Jesus Goes to the Cross

Rotation.org Writing Team

Bible Skills and Games Workshop

Summary of Activities

Using a special pack of Mark 15 Cross Story Cards, created for this lesson, students will take part in a creative reading of the story. Then play a “Pictionary”–like game with the cards to learn the different parts of the story of the cross and reflect on its meaning, not only for our salvation, but as a call to demonstrate God’s forgiving love to others.

Scripture for the Lesson

Mark 15:1-47

Key/Memory Verse:  "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NIV. See the Bible Background for more info.)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Print the Mark 15 Story Card Pack (attached). Pre-cut each pack so that every student has their own pack of cards. (See the Card Pack instructions for more details.)
• Print the Mark 15 Scripture Script (attached).
• Whiteboard and dry-erase markers or tablet of newsprint and regular markers for the Pictionary game and Closing Reflection.
• Zipper sandwich bags to take cards home in.
• One-minute timer (or stopwatch or timer on your cellphone).

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome: (2 min)  Welcome your students and explain what they will be doing and learning today.

Opening Questions:

• What do you already know about “the Cross”?
• How do you feel about “the Cross”? Is it scary? terribly sad? mysterious? hard to understand?
• How do you think JESUS felt about going to the cross?
• Do you think he had an option not to go? (Yes). He went willingly–what does that say about Jesus?

Read with me our memory verse: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Ask: “What does it mean that Christ died for us ‘while we were still sinners’?” (It means God was demonstrating his love for sinners, not just saints. God's forgiveness is a gift for being loved, not a reward for being perfect.)

Opening Scripture and Card Activity (15 min)

Give each student their own pack of “Mark 15 Cross Story Cards” depicting people and scenes from Mark 15:1-47.  Have them randomly spread their cards in front of them IMAGE UP and CARD NUMBER DOWN—in preparation for putting them in the correct story-order as the scripture is read. (You may have the cards pre-folded or have them fold the cards now).

Instructions to Share: As we read the story of Jesus Going to the Cross, we are going to pause 21 different times for you to find the image (card) that matches what you just heard in the story and begin to put your story cards in the correct order.

As the teacher or students read the story aloud, PAUSE at the "PICK A CARD" spots to prompt students to find the card they think describes what they just heard. 

After the reading is over, review what should be the CORRECT ORDER.

You may now randomly call upon students to turn over ANY card you wish to focus on, and have them read the question/comment on the back of the card.

Tip: Don't take time for all 21 cards. Instead, save some card observations and comments for interjecting during the Pictionary Game.

The Big Game:  Pictionary

(15-20 minutes) Pictionary is a classic drawing and guessing game. Using the Mark 15 Card Pack (the same used in the scripture activity) students will step forward to randomly select a card from the teacher's Mark 15 Card Pack and attempt to draw the card's image (or one of their own) for their team who has 1 minute to guess which part of the story the drawing depicts. 

You won't have time to play all 21 cards in the deck.  Thus, you should pre-select certain cross story images that you want to focus on and think will be easiest for your age group. To speed up guessing, allow the teams to have a deck of the Mark 15 cards laid out in front of them.

How to Play

• Divide the group into 2 teams. Give each team a name.
• Use a whiteboard and dry-erase markers or a newsprint pad and regular markers for the drawings.
• Decide which team goes first.
• On a team’s turn, the teacher chooses someone to draw (the artist). The teacher prepares a one-minute timer (or stopwatch or timer on your cellphone) and gives the player a card. (Adjust time per ability and age.)
• The teacher says, “Go!” and starts the timer. The artist begins to draw a sketch of the word or action. The goal is for the team to correctly guess what part of the story is being drawn within the time limit. If the team correctly guesses the scene, they receive a point. Then it’s the next team’s turn.
• If the original team does NOT guess the answer when time is up, the opposing team gets 10 seconds to offer a guess and win the point without any additional drawing. The second team then takes its turn drawing and guessing (even if they have already won the previous point.)

Game Rules

• The artist may not make any hand gestures or audible noises.
• The pictures drawn cannot have any numbers or letters.
• How precise the answer needs to be should be discussed before the game begins.
• Do not point at your ear to mean “sounds like" or use any other similar signs.
• Do not use sign language or use dashes to let the team know how many words there are in the answer.

Closing Reflection & Prayer

The Memory Verse Game (5 min)

• Tell your students to try and guess the meaning of what an artist will now come forward to draw.
• Invite one or two of your “best artists” to come up and attempt to DRAW the following image (seen below in small version and attached in larger size) which helps us remember the memory verse. Give each person 20 or 30 seconds, then invite another person to add to the drawing or draw another version next to it (without erasing anyone’s work).
• Let everyone try to guess what this symbol is trying to teach us.
  
  

Next, find the blank card in your Card Pack labeled “The person you need to demonstrate God’s forgiving love to.” Say: "I want you to take a moment and think of the name of a person in your life whom you need to forgive. Maybe they have done something mean to you, or hurt you in some way. Think of their name, see their face—and when I start to count to three in our final prayer, I want you to silently repeat their name.

Closing prayer naming the person you need to forgive:

Loving God, the chief priests, and elders who should have welcomed Jesus used all their power to have him crucified. The soldiers who had little reason to hate Jesus mocked and beat him. Pilate sent him to his death believing that Jesus was a joke and killing him would keep the peace.

God, what happened to Jesus demonstrates how awful and sinful human beings can be, and for that, we are truly sorry. Your cross also demonstrates how much you love us in spite of our sins and want us to love you and others in return. Help us also to demonstrate your love and sacrificial forgiveness, especially to those who have hurt us. Open our hearts to truly forgive the person we are about to silently name. Lord, help us to forgive and love, (one, two, three) ____________.    Lord, as your love and forgiveness was demonstrated to us on the cross, so let us demonstrate that love and forgiveness to everyone.

And let all God’s children say, “Amen.”

Adaptations

For Younger Students:   

Reading the story: With non-readers, you may want to use your favorite Bible storybook’s version of Mark 15. The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Lion Storyteller Bible, and The Family Story Bible each has a way of telling this difficult story that is designed for younger students without watering down its content. (Pay close attention to how well the storybook version matches Mark 15 and edit-on-the-fly as needed. As discussed in the Bible Background, there are some parts of the cross story only found in Luke and not in Mark.)  You may also have good success simply reading aloud the Mark 15 passage from the provided script.

If you shorten the story for non-readers, consider also REDUCING the number of Mark 15 Cards in the decks to only those which fit with your shortened version. A maximum of 8-10 cards will probably work best for this age group. 

Play the Pictionary Game using only those cards from the deck you just included in the reading activity. 

For those with more class time: Spend more time answering questions on the back of the Mark 15 Cards.

Written by Anne Camp and the Rotation.org Writing Team

Copyright 2018, Rotation.org Inc.