people and punish them, but only the Roman governor could sentence someone to be killed. They wanted Jesus put to death.

Read the People in Bible Times Note: "Pontius Pilate" (Grades 1-2: page 351, Grades 3-6: page 1160)

Pilate asked Jesus lots of questions too. He thought Jesus was innocent. He wanted the Sanhedrin to deal with Jesus on its own. But the Sanhedrin wanted Jesus killed and, remember, they could not do that. They kept after Pilate. Pilate offered to let Jesus go free, since the Romans always let a Jewish prisoner go free during Passover. But the priests and crowd asked Pilate to release a criminal named Barabbas instead. They wanted Jesus to die. The crowd screamed, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” Finally Pilate gave in. He ordered Jesus whipped and crucified.

Read the Life in Bible Times note: "Flogging" (Grades 1-2: page 352, “Whipping” Grades 3-6: page 1188)

"The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus" (Grades 3-6: page 1188)
After Jesus was whipped, the soldiers made fun of him. First they put a purple robe on Jesus. Purple is the color of royalty. They made a crown out of thorny branches and pushed it down on Jesus’ head. They made fun of him, laughing and bowing down to him and mocking him by calling him “King of the Jews.” They beat him with sticks and spit on him. Then they took him away to be crucified.

Read the Life in Bible Times note: "The Cross" (Grades 1-2: pages 352-353, Grades 3-6: page 1232).

Grades 3-6 can also read People in Bible Times: "Simon" (page 1188) Explain that Simon would have carried just the horizontal cross piece of Jesus’ cross, not the entire cross as we typically see in pictures. The older children will probably be interested in more of the details of crucifixions. Use the background information to discuss with them.

"Jesus is Nailed to a Cross" (Grades 1-2: page 352, Grades 3-6: page 1188)
They took Jesus away to the place called Golgotha. It means “the skull.” They nailed his wrists and feet to the cross and left him there to die. The soldiers stood guard and made fun of Jesus. They put a sign above his head that read, “This is the King of the Jews.” They cast lots to see who would get to keep Jesus’ robe. (this is kind of like playing a game with dice) Two criminals were crucified on both sides of Jesus. One of them asked Jesus to remember him in heaven. Jesus promised that the man would be in heaven with Jesus that very day.

"Jesus Dies" (Grades 1-2: page 354, Grades 3-6: page 1189) (there is good background information in Journey to the Cross about this section - you might want to have it out for the children to see)
At noon the sky turned dark. It lasted until 3:00. One of the bystanders offered Jesus a sponge soaked with wine vinegar to drink. At 3:00 Jesus cried out, took his last breath and died. Immediately the earth shook and the curtain in the Temple tore from top to bottom. The Roman commander standing in front of Jesus heard Jesus and saw what happened. He said, “This man was surely the Son of God!”

"Jesus is Buried" (Grades 1-2: page 354, Grades 3-6: page 1189)
Joseph of Arimathea, a secret disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. Sometimes it took days for people who were crucified to die. Pilate checked with the Roman commander to make sure Jesus was really dead. Then he let Joseph take Jesus’ body. Joseph wrapped Jesus’ body in linen and put him in a new tomb.

Grades 3-6: People in Bible Times: "Joseph of Arimathea" (page 1189)

Read the Life in Bible Times note: "Burial" (Grades 1-2: page 355, Grades 3-6: page 1265). (This should be review for our children as we have discussed Jewish burial customs in great length during the Jairus’ Daughter rotation and the Raising of Lazarus rotation)

Read the Life in Bible Times note: "Jesus’ Tomb" (Grades 1-2: page 356, Grades 3-6: page 1162).
Jesus’ friends, disciples and family watched all of this. What do you think they were thinking when they saw that Jesus had really died? How do you think they were feeling? How would you have felt if you had watched Jesus die and seen him buried?

But we know that this is not the end of the story… three days later, what happened? We know that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive today! And that is what we celebrate at Easter!

Memory Verse: Each rotation we ask the children to memorize one scripture verse. Note that this rotation we have a song for our Memory verse. Use the version from the song. You might want to play the song John 3:16 as the children locate the verse in their Bible. Have them sing along to review the verse.

Discussion Questions:
For questions, refer to the Background Information and the section "Meaning of the Cross - FAQs".

Game: Easter Symbol Relay - Grades 1-2
Play a relay game designed to help them recognize the meaning of Easter symbols.

