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    • Optional Memory Verse: 

    Today's Theme:

     

     

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    Today's Story:

    		Jesus' Arrest 
    Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22,  John 18 
    Optional Memory verse: 
    		"For God loved the world so much that he gave his only 
    Son. God gave his Son so that whoever believes in him 
    may not be lost, but have eternal life." John 3:16
    International Children's Bible, New Century Version
     
    God wants us to obey, even when it's hard.
    • Materials Needed:
    		Promised Land mat
    Christ figure
    Priest figure, if you have one.
    5 or 6 Fisher Price or similar type men figures
    Optional: 2 or 3 toy soldier figures 
    Scraps of silk flowers and leaves (or real ones) to make a The Garden of Gethsemane
    Hand towel (or something to ball up to put under the Promised Land to make the Mt. of Olives.

     

    • Optional Craft: Plant seeds
    		Since today's story takes place in a garden, bring in:
    		A packet of seeds, 
    Some paper cups,
    Starter soil, and
    Some newspaper,
     Let the kids plant some seeds to take home.

     

    • Game:  Flowers in the garden
    		Tell the kids that today's story takes place in a garden, so you need them to make the garden walls:
    		They can use chairs and arrange them in a square, or 
    anything else that's available arranged in a square.
    		The square needs to be big enough for everyone to sit  inside, along the garden wall.
    They should leave room in the middle for you to tell the story.
    Now we're going to play a game to fill the garden with flowers. And each of you will be one of the flowers.
    		Designate most of the children to be 'flowers' and a few to be gardeners.
    Have the flowers line up at one end of the room.
    Have the gardeners stand around the outside of the garden wall.
    When you say "Into the garden!"  
    		The flowers have to run across the room to the opposite wall without getting tagged by a gardener,
    The gardeners have to try to tag them before they make it to the other side of the room.
    Tagged children have to go into the "garden".
    Repeat switching roles.

     

    •  

    Closing Discussion:

    • Close in Prayer: 

    • Telling the Story:
    		Last week we learned about Jesus' last supper.
    Today we're learning that God wants us to obey Him, even when it's hard.
    Jesus obeyed God even though He didn't want to because it was very hard.
    Listen carefully to find out what Jesus didn't want to do.
    		Lay out the Promised Land mat.
    In today's story Jesus and his disciples are in a garden on a mountain called the Mt. of Olives.
    Let's build a mountain here and put a garden on it.
    		Make a mountain by balling up the hand towel and placing it under the mat near the Dead Sea.
    Let the children place silk flowers and leaves on it to make a garden.
    Place Jesus and 3 man figures on the mountain.
    It's night time. 
    Jesus was very sad.  He said to his disciples, "I'm very troubled.  Sit here while  I pray.  
    Then Jesus walked a little ways away from his disciples to pray.
    		Walk the Christ figure away from the others.
    Then Jesus fell on his face and prayed, 
    "Abba, Father, Please take away this cup of suffering. But not what I want, what you want."
    Jesus was pleading with God to take away the need for him to die on a cross.
    He knew it would be a terrible death and he did not want to go through it.
    While Jesus was praying, his disciples fell asleep.
    		Lay the 3 figures down.
    Jesus got up from praying and walked back to see his disciples.
    		Walk Christ figure back to the disciples.
    But He found them asleep. 
    He woke them up and said,  "Could you not pray with me one hour? Stay awake and pray."
    		Stand the figures back up.
    Then he went back to where he had been and prayed again,
    "My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done."*
    Jesus disciples fell asleep again.
    		Lay the 3 figures down.
    Again Jesus woke them up. 
    		Walk Jesus to them and stand them up.
    Then Jesus went to pray one more time.
    Jesus prayed the same thing. 
    And again the disciples fell asleep.
    		Lay the figures down.
    Jesus went back to His disciples and woke them up one more time.  This time He told them, "The time has come for me to be arrested".
    		Stand other figures up.
    Just then a crowd of priests and some soldiers arrived.
    		Walk 2 or 3 men figures up the mountain to Jesus.
    Jesus' own friend, Judas, was with the crowd. 
    Judas had told the soldiers that he would kiss Jesus so that they would know which man was Jesus.
    So Judas walked right up to Jesus and kissed him.  
    Then the soldiers grabbed Jesus and arrested Him.
    		Place a figure on each side of Jesus.
    One of Jesus' followers had a sword.  He used his sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. 
    But Jesus said, "Stop!" And he reached out and touched the man's ear and healed it. 
    Then all of Jesus' friends ran away.
    		Make the 3 man figures run away down the mountain.
    And the priests and soldiers took Jesus away. 
    		Walk Jesus figure away with the other figures.
    What didn't Jesus want to do?
    		Let people arrest Him so they could kill Him on a cross.
    What did Jesus pray?
    		That He wouldn't have to die on the cross.
    Did God answer Jesus' prayer to take away the suffering?
    		No.  He let Jesus get arrested.
    If God had answered Jesus prayer, then Jesus wouldn't have died on the cross.
    It was better for Jesus to die on the cross so that we can be forgiven for all the wrong things that we do.
    God doesn't always answer our prayers because He always knows what's best for us.
    It was hard for Jesus to obey God.
    Can you think of times when it's hard to obey your Mom or Dad?
    		Going to the dentist or doctor.
    Letting a doctor give you a shot
    Going to visit or play with someone you don't like.
    God wants us to obey even when it's hard.
    Thanking God that Jesus followed God even though He didn't want to,
    Asking God to help us obey Him even when it's hard.

    Optional Snack: Cream cheese with olives and crackers

    Supplemental Bible Readings: 
    (These are also available in the Take Home paper, 'The Home     Sewer'
    (Suggested daily readings)

     

    • Materials Needed: Jesus is Crucified
    		Promised Land mat
    Christ figure
    priest figure
    5 or 6 Fisher Price or similar type men figures
    Optional: 2 or 3 toy soldier figures
    A small cross - You can make one by tying 2 sticks together and mounting it in a lump of play dough.
    black and red construction paper
    scotch tape,
    paper punch
    index cards (1 per child)
    		put a large black dot on 1 card with a black marker
    2 heart pockets :

    Made from from red construction paper:

    		Cut 2 identical hearts about 2 inches each,
    Tape the 2 hearts together at the sides 
    Leave the top open.
    Make another heart pocket about twice the size of the first.
    Paper punch dots:
    		Make black dots from the black construction paper with the paper punch.
    Put them in a baggie to use during story time.
    Optional Snack:
    		Option 1: Cross shaped cookies
    		Optional: kids can decorate them with icing and sprinkles
    Option 2: Cross shaped cheese slices
    		With cross shaped cookie cutters let the kids cut cheese slices into cross shapes.

     

    © 2000 Linda Lawler.  
    Permission granted to copy for personal use only.  Not for resale.

    Home Sower 41    Lesson 42    Home Sower 42    Lesson 43     

    Home Sower 43    Lesson 44    Home Sower 44    Lesson 45    

    Home Sower 45    Lesson 46    Home Sower 46    Lesson 47    

    Home Sower 47    Lesson 48    Home Sower 48

    Lesson 49    Home Sower 49    Lesson 50    Home Sower 50    Lesson 51   

    Home Sower 51    Lesson 52    Home Sower 52

    Hit Counter     

    Lessons 1-12    Lessons 13-27     Lessons 28-33    

    Lessons 34-40    Lessons 41-46    Lessons 47-52