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FORUM: Jesus Calls the Disciples, including: Jesus Calls Peter, Fishers of Men (People), Jesus calls Matthew, Us, etc

In addition to these public lessons and ideas posted below, our Writing Team has created an extra creative set of lessons on this story for our supporting members: Jesus Calls the Disciples ...and You!  The set's lesson summaries and Bible background are open to all.

This thread is for posting your Drama, and/or Storytelling, Puppet, or "Newsroom" workshop lessons and ideas for Call of the Disciples.

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Jesus Calls His First Disciples Drama Workshop

Summary of Lesson Activities:

Talk about how two people can tell the same story in different words and with different details (Scripture Versions).  Two groups will create two different dramas telling both versions of the story of the calling of the fishermen to be fishers of men.

Scripture Reference:
Version 1: Matthew 4: 18-22; Mark 1: 16-20
Version 2: Luke 5: 1-11 (note differences between the accounts)

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the session, the students will be able to

  • Locate Matthew, Mark and Luke and identify them as three of the four Gospels from the New Testament.
  • Locate the scripture and read selected texts.
  • Identify Peter (Simon), Andrew, James, and John as the first disciples called by Jesus.
  • Identify the disciples' occupation as fishermen.
  • Understand what Jesus' followers did.
  • Begin to understand that we are also disciples of Jesus and we are called to "fish for people."

Props, scenery, costumes, and supplies:

  • Bible time costumes,
  • boat made from cardboard box,
  • nets,
  • fish,
  • Goldfish crackers.

Leader Preparation:

  • Read the scripture ahead of time.
  • Gather the materials.
  • Make cardboard boat.


Presentation

Early arrivals: put names on construction paper fish and hang them up on boat.

Opening-Welcome and Lesson Introduction:

Greet the children and introduce yourself.

Open with prayer.
Read the scriptures (Matthew and Luke versions). Talk about how two people can tell the same story in different words and with different details.

Act It Out:

Characters:

  • Group 1: Jesus, Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, John, Zebedee;
  • Group 2: Jesus, Simon (Peter), James, John

Where did story take place:

  • Group 1: by Sea of Galilee
  • Group 2: Lake Gennesaret

Warm-up exercises:
Cast nets and pull in empty and full; talk about fishing — movements, techniques, emotions

  1. Divide class into two groups and assign each group one version of the story.

    (For this to work, there should be a minimum of 3 students in each group and one teacher for each group; otherwise the entire class should work on one version of the story. )
  2. Each group should discuss its version of story, assign parts and rehearse the story.

    How would you feel if you were: various people when called to follow?

    Simon Peter when you caught the fish?

  3. Because these are very brief stories, encourage improvising of details and conversations.
  4. Then have the groups come back together and perform story for the other half of the class.

Pulling it all together (closing discussion):

  • What do you think Jesus meant when he said the disciples would be catching people?
  • We too are disciples of Jesus. What are some of the things we can do to "catch people?"

Closing:

End with a prayer.

Dismissal:
 give everyone Goldfish crackers, and ask them to remember to fish this week.


Books for sharing before and after class:
Look for collections that include this story, such as

  • McCaughrean, Geraldine. God's Kingdom: Stories from the New Testament. New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1999

 

This lesson was written by Amy Crane for Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida

Copyright 2001 Amy Crane. Permission granted to freely distribute and use, provided the copyright message is included.

For additional information on using puppets and drama to bring Bible stories to life, see Amy Crane's Puppet and Drama Workshop Instructions under Puppetry in the Workshop Design Category of the idea and lesson exchange.

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

Last edited by Luanne Payne
Original Post

Drama Workshop - Monologues for Each of the Disciples

The disciples are listed in order as they appear in DaVinci's famous painting of the Last Supper, left to right, as you look at the painting.  You don't have to use the "monologues" with the painting but let your imagination run wild. Images of the painting will be something your students see again and again throughout their lives.

last-supper-DaVinci

Bartholomew:
My name is Bartholomew. I am the son of Tolmai and one of Jesus’ not so well known disciples. I am often listed after Philip in the gospels. Some people say I am also the disciple called Nathaniel. I once asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” I now know that Jesus is something good that came out of Nazareth!

James the younger, of the lesser:
My name is James – James the younger! I am called “the younger” so that you won’t confuse me with the other James. He is a fisherman – I am not. I am sometimes called Jesus’ brother. I stay in the background and keep pretty quiet. Jesus is the important one, the Son of God, that people come to hear. I am happy to just watch, listen and learn.

