Bible Exploration - Workshop: Stations of the Cross

Month: April Bible Story: Promise of Eternal Life

Year (B): 1 Scripture: John -- Chapter 18, 19, 20

Bible Memory Verse: "I am the Resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies." John 11:25

Workshop		Concept	Teacher
1. Temple/Art Center	Symbols of Easter
2. Video Center	Holy Week events - Resurrection
3. Computer Center	The last days in Jerusalem
4. Cooking Center	Experiencing the Empty Tomb
5. Stations of the Cross	Remembering the Events of Easter

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Children will better understand Good Friday

• Children will learn the memory verse.

• MATERIALS:

¨ Bibles

¨ Memory verse to hand out

¨ Books for older and younger children with the 14 stations - room for them to write in their own words an explanation

¨ Bible quiz for the older children

¨ Match game for older and younger children

PLAN:

¨ Welcome children

¨ Give mentors time to take roll and take up offering

¨ Have opening prayer

¨ Go over memory verse

¨ Use Lesson Plans as needed.

ADAPTATIONS:

Children: Older children:

Lesson Plans for younger children Lesson Plans for Older children

BIBLE EXPLORATION

STATIONS OF THE CROSS LEARNING CENTER

LESSON PLANS

1. OPENING -

• Welcome children -- introduce yourself and have the children introduce themselves. (Always include adults -- mentors)

• Allow mentors time to take up roll and offering.

• Open with prayer: Good and gracious God, we acknowledge that we have not always lived as faithful followers of the Gospel. At times, in our weakness we have failed to lead others to you, and perhaps even caused others to question the truth of the Gospel message. For all our sins, for what we have done and what we have failed to do, we ask your forgiveness. During this Easter Season help us renew our determination to take up our cross each day and follow Christ in faith, hope, and love. Amen

2. Go over memory verse: "I am the Resurrection and the life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies." John 11:25

• Write the memory verse -- go over the memory verse several times. Ask the children if they know where the Gospel of John is located in the Bible? Be sure they know it is in the New Testament and that they can find it.

3. INTRODUCE STATIONS:

• Does anyone know what we mean by Stations of the Cross? Via Del Rosa? The Way of the Cross?
• This was the journey of Christ from where he was condemned to where he was crucified (from the Governor’s Palace to Golgotha)
• This is the story of suffering, death, and resurrection. It is the story of what Jesus did for us a long time ago. It is an important part of our Christian life.

4. In the ancient church, pilgrims came to Jerusalem during Holy Week to follow the path that Jesus walked during his last days of suffering and to meditate on final events of his earthly life. Gradually a tradition developed around the course of events from Pilate’s house to Calvary. Scriptures and prayers were said at each of these “stations” along the path Jesus walked.

• At first the number of stations or stopping points varied widely. But by the 16^th century 14 stations became the fixed number of devotional stops. Of these 14, 8 are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels where 6 are rooted in inferences from the Gospel or from legend.
• In modern times this devotional practice, which moves from the condemnation of Jesus to the tomb, can be seen in almost all Roman Catholic churches throughout the world.

5. GOOD FRIDAY –

• What is Good Friday – why do we call it Good Friday and not bad Friday?
• You may wonder why the day Jesus died is called “Good” Friday. The day seems a lot more bad and sad than good. There is a reason. You see, if Jesus had only suffered and died, then that would have been really sad. There wouldn’t have been anything good about Good Friday. But Jesus didn’t just die. He also rose from the dead on Easter, and that is very good. If Jesus had not died for us on Good Friday, he could not have risen on Easter Sunday. That’s what makes this Friday a Good News Friday.
• It’s probably true that Jesus didn’t have to die on the Cross. He could have chosen to save his own life, but he didn’t. He wanted to show us that he knew what it was like to be human and to suffer like a human. He also wanted to show us that goodness is always bigger, better, and stronger than sin. He did that by rising from the dead to prove that goodness cannot be killed. We don’t call the day good because it’s nice to suffer. It is called good because it is wonderful that Jesus loves us so much that he was willing to die for us. On Good Friday, Jesus clearly became our Redeemer. “Redeemer” means “Savior,” and Jesus saved us from having no hope. He showed us that goodness wins over evil and life conquers death forever!

6. TO DO – OLDER CLASS

• Options
• Read stations 1-2-3
• 1 – John 19:1-3, 5; Luke 23:23; Matthew 27:23-26; Mark 15:11-15
• 2 – John 19:15-17
• 3 – Philippians 2:5-11

You may work in book and act out with shadow play on wall these three stations

· 5 - Jesus is helped by Simon (Luke 23:26; Matthew 11:28-30

· 8 – Jesus speaks to the Women – Luke 23:27-28

· 10 – Jesus is stripped of his garments Luke 23:32-38; Mark 15:24-25

· 11 – Jesus Is nailed to the Cross – Isaiah 53:10-12; John 19:17-18

· 12 – Jesus dies on the Cross – Luke 23:44-46

Make the nail crosses and discuss these stations

· 13 - Jesus Is taken down from the cross – Isaiah 54:4-6, Luke 23:50-54

· 14 – Jesus is laid in the tomb – Luke 23:53-56

Aloe plant and story –

EXTRA

· For older students do the following Bible search at the end so they can review what they have learned.