Supplies and Preparation:
Variety of Easter symbols:
White linen strip – Jesus’ burial
Length of rawhide - Jesus was whipped Palm branch – Palm Sunday
Praying hands – Jesus praying in the garden
Bag of spices – preparing Jesus’ body for burial
Crown of thorns – put on Jesus’ head by the soldiers
Real crown – symbolizing that Jesus is a real King of Kings!
Cross – Jesus’ crucifixion
Sign that says, “This is the King of the Jews” – sign put on the cross above Jesus’ head
Feather – from the rooster who crowed when Peter denied Jesus
Die – the soldiers cast lots for Jesus’ robe
Silver coin – Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver
Communion cup – Last Supper
Picture of a sword – Peter cut off the servant’s ear when Jesus was arrested
Stone – stone rolled away from the tomb
Nail – nails used to put Jesus on the cross
Card with “Jerusalem” written on it – where the Temple was located, where the story took place
Card with “Passover” written on it – the Jewish feast that Jesus was celebrating with his disciples
Picture of a skull – Golgotha, Place of the Skull where Jesus was crucified
Purple cloth – color of the robe the soldiers put on Jesus

Basket or bag
Place the Easter Story symbols in the basket.
Set the basket at one end of the playing area

To Play:

1. Divide the children into two teams.
2. Place both teams at the opposite side of the room from the basket.
3. First player on first team must hop to the basket, take one item from it and hop back to his/her team.
4. Once back, the team must identify the symbol and tell its relevance to the Easter story. Everyone must listen carefully to make sure the answer is correct. All answers must be done as a team! (No individual calling out allowed!)
5. If the team cannot answer, the other team gets a chance to steal.
6. Play passes to the next team.
7. Continue alternating teams until all symbols are gone.
8. Alternate hopping, skipping, walking, jumping, walking backwards, walking on tiptoes, etc. to add some fun and challenge to the game.

Game: Sculpt the Story – Grades 3-6
(Activity adapted from “Dough Sculpture Easter Game,” Easter A-Z by Dee Leone, Shining Star Publications, 1990)
Create sculptures from Play-Doh that represent symbols of the Easter story.

Supplies and Preparation:
one can of Play-Doh
basket
Symbol slips – write down each symbol on a small slip of paper, fold the writing side in, and place in a basket.

1. Have a player from the first team choose a slip of paper from the basket without letting anyone else see what is written on the slip of paper.
2. That player must then use the Play-Doh to create the symbol he/she received.
3. The player’s team has one minute to try to guess the symbol that is being sculpted.
4. If the player’s team does not guess correctly in one minute, the other team has a chance to guess.
5. Once the symbol has been correctly identified, have the children explain how the symbol fits into the Easter story.
6. Play then rotates to the next team.
7. Continue playing until everyone has had a chance to sculpt a symbol.

Option for Small Groups:
If you have a small group (less than 6 people), there is no need to play in teams. Simply rotate around the group allowing each child to have a turn.

Symbols for Sculpt the Story Game:
Write each of these symbols on a small slip of paper and place in a basket.
Cross
Crown of thorns
Stone
Palm branch
Cup
Sheep or lamb
Donkey
Nail
Tomb
Money
Praying
Garden
Temple
Soldier
King
Temple Curtain
Rooster
Kiss
Angel
Whip
Earthquake
Love
Sword
Golgotha – place of the skull

Reflection:

The last 10 minutes should be reserved for Journal Reflection time. This is an opportunity for processing and reflection about what the children have learned. Ask the shepherds to pass out the journals and pencils/pens and the journal question sticker for the day. Workshop leaders and shepherds should sit down with children in small groups to facilitate discussion and writing in Faith Journals. Memory verse stickers are also included for each lesson. Children may copy the memory verse and illustrate it as an alternative to journal questions.

Journal Questions:
Grades 1-2: Jesus loves you. Draw a picture showing how you can show love to Jesus.
Grades 3-6: Jesus loves you. He died for you. How can you show Jesus your love for him?

Extra Activities:
If you have extra time, review the memory verse together with these games. Be sure to play the music CD while playing!

Verse Pop Up – Grades 1-4
Supplies:
construction paper (six sheets)
Tape
Divide the memory verse into six sections and write each section on a piece of construction paper.

For God so loved the world
That he gave his only begotten son
That whoever believes in him
Will never die
But have eternal life.
John 3:16

Tape each section to the wall, leaving about one foot between sections.

To Play:

1. Divide the children into six groups and have each group squat down underneath their section of scripture. The first group “pops up” and recites their section of the verse, then squats back down.
2. The next group then “pops up” to say their part and then squats back down.
3. Repeat for the entire verse.
4. At the end have everyone “pop up” and repeat the verse together.
5. Next shift each group one section to the right, so that they are at the next section of the verse.
6. The last section moves to the first section.
7. Repeat as above.
8. Play until everyone has been at every section, or until you all run out of breath!
   
   

Verse Shuffle – Grades 5-6
Supplies:
Index cards (52 total)
Markers
Write the memory verse out, one word per index card. Put the scripture reference on a single card. Make another identical set.
Shuffle each set of cards.

