Rotation.org Writing Team
Jesus Calls the Disciples (and You)
Bible Skills and Games Workshop
Summary of Lesson Activity
Students will study and play a game with a set of "Disciples Trading Cards,"which they can take home and invite their family to play with them. The cards have information about each disciple and scripture that they will look up, and the focus is on how different they were, and the gifts they brought. They include Mary Magdalene who is considered by most scholars to be one of Jesus' most faithful disciples. Influential during his life and after his resurrection, we hope you will include her.
This lesson in the "Jesus Calls the Disciples" set focuses on learning about all 12 of the original Disciples as its "Bible skill."
Scripture
This lesson in the "Calls the Disciples" set includes many Bible references. They will look up these references in the gospels during one of the games.
Key/Memory Verse: “And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’” Luke 5:10 (NRSV)
Lesson Objectives
See Bible Background.
Preparation and Materials
- Read Bible Background and scripture and lesson plan.
- Print and prepare the card game. Links to the cards provided below.
- Read each card and the Bible verses about each referenced on the card.
- Several sheets of paper for Game 2.
- One baggie per student to take their cards home in.
- One extra "blank" disciple card for the reflection.
Printing and Preparing the Disciple Game Cards
Attached at the end of this post at rotation.org is a PDF file containing all the disciple cards ready for printing. Print one set for each student in color on heavy card stock.
Note: One card has two disciples, and we have created and included a "Mary Magdalene" card.
These cards come courtesy of "Jesus Without Language," a wonderful Christian educator's site where she has posted her original "Bible Hero" disciple trading cards for your use.
Lesson Plan
Open
Welcome your students and introduce today's lesson with this simple contest:
Divide into two teams and have them list as many of the Disciples as they can remember. Award 1 point for every correct disciple. After they have finished their list, tell them that they have to pick two disciples from their list to tell the class what they know about them.
To be fair, details about most of the disciples of Jesus get scant mention in the Bible, yet the Gospels repeatedly emphasize the close group of 12 who formed his inner core. Share this perspective with your students, and tell them that today, they will walk out of their classroom as knowing more about the disciples than most adults!
Dig
Today's Bible study will be done "on the fly" as students play with their disciple cards and look up the references found on each card.
Notes: By design, only the Book and Chapter is mentioned on each card. During the course of the gaming, students will dive into the referenced Gospel and Chapter to find out more about each disciple. Each student has their own deck of Disciple Cards, but not all decks are used in each game. Because one card happens to have two disciples on it, and we have added a "Mary Magadalene" card, you have 12 cards per deck.
Game One: "Concentration" —the disciple matching game.
Split into teams of two players each who are sitting across the table from each other. Combine two decks and deal all 24 cards out face down in six rows of four cards each. Taking turns, play a simple old-fashioned game of "concentration." (Turn over two cards, and collect them if they match. If they don't, turn them face down again and your turn is over.)
Play Game One a second time, but THIS TIME –whenever a card is matched, the student must read it aloud to the rest of their group. Tell them to "listen closely because in the next game they are going to have to remember something about that disciple to win the card!" (Read the cards to your students if they can't read.)
Game Two: Which Disciple Am I?
First Round: Who Am I?
With the two teams still facing each other, have them put away their cards, and use your own "teachers deck" for this game. (Have a spare deck at hand). Tell them that you will be placing 3 cards face-up on the table, with the information on each card HIDDEN by a sheet of paper you will slide the cards under so that they can only see the picture and name of the disciple.
Strongly suggest to them that they remember the Book and Chapter seen on each disciples card so that they can win round 2 coming up!
Instructions: Pick 3 cards from your deck, and only READ ALOUD the description from 1 of them. Then place all 3 cards face up on the table so that only the name and picture of the disciple is showing. Give each team 30 seconds to decide which disciple matches the description you read, and when you say, "CHOOSE" each team immediately points to the card they think matches the description you read aloud. Award the winning card to the team that pointed at it and return the other two cards to your own deck. If both teams point at the same card, award EACH of them the correct card, by drawing the correct card from your spare deck as well.
Play until all 12 cards have been awarded, announce a winner, and return the cards to your deck.
Second Round: Book, Chapter, and Bonus Round! -Individual Play-
Say: Get out your own cards now, and open your Bibles to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Use bookmarks if needed. In a moment, I'm going to tell you something about one of the disciples in your deck. You must decide which disciple I'm talking about and place that disciple's card on the table in front of you. How can you be SURE you have the right card that matches my description? You can look up their information using the Book and Chapter info on your cards. Bibles Ready?
1. When this disciple met the risen Jesus, he announced, “My Lord and my God!” (Thomas, Jn 20)
2. This disciple asked Jesus to give him a special place in Jesus' Kingdom. (James and John, Mark 10)
3. This disciple thought Jesus was the gardener when he first appeared after the resurrection (Mary Magdalene, Jn 20)
4. This disciple once shouted to Jesus, "Lord, Save me!" (Peter, Matt 14)
5. When this disciple first heard about Jesus, he quoted an old saying, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (Nathanael, Jn 1)
Game Three: How Fast Can You Find the Disciple?
Instructions: The teacher reads the following quotes which contain clues from the card in their hand. The first team to say which card is in the teacher's hand gets to keep the card. Let them look at their deck of cards, but don't give them much time. Let only the "captain" say the answer (to keep kids from shouting).
1. This disciple was a close friend of Jesus and brought people to see him. (Philip)
Point: Disciples bring their friends to learn from Jesus.
2. This disciple collected taxes for the Romans which made him feel like an outcast. (Matthew)
Point: You may feel like an unpopular weirdo, but you could be Jesus' best friend!
3. This disciple did something really bad, but you can bet Jesus forgave him. (Judas)
No matter what you've done or will do, you can be a disciple of Jesus.
4. This disciple listened to his teacher who told him to go follow Jesus. (Andrew)
Point: It is important to listen to disciples like a parent or teacher.
5. This disciple had to change his thinking about what was right and wrong. (Simon)
Point: Jesus' ways will challenge your thinking. Are you ready?
Reflection: Making My Disciple Card
What would your Disciple Card say about you? Draw a picture of yourself and think about a skill or talent you have, and how you could use it to lead others to Jesus.
Share your card with others.
Close with prayer that someday we too will be famous disciples of Jesus!
Adaptations:
Shorten the rounds if you're short on time.
For younger children, give them more clues.
Alternate game for children: Read three cards, then give a clue from one of the cards and see if they can guess which disciple you are referring to. Give them the card when they guess right. Object of the game: collect all 12.
Note about the Mary Magdalene and Judas Cards
Regarding Mary, the New Testament clearly witnesses to the presence of women among Jesus' closest supporters during his ministry, his last days, at the resurrection, and in the early days of the Church. Unfortunately, early in Church history, Mary from Magdala, one of Jesus' closest disciples, was mis-identified as a "fallen woman." Though this has since been corrected by most biblical scholars, the old point of view still persists, and in part, is a vestige of the male-centrism that permeated the Church and its teachings. For more information, consult a modern commentary or read this article from the Smithsonian.
Regarding Judas, his betrayal of Jesus often makes us forget that Jesus chose him and loved him. Much has been written about Judas' motives, and in recent times, some scholars have wondered to what extent his actions were part of God's plan or an attempt to force Jesus' messianic mission. The only thing we can be sure about is that Jesus died for his sins too.
Written by: Jaymie Derden and Neil MacQueen
Copyright © 2015 by Rotation.org
Printed from https://www.rotation.org
Disciple Cards copyright Jesus-without-language.net
Images used with permission.