· Word search (ATTACHED)

· Symbol match sheet (ATTACHED)

CLOSING PRAYER: We praise you, God our Father, and we thank you for your love. You so loved the world that you sent your Son Jesus to be one of us. Because of his death and resurrection we are yours and will be with you forever in heaven. Help us to remember your love each day, and to show our love for you by the way we live. Amen.

BIBLE SEARCH

1. How many false witnesses were needed to lie about Jesus? (Matthew 26:58-61)

2. How many lashes did Jesus receive when the soldiers whipped him? (Deuteronomy 25:1-3 and II Corinthians 11:24)

3. How many pieces of silver did Judas receive to betray Jesus? (Matthew 26:14-16)

4. How many angels did Jesus say could have come to help Him? (Matthew 26:52-54)

5. How many times did Peter deny that he knew Jesus? (Luke 22:33-34, Luke 22:55-62)

6. How many people told Pilate that Jesus was innocent? (Matthew 27:19 and Luke 23:13-15)

7. How many people asked for Barabbas to be freed instead of Jesus? (Luke 23:18-25)

8. How many people helped Jesus carry his cross to Calvary? (Luke 23:26)

9. How many men were crucified with Jesus? (Luke 23:32-33, 39-43)

10. How many times did Jesus speak from the cross? (Luke 23:34 and Luke 23:39-43, John 19:26-27, Mark 15:34, John 19:28, John 19:30, Luke 23:46)

11. How many languages carried the message on the cross? (John 19:19-20)

12. How many soldiers were on duty at Jesus’ cross? (Luke 19:23 and Luke 23:33-34)

13. How many of Jesus’ disciples watched at the cross? (John 19:26-27)

14. How many hours of darkness occurred while Jesus was on the cross? (Matthew 27:45)

15. How many spices are named that were taken for Jesus’ burial? (John 19:38-42)

16. How many women went to the tomb early morning? (Mark 16:1-3)

17. How many angels (and others) praise the Lord throughout Eternity? (Daniel 7:9-10 and Revelation 5:6-13)

BIBLE SEARCH

1. How many false witnesses were needed to lie about Jesus? (Matthew 26:58-61)

2

2. How many lashes did Jesus receive when the soldiers whipped him? (Deuteronomy 25:1-3 and II Corinthians 11:24) 39 (Law allowed for no more than 40…always gave 40-1 so mistake was not make)

3. How many pieces of silver did Judas receive to betray Jesus? (Matthew 26:14-16) 30 (pay for 5 months work)

4. How many angels did Jesus say could have come to help Him? (Matthew 26:52-54) more than 12 legions of angels (Roman army legion = 6,000 men) 12 legions = 72,000 angels

5. How many times did Peter deny that he knew Jesus? (Luke 22:33-34, Luke 22:55-62) 3

6. How many people told Pilate that Jesus was innocent? (Matthew 27:19 and Luke 23:13-15) 3 Pilate’s wife, (dream), King Herod, – Pilate himself “found no guilt in this man”

7. How many people asked for Barabbas to be freed instead of Jesus? (Luke 23:18-25) all the people.

8. How many people helped Jesus carry his cross to Calvary? (Luke 23:26) 1 Simon

9. How many men were crucified with Jesus? (Luke 23:32-33, 39-43) 2

10. How many times did Jesus speak from the cross? (Luke 23:34 and Luke 23:39-43, John 19:26-27, Mark 15:34, John 19:28, John 19:30, Luke 23:46) 7

11. How many languages carried the message on the cross? (John 19:19-20) 3

Greek Hebrew Latin

12. How many soldiers were on duty at Jesus’ cross? (Luke 19:23 and Luke 23:33-

34) 4

13. How many of Jesus’ disciples watched at the cross? (John 19:26-27) 1

14. How many hours of darkness occurred while Jesus was on the cross? (Matthew

27:45) 3 hours noon until 3

15. How many spices are named that were taken for Jesus’ burial? (John 19:38-42) 2

(myrrh and aloe)

16. How many women went to the tomb early morning? (Mark 16:1-3) 3

17. How many angels (and others) praise the Lord throughout Eternity? (Daniel 7:9-10 and Revelation 5:6) (1,000,000,000) plus every creature in heaven and on

earth under earth and in the sea plus you -13) ten thousand times ten

thousand (1 trillion)

YOUNGER CLASS

1. 1 Read

2. 2-3-4 shadow play

3. 8 – PICTURE (COMPLETE FACES

4. 10-11-12 Nail Crosses & discussion

5. 13-14 Plant and story questions

6. EXTRA – EASTER CELEBRATION BANNER & TIME LINE WITH PICTURES