To Play:

1. Divide the children into two groups.
2. Give each team a shuffled set of the memory verse cards.
3. Have each group race to put the memory verse in order.
4. Recite the memory verse all together!
   
   OR use the Rotation music CD to sing and review the Memory verse.

Prayer: Gather the children together in a circle. Review with them one word or concept that they learned during today’s session. (Believe, Love, Resurrection are some suggestions) Encourage children to come back next week for another workshop, and to invite their friends, especially their friends who do not belong to a church. Remind them to bring their Bibles. Ask for prayer requests and pray together. You may ask one of the children to say the closing prayer, or you may pray something like this, Dear Lord, You are so wonderful and awesome! We thank you for sending Jesus to show us how to live and love. We thank you for sending him to be our Savior. Help us to always remember the wonderful love and grace you have given us and to remember that far beyond this Easter season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Release children only to parents or by prior arrangement with parents.

A lesson written by Jaymie Derden from: State Street UMC
Bristol, VA

This lesson created and copyrighted by State Street UMC, Bristol, VA, 2003. Permission granted for non-commercial, local church use, provided credit is give to the source.

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

Easter- Trial and Crucifixion

Games Workshop 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will play and "Egg Carton Toss" game to review the scriptures.

Scripture Reference:
John 19:1-2 and 14-30, the Death of Jesus

Leader Preparation:

• Review the scripture and game rules
• Gather the Materials
• Prepare the egg carton:
  · Take a clean, empty egg carton (Or two), leaving the 12 compartments and lid intact
  · With a marker, number the bottom of each of the 12 compartments (Doesn’t matter what order they are in or if you choose 2,4,6,8 or 5,10,15,20 – more than one compartment can have the same number) Number the lid with the lowest value.
  · Place the egg carton (Or 2) in the middle of the room – on the floor or a bench
  · Mark the floor with masking tape – 3 foot away from the carton on all sides. (If this is way too easy for them, increase the distance.)

Materials List:

• An egg carton
• 2 ping-pong balls per child
• Paper/pen
• Bibles
• Masking tape
• Calculator

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Dig:

Play the game:

• Divide into 2 teams (More if you want)
• Answer the trivia question correctly (see below) and your team earns a chance to toss the ping-pong balls

§ 20 points for a correct answer (plus whatever the balls add up to)
§ 10 points for a correct answer with a reference (Bible, etc) (plus balls)
§ Wrong answer – no points – no tosses – and play goes to the next team

• Have all children on the team stand behind the tape line. Each child is to have 2 balls. All children are to toss their balls into the egg carton. If they toss all at the same time, they might knock the other balls out. They need to learn teamwork. When all the balls are tossed, add up the score.
• Go to the next team, and have them answer a Bible trivia question. And repeat
• Winner goes to the team with the highest score.

Here are the Bible Trivia Questions from the Bible Study on John 19:1-2 and 14-30

Before reading the Bible story you might want to address the first few questions (about where John is located and the gospels).

1. What book of the Bible is our text located in? (John)
2. Is the book of John in the Old or New Testament? (New – Jesus is in the New)
3. What book of the Bible is before John? (Luke)
4. What book of the Bible is after John? (Acts)
5. There are 4 special Books at the beginning of the New Testament. John is one of them. What are they called altogether? (The Gospels)
6. Pilate whipped Jesus. Then a crown was placed on his head. What was the crown made of? (Thorns) John 19:1
7. Who placed the Crown of thorns on Jesus’ head? (Soldiers) John 19:2
8. The soldiers placed a cloak around Jesus. What was the robe’s color? (Purple) John 19:2
9. What did the crowd of Jews yell to Pilate when he said, ‘Here is your King!” (Away with him – Crucify him) John 19:14
10. What time of the day was Jesus turned over to be crucified? (The 6th hour – about 12 noon on the day before the Passover) John 19:14
11. Jesus was taken out of the city, carrying his cross to the place where he would be killed. What was this place called? (The Skull– Golgotha – Calvary) John 19:17
12. We know Jesus was not the only one that they crucified. How many more people were killed at the same time as Jesus? (Two) John 19:18
13. When Jesus and the other two criminals were hanging on the cross, where was Jesus positioned? Right, Left, or Center of the two criminals? (could draw 3 crosses on the chalkboard and ask where was Jesus positioned?) (Center – in the middle) John 19:18
14. Pilate hung a sign over Jesus. What did the sign say? (Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews) John 19:19
15. Pilate wanted to make sure lots of people read the sign. How many languages was it written in? (3 – Hebrew, Latin, and Greek) John 19:20
16. When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they put his garments in 4 piles. Who were the clothes for? (The 4 soldiers – divided among the soldiers) John 19:23
17. Jesus also had a robe. The soldiers didn’t want to tear it and divide it between them. How did they decide who was going to get the robe? (They gambled for it – they threw dice to see who would get it – they cast lots) John 19:24
18. Who stood at the foot of the cross beside Jesus? (John and 3 Marys – Mother Mary – Jesus’ aunt, Mary, the wife of Cleopas – Mary Magdalene) John 19:25
19. What instruction did Jesus give to John about Jesus’ mother? (Jesus’ mother was to be treated like John’s mother – John was to take Jesus’ mother to his home and care for her like she was John’s own mother) John 19:27
20. When Jesus said he was thirsty, what happened? (Sour wine/vinegar was offered to him) John 19:29
21. Since Jesus was hanging on the cross and higher off the ground than everyone, how did they get the wine/vinegar up to his mouth? (On a branch/stick – on a hyssop branch and held up to his lips) John 19:29
22. After Jesus had tasted the wine/vinegar he bowed his head and said something. What did Jesus say? (It is finished) John 19:30
23. After Jesus bowed his head and said, “It is finished,” what happened? (Jesus died) John 19:30
24. Are we glad or sad that Jesus died for us? (???????? – maybe both – sad that he had to die to save us – glad that he died to wash away all of our sins)
25. Why did God send Jesus to us if he was just going to let the people of earth kill him? (God so loved the world that he gave his only son)
26. Who does God love? (You and me!) 

