Jesus Feeds the 5000
Rotation.org Writing Team
Bible Skills and Games Workshop
Summary of Activities
Students will think about what it would have felt like to be at the miraculous feast of bread and fish with Jesus, then play an optional "fishing game" with scripture verses. To reflect, they'll play a special version of "tag" that illustrates the kind of response to his miracle and call that Jesus wants his disciples to make.
Scripture for the Lesson
John 6:1-15 (NIV)
Key/Memory Verses:
"Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there. He did the same with the fish, and they all had as much as they wanted." (John 6:11 NIV)
"Seeing this miracle that Jesus had performed, the people there said, “Surely this is the Prophet who was to come into the world!” (John 6:14 NIV)
"I am the Bread of Life." (John 6:35 NIV)
Lesson Objectives
See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives and important insights into the story's content and meaning.
Preparation and Materials
- Read the Bible Background and scripture.
- Print the "Question Fish" Bible study questions.
- Print the "Bible Verse Fish" for the verse fishing game.
- Print the Sharks and Minnow Game instructions and discussion guide.
Creating the Hillside by the Sea of Galilee Fishing Game Scene:
- Collect beach chairs or towels for the hillside by the Sea of Galilee—enough for each student to have a seat.
- One blue tarp for the Sea and one tan tarp for the hillside arranged on the floor as described in the illustration.
(Click images to enlarge.)
- Two "magnet" fishing poles as described in the illustration. (Dowel rod, string, heavy metal washers for the "hooks." You may add another pole for larger class sizes.)
- Print the "Question Fish" cut-outs (attached) with the four questions written on them. Each fish cut-out has a magnet on it for the fishing "hook" to catch.
- Print the Bible Verse Fish (attached). Each fish has a magnet attached to it for the fishing "hook" to catch.
There are three sets of fish in this printable set. Choose which you'd like to use depending on age and time. - Two baskets (one for bread, one for fish). The one basket holds snacks. The other is for the fishing games.
- Packages of fish-shaped crackers and gummy fish.
Supply Options for the "Sharks and Minnows" Tag Game:
- Strips of cloth for each minnow to act as "tales" for the sharks to grab (tag).
- Several large wads of paper rolled up in a ball and taped so they can be thrown to tag minnows.
- See the Sharks-Minnows handout for additional suggestions.
Lesson Plan
As children arrive, invite them to practice casting their fishing "hook" into the Sea of Galilee. Make sure everyone gets a turn. Show them your technique!
Open
Welcome your students to your Hillside by the Sea of Galilee. Invite them to sit down. Explain what they'll be doing and learning in today's lesson. Explain that today's story takes place on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee in Israel where Jesus did most of his teaching.
Say: We have a great story for today. It is going to fill your soul with good food. Who likes fish?!!! I hope you like fish, because this story has a lot of fish in it; and bread, too. Let’s go.
Hand out Bibles and help children find the story in the Gospel of John.
Read John 6:1-15 as a group, assigning verses if desired.
After reading the story, go fishing for the four questions and discuss.
Fishing for Questions
Say: In the Sea of Galilee I have put four Question Fish for us to catch and answer. Who wants to try to catch AND answer one of our Question Fish?
Teacher How-to: Place your four printed "Question Fish" in the water about five feet from the shore. Have the student cast (toss) her/his line and drag it back in over the TOP of the fish so that the "hook" (metal washer) contacts the magnet adhered to the question fish.
Once a fish is "reeled in," the student then reads the question (or you read it for them) and answers it.
The four printable Bible study question fish are as follows. They will be fished out and discussed in any order:
Question Fish 1: The story of Jesus Feeding the 5000 takes place on a hillside by the Sea of Galilee. This is a very common location for many other stories about Jesus. Name a story with Jesus in it that took place on or near the Sea and then pass the fish to someone else who must also name a story. See how many "Sea and Hillside" Jesus stories the class can remember before you can't remember any more! (Teacher may give hints.)
Question Fish 2: Many of Jesus' disciples, including Peter, were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus once told them that they should follow him and learn how to "fish for people" instead of fish. How was Jesus "fishing for 5000 people" in our story today? How did Jesus “hook” the 5000 people? And when Jesus had them “hooked” what did he want them to see, learn, and believe?
