The Arrest, Trial, and Crucifixion of Jesus
Games and Bible Skills Workshop
A lesson originally written for State Street UMC, Bristol VA
Summary:
The children will read, complete, and reassemble a shortened version of the story, then play a relay designed to help them remember the parts of the Holy Week story using symbols.
Scripture Reference:
Mark 14:43-15:47
Supply List
- Print the Story PDF and make copies for as many teams as you will have play the "reassemble" game (details below)
- 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
Introduce, Read, Complete, and Reassemble 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. Open your Bibles to Mark 14:43-15:47. (Note what else is in this section and any features, such as a map of Jerusalem, that your classroom Bibles may have.)
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 by reading each of these paragraphs in the correct order. I have some "blanks" in my story script that I'm going to ask YOU to fill in as I read this. After we're done hearing the story and filling in the blanks, then we're going to split into two teams and each team will be given a copy of these story paragraphs and we're going to see which team can put the story back in the correct order the fastest!
How to Print and Play:
Print copies of the story seen below (available as an attachment at the end of this lesson) and cut them into slices, keeping the copies in separate piles.
Game: Holy Week Story Symbols Relay
Play a relay game designed to help them recognize and remember the meaning of various parts of the Holy Week story.
Supplies and Preparation:
Variety of Holy Week Story Symbols:
Note: Adjust the number of items depending on the age of your students and the extent to which you want them to remember every possible part of the Holy Week story.
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 Story symbols in the basket.
Set the basket at one end of the playing area
To Play:
- Divide the children into two teams.
- Place both teams at the opposite side of the room from the basket.
- First player on first team must hop to the basket, take one item from it and hop back to his/her team.
- Once back, the team must identify the symbol and tell its relevance to the Holy Week/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!)
- If the team cannot answer, the other team gets a chance to steal a point by answering.
- Play passes to the next team.
- Continue alternating teams until all symbols are gone.
- Alternate hopping, skipping, walking, jumping, walking backwards, walking on tiptoes, etc. to add some fun and challenge to the game.
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:
- 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.
- The next group then “pops up” to say their part and then squats back down.
- Repeat for the entire verse.
- At the end have everyone “pop up” and repeat the verse together.
- Next shift each group one section to the right, so that they are at the next section of the verse.
- The last section moves to the first section.
- Repeat as above.
- Play until everyone has been at every section, or until you all run out of breath!
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 originally written by Jaymie Derden for State Street UMC Bristol, VA, and updated by members of the Rotation.org Content Team