Reflection:

Close with a prayer and dismiss the children to their parents.

A lesson written by Rachel Haugland from: Bethel Lutheran
Story City, IA 

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

Trial and Crucifixion

Games Workshop

Faith Quest 

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Children will play a team quiz game.

Scripture Reference:

Luke 22 (for background) and 23 (main emphasis).

Concept: Jesus suffered and died so that our souls can live forever.

Lesson Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Be able to find the story of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion in the Bible (grades 3-5).
2. Learn the context (Luke 22) of the events of Luke 23
3. Learn the details of the story as told in Luke 23.
4. Discuss why Jesus suffered and died.

Leader Preparation:

• Review the scripture and game rules
• Gather the materials.
• Make four small signs saying Red, Green, Purple, and Orange. Have questions for the game ready. You can read them off the sheet or put them on index cards for easy mixing.
• Practice using the buzzer box and be sure you understand how it works.
• Post the signs designating Red, Orange, Green, Purple teams in different areas of the room. Display the Scripture memory verse somewhere in the room. (Not on the white board; you’ll need that for scorekeeping.)

Materials List:

• Buzzer system
• Timer
• Dry-erase marker
• Stickers or other mementos for journals
• Skittles (optional)
• Four signs with colors
• Maps (optional) of Judea, Galilee, Jerusalem and possibly Arimathea for use in storytelling.
• Any pictures of props you choose to use for storytelling.

Alternative to the Buzzers:
Give each team a object that makes a distinct sounds. Rhythm instruments, such as bongos or tambourines and cymbals are good. Their different sounds will help the Game Leader determine which team "buzzed in" first.

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself. 

As the children come in the door, count them off by color -- Red, Orange, Green and Purple -and have them go to the area of the room that is designated with their color. Open with a prayer.  

Dig:

Scripture/Bible Story:
1. Review the story. The first- and second-graders will not use Bibles, but do open yours to Luke to show them the story is in there. For grades 3-5, make sure everybody has a Bible.
Help the students find the book of Luke. (Get the shepherds to go around the room and help with this.) If necessary, review the organization of the Bible: The Bible is divided into two big parts, the Old and New Testaments. Each part is made up of books, which are divided into chapters and verses. The first four books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – the gospels, which tell the stories of Jesus’ life.

Show them that if they open their Bible in the middle, they’ll usually land in the book of Psalms in the Old Testament. Point out that the book name is at the top of each page. After finding Psalms, if they then take the pages on the right side and divide them in half, they’ll land in one of the gospels. From there they can find Luke. (Some of the older children should know the books of the Bible. Encourage everyone to learn them.)

After they’ve found the book of Luke, help them find chapters 22-23, and tell them this is one of the places where the story of Jesus’ trial and crucifixion is told in the Bible. Some of the children will confuse chapters and verses. Show them that chapter numbers are the big ones, and also are at top of every page.

2. Tell the story using the summary below as a guide. Let those who can follow along in their Bibles. Consider using pictures from a children’s Bible or other visual aids. Tell the children that even though they’ve heard the story before, they need to listen very carefully and remember the details in order to play the game that’s coming up.

After the first week, you might go over the background (chapter 22) and then let the children help you tell the rest of the story. This will give you an idea of how much they already know. (All workshops focus on chapter 23, but they will not have been exposed to chapter 22 unless they have already been to Holywood.)

Other ideas for reviewing the story after the first couple of weeks:

• Photocopy the passage (remove verse numbers), cut it up and see if they can put it back together correctly. (Works with older kids.) 
• Hand out, or call out, key words and ask the kids what they have to do with the story. Or have them find the key word in the Bible passage and then read it.