Question Fish 3: What lesson about Jesus did the small boy learn that day on the hillside? How do you think his life was different from that day forward after having encountered the promised Son of God?
Question Fish 4: Seeing the miracle take place, the people recognized that Jesus was the promised One sent by God (Jn 6:14). What was Jesus sent by God to do?
Fishing Snack Break
Say: Well I don't know about you but I'm exhausted by all this fishing. Let's take a quick snack break. Who wants fish!? (crackers or gummy fish)
For fun, you could put a magnet on the snack packages and let the kids "fish them out" of the Sea of Galilee.
As children munch, share the following ideas about what Jesus did at the END of today's story:
Share: An interesting thing happens at the end of this story, Verse 15 says that some in the crowd wanted to FORCE Jesus to be their king right then and there, but he refused and left them to go off by himself into the mountains. What do you think Jesus did in the mountains? (Pray, walk around, sit, sleep) What do YOU do when you want to be by yourself?
Jesus was already the King of Kings, but he didn't want to sit on a throne. Instead, he wants to sit with us on hillsides and by the Sea, and in classrooms and churches, and everywhere we are living and playing—Jesus wants to be the King of our hearts and actions.
Bible Verse Fishing Activities (Optional)
The printable set of Bible Verse Fish contains three possible "fishing" activities described below. Print each set and play each set by randomly placing each fish from the set in the Sea of Galilee for your students to "catch" and place in the correct order. If time is short, choose only one set to catch.
Depending on time and student ability, you may "throwback" fish into the Sea if they are not fished-out in the correct order. Students will have to remember which fish are which in the Sea and we suggest you place the fish "word-side-UP" so that they can see which ones to fish for next.
Set 1: Story Order Fish:
Five Printable Fish each with a different section of the story printed on them.
Set 2: John 6:35 Memory Verse Fish:
Five Printable Fish each with a different part of the memory verse on them.
Set 3: John 6:35 Memory Verse Fish:
Only the first sentence ("I am the Bread of Life.")
Sharks and Minnows Game
You'll need to move to an open area.
See the Game Printout for instructions and discussion questions.
This game is your main activity. Plan on playing it for about ten to fifteen minutes in the various versions described in the handout.
Closing Exercise: Where are you in your faith in Jesus right now?
Have children stand around the outside of the "Hillside by the Sea of Galilee."
As you describe each of the following "areas," go stand in it. When finished, then invite students to decide which area they are in and go stand there. Interview a student in each area.
Where are you in your faith in Jesus right now?
1. WAITING: Are you in the Sea of Galilee waiting for Jesus to catch you? In other words, you WANT to believe but are waiting to feel excited about believing?
2. ESCAPED MINNOW: Are you a fish that doesn't want to be caught? Who keeps running away from Jesus, from the Bible, worship, church, prayer, helping others, admitting you need Jesus as your Bread?
3. IN THE CROWD: Are you part of the crowd of 5000 who comes to hear what Jesus has to say?
4. MUNCHING ON BREAD: Are you a disciple who feels like you have already been "caught" (saved) by Jesus who is taking it easy in a lawnchair, munching on Jesus bread while you watch others "fish" for new believers and do the work Jesus calls them to?
5. COLLECTING BREAD and FISHING WITH BREAD: Have you seen and believe that Jesus is the One, the Bread of Life? And are now actively being a "fisher of people" like Jesus wants you to be? Sharing Jesus the Bread of Life with others?
Confess that even you sometimes feel like you're "waiting" or an "escaped minnow," and that you are striving to be the fisher of people, just like the kids. Let the kids know that Jesus came to EVERY kind that day in the crowd, and never abandons or condemns them. Suggest ways to "get up on the shore and become a better disciple" (everyday acts of discipleship are a great place to start!!!)
Close with a prayer that each of us would see and believe in Jesus. Thank Jesus for being our bread, for giving us salvation and a purpose. Pray that each of us would take a step toward becoming the kind of disciple Jesus calls us to be.
Written by Kat Green, Neil MacQueen, and the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2019, Rotation.org Inc.