Andrew:
My name is Andrew. I like to tell people that I was Jesus’ first disciple. I am a fisherman, like my brother Simon Peter. We make our living fishing the Sea of Galilee. When I realized who Jesus was, I immediately went to my brother Simon and said, “We have found the Messiah!”.

Judas:
My name is Judas. I am close to Jesus – very close. I am important to all the disciples too because I am the treasurer of the group. I have great hopes for Jesus. He is going to be a great leader and get rid of the Romans! Of course, he may need my help………

Peter:
My name is Peter – that is what Jesus called me. Before I met Jesus I was called Simon. The first time I met Jesus he said that I should be called Peter, which means rock. I know that Jesus is the Messiah, but I sometimes forget and doubt him. I really wanted to be able to walk on the water like Jesus did that time in the boat, but just as I nearly reached Jesus, I was afraid and I began to sink into the water! I wish I could be strong and not feel unsure.

John:
My name is John. I am the brother of James and the son of Zebedee. I am one of Jesus’ first disciples. Like my brother James, I am a fisherman. I have seen many wonderful things that Jesus has done. I even saw him bring Jairus’ daughter back to life! Just this morning Jesus asked Peter and me to go and prepare the Passover meal we are now sharing. We found everything just as Jesus said we would! Jesus is very special – I wonder what will happen next.

Jesus:
I am Jesus of Nazareth. I have gathered my friends in this place tonight to share this last meal with me. They do not know all that is to happen in the next few days, but I do. Tonight I will share with them the simple food of bread and wine. I will use those simple foods as symbols to help remind my friends of me when I am taken from them. I want to remind all who love me that even simple things like bread and drink can help them remember and have faith.

Thomas (with finger raised):
I am Thomas. I am not one of the more well-known disciples, but I have spoken out one or two times. For instance, just in the past few days, Jesus decided we had to return to Jerusalem. Many of the disciples think Jesus is crazy for wanting to go to Jerusalem – there are people here who want to arrest and execute him! Well, when I realized just how serious Jesus was about coming here, I told the others, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” I love Jesus and will stand by him.

James:
My name is James – yes, another James! I am the brother of John - you have already met him. I am, or was, a fisherman. I fished with John, Peter and Andrew. I am older than John – guess that is why the other disciple names James is called the younger! Like John, I am very close to Jesus. I have seen many of the miracles that Jesus has done – not all of the disciples can say that. Once Jesus called John and me the “sons of thunder.” I guess that means Jesus knows we can get a little worked up about things! I am embarrassed to tell you this, but once John and I even went so far as to ask Jesus if we could sit at his right and left, places of great honor when Jesus got his kingdom!

Phillip:
I am Phillip. I live in the same fishing village, Bethsaida, like Andrew, Simon, James, and John. I know a lot about the scriptures and I knew that Jesus was the one the prophets foretold. However, I don’t always seem to understand what Jesus is trying to tell us. When Jesus fed the 5,000, I was worried about how much we could buy with the little money we had. I couldn’t even imagine that Jesus’ miracle was to feed to them all! I wonder what will happen at this meal…

Matthew:
I am Matthew. I was a tax collector. People do not like tax collectors. I was not a good person before Jesus called me. I collected more than I needed to and I lived a good life! I was astounded when Jesus ate at my house that time. What a wonderful thing that was. Jesus told me to follow him, and I did!

Thaddeus:
I am Thaddeus. I am not one of the disciples that most people know. My name is hardly mentioned in any of the stories that are told about Jesus. Some people call me by the name Jude, the son of James. However, there are already two James who are disciples, so that makes things sort of confusing! I am one of those disciples who followed Jesus but didn’t take a leadership role. Like James the Younger, I watched, listened, and learned. Those are important things too, sometimes even more important than doing!

Simon:
My name is Simon. I am known among us disciples as the ‘eager one.’ At one point in my life, I was sure that Jesus was the leader we were looking for to help us force the Romans out of our land. However, now I am not so sure that Jesus is that kind of leader. My eagerness has changed. I am even able to call Matthew, the changed tax collector, friend. I would have never been part of a group with him before I met and followed Jesus. I sometimes wonder where my new ‘eagerness’ will take me.

Based on Disciple Monologues by Toni Dattilo,
Who’s Who in the Bible, Reader’s Digest, 1994

Originally posted by member Kathy from Augustana Lutheran Church, St. James, MN

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