Summary of Story
Chapter 22
Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem for the Passover. The Jewish priests and other leaders were afraid of the crowds that followed Jesus, so they wanted to get rid of him. After the Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus went to a garden to pray. Judas, one of Jesus’ disciples, led the priests and other leaders to Jesus, and they arrested him. They brought him before a council of leaders who questioned him, then they took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.

Chapter 23
The council members told Pilate, “This man caused the people to riot, told them not to pay their taxes, and claims to be the Messiah.”

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “That’s what you say.”

Pilate did not think that Jesus had done anything wrong. He wanted to let Jesus go, but the leaders said, “He stirs up the people by teaching all over Judea and Galilee.”

(Show older kids Judea and Galilee on a map. Point out that Jerusalem was in Judea. Jesus was from Galilee, the region to the north.)

Herod, the ruler of Galilee, happened to be in Jerusalem. When Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent him to see Herod. Herod had heard of Jesus and wanted to see him perform a miracle. Herod questioned Jesus, but Jesus refused to answer, and the Jewish leaders stood by, repeating their accusations. Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus. They put an elegant robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

Pilate told the leaders, “I still don’t see where this man has done anything wrong, and neither does Herod. I will have him beaten and then release him.”

But the crowd kept yelling, “Release Barabbas instead! Crucify Jesus!” Barabbas was a man who was in prison for causing a riot and murdering someone. The crowd kept demanding that Jesus should be crucified, until Pilate gave in and sentenced Jesus to death, and set Barabbas free.

As they led Jesus away, they met a man named Simon from the town of Cyrene, and forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. A large crowd followed them, including many women who were crying.

When they got to a place called “The Skull,” the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. They crucified two criminals at the same time. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”

The soldiers played games to decide who would get Jesus' clothes. The people watched. The leaders and the soldiers made fun of Jesus, saying “If he is the Messiah, let him save himself.” The soldiers offered him sour wine and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” They put a sign on his cross that said, “This is the king of the Jews.”

One of the two criminals also made fun of Jesus, saying, “ Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us. But the other criminal said, “Don’t you fear God? We were sentenced fairly, we’re getting what we deserve for our crimes, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into power.” And Jesus answered, “I promise that today you will be with me in Heaven.”

It was the middle of the day, but suddenly, the sky became dark. It stayed dark for three hours. The curtain of the temple split into two pieces. Then Jesus called out, “Father, I put myself in your hands.” And he died.

A Roman army officer, who saw these things, praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.”

There was a rich man named Joseph, from the town of Arimathea. Joseph was a member of the Jewish leaders’ council but he did not agree with what they had done to Jesus. Joseph went to Pilate and asked to have Jesus’ body. Pilate agreed. Joseph took the body and wrapped it in clean cloth. He put Jesus' body in a new tomb that was cut from a wall of rock.

Some of the women followed Joseph and watched him put the body in the tomb. Then they went back to the city. The women prepared spices and ointments to put on Jesus' body later. But it was time for the Sabbath, so they rested for a day, as the law required.

Application:
1. The children are already divided into four teams, named for the four colors on the buzzer box – Red, Orange, Green, and Purple. Have either four (one from each team) or eight players (two from each team) gather around a table with the buzzer box in the middle. Each player holds a buzzer (the buzzer wires are color-coded; players on the same team hold the same color wire).

2. Explain that you will call out a question and players who think they know the answer should press their buzzer. The first to buzz gets to give the answer. After several questions, switch to the next group of players. Make sure everybody gets to play.

3. Questions: At the end of the lesson plan you’ll find two lists of questions. The ones for the younger kids are in multiple-choice format. Feel free to improve the questions or add to the list. If you have the younger kids early in the rotation, you might ask the questions in the order given, to reinforce the sequence of events. If it’s later in the rotation, they might know the story well enough to mix the questions up.
Older kids:
Let players use their Bibles to find the answers. Be ready to switch to the multiple-choice questions if needed.
Younger kids:
The buzzers are tricky for first-graders. If you’d rather not tackle using buzzers with first and second graders, you can just divide them into two teams and alternate asking questions of each team. Let children take turns answering. (Or you might have a better idea! Feel free to devise your own game for them.)

4. Scoring: Ask the shepherd keep score on the white board. Award 5 points for a correct answer. No points for a wrong answer; let anyone who knows the correct answer tell it. (You can use a different scoring system if you prefer, but keep it simple.)

Tips: Try not to let one knowledgeable or fast-fingered child dominate the game. Rotating the players partially takes care of the problem, but you might run into a team that doesn’t want to rotate, wants to let the sharpest member play the whole time. In this case you can announce that anybody who answers three questions in a row will be retired as permanent champion (with a big round of applause) to give everybody else a chance to compete. (You might as well make this announcement in the beginning when you have fifth-graders). Also, don’t let non-playing team members help the players; this in effect lets the fast kid answer by proxy.
Be sure they know the answer before buzzing. If they are buzzing and then taking too long to think of the answer, use the timer in the supply bin and give 5 seconds to answer after buzzing (this has not been a problem in the past).
You might have to adjust the game as you go along. If it turns out that eight players make the game chaotic, try letting just four play at a time.

Wrap-up:

1. Gather the children and discuss: The people in the crowd and the soldiers and one of the criminals on the cross all made fun of Jesus and said, “If you’re the Messiah, save yourself.” Do you think that a temptation for Jesus? Why didn’t Jesus save himself? Jesus loved people so much that he suffered and died for them. That includes us. Jesus died so that our souls can live forever.
2. Have the children recite the memory verse: “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die” (John 3:16, CEV). Emphasize: Jesus’ death shows us how much God loves us.

Reflection:

Have the shepherds pass out the journals. Optional: Give the children a sticker appropriate to the story, or some other memento to put in their journals. Suggest that the children write down or draw a picture of one thing they learned that they hadn’t known when they came into the workshop.

Prayer – Close with prayer. Suggestion: Thank you, God, for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to die for us. Amen.

Note: I find that the kids participate better if they get little rewards along the way. Skittles are highly motivating for some reason. If I were leading this workshop I’d give them a Skittle for bringing their Bible, for finding the Bible passage, for attempting to answer a question, a Skittle to all 4 or 8 players after their turn is done, a Skittle to everybody on the winning team, a Skittle for participating in the discussion or writing in their journal, a Skittle to everybody on the way out the door, etc. I’d have several small jars of Skittles on hand and put the shepherds in charge of distribution. (Better check with shepherds and make sure nobody is diabetic!)

Extra Activity (Grades 3-5)
If you have extra time at the end, let the children race to find the other gospel accounts of the trial and crucifixion in their Bibles (or choose shorter passages within these chapters, such as Matthew 27:15-23, where the crowd chooses Barabbas).
Matthew 27
Mark 15
John 18:28-19: 42

A lesson written by Kirk from: Kildaire Presbyterians Church
Cary, NC 

This lesson is copyrighted by the Kirk of Kildaire Presbyterian, Cary, North Carolina 

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

Questions for Game (Grades 3-5)

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, what was one thing he was accused of doing?
Answer: any of these:
Trying to get people to riot
Trying to get people to stop paying taxes
Claiming to be the Messiah

What was another thing Jesus was accused of?
Answer: one of the two remaining answers from above

What was another thing Jesus was accused of?
Answer: the final remaining answer from above

When Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” What did Jesus answer?
“Those are your words.”

Where was Jesus from?
Galilee

Who was the ruler of Galilee?
Herod

Why was Herod happy to see Jesus?
He wanted to see him perform a miracle.

Herod asked Jesus a lot of questions. How did Jesus reply?
He did not answer.

What did Herod do then?
He and his soldiers made fun of Jesus, put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.

When Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, what did Pilate tell the Jewish leaders and the crowd?
“I have not found Jesus guilty of anything you said he has done, and neither has Herod.”

What did Pilate say he would do to Jesus instead of having him put to death?
Have him beaten with a whip and set free.

How did the crowd react to that proposal?
They shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!”

Why was Barabbas in jail?
He had started a riot and murdered someone.

How many times did Pilate speak to the crowd, saying that Jesus was innocent and he would have him beaten, not killed?
Three times.

What did Pilate finally do?
Gave into the crowd, freed Barabbas and handed Jesus over to be crucified.

Whom did the soldiers force to carry the cross?
Simon of Cyrene.

Not everybody in the crowd wanted to see Jesus killed. How do we know that?
A lot of women in the crowd were crying for him.

What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified?
The Skull

Who else was crucified at the same time?
Two criminals

As Jesus was nailed to the cross, what did he say?
Father, forgive these people. They don’t know what they're doing.

What did the soldiers do with Jesus’ clothes?
They gambled to see who would get to keep them

The Jewish leaders, the soldiers, and one of the criminals all insulted Jesus. What did they say?
If you are the Messiah, save yourself.

What did one criminal say to the criminal who insulted Jesus?
We are getting what we deserve, but this man didn’t do anything wrong.”

What did the second criminal say to Jesus?
Remember me when you come into power.

What did Jesus say to the second criminal?
I promise that today you will be with me in heaven.

What happened to the sky?
It turned dark in the middle of the day.

What happened at the temple?
The curtain split down the middle.

What did Jesus say before he died?
Father, I put myself in your hands!

What did the Roman officer say when he saw what had happened?
Jesus must really have been a good man!

What did Jesus’ friends do after Jesus died?
They stood at a distance and watched.

Who took Jesus’ body down from the cross?
Joseph of Arimathea.

What did Joseph do with Jesus’ body?
Wrapped it in cloth and put it in a new tomb cut from rock.

After Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, what did the women who had followed him do?
They prepared sweet-smelling spices to put on his body.

Why didn’t they put the spices on the body right away?
It was time for the Sabbath, and the law commanded them to rest.


Questions for Game (Grades 1-2)

When Jesus was brought before Pilate, what was one thing he was accused of doing?
Stealing food
Trying to get people to riot
Killing someone

What was another thing Jesus was accused of?
Cheating poor people
Robbing rich people
Trying to get people to stop paying taxes

What was another thing Jesus was accused of?
Claiming to be the Messiah
Smuggling drugs
Frightening children

Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” What did Jesus answer?
“Those are your words.”
Yes, I am.
No, I am not.

Where was Jesus from?
Jerusalem
Galilee
Judea

Who was the ruler of Galilee?
Pilate
Simon of Cyrene
Herod

Why was Herod happy to see Jesus?
He wanted to see him perform a miracle.
He wanted to have Jesus put to death.
He wanted to give a party for Jesus.

Herod asked Jesus a lot of questions. How did Jesus reply?
He gave answers that were very clever
He answered angrily.
He did not answer.

What did Herod do after he questioned Jesus?
He ordered Jesus put to death
He and his soldiers made fun of Jesus, put a fine robe on him and sent him back to Pilate.
He set Jesus free

When Herod sent Jesus back to Pilate, what did Pilate tell the Jewish leaders and the crowd?
“I have not found Jesus guilty, and neither has Herod.”
“Herod and I both find Jesus guilty as charged.”
“This man deserves to die.”

What did Pilate say he would do to Jesus instead of having him put to death?
Set him free with no punishment.
Have him beaten with a whip and set free.
Make him pay a big fine and set him free.

How did the crowd react to that proposal?
They agreed and shouted, Hooray!
They shouted, “Kill Jesus! Give us Barabbas!”
They shouted, “Kill Barabbas! Give us Jesus!”

Why was Barabbas in jail?
He had stolen money from the temple.
He had started a riot and murdered someone.
He had claimed to be the Messiah.

How many times did Pilate speak to the crowd, saying that Jesus was innocent and he would have him beaten, not killed?
Two times.
Three times.
Seven times.

What did Pilate finally do?
Ignored the crowd, set Jesus free and kept Barabbas in jail.
Gave in to the crowd, freed Barabbas and handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Handed both Barabbas and Jesus over to be crucified.

Whom did the soldiers force to carry the cross?
Joseph of Arimathea.
Barabbas
Simon of Cyrene.

Not everybody in the crowd wanted to see Jesus killed. Who in the crowd showed their support for Jesus?
The Roman soldiers
Some disciples who tried to fight the crowd and free Jesus
A lot of women who were crying for him.

What was the name of the place where Jesus was crucified?
The Skull
Mount Sinai
The temple

Who else was crucified at the same time?
Two women
Two criminals
Two Jewish leaders

As Jesus was nailed to the cross, what did he say?
“Father, punish these people for what they’re doing to me.”
“Father, help these people to see what they're doing.”
“Father, forgive these people. They don’t know what they're doing.”

What did the soldiers do with Jesus’ clothes?
They burned them.
They gambled to see who would get to keep them
They took turns trying them on.

The Jewish leaders, the soldiers, and one of the criminals all insulted Jesus. What did they say?
“If you are the Messiah, save yourself.”
“If you are the Messiah, turn this water into wine.”
“If you are the Messiah, heal a sick person.”

When the first criminal insulted Jesus, what did the second criminal say to him?
“You’re right, if he’s the Messiah he should save us and himself.”
“We are getting what we deserve, but this man didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You are getting what you deserve, but I didn’t do anything wrong.”

What did the second criminal say to Jesus?
“Help me get down from this cross.”
“Today I’ll be with you in paradise.”
“Remember me when you come into power.”

What did Jesus say to the second criminal?
“You’re right, you’re getting what you deserve.”
“Today you will be with me in paradise.”
“Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What happened to the sky?
It turned dark in the middle of the day.
It turned cloudy and started to rain.
It got unusually sunny and bright.

What happened at the temple?
The door fell off.
The curtain split down the middle.
The ceiling came falling down.

What did Jesus say before he died?
“Father, don’t let me die.”
“Father, punish my enemies.
“Father, I put myself in your hands!”

What did the Roman officer say after Jesus died?
“I’m glad that’s over with.”
“Jesus must really have been a good man!”
“Jesus must really have been a bad man!”

What did Jesus’ friends do after Jesus died?
They stood at a distance and watched.
They helped to take down his body.
They started a riot in the city.

Who took Jesus’ body down from the cross?
Simon of Cyrene.
Joseph of Arimathea.
The Roman officer.

What did Joseph do with Jesus’ body?
Wrapped it in cloth and put it in a grave he had dug in the ground.
Wrapped it in cloth and put sweet-smelling spices on it.
Wrapped it in cloth and put it in a new tomb cut from rock.

After Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb, what did the women who had followed him do?
They did nothing.
They prepared sweet-smelling spices to put on his body.
They put sweet-smelling spices on his body.

Why didn’t they put the spices on the body right away?
It was time for the Sabbath, and the law commanded them to rest.
They were afraid of the crowd.
It was nighttime and too dark.

Last Words of Jesus Lesson Plan

Game Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Wheel of Faith Game. 

Memory Verse:  “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’”                     (Luke 23:34)

Supply List:

• Wheel of Faith Wheel
• Dry erase board
• Dry erase markers
• Dry erase wipes
• Bibles

Lesson Plan

Opening:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with a prayer.

Dig:

The day that Jesus was crucified, nailed to the cross and died for our sins was one of the most important days in all of human history.  It has been remembered for generations and is called Good Friday, a Christian holiday, during Holy Week, in which Christians reflect on what happened the day Jesus died. 

For Jesus’ family and disciples, to have experienced this first Good Friday first hand, wouldn’t have been considered a good day at all.  It had to have been a horrible day to see Jesus betrayed, in the middle of the night, to watch him in the early morning stand on trial before Pontius Pilate as the crowds cried out that he should be crucified. Then he was beaten by Roman soldiers.  He was whipped.  Stripped of his clothes.  Spit upon.  A crown of thorns was placed upon his head.  Then the soldiers forced him to carry the heavy wooden crossbar through the streets of Jerusalem, up to the hill outside of the city, called Golgotha, which means “the place of the skull.”  There, they nailed him to the cross and left him there to die, between two thieves, as Roman soldiers stood guard. 

As Jesus hung on the cross, he spoke seven different times.  Sometimes he addressed the soldiers and the crowd who mocked him. He spoke to one of the dying thieves.  Once he addressed his mother and one of his disciples.  The rest of the time, Jesus directed his final words to God, his Heavenly Father.  These last words were recorded and written down by the writers of the four Gospels.  They were considered very important words, and have been shared by Jesus’ followers in the Church for generations.  Today, we will explore these last sayings of Jesus as we think about his suffering on the cross.  But more importantly, as we think about the day Jesus suffered and died, we thank God that Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and that three days later he rose again from the grave.  It is this gift of love and victory over death that makes Good Friday so good for all of us today. 

Then say, Today we are going to discover the last words that Jesus spoke from the cross by playing “Wheel of Faith” which kind of resembles the “Wheel of Fortune” game on TV. 

Wheel of Faith Game:

Divide the kids into two teams.  Have kids from each team take turns spinning the wheel to solve the puzzles (typed below) that you have drawn out using spaces on a dry erase board.  Take a moment, after each puzzle is solved, to put the saying of Jesus in context. What was happening that caused Jesus to say this? Recruit a volunteer to keep score and announce the scores between puzzles to drive up enthusiasm.  If kids struggle in solving the puzzles, give them freebie letters from time to time as helpful hints.  Try to have kids solve as many puzzles as time allows, but allow time at the end of the session for review questions. 

Wheel of Faith Puzzles:

1. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.  (Luke 23:34)
2. Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.  (Luke 23:43)
3. Woman, here is your son.  Here is your mother.  (John 19:26)
4. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
5. I am thirsty.  (John 19:28)
6. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.  (Luke 23:46)
7. It is finished.  (John 19:30)
8. The following puzzles are taken from the Apostles Creed:
9. He suffered under Pontius Pilate
10. He was crucified, dead and buried
11. The third day he rose again from the dead 

Ask 

• What do you think it was like to stand at the foot of Jesus’ cross, as he suffered, and to hear him say these things?  Would you have been sad?  Why? How do you think the other criminals crucified with him reacted? (see Luke 23:39-43) How about the Roman soldiers who nailed him to the cross and stood guard? (see Matthew 27:54)
• Why do you think the writers of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John recorded these last words of Jesus from the cross?
• If you had last words that you could speak to your family, friends and God, what would they be?
• Who stayed by Jesus’ side when Jesus suffered and died on the cross? (Mary, his mother; John, his disciple and best friend; Mary Magdeline)  Who do you want to be by your side when you’re hurting?
• Why do you think Jesus forgave the soldiers who nailed him to the cross?  Why do you think he forgives us today?

Reflection:

Have the class recite this month’s memory verse together and close with prayer, thanking God for Jesus’ great love for us that led him to die on the cross for our sins.

A lesson written by Rev. Ron Shifley from Scotland United Church of Christ
Scotland, SD